Military officer.
He was the first political dissident of Russia. Andrey was a close friend of Ivan the Terrible, until defecting to Poland and becoming his bitter enemy and critic.
Background
Lived: 1528-1583.
Andrey Kurbsky was a descendant of the Rurikovich family. He participated in the victorious war against Khazan and became one of the most prominent boyars of the time.
He was not merely a political advisor and war commander, but also the only close friend of the tsar Ivan the Terrible.
Defection
After the death of his wife, Ivan IV grew more and more mentally unstable and paranoid against his boyars. He declared Oprichnina and began punishing his nobles.
Kurbsky commanded the Russian army at the Livonian War. In 1564 he decided to change sides and defect to Poland-Lithuania. He was warmly welcomed by the king Sigismund II August, and became a war commander on their side.
Ivan the Terrible was knocked off by the news about Kurbsky. Their fierce and passionate correspondence has been preserved. It gives a good insight to their relationship and inner world.
Andrey Kurbsky
Military officer.
He was the first political dissident of Russia. Andrey was a close friend of Ivan the Terrible, until defecting to Poland and becoming his bitter enemy and critic.
Background
Lived: 1528-1583.
Andrey Kurbsky was a descendant of the Rurikovich family. He participated in the victorious war against Khazan and became one of the most prominent boyars of the time.
He was not merely a political advisor and war commander, but also the only close friend of the tsar Ivan the Terrible.
Defection
After the death of his wife, Ivan IV grew more and more mentally unstable and paranoid against his boyars. He declared Oprichnina and began punishing his nobles.
Kurbsky commanded the Russian army at the Livonian War. In 1564 he decided to change sides and defect to Poland-Lithuania. He was warmly welcomed by the king Sigismund II August, and became a war commander on their side.
Ivan the Terrible was knocked off by the news about Kurbsky. Their fierce and passionate correspondence has been preserved. It gives a good insight to their relationship and inner world.
Time of Trubles