For more than 300 years, the Romanov dynasty was in power in Russia. There are several versions of the origin of the Romanov family. According to one of them, the Romanovs came from Novgorod. The family tradition says that the origins of the family should be sought in Prussia, from where the ancestors of the Romanovs moved to Russia at the beginning of the 14th century. The first reliably established ancestor of the family is the Moscow boyar Ivan Kobyla.

Start ruling dynasty The Romanovs were laid down by the great-nephew of Ivan the Terrible’s wife, Mikhail Fedorovich. He was elected to reign by the Zemsky Sobor in 1613, after the suppression of the Moscow branch of the Rurikovichs.

Since the 18th century, the Romanovs stopped calling themselves tsars. On November 2, 1721, Peter I was declared Emperor of All Russia. He became the first emperor in the dynasty.

The reign of the dynasty ended in 1917, when Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne as a result of the February Revolution. In July 1918, he was shot by the Bolsheviks along with his family (including five children) and associates in Tobolsk.

Numerous descendants of the Romanovs now live abroad. However, none of them, from the point of view of the Russian law on succession to the throne, has the right to the Russian throne.

Below is a chronology of the reign of the Romanov family with the dating of the reign.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Reign: 1613-1645

He laid the foundation for a new dynasty, being elected at the age of 16 to reign by the Zemsky Sobor in 1613. He belonged to an ancient boyar family. He restored the functioning of the economy and trade in the country, which he had inherited in a deplorable state after the Time of Troubles. Concluded “perpetual peace” with Sweden (1617). At the same time, he lost access to the Baltic Sea, but returned vast Russian territories previously conquered by Sweden. Concluded an “eternal peace” with Poland (1618), while losing Smolensk and the Seversk land. Annexed the lands along the Yaik, Baikal region, Yakutia, access to the Pacific Ocean.

Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov (Quiet). Reign: 1645-1676

He ascended the throne at the age of 16. He was a gentle, good-natured and very religious person. He continued the army reform begun by his father. Attracted at the same time large number foreign military specialists left idle after graduation Thirty Years' War. Under him, Nikon’s church reform was carried out, affecting the main church ceremonies and books. He returned Smolensk and Seversk land. Annexed Ukraine to Russia (1654). Suppressed the uprising of Stepan Razin (1667-1671)

Fedor Alekseevich Romanov. Reign: 1676-1682

The short reign of the extremely painful tsar was marked by a war with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate and the further conclusion of the Bakhchisarai Peace Treaty (1681), according to which Turkey recognized Left Bank Ukraine and Kyiv as Russia. A general census of the population was carried out (1678). The fight against the Old Believers took a new turn - Archpriest Avvakum was burned. He died at the age of twenty.

Peter I Alekseevich Romanov (the Great). Reigned: 1682-1725 (ruled independently from 1689)

The previous tsar (Fyodor Alekseevich) died without making orders regarding the succession to the throne. As a result, two tsars were crowned on the throne at the same time - Fyodor Alekseevich’s young brothers Ivan and Peter under the regency of their older sister Sophia Alekseevna (until 1689 - Sophia’s regency, until 1696 - formal co-rule with Ivan V). Since 1721, the first All-Russian Emperor.

He was an ardent supporter of the Western way of life. For all its ambiguity, it is recognized by both adherents and critics as “The Great Sovereign”.

His bright reign was marked by the Azov campaigns (1695 and 1696) against the Turks, which resulted in the capture of the Azov fortress. The result of the campaigns was, among other things, the tsar’s awareness of the need for army reform. The old army was disbanded - the army began to be created according to a new model. From 1700 to 1721 - participation in the most difficult conflict with Sweden, the result of which was the defeat of the hitherto invincible Charles XII and Russia's access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1722-1724, the largest foreign policy event of Peter the Great after the Northern War was the Caspian (Persian) campaign, which ended with the capture of Derbent, Baku and other cities by Russia.

During his reign, Peter founded St. Petersburg (1703), established the Senate (1711) and the Collegium (1718), and introduced the “Table of Ranks” (1722).

Catherine I. Years of reign: 1725-1727

Second wife of Peter I. A former servant named Martha Kruse, captured during the Northern War. Nationality is unknown. She was the mistress of Field Marshal Sheremetev. Later, Prince Menshikov took her to his place. In 1703, she fell in love with Peter, who made her his mistress, and later his wife. She was baptized into Orthodoxy, changing her name to Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova.

Under her, the Supreme Privy Council was created (1726) and an alliance was concluded with Austria (1726).

Peter II Alekseevich Romanov. Reign: 1727-1730

Grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei. The last representative of the Romanov family in the direct male line. He ascended the throne at the age of 11. He died at the age of 14 from smallpox. In fact, the government of the state was carried out by the Supreme Privy Council. According to the recollections of contemporaries, the young emperor was distinguished by his willfulness and adored entertainment. It was entertainment, fun and hunting that the young emperor devoted all his time to. Under him, Menshikov was overthrown (1727), and the capital was returned to Moscow (1728).

Anna Ioannovna Romanova. Reign: 1730-1740

Daughter of Ivan V, granddaughter of Alexei Mikhailovich. She was invited to the Russian throne in 1730 by the Supreme Privy Council, which she subsequently successfully dissolved. Instead of the Supreme Council, a cabinet of ministers was created (1730). The capital was returned to St. Petersburg (1732). 1735-1739 were marked by the Russian-Turkish war, which ended with a peace treaty in Belgrade. Under the terms of the Russian treaty, Azov was ceded to Russia, but it was forbidden to have a fleet in the Black Sea. The years of her reign are characterized in literature as “the era of German dominance at court,” or as “Bironovism” (after the name of her favorite).

Ivan VI Antonovich Romanov. Reign: 1740-1741

Great-grandson of Ivan V. Was proclaimed emperor at the age of two months. The baby was proclaimed emperor during the regency of Duke Biron of Courland, but two weeks later the guards removed the duke from power. The emperor's mother, Anna Leopoldovna, became the new regent. At the age of two he was overthrown. His short reign was subject to a law condemning the name - all his portraits were removed from circulation, all his portraits were confiscated (or destroyed) and all documents containing the name of the emperor were confiscated (or destroyed). He spent until he was 23 years old in solitary confinement, where (already half-insane) he was stabbed to death by guards.

Elizaveta I Petrovna Romanova. Reign: 1741-1761

Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. Under her, for the first time in Russia, death penalty. A university was opened in Moscow (1755). In 1756-1762 Russia took part in the largest military conflict of the 18th century - seven years war. As a result of the fighting, Russian troops captured all of East Prussia and even briefly took Berlin. However, the rapid death of the empress and the rise to power of a pro-Prussian-minded Peter III nullified all military achievements - the conquered lands were returned to Prussia, peace was concluded.

Peter III Fedorovich Romanov. Reign: 1761-1762

Nephew of Elizaveta Petrovna, grandson of Peter I - son of his daughter Anna. Reigned for 186 days. A lover of everything Prussian, he stopped the war with Sweden immediately after coming to power on conditions that were extremely unfavorable for Russia. I had difficulty speaking Russian. During his reign, the manifesto “On the Freedom of the Nobility”, the union of Prussia and Russia, and a decree on freedom of religion were issued (all in 1762). Stopped the persecution of Old Believers. He was overthrown by his wife and died a week later (according to the official version - from fever).

Already during the reign of Catherine II, the leader of the peasant war, Emelyan Pugachev, in 1773 pretended to be the “miracle survivor” of Peter III.

Catherine II Alekseevna Romanova (Great). Reign: 1762-1796

Wife of Peter III. It enslaved the peasants as much as possible, expanding the powers of the nobility. Significantly expanded the territory of the Empire during the Russian-Turkish wars (1768-1774 and 1787-1791) and the partition of Poland (1772, 1793 and 1795). The board was marked by the largest peasant uprising Emelyan Pugachev, who pretended to be Peter III (1773-1775). A provincial reform was carried out (1775).

Pavel I Petrovich Romanov: 1796-1801

Son of Catherine II and Peter III, 72nd Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He ascended the throne at the age of 42. Introduced compulsory succession to the throne only through the male line (1797). Significantly eased the situation of the peasants (decree on three-day corvee, ban on selling serfs without land (1797)). From foreign policy The war with France (1798-1799) and the Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov (1799) are worthy of mention. Killed by guards (not without the knowledge of his son Alexander) in his own bedroom (strangled). Official version- stroke.

Alexander I Pavlovich Romanov. Reign: 1801-1825

Son of Paul I. During the reign of Paul I, Russia defeated French troops during Patriotic War 1812. The result of the war was a new European order, enshrined Congress of Vienna 1814-1815 During numerous wars, he significantly expanded the territory of Russia - he annexed Eastern and Western Georgia, Mingrelia, Imereti, Guria, Finland, Bessarabia, and most of Poland. He died suddenly in 1825 in Taganrog from fever. For a long time, there was a legend among the people that the emperor, tormented by conscience for the death of his father, did not die, but continued to live under the name of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich.

Nicholas I Pavlovich Romanov. Reign: 1825-1855

The third son of Paul I. The beginning of his reign was marked by the Decembrist uprising of 1825. The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was created (1833), currency reform, reform in the state village. The Crimean War (1853-1856) began, the emperor did not live to see its devastating end. In addition, Russia took part in the Caucasian War (1817-1864), the Russian-Persian War (1826-1828), the Russian-Turkish War (1828-1829), and the Crimean War (1853-1856).

Alexander II Nikolaevich Romanov (Liberator). Reign: 1855-1881

Son of Nicholas I. During his reign, the Crimean War was ended by the Paris Peace Treaty (1856), humiliating for Russia. In 1861, serfdom was abolished. In 1864, zemstvo and judicial reforms were carried out. Alaska was sold to the United States (1867). The financial system, education, city government, and the army were subject to reform. In 1870, the restrictive articles of the Paris Peace were abolished. As a result Russian-Turkish war 1877–1878 returned Bessarabia, lost during the Crimean War. Died as a result of a terrorist act committed by Narodnaya Volya.

Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov (Tsar the Peacemaker). Reign: 1881-1894

Son of Alexander II. During his reign, Russia did not wage a single war. His reign is characterized as conservative and counter-reformist. A manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy, the Regulations on Strengthening Emergency Security (1881), was adopted. He pursued an active policy of Russification of the outskirts of the empire. A military-political Franco-Russian alliance was concluded with France, which laid the foundation for the foreign policy of the two states until 1917. This alliance preceded the creation of the Triple Entente.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov. Reign: 1894-1917

Son of Alexander III. The Last Emperor of All Russia. A difficult and controversial period for Russia, accompanied by serious upheavals for the empire. Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905) turned into a severe defeat for the country and the almost complete destruction of the Russian fleet. The defeat in the war was followed by the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. In 1914, Russia joined the First world war(1914-1918). The emperor was not destined to live to see the end of the war - in 1917 he abdicated the throne as a result, and in 1918 he was shot with his entire family by the Bolsheviks.

Where does the Romanov family begin? Troubled times. the beginning of the Romanov dynasty. Biography of Nicholas II

Meeting of the Great Embassy by Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov and nun Martha at the Holy Gate of the Ipatiev Monastery on March 14, 1613. Miniature from the “Book on the election of the Great Sovereign and Grand Duke Mikhail Feodorovich of All Great Russia, Samrodzher, to the highest throne of the great Russian kingdom. 1673"

The year was 1913. A jubilant crowd greeted the Emperor, who arrived with his family in Kostroma. The solemn procession headed to the Ipatiev Monastery. Three hundred years ago, young Mikhail Romanov hid from the Polish interventionists within the walls of the monastery; here Moscow diplomats begged him to marry the kingdom. Here, in Kostroma, the history of the Romanov dynasty’s service to the Fatherland began, tragically ending in 1917.

The first Romanovs

Why was it that Mikhail Fedorovich, a seventeen-year-old boy, was given responsibility for the fate of the state? The Romanov family was closely connected with the extinct Rurik dynasty: the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina, had brothers, the first Romanovs, who received their surname on behalf of their father. The most famous of them is Nikita. Boris Godunov saw the Romanovs as serious rivals in the struggle for the throne, so all the Romanovs were exiled. Only two sons of Nikita Romanov survived - Ivan and Fedor, who was tonsured a monk (in monasticism he received the name Filaret). When did the disaster for Russia end? Time of Troubles, it was necessary to choose a new king, and the choice fell on Fyodor’s young son, Mikhail.

Mikhail Fedorovich ruled from 1613 to 1645, but in fact the country was ruled by his father, Patriarch Filaret. In 1645, sixteen-year-old Alexei Mikhailovich ascended the throne. During his reign, foreigners were willingly called up for service, interest in Western culture and customs arose, and the children of Alexei Mikhailovich were influenced by European education, which largely determined the further course of Russian history.

Alexei Mikhailovich was married twice: his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, gave the Tsar thirteen children, but only two of the five sons, Ivan and Fedor, survived their father. The children were sickly, and Ivan also suffered from dementia. From his second marriage to Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, the tsar had three children: two daughters and a son, Peter. Alexei Mikhailovich died in 1676, Fyodor Alekseevich, a fourteen-year-old boy, was crowned king. The reign was short-lived - until 1682. His brothers had not yet reached adulthood: Ivan was fifteen years old, and Peter was about ten. They were both proclaimed kings, but the rule of the state was in the hands of their regent, Princess Sophia of Miloslavskaya. Having reached adulthood, Peter regained power. And although Ivan V also bore the royal title, Peter alone ruled the state.

The era of Peter the Great

The Peter the Great era is one of the brightest pages national history. However, it is impossible to give an unambiguous assessment of either the personality of Peter I himself or his reign: despite all the progressiveness of his policies, his actions were sometimes cruel and despotic. This is confirmed by the fate of his eldest son. Peter was married twice: from his union with his first wife, Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, a son, Alexei, was born. Eight years of marriage ended in divorce. Evdokia Lopukhina, the last Russian queen, was sent to a monastery. Tsarevich Alexei, raised by his mother and her relatives, was hostile to his father. Opponents of Peter I and his reforms rallied around him. Alexei Petrovich was accused of treason and sentenced to death. He died in 1718 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, without waiting for the sentence to be carried out. From his second marriage to Catherine I, only two children - Elizabeth and Anna - survived their father.

After the death of Peter I in 1725, a struggle for the throne began, in fact provoked by Peter himself: he abolished old order succession to the throne, according to which power would pass to his grandson Peter, the son of Alexei Petrovich, and issued a decree according to which the autocrat could appoint a successor for himself, but did not have time to draw up a will. With the support of the guard and the closest circle of the deceased emperor, Catherine I ascended the throne, becoming the first empress of the Russian state. Her reign was the first in a series of reigns of women and children and marked the beginning of the era of palace coups.

Palace coups

Catherine's reign was short-lived: from 1725 to 1727. After her death, eleven-year-old Peter II, the grandson of Peter I, finally came to power. He ruled for only three years and died of smallpox in 1730. This was the last representative of the Romanov family in the male line.

Management of the state passed into the hands of Peter the Great's niece, Anna Ivanovna, who ruled until 1740. She had no children, and according to her will, the throne passed to the grandson of her sister Ekaterina Ivanovna, Ivan Antonovich, a two-month-old baby. With the help of the guards, Peter I's daughter Elizabeth overthrew Ivan VI and his mother and came to power in 1741. The fate of the unfortunate child is sad: he and his parents were exiled to the north, to Kholmogory. He spent his entire life in captivity, first in a remote village, then in Shlisselburg fortress, where his life ended in 1764.

Elizabeth reigned for 20 years - from 1741 to 1761. - and died childless. She was the last representative of the Romanov family in a direct line. The rest of the Russian emperors, although they bore the Romanov surname, actually represented the German Holstein-Gottorp dynasty.

According to Elizabeth’s will, her nephew, the son of Anna Petrovna’s sister, Karl Peter Ulrich, who received the name Peter in Orthodoxy, was crowned king. But already in 1762, his wife Catherine, relying on the guard, carried out a palace coup and came to power. Catherine II ruled Russia for more than thirty years. Perhaps that is why one of the first decrees of her son Paul I, who came to power in 1796 already in mature age, there was a return to the order of succession to the throne from father to son. However, his fate also had a tragic ending: he was killed by conspirators, and his eldest son Alexander I came to power in 1801.

From the Decembrist uprising to February revolution.

Alexander I had no heirs; his brother Constantine did not want to reign. The unclear situation with the succession to the throne provoked an uprising in Senate Square. It was harshly suppressed by the new Emperor Nicholas I and went down in history as the Decembrist uprising.

Nicholas I had four sons; the eldest, Alexander II, ascended the throne. He reigned from 1855 to 1881. and died after an assassination attempt by Narodnaya Volya.

In 1881, the son of Alexander II, Alexander III, ascended the throne. He was not the eldest son, but after the death of Tsarevich Nicholas in 1865, they began to prepare him for public service.

Exit Alexandra III to the people on the Red Porch after the coronation. May 15, 1883. Engraving. 1883

After Alexander III, his eldest son, Nicholas II, was crowned king. At the coronation of the latter Russian Emperor a tragic event occurred. It was announced that gifts would be distributed on Khodynka Field: a mug with an imperial monogram, half a loaf of wheat bread, 200 grams of sausage, gingerbread with a coat of arms, a handful of nuts. Thousands of people were killed and injured in the stampede for these gifts. Many inclined to mysticism see a direct connection between the Khodynka tragedy and the murder of the imperial family: in 1918, Nicholas II, his wife and five children were shot in Yekaterinburg on the orders of the Bolsheviks.

Makovsky V. Khodynka. Watercolor. 1899

With death royal family The Romanov family has not died out. Most of the grand dukes and princesses with their families managed to escape from the country. In particular, the sisters of Nicholas II - Olga and Ksenia, his mother Maria Feodorovna, his uncle - the brother of Alexander III Vladimir Alexandrovich. It is from him that the family leading the Imperial House today comes.

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

Reasons for the election of the Romanovs

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

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

Royal Romanov dynasty. Years of reign

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

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

History of the Romanov dynasty in dates

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

Death of the royal family

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

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

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

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

On February 21, 1613, the most representative Zemsky Sobor was convened in Moscow, which elected the 16-year-old king Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613-1645). On July 11, he was crowned in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Under the young king, his mother was in charge of state affairs Grand Eldress Martha and her relatives from the Saltykov boyars (1613-1619) , and after returning from Polish captivity Patriarch Filaret, the latter became the de facto ruler of Russia (1619-1633) , who bore the title Great Sovereign. In essence, dual power was established in the country: state documents were written in the name of the Sovereign Tsar and His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

The government was faced with a number of tasks: to improve the financial situation in the country, restore the economy, and strengthen state borders.

Financial problems were solved by further strengthening tax oppression: the “fifth money” (a tax amounting to a fifth of profits), direct taxes on the collection of grain reserves and money for the maintenance of the army were introduced (1614).

During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, crafts began to rise and the first manufactories were formed. IN 1632 g. The first in the country begins its activities near Tula ironworks.

The situation in foreign policy was complex and ambiguous. In February 1617, an agreement was concluded between Russia and Sweden Peace of Stolbovo (1617)(in the village of Stolbovo). At the same time, the Polish prince Vladislav tried to confirm his claims to the Russian throne through military action. Polish troops met fierce resistance and in 1618 it was signed Truce of Deulin (1618) for 14.5 years. The Smolensk lands (except for Vyazma), including Smolensk, Chernigov, Novgorod-Seversk lands with 29 cities, went to Poland.

In 1632-1634. there was a Russian-Polish war, which is also known as Smolensk War 1632-1634. , caused by Russia's desire to regain its ancestral lands. Soon it was signed Peace of Polyanovsky (1634), under the terms of which the pre-war border was preserved, and the King of Poland, Wladyslaw IV, officially renounced his claims to the Russian throne. To successfully conduct military operations during 1631-1634. was carried out military reform and created " New build shelves", i.e. on the model of Western European armies. Reiter (1), dragoon (1) and soldier (8) regiments were created.

3. Prerequisites and features of the formation of Russian absolutism. The reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676).

During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the collapse of feudalism began in Russia. Manufacture begins to develop (more than 20), market relations are established (in connection with the widespread development of small-scale production), everything big role The merchant class begins to play a role in the country's economy.

Under Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest, the prerequisites for the formation of an absolute monarchy in Russia began to take shape. The first sign of absolutism was Cathedral Code of 1649., which emphasized the sacredness of royal power and its inviolability. The chapter “The Court of Peasants” contains articles that finally formalized serfdom- the eternal hereditary dependence of the peasants was established, the “fixed summers” for searching for runaway peasants were abolished, and a high fine was established for harboring runaways. Peasants were deprived of the right to judicial representation in property disputes.

During the same period, the importance of zemstvo councils began to decline, the last of which was convened in 1653 g., and immediately after that it was created Order of secret affairs (1654-1676) for political investigation.

IN 1653 started church reform Patriarch Nikon according to the Byzantine model.

WITH 1654 to 1667. There was a war between Russia and Poland for the return of the ancestral Russian lands of Russia and for the annexation of Left Bank Ukraine. In 1667, Russia and Poland signed Peace of Andrusovo (1667), according to which Smolensk and Novgorod-Seversk lands, left-bank Ukraine and Kyiv (the latter until 1669) were returned to Russia.

The annexation of Ukraine required the unification of church rites, for which Nikon chose the Byzantine rites as a model. In addition, the government wanted to generally unite the churches not only of Russia and Ukraine, but also of the eastern autocephalous churches.

After the annexation of Ukraine, Alexei Mikhailovich, instead of the former “sovereign, tsar and grand prince of all Rus',” began to be called “by the grace of God, great sovereign, tsar and grand prince of all Great and Small and White Russia autocrat.”

Nikon's reforms gave rise to such a phenomenon as schism and movement of the Old Believers, which at the initial stage took exalted forms, namely baptism by fire, i.e. self-immolation. The movement especially intensified after the church council of 1666-1667, at which they were anathematized for their heresy. Popular disagreement with the policies of the official church was reflected in Solovetsky uprising 1668-1676.

The autocratic policy of the Moscow patriarch contradicted the interests of secular power, the growing elements of absolutism, and could not but cause royal discontent. At the council of 1666-1667. Nikon was deposed and taken under escort to the Ferapontov Monastery on Beloozero. Nikon died in 1681.

In Russia, the replacement of the estate-representative monarchy with an absolute monarchy began: zemstvo councils are no longer convened, the authority of the Boyar Duma has fallen, the church has been pushed into the background by secular power, government control over the life of the country is increasing, and the government itself is under the supervision of the repressive apparatus (Order of Secret Affairs ), the importance of the nobility increases (an equation of local ownership with patrimonial ownership occurs). At the same time, the formation of absolutism occurs under the sign of ever-increasing social oppression over the population - the peasantry and the townspeople.

The policy of the government of Alexei Mikhailovich caused a number of popular indignations, the most significant of which were Salt Riot (1648) And Copper Riot (1662).

The Salt Riot (another name for the Moscow Uprising) was initiated by the predatory policies of the government of B.I. Morozova after the tax reform: all indirect taxes were replaced by one direct one - a tax on salt, as a result of which the price for it increased several times.

The Copper Riot (or the Moscow Uprising of 1662) broke out due to the financial crisis: in 1654, the government introduced copper money at the rate of silver, as a result of the mass production of copper money, it depreciated, which led to increased speculation and the issuance of counterfeit coins (often apex).

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 (the average duration of the reign of 1 tsar is 17.8 years), and the state itself 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 ties.

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. Sister of Fyodor 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:

The greatest role in the history of Russia was played by those rulers who were in power for more than 15 years.
The number of years in power is directly proportional to the importance of the ruler in the history of Russia. Largest quantity Peter 1 and Catherine 2 were in power for years. It is these rulers who are associated by most historians as the best rulers who laid the foundation of modern statehood.
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, other former USSR republics, 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 is 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. We are talking 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.