Why didn’t they put monuments to Ivan the Terrible in Russia?

Answers historian Andrei Yurganov

In Orel, in August they plan to erect a monument to Tsar Ivan the Terrible - he is considered the founder of the city. This will be the first monument in the country dedicated to one of the most famous and cruel Russian rulers. Why the name of Ivan the Terrible was not immortalized before, at the request of Medusa, the historian Andrei Yurganov explains.

Andrey Yurganov

Professor of the Department of Russian History of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages of the RSUSU

Your question itself contains an answer: monuments to Ivan the Terrible are not set, because it is abnormal. Why was the monuments to erect a tyrant? Do we live in the times of tyranny? The construction of such monuments is unnatural. Obviously, the formidable does not fall under the definition of a Christian and a benefactor. Even if we consider him as a dramatic and tragic personality, one cannot cancel the fact that he himself recognized his own cruelty, that he is a killer and guilty of all sins. I think that in Orel they decided to erect a monument to Ivan the Terrible exactly for the same reasons why the monuments of Stalin are erected.

If we talk about how historically they reacted to such initiatives, I recall the idea of ​​the canonization of Ivan the Terrible - it was proposed about ten years ago. Some “experts” proposed to consider the identity of this monarch from the point of view of his “holiness”, but then the church did not even agree to consider this issue.

Today's state is not much different from the option that the Terrible proposed. Now ideology is in the cult of greatness. Where the greatness of the state is, there we will erect monuments. The monument, in fact, is not erected, but by the greatness of the state. This is all the background of this event. This is planted from top to bottom, in a roundabout way, or in general. It is enough to hint to the governor, and he will offer you ten monuments to Ivan the Terrible simply because he does not want to lose his place.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the monument is going to erect on donations from citizens. The state solved the formula of power: do what you want and there will be no resistance. It is necessary to collect for this monument - they will collect.

Such monuments are all the sad symptoms of the disease that the whole country is sick. A return to such things, in this form, is a demonstration of returning to all the worst.

Evgeny Makariya

Moscow