Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast.

Episode number 18.

Ivan Grozny unleashed.

Last episode, Ivan the 4th had finally conquered the fortified Tartar city of Kazan, freeing

thousands of Russian slaves and ridding his country of a formidable threat. Another important event followed the victory,

which was the birth of Ivan's son Dimitri,

the heir to the throne of Russia.

Ivan was now assured that the Rurikid line, almost 600 years old, was secure.

But something had changed in Ivan with the conquest of Kazan.

He believed that it was his prayers and his closeness to God that won the day.

Not the German demolition experts who blew the holes in the 20-foot thick walls of Kazan.

Not the brilliant generals whose battle plans sealed the fate of the tartar inhabitants,

and certainly not the brave soldiers who fought fiercely against the enemy.

No, in his mind, Ivan was the reason Kazan had been vanquished.

Sylvester, Ivan's religious mentor, had set the stage for this belief. In the early years, the connection to God helped to rein in the

young Ivan, but now in his 20s it was not a blanket on his contained the raging beast within.

Prince Kurbsky, Alexi Adishev, and Sylvester

had the ear of the Tsar, and he still

trusted them implicitly.

Prince Kurbsky advised Ivan to stay in Kazan as he knew that while the Tartos had been seriously

injured, they were still out there and remained dangerous.

The conates of Astrahan and Crimea were still a threat as well.

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