John IV Vasilyevich (Ivan the Terrible) - Grand Duke of Moscow and All Russia, the first tsar of All Russia. Grozny became the ruler of Russia at the age of 3, ruled with the participation of the regency council - the "Chosen Rada".
For the whole of Russian history, the strengthening of autocratic power and the Russian state, the rule of Ivan the Terrible was of great importance. His policy consisted of 2 stages: the reforms of the 50s, which strengthened the autocratic power, which was limited to estate-representative institutions; then, with the help of the oprichnina, Ivan IV tried to establish an absolute monarchy.
The Tsar's childhood passed during the "boyar rule", which greatly shook the state structure. Therefore, when Grozny began to independently rule the state in 1547. he founded the "Chosen Rada", which was supposed to implement the ideas of European absolutism.
Already 2 years later, Grozny assembled the first Zemsky Sobor in the history of Russia (a meeting of representatives of all classes, with the exception of slaves and landlord peasants). At the council, the tsar presented a reform program. The result of such a council was the release of a new Code of Law (1550), which was adopted by the Boyar Duma.
The Code of Law sharply limited the power of the governors, thereby strengthening the central government of the state, and also determined the strict procedure for the passage of judicial and administrative cases in the state structure. The elected representatives of the people could participate in the court: elders, sotsky. The tax privileges of large spiritual and secular feudal lords were also limited. The position of the peasantry was regulated: the payment for leaving the owner on St. George's Day was increased, and the serf laws were significantly strengthened.
With the adoption of the Code of Law, reforms began in the country. In 1556, the feeding system was abolished, and the boyars' salary for service became their only income. In the same year, the "Code of Service" was adopted, according to which both boyars and nobles should carry out military service.
Ivan the Terrible completes the formation of the army. He creates a streltsy army, the number of which in the early 50s was 3,000 people, and by the end of the century - 20,000 archers. The tsar allocated artillery to a separate branch of the army, which by the end of Grozny's reign had 2,000 guns in its arsenal.
In the second half of the 50s, the Order reform was carried out, which resulted in the completion of the creation of a harmonious system of state administration and executive power. The reform consisted of 22 orders, increased the size of the bureaucracy, and covered all spheres of society with its influence.
To solve the most important issues, Ivan the Terrible created the highest state body - the Zemsky Sobor. Boyars, nobles, clergy and merchants could participate in it, which testified to the transformation of the country into an estate-representative monarchy. This was reflected in the places of zemstvo self-government, the governors were abolished, and in their places the elders were chosen from among the peasants and townspeople.
At the same time, Grozny was carrying out a Church reform, which canonizes the saints. Thus, uniting the entire Russian people into a single state. The reform strengthened the corporate organization of the church, weakening its independence from the state.
On December 3, 1564, having made a kind of coup d'état, Ivan IV introduced the oprichnina. The new order divided the central administration into 2 parts: zemstvo and oprichny courts. The lands of the state were also divided into 2 parts: zemstvo and oprichnina. The oprichnina was completely under the rule of the tsar, and the old order of government remained in the zemstvo. All who were not enrolled in the oprichnina were evicted to the zemstvo, thus. the nobles were deprived of their ancestral estates. Grozny created the oprichnina army - his own personal guard. At this time, torture, search, destruction of estates, mass executions, robberies become commonplace. In 1572, the oprichnina was abolished, however, some of its elements continued to exist until the death of the king. The oprichnina directly contributed to the economic crisis in the country, depleted its economy, and disrupted economic ties. Hunger and poverty began in the country, which caused a general popular discontent.
