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: A Scene from the Opera, produced by the Latvian Opera and Ballet. Supplied By: SCRSS - Society for Co-operation in Russian & Soviet Studies.