Ivan VI of Russia
Ivan VI Antonovich (Russian: Иван VI Антонович; 23 August [O.S. 12 August] 1740 – 16 July [O.S. 5 July] 1764), also known as Ioann Antonovich, was an infant emperor of Russia from October 1740 until he was overthrown by his cousin Elizabeth Petrovna in December 1741. He was only two months old when he was proclaimed emperor and his mother, Anna Leopoldovna, named regent, but the throne was seized in the coup after a year. Ivan and his parents were imprisoned far from the capital, and spent the rest of their lives in captivity.
| Ivan VI | |
|---|---|
Portrait of a young Ivan VI | |
| Emperor of Russia | |
| Reign | 28 October 1740 – 6 December 1741 |
| Predecessor | Anna |
| Successor | Elizabeth |
| Regent | Ernst Johann von Biron (1740) Anna Leopoldovna (1740–1741) |
| Born | 23 August 1740 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 16 July 1764 (aged 23) Shlisselburg, Russian Empire |
| Burial | Kholmogory or Shlisselburg |
| House | House of Mecklenburg-Brunswick-Romanov |
| Father | Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick |
| Mother | Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia |
| Religion | Russian Orthodox |
After more than twenty years as a prisoner, Ivan was killed by his guards when some army officers (unknown to Ivan) attempted to free him. His surviving siblings, who had been born in prison, were then released into the custody of their aunt, the Danish queen dowager Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. They settled in Horsens, where they lived in comfort under house arrest for the rest of their lives.