Ivan the Terrible and the Making of a Russian Orthodox Empire

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, fused Orthodox Christianity with state-building to create a new kind of empire in Russia. They unpack the symbolism of his coronation as the first tsar in 1547, the role of Metropolitan Makary in crafting a sacred narrative, and the violent logic behind the oprichnina. The conversation covers Ivan's campaign against Kazan, the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral, the mass resettlement of Novgorod, and the contested letters between Ivan and Prince Kurbsky. They also touch on the legend of the Tsar's title as "the Terrible" and what it reveals about the nexus of faith, fear, and political power. Specific terms and concepts include: Ivan IV, Tsar, Moscow, Kremlin, Metropolitan Makary, St. Basil's Cathedral, Kazan, oprichnina, Novgorod, Andrei Kurbsky, Russian Orthodox Church, Third Rome, Pomestie system, Sudebnik of 1550, Stoglav Synod, and the Yermak expedition. #IvanIV #IvanTheTerrible #RussianOrthodoxChurch #Tsar #Oprichnina #Kazan #StBasilsCathedral #Novgorod #AndreiKurbsky #MetropolitanMakary #16thCenturyRussia #EmpireAndFaith #ThirdRome #History #FexingoHistory #ReligionAndEmpire #OrthodoxChristianity #RussianHistory #MauryanEmpire #AshokaTheGreat Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo