Iwan de Verschrikkelijke, tsaar van Moskovië/Rusland 1533-1584(schilderij van Ilya Repin uit 1885)

“In November [1581] … Stefan Bathory, King of Poland, was laying siege to the frontier town of Pskov. … Ivan was anxious to come to terms. He had already lost the two important towns of Polotsk and Velikie Luki, and he feared that Psovk would fall. He had therefore sent envoys to the Polish king with the offer to surrender all the Russian gains in Livonia in return for peace. Under strain Ivan’s intensely nervous nature became more unpredictable and dangerous. The smallest affront, the least disagreement could throw him into a violent rage. He then lost control of himself. All present, even closest to him, went in danger of their lives. At this time in Aleksandrovsk [a town 70 miles north of Moscow], Tsarevich Ivan approached his father about some matter, either bearing on the relief of Psovk or a domestic concern. What he said is unknown, but Ivan gave a roar of anger. He raised the iron-tipped staff which he always carried and lunged at his son. Boris Godunov quickly moved forward and warded of the blow. He was badly hurt. But his intervention merely added to the Tsar’s fury. He struck again at his son and the iron tip of the staff this time fractured his skull. Slowly the Tsarevich sank to the ground. Blood began to flow from the wound. Ivan, his anger dispelled by shock and realisation of what he had done, knelt and took his son in his arms. With trembling fingers, he tried to staunch the wound, but blood seeped over his hand and onto his robes. He called for doctors and began to weep convulsively. He muttered incoherent prayers that his son might live. The Tsarevich had not lost consciousness. he begged his father not to give way to grief and kissed his hand. At this time father and son came closer together. But the Tsarevich was rapidly growing weaker. The doctors found that they could do nothing for him. Four days later he died.” (Ian Grey, Boris Godunov. The Tragic Tsar [Londen 1973],p. 18-19]