Russia. Oprichnina

LC control no.	n 2002023613
Descriptive conventions	rda
Corporate name heading	Russia. Oprichnina *Browse this term in* LC Authorities or the LC Catalog
Variant(s)	Oprichnina (Organization : Russia) Russia. Опричнина
Special note	Machine-derived non-Latin script reference project. Non-Latin script reference not evaluated.
Found in	Zimin, A. A. Oprichnina, 2001. en.wikipedia.org/wiki (Oprichnina formed a section of Russia ruled directly by the Tsar under Ivan the Terrible. The term derives from the obsolete Russian word (oprich), meaning except of. It was formed in 1565 to give Ivan a section of territory in which he could be free from noble interference and rule as a completely unlimited autocrat. The Oprichnina contained much of Russia's best land, including parts of Moscow and many of the large central cities. The rest of the country was referred to as the zemshchina; these areas were ruled by powerful boyars. The Oprichnina was administered by the Oprichniks, who used extreme violence against any opposition to Ivan's rule. This included both nobles and peasants, as well as some foreigners. During the era of the Oprichnina Oprichniks killed thousands and devastated the area. The Oprichnina was a total failure and Ivan was forced to disband it in 1573, going so far as to claim that it had never existed at all, and executing several of its leaders. What had once been Russia's best and most fertile areas had been devastated and had fallen well below the rest of the country. Those that had not been killed by the Oprichniks often fled into other areas of Russia)