Read Online THE WORLD'S MOST EVIL PEOPLE (True Crime) by Rodney Castleden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rodney Castleden
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like Furies on anyone who was suspected of opposing Ivan and slaughtered them. Ivan used them, among other things, to settle scores dating back to his childhood. Anyone he could remember thwarting him during his early years was marked for a visit by the black riders. More than 4,000 aristocrats were murdered in this way, including the entire Staritsky family; they were relatives of Ivan’s, but because of this they were potential rivals too. When the leader of the Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Philip, condemned the oprichniki attacks and withheld his blessing from the Tsar, with ruthless inevitability the black riders came for him and executed him.
Throughout history, dictators have behaved in this way, getting underlings to commit their murders for them. Ivan was unusual in wanting to take part himself. He joined in orgies of rape, torture and killing.
The peak of Ivan the Terrible’s terrible reign came when he was informed that the city leaders of Novgorod, at that time the second city of Russia, were planning to rebel. Ivan’s rage knew no bounds. He did not bother to check whether his informant was telling him the truth, which he probably was not, but summoned the black riders and rode to Novgorod with them. First they pillaged the monasteries and homes of the aristocracy of the area, laying waste to the lands within 50 miles of the city. Then he built a wooden wall round Novgorod to prevent anyone from escaping. For the five weeks that followed, he and his men systematically slaughtered everyone inside the wall. Nor was the killing quick and merciful. Sometimes families were forced to watch while fathers, husbands or wives were tortured. Women were roasted alive on spits. Ivan joined in with relish. He mounted a horse, took a spear and rode about, running people through as if it were a sport.
Russian historians have been keen to keep alive the memory of a great king, and have put the death toll at Novgorod at 2,000, but historians in the West put it at 60,000. Ivan’s savagery at Novgorod, and his similar treatment of Pskov on a similar pretext, had the effect of suppressing opposition. Many who knew they had become suspects killed themselves rather than risk the unimaginably horrible death that Ivan would inflict on them. When Ivan invaded the adjacent state of Livonia, one doomed garrison that was under siege blew itself up rather than risk falling into Ivan’s hands.
In 1572, Ivan suddenly disbanded the black riders, and forbade any future mention of their existence. Unpredictability and capriciousness are hallmarks of the dictator. No-one is wholly evil. Most ordinary people keep their shadow side well hidden most of the time, and it only occasionally appears. With dictators it is the shadow side that is on show much of the time, and just occasionally the other side, the light, shines through. Ivan was probably a manic depressive, with bouts of frenzied sadism alternating with periods of static religious depression. During these religious phases, he would wear sackcloth and publicly confess his sins. Perhaps it was real, deep-seated shame that brought the six-year reign of terror to an end. Perhaps there was no need to go on because all Ivan’s enemies were dead; but that had not stopped him killing thousands of imaginary enemies. Perhaps there was a more political reason. Perhaps it was an attack from outside Russia that caused him to call off the debilitating internal revenge attacks; the Turks were advancing from the south.
It is hard to see how a state can survive such destructive leadership. Ivan survived partly because he had the Orthodox Church’s support. While Western Europe was going through the challenge of Protestantism, and the trauma of the Reformation was in full swing, Ivan was allowing no protest of any kind in Russia, and would maintain the status quo. Ivan took a predictably tough line on religious dissent, with the depressingly familiar burnings for heresy, and in this way he bought
Throughout history, dictators have behaved in this way, getting underlings to commit their murders for them. Ivan was unusual in wanting to take part himself. He joined in orgies of rape, torture and killing.
The peak of Ivan the Terrible’s terrible reign came when he was informed that the city leaders of Novgorod, at that time the second city of Russia, were planning to rebel. Ivan’s rage knew no bounds. He did not bother to check whether his informant was telling him the truth, which he probably was not, but summoned the black riders and rode to Novgorod with them. First they pillaged the monasteries and homes of the aristocracy of the area, laying waste to the lands within 50 miles of the city. Then he built a wooden wall round Novgorod to prevent anyone from escaping. For the five weeks that followed, he and his men systematically slaughtered everyone inside the wall. Nor was the killing quick and merciful. Sometimes families were forced to watch while fathers, husbands or wives were tortured. Women were roasted alive on spits. Ivan joined in with relish. He mounted a horse, took a spear and rode about, running people through as if it were a sport.
Russian historians have been keen to keep alive the memory of a great king, and have put the death toll at Novgorod at 2,000, but historians in the West put it at 60,000. Ivan’s savagery at Novgorod, and his similar treatment of Pskov on a similar pretext, had the effect of suppressing opposition. Many who knew they had become suspects killed themselves rather than risk the unimaginably horrible death that Ivan would inflict on them. When Ivan invaded the adjacent state of Livonia, one doomed garrison that was under siege blew itself up rather than risk falling into Ivan’s hands.
In 1572, Ivan suddenly disbanded the black riders, and forbade any future mention of their existence. Unpredictability and capriciousness are hallmarks of the dictator. No-one is wholly evil. Most ordinary people keep their shadow side well hidden most of the time, and it only occasionally appears. With dictators it is the shadow side that is on show much of the time, and just occasionally the other side, the light, shines through. Ivan was probably a manic depressive, with bouts of frenzied sadism alternating with periods of static religious depression. During these religious phases, he would wear sackcloth and publicly confess his sins. Perhaps it was real, deep-seated shame that brought the six-year reign of terror to an end. Perhaps there was no need to go on because all Ivan’s enemies were dead; but that had not stopped him killing thousands of imaginary enemies. Perhaps there was a more political reason. Perhaps it was an attack from outside Russia that caused him to call off the debilitating internal revenge attacks; the Turks were advancing from the south.
It is hard to see how a state can survive such destructive leadership. Ivan survived partly because he had the Orthodox Church’s support. While Western Europe was going through the challenge of Protestantism, and the trauma of the Reformation was in full swing, Ivan was allowing no protest of any kind in Russia, and would maintain the status quo. Ivan took a predictably tough line on religious dissent, with the depressingly familiar burnings for heresy, and in this way he bought
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