Ivan The Terrible: Face Of History's "Cruellest Man" Re-Created 440 Years After His Death

The face of 'Ivan the Terrible', Russia's cruellest tyrant, has been reconstructed by scientists 440 years after his death. The Russian Tsar, who died in 1584, was just three years old when he rose to power and was in his thirties when he gradually deteriorated into a state of paranoia, ordering the brutal execution of anyone he perceived to be a traitor. According to the New York Post, the terror-loving tsar also killed his son and only viable heir Ivan IV in a fit of fury.

Now, Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert, used a combination of cutting-edge techniques to create a scientific reconstruction of Ivan The Terrible's face. "It was a very interesting experience as it involved not only facial approximation, but the study of his story," Mr Moraes said in a YouTube video. 

Take a look below:

According to the Post, Mr Moraes first amassed data from a scientific excavation of the dictator's grave by Soviet researcher Mikhail Gerasimov. "According to Dr Gerasimov's study, it appears that Ivan indulged in a disorderly life of excessive eating and alcohol abuse," he said. "This must have worsened his condition in his last years."

He added, "An interesting fact is that they found a large amount of mercury in his body, which made some suspect poisoning. But given the habits of the time, it may have been used as a treatment for some health problem."

Mr Moraes revealed that the final reconstruction was developed using a combination of scientific approaches and analysis of Mr Gerasimov's findings. He said that he used data from loving donors to establish the likely thickness of the Tsar's skin at different points across his skull and used a technique called anatomical deformation to digitally alter the head shape to the dimensions of Ivan the Terrible. 

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Mr Moraes described the final results as a "strong and determined" likeness of the Russian tyrant. However, he added that the final result was a far cry from the younger leader, who was described as "tall, with beautiful hair, broad shoulders, strong muscles and a pleasant face". 

Interestingly, while researching, Mr Moraes also discovered that the so-called "cruelest man in history" may have not been as terrible as his name suggests. "I found sources that affirmed the epithet of 'terrible' and others with different evidence, indicating that the fame may have been exaggerated, for example, by enemies and adversaries," said Mr Moraes.