Romanovs on the Russian throne diagram. Family tree of the Romanov royal family

Alexey Mikhailovich(1629-1676), Tsar from 1645. Son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, central power strengthened and took shape serfdom(Cathedral Code 1649); Ukraine was reunited with the Russian state (1654); Smolensk, Seversk land, etc. were returned; uprisings in Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov (1648, 1650, 1662) and the peasant war under the leadership of Stepan Razin were suppressed; There was a split in the Russian Church.

Wives: Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (1625-1669), among her children are Princess Sophia, future Tsars Fyodor and Ivan V; Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651-1694) - mother of Peter

Fedor Alekseevich(1661-1682), Tsar from 1676. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M.I. Miloslavskaya. Under him they ruled various groups boyars Household taxation was introduced, and localism was abolished in 1682; The unification of Left Bank Ukraine with Russia was finally consolidated.

Ivan V Alekseevich (1666-1696), Tsar from 1682. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M.I. Miloslavskaya. Sick and unable to government activities, proclaimed tsar together with his younger brother Peter I; Until 1689, sister Sophia ruled for them, after her overthrow - Peter I.

Peter I Alekseevich (Great) (1672-1725), Tsar from 1682 (reigned from 1689), first Russian Emperor (from 1721). Younger son Alexey Mikhailovich - from his second marriage to N.K. Naryshkina. Conducted reforms government controlled(the Senate, collegiums, bodies of supreme state control and political investigation were created; the church was subordinated to the state; the country was divided into provinces, a new capital- Petersburg). He pursued a policy of mercantelism in the field of industry and trade (the creation of manufactories, metallurgical, mining and other plants, shipyards, piers, canals). He led the army in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, Northern War 1700-1721, Prut campaign of 1711, Persian campaign of 1722-1723, etc.; commanded troops during the capture of Noteburg (1702), in the battles of Lesnaya (1708) and near Poltava (1709). He supervised the construction of the fleet and the creation of a regular army. Contributed to strengthening the economic and political situation nobility. On the initiative of Peter I, many were opened educational establishments, Academy of Sciences, civil alphabet adopted, etc. The reforms of Peter I were carried out by cruel means, through extreme strain of material and human forces, oppression masses(poll tax, etc.), which entailed uprisings (Streletskoye 1698, Astrakhan 1705-1706, Bulavinskoye 1707-1709, etc.), mercilessly suppressed by the government. Being the creator of a powerful absolutist state, he achieved recognition of Russia by the countries Western Europe the authority of a great power.

Wives: Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, mother of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich;
Marta Skavronskaya, later Catherine I Alekseevna

Catherine I Alekseevna (Marta Skavronskaya) (1684-1727), empress from 1725. Second wife of Peter I. Enthroned by the guard led by A.D. Menshikov, who became the de facto ruler of the state. Under her, the Supreme Privy Council was created.

Peter II Alekseevich (1715-1730), emperor from 1727. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. In fact, the state was ruled under him by A.D. Menshikov, then the Dolgorukovs. Announced the cancellation of a number of reforms carried out by Peter I.

Anna Ivanovna(1693-1740), empress from 1730. Daughter of Ivan V Alekseevich, Duchess of Courland from 1710. Enthroned by the Supreme Privy Council. In fact, E.I. Biron was the ruler under her.

Ivan VI Antonovich (1740-1764), emperor in 1740-1741. Great-grandson of Ivan V Alekseevich, son of Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick. E.I. Biron ruled for the baby, then mother Anna Leopoldovna. Overthrown by the Guard, imprisoned; killed when V.Ya. Mirovich tried to free him.

Elizaveta Petrovna(1709-1761/62), empress from 1741. Daughter of Peter I from his marriage to Catherine I. Enthroned by the Guard. She contributed to eliminating the dominance of foreigners in the government and promoted talented and energetic representatives from among the Russian nobility to government positions. Actual manager domestic policy under Elizaveta Petrovna there was P.I. Shuvalov, whose activities are associated with the abolition of internal customs and the organization foreign trade; rearmament of the army, improvement of it organizational structure and control systems. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the orders and bodies created under Peter I were restored. The rise of Russian science and culture was facilitated by the establishment, on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov, of Moscow University (1755) and the Academy of Arts (1757). The privileges of the nobles were strengthened and expanded at the expense of the serf peasantry (distribution of land and serfs, decree of 1760 on the right to exile peasants to Siberia, etc.). Peasant protests against serfdom were brutally suppressed. The foreign policy of Elizaveta Petrovna, skillfully directed by Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, was subordinated to the task of fighting against the aggressive aspirations of the Prussian king Frederick II.

Peter III Fedorovich (1728-1762), Russian Emperor from 1761. German Prince Karl Peter Ulrich, son of Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich and Anna - the eldest daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. Since 1742 in Russia. In 1761 he made peace with Prussia, which negated the results of the victories of Russian troops in the Seven Years' War. Introduced into the army German customs. Overthrown in a coup organized by his wife Catherine, killed.

Catherine II Alekseevna (Great) (1729-1796), Russian empress from 1762. German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. She came to power by overthrowing Peter III, her husband, with the help of the guard. She formalized the class privileges of the nobles. Under Catherine II, the Russian absolutist state became significantly stronger, the oppression of the peasants intensified, and a peasant war took place under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev (1773-1775). The Northern Black Sea region, Crimea, North Caucasus, Western Ukrainian, Belarusian and Lithuanian lands (according to three sections of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. From the late 80s - early 90s. actively participated in the fight against French Revolution; pursued free thought in Russia.

Paul I Petrovich (1754-1801), Russian emperor since 1796. Son of Peter III and Catherine II. He introduced a military-police regime in the state, and Prussian order in the army; limited noble privileges. He opposed revolutionary France, but in 1800 he entered into an alliance with Bonaparte. Killed by conspiratorial nobles.

Alexander I Pavlovich (1777-1825), emperor since 1801. The eldest son of Paul I. At the beginning of his reign, he carried out moderate liberal reforms developed by the Secret Committee and M.M. Speransky. In foreign policy he maneuvered between Great Britain and France. In 1805-1807 he participated in anti-French coalitions. In 1807-1812 he temporarily became close to France. He fought successful wars with Turkey (1806-1812) and Sweden (1808-1809). Under Alexander I, Eastern Georgia (1801), Finland (1809), Bessarabia (1812), Azerbaijan (1813), and the former Duchy of Warsaw (1815) were annexed to Russia. After Patriotic War 1812 led the anti-French coalition of European powers in 1813-1814. He was one of the leaders of the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815 and the organizers of the Holy Alliance.

Nicholas I Pavlovich (1796-1855), Russian emperor since 1825. Third son of Emperor Paul I. Honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1826). He ascended the throne after the sudden death of Alexander I. Suppressed the Decembrist uprising. Under Nicholas I, centralization was strengthened bureaucratic apparatus, the Third Department was created, the Code of Laws was compiled Russian Empire, new censorship regulations were introduced (1826, 1828). The theory has gained ground official nationality. The Polish uprising of 1830-1831 and the revolution in Hungary of 1848-1849 were suppressed. Important side foreign policy there was a return to the principles of the Holy Alliance. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia took part in the Caucasian War of 1817-1864, the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828, the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829, and the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Alexander II Nikolaevich (1818-1881), emperor since 1855. The eldest son of Nicholas I. He abolished serfdom and then carried out a number of other bourgeois reforms (zemstvo, judicial, military, etc.) promoting the development of capitalism. After Polish uprising 1863-1864 switched to a reactionary domestic political course. Since the late 70s, repressions against revolutionaries have intensified. During the reign of Alexander II, the annexation of the Caucasus (1864), Kazakhstan (1865), and most of Central Asia (1865-1881) to Russia was completed. A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II (1866, 1867, 1879, 1880); killed by Narodnaya Volya.

Alexander III Alexandrovich (1845-1894), Russian Emperor since 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 80s, in the conditions of growing capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out "counter-reforms". Suppressed revolutionary democratic and labor movement, strengthened the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. During the reign Alexandra III The annexation of Central Asia to Russia was basically completed (1885), and the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).

Nicholas II Alexandrovich (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor (1894-1917). Eldest son of Alexander III. His reign coincided with the rapid development of capitalism. Under Nicholas II, Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the revolution of 1905-1907, during which the Manifesto was adopted on October 17, 1905, which authorized the creation political parties and established the State Duma; The Stolypin agrarian reform began to be implemented. In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente, as part of which it joined the 1st world war. Since August 1915, Supreme Commander-in-Chief. During February Revolution 1917 abdicated the throne. Shot along with his family in Yekaterinburg

Over the past 300-odd years, autocracy in Russia has been directly linked to the Romanov dynasty. They managed to gain a foothold on the throne during the Time of Troubles. The sudden appearance of a new dynasty on the political horizon is the largest event in the life of any state. Usually it is accompanied by a coup or revolution, but in any case, a change of power entails the removal of the old ruling elite by force.

Background

In Russia, the emergence of a new dynasty was due to the fact that the Rurikovich branch was interrupted with the death of the descendants of Ivan IV the Terrible. This state of affairs in the country gave rise not only to a profound political but also a social crisis. Ultimately, this led to foreigners beginning to interfere in the affairs of the state.

It should be noted that never before in the history of Russia have rulers changed so often, bringing with them new dynasties, as after the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In those days, not only representatives of the elite, but also other social strata claimed the throne. Foreigners also tried to intervene in the power struggle.

On the throne, one after another, the descendants of the Rurikovichs appeared in the person of Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), representatives of the untitled boyars led by Boris Godunov (1597-1605), and there were even impostors - False Dmitry I (1605-1606) and False Dmitry II (1607-1605). 1610). But none of them managed to stay in power for long. This continued until 1613, until the Russian tsars of the Romanov dynasty came.

Origin

It should be noted right away that this family as such came from the Zakharyevs. And the Romanovs are not quite the correct surname. It all started with the fact that, i.e. Zakharyev Fedor Nikolaevich, decided to change his last name. Guided by the fact that his father was Nikita Romanovich, and his grandfather was Roman Yuryevich, he came up with the surname “Romanov”. Thus the genus received a new name, which is still used today.

The royal Romanov dynasty (reigned 1613-1917) began with Mikhail Fedorovich. After him, Alexei Mikhailovich, popularly nicknamed “The Quietest,” ascended the throne. Then Alekseevna and Ivan V Alekseevich ruled.

During his reign - in 1721 - the state was finally reformed and became the Russian Empire. The kings have sunk into oblivion. Now the sovereign became the emperor. In total, the Romanovs gave Russia 19 rulers. Among them are 5 women. Here is a table that clearly shows the entire Romanov dynasty, years of reign and titles.

As mentioned above, the Russian throne was sometimes occupied by women. But the government of Paul I passed a law stating that from now on the title of emperor could only be borne by a direct male heir. Since then, no woman has ever ascended the throne.

The Romanov dynasty, whose years of reign were not always calm times, received its official coat of arms back in 1856. It depicts a vulture holding a tarch and a golden sword in its paws. The edges of the coat of arms are decorated with eight severed lion heads.

The last Emperor

In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in the country and overthrew the country's government. Emperor Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov dynasty. He was given the nickname "Bloody" because thousands of people were killed on his orders during the two revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

Historians believe that the last Emperor was a soft ruler, so he made several unforgivable mistakes in both domestic and foreign policy. It was they who led to the fact that the situation in the country escalated to the limit. Failures in the Japanese and then the First World Wars greatly undermined the authority of the emperor himself and the entire royal family.

In 1918, on the night of July 17, the royal family, which included, in addition to the emperor himself and his wife, five children, was shot by the Bolsheviks. At the same time, the only heir to the Russian throne, Nicholas’s little son, Alexei, also died.

Nowadays

The Romanovs are the oldest boyar family that gave Russia a great dynasty of kings and then emperors. They ruled the state for a little over three hundred years, starting from the 16th century. The Romanov dynasty, whose reign ended with the Bolsheviks coming to power, was interrupted, but several branches of this family still exist. All of them live abroad. About 200 of them have various titles, but not one will be able to take the Russian throne, even if the monarchy is restored.

Over the course of 10 centuries, domestic and foreign policy Russian state determined by representatives of the ruling dynasties. As you know, the greatest prosperity of the state was under the rule of the Romanov dynasty, descendants of an old noble family. Its ancestor is considered to be Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, whose father, Glanda-Kambila Divonovich, baptized Ivan, came to Russia in the last quarter of the 13th century from Lithuania.

The youngest of the 5 sons of Andrei Ivanovich, Fyodor Koshka, left numerous offspring, which include such surnames as the Koshkins-Zakharyins, Yakovlevs, Lyatskys, Bezzubtsevs and Sheremetyevs. In the sixth generation from Andrei Kobyla in the Koshkin-Zakharyin family there was the boyar Roman Yuryevich, from whom the boyar family, and subsequently the Romanov tsars, originated. This dynasty ruled in Russia for three hundred years.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613 - 1645)

The beginning of the reign of the Romanov dynasty can be considered February 21, 1613, when the Zemsky Sobor took place, at which the Moscow nobles, supported by the townspeople, proposed electing 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as sovereign of all Rus'. The proposal was accepted unanimously, and on July 11, 1613, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, Mikhail was crowned king.

The beginning of his reign was not easy, because the central government still did not control a significant part of the state. In those days, robber Cossack detachments of Zarutsky, Balovy and Lisovsky were walking around Russia, ruining the state already exhausted by the war with Sweden and Poland.

So, before the newly elected king stood two important tasks: first, the end of hostilities with neighbors, and second, the pacification of their subjects. He was able to cope with this only after 2 years. 1615 - all free Cossack groups were completely destroyed, and in 1617 the war with Sweden ended with the conclusion of the Stolbovo Peace. According to this agreement Moscow State lost access to Baltic Sea, but peace and tranquility were restored in Russia. It was possible to begin to lead the country out of a deep crisis. And here Mikhail’s government had to make a lot of efforts to restore the devastated country.

At first, the authorities took up the development of industry, for which foreign industrialists - ore miners, gunsmiths, and foundries - were invited to Russia on preferential terms. Then the turn came to the army - it was obvious that for the prosperity and security of the state it was necessary to develop military affairs, in connection with this, in 1642, transformations began in the armed forces.

Foreign officers trained Russian military men in military affairs, “regiments of a foreign system” appeared in the country, which was the first step towards the creation of a regular army. These transformations turned out to be the last in the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich - 2 years later the tsar died at the age of 49 from “water sickness” and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Alexey Mikhailovich, nickname Quiet (1645-1676)

His eldest son Alexei, who, according to contemporaries, was one of the most educated people of his time, became king. He himself wrote and edited many decrees and was the first of the Russian tsars to begin signing them personally (others signed decrees for Mikhail, for example, his father Filaret). Meek and pious, Alexey deserved people's love and the nickname Quiet.

In the first years of his reign, Alexey Mikhailovich took little part in government affairs. The state was ruled by the Tsar's educator, boyar Boris Morozov, and the Tsar's father-in-law, Ilya Miloslavsky. Morozov's policy, which was aimed at increasing tax oppression, as well as Miloslavsky's lawlessness and abuses, caused popular indignation.

1648, June - an uprising broke out in the capital, followed by uprisings in southern Russian cities and in Siberia. The result of this rebellion was the removal of Morozov and Miloslavsky from power. 1649 - Alexei Mikhailovich had the opportunity to take over the rule of the country. On his personal instructions, a set of laws was compiled - Cathedral Code, which satisfied the basic wishes of the townspeople and nobles.

In addition, the government of Alexei Mikhailovich encouraged the development of industry, supported Russian merchants, protecting them from competition from foreign traders. Customs and new trade regulations were adopted, which contributed to the development of domestic and foreign trade. Also, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the Moscow state expanded its borders not only to the southwest, but also to the south and east - Russian explorers explored Eastern Siberia.

Feodor III Alekseevich (1676 - 1682)

1675 - Alexei Mikhailovich declared his son Fyodor heir to the throne. 1676, January 30 - Alexei died at the age of 47 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. Fyodor Alekseevich became the sovereign of all Rus' and on June 18, 1676 he was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral. Tsar Fedor reigned for only six years, he was extremely unindependent, power ended up in the hands of his maternal relatives - the Miloslavsky boyars.

The most important event of the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich was the destruction of localism in 1682, which provided the opportunity for promotion to not very noble, but educated and enterprising people. IN last days During the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich, a project was drawn up to establish a Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and a theological school for 30 people in Moscow. Fyodor Alekseevich died on April 27, 1682 at the age of 22, without making any order regarding the succession to the throne.

Ivan V (1682-1696)

After the death of Tsar Fyodor, ten-year-old Pyotr Alekseevich, at the suggestion of Patriarch Joachim and at the insistence of the Naryshkins (his mother was from this family), was proclaimed tsar, bypassing his older brother Tsarevich Ivan. But on May 23 of the same year, at the request of the Miloslavsky boyars, it was approved Zemsky Sobor"second king", and Ivan - "first". And only in 1696, after the death of Ivan Alekseevich, Peter became the sole tsar.

Peter I Alekseevich, nickname the Great (1682 - 1725)

Both emperors pledged to be allies in the conduct of hostilities. However, in 1810, relations between Russia and France began to take on an openly hostile character. And in the summer of 1812, war began between the powers. Russian army, having expelled the invaders from Moscow, completed the liberation of Europe with a triumphal entry into Paris in 1814. The successfully ended wars with Turkey and Sweden strengthened the country’s international position. During the reign of Alexander I, Georgia, Finland, Bessarabia, and Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire. 1825 - During a trip to Taganrog, Emperor Alexander I caught a severe cold and died on November 19.

Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855)

After Alexander's death, Russia lived without an emperor for almost a month. On December 14, 1825, his oath was announced younger brother Nikolai Pavlovich. On the same day there was an attempt coup d'etat, later called the Decembrist uprising. The day of December 14 made an indelible impression on Nicholas I, and this was reflected in the nature of his entire reign, during which absolutism reached its highest rise, expenses for officials and the army absorbed almost all state funds. During the years, the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was compiled - a code of all legislative acts that existed in 1835.

1826 - a Secret Committee was established to deal with peasant question, in 1830 a general law on estates was developed, in which a number of improvements were designed for peasants. For primary education About 9,000 rural schools were established for peasant children.

1854 - began Crimean War, which ended in the defeat of Russia: according to the Treaty of Paris of 1856, the Black Sea was declared neutral, and Russia was able to regain the right to have a fleet there only in 1871. It was the defeat in this war that decided the fate of Nicholas I. Not wanting to admit the error of his views and beliefs, which led the state not only to military defeat, but also to the collapse of the entire system state power, the emperor is believed to have knowingly taken poison on February 18, 1855.

Alexander II the Liberator (1855-1881)

The next from the Romanov dynasty came to power - Alexander Nikolaevich, the eldest son of Nicholas I and Alexandra Fedorovna.

It should be noted that I was able to somewhat stabilize the situation both within the state and on the external borders. Firstly, under Alexander II, serfdom was abolished in Russia, for which the emperor was nicknamed the Liberator. 1874 - a decree was issued on universal conscription, which abolished conscription. At this time, higher education institutions were created educational institutions for women, three universities were founded - Novorossiysk, Warsaw and Tomsk.

Alexander II was able to finally conquer the Caucasus in 1864. According to the Argun Treaty with China, the Amur Territory was annexed to Russia, and according to the Beijing Treaty, the Ussuri Territory was annexed. 1864 - Russian troops began a campaign in Central Asia, during which the Turkestan region and Fergana region were captured. Russian rule extended all the way to the peaks of the Tien Shan and the foot of the Himalayan range. Russia also had possessions in the United States.

However, in 1867, Russia sold Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to America. The most important event in Russian foreign policy during the reign of Alexander II became Russian-Turkish war 1877–1878, which ended with the victory of the Russian army, which resulted in the declaration of independence of Serbia, Romania and Montenegro.

Russia received part of Bessarabia, seized in 1856 (except for the islands of the Danube Delta) and a monetary indemnity of 302.5 million rubles. In the Caucasus, Ardahan, Kars and Batum with their surroundings were annexed to Russia. The Emperor could have done a lot more for Russia, but on March 1, 1881, his life was tragically cut short by a bomb from Narodnaya Volya terrorists, and the next representative of the Romanov dynasty, his son Alexander III, ascended the throne. Difficult times have come for the Russian people.

Alexander III the Peacemaker (1881-1894)

During the reign of Alexander III, administrative arbitrariness increased significantly. In order to develop new lands, a massive resettlement of peasants to Siberia began. The government took care of improving the living conditions of workers - the work of minors and women was limited.

In foreign policy at this time, there was a deterioration in Russian-German relations and a rapprochement between Russia and France took place, which ended with the conclusion of the Franco-Russian alliance. Emperor Alexander III died in the fall of 1894 from kidney disease, aggravated by bruises received during a train accident near Kharkov and constant excessive consumption of alcohol. And power passed to his eldest son Nicholas, the last Russian emperor from the Romanov dynasty.

Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917)

The entire reign of Nicholas II passed in an atmosphere of growing revolutionary movement. At the beginning of 1905, a revolution broke out in Russia, marking the beginning of reforms: 1905, October 17 - the Manifesto was published, which established the foundations of civil freedom: personal integrity, freedom of speech, assembly and unions. The State Duma was established (1906), without whose approval not a single law could enter into force.

Agrarian reform was carried out according to the project of P.A. Stolshin. In the field of foreign policy, Nicholas II took some steps to stabilize international relations. Despite the fact that Nicholas was more democratic than his father, popular discontent with the autocrat grew rapidly. At the beginning of March 1917, the chairman State Duma M.V. Rodzianko told Nicholas II that the preservation of autocracy was possible only if the throne was transferred to Tsarevich Alexei.

But, given the poor health of his son Alexei, Nicholas abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Mikhail Alexandrovich. Mikhail Alexandrovich, in turn, abdicated in favor of the people. The republican era has begun in Russia.

From March 9 to August 14, 1917, the former emperor and members of his family were kept under arrest in Tsarskoye Selo, then they were transported to Tobolsk. On April 30, 1918, the prisoners were brought to Yekaterinburg, where on the night of July 17, 1918, by order of the new revolutionary government, the former emperor, his wife, children and the doctor and servants who remained with them were shot by security officers. Thus ended the reign of the last dynasty in Russian history.

Last update:
August 20, 2018, 21:37

Family tree: diagrams with photographs and years of reign.

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Boyar family, from 1613 - royal dynasty, from 1721 - imperial dynasty in Russia; ruled until February 1917. On the throne were such representatives of the Romanov dynasty as Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-45), Alexey Mikhailovich(1645-76), Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-82), Ivan V (1682-96), Peter I(1682-1725), Peter II (1727-30, with his death the Romanov dynasty ended in the direct male generation), Anna Ioanovna (1730-40), Ivan VI (1740-41), Elizaveta Petrovna(1741-61, with her death the R. dynasty ended in the direct female line, but the Romanov surname was inherited by representatives Holstein-Gottorp dynasty), Peter III (1761-62), Catherine II (1762-96), Paul I (1796-1801), Alexander I(1801-25), Nicholas I(1825-55),Alexander II (1855- 81), Alexander III (1881-94), Nicholas II (1894-1917).

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During the February bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917, the Romanian dynasty was removed from power, Nicholas II was overthrown, and later secretly executed by the Bolsheviks and his entire family. Some representatives of the Romanov family are in exile. (see materials above). Green The ruling representatives of the dynasty are noted:

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They descended from a boyar family known since the 14th century. The surname R. was received on behalf of the boyar Roman Yuryevich(died 1582), whose daughter Anastasia the Tsar married Ivan IV Vasilievich(Ivan groznyj). The latter's nephew Fedor Nikitich R. became a Moscow. patriarch under the name Philareta. His son Mikhail Fedorovich R. was elected Russian. king (1613-45). The heirs of this monarch on the throne were: son Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-76), grandchildren - Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-82), Ivan V (1682-96), Peter / Alekseevich
(1682-1725), second wife of Peter I Catherine I (1725-27), his grandson Peter // Alekseevich (1727-30) In 1730-40, the daughter of Ivan V Anna Ivanovna ruled, in 1741-61 - the daughter of Peter I Elizaveta Petrovna , after which the R. dynasty ended and for women. lines. However, the surname R. was borne by representatives of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty: Peter III (1761-62) (son of the Duke of Holstein Karl Friedrich and daughter of Peter I Anna), his wife Catherine II (1762-96), their son Paul I (1796-1801) and his descendants: sons Alexander I (1801-25) and Nicholas I (1825-55), son the last Alexander II (1855-81), his son Alexander III (1881-94) and grandson Nicholas II (1894-1917).

Meeting of the Great Embassy by Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov and nun Martha at the Holy Gate of the Ipatiev Monastery on March 14, 1613. Miniature from the “Book on the election of the Great Sovereign and Grand Duke Mikhail Feodorovich of All Great Russia, Samrodzher, to the highest throne of the great Russian kingdom. 1673"

The year was 1913. A jubilant crowd greeted the Emperor, who arrived with his family in Kostroma. The solemn procession headed to the Ipatiev Monastery. Three hundred years ago, young Mikhail Romanov hid from the Polish interventionists within the walls of the monastery; here Moscow diplomats begged him to marry the kingdom. Here, in Kostroma, the history of the Romanov dynasty’s service to the Fatherland began, tragically ending in 1917.

The first Romanovs

Why was Mikhail Fedorovich, a seventeen-year-old boy, given responsibility for the fate of the state? The Romanov family was closely connected with the extinct Rurik dynasty: the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, had brothers, the first Romanovs, who received their surname on behalf of their father. The most famous of them is Nikita. Boris Godunov saw the Romanovs as serious rivals in the struggle for the throne, so all the Romanovs were exiled. Only two sons of Nikita Romanov survived - Ivan and Fedor, who was tonsured a monk (in monasticism he received the name Filaret). When did the disaster for Russia end? Time of Troubles, it was necessary to choose a new king, and the choice fell on Fyodor’s young son, Mikhail.

Mikhail Fedorovich ruled from 1613 to 1645, but in fact the country was ruled by his father, Patriarch Filaret. In 1645, sixteen-year-old Alexei Mikhailovich ascended the throne. During his reign, foreigners were willingly called up for service, interest in Western culture and customs arose, and the children of Alexei Mikhailovich were influenced by European education, which largely determined the further course of Russian history.

Alexei Mikhailovich was married twice: his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, gave the Tsar thirteen children, but only two of the five sons, Ivan and Fedor, survived their father. The children were sickly, and Ivan also suffered from dementia. From his second marriage to Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, the tsar had three children: two daughters and a son, Peter. Alexei Mikhailovich died in 1676, Fyodor Alekseevich, a fourteen-year-old boy, was crowned king. The reign was short-lived - until 1682. His brothers had not yet reached adulthood: Ivan was fifteen years old, and Peter was about ten. They were both proclaimed kings, but the government of the state was in the hands of their regent, Princess Sophia of Miloslavskaya. Having reached adulthood, Peter regained power. And although Ivan V also bore the royal title, Peter alone ruled the state.

The era of Peter the Great

The Peter the Great era is one of the brightest pages national history. However, it is impossible to give an unambiguous assessment of either the personality of Peter I himself or his reign: despite all the progressiveness of his policies, his actions were sometimes cruel and despotic. This is confirmed by the fate of his eldest son. Peter was married twice: from his union with his first wife, Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, a son, Alexei, was born. Eight years of marriage ended in divorce. Evdokia Lopukhina, the last Russian queen, was sent to a monastery. Tsarevich Alexei, raised by his mother and her relatives, was hostile to his father. Opponents of Peter I and his reforms rallied around him. Alexey Petrovich was accused of treason and sentenced to death penalty. He died in 1718 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, without waiting for the execution of the sentence. From his second marriage to Catherine I, only two children - Elizabeth and Anna - survived their father.

After the death of Peter I in 1725, a struggle for the throne began, in fact provoked by Peter himself: he abolished old order succession to the throne, according to which power would pass to his grandson Peter, the son of Alexei Petrovich, and issued a decree according to which the autocrat could appoint a successor for himself, but did not have time to draw up a will. With the support of the guard and the closest circle of the deceased emperor, Catherine I ascended the throne, becoming the first empress of the Russian state. Her reign was the first in a series of reigns of women and children and marked the beginning of the era of palace coups.

Palace coups

Catherine's reign was short-lived: from 1725 to 1727. After her death, eleven-year-old Peter II, the grandson of Peter I, finally came to power. He ruled for only three years and died of smallpox in 1730. This was the last representative of the Romanov family in the male line.

Management of the state passed into the hands of Peter the Great's niece, Anna Ivanovna, who ruled until 1740. She had no children, and according to her will, the throne passed to her grandson sister Ekaterina Ivanovna, Ivan Antonovich, a two-month-old baby. With the help of the guards, Peter I's daughter Elizabeth overthrew Ivan VI and his mother and came to power in 1741. The fate of the unfortunate child is sad: he and his parents were exiled to the north, to Kholmogory. He spent his entire life in captivity, first in a remote village, then in the Shlisselburg fortress, where his life ended in 1764.

Elizabeth reigned for 20 years - from 1741 to 1761. - and died childless. She was the last representative of the Romanov family in a direct line. The rest of the Russian emperors, although they bore the name of the Romanovs, actually represented German dynasty Holstein-Gottorp.

According to Elizabeth's will, her nephew, the son of Anna Petrovna's sister, Karl Peter Ulrich, who received the name Peter in Orthodoxy, was crowned king. But already in 1762, his wife Catherine, relying on the guard, committed palace coup and came to power. Catherine II ruled Russia for more than thirty years. Perhaps that is why one of the first decrees of her son Paul I, who came to power in 1796 already in adulthood, was to return to the order of succession to the throne from father to son. However, his fate also tragic ending: he was killed by conspirators, and his eldest son Alexander I came to power in 1801.

From the Decembrist uprising to the February revolution.

Alexander I had no heirs; his brother Constantine did not want to reign. The unclear situation with the succession to the throne provoked an uprising on Senate Square. It was harshly suppressed by the new Emperor Nicholas I and went down in history as the Decembrist uprising.

Nicholas I had four sons; the eldest, Alexander II, ascended the throne. He reigned from 1855 to 1881. and died after an assassination attempt by Narodnaya Volya.

In 1881, the son of Alexander II, Alexander III, ascended the throne. He was not the eldest son, but after the death of Tsarevich Nicholas in 1865, they began to prepare him for public service.

Alexander III appears before the people on the Red Porch after his coronation. May 15, 1883. Engraving. 1883

After Alexander III, his eldest son, Nicholas II, was crowned king. At the coronation of the latter Russian Emperor a tragic event occurred. It was announced that gifts would be distributed on Khodynka Field: a mug with an imperial monogram, half a loaf of wheat bread, 200 grams of sausage, gingerbread with a coat of arms, a handful of nuts. Thousands of people were killed and injured in the stampede for these gifts. Many inclined towards mysticism see a direct connection between the Khodynka tragedy and the murder imperial family: in 1918, Nicholas II, his wife and five children were shot in Yekaterinburg on the orders of the Bolsheviks.

Makovsky V. Khodynka. Watercolor. 1899

With the death of the royal family, the Romanov family did not fade away. Most of the grand dukes and princesses with their families managed to escape from the country. In particular, to the sisters of Nicholas II - Olga and Ksenia, his mother Maria Feodorovna, his uncle - the brother of Alexander III Vladimir Alexandrovich. It is from him that the family leading the Imperial House today comes.