16th Century Russian ruler and Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan the Terrible was the first to use the title Tsar. What was unusual about the symbol worn by the 6,000 black uniformed secret police force he established, the oprichniki?

Answer: The symbol was a dog and a broom, symbolizing that the secret police were there to sniff out treason and sweep it away.

Source: The Art of Russia by Andre Graham-Dixon

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