childhood

At the time, Ivan's father, Prince Vasily the 3rd, noticed a small sore on his leg, the sore turned into a boil that stank very badly. They bled him and poured vodka on the sore because that is what the cure was. Before long, he developed a bad case of blood poisoning and died.  Ivan was crowned at age 3,  before his father died. His father asked seven boyars to run the country and take care of Ivan. At age sixteen he became a Tsar. He had a bad childhood.  He tortured animals and fed a boyar to the dogs.  When Ivan was little in public boyars would treat him like royalty, but at home they beat and abused him.