Oprichnik is who? Famous oprichniki in history

Russia's statehood went through many difficult stages, sometimes one was worse than another. The most eerie and dark period in the history of Russia, most historians call the years oprichnina. Oprichnik is a myth, or did it really exist? These ecclesiastical servants had a terrible rumor, they said that they were nonhumans at all, real monsters, "demons in the flesh." So what about the oprichniks, who they really were and why they are told about such really terrible stories?

Forced measures

The emergence of oprichnina is preceded by a number of negative events for Moscow. The Moscow kingdom during this period led the bloody Livonian War. The Livonian conflict is one of the largest military companies of the 16th century in the Baltic region, led by large, influential states in those regions - the Moscow kingdom, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Swedish kingdom, the Danish kingdom. In January 1558, Moscow attacked Livonia. Initially, the Russian troops brought Ivan the Terrible a number of significant victories, Narva, Dorpat and many other cities and villages of the Baltic States were conquered.

In war conditions

For seven years, the Russian state continued a bloody and heavy war with the Livonian state. Not only the Emperor Peter I dreamed of "hacking a window to Europe". Ivan the Terrible also decided to put all the points over the "i" in the seemingly eternal problem of the Russian economy. The beginning of the military company was quite successful for Russia. After the crushing defeat near Ulla, the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops fled to Lithuanians. In connection with the situation, Ivan the Terrible introduced martial law in the country , creating a structure of oprichnism in the state.

Strict selection

At that time in the country the power was not only the king, foreign and domestic policy was influenced by the big feudal lords who were divided into eight nests - in a kindred and allotment way. None of them acted for the good of their country and, of course, they put taxes in their pocket. One feudal lord sometimes had two feudal lords. Only Yaroslavl princes were at that time about eighty. All these princes did not put a penny in the treasury, which greatly angered the Russian tsar. Since there were enough problems in the country, and especially during the war, the tsar needed to solve this feudal problem. In 1565 on January 3, Ivan the Terrible announced that he was renouncing the throne because of anger at the nobles. After such a shocking announcement, thousands of people gathered and went to the king to beg him to return to the throne and again lead the country. Already exactly a month later the Russian Tsar announced that he would return to the government, but already with the right to execute the boyars without trial and trial, tax them with taxes, and deprive them of their property. All the rest of the state had to give the zemstvo. To all this he added that he was introducing oprichnina in the country. In it he defined the individual boyars, men and servants. Therefore, the oprichnik is a person who has certain powers and carries out orders directly from the king himself. To keep the oprichnina the tsar ordered certain cities: Great Ustyug, Vologda, Suzdal, Vyazma, Kozelsk, Medyn, and others.

The essence of oprichnina

Oprichnik is a person who took on the function of a lightning rod, deprived the prince of power, the feudal lord in a certain region. Ivan the Terrible acted very artfully, thus killing two birds with one stone. He stripped the arbitrariness of the nobles and distributed the remaining lands conquered in the Baltic States. The meaning of the word oprichnik is "a person who is in office with the tsar in the ranks of his supporters".

Black Guardsmen

Oprichnik is the personal guard of the tsar, in which not only mature husbands were recruited, but also boyar children, and elected nobles. The main condition under which selection was made was the absence of related, blood ties with noble persons of the nobility. All that Ivan the Terrible demanded from his people is unquestioning obedience. The most important for domestic policy was the oprichnik. Its significance was narrowly focused and somewhat reminiscent of the function of special forces in our time.

Combat Collisions

Since the princes had in their command of combat serfs (a detachment of soldiers guarding the interests of their master), to deprive the land of this nobleman was not an easy matter. Here and there appeared the "black horseman" - oprichnik. The definition of the word we gave a little higher. The nature of his studies was essentially the strengthening of the king's unified power and the murder of those who disagree with this. Often they are described as cowardly and vile people. But not all were such, among the oprichniki there were good commanders, and field commanders. There was a case: when the Livonian town was taken, the army under the command of Prince Tyufyakin stood near the fortress and began to "argue", the reluctance to attack and the constant excuses angered the tsar, and he sent the oprichnik there, who, showing the royal decree, removed from command the army of Tyufyakin and his Assistants, and he undertook to lead the assault on the men.

Dog head and broom

Modern historians describe the personal protection of the king as follows. A man dressed in all black, with a syringe attached to the saddle and a broom behind his back. The head symbolized that the young oprichnik would sniff out treachery, and sweep her with a broom. This was not entirely true. Yes, the oprichnik was dressed in a black caftan, as they were a kind of order and dressed accordingly. As for the carrion - a complete nonsense, on a hot day with a severed head is not particularly clear up. For the first time this information appeared from foreigners who, most likely, made an analogy with the Dominican monks, this symbol was the head of a dog that adorned the gates of the monastery. Why the head of a dog? Dominicans called themselves dogs of the Lord. They, like the oprichniks, investigated crimes (against faith), and, perhaps, this was the reason for the appearance of such an analogy. And the broom was not quite a broom. As a sign of their belonging to the chosen caste of the tsar, the oprichniks wore a woolen brush at their waists - a broom sweeping treachery.

Hard facts

During the oprichnina, a lot of people died, to say how many - it is precisely not possible till now. Oprichnik is a murderer, through whose fault at least 6,000 people died. It is this figure called the historian Skrynnikov.

Oprichniks

Those terrible years are characterized by many as a period of repression and arbitrariness. And, of course, there are the most famous oprichniki, which were remembered most of all by their deeds.

Fedor Basmanov is the son of the oprichnik Alexei Danilovich. About Fedor went rumor that he was the lover of Ivan the Terrible himself, in particular, refer to the stories of foreigners. Reflected the Tatar attack on Ryazan. In 1569 he commanded the oprichnina troops in the south of the country. Was awarded the award.

Malyuta Skuratov - oprichnik, the main villain, who received his nickname because of small growth. He was the head of oprichnina. He began his journey from the lowest position, but, due to his cruelty, he reached great heights. He was famous for loving to conduct inquiries with passion. He was more like a murderer than an oprichnik. He died in battle in 1573.

Athanasius Vyazemsky is another famous oprichnik. He had a special status with the tsar, they even said that he was a favorite of Ivan the Terrible and enjoyed unlimited confidence. It was so strong that the king, taking the medicine prepared by the personal physician of Grozny by Lensay, only took the hands of Athanasius Viazemsky. In times of severe repression, Vyazemsky, together with Malyuta Skuratov, was at the head of the oprichniks. Vyazemsky ended his earthly existence during the torture, accused of collusion with the enemies of the Russians and the desire to transfer Pskov to Lithuania.

Mikhail Temryukovich Cherkassky is a prince. In Muscovy came in 1556 year. Obeying the will of his father, he became baptized and became one of the princes. Oprichnikom Mikhail became due to his valiant company against the Tatars and sister Mary, who also associated him with Tsar Ivan the Terrible. After some time, Prince Cherkassky gained sufficient influence at the court of the Moscow Tsar.

Officially, among the oprichniki, Mikhail Cherkassky was mentioned since September 1567. He, like all the important figures of the personal guard of the tsar, actively participated in the tortures of the monarchs disliked by the monarch. In May, Cherkassky was executed for allegedly treason, and one of the popular versions says that he was even set on a stake.