Tsar Ioann Vasilyevich «the Terrible» In Rostov the Great

The article explores the pilgrimages of Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) to Rostov the Great and his contribution to the city’s spiritual and cultural heritage. Drawing on historical sources, it examines the young tsar’s visits to Rostov monasteries, his thanksgiving journeys following the conquest of Kazan, and the churches founded under his patronage. Special attention is given to the Epiphany Cathedral of the Avraamiev Monastery, considered a prototype of St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square. The article argues that architectural monuments and cultural achievements of Ivan IV’s reign embodied the state ideology of the «sacred tsardom» and played a significant role in the history of Rostov the Great. In conclusion, the need to preserve the remaining sixteenth-century monuments as unique witnesses of the epoch is emphasized.