'A Life for the Tsar' also known as 'Ivan Susanin', is a patriotic-heroic tragic opera in four acts with an epilogue by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (Russian Classical Music Composer). The historical basis of the plot involves Ivan Susanin, a patriotic hero of the early 17th century. Photo Shows: The Programme for 'Ivan Susanin' Opera. Supplied By: SCRSS - Society for Co-operation in Russian & Soviet Studies.