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Explore the history of Ivan the Terrible's oprichniks, their role, lifestyle, and impact on Russian society during the Oprichnina period.
Key Takeaways
- The oprichniks were a unique force combining religious zealotry with political repression.
- Ivan the Terrible used the oprichniks to break the power of the traditional aristocracy and consolidate his rule.
- Their brutal methods and loyalty to the Tsar made them feared across Russia.
- Despite their initial success, the oprichniks became uncontrollable and militarily ineffective.
- The Oprichnina period marked a turning point in Russian autocracy and state violence.
What the video covers
- Ivan the Terrible created the oprichniks in 1565 as a private army loyal only to him, bypassing traditional aristocracy.
- The oprichniks were recruited from lesser nobles and commoners, forming a religious-like brotherhood with strict loyalty to the Tsar.
- They wore black uniforms with dog heads and brooms as symbols of their mission to eliminate treason.
- Ivan established the Oprichnina, a personal domain governed by the oprichniks, funded by special taxes on the rest of Russia (zemshchina).
- The oprichniks carried out night raids, confiscations, and executions to suppress the boyars and enforce the Tsar's will.
- Their lifestyle combined deep religious devotion with brutal political terror and violent feasts marked by grim bravado.
- Ivan’s political conflict with the aristocracy led to widespread purges, with thousands executed or punished under the oprichniks.
- The oprichniks’ power and chaos eventually undermined the state, leading to their disbandment before Ivan’s death.
- Notable oprichnik commanders included Malyuta Skuratov and Dmitry Khvorostinin, who played key roles in military and political actions.
- The oprichniks left a lasting dark legacy in Russian history, symbolizing ruthless autocracy and state terror.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Oprichnik Origins
- 01:25Ivan’s Conflict with the Aristocracy
- 02:44Social and Political Context
- 04:02Recruitment and Structure of the Oprichnina
- 05:28Oprichnik Operations and Symbols
- 06:47Oprichnina Court and Lifestyle
- 08:07Political Terror and Executions
- 09:21Notable Commanders and Military Actions
- 13:44Decline and Disbandment of the Oprichnina
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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Ivan the Terrible’s oprichniks became legendary for their ferocity and fanaticism. But how did they actually live?
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Who were they, and how were they recruited? How much were they paid? What kind of weapons did they carry, and what motivated them personally? Were they all executioners – and how many people did they ultimately kill? Let’s try to figure that out today.
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In 1565, Ivan the Terrible created a force unlike anything seen before –
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essentially his own private army. He filled its ranks with people personally loyal to him, without regard for hierarchy, noble birth, or connections. These men bore little resemblance to the traditional royal court; they were more like a kind of religious order. Among the people, they were known as the “Tsar’s men,”
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though the name oprichniks only appeared later. By the middle of his reign, Ivan’s relationship with the old aristocracy had turned openly hostile. He ruthlessly stripped the boyars and princes of their privileges – and, when necessary, of their lives. The Livonian War had dragged on, and Ivan blamed his close advisers
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for the failures, which naturally caused unrest at court. Some courtiers fell out of favor, while others fled before punishment could reach them – like the famous Prince Kurbsky, who escaped to Lithuania and sent Ivan long political letters from exile. All those who suffered from the Tsar’s wrath
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were bound by kinship or friendship to other noble families. With each passing day, the court’s attitude toward the Tsar grew worse and worse. And then Ivan the Terrible made a shocking political move: he left the capital for the Alexandrov Sloboda near Moscow and from there publicly accused the boyars of embezzlement,
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sabotage, and shirking their duties. In essence, he declared war on the aristocracy. He made it clear, however, that he had no complaints against ordinary people. It was the noble elites who had so exasperated him that he was “forced” to abdicate. The message was obvious: I’m a good Tsar, our people are wonderful,
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but the boyars are the problem. The people understood him perfectly – and declared that they were ready for anything, even to slaughter the boyars, just to bring the Tsar back. The move caught the aristocracy completely off guard.
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They didn’t have time to agree on a common strategy – and even if they had, they could hardly have done so, being too busy with petty feuds and intrigues that would put Game of Thrones to shame. Lower down the social ladder,
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people were much more united. Some sincerely believed the Tsar was their protector; others held grudges against the boyars; and some simply realized that many positions were about to open up – a great opportunity for career advancement. Ivan the Terrible had cornered the boyars,
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leaving them no choice but to humble themselves before him. The Tsar then laid down his conditions. First, the boyars had to acknowledge his absolute right to punish or pardon anyone he wished. Second, Ivan carved out for himself a personal domain – the so-called Oprichnina. This domain covered a significant portion of the country,
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including parts of Moscow itself. To govern this new realm and enforce his policies locally, he established a personal royal court, which became the foundation of a special oprichnina guard. The guard’s main mission was simple: to eradicate anything the Tsar deemed treason. What followed
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was an operation Ivan grimly called “the sorting of the little people.” The Tsar and his closest confidants personally interrogated the provincial nobles from the territories that became part of the Oprichnina.
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They questioned them about their origins and connections – not only their own, but also, for instance, those of their wives. High birth and powerful ties were seen not as advantages, but as potential liabilities.
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The Oprichnina’s core was made up of lesser-born nobles personally loyal to the Tsar and unconnected to the old elite. There were some members of the traditional aristocracy as well, but most were men like the legendary Malyuta Skuratov, who before the Oprichnina had been a low-ranking serviceman.
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The Tsar’s men understood perfectly that Ivan had given them, as we’d say today, an efficient social elevator. They valued that – and went out of their way to prove worthy of his trust. The Oprichnina guard had a kind of uniform – coarse, simple black garments. Their distinctive emblems
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were dog heads and brooms fastened to their saddles, symbolizing their duty to “bite the traitors like dogs and sweep away treason like a broom.” The number of oprichniks grew rapidly – from a few hundred to about 5,000. Those who didn’t make the cut
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were swiftly expelled from Oprichnina territory. The rest of the country, not belonging personally to Ivan, was called the zemshchina. To fund the Oprichnina, the zemshchina was immediately burdened with a special tax.
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Night raids, confiscations, executions – whatever the Tsar ordered, the oprichniks carried out instantly. They worked fast, appeared without warning, and always brought surprises. Practically an early version of an express delivery service.
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A special residence was built for the Oprichnina court in the area of what is now Vozdvizhenka Street in Moscow. The palace didn’t last long – it was burned down by the Crimean Tatars during their raid on Moscow in 1571. But the place had already gained a dark reputation. Ivan the Terrible’s cruelty
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was paired with deep religious devotion, and the life of his oprichniks was organized like that of a monastic brotherhood.
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In fact, they were often referred to as the brotherhood. Their day began with morning prayers in church – sometimes the Tsar himself would ring the bells. Ivan had the finest choir singers at his disposal and was a true connoisseur of church music. Attendance at services was strongly encouraged. Paradoxically,
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this display of piety didn’t stop the oprichniks from throwing raucous feasts with massive amounts of meat, bread, and drink. These gatherings were filled with grim bravado and dark humor – as black as the oprichniks’ coats. Showing contempt for death and suffering – one’s own and others’ –
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was considered a mark of good tone. The feasts themselves were quite dangerous. Ivan the Terrible was known for his theatrical self-deprecation, often pretending to humble himself in front of others. But anyone who took that performance too seriously could pay dearly for it – sometimes with their life. A feast could end
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with an execution, though not always. And what did the oprichniks do when they weren’t praying or feasting? Their main duty was political terror. Toward the end of his life, Ivan ordered the creation of what was called the Synodicon of the Condemned – a list of all those he had ordered executed.
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It included roughly 3,000 to 4,000 people, but the list was compiled rather haphazardly. Many victims weren’t even named – they were simply counted: “so many were dealt with,” meaning killed. So the real number of executions was probably higher. Moreover, by all accounts, the oprichniks
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For example, Prince Alexander Gorbaty-Shuisky was accused of plotting to kill the Tsar. He and his son were both executed – beheaded. The boyar Ivan Chelyadnin, suspected of organizing a coup, met a more theatrical end: Ivan ordered him to dress as the Tsar, bowed to him,
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and then stabbed him to death. His body was thrown onto a garbage heap. Chelyadnin’s estates were looted, and his entire family was wiped out. Even Metropolitan Philip Kolychev became one of the oprichniks’ victims.
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He condemned the Oprichnina as an institution – and for that, he was strangled by the most ruthless of Ivan’s men, Malyuta Skuratov.
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The official report claimed that the Metropolitan had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The name Malyuta inspired terror and quickly became synonymous with the Oprichnina itself. His real name was Grigory – Malyuta was a nickname, and no one knows for sure where it came from. There are many theories: maybe he was the youngest son, or short in stature,
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or perhaps he often said the phrase “Molyu tya…” (“I beg you…”). He came either from a poor noble family or from no noble background at all. Within the Oprichnina, he rose from the very bottom to become head of the investigative office that handled all cases of treason – thanks entirely to his utter ruthlessness.
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It was Malyuta who led the investigation against Prince Vladimir of Staritsa, one of the last appanage princes in Russia. The prince was an obvious target – he was considered too popular and too independent.
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Malyuta accused him of plotting to poison the Tsar, and extracted both a confession, the supposed poison, and a bribe allegedly paid for the assassination – from the court cook. Malyuta then killed the cook himself before the investigation or the prince’s execution was even over, just to tie up loose ends. Malyuta was also one of the main initiators
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of the punitive campaign against Novgorod the Great – a large-scale Oprichnina operation launched after informers claimed that the Archbishop of Novgorod and local boyars were planning to defect to Lithuania.
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The oprichniks surrounded the city and, after a brief “investigation,” executed about 1,500 people they deemed suspicious.
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According to legend, that’s when the saying appeared: “The Tsar isn’t as frightening as his Malyuta.” Interestingly, the oprichniks are remembered mainly as executioners, yet they were still servicemen – members of the military class. The bulk of Russia’s army at that time consisted of the pomestnaya konnitsa –
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the land-based cavalry. The system was simple: you served, and in return received a land grant with peasants.
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The income from it allowed you to buy your own weapons, horse, armor, and supplies. Servicemen were generally not wealthy.
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Like the rest of the army, the oprichniks went to war wearing quilted or chainmail armor, armed with sabers and bows.
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One of their most notable commanders was Dmitry Khvorostinin – a kind of opposite to Malyuta Skuratov.
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Khvorostinin stayed out of politics and took no part in executions or looting. Instead, he proved to be a capable military leader, dedicating himself mainly to defending the southern borders of the state from Crimean Tatar raids.
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Khvorostinin wasn’t from a particularly noble family, and the Oprichnina gave him a chance to rise through the ranks.
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For instance, he played a leading role in one of the most important battles in Russian history – the Battle of Molodi. In 1572, a massive army led by Khan Devlet-Girey marched from Crimea toward Russia. The Khan had grown so arrogant that this time he wasn’t aiming for a typical raid for captives,
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but for the restoration of the Mongol-style yoke of the Golden Horde, and even received financial backing from the Ottoman Sultan for it.
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Khvorostinin was one of two commanders tasked with stopping the Tatars using a mixed force of Oprichnina and zemshchina troops, along with a detachment of German mercenaries. He won the Battle of Molodi, and the defeat of the Crimean army was so devastating that not only was most of it destroyed, but the Khan’s own son and grandson
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were killed as well. So there were victories too. But for the most part, the oprichniks weren’t very good soldiers.
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They were chosen for loyalty, not skill, and when real military professionalism was required, the results were often poor. A typical example is the career of oprichnik Vasily Tyomkin-Rostovsky. In 1568, he traveled to the Solovetsky Monastery looking for dirt on Metropolitan Philip. He interrogated the monks for a long time and,
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using threats, bribes, and torture, eventually found someone willing to testify. His “success” was rewarded, and Tyomkin-Rostovsky rose through the Oprichnina hierarchy. But in 1571, a year before the battle with the Tatars, he was put in charge of defending Moscow from yet another invasion by the same Khan. He failed completely.
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Moscow was burned to the ground, and the Tatars carried off thousands of Muscovites into slavery. Even the dreaded Oprichnina Palace was destroyed in the fire. As punishment, Tyomkin-Rostovsky was executed along with his only son – though that was little comfort to anyone. Ivan the Terrible abolished the Oprichnina
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just as suddenly as he had introduced it. In 1570, his own favorites – the high-ranking oprichniks, father and son Basmanov, along with their associate Afanasy Vyazemsky – suddenly found themselves under investigation.
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They were accused of plotting to hand over Novgorod and Pskov to Lithuania and to assassinate Ivan the Terrible himself.
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It was the standard set of charges. Around three hundred people, mostly oprichniks, were supposed to be executed in connection with the case, but the Tsar pardoned more than half of them. Interestingly, before sentencing, the accused were whipped until they turned over to the treasury all the wealth they had amassed during their careers. The investigation was led
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by the ever-surviving Malyuta, who personally cut off the main suspect’s ear. Others suffered as well – for example, a streltsy commander named Nikita Golokhvastov was strapped to a barrel of gunpowder “to see how well he could fly.” By that point, Nikita had already taken monastic vows, seeking refuge from disgrace, but Ivan dragged him
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out of the monastery and said that since he was so pious, he’d be helped to ascend to heaven like an angel. This marked the de facto end of the Oprichnina. In 1572, the Tsar’s “chosen men” were disbanded, and even the word Oprichnina itself was banned under threat of flogging.
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Ivan had grown tired of the dog heads and brooms – and realized that the Oprichnina army had become too large, chaotic, and uncontrollable. It no longer served any purpose and was now undermining the state. Militarily, the oprichniks had proven a complete failure. Most likely,
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Malyuta Skuratov himself would soon have met the same fate – but in 1573 he conveniently died in battle against the Swedes while storming a fortress somewhere in present-day Estonia. There’s another curious aspect to the history of the Oprichnina. At first glance, it seems like a barbaric, senseless invention
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of a mad ruler. But on closer inspection, it fits into a broader European pattern. The natural enemy of any monarch striving for absolute power was not the common man, but the high-born aristocrat – the one with enough wealth,
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connections, and influence to rival the throne. Monarchs across Western Europe – from France to Sweden – likewise relied on peasants, townsfolk, and the lesser nobility in their struggle against the great aristocrats.
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Though, of course, in their case, it didn’t involve brooms and dog heads. [music]
Topics:Ivan the TerribleoprichniksOprichninaRussian historyboyarspolitical terrorTsarist RussiaMalyuta SkuratovDmitry Khvorostininstate repression
