Welcome to the Russian rulers podcast episode 16 the coronation and marriage of Ivan the fourth. In last week's episode we recounted the at times horrific childhood of Ivan the fourth leading up to the

murderer of chief antagonist Prince Andre Schuiski.

This week we see the beginning of Ivan's retribution for the years of abuse.

The Shushiskeys were out of favor and the Varonstow family was in, which, as we shall find out, could be a dangerous thing. But now, Ivan,

still a mere boy of 14, needed to let loose. Stories were told of times when he and his friends would run through the streets of Moscow,

beating people up, robbing merchants, and generally acting like hooligans.

This after all was his Moscow, his Russia, and he could do as he pleased, and there was no one who would ever again tell him what to do.

After a childhood of being abused, it was his time to become

the abuser.

After turning 15, Ivan was about to head out on his annual pilgrimage to the Troitsa Sergeiovsky Monastery

where he became angry with one Afanasi Bertulin, a son of a well-known noble family, because the boy supposedly had said

some rude words to Ivan.

He ordered the young man's tongue cut out as a punishment to fit the crime. As often happened in his reign,

Ivand was to feel a sense of guilt as years later he invited Bertoulin to join his boy or

counsel. Once at the He invited Bertoulin to join his Boyar Council.

Once at the Monastery, Ivangan gave numerous gifts of money to the monks and to the monastery as well

as supplying them with ample grain for the upcoming winter.

I have infrequently patronized churches and monasteries, probably to atone for his many sins.

In his book, Zars, James Duffy calls Ivan's personality,

Janis-like, two-faced.

One an unruly ruffian, and the other of studious youth well versed in numerous languages, a writer,

musician, and expert horseman.

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