A Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevish, the Young Oprichnik, and the Valorous Merchant Kalashnikov, often abbreviated as The Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov, is a poem by Mikhail Lermontov written in 1837 and first published in 1838. Tsar ( Bulgarian цар, Russian царь,  listen?; often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires since 913, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to... Ivan IV (August 25, 1530–March 18, 1584) was the first ruler of Russia to assume the title of tsar. ... Oprichnik (опричникъ) was a member of a private army (Oprichniks) devoted to the service of tsar Ivan the Terrible during the oprichina times (1565-1573). ... Mikhail Lermontov in 1837 Mikhail Yurevich Lermontov (Михаил Юрьевич Лермонтов), (October 15, 1814–July 27, 1841), a Russian writer, sometimes called the poet of the Caucasus, was the most important presence in the Russian poetry since Alexander Pushkins death until his own death in duel at the age of... Events January 10 - DePauw University founded in Greencastle, Indiana January 26 - Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state February 8 - Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate February 11 - American Physiological Society organizes in Boston February 13 - Rowland... 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The plot of the poem is set during Oprichina times. Rhythmically, Kalashnikov is patterned after bylina, the Russian folk epic. Its most famous scene describes a boxing match. The Oprichnina (Russian: Опричнина) formed a section of Russia ruled directly by the Tsar under Ivan the Terrible. ... Boxer redirects here; for other meanings of boxer, see Boxer (disambiguation). ...

Based on the poem, Anton Rubinstein created an opera The Merchant Kalashnikov. Anton Rubinstein Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein (Анто́н Григо́рьевич Рубинште́йн) (November 28, 1829 – November 20, 1894) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor. ...