Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast episode number 15

Ivan the 4th the early years part 2

with her uncle prince Mikhail Galinsky out of the way, Elena, Ivan the fourth mother, and her

lover, Prince Ivan Obelensky, became the real power in Russia.

But in the background, a number of Boyar families were plotting against each other and Ivan's mother.

The Boyar Council with 15 members who were asked by Ivan's father Vassili III to watch over his son had two powerful families within,

the Belskis and the Shrewiskeys, both arch enemies.

The Belskis were descendants of Ivan III through one of his daughters, as well as having

blood relatives from the Grand Princes of Lithuania and Zriazan.

The Shrewiskeys, who were noted for their violent and predatory nature, descended from the

Grand Princes of Nizhny Novgorod, who came under the influence of the Grand Prince of Moscow

in the early part of the 15th century, something that boiled

under their skin.

Elena was now despised by many of the Boyars because of her murder of Prince Andrew, Vassili's brother, and all the other

princes and Boiars her regime arrested, tortured, and executed.

On April 4, 1538, the one thing that Prince Obelinski feared happened.

The young regent, Ivan's mother, dies after complaining about severe stomach pains.

There have been debates amongst Russian historians as to whether she was poisoned or not.

My opinion is that it looks awfully suspicious, as she was only 28 when she died,

although appendicitis has been suggested and would be consistent with the stomach pain.

The historian Natalia Pushkareva in her book Women in Russian History puts forth a theory

that the Shrieski's were behind the poisoning. Whatever the reason for her death, this was not a good thing for

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