Ivan the Terrible

"The Golden Mask" - a new series from the publishing house "Agraf" - offers readers anthologies in which a specific historical figure or mythological character is presented in various literary interpretations, forming a kind of 'collective portrait' written by different artists. The first volume is dedicated to one of the most controversial figures in Russian history - Tsar Ivan IV, also known as 'the Terrible'. The plays, written over two centuries of Russian dramaturgy - from the early 19th to the late 20th century - create a mosaic portrait of the ruler as both 'progressive', serving the cause of uniting Russian lands, and simultaneously tyrannical, hedonistic, sadistic, reveling in power. The book will be of interest to anyone interested in Russian history and culture.