The last of the Romanovs in the male line. Always be in the mood

Romanovs - great dynasty tsars and emperors of Russia, an ancient boyar family that began to exist at the end of the 16th century. and still exists today.

Etymology and history of the surname

The Romanovs are not quite correct historical surname kind. Initially, the Romanovs came from the Zakharyevs. However, Patriarch Filaret (Fyodor Nikitich Zakharyev) decided to take the surname Romanov in honor of his father and grandfather, Nikita Romanovich and Roman Yuryevich. This is how the family received a surname that is still used today.

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

The large Romanov family was called the House of Romanov. Huge and extensive family tree has connections with almost everyone royal dynasties peace.

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

Background to the emergence of the Romanov royal dynasty

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

In the 16th century. boyar family received new status, his representatives became relatives of the sovereign himself. This happened due to the fact that he married Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina. Now all of Anastasia Romanovna’s relatives could count on the royal throne in the future. The opportunity to take the throne came very soon, after the suppression. When the question of further succession to the throne arose, the Romanovs came into play.

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

Tsars and emperors from the Romanov family

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

These were:

• Fedor Alekseevich Romanov;
• Ivan the 5th (Ioann Antonovich);

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

The end of the Romanov dynasty. The Last of the Romanovs

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

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

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

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

Results of the Romanov reign

Although during the 300 years of the reign of this family a lot happened bloody wars and uprisings, in general, the power of the Romanovs brought benefits to Russia. It was thanks to the representatives of this family that Rus' finally moved away from feudalism, increased its economic, military and political power and turned into a huge and powerful empire.

The first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, was born on July 22 (July 12, old style) 1596 in Moscow.

His father is Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, Metropolitan (later Patriarch Filaret), his mother is Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova (later nun Martha). Mikhail was a cousin of the last Russian Tsar from the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ivanovich.

In 1601, together with his parents, Boris Godunov fell into disgrace. Lived in exile. In 1605 he returned to Moscow, where he was captured by the Poles who captured the Kremlin. In 1612, liberated by the militia of Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, he left for Kostroma.

On March 3 (February 21, old style), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanovich to reign.

On March 23 (March 13, old style), 1613, the ambassadors of the Council arrived in Kostroma. At the Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail was with his mother, he was informed of his election to the throne.

Poles arrive in Moscow. A small detachment set out to kill Mikhail, but got lost along the way, because the peasant Ivan Susanin, having agreed to show the way, led him into a dense forest.

June 21 (June 11, old style) 1613 Mikhail Fedorovich in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

In the first years of Mikhail's reign (1613-1619), real power was with his mother, as well as with her relatives from the Saltykov boyars. From 1619 to 1633, the country was ruled by the tsar’s father, Patriarch Filaret, who had returned from Polish captivity. Under the dual power that existed at that time, state charters were written on behalf of the Sovereign Tsar and His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the wars with Sweden (Peace of Stolbovo, 1617) and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Truce of Deulin, 1618, later - Peace of Polyanovsky, 1634) were ended.

Overcoming the consequences of the Time of Troubles required the centralization of power. The system of voivodeship administration grew locally, the order system was restored and developed. Since the 1620s, the activities of Zemsky Sobors have been limited to advisory functions. They gathered at the initiative of the government to resolve issues that required the approval of the estates: about war and peace, about the introduction of extraordinary taxes.

In the 1630s, the creation of regular military units began (Reitar, Dragoon, Soldier regiments), the rank and file of which were “willing free people” and homeless boyar children, the officers were foreign military specialists. At the end of Michael's reign, cavalry dragoon regiments arose to guard the borders.

The government also began restoration and construction defensive lines- serif features.

Under Mikhail Fedorovich they established diplomatic relations with Holland, Austria, Denmark, Turkey, Persia.

In 1637, the period for capturing fugitive peasants was increased from five to nine years. In 1641 another year was added to it. Peasants exported by other owners were allowed to be searched for up to 15 years. This indicated the growth of serfdom tendencies in the legislation on land and peasants.

Moscow under Mikhail Fedorovich was restored from the consequences of the intervention.

The Filaretovskaya belfry was erected in the Kremlin in 1624. In 1624-1525, a stone tent was built over the Frolovskaya (now Spasskaya) tower and a new striking clock was installed (1621).

In 1626 (after a devastating fire in Moscow), Mikhail Fedorovich issued a series of decrees appointing persons responsible for restoring buildings in the city. All the royal palaces were restored in the Kremlin, and new trading shops were built in Kitay-Gorod.

In 1632, an enterprise for teaching velvet and damask work appeared in Moscow - Velvet Dvor (in mid-17th century centuries, its premises served as a weapons warehouse). The center of textile production became Kadashevskaya Sloboda with the sovereign's Khamovny yard.

In 1633, machines were installed in the Sviblova Tower of the Kremlin to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin (hence its modern name - Vodovzvodnaya).

In 1635-1937, on the site of the ceremonial chambers of the 16th century, the Terem Palace was built for Mikhail Fedorovich, and all the Kremlin cathedrals were re-painted, including the Assumption (1642), the Church of the Deposition of the Robe (1644).

In 1642, construction began on the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles in the Kremlin.

On July 23 (July 13, old style), 1645, Mikhail Fedorovich died of water sickness. He was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The first wife is Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova. The marriage turned out to be childless.

The second wife is Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva. The marriage brought Mikhail Fedorovich seven daughters (Irina, Pelageya, Anna, Martha, Sophia, Tatyana, Evdokia) and three sons (Alexey, Ivan, Vasily). Not all children even survived to adolescence. The parents experienced the death of their sons Ivan and Vasily in one year especially hard.

The heir to the throne was Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1629-1676, reigned 1645-1676).

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The sage avoids all extremes.

Lao Tzu

The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for 304 years, from 1613 to 1917. She replaced the Rurik dynasty on the throne, which ended after the death of Ivan the Terrible (the king did not leave an heir). During the reign of the Romanovs, 17 rulers changed on the Russian throne ( average duration reign of 1 king is 17.8 years), and the state itself with light hand Peter 1 changed its form. In 1771, Russia changed from a Kingdom to an Empire.

Table – Romanov Dynasty

In the table, people who ruled (with the date of their reign) are highlighted in color, and people who were not in power are indicated with a white background. Double line - marital connections.

All the rulers of the dynasty (who were related to each other):

• Mikhail 1613-1645. Founder of the Romanov dynasty. He gained power largely thanks to his father, Filaret.
• Alexey 1645-1676. Son and heir of Michael.
• Sophia (regent under Ivan 5 and Peter 1) 1682-1696. Daughter of Alexei and Maria Miloslavskaya. Native sister Fedora and Ivan 5.
• Peter 1 (independent rule from 1696 to 1725). A man who is for most a symbol of the dynasty and the personification of the power of Russia.
• Catherine 1 1725-1727. Real name: Marta Skawronska. Wife of Peter 1
• Peter 2 1727-1730. Grandson of Peter 1, son of the murdered Tsarevich Alexei.
• Anna Ioannovna 1730-1740. Daughter of Ivan 5.
• Ivan 6 Antonovich 1740-1741. The baby ruled under the regent - his mother Anna Leopoldovna. Grandson of Anna Ioannovna.
• Elizabeth 1741-1762. Daughter of Peter 1.
• Peter 3 1762. Grandson of Peter 1, son of Anna Petrovna.
• Catherine 2 1762-1796. Peter's wife 3.
• Pavel 1 1796-1801. Son of Catherine 2 and Peter 3.
• Alexander 1 1801-1825. Son of Paul 1.
• Nicholas 1 1825-1855. Son of Paul 1, brother of Alexander 1.
• Alexander 2 1855-1881. Son of Nicholas 1.
• Alexander 3 1881-1896. Son of Alexander 2.
• Nicholas 2 1896-1917. Son of Alexander 3.

Diagram - rulers of dynasties by year

An amazing thing - if you look at the diagram of the duration of the reign of each king from the Romanov dynasty, then 3 things become clear:

1. The greatest role in the history of Russia was played by those rulers who were in power for more than 15 years.
2. The number of years in power is directly proportional to the importance of the ruler in the history of Russia. Peter 1 and Catherine 2 were in power for the greatest number of years. It is these rulers who are associated by most historians as the best rulers who laid the foundation of modern statehood.
3. All who ruled for less than 4 years are outright traitors and people unworthy of power: Ivan 6, Catherine 1, Peter 2 and Peter 3.

Also interesting fact is that each Romanov ruler left his successor a territory larger than he himself received. Thanks to this, the territory of Russia expanded significantly, because Mikhail Romanov took control of a territory slightly larger than the Moscow kingdom, and in the hands of Nicholas 2, the last emperor, was the entire territory modern Russia, others former republics USSR, Finland and Poland. The only serious territorial loss was the sale of Alaska. It's pretty dark story, in which there are many ambiguities.

Noteworthy is the fact that there is a close connection between ruling house Russia and Prussia (Germany). Almost all generations had family ties with this country, and some of the rulers associated themselves not with Russia, but with Prussia ( the clearest example– Peter 3).

The vicissitudes of fate

Today it is customary to say that the Romanov dynasty was interrupted after the Bolsheviks shot the children of Nicholas 2. This is indeed a fact that cannot be disputed. But something else is interesting - the dynasty also began with the murder of a child. It's about about the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry, the so-called Uglich case. It is therefore quite symbolic that the dynasty began with the blood of a child and ended with the blood of a child.

On Ivan IV the Terrible (†1584) The Rurik dynasty in Russia was interrupted. After his death it began Time of Troubles.

The result of the 50-year reign of Ivan the Terrible was sad. Endless wars, oprichnina, and mass executions led to unprecedented economic decline. By the 1580s, a huge part of the previously prosperous lands had become deserted: abandoned villages and villages stood all over the country, arable land was overgrown with forest and weeds. As a result, protracted Livonian War the country lost part of its western lands. Noble and influential aristocratic clans strove for power and waged an irreconcilable struggle among themselves. A heavy inheritance fell on the lot of the successor of Tsar Ivan IV - his son Fyodor Ivanovich and guardian Boris Godunov. (Ivan the Terrible had one more son-heir - Tsarevich Dmitry Uglichsky, who was 2 years old at that time).

Boris Godunov (1584-1605)

After the death of Ivan the Terrible, his son ascended the throne Fedor Ioannovich . The new king was unable to rule the country (according to some sources he was weak in health and mind) and was under the tutelage first of the council of boyars, then of his brother-in-law Boris Godunov. A stubborn struggle between the boyar groups of the Godunovs, Romanovs, Shuiskys, and Mstislavskys began at court. But a year later, as a result of the “undercover struggle,” Boris Godunov cleared the way for himself from his rivals (some were accused of treason and exiled, some were forcibly tonsured as monks, some “died into another world” in time). Those. The boyar became the de facto ruler of the state. During the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, the position of Boris Godunov became so significant that overseas diplomats sought an audience with Boris Godunov, his will was the law. Fedor reigned, Boris ruled - everyone knew this both in Rus' and abroad.

S. V. Ivanov. "Boyar Duma"

After the death of Fedor (January 7, 1598), a new tsar was elected at the Zemsky Sobor - Boris Godunov (thus, he became the first Russian Tsar to receive the throne not by inheritance, but by election at the Zemsky Sobor).

(1552 - April 13, 1605) - after the death of Ivan the Terrible, he became the de facto ruler of the state as the guardian of Fyodor Ioannovich, and since 1598 - Russian Tsar .

Under Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov was first a guardsman. In 1571 he married the daughter of Malyuta Skuratov. And after the marriage of his sister Irina in 1575 (the only "Tsarina Irina" on the Russian throne) On the son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Fyodor Ioannovich, he became a close person to the Tsar.

After the death of Ivan the Terrible, the royal throne first went to his son Fedor (under the guardianship of Godunov), and after his death - to Boris Godunov himself.

He died in 1605 at the age of 53, at the height of the war with False Dmitry I, who had moved to Moscow. After his death, Boris’s son Fedor, an educated and extremely intelligent young man, became king. But as a result of the rebellion in Moscow, provoked by False Dmitry, Tsar Fedor and his mother Maria Godunova were brutally killed.(The rebels left only Boris’s daughter, Ksenia, alive. She faced the bleak fate of the impostor’s concubine.)

Boris Godunov was pburied in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. Under Tsar Vasily Shuisky, the remains of Boris, his wife and son were transferred to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and buried in a sitting position at the northwestern corner of the Assumption Cathedral. Ksenia was buried there in 1622, and Olga was buried in monasticism. In 1782, a tomb was built over their tombs.

The activities of Godunov's reign are assessed positively by historians. Under him, the comprehensive strengthening of statehood began. Thanks to his efforts, he was elected in 1589 first Russian patriarch which he became Moscow Metropolitan Job. The establishment of the patriarchate testified to the increased prestige of Russia.

Patriarch Job (1589-1605)

An unprecedented construction of cities and fortifications began. For security waterway from Kazan to Astrakhan cities were built on the Volga - Samara (1586), Tsaritsyn (1589) (future Volgograd), Saratov (1590).

In foreign policy, Godunov proved himself to be a talented diplomat - Russia regained all the lands transferred to Sweden following the unsuccessful Livonian War (1558-1583).Russia's rapprochement with the West has begun. There was never before in Rus' a sovereign who was so favorable to foreigners as Godunov. He began to invite foreigners to serve. For foreign trade, the government created the most favored nation regime. At the same time, strictly protecting Russian interests. Under Godunov, nobles began to be sent to the West to study. True, none of those who left brought any benefit to Russia: having studied, none of them wanted to return to their homeland.Tsar Boris himself really wanted to strengthen his ties with the West by becoming related to European dynasty, and made a lot of efforts to profitably marry off his daughter Ksenia.

Having started successfully, the reign of Boris Godunov ended sadly. A series of boyar conspiracies (many boyars harbored hostility towards the “upstart”) gave rise to despondency, and soon a real catastrophe broke out. The silent opposition that accompanied Boris's reign from beginning to end was no secret to him. There is evidence that the tsar directly accused the close boyars of the fact that the appearance of the impostor False Dmitry I could not have happened without their assistance. In opposition to the authorities there were also urban population, dissatisfied with the heavy extortions and arbitrariness of local officials. And the rumors circulating about Boris Godunov’s involvement in the murder of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Dmitry Ioannovich, “heated up” the situation even more. Thus, hatred of Godunov by the end of his reign was universal.

Troubles (1598-1613)

Famine (1601 - 1603)

IN 1601-1603 erupted in the country catastrophic famine , which lasted 3 years. The price of bread increased 100 times. Boris prohibited the sale of bread above a certain limit, even resorting to persecution of those who inflated prices, but did not achieve success. In an effort to help the hungry, he spared no expense, widely distributing money to the poor. But bread became more expensive, and money lost value. Boris ordered the royal barns to be opened for the hungry. However, even their reserves were not enough for all the hungry, especially since, having learned about the distribution, people from all over the country flocked to Moscow, abandoning the meager supplies that they still had at home. In Moscow alone, 127,000 people died of hunger, and not everyone had time to bury them. Cases of cannibalism appeared. People began to think that this was God's punishment. The conviction arose that Boris's reign was not blessed by God, because it was lawless, achieved through untruth. Therefore, it cannot end well.

A sharp deterioration in the situation of all segments of the population led to mass unrest under the slogan of overthrowing Tsar Boris Godunov and transferring the throne to the “legitimate” sovereign. The stage was ready for the appearance of an impostor.

False Dmitry I (1 (11) June 1605 - 17 (27) May 1606)

Rumors began to circulate throughout the country that the “born sovereign,” Tsarevich Dmitry, miraculously escaped and was alive.

Tsarevich Dmitry (†1591) , the son of Ivan the Terrible from the Tsar’s last wife, Maria Feodorovna Nagaya (monastically Martha), died under circumstances that have not yet been clarified - from a knife wound to the throat.

Death of Tsarevich Dmitry (Uglichsky)

Little Dmitry suffered mental disorders, more than once fell into causeless anger, threw his fists even at his mother, and suffered from epilepsy. All this, however, did not negate the fact that he was a prince and after the death of Fyodor Ioannovich (†1598) he had to ascend to his father’s throne. Dmitry represented real threat for many: the boyar nobility had suffered enough from Ivan the Terrible, so they watched the violent heir with alarm. But most of all, the prince was dangerous, of course, to those forces that relied on Godunov. That is why, when news of his strange death came from Uglich, where 8-year-old Dmitry was sent with his mother, popular rumor immediately, without any doubt that it was right, pointed to Boris Godunov as the mastermind of the crime. The official conclusion that the prince killed himself: while playing with a knife, he allegedly had an epileptic fit, and in convulsions he stabbed himself in the throat, few people were convinced.

The death of Dmitry in Uglich and the subsequent death of the childless Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich led to a crisis of power.

It was not possible to put an end to the rumors, and Godunov tried to do this by force. The more actively the king fought against people’s rumors, the wider and louder it became.

In 1601, a man appeared on the scene posing as Tsarevich Dmitry, and went down in history under the name False Dmitry I . He, the only one of all Russian impostors, managed to seize the throne for a while.

- an impostor who pretended to be a miraculous survivor youngest son Ivan IV the Terrible - Tsarevich Dmitry. The first of three impostors who called themselves the son of Ivan the Terrible and claimed the Russian throne (False Dmitry II and False Dmitry III). From June 1 (11), 1605 to May 17 (27), 1606 - Tsar of Russia.

According to the most common version, False Dmitry is someone Grigory Otrepiev , fugitive monk of the Chudov Monastery (which is why the people received the nickname Rasstriga - deprived of clergy, i.e. the degree of priesthood). Before becoming a monk, he served in the service of Mikhail Nikitich Romanov (brother of Patriarch Filaret and uncle of the first tsar of the Romanov family, Mikhail Fedorovich). After the persecution of the Romanov family by Boris Godunov began in 1600, he fled to the Zheleznoborkovsky Monastery (Kostroma) and became a monk. But soon he moved to the Euthymius Monastery in the city of Suzdal, and then to the Moscow Miracle Monastery (in the Moscow Kremlin). There he quickly becomes a “deacon of the cross”: he is engaged in copying books and is present as a scribe in the “sovereign Duma”. ABOUTTrepiev becomes quite familiar with Patriarch Job and many of the Duma boyars. However, the life of a monk did not attract him. Around 1601, he fled to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), where he declared himself a “miraculously saved prince.” Further, his traces are lost in Poland until 1603.

Otrepyev in Poland declares himself Tsarevich Dmitry

According to some sources, Otrepievconverted to Catholicism and proclaimed himself prince. Although the impostor treated questions of faith lightly, being indifferent to both Orthodox and Catholic traditions. There in Poland, Otrepiev saw and fell in love with the beautiful and proud lady Marina Mnishek.

Poland actively supported the impostor. False Dmitry, in exchange for support, promised to return half to the Polish crown after ascending the throne. Smolensk land together with the city of Smolensk and the Chernigov-Seversk land, support the Catholic faith in Russia - in particular, open churches and allow Jesuits into Muscovy, support the Polish king Sigismund III in his claims to the Swedish crown and promote rapprochement - and ultimately, merger, Russia with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. At the same time, False Dmitry turns to the Pope with a letter promising favor and help.

Oath of False Dmitry I to the Polish King Sigismund III for the introduction of Catholicism in Russia

After a private audience in Krakow with the King of Poland, Sigismund III, False Dmitry began to form a detachment for a campaign against Moscow. According to some reports, he managed to gather more than 15,000 people.

On October 16, 1604, False Dmitry I with detachments of Poles and Cossacks moved towards Moscow. When the news of the attack of False Dmitry reached Moscow, the boyar elite, dissatisfied with Godunov, was willingly ready to recognize a new contender for the throne. Even the curses of the Moscow Patriarch did not cool the people’s enthusiasm on the path of “Tsarevich Dmitry.”

The success of False Dmitry I was caused not so much by the military factor as by the unpopularity of the Russian Tsar Boris Godunov. Ordinary Russian warriors were reluctant to fight against someone who, in their opinion, could be the “true” prince; some governors even said out loud that it was “not right” to fight against the true sovereign.

On April 13, 1605, Boris Godunov unexpectedly died. The boyars swore allegiance to the kingdom to his son Fedor, but on June 1 there was an uprising in Moscow, and Fedor Borisovich Godunov was overthrown. And on June 10, he and his mother were killed. The people wanted to see the “God-given” Dmitry as king.

Convinced of the support of the nobles and the people, on June 20, 1605, to the festive ringing of bells and the welcoming cries of the crowds crowded on both sides of the road, False Dmitry I solemnly entered the Kremlin. The new king was accompanied by the Poles. On July 18, False Dmitry was recognized by Tsarina Maria, the wife of Ivan the Terrible and the mother of Tsarevich Dmitry. On July 30, False Dmitry was crowned king by the new Patriarch Ignatius.

For the first time in Russian history, Western foreigners came to Moscow not by invitation and not as dependent people, but as the main characters. The impostor brought with him a huge retinue that occupied the entire city center. For the first time, Moscow was filled with Catholics; for the first time, the Moscow court began to live not according to Russian, but according to Western, or more precisely, Polish laws. For the first time, foreigners began to push Russians around as if they were their slaves, demonstratively showing them that they were second-class citizens.The history of the Poles' stay in Moscow is full of bullying by uninvited guests against the owners of the house.

False Dmitry removed obstacles to leaving the state and moving within it. The British, who were in Moscow at that time, noticed that no one had ever known such freedom. European state. In most of his actions, part modern historians False Dmitry is recognized as an innovator who sought to Europeanize the state. At the same time, he began to look for allies in the West, especially the Pope and the Polish king; the proposed alliance was also supposed to include the German emperor, French king and Venetians.

One of the weaknesses of False Dmitry was women, including the wives and daughters of boyars, who actually became the tsar’s free or involuntary concubines. Among them was even the daughter of Boris Godunov, Ksenia, whom, because of her beauty, the impostor spared during the extermination of the Godunov family, and then kept with him for several months. In May 1606, False Dmitry married the daughter of a Polish governor Marina Mnishek , who was crowned as a Russian queen without observing Orthodox rites. The new queen reigned in Moscow for exactly a week.

At the same time, a dual situation arose: on the one hand, the people loved False Dmitry, and on the other, they suspected him of being an impostor. In the winter of 1605, the Chudov monk was captured, publicly declaring that Grishka Otrepyev was sitting on the throne, whom “he himself taught to read and write.” The monk was tortured, but without achieving anything, he was drowned in the Moscow River along with several of his comrades.

Almost from the first day, a wave of discontent swept through the capital due to the tsar’s failure to observe church fasts and violation of Russian customs in clothing and life, his disposition towards foreigners, his promise to marry a Polish woman and the planned war with Turkey and Sweden. At the head of the dissatisfied were Vasily Shuisky, Vasily Golitsyn, Prince Kurakin and the most conservative representatives of the clergy - Kazan Metropolitan Hermogenes and Kolomna Bishop Joseph.

What irritated the people was that the tsar, the more clearly he mocked Muscovite prejudices, dressed in foreign clothes and seemed to deliberately tease the boyars, ordering them to serve veal, which the Russians did not eat.

Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610)

17 May 1606 as a result of a coup led by Shuisky's people False Dmitry was killed . The mutilated corpse was thrown onto Execution place, putting a buffoon's cap on his head and a bagpipe on his chest. Subsequently, the body was burned, and the ashes were loaded into a cannon and fired from it towards Poland.

1 9 May 1606 Vasily Shuisky became king (was crowned by Metropolitan Isidore of Novgorod in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin as Tsar Vasily IV on June 1, 1606). Such an election was illegal, but this did not bother any of the boyars.

Vasily Ivanovich Shuisky , from the family Suzdal princes Shuisky, who descended from Alexander Nevsky, was born in 1552. Since 1584 he was a boyar and head of the Moscow Court Chamber.

In 1587 he led the opposition to Boris Godunov. As a result, he fell into disgrace, but managed to regain the king’s favor and was forgiven.

After the death of Godunov, Vasily Shuisky tried to carry out a coup, but was arrested and exiled along with his brothers. But False Dmitry needed boyar support, and at the end of 1605 the Shuiskys returned to Moscow.

After the murder of False Dmitry I, organized by Vasily Shuisky, the boyars and the crowd bribed by them, gathered on Red Square in Moscow, elected Shuisky to the throne on May 19, 1606.

However, 4 years later, in the summer of 1610, the same boyars and nobles overthrew him from the throne and forced him and his wife to become monks. In September 1610, the former “boyar” tsar was handed over to the Polish hetman (commander-in-chief) Zholkiewski, who took Shuiski to Poland. In Warsaw, the Tsar and his brothers were presented as prisoners to King Sigismund III.

Vasily Shuisky died on September 12, 1612, in custody in Gostyninsky Castle, in Poland, 130 versts from Warsaw. In 1635, at the request of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, the remains of Vasily Shuisky were returned by the Poles to Russia. Vasily was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

With the accession of Vasily Shuisky to the throne, the Troubles did not end, but entered an even more complex phase. Tsar Vasily was not popular among the people. The legitimacy of the new king was not recognized by a significant number of the population, who were awaiting the new coming of the “true king.” Unlike False Dmitry, Shuisky could not pretend to be a descendant of the Ruriks and appeal to the hereditary right to the throne. Unlike Godunov, the conspirator was not legally elected by the council, which means he could not, like Tsar Boris, claim the legitimacy of his power. He relied only on a narrow circle of supporters and could not resist the elements that were already raging in the country.

In August 1607 a new contender for the throne has appeared, reanimated” by the same Poland -.

This second impostor received the nickname in Russian history Tushino thief . In his army there were up to 20 thousand multilingual rabble. This whole mass scoured the Russian soil and behaved as occupiers usually behave, that is, they robbed, killed and raped. In the summer of 1608, False Dmitry II approached Moscow and camped near its walls in the village of Tushino. Tsar Vasily Shuisky and his government were locked up in Moscow; An alternative capital with its own government hierarchy arose under its walls.

The Polish governor Mniszek and his daughter soon arrived at the camp. Oddly enough, Marina Mnishek “recognized” her ex-fiancé in the impostor and secretly married False Dmitry II.

False Dmitry II actually ruled Russia - he distributed land to nobles, considered complaints, and met foreign ambassadors.By the end of 1608, a significant part of Russia came under the rule of the Tushins, and Shuisky no longer controlled the regions of the country. Moscow State seemed to cease to exist forever.

In September 1608 it began siege of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery , and inFamine struck besieged Moscow. Trying to save the situation, Vasily Shuisky decided to call on mercenaries for help and turned to the Swedes.

Siege of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra by the troops of False Dmitry II and Polish Hetman Yana Sapieha

In December 1609, due to the advance of a 15,000-strong Swedish army and the betrayal of Polish military leaders who began to swear allegiance to King Sigismund III, False Dmitry II was forced to flee from Tushin to Kaluga, where a year later he was killed.

Interregnum (1610-1613)

Russia's situation worsened day by day. The Russian land was torn apart by civil strife, the Swedes threatened war in the north, the Tatars constantly rebelled in the south, and the Poles threatened from the west. During the Time of Troubles, the Russian people tried anarchy, military dictatorship, thieves' law, tried to introduce constitutional monarchy, offer the throne to foreigners. But nothing helped. At that time, many Russians agreed to recognize any sovereign, if only there would finally be peace in the tormented country.

In England, in turn, the project of an English protectorate over all Russian land not yet occupied by the Poles and Swedes was seriously considered. According to the documents, King James I of England “was carried away by the plan to send an army to Russia to govern it through his delegate.”

However, on July 27, 1610, as a result of a boyar conspiracy, Russian Tsar Vasily Shuisky was removed from the throne. A period of rule has begun in Russia "Seven Boyars" .

"Seven Boyars" - a “temporary” boyar government formed in Russia after the overthrow of Tsar Vasily Shuisky (died in Polish captivity) in July 1610 and formally existed until the election of Tsar Mikhail Romanov to the throne.

Consisted of 7 members of the Boyar Duma - princes F.I. Mstislavsky, I.M. Vorotynsky, A.V. Trubetskoy, A.V. Golitsyna, B.M. Lykov-Obolensky, I.N. Romanov (uncle of the future Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and younger brother future Patriarch Filaret) and F.I. Sheremetyev. The prince, boyar, governor, and influential member of the Boyar Duma, Fyodor Ivanovich Mstislavsky, was elected head of the Seven Boyars.

One of the tasks of the new government was to prepare for the election of a new king. However, “military conditions” required immediate decisions.
To the west of Moscow, in close proximity from Poklonnaya Gora near the village of Dorogomilov, the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, led by Hetman Zholkiewski, stood up, and in the southeast, in Kolomenskoye, False Dmitry II, with whom was the Lithuanian detachment of Sapieha. The boyars were especially afraid of False Dmitry because he had many supporters in Moscow and was at least more popular than them. In order to avoid the struggle of boyar clans for power, it was decided not to elect representatives of Russian clans as tsar.

As a result, the so-called “Semibyarshchyna” entered into an agreement with the Poles on the election to Russian throne 15-year-old Polish prince Vladislav IV (son of Sigismund III) on the terms of his conversion to Orthodoxy.

Fearing False Dmitry II, the boyars went even further and on the night of September 21, 1610, secretly let in Polish troops Hetman Zolkiewski to the Kremlin (V Russian history this fact is considered an act of national treason).

Thus, real power in the capital and beyond was concentrated in the hands of the governor, Władysław Pan Gonsiewski, and the military leaders of the Polish garrison.

Disregarding the Russian government, they generously distributed lands to supporters of Poland, confiscating them from those who remained loyal to the country.

Meanwhile, King Sigismund III had no intention of letting his son Vladislav go to Moscow, especially since he did not want to allow him to convert to Orthodoxy. Sigismund himself dreamed of taking the Moscow throne and becoming king of Muscovite Rus'. Taking advantage of the chaos Polish king conquered the western and southeastern regions of the Moscow State and began to consider himself the sovereign of all Rus'.

This changed the attitude of the members of the government of the Seven Boyars themselves towards the Poles they called. Taking advantage of the growing discontent, Patriarch Hermogenes began sending letters to the cities of Russia, calling for resistance to the new government. For this he was taken into custody and subsequently executed. All this served as a signal for the unification of almost all Russians with the goal of expelling the Polish invaders from Moscow and electing a new Russian Tsar not only by the boyars and princes, but “by the will of the whole earth.”

People's militia of Dmitry Pozharsky (1611-1612)

Seeing the atrocities of foreigners, the robbery of churches, monasteries and the episcopal treasury, the residents began to fight for the faith, for their spiritual salvation. The siege of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery by Sapieha and Lisovsky and its defense played a huge role in strengthening patriotism.

Defense of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which lasted almost 16 months - from September 23, 1608 to January 12, 1610

The patriotic movement under the slogan of electing the “original” sovereign led to the formation in the Ryazan cities First Militia (1611) who began the liberation of the country. In October 1612, troops Second Militia (1611-1612) Led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, they liberated the capital, forcing the Polish garrison to surrender.

After the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow thanks to the feat of the Second people's militia Under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky, the country was ruled for several months by a provisional government headed by princes Dmitry Pozharsky and Dmitry Trubetskoy.

At the very end of December 1612, Pozharsky and Trubetskoy sent letters to the cities in which they summoned the best and most intelligent elected people from all cities and from every rank to Moscow, “for the zemstvo council and for state election.” These elected people were to elect a new king in Rus'. The Zemsky Militia Government (“Council of the Whole Land”) began preparations for the Zemsky Sobor.

Zemsky Sobor of 1613 and the election of a new tsar

Before the start of the Zemsky Sobor, a 3-day strict fast was announced everywhere. Many prayer services were held in churches so that God would enlighten the elected people, and the matter of election to the kingdom would be accomplished not by human desire, but by the will of God.

On January 6 (19), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor began in Moscow , at which the issue of electing a Russian Tsar was decided. This was the first indisputably all-class Zemsky Sobor with the participation of townspeople and even rural representatives. All segments of the population were represented, with the exception of slaves and serfs. The number of “council people” gathered in Moscow exceeded 800 people, representing at least 58 cities.

The conciliar meetings took place in an atmosphere of fierce rivalry between various political groups that had taken shape in Russian society during the ten-year Troubles and sought to strengthen their position by electing their contender to the royal throne. The Council participants nominated more than ten candidates for the throne.

At first, the Polish prince Vladislav and the Swedish prince Karl Philip were named as contenders for the throne. However, these candidates met with opposition from the vast majority of the Council. The Zemsky Sobor annulled the decision of the Seven Boyars to elect Prince Vladislav to the Russian throne and decreed: “Foreign princes and Tatar princes should not be invited to the Russian throne.”

Candidates from old princely families also did not receive support. Various sources name Fyodor Mstislavsky, Ivan Vorotynsky, Fyodor Sheremetev, Dmitry Trubetskoy, Dmitry Mamstrukovich and Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky, Ivan Golitsyn, Ivan Nikitich and Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov and Pyotr Pronsky among the candidates. Dmitry Pozharsky was also proposed as king. But he decisively rejected his candidacy and was one of the first to point out ancient family Romanov boyars. Pozharsky said: “According to the nobility of the family, and the amount of services to the fatherland, Metropolitan Filaret from the Romanov family would have been suitable for king. But this good servant of God is now in Polish captivity and cannot become king. But he has a sixteen-year-old son, and he, by the right of the antiquity of his family and by the right of his pious upbringing by his nun mother, should become king.”(In the world, Metropolitan Filaret was a boyar - Fyodor Nikitich Romanov. Boris Godunov forced him to become a monk, fearing that he might displace Godunov and sit on the royal throne.)

Moscow nobles, supported by the townspeople, proposed to elevate 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the son of Patriarch Filaret, to the throne. Decisive role According to a number of historians, the Cossacks played a role in the election of Mikhail Romanov to the throne, who during this period became an influential social force. Among service people and the Cossacks, a movement arose, the center of which was the Moscow courtyard of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and its active inspirer was the cellarer of this monastery, Abraham Palitsyn, a very influential person among both the militias and Muscovites. At meetings with the participation of cellarer Abraham, it was decided to proclaim Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov Yuryev, the son of a captive by the Poles, as Tsar. Rostov Metropolitan Philareta.The main argument of Mikhail Romanov’s supporters was that, unlike elected tsars, he was elected not by people, but by God, since he comes from a noble royal root. Not kinship with Rurik, but closeness and kinship with the dynasty of Ivan IV gave the right to occupy his throne. Many boyars joined the Romanov party, and he was also supported by the highest Orthodox clergy - Consecrated Cathedral.

On February 21 (March 3), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom, laying the foundation for a new dynasty.

In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor swore allegiance to 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich

Letters were sent to the cities and districts of the country with the news of the election of a king and the oath of allegiance to the new dynasty.

On March 13, 1613, the ambassadors of the Council arrived in Kostroma. At the Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail was with his mother, he was informed of his election to the throne.

The Poles tried to prevent the new Tsar from arriving in Moscow. A small detachment of them went to the Ipatiev Monastery to kill Michael, but got lost along the way, because the peasant Ivan Susanin , agreeing to show the way, led him into a dense forest.

On June 11, 1613, Mikhail Fedorovich was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. The celebrations lasted 3 days.

The election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom put an end to the Troubles and gave rise to the Romanov dynasty.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

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 all 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 come to 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 originated from 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 different countries. He has a large collection of awards, about which he is writing a book.

The second time he was married in Russian city Kostroma with 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

Such people are alive today true representatives royal family (in the male line from legitimate 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 illegitimate son from the Emperor’s connection 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 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 where it is 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 spoke Russian perfectly, many European languages, knew the history of Russia very well, was 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 legal members the imperial family would no longer exist.

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 Gruzinsky Royal House Prince Georg Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhrani. Born in legal marriage on December 23, 1953. Her parents provided her 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.

Owned imperial family has 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 Alexandra 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. Worked in America 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. Recent years Forty lived in New York City 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.”