Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
New York Post
Face of history’s ‘cruelest man’ revealed for first time in 440 years
By Ben Cost,
27 days ago
Want to look evil straight in the eye?
Scientists have put a face to a notorious name after digitally reconstructing the visage of one of history’s greatest monsters — Ivan the Terrible.
“It was a very interesting experience as it involved not only facial approximation, but the study of his story,” graphics designer Cicero Moraes said in a Youtube video , where the Brazilian explained how he executed the virtual recreation.
In 1581, shortly before his death, the terror-loving tsar killed his son and only viable heir Ivan IV in a fit of fury.
To bring his likeness to life, 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,” the digital wizard described. “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.”
Armed with this info, the facial forensics expert painted a digital portrait using data from living donors to approximate the tsar’s skin at different places across his skull.
He then digitally altered the face of said contributor until they matched Ivan’s dimensions.
“The final bust was a combination of all this data,” said Moraes.
The resultant recreation — which Moraes described as “strong” and “determined” — depicts a balding man with a graying beard and hair.
This visage was a far cry from the younger leader, who was described as “tall, with beautiful hair, broad shoulders, strong muscles and a pleasant face,” per Moraes.
Interestingly, while researching the bust, the graphics designer 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 Moraes.
For the latest in lifestyle, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/lifestyle/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0