Ivan the Terrible's military arsenal discovered: 16th century storehouse holds spiked helmets, sabres and arrows for soldiers of the notorious Tsar's army

A 16th century storehouse housing distinctive spiked helmets and weapons intended for elite soldiers has been discovered in Zvenigorod, a town west of Moscow.

The helmets were found stored in leather boxes along with sabres, belts and arrows, intended for use by a powerful group of Russian soldiers, believed to have been handpicked by Ivan the Terrible.

The fearsome ruler Ivan Vasilecvich was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death in 1584.

A 16th century storehouse holding distinctive spiked helmets (pictured) and weapons intended for elite soldiers has been discovered near Zvenigorod, a town west of Moscow. The helmets were found stored in leather boxes along with sabres, belts and arrows, intended for use by a powerful group of Russian soldiers

His long reign saw the conquest of regions such as Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea and Siberia, turning Russia into an empire covering more than one billion acres (1,562,500 square miles or 4,046,856 square km).

The storehouse was uncovered by archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences while conducting an emergency dig involving the new Central Circular Highway.

In all, the remains of around 60 wooden buildings were discovered at the site. 

The most interesting is a timber-lined room containing the weapons.

It would have been in a basement of a mansion, which was home to a famous aristocratic family called the Dobrynins who lived in the village of Ignatievskoe.

But the room was forgotten after the grand development burnt down in the 17th Century. 

This means the weapons and helmets were never used and are consequently in 'incredible' condition.

A member of the family was part of Ivan the Terrible's 'handpicked thousand' - soldiers who were Boyars, or aristocrats, who led the notorious Tsar's army, formed in October 1550.

The room, thought to be a private arsenal, included a cache of weapons which would have been intended for a military expedition. 

This perhaps explains why many were found in boxes, alongside tents.

Other finds include the helmets in leather cases, chain mail fragments, swords, with sheaths and fighting belts. 

The discovery sheds light on the role of rich, elite soldiers, because it suggests they had to billet and pay for a standing army of troops ready to be deployed at any time, as part of their responsibility of being an aristocrat.

The storehouse would have been in a basement of a mansion, which was home to an aristocratic family called the Dobrynins. A member of the family was part of Ivan the Terrible's 'handpicked thousand' - soldiers who were aristocrats, who led the Tsar's army. An illustration showing soldiers wearing the helmets is shown

The storehouse was uncovered by archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences while conducting an emergency dig involving the new Central Circular Highway. A selection of artefacts found at the site are shown

The room was discovered near Zvenigorod (marked on the map), a town west of Moscow. It is believed that the mansion burnt down in the 17th Century. This means the weapons and helmets were never used and are consequently in 'incredible' condition

They would each have had their own arsenal in readiness to go to war. 

'We've never encountered such finds in Moscow region before, neither in cities and especially not in small villages,' said Dr Asya Engovatova, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

'If this rescue archaeology dig hadn't been undertaken, all this material would have been completely destroyed during the building of the Central Circular Highway,' she said.

The most precious of the finds uncovered so far are the well-preserved spiked helmets.

WHO WAS 'TSAR OF ALL RUSSIAS' IVAN THE TERRIBLE? 

Ivan Vasilevich, known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death

Ivan Vasilevich, known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death in 1584.

During his long reign, Russia expanded from a state to an Empire, taking in vast regions such as Siberia. 

Ivan the Terrible was the first ruler to be crowned Tsar of All Russias and was a fearsome leader - hence his name.

He gave aristocrats substantial military power, creating the ‘handpicked thousand’, but also had a reputation for cruelty towards the upper classes.

For example, in the Massacre of Novgorod, that lasted five weeks, Ivan sent the Oprichnina - a secret police set up to execute and confiscate the property of disobedient nobles - to plunder and terrorise villages under certain aristocrats' control.

Historical sources describe a complex personality - an intelligent and devout man who was given to fits of rage, resulting in the killing of his chosen heir, Ivan Ivanovich, for example.

Historians have long debated Ivan the Terrible's impact on Russia.

He made changes to Russia's governmental structure, including the creation of the Oprichnina, which diminished the power of the boyars to create a more centralised government, while securing a stable autocracy.

Acquiring territory boosted Russia's power and trade with Europe, but led to future wars, such as a conflict with Turkey.

His love of architecture and literature added to Russia's cultural heritage, but his economic legacy is generally thought to have been a disaster. 

The Tsar raised taxes to cover military costs, but drained the country of men and resources in his quest for expansion, leading to the Time of Troubles, which included a famine that killed a third of the population - some two million people. 

During his long reign, Russia expanded from a state to an Empire, taking in vast regions such as Siberia. Ivan had St. Basil's Cathedral (pictured) constructed in Moscow to commemorate the seizure of Kazan

'They are the typical military headgear of Russian knights—spherical helmets adorned with gold and silver,' Dr Engovatova explained.

Alexei Alexeyev, the scientific specialist in charge of the excavations revealed that while other examples of the unusually-shaped helmets can be found in Russia's top museums, the examples found in Zvenigorod are unique.

This is because they were found in leather storage boxes with fabric interiors and have decorated ear pieces.

'Now we can better understand how the boyars prepared for military expeditions - everyone was in the basement of his arsenal,' he said.

'Thanks to these excavations, we can see for the first time the military life of a Russian nobleman, which was the basis of the Russian army.  

The fearsome ruler Ivan Vasilecvich, known as Ivan the Terrible, was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of 'All the Russias' from 1547 until his death in 1584. A 16th century engraving of him is shown