In ancient times they called "Oprichnina" a small land ownership of the widow of the deceased warrior nobleman. This inheritance remained after the transition of most of his land to the prince.
The Oprichnina of Ivan the Terrible is a special territory of the state allocated by the king to himself. This "royal" inheritance had its own control apparatus and army.
The introduction of the oprichnina was due to the events of 1565. This year, the king, because of the boyar’s betrayals, refused the throne and agreed to return only under the fulfillment of three conditions. In particular, he demanded the right to execute the infidels according to his will, to introduce an oprichnina, for the construction of which the "zemstvo" (the rest of the country) was to pay a huge (by the standards of that time) amount of one hundred thousand rubles.
Oprichnina Ivan the Terrible included many western, southwestern and central counties. The rich northern regions, part of Moscow, were also attached to these territories. Oprichnina Ivan the Terrible assumed the presence of its military corps, which consisted of a thousand noblemen. An estate was allocated for each of them. In addition, a separate Duma, internal orders, and a courtyard were created on the oprichnina territory. In the hands of the king concentrated the most important diplomatic affairs. At the same time, the war with Livonia fell completely on the "zemstvo". The Oprichny Corps performed only two tasks: guarded the sovereign and executed traitors.
Treason in the state was fought by various methods. Oprichnina of Grozny suggested massive repression, confiscation, relocation of people, executions. Soon terror spread throughout the state. At the same time, massacres were repaired not only over the families of the boyars, but also over entire cities. A huge number of people were executed in Novgorod (according to some accounts, the number of victims was about three thousand).
The farther, the worse the situation in the state became. Terror began to spread inside the oprichnina itself - the leaders began to change. So, Malyuta Skuratov came to the place of executed Basmanov. Famous boyars with relatives and close friends also fell under repression. Both peasants and government officials became victims of terror. Oprichnina Ivan the Terrible lasted for seven years and was canceled in 1572.
The consequences of the oprichnina were primarily reflected in the economic condition of the state. The country was in complete decline. Entire areas in the state were ravaged. Many villages were empty; up to 90% of arable land was not cultivated.
In addition, the power of the army fell significantly. In connection with the impoverishment, the ruin of the nobles, which constituted the core of the Russian army, a crisis occurred in the armed forces. The war with Livonia was lost.
In connection with mass repressions, the demographic situation in the state has also changed. The number of settlements sharply decreased, and the able-bodied population also decreased.
During the oprichnina, the unlimited power of the king sharply increased. The State Duma was subordinate to Grozny.
After the destruction of the land aristocracy, a further intensification of tsarist despotism began. Oprichnina contributed to the elimination of independent owners, which could become the basis for the formation of civil society in the state. The people became dependent on the authorities in general and on the king in particular.
As a result, a despotic regime was finally established in Russia. No one was protected from terror. Even the feudal elite could suffer from the arbitrariness of the king. At the same time, the Russian nobility, which before the introduction of the oprichnina was endowed with very limited rights, gained power.
Until now, historians cannot accurately establish the reason for the emergence of such a regime in the country. According to some authors, Ivan the Terrible thus tried to centralize power.