About the book: 2021 / He took Kazan and Astrakhan, created the modern Russian State, and Emperor Alexander II crossed him out of the project of the “Millennium of Russia” monument. The Orthodox people included his name among the saints - and the Orthodox hierarchs call him a maniac and a murderer. Over the 50 years of his reign, he executed 8 times less than the French king Charles IX killed in one St. Bartholomew's Night - and historians declared him the greatest tyrant of all times. In his entire life, he never missed a church service - and he was credited with the murder of Metropolitan Philip and his own son. They lied about him during his life and after his death. But the time has come to clear the memory of the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible from slander. He died more than 400 years ago, but his name still arouses keen interest. Some see him as a bloodthirsty villain, others as a great historical figure, and still others revere him as a saint. Today they talk about him both from high stands and at church councils. And this is no coincidence. The question of the historical role of the Terrible Tsar is a question of power. Modern Russia needs an iron hand that can lead it to victory through the coming trials. In the 16th century, the Moscow sovereign managed not only to save Rus' from collapse, but also to turn it into a great empire. What was this king like? What did he mean for our country and for the whole world? Will today's leaders of Russia be able to take advantage of the political and spiritual legacy of Ivan IV? This is the new – expanded and corrected – edition of the book by historian and writer Vyacheslav Manyagin..