 Set in 16th Century Russia, Ivan & Maria tells the epic tale of Tsar Ivan IV ( the terrible ) and his marriage to second wife Maria, an aristocratic Princess. Ivan & Maria s eight years of marriage was a heart-rending love affair in the midst of Kremlin intrigues, bloodshed, plots and counter-plots which ended in tragedy for Maria when she is poisoned, driving Ivan to tragically murder his own son and heir.