Tree of the royal family. Chronology of the reign of direct representatives of the clan

Virtual exhibition

400th anniversary of the House of Romanov

In 2013, the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty is celebrated. The celebration is timed to coincide with the accession of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the Moscow throne on June 11, 1613 (in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin by decision of the Zemsky Sobor). The accession of Mikhail Fedorovich marked the beginning of a new ruling dynasty of the Romanovs.

In the extensive literature devoted to the history of the House of Romanov and individual reigns, there is no unambiguous interpretation of the role of autocrats - extreme, often polar points of view prevail. However, no matter how you feel about the Romanov dynasty and its representatives, objectively assessing our historical path, it should be recognized that it was under the Romanovs that Russia became one of the great powers of the world, its victories and defeats, ups and downs, achievements and political and economic failures, largely due to growing disparities social order tasks of the time. The House of Romanov is not the history of a private family, but in fact is the history of Russia.

The Romanovs are a Russian boyar family that bore such a surname since late XVI century; from 1613 - the dynasty of Russian Tsars and from 1721 - the Emperors of All Russia, and subsequently - the Tsars of Poland, the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and Finland, the Dukes of Oldenburg and Holstein-Gottorp and the Grand Masters of the Order of Malta. The direct branch of the Romanov family on the All-Russian throne was cut short after the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna; from January 5, 1762, the imperial throne passed to the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty, the son of Anna Petrovna and Duke Karl-Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp; according to a dynastic agreement, their son Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (future All-Russian Emperor Peter III) was recognized as a member of the Imperial House Romanovs. Thus, according to genealogical rules, the imperial family (dynasty) is called the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty (Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty), and the imperial house is called the Romanovs.

Start

End of the 16th century brought our Motherland a severe shock, which became the first step towards the Troubles. With the death of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich (1598), the Rurik Dynasty came to an end. Even earlier, in 1591, the youngest representative of the Dynasty, St., died in Uglich. Tsarevich Dimitri. However, his rights to inherit the Throne were very controversial, because he was born from the fifth married (and actually from the seventh) marriage of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and was considered illegitimate.

For over 700 years the Rurikovichs ruled Russia. And now they are gone. It is difficult to describe the impression that the end of the Dynasty made. The Russian people were faced with an unprecedented case and it was necessary to resolve an issue on which the fate of the state depended. The House of Moscow Grand Dukes and Tsars was to be inherited by the Family, which had the full legal right to do so. Of the descendants of Rurik, after the death of the Staritsky Princes, there was no one left who would have such rights. The closest relatives of the Moscow House were the Shuisky princes, but their relationship was of the 12th (!) degree. In addition, in accordance with the norms of Byzantine law accepted in Rus' at that time, close kinship (i.e., kinship through a wife) was preferred to distant blood kinship.

Based on this (husband and wife constitute “one flesh”) the brother of Irina Godunova, the wife of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, Boris Godunov, was considered at the same time His brother. It was Godunov who was then called to the Kingdom with the blessing of Patriarch Job. A ruling on this matter was made by the Zemsky Sobor in 1598.

And Tsar Boris took the Throne not by “right” of election, but by right of inheritance. Next generation in this order of succession were the Romanovs, descendants of the first brother-in-law of Ivan the Terrible - Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuryev.

Boris Godunov reigned relatively serenely until the first rumors about the Pretender arose in 1603. The appearance of "Tsarevich Dimitri" made the people doubt the legality of Godunov's accession to the throne. Paradoxical as it may seem, the phenomenon of impostor testifies to the spontaneous legitimism of the Russian people. In order to occupy the Throne, it was necessary to have legal rights to do so or to pass oneself off as having such rights. Otherwise, you can “elect”, “appoint” and “proclaim” the Tsar as much as you want - this could not receive any support. But “Tsarevich Dimitri” - the supposedly miraculously saved son of Ivan the Terrible - could not help but find a response in Russian hearts. And so death takes away Tsar Boris, his son Theodore is killed, and the triumphant Pretender enters Moscow, accompanied by the Poles.

Sobering up did not come immediately. Perhaps the process dragged on even longer if it were not for the reckless behavior of False Demetrius in relation to the Orthodox Church. The impostor dared to crown his wife Marina Mnishek in the Assumption Cathedral, without baptizing her, but limiting herself to anointing. The son of Ivan the Terrible, according to popular belief, would never have acted in such a way. Less than two weeks after the blasphemous wedding, the Pretender was killed. But the foundations of the Russian Kingdom were so shaken that it was no longer possible to stop the Troubles by simply eliminating False Demetrius.

Tsar Vasily Shuisky, in his own way, sought to benefit the Fatherland. But the throne of this only elected Tsar in the history of Russia could not be durable. “Shouted out” on Red Square by a random crowd, having bound himself with obligations to the boyars, Tsar Vasily never felt like a confident Autocrat. Therefore, he could not effectively resist either external or internal enemies, and the story of his - ridiculously easy - overthrow tells us about the futility of introducing alien traditions and laws. There was no end in sight for the Troubles.

It was the II Militia that was destined to save Russia, whose leaders were able to learn some lessons from previous mistakes and create a unified popular movement. Inspired by the messages of Patriarch Hermogenes, Nizhny Novgorod citizen K. Minin and Prince. D. Pozharsky united the Russian people under the banner of the struggle for the liberation and restoration of the Orthodox Kingdom. Later the prince joined them. D. Trubetskoy with the remnants of the First Militia. In October 1612, the Cossacks took Kitay-Gorod by storm, and soon the Poles besieged in the Kremlin capitulated. In the liberated capital, conditions appeared for the establishment of state life.

At the beginning of 1613, envoys from “the whole earth” came to Moscow for the Great Zemsky and Church Council, the main task of which was to determine the Legitimate Heir to the Throne.

When in Once again At the Council, a dispute about the candidacy flared up; a certain Galician nobleman submitted a note substantiating the rights of Mikhail Feodorovich on his relationship with Tsar Theodore Ioannovich (Mikhail’s father, Metropolitan Philaret, was cousin He would have succeeded Tsar Theodore himself, if not for the monastic tonsure performed on him during the reign of Boris Godunov), with reference to the authority of the martyred Patriarch Hermogenes. By his act, he aroused the anger of the boyars, who threateningly asked who dared to bring such a scripture. Then the Cossack ataman spoke and also made a written statement. To the question of the book. Pozharsky, what is being discussed, the ataman replied: “About the natural (emphasis added by me - A.Z.) Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich.” "The Tale of the Zemsky Sobor of 1613" cites the ataman’s speech, in which he definitely pointed out the illegality of the “elections” of the Tsar and justified the rights to the Throne of young Mikhail Romanov.

The final decision on the issue of succession to the throne was made on February 21, 1613. A letter sent to all corners of the Russian Land proclaimed that “the philanthropic God, according to His vision, put in the hearts of all the people of the Moscow state, from young to old and even to mere infants, unanimity in order to turn to Vladimir, both to Moscow and to all states of the Russian Kingdom by the Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov-Yuryev." The approved charter of the Council assigned the Throne to the Dynasty “for generations and generations” and anathematized any violator of the sacred oath of allegiance to the House of Romanov. The accession of the House of Romanov was a victory of order over turmoil, and in early XVII V. A new dynasty established itself in Russia, with which the state functioned for more than three hundred years, experiencing ups and downs.

The last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, executed with his family in Yekaterinburg in 1918, is still one of the most controversial figures national history. Despite almost a century that has passed since those tragic events, the attitude towards him in society is sharply polarized. On the one hand, Russian Orthodox Church ranked him and his family among the saints, on the other hand, “the owner of the Russian land” (his own definition) is perceived by public opinion as an incompetent head of state who could not save not only the country, but even his own family from destruction.

It should be noted that legally, members of the royal, and then imperial, family did not bear any surnames at all (“Tsarevich Ivan Alekseevich”, “ Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich”, etc.). In addition, since 1761, Russia was ruled by the descendants of the son of Anna Petrovna and the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Karl-Friedrich, who in the male line were no longer descended from the Romanovs, but from the Holstein-Gottorp family (the younger branch of the Oldenburg dynasty, known since the 12th century). In genealogical literature, representatives of the dynasty starting from Peter III are called Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovs. Despite this, the names “Romanovs” and “House of Romanov” were almost generally used to unofficially designate the Russian Imperial House, and the coat of arms of the Romanov boyars was included in official legislation.

After 1917, almost all members of the reigning house officially began to bear the Romanov surname (according to the laws of the Provisional Government, and then in exile). The exception is the descendants of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. He was one of the Romanovs who recognized Kirill Vladimirovich as emperor in exile. The marriage of Dmitry Pavlovich to Audrey Emery was recognized by Kirill as a morganatic marriage of a member of the reigning house, and the wife and children received the title of Princes Romanovsky-Ilyinsky (now it is borne by two of Dmitry Pavlovich’s grandchildren - Dmitry and Michael/Mikhail, as well as their wives and daughters). The rest of the Romanovs also entered into morganatic (from the point of view Russian law about succession to the throne) marriages, but did not consider it necessary to change the surname. After the creation of the Association of Princes of the House of Romanov in the late 1970s, the Ilyinskys became its members on a general basis.

Family tree of the Romanovs

Genealogical roots of the Romanov family (XII-XIV centuries)

EXHIBITION MATERIALS:

Alexey Mikhailovich(1629-1676), Tsar from 1645. Son of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, central power strengthened and took shape serfdom(Cathedral Code 1649); Ukraine was reunited with the Russian state (1654); Smolensk, Seversk land, etc. were returned; uprisings in Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov (1648, 1650, 1662) and peasant war under the leadership of Stepan Razin; There was a split in the Russian Church.

Wives: Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (1625-1669), among her children are Princess Sophia, future Tsars Fyodor and Ivan V; Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651-1694) - mother of Peter

Fedor Alekseevich(1661-1682), Tsar from 1676. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M.I. Miloslavskaya. Under him they ruled various groups boyars Household taxation was introduced, and localism was abolished in 1682; The unification of Left Bank Ukraine with Russia was finally consolidated.

Ivan V Alekseevich (1666-1696), Tsar from 1682. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M.I. Miloslavskaya. Sick and unable to government activities, proclaimed tsar together with his younger brother Peter I; Until 1689, sister Sophia ruled for them, after her overthrow - Peter I.

Peter I Alekseevich (Great) (1672-1725), Tsar from 1682 (reigned from 1689), first Russian Emperor(since 1721). The youngest son of Alexei Mikhailovich is from his second marriage to N.K. Naryshkina. Conducted reforms government controlled(Senate, collegiums, supreme bodies were created state control and political investigation; the church is subordinate to the state; the country was divided into provinces, and a new capital- Petersburg). He pursued a policy of mercantelism in the field of industry and trade (the creation of manufactories, metallurgical, mining and other plants, shipyards, piers, canals). He led the army in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, the Northern War of 1700-1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, etc.; commanded troops during the capture of Noteburg (1702), in the battles of Lesnaya (1708) and near Poltava (1709). He supervised the construction of the fleet and the creation of a regular army. Contributed to strengthening the economic and political situation nobility. On the initiative of Peter I, many were opened educational establishments, Academy of Sciences, civil alphabet adopted, etc. The reforms of Peter I were carried out by cruel means, through extreme strain of material and human forces, oppression of the masses (poll tax, etc.), which entailed uprisings (Streletskoye 1698, Astrakhan 1705-1706, Bulavinskoye 1707-1709, etc.), mercilessly suppressed by the government. Being the creator of a powerful absolutist state, he achieved recognition of Russia by the countries Western Europe the authority of a great power.

Wives: Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, mother of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich;
Marta Skavronskaya, later Catherine I Alekseevna

Catherine I Alekseevna (Marta Skavronskaya) (1684-1727), empress from 1725. Second wife of Peter I. Enthroned by the guard led by A.D. Menshikov, who became the de facto ruler of the state. Under her, the Supreme Privy Council was created.

Peter II Alekseevich (1715-1730), emperor from 1727. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. In fact, the state was ruled under him by A.D. Menshikov, then the Dolgorukovs. Announced the cancellation of a number of reforms carried out by Peter I.

Anna Ivanovna(1693-1740), empress from 1730. Daughter of Ivan V Alekseevich, Duchess of Courland from 1710. Enthroned by the Supreme Privy Council. In fact, E.I. Biron was the ruler under her.

Ivan VI Antonovich (1740-1764), emperor in 1740-1741. Great-grandson of Ivan V Alekseevich, son of Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick. E.I. Biron ruled for the baby, then mother Anna Leopoldovna. Overthrown by the Guard, imprisoned; killed when V.Ya. Mirovich tried to free him.

Elizaveta Petrovna(1709-1761/62), empress from 1741. Daughter of Peter I from his marriage to Catherine I. Enthroned by the Guard. She contributed to eliminating the dominance of foreigners in the government and promoted talented and energetic representatives from among the Russian nobility to government positions. Actual manager domestic policy under Elizaveta Petrovna there was P.I. Shuvalov, whose activities are associated with the abolition of internal customs and the organization foreign trade; rearmament of the army, improvement of it organizational structure and control systems. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the orders and bodies created under Peter I were restored. The rise of Russian science and culture was facilitated by the establishment, on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov, of Moscow University (1755) and the Academy of Arts (1757). The privileges of the nobles were strengthened and expanded at the expense of the serf peasantry (distribution of land and serfs, decree of 1760 on the right to exile peasants to Siberia, etc.). Peasant protests against serfdom were brutally suppressed. The foreign policy of Elizaveta Petrovna, skillfully directed by Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, was subordinated to the task of fighting against the aggressive aspirations of the Prussian king Frederick II.

Peter III Fedorovich (1728-1762), Russian Emperor from 1761. German Prince Karl Peter Ulrich, son of Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich and Anna - the eldest daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. Since 1742 in Russia. In 1761 he made peace with Prussia, which negated the results of the victories of Russian troops in the Seven Years' War. Introduced German rules into the army. Overthrown in a coup organized by his wife Catherine, killed.

Catherine II Alekseevna (Great) (1729-1796), Russian empress from 1762. German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. She came to power by overthrowing Peter III, her husband, with the help of the guard. She formalized the class privileges of the nobles. Under Catherine II, the Russian absolutist state became significantly stronger, the oppression of the peasants intensified, and a peasant war took place under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev (1773-1775). The Northern Black Sea region, Crimea, North Caucasus, Western Ukrainian, Belarusian and Lithuanian lands (according to three sections of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. From the late 80s - early 90s. actively participated in the fight against the French Revolution; pursued free thought in Russia.

Paul I Petrovich (1754-1801), Russian emperor since 1796. Son of Peter III and Catherine II. He introduced a military-police regime in the state, and Prussian order in the army; limited noble privileges. He opposed revolutionary France, but in 1800 he entered into an alliance with Bonaparte. Killed by conspiratorial nobles.

Alexander I Pavlovich (1777-1825), emperor from 1801. The eldest son of Paul I. At the beginning of his reign he held a moderate liberal reforms, developed by the Secret Committee and M.M. Speransky. In foreign policy he maneuvered between Great Britain and France. In 1805-1807 he participated in anti-French coalitions. In 1807-1812 he temporarily became close to France. He fought successful wars with Turkey (1806-1812) and Sweden (1808-1809). Under Alexander I, Eastern Georgia (1801), Finland (1809), Bessarabia (1812), Azerbaijan (1813), and the former Duchy of Warsaw (1815) were annexed to Russia. After the Patriotic War of 1812 he headed in 1813-1814 anti-French coalition European powers. He was one of the leaders of the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815 and the organizers of the Holy Alliance.

Nicholas I Pavlovich (1796-1855), Russian emperor since 1825. Third son of Emperor Paul I. Honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1826). Accessed the throne after sudden death Alexander I. Suppressed the Decembrist uprising. Under Nicholas I, the centralization of the bureaucratic apparatus was strengthened, the Third Department was created, the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was compiled, and new censorship regulations were introduced (1826, 1828). The theory has gained ground official nationality. The Polish uprising of 1830-1831 and the revolution in Hungary of 1848-1849 were suppressed. Important side foreign policy there was a return to the principles of the Holy Alliance. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia participated in Caucasian War 1817-1864, Russian-Persian War 1826-1828, Russian-Turkish War 1828-1829, Crimean War 1853-1856.

Alexander II Nikolaevich (1818-1881), emperor since 1855. The eldest son of Nicholas I. He abolished serfdom and then carried out a number of other bourgeois reforms (zemstvo, judicial, military, etc.) promoting the development of capitalism. After the Polish uprising of 1863-1864, he switched to a reactionary domestic political course. Since the late 70s, repressions against revolutionaries have intensified. During the reign of Alexander II, the annexation of the Caucasus (1864), Kazakhstan (1865), and most of the Central Asia(1865-1881). A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II (1866, 1867, 1879, 1880); killed by Narodnaya Volya.

Alexander III Alexandrovich (1845-1894), Russian Emperor since 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 80s, in the conditions of growing capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out "counter-reforms". He suppressed the revolutionary democratic and labor movement, strengthened the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. During the reign of Alexander III, the annexation of Central Asia to Russia was basically completed (1885), and the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).

Nicholas II Alexandrovich (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor (1894-1917). Eldest son of Alexander III. His reign coincided with rapid development capitalism. Under Nicholas II, Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the revolution of 1905-1907, during which the Manifesto was adopted on October 17, 1905, which authorized the creation political parties and established State Duma; began to be implemented with Stolypinskaya agrarian reform. In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente, as part of which it entered the First World War. Since August 1915, Supreme Commander-in-Chief. During the February Revolution of 1917, he abdicated the throne. Shot along with his family in Yekaterinburg

For almost 400 years of the existence of this title, it was worn completely different people- from adventurers and liberals to tyrants and conservatives.

Rurikovich

Over the years, Russia (from Rurik to Putin) has changed its political system many times. At first, rulers bore the title of prince. When after the period political fragmentation something new has developed around Moscow Russian state, the owners of the Kremlin began to think about accepting the royal title.

This was accomplished under Ivan the Terrible (1547-1584). This one decided to marry into the kingdom. And this decision was not accidental. So the Moscow monarch emphasized that he was the legal successor. It was they who bestowed Orthodoxy on Russia. In the 16th century, Byzantium no longer existed (it fell under the onslaught of the Ottomans), so Ivan the Terrible rightly believed that his act would have serious symbolic significance.

Such historical figures as rendered big influence for the development of the entire country. In addition to changing his title, Ivan the Terrible also captured the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates, beginning Russian expansion to the East.

Ivan's son Fedor (1584-1598) was distinguished by his weak character and health. Nevertheless, under him the state continued to develop. The patriarchate was established. Rulers have always paid a lot of attention to the issue of succession to the throne. This time he became especially acute. Fedor had no children. When he died, the Rurik dynasty on the Moscow throne came to an end.

Time of Troubles

After Fyodor's death, Boris Godunov (1598-1605), his brother-in-law, came to power. He did not belong to the reigning family, and many considered him a usurper. Under him, due to natural disasters, a colossal famine began. The tsars and presidents of Russia have always tried to maintain calm in the provinces. Due to the tense situation, Godunov was unable to do this. Several peasant uprisings took place in the country.

In addition, the adventurer Grishka Otrepyev called himself one of the sons of Ivan the Terrible and began a military campaign against Moscow. He actually managed to capture the capital and become king. Boris Godunov did not live to see this moment - he died from health complications. His son Feodor II was captured by the comrades of False Dmitry and killed.

The impostor ruled for only a year, after which he was overthrown during the Moscow uprising, inspired by disgruntled Russian boyars who did not like the fact that False Dmitry surrounded himself with Catholic Poles. decided to transfer the crown to Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610). IN Troubled times The rulers of Russia changed frequently.

The princes, tsars and presidents of Russia had to carefully guard their power. Shuisky could not restrain her and was overthrown by the Polish interventionists.

The first Romanovs

When Moscow was liberated from foreign invaders in 1613, the question arose of who should be made sovereign. This text presents all the kings of Russia in order (with portraits). Now the time has come to talk about the rise to the throne of the Romanov dynasty.

The first sovereign from this family - Mikhail (1613-1645) - was just a youth when he was put in charge huge country. His main goal began the struggle with Poland for the lands it captured during the Time of Troubles.

These were the biographies of the rulers and the dates of their reign until the middle of the 17th century. After Mikhail, his son Alexei (1645-1676) ruled. He annexed left-bank Ukraine and Kyiv to Russia. So, after several centuries of fragmentation and Lithuanian rule, the fraternal peoples finally began to live in one country.

Alexei had many sons. The eldest of them, Feodor III (1676-1682), died at a young age. After him came the simultaneous reign of two children - Ivan and Peter.

Peter the Great

Ivan Alekseevich was unable to govern the country. Therefore, in 1689, the sole reign of Peter the Great began. He completely rebuilt the country in a European manner. Russia - from Rurik to Putin (in chronological order consider all the rulers) - knows few examples of an era so saturated with changes.

A new army and navy appeared. For this, Peter started a war against Sweden. lasted 21 years North War. During it, the Swedish army was defeated, and the kingdom agreed to cede its southern Baltic lands. In this region, St. Petersburg, the new capital of Russia, was founded in 1703. Peter's successes made him think about changing his title. In 1721 he became emperor. However, this change did not abolish the royal title - in everyday speech, monarchs continued to be called kings.

The era of palace coups

Peter's death was followed by a long period instability of power. Monarchs replaced each other with enviable regularity, which was facilitated by the Guard or certain courtiers, as a rule, at the head of these changes. This era was ruled by Catherine I (1725-1727), Peter II (1727-1730), Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740), Ivan VI (1740-1741), Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761) and Peter III (1761-1762) ).

The last of them was German by birth. Under Peter III's predecessor, Elizabeth, Russia waged a victorious war against Prussia. The new monarch renounced all his conquests, returned Berlin to the king and concluded a peace treaty. With this act he signed his own death warrant. The Guard organized another palace coup, after which Peter's wife Catherine II found herself on the throne.

Catherine II and Paul I

Catherine II (1762-1796) had a deep state mind. On the throne, she began to pursue a policy of enlightened absolutism. The Empress organized the work of the famous laid down commission, the purpose of which was to prepare a comprehensive project of reforms in Russia. She also wrote the Order. This document contained many considerations about the transformations necessary for the country. The reforms were curtailed when the Volga region broke out in the 1770s. peasant revolt under the leadership of Pugachev.

All the tsars and presidents of Russia (we have listed all the royal persons in chronological order) made sure that the country looked decent in the external arena. She was no exception. She conducted several successful military campaigns against Turkey. As a result, Crimea and other important Black Sea regions were annexed to Russia. At the end of Catherine's reign, three divisions of Poland occurred. So Russian empire received important acquisitions in the west.

After death great empress Her son Paul I (1796-1801) came to power. This quarrelsome man was not liked by many in the St. Petersburg elite.

First half of the 19th century

In 1801, the next and last palace coup took place. A group of conspirators dealt with Pavel. His son Alexander I (1801-1825) was on the throne. His reign was Patriotic War and Napoleon's invasion. Rulers Russian state For two centuries they have not faced such a serious enemy intervention. Despite the capture of Moscow, Bonaparte was defeated. Alexander became the most popular and famous monarch of the Old World. He was also called the "liberator of Europe."

Within his country, Alexander in his youth tried to implement liberal reforms. Historical figures often change their policies as they age. So Alexander soon abandoned his ideas. He died in Taganrog in 1825 under mysterious circumstances.

At the beginning of the reign of his brother Nicholas I (1825-1855), the Decembrist uprising occurred. Because of this, conservative orders triumphed in the country for thirty years.

Second half of the 19th century

All the kings of Russia are presented here in order, with portraits. Next we will talk about the main reformer of Russian statehood - Alexander II (1855-1881). He initiated the manifesto for the liberation of the peasants. The destruction of serfdom allowed the development Russian market and capitalism. Economic growth began in the country. Reforms also affected the judiciary, local government, administrative and conscription systems. The monarch tried to get the country back on its feet and learn the lessons that the lost beginnings under Nicholas I taught him.

But Alexander's reforms were not enough for the radicals. Terrorists made several attempts on his life. In 1881 they achieved success. Alexander II died from a bomb explosion. The news came as a shock to the whole world.

Because of what happened, the son of the deceased monarch, Alexander III (1881-1894), forever became a tough reactionary and conservative. But most of all he is known as a peacemaker. During his reign, Russia did not wage a single war.

The last king

In 1894, Alexander III died. Power passed into the hands of Nicholas II (1894-1917) - his son and the last Russian monarch. By that time, the old world order with the absolute power of kings and kings had already outlived its usefulness. Russia - from Rurik to Putin - has known a lot of upheavals, but it was under Nicholas that more than ever happened.

In 1904-1905 The country experienced a humiliating war with Japan. It was followed by the first revolution. Although the unrest was suppressed, the tsar had to make concessions to public opinion. He agreed to establish a constitutional monarchy and parliament.

Tsars and presidents of Russia at all times faced a certain opposition within the state. Now people could elect deputies who expressed these sentiments.

In 1914 the First World War. No one then suspected that it would end with the fall of several empires at once, including the Russian one. In 1917 it broke out February Revolution, and the last king had to abdicate the throne. Nicholas II and his family were shot by the Bolsheviks in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg.

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 held 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), and the merchant class begins to play an increasingly important 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, Alexey 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 is on 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. Reflection of popular disagreement with politics official church found 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 relegated to 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 outrages, 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. Morozov 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 Moscow Uprising of 1662) broke out due to the financial crisis: in 1654 the government introduced copper money at the rate of silver, resulting in mass production copper money their depreciation occurred, which led to increased speculation and the issuance of counterfeit coins (often by the ruling elite).

The Romanov dynasty was in power for just over 300 years, and during this time the face of the country completely changed. From a lagging state, constantly suffering due to fragmentation and internal dynastic crises, Russia turned into an abode of an enlightened intelligentsia. Each ruler from the Romanov dynasty paid attention to those issues that seemed most relevant and important to him. For example, Peter I tried to expand the territory of the country and make Russian cities similar to European ones, and Catherine II put her whole soul into promoting the ideas of enlightenment. Gradually, the authority of the ruling dynasty fell, which led to a tragic ending. The royal family was killed, and power passed to the communists for several decades.

Results of the Romanov reign

During the reign of the Romanovs, the Russian monarchy experienced an era of prosperity, several periods of painful reforms and a sudden decline. The Muscovite Kingdom, in which Mikhail Romanov was crowned king, annexed vast territories in the 17th century Eastern Siberia and reached the border with China. At the beginning of the 18th century, Russia became an empire and became one of the most influential states in Europe. Russia's decisive role in the victories over France and Turkey further strengthened its position. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Empire, like other empires, collapsed under the influence of the events of the First World War.

In 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne and was arrested by the Provisional Government. The monarchy in Russia was abolished. Another year and a half later, the last emperor and his entire family were shot by decision of the Soviet government. Nikolai's surviving distant relatives settled in different countries Europe. Today, representatives of two branches of the Romanov dynasty: the Kirillovichs and the Nikolaeviches - claim the right to be considered locums of the Russian throne.