In the early 1870s, Antokolsky created one of his most significant works, which became the pinnacle of his creativity and brought him fame. Through the image of Ivan the Terrible, the sculptor sought to penetrate the essence of the tragic contradictions characterizing the complex and cruel era of the Russian autocrat. The innovative interpretation and emphasized realism manifested in the focus on the psychological characterization of the image of 'tormentor and martyr.' His inner state is defined not only by the torments of conscience but also by growing malice, thirst for revenge, anger, and inexhaustible strength of spirit. This is reflected in the expression of the first Russian tsar's face, the gesture of the hand piercing the staff, the combination of the incompatible, the commemorative synodic and the throne, monastic attire and the unbridled passions. The closed composition with elements of asymmetry conveys the concentration of the image and its internal struggle. The sculpture opened a new chapter in the history of Russian easel sculpture, where, according to Stasov, 'the first living person and the first living feeling' were presented. Interestingly, the professors of the Academy of Arts refused to consider it a work 'far from accepted canons.' However, it made a strong impression on Alexander II and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, who patronized the Academy. The emperor even commissioned a bronze casting of the statue. In 1872, the sculpture by Academician Antokolsky was shown at the International Exhibition in London, and the Kensington Museum ordered a plaster cast for its collection. 'Ivan the Terrible' became the first work by a Russian master to enter the collection of a foreign museum.