Ivan VI of Russia (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Ivan VI Antonovich of Russia was proclaimed Emperor of Russia in 1740, as an infant, although he never actually reigned. Within less than a year, he was overthrown by the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, Peter the Great's daughter. Ivan spent the rest of his life as a prisoner and was killed by his guards during an attempt made to free him. Ivan was born in Saint Petersburg to Prince Antony Ulrich of Brunswick-Luneburg and Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Mecklenburg, niece of Empress Anna of Russia and grand-daughter of Tsar Ivan V. His grand-aunt Empress Anna of Russia adopted the eight-week-old boy and declared him her successor on 5 October 1740. Upon the death of Anna (17 October of the Julian Calendar/28 October of the Gregorian Calendar, 1740) Ivan was proclaimed Emperor, and on the following day Ernst Johann von Biron, duke of Courland, became regent. With the fall of Biron on 8 November, the regency passed to the baby Tsar's mother, though the vice-chancellor, Andrei Osterman, ran the government.