Ivan the Terrible: The Bloodthirsty Tsar Who Ruled with Fear, Fury & Flying Monks

Welcome back to Bloomin’ Legends! The podcast where we uncover the wildest, most legendary, and unbelievable true stories from history!

In this episode, Johnny Vaughan and Gavin "The Woodman" Woods take us into the dark and deranged reign of Ivan the Terrible. The first Tsar of Russia whose violent outbursts, bizarre behaviour, and brutal purges made him one of history’s scariest rulers... and possibly its weirdest.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

👑 Russia’s First Tsar – How Ivan crowned himself and rewrote the Russian playbook

💀 The Bloody Oprichniki – His terrifying private death squad who spread fear across the land

⚔️ Paranoia, Rage & Tragedy – Why Ivan saw enemies everywhere… even in his own family

🚀 The Monk He Launched Into Space (Sort Of) – The strange, possibly true story of Ivan’s most bizarre execution

Bloomin’ Legend or Not?

At the end of the episode, we decide: Was Ivan the Terrible a true Bloomin’ Legend? Or just Russia’s most dangerous madman?

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This is a Global Original podcast, produced by Ben Fairclough.

Executive Producer: Chris Janes

Commissioning Editor: Chris Lander