Ivan the Terrible and Veliky Novgorod
творческая работа учащихся по английскому языку (9 класс)

Иванова Светлана Сергеевнаучитель, Новгородская область

15.06.2026

Ivan the Terrible in Veliky Novgorod

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Municipal autonomous educational institution

"Harmony" Gymnasium

RESEARCH WORK

Ivan the Terrible and Veliky Novgorod.

Done by: Kristina Ivanova,

Year 10 student

Advisor: Svetlana Ivanova,

The Teacher of English

Veliky Novgorod

2026

CONTENTS

Introduction
Main part

Who is Ivan the Terrible

2.2 Ivan the Terrible in Novgorod and the places connected with his reign and activity.

Text for the excursion
A survey on the content of the video

Conclusion
Resources of information

INTRODUCTION

Veliky Novgorod is one of the oldest cities in Russia. In the 16th century important events happened under the rule of Tsar Ivan IV. Nowadays all people know him as Ivan the Terrible. The topic of my work is Ivan the Terrible in Veliky Novgorod: how he changed the town (buildings, culture and history).

I decided to choose this topic because thousands of tourists come here, to the town from the UNESCO list, every year and they know little about the 16th century and Ivan the Terrible. So, we would like to study and tell you more about this historical period. As a result our citizens and professional guides will pay their attention to this historical period and get know their native town better. This research work will help to present the town in a different and more interesting way. The town will be shown in a new manner. This will help to develop new tourist routes and attract more guests.

The problem of this study is that people remember only cruel and awful things about Ivan IV. But he also built and restored churches. He made the city stronger and richer. Professional guides almost never talk about this fact. So, the history of Veliky Novgorod looks incomplete.

The aim of my work is making a video tour of places connected with Ivan IV. So that locals and tourists learn the history of my native town better.

To achieve this aim I set the following tasks:

To study the information about Ivan the Terrible.
To study historical facts about his activity in Veliky Novgorod.
To find buildings in our town which were constructed during his reign or where important historical events took place.
To write a simple and interesting text for the excursion.
To make the video excursion.
To demonstrate it to the audience and conduct a survey on the content of the video.

The object of the study is the Monuments of Novgorod of the 16th century: the Kremlin, St. Sophia Cathedral, churches and cathedrals which Ivan built or restored .

The subject of the study is Ivan the Terrible.

In this paper the methods of research are survey, analysis, description, summarizing

MAIN PART

Section 1: Who is Ivan the Terrible

Ivan the Terrible is one of the most controversial figures in Russian history. He was both: a great reformer and a cruel tyrant, as well as one of the most intelligent Russian tsar. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Ivan IV was unpredictable, passionate, and harsh. It is not surprising that his courtiers didn’t like him. He was feared like a devil.

The results of military and state reforms carried out by the tsar greatly changed the future of the country. In fact, it was under the rule of Ivan the Terrible when the foundation for the strong state was laid and later “rose again” after the Time of Troubles and became the powerful Russian Empire under Peter the Great.

Overall, the results of Ivan the Terrible’s rule are quite mixed. During his reign, the territory of the country almost doubled in size. Thanks to his reforms, trade with European countries improved, and the tsar’s power became much stronger.

However, because of the harsh repressions during the oprichnina period, the conflict between the tsar and the boyars became very serious. This made the political situation inside the country worse. Also, Russia’s defeat in the Livonian War hurt the economy badly.

Ivan IV, better known as Ivan the Terrible, was the first man to wear Russia’s crown as Tsar. Born in 1530, he grabbed power young, after a childhood full of plots and losses he became a brilliant and brutal ruler. He conquered the Kazan Khanate in 1552, opened the rivers for Russian ships to sail east, and stopped the conquest of Siberia, turning Russia into a giant empire. He loved books and brought the first printing press to Russian people in the 1550s, so people could read Bibles and laws in Russian . Ivan was obsessed with religion. He invested money in building beautiful churches and cathedrals. Just remember the swirls of colorful onion domes on Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, finished in 1561 to celebrate his wins. These weren’t just pretty buildings: they were his way to say: “God Save the Tsar!” combining faith with power in a time when tsars considered themselves to be holy warriors. But Ivan had complicated character and complex nature. He began to suffer from paranoia, especially during the endless Livonian War (1558-1583), where Russia fought for Baltic ports and lost its territories which were conquered by Sweden and Poland. He created the oprichnina in 1565- a scary secret police on black horses, dressed like monks with knifes and axes to kick out the traitors.

Section 2: What Ivan the Terrible did in Novgorod

Veliky Novgorod is like a living storybook from Russia’s past. Imagine a town born in the forests of northern Russia nearly the 9th century, where trade boats sail along the rivers carrying furs, honey, and wax to far away lands like Byzantium and Scandinavia. It wasn’t just a town: it was a republic, a place where free people gathered under a massive bell called the veche bell to vote on laws and leaders. This made Novgorod special: powerful, independent, and full of clever merchants who wrote notes on birch barks, some of them can be still found by archeologists. Ivan III, the “Great,” grabbed control in 1478. It was the end of Novgorod’s wild freedom so the town began to observe Moscow’s laws and was even tied to its rules. By the 16th century, the town’s population had decreased. 25,000 people facing difficult times began to suffer from hunger wars and dangerous diseases. But even nowadays the Kremlin with its solid walls and the ancient Saint Sophia Cathedral still remain a strong center of faith and trade.

By 1570 Ivan the Terrible had almost massacred Novgorod. The town was still dreaming of old independence, but it was under the power of Ivan’s paranoia. There were rumors, that Novgorod leaders: merchants and boyars were plotting to surrender the town to the enemy: Poland-Lithuania. Difficult times like epidemics and hunger in 1569 made people angry, and Polish spies expanded their activities and were everywhere. But Ivan was very suspicious because of general Andrey Kurbsky who deserted in 1564 and joined Poland, so the tsar saw betrayal everywhere. In December 1569, he moved north with 15,000 people who were called oprichniki. By January 2, 1570, they had ringed our town, trapping everyone inside. Monasteries on the outskirts got hit first: soldiers broke in, beat monks, stole gold icons and relics, and priests were dragged out off the churches.

Then the Massacre of Novgorod began, a five-week bloodbath that changed the town and scarred it forever. Oprichniki saw red and went off the deep end: they looted homes breaking the windows and dragging the families out so people were in the streets. Rich merchants were roasted alive on iron grates. Women and kids were tied to sleigh and were being dragged across the ice of the freezing Volkhov River. Saint Sophia Cathedral has always been Novgorod’s beating heart. It was built in 1045. But churches weren’t safe, even Saint Sophia Cathedral, with its massive bronze doors from a Viking raid, was looted. Ivan’s men pulled out treasures: jeweled crosses, silver chalices, even ancient frescoes. Historians say that 15,000 people died (nearly the third part of the population of the town). From other historical sources we can know about from 2000 to 3000 direct kills, but even more people died of hunger and cold. Villages were burned, cattle was slaughtered, fields were trampled. Novgorod, once the most famous trade centre was destroyed: the population tried to run away and hide, a lot of people died. All valuable things were sent to Moscow. The veche bell fell silent. The town was never fully rebuilt.

But the history couldn’t be seen only black and dark. Ivan wasn’t just a destroyer; he had the other side of his character. He believed in God. After big wins, he began to build churches and ask god for forgiveness. Two of them were built in Moscow in the 1550s to fight with epidemics by the power of prayer. In Novgorod people believed Ivan had repented. By 1572-1575, Archbishop Leonid, had restored Saint Sophia. And right there, in the cathedral’s quiet corner by the south door, stands the Tsar’s Pew - a fancy wooden box for prayer. It was constructed by the order of Ivan the Terrible. It was simple, but had a great power: a spot where the tsar could kneel alone and begged forgiveness for the blood. This tiny monument still reminds us today about a man’s complicated soul. It shows that tyrants pray too.

The massacre broke Novgorod’s culture like a storm. Before 1570, the city was full of birch-bark letters, proving Novgorod was the educational center of ancient Russia. Icons were glowing in churches, frescoes were telling biblical stories in bright colors. As for trade, it was highly developed and a lot of new goods were brought to Novgorod from all over the world. Scribes, artists and craftsmen were taken to Moscow to enrich the culture. Churches stood looted, the works of art and literature were destroyed, and the veche bell was broken and crushed. The Kremlin walls were reinforced in the 15th century. Saint Sophia was restored, it became like a beacon for people, its domes were catching sunlight like a hope. Novgorod’s story changed from rebels’ roars to quiet voices of survivors. Its churches were whispering and teaching lessons using wood and stone.

Section 3: Text of the excursion

Today Veliky Novgorod is included in UNESCO’s list. But there is a problem: most tourists know little information about the 16th century or remember only awful and cruel things about Ivan IV. My goal is to tell them not only all the terrible and harsh stories, but also demonstrate his contribution into the development of our culture and history. After studying different sources of information I have composed a text for my short excursion.

Hello, dear guests! Today I'm going to tell you about the places in my hometown which are connected with Ivan the Terrible and his reign.

Now we are inside Saint Sophia Cathedral – the oldest stone church in Russia. It was built almost 1000 years ago. Look at this small wooden place in the south-west corner. It is called the Tsar’s Prayer Place or Tsar’s Pew.

In January 1570 this cathedral saw the worst days in Novgorod’s history. Ivan the Terrible came here with his dark and absolutely mad soldiers – the oprichniki. He thought the citizens intended to give the city to Poland. He took everything from the cathedral – gold, icons, bells. For five weeks the city became full of blood. People were burned, drowned in the river, killed by oprichniki.

But two years later… the same Ivan ordered workers to construct this little prayer place. When he came back to Novgorod, he could kneel here alone and pray to God. This place tells us a lot: even a very cruel man can feel sorry and remember God.

Now let’s go outside to the Bridge over the Volkhov River. In 1570 women and children were thrown into the cold water from this place. The water was full of dead bodies.

If you look right, you see the strong red walls of the Kremlin. Ivan’s grandfather Ivan III had made them stronger many years before. The walls stayed, the old freedom of Novgorod did not.

Ivan the Terrible destroyed almost everything in Novgorod but not the memory. So today we have two controversial memories about Ivan the Terrible in our town: blood and a quiet prayer in the corner. Thank you for your attention, I hope that my excursion was interesting and useful.

Section 4: A survey on the content of the video

I’d like you to take a short test which I prepared to check how attentive you were during my excursion and if you remember the details about Ivan the Terrible in Novgorod well.

What is the name of the oldest stone church in Russia where we started the tour?
How old is Saint Sophia Cathedral?
What is the name of a small wooden place in the south-west corner of the cathedral?
In what year did Ivan the Terrible attack Novgorod?
Why did Ivan the Terrible become angry with Novgorod?
What did Ivan and his oprichniki take from Saint Sophia Cathedral?
How long did the massacre in Novgorod last?
From which place were women and children thrown into the river in 1570?
What happened to people who were thrown into the Volkhov River?
Who made the red walls of the Novgorod Kremlin stronger before Ivan the Terrible?
What did Ivan the Terrible order to build inside the cathedral in two years after the massacre?
Why did he build the Tsar’s Prayer Place?
What are the two opposite opinions about Ivan the Terrible which remain in history today?

Conclusion

The reign of Ivan the Terrible hasn’t passed without a trace for my hometown. This period was full of blood. My research work «Ivan the Terrible in Veliky Novgorod» has discovered interesting facts and it has made the historical facts complete.

Most people know little about this historical period or only remember the terrible massacre in 1570 then Ivan’s soldiers (oprichniki) killed thousands of people, took everything valuable, and destroyed many buildings.

After the tragedy, Ivan the Terrible ordered to build a small prayer place in Saint Sophia Cathedral. It is a quiet corner where he could pray alone. This place is still there today. And after my excursion it can become popular.

My video tour shows different views on the events of the 16th century: bloody destruction and deep regrets. I hope that after watching my video excursion, the history of Novgorod in Ivan’s time will be complete and not only dark. Tourists and local people will be able to understand the town better, love its past more, and tell guests about it in a new way. Professional guides will create new routes which will help to keep history alive and make tourism grow.