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Ivan the Terrible's Oprichnina: Terror Before the Romanovs
Before the Romanovs took the throne, Ivan IV—better known as Ivan the Terrible—reshaped Russia with a terrifying experiment in state terror. This episode of The Romanov Dynasty podcast explores the Oprichnina, the shadow state Ivan created in 1565. Lucas and Luna delve into how Ivan divided Russia into two zones: the Oprichnina, ruled directly by him, and the Zemshchina, left to the boyars. They discuss the Oprichniki—Ivan's black-robed, dog-headed secret police—and their violent campaigns against Novgorod and the boyar elite. The episode examines the roots of autocratic power, the…
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