Ivan the Terrible - Seeks Forgiveness for His Crimes

Near the end of his life, Tsar Ivan IV was overcome with guilt for all the crimes he had committed as ruler of his country. He wanted to adopt the ways of a monk. (Historians record that he was buried in a monk's habit.)

In this painting, created by Klavdiy Lebedev, Ivan Grozny is asking a Father Superior of Pskovo-Pechorsky Monastery to permit him to take tonsure (shave the hair from his scalp in monkish fashion) at the monastery.

Click on the image for a much larger view.