Who was the first Russian Tsar? Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty Who was the first of the Romanov dynasty

For 10 centuries, the domestic and foreign policies of the Russian state were determined by representatives of the ruling dynasties. As you know, the greatest prosperity of the state was under the rule of the Romanov dynasty, descendants of an old noble family. Its ancestor is considered to be Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, whose father, Glanda-Kambila Divonovich, baptized Ivan, came to Russia in the last quarter of the 13th century from Lithuania.

The youngest of the 5 sons of Andrei Ivanovich, Fyodor Koshka, left numerous offspring, which include such surnames as the Koshkins-Zakharyins, Yakovlevs, Lyatskys, Bezzubtsevs and Sheremetyevs. In the sixth generation from Andrei Kobyla in the Koshkin-Zakharyin family there was the boyar Roman Yuryevich, from whom the boyar family, and subsequently the Romanov tsars, originated. This dynasty ruled in Russia for three hundred years.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613 - 1645)

The beginning of the reign of the Romanov dynasty can be considered February 21, 1613, when the Zemsky Sobor took place, at which the Moscow nobles, supported by the townspeople, proposed electing 16-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as sovereign of all Rus'. The proposal was accepted unanimously, and on July 11, 1613, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, Mikhail was crowned king.

The beginning of his reign was not easy, because the central government still did not control a significant part of the state. In those days, robber Cossack detachments of Zarutsky, Balovy and Lisovsky were walking around Russia, ruining the state already exhausted by the war with Sweden and Poland.

Thus, the newly elected king was faced with two important tasks: first, ending hostilities with his neighbors, and second, pacifying his subjects. He was able to cope with this only after 2 years. 1615 - all free Cossack groups were completely destroyed, and in 1617 the war with Sweden ended with the conclusion of the Stolbovo Peace. According to this agreement, the Moscow state lost access to the Baltic Sea, but peace and tranquility were restored in Russia. It was possible to begin to lead the country out of a deep crisis. And here Mikhail’s government had to make a lot of efforts to restore the devastated country.

At first, the authorities took up the development of industry, for which foreign industrialists - ore miners, gunsmiths, foundry workers - were invited to Russia on preferential terms. Then the turn came to the army - it was obvious that for the prosperity and security of the state it was necessary to develop military affairs, in connection with this, in 1642, transformations began in the armed forces.

Foreign officers trained Russian military men in military affairs, “regiments of a foreign system” appeared in the country, which was the first step towards the creation of a regular army. These transformations turned out to be the last in the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich - 2 years later the tsar died at the age of 49 from “water sickness” and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Alexey Mikhailovich, nickname Quiet (1645-1676)

His eldest son Alexei, who, according to contemporaries, was one of the most educated people of his time, became king. He himself wrote and edited many decrees and was the first of the Russian tsars to begin signing them personally (others signed decrees for Mikhail, for example, his father Filaret). Meek and pious, Alexey earned the people's love and the nickname Quiet.

In the first years of his reign, Alexei Mikhailovich took little part in government affairs. The state was ruled by the Tsar's educator, boyar Boris Morozov, and the Tsar's father-in-law, Ilya Miloslavsky. Morozov's policy, which was aimed at increasing tax oppression, as well as Miloslavsky's lawlessness and abuses, caused popular indignation.

1648, June - an uprising broke out in the capital, followed by uprisings in southern Russian cities and in Siberia. The result of this rebellion was the removal of Morozov and Miloslavsky from power. 1649 - Alexei Mikhailovich had the opportunity to take over the rule of the country. On his personal instructions, they compiled a set of laws - the Council Code, which satisfied the basic wishes of the townspeople and nobles.

In addition, the government of Alexei Mikhailovich encouraged the development of industry, supported Russian merchants, protecting them from competition from foreign traders. Customs and new trade regulations were adopted, which contributed to the development of domestic and foreign trade. Also, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the Moscow state expanded its borders not only to the southwest, but also to the south and east - Russian explorers explored Eastern Siberia.

Feodor III Alekseevich (1676 - 1682)

1675 - Alexei Mikhailovich declared his son Fyodor heir to the throne. 1676, January 30 - Alexei died at the age of 47 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin. Fyodor Alekseevich became the sovereign of all Rus' and on June 18, 1676 he was crowned king in the Assumption Cathedral. Tsar Fedor reigned for only six years, he was extremely unindependent, power ended up in the hands of his maternal relatives - the Miloslavsky boyars.

The most important event of the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich was the destruction of localism in 1682, which provided the opportunity for promotion to not very noble, but educated and enterprising people. In the last days of the reign of Fyodor Alekseevich, a project was drawn up to establish a Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy and a theological school for 30 people in Moscow. Fyodor Alekseevich died on April 27, 1682 at the age of 22, without making any order regarding the succession to the throne.

Ivan V (1682-1696)

After the death of Tsar Fyodor, ten-year-old Pyotr Alekseevich, at the suggestion of Patriarch Joachim and at the insistence of the Naryshkins (his mother was from this family), was proclaimed tsar, bypassing his older brother Tsarevich Ivan. But on May 23 of the same year, at the request of the Miloslavsky boyars, he was approved by the Zemsky Sobor as the “second tsar,” and Ivan as the “first.” And only in 1696, after the death of Ivan Alekseevich, Peter became the sole tsar.

Peter I Alekseevich, nickname the Great (1682 - 1725)

Both emperors pledged to be allies in the conduct of hostilities. However, in 1810, relations between Russia and France began to take on an openly hostile character. And in the summer of 1812, war began between the powers. The Russian army, having expelled the invaders from Moscow, completed the liberation of Europe with a triumphal entry into Paris in 1814. The successfully ended wars with Turkey and Sweden strengthened the country's international position. During the reign of Alexander I, Georgia, Finland, Bessarabia, and Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire. 1825 - During a trip to Taganrog, Emperor Alexander I caught a severe cold and died on November 19.

Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855)

After Alexander's death, Russia lived without an emperor for almost a month. On December 14, 1825, an oath was announced to his younger brother Nikolai Pavlovich. That same day, an attempted coup took place, which was later called the Decembrist uprising. The day of December 14 made an indelible impression on Nicholas I, and this was reflected in the nature of his entire reign, during which absolutism reached its highest rise, expenses for officials and the army absorbed almost all state funds. During the years, the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was compiled - a code of all legislative acts that existed in 1835.

1826 - the Secret Committee was established, dealing with the peasant issue; in 1830, a general law on estates was developed, in which a number of improvements were designed for the peasants. About 9,000 rural schools were established for the primary education of peasant children.

1854 - the Crimean War began, ending in the defeat of Russia: according to the Paris Treaty of 1856, the Black Sea was declared neutral, and Russia was able to regain the right to have a fleet there only in 1871. It was the defeat in this war that decided the fate of Nicholas I. Not wanting to admit the error of his views and beliefs, which led the state not only to military defeat, but also to the collapse of the entire system of state power, the emperor is believed to have deliberately taken poison on February 18, 1855.

Alexander II the Liberator (1855-1881)

The next from the Romanov dynasty came to power - Alexander Nikolaevich, the eldest son of Nicholas I and Alexandra Fedorovna.

It should be noted that I was able to somewhat stabilize the situation both within the state and on the external borders. Firstly, under Alexander II, serfdom was abolished in Russia, for which the emperor was nicknamed the Liberator. 1874 - a decree was issued on universal conscription, which abolished conscription. At this time, higher educational institutions for women were created, three universities were founded - Novorossiysk, Warsaw and Tomsk.

Alexander II was able to finally conquer the Caucasus in 1864. According to the Argun Treaty with China, the Amur Territory was annexed to Russia, and according to the Beijing Treaty, the Ussuri Territory was annexed. 1864 - Russian troops began a campaign in Central Asia, during which the Turkestan region and Fergana region were captured. Russian rule extended all the way to the peaks of the Tien Shan and the foot of the Himalayan range. Russia also had possessions in the United States.

However, in 1867, Russia sold Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to America. The most important event in Russian foreign policy during the reign of Alexander II was the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878, which ended in the victory of the Russian army, which resulted in the declaration of independence of Serbia, Romania and Montenegro.

Russia received part of Bessarabia, seized in 1856 (except for the islands of the Danube Delta) and a monetary indemnity of 302.5 million rubles. In the Caucasus, Ardahan, Kars and Batum with their surroundings were annexed to Russia. The Emperor could have done a lot more for Russia, but on March 1, 1881, his life was tragically cut short by a bomb from Narodnaya Volya terrorists, and the next representative of the Romanov dynasty, his son Alexander III, ascended the throne. Difficult times have come for the Russian people.

Alexander III the Peacemaker (1881-1894)

During the reign of Alexander III, administrative arbitrariness increased significantly. In order to develop new lands, a massive resettlement of peasants to Siberia began. The government took care of improving the living conditions of workers - the work of minors and women was limited.

In foreign policy at this time, there was a deterioration in Russian-German relations and a rapprochement between Russia and France took place, which ended with the conclusion of the Franco-Russian alliance. Emperor Alexander III died in the fall of 1894 from kidney disease, aggravated by bruises received during a train accident near Kharkov and constant excessive consumption of alcohol. And power passed to his eldest son Nicholas, the last Russian emperor from the Romanov dynasty.

Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917)

The entire reign of Nicholas II passed in an atmosphere of growing revolutionary movement. At the beginning of 1905, a revolution broke out in Russia, marking the beginning of reforms: 1905, October 17 - the Manifesto was published, which established the foundations of civil freedom: personal integrity, freedom of speech, assembly and unions. The State Duma was established (1906), without whose approval not a single law could enter into force.

Agrarian reform was carried out according to the project of P.A. Stolshin. In the field of foreign policy, Nicholas II took some steps to stabilize international relations. Despite the fact that Nicholas was more democratic than his father, popular discontent with the autocrat grew rapidly. At the beginning of March 1917, the Chairman of the State Duma M.V. Rodzianko told Nicholas II that the preservation of autocracy was possible only if the throne was transferred to Tsarevich Alexei.

But, given the poor health of his son Alexei, Nicholas abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Mikhail Alexandrovich. Mikhail Alexandrovich, in turn, abdicated in favor of the people. The republican era has begun in Russia.

From March 9 to August 14, 1917, the former emperor and members of his family were kept under arrest in Tsarskoye Selo, then they were transported to Tobolsk. On April 30, 1918, the prisoners were brought to Yekaterinburg, where on the night of July 17, 1918, by order of the new revolutionary government, the former emperor, his wife, children and the doctor and servants who remained with them were shot by security officers. Thus ended the reign of the last dynasty in Russian history.

The king's handwritten signature Mikhail Fedorovich reads: "Great King..."

G. Ugryumov. “Mikhail Fedorovich’s calling to the kingdom”

On February 21, 1613, the Zemsky Sobor decided to elect Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom. The 16-year-old son of boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov and his wife Ksenia Shestakova turned out to be the compromise figure who, if not satisfied with absolutely all the warring parties, then caused the least criticism. Largely due to the fact that everyone understood that he would rule the country nominally, and the main policy in the state would be determined by his father, Metropolitan Philaret.

Difficult childhood

Mikhail was born on December 12, 1596, when his father was already over 40 years old. He was a rather powerful man who never stood aside from the turbulent political life. But he could hardly have acted otherwise, since he was the cousin of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich and, naturally, defended the interests of the family. However, his wife, Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova, was also no stranger, she always knew what she was striving for and on this path she did not tolerate any teaching, much less opposition. By and large, neither father nor mother took care of Mikhail in early childhood; they had enough of their own troubles. By the way, the future king was not the first and not the last child in the family, but most of the children died in infancy. In any case, besides Mikhail, only one sister survived her youth - Tatyana.

And in 1600, when the boy was not even four years old, Boris Godunov, sensing his “gravediggers” in the Romanovs, forcibly tonsured both Mikhail’s father and mother as monks, exiling them to different monasteries. Fyodor, under the name of Philaret, went to the Anthony of Siysky Monastery, located on the peninsula of Great Mikhailov Lake, in the Kholmogory district of the Arkhangelsk region. And Ksenia, under the name of Marfa, ended up in the Zaonezhsky churchyards of the Novgorod region.

After the forced monastic tonsure of both parents, Mikhail found himself raised by his aunt, Martha of Cherkassy. And only after the death of Boris Godunov, in April 1605, the boy returned to the family. By that time, my father had become the Rostov Metropolitan, and his wife was reunited with him almost immediately.

And from 1608, Mikhail lived with his mother in Moscow, was captured by the Poles, and after his release went to Kostroma. Mikhail Fedorovich met the beginning of 1613 in the Ipatiev Monastery, and after some time his mother began to be “diligently processed” by the ambassadors of the Zemsky Sobor with a view to electing the teenager as Russian Tsar. They didn’t even look at the fact that the future king was maimed - when he was young, he was run over by a horse.

The mother understood too well what awaited her son in the first years of his reign: the state treasury was empty, Cossack gangs were robbing the state, Smolensk was in the hands of the Poles, whose leader, Prince Vladislav, was asleep and saw himself on the Moscow throne, the Swedes were in Novgorod. And does her child need it?

In general, despite the great temptations, the mother had to refuse. But she also had to think about her husband, who was languishing in Polish captivity. If Michael became king, it would be easier to achieve Filaret’s release from captivity. And after thinking about it, she finally agreed. So, consent was obtained.

Hard youth

Of course, before the death of his father (1633), Michael’s power was rather nominal. Moreover, for the first six years the Boyar Duma ruled in everything. But, besides everything, it was also a good school. First of all, they decided to “pull” as many nobles as possible to their side; for this purpose, they returned the lands confiscated by Vasily Shuisky to the large feudal lords. Then they set about pacifying the robber gangs, using a policy of carrots and sticks. The worst robbers were executed, and those who were more accommodating were also given land. If you want wealth, take as much as they give, but after that the demand will be tough.
"Mikhail Fedorovich at a meeting of the boyar duma" (Andreya Ryabushkin, 1893)

We had to resort to the help of foreign diplomats in resolving relations with Sweden, which dreamed of placing its Prince Philip on the throne. But in 1615 peace was concluded with the Swedes. Novgorod returned to Russia, but for this the Scandinavians received the Finnish coast and 20 thousand rubles in compensation. And then the Polish prince moved his troops to Moscow. The assault on Moscow fortifications (October 1, 1618) was repulsed, and on December 1 a truce was concluded for 14 years in the village of Deuline. It did not return the territory lost in the turmoil, nor did it get rid of Vladislav’s claims, but there was an exchange of prisoners, which included Filaret Nikitich. On June 14, 1619, he arrived in Moscow, and was soon elected patriarch.

Personal life

At one time, the zemstvo intended to strengthen the prestige of the Russian state to marry the young tsar to some representative of the royal blood of Europe. But, firstly, none of the monarchs sought to give their little blood to this Moscow mess, and, secondly, everyone knew about Mikhail’s injury. And they didn’t want to ruin the princesses’ lives. And thirdly, the Russians had great demands. So, the Swedes completely decided to give the king their princess as a wife, but the Russians demanded that the girl convert to Orthodoxy. The applicant refused, the parties remained with their interests.

In 1616, Mikhail was almost married to Maria Khlopova, but just before the wedding she fell ill. Opponents of Khlopova’s appearance next to the Tsar sang to Mikhail Fedorovich that the bride was terminally ill, and he refused this marriage. By the way, after this the “sick” woman lived for seventeen years. Unlike Princess Maria Dolgorukaya, who suddenly died three months after her wedding to Mikhail Romanov - in 1625.

But his marriage with Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva, concluded in 1626, turned out to be much happier. Even though after 1627 the tsar had difficulty moving due to leg disease (there is evidence that during trips he was simply carried from cart to cart), this did not interfere with the marriage. They had 10 children, however, only a son (the future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who, ironically, also sat on the throne at the age of 16) and three unmarried daughters who survived their father, overcame the twenty-year mark.

Alexey was even less fortunate than his parent. If Mikhail Romanov was “under the wing” of his father and mother for quite a long time (Ksenia died in 1631, Filaret in 1633), then Alexey lost his closest people in one year with a month difference. In April 1645, 48-year-old Mikhail Romanovich fell ill and, despite all the efforts of doctors, died on July 13. By the way, his son lived almost the same amount of time, dying at the age of 48.

But that's a completely different story...

The Romanovs, whose dynasty dates back to the sixteenth century, were simply an old noble family. But after the marriage concluded between Ivan the Terrible and a representative of the Romanov family, Anastasia Zakharyina, they became close to the royal court. And after establishing kinship with the Moscow Rurikovichs, the Romanovs themselves began to lay claim to the royal throne.

The history of the Russian dynasty of emperors began after the chosen grandnephew of Ivan the Terrible’s wife, Mikhail Fedorovich, began to rule the country. His descendants stood at the head of Russia until October 1917.

Background

The ancestor of some noble families, including the Romanovs, is called Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, whose father, as records show, Divonovich Glanda-Kambila, who received the baptismal name Ivan, appeared in Russia in the last decade of the fourteenth century. He came from Lithuania.

Despite this, a certain category of historians suggests that the beginning of the Romanov dynasty (in short - the House of Romanov) comes from Novgorod. Andrei Ivanovich had five sons. Their names were Semyon Stallion and Alexander Elka, Vasily Ivantai and Gavriil Gavsha, as well as Fyodor Koshka. They were the founders of as many as seventeen noble houses in Rus'. In the first generation, Andrei Ivanovich and his first four sons were called Kobylins, Fyodor Andreevich and his son Ivan were called Koshkins, and the latter’s son, Zakhary, was called Koshkin-Zakharyin.

The origin of the surname

Descendants soon discarded the first part - the Koshkins. And for some time now they began to be written only under the name of Zakharyina. From the sixth generation, the second half was added to it - the Yuryevs.

Accordingly, the offspring of Peter and Vasily Yakovlevich were called the Yakovlevs, Roman - the okolnichy and the governor - Zakharyin-Romanov. It is with the children of the latter that the famous Romanov dynasty began. The reign of this family began in 1613.

Kings

The Romanov dynasty managed to install five of its representatives on the royal throne. The first of them was the great-nephew of Anastasia, the wife of Ivan the Terrible. Mikhail Fedorovich is the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, he was raised to the throne by the Zemsky Sobor. But, since he was young and inexperienced, the country was actually ruled by Elder Martha and her relatives. After him, the kings of the Romanov dynasty were few in number. These are his son Alexei and three grandsons - Fyodor and Peter I. It was the latter in 1721 that the Romanov royal dynasty ended.

Emperors

When Peter Alekseevich ascended the throne, a completely different era began for the family. The Romanovs, whose dynasty's history as emperors began in 1721, gave Russia thirteen rulers. Of these, only three were representatives by blood.

After the first emperor of the House of Romanov, the throne was inherited as an autocratic empress by his legal wife Catherine I, whose origins are still hotly debated by historians. After her death, power passed to Peter Alekseevich’s grandson from his first marriage, Peter the Second.

Due to infighting and intrigue, his grandfather's line of succession to the throne was frozen. And after him, imperial power and regalia were transferred to the daughter of Emperor Peter the Great’s elder brother, Ivan V, while after Anna Ioannovna, her son from the Duke of Brunswick ascended to the Russian throne. His name was Ivan VI Antonovich. He became the only representative of the Mecklenburg-Romanov dynasty to occupy the throne. He was overthrown by his own aunt, “Petrov’s daughter,” Empress Elizabeth. She was unmarried and childless. That is why the Romanov dynasty, whose reign table is very impressive, in the direct male line ended precisely there.

Introduction to history

The accession of this family to the throne occurred under strange circumstances, surrounded by numerous strange deaths. The Romanov dynasty, photos of whose representatives are in any history textbook, is directly related to the Russian chronicle. She stands out for her unfailing patriotism. Together with the people, they went through difficult times, slowly lifting the country out of poverty and misery - the results of constant wars, namely the Romanovs.

The history of the Russian dynasty is literally saturated with bloody events and secrets. Each of its representatives, although they respected the interests of their subjects, was at the same time distinguished by cruelty.

First ruler

The year the Romanov dynasty began was very turbulent. The state did not have a legal ruler. Mainly due to the excellent reputation of Anastasia Zakharyina and her brother Nikita, the Romanov family was respected by everyone.

Russia was tormented by wars with Sweden and practically never-ending internecine strife. At the beginning of February 1613, in Velikiy, abandoned by foreign invaders along with a pile of dirt and garbage, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, the young and inexperienced prince Mikhail Fedorovich, was proclaimed. And it was this sixteen-year-old son who marked the beginning of the reign of the Romanov dynasty. He secured his reign for a full thirty-two years.

It is with him that the Romanov dynasty begins, the genealogy table of which is studied at school. In 1645, Mikhail was replaced by his son Alexei. The latter also ruled for quite a long time - more than three decades. After him, the succession to the throne was associated with some difficulties.

From 1676, Russia was ruled for six years by Mikhail’s grandson, Fedor, named after his great-grandfather. After his death, the reign of the Romanov dynasty was worthily continued by Peter I and Ivan V, his brothers. For almost fifteen years they exercised dual power, although virtually the entire government of the country was taken into their own hands by their sister Sophia, who was known as a very power-hungry woman. Historians say that to hide this circumstance, a special double throne with a hole was ordered. And it was through him that Sophia gave instructions to her brothers in a whisper.

Peter the Great

And although the beginning of the reign of the Romanov dynasty is associated with Fedorovich, nevertheless, almost everyone knows one of its representatives. This is a man of whom both the entire Russian people and the Romanovs themselves can be proud. The history of the Russian dynasty of emperors, the history of the Russian people, the history of Russia are inextricably linked with the name of Peter the Great - the commander and founder of the regular army and navy, and in general - a man with very progressive views on life.

Possessing purposefulness, strong will and great capacity for work, Peter I, like, indeed, the entire Romanov dynasty, with a few exceptions, photos of whose representatives are in all history textbooks, studied a lot throughout his life. But he paid special attention to military and naval affairs. During his first trip abroad in 1697-1698, Peter took a course in artillery science in the city of Konigsberg, then worked for six months at the Amsterdam shipyards as a simple carpenter, and studied the theory of shipbuilding in England.

This was not only the most remarkable personality of his era, the Romanovs could be proud of him: the history of the Russian dynasty did not know a more intelligent and inquisitive person. His whole appearance, according to his contemporaries, testified to this.

Peter the Great was invariably interested in everything that somehow affected his plans: both in terms of government or commerce, and in education. His curiosity extended to almost everything. He did not neglect even the smallest details, if they could later be useful in some way.

The life's work of Pyotr Romanov was the rise of his state and the strengthening of its military strength. It was he who became the founder of the regular fleet and army, continuing the reforms of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich.

The state transformations of Peter the Great's rule turned Russia into a strong state that acquired seaports, developed foreign trade and a well-established administrative management system.

And although the reign of the Romanov dynasty began almost six decades earlier, not a single representative of it managed to achieve what Peter the Great achieved. He not only established himself as an excellent diplomat, but also created the anti-Swedish Northern Alliance. In history, the name of the first emperor is associated with the main stage in the development of Russia and its emergence as a great power.

At the same time, Peter was a very tough person. When he seized power at the age of seventeen, he did not fail to hide his sister Sophia in a distant monastery. One of the most famous representatives of the Romanov dynasty, Peter, better known as the Great, was considered a rather heartless emperor, who set himself the goal of reorganizing his little-civilized country in a Western manner.

However, despite such advanced ideas, he was considered a capricious tyrant, quite comparable to his cruel predecessor - Ivan the Terrible, the husband of his great-grandmother Anastasia Romanova.

Some researchers reject the great significance of Peter's perestroikas and, in general, the policies of the emperor during his reign. Peter, they believe, was in a hurry to achieve his goals, so he took the shortest route, sometimes even using obviously clumsy methods. And this was precisely the reason that after his untimely death, the Russian empire quickly returned to the state from which the reformer Peter Romanov tried to bring it out.

It is impossible to radically change your people in one fell swoop, even by building a new capital for them, shaving the boyars’ beards and ordering them to gather for political rallies.

Nevertheless, the policies of the Romanovs, and in particular the administrative reforms that Peter introduced, meant quite a lot for the country.

New branch

After the marriage of Anna (the second daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine) with the nephew of the Swedish king, the beginning of the Romanov dynasty was laid, which actually passed into the Holstein-Gottorp family. At the same time, according to the agreement, the son born from this marriage, and he became Peter III, still remained a member of this royal House.

Thus, according to genealogical rules, the imperial family began to be called Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovsky, which was reflected not only on their family coat of arms, but also on the coat of arms of Russia. From this time on, the throne was passed on in a straight line, without any intricacies. This happened thanks to a decree issued by Paul. It spoke of succession to the throne through the direct male line.

After Paul, the country was ruled by Alexander I, his eldest son, who was childless. His second descendant, Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, renounced the throne, which, in fact, became one of the reasons for the Decembrist uprising. The next emperor was his third son, Nicholas I. In general, since the time of Catherine the Great, all heirs to the throne began to bear the title of crown prince.

After Nicholas I, the throne passed to his eldest son, Alexander II. At the age of twenty-one, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich died of tuberculosis. Therefore, the next was the second son - Emperor Alexander III, who was succeeded by his eldest son and the last Russian ruler - Nicholas II. Thus, since the beginning of the Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp dynasty, eight emperors have come from this branch, including Catherine the Great.

Nineteenth century

In the 19th century, the imperial family expanded and expanded greatly. Special laws were even adopted that regulated the rights and obligations of each family member. The material aspects of their existence were also discussed. A new title was even introduced - Prince of the Imperial Blood. He assumed too distant a descendant of the ruler.

From the time when the Romanov dynasty began until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Imperial House began to include four branches in the female line:

• Holstein-Gottorp;
• Leuchtenberg - descended from the daughter of Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, and the Duke of Leuchtenberg;
• Oldenburg - from the marriage of the daughter of Emperor Paul with the Duke of Oldenburg;
• Mecklenburg - originating from the marriage of Princess Catherine Mikhailovna and the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Revolution and the Imperial House

From the moment the Romanov dynasty began, the history of this family is full of death and bloodshed. No wonder the last of the family - Nicholas II - was nicknamed the Bloody. It must be said that the emperor himself was not at all distinguished by a cruel disposition.

The reign of the last Russian monarch was marked by rapid economic growth of the country. At the same time, there was an increase in social and political contradictions within Russia. All this led to the beginning of the revolutionary movement and ultimately to the uprising of 1905-1907, and then to the February Revolution.

The Emperor of All Russia and the Tsar of Poland, as well as the Grand Duke of Finland - the last Russian emperor from the Romanov dynasty - ascended the throne in 1894. Nicholas II is described by his contemporaries as a gentle and highly educated, sincerely devoted to the country, but at the same time a very stubborn person.

Apparently, this was the reason for the persistent rejection of the advice of experienced dignitaries in matters of government, which, in fact, led to fatal mistakes in the Romanovs’ policies. The sovereign’s amazingly devoted love for his own wife, who in some historical documents is even called a mentally unstable person, became the reason for discrediting the royal family. Her power was called into question as the only true one.

This was explained by the fact that the wife of the last Russian emperor had a fairly strong say in many aspects of government. At the same time, she did not miss a single opportunity to take advantage of this, while many high-ranking persons were in no way satisfied with this. Most of them considered the last reigning Romanov a fatalist, while others were of the opinion that he was simply completely indifferent to the suffering of his people.

End of reign

The bloody year of 1917 was the final year for the shaky power of this autocrat. It all started with the First World War and the ineffectiveness of the policies of Nicholas II during this difficult period for Russia.

Antagonists of the Romanov family argue that during this period the last autocrat simply was unable or failed to implement the necessary political or social reforms in time. The February Revolution forced the last emperor to abdicate the throne. As a result, Nicholas II and his family were placed under house arrest in his palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the Romanovs ruled more than a sixth of the planet. It was a self-sufficient, independent state that concentrated the greatest wealth in Europe. It was a huge era that ended with the execution of the royal family, the last of the Romanovs: Nicholas II with Alexandra and their five children. It happened in a basement in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 17, 1918.

The Romanovs today

By the beginning of 1917, the Russian Imperial House numbered sixty-five representatives, of which thirty-two belonged to its male half. Eighteen people were shot by the Bolsheviks between 1918 and 1919. This happened in St. Petersburg, Alapaevsk and, of course, in Yekaterinburg. The remaining forty-seven people escaped. As a result, they found themselves in exile, mainly in the United States and France.

Despite this, a significant part of the dynasty hoped for the collapse of Soviet power and the restoration of the Russian monarchy for more than ten years. When Olga Konstantinovna - the Grand Duchess - became regent of Greece in December 1920, she began to accept many refugees from Russia in this country who were simply going to wait it out and return home. However, this did not happen.

Nevertheless, the House of Romanov still had weight for a long time. Moreover, in 1942, two representatives of the House were even offered the throne of Montenegro. An Association was even created, which included all living members of the dynasty.

(1613-1645)

Much in the life of Tsar Michael is connected with the July days. He was born on July 12 (22), 1596, was crowned king on July 11 (21), 1613, and died on the night of the 12th to the 13th (23). He was the son of Fyodor Nikitich Romanov (monastically Philaret, the third Patriarch of Moscow) and Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova (monastically Martha), and was a cousin of the last Tsar of the Rurik Dynasty, Fyodor Ioannovich.

On February 21, 1613, at the Great Zemsky Sobor, which ended the unrest in Rus', he was “consecrated,” as they put it then, by the Sovereign. At this time, the 16-year-old boy lived with his mother in the village of Domnino, the Kostroma estate of the Romanovs, where he was almost killed by the Poles (the Tsar was saved by the peasant Ivan Susanin), then in the Ipatiev Monastery, near Kostroma. The young king inherited a country devastated by the turmoil. The state treasury was empty, Poles and Cossack gangs were robbing cities and villages, Zarutsky and Marina Mnishek were in Astrakhan, Smolensk was in the hands of the Poles, Novgorod was in the hands of the Swedes.

However, things gradually improved. Robber gangs began to be exterminated, Zarutsky, along with Marina’s son Mnishek, was executed, Marina was sent to prison. In 1617, Russia concluded the Peace of Stolbovo with Sweden, according to which Novgorod, Staraya Russa, Ladoga, Porkhov and other cities captured by the Swedes returned to it, but Sweden retained the entire coast of the Gulf of Finland, depriving Russia of access to the Baltic Sea. In addition, the Swedes had to pay 20 thousand rubles. In 1618, Russia concluded the Deulin Truce with Poland for 14 years and 6 months. Smolensk, Chernigov, Putivl, Novgorod-Seversky and other Seversky lands remained in the hands of the Poles, but in 1619 Mikhail Fedorovich’s father, Metropolitan Filaret, returned from Polish captivity, and soon became Patriarch.

From then on until his death in 1633, Patriarch Filaret ruled the country together with the Tsar. The famous Russian historian S.F. Platonov wrote: “And so began energetic and skillful work aimed at establishing order in the country. All aspects of public life attracted the attention of the government. With the participation of Philaret, concerns began about finances, about improving the administration and the court and about the structure of estates.

When Filaret went to his grave in 1633, the Moscow state was already completely different in terms of improvement - not everything, of course, but Filaret did a lot for it." Intensive construction of abatis against the Crimean Tatars resumed, further colonization of Siberia took place. In 1618 Yeniseisk was founded, Krasnoyarsk was founded in 1628, Bratsk fort in 1631, Yakutsk in 1631, Tambov and several other cities in 1636. In 1630-32, the government began the formation of a regular army, including the first Reitar (horse) regiments.

The people loved Mikhail Fedorovich, a legend from the 17th century. says about him: “The tsar was young when he sat down as king... but he was kind, quiet, meek, humble and kind, he loved everyone, was merciful and generous to everyone, in everything he was like the former noble tsar and his uncle Fyodor Ivanovich.”

The Tsar was married twice to Princess Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukaya and Evdokia Lukyanovna Streshneva, had children Irina, Pelageya, Alexei (the future Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich), Anna, Martha, Ivan, Sophia, Tatyana, Evdokia, Vasily (all from his second marriage). He died in Moscow on the night of July 12-13, 1645 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government also began to restore and build defensive lines - serif lines.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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