The royal family of Rurikovich. History of Rus'

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Of which there are almost twenty tribes of rulers of Rus', they descend from Rurik. This historical character was presumably born between 806 and 808 in the city of Rerik (Raroga). In 808, when Rurik was 1-2 years old, the domain of his father, Godolub, was seized by the Danish king Gottfried, and the future Russian prince became half an orphan. Together with his mother Umila, he found himself in a foreign land. And his childhood is not mentioned anywhere. It is assumed that he spent them in Slavic lands. There is information that in 826 he arrived at the court of the Frankish king, where he received an allotment of land “beyond the Elbe”, in fact the land of his murdered father, but as a vassal of the Frankish ruler. During the same period, Rurik is believed to have been baptized. Later, after being deprived of these plots, Rurik joined the Varangian squad and fought in Europe, not at all as an exemplary Christian.

Prince Gostomysl saw the future dynasty in a dream

The Rurikovichs, whose family tree was seen, as legend has it, in a dream by Rurik’s grandfather (Umila’s father), made a decisive contribution to the development of Rus' and the Russian state, since they ruled from 862 to 1598. The prophetic dream of the old Gostomysl, the ruler of Novgorod, showed just that from “the womb of his daughter will sprout a wonderful tree that will satisfy the people in his lands.” This was another “plus” in favor of inviting Rurik with his strong squad at a time when civil strife was observed in the Novgorod lands, and the people suffered from attacks from outside tribes.

The foreign origin of Rurik may be disputed

Thus, it can be argued that the family tree of the Rurik dynasty began not with foreigners, but with a person who by blood belonged to the Novgorod nobility, who fought in other countries for many years, had his own squad and the age allowed to lead the people. At the time of Rurik’s invitation to Novgorod in 862, he was about 50 years old - quite a respectable age at that time.

Was the tree based on Norway?

How did the Rurikovich family tree form further? The image shown in the review gives a complete picture of this. After the death of the first ruler of Rus' from this dynasty (the Book of Veles testifies that there were rulers in the Russian lands before him), power passed to his son Igor. However, due to the young age of the new ruler, his guardian, which is allowed, was Oleg (“Prophetic”), who was the brother of Rurik’s wife, Efanda. The latter was a relative of the kings of Norway.

Princess Olga was co-ruler of Rus' under her son Svyatoslav

Rurik's only son, Igor, born in 877 and killed by the Drevlyans in 945, is known for pacifying the tribes subordinate to him, going on a campaign against Italy (together with the Greek fleet), trying to take Constantinople with a flotilla of ten thousand ships, and was the first military commander Rus', which he encountered in battle and fled from in horror. His wife, Princess Olga, who married Igor from Pskov (or Pleskov, which may indicate the Bulgarian city of Pliskuvot), brutally took revenge on the Drevlyan tribes that killed her husband, and became the ruler of Rus' while Igor’s son Svyatoslav was growing up. However, after her son came of age, Olga also remained a ruler, since Svyatoslav was mainly engaged in military campaigns and remained in history as a great commander and conqueror.

The family tree of the Rurik dynasty, in addition to the main ruling line, had many branches that became famous for unseemly deeds. For example, Svyatoslav's son, Yaropolk, fought against his brother Oleg, who was killed in battle. His own son from the Byzantine princess, Svyatopolk the Accursed, was something like the biblical Cain, since he killed the sons of Vladimir (another son of Svyatoslav) - Boris and Gleb, who were his brothers by his adoptive father. Another son of Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise, dealt with Svyatopolk himself and became the prince of Kyiv.

Bloody feuds and marriages with all of Europe

We can safely say that the family tree of the Rurikovichs is partially “saturated” with bloody events. The diagram shows that the reigning ruler from his presumably second marriage with Ingigerda (daughter of the Swedish king) had many children, including six sons who were rulers of various Russian appanages and married foreign princesses (Greek, Polish). And three daughters who became queens of Hungary, Sweden and France also by marriage. In addition, Yaroslav is credited with having a seventh son from his first wife, who was taken into Polish captivity from Kyiv (Anna, son Ilya), as well as a daughter, Agatha, who presumably could have been the wife of the heir to the throne of England, Edward (the Exile).

Perhaps the distance of the sisters and interstate marriages somewhat reduced the struggle for power in this generation of Rurikovichs, since most of the time of the reign of Yaroslav's son Izyaslav in Kyiv was accompanied by a peaceful division of his power with the brothers Vsevolod and Svyatoslav (the Yaroslavovich triumvirate). However, this ruler of Rus' also died in battle against his own nephews. And the father of the next famous ruler of the Russian state, Vladimir Monomakh, was Vsevolod, married to the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh the Ninth.

In the Rurik family there were rulers with fourteen children!

The Rurik family tree with dates shows us that this outstanding dynasty was continued by the descendants of Vladimir Monomakh for many years to come, while the genealogies of the remaining grandchildren of Yaroslav the Wise ceased in the next hundred to one hundred and fifty years. Prince Vladimir had, as historians believe, twelve children from two wives, the first of whom was an English princess in exile, and the second, presumably a Greek. Of this numerous offspring, those who reigned in Kyiv were: Mstislav (until 1125), Yaropolk, Vyacheslav and Yuri Vladimirovich (Dolgoruky). The latter was also distinguished by his fertility and gave birth to fourteen children from two wives, including Vsevolod the Third (Big Nest), so called, again, for the large number of offspring - eight sons and four daughters.

What outstanding Rurikovichs do we know? The family tree, extending further from Vsevolod the Big Nest, contains such eminent surnames as Alexander Nevsky (grandson of Vsevolod, son of Yaroslav the Second), Michael the Second Saint (canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church due to the incorruptibility of the relics of the murdered prince), John Kalita, who gave birth to John the Meek , to whom, in turn, Dmitry Donskoy was born.

Formidable representatives of the dynasty

The Rurikovichs, whose family tree ceased to exist at the end of the 16th century (1598), included in their ranks the great Tsar John the Fourth, the Terrible. This ruler strengthened autocratic power and significantly expanded the territory of Rus' by annexing the Volga region, Pyatigorsk, Siberian, Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms. He had eight wives, who bore him five sons and three daughters, including his successor on the throne, Theodore (the Blessed). This son of John was, as expected, weak in health and, possibly, in mind. He was more interested in prayers, the ringing of bells, and the tales of jesters than in power. Therefore, during his reign, power belonged to his brother-in-law, Boris Godunov. And subsequently, after the death of Fedor, they completely switched to this statesman.

Was the first of the reigning Romanov family a relative of the last Rurikovich?

The family tree of the Rurikovichs and the Romanovs, however, has some points of contact, despite the fact that the only daughter of Fyodor the Blessed died at the age of 9 months, around 1592-1594. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the first of the new dynasty, was crowned in 1613 by the Zemsky Sobor, and came from the family of boyar Fyodor Romanov (later Patriarch Filaret) and noblewoman Ksenia Shestova. He was a cousin’s nephew (to the Blessed One), so we can say that the Romanov dynasty to some extent continues the Rurik dynasty.

The legends associated with his name and the names of his followers date back to the ninth century and last for seven long centuries. Our article today will examine the Rurik dynasty - its family tree with photos and years of reign.

Where did the old family come from?

The existence of the commander himself and his wife Efanda is still questioned by most scientists. But some researchers of the origins of Rus' claim that the future governor was born between 806 and 808 in the city of Raroga. His name, according to several versions, has Slavic roots and means “falcon”.

When Rurik was still a baby, the possessions of his father Godolub were attacked by the Danes, led by Gottfried. The future founder of the royal family turned out to be half orphan and spent his entire childhood in a foreign land with his mother. At the age of 20, he arrived at the court of the Frankish king and received his father's lands from him as a vassal.

Then he was deprived of all land plots and sent to fight in a squad that helped the Frankish king seize new lands.

According to legend, his grandfather, the Novgorod prince Gostomysl, saw the dynastic diagram of the complete family tree of the Rurik family with dates and years of reign in a dream. The theory about the foreign origin of the entire royal family was refuted by Mikhail Lomonosov. By blood, the future Novgorod ruler belonged to the Slavs and was invited to his native lands at a fairly respectable age - he was 52 years old.

Second generation of rulers

After Rurik's death in 879, his son Igor came to power. The situation was complicated by the fact that he was still too young to become the ruler of Rus'. Oleg, Igor’s uncle, was appointed his guardian. He was able to establish relations with the Byzantine Empire and called Kyiv “the mother of Russian cities.” After Oleg's death, Igor came to power in Kyiv. He also managed to do a lot for the benefit of the Russian lands.

But during his reign there were also unsuccessful military campaigns. The most famous of them is the attack on Constantinople from the sea. Having encountered the famous “Greek fire” as the first of the rulers of Rus', Igor realized that he had underestimated the enemy and was forced to turn the ships back.

The prince died unexpectedly - having fought against enemy troops all his life, he died at the hands of his own people - the Drevlyans. Igor's wife, Princess Olga, brutally avenged her husband and burned the city, turning it into ashes.

Having besieged the Drevlyans, the princess ordered them to send her three doves and three sparrows from each house. When her wish was fulfilled, she ordered her warriors to tie tinder to their paws and set it on fire as soon as dusk came. The warriors carried out the princess's order and sent the birds back. So the city of Iskorosten was completely burned.

Igor left two sons - Gleb and Svyatoslav. Since the heirs to the princely throne were still small, Olga began to lead the Russian lands. When Svyatoslav, Igor’s eldest child, grew up and took the throne, Princess Olga still continued to rule in Rus', since the descendant spent most of his life on military campaigns. In one of them he was killed. Svyatoslav wrote his name in history as a great conqueror.

Scheme of the pedigree chronological tree of the Rurikovich family: Oleg, Vladimir and Yaropolk

In Kyiv, after the death of Svyatoslav, Yaropolk ascended the throne. He began to openly quarrel with his brother Oleg. Finally, Yaropolk managed to kill his own brother in battle and lead Kyiv. During the battle with his brother, Oleg fell into a ditch and was trampled by horses. But the fratricide did not remain in power for long and was overthrown from the Kyiv throne by Vladimir.

The history of the genealogy of this prince is extremely interesting: being illegitimate, according to pagan laws, he could still lead Rus'.

Having learned that one brother had killed the other, the future Kiev ruler gathered his army with the help of his uncle and teacher Dobrynya. Having conquered Polotsk, he decided to marry Rogneda, the bride of Yaropolk. The girl did not want to tie the knot with a “rootless” person, which greatly offended the baptist of Rus'. He took her as his wife by force, and then killed her entire family in front of the future bride.

Next, he sent an army to Kyiv, but decided not to fight directly, but to resort to cunning. Having lured his brother into supposedly peaceful negotiations, Vladimir set a trap for him and, with the help of his warriors, stabbed him to death with swords. So all power over Russia was concentrated in the hands of the bloody prince. Despite such a cruel past, the Kiev ruler was able to baptize Rus' and spread Christianity throughout all the pagan lands under his control.

Rurikovich: tree of the royal dynasty with dates and surnames - Yaroslav the Wise

After the passing of the baptist of Rus', disputes and civil strife began again in the large family. This time, 4 brothers wanted to lead the Kiev throne at once. Having killed his relatives, Svyatopolk the Accursed, the son of Vladimir and his Greek concubine, began to lead the capital. But the Accursed One did not manage to stand at the helm of power for long - he was removed by Yaroslav the Wise. Having won the battle on the Alta River, Yaroslav ascended the princely throne, and declared Svyatopolk a traitor to the family line.

Yaroslav the Wise decided to radically change the style of government. He became related to the European royal family by marrying the Swedish princess Ingigerda. His children were related by marriage to the Greek and Polish heirs to the throne, his daughters became queens of France and Sweden. Before his death in 1054, Yaroslav the Wise honestly divided the lands between his heirs and bequeathed to them not to wage internecine wars.

The most important figures in the political arena of that time were his three sons:

• Izyaslav (ruler of Kyiv and Novgorod).
• Vsevolod (Prince of Rostov and Pereyaslavl).
• Svyatoslav (ruled in Chernigov and Murom).

As a result of their unification, a triumvirate was formed, and the three brothers began to reign in their lands. To increase their authority, they entered into many royal marriages and encouraged families created with noble foreigners and foreigners.
Rurik dynasty - complete family tree with years of reign and with photos: the largest branches

It is impossible to talk about any former unity of the family: the branches of the princely family multiplied and intertwined, including with foreign noble families. The largest of them were:

• Izyaslavichy
• Rostislavichy
• Svyatoslavichy
• Monomakhovichi

Let's look at each of the branches in more detail.

Izyaslavichy

The founder of the family was Izyaslav, a descendant of Vladimir and Rogneda. According to legend, Rogneda all the time dreamed of taking revenge on the prince because he forced her to marry him and went on to kill members of her family. One night, she snuck into the bedroom to stab her husband in the heart. But the husband slept lightly and managed to fend off the blow. In anger, the ruler wanted to deal with his unfaithful wife, but Izyaslav ran to the screams and stood up for his mother. The father did not dare to kill Rogneda in front of his son, and this saved her life.

Instead, the baptist of the Slavs sent his wife and child to Polotsk. This is how the line of the Rurikovich family began in Polotsk.

Rostislavichy

After the death of his father, Rostislav could not lay claim to the throne and was an exile. But a warlike spirit and a small army helped him lead Tmutarakan. Rostislav had three sons: Volodar, Vasilko and Rurik. Each of them achieved considerable success in the military field.

Izyaslav Yaroslavich headed Turov. A fierce struggle was waged for this land for many years, as a result of which the prince and his descendants were expelled from their native lands by Vladimir Monomakh. Only Yuri, a distant descendant of the ruler, was able to restore justice.

Svyatoslavichy

The sons of Svyatoslav fought for a long time for the throne with Izyaslav and Vsevolod. Young and inexperienced warriors were defeated by their uncles and lost power.

Monomakhovichi

The clan was formed from the heir of Monomakh - Vsevolod. All princely power was concentrated in his hands. It was possible to unite all the lands, including Polotsk and Turov, for several years. The “fragile” world collapsed after the death of the ruler.

It is worth noting that Yuri Dolgoruky also came from the Monomakhovich line and subsequently became the “gatherer of Russian lands.”

Numerous descendants of representatives of the royal family

Did you know that some members of the famous family had descendants with 14 children? For example, according to historians, Vladimir Monomakh had 12 children from two wives - and that’s just the famous ones! But his son, Yuri Dolgoruky, surpassed everyone. The famous founder of Belokamennaya gave birth to 14 successors of the family. Of course, this gave rise to many problems: every child wanted to reign, considered himself truly right and the most important heir to his famous father.

Family genealogical tree of the Rurikovichs with years and dates of reign: who else belongs to the great dynasty

Among the many outstanding figures, it is important to note Ivan Kalita, Ivan the Terrible, Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. The bloody history of the family gave future generations great rulers, generals and politicians.

The most famous cruel king of his time was Ivan IV the Terrible. There were many stories about his bloody glory and the incredible atrocities of the guardsmen loyal to him. But Ivan IV was able to do a lot of good for his country. He significantly expanded the territory of Rus', annexing Siberia, Astrakhan and Kazan.

Theodore the Blessed was to become his successor, but he was weak psychologically and physically, and the tsar simply could not entrust him with power over the state.

During the reign of his son Ivan Vasilyevich, Boris Godunov was the “gray eminence”. He took the throne after the death of the heir.

The Rurikovichs also gave the world great warriors - Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. The first received his nickname thanks to his victory on the Neva in the famous Battle of the Ice.

And Dmitry Donskoy was able to free Rus' from the Mongol invasion.

Who became the last in the family tree of the Rurikovich rule

According to historical data, the last in the famous dynasty was Fyodor Ioannovich. The “blessed” ruled the country purely nominally and passed away in 1589. Thus ended the history of the famous family. The era of the Romanovichs began.

Fyodor Ioannovich was unable to leave offspring (his only daughter died at 9 months). But some facts indicate a relationship between the two families.

The first Russian Tsar from the Romanovich family descended from Filaret - at that time the Patriarch of All Rus'. The head of the church was the cousin of Fyodor the Blessed. Thus, it can be argued that the Rurikovich branch did not break off, but was continued by new rulers.

Studying the history of princely and royal dynasties is a difficult task, to which many scientific studies are devoted. Civil wars and numerous descendants of representatives of an ancient family still remain a relevant topic for the work of specialists.

During the formation of Rus' as the basis of the statehood of the future Russia, a lot of large-scale events took place: the victory over the Tatar and Swedish conquerors, baptism, the unification of princely lands and the establishment of contacts with foreigners. An attempt to unite the history of the glorious family and tell about its milestones was made in this article.

The Rurikovichs are the descendants of Rurik, who became the first known chronicle prince of ancient Rus'. Over time, the Rurik family split into several branches.

The birth of a dynasty

The Tale of Bygone Years, written by the monk Nestor, tells the story of the calling of Rurik and his brothers to Rus'. The sons of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl died in the wars, and he married one of his daughters to a Varangian-Russian, who gave birth to three sons - Sineus, Rurik and Truvor. They were called by Gostomysl to reign in Rus'. It was with them that the Rurik dynasty began in 862, which reigned in Rus' until 1598.

The first princes

In 879, the summoned prince Rurik died, leaving a young son Igor. While he was growing up, the principality was ruled by Oleg, a relative of the prince through his wife. He conquered the entire Principality of Kiev, and also built diplomatic relations with Byzantium. After Oleg's death in 912, Igor began to reign until he died in 945, leaving two heirs - Gleb and Svyatoslav. However, the eldest (Svyatoslav) was a three-year-old child, and therefore his mother, Princess Olga, took the reign into her own hands.

Having become a ruler, Svyatoslav was more interested in military campaigns and in one of them he was killed in 972. Svyatoslav left three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Yaropolk killed Oleg for the sake of autocracy, while Vladimir first fled to Europe, but later returned, killed Yaropolk and became ruler. It was he who baptized the people of Kiev in 988 and built many cathedrals. He reigned until 1015 and left behind 11 sons. After Vladimir, Yaropolk began to reign, who killed his brothers, and after him Yaroslav the Wise.

Yaroslavichy

Yaroslav the Wise reigned in total from 1015 to 1054 (including breaks). When he died, the unity of the principality was disrupted. His sons divided Kievan Rus into parts: Svyatoslav received Chernigov, Izyaslav - Kyiv and Novgorod, Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl and the Rostov-Suzdal land. The latter, and subsequently his son Vladimir Monomakh, significantly expanded the acquired lands. After the death of Vladimir Monomakh, the disintegration of the unity of the principality was finally established, each part of which was ruled by a separate dynasty.

Rus' is specific

Feudal fragmentation is growing due to the laddered right of succession to the throne, according to which power was transferred by seniority to the prince's brothers, while the younger ones were given to them in cities of lesser importance. After the death of the main prince, everyone moved according to seniority from city to city. This order led to internecine wars. The most powerful princes launched a war for Kyiv. The power of Vladimir Monomakh and his descendants turned out to be the most influential. Vladimir Monomakh leaves his possessions to three sons: Mstislav, Yaropolk and Yuri Dolgoruky. The latter is considered the founder of Moscow.

The fight between Moscow and Tver

One of the famous descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky was Alexander Nevsky, under whom an independent Moscow principality arose. In an effort to increase their influence, the descendants of Nevsky begin to fight against Tver. During the reign of the descendant of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow Principality became one of the main centers of the unification of Rus', but the Tver Principality remained outside of its influence.

Creation of the Russian State

After the death of Dmitry Donskoy, power passes to his son Vasily I, who managed to preserve the greatness of the principality. After his death, a dynastic struggle for power begins. However, under the reign of Dmitry Donskoy's descendant Ivan III, the Horde yoke ends and the Principality of Moscow plays a decisive role in this. Under Ivan III, the process of forming a unified Russian state was completed. In 1478, he appropriated the title “Sovereign of All Rus'”.

The Last Rurikovichs

The last representatives of the Rurik dynasty in power were Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor Ivanovich. The latter was not a ruler by nature, and therefore, after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the state was essentially ruled by the Boyar Duma. In 1591, Dmitry, another son of Ivan the Terrible, dies. Dmitry was the last contender for the Russian throne, since Fyodor Ivanovich had no children. In 1598, Fyodor Ivanovich also died, with whom the dynasty of the first Russian rulers, who had been in power for 736 years, was interrupted.

The article mentions only the main and most prominent representatives of the dynasty, but in fact there were much more descendants of Rurik. The Rurikovichs made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian state.

The history of the founding of Rus' in the 9th century AD is shrouded in a dense veil of secrets, which sometimes contradict the statements of the official history of the Russian state. The name of Prince Rurik is associated with many hypotheses and studies that try to restore the chain of true events of that distant time.

Maybe there would be fewer of these hypotheses if not for one main circumstance: the name of Rurik is associated with the founding of the ruling dynasty, whose representatives occupied the Russian thrones until 1610, until the Time of Troubles, until the change from the Rurik dynasty to the Romanov dynasty.

So, Rurik.

Official details:
- year of birth unknown, from the Varangian princely family, family coat of arms - a falcon falling down.
- Called by the Slavs to suppress civil strife with the Finno-Ugric tribes in 862 AD.
- becomes the Prince of Novgorod and the founder of the princely, royal Rurik dynasty.
- died in 879 AD.

The arrival of Rurik with his family retinue, in historiography, is usually called the “Calling of the Varangians.” Brothers Sineus and Truvor came with Rurik. After the death of the brothers in 864, Rurik became the sole ruler of the Novgorod principality.

Versions of the origin of Rurik:
— The Norman version claims that Rurik comes from the Scandinavian Vikings. Some researchers associate Rurik with Rorik of Jutland from Denmark, and others with Eirik from Sweden.

— The West Slavic version claims that Rurik was from the Vagrs or Prussians. This theory was adhered to by M.V. Lomonosov.

After Rurik's death in 879, he was succeeded by his son Igor. Igor was raised by the Prophetic Oleg, whose involvement in the Rurik family is doubtful. Most likely, Prophetic Oleg was one of Rurik’s squad, or at least was distantly related.

The influence of the Rurik dynasty began to spread to all Slavic lands south of Novgorod.

The direct line of succession after Rurik continued. After Igor came Svyatoslav Igorevich, Vladimir Svyatoslavich (the Great), Yaroslav (the Wise). After the death of Yaroslav the Wise (1054), the process of branching of the Rurikovich genealogical line began.

The division was caused by the Ladder order and the increasing feudal fragmentation of Rus'. Individual descendants of the senior princes became sovereign princes of the separated principalities. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise led the so-called “Triumvirate”:

• Izyaslav ruled Kiev, Novgorod and the lands west of the Dnieper.
• Svyatoslav ruled Chernigov and Murom.
• Vsevolod reigned in Rostov, Suzdal and Pereyaslavl.

Of these three branches, the strongest was the branch of Vsevolod and his son Vladimir Monomakh. This branch was able to expand its possessions to Smolensk, Galich and Volyn. In 1132, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the Great, died. At this time, Kievan Rus completely collapsed. The formation and strengthening of local dynasties began, which, however, were also Rurikovichs.

We will focus on the Rurik dynasty from the main branch - the Monomakhovichs.

The following famous princes belonged to this branch: Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the First Kalita, Simeon Ivanovich Proud, Ivan the Second Red, Dmitry Donskoy; hereditary princes: Vasily the First Dmitrievich, Vasily the Second Dark, Ivan the Third Vasilyevich, Vasily the Third Ivanovich; Moscow kings: Ivan the Fourth the Terrible, Fyodor the First Ioannovich.

The reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the third son of Ivan the Terrible, became the last in a long line of offspring of the semi-legendary Varangian prince Rurik. With the death of Fyodor Ioannovich, the bloody Time of Troubles began for Russia, which ended with the capture of Kitai-gorod in Moscow on November 4, 1612 and the election of a new tsar.