IVAN THE TERRIBLE KILLS HIS SON
- Seda DOGAN DEMIREL
- Aug 10
- 9 min read
Date: 1883-1885
Artist: Ilya Repin
Art Movement/Period: Realizm
Exhibited at: Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan is a painting created by the Russian-Ukrainian artist Ilya Repin between 1883 and 1885. When it was first shown at the 13th Traveling Art Exhibition, it caused mixed opinions among critics and visitors. It both attracted and frightened its audience, leaving a strong impression on them.
Ivan the Terrible’s Complex Reputation
Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, was the first Russian ruler crowned as Tsar of All Russia in 1547. Many rumors and legends surround his life. Although he was popular among diplomats and the Russian people, he also had a darker side. His title “the Terrible” refers not only to his cruel actions but also to his ability to inspire fear in others. This gave Ivan a complex reputation as a ruler who could both instill fear in his people and work for their well-being.
Ivan’s first wife, Anastasia Romanova, who was also the mother of his son Ivan the Younger, died suddenly in 1560, and it is believed that she was poisoned. Her death led Ivan to develop deep paranoia toward the nobles. After this event, he was completely devastated, and his mental health declined. He ordered the execution of his advisors and, driven by constant self-defense instincts, carried a spear as a walking stick. As he grew older, his fits of rage became more frequent, and he struggled to control them. During one of these outbursts, he killed his heir, his son Ivan Ivanovich.
After this incident, it is believed that Ivan the Terrible’s mental health deteriorated even further. This left a heavy impact on the people until his death. Although Tsar Ivan’s reign was an important part of Russia’s transformation into an empire, this period of change came at a great cost—both in his own life and for the generations that followed.
Historians have given conflicting accounts of the father’s actions, but it is mostly accepted that Ivan the Terrible was the one who killed his son. This tragic event is believed to have taken place on November 19, 1581.
1581: The Tragic End of an Heir
Due to the political dynamics of the 16th century, Ivan the Younger was pressured into marriages with various young women in Europe to secure political advantages. He married three times; his first two wives, Eudoxia Saburova and Praskovia Solova, were sent to monasteries because they did not bear children. His third wife, Yelena Sheremeteva, became pregnant, but it is believed that she suffered a miscarriage around the time of her husband’s death.
In 1581, Ivan the Terrible assaulted his son Ivan’s wife, Yelena Sheremeteva, believing her clothing to be immodest. It is thought that this incident caused Yelena to suffer a miscarriage. As a result, Ivan the Younger confronted his father, leading to a heated argument. In a fit of rage over what he saw as an act of disloyalty, Ivan the Terrible struck his son on the head with his spear. The blow fractured his son’s skull, and the heir, Ivan, died. This event had a profound impact on Russian history, as it deprived the nation of its rightful heir. Instead, Ivan’s middle son, Feodor—who was in poor health and childless—ascended the throne. Feodor proved to be a weak ruler and died soon afterward, plunging Russia into a major succession crisis known as the Time of Troubles.
Ivan’s widowed daughter-in-law was, like the previous wives, sent to a monastery. However, unlike the others, she was kept in a location close to Moscow and was treated comparatively well. This may have been a sign of Ivan’s guilt over what he had done to his son.
The historical basis of the painting is highly debated. Repin created his work based on the account of Russian historian Nikolay Karamzin, who wrote that the father felt deep remorse immediately after striking his son in a fit of rage. Ilya Repin masterfully captures Ivan’s overwhelming regret following the attack. Rather than depicting the exact moment of the violent blow, he chose to portray the devastating moment right after. The story of the painting revolves around anger, realization, and remorse.
The Heir in His Father’s Hands
This scene carries the heavy atmosphere of devastation that follows a great loss. Ivan the Terrible’s eyes are filled with pain, fear, and remorse. The horror on his face reflects the awareness of what he has done. He holds his son’s body in desperation, confronting the reality caused by his own rage, and presses his lips against his son’s head. The moment recalls the biblical image of Mary cradling her dead son in her lap.
The anguish and regret on Ivan’s face convey the helplessness of being unable to turn back time. His son Ivan’s tears, as he realizes he is dying and surrenders himself into his father’s arms, reflect his heartbreak. The young Ivan experiences initial shock at being killed by his own father, but soon this is followed by sorrow and tears.
The scene takes place in a dimly lit room. A discarded spear lies on the floor as the murder weapon. An overturned throne and a rolled-up carpet visually narrate the struggle that had just taken place between father and son. Whatever the details of the story, it is impossible to look at the painting without feeling deep sorrow for both father and son.
Anger, Remorse, and Moral Dilemma in Repin’s Brushwork
The painting owes much of its impact to its wealth of detail. The carpet is rich with intricate patterns, and the shoes worn by the young Ivan feature striking embroidery. The emotion on Ivan the Terrible’s face is vividly rendered, while in contrast, the young Ivan’s expression is calm and accepting, creating a poignant opposition.
This work symbolizes a moral dilemma. It stirs complex emotions in the viewer, who may feel sympathy for Ivan the Terrible while also recognizing him as a murderer. Ivan has succumbed to his rage, and the horror it caused has marked both the victim and the perpetrator.
The painting can also be read as a commentary on love—that those we love most deeply can wound us the most profoundly. Love, here, is a double-edged sword, leaving its mark on both father and son.
From a modern perspective, this painting speaks to the consequences of neglecting mental health. As depicted in the scene, violence rooted in the mind can erupt unexpectedly, posing a danger to both the individual and those around them. In the 16th century, mental health was poorly understood, but today most historians agree that Ivan likely suffered from temporal lobe syndrome, bipolar disorder, or a personality disorder—conditions that may have clouded his judgment and triggered bouts of rage.
Tsar Ivan’s anguished embrace of his son can be associated with the pain one feels after unintentionally harming someone. Yet, once the act is committed, neither apologies nor remorse can wash away the blood or the tears.
This Painting of Violence Was Attacked Twice!
The gallery housing the work belonged to the famous textile merchant Pavel Tretyakov, who donated his private collection of various Russian artworks to the public. Tretyakov was both a friend and one of the most devoted supporters of Ilya Repin.
Repin, being a perfectionist, had a habit of revisiting and reworking his finished paintings. On several occasions, he secretly visited the gallery and painted over his works, altering shadows, colors, and details. Tretyakov disapproved of this and, at a certain point, completely banned Repin from entering the gallery.
In January 1913, 28-year-old Orthodox icon painter Abram Balashov, the son of a well-known furniture maker, visited the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Balashov was a member of the so-called Old Believers, a subgroup of Orthodox Christians who rejected the 17th-century church reforms. The Old Believers often opposed the clergy as a social class and resisted the changes imposed on the church.
Balashov first stopped near the portrait of Feodosia Morozova, an activist of the Old Believer movement, and appeared to whisper to it as if speaking to the figure—behavior that aroused suspicion among the security guards. He then moved to the room where Repin’s paintings were displayed and suddenly attacked Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan with a gardener’s knife. Shouting, “Enough blood, enough murder,” he slashed the canvas, leaving three deep cuts. Fortunately, the blade was partially stopped by the stretcher bar beneath the canvas. He was immediately apprehended by security guards.
Given Balashov’s family history of mental illness and his own unstable mental state, it was decided that he should be committed to a psychiatric hospital. A psychiatrist suggested that the attack may have been rooted in Balashov’s troubled and abusive relationship with his father.
Both the museum staff and Repin himself believed the painting had been damaged beyond repair. The artist suffered a nervous breakdown, fearing he had lost his greatest work. However, the event took its heaviest toll on Tretyakov Gallery curator Georgy Khruslov, who, upon hearing the news, threw himself under a moving train and ended his life.
Both the attack and Khruslov’s suicide came as a tremendous shock to Moscow’s art community. Some even argued that the painting incited violence and mental disturbance, and therefore should be removed from public view.
The Restoration Process
The restoration team achieved the impossible and saved the painting. It was restored by Dmitry Bogoslovsky—one of the leading experts who had worked at the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Hermitage, and other major institutions—and his colleague Ivan Vasiliev. The restoration process received considerable coverage in the press in 1913.
Repin traveled from the town of Kuokkala in Finland specifically for the restoration. Instead of repairing the damaged areas as they were, the artist repainted Tsar Ivan’s head entirely. However, the repainted section stood out noticeably. After Repin left the gallery, Igor Grabar—then head of the Tretyakov Gallery and himself a restorer—removed Repin’s additions and repainted the damaged sections himself. A few months later, Repin visited the Tretyakov Gallery again but did not notice the changes Grabar had made.
Recurring Violence: The 2018 Incident
In 2018, another attack took place when Igor Podporin, an intoxicated gallery visitor, threw a metal pole at the painting, shattering the glass and tearing the canvas. Podporin claimed that his actions were politically motivated, stating that Repin had distorted the historical truth about Tsar Ivan and damaged his image in line with Western propaganda. His views aligned with those of certain conservative activists who, despite Ivan’s crimes, believed he should be canonized as an Eastern Orthodox saint.
However, given Podporin’s otherwise apolitical personal background, some researchers suspect that his lawyer fabricated this motive to stir public debate and gain the support of conservatives. Podporin was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The painting, which sustained significant damage, underwent a restoration process that lasted four years. In June 2022, it was once again put on public display.
Repin’s Sources of Inspiration: Assassination, Bullfighting, and Personal Tragedy
The main inspiration for Repin’s choice of such a harrowing subject was the 1881 assassination of Tsar Alexander II by 25-year-old revolutionary Ignacy Hryniewiecki. Hryniewiecki was a member of Narodnaya Volya (The People’s Will), a socialist group notorious at the time for its direct and violent actions against government officials. In the attack, Hryniewiecki killed himself along with the Tsar; other members involved were either killed on the spot or later executed. These bloody events had a traumatic impact on Repin’s social circle, affecting both monarchists and supporters of the revolution alike.
In 1883, during his travels in Spain, Repin witnessed the tradition of bullfighting—the blood and violence on display once again brought his mind back to the carnage of 1881. In his imagination, a scene emerged of a maddened tyrant suddenly realizing the depth of his moral collapse but unable to undo his crimes. Repin chose his friend, the artist Grigoriy Myasoyedov, as the model for Ivan the Terrible, and the writer Vsevolod Garshin for the figure of the young Ivan.
The painting left a deep mark on the artist himself. Shortly after completing it, Repin lost the use of his right arm and was forced to learn to paint with his left hand.
"...I painted in tears, endured torment, and forced myself… I was disappointed with this painting and hid it. My friends felt the same effect. But something drew me back to it, and I began working on it again…" — Ilya Repin
A Censored Masterpiece
This painting became the first in Russia to be banned from exhibition in 1885 by Alexander III. The reason was that it drew inspiration from the assassination of Alexander II just four years earlier, something that deeply unsettled him. The historical accuracy of the work is debatable, as it was created two centuries after the event and the incident itself is poorly documented. While most people believe Ivan killed his son, some argue that the younger Ivan died from one of the common illnesses of the era. In any case, the uncertainty continues to fuel debate.
Russian nationalists still believe the painting is part of a smear campaign and oppose its display with hostility. Yet, the lessons it offers go beyond political alliances. In the pain and anguish of its subject lies a truth worth learning.
References:
Collections Tretyakov Gallery
The Spectrum, Mackenzie Boucher, A Closer Look: Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan
Yulia Dyakonova and Kirill Shumikhin, Restoration and research of Ilya Repin's painting "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan" in State Tretyakov Gallery
The Collector, The Dark Story Behind Repin's "Ivan the Terrible and His Son" Painting
The Collector, Ivan the Terrible: Was He Really Terrible?
Wikipedia, Ivan the Terrible and His Son
The History of Art, Ivan the Terrible and his Son
Wikimedia Commons
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