The opritchnina is a territory created in Russia by Ivan IV in 1564 in which it holds an absolute capacity. Thereafter, this word will become a pitiless synonym of capacity and without limits.

Context

The December 3rd 1564, Ivan the Terrible leaves Moscow, without nominating person to lead the State, and will settle in the suburb of Alexandrov with the tsarina Maria Temrioukovna, the tsarévitchs and all the familiar ones of the court. The January 3rd 1565, it addresses to the métropolite of Moscow, Athanase, a missive in which it describes treasons of the boyards and announces its intention to abdicate.

A delegation, made up of the métropolite, boyards and merchants, goes to Alexandrov to ask him to return on the throne. Ivan lays down only one condition, which one agrees to leave him an unlimited capacity. The clergy must thus give up its right to intercede in favor of people fallen in disgrace, and the boyards with the guarantees of an equitable justice. The delegation accepts the condition and, one month later, the tsar returns to Moscow.

The installation of the opritchnina

The same month, a ukase of the tsar divides Moscovie into two territories: the zemchtchina preserves the old administration tsarist and the opritchnina (the " réserve") where Ivan holds a capacity without limits. Consequently occasion, it creates the opritchiniki, a troop of elites which must obey to him the finger and the eye. These men, that the people call the satanic troop , are vêtus of black, and a brush and a head of dog are fixed on their saddle. They are carried out by boyards which swear only by Ivan. They have as a name Alexis Basmanov, Athanase Viazemski and Maliouta Skouratov.

The system of the opritchnina lasts of 1565 with 1572, seven years during which Ivan endeavors to destroy its adversaries and to break the old system of government which does not agree to him. Repression makes that some boyards encourage even the Lithuanie to intervene to reverse it. This one intercepts the messages and intensifies what it is necessary well to call of the purgings. The métropolite Philippe tries to intercede in favor of the prisoners. It is stopped and assassinated. Ivan is also baited on the Staritski: his Eufrossinia cousin and the son of this one, Vladimir, are constrained to poison themselves.

In 1570, Ivan discovers that the wire of the " complot" go back to Novgorod. Its opritchniks plunders, sets fire to and destroys the city. Of return to Moscow, the satanic troop attacks notable not titrated and is put to massacre them. The same year, Ivan believes that its faithful assistants, Alexis Basmanov and Athanase Viazemski, try to betray it. They are carried out at once.

End of the opritchnina

Ivan the Terrible starts to doubt the utility of the opritchnina after the executions of Alexis Basmanov and Athanase Viazemski. Members of its troop of elite, charged to ensure its safety, were convinced of treason. The death of his third wife, Marfa Sobakina, convinces fifteen I bear after the weddings, it that only opritchniks could poison it. The troop then includes/understands 6000 men who plunder without shame the grounds of the zemchtchina without Ivan giving the authorization of it.

In spring 1571, the Tatars of the Crimea invade Russia and arrive to Moscow which they set fire to partly, without the opritchniks not raising the little finger to defend the city. Ivan suspects them of having betrayed it with the profit of the khan of the Crimea.

It then decides to prevail. In July 1572, new a ukase abolishes the system of the opritchnina , the troop of the opritchniks is dissolved. The grounds of old the opritchnina are amalgamated with those of the zemchtchina and the former owners are requested to take again their grounds.

Consequences

The Russian historians believe that the terror of the opritchnina made nearly 10.000 died. Peasants were obliged to emigrate towards quieter areas. The trade was destroyed, the ruined country. The Russian economy felt some during years.

Thereafter, Pierre Large the and Joseph Stalin will take example of Ivan the Terrible and his system to make their own purgings.

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