The “Cruelest Man to Ever Live” hasreturned after 440 years. Thanks to the efforts of researchers, a Brazilian graphic designer was able todigitally recreatethe visage ofIvan The Terrible, a Russian despot who ruled the land back in the 16th Century with an iron fist.
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The face of Russian despot Ivan the Terrible has been reconstructed, offering us a glimpse into what he may have looked like 440 years ago
Image credits:Cicero Moraes/Pen News
Brazilian graphics designerCicero Moraeshas gained notoriety in historical and scientific circles for his work. Using a combination of historical evidence andfacial forensics, the artist has not only been able to “revive” theRussian despotbut also the faces ofEgyptian PharaohAmenhotep III and the “Gilded Lady,” a remarkably well-preservedmummywho lived 1,500 years ago.
Archaeological records and the latest advancements in forensic 3D modeling recreated the bust of the despot with remarkable accuracy
Image credits:cogitas3d
The next step was to find a living “donor” who could serve as a canvas on which to apply all of the knowledge Moraes had gathered so far.
On hisYouTube channel, Moraes shows how he did it. First comes the bone structure, recreated from scientific data, and then comes the skin and features extracted from real samples, and, finally, historical details bring everything together for an accurate portrayal of Ivan the Terrible.
From a neglected child to a paranoid, bloodthirsty dictator, Ivan’s life was full of intrigue, violence, and rage
The “Grand Prince of Moscow,” Ivan IV Vasilyevich, wasn’t always the cruel manhistory remembershim as. His father, Vasili III, died when he was but three years old, and his mother followed just a few years later when he was eight years old.
With no one to protect them, Ivan and his deaf brother Iurii were left tofend for themselvesand were at the center of power struggles between noble families.
Ivan lived a life of paranoia, even accusing the entire city of Novgorod of treason in 1570. He was never brought to justice, not even after killing his own son, and he died from a stroke whileplaying chessin 1584.
Image credits:Pierre André Leclercq/Ilya Repin
“Anyone who has studied history knows that the greatest evil man in history was Ghenghis Khan who killed 40 million people. Ivan killed hundreds of thousands. Stalin killed 9 million,” said onecommenter, comparing the Russian despot to the Mongol warlord.
“There’s also Emperor Nero, who blamed Christians for the burning of Rome and started a pattern of persecution that led to countless numbers of people being slaughtered,” saidanother one, bringing forth another candidate.
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In a more lighthearted tone, some commenters pointed out some similarities between the end result and the faces of known celebrities.
“Nicolas Cage?” asked one user jokingly. “He looks likeLiam Neeson,” proposed another.
Image credits:Pen News
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