oprichnina

The period of Russian history between 1565 and 1572 during which Tsar Ivan the Terrible instituted a domestic policy of secret police, mass repressions, public executions, and confiscation of land from Russian aristocrats.

This domestic policy.

Starting with Ivan the Terrible, whose “oprichnina” destroyed the ancient boyar families, eliminating any alternative to the state and sovereign as principal character throughout our history.