Editing Ivan VI of Russia (section)

== Death ==
[[Image:Tvorozhnikov.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''Mirovich Standing over the Corpse of Ivan VI'' (1884) by [[Ivan Tvorozhnikov]]]]
On the accession of [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]], in the summer of 1762, still more stringent orders were sent to the officer in charge of "the nameless one"; if any attempt were made from outside to release him, the prisoner was to be put to death. Under no circumstances was he to be delivered alive into anyone's hands, without an express written order in the Empress's handwriting.<ref>{{cite book |last=Massie |first=Robert K |title=Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman |url=https://archive.org/details/catherinegreatpo00mass_3 |url-access=limited |publisher=Random House Trade Paperbacks |location=USA |date=2012 |page=[https://archive.org/details/catherinegreatpo00mass_3/page/321 321]}}</ref> By this time twenty years of solitary confinement had disturbed Ivan's mental equilibrium, though he does not seem to have been actually insane.  Nevertheless, despite the mystery surrounding him, he was well aware of his imperial origin and always called himself ''Gosudar'' (Sovereign). Instructions had been given not to educate him, but he had been taught his letters and could read his Bible. Since his presence at Shlisselburg could not remain concealed forever, its eventual discovery was the cause of his demise.{{sfn|Bain|1911}}

A sub-lieutenant of the garrison, [[Vasily Mirovich]], learned of his identity and formed a plan for freeing and proclaiming him Emperor. At midnight on 5 July 1764, Mirovich won over some of the garrison, arrested the commandant, Berednikov, and demanded the release of Ivan.{{sfn|Bain|1911}} His jailers, on orders of their commander, an officer surnamed Chekin, immediately murdered Ivan in compliance with the secret instructions already in their possession. Mirovich and his supporters were arrested and executed shortly thereafter. Ivan was buried quietly in the fortress, and his death secured Catherine II's position on the throne until her own son came of age.

Ivan's siblings, who were born in prison, were released into the custody of their aunt, the Danish-Norwegian queen dowager, [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]], on 30 June 1780 and settled at [[Horsens]] in [[Jutland]]. There, they lived under house arrest for the rest of their lives under Juliana's guardianship and at Catherine's expense. Although they were prisoners, they lived in relative comfort and retained a small "court" of forty to fifty people, all Danes except for the priest.<ref>Marie Tetzlaff: Katarina den stora (1998)</ref>