By Katrina Kitchen (edited by Helen Azar)

Editor’s note: Dear reader, to get my “Romanov Family” website off to a good start, I plan to post a series of articles on Russian history leading up to – and of course including – the ascent of the Romanov family to the throne of Russia, which did not happen by accident. I would like to start with Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), because: a. He was a fascinating historical character, and b. Through his first marriage, the first member of the Romanov family came to the throne, or at least became a consort of the Tsar of Russia. This fact was undoubtedly taken into consideration later on, when the first Romanov Dynasty ruler, Mikhail Romanov was elected to be Tsar of all the Russias. So in a sense, Tsar Ivan the Terrible got the proverbial ball rolling for the Romanov Dynasty! Which is why I think he is important to the story of the Romanov family. I will eventually publish another article about Ivan, dealing with his seven wives. ~Helen~

Many thanks to Katrina Kitchen for this article! Read more IVAN IV (“IVAN THE TERRIBLE”): The First Tsar of Russia, and He Who Paved the Way for the Romanov Dynasty…