Editing Ivan the Terrible (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:Hw-ivan4.jpg|thumb|16th century German engraving of Ivan IV<ref>{{cite book |last1=Filjushkin |first1=Alexander |title=Ivan the Terrible: a military history |date=2008 |publisher=Frontline books |location=London |isbn=9781848325043 |page=5}}</ref>]]
[[File:Copecks and dengas of Ivan the Terrible (Russia).jpg|thumb|Coins of Ivan IV: [[kopeck]]s and [[denga]]s, in silver.]]

Ivan completely altered Russia's governmental structure, establishing the character of modern Russian political organisation.<ref>[[#Yanov|Yanov]], p. 31</ref> Ivan's creation of the ''oprichnina'', answerable only to him, afforded him personal protection and curtailed the traditional powers and rights of the [[Boyar|boyars]].<ref>[[#Yanov|Yanov]], p. 69.</ref> Henceforth, tsarist autocracy and despotism would lie at the heart of the Russian state.<ref>[[#Yanov|Yanov]], p. 68.</ref> Ivan bypassed the ''[[mestnichestvo]]'' system and offered positions of power to his supporters among the minor gentry.<ref>Riasanovsky, Nicholas V., and Mark D. Steinberg (2011). "Russia at the Time of '''Ivan''' IV, 1533–1598" in ''A History of Russia'' 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 151. {{ISBN|978-0195341973}}.</ref> The empire's local administration combined both locally and centrally appointed officials; the system proved durable and practical and sufficiently flexible to tolerate later modification.<ref name="Bogatyrev, Sergei 1584">[[#Bogatyrev|Bogatyrev]], p. 263.</ref>

Ivan's expedition against Poland failed at a military level, but it helped extend Russia's trade, political and cultural links with other European states. [[Peter the Great]] built on those connections in his bid to make Russia a major European power. At Ivan's death, the empire encompassed the Caspian to the southwest and Western Siberia to the east. His southern conquests ignited several conflicts with the expansionist Ottoman Empire, whose territories were thus confined to the [[Balkans]] and the [[Black Sea]] regions.<ref>Shrynnikov, Ruslan G. (1975) "Conclusion", p. 199 in ''Ivan the Formidable'', translated by Hugh F. Graham. Moscow: Academic International.</ref>

Ivan's management of Russia's economy proved disastrous, both in his lifetime and afterward. He had inherited a government in debt, and in an effort to raise more revenue for his expansionist wars, he instituted a series of taxes on the peasantry and urban population.{{sfn|Martin|2007|pp=404–405}}{{clarification needed|reason=Nothing in Martin 2007 pp 404–405 suggests that the introduction of new taxes was bad for the economy, let alone "disastrous"; just that they increased the tax burden, but it was also great for the state revenues. WP:SYNTH.|date=January 2025}} Martin (2007) stated: "The reign of Ivan IV the Terrible was, in short, a disaster for Muscovy. (...) his subjects were impoverished, his economic resources depleted, his army weakened, and his realm militarily defeated. (...) By the time Ivan IV the Terrible died in 1584 , Muscovy (...) was on the brink of ruin".{{sfn|Martin|2007|p=415}}