Today they talk more and more about the Romanov dynasty. Her story can be read like a detective story. And its origin, and the history of the coat of arms, and the circumstances of accession to the throne: all this still causes ambiguous interpretations.
Prussian origins of the dynasty
The ancestor of the Romanov dynasty is considered to be the boyar Andrei Kobyla at the court of Ivan Kalita and his son Simeon the Proud. We know virtually nothing about his life and origins. The chronicles mention him only once: in 1347 he was sent to Tver for the bride of Grand Duke Simeon the Proud, daughter of Prince Alexander Mikhailovich of Tver.
Finding himself during the unification of the Russian state with a new center in Moscow in the service of the Moscow branch of the princely dynasty, he thus chose the “golden ticket” for himself and his family. Genealogists mention his numerous descendants, who became the ancestors of many noble Russian families: Semyon Stallion (Lodygins, Konovnitsyns), Alexander Elka (Kolychevs), Gavriil Gavsha (Bobrykins), Childless Vasily Vantey and Fyodor Koshka - the ancestor of the Romanovs, Sheremetevs, Yakovlevs, Goltyaevs and Bezzubtsev. But the origins of the Mare himself remain a mystery. According to the Romanov family legend, he traced his ancestry back to the Prussian kings.
When a gap is formed in genealogies, it provides an opportunity for their falsification. In the case of noble families, this is usually done with the aim of either legitimizing their power or achieving extra privileges. As in in this case. White spot in the genealogies of the Romanovs was filled out in the 17th century under Peter I by the first Russian king of arms Stepan Andreevich Kolychev. New story corresponded to the “Prussian legend”, fashionable even under the Rurikovichs, which was aimed at confirming the position of Moscow as the successor of Byzantium. Since Rurik’s Varangian origin did not fit into this ideology, the founder of the princely dynasty became the 14th descendant of a certain Prus, the ruler of ancient Prussia, a relative of Emperor Augustus himself. Following them, the Romanovs “rewrote” their history.
A family legend, subsequently recorded in the “General Arms of Arms of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire,” says that in 305 AD, the Prussian king Pruteno gave the kingdom to his brother Veidewut, and he himself became the high priest of his pagan tribe in the city of Romanov, where the evergreen sacred oak tree grew.
Before his death, Veidevuth divided his kingdom among his twelve sons. One of them was Nedron, whose family owned part of modern Lithuania (Samogit lands). His descendants were the brothers Russingen and Glanda Kambila, who were baptized in 1280, and in 1283 Kambila came to Rus' to serve the Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich. After baptism, he began to be called Mare.
Who fed False Dmitry?
The personality of False Dmitry is one of the biggest mysteries of Russian history. In addition to the unresolved question of the identity of the impostor, his “shadow” accomplices remain a problem. According to one version, the Romanovs, who fell into disgrace under Godunov, had a hand in the conspiracy of False Dmitry, and the eldest descendant of the Romanovs, Fedor, a contender for the throne, was tonsured a monk.
Adherents of this version believe that the Romanovs, Shuiskys and Golitsins, who dreamed of the “Monomakh’s hat,” organized a conspiracy against Godunov, using the mysterious death of the young Tsarevich Dmitry. They prepared their contender for the royal throne, known to us as False Dmitry, and led the coup on June 10, 1605. Afterwards, having dealt with their biggest rival, they themselves joined the fight for the throne. Subsequently, after the accession of the Romanovs, their historians did everything to connect the bloody massacre of the Godunov family exclusively with the personality of False Dmitry, and leave the Romanovs’ hands clean.
The Mystery of the Zemsky Sobor 1613
The election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne was simply doomed to be covered with a thick layer of myths. How did it happen that in a country torn apart by turmoil, a young, inexperienced youth was elected to the throne, who at the age of 16 was not distinguished by either military talent or a sharp political mind? Of course, the future king had an influential father - Patriarch Filaret, who himself once aimed for the royal throne. But during the Zemsky Sobor, he was captured by the Poles and could hardly have somehow influenced the process. According to the generally accepted version, the decisive role was played by the Cossacks, who at that time represented powerful force, something to be reckoned with. Firstly, under False Dmitry II, they and the Romanovs found themselves in the “same camp”, and secondly, they were certainly satisfied with the young and inexperienced prince, who did not pose a danger to their liberties, which they had inherited during the time of unrest.
The warlike cries of the Cossacks forced Pozharsky’s followers to propose a break of two weeks. During this time, widespread campaigning in favor of Mikhail unfolded. For many boyars, he also represented an ideal candidate who would allow them to keep power in their hands. The main argument put forward was that supposedly the late Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, before his death, wanted to transfer the throne to his relative Fyodor Romanov (Patriarch Filaret). And since he languished in Polish captivity, the crown passed to his only son, Mikhail. As the historian Klyuchevsky later wrote, “they wanted to choose not the most capable, but the most convenient.”
Non-existent coat of arms
In the history of the Romanov dynastic coat of arms there are no less blank spots than in the history of the dynasty itself. For some reason for a long time The Romanovs did not have their own coat of arms at all; they used the state coat of arms, with the image of a double-headed eagle, as a personal one. Their own family coat of arms was created only under Alexander II. By that time heraldry Russian nobility practically took shape, and only the ruling dynasty did not have its own coat of arms. It would be inappropriate to say that the dynasty did not have much interest in heraldry: even under Alexei Mikhailovich, the “Tsar’s Titular Book” was published - a manuscript containing portraits of Russian monarchs with the coats of arms of Russian lands.
Perhaps such loyalty to the double-headed eagle is due to the need for the Romanovs to show legitimate continuity from the Rurikovichs and, most importantly, from the Byzantine emperors. As is known, starting with Ivan III, people begin to talk about Rus' as the successor of Byzantium. Moreover, the king married Sophia Palaeologus, the granddaughter of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine. They took the symbol of the Byzantine double-headed eagle as their family coat of arms.
In any case, this is just one of many versions. It is not known for certain why the ruling branch of the huge empire, which was related to the noblest houses of Europe, so stubbornly ignored the heraldic orders that had developed over the centuries.
The long-awaited appearance of the Romanovs’ own coat of arms under Alexander II only added more questions. The development of the imperial order was undertaken by the then king of arms, Baron B.V. Kene. The basis was taken as the ensign of the governor Nikita Ivanovich Romanov, at one time the main oppositionist Alexei Mikhailovich. Its description is more accurate, since the banner itself was already lost by that time. It depicted a golden griffin on a silver background with a small black eagle with raised wings and lion heads on its tail. Perhaps Nikita Romanov borrowed it from Livonia during the Livonian War.
The new coat of arms of the Romanovs was a red griffin on a silver background, holding a golden sword and tarch, crowned with a small eagle; on the black border there are eight severed lion heads; four gold and four silver. Firstly, the changed color of the griffin is striking. Historians of heraldry believe that Quesne decided not to go against the rules established at that time, which prohibited placing a golden figure on a silver background, with the exception of the coats of arms of such high-ranking persons as the Pope. Thus, by changing the color of the griffin, he lowered the status of the family coat of arms. Or the “Livonia version” played a role, according to which Kene emphasized the Livonian origin of the coat of arms, since in Livonia since the 16th century there was a reverse combination of coat of arms colors: a silver griffin on a red background.
There is still a lot of controversy about the symbolism of the Romanov coat of arms. Why so great attention is given to lion heads, and not to the figure of an eagle, which, according to historical logic, should be in the center of the composition? Why is it with lowered wings, and what, ultimately, is the historical background of the Romanov coat of arms?
Peter III – the last Romanov?
As you know, the Romanov family ended with the family of Nicholas II. However, some believe that the last ruler of the Romanov dynasty was Peter III. The young infantile emperor did not have a good relationship with his wife at all. Catherine told in her diaries how anxiously she waited for her husband on her wedding night, and he came and fell asleep. This continued - Peter III did not have any feelings for his wife, preferring her to his favorite. But a son, Pavel, was nevertheless born, many years after the marriage.
Rumors about illegitimate heirs are not uncommon in the history of world dynasties, especially in turbulent times for the country. So here the question arose: is Paul really the son of Peter III? Or perhaps Catherine’s first favorite, Sergei Saltykov, took part in this.
A significant argument in favor of these rumors was that the imperial couple had not had children for many years. Therefore, many believed that this union was completely fruitless, as the empress herself hinted at, mentioning in her memoirs that her husband suffered from phimosis.
Information that Sergei Saltykov could be Pavel’s father is also present in Catherine’s diaries: “Sergei Saltykov made me understand what the reason for his frequent visits was... I continued to listen to him, he was as beautiful as day, and, of course, no one could not compare with him at court... He was 25 years old, in general, both by birth and by many other qualities, he was an outstanding gentleman... I did not give in all spring and part of the summer.” The result was not long in coming. On September 20, 1754, Catherine gave birth to a son. Only from whom: from her husband Romanov, or from Saltykov?
Choosing a name for members ruling dynasty always played important role V political life countries. Firstly, intra-dynastic relations were often emphasized with the help of names. So, for example, the names of the children of Alexei Mikhailovich were supposed to emphasize the connection of the Romanovs with the Rurikovich dynasty. Under Peter and his daughters, they showed close relationships within the ruling branch (despite the fact that this was completely inconsistent with the real situation in the imperial family). But under Catherine the Great it was completely introduced new order names. The former clan affiliation gave way to other factors, including significant role played political. Her choice came from the semantics of names, going back to Greek words: “people” and “victory”.
Let's start with Alexander. The name of Paul's eldest son was given in honor of Alexander Nevsky, although another invincible commander, Alexander the Great, was also implied. She wrote the following about her choice: “You say: Catherine wrote to Baron F. M. Grimm, that he will have to choose who to imitate: a hero (Alexander the Great) or a saint (Alexander Nevsky). You apparently don't know that our saint was a hero. He was a courageous warrior, a firm ruler and a clever politician and was superior to all other appanage princes, his contemporaries... So, I agree that Mr. Alexander has only one choice, and it depends on his personal talents which path he will take - holiness or heroism "
The reasons for choosing the name Constantine, unusual for Russian tsars, are even more interesting. They are connected with the idea of Catherine’s “Greek project”, which implied the defeat Ottoman Empire and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire, led by her second grandson.
It is unclear, however, why Paul's third son received the name Nicholas. Obviously, he was named in honor of the most revered saint in Rus' - Nicholas the Wonderworker. But this is just a version, since the sources do not contain any explanation for this choice.
Catherine had nothing to do with the choice of name for youngest son Pavel - Mikhail, who was born after her death. Here the father’s long-standing passion for chivalry already played a role. Mikhail Pavlovich was named in honor of the Archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly army, the patron saint of the emperor-knight.
Four names: Alexander, Konstantin, Nicholas and Mikhail - formed the basis of the new imperial names of the Romanovs.
It just so happens that our Motherland has an unusually rich and varied history, a huge milestone in which we can confidently consider the dynasty of Russian emperors who bore the name Romanov. This rather ancient boyar family actually left a significant mark, because it was the Romanovs who ruled the country for three hundred years, right up to the Great October Revolution 1917, after which their line was practically interrupted. The Romanov dynasty, whose family tree we will definitely consider in detail and closely, has become iconic, reflected in the cultural as well as economic aspect of the life of Russians.
The first Romanovs: family tree with years of reign
According to a well-known legend in the Romanov family, their ancestors came to Russia around the beginning of the fourteenth century from Prussia, but these are only rumors. One of the famous historians of the twentieth century, academician and archaeographer Stepan Borisovich Veselovsky, believes that this family traces its roots to Novgorod, but this information is also quite unreliable.
Worth knowing
The first known ancestor of the Romanov dynasty, the family tree with photos is worth considering in detail and thoroughly, was a boyar named Andrei Kobyla, who “went under” the prince of Moscow Simeon the Proud. His son, Fyodor Koshka, gave the family the surname Koshkin, and his grandchildren received a double surname - Zakharyin-Koshkin.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, it happened that the Zakharyin family rose significantly and began to claim its rights to the Russian throne. The fact is that the notorious Ivan the Terrible married Anastasia Zakharyina, and when the Rurik family was finally left without offspring, their children began to be aspired to the throne, and not in vain. However, the Romanov family tree as Russian rulers began a little later, when Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was elected to the throne, perhaps this is where we need to start our rather lengthy story.
Magnificent Romanovs: the tree of the royal dynasty began with disgrace
The first tsar of the Romanov dynasty was born in 1596 into the family of a noble and fairly wealthy boyar Fyodor Nikitich, who later took the rank and began to be called Patriarch Filaret. His wife was born Shestakova, named Ksenia. The boy grew up strong, savvy, grasped everything on the fly, and on top of everything else, he was also practically a direct cousin of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, which made him the first contender for the throne when the Rurik family simply died out due to degeneration. This is precisely where the Romanov dynasty begins, whose tree we view through the prism of the past tense.
Sovereign Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus'(ruled from 1613 to 1645) was not elected by chance. The times were troubled, there was talk of an invitation to the nobility, boyars and kingdom of the English king James the First, but the Great Russian Cossacks became enraged, fearing a lack of grain allowance, which is what they received. At the age of sixteen, Michael ascended the throne, but gradually his health deteriorated, he was constantly “mournful on his feet,” and died of natural causes at the age of forty-nine.
Following his father, his heir, the first and eldest son, ascended the throne Alexey Mikhailovich, by nickname The quietest(1645-1676), continuing the Romanov family, whose tree turned out to be branched and impressive. Two years before his father’s death, he was “presented” to the people as an heir, and two years later, when he died, Mikhail took the scepter in his hands. During his reign, a lot happened, but the main achievements are considered to be reunification with Ukraine, the return of Smolensk and Northern Land to the state, as well as the final formation of the institution of serfdom. It is also worth mentioning that it was under Alexei that the famous peasant revolt of Stenka Razin took place.
After Alexey the Quiet, a man by nature of weak health, fell ill and died, his blood brother took his place Fedor III Alekseevich(ruled from 1676 to 1682), who from early childhood showed signs of scurvy, or as they said then, scurvy, either from a lack of vitamins, or from an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, the country was ruled by various families at that time, and nothing good came of the tsar’s three marriages; he died at the age of twenty, without leaving a will regarding the succession to the throne.
After the death of Fedor, strife began, and the throne was given to the first oldest brother Ivan V(1682-1696), who had just turned fifteen years old. However, he was simply not capable of ruling such a huge power, so many believed that his ten-year-old brother Peter should take the throne. Therefore, both were appointed kings, and for the sake of order, their sister Sophia, who was smarter and more experienced, was assigned to them as regent. By the age of thirty, Ivan died, leaving his brother as the legal heir to the throne.
Thus, the Romanov family tree gave history exactly five kings, after which the anemone Clio took a new turn, and a fresh turn brought a new product, the kings began to be called emperors, and one of greatest people in world history.
Imperial tree of the Romanovs with years of reign: diagram of the post-Petrine period
The first Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia in the history of the state, and in fact, its last tsar, was Peter I Alekseevich, who received his great merits and honorable deeds, the Great (years of reign from 1672 until 1725). The boy received a rather weak education, which is why he had great respect for the sciences and learned people, hence the passion for the foreign lifestyle. He ascended the throne at the age of ten, but actually began to rule the country only after the death of his brother, as well as the imprisonment of his sister in the Novodevichy Convent.
Peter’s services to the state and people are countless, and even a cursory review of them would take at least three pages of dense typewritten text, so it’s worth doing it yourself. In terms of our interests, the Romanov family, whose tree with portraits is definitely worth studying in more detail, continued, and the state became an Empire, strengthening all positions on the world stage by two hundred percent, if not more. However, banal urolithiasis brought down the emperor who seemed so indestructible.
After the death of Peter, power was taken by force by his second legal wife, Ekaterina I Alekseevna, whose real name is Marta Skavronskaya, and her years of reign stretched from 1684 to 1727. In fact, the real power at that time was held by the notorious Count Menshikov, as well as the Supreme Privy Council, created by the empress.
Rampant and unhealthy life Catherine bore its terrible fruits, and after her, Peter’s grandson, born in his first marriage, was elevated to the throne. Peter II. He began to reign in the year 27 of the eighteenth century, when he was barely ten, and by the age of fourteen he was struck down by smallpox. The Privy Council continued to rule the country, and after it fell, the boyars Dolgorukovs continued to rule.
After the untimely death of the young king, something had to be decided and she ascended the throne Anna Ivanovna(reign years from 1693 to 1740), disgraced daughter of Ivan V Alekseevich, Duchess of Courland, widowed at the age of seventeen. The huge country was then ruled by her lover E.I. Biron.
Before her death, Anna Ionovna managed to write a will, according to it, the grandson of Ivan the Fifth, an infant, ascended the throne Ivan VI, or simply Ivan Antonovich, who managed to be emperor from 1740 to 1741. First state affairs The same Biron took care of it for him, then his mother Anna Leopoldovna took over the initiative. Deprived of power, he spent his entire life in prison, where he would later be killed on the secret orders of Catherine II.
Then the illegitimate daughter of Peter the Great came to power, Elizaveta Petrovna(reigned 1742-1762), who ascended the throne literally on the shoulders of the brave warriors of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. After her accession, the entire Brunswick family was arrested, and the favorites of the former empress were executed.
The last empress was completely barren, so she left no heirs, and transferred her power to the son of her sister Anna Petrovna. That is, we can say that at that time it again turned out that there were only five emperors, of whom only three had the opportunity to be called Romanovs by blood and origin. After the death of Elizabeth, there were absolutely no male followers left, and the direct male line, one might say, was completely cut off.
The permanent Romanovs: the tree of the dynasty was reborn from the ashes
After Anna Petrovna married Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp, the Romanov family had to end. However, he was saved by a dynastic treaty, according to which the son from this union Peter III(1762), and the clan itself now became known as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. He managed to sit on the throne for only 186 days and died under completely mysterious and unclear circumstances to this day, and even then without a coronation, and he was crowned after his death by Paul, as they now say, retroactively. It is remarkable that this unfortunate emperor left behind a whole heap of “False Peters”, which appeared here and there, like mushrooms after rain.
After the short reign of the previous sovereign, the real German princess Sophia Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, better known as the Empress, made her way to power through an armed coup. Catherine II, the Great (from 1762 until 1796), the wife of that very unpopular and stupid Peter the Third. During her reign, Russia became much more powerful, her influence on the world community was significantly strengthened, and she did a lot of work within the country, reuniting the lands, and so on. It was during her reign that the peasant war of Emelka Pugachev broke out and was suppressed with noticeable effort.
Emperor Paul I, Catherine’s unloved son from a hated man, ascended the throne after the death of his mother in the cold autumn of 1796, and ruled for exactly five years, minus several months. He carried out many useful reforms for the country and the people, as if in spite of his mother, and also interrupted the series of palace coups, abolishing female inheritance throne, which could henceforth be passed exclusively from father to son. He was killed in March 1801 by an officer in his own bedroom, without even having time to really wake up.
After his father's death, his eldest son ascended the throne Alexander I(1801-1825), liberal and lover of the silence and charm of rural life, and also intended to give the people a constitution, so that he could rest on his laurels until the end of his days. At the age of forty-seven years, all he received in life in general was an epitaph from the great Pushkin himself: “I spent my whole life on the road, caught a cold and died in Taganrog.” It is remarkable that the first memorial museum in Russia was created in his honor, which existed for more than a hundred years, after which it was liquidated by the Bolsheviks. After his death, brother Constantine was appointed to the throne, but he immediately refused, not “wanting to take part in this pandemonium of ugliness and murder.”
Thus, Paul's third son ascended the throne - Nicholas I(reign from 1825 to 1855), direct grandson of Catherine, who was born during her lifetime and memory. It was under him that the Decembrist uprising was suppressed, the Code of Laws of the Empire was finalized, new censorship laws were introduced, and many very serious military campaigns were won. According to the official version, it is believed that he died of pneumonia, but it was rumored that the king committed suicide.
A leader of large-scale reforms and a great ascetic Alexander II Nikolaevich, nicknamed the Liberator, came to power in 1855. In March 1881, Narodnaya Volya member Ignatius Grinevitsky threw a bomb at the feet of the sovereign. Soon after this, he died from his injuries, which turned out to be incompatible with life.
After the death of his predecessor, his own younger brother was anointed to the throne Alexander III Alexandrovich(from 1845 to 1894). During his time on the throne, the country did not enter into a single war, thanks to a uniquely faithful policy, for which he received the legitimate nickname Tsar-Peacemaker.
The most honest and responsible of the Russian emperors died after the crash of the royal train, when for several hours he held in his hands a roof that threatened to collapse on his family and friends.
An hour and a half after the death of his father, right in the Livadia Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, without waiting for a memorial service, the last emperor of the Russian Empire was anointed on the throne, Nicholas II Alexandrovich(1894-1917).
After the coup in the country, he abdicated the throne, handing it over to his half-brother Mikhail, as his mother wished, but nothing could be corrected, and both were executed by the Revolution, along with their descendants.
On given time there are quite a lot of descendants of the imperial Romanov dynasty who could lay claim to the throne. It’s clear that there is no longer any smell of the purity of the family there, because the “wonderful new world“Dictates its own rules. However, the fact remains that if necessary, a new tsar can be found quite easily, and the Romanov tree in the scheme today looks quite branched.
Latest update:
August 20, 2018, 21:37
Family tree: diagrams with photographs and years of reign.
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Boyar family, from 1613 - royal dynasty, from 1721 - imperial dynasty in Russia; ruled until February 1917. On the throne were such representatives of the Romanov dynasty as Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-45), Alexey Mikhailovich(1645-76), Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-82), Ivan V (1682-96), Peter I(1682-1725), Peter II (1727-30, with his death the Romanov dynasty ended in the direct male generation), Anna Ioanovna (1730-40), Ivan VI (1740-41), Elizaveta Petrovna(1741-61, with her death the R. dynasty ended in a straight line female line, however, the Romanov surname was inherited by representatives Holstein-Gottorp dynasty), Peter III (1761-62), Catherine II (1762-96), Paul I (1796-1801), Alexander I(1801-25), Nicholas I(1825-55),Alexander II (1855- 81), Alexander III (1881-94), Nicholas II (1894-1917).
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During the February bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917, the Romanian dynasty was removed from power, Nicholas II was overthrown, and later secretly executed by the Bolsheviks and his entire family. Some representatives of the Romanov family are in exile. (see materials above). Green The ruling representatives of the dynasty are noted:
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They descended from a boyar family known since the 14th century. The surname R. was received on behalf of the boyar Roman Yuryevich(died 1582), whose daughter Anastasia the Tsar married Ivan IV Vasilievich(Ivan the Terrible). The latter's nephew Fedor Nikitich R. became a Moscow. patriarch under the name Philareta. His son Mikhail Fedorovich R. was elected Russian. king (1613-45). The heirs of this monarch on the throne were: son Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-76), grandchildren - Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-82), Ivan V (1682-96), Peter / Alekseevich
(1682-1725), second wife of Peter I Catherine I (1725-27), his grandson Peter // Alekseevich (1727-30) In 1730-40, the daughter of Ivan V Anna Ivanovna ruled, in 1741-61 - the daughter of Peter I Elizaveta Petrovna , after which the R. dynasty ended and for women. lines. However, the surname R. was borne by representatives of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty: Peter III (1761-62) (son of the Duke of Holstein Karl Friedrich and daughter of Peter I Anna), his wife Catherine II (1762-96), their son Paul I (1796-1801) and his descendants: sons Alexander I (1801-25) and Nicholas I (1825-55), son the last Alexander II (1855-81), his son Alexander III (1881-94) and grandson Nicholas II (1894-1917).
+ additional material:
Russian history is stable with a succession of ruling dynasties. In the entire history of the development of the state, only two dynasties have replaced the throne: and the Romanovs. And it is the Romanov dynasty that is connected with the largest historical events, which shaped the appearance of the modern state. The chronology of their presence in power goes back about 300 years.
Where did the Romanov family tree begin?
Russian history is bizarre. In theory, it is known quite well, but if you delve into ancient periods, it turns out to be quite contradictory and confusing. The history of the Romanov family can be considered one of the confirmations of this opinion. Let's start with the fact that even the exact data from where he came to Moscow, so that later on take the throne for three centuries, not known for certain:
- According to representatives of the dynasty itself, the origins of the family lie in Prussia, from where the founder of the family arrived in Rus' in the 14th century.
- Professional historians, including academician and archaeographer Stepan Borisovich Veselovsky, are sure that the origins of the royal family are in Veliky Novgorod.
Chronicles and ancient manuscripts name the first reliable name of the founder of the dynasty. He became boyar Andrei Kobyla.
He belonged to the retinue of the Moscow prince Simeon the Proud (1317-1353). The boyar gave rise to the Koshkin surname, the first representative of which was Andrei Kobyla’s son Fyodor Koshka.
The zigzags of history led the Zakharyins during their reign to the very foundation of the royal throne. The legendary last representative of the Rurikovich family was the husband of Anastasia Zakharyina. Ivan the Terrible left no male heirs, and his wife’s nephews became real contenders for a place on the throne.
And it was occupied by a representative of the new ruling family - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. He was the grandson of Ivan the Terrible’s wife’s brother, Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, and the son of her nephew Fyodor Nikitovich. Later, having converted to monasticism, he took the name Patriarch Filaret. By the way, it was he turned the Zakharyins' surname into the Romanovs, taking as his surname the name of his grandfather, boyar Roman Zakharyin.
Important! The most surprising thing is that, in fact, such a surname for the royal family did not officially exist at all until 1917. Representatives of the royal dynasty bore the names: Tsarevich Ivan Alekseevich, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. The royal family had to adopt the surname officially after the decree of the Provisional Government in 1917.
Reasons for inviting the Romanovs to the throne
By the time of the death of Ivan Rurikovich the Terrible, the Rurikovich family had ceased. At that moment, Russia was once again experiencing difficult period, which was called “ Time of Troubles" During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the state went through a series of lost wars, mass executions, . This weakened the state, and famine reigned in many areas. The population was exhausted by the ever-increasing tax burden.
During this period, serfdom of peasants began. Foreign representatives began to lay claim to the empty throne of the weakened country. Among them is the English king James the First.
Against this background, the Great Russian Cossacks decided to intervene in the distribution of space on the throne of the sovereign. Patriarch Filaret, with his help, elevated his 16-year-old son Mikhail to the throne.
This event marked the coming to power of the dynasty. To this day, most historians are confident that Filaret was the real ruler of the state. Moreover, Mikhail was in poor health and died at the age of only 49 years. But the Romanov family had already ascended to the throne. It is not difficult to trace how many years the legendary dynasty then ruled.
When the first representative of the dynasty died, he was replaced by Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov, who bore the nickname “The Quietest.” In the first years of his reign, the tsar was strongly influenced by the boyar Boris Morozov. Moreover, as a result of intrigues, the head of the Russian state became the husband of Boris Morozov’s protege, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. Boyarin Morozov became a husband sister Empress Anna Ilyinichna.
Then Patriarch Nikon began to exert significant influence on the sovereign. The head of the church authority became so influential that after the convocation Church Cathedral invite the king to share power. The years of Nikon's rise ended with the gathering of the Great Moscow Cathedral in 1666. It was after the year-long Council and the removal of the disgraced patriarch that Orthodox Church divided, the Old Believers emerged from it.
Important! Despite the nickname, the years of Alexei Mikhailovich’s reign can hardly be called calm. In addition to the church schism, it was during the reign of this representative of the clan that a military reform took place, which resulted in the creation of foreign regiments in Russia. After the Zemsky Sobor, the Zaporozhye centurion Bogdan Khmelnitsky transferred to Russian citizenship, and Stepan Razin rebelled.
A significant moment in the reign of the Quiet Tsar was the implementation of the Monetary Reform, which gave rise to the circulation of the ruble in Rus'. He's the one became the initiator of the development of the Council Code, which became the code of laws of the country. Historians recognize that an enlightened and intelligent sovereign, prone to contemplation and reflection, was able to lead the state out of a severe economic crisis. Historians rarely give such reviews about the Romanov family.
Alexei Mikhailovich was replaced on the throne after his death by his brother Fyodor II Alekseevich, whose reign was at 1676-1682. Apart from poor health, this representative of the Romanov family was not remembered for major deeds. Instead, various boyar families tried to rule the state, with varying degrees of success. Fyodor Alekseevich did not leave a decree on succession to the throne after his death. The throne passed to the first oldest son of Alexei Mikhailovich, Ivan I, whose sister, Princess Sophia, became regent, and his younger brother became co-ruler.
The transition from king to sovereign
During these years of the reign of the Romanov family, the royal dynasty of the Russian state was finally formed.
Ivan Alekseevich was another of its representatives, who was distinguished by poor health. He died when he was only 30 years old. The throne passed to his co-ruler and brother, whom history today calls Peter the Great.
Peter Alekseevich assumed the rank of sovereign. At the same time, he became the last official Tsar of Rus'.
This is where the rulers of the Romanov Tsars ended. They were replaced by a dynasty of sovereigns.
Dynasty of the Romanov sovereigns
The tangled history of the ruling house did not end with the change of name. On the contrary, it has entered a new stage. Indeed, in fact, Emperor Peter the Great became the only representative of the clan in this status. His male line on him ceased. Pyotr Alekseevich was married twice. The first wife of the ruler was Evdokia Lopukhina. The same one who gave birth to the head of state’s son Alexei, who was killed by his father. Alexei had a son, Peter II. He even managed to visit the throne in 1727. The boy was only 11 years old. Three years later, the last representative of the family in the male line died of smallpox.
This would be the end of the clan's reign. But at a new stage in history, women began to rule the state. Moreover, to manage successfully, giving rise to the real Golden Age of state development. The first of them, but far from the most glorious, was the daughter of Ivan V Alekseevich, Anna Ioanovna, who was quickly elevated to the throne.
These years became the period of reign of the empress's favorite E.I. Birona. According to the will, the grandson of Ivan V, Ivan VI, ascended the throne after the death of Anna Ioanovna, but he short reign ended tragically. The infant sovereign was quickly overthrown and most of its short life further spent in prison. Historical tradition attributes his death to Catherine I.
The first of the beautiful rulers was the second wife of Peter the Great, Marta Skavronskaya, who took the name Catherine I during her reign. The legendary rulers of Russia in the 18th century also included Catherine’s daughter Elizaveta Petrovna and the wife of her grandson, who at birth bore the name Sophia Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst. For just a year, the grandson of Catherine I from her daughter Anna, Peter III, “wedged itself” into the list of beautiful rulers. The dates of his reign are 1761 - 1762.
Quiet 19th century for the Romanov dynasty
The period of female rule, which became an enlightened century in the development of the country, ended with accession to the throne in 1796, the son of Catherine II, Paul I. His reign was short.
As a result palace coup Catherine the Great's least favorite grandson was overthrown. There is a legend in history that his own son Alexander could have been directly involved in his death. The same one who became Alexander I after the murder of his father in his sleep in his own bed.
Then, with various upheavals, but not as global as in past centuries, rulers with the names Nicholas and Alexander replaced the throne. Under Nicholas the First, the Decembrist uprising was suppressed in 1825. Under Alexander the Second, serfdom was abolished. The death of this representative of the Romanov family came as a shock to the country. He died from his wounds after an assassination attempt by Narodnaya Volya member Ignatius Grinevitsky, who threw a bomb at the ruler’s feet.
At the same time, the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th outwardly seemed quite calm for the ruling Romanov dynasty. Until the pattern of generations of rulers was stopped during two revolutions at once in 1917. After the coup of 1917, the history of the dynasty ceased. Nicholas II, who ruled during the coup, officially abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Mikhail. This last of the Romanovs also renounced his rights to rule. The history of this royal dynasty of Europe came to a tragic end. Nikolay Romanov was executed along with his entire family. His brother, Mikhail Romanov, abdication did not help. He was killed in the forest near Perm on the night of June 12-13, 1918.
Brief chronology of the reign of Russian dynasties
Chart of government of the House of Romanov
Conclusion
They say that upon the accession of the first Romanov to the throne, the royal family was cursed, and had to begin with Michael and end with Michael. In theory, at the moment, representatives of a dynasty coming to power is possible. On this planet in different countries There are many distant relatives of the dynasty that has ruled for three centuries, but their rights are for the most part rather dubious.
Over the past 300-odd years, autocracy in Russia has been directly linked to the Romanov dynasty. They managed to gain a foothold on the throne during the Time of Troubles. Sudden Appearance on the political horizon of the new dynasty is the largest event in the life of any state. Usually it is accompanied by a coup or revolution, but in any case, a change of power entails the removal of the old ruling elite by force.
Background
In Russia, the emergence of a new dynasty was due to the fact that the Rurikovich branch was interrupted with the death of the descendants of Ivan IV the Terrible. This state of affairs in the country gave rise not only to a profound political but also a social crisis. Ultimately, this led to foreigners beginning to interfere in the affairs of the state.
It should be noted that never before in the history of Russia have rulers changed so often, bringing with them new dynasties, as after the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In those days, not only representatives of the elite, but also other social strata claimed the throne. Foreigners also tried to intervene in the power struggle.
On the throne, one after another, the descendants of the Rurikovichs appeared in the person of Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), representatives of the untitled boyars led by Boris Godunov (1597-1605), and there were even impostors - False Dmitry I (1605-1606) and False Dmitry II (1607-1605). 1610). But none of them managed to stay in power for long. This continued until 1613, until the Russian tsars of the Romanov dynasty came.
Origin
It should be noted right away that this family as such came from the Zakharyevs. And the Romanovs are not quite the correct surname. It all started with the fact that, i.e. Zakharyev Fedor Nikolaevich, decided to change his last name. Guided by the fact that his father was Nikita Romanovich, and his grandfather was Roman Yuryevich, he came up with the surname “Romanov”. Thus the genus received a new name, which is still used today.
The royal Romanov dynasty (reigned 1613-1917) began with Mikhail Fedorovich. After him, Alexei Mikhailovich, popularly nicknamed “The Quietest,” ascended the throne. Then Alekseevna and Ivan V Alekseevich ruled.
During his reign - in 1721 - the state was finally reformed and became Russian Empire. The kings have sunk into oblivion. Now the sovereign became the emperor. In total, the Romanovs gave Russia 19 rulers. Among them are 5 women. Here is a table that clearly shows the entire Romanov dynasty, years of reign and titles.
As mentioned above, the Russian throne was sometimes occupied by women. But the government of Paul I passed a law stating that from now on only the direct male heir could bear the title of emperor. Since then, no woman has ascended the throne again.
The Romanov dynasty, whose years of reign were not always calm times, received its official coat of arms back in 1856. It depicts a vulture holding a tarch and a golden sword in its paws. The edges of the coat of arms are decorated with eight severed lion heads.
The Last Emperor
In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in the country and overthrew the country's government. Emperor Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov dynasty. He was given the nickname "Bloody" because thousands of people were killed on his orders during the two revolutions of 1905 and 1917.
Historians believe that the last emperor was a soft ruler, therefore he made several unforgivable mistakes both in internal and foreign policy. It was they who led to the fact that the situation in the country escalated to the limit. Failures in the Japanese and then the First World Wars greatly undermined the authority of the emperor himself and the entire royal family.
In 1918, on the night of July 17, the royal family, which included, in addition to the emperor himself and his wife, five children, was shot by the Bolsheviks. At the same time, the only heir to the Russian throne died - little son Nikolai, Alexey.
Our time
The Romanovs are the oldest boyar family that gave Russia a great dynasty of kings and then emperors. They ruled the state for a little over three hundred years, starting from the 16th century. The Romanov dynasty, whose reign ended with the Bolsheviks coming to power, was interrupted, but several branches of this family still exist. All of them live abroad. About 200 of them have various titles, but not one will be able to take the Russian throne, even if the monarchy is restored.
