Grozny Vek on AllMovie

Yuri Grigorovich choreographs this ballet, which tells the story of Ivan the Terrible, set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev and performed by the Bolshoi Ballet. In the story, set in the 16th century, Ivan (Yuri Vladmirov) challenges the ancient feudal powers of the noble boyars, and in their struggles, the boyars kill his beloved Tsarina (Natalia Bessmertnova). The meaning of the title Grozny Vek is a Russian play on words, but literally means something like "Awesome Age," and is a colloquial term for the time of Ivan's rule.