Heinrich von Staden (author)
Heinrich von Staden (1542–?) was a self-proclaimed "adventurer in Muscovy"[1] and wrote of his accounts at the court of Ivan IV of Russia (the Terrible) from 1578 to 1582.
Early life
Staden was born the son of a burgher (bourgeoisie) in
After Wolgarten remarried and moved away, Staden also moved, to Karkus, and became a merchant. After trouble erupted in the Livonian government, Staden sent a letter to his friend, Joachim Schroter at the border town of
Living in Russia
Staden's account of Russia, The Land and Government of Muscovy, was addressed to the
Historians discovered this document in 1839 in the Prussian state archives, but no link to Staden was discovered until a few years later. His accounts are the most insightful and descriptive of the day, and displayed the disorder of the Russian government under Ivan the Terrible. Heinrich von Staden calls Tsar Ivan a "horrid tyrant",[2] but wrote more neutrally than his contemporaries. His narratives of the Oprichnina are the only ones written by a member, and the history of the Oprichnina was rewritten after Staden's accounts were found. He describes the targets of Ivan's terror as individual families which the Tsar believed to be dangerous to his authority, rather than against the entire boyar class as previously thought.
Controversy
Some historians question the authenticity of Staden's claims. Academician S.B. Veselovsky was very critical of the Notes on Muscovy. The historian D.N. Alshits, comparing Staden's text with the historical realities of the epoch and with the newly discovered documents, came to the conclusion that Staden was not in Oprichnina at all, but only pretended to be oprichnik, in order to raise his status in the eyes of Emperor Rudolph, his patron and addressee of notes on Muscovy.[3] According to Alshits, many of Staden's reports on Ivan the Terrible's Russian resemble the stories of Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia.
Appearances in modern media
- Ivan the Terrible, the role of Heinrich von Staden is played by Oleg Zhakov.
- In Finnish actor Ville Haapasalo.
References
- ^ Modern Encyclopedia of Russian and Soviet History. Academic International Press. 1984.
- ISBN 9780804703260.
- ^ Альшиц Д. Н. Начало самодержавия в России: Государство Ивана Грозного. — Leningrad: Наука, 1988.