Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast. I'm your host Mark Shouse.

Episode 14.

Ivan the 4th, the Early Years, Part 1.

Before we move on to Ivan Vassilievich, we need to retell the story of the

death of his father, Vassili III, and how Ivan became heir to the throne.

Vassili's first wife, Solomonia, was seemingly barren,

and Vassili, having ruled Russia for more than 25 years, needed an heir.

Divorce because of an inability to have a child was not

permitted by the church, so Vassili did what any autocrat with almost

unlimited power would do. He had the head of the church the Metropolitan removed and

replaced him with someone more agreeable to his predicament. Instepped

Metropolitan Daniel, who allowed the divorce to go through, sending Salomonia to a nunnery

in Suzdahl.

He then married the beautiful and much younger Elena, or Helena Glenskaya, with the hopes of having an error before death came.

An interesting side note, Elena Glenskaya had much tartar blood in her,

as did many of the Boyar families. Some in her family claim to have both blood from Rurik and

from Jengath Khan. The divorce though, what condemnation for many who thought it a grand injustice?

One Patriarch Mark of Jerusalem laid a curse on the mooli-wed couple.

He said, quote, if you should do this evil thing, you shall have an evil son.

Your nation shall become prey to terrors and tears.

Rivers of blood will flow. The heads of the mighty will fall. Your

cities will be devoured by flames. As we shall learn in the coming weeks, Patriarch

...