Constructing a Dynasty in 16th-Century Russia

In the sixteenth century, Russia experienced a series of succession crisis. This led to the marginalization of the ruler Ivan IV, and a growing suspicion about threats from his immediate family. All these challenges involved, directly or indirectly, members of the collateral branches of the ruling family. This paper will look at Ivan IV’s approach to his royal relatives, showing a flexibility that included both traditional political instruments, such as testamentary control of succession, marriage politics, and agreements among princes, as well as new political and cultural practices, such as excessive violence and the sacralization of the ruling clan. The paper will argue that changes in policy towards imperial relatives affected the Muscovite concept of a dynasty, which could be both inclusive and exclusive depending on the dynamics of court politics.