He won a great victory over Kazan
One of the interesting facts about Ivan the Terrible is that he won a great victory over Kazan. The Kazan Khanate's forces periodically raided northern Russia when Ivan was a child. In the 1530s, the Crimean Khan formed an offensive alliance with his relative, Safa Giray of Kazan. In December 1540, when Safa Giray invaded Muscovy, the Russians deployed Qasim Tatars to keep him at bay. Safa Giray was forced to retreat to his own frontiers as his progress was halted in Murom.
The setbacks weakened Safa Giray's position in Kazan. A pro-Russian faction led by Shahgali amassed enough popular support to mount three coup attempts against the Kazan monarchy. Ivan led an excursion to the Volga River in 1545 to show his support for the pro-Russians.
Ivan led a large Russian army towards Kazan on June 16, 1552. On August 30, the last siege of the Tatar capital began. The Russians utilized battering rams, a siege tower, undermining, and 150 cannons under the command of Prince Alexander Gorbaty-Shuisky. The Russians also had the benefit of highly skilled military engineers. The city's water supply had been cut off, and the fortifications had been breached. Kazan fell on October 2, its defenses were destroyed, and much of the population was murdered. A large number of Russian prisoners and slaves were freed. Ivan commemorated his victory over Kazan by erecting several buildings with oriental elements, the most renowned of which is Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square. The Moscow government's attempts to secure a footing on the Middle Volga kept prompting local uprisings, which were only narrowly crushed. The First Cheremis War ended in 1557, and the Bashkirs acknowledged Ivan's authority.
