Ivan V of Russia: Difference between revisions

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'''Ivan V Alekseyevich''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: ''Иван V Алексеевич'', {{OldStyleDate|September 6|1666|August 27}} — {{OldStyleDate|February 8|1696|January 29}}) was a joint [[tsar]] of [[Russia]] (with his younger half-brother [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I]]) who co-reigned between [[1682]] and [[1696]]. He was the youngest son of [[Alexis I of Russia]] and [[Maria Miloslavskaya]]. His reign was only formal, since he was an invalid, both physically and mentally.

Ivan V was the 11th child of Tsar Alexis. As he was eye-sore and infirm, his capacity for supreme power was challenged by the party of the [[Naryshkins]], who aspired to bring [[Natalia Naryshkina]]'s son, Peter I, to the throne. Upon the death of [[Feodor III of Russia]] in April [[1682]], their enemies insinuated that the Naryshkins had IvanFeodor strangled, thus fomenting the [[Moscow Uprising of 1682]], which was put to an end only after Ivan was demonstrated by his relatives to the furious crowd.

On [[25 June]] the same year, Ivan and Peter were crowned in the [[Cathedral of the Dormition]] as "dvoetsarstvenniki" (double tsars). A special throne with two seats was executed for the occasion (now on display in the [[Kremlin Armoury]]). Although Ivan was considered the "senior tsar", actual power was wielded by his sly elder sister, [[Sophia Alekseyevna]]. In 1689, when she realized that power was slipping from her hands, she attempted to raise another riot, speculating that the Naryshkins had destroyed Ivan's crown and were poised to set his room on fire. However, Ivan's tutor, Prince [[Prozorovsky]], persuaded him to change sides, whereupon Ivan declared his allegiance to his brother's cause.