The Romanov tree today. Branching of the family tree. Red terror in action

16/12/2010

The site of the Association of members of the Romanov family (www.rdnevnik.ru and the Cyrillic domain domromanov.rf), created in preparation for the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty (to be celebrated in 2013), has been launched. The site will collect materials about the history of the dynasty and the modern life of the Romanov family. Ivan ARTSISHEVSKY, representative in Russia of the Association of Members of the Romanov Family, spoke about how the Romanovs live now.

- AND van Sergeevich, how did you become the representative of the Romanov family in Russia?
- In 1998, we met and got acquainted with Prince Nikolai Romanovich, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I. He often came with his brother Dimitri Romanovich (precisely Dimitri - that was his name from childhood) and turned to me with requests to help organize their stay in Russia. And when the transfer of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II, members of his family and servants from Yekaterinburg to St. Petersburg became a reality, I, as the head of the working group for the reburial, was actively engaged in receiving and accommodating all members of the Association and maintaining contacts with them. Since, by virtue of my biography, I perfectly understood both the feelings with which they came to Russia and the extent of their isolation from real life in our country, which had recently ceased to be the Soviet Union, we developed very open, trusting relations. This was even expressed in the fact that when Nikolai Romanovich was asked to speak to students or schoolchildren, he could ask me to write to him “six points” - the topic of the speech, since at that time he did not have a very good idea of \u200b\u200bwhat could be of interest to modern youth. But the older Romanovs have no problems with the presentation of thoughts - they speak Russian perfectly.

- When did the Romanovs first come to Russia?
- Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich was the first to come to Russia. At the beginning of his work as mayor of Leningrad, Anatoly Sobchak went to Paris, where he was introduced to Vladimir Kirillovich, the son of Nicholas II's cousin. When Anatoly Alexandrovich returned, his first phrase was: “I saw the emperor, the real Romanov! I want to invite him here." So in 1991, at the invitation of the mayor of Leningrad, Vladimir Kirillovich, together with his wife Leonida Georgievna, came to Russia to rename our city to St. Petersburg. There was a lot of unrest in connection with this visit - and the experience had not yet been gained, and it was difficult with financing (I even had to look for sponsors), and no one knew how Prince Romanov himself would behave.

- It was still the Soviet Union ...
- Yes, that's why there were many subtleties: it was important to present all this ideologically correctly. That is, there was no “God save the Tsar!”, of course. Our goal was to neatly link different historical eras.

What impression did your visit to Russia make on him?
- Honestly, the impression is the strongest. Probably, we cannot even imagine the extent of his shock when he saw with his own eyes what his parents had been telling him about for decades. We traveled around St. Petersburg, and he was happy to see this city with his own eyes. For the longest time, he stood at the window of the office of his grandfather, brother of Emperor Alexander III (Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, now the House of Scientists), and looked at the Peter and Paul Cathedral. We stood next to him, afraid to move. Who among us could then know that in six months he would be buried in this cathedral.

- How did he perceive modern Russia?
- He was here for only five days and experienced a huge moral shock, and he was already 74 years old ... Therefore, it is difficult for me to say what he thought about modern Russia. But the fact that he did not understand at all what life was like in the Soviet Union, could not imagine empty store shelves, is a fact. The Romanovs have lived all their lives in a different reality and, of course, often do not understand modern Russia. Although the history of the Fatherland is well known.

- When they talk about the descendants of the Romanovs, two societies are called - the Society of Members of the Romanov Family and the Imperial House of the Romanovs. Where did this division come from?
- You probably mean the Association of members of the Romanov family? Yes, it exists - it is a public organization registered in Switzerland and uniting all the descendants of the Romanovs. And the Russian Imperial House is an organization that includes two people who consider themselves the empress and crown prince of some ephemeral throne of Russia. Therefore, it is difficult to call it a division. They are all Romanovs, and all are in morganatic marriages. If we delve into the study of the "Institution of the Imperial Family", then we will understand why the legitimacy of the Russian Imperial House is untenable. In short, the heirs to the throne after Emperor Nicholas II were: Tsarevich Alexei, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich. But in 1906, Kirill Vladimirovich married a divorced cousin, Princess Victoria-Melita, who was also a Lutheran. After the wedding, Nicholas II ordered that Cyril be expelled from Russia, deprive him of the right to the throne, and give the children the name Romanovsky. True, in 1910 Nikolai nevertheless recognized the marriage and allowed his brother to return. But the return of the right to the throne was not even out of the question.

- Thus, Cyril could not claim the throne?
- Yes, I couldn't. The year 1917 comes, and Kirill Vladimirovich takes the side of the February Revolution, and according to the testimony of those years, he walks with a red bow and leads his guards crew to guard the Tauride Palace, where the State Duma was located. After the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II (for himself and for his son), Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich abdicates: until the decision of the Constituent Assembly. And Kirill Vladimirovich also joined Mikhail's refusal before the decision of the Constituent Assembly. In 1917, after the arrest of Nicholas II and his family, Kirill managed to escape to Finland, then he and his family moved to Paris. Later, Empress Maria Fedorovna, mother of Emperor Nicholas II, and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr., grandson of Nicholas I, leave Russia. this step, then instead of a blessing, he received a sharp refusal. Despite this, Kirill Vladimirovich publishes a manifesto in which he proclaims himself Emperor of All Russia Kirill I.

- Was it legal?
- No, because back in 1906 he violated the law on succession to the throne. Soon, the son of Kirill Vladimirovich, Vladimir Kirillovich, is growing up, who, following the example of his father, considers himself the head of the Russian Imperial House. And he himself again violates the law on succession to the throne, when in 1948 he enters into a civil marriage with Leonida Georgievna Kirby (nee Bagration-Mukhranskaya). The fact is that Leonida Georgievna was not only a divorced woman, but she had a child from her first marriage. After the death of Kirill Vladimirovich, Vladimir Kirillovich takes the title of head of the Imperial House. His daughter, Maria Vladimirovna, Vladimir Kirillovich proclaims the sole heir.

- Can a woman inherit the right to the throne?
- No, if you follow the laws established by Paul I. Moreover, Maria Vladimirovna married Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, a German prince. According to Roman law, the wife receives the surname and title of her husband: that is, after marriage, Maria Romanova becomes Maria Hohenzollern (nee Romanova). This is also evidenced by the "Gothic Almanac" (a genealogical collection of titled nobility). This directory is published under the patronage of the Spanish king - I think you can trust him.

- Why then does Maria Vladimirovna call herself the head of the House of Romanov?
- The House of the Romanovs is a family, it is more than 20 direct descendants of Russian emperors and more than 100 members of their families. The head of the family is now Prince Nikolai Romanovich, great-great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I. As for Maria Vladimirovna, the Association of Members of the Romanov Family considers her a member, but not the head of the Imperial House. Also, she is not a Grand Duchess, since the last Grand Duchess of the Imperial family was the sister of the murdered Tsar Nicholas II, Olga Alexandrovna, who died in Canada in 1960. All living members of the Romanov family bear the titles of princes and princesses.

- And what is the Imperial House?
- As I said, these are two people: Maria Vladimirovna and her son George Hohenzollern.

- And what does the head of the house do?
- He comes on visits to Russia, visits exhibitions, temples, educational institutions, which, in fact, many Romanovs do. But, in addition, she distributes orders, medals and titles of nobility - although only reigning monarchs have such a privilege. And when deputies of the State Duma or the chairman of the Central Election Commission become the object of the award, in my opinion, this causes skepticism and surprise in society.

- Do the Romanovs themselves feel like descendants of the emperor?
- You know, it's very easy to communicate with them, they don't have false mannerisms. And they probably feel like descendants, because they have the same grandparents as you and I.

- Monarchs of other states recognize the descendants of the Romanovs as the imperial family?
- Yes, of course, and the "Gothic Almanac" confirms this. For example, Dimitri Romanovich visits the Danish queen. And in August, when Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev was in Denmark, the Danish Queen Margrethe II instructed Dimitri Romanovich to be the main escort of our president.

- Is the House of Romanov a political phenomenon or a cultural one?
- Nostalgic. Although attempts to tie the policy here do not stop. I get calls from various people claiming to be connected to the Romanovs. Today a man called who claimed that he was the illegitimate son of Grand Duchess Maria, that he had documents that confirm this. Nikolai Romanovich gets very angry when this happens, and does not deal with such things at all. So I have to work with it.

- Do any of the Romanovs wish to return to Russia?
- So far, only Maria Vladimirovna has voiced her desire to return to Russia, but only as head of the Russian Imperial House, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna. With the receipt of a special status, by analogy with the Russian Orthodox Church. Of course, none of the rest of the Romanovs would think of such a thing. They welcome the opportunity to come to Russia, run charity programs here, some of the Romanovs try different partnership projects with Russia, but they never get involved in politics. There is no talk of a return yet. But who knows, maybe in the future such ideas will appear, because some representatives of the younger generation of the Romanovs seriously study the Russian language and regularly come to our country. .

According to some sources, the Romanovs are not of Russian blood at all, but came from Prussia, according to the historian Veselovsky they are still Novgorodians. The first Romanov appeared as a result of the plexus of childbirth Koshkin-Zakharyin-Yuryev-Shuisky-Rurik in the guise of Mikhail Fedorovich, elected tsar of the Romanov dynasty. The Romanovs, in different interpretations of surnames and names, ruled until 1917.

The Romanov family: a story of life and death - a summary

The era of the Romanovs is a 304-year-old usurpation of power in the expanses of Russia by one boyar family that was born. According to the social classification of the feudal society of the 10th - 17th centuries, the boyars were called large landowners in Moscow Russia. AT 10th - 17th for centuries it was the upper stratum of the ruling class. According to the Danube-Bulgarian origin, "boyar" is translated as "noble". Their history is a time of unrest and an irreconcilable struggle with the kings for complete power.

Exactly 405 years ago, a dynasty of kings of this name appeared. 297 years ago, Peter the Great took the title of All-Russian Emperor. In order not to degenerate by blood, leapfrog began with its mixing along the male and female lines. After Catherine the First and Paul II, the branch of Mikhail Romanov sank into oblivion. But new branches sprang up, mixed with other bloodlines. Fyodor Nikitich, Patriarch of Russia Filaret, also bore the surname Romanov.

In 1913, the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty was splendidly and solemnly celebrated.

The highest officials of Russia, invited from European countries, did not even suspect that a fire was already warming up under the house, which would burn the ashes of the last emperor and his family in just four years.

In the times under consideration, members of the imperial families did not have surnames. They were called crown princes, grand dukes, princesses. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, which critics of Russia call a terrible coup for the country, its Provisional Government decided that all members of this house should be called Romanovs.

More on the main reigning persons of the Russian state

16-year-old first king. Appointment, election of essentially inexperienced in politics or even young children, grandchildren during the transition of power is nothing new for Russia. Often this was practiced in order for the curators of minor rulers to solve their own tasks before they came of age. In this case, Mikhail the First razed the "Time of Troubles" to the ground, brought peace and brought the almost collapsed country together. Of his ten family offspring, also 16-year-old Tsarevich Alexei (1629 - 1675) succeeded Michael as king.

The first attempt on the Romanovs by relatives. Tsar Theodore the Third dies at the age of twenty. The tsar, who was in poor health (even barely survived the time of the coronation), meanwhile, turned out to be strong in politics, reforms, organization of the army and civil service.

The Romanov family - the story of life and death (photo)

In March 1917, under pressure from the masses, Nicholas II terminated his imperial powers in favor of his brother Mikhail. But he was even more cowardly, and refused the throne. And that meant only one thing: the end of the monarchy. At that time, there were 65 people in the Romanov dynasty. Men were shot by the Bolsheviks in a number of cities in the Middle Urals and in St. Petersburg. Forty-seven managed to escape into exile.

The emperor and his family were put on a train and sent to Siberian exile in August 1917. Where all those objectionable to the authorities were driven into severe frosts. The small city of Tobolsk was briefly identified as the place, but it soon became clear that Kolchak’s men could capture them there and use them for their own purposes. Therefore, the train was hastily returned to the Urals, to Yekaterinburg, where the Bolsheviks ruled.

Red terror in action

Members of the imperial family were secretly placed in the basement of a house. The shooting took place there. The emperor, members of his family, assistants were killed. The execution was given a legal basis in the form of a resolution of the Bolshevik Regional Council of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies.

In fact, without a court decision, and it was an illegal action.

A number of historians believe that the Yekaterinburg Bolsheviks received the sanction from Moscow, most likely from the weak-willed All-Russian headman Sverdlov, and maybe personally from Lenin. According to testimony, the people of Yekaterinburg rejected the court hearing because of the possible advance of Admiral Kolchak's troops to the Urals. And this is legally not a repression in retaliation for tsarism, but a murder.

The representative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Solovyov, who investigated (1993) the circumstances of the execution of the royal family, argued that neither Sverdlov nor Lenin had anything to do with the execution. Even a fool would not have left such traces, especially the top leaders of the country.

The Romanovs are a great dynasty of tsars and emperors of Russia, an ancient boyar family that began its existence at the end of the 16th century. and still in existence.

Etymology and history of the surname

The Romanovs are not quite the correct historical family name. Initially, the Romanovs went from the Zakharievs. However, Patriarch Filaret (Fyodor Nikitich Zakharyev) decided to take the surname Romanov in honor of his father and grandfather, Nikita Romanovich and Roman Yuryevich. So the genus got the surname, which is still used today.

The boyar family of the Romanovs gave history one of the most famous royal dynasties in the world. The first tsarist representative of the Romanovs was Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, and the last was Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov. Although the royal family was interrupted, the Romanovs still exist (several branches). All representatives of the great family and their descendants today live abroad, about 200 people have royal titles, but none of them has the right to head the Russian throne in the event of the return of the monarchy.

The large Romanov family was called the House of Romanov. The huge and branched family tree has connections with almost all the royal dynasties of the world.

In 1856 the family received an official coat of arms. It depicts a vulture holding a golden sword and a tarch in its paws, and eight cut-off lion heads are located along the edges of the coat of arms.

Prehistory of the emergence of the royal dynasty of the Romanovs

As already mentioned, the Romanov clan descended from the Zakharievs, but where the Zakharievs came to the Moscow lands is unknown. Some scholars believe that the family members were natives of the Novgorod land, and some say that the first Romanovs came from Prussia.

In the 16th c. the boyar family received a new status, its representatives became relatives of the sovereign himself. This happened due to the fact that he married Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina. Now all the relatives of Anastasia Romanovna could count on the royal throne in the future. The opportunity to take the throne fell very soon, after the suppression. When the question of further succession to the throne arose, the Romanovs entered the game.

In 1613, the first representative of the family, Mikhail Fedorovich, was elected to the kingdom. The era of the Romanovs began.

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov family

Starting from Mikhail Fedorovich in Russia, several more kings from this family ruled (five in total).

These were:

Fedor Alekseevich Romanov;
Ivan the 5th (John Antonovich);

In 1721, Russia was finally reorganized into the Russian Empire, and the sovereign received the title of emperor. The first emperor was Peter the 1st, who until recently was called the tsar. In total, the Romanov family gave Russia 14 emperors and empresses. After Peter the 1st, they ruled:

End of the Romanov dynasty. The last of the Romanovs

After the death of Peter the 1st, the Russian throne was often occupied by women, but Paul 1st passed a law according to which only the direct heir, a man, can become emperor. Since then, no women have ascended the throne.

The last representative of the imperial family was Nicholas 2nd, who received the nickname Bloody for the thousands of people who died during the two great revolutions. According to historians, Nicholas 2 was a rather mild ruler and made several unfortunate mistakes in domestic and foreign policy, which led to the escalation of the situation within the country. Unsuccessful, and also greatly undermined the prestige of the royal family and the sovereign personally.

In 1905, it broke out, as a result of which Nikolai was forced to give the people the desired civil rights and freedoms - the power of the sovereign weakened. However, this was not enough, and in 1917 it happened again. This time, Nicholas was forced to resign his powers and renounce the throne. But this was not enough: the royal family was caught by the Bolsheviks and imprisoned. The monarchical system of Russia was gradually collapsing in favor of a new type of government.

On the night of July 16-17, 1917, the entire royal family, including Nikolai's five children and his wife, was shot. The only possible heir, the son of Nicholas, also died. All relatives who were hiding in Tsarskoye Selo, St. Petersburg and other places were found and killed. Only those Romanovs who were abroad survived. The reign of the imperial family of the Romanovs was interrupted, and with it the monarchy in Russia collapsed.

The results of the reign of the Romanovs

Although during the 300 years of the rule of this family there were many bloody wars and uprisings, in general, the power of the Romanovs benefited Russia. It was thanks to the representatives of this surname that Russia finally moved away from feudalism, increased its economic, military and political power and turned into a huge and powerful empire.

The House of Romanov celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2013. The day when Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed tsar remained in the distant past. For 304 years, the descendants of the Romanov family ruled Russia. For a long time it was believed that with the execution of the imperial family of Nicholas II, the entire royal dynasty was finished. But even today the descendants of the Romanovs live, the Imperial House exists to this day. The dynasty is gradually returning to Russia, to its cultural and social life.

Who belongs to the dynasty

The Romanov clan originates in the 16th century, with Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin. He had five children, who gave rise to numerous offspring that have survived to this day. But the fact is that most of the descendants no longer bear this surname, that is, they were born on the maternal side. Representatives of the dynasty are considered only the descendants of the Romanov family in the male line, who bear an old surname.

Boys in the family were born less often, and many were childless. Because of this, the royal family was almost interrupted. The branch was revived by Paul I. All the living descendants of the Romanovs are the heirs of Emperor Pavel Petrovich, son of Catherine II.

Branching family tree

Paul I had 12 children, two of them illegitimate. Their ten legitimate children are four sons:

Alexander I, who ascended the Russian throne in 1801, did not leave behind legitimate heirs to the throne.
Konstantin. He was married twice, but the marriages were childless. Had three illegitimate children who were not recognized as descendants of the Romanovs.
Nicholas I, All-Russian Emperor since 1825. He had three daughters and four sons from his marriage to the Prussian princess Frederica Louise Charlotte, in Orthodoxy Anna Feodorovna.
Michael was married with five daughters.

Thus, the Romanov dynasty was continued only by the sons of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. So all the remaining descendants of the Romanovs are his great-great-great-grandchildren.

Continuation of the dynasty

Sons of Nicholas I: Alexander, Constantine, Nicholas and Michael. They all left behind offspring. Their lines are informally called:

Alexandrovichi - the line went from Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov. Now live the direct descendants of the Romanovs-Ilyinskys Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich. Unfortunately, they are both childless, and with their passing away, this line will be stopped.
Konstantinovichi - the line originates from Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov. The last direct descendant of the Romanovs in the male line died in 1992, and the branch was cut short.
Nikolaevichi - descended from Romanov Nikolai Nikolaevich. To this day, a direct descendant of this branch, Dmitry Romanovich, lives and lives. He has no heirs, so the line is fading.
The Mikhailovichi are the heirs of Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov. It is to this branch that the rest of the Romanov-men who live today belong. This gives hope to the Romanov family for survival.

400 years ago, Russia chose a tsar for itself. On February 21 (March 3, according to a new style), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to reign - the first representative of the dynasty that ruled Russia for more than three centuries. This event put an end to the horrors of the Time of Troubles. But what did the era of the Romanovs turn out to be for our country? ...

The roots of the genus

The Romanov clan is of ancient origin and descended from the Moscow boyar of the time of Ivan Kalita, Andrei Kobyla. The sons of Andrei Kobyla became the founders of many boyar and noble families, including the Sheremetevs, Konovnitsyns, Kolychevs, Ladygins, Yakovlevs, Boborykins, and others.
The Romanovs came from the son of Kobyla Fyodor Koshka. His descendants were first called Koshkins, then Koshkins-Zakharyins, and then Zakharyins.

Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina was the first wife of Ivan IV the Terrible. She alone knew how to pacify the temper of Ivan the Terrible, and after she was poisoned and she died at the age of 30, Grozny compared each of his next wives with Anastasia.

Anastasia's brother, boyar Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin, began to be called Romanov after his father Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin-Koshkin.

So, the first Russian tsar from the Romanov family, Mikhail Romanov, was the son of the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov and the boyar Xenia Ivanovna Romanova.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1596-1645) - the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty.

Accession of the Romanovs: versions

Since the Romanovs, thanks to the marriage of Anastasia, were related to the Rurik dynasty, they fell into disgrace during the reign of Boris Godunov. Mikhail's father and mother were forcibly tonsured monks. He himself and all his relatives were exiled to Siberia, but were subsequently returned.

After the end of the Time of Troubles in 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich as the new sovereign. Then he was only 16 years old. In addition to him, the Polish prince Vladislav (future Vladislav IV), the Swedish prince Carl Philip, as well as representatives of many noble boyar families, claimed the throne.

At the same time, the Mstislavskys and Kurakins collaborated with the Poles during the Time of Troubles, the Godunovs and Shuiskys were relatives of the recently overthrown rulers. According to the official version, the representative of the Vorotynsky family, a member of the Seven Boyars, Ivan Vorotynsky, recused himself.

According to one version, the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov was considered a compromise, in addition, the Romanov family did not stain itself in the Time of Troubles like other noble families. However, not all historians adhere to this version - they believe that the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov was imposed on the Zemsky Sobor, and the cathedral did not represent all Russian lands at that time, and the Cossack troops had a great influence on the course of the meetings.

Nevertheless, Mikhail Romanov was elected to the kingdom and became Mikhail I Fedorovich. He lived for 49 years, during the years of his reign (1613 - 1645) the king managed to overcome the consequences of the Time of Troubles, restore centralized power in the country. New territories were annexed in the east, and peace was concluded with Poland, as a result of which the Polish king ceased to claim the Russian throne.

Figures and facts

Most of the Russian tsars and emperors from the Romanov dynasty lived a fairly short life. Only Peter I, Elizabeth I Petrovna, Nicholas I and Nicholas II lived for more than 50 years, and Catherine II and Alexander II lived for more than 60 years. Nobody lived to 70

Peter I the Great.

Catherine II lived the longest life and died at the age of 67. At the same time, she did not belong to the Romanov dynasty by birth, but was German. Peter II lived the least - he died at the age of 14.

The direct line of succession to the throne of the Romanovs stopped in the 18th century, all Russian emperors, starting with Peter III, belonged to the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty. The Holstein-Gottorps were a German ducal dynasty and at some point in history became related to the Romanovs.

Catherine II ruled the country the longest (34 years) for 34 years. Least of all the rules of Peter III - 6 months.

Ivan VI (John Antonovich) was a baby on the throne. He became emperor when he was only 2 months and 5 days old, his regents ruled in his stead.

Most of the impostors pretended to be Peter III. After he was overthrown, he died under unclear circumstances. The most famous impostor is Emelyan Pugachev, who led the peasant war in 1773-1775.

Of all the rulers, Alexander II carried out the most liberal reforms, and at the same time, he was the most assassinated. After a series of unsuccessful assassination attempts, the terrorists still managed to kill the tsar - he died from a bomb explosion, which the People's Will threw at his feet on the embankment of the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg.

The last Emperor Nicholas II, who was shot by the Bolsheviks, as well as his wife and children, were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as martyrs.

The Romanov dynasty in faces

Mikhail I Fedorovich
The first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty
Years of life: 1596 - 1645 (49 years old)
Years of government: 1613 - 1645

overcoming the consequences of the Time of Troubles; restoration of centralized
authorities in the country; annexation of new territories in the east; peace with Poland
as a result of which the Polish king ceased to claim the Russian throne.

Alexei I Mikhailovich
Son of Fyodor Mikhailovich. For the absence of major upheavals in the country during the years of his
board was named the Quietest
Years of life: 1629 - 1676 (46 years)
Years of government: 1645 - 1676
Achievements and government initiatives:
military reform; a new set of laws - the Cathedral Code of 1649; church
the reform of Patriarch Nikon, which caused a split in the church.

Fedor III Alekseevich
Son of Alexei Mikhailovich. He had poor health, which is why he died early
Years of life: 1661 - 1682 (20 years)
Years of government: 1676 - 1682

Achievements and government initiatives:
census of the population of the country in 1678; abolition of parochialism - distributions
official places, taking into account the origin and official position of the ancestors; introduction
house-to-house imposition of direct taxes; fight against schismatics.

Sofia Alekseevna
Regent over Ivan V and Peter I, both of whom were recognized as tsars. After
bias cut hair in a nun
Years of life: 1657 - 1704 (46 years old)
Years of government: 1682 - 1689

Achievements and government initiatives:
the signing of the "Eternal Peace" with Poland, according to which Kyiv was recognized as part of
Russian kingdom; - fight against schismatics.

Ivan V
The son of Alexei Mikhailovich and the elder brother of Peter I. He had poor health and did not
interested in government affairs
Years of life: 1666 - 1696 (29 years old)
Years of reign: 1682 - 1696 (co-ruler Peter I)

Peter I
The last Russian tsar and the first emperor of the Russian Empire (since 1721).
One of the most famous rulers of Russia, who radically changed
the historical fate of the country
Years of life: 1672 - 1725 (52 years old)
Years of government: 1682 - 1725

Achievements and government initiatives:
large-scale reforms to radically reorganize the state and public
way of life; creation of the Russian Empire; creation of the Senate - the highest body
state power, subordinate to the emperor; victory in the Northern War
Sweden; the creation of a navy and a regular army; construction
Petersburg and the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg from Moscow; Spread
education, the creation of secular schools; publication of the first newspaper in Russia;
accession to Russia of new territories.

Catherine I
The wife of Peter I. Took little part in public affairs
Years of life: 1684 - 1727 (43 years)
Years of government: 1725 - 1727

Achievements and government initiatives:
creation of the Supreme Privy Council, with the help of which close
empresses actually ruled the state; opening of the Academy of Sciences, creation
which was conceived under Peter I.

Peter II
Grandson of Peter I, the last direct descendant of the Romanov dynasty in the male line. AT
did not take part in public affairs due to his young age and indulged
entertainment, his entourage ruled instead
Years of life: 1715 - 1730 (14 years old)
Years of government: 1727 - 1730

Anna Ivanovna
Daughter of Ivan V. Favoritism flourished during her reign.
Years of life: 1693 - 1740 (47 years old)
Years of government: 1730 - 1740

Achievements and government initiatives:
the dissolution of the Supreme Privy Council and the creation of a cabinet of ministers; institution
Secret Investigation Offices; conversions in the army: service restriction for
nobles for 25 years, the creation of new guards regiments, the establishment of the gentry cadet corps.

Ivan VI (John Antonovich)
Great-grandson of Ivan V. Was emperor in infancy under the regency of Anna's favorite
Ioannovna Ernst Biron and his mother Anna Leopoldovna, was overthrown, his
childhood and the rest of his life spent in prisons
Years of life: 1740 - 1764 (23 years old)
Years of government: 1740 - 1741

Elizabeth I Petrovna
Daughter of Peter I, the last heir to the throne from the Romanov dynasty
straight female line.
Years of life: 1709 - 1761 (52 years old)
Years of government: 1741 - 1761

Achievements and government initiatives:
the abolition of the cabinet of ministers and the restoration of the role of the Senate; reform
taxation, the destruction of internal customs duties and fees; expansion of the rights of the nobility; creation of the first Russian banks; accession of new territories in Central Asia to Russia.

Peter III
Grandson of Peter I and son of his eldest daughter Anna Petrovna. Due to unpopular measures
in foreign policy and in the army lost the support of the ruling circles and soon after
accession to the throne was overthrown by his own wife Catherine, who also
was his second cousin
Years of life: 1728 - 1762 (34 years old)
Years of government: 1761 - 1762

Achievements and government initiatives:
the abolition of the Secret Chancellery; the beginning of the secularization of church lands; the publication of the Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility, which expanded the privileges of this class; an end to the persecution of the Old Believers.

Catherine II
Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, daughter
Prussian general field marshal and wife of Peter III. Toppled her husband after 6
months after he ascended the throne
Years of life: 1729 - 1796 (67 years)
Years of government: 1762 - 1796

Achievements and government initiatives:
provincial reform, which determined the territorial structure of the country to
revolutions of 1917; the maximum enslavement of the peasantry and the deterioration of its
provisions; further expansion of the privileges of the nobles ("Charter of
nobility"); accession to Russia of new lands - the Crimea, the Black Sea,
parts of the Commonwealth; the introduction of paper money - banknotes; development
education and science, including the creation of the Russian Academy; renewal
persecution of the Old Believers; secularization of church lands.

Pavel I
Son of Peter III and Catherine II. He was killed by officers as a result of a conspiracy, about which
was not known to the general public until the beginning of the 20th century.
Years of life: 1754 - 1801 (46 years old)
Years of government: 1796 - 1801

Achievements and government initiatives:
improving the position of the peasantry; creation of the State Treasury;
the abolition of part of the privileges of the nobility granted by Catherine II of the military
reform.

Alexander I
Son of Paul I and beloved grandson of Catherine II. It was during his reign that Russia
won the Patriotic War of 1812 with Napoleon
Years of life: 1777 - 1825 (47 years)
Years of government: 1801 - 1825

Achievements and government initiatives:
restoration of the "Charter to the nobility"; institution
ministries instead of colleges; "Decree on free cultivators", thanks to which
the landlords received the right to free the peasants; establishment of military settlements for
recruiting the army; annexation of new territories, including Georgia,
Finland, Poland, etc.

Nicholas I
Brother of Alexander I. Ascended the throne after the abdication of his second elder
brother Konstantin, at the same time there was an uprising of the Decembrists
Years of life: 1796 - 1855 (58 years old)
Years of government: 1825 - 1855

Achievements and government initiatives:
suppression of the Decembrist uprising; increased censorship; creation of the Third
departments of the office for political investigation; war in the Caucasus; improvement
the situation of the peasants - it was forbidden to exile them to hard labor and sell them one by one
and without land; annexation to Russia of the mouth of the Danube, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus
and Transcaucasia; unsuccessful Crimean War.

Alexander II
Son of Nicholas I, actively pursued political reforms and was killed as a result
Narodnaya Volya terrorist attack
Years of life: 1818 - 1881 (62 years)
Years of government: 1855 - 1881

Achievements and government initiatives:
the abolition of serfdom in 1861; zemstvo reform - management issues
local zemstvos began to deal; creation of a unified system of courts; creation
city councils in cities; military reform and the emergence of new types of weapons; accession to the empire of Central Asia, the North Caucasus, the Far East; sale of Alaska to the USA.

Alexander III
Son of Alexander II. After the murder of his father, brought to naught many of his
liberal reforms
Years of life: 1845 - 1894 (49 years old)
Years of government: 1881 - 1894

Achievements and government initiatives:
curtailment of many reforms in the field of local self-government, judicial
systems, education; increased supervision of the peasants; explosive growth
industry; restriction of factory work of minors and night work
teenagers and women.

Nicholas II
The last Russian emperor, son of Alexander III. During his reign
all three Russian revolutions occurred, after the revolution of 1917 he renounced
throne and was killed by the Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg along with his family
Years of life: 1868 - 1918 (50 years)
Years of government: 1894 - 1917

Achievements and government initiatives:
the 1897 general census; monetary reform that established gold
ruble standard; the unsuccessful Russo-Japanese War; limitation of working hours
enterprises; publication of the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, granting the entire population
the country's basic civil rights and freedoms; creation of the State Duma;
entry into the First World War.

Facts and myths

The most terrible secret of the Romanovs was the "Russian iron mask" - the failed Russian emperor Ivan Antonovich. According to the will of the childless Anna Ioannovna (died in 1740), her niece's son was to become her heir. At the age of one, the boy was overthrown from the throne by the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth. Ivan spent his whole life in captivity and was killed by guards in 1764 while trying to be freed by conspirators.

Princess Tarakanova - an impostor who pretended to be the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. While in Europe, she declared claims to the throne in 1774. She was kidnapped by order of Catherine II and brought to Russia. During the investigation, she pleaded not guilty and did not disclose her origin. She died in custody in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Strictly speaking, the direct branch of the Romanov family was cut short after the death of Elizaveta Petrovna in 1761. Since then, it is more correct to call the dynasty Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovskaya. There was practically no Slavic blood in its representatives, which did not prevent some of them from being deeply Russian people.

The most counterfeited "brand" in the history of the Romanovs is Emperor Peter III, who was overthrown in 1762. More than 40 impostors are known to hide behind his name. The most famous false Peter is Emelyan Pugachev.

According to legend, Alexander I did not die in Taganrog in 1825, but staged his own death and lived in Siberia for another half a century under the name of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich. Whether this is true or not is unknown.

By the way…

After the revolution of 1917, the Russian Imperial House lost its political power, but retained the role of a historical institution.

“The status of the current Russian Imperial House is recognized by all modern royal houses. Its head is the Empress Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna (b. 1953), great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II.

Her grandfather Kirill was a cousin of Nicholas II and headed the dynasty after the death of the tsar, his son Alexei and brother Mikhail, - said Kirill Nemirovich-Danchenko, adviser to the Office of E.I.V. on interaction with public organizations and state authorities of the Russian Federation. - The second member of the House is the heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich (b. 1981), her son.

All other descendants of members of the dynasty, in accordance with dynastic laws, do not have rights to the throne and do not belong to the Imperial House (the supremacy of Maria Vladimirovna is disputed by Nikolai Romanov, the son of Prince Roman Petrovich of imperial blood. He is the president of the organization "Association of the Romanov Family." - Ed.) . The total number of people in whose veins the blood of the Romanovs flows is more than 100 all over the world. Those who rightfully bear this surname are about 15.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich

Maria Vladimirovna lives in Spain. Since 2003, the dynasty has been represented in the homeland by the Office of the Russian Imperial House, the purpose of which is to promote the integration of the House into the public life of Russia. Maria Vladimirovna has repeatedly visited Russia, since 1992 she has known Vladimir Putin personally. After his election to the presidency, brief meetings took place, but no detailed conversation has yet taken place.

The Grand Duchess and her son are citizens of the Russian Federation, declare their complete loyalty to the Constitution and the existing government, firmly oppose restitution and believe that the development of cooperation between the Imperial House and the modern state has a future.

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