Ivan the Terrible's Retreat NYPL, Rare Books Division

The oprichnina occurred during the latter or “bad” half of the reign of Ivan IV and earned him the epithet “the Terrible.” In this era, the tsar orchestrated a reign of terror directed principally against the boyars, or hereditary aristocracy, with the aim of breaking their influence and power in government. While some boyars aspired to tsarist power and others challenged Ivan because of his misdirected policies, as a group they lacked solidarity, so the need for terror was a product of Ivan’s paranoia. The tsar and his henchmen, called oprichniki, murdered boyars – and their wives, children, and retainers – usually after long and sadistic torture that often took place during church services. The episode shattered Russia’s political, economic, and social life.