The Legend of the Lost Library of Ivan the Terrible: The Hidden Books of Moscow, the Subterranean Vault, and the Search for the Manuscript
The Golden Collection of the Kremlin In the history of Russia, during the sixteenth century, the reign of Zar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) was characterized by the centralization of the state authority, the territorial expansion, and the development of a complex, bureaucratic administration. Alongside his reputation for cruelty and political terror, Ivan was one of the most educated rulers of his time, possessing a vast collection of rare manuscripts and books known as the Lost Library of Ivan the Terrible (the Liberia ). Inherited from his grandmother, the Byzantine Princess Sophia Paleologue (who brought the collection from Constantinople to Moscow in 1472 upon her marriage to Grand Prince Ivan III), the library was believed to house over eight hundred rare scrolls and codices, including the lost works of the classical writers, the early histories of Rome, and the treatises of the Byzantine theologians. The legend of the Liberia is the mystery of the subterranean vault . Fearing ...