# Ivan kills his son (1581)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1581-ivan-kills-his-son
Categories: main-event

In November 1581 Ivan IV struck his eldest son and heir Ivan Ivanovich with his staff during a quarrel; the tsarevich died days later. The event was later depicted by Ilya Repin. The throne passed to the frail Feodor. The killing led to the extinction of the Rurikid dynasty.

## Why it matters
The killing led to the extinction of the Rurikid dynasty.

Ruler at the time: [Ivan IV](https://history-russia.com/rulers/ivan-iv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich of Russia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsarevich_Ivan_Ivanovich_of_Russia)
- [Wikipedia — Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_the_Terrible_and_His_Son_Ivan)
- [Wikipedia — Tsardom of Russia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsardom_of_Russia)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Ivan kills his son](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Ivan+kills+his+son)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)