Unhinged Facts About Anna Of Russia, The Mad Tsarina
Move over Catherine the Great, Anna of Russia is in town. This hard-living, bitter-hearted Tsarina may not be as well known as the so-called Great, but she has more debauched antics and cruel tricks than Catherine would know what to do with. From cruel punishments to her own version of the "Red Wedding," there’s a reason Anna’s reign still casts a shadow over Russian history.
1. She Had An Infamously Horrible Reign
Russian history has not been kind to Empress Anna. Historians call her time on the throne a “dark era," and one minister sniped that it was "comparable to a storm-threatened ship”.
These are pretty harsh words right from the get-go, but as you’re about to find out…they were all too true.
2. She Had Daddy Issues
Anna’s father was Tsar Ivan V, who co-ruled Russia with his brother Peter the Great. The little girl was born into privilege—but behind the scenes, the family was hiding a dark secret. Anna's father Ivan, AKA “Ivan the Ignorant,” was severely mentally disabled and certainly couldn’t run the country, leaving most of the work to Anna’s uncle Peter. And honestly, it was so much worse than people thought.
3. Her Family Was Twisted
Maybe it’s no wonder Anna didn’t turn out to be the most, er, socially adjusted Tsarina in history.
Her father’s mental disabilities often left him in a vegetative state for hours on end, and he very frequently couldn’t even walk without leaning on his courtiers. Not exactly a strong parental (or genetic) support system for our girl Anna.
4. She Was A Terrible Toddler
Even as a young girl, Anna started showing disturbing signs of following her father’s dysfunctional footsteps. Everybody in court knew her as a spiteful child with a chilling mean streak, and many people commented on her lack of manners and vulgar attitude. Eventually, the court started calling her “Iv-anna the Terrible.” And as Anna grew up, this didn't get better.
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