Oprichnina

The oprichnina (Russian: опри́чнина, IPA: [ɐˈprʲitɕnʲɪnə]; from опричь, oprich, 'apart from, except') was a state policy implemented by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Russia between 1565 and 1572. The policy included mass repression of the boyars (Russian aristocrats), including public executions and confiscation of their land and property. In this context the term can also refer to:

• The notorious organization of six thousand Oprichniki, the first political police in the history of Russia.
• The portion of Russia, ruled directly by Ivan the Terrible, where his oprichniki operated.
• The corresponding period of Russian history.