Ivan the Terrible

Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич, tr. Ivan Vasilevich; 25 August 1530 – 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Ива́н Гро́зный​ (help·info), Ivan Grozny), was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one thousand million acres, approximately 4,046,856 km² (1,562,500 sq mi).^[2] Ivan managed countless changes in the progression from a medieval state to an empire and emerging regional power, and became the first ruler to be crowned as Tsar of All the Russians.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan the Terrible
• http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his241/notes/deadtsars.html