Welcome to Celebrate Poe - this is episode 326 - Don’t Fool with Ivan
From Poe’s favorite melody to Russia’s darkest czar - now In this episode, I want to continue an exploration of Gothic works and the psychological complexities that resonate with Poe’s literary works - in other words, go back and explore the influences on Poe’s works - especially the dark and Gothic. Obviously, I won’t be able to look at all dark literature and relevant historical events, but I ended up thinking an interesting place to start was a look at Ivan the Terrible - He was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 and became the first Tsar of Russia in 1547, reigning until his death. His life and reign were marked by significant territorial expansion, cultural contributions such as the introduction of the printing press to Russia, and a reign of terror characterized by paranoia, violence, and the establishment of a massive, and brutal secret police called the oprichnina. Ivan’s legacy remains one of both remarkable achievements and infamous cruelty
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