Final answer:
The correct answer is option a. hero peasant who tricked the Poles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ivan Susanin was a heroic peasant who became a symbol of Russian patriotism following a legendary act during the Time of Troubles in the early 17th century. Susanin is famed for having ostensibly led a group of Polish invaders astray, into the dense forests of Russia, in order to protect Tsar Mikhail Romanov.
By sacrificing his life, the story goes, he prevented the Poles from finding and killing the then-recently elected Tsar Mikhail, thus securing the stability of the nascent Romanov dynasty. Although the historical accuracy of events surrounding Ivan Susanin is debated, he has been immortalized as a national hero within Russian culture and mythology.