According to some information, 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 interweaving of childbirth Koshkins-Zakharyins-Yurievs-Shuiskys-Ruriks in the guise of Mikhail Fedorovich, elected Tsar of the House of Romanov. The Romanovs, in different interpretations of their surnames and names, ruled until 1917.

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

The era of the Romanovs is a 304-year usurpation of power in the vastness of Russia by one family of boyars. According to the social classification of feudal society of the 10th – 17th centuries, boyars were called large landowners in Moscow Rus'. IN 10th – 17th for centuries it was the highest layer of the ruling class. According to Danube-Bulgarian origin, “boyar” is translated as “nobleman”. Their history is a time of unrest and 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, there was leapfrog with its mixing along the male and female lines. After Catherine the First and Paul the Second, the branch of Mikhail Romanov sank into oblivion. But new branches arose, with an admixture of other bloods. The surname Romanov was also borne by Fyodor Nikitich, Russian Patriarch Filaret.

In 1913, the three-hundredth anniversary of the Romanov dynasty was celebrated magnificently and solemnly.

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

At the time in question, members of the imperial families did not have surnames. They were called crown princes, grand dukes, and princesses. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, which critics of Russia call a terrible coup for the country, its Provisional Government decreed that all members of this house should be called Romanovs.

More details on the main reigning persons of the Russian state

16-year-old first king. The appointment and election of essentially inexperienced in politics or even young children and grandchildren during the transition of power is not new for Russia. This was often practiced so that the curators of child rulers would solve their own problems 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 years old Tsarevich Alexei (1629 - 1675) replaced Michael in the royal post.

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

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He forbade foreign tutors, who poured from Germany and France to Russia, from working without supervision. Historians of Russia suspect that the tsar's death was prepared by close relatives, most likely his sister Sophia. This is what will be discussed below.

Two kings on the throne. Again about the childhood of the Russian tsars.

After Fyodor, Ivan the Fifth was supposed to take the throne - a ruler, as they wrote, without a king in his head. Therefore, two relatives shared the throne on the same throne - Ivan and his 10-year-old brother Peter. But all state affairs were run by the already named Sophia. Peter the Great removed her from business when he learned that she had prepared a state conspiracy against his brother. He sent the intriguer to the monastery to atone for her sins.

Tsar Peter the Great becomes monarch. The one about whom they said that he cut a window to Europe for Russia. Autocrat, military strategist who finally defeated the Swedes in wars of twenty years. Titled Emperor of All Russia. Monarchy replaced reign.

Female line of monarchs. Peter, already nicknamed the Great, passed away without officially leaving an heir. Therefore, power was transferred to Peter’s second wife, Catherine the First, a German by birth. Rules for only two years - until 1727.

The female line was continued by Anna the First (Peter's niece). During her decade, her lover Ernst Biron actually reigned on the throne.

The third empress in this line was Elizaveta Petrovna from the family of Peter and Catherine. At first she was not crowned, because she was an illegitimate child. But this matured child carried out the first royal, fortunately, bloodless coup d’etat, as a result of which she sat on the All-Russian throne. By eliminating the regent Anna Leopoldovna. It is to her that her contemporaries should be grateful, because she returned St. Petersburg to its beauty and importance as a capital.

About the end of the female line. Catherine the Second the Great, arrived in Russia as Sophia Augusta Frederick. Overthrew the wife of Peter the Third. Rules for more than three decades. Having become Romanov's record holder, a despot, she strengthened the power of the capital, expanding the country territorially. Continued to improve the architectural design of the northern capital. The economy has strengthened. Patron of arts, loving woman.

A new, bloody conspiracy. Heir Paul was killed after refusing to abdicate the throne.

Alexander the First took over the government of the country on time. Napoleon marched against Russia with the strongest army in Europe. The Russian one was much weaker and drained of blood in the battles. Napoleon is just a stone's throw away from Moscow. We know from history what happened next. The Emperor of Russia came to an agreement with Prussia, and Napoleon was defeated. The combined troops entered Paris.

Attempts on the successor. They wanted to destroy Alexander II seven times: the liberal did not suit the opposition, which was already maturing then. They blew it up in the Winter Palace of the Emperors in St. Petersburg, they shot it in the Summer Garden, even at the World Exhibition in Paris. In one year there were three assassination attempts. Alexander II survived.

The sixth and seventh attempts took place almost simultaneously. One terrorist missed, and the Narodnaya Volya member Grinevitsky finished the job with a bomb.

Romanov is the last on the throne. Nicholas II was crowned for the first time with his wife, who had previously had five female names. This happened in 1896. On this occasion, they began to distribute the imperial present to those gathered on Khodynka, and thousands of people died in the stampede. The Emperor did not seem to notice the tragedy. Which further alienated the lower classes from the upper classes and prepared the way for a coup.

The Romanov family - a 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 Michael. But he was even more cowardly and abandoned the throne. And this meant only one thing: the end of the monarchy had come. 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 emigration.

The Emperor and his family were put on a train and sent into Siberian exile in August 1917. Where everyone who was disliked by the authorities was driven into the bitter cold. The small town of Tobolsk was briefly identified as the location, but it soon became clear that the Kolchakites could have captured them there and used 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, his family members, and 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 sanction from Moscow, most likely from the weak-willed All-Russian elder Sverdlov, and maybe personally from Lenin. According to testimony, the residents of Yekaterinburg rejected the court hearing because of the possible advance of Admiral Kolchak’s troops to the Urals. And this is legally no longer repression in retaliation against tsarism, but 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 leave such traces, especially the country's top leaders.

The royal dynasty of the Romanovs is the second and last on the Russian throne. Rules from 1613 to 1917. During her time, Rus' from a provincial state lying outside the boundaries of Western civilization turned into a huge empire, influencing all political processes in the world.
The accession of the Romanovs ended in Rus'. The first tsar of the dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, was elected autocrat by the Zemsky Sobor, assembled on the initiative of Minin, Trubetskoy and Pozharsky - the leaders of the militia that liberated Moscow from the Polish invaders. Mikhail Fedorovich was 17 years old at that time; he could neither read nor write. So, in fact, for a long time, Russia was ruled by his father, Metropolitan Philaret.

Reasons for the election of the Romanovs

- Mikhail Fedorovich was the grandson of Nikita Romanovich - the brother of Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yuryeva - the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, most beloved and revered by the people, since the period of her reign was the most liberal during Ivan’s tenure, and the son
- Michael's father was a monk with the rank of patriarch, which suited the church
- The Romanov family, although not very noble, is still worthy in comparison with other Russian contenders for the throne
- The relative equidistance of the Romanovs from the political squabbles of the Time of Troubles, in contrast to the Shuiskys, Mstislavskys, Kurakins and Godunovs, who were significantly involved in them
- The boyars' hope is that Mikhail Fedorovich is inexperienced in management and, as a result, his controllability
- The Romanovs were desired by the Cossacks and the common people

The first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645), ruled Russia from 1613 to 1645

Royal Romanov dynasty. Years of reign

• 1613-1645
• 1645-1676
• 1676-1682
• 1682-1689
• 1682-1696
• 1682-1725
• 1725-1727
• 1727-1730
• 1730-1740
• 1740-1741
• 1740-1741
• 1741-1761
• 1761-1762
• 1762-1796
• 1796-1801
• 1801-1825
• 1825-1855
• 1855-1881
• 1881-1894
• 1894-1917

The Russian line of the Romanov dynasty was interrupted with Peter the Great. Elizaveta Petrovna was the daughter of Peter I and Marta Skavronskaya (the future Catherine I), in turn, Marta was either Estonian or Latvian. Peter III Fedorovich, actually Karl Peter Ulrich, was the Duke of Holstein, a historical region of Germany located in the southern part of Schleswig-Holstein. His wife, the future Catherine II, in fact Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, was the daughter of the ruler of the German principality of Anhalt-Zerbst (the territory of the modern German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt). The son of Catherine the Second and Peter the Third, Paul the First, had as his wife first Augusta Wilhelmina Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, then Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, daughter of the Duke of Württemberg. The son of Paul and Sophia Dorothea, Alexander I, was married to the daughter of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach, Louise Maria Augusta. Paul's second son, Emperor Nicholas I, was married to Frederick Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina of Prussia. Their son, Emperor Alexander II - on the princess of the House of Hesse Maximilian Wilhelmina August Sophia Maria...

History of the Romanov dynasty in dates

• 1613, February 21 - Election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as Tsar by the Zemsky Sobor
• 1624 - Mikhail Fedorovich married Evdokia Streshneva, who became the mother of the second king of the dynasty - Alexei Mikhailovich (Quiet)
• 1645, July 2 - Death of Mikhail Fedorovich
• 1648, January 16 - Alexei Mikhailovich married Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, mother of the future Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich
• 1671, January 22 - Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina became the second wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
• 1676, January 20 - Death of Alexei Mikhailovich
• 1682, April 17 - death of Fyodor Alekseevich, who left no heir. The boyars proclaimed Tsar Peter, the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second wife Natalya Naryshkina
• 1682, May 23 - under the influence of Sophia, the sister of Tsar Fedor, who died childless, the Boyar Duma declared the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Quiet and Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya Ivan V Alekseevich the first tsar, and his half-brother Peter I Alekseevich the second
• 1684, January 9 - Ivan V married Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova, mother of the future Empress Anna Ioannovna
• 1689 - Peter married Evdokia Lopukhina
• 1689, September 2 - decree removing Sophia from power and exiling her to a monastery.
• 1690, February 18 - Birth of Peter the Great's son, Tsarevich Alexei
• 1696, January 26 - death of Ivan V, Peter the Great became autocrat
• 1698, September 23 - Evdokia Lopukhina, wife of Peter the Great, was exiled to a monastery, although she soon began to live as a laywoman
• 1712, February 19 - marriage of Peter the Great to Martha Skavronskaya, future Empress Catherine the First, mother of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
• 1715, October 12 - birth of the son of Tsarevich Alexei Peter, the future Emperor Peter II
• 1716, September 20 - Tsarevich Alexei, who disagreed with his father’s policies, fled to Europe in search of political asylum, which he received in Austria
• 1717 - Under the threat of war, Austria handed over Tsarevich Alexei to Peter the Great. On September 14 he returned home
• 1718, February - trial of Tsarevich Alexei
• 1718, March - Queen Evdokia Lopukhina was accused of adultery and again exiled to the monastery
• 1719, June 15 - Tsarevich Alexei died in prison
• 1725, January 28 - death of Peter the Great. With the support of the guard, his wife Marta Skavronskaya was proclaimed Empress Catherine the First
• 1726, May 17 - Catherine the First died. The throne was taken by twelve-year-old Peter II, the son of Tsarevich Alexei
• 1729, November - betrothal of Peter II to Catherine Dolgoruka
• 1730, January 30 - Peter II died. The Supreme Privy Council proclaimed him heir, the daughter of Ivan V, the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
• 1731 - Anna Ioannovna appointed Anna Leopoldovna, the daughter of her elder sister Ekaterina Ioannovna, who in turn was the daughter of the same Ivan V, as heir to the throne
• 1740, August 12 - Anna Leopoldovna had a son, Ivan Antonovich, the future Tsar Ivan VI, from her marriage to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Anton Ulrich
• 1740, October 5 - Anna Ioannovna appointed the young Ivan Antonovich, the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna, as heir to the throne
• 1740, October 17 - Death of Anna Ioannovna, Duke Biron was appointed regent for two-month-old Ivan Antonovich
• 1740, November 8 - Biron was arrested, Anna Leopoldovna was appointed regent under Ivan Antonovich
• 1741, November 25 - as a result of a palace coup, the Russian throne was occupied by the daughter of Peter the Great from his marriage to Catherine the First, Elizaveta Petrovna
• 1742, January - Anna Leopoldovna and her son were arrested
• 1742, November - Elizaveta Petrovna appointed her nephew, the son of her sister, the second daughter of Peter the Great from his marriage to Catherine the First (Martha Skavronsa) Anna Petrovna, Pyotr Fedorovich, as heir to the throne
• 1746, March - Anna Leopoldovna died in Kholmogory
• 1745, August 21 - Peter the Third married Sophia-Frederica-Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, who took the name Ekaterina Alekseevna
• 1746, March 19 - Anna Leopoldovna died in exile, in Kholmogory
• 1754, September 20 - the son of Pyotr Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna Pavel, the future Emperor Paul the First, was born
• 1761, December 25 - Elizaveta Petrovna died. Peter the Third took office
• 1762, June 28 - as a result of a coup d'etat, Russia was led by Ekaterina Alekseevna, wife of Peter the Third
• 1762, June 29 - Peter the Third abdicated the throne, was arrested and imprisoned in Ropshensky Castle near St. Petersburg
• 1762, July 17 - death of Peter the Third (died or was killed - unknown)
• 1762, September 2 - coronation of Catherine II in Moscow
• 1764, July 16 - after 23 years of being in the Shlisselburg fortress, Ivan Antonovich, Tsar Ivan VI, was killed during an attempt at liberation.
• 1773, October 10 - Heir to the throne Paul married Princess Augusta-Wilhelmina-Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, who took the name Natalia Alekseevna
• 1776, April 15 - Pavel's wife Natalya Alekseevna died during childbirth
• 1776, October 7 - The heir to the throne Paul married again. This time on Maria Feodorovna, Princess Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, daughter of the Duke of Württemberg
• 1777, December 23 - birth of the son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander the First
• 1779, May 8 - birth of another son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Konstantin
• 1796, July 6 - birth of the third son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Nicholas, the future Emperor Nicholas the First
• 1796, November 6 - Catherine the Second died, Paul the First took the throne
• 1797, February 5 - coronation of Paul the First in Moscow
• 1801, March 12 - Coup. Pavel the First was killed by the conspirators. His son Alexander is on the throne
• 1801, September - coronation of Alexander the First in Moscow
• 1817, July 13 - marriage of Nikolai Pavlovich and Friederike Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina of Prussia (Alexandra Feodorovna), mother of the future Emperor Alexander II
• 1818, April 29 - Nikolai Pavlovich and Alexandra Feodorovna had a son, Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander II
• 1823, August 28 - secret abdication of the throne by his heir, the second son of Alexander the First, Constantine
• 1825, December 1 - death of Emperor Alexander the First
• 1825, December 9 - the army and civil servants took the oath of allegiance to the new Emperor Constantine
• 1825, December - Constantine confirms his desire to abdicate the throne
• 1825, December 14 - Decembrist uprising in an attempt to swear the guard in to the new Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. The uprising is crushed
• 1826, September 3 - coronation of Nicholas in Moscow
• 1841, April 28 - marriage of the heir to the throne Alexander (Second) with Princess Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt (in Orthodoxy Maria Alexandrovna)
• 1845, March 10 - Alexander and Maria had a son, Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander III
• 1855, March 2 - Nicholas the First died. On the throne is his son Alexander II
• 1866, April 4 - the first, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1866, October 28 - the son of Alexander the Second, Alexander (the third), married the Danish princess Maria Sophia Friederike Dagmar (Maria Feodorovna), the mother of the future Emperor Nicholas II.
• 1867, May 25 - second, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1868, May 18 - Alexander (the Third) and Maria Feodorovna had a son, Nicholas, the future Emperor Nicholas II
• 1878, November 22 - Alexander (the Third) and Maria Feodorovna had a son, Mikhail, the future Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich
• 1879, April 14 - third, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1879, November 19 - fourth, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1880, February 17 - fifth, unsuccessful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1881, April 1 - sixth, successful attempt on the life of Alexander II
• 1883, May 27 - coronation of Alexander III in Moscow
• 1894, October 20 - death of Alexander III
• 1894, October 21 - Nicholas II on the throne
• 1894, November 14 - marriage of Nicholas II with the German princess Alice of Hesse, in Orthodoxy Alexandra Fedorovna
• 1896, May 26 - coronation of Nicholas II in Moscow
• 1904, August 12 - Nikolai and Alexandra had a son, heir to the throne Alexey
• 1917, March 15 (new style) - in favor of his brother Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich
• 1917, March 16 - Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich abdicated the throne in favor of the Provisional Government. The history of the monarchy in Russia is over
• 1918, July 17 - Nicholas II, his family and associates

Death of the royal family

“At half past one, Yurovsky raised Doctor Botkin and asked him to wake up the others. He explained that the city was unquiet and they decided to be transferred to the lower floor... It took the prisoners half an hour to wash and dress. At about two o'clock they began to go down the stairs. Yurovsky walked ahead. Behind him is Nikolai with Alexei in his arms, both in tunics and caps. Then followed the Empress with the Grand Duchesses and Doctor Botkin. Demidova carried two pillows, one of which contained a jewelry box. Behind her were the valet Trupp and the cook Kharitonov. The firing squad, unfamiliar to the prisoners, consisted of ten people - six of them were Hungarians, the rest were Russians - was in the next room.

Descending the interior staircase, the procession entered the courtyard and turned left to enter the lower floor. They were led to the opposite end of the house, into the room where the guards had previously been housed. From this room, five meters wide and six meters long, all the furniture was removed. High in the outer wall there was a single semicircular window covered with bars. Only one door was open, the other, opposite it, leading to the pantry, was locked. It was a dead end.

Alexandra Fedorovna asked why there were no chairs in the room. Yurovsky ordered two chairs to be brought, Nikolai sat Alexei on one of them, and the empress sat on the other. The rest were ordered to line up along the wall. A few minutes later, Yurovsky entered the room, accompanied by ten armed men. He himself described the scene that followed in these words: “When the team entered, the commandant (Yurovsky writes about himself in the third person) told the Romanovs that due to the fact that their relatives in Europe were continuing to attack Soviet Russia, the Urals Executive Committee decided to shoot them .

Nikolai turned his back to the team, facing his family, then, as if coming to his senses, he turned to the commandant with the question: “What? What?" The commandant quickly repeated and ordered the team to get ready. The team was told in advance who to shoot at whom, and was ordered to aim directly at the heart in order to avoid a large amount of blood and finish it quickly. Nikolai said nothing more, turning again to the family, others uttered several incoherent exclamations, all this lasted a few seconds. Then the shooting began, which lasted two to three minutes. Nicholas was killed on the spot by the commandant himself (Richard Pipes “Russian Revolution”).”

The House of Romanov celebrated its four hundredth anniversary in 2013. In the distant past there is a day when Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed tsar. For 304 years, the descendants of the Romanov family ruled Russia.

For a long time it was believed that the execution of the imperial family of Nicholas II was the end of the entire royal dynasty. But even today the descendants of the Romanovs are alive, 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 family dates back to the 16th century, with Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin. He had five children, who gave birth 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 descendants of the Romanov family in the male line who bear an old surname.

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

Branching of the family tree

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

• Alexander I, who ascended the Russian throne in 1801, left no legitimate heirs to the throne.
• Konstantin. He was married twice, but the marriages were childless. Had three 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 Fedorovna.
• Mikhail, married, had 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 the First: Alexander, Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail. They all left behind offspring. Their lines are unofficially called:

• Alexandrovichi - the line came from Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov. The direct descendants of the Romanov-Ilyinskys, Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich, live today. Unfortunately, they are both childless, and with their passing this line will end.
• 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.
• Nikolaevichs - descended from Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov. To this day, the direct descendant of this branch, Dmitry Romanovich, lives and lives. He has no heirs, so the line fades away.
• The Mikhailovichs are the heirs of Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov. It is to this branch that the remaining male Romanovs living today belong. This gives hope to the Romanov family for survival.

Where are the descendants of the Romanovs today?

Many researchers were interested in whether there were any descendants of the Romanovs left? Yes, this great family has heirs in male and female lines. Some branches have already been interrupted, other lines will soon fade away, but the royal family still has hope for survival.

But where do the descendants of the Romanovs live? They are dispersed throughout the planet. Most of them do not know Russian and have never been to the homeland of their ancestors. Some people have completely different surnames. Many became acquainted with Russia solely through books or television news reports. And yet, some of them visit their historical homeland, they do charity work here and consider themselves Russian at heart.

When asked whether there are any descendants of the Romanovs left, one can answer that today there are only about thirty known descendants of the royal family living in the world. Of these, only two can be considered purebred, because their parents married according to the laws of the dynasty. It is these two who can consider themselves full representatives of the Imperial House. In 1992, they were issued Russian passports to replace the refugee passports under which they had lived abroad until that time. Funds received as sponsorship from Russia allow family members to pay visits to their homeland.

It is unknown how many people live in the world who have “Romanov” blood flowing in their veins, but they do not belong to the clan, since they descended through the female line or from extramarital affairs. Nevertheless, genetically they also belong to an ancient family.

Head of the Imperial House

Prince Romanov Dmitry Romanovich became the Head of the House of Romanov after Nikolai Romanovich, his elder brother, died.

Great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, great-grandson of Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich, son of Prince Roman Petrovich and Countess Praskovya Sheremeteva. He was born in France on May 17, 1926.

From 1936 he lived with his parents in Italy, and later in Egypt. In Alexandria he worked at the Ford automobile plant: he worked as a mechanic and sold cars. Upon returning to sunny Italy, he worked as a secretary in a shipping company.

I visited Russia for the first time back in 1953 as a tourist. When he married his first wife Johanna von Kaufmann in Denmark, he settled in Copenhagen and served in a bank there for more than 30 years.

All numerous members of the royal family call him the Head of the House, only the Kirillovich branch believes that he has no legal rights to the throne due to the fact that his father was born in an unequal marriage (the Kirillovichs, the heirs of Alexander II, are Princess Maria Vladimirovna, who herself claims for the title of head of the Imperial House, and her son Georgy Mikhailovich, claiming the title of Tsarevich).

Dmitry Romanovich's long-time hobby is orders and medals from different countries. He has a large collection of awards, about which he is writing a book.

He was married for the second time in the Russian city of Kostroma to Dorrit Reventrow, a Danish translator, in July 1993. He has no children, therefore, when the last direct descendant of the Romanovs passes into another world, the Nikolaevich branch will be cut off.

Legitimate members of the house, the fading branch of the Alexandrovichs

Today the following true representatives of the royal family are alive (in the male line from legal marriages, direct descendants of Paul I and Nicholas II, who bear the royal surname, the title of prince and belong to the Alexandrovich line):

• Romanov-Ilyinsky Dmitry Pavlovich, born in 1954 - direct heir of Alexander II in the male line, lives in the USA, has 3 daughters, all married and changed their last names.
• Romanov-Ilyinsky Mikhail Pavlovich, born in 1959 - half-brother of Prince Dmitry Pavlovich, also lives in the USA, has a daughter.

If the direct descendants of the Romanovs do not become fathers of sons, then the Alexandrovich line will be interrupted.

Direct descendants, princes and possible successors of the Romanov family - the most prolific branch of the Mikhailovichs

• Alexey Andreevich, born in 1953 - direct descendant of Nicholas I, married, no children, lives in the USA.
• Petr Andreevich, born in 1961 - also a purebred Romanov, married, childless, lives in the USA.
• Andrey Andreevich, born in 1963 - legally belongs to the House of Romanov, has a daughter from his second marriage, lives in the USA.
• Rostislav Rostislavovich, born in 1985 - direct descendant of the family, not yet married, lives in the USA.
• Nikita Rostislavovich, born in 1987 - legitimate descendant, not yet married, lives in the UK.
• Nicholas-Christopher Nikolaevich, born in 1968, is a direct descendant of Nicholas I, lives in the USA, has two daughters.
• Daniel Nikolaevich, born in 1972 - a legal member of the Romanov dynasty, married, lives in the USA, has a daughter and a son.
• Daniil Danilovich, born in 2009 - the youngest legitimate descendant of the royal family in the male line, lives with his parents in the USA.

As can be seen from the family tree, only the Mikhailovich branch gives hope for the continuation of the royal family - the direct heirs of Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov, the youngest son of Nicholas I.

Descendants of the Romanov family, who cannot pass on the royal family by inheritance, and controversial contenders for membership of the Imperial House

• Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, born in 1953. - Her Imperial Highness, claims the title of Head of the Russian Imperial House, the legitimate heir of Alexander the Second, belongs to the Alexandrovich line. Until 1985, she was married to Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, with whom she gave birth to her only son, George, in 1981. At birth he was given the patronymic Mikhailovich and the surname Romanov.
• Georgy Mikhailovich, born in 1981 - the son of Princess Romanova Maria Vladimirovna and the Prince of Prussia, claims the title of Tsarevich, however, most representatives of the House of Romanov rightly do not recognize his right, since he is not a descendant in the direct male line, but it is through the male line that the right of inheritance is transferred. His birth is a joyful event in the Prussian palace.
• Princess Elena Sergeevna Romanova (after her husband Nirot), born in 1929, lives in France, one of the last representatives of the House of Romanov, belongs to the Alexandrovich line.
• Born 1961 - legal heir of Alexander II, now lives in Switzerland. His grandfather Georgy was an illegitimate son from the Emperor’s relationship with Princess Dolgorukova. After the relationship was legalized, all of Dolgorukova’s children were recognized as legitimate children of Alexander II, but the Yuryevskys received the surname. Therefore, de jure Georgy (Hans-Georg) does not belong to the House of Romanov, although de facto he is the last descendant of the Romanov dynasty in the Alexandrovich male line.
• Princess Tatyana Mikhailovna, born in 1986 - belongs to the Romanov house through the Mikhailovich line, but as soon as she gets married and changes her last name, she will lose all rights. Lives in Paris.
• Princess Alexandra Rostislavovna, born in 1983 - also a hereditary descendant of the Mikhailovich branch, unmarried, lives in the USA.
• Princess Karlain Nikolaevna, born in 2000 - is a legal representative of the Imperial House through the Mikhailovich line, unmarried, lives in the USA,
• Princess Chelli Nikolaevna, born in 2003 - direct descendant of the royal family, unmarried, US citizen.
• Princess Madison Danilovna, born in 2007 - on the Mikhailovich side, a legal family member, lives in the USA.

Unification of the Romanov family

All other Romanovs are children from morganatic marriages, and therefore cannot belong to the Russian Imperial House. All of them are united by the so-called “Union of the Romanov Family,” which was headed by Nikolai Romanovich in 1989 and fulfilled this responsibility until his death, in September 2014.

Below are the biographies of the most prominent representatives of the Romanov dynasty of the 20th century.

Romanov Nikolay Romanovich

Great-great-grandson of Nicholas I. Watercolor artist.

Saw the light on September 26, 1922 near the French city of Antibes. He spent his childhood there. In 1936 he moved to Italy with his parents. In this country, in 1941, Mussolini directly received an offer to become king of Montenegro, which he refused. Later he lived in Egypt, then again in Italy, in Switzerland, where he married Countess Svevadella Garaldeschi, then returned to Italy again, where he took citizenship in 1993.

He headed the Association in 1989. On his initiative, a congress of male Romanovs was convened in Paris in 1992, at which it was decided to create a Fund for Assistance to Russia. In his opinion, Russia should be a federal republic with a strong central government whose powers are strictly limited.

He has three daughters. Natalya, Elizaveta and Tatyana started families with Italians.

Vladimir Kirillovich

Born on August 17, 1917 in Finland, in exile with Sovereign Kirill Vladimirovich. He was raised to be a truly Russian man. He was fluent in Russian and many European languages, knew the history of Russia very well, was a well-educated, erudite person and felt true pride that he belonged to Russia.

At the age of twenty, the last direct descendant of the Romanovs in the male line became the Head of the Dynasty. It was enough for him to enter into an unequal marriage, and by the 21st century there would be no more legal members of the imperial family left.

But he met Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhranskaya, daughter of the Head of the Georgian Royal House, who became his legal wife in 1948. In this marriage, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna was born in Madrid.

He was the Head of the Russian Imperial House for several decades and by his own decree declared the right of his daughter, born in a legal marriage, to inherit the throne.

In May 1992 he was buried in St. Petersburg in the presence of many family members.

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

The only daughter of Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, a member of the Imperial House in exile, and Leonida Georgievna, daughter of the Head of the Georgian Royal House, Prince Georg Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhrani. Born in legal marriage on December 23, 1953. Her parents provided her with a good upbringing and excellent education. At the age of 16, she swore allegiance to Russia and its peoples.

After graduating from Oxford University, she received a diploma in philology. Speaks fluently in Russian, many European and Arabic languages. She worked in administrative positions in France and Spain.

The imperial family owns a modest apartment in Madrid. A house in France was sold due to the inability to maintain it. The family maintains an average standard of living - by European standards. Has Russian citizenship.

Upon reaching adulthood in 1969, according to the dynastic act issued by Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, she was proclaimed guardian of the throne. In 1976 she married Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. With the adoption of Orthodoxy, he received the title of Prince Mikhail Pavlovich. The current contender for the Russian throne, Prince Georgy Mikhailovich, was born from this marriage.

Tsarevich Georgy Mikhailovich

Claims to be the heir to the title His Imperial Highness the Sovereign.

The only son of Princess Maria Vladimirovna and the Prince of Prussia, born in marriage on March 13, 1981 in Madrid. Direct descendant of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, the Russian Emperor Alexander II, and the English Queen Victoria.

He graduated from school in Saint-Briac, then continued his studies in Paris at the College of St. Stanislas. Lives in Madrid since 1988. He considers French to be his native language; he speaks Spanish and English perfectly; he knows Russian a little less well. I saw Russia for the first time in 1992, when I accompanied the body of my grandfather, Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, and his family to the burial place. His independent visit to his homeland took place in 2006. Worked in the European Parliament and the European Commission. Single.

In the House's anniversary year, it established a research fund to combat cancer.

Andrey Andreevich Romanov

Great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, great-grandson of Alexander III. Born in London on January 21, 1923. Now lives in the United States, California, in Marin County. He knows Russian perfectly, because everyone in his family always spoke Russian.

Graduated from the London Imperial Service College. During World War II he served on a British Navy warship as a sailor. It was then, accompanying cargo ships to Murmansk, that he visited Russia for the first time.

Has had American citizenship since 1954. In America he was engaged in agriculture: farming, agronomy, agricultural technology. B studied sociology. Worked for a shipping company.

His hobbies include painting and graphics. He creates works in a “childish” manner, as well as color drawings on plastic, which is later heat-treated.

He is in his third marriage. From his first marriage he has a son, Alexei, and from his second, two: Peter and Andrey.

It is believed that neither he nor his sons have rights to the throne, but as candidates they can be considered by the Zemsky Sobor along with other descendants.

Mikhail Andreevich Romanov

Great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, great-grandson of Prince Mikhail Nikolaevich, was born in Versailles on July 15, 1920. Graduated from King's College Windsor, London Institute of Aeronautical Engineers.

He served in World War II in Sydney in the British Navy Volunteer Air Force Reserve. He was demobilized in 1945 to Australia. He remained there to live, working in the aviation industry.

He was an active member of the Maltese Order of Orthodox Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and was even elected protector and grand prior of the Order. He was part of the Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy movement.

He was married three times: in February 1953 to Jill Murphy, in July 1954 to Shirley Crammond, in July 1993 to Julia Crespi. All marriages are unequal and childless.

He passed away in September 2008 in Sydney.

Romanov Nikita Nikitich

Great-great-grandson of Nicholas I. Born in London on May 13, 1923. He spent his childhood in Great Britain, then in France.

Served in the British Army. In 1949 he moved to the USA. He received a master's degree in history from Berkeley University in 1960. He earned his own living and education by working as a furniture upholsterer.

At Stanford University, and later at San Francisco, he taught history. He wrote and published a book about Ivan the Terrible (co-author - Pierre Payne).

His wife is Janet (Anna Mikhailovna - in Orthodoxy) Schonwald. Son Fedor committed suicide in 2007.

He has been to Russia several times and visited the estate of his business, Ai-Todor, in Crimea. He lived in New York for the last forty years until he died in May 2007.

Brothers Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov-Ilyinsky (sometimes under the name Romanovsky-Ilyinsky)

Dmitry Pavlovich, born in 1954, and Mikhail Pavlovich, born in 1960

Dmitry Pavlovich is married to Martha Merry McDowell, born in 1952, and has 3 daughters: Katrina, Victoria, Lela.

Mikhail Pavlovich was married three times. First marriage to Marsha Mary Lowe, second to Paula Gay Mair and third to Lisa Mary Schisler. The third marriage produced a daughter, Alexis.

Currently, the descendants of the Romanov dynasty live in the United States and recognize the legality of the rights of members of the Imperial House to the Russian throne. Princess Maria Vladimirovna recognized their right to be called princes. She recognized Dmitry Romanovsky-Ilyinsky as the eldest male representative of all Romanov descendants, regardless of what marriages he entered into.

Finally

There has been no monarchy in Russia for about a hundred years. But to this day, someone breaks spears, arguing about which of the living descendants of the royal family has the legal right to the Russian throne. Some people today resolutely demand the return of the monarchy. And although this issue is not simple, since laws and decrees relating to issues of succession to the throne are interpreted differently, the disputes will continue. But they can be described by one Russian proverb: the descendants of the Romanovs, whose photos are presented in the article, “share the skin of an unkilled bear.”

Thanks to the marriage of Ivan IV the Terrible with a representative of the Romanov family, Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, the Zakharyin-Romanov family became close to the royal court in the 16th century, and after the suppression of the Moscow branch of the Rurikovichs began to lay claim to the throne.

In 1613, the great-nephew of Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, Mikhail Fedorovich, was elected to the royal throne. And the descendants of Tsar Michael, who were traditionally called House of Romanov, ruled Russia until 1917.

For a long period of time, members of the royal and then imperial family did not bear any surnames at all (for example, “Tsarevich Ivan Alekseevich”, “Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich”). Despite this, the names “Romanovs” and “House of Romanov” were commonly used to informally designate the Russian Imperial House, the coat of arms of the Romanov boyars was included in official legislation, and in 1913 the 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov was widely celebrated.

After 1917, almost all members of the former reigning house officially began to bear the Romanov surname, and many of their descendants now bear it.

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov dynasty

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus'

Years of life 1596-1645

Reign 1613-1645

Father - boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, who later became Patriarch Filaret.

Mother - Ksenia Ivanovna Shestovaya,

in monasticism Martha.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov born in Moscow on July 12, 1596. He spent his childhood in the village of Domnina, the Kostroma estate of the Romanovs.

Under Tsar Boris Godunov, all the Romanovs were persecuted due to suspicion of conspiracy. Boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov and his wife were forcibly tonsured into monasticism and imprisoned in monasteries. Fyodor Romanov received the name when he was tonsured Filaret, and his wife became the nun Martha.

But even after his tonsure, Filaret led an active political life: he opposed Tsar Shuisky and supported False Dmitry I (thinking that he was the real Tsarevich Dmitry).

After his accession, False Dmitry I brought back the surviving members of the Romanov family from exile. Fyodor Nikitich (in monasticism Filaret) with his wife Ksenia Ivanovna (in monasticism Martha) and son Mikhail were returned.

Marfa Ivanovna and her son Mikhail settled first in the Kostroma estate of the Romanovs, the village of Domnina, and then took refuge from persecution by Polish-Lithuanian troops in the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma.

Ipatiev Monastery. Vintage image

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was only 16 years old when, on February 21, 1613, the Zemsky Sobor, which included representatives of almost all segments of the Russian population, elected him tsar.

On March 13, 1613, a crowd of boyars and city residents approached the walls of the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma. Mikhail Romanov and his mother received the ambassadors from Moscow with respect.

But when the ambassadors presented the nun Martha and her son with a letter from the Zemsky Sobor with an invitation to the kingdom, Mikhail was horrified and refused such a high honor.

“The state has been ruined by the Poles,” he explained his refusal. - The royal treasury has been plundered. Service people are poor, how should they be paid and fed? And how, in such a disastrous situation, can I, as a sovereign, resist my enemies?

“And I cannot bless Mishenka for the kingdom,” Nun Martha echoed her son with tears in her eyes. – After all, his father, Metropolitan Filaret, was captured by the Poles. And when the Polish king finds out that the son of his captive is in the kingdom, he orders evil to be done to his father, or even even deprives him of his life!

The ambassadors began to explain that Michael was chosen by the will of the whole earth, which means by the will of God. And if Michael refuses, then God himself will punish him for the final ruin of the state.

The persuasion between mother and son continued for six hours. Shedding bitter tears, nun Martha finally agreed with this fate. And since this is God’s will, she will bless her son. After his mother’s blessing, Mikhail no longer resisted and accepted the royal staff brought from Moscow from the ambassadors as a sign of power in Muscovite Rus'.

Patriarch Filaret

In the fall of 1617, the Polish army approached Moscow, and negotiations began on November 23. The Russians and Poles concluded a truce for 14.5 years. Poland received the Smolensk region and part of the Seversk land, and Russia received the respite it needed from Polish aggression.

And only a little over a year after the truce, the Poles released Metropolitan Philaret, the father of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, from captivity. The meeting of father and son took place on the Presnya River on June 1, 1619. They bowed at each other's feet, both cried, hugged each other and were silent for a long time, speechless with joy.

In 1619, immediately after returning from captivity, Metropolitan Philaret became Patriarch of All Rus'.

From that time until the end of his life, Patriarch Filaret was the de facto ruler of the country. His son, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, did not make a single decision without his father’s consent.

The Patriarch presided over church courts and participated in resolving zemstvo issues, leaving only criminal cases for consideration by national institutions.

Patriarch Filaret “was of average stature and stature, he understood the divine scripture in part; He was temperamental and suspicious, and so powerful that the Tsar himself was afraid of him.”

Patriarch Filaret (F. N. Romanov)

Tsar Michael and Patriarch Filaret considered cases together and made decisions on them, together they received foreign ambassadors, issued double diplomas and presented double gifts. In Russia there was dual power, the rule of two sovereigns with the participation of the Boyar Duma and the Zemsky Sobor.

In the first 10 years of Mikhail's reign, the role of the Zemsky Sobor in deciding state issues increased. But by 1622 the Zemsky Sobor was convened rarely and irregularly.

After the peace treaties concluded with Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a time of peace came for Russia. Fugitive peasants returned to their farms to cultivate lands abandoned during the Time of Troubles.

During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, there were 254 cities in Russia. Merchants were given special privileges, including permission to travel to other countries, provided they also trade in government goods, monitor the work of customs houses and taverns to replenish the income of the state treasury.

In the 20–30s of the 17th century, the so-called first manufactories appeared in Russia. These were large plants and factories at that time, where there was a division of labor by specialty, and steam mechanisms were used.

By decree of Mikhail Fedorovich, it was possible to gather master printers and literate elders to restore the printing business, which practically ceased during the Time of Troubles. During the Time of Troubles, the printing yard was burned along with all the printing machines.

By the end of the reign of Tsar Michael, the Printing House already had more than 10 presses and other equipment, and the printing house contained over 10 thousand printed books.

During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, dozens of talented inventions and technical innovations appeared, such as a cannon with a screw thread, a striking clock on the Spasskaya Tower, water engines for factories, paints, drying oil, ink and much more.

In large cities, the construction of temples and towers was actively carried out, differing from old buildings in their elegant decoration. The Kremlin walls were repaired, and the Patriarchal Courtyard on the territory of the Kremlin was expanded.

Russia continued to develop Siberia, new cities were founded there: Yeniseisk (1618), Krasnoyarsk (1628), Yakutsk (1632), the Bratsk fort was built (1631),

Towers of the Yakut fort

In 1633, the father of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, his assistant and teacher, Patriarch Filaret, died. After the death of the “second sovereign,” the boyars again strengthened their influence over Mikhail Fedorovich. But the king did not resist; he was now often ill. The serious illness that struck the king was most likely dropsy. The royal doctors wrote that Tsar Michael’s illness comes “from a lot of sitting, cold drinking and melancholy.”

Mikhail Fedorovich died on July 13, 1645 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Alexey Mikhailovich - Quiet, Tsar and Great Sovereign of All Rus'

Years of life 1629-1676

Reign 1645-1676

Father - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, Tsar and Great Sovereign of All Rus'.

Mother - Princess Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva.

Future king Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov, the eldest son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, was born on March 19, 1629. He was baptized at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and named Alexei. Already at the age of 6 he could read well. By order of his grandfather, Patriarch Filaret, an ABC book was created especially for his grandson. In addition to the primer, the prince read the Psalter, the Acts of the Apostles and other books from the patriarch’s library. The prince's tutor was a boyar Boris Ivanovich Morozov.

By the age of 11-12, Alexei had his own small library of books that belonged to him personally. This library mentions a Lexicon and Grammar published in Lithuania and a serious Cosmography.

Little Alexei was taught to govern the state from early childhood. He often attended receptions of foreign ambassadors and took part in court ceremonies.

In the 14th year of his life, the prince was solemnly “announced” to the people, and at the age of 16, when his father, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, died, Alexei Mikhailovich ascended the throne. A month later his mother also died.

By unanimous decision of all the boyars, on July 13, 1645, all the court nobility kissed the cross to the new sovereign. The first person in the tsar's entourage, according to the last will of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, was boyar B.I. Morozov.

The new Russian Tsar, judging by his own letters and reviews from foreigners, had a remarkably gentle, good-natured character and was “much quiet.” The whole atmosphere in which Tsar Alexei lived, his upbringing and reading of church books developed in him great religiosity.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich the Quietest

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, during all church fasts, the young king did not drink or eat anything. Alexey Mikhailovich was a very zealous performer of all church rites and had extreme Christian humility and meekness. All pride was disgusting and alien to him. “And to me, a sinner,” he wrote, “the honor here is like dust.”

But his good nature and humility were sometimes replaced by short-term outbursts of anger. One day, the tsar, who was being bled by a German “doctor,” ordered the boyars to try the same remedy, but boyar Streshnev did not agree. Then Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich personally “humbled” the old man, then did not know what gifts to appease him with.

Alexey Mikhailovich knew how to respond to other people’s grief and joy, and by his meek character he was simply a “golden man”, moreover, smart and very educated for his time. He always read a lot and wrote a lot of letters.

Alexei Mikhailovich himself read petitions and other documents, wrote or edited many important decrees, and was the first of the Russian tsars to sign them with his own hand. The autocrat inherited a powerful state recognized abroad to his sons. One of them, Peter I the Great, managed to continue his father’s work, completing the formation of an absolute monarchy and the creation of a huge Russian Empire.

Alexei Mikhailovich married in January 1648 the daughter of a poor nobleman Ilya Miloslavsky - Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, who bore him 13 children. Until the death of his wife, the king was an exemplary family man.

"Salt Riot"

B.I. Morozov, who began to rule the country on behalf of Alexei Mikhailovich, came up with a new taxation system, which came into effect by royal decree in February 1646. An increased duty was introduced on salt in order to sharply replenish the treasury. However, this innovation did not justify itself, as they began to buy less salt, and revenues to the treasury decreased.

The boyars abolished the salt tax, but instead they came up with another way to replenish the treasury. The boyars decided to collect taxes, previously abolished, for three years at once. Immediately began the massive ruin of peasants and even wealthy people. Due to the sudden impoverishment of the population, spontaneous popular unrest began in the country.

A crowd of people tried to hand over a petition to the Tsar when he was returning from a pilgrimage on June 1, 1648. But the king was afraid of the people and did not accept the complaint. The petitioners were arrested. The next day, during a religious procession, people again went to the Tsar, then the crowd broke into the territory of the Moscow Kremlin.

The archers refused to fight for the boyars and did not oppose ordinary people; moreover, they were ready to join the dissatisfied. The people refused to negotiate with the boyars. Then a frightened Alexey Mikhailovich came out to the people, holding the icon in his hands.

Sagittarius

The rebels throughout Moscow destroyed the chambers of the hated boyars - Morozov, Pleshcheev, Trakhaniotov - and demanded that the tsar hand them over. A critical situation had arisen; Alexei Mikhailovich had to make concessions. He was handed over to the crowd of Pleshcheevs, then the Trakhaniots. The life of the Tsar's teacher Boris Morozov was under the threat of popular reprisal. But Alexey Mikhailovich decided to save his teacher at any cost. He tearfully begged the crowd to spare the boyar, promising the people to remove Morozov from business and expel him from the capital. Alexey Mikhailovich kept his promise and sent Morozov to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

After these events, called "Salt riot", Alexey Mikhailovich has changed a lot, and his role in governing the state has become decisive.

At the request of the nobles and merchants, a Zemsky Sobor was convened on June 16, 1648, at which it was decided to prepare a new set of laws of the Russian state.

The result of the enormous and lengthy work of the Zemsky Sobor was Code of 25 chapters, which was printed in 1200 copies. The Code was sent to all local governors in all cities and large villages of the country. The Code developed legislation on land ownership and legal proceedings, and the statute of limitations for searching for runaway peasants was abolished (which finally established serfdom). This set of laws became the guiding document for the Russian state for almost 200 years.

Due to the abundance of foreign merchants in Russia, Alexei Mikhailovich signed a decree on June 1, 1649, expelling English merchants from the country.

The objects of foreign policy of the tsarist government of Alexei Mikhailovich became Georgia, Central Asia, Kalmykia, India and China - countries with which the Russians tried to establish trade and diplomatic relations.

The Kalmyks asked Moscow to allocate territories for them to settle. In 1655 they swore allegiance to the Russian Tsar, and in 1659 the oath was confirmed. Since then, Kalmyks have always participated in hostilities on the side of Russia, their help was especially noticeable in the fight against the Crimean Khan.

Reunification of Ukraine with Russia

In 1653, the Zemsky Sobor considered the issue of reunifying Left Bank Ukraine with Russia (at the request of the Ukrainians, who were fighting for independence at that moment and hoping to receive the protection and support of Russia). But such support could provoke another war with Poland, which, in fact, happened.

On October 1, 1653, the Zemsky Sobor decided to reunite Left Bank Ukraine with Russia. January 8, 1654 Ukrainian hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky solemnly proclaimed reunification of Ukraine with Russia at the Pereyaslav Rada, and already in May 1654 Russia entered the war with Poland.

Russia fought with Poland from 1654 to 1667. During this time, Rostislavl, Drogobuzh, Polotsk, Mstislav, Orsha, Gomel, Smolensk, Vitebsk, Minsk, Grodno, Vilno, and Kovno were returned to Russia.

From 1656 to 1658, Russia fought with Sweden. During the war, several truces were concluded, but in the end Russia was never able to regain access to the Baltic Sea.

The treasury of the Russian state was melting, and the government, after several years of constant hostilities with Polish troops, decided to enter into peace negotiations, which ended with the signing in 1667 Truce of Andrusovo for a period of 13 years and 6 months.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Under the terms of this truce, Russia renounced all conquests on the territory of Lithuania, but retained Severshchina, Smolensk and the Left Bank part of Ukraine, and also Kyiv remained with Moscow for two years. The almost century-long confrontation between Russia and Poland came to an end, and later an eternal peace was concluded (in 1685), according to which Kyiv remained in Russia.

The end of hostilities was solemnly celebrated in Moscow. For successful negotiations with the Poles, the sovereign elevated the nobleman Ordin-Nashchokin to the rank of boyar, appointed him keeper of the royal seal and head of the Little Russian and Polish orders.

"Copper Riot"

To ensure constant income to the royal treasury, a monetary reform was carried out in 1654. Copper coins were introduced, which were supposed to circulate on a par with silver ones, and at the same time a ban appeared on the trade in copper, since from then on it all went to the treasury. But taxes continued to be collected only in silver coins, and copper money began to depreciate.

Many counterfeiters immediately appeared minting copper money. The gap in the value of silver and copper coins grew larger every year. From 1656 to 1663, the value of one silver ruble increased to 15 copper rubles. All trading people begged for the abolition of copper money.

The Russian merchants turned to the Tsar with a statement of dissatisfaction with their position. And soon the so-called "Copper Riot"- a powerful popular uprising on July 25, 1662. The cause for unrest was sheets posted in Moscow accusing Miloslavsky, Rtishchev and Shorin of treason. Then a crowd of thousands moved to Kolomenskoye to the royal palace.

Alexei Mikhailovich managed to convince the people to disperse peacefully. He promised that he would consider their petitions. People turned to Moscow. Meanwhile, in the capital, merchants' shops and rich palaces had already been plundered.

But then a rumor spread among the people about the escape of the spy Shorin to Poland, and the excited crowd rushed to Kolomenskoye, meeting along the way the first rebels who were returning from the Tsar to Moscow.

A huge crowd of people again appeared in front of the royal palace. But Alexey Mikhailovich had already called upon the Streltsy regiments for help. A bloody massacre of the rebels began. Many people were drowned in the Moscow River at that time, others were hacked to pieces with sabers or shot. After the suppression of the riot, an inquiry was conducted for a long time. The authorities tried to find out who was the author of the leaflets posted around the capital.

Copper and silver pennies from the time of Alexei Mikhailovich

After everything that happened, the king decided to abolish copper money. The royal decree of June 11, 1663 stated this. Now all calculations were again made only with the help of silver coins.

Under Alexei Mikhailovich, the Boyar Duma gradually lost its importance, and the Zemsky Sobor was no longer convened after 1653.

In 1654, the king created the “Order of his Great Sovereign for Secret Affairs.” The Order of Secret Affairs provided the king with all the necessary information about civil and military affairs and performed the functions of the secret police.

During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the development of Siberian lands continued. In 1648, Cossack Semyon Dezhnev discovered North America. In the late 40s - early 50s of the 17th century, explorers V. Poyarkov And E. Khabarov reached the Amur, where free settlers founded the Albazin Voivodeship. At the same time, the city of Irkutsk was founded.

Industrial development of mineral deposits and precious stones began in the Urals.

Patriarch Nikon

At that time it became necessary to carry out a reform of the church. Liturgical books have become extremely worn out, and a huge number of inaccuracies and errors have accumulated in the texts copied by hand. Often church services in one church were very different from the same service in another. All this “disorder” was very difficult for the young monarch, who was always very concerned about the strengthening and spread of the Orthodox faith.

At the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin there was circle of “God lovers”, which included Alexey Mikhailovich. Among the “God-lovers” were several priests, Abbot Nikon of the Novospassky Monastery, Archpriest Avvakum and several secular nobles.

Ukrainian learned monks were invited to help the circle in Moscow, publishing liturgical literature. The Printing Yard was rebuilt and expanded. The number of published books intended for teaching has increased: “ABC”, Psalter, Book of Hours; they have been reprinted many times. In 1648, by order of the tsar, Smotritsky’s “Grammar” was published.

But along with the distribution of books, persecution of buffoons and folk customs originating from paganism began. Folk musical instruments were confiscated, playing the balalaika was banned, masquerade masks, fortune telling, and even swings were highly condemned.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich had already matured and no longer needed anyone’s care. But the king’s soft, sociable nature needed an adviser and friend. Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod became such a “sobin’s”, especially beloved friend for the Tsar.

After the death of Patriarch Joseph, the tsar offered to accept the supreme clergy to his friend, Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod, whose views Alexei fully shared. In 1652, Nikon became the Patriarch of All Rus' and the sovereign's closest friend and adviser.

Patriarch Nikon For more than one year he carried out church reforms, which were supported by the sovereign. These innovations caused protest among many believers; they considered the corrections in the liturgical books to be a betrayal of the faith of their fathers and grandfathers.

The monks of the Solovetsky Monastery were the first to openly oppose all innovations. Church unrest spread across the country. Archpriest Avvakum became an ardent enemy of innovation. Among the so-called Old Believers who did not accept the changes introduced into the services by Patriarch Nikon, there were two women from the upper class: Princess Evdokia Urusova and noblewoman Feodosia Morozova.

Patriarch Nikon

The Council of the Russian Clergy in 1666 nevertheless accepted all the innovations and book corrections prepared by Patriarch Nikon. Everyone Old Believers the church anathematized (cursed) and called them schismatics. Historians believe that in 1666 there was a schism in the Russian Orthodox Church; it was split into two parts.

Patriarch Nikon, seeing the difficulties with which his reforms were proceeding, voluntarily left the patriarchal throne. For this and for the “worldly” punishments of schismatics that were unacceptable for the Orthodox Church, on the orders of Alexei Mikhailovich, Nikon was defrocked by a council of clergy and sent to the Ferapontov Monastery.

In 1681, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich allowed Nikon to return to the New Jerusalem Monastery, but Nikon died on the way. Subsequently, Patriarch Nikon was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Stepan Razin

Peasant war led by Stepan Razin

In 1670, the Peasant War began in southern Russia. The uprising was led by the Don Cossack ataman Stepan Razin.

The objects of hatred of the rebels were the boyars and officials, the tsar's advisers and other dignitaries, not the tsar, but the people blamed them for all the troubles and injustices that were happening in the state. The Tsar was the embodiment of ideal and justice for the Cossacks. The Church anathematized Razin. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich urged the people not to join Razin, and then Razin moved to the Yaik River, took the Yaitsky town, then plundered Persian ships.

In May 1670, he and his army went to the Volga and took the cities of Tsaritsyn, Cherny Yar, Astrakhan, Saratov, and Samara. He attracted many nationalities: Chuvash, Mordovians, Tatars, Cheremis.

Near the city of Simbirsk, Stepan Razin’s army was defeated by Prince Yuri Baryatinsky, but Razin himself survived. He managed to escape to the Don, where he was extradited by Ataman Kornil Yakovlev, brought to Moscow and executed there on Lobnoye Mesto of Red Square.

The participants in the uprising were also dealt with in the most brutal manner. During the investigation, the most sophisticated tortures and executions were used against the rebels: cutting off arms and legs, quartering, gallows, mass exile, burning the letter “B” on the face, signifying involvement in the riot.

last years of life

By 1669, the wooden Kolomna Palace of fantastic beauty was built; it was the country residence of Alexei Mikhailovich.

In the last years of his life, the king became interested in theater. By his order, a court theater was founded, which presented performances based on biblical subjects.

In 1669, the Tsar’s wife, Maria Ilyinichna, died. Two years after the death of his wife, Alexey Mikhailovich married a young noblewoman for the second time Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, who gave birth to a son - the future Emperor Peter I and two daughters, Natalia and Theodora.

Alexey Mikhailovich outwardly looked like a very healthy person: he was fair-faced and ruddy, fair-haired and blue-eyed, tall and corpulent. He was only 47 years old when he felt signs of a fatal illness.

Tsar's wooden palace in Kolomenskoye

The Tsar blessed Tsarevich Fyodor Alekseevich (son from his first marriage) to the kingdom, and appointed his grandfather, Kirill Naryshkin, as the guardian of his young son Peter. Then the sovereign ordered the release of prisoners and exiles and forgiveness of all debts to the treasury. Alexei Mikhailovich died on January 29, 1676 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov - Tsar and Great Sovereign of All Rus'

Years of life 1661-1682

Reign 1676-1682

Father - Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, Tsar and Great Sovereign of All Rus'.

Mother - Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, the first wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Fedor Alekseevich Romanov born in Moscow on May 30, 1661. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the question of inheriting the throne arose more than once, since Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich died at the age of 16, and the second tsar’s son Fedor was nine years old at that time.

After all, it was Fedor who inherited the throne. This happened when he was 15 years old. The young tsar was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on June 18, 1676. But Fyodor Alekseevich was not in good health; he was weak and sickly from childhood. He ruled the country for only six years.

Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich was well educated. He knew Latin well and spoke fluent Polish, and knew a little ancient Greek. The tsar was versed in painting and church music, had “great art in poetry and composed considerable verses,” trained in the basics of versification, he made a poetic translation of psalms for the “Psalter” of Simeon of Polotsk. His ideas about royal power were formed under the influence of one of the talented philosophers of that time, Simeon of Polotsk, who was the prince’s educator and spiritual mentor.

After the accession of young Fyodor Alekseevich, at first his stepmother, N.K. Naryshkina, tried to lead the country, but Tsar Fyodor’s relatives managed to remove her from business by sending her and her son Peter (the future Peter I) into “voluntary exile” to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.

The friends and relatives of the young tsar were boyar I. F. Miloslavsky, princes Yu. Golitsyn. These were “educated, capable and conscientious people.” It was they, who had influence on the young king, who energetically began to create a capable government.

Thanks to their influence, under Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, important government decisions were transferred to the Boyar Duma, the number of members of which increased from 66 to 99 under him. The Tsar was also inclined to personally take part in government.

Tsar Fedor Alekseevich Romanov

In matters of internal government of the country, Fyodor Alekseevich left a mark on the history of Russia with two innovations. In 1681, a project was developed to create the subsequently famous, and then first in Moscow, Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, which opened after the death of the king. Many figures of science, culture and politics came out of its walls. It was here that the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov studied in the 18th century.

Moreover, representatives of all classes were to be allowed to study at the academy, and scholarships were awarded to the poor. The tsar was going to transfer the entire palace library to the academy, and future graduates could apply for high government positions at court.

Fyodor Alekseevich ordered the construction of special shelters for orphans and teaching them various sciences and crafts. The Emperor wanted to place all the disabled in almshouses, which he built at his own expense.

In 1682, the Boyar Duma once and for all abolished the so-called localism. According to the tradition that existed in Russia, government and military people were appointed to various positions not in accordance with their merits, experience or abilities, but in accordance with localism, that is, with the place that the ancestors of the appointee occupied in the state apparatus.

Simeon of Polotsk

The son of a man who once occupied a low position could never become superior to the son of an official who at one time occupied a higher position. This state of affairs irritated many and interfered with the effective management of the state.

At the request of Fyodor Alekseevich, on January 12, 1682, the Boyar Duma abolished localism; rank books in which “ranks” were recorded, that is, positions, were burned. Instead, all the old boyar families were rewritten into special genealogies so that their merits would not be forgotten by their descendants.

In 1678-1679, Fedor’s government conducted a population census, canceled Alexei Mikhailovich’s decree on the non-extradition of fugitives who had signed up for military service, and introduced household taxation (this immediately replenished the treasury, but increased serfdom).

In 1679-1680, an attempt was made to soften criminal penalties in the European style; in particular, cutting off hands for theft was abolished. Since then, the perpetrators have been exiled to Siberia with their families.

Thanks to the construction of defensive structures in the south of Russia, it became possible to widely allocate estates and estates to nobles who sought to increase their land holdings.

A major foreign policy action during the time of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich was the successful Russian-Turkish War (1676-1681), which ended with the Bakhchisarai Peace Treaty, which secured the unification of Left Bank Ukraine with Russia. Russia received Kyiv even earlier under a treaty with Poland in 1678.

During the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich, the entire Kremlin palace complex, including the churches, was rebuilt. The buildings were connected by galleries and passages; they were newly decorated with carved porches.

The Kremlin had a sewer system, a flowing pond and many hanging gardens with gazebos. Fyodor Alekseevich had his own garden, on the decoration and arrangement of which he spared no expense.

Dozens of stone buildings, five-domed churches in Kotelniki and Presnya were built in Moscow. The sovereign issued loans from the treasury to his subjects for the construction of stone houses in Kitai-Gorod and forgave many of their debts.

Fyodor Alekseevich saw the construction of beautiful stone buildings as the best way to protect the capital from fires. At the same time, the tsar believed that Moscow is the face of the state and admiration for its splendor should inspire respect among foreign ambassadors for all of Russia.

St. Nicholas Church in Khamovniki, built during the reign of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich

The king's personal life was very unhappy. In 1680, Fyodor Mikhailovich married Agafya Semyonovna Grushetskaya, but the queen died in childbirth along with her newborn son Ilya.

The tsar's new marriage was arranged by his closest adviser I.M. Yazykov. On February 14, 1682, Tsar Fedor, almost against his will, was married to Marfa Matveevna Apraksina.

Two months after the wedding, on April 27, 1682, the tsar, after a short illness, died in Moscow at the age of 21, leaving no heir. Fyodor Alekseevich was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Ivan V Alekseevich Romanov - senior tsar and great sovereign of all Rus'

Years of life 1666-1696

Reign 1682-1696

Father - Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsar

and the great sovereign of all Rus'.

Mother - Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya.

The future Tsar Ivan (John) V Alekseevich was born on August 27, 1666 in Moscow. When in 1682 Ivan V’s elder brother, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, died without leaving an heir, 16-year-old Ivan V, as the next in seniority, was to inherit the royal crown.

But Ivan Alekseevich was a sickly person from childhood and completely incapable of governing the country. That is why the boyars and Patriarch Joachim proposed to remove him and choose his half-brother 10-year-old Peter, the youngest son of Alexei Mikhailovich, as the next king.

Both brothers, one due to ill health, the other due to age, could not participate in the struggle for power. Instead of them, their relatives fought for the throne: for Ivan - his sister, Princess Sophia, and the Miloslavskys, relatives of his mother, and for Peter - the Naryshkins, relatives of the second wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. As a result of this struggle there was a bloody Streltsy riot.

The Streltsy regiments with their new chosen commanders headed towards the Kremlin, followed by crowds of townspeople. The archers walking ahead shouted accusations against the boyars, who allegedly poisoned Tsar Fedor and were already making an attempt on the life of Tsarevich Ivan.

The archers made a list in advance of the names of those boyars whom they demanded for reprisals. They did not listen to any admonitions, and showing them Ivan and Peter alive and unharmed on the royal porch did not impress the rebels. And in front of the princes’ eyes, the archers threw the bodies of their relatives and boyars, known to them from birth, onto spears from the windows of the palace. Sixteen-year-old Ivan after this forever abandoned government affairs, and Peter hated the Streltsy for the rest of his life.

Then Patriarch Joachim proposed to proclaim both kings at once: Ivan as the senior king, and Peter as the junior king, and to appoint Princess Sofya Alekseevna, Ivan’s sister, as their regent (ruler).

June 25, 1682 Ivan V Alekseevich and Peter I Alekseevich were married to the throne in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Even a special throne with two seats was built for them, currently kept in the Armory.

Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich

Although Ivan was called the senior tsar, he almost never dealt with state affairs, but was only concerned with his family. Ivan V was Russian sovereign for 14 years, but his rule was formal. He only attended palace ceremonies and signed documents without understanding their essence. The actual rulers under him were first Princess Sophia (from 1682 to 1689), and then power passed to his younger brother, Peter.

From childhood, Ivan V grew up as a frail, sickly child with poor eyesight. Sister Sophia chose a bride for him, the beautiful Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova. Marrying her in 1684 had a beneficial effect on Ivan Alekseevich: he became healthier and happier.

Children of Ivan V and Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova: Maria, Feodosia (died in infancy), Ekaterina, Anna, Praskovya.

Of the daughters of Ivan V, Anna Ivanovna later became empress (ruled in 1730-1740). His granddaughter became ruler Anna Leopoldovna. The reigning descendant of Ivan V was also his great-grandson, Ivan VI Antonovich (formally listed as emperor from 1740 to 1741).

According to the memoirs of a contemporary of Ivan V, at the age of 27 he looked like a decrepit old man, had very poor vision and, according to the testimony of one foreigner, was struck by paralysis. “Indifferently, like a deathly statue, Tsar Ivan sat on his silver chair under the icons, wearing a monomache hat pulled down over his very eyes, lowered down and not looking at anyone.”

Ivan V Alekseevich died in the 30th year of his life, on January 29, 1696 in Moscow and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Silver double throne of Tsars Ivan and Peter Alekseevich

Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna - ruler of Russia

Years of life 1657-1704

Reign 1682-1689

Mother is the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya.

Sofya Alekseevna born September 5, 1657. She never married and had no children. Her only passion was the desire to rule.

In the fall of 1682, Sophia, with the help of the noble militia, suppressed the streltsy movement. The further development of Russia required serious reforms. However, Sophia felt that her power was fragile, and therefore refused innovations.

During her reign, the search for serfs was somewhat weakened, minor concessions were made to the townspeople, and in the interests of the church, Sophia intensified the persecution of Old Believers.

In 1687, the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was opened in Moscow. In 1686, Russia concluded the “Eternal Peace” with Poland. According to the agreement, Russia received “for eternity” Kyiv with the adjacent region, but for this Russia was obliged to start a war with the Crimean Khanate, since the Crimean Tatars devastated the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Poland).

In 1687, Prince V.V. Golitsyn led the Russian army on a campaign against Crimea. The troops reached the tributary of the Dnieper, at which time the Tatars set fire to the steppe, and the Russians were forced to turn back.

In 1689, Golitsyn made a second trip to Crimea. Russian troops reached Perekop, but were unable to take it and returned ingloriously. These failures greatly affected the prestige of ruler Sophia. Many of the princess's followers lost faith in her.

In August 1689, a coup took place in Moscow. Peter came to power, and Princess Sophia was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent.

Sophia's life in the monastery was at first calm and even happy. A nurse and maids lived with her. Good food and various delicacies were sent to her from the royal kitchen. Visitors were allowed to Sophia at any time; she could, if she wished, walk throughout the entire territory of the monastery. Only at the gate stood a guard of soldiers loyal to Peter.

Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna

During Peter's stay abroad in 1698, the archers raised another uprising with the aim of transferring the rule of Russia again to Sophia.

The Streltsy uprising ended in failure; they were defeated by troops loyal to Peter, and the leaders of the rebellion were executed. Peter returned from abroad. The executions of the archers were repeated.

After personal interrogation by Peter, Sophia was forcibly tonsured a nun under the name of Susanna. Strict supervision was established over her. Peter ordered the execution of the archers right under the windows of Sophia’s cell.

Her imprisonment in the monastery lasted for another five years under the vigilant supervision of guards. Sofya Alekseevna died in 1704 in the Novodevichy Convent.

Peter I – Great Tsar, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia

Years of life 1672-1725

Reigned 1682-1725

Father - Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsar and Great Sovereign of All Rus'.

Mother is the second wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.

Peter I the Great- Russian Tsar (since 1682), the first Russian Emperor (since 1721), an outstanding statesman, commander and diplomat, all of whose activities are connected with radical transformations and reforms in Russia, aimed at eliminating Russia’s lag behind European countries at the beginning of the 18th century .

Pyotr Alekseevich was born on May 30, 1672 in Moscow, and immediately bells rang joyfully throughout the capital. Various mothers and nannies were assigned to little Peter, and special rooms were allocated. The best craftsmen made furniture, clothes, and toys for the prince. From an early age, the boy especially loved toy weapons: bows and arrows, sabres, guns.

Alexei Mikhailovich ordered an icon for Peter with the image of the Holy Trinity on one side, and the Apostle Peter on the other. The icon was made to the size of a newborn prince. Peter subsequently always took it with him, believing that this icon protected him from misfortunes and brought good luck.

Peter was educated at home under the supervision of his “uncle” Nikita Zotov. He complained that by the age of 11 the prince was not very successful in literacy, history and geography, captured by military “fun” first in the village of Vorobyovo, then in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. These “amusing” games of the king were attended by specially created "funny" shelves(which later became the guard and the core of the Russian regular army).

Physically strong, agile, inquisitive, Peter, with the participation of palace craftsmen, mastered carpentry, weapons, blacksmithing, watchmaking, and printing.

The Tsar knew German from early childhood, and later learned Dutch, partly English and French.

The inquisitive prince really liked books of historical content, decorated with miniatures. Especially for him, court artists created amusing notebooks with bright drawings depicting ships, weapons, battles, cities - from them Peter studied history.

After the death of the Tsar's brother Fyodor Alekseevich in 1682, as a result of a compromise between the Miloslavsky and Naryshkin family clans, Peter was elevated to the Russian throne at the same time as his half-brother Ivan V - under the regency (government of the country) of his sister, Princess Sofia Alekseevna.

During her reign, Peter lived in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow, where the “amusing” regiments he created were located. There he met the son of the court groom, Alexander Menshikov, who became his friend and support for the rest of his life, and other “young guys of a simple kind.” Peter learned to value not nobility and birth, but a person’s abilities, his ingenuity and dedication to his work.

Peter I the Great

Under the guidance of the Dutchman F. Timmerman and the Russian master R. Kartsev, Peter learned shipbuilding, and in 1684 he sailed on his boat along the Yauza.

In 1689, Peter’s mother forced Peter to marry the daughter of a well-born nobleman, E. F. Lopukhina (who gave birth to his son Alexei a year later). Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina became the wife of 17-year-old Pyotr Alekseevich on January 27, 1689, but the marriage had almost no effect on him. The king did not change his habits and inclinations. Peter did not love his young wife and spent all his time with friends in the German settlement. There, in 1691, Peter met the daughter of a German artisan, Anna Mons, who became his lover and friend.

Foreigners had a great influence on the formation of his interests F. Ya. Lefort, Y. V. Bruce And P. I. Gordon- first Peter’s teachers in various fields, and later his closest associates.

At the beginning of glory days

By the early 1690s, real battles involving tens of thousands of people were already taking place near the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Soon, two regiments, Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky, were formed from the former “amusing” regiment.

At the same time, Peter founded the first shipyard on Lake Pereyaslavl and began building ships. Even then, the young sovereign dreamed of access to the sea, which was so necessary for Russia. The first Russian warship was launched in 1692.

Peter began government affairs only after the death of his mother in 1694. By this time, he had already built ships at the Arkhangelsk shipyard and sailed them on the sea. The Tsar came up with his own flag, consisting of three stripes - red, blue and white, which decorated Russian ships at the beginning of the Northern War.

In 1689, having removed his sister Sophia from power, Peter I became the de facto tsar. After the untimely death of his mother (who was only 41 years old), and in 1696 of his brother-co-ruler Ivan V, Peter I became an autocrat not only in fact, but also legally.

Having barely established himself on the throne, Peter I personally participated in the Azov campaigns against Turkey in 1695-1696, which ended with the capture of Azov and the entry of the Russian army to the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov.

However, trade relations with Europe could only be achieved by gaining access to the Baltic Sea and the return of Russian lands captured by Sweden during the Time of Troubles.

Transfiguration Soldiers

Under the guise of studying shipbuilding and maritime affairs, Peter I secretly traveled as one of the volunteers at the Great Embassy, ​​and in 1697-1698 to Europe. There, under the name of Pyotr Mikhailov, the tsar completed a full course in artillery science in Konigsberg and Brandenburg.

He worked as a carpenter in the shipyards of Amsterdam for six months, studying naval architecture and drafting, then completed a theoretical course in shipbuilding in England. On his orders, books, instruments, and weapons were purchased for Russia in these countries, and foreign craftsmen and scientists were recruited.

The Grand Embassy prepared the creation of the Northern Alliance against Sweden, which finally took shape two years later - in 1699.

In the summer of 1697, Peter I held negotiations with the Austrian emperor and intended to also visit Venice, but upon receiving news of the impending uprising of the Streltsy in Moscow (whom Princess Sophia promised to increase their salary in the event of the overthrow of Peter I), he urgently returned to Russia.

On August 26, 1698, Peter I began a personal investigation into the case of the Streltsy revolt and did not spare any of the rebels - 1,182 people were executed. Sophia and her sister Martha were tonsured as nuns.

In February 1699, Peter I ordered the disbandment of the Streltsy regiments and the formation of regular ones - soldiers and dragoons, since “until now this state did not have any infantry.”

Soon, Peter I signed decrees that, under pain of fines and flogging, ordered men to “cut their beards,” which were considered a symbol of the Orthodox faith. The young king ordered everyone to wear European-style clothing, and for women to reveal their hair, which had previously always been carefully hidden under scarves and hats. Thus, Peter I prepared Russian society for radical changes, eliminating with his decrees the patriarchal foundations of the Russian way of life.

Since 1700, Peter I introduced a new calendar with the beginning of the new year - January 1 (instead of September 1) and the calendar from the “Nativity of Christ”, which he also considered as a step in breaking down outdated morals.

In 1699, Peter I finally broke up with his first wife. More than once he persuaded her to take monastic vows, but Evdokia refused. Without the consent of his wife, Peter I took her to Suzdal, to the Pokrovsky nunnery, where she was tonsured as a nun under the name of Elena. The Tsar took his eight-year-old son Alexei to his home.

North War

The first priority of Peter I was the creation of a regular army and the construction of a fleet. On November 19, 1699, the king issued a decree on the formation of 30 infantry regiments. But the training of the soldiers did not proceed as quickly as the king wanted.

Simultaneously with the formation of the army, all conditions were created for a powerful breakthrough in the development of industry. Approximately 40 plants and factories sprang up within a few years. Peter I aimed Russian craftsmen to adopt all the most valuable things from foreigners and do them even better than theirs.

By the beginning of 1700, Russian diplomats managed to make peace with Turkey and sign treaties with Denmark and Poland. Having concluded the Peace of Constantinople with Turkey, Peter I switched the country's efforts to fight Sweden, which at that time was ruled by 17-year-old Charles XII, who, despite his youth, was considered a talented commander.

North War 1700-1721 for Russia's access to the Baltic began with the battle of Narva. But the 40,000-strong untrained and poorly prepared Russian army lost this battle to the army of Charles XII. Calling the Swedes “Russian teachers,” Peter I ordered reforms that were supposed to make the Russian army combat-ready. The Russian army began to transform before our eyes, and domestic artillery began to emerge.

A. D. Menshikov

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov

On May 7, 1703, Peter I and Alexander Menshikov made a fearless attack on two Swedish ships at the mouth of the Neva in boats and won.

For this battle, Peter I and his favorite Menshikov received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov- the son of a groom, who sold hot pies as a child, rose from the royal orderly to generalissimo and received the title of His Serene Highness.

Menshikov was practically the second person in the state after Peter I, his closest ally in all state affairs. Peter I appointed Menshikov governor of all the Baltic lands conquered from the Swedes. Menshikov invested a lot of strength and energy in the construction of St. Petersburg, and his merit in this is invaluable. True, for all his merits, Menshikov was also the most famous Russian embezzler.

Founding of St. Petersburg

By mid-1703, all the lands from the source to the mouth of the Neva were in the hands of the Russians.

On May 16, 1703, Peter I founded the St. Petersburg fortress on Vesyoly Island - a wooden fortress with six bastions. A small house was built next to it for the sovereign. Alexander Menshikov was appointed the first governor of the fortress.

The Tsar predicted for St. Petersburg not only the role of a commercial port, but a year later in a letter to the governor he called the city the capital, and to protect it from the sea he ordered the foundation of a sea fortress on the island of Kotlin (Kronstadt).

In the same 1703, 43 ships were built at the Olonets shipyard, and a shipyard called Admiralteyskaya was founded at the mouth of the Neva. The construction of ships there began in 1705, and the first ship was launched already in 1706.

The foundation of the new future capital coincided with changes in the tsar’s personal life: he met the laundress Marta Skavronskaya, who was given to Menshikov as a “trophy of war.” Marta was captured in one of the battles of the Northern War. The Tsar soon named her Ekaterina Alekseevna, baptizing Martha into Orthodoxy. In 1704, she became the common-law wife of Peter I, and by the end of 1705, Peter Alekseevich became the father of Catherine’s son, Paul.

Children of Peter I

Household affairs greatly depressed the reformer Tsar. His son Alexei showed disagreement with his father's vision of proper government. Peter I tried to influence him with persuasion, then threatened to imprison him in a monastery.

Fleeing from such a fate, in 1716 Alexey fled to Europe. Peter I declared his son a traitor, achieved his return and imprisoned him in a fortress. In 1718, the Tsar personally conducted his investigation, seeking Alexei's abdication of the throne and the release of the names of his accomplices. The “Tsarevich’s Case” ended with the death sentence imposed on Alexei.

Children of Peter I from his marriage to Evdokia Lopukhina - Natalya, Pavel, Alexey, Alexander (all except Alexey died in infancy).

Children from his second marriage with Marta Skavronskaya (Ekaterina Alekseevna) - Ekaterina, Anna, Elizaveta, Natalya, Margarita, Peter, Pavel, Natalya, Peter (except Anna and Elizaveta died in infancy).

Tsarevich Alexey Petrovich

Poltava victory

In 1705-1706, a wave of popular uprisings took place across Russia. People were unhappy with the violence of the governors, detectives and profit-makers. Peter I brutally suppressed all unrest. Simultaneously with the suppression of internal unrest, the king continued to prepare for further battles with the army of the Swedish king. Peter I regularly offered peace to Sweden, which the Swedish king constantly refused.

Charles XII and his army slowly moved east, intending to eventually take Moscow. After the capture of Kyiv, it was to be ruled by the Ukrainian hetman Mazepa, who went over to the side of the Swedes. All southern lands, according to Charles's plan, were distributed among the Turks, Crimean Tatars and other supporters of the Swedes. The Russian state would face destruction if the Swedish troops won.

On July 3, 1708, the Swedes near the village of Golovchina in Belarus attacked the Russian corps led by Repnin. Under pressure from the royal army, the Russians retreated, and the Swedes entered Mogilev. The defeat at Golovchin became an excellent lesson for the Russian army. Soon the king, in his own hand, compiled the “Rules of Battle,” which dealt with the perseverance, courage and mutual assistance of soldiers in battle.

Peter I monitored the actions of the Swedes, studied their maneuvers, trying to lure the enemy into a trap. The Russian army walked ahead of the Swedish one and, on the orders of the tsar, mercilessly destroyed everything in its path. Bridges and mills were destroyed, villages and grain in the fields were burned. Residents fled into the forest and took their cattle with them. The Swedes walked through scorched, devastated land, the soldiers were starving. The Russian cavalry harassed the enemy with constant attacks.

Poltava battle

The cunning Mazepa advised Charles XII to capture Poltava, which was of great strategic importance. On April 1, 1709, the Swedes stood under the walls of this fortress. The three-month siege did not bring success to Charles XII. All attempts to storm the fortress were repulsed by the Poltava garrison.

On June 4, Peter I arrived in Poltava. Together with the military leaders, he developed a detailed action plan that provided for all possible changes during the battle.

On June 27, the Swedish royal army was completely defeated. They could not find the Swedish king himself; he fled with Mazepa towards Turkish possessions. In this battle, the Swedes lost more than 11 thousand soldiers, of which 8 thousand were killed. The Swedish king, fleeing, abandoned the remnants of his army, which surrendered to the mercy of Menshikov. The army of Charles XII was practically destroyed.

Peter I after Poltava victory generously rewarded the heroes of battles, distributed ranks, orders and lands. Soon the tsar ordered the generals to hurry up and liberate the entire Baltic coast from the Swedes.

Until 1720, hostilities between Sweden and Russia were sluggish and protracted. And only the naval battle at Grengam, which ended in the defeat of the Swedish military squadron, put an end to the history of the Northern War.

The long-awaited peace treaty between Russia and Sweden was signed in Nystadt on August 30, 1721. Sweden got back most of Finland, and Russia got access to the sea.

For the victory in the Northern War, the Senate and the Holy Synod on January 20, 1721 approved a new title for Sovereign Peter the Great: “Father of the Fatherland, Peter the Great and Emperor of All Russia».

Having forced the Western world to recognize Russia as one of the great European powers, the emperor began to solve urgent problems in the Caucasus. The Persian campaign of Peter I in 1722-1723 secured the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the cities of Derbent and Baku for Russia. There, for the first time in Russian history, permanent diplomatic missions and consulates were established, and the importance of foreign trade increased.

Emperor

Emperor(from the Latin imperator - ruler) - the title of a monarch, head of state. Initially, in Ancient Rome, the word imperator meant supreme power: military, judicial, administrative, which was possessed by the highest consuls and dictators. Since the time of the Roman emperor Augustus and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character.

With the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, the title of emperor was retained in the East - in Byzantium. Subsequently, in the West, it was restored by Emperor Charlemagne, then by the German king Otto I. Later, this title was adopted by the monarchs of several other states. In Russia, Peter the Great was proclaimed the first emperor - that is how he was now called.

Coronation

With the adoption of the title “All-Russian Emperor” by Peter I, the rite of coronation was replaced by coronation, which led to changes both in the church ceremony and in the composition of the regalia.

Coronation – rite of entry into kingship.

For the first time, the coronation ceremony took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on May 7, 1724, Emperor Peter I crowned his wife Catherine as empress. The coronation process was drawn up according to the rite of the crowning of Fyodor Alekseevich, but with some changes: Peter I personally placed the imperial crown on his wife.

The first Russian imperial crown was made of gilded silver, similar to church crowns for weddings. The Monomakh cap was not placed at the coronation; it was carried ahead of the solemn procession. During the coronation of Catherine, she was awarded a golden small power - the “globe”.

Imperial crown

In 1722, Peter issued a decree on succession to the throne, which stated that the successor to power was appointed by the reigning sovereign.

Peter the Great made a will, where he left the throne to his wife Catherine, but he destroyed the will in a fit of rage. (The Tsar was informed of his wife’s betrayal with the chamberlain Mons.) For a long time, Peter I could not forgive the Empress for this offense, and he never had time to write a new will.

Fundamental reforms

Peter's decrees of 1715-1718 concerned all aspects of the life of the state: tanning, workshops uniting master craftsmen, the creation of manufactories, the construction of new weapons factories, the development of agriculture and much more.

Peter the Great radically rebuilt the entire system of government. Instead of the Boyar Duma, the Near Chancellery was established, consisting of 8 proxies of the sovereign. Then, on its basis, Peter I established the Senate.

The Senate existed at first as a temporary governing body in the event of the Tsar's absence. But soon it became permanent. The Senate had judicial, administrative and sometimes legislative powers. The composition of the Senate changed according to the decision of the Tsar.

All of Russia was divided into 8 provinces: Siberian, Azov, Kazan, Smolensk, Kyiv, Arkhangelsk, Moscow and Ingermanland (Petersburg). 10 years after the formation of the provinces, the sovereign decided to disaggregate the provinces and divided the country into 50 provinces headed by governors. Provinces have been preserved, but there are already 11 of them.

Over the course of more than 35 years of rule, Peter the Great managed to carry out a huge number of reforms in the field of culture and education. Their main result was the emergence of secular schools in Russia and the elimination of the clergy’s monopoly on education. Peter the Great founded and opened: the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (1701), the Medical-Surgical School (1707) - the future Military Medical Academy, the Naval Academy (1715), the Engineering and Artillery Schools (1719).

In 1719, the first museum in Russian history began to operate - Kunstkamera with a public library. Primers, educational maps were published, and in general a beginning was laid for the systematic study of the country's geography and cartography.

The spread of literacy was facilitated by the reform of the alphabet (replacing cursive with a civil font in 1708), the publication of the first Russian printed Vedomosti newspapers(since 1703).

Holy Synod- This is also Peter’s innovation, created as a result of his church reform. The emperor decided to deprive the church of its own funds. By his decree of December 16, 1700, the Patriarchal Prikaz was dissolved. The church no longer had the right to dispose of its property; all funds now went to the state treasury. In 1721, Peter I abolished the rank of Russian patriarch, replacing it with the Holy Synod, which included representatives of the highest clergy of Russia.

During the era of Peter the Great, many buildings were erected for state and cultural institutions, an architectural ensemble Peterhof(Petrodvorets). Fortresses were built Kronstadt, Peter-Pavel's Fortress, the planned development of the Northern capital, St. Petersburg, began, marking the beginning of urban planning and the construction of residential buildings according to standard designs.

Peter I – dentist

Tsar Peter I the Great “was a worker on the eternal throne.” He knew well 14 crafts or, as they said then, “handicrafts,” but medicine (more precisely, surgery and dentistry) was one of his main hobbies.

During his trips to Western Europe, being in Amsterdam in 1698 and 1717, Tsar Peter I visited the anatomical museum of Professor Frederick Ruysch and diligently took lessons in anatomy and medicine from him. Returning to Russia, Pyotr Alekseevich established in Moscow in 1699 a course of lectures on anatomy for the boyars, with a visual demonstration on corpses.

The author of “The History of the Acts of Peter the Great,” I. I. Golikov, wrote about this royal hobby: “He ordered himself to be notified if in the hospital ... it was necessary to dissect a body or perform some kind of surgical operation, and ... rarely missed such an opportunity , so as not to be present at it, and often even helped in operations. Over time, he acquired so much skill that he very skillfully knew how to dissect a body, bleed, pull out teeth and do this with great desire...”

Peter I always and everywhere carried with him two sets of instruments: measuring and surgical. Considering himself an experienced surgeon, the king was always happy to come to the rescue as soon as he noticed any ailment in his entourage. And by the end of his life, Peter had a heavy bag in which 72 teeth he personally pulled out were stored.

It must be said that the king’s passion for tearing out other people’s teeth was very unpleasant for his entourage. Because it happened that he tore not only diseased teeth, but also healthy ones.

One of Peter I’s close associates wrote in his diary in 1724 that Peter’s niece “is in great fear that the emperor will soon take care of her sore leg: it is known that he considers himself a great surgeon and willingly undertakes all kinds of operations on the sick.” .

Today we cannot judge the degree of Peter I’s surgical skill; it could only be assessed by the patient himself, and even then not always. After all, it happened that the operation that Peter performed ended in the death of the patient. Then the king, with no less enthusiasm and knowledge of the matter, began to dissect (cut) the corpse.

We must give him his due: Peter was a good expert in anatomy; in his free time from government affairs, he loved to carve anatomical models of the human eye and ear from ivory.

Today, the teeth pulled out by Peter I and the instruments with which he performed surgical operations (without painkillers) can be seen in the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera.

In the last year of life

The stormy and difficult life of the great reformer could not but affect the health of the emperor, who by the age of 50 had developed many illnesses. Most of all, he was plagued by kidney disease.

In the last year of his life, Peter I went to mineral waters for treatment, but even during treatment he still did hard physical work. In June 1724, at the Ugodsky factories, he forged several strips of iron with his own hands, in August he was present at the launching of the frigate, then went on a long journey along the route: Shlisselburg - Olonetsk - Novgorod - Staraya Russa - Ladoga Canal.

Returning home, Peter I learned terrible news for him: his wife Catherine cheated on him with 30-year-old Willie Mons, the brother of the emperor’s former favorite, Anna Mons.

It was difficult to prove his wife’s infidelity, so Willie Mons was accused of bribery and embezzlement. According to the court verdict, his head was cut off. Catherine had only hinted at a pardon to Peter I when, in great anger, the emperor broke a finely crafted mirror in an expensive frame and said: “This is the most beautiful decoration of my palace. I want it and I will destroy it!” Then Peter I subjected his wife to a difficult test - he took her to see the severed head of Mons.

Soon his kidney disease worsened. Peter I spent most of the last months of his life in bed in terrible torment. At times the illness subsided, then he got up and left the bedroom. At the end of October 1724, Peter I even participated in putting out a fire on Vasilievsky Island, and on November 5, he stopped by the wedding of a German baker, where he spent several hours watching a foreign wedding ceremony and German dances. That same November, the Tsar participated in the betrothal of his daughter Anna and the Duke of Holstein.

Overcoming the pain, the emperor compiled and edited decrees and instructions. Three weeks before his death, Peter I was drafting instructions for the leader of the Kamchatka expedition, Vitus Bering.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress

In mid-January 1725, attacks of renal colic became more frequent. According to contemporaries, for several days Peter I shouted so loudly that it could be heard far around. Then the pain became so strong that the king only groaned dully, biting the pillow. Peter I died on January 28, 1725 in terrible agony. His body remained unburied for forty days. All this time, his wife Catherine (soon proclaimed empress) cried twice a day over the body of her beloved husband.

Peter the Great is buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, which he founded.

Romanovs.
There are two main versions of the origin of the Romanov family. According to one, they come from Prussia, according to the other, from Novgorod. Under Ivan IV (the Terrible), the family was close to the royal throne and had a certain political influence. The surname Romanov was first adopted by Patriarch Filaret (Fedor Nikitich).

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov dynasty.

Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645).
Years of reign - 1613-1645.
Son of Patriarch Filaret and Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova (after tonsure, nun Martha). On February 21, 1613, sixteen-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar by the Zemsky Sobor, and on July 11 of the same year he was crowned king. Was married twice. He had three daughters and a son - the heir to the throne, Alexei Mikhailovich.
The reign of Mikhail Fedorovich was marked by rapid construction in large cities, the development of Siberia and the development of technical progress.

Alexey Mikhailovich (Quiet) (1629-1676)
Years of reign – 1645-1676
The reign of Alexei Mikhailovich was noted:
- church reform (in other words, a split in the church)
- peasant war led by Stepan Razin
- reunification of Russia and Ukraine
- a number of riots: “Solyany”, “Medny”
Was married twice. His first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, bore him 13 children, including the future Tsars Fyodor and Ivan, and Princess Sophia. Second wife Natalya Naryshkina - 3 children, including the future Emperor Peter I.
Before his death, Alexei Mikhailovich blessed his son from his first marriage, Fedor, to the kingdom.

Feodor III (Fedor Alekseevich) (1661-1682)
Years of reign – 1676-1682
Under Feodor III, a population census was carried out and the cutting off of hands for theft was abolished. Orphanages began to be built. A Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was established, with representatives of all classes allowed to study there.
Was married twice. There were no children. He did not appoint heirs before his death.

Ivan V (Ivan Alekseevich) (1666-1696)
Years of reign – 1682-1696
He took over the reigns after the death of his brother Fedor by right of seniority.
He was very sick and incapable of governing the country. The boyars and the patriarch decided to remove Ivan V and declare the young Peter Alekseevich (the future Peter I) tsar. Relatives from both heirs fought desperately for power. The result was the bloody Streletsky riot. As a result, it was decided to crown both of them, which happened on June 25, 1682. Ivan V was a nominal tsar and was never involved in state affairs. In reality, the country was ruled first by Princess Sophia, and then by Peter I.
He was married to Praskovya Saltykova. They had five daughters, including the future Empress Anna Ioannovna.

Princess Sophia (Sofya Alekseevna) (1657-1704)
Years of reign – 1682-1689
Under Sophia, the persecution of Old Believers was intensified. Her favorite, Prince Golits, made two unsuccessful campaigns against the Crimea. As a result of the coup of 1689, Peter I came to power. Sophia was forcibly tonsured a nun and died in the Novodevichy Convent.

Peter I (Peter Alekseevich) (1672-1725)
Years of reign – 1682-1725
He was the first to take the title of emperor. There were many global changes in the state:
- the capital was moved to the newly built city of St. Petersburg.
- the Russian navy was founded
- a lot of successful military campaigns were carried out, including the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava
- another church reform was carried out, the Holy Synod was established, the institution of the patriarch was abolished, the church was deprived of its own funds
- the Senate was established
The emperor was married twice. The first wife is Evdokia Lopukhina. The second is Marta Skavronskaya.
Three of Peter's children lived to adulthood: Tsarevich Alesei and daughters Elizabeth and Anna.
Tsarevich Alexei was considered the heir, but was accused of treason and died under torture. According to one version, he was tortured to death by his own father.

Catherine I (Martha Skavronskaya) (1684-1727)
Years of reign – 1725-1727
After the death of her crowned husband, she took his throne. The most significant event of her reign was the opening of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Peter II (Peter Alekseevich) (1715-1730)
Years of reign – 1727-1730
Grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei.
He ascended the throne very young and was not involved in government affairs. He was passionate about hunting.

Anna Ioannovna (1693-1740)
Years of reign – 1730-1740
Daughter of Tsar Ivan V, niece of Peter I.
Since there were no heirs left after Peter II, the issue of the throne was decided by members of the Privy Council. They chose Anna Ioannovna, forcing her to sign a document limiting the royal power. Subsequently, she tore up the document, and the members of the Privy Council were either executed or sent into exile.
Anna Ioannovna declared her niece Anna Leopoldovna's son, Ivan Antonovich, as her heir.

Ivan VI (Ivan Antonovich) (1740-1764)
Years of reign - 1740-1741
Great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, nephew of Anna Ioannovna.
First, under the young emperor, Anna Ioannovna's favorite Biron was regent, then his mother Anna Leopoldovna. After the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna to the throne, the emperor and his family spent the rest of their days in captivity.

Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)
Years of reign - 1741-1761
Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. The last ruler of the state, who is a direct descendant of the Romanovs. She ascended the throne as a result of a coup d'etat. All her life she patronized the arts and science.
She declared her nephew Peter as her heir.

Peter III (1728-1762)
Years of reign - 1761-1762
Grandson of Peter I, son of his eldest daughter Anna and Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich.
During his short reign, he managed to sign a decree on equality of religions and the Manifesto of Freedom of the Nobility. He was killed by a group of conspirators.
He was married to Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica (future Empress Catherine II). He had a son, Paul, who would later take the Russian throne.

Catherine II (née Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica) (1729-1796)
Years of reign - 1762-1796
She became empress after the coup d'etat and the assassination of Peter III.
The reign of Catherine is called the Golden Age. Russia conducted a lot of successful military campaigns and gained new territories. Science and art developed.

Paul I (1754-1801)
Years of reign – 1796-1801
Son of Peter III and Catherine II.
He was married to Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, at baptism Natalya Alekseevna. They had ten children. Two of whom later became emperors.
Killed by conspirators.

Alexander I (Alexander Pavlovich) (1777-1825)
Reign 1801-1825
Son of Emperor Paul I.
After the coup and the murder of his father, he ascended the throne.
Defeated Napoleon.
He had no heirs.
There is a legend associated with him that he did not die in 1825, but became a wandering monk and ended his days in one of the monasteries.

Nicholas I (Nikolai Pavlovich) (1796-1855)
Years of reign – 1825-1855
Son of Emperor Paul I, brother of Emperor Alexander I
Under him, the Decembrist Uprising took place.
He was married to the Prussian princess Friederike Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina. The couple had 7 children.

Alexander II the Liberator (Alexander Nikolaevich) (1818-1881)
Years of reign – 1855-1881
Son of Emperor Nicholas I.
Abolished serfdom in Russia.
Was married twice. The first time was on Maria, Princess of Hesse. The second marriage was considered morganatic and was concluded with Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruka.
The emperor died at the hands of terrorists.

Alexander III the Peacemaker (Alexander Alexandrovich) (1845-1894)
Years of reign – 1881-1894
Son of Emperor Alexander II.
Under him, Russia was very stable and rapid economic growth began.
Married the Danish princess Dagmar. The marriage produced 4 sons and two daughters.

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich) (1868-1918)
Years of reign – 1894-1917
Son of Emperor Alexander III.
The last Russian emperor.
His reign was quite difficult, marked by riots, revolutions, unsuccessful wars and a fading economy.
He was greatly influenced by his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Alice of Hesse). The couple had 4 daughters and a son, Alexei.
In 1917, the emperor abdicated the throne.
In 1918, together with his entire family, he was shot by the Bolsheviks.
Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a Saint.