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====The impact of Ivan on Russia====

The achievements of Ivan are truly great. He developed a modern Russian state and laid the foundations for a great Empire. However, this had all come at a terrible cost. He had ended the threat to Russia from the Muslim Khanates and had developed a modern state apparatus. Ivan had reformed the Orthodox Church and was also a patron of the arts. He began the colonisation of Siberia, a region that helped to turn Russia in later centuries into a global power. However, countless suffered because of his savagery and his wars and schemes bankrupted the state and weakened Russia. He also established and elaborated the concept of an autocracy that was used by successive Tsars and even Communists to justify their power and which lead to many centuries of repressive government in Russia. Ivan transformed Russia and his achievements both negative and positive continue to shape Russia to this day, even in the era of Putin.

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