The Tsar of all Russia, Ivan the Terrible,
stood in awe of the glorious sight
before his eyes: nine golden domes of
St Basil’s Cathedral,
resplendent, a testimony to his power and might
He stood mesmerised, transfixed, perplexed,
and in his mind a thought took form,
somewhat dark,
a mark of a jealous streak,
not uncommon in those of high rank.
Overcome by emotion and blind envy,
he succumbed
to dark forces, issuing a royal command
to the royal guards:
“Summon the creator of St Basil’s to our court
and in secrecy do away with the instruments
of his creations! Go on, make it fast!”
They did exactly according to the royal decree:
The poor wretch was bound and gagged,
his eyes gouged out
before he could bring to life another
exquisite work of art –
for no edifice on earth should ever rival
the splendour of St Basil’s Cathedral!
*
Copyright © 2014 Irina Dimitric
*
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Irina's Poetry Corner 
Wow, this was new to me. Very cool and cruel. Hugs, Barbara
New to me too, Barbara. I was looking up Ivan the Terrible on Google and found this legend. Thank you very much for the reblog. Have a nice weekend! Hugs, Irina
Reblogged this on IdealisticRebel's Daily View of Favorites.
well-versed snapshot of a piece of history…there are several parallels of such tyranny in history . emperor Shajahan is said to have ordered for amputating the limbs of artisans who constructed the famed Taj Mahal just to ensure that the beauty of Taj did not get replicated elsewhere…enjoyed your poem…best wishes…raj
Thanks for visiting and for your input, Rajagopal. It seems that the mighty everywhere guard jealously their omnipotence. I’m glad you liked my poem.
great enlightening poem of the mad power possessed by the ego inflated monarchs of history…really enjoyed this well structured poem.
Thank you, Richard. There’s no doubt that power corrupts. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem.
Horrifying. Is there any veracity to this legend?
Doug, I found this info on Google and let my imagination do the rest.
The identity of the architect is unknown.[20] Tradition held that the church was built by two architects, Barma and Postnik:[20][21] the official Russian cultural heritage register lists “Barma and Postnik Yakovlev”.[2] Researchers proposed that both names refer to the same person, Postnik Yakovlev[21] or, alternatively, Ivan Yakovlevich Barma (Varfolomey).[20] Legend held that Ivan blinded the architect so that he could not re-create the masterpiece elsewhere,[22][23] although the real Postnik Yakovlev remained active at least throughout the 1560s.[24] There is evidence that construction involved stonemasons from Pskov[25] and German lands.[26] According to the legend, Ivan had ordered Postnik Yakovlev’s eyes removed.[27][28]
great explanation, Irina…as well as abuse of power, we learn as we get”wiser” those that write the history of any country are indebted to someone or slant, omit and embellish events…similar to scribes writing abt. religious events…but it all makes for great myths and legends.
You’re right, Richard, historic events are so often muddied by those who recount them. Embellishment and omission are typical strategies.
Oh!!!.. This one left me speechless…
Well not that much 😉 … I liked and would define it as raw and ironic at the same time.
An intelligent account, dear Irina ⭐
Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a great week ahead. Love, Aquileana 😀
It’s a shocking story, but not the only case in the history of great monuments. From Raj’s comment I learned that a similar fate had befallen the artisans of Taj Mahal.
I’m glad you think I’ve done a good job.
Have a great week! Hugs ❤ Irina