Welcome to a slap shot edition of the Russian rulers podcast. Today's subject, The Operichtina.

Over the past few podcasts about Ivan the Terrible, I talk about the Oprah Chishina, but really, what was it?

Was it the brainchild of a raving madman to gain revenge for the years of abuse he suffered? Or was it a brilliant, yet brutal measure that needed to be

taken in order to rid Russia of the structures in society that held it back from being a powerhouse

in world politics? As you shall see, the answer is yes, to both.

First let's start with answering the question, what was the opprich Nina?

Ivan, you might remember, had left Moscow to go to his hunting lodge and had basically told

the people of the city that he was going to advocate the throne. He made demands that the Boyers agreed to

that a portion of Russia would be made his sole domain. This sectioning of Russia

was not a continuous division of land, but special sections carved out, including

a part of Moscow.

The other part, to be under control of the Boyarduma and the official old group and it was known as the Zemschina.

The Oprah Shniki, the political police, were part of the muscle needed by Ivan to carry out his orders

were typically lower-class citizens many of whom were criminals. Dressed in

black, riding black horses, their numbers went from 1,000 in the beginning to over 6,000 at their peak.

They had one sole purpose in life, to destroy anyone considered to be an enemy of the Tsar, and that they did with relish and

zeal. I've already covered what they did in my previous podcast on Ivan, so I won't belabor the subject but I will say that what they did was not only to take from the boyars but also from the peasants common villagers merchants, they just took what they wanted and when

they wanted. The fear they drove into the hearts of all Russia was incalculable. Now, must be said the Uprichnina was not a unique moment in history or strictly

a Russian event. Louis the 11th and France and Henry the 8th and England were constantly at war with their

prospective aristocracies. Also some historians like Platinov believe that

Ivan really tried to enact mild reforms to change the Boyar's control over the

Russian lands, but that he was forced to accuse increasingly cruel and brutish

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