Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible

The Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Лицевой летописный свод, romanized: Litsevoy letopisny svod; 1560-1570s) is the largest compilation of historical information ever assembled in medieval Russia. It is also informally known as the Tsar Book (Russian: Царь-книга, romanized: Tsar-kniga), in an analogy with the Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon.

The literal meaning of the Russian title is "face chronicle," alluding to the numerous hand-painted miniatures. The compilation consists of 10 volumes, containing about 10 thousand sheets of rag paper, it is illustrated with more than 16 thousand miniatures. The book is the most important source for illustrating the medieval history of East Slavic lands.

The set of manuscripts was commissioned by tsar Ivan the Terrible and was made by a group of anonymous manuscript illuminators in the Tsar's palace in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda and Moscow. It was never completed, with some miniatures left uncolored.

The text of the "Tsar Book" is based on the Nikon Chronicle and covers the period from the creation of the world (including the Trojan War, Ancient Rome and Byzantium) to the year 1567.

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