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Ivan the Terrible was the most ruthless, yet innovative leader of his t ime, and was the first to establish a modern government. Ivan was the first to edit the law code and create a more democratic style of legal proceedings, and also the first to help eliminate corruption from Russia’s way of life. He helped to revolutionize Russia from a medieval state, to an empire by expanding trade. Ivan the Terrible is truly the most influential tsar of Russia, of all time. Ivan Vasilyevich IV, also known as Grozny, which translates to awesome, was born on August 25, of 1530, in Kolomenskoye, Russia. Ivan was proclaimed the grand duke of Muscovy at the age of three, upon his father’s death, Vasily Ivanovich III; however, he was not in control of the government until 1544, at age 14. Like his name, Ivan’s childhood was also terrible, by today’s standards. His father died when he was only three, due to blood poisoning, and his mother when he was seven, although the cause of death is undetermined, it is suspected she was assassinated via poison. Upon this Ivan and his younger brother were taken it by the boyars of the Shuisky and Belsky families. A boyar was the second highest rank in Russian and Bulgarian government, to only the princes and tsar (noble). According to Ivan’s own letters, they were treated very cruelly and violently by the boyars. This naturally created an unquenchable odium toward the boyars and their cause, and a growing respect towards their enemies, the lower class. It is believed that during this time is what caused Ivan to hold human life and dignity with such contempt, especially nobles. As a young