Why did Ivan The Terrible kill his son, Ivan? Ever since the day he supposedly brought a sceptre crashing down upon his head - 16th November, 1581 - this question has divided people. Did he suspect his son of a plot to overthrow him? Was he sexually assaulting his daughter-in-law? Was the whole tale dreamt up as a Catholic plot?\nIt\u2019s a controversy that remains a live issue in Russia, resulting in Ilya Repin's iconic painting \u2018Ivan the Terrible and his Son Ivan\u2019 being vandalized not once, but twice; and a campaign, supported by no less than Vladimir Putin, to restore Ivan\u2019s reputation as, um\u2026 \u2018Ivan the Not-So Terrible\u2019?\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the various theories surrounding this much-debated event; question if an arthritic quinquagenarian was capable of such physical brutality; and expose Ivan\u2019s lesser-known poetic qualities\u2026\xa0\nCONTENT WARNING: graphic descriptions of murder\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 \u2018What Was So Terrible About Ivan the Terrible?\u2019 (HowStuffWorks, 2020): https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/ivan-terrible.htm#:~:text=The%20boyars%20were%20clannish%20landowners%2C%20upper-crust%20types%20who,It%20was%20a%20sign%20of%20things%20to%20come.\n\u2022 \u2018Russia's first monument to Ivan the Terrible inaugurated\u2019 (The Guardian, 2016): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/14/russias-first-monument-to-ivan-the-terrible-inaugurated\n\u2022 \u2018Ivan the Terrible and his Son Ivan\u2019 (The Canvas, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwbWwvHDeb4\n#Russia #1500s\xa0\nLove the show? Join\xa0\U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\xa0\U0001f334 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!\nPlus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.\nJoin now via\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0or\xa0Patreon.\xa0Thanks!\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:\xa0podfollow.com/Retrospectors\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022.\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices