Summary of Captivating History's The Russian Empire

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Empress Elena Glinskaya, along with court advisors, was tasked with raising and nurturing Ivan the Terrible, the young emperor. However, when Elena died in 1538, Ivan was left alone with his court officials. He felt more like a prisoner than a prince. #2 The fire of 1547, which destroyed much of Moscow, was a turning point in Ivan's life.
He was forced to flee the city, and the people turned against him. But he was saved by the old holy man Sylvester, who reminded the crowd of Christianity's most important virtue: forgiveness. #3 The Battle of Kazan was a crushing victory for the Russians over the Tartars, and it paved the way for the Russians to expand their territory to the west. The Livonian War would follow shortly after. #4 The Livonian Knights were a crusading group that were sent to Eastern Europe to root out paganism.
In 1236, the Livonian Knights essentially combined with the Teutonic Knights, but they were still considered a separate organization. The state of Livonia was founded by these knights after they conquered the pagan territories of what today constitutes Latvia and Estonia.