Family tree of Nicholas II. Family tree of the Romanov royal family

1. INTRODUCTION

FROM THE HISTORY OF THE ROMANOV FAMILY DYNASTY

THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

PERSONALITY OF NICHOLAS II

PERSONALITIES OF ALEXAEDRA'S AND NICHOLAY'S CHILDREN

DEATH OF THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. INTRODUCTION

The history of the Romanov family has been documented in documents since the middle of the 14th century, with the boyar of the Grand Duke of Moscow Simeon the Proud - Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, who, like many boyars in the medieval Moscow state, played a significant role in public administration.

Kobyla had five sons, the youngest of whom, Fyodor Andreevich, bore the nickname “Cat”.

According to Russian historians, “Mare”, “Cat” and many other Russian surnames, including noble ones, came from nicknames that arose spontaneously, under the influence of various random associations, which are difficult, and most often impossible, to reconstruct.

Fyodor Koshka, in turn, served the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, who, setting out in 1380 on the famous victorious campaign against the Tatars on the Kulikovo Field, left Koshka to rule Moscow in his place: “Guard the city of Moscow and protect the Grand Duchess and his entire family.” .

The descendants of Fyodor Koshka occupied a strong position at the Moscow court and often became related to members of the Rurikovich dynasty that was then ruling in Russia.

The descending branches of the family were called by the names of men from the family of Fyodor Koshka, in fact by patronymic. Therefore, the descendants bore different surnames, until finally one of them - boyar Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin - occupied such an important position that all his descendants began to be called the Romanovs.

And after Roman Yuryevich’s daughter, Anastasia, became the wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the surname “Romanov” became unchanged for all members of this family, which played an outstanding role in the history of Russia and many other countries.

2.FROM THE HISTORY OF THE ROMANOV FAMILY DYNASTY

The Romanovs, a boyar family, from 1613 - the royal, and from 1721 - the imperial dynasty in Russia, which ruled until February 1917. The documented ancestor of the Romanovs was Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, a boyar of the Moscow princes of the mid-14th century. Ancestors of the Romanovs until the beginning of the 16th century. were called Koshkins (from the nickname of Andrei Ivanovich’s 5th son, Fyodor Koshka), then Zakharyins. The rise of the Zakharyins dates back to the 2nd third of the 16th century. and is associated with the marriage of Ivan IV to the daughter of Roman Yuryevich - Anastasia (died in 1560). The ancestor of the Romanovs was the 3rd son of Roman - Nikita Romanovich (died in 1586) - a boyar from 1562, an active participant in the Livonian War and many diplomatic negotiations; after the death of Ivan IV, he headed the regency council (until the end of 1584). Of his sons, the most famous are Fedor (see Filaret) and Ivan (died in 1640) - a boyar from 1605, was part of the government of the so-called “Seven Boyars”; after the accession of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - son of Filaret and nephew of Ivan, the latter and his son Nikita (see Romanov N.I.) enjoyed very great influence at court. In 1598, with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the Rurik dynasty came to an end. In preparation for the election of a new Tsar, Fyodor Nikitich Romanov was named as a possible candidate for the Tsar's throne. Under Boris Godunov, the Romanovs fell into disgrace (1600) and their exile (1601) to Beloozero, Pelym, Yarensk and other places remote from Moscow, and Fedor was tonsured a monk under the name of Philaret. The new rise of the Romanovs began during the reign of I "False Dmitry I. In the Tushino camp of II" False Dmitry II, Filaret was named Russian Patriarch.

At the Zemsky Sobor of 1613, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, son of Fyodor (Filaret) Romanov, was elected Russian Tsar (reigned 1613-1645). Mikhail was a man of little intelligence, indecisive and also sickly. The main role in governing the country was played by his father, Patriarch Filaret (until his death in 1633). During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-76), transformations began in the social and political fields. Alexey himself participated in public administration and was an educated man for his time. He was succeeded by the sickly and far from state affairs Fedor Alekseevich (ruled 1676-1682); then his brother the Great Peter I the Great (1682-1725) became king, during whose reign major reforms were carried out in Russia, and a successful foreign policy made it one of the strongest countries in Europe. In 1721 Russia became an empire, and Peter I became the first All-Russian Emperor. According to Peter's decree of February 5, 1722 on succession to the throne (confirmed in 1731 and 1761), the emperor appointed himself a successor from among the members of the imperial family. Peter I did not have time to appoint a successor and after his death his wife Catherine I Alekseevna (1725-27) ascended the throne. The son of Peter I, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, was executed on June 26, 1718 for actively opposing the reforms. The son of Alexei Petrovich, Peter II Alekseevich, occupied the throne from 1727 to 1730. With his death in 1730, the Romanov dynasty in the direct male generation came to an end. In 1730-40, the granddaughter of Alexei Mikhailovich, the niece of Peter I, Anna Ivanovna, ruled, and from 1741 - the daughter of Peter I, Elizaveta Petrovna, with whose death in 1761 the Romanov dynasty ended in the female line. However, the surname Romanov was borne by representatives of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty: Peter III (son of Duke of Holstein Frederick Charles and Anna, daughter of Peter I), who ruled in 1761-62, his wife Catherine II, née Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, who ruled in 1762-96, their son Paul I (1796-1801) and his descendants. Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I (1801-25), Nicholas I (1825-55), in the conditions of the development of capitalist relations, tried in every possible way to preserve the serfdom system with an absolute monarchy, and brutally suppressed the revolutionary liberation movement. Alexander II (1855-81), son of Nicholas I, was forced in 1861 to abolish serfdom. However, the most important positions in the government, state apparatus and army were practically retained in the hands of the nobility. Wanting to continue to retain power, the Romanovs, especially Alexander III (1881-94) and Nicholas II (1894-1917), pursued a reactionary course in domestic and foreign policy. Among the numerous great princes from the house of Romanov, who occupied the highest positions in the army and in the state apparatus, the following were particularly reactionary: Nikolai Nikolaevich (Senior) (1831-91), Mikhail Nikolaevich (1832-1909), Sergei Alexandrovich (1857-1905) and Nikolai Nikolaevich (Junior) (1856-1929).

3. THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

Any Orthodox Christian often has to see icons of martyrs, of whom there are quite a few in our Church, and hear about their feats that surpass human nature. But how often do we know how these people lived? How was their life before their martyrdom? What filled their holidays and everyday life? Were they great men of prayer and ascetics or simple ordinary people like the rest of us? What filled and warmed their souls and hearts so much that at the fateful moment they confessed their faith with blood and sealed its truth with the loss of their temporary life?

The small surviving photo albums lift the veil of this mystery a little, as they allow us to see with our own eyes the moments of the personal life of not just one martyr, but an entire family - the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers of the Romanovs.

The personal life of the last Russian Sovereign, Emperor Nicholas II, and his family was carefully hidden from prying eyes. Sincerely and invariably observing the commandments of Christ, living by them not for show, but with their hearts, the Tsar and Empress carefully avoided everything evil and unclean that surrounds all those in power, finding for themselves endless joy and relaxation in their family, arranged according to the word of Christ , like a small Church, where until the last moments of their lives respect, understanding and mutual love reigned. Likewise, their children, hidden by parental love from the corrupting influence of time and raised from birth in the spirit of Orthodoxy, did not find greater joy for themselves than common family meetings, walks or holidays. Being deprived of the opportunity to be near their royal parents incessantly, they especially appreciated and treasured those days, and sometimes just minutes, that they could spend together with their dearly beloved father and mother.

PERSONALITY OF NICHOLAS II

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov) (05/19/1868-07/17/1918), Russian Tsar, Russian Emperor, martyr, son of Tsar Alexander III. Nicholas II received his upbringing and education under the personal guidance of his father, on a traditional religious basis, in Spartan conditions. The subjects were taught by outstanding Russian scientists K.P. Pobedonostsev, N.N. Beketov, N.N. Obruchev, M.I. Dragomirov and others. Much attention was paid to the military training of the future tsar.

Nicholas II ascended the throne at the age of 26, earlier than expected, as a result of the premature death of his father. Nicholas II managed to quickly recover from the initial confusion and began to pursue an independent policy, which caused discontent among part of his entourage, which hoped to influence the young tsar. The basis of the state policy of Nicholas II was the continuation of the aspirations of his father to give Russia more internal unity by establishing the Russian elements of the country.

In his first address to the people, Nikolai Alexandrovich announced that from now on, He, imbued with the precepts of his deceased parent, accepts a sacred vow in the face of the Almighty to always have as one goal the peaceful prosperity, power and glory of dear Russia and the establishment of the happiness of all His loyal subjects . In his address to foreign states, Nicholas II stated that will devote all his concerns to the development of the internal well-being of Russia and will not deviate in any way from the completely peaceful, firm and straightforward policy that so powerfully contributed to general calm, and Russia will continue to see respect for law and legal order as the best guarantee of the security of the state.

The model of a ruler for Nicholas II was Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who carefully preserved the traditions of antiquity.

In addition to a strong will and brilliant education, Nikolai possessed all the natural qualities necessary for government activities, first of all, a tremendous ability to work. If necessary, he could work from morning until late at night, studying numerous documents and materials received in his name. (By the way, he also willingly engaged in physical labor - sawing wood, clearing snow, etc.) Possessing a lively mind and a broad outlook, the king quickly grasped the essence of the issues under consideration. The king had an exceptional memory for faces and events. He remembered by sight most of the people he had encountered, and there were thousands of such people.

However, the time in which Nicholas II fell to reign was very different from the era of the first Romanovs. If then folk foundations and traditions served as a unifying banner of society, which was revered by both the common people and the ruling class, then to n. XX century Russian foundations and traditions become the object of denial by educated society. A significant part of the ruling stratum and intelligentsia rejects the path of following Russian principles, traditions and ideals, many of which they consider outdated and ignorant. Russia's right to its own path is not recognized. Attempts are being made to impose on it an alien model of development - either Western European liberalism or Western European Marxism.

The reign of Nicholas II is the most dynamic period in the growth of the Russian people in its entire history. In less than a quarter of a century, Russia's population has increased by 62 million people. The economy grew rapidly. During 1885-1913, industrial output grew five times, exceeding the rate of industrial growth in the most developed countries of the world. The Great Siberian Railway was built, in addition, 2 thousand km of railways were built annually. Russia's national income, according to the most understated estimates, increased from 8 billion rubles. in 1894 to 22-24 billion in 1914, i.e. almost three times. The average per capita income of Russian people has doubled. The incomes of workers in industry grew at a particularly high rate. Over a quarter of a century, they have grown at least three times. Total spending on public education and culture increased 8 times, more than twice as high as the cost of education in France and one and a half times in England.

PERSONALITY OF ALEXANDRA FEDEROVNA (WIFE OF NICHOLAS II)

Born in Darmstadt (Germany) in 1872. She was baptized on July 1, 1872 according to the Lutheran rite. The name given to her consisted of her mother's name (Alice) and four names of her aunts. The godparents were: Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future Emperor Alexander III) with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter Princess Beatrice, Augusta von Hesse-Cassel, Duchess of Cambridge and Maria Anna , Princess of Prussia.

In 1878, a diphtheria epidemic spread in Hesse. Alice's mother and her younger sister May died from it, after which Alice lived most of the time in the UK at Balmoral Castle and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny.

In June 1884, at the age of 12, Alice visited Russia for the first time, when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna) married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. She arrived in Russia for the second time in January 1889 at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. After staying in the Sergius Palace (St. Petersburg) for six weeks, the princess met and attracted the special attention of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

On March 1892, Alice's father, Duke Ludwig IV, died.

In the early 1890s, the latter’s parents, who hoped for his marriage to Helena Louise Henrietta, daughter of Louis-Philippe, Count of Paris, were against the marriage of Alice and Tsarevich Nicholas. A key role in the arrangement of Alice’s marriage with Nikolai Alexandrovich was played by the efforts of her sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and the latter’s husband, through whom correspondence between the lovers was carried out. The position of Emperor Alexander and his wife changed due to the persistence of the crown prince and the deteriorating health of the emperor; On April 6, 1894, a manifesto announced the engagement of the Tsarevich and Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt. In the following months, Alice studied the basics of Orthodoxy under the guidance of the court protopresbyter John Yanyshev and the Russian language with teacher E. A. Schneider. On October 10 (22), 1894, she arrived in Crimea, in Livadia, where she stayed with the imperial family until the death of Emperor Alexander III - October 20. On October 21 (November 2), 1894, she accepted Orthodoxy through confirmation there with the name Alexandra and patronymic Fedorovna (Feodorovna).

PERSONALITIES OF ALEXAEDRA'S AND NICHOLAY'S CHILDREN

The four daughters of Nikolai and Alexandra were born beautiful, healthy, real princesses: father's favorite romantic Olga, serious beyond her years Tatyana, generous Maria and funny little Anastasia.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova.

Born in November 1895. Olga became the first child in the family of Nicholas II. The parents couldn't be happier about the birth of their child. Olga Nikolaevna Romanova distinguished herself by her abilities in studying science, loved solitude and books. The Grand Duchess was very smart, she had creative abilities. Olga behaved with everyone simply and naturally. The princess was amazingly responsive, sincere and generous. The first daughter of Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova inherited her mother’s facial features, posture, and golden hair. From Nikolai Alexandrovich, the daughter inherited her inner world. Olga, like her father, had an amazingly pure Christian soul. The princess was distinguished by an innate sense of justice and did not like lies.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was a typical good Russian girl with a big soul. She impressed those around her with her tenderness and her charming, sweet manner with everyone. She behaved evenly, calmly and amazingly simply and naturally with everyone. She did not like housekeeping, but she loved solitude and books. She was developed and very well read; She had a talent for the arts: she played the piano, sang, studied singing in Petrograd, and drew well. She was very modest and did not like luxury.

Olga Nikolaevna was remarkably smart and capable, and teaching was a joke to her, why was She sometimes lazy. Her characteristic features were a strong will and incorruptible honesty and directness, in which She was like her Mother. She had these wonderful qualities since childhood, but as a child Olga Nikolaevna was often stubborn, disobedient and very hot-tempered; subsequently She knew how to restrain herself. She had wonderful blond hair, large blue eyes and a marvelous complexion, a slightly upturned nose, resembling a Sovereign.

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova.

She was born on June 11, 1897, and was the second child of the Romanovs. Like Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Tatiana in appearance resembled her mother, but her character was that of her father. Tatyana Nikolaevna Romanova was less emotional than her sister. Tatiana's eyes were similar to the eyes of the Empress, her figure was graceful, and the color of her blue eyes harmoniously combined with her brown hair. Tatyana rarely played naughty, and had amazing, according to contemporaries, self-control. Tatyana Nikolaevna had a highly developed sense of duty and a penchant for order in everything. Due to her mother’s illness, Tatiana Romanova often took charge of the household; this did not burden the Grand Duchess at all. She loved to do needlework and was good at embroidery and sewing. The princess had a sound mind. In cases requiring decisive action, she always remained herself.

Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna was just as charming as Her elder sister, but in her own way. She was often called proud, but I didn’t know anyone who was less proud than she was. The same thing happened to her as to Her Majesty. Her shyness and restraint were mistaken for arrogance, but as soon as you got to know Her better and won Her trust, the restraint disappeared and the real Tatyana Nikolaevna appeared before you. She had a poetic nature and longed for true friendship. His Majesty dearly loved his second Daughter, and the Sisters joked that if it was necessary to turn to the Emperor with some request, then “Tatiana should ask Papa to allow it for us.” Very tall, thin as a reed, She was endowed with a graceful cameo profile and brown hair. She was fresh, fragile and pure, like a rose.

Maria Nikolaevna Romanova.

Born June 27, 1899. She became the third child of the Emperor and Empress. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Romanova was a typical Russian girl. She was characterized by good nature, cheerfulness, and friendliness. Maria had a beautiful appearance and vitality. According to the recollections of some of her contemporaries, he was very similar to her grandfather Alexander III. Maria Nikolaevna loved her parents very much. She was strongly attached to them, much more than the other children of the royal couple. The fact is that she was too small for the older daughters (Olga and Tatiana), and too old for the younger children (Anastasia and Alexei) of Nicholas II.

The Grand Duchess's success was average. Like the other girls, she was capable of languages, but she only mastered English fluently (in which she constantly communicated with her parents) and Russian - which the girls spoke among themselves. Not without difficulty, Gilliard managed to teach her French to a “pretty passable” level, but nothing more. German - despite all the efforts of Fräulein Schneider - remained unmastered.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

Born June 18, 1901. The Emperor waited a long time for an heir, and when the long-awaited fourth child turned out to be a daughter, he was saddened. Soon the sadness passed, and the Emperor loved his fourth daughter no less than his other children.

They were expecting a boy, but a girl was born. With her agility, Anastasia Romanova could give any boy a head start. Anastasia Nikolaevna wore simple clothes, inherited from her older sisters. The bedroom of the fourth daughter was not richly decorated. Anastasia Nikolaevna made sure to take a cold shower every morning. It was not easy to keep track of Princess Anastasia. As a child she was very nimble. She loved to climb, where she couldn’t get caught, to hide. When she was a child, Grand Duchess Anastasia loved to play pranks and also make others laugh. In addition to cheerfulness, Anastasia reflected such character traits as wit, courage and observation.

Like other children of the emperor, Anastasia was educated at home. Education began at the age of eight, the program included French, English and German, history, geography, the law of God, natural sciences, drawing, grammar, arithmetic, as well as dance and music. Anastasia was not known for her diligence in her studies; she hated grammar, wrote with horrific errors, and with childish spontaneity called arithmetic “sinishness.” English teacher Sydney Gibbs recalled that she once tried to bribe him with a bouquet of flowers to improve his grade, and after his refusal, she gave these flowers to the Russian language teacher, Pyotr Vasilyevich Petrov.

During the war, the empress gave many of the palace rooms for hospital premises. The older sisters Olga and Tatyana, together with their mother, became sisters of mercy; Maria and Anastasia, being too young for such hard work, became patronesses of the hospital. Both sisters gave their own money to buy medicine, read aloud to the wounded, knitted things for them, played cards and checkers, wrote letters home under their dictation, and entertained them with telephone conversations in the evenings, sewed linen, prepared bandages and lint.

Tsarevich Alexei was the fourth child in the family of Nicholas II.

Alexey was a long-awaited child. From the first days of his reign, Nicholas II dreamed of an heir. The Lord sent only daughters to the emperor. Tsarevich Alexei was born on August 12, 1904. The heir to the Russian throne was born a year after the Sarov celebrations. The entire royal family fervently prayed for the birth of a boy. Tsarevich Alexei inherited all the best from his father and mother. The parents loved the heir very much, he reciprocated them with great affection. Father was a real idol for Alexei Nikolaevich. The young prince tried to imitate him in everything. The royal couple did not even think about what to name the newborn prince. Nicholas II had long wanted to name his future heir Alexei. The Tsar said that “it’s time to break the line between Aleksandrov and Nikolaev.” Nicholas II was also attracted to the personality of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, and the emperor wanted to name his son in honor of his great ancestor.

On his mother's side, Alexey inherited hemophilia, the carriers of which were some of the daughters and granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England.

The heir, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, was a 14-year-old boy, smart, observant, receptive, affectionate, and cheerful. He was lazy and didn’t particularly like books. He combined the features of his father and mother: he inherited his father’s simplicity, was alien to arrogance, but had his own will and obeyed only his father. His mother wanted to, but could not be strict with him. His teacher Bitner says about him: “He had a great will and would never submit to any woman.” He was very disciplined, reserved and very patient. Undoubtedly, the disease left its mark on him and developed these traits in him. He did not like court etiquette, loved to be with the soldiers and learned their language, using purely folk expressions he overheard in his diary. He resembled his mother in his stinginess: he did not like to spend his money and collected various thrown things: nails, lead paper, ropes, etc.

During the First World War, Alexey, who was the heir apparent chief of several regiments and ataman of all Cossack troops, visited the active army with his father, awarded distinguished soldiers, etc. He was awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree.

Romanov Emperor Nicholas burial

7. DEATH OF THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

After the Bolshevik Revolution, the tsar and his family found themselves under house arrest. Members of the imperial family were executed on July 17, 1918, during the Civil War, because the Bolsheviks feared that whites might unite around the living Tsar.

The night from July 16 to 17, 1918 became fatal for the last Romanovs. On this night, the former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife - the former Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, their children - 14-year-old Alexei, daughters - Olga (22 years old), Tatiana (20 years old), Maria (18 years old) and Anastasia (16 years old), as well as the doctor Botkin E.S., the maid A. Demidova, the cook Kharitonov and the footman who were with them were shot in the basement of the House of Special Purpose (the former house of engineer Ipatiev) in Yekaterinburg. At the same time, the bodies of those shot were taken out of town in a car and dumped into an old mine near the village of Koptyaki.

But the fear that the whites approaching Yekaterinburg would discover the corpses and turn them into “holy relics” forced reburial. The next day, those shot were taken out of the mine, again loaded onto a car, which moved along a remote road into the forest. In a swampy place, the car skidded, and then, after attempts to burn the corpses, they decided to bury them right on the road. The grave was filled up and leveled.

So, more than 80 years ago, the end of the 300-year-old Russian Romanov dynasty came. The paradoxes of the reign of Nicholas II can be explained by the objectively existing contradictions in Russian reality at the beginning of the 20th century, when the world was entering a new phase of its development, and the tsar did not have the will and determination to master the situation. Trying to defend the “autocratic principle,” he maneuvered: he either made small concessions or refused them. Surprisingly, the nature of the last king corresponded to the essence of the regime: avoid changes, maintain the status quo. As a result, the regime rotted, pushing the country towards the abyss. By rejecting and slowing down reforms, the last tsar contributed to the beginning of a social revolution, which could not but carry within itself everything that had accumulated in Russian life over many decades of its trampling and oppression. This should be recognized with absolute sympathy for the terrible fate of the royal family and with categorical rejection of the crime that was committed against her and other representatives of the House of Romanov.

At the critical moment of the February coup, the generals betrayed their oath and forced the tsar to abdicate. Then, for political reasons, the Provisional Government trampled on the principles of humanism, leaving the abdicated tsar in revolutionary Russia, which overthrew tsarism. And finally, class interests, as they were understood in the outbreak of the civil war, took precedence over moral considerations. The result of all this was the assassination of the emperor

I consider the tragedy of the last Romanovs to be the fate of the royal remains, which turned out to be not only the subject of detailed research, but also a bargaining chip in the political struggle. The burial of the royal remains, unfortunately, did not become a symbol of repentance, much less reconciliation. For most, this procedure went unnoticed. But, nevertheless, their burial was a real step towards the disappearance of the lingering uncertainty of the relationship between today's Russia and its past.

The drama of the Russian Tsar, in all likelihood, is more correct to consider in the context of world history from the standpoint of its forward movement and the principles of humanism in relation to the human personality. Three hundred years ago the head of the English king rolled onto the chopping block, a hundred years later - the French one, and a little over a hundred years later - the Russian one.

9. LIST OF REFERENCES USED

1.#"justify">. Alekseev V. The death of the royal family: myths and reality. (New documents about the tragedy in the Urals). Ekaterinburg, 1993.

Murder of the century: a selection of articles about the murder of the family of Nicholas II. Modern times. 1998

.#"justify">. Volkov A. Around the royal family. M., 1993.

.#"justify">.http://nnm.ru/blogs/wxyzz/dinastiya_romanovyh_sbornik_knig/

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The Romanovs are a large family of rulers and kings of Russia, an ancient boyar family. The family tree of the Romanov dynasty goes back to the 16th century. Numerous descendants of this famous family live today and continue the ancient family.

House of Romanov 4th century

At the beginning of the 17th century, there was a celebration dedicated to the accession to the throne of Moscow by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The crowning ceremony, which took place in the Kremlin in 1613, marked the beginning of a new dynasty of kings.

The Romanov family tree gave Russia many great rulers. The family chronicle dates back to 1596.

Origin of the surname

The Romanovs are an inaccurate historical surname. The first known representative of the family was the boyar Andrei Kobyla during the time of the ruling prince Ivan Kalita. The descendants of Mare were called Koshkins, then Zakharyins. It was Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin who was officially recognized as the founder of the dynasty. His daughter Anastasia married Tsar Ivan the Terrible, they had a son, Fyodor, who, in honor of his grandfather, took the surname Romanov and began to call himself Fyodor Romanov. This is how the famous surname was born.

The family tree of the Romanovs grows from the Zakharyins’ family, but from what places they came to Muscovy is unknown to historians. Some experts believe that the family were natives of Novgorod, others claim that the family came from Prussia.

Their descendants became the most famous royal dynasty in the world. The large family is called the “House of Romanov”. The family tree is extensive and huge, with branches in almost all the kingdoms of the world.

In 1856 they acquired an official coat of arms. The sign of the Romanovs depicts a vulture holding a fairytale blade and tarch in its paws; the edges were decorated with the severed heads of lions.

Ascension to the throne

In the 16th century, the boyars of Zakharyin acquired a new position by becoming related to Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Now all relatives could hope for the throne. The chance to seize the throne came quite soon. After the interruption of the Rurik dynasty, the decision to take the throne was taken up by the Zakharyins.

Fyodor Ioannovich, who, as mentioned earlier, took the surname Romanov in honor of his grandfather, was the most likely contender for the throne. However, Boris Godunov prevented him from ascending the throne, forcing him to take monastic vows. But this did not stop the smart and enterprising Fyodor Romanov. He accepted the rank of patriarch (called Filaret) and, through intrigue, elevated his son Mikhail Fedorovich to the throne. The 400-year era of the Romanovs began.

Chronology of the reign of direct representatives of the clan

• 1613-1645 - years of reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov;
• 1645-1676 - reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov;
• 1676-1682 - autocracy of Fyodor Alekseevich Romanov;
• 1682-1696 - formally in power, Ivan Alekseevich was co-ruler of his younger brother Peter Alekseevich (Peter I), but did not play any political role,
• 1682-1725 - the family tree of the Romanovs was continued by the great and authoritarian ruler Peter Alekseevich, better known in history as Peter I. In 1721 he established the title of emperor, from then on Russia began to be called the Russian Empire.

In 1725, Empress Catherine I ascended the throne as the wife of Peter I. After her death, a direct descendant of the Romanov dynasty, Peter Alekseevich Romanov, the grandson of Peter I (1727-1730), came to power again.

• 1730-1740 - The Russian Empire was ruled by Anna Ioannovna Romanova, niece of Peter I;
• 1740-1741 - formally Ivan Antonovich Romanov, the great-grandson of Ivan Alekseevich Romanov, was in power;
• 1741-1762 - as a result of a palace coup, Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova, daughter of Peter I, came to power;
• 1762 - Peter Fedorovich Romanov (Peter III), nephew of Empress Elizabeth, grandson of Peter I, reigns for six months.

Further history

1. 1762-1796 - after the overthrow of her husband Peter III, Catherine II rules the empire
2. 1796-1801 - Pavel Petrovich Romanov, son of Peter I and Catherine II, came to power. Officially, Paul I belongs to the Romanov family, but historians are still fiercely debating his origins. Many consider him an illegitimate son. If we assume this, then in fact the family tree of the Romanov dynasty ended with Peter III. Subsequent rulers may not have been blood descendants of the dynasty.

After the death of Peter I, the Russian throne was often occupied by women representing the House of Romanov. The family tree became more branchy, as descendants of kings from other states were chosen as husbands. Paul I already established a law according to which only a male blood successor has the right to become king. And from that time on, women were not married to the kingdom.

• 1801-1825 - reign of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich Romanov (Alexander I);
• 1825-1855 - reign of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Romanov (Nicholas I);
• 1855-1881 - Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov (Alexander II) reigns;
• 1881-1894 - the years of the reign of Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov (Alexander III);
• 1894-1917 - autocracy of Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II), he and his family were shot by the Bolsheviks. The imperial family tree of the Romanovs was destroyed, and with it the monarchy in Rus' collapsed.

How the reign of the dynasty was interrupted

In July 1917, the entire royal family, including children, Nicholas, and his wife, were executed. The only successor, Nikolai's heir, was also shot. All relatives hiding in different places were identified and exterminated. Only those Romanovs who were outside Russia were saved.

Nicholas II, who acquired the name "Bloody" due to the thousands killed during the revolutions, became the last emperor to represent the House of Romanov. The family tree of the descendants of Peter I was interrupted. Descendants of the Romanovs from other branches continue to live outside Russia.

Results of the board

During the 3 centuries of the dynasty, many bloodsheds and uprisings took place. However, the Romanov family, whose family tree covered half of Europe in shadow, brought benefits to Russia:

• complete separation from feudalism;
• the family increased the financial, political, and military power of the Russian Empire;
• the country was transformed into a large and powerful State, which became on an equal footing with developed European countries.

1. Introduction

With the death of Ivan the Terrible's middle son, Fyodor, the reigning Rurik family, who ruled Russia from 862 to 1598, came to an end. At the end of the Time of Troubles, a new dynasty will ascend to the throne - the Romanovs as the closest relatives of the extinct Rurik family. This kinship will pass through Anastasia, the first and most beloved wife of Ivan the Terrible, poisoned by his enemies. Under him, her brother Nikita was a boyar and guardian of Tsar Fedor, together with whose brother-in-law, Boris Godunov, he ruled the state after the death of the Terrible Tsar.

Anastasia was the great-great-great-granddaughter Procopius of the Righteous- the founder of the Romanov family, who lived in Ustyug at the end of the 13th century. In Moscow, in the Small Ascension Church, there is a limit in his honor. The temple was built under Ivan the Terrible in the settlement of Novgorodians and Ustyugans, who came to the capital through his efforts. It was in Veliky Novgorod that Procopius began his spiritual feat, and completed it in Veliky Ustyug.

The temple has two borders - in honor of the Beheading of John the Baptist - the heavenly patron of Ivan the Terrible, and in honor of Procopius of Ustyug - the first Fool for Christ in Rus' and the ancestor of the Romanovs.

2. Romanov Dynasty

The path of the new dynasty to the Russian throne was not easy - Boris Godunov planned to strengthen his family in the kingdom and cruelly got rid of possible competitors. Suffice it to say that on his order, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov’s uncle, Mikhail Nikitich Romanov, was sent to Nyrob, in the Perm region, and there he was kept chained in a pit, where he suffered martyrdom. Fate spared Father Mikhail Fedorovich - he was only tonsured a monk with the name Filaret and could not, according to the law of that time, become a king. Over the course of two generations, the Romanovs firmly entrenched themselves in power, and already the grandson of M. F. Romanov, Peter I, led Russia to the West, to the Baltic Sea, adopting the advanced achievements of Europe in industry and culture. Already from Peter I, the Romanovs attached great importance to dynastic marriages, but after Peter II and Elizaveta Petrovna (direct descendants of Peter I), Russia was actually ruled by the German Holstein-Gottorp dynasty. They were connected by close family ties with the Royal Houses of Denmark, England, Greece, as well as blood ties with the kings of Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, and Spain. Thus, the Romanovs were one of the most prestigious imperial dynasties.

ROMANOV DYNASTY

The title “Imperial” to the Romanov family was added by a decision of the Senate in 1721, after the signing of the Nystad Peace Treaty, according to which Russia, thanks to the titanic efforts of Peter I and his associates, gained access to the Baltic Sea, putting a logical end to the Livonian War of Ivan the Terrible, who dreamed of an exit to the Baltic for the rest of his life.

The suppression of the Romanov dynasty is associated with the closest descendants of Peter I. Thus, in the direct male generation of the Romanovs, the death of Peter I’s grandson, Peter II, ended; Catherine I (the wife of the late Peter I) signed the will transferring the throne to him a few days before her death. On the female side, the Romanovs ended with the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the youngest daughter of Peter I and Catherine Skavronskaya (Empress Catherine I after the death of her husband). However, the surname Romanov was borne by representatives of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty: Peter III (the son of Duke of Holstein Frederick Charles and Anna, the eldest daughter of Peter I), and his wife Catherine II, née Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, as well as their son Paul I and his descendants. It is possible that the answer to the question why the Russian tsars were so fond of concluding marriage alliances with the German dukes from Holstein can be the fact that, according to one version, the founder of the Romanovs in Russia, Glanda Kambila ( Procopius the Righteous) was from Lübeck, one of the largest cities in Holstein and the Hanseatic League.

Holstein is a former duchy in northern Germany, between the German and Baltic seas. Since 1866, part of the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein. The margrave, originally formed by Henry I, passed in 1110 to Count Adolf I of Schauenburg and remained under the rule of this family until 1459. Subsequently, Count Christian of Oldenburg (from 1448 Christian I, King of Denmark) was elected ruler. In 1474, the Duchy of Holstein was formed from the counties of Holstein and Stormarn, which existed until 1806, when it was annexed to Denmark, which lost Holstein in the 1864 war.

3. The first Romanov in Rus' - Procopius the Righteous

Holy righteous Procopius Ustyug miracle worker

The Romanovs are a boyar family, from 1613 - a royal dynasty, from 1721 - an imperial dynasty in Russia, which ruled until March 1917. They ruled Russia for 303 years, but did not advertise that their founder and almost 20 other famous boyars (nobles) the birth of Russia was the first Fool for Christ in Rus' for the sake of Saint Procopius the Righteous(see Appendix) - a rich and educated foreign prince Glanda Kambila, originally “from the Prussians”, who accomplished his severe spiritual feat in Ustyug. The Moscow boyar family of Novgorod origin Kobylina became the family of the future Romanovs. The first historical person of the family is Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, son Procopius. Andrey was a boyar of Simeon the Proud, the son of Ivan Kalita. But only one branch occupied a prominent position among the Moscow boyar nobility - these are the descendants of Fyodor Koshka (son of Andrei Kobyla) - a boyar under Dmitry Donskoy. Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, who was elected Tsar of All Rus' in 1613, also came from the Koshkin branch. Descendants of Andrei Kobyla until the beginning of the 16th century. were called Koshkins until the end of the 16th century. - Zakharyins. Then the Zakharyins split into two branches: the Zakharyins - Yakovlevs and the Zakharyins - Yuryevs. The Romanovs descended from the latter. The Romanovs were closely related to the Rurikovichs. Nikita Romanovich was the brother of Ivan the Terrible’s first wife, Anastasia Romanovna. Anastasia's son Fedor was the last Russian Tsar from the Rurik dynasty.

The Imperial House of Romanov considered Procopius the Righteous as its founder and Heavenly patron. Saint Procopius is in itself a phenomenon and a mystery: in the first half of his life he was a very rich and well-educated prince from the “German”, a member of the Hanseatic League of Merchants of Europe, the owner of a trading estate in Veliky Novgorod. But in the second half of his life, he converts from Catholicism to Orthodoxy, leaves some part of his fortune to his children, distributes the rest to the poor and monasteries, puts on rags and goes to Ustyug, accepting external madness.

There are several versions of the life of Procopius the Righteous, both ecclesiastical and secular, but they differ only in how Procopius appeared in Russia. According to church sources, which, by the way, are the most widespread, Procopius, being a rich Prussian prince and merchant, arrived in Veliky Novgorod, was captivated by the beauty of the churches and the faith of the Russian people, accepted monasticism in the Varlaamo-Khutyn monastery and later, choosing the feat of foolishness, left to Ustyug.

Other legends say that the roots of Procopius go back to the descendants of Noah. After the destruction of the Tower of Babel, some of them moved north and settled in the territory of northeastern Iran and the south of modern Turkmenistan. Then a severe drought began in the south of Central Asia, and they began to move west to the Northern Black Sea region, where they were known as Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans.

Further, from one of the Alan tribes that participated in the “Great Migration” came the royal dynasty of the Baltic peoples (in particular the Prussians), from which Procopius came. Blood ties connected him with Bruten- the first king of Prussia (around the 5th century). From his brother in the eleventh generation came the father of Procopius - Divon- participant in the crusades to the Holy Land, full of great secrets. Divon had two sons, Rusingen and Glanda Kambila, who became Procopius the Righteous in Rus'. The sons owned the cities of Königsberg, Danzig and Elbig. In 1287, in Veliky Novgorod, Glanda Kambila converted to Orthodoxy, receiving the name John. Subsequently, he takes monasticism under the name Procopius and goes to Ustyug, where no one knows about his noble origin. He carefully hid his intelligence and knowledge from people, much less spoke about the divine wisdom that descended on him. He spent most of his time on church porches. Procopius had to endure many trials while performing his spiritual feat. With three pokers in his hands (symbols of an initiate), in summer and winter he walked in one shirt through the streets of Ustyug, often accepting humiliation from the townspeople, and at night he heartily prayed for his offenders. Sometimes he even had to sleep on dung heaps, but nothing could break his strong spirit. Even when left without any food for several days, Procopius never accepted anything from people who had profited from lies.

Procopius the Righteous predicted to the three-year-old girl Maria that she would become the mother of the first bishop of Perm and the outstanding educator Stefan of Perm (see the work “The Great Zyryanin”). Stefan of Perm lived at a turning point for Rus', when one of his friends, the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, fought against the yoke of the Golden Horde, and another, Sergius of Radonezh, laid the spiritual foundations of the emerging Russian state. The political activity of Stefan of Perm ensured the bloodless and voluntary inclusion of the Zyryansk country into the Grand Duchy of Moscow, thereby marking the beginning of the formation of multinational Russia on the basis of the non-fusion and inseparability of the peoples of its constituent parts.

One of the most famous miracles of Procopius the Righteous was the salvation of Ustyug by the power of his prayer from stone (meteor) cloud, which threatened to destroy the entire city in the summer of 1290. According to legend, a voice from above told Procopius about the need to pray for the people of Ustyug, so as not to be destroyed by them. Procopius' calls to the townspeople had no effect until a stone cloud hovered over the city. Sensing danger, the people rushed to the cathedral church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, where Procopius was already praying before the image of the Mother of God for the salvation of the people and the city.

The tension was growing, some had already lost hope, and suddenly myrrh began to pour from the icon on which Procopius was praying, and at the same time the thunderstorm that had found it subsided and the gloomy cloud left, bursting into a hail of stones 20 miles from Ustyug, without causing damage to its inhabitants, but crushing and igniting forest. So the city was saved. Subsequently, by decree of the Romanov royal family, these stones were laid in the foundation of Orthodox churches under construction.

One of these stones was presented to Moscow Mayor Yu. M. Luzhkov during his visit to the Temple of Procopius the Righteous for inclusion in the altar wall of the main temple of Russia - Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

The question of which icon of the Mother of God Procopius prayed before remains the subject of research. According to one version, it was the icon of the “Ustyug Annunciation”, according to another, the icon of the Mother of God “Hodehydria” (“Guide” or “Smolensk”). Or perhaps he prayed for both images. Each version has its own explanation.

It is believed that the icon “Ustyug Annunciation” was painted by a Novgorod icon painter in the 12th century. According to one version (official history), this icon, by order of Ivan the Terrible, was brought from the St. George Cathedral of the Yuriev Monastery in Veliky Novgorod to Moscow and placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. And she came to Veliky Novgorod from Ustyug. According to another version (church), again during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and under Metropolitan Philip, the icon of the “Ustyug Annunciation” was transferred to Moscow from Ustyug and also placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. Be that as it may, currently the icon “Ustyug Annunciation” is in the State Tretyakov Gallery, in room 56.

There is an opinion that Procopius prayed to the icon of the Mother of God called “ Hodegetria"or the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. Apparently this version is based on the fact that “Hodegetria” translated from Greek means “ Guidebook“, but Procopius loved to pray for the granting of safe voyage to ships sailing along the Sukhona, i.e., he could well have prayed for the deliverance of Ustyug from the stone cloud in front of this image.

According to legend, Hodegetria was written by the Evangelist Luke. The Greek Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh (1042-1054), marrying his daughter Anna to Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, the son of Yaroslav the Wise, in 1046, blessed her on her journey with this icon. After the death of Prince Vsevolod, the icon passed to his son Vladimir Monomakh, the grandfather of Andrei Bogolyubsky. Vladimir Monomakh, moved it at the beginning of the 12th century to the Smolensk Cathedral Church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From that time on, the icon received the name Hodegetria of Smolensk.

Procopius the Righteous died on July 21, 1303 at the gates of the Ustyug Michael-Arkhangelsk Monastery. Heavy snow fell on this day. Procopius's body was found only on the fourth day; the snow above it never melted. The news of his death instantly spread throughout the city. The funeral service for Procopius was held in the cathedral church, in front of a huge crowd of people. Soon the veneration of Procopius the Righteous began, the first temple in his honor was built in Veliky Ustyug in 1495. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Procopius the Righteous, as well as Alexander Nevsky, Savva Storozhevsky, Stefan of Perm and others, was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

Not counting the imperial family of the Romanovs, about twenty noble families (boyar families) of Russia descend from the children and grandchildren of Procopius the Righteous, including: Counts Sheremetevs, Sukhovo-Kobylins, Lermontovs, Ladygins, Konovnitsyns, Blues, Gorbunovs, Kokorevs, Obraztsovs, Kolychevs ( including, Metropolitan Philip, canonized by the Orthodox Church, Fyodor Kolychev in the world), Motovilovs, Yakovlevs, etc. The history of Russia shows what a huge role the descendants of Procopius the Righteous played in it. Therefore, Saint Procopius the Righteous Ustyug wonderworker is by right and blood a great Russian saint. Celebration of the memory of Procopius the Righteous established 21 July. On this day in 1579 in Kazan, taken in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was found.

4. The Last Romanov - NikolaiII

Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma

The history of the Romanov family contains many mysterious coincidences:

In 1613, the first tsar from the Romanov family, Mikhail Romanov, was called to the throne in Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma, and 305 years later, in 1918, the last Russian Tsar - Nicholas II - was shot with his family in Ipatiev House In Ekaterinburg.

Nicholas II was on the Russian throne 23 years and 23 the steps led to the basement of the house where the royal family was killed.

On the day of the forced abdication of Nicholas II in March 1917, she was found in Kolomenskoye in the Church of the Ascension, built in 1532 in honor of the birth Ivan the Terrible, Icon of the Mother of God, called " Sovereign"as a symbol of the upcoming trials for the whole country and the awakening of the spiritual side in people.

Nicholas II was born (May 19, 1868) on Memorial Day Jobs of the Long-Suffering, who, according to legend, was the nephew of the forefather Abraham and who passed with valor through all the trials sent to him: the death of all children and the loss of all property in the 78th year of his life, a serious illness in complete solitude, etc.

By order of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee, in September 1977, the Ipatiev House was razed to the ground; Boris Yeltsin was the first secretary at that time. Sverdlovsk Regional Committee of the CPSU.

Under Ivan the Terrible, Ermak conquers Siberia, occupying its capital - Kashlyk - now Tobolsk (see the work “Veliky Ustyug - Tobolsk), where the Romanov family lives from August 1917 to April 1918, before ascending the Ural Calvary on the night of 17 July 1918 - Memorial Day of the Grand Duke Andrey Bogolyubsky- the first uncrowned Russian Tsar.

Application

Family tree of the Romanovs

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

For a long time it was believed that the execution of the imperial family of Nicholas II was the end of the entire royal dynasty. But even today the descendants of the Romanovs are alive, the Imperial House exists to this day. The dynasty is gradually returning to Russia, to its cultural and social life.

Who belongs to the dynasty

The Romanov family dates back to the 16th century, with Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin. He had five children, who gave birth to numerous offspring that have survived to this day. But the fact is that most of the descendants no longer bear this surname, that is, they were born on the maternal side. Representatives of the dynasty are considered only descendants of the Romanov family in the male line who bear an old surname.

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

Branching of the family tree

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

• Alexander I, who ascended the Russian throne in 1801, left no legitimate heirs to the throne.
• Konstantin. He was married twice, but the marriages were childless. Had three who were not recognized as descendants of the Romanovs.
• Nicholas I, All-Russian Emperor since 1825. He had three daughters and four sons from his marriage to the Prussian princess Frederica Louise Charlotte, in Orthodoxy Anna Fedorovna.
• Mikhail, married, had five daughters.

Thus, the Romanov dynasty was continued only by the sons of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. So all the remaining descendants of the Romanovs are his great-great-great-grandchildren.

Continuation of the dynasty

Sons of Nicholas the First: Alexander, Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail. They all left behind offspring. Their lines are unofficially called:

• Alexandrovichi - the line came from Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov. The direct descendants of the Romanov-Ilyinskys, Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich, live today. Unfortunately, they are both childless, and with their passing this line will end.
• Konstantinovichi - the line originates from Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov. The last direct descendant of the Romanovs in the male line died in 1992, and the branch was cut short.
• Nikolaevichs - descended from Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov. To this day, the direct descendant of this branch, Dmitry Romanovich, lives and lives. He has no heirs, so the line fades away.
• The Mikhailovichs are the heirs of Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov. It is to this branch that the remaining male Romanovs living today belong. This gives hope to the Romanov family for survival.

Where are the descendants of the Romanovs today?

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

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

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

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

Head of the Imperial House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unification of the Romanov family

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

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

Romanov Nikolay Romanovich

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

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

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

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

Vladimir Kirillovich

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

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

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

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

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

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

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

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

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

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

Tsarevich Georgy Mikhailovich

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

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

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

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

Andrey Andreevich Romanov

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mikhail Andreevich Romanov

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

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

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

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

He passed away in September 2008 in Sydney.

Romanov Nikita Nikitich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally

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

The Romanov dynasty is a Russian boyar family that has bore the surname Romanov since the end of the 16th century. 1613 - dynasty of Russian tsars, reigning for more than three hundred years. 1917, March - abdicated the throne.
Background
Ivan IV the Terrible, by killing his eldest son, Ivan, interrupted the male line of the Rurik dynasty. Fedor, his middle son, was handicapped. The mysterious death of the youngest son Dimitri in Uglich (he was found stabbed to death in the courtyard of the tower), and then the death of the last of the Rurikovichs, Theodore Ioannovich, interrupted their dynasty. Boris Fedorovich Godunov, brother of Theodore's wife, came to the kingdom as a member of the Regency Council of 5 boyars. At the Zemsky Sobor of 1598, Boris Godunov was elected Tsar.
1604 - the Polish army under the command of False Dmitry 1 (Grigory Otrepyev) set out from Lvov to the Russian borders.
1605 - Boris Godunov dies, and the Throne is transferred to his son Theodore and the widow queen. An uprising breaks out in Moscow, as a result of which Theodore and his mother were strangled. The new tsar, False Dmitry 1, enters the capital accompanied by the Polish army. However, his reign was short-lived: 1606 - Moscow rebelled, and False Dmitry was killed. Vasily Shuisky becomes Tsar.
The impending crisis was bringing the state closer to a state of anarchy. After Bolotnikov's uprising and the 2-month siege of Moscow, the troops of False Dmitry 2 moved from Poland to Russia. 1610 - Shuisky's troops were defeated, the tsar was overthrown and tonsured a monk.
The government of the state passed into the hands of the Boyar Duma: the period of the “Seven Boyars” began. After the Duma signed an agreement with Poland, Polish troops were secretly brought into Moscow. The son of the Tsar of Poland Sigismund III, Vladislav, became the Russian Tsar. And only in 1612 the militia of Minin and Pozharsky managed to liberate the capital.
And just at this time Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov entered the arena of History. In addition to him, the Polish prince Vladislav, the Swedish prince Karl-Philip and the son of Marina Mnishek and False Dmitry 2 Ivan, representatives of the boyar families - the Trubetskoys and the Romanovs, also claimed the Throne. However, Mikhail Romanov was still elected. Why?

How did Mikhail Fedorovich approach the kingdom?
Mikhail Romanov was 16 years old, he was the grandson of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, Anastasia Romanova, and the son of Metropolitan Philaret. Mikhail's candidacy satisfied representatives of all classes and political forces: the aristocracy was pleased that the new tsar would be a representative of the ancient Romanov family.
Supporters of the legitimate monarchy were pleased that Mikhail Romanov was related to Ivan IV, and those who suffered from the terror and chaos of the “troubles” were pleased that Romanov was not involved in the oprichnina, while the Cossacks were pleased that the father of the new tsar was Metropolitan Filaret.
The age of young Romanov also played into his hands. People in the 17th century did not live long, dying from diseases. The young age of the king could provide certain guarantees of stability for a long time. In addition, the boyar groups, looking at the age of the sovereign, intended to make him a puppet in their hands, thinking - “Mikhail Romanov is young, not smart enough, and will be loved by us.”
V. Kobrin writes about this: “The Romanovs suited everyone. This is the nature of mediocrity." In fact, to consolidate the state and restore social order, what was needed was not bright personalities, but people who were able to calmly and persistently pursue conservative policies. “...It was necessary to restore everything, almost to build the state all over again - its mechanism was so broken,” wrote V. Klyuchevsky.
This is what Mikhail Romanov was. His reign was a time of lively legislative activity of the government, which concerned the most diverse aspects of Russian state life.

Reign of the first of the Romanov dynasty
Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was crowned king on July 11, 1613. When accepting the wedding, he promised not to make decisions without the consent of the Boyar Duma and the Zemsky Sobor.
This is how it was at the initial stage of his reign: on every important issue, Romanov turned to the Zemsky Sobors. But the tsar’s sole power gradually began to strengthen: governors subordinate to the center began to govern locally. For example, in 1642, when the meeting overwhelmingly voted for the final annexation of Azov, which the Cossacks had conquered from the Tatars, the tsar made the opposite decision.
The most important task during this period was the restoration of state unity of the Russian lands, part of which after the “...time of troubles...” remained under the possession of Poland and Sweden. 1632 - after King Sigismund III died in Poland, Russia began a war with Poland, as a result - the new king Vladislav renounced his claims to the Moscow throne and recognized Mikhail Fedorovich as the Moscow Tsar.

Foreign and domestic policy
The most important innovation in industry of that era was the emergence of manufactories. The further development of crafts, an increase in agricultural and fishing production, and the deepening of the social division of labor led to the beginning of the formation of an all-Russian market. In addition, diplomatic and trade ties between Russia and the West were established. Major centers of Russian trade have become: Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Bryansk. Sea trade with Europe passed through the only port of Arkhangelsk; Most goods traveled by dry route. Thus, by actively trading with Western European states, Russia was able to achieve an independent foreign policy.
Agriculture also began to improve. Agriculture began to develop on fertile lands south of the Oka, as well as in Siberia. This was facilitated by the fact that the rural population of Rus' was divided into two categories: landowners and black-growing peasants. The latter made up 89.6% of the rural population. According to the law, they, sitting on state land, had the right to alienate it: sale, mortgage, inheritance.
As a result of sensible domestic policies, the lives of ordinary people have improved dramatically. So, if during the period of “turmoil” the population in the capital itself decreased by more than 3 times - townspeople fled from their destroyed homes, then after the “restoration” of the economy, according to K. Valishevsky, “... a chicken in Russia cost two kopecks, a dozen eggs - a penny. Arriving in Moscow for Easter, he was an eyewitness to the pious and merciful deeds of the Tsar, who visited prisons before Matins and distributed colored eggs and sheepskin coats to prisoners.

“There has been progress in the field of culture. According to S. Solovyov, “... Moscow amazed with its splendor and beauty, especially in the summer, when the greenery of numerous gardens and vegetable gardens joined the beautiful variety of churches.” The first Greek-Latin school in Russia was opened in the Chudov Monastery. The only Moscow printing house, destroyed during the Polish occupation, was restored.
Unfortunately, the development of culture of that era was influenced by the fact that Mikhail Fedorovich himself was an exclusively religious person. Therefore, the most prominent scientists of that time were considered the correctors and compilers of sacred books, which, of course, greatly hampered progress.
Results
The main reason that Mikhail Fedorovich managed to create a “viable” Romanov dynasty was his carefully balanced, with a large “margin of safety”, domestic and foreign policy, as a result of which Russia, although not completely, was able to solve the problem of the reunification of Russian lands, were resolved internal contradictions, industry and agriculture developed, the sole power of the sovereign was strengthened, connections with Europe were established, etc.
Meanwhile, indeed, the reign of the first Romanov cannot be ranked among the brilliant eras in the history of the Russian nation, and his personality does not appear in it with special brilliance. And yet, this reign marks a period of renaissance.