When the Romanovs ruled. History of the Romanov family dynasty
For the final end of the Time of Troubles, it was necessary not only to elect a new monarch to the Russian throne, but also to ensure the safety of the Russian borders from the two most active neighbors - the Commonwealth and Sweden. However, this was impossible until a social consensus was reached in the Moscow kingdom, and a person who would fully suit the majority of the delegates of the Zemsky Sobor of 1612-1613 would not appear on the throne of the descendants of Ivan Kalita. For a variety of reasons, 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov became such a candidate.
CONTRIDENTS TO THE MOSCOW THRONE
With the liberation of Moscow from the interventionists, the zemstvo people got the opportunity to proceed with the election of the head of state. In November 1612, the nobleman Filosofov told the Poles that the Cossacks in Moscow were in favor of electing one of the Russian people to the throne, “and they were trying on Filaret’s son and the thieves’ Kaluga one,” while the older boyars were in favor of electing a foreigner. The Cossacks remembered "Tsarevich Ivan Dmitrievich" in a moment of extreme danger, Sigismund III stood at the gates of Moscow, and the surrendered members of the Seven Boyars could at any moment again go over to his side. Behind the back of the Kolomna prince stood the army of Zarutsky. The chieftains hoped that at a critical moment, old comrades-in-arms would come to their aid. But the hopes for the return of Zarutsky did not materialize. In the hour of trials, the ataman was not afraid to unleash a fratricidal war. Together with Marina Mnishek and her young son, he came to the walls of Ryazan and tried to capture the city. Ryazan governor Mikhail Buturlin came forward and put him to flight.
Zarutsky's attempt to get Ryazan for the "Vorenka" failed. The townspeople expressed their negative attitude towards the candidacy of "Ivan Dmitrievich". Agitation in his favor began to subside in Moscow by itself.
Without the Boyar Duma, the election of the tsar could not have legal force. With a thought, the election threatened to drag on for many years. Many noble families claimed the crown, and no one wanted to give way to another.
SWEDEN PRINCE
When the Second Militia stood in Yaroslavl, D.M. Pozharsky, with the consent of the clergy, service people, settlements, feeding the militia with funds, entered into negotiations with the people of Novgorod about the candidacy of the Swedish prince for the throne of Moscow. On May 13, 1612, letters were written to Metropolitan Isidore of Novgorod, Prince Odoevsky and Delagardie and sent to Novgorod with Stepan Tatishchev. For the sake of the importance of the matter with this ambassador, the Militia went and the elected ones - from each city, one person. It is interesting that Metropolitan Isidore and the voivode Odoevsky were asked how the relations between them and the Novgorodians with the Swedes were? And Delagardie was informed that if the new Swedish king Gustav II Adolf releases his brother to the throne of Moscow and orders him to be baptized in Orthodox faith, then they are glad to be with the Novgorod land in the council.
Chernikova T. V. Europeanization of Russia inXV-XVII centuries. M., 2012
ELECTION TO THE KINGDOM OF MIKHAIL ROMANOV
When quite a lot of authorities and elected officials gathered, a three-day fast was appointed, after which councils began. First of all, they began to talk about whether to choose from foreign royal houses or their natural Russian, and decided not to elect the Lithuanian and Swedish king and their children and other German faiths and none of the states of the non-Christian faith of the Greek law on the Vladimir and Moscow state, and They don’t want Marinka and her son in the state, because the Polish and German kings saw in themselves a lie and a crime of the cross and a peaceful violation: the Lithuanian king ruined the Muscovite state, and the Swedish king Veliky Novgorod took it by deceit. They began to choose their own: here intrigues, unrest and unrest began; everyone wanted to do according to his own thought, everyone wanted his own, some wanted the throne themselves, bribed and sent; sides formed, but none of them prevailed. Once, says the chronograph, some nobleman from Galich brought a written opinion to the cathedral, which said that Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was the closest in kinship with the former tsars, and he should be elected tsars. Dissatisfied voices were heard: “Who brought such a letter, who, from where?” At that time, the Don ataman comes out and also submits a written opinion: “What did you submit, ataman?” - Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky asked him. “About the natural tsar Mikhail Fedorovich,” answered the ataman. The same opinion, submitted by the nobleman and the Don ataman, decided the matter: Mikhail Fedorovich was proclaimed tsar. But not all of the elected were in Moscow; there were no noble boyars; Prince Mstislavsky and his comrades immediately after their liberation left Moscow: it was embarrassing for them to remain in it near the liberators; now they sent to call them to Moscow for a common cause, they also sent reliable people around the cities and counties to find out the people's thoughts about the new chosen one, and the final decision was postponed for two weeks, from February 8 to February 21, 1613. Finally, Mstislavsky and his comrades arrived, the belated elected representatives also arrived, envoys from the regions returned with the news that the people gladly recognized Michael as king. On February 21, the week of Orthodoxy, that is, on the first Sunday of Great Lent, there was the last council: each rank submitted a written opinion, and all these opinions were found to be similar, all the ranks pointed to one person - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Then the Archbishop of Ryazan Theodorit, the Trinity cellar Avraamy Palitsyn, the Novospassky archimandrite Joseph and the boyar Vasily Petrovich Morozov went up to the Lobnoye Mesto and asked the people who filled Red Square who they wanted to be king? "Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov" - was the answer.
1613 CATHEDRAL AND MIKHAIL ROMANOV
The first thing the great Zemsky Sobor, which elected the sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the Russian throne, was to send an embassy to the newly elected tsar. When sending the embassy, the cathedral did not know where Michael was, and therefore the order given to the ambassadors said: “To go to Sovereign Mikhail Fedorovich, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia, to Yaroslavl.” Arriving in Yaroslavl, the embassy here only found out that Mikhail Fedorovich lives with his mother in Kostroma; without delay, it moved there, along with many Yaroslavl citizens who had already joined here.
The embassy arrived in Kostroma on March 14; On the 19th, having convinced Mikhail to accept the royal crown, they left Kostroma with him, and on the 21st they all arrived in Yaroslavl. Here, all Yaroslavl residents and noblemen who had gathered from everywhere, boyar children, guests, merchants with their wives and children met the new tsar with a procession, brought him images, bread and salt, and rich gifts. Mikhail Fedorovich chose the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery as the place of his stay here. Here, in the cells of the archimandrite, he lived with his mother, nun Marfa, and the temporary State Council, which was composed of Prince Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky with other nobles and the clerk Ivan Bolotnikov with stewards and solicitors. From here, on March 23, the first letter from the tsar was sent to Moscow, informing the Zemsky Sobor of consent to accepting the royal crown.
The royal dynasty of the Romanovs is the second and last on the Russian throne. Rules from 1613 to 1917. In her time, Russia from a provincial state lying outside the boundaries of Western civilization turned into a huge empire influencing all the political processes of the world.The accession of the Romanovs ended in Russia. 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 actually long time Russia was ruled by his father, Metropolitan Filaret.
Reasons for the election of the Romanovs
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Mikhail Fedorovich was the grandson of Nikita Romanovich - the brother of Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yuryeva - the first wife of Ivan the Terrible, the most beloved and revered by the people, since the period of her reign was the most liberal when Ivan was, and the son
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Michael's father was a monk with the rank of patriarch, which suited the church
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The Romanov family, although not very noble, is still worthy in comparison with other Russian contenders for the throne.
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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
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The hope of the boyars for the inexperience of Mikhail Fedorovich in management and, as a result, his controllability
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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
The royal dynasty of the Romanovs. Years of government
- 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 ended 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, a historical region of Germany located in the southern part of Schleswig-Holstein. His wife, the future Catherine II, in fact, Sophie Auguste Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst (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, first married 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. The second son of Paul, Emperor Nicholas I, was married to Frederick Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina of Prussia. Their son, Emperor Alexander II - on the princess of the Hessian house Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria ...
History of the Romanov dynasty in dates
- 1613, February 21 - Election by the Zemsky Sobor as Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
- 1624 - Mikhail Fedorovich married Evdokia Streshneva, who became the mother of the second tsar 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 - the death of Fedor Alekseevich, who left no heir. The boyars proclaimed Tsar Peter, the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second wife Natalia 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 the Quietest 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 Feodorovna Saltykova, mother of the future Empress Anna Ioannovna
- 1689 - Peter married Evdokia Lopukhina
- 1689, September 2 - a decree on the removal of Sophia from power and her exile in a monastery.
- 1690, February 18 - Birth of the son of Peter the Great, Tsarevich Alexei
- 1696, January 26 - death of Ivan V, Peter the Great became autocrat
- 1698, September 23 - Evdokia Lopukhina, the wife of Peter the Great, was exiled to a monastery, although she soon began to live as a laywoman
- 1712, February 19 - the marriage of Peter the Great to Marta Skavronskaya, the future Empress Catherine the First, mother of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
- 1715, October 12 - the birth of the son of Tsarevich Alexei Peter, the future Emperor Peter II
- 1716, September 20 - Tsarevich Alexei, who disagreed with his father's policy, fled to Europe in search of political asylum, which he received in Austria
- 1717 - Under the threat of war, Austria gave Tsarevich Alexei to Peter the Great. On September 14, he returned to his homeland
- 1718, February - the trial of Tsarevich Alexei
- 1718, March - Tsarina Evdokia Lopukhina is accused of adultery and again exiled to a monastery
- 1719, June 15 - Tsarevich Alexei died in prison
- 1725, January 28 - the death of Peter the Great. With the support of the guards, his wife Marta Skavronskaya was proclaimed Empress Catherine the First
- 1726, May 17 - Catherine the First died. The throne was occupied by twelve-year-old Peter II, the son of Tsarevich Alexei
- 1729, November - the betrothal of Peter II to Catherine Dolgoruky
- January 30, 1730 - Peter II died. The Supreme Privy Council proclaimed him heiress, daughter of Ivan V, son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
- 1731 - Anna Ioannovna appointed Anna Leopoldovna, the daughter of her older sister Ekaterina Ioannovna, who in turn was the daughter of the same Ivan V, as the heir to the throne
- 1740, August 12 - Anna Leopoldovna from her marriage to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Anton Ulrich had a son, Ivan Antonovich, the future Tsar Ivan VI
- 1740, October 5 - Anna Ioannovna appointed the young Ivan Antonovich, the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna, as the heir to the throne
- 1740, October 17 - The death of Anna Ioannovna, Duke Biron was appointed regent for the 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 of a palace coup, the Russian throne was taken by the daughter of Peter the Great from her marriage to Catherine the First, Elizabeth 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 her marriage to Catherine the First (Martha Skavrons) Anna Petrovna, Peter Fedorovich, as the heir to the throne
- 1746, March - Anna Leopoldovna died in Kholmogory
- 1745, August 21 - Peter the Third married Sophia-Frederika-Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, who took the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna
- 1746, March 19 - Anna Leopoldovna died in exile, in Kholmogory
- 1754, September 20 - the son of Peter Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna Pavel, the future Emperor Paul the First, was born
- December 25, 1761 - Elizaveta Petrovna died. Peter the Third took office
- 1762, June 28 - as a result of a coup d'etat, Russia was headed by Ekaterina Alekseevna, wife of Peter the Third
- 1762, June 29 - Peter the Third abdicated, was arrested and imprisoned in the Ropsheni castle near St. Petersburg
- 1762, July 17 - the death of Peter III (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 while trying to free him.
- 1773, October 10 - (September 29, O.S.) married Princess Augusta-Wilhelmine-Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, who took the name of Natalya Alekseevna
- 1776, April 15 - Pavel's wife Natalya Alekseevna died in 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 - the birth of the son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander the First
- 1779, May 8 - the birth of another son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Konstantin
- 1796, July 6 - the birth of the third son of Paul the First and Maria Feodorovna Nikolai, the future Emperor Nicholas I
- 1796, November 6 - Catherine II died, Paul I was on the throne
- 1797, February 5 - coronation of Paul I in Moscow
- 1801, March 12 - Coup. Paul the First is killed by conspirators. On the throne his son Alexander
- 1801, September - the coronation of Alexander the First in Moscow
- 1817, July 13 - the marriage of Nikolai Pavlovich and Frederick Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina of Prussia (Alexandra Feodorovna), mother of the future Emperor Alexander II
- 1818, April 29 - Nikolai Pavlovich and Alexandra Feodorovna had a son, Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander II
- 1823, August 28 - secret abdication of the throne of his heir, the second son of Alexander the First Constantine
- 1825, December 1 - death of Emperor Alexander I
- 1825, December 9 - the army and civil servants took an oath of allegiance to the new emperor Constantine
- 1825 December - Constantine confirms his desire to abdicate
- 1825, December 14 - the uprising of the Decembrists in an attempt to swear in the guards to the new emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. Rebellion put down
- 1826, September 3 - the 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 Mary had a son, Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander the Third
- 1855, March 2 - Nicholas the First died. On the throne, his son Alexander II
- 1866, April 4 - the first, unsuccessful, attempt on the life of Alexander II
- 1866, October 28 - the son of Alexander II, Alexander (third), married the Danish princess Maria Sophia Friederike Dagmar (Maria Feodorovna), mother of the future Emperor Nicholas II.
- 1867, May 25 - the 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 - the son of Mikhail, the future Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, was born to Alexander (Third) and Maria Feodorovna
- 1879, April 14 - the third, unsuccessful, attempt on the life of Alexander II
- 1879, November 19 - the fourth, unsuccessful, attempt on the life of Alexander II
- 1880, February 17 - the fifth, unsuccessful, attempt on the life of Alexander II
- 1881, April 1 - the sixth, successful, attempt on the life of Alexander II
- 1883, May 27 - the coronation of Alexander III in Moscow
- 1894, October 20 - death of Alexander III
- 1894, October 21 - Nicholas II on the throne
- 1894, November 14 - the marriage of Nicholas II with the German princess Alice of Hesse, in Orthodoxy Alexandra Feodorovna
- 1896, May 26 - the coronation of Nicholas II in Moscow
- 1904, August 12 - Nikolai and Alexandra had a son, heir to the throne Alexei
- 1917, March 15 (new style) - in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich
- March 16, 1917 - Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich abdicated in favor of the Provisional Government. The history of the monarchy in Russia is over
- 1918, July 17 - Nicholas II, his family and associates
The death of the royal family
Descending the inner stairs, the procession stepped into the courtyard and turned left to enter the lower floor. They were led to the opposite end of the house, to the room where the guards had previously been housed. From this room, five meters wide and six meters long, all the furniture was taken out. High in the outer wall was a single semicircular window, barred. Only one door was open, the other, opposite it, leading to the pantry, was locked. It was a dead end.
Alexandra Fyodorovna asked why there were no chairs in the room. Yurovsky ordered two chairs to be brought, Nikolay placed 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. The scene that followed, he himself described in the following words: “When the team entered, the commandant (Yurovsky writes about himself in the third person) told the Romanovs that in view of the fact that their relatives in Europe continue to attack Soviet Russia, the Ural Executive Committee decided to shoot them. .
Nikolai turned his back on the team, facing his family, then, as if coming to his senses, turned to the commandant with the question: “What? What?" The commandant hastily repeated and ordered the team to get ready. The team was told in advance who to shoot whom, and ordered to aim directly at the heart to avoid a large number blood and finish soon. Nikolai said nothing more, turning back to the family, others uttered several incoherent exclamations, all this lasted for several seconds. Then the shooting began, lasting two to three minutes. Nicholas was killed by the commandant himself on the spot (Richard Pipes "Russian Revolution")"
More and more people are talking about the Romanov dynasty today. Her story can be read like a detective story. And its origin, and the history of the coat of arms, and the circumstances of accession to the throne: all this still causes ambiguous interpretations.
Prussian origin of the dynasty
The ancestor of the Romanov dynasty is considered to be the boyar Andrei Kobyla at the court of Ivan Kalita and his son Simeon the Proud. We know almost nothing about his life and origins. Chronicles mention him only once: in 1347 he was sent to Tver for the bride of Grand Duke Simeon the Proud, daughter of Alexander Mikhailovich, Prince of Tver.
Having found himself at the time of the unification of the Russian state with a new center in Moscow in the service of the Moscow branch of the princely dynasty, he thus chose the “golden ticket” for himself and his family. Genealogists mention his numerous descendants, who became the ancestors of many noble Russian families: Semyon Zherebets (Lodygins, Konovnitsyns), Alexander Elka (Kolychevs), Gavriil Gavsha (Bobrykins), Childless Vasily Vantei and Fyodor Koshka - the ancestor of the Romanovs, Sheremetevs, Yakovlevs, Goltyaevs and Bezzubtsev. But the origin of the Mare itself remains a mystery. According to the Romanov family legend, he traced his lineage to the Prussian kings.
When a gap is formed in the genealogies, it provides an opportunity for their falsification. In the case of noble families, this is usually done with the aim of either legitimizing their power or gaining extra privileges. As in this case. The blank spot in the genealogies of the Romanovs was filled in the 17th century under Peter I by the first Russian King of Arms, Stepan Andreyevich Kolychev. New story corresponded to the “Prussian legend” fashionable even under the Rurikovichs, which was aimed at confirming the position of Moscow as the successor of Byzantium. Since the Varangian origin of Rurik did not fit into this ideology, the founder of the princely dynasty became the 14th descendant of a certain Prus, the ruler of ancient Prussia, a relative of Emperor Augustus himself. Following them, the Romanovs "rewrote" their history.
A family tradition, later recorded in the “General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire,” says that in the year 305 from the birth of Christ, the Prussian king Pruteno gave the kingdom to his brother Veydevut, and he himself became the high priest of his pagan tribe in the city of Romanov, where an evergreen sacred oak grew.
Before his death, Veidewut divided his kingdom among his twelve sons. One of them was Nedron, whose clan owned a part of modern Lithuania (Samogit lands). His descendants were the brothers Russingen and Glanda Kambila, who were baptized in 1280, and in 1283 Kambila came to Russia to serve the Moscow prince Daniil Alexandrovich. After baptism, he began to be called Mare.
Who fed False Dmitry?
The personality of False Dmitry is one of the biggest mysteries of Russian history. Apart from the unresolvable question of the identity of the impostor, his "shadow" accomplices remain a problem. According to one version, the Romanovs, who fell into disgrace under Godunov, had a hand in the plot of False Dmitry, and the eldest descendant of the Romanovs, Fedor, the pretender to the throne, was tonsured a monk.
Adherents of this version believe that the Romanovs, Shuiskys and Golitsins, dreaming of the "Monomakh's hat", organized a conspiracy against Godunov, using the mysterious death of the young Tsarevich Dmitry. They prepared their pretender to the royal throne, known to us as False Dmitry, and led the coup on June 10, 1605. After, having dealt with their main rival, they themselves joined the struggle for the throne. Subsequently, after the accession of the Romanovs, their historians did everything to connect the massacre of the Godunov family exclusively with the personality of False Dmitry, and leave the hands of the Romanovs clean.
The Secret of the Zemsky Sobor 1613
The election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom was simply doomed to be covered with a thick layer of myths. How did it happen that in a country torn by turmoil, a young, inexperienced youth was elected to the kingdom, who at the age of 16 was not distinguished by either military talent or a sharp political mind? Of course, the future king had an influential father - Patriarch Filaret, who himself once aimed for the royal throne. But during the Zemsky Sobor, he was a prisoner of the Poles and could hardly have somehow influenced the process. According to the generally accepted version, the decisive role was played by the Cossacks, who at that time represented a powerful force to be reckoned with. Firstly, under False Dmitry II, they and the Romanovs ended up in “the same camp”, and secondly, they were certainly satisfied with the young and inexperienced prince, who did not pose a danger to their liberties, which they inherited during times of unrest.
The bellicose cries of the Cossacks forced Pozharsky's adherents to propose a two-week break. During this time, a wide agitation in favor of Mikhail unfolded. For many boyars, he also represented an ideal candidate, which would allow them to keep power in their hands. The main argument put forward was that the allegedly deceased Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, before his death, wanted to transfer the throne to his relative Fyodor Romanov (Patriarch Filaret). And since he languished in Polish captivity, the crown passed to his only son, Michael. As the historian Klyuchevsky later wrote, "they wanted to choose not the most capable, but the most convenient."
Defunct coat of arms
In the history of the dynastic coat of arms of the Romanovs, there are no less white spots than in the history of the dynasty itself. For some reason, for a long time, the Romanovs did not have their own coat of arms at all, they used the state emblem, with the image of a double-headed eagle, as a personal one. Their own family coat of arms was created only under Alexander II. By that time, the heraldry of the Russian nobility had practically taken shape, and only the ruling dynasty did not have its own coat of arms. It would be inappropriate to say that the dynasty did not have much interest in heraldry: even under Alexei Mikhailovich, the “Tsar's Titular” was published - a manuscript containing portraits of Russian monarchs with the emblems of the Russian lands.
Perhaps such loyalty to the double-headed eagle is due to the need for the Romanovs to show the legitimate succession from the Rurikids and, most importantly, from the Byzantine emperors. As you know, starting with Ivan III, they begin to talk about Russia as the successor of Byzantium. Moreover, the king married Sophia Paleolog, the granddaughter of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine. They adopted the symbol of the Byzantine double-headed eagle as their family crest.
In any case, this is just one of many versions. It is not known for certain why the ruling branch of the vast empire, which was related to the noblest houses of Europe, so stubbornly ignored the heraldic orders that had been developing over the centuries.
The long-awaited appearance of the Romanovs' own coat of arms under Alexander II only added to the questions. The then King of Arms Baron B.V. took up the development of the imperial order. Ken. The ensign of the governor Nikita Ivanovich Romanov, who at one time was the main oppositionist Alexei Mikhailovich, was taken as the basis. More precisely, its description, since the banner itself had already been lost by that time. It depicted a golden griffin on a silver background with a small black eagle with raised wings and lion heads on its tail. Perhaps Nikita Romanov borrowed it in Livonia during the Livonian War.
The new coat of arms of the Romanovs was a red griffin on a silver background, holding a golden sword and a tarch topped with a small eagle; on a black border are eight severed lion heads; four gold and four silver. First, the changed color of the griffin is striking. Historians of heraldry believe that Quesnay decided not to go against the rules established at that time, which forbade placing a golden figure on a silver background, with the exception of the coats of arms of such highest persons as the Pope. Thus, by changing the color of the griffin, he lowered the status of the family coat of arms. Or the “Livonian version” played a role, according to which Kene emphasized the Livonian origin of the coat of arms, since in Livonia from the 16th century there was a reverse combination of coat of arms colors: a silver griffin on a red background.
There is still a lot of controversy about the symbolism of the Romanov coat of arms. Why is so much attention paid to lion heads, and not to the figure of an eagle, which, according to historical logic, should be in the center of the composition? Why is it with lowered wings, and what, in the end, is the historical background of the Romanov coat of arms?
Peter III - the last Romanov?
As you know, the Romanov family was interrupted by the family of Nicholas II. However, some believe that the last ruler of the Romanov dynasty was Peter III. The young infantile emperor did not have a relationship with his wife at all. Catherine told in her diaries how anxiously she waited for her husband on their wedding night, and he came and fell asleep. This continued further - Peter III did not have any feelings for his wife, preferring her to his favorite. But the son, Pavel, was still born, many years after the marriage.
Rumors about illegitimate heirs are not uncommon in the history of world dynasties, especially in times of trouble for the country. So here the question arose: is Paul really the son of Peter III? Or the first favorite of Catherine, Sergei Saltykov, took part in this.
A significant argument in favor of these rumors was that the imperial couple had not had children for many years. Therefore, many believed that this union was completely fruitless, which the empress herself hinted at, mentioning in her memoirs that her husband suffered from phimosis.
Information that Sergei Saltykov could be Pavel's father is also present in Catherine's diaries: I could not compare with him at court ... He was 25 years old, in general and by birth, and in many other qualities he was an outstanding gentleman ... I did not give in all spring and part of the summer. The result was not long in coming. September 20, 1754 Catherine gave birth to a son. Only from whom: from her husband Romanov, or from Saltykov?
The choice of the name of the members of the ruling dynasty has always played an important role in political life countries. Firstly, with the help of names, intra-dynastic relations were often emphasized. So, for example, the names of the children of Alexei Mikhailovich were supposed to emphasize the connection of the Romanovs with the Rurik dynasty. Under Peter and his daughters, they showed a close relationship within the ruling branch (despite the fact that this did not correspond at all to the real situation in the imperial family). But under Catherine the Great, a completely new order of names was introduced. The former tribal affiliation gave way to another factor, among which political played a significant role. Her choice was based on the semantics of the names, going back to the Greek words: “people” and “victory”.
Let's start with Alexander. The name of the eldest son of Paul was given in honor of Alexander Nevsky, although another invincible commander, Alexander the Great, was also implied. About her choice, she wrote the following: “You say: Catherine wrote to Baron F. M. Grimm, that he will have to choose who to imitate: a hero (Alexander the Great) or a saint (Alexander Nevsky). You don't seem to know that our saint was a hero. He was a courageous warrior, a firm ruler and a clever politician and surpassed all other specific princes, his contemporaries ... So, I agree that Mr. Alexander has only one choice, and it depends on his personal talents which path he will take - holiness or heroism ".
The reasons for choosing the name Konstantin, unusual for Russian tsars, are even more interesting. They are connected with the idea of Catherine's "Greek project", which meant the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the restoration of the Byzantine state, headed by her second grandson.
It is not clear, however, why the third son of Paul received the name Nicholas. Obviously, he was named after the most revered saint in Russia - Nicholas the Wonderworker. But this is just a version, since there is no explanation for this choice in the sources.
Catherine had nothing to do only with the choice of a name for the youngest son of Paul - Michael, who was born after her death. Here the father's long-standing passion for chivalry has already played a role. Mikhail Pavlovich was named in honor of the Archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly host, the patron of the emperor-knight.
Four names: Alexander, Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail - formed the basis of the new imperial names of the Romanovs.
Historically, Russia is a monarchical state. First there were princes, then kings. The history of our state is old and diverse. Russia knew many monarchs with different characters, human and managerial qualities. However, it was the Romanov family that became the brightest representative of the Russian throne. The history of their reign has about three centuries. And the end of the Russian Empire is also inextricably linked with this surname.
Romanov family: history
The Romanovs, an old noble family, did not immediately have such a surname. For centuries, they were first called Kobylins, a little bit later Koshkins, then Zakharyin. And only after more than 6 generations they acquired the name of the Romanovs.
For the first time, this noble family was allowed to approach the Russian throne by the marriage of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with Anastasia Zakharyina.
There is no direct connection between the Rurikoviches and the Romanovs. It has been established that Ivan III is the great-great-grandson of one of the sons of Andrei Kobyla - Fedor on the maternal side. Whereas the Romanov family became a continuation of another grandson of Fedor - Zacharias.
However, this fact played a key role when, in 1613, at the Zemsky Sobor, the grandson of brother Anastasia Zakharyina, Mikhail, was elected to reign. So the throne passed from the Ruriks to the Romanovs. After that, the rulers of this kind succeeded each other for three centuries. During this time, our country changed the form of power and became the Russian Empire.
The first emperor was Peter I. And the last was Nicholas II, who abdicated as a result of the February Revolution of 1917 and was shot with his family in July of the following year.
Biography of Nicholas II
In order to understand the reasons for the deplorable end of the imperial reign, it is necessary to take a closer look at the biography of Nikolai Romanov and his family:
- Nicholas II was born in 1868. From childhood he was brought up in the best traditions of the royal court. From a young age he became interested in military affairs. From the age of 5, he took part in military training, parades and processions. Even before taking the oath, he had various ranks, including being a Cossack chieftain. As a result, the rank of colonel became the highest military rank of Nicholas. Nicholas came to power at the age of 27. Nicholas was an educated, intelligent monarch;
- To the bride of Nicholas, a German princess who received Russian name- Alexandra Fedorovna, at the time of the marriage she was 22 years old. The couple loved each other very much and reverently treated each other all their lives. However, the environment treated the empress negatively, suspecting that the autocrat was too dependent on his wife;
- There were four daughters in the family of Nicholas - Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and the youngest son Alexei was born - a possible heir to the throne. Unlike strong and healthy sisters, Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia. This meant that the boy could die from any scratch.
Why was the Romanov family shot?
Nikolai made several fatal mistakes, which as a result led to a tragic end:
- The first ill-conceived oversight of Nikolai is considered a crush on the Khodynka field. In the first days of his reign, people went to Khodynskaya Square for gifts promised by the new emperor. As a result, pandemonium began, more than 1200 people died. Nicholas remained indifferent to this event until the end of all the events dedicated to his coronation, which lasted for several more days. The people did not forgive him for such behavior and called him Bloody;
- During his reign, there were many strife and contradictions in the country. The emperor understood that it was necessary to urgently take measures in order to raise the patriotism of the Russians and unite them. Many believe that it was for this purpose that the Russo-Japanese War was unleashed, which as a result was lost, and Russia lost part of its territory;
- After the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, on the square in front of the Winter Palace, without the knowledge of Nicholas, the military shot people who had gathered for a rally. This event was called in history - "Bloody Sunday";
- The Russian state also entered the First World War carelessly. The conflict began in 1914 between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The sovereign considered it necessary to stand up for the Balkan state, as a result of which, Germany stood up to defend Austria-Hungary. The war dragged on, which ceased to suit the military.
As a result, a provisional government was established in Petrograd. Nicholas knew about the mood of the people, but could not take any decisive action and signed a paper about his abdication.
The Provisional Government placed the family under arrest, first in Tsarskoe Selo, and then they were exiled to Tobolsk. After the Bolsheviks came to power in October 1917, the whole family was moved to Yekaterinburg and, by decision of the Bolshevik Council executed to prevent a return to royal power.
The remains of the royal family in our time
After the execution, all the remains were collected and transported to the mines of Ganina Yama. It was not possible to burn the bodies, so they were thrown into the mine shafts. The next day, the villagers found the bodies floating at the bottom of the flooded mines and it became clear that a reburial was necessary.
The remains were again loaded into the car. However, having driven off a little, she fell into the mud in the area of the Porosenkov Log. There they buried the dead, dividing the ashes into two parts.
The first part of the bodies was discovered in 1978. However, due to the long obtaining of permission for excavations, it was possible to get to them only in 1991. Two bodies, presumably Maria and Alexei, were found in 2007 a little further from the road.
Over the years, many modern, high-tech examinations have been carried out by different groups of scientists to determine the involvement of the remains in the royal family. As a result, genetic similarity was proven, but some historians and the Russian Orthodox Church still do not agree with these results.
Now the relics are reburied in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
Living members of the genus
The Bolsheviks sought to exterminate as many representatives of the royal family as possible so that no one would even have the thought of returning to their former power. However, many managed to escape abroad.
In the male line, living descendants descend from the sons of Nicholas I - Alexander and Mikhail. There are also descendants in the female line, which originate from Ekaterina Ioannovna. Most of them do not live on the territory of our state. However, representatives of the genus have created and are developing public and charitable organizations that carry out their activities, including in Russia.
Thus, the Romanov family is a symbol of the bygone empire for our country. Many are still arguing about whether it is possible to revive imperial power in the country and whether it is worth it. Obviously, this page of our history has been turned over, and its representatives are buried with appropriate honors.
Video: the execution of the Romanov family
This video recreates the moment of the capture of the Romanov family and their further execution:
The Romanov dynasty, also known as the "House of Romanov" was the second dynasty (after the Rurik dynasty) to rule in Russia. In 1613, representatives of 50 cities and several peasants unanimously elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as the New Tsar. The Romanov dynasty began with him, ruling Russia until 1917.
Since 1721, the Russian tsar was proclaimed emperor. Tsar Peter I became the first emperor of all Russia. He turned Russia into a Great Empire. During the reign of Catherine II the Great Russian empire expanded and improved in management.
At the beginning of 1917, the Romanov family had 65 members, 18 of whom were killed by the Bolsheviks. The remaining 47 people fled abroad.
The last Romanov tsar, Nicholas II, began his reign in the autumn of 1894, when he ascended the throne. His entry came much sooner than anyone expected. Nicholas's father, Tsar Alexander III, died unexpectedly at the relatively young age of 49.
The Romanov family in the middle of the 19th century: Tsar Alexander II, his heir, the future Alexander III, and the infant Nicholas, the future Tsar Nicholas II.
Events unfolded quickly after the death Alexander III. The new king, at the age of 26, quickly married his fiancee of a few months Princess Alix of Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England. The couple knew each other from adolescence. They were even distantly related and had numerous relatives, being the niece and nephew of the Prince and Princess of Wales, from different sides of the family.
A contemporary depiction by the artist of the coronation of the new (and last) family from the Romanov dynasty - Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra.
In the 19th century, many members of European royal families were closely related to each other. Queen Victoria was called the "grandmother of Europe" because her offspring were dispersed throughout the continent through the marriages of her many children. Along with her royal lineage and improved diplomatic relations between the royal houses of Greece, Spain, Germany and Russia, Victoria's descendants received something much less desirable: a tiny defect in a gene that regulates normal blood clotting and causes an incurable disease called hemophilia. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, patients suffering from this disease could literally bleed to death. Even the most benign bruise or blow could be fatal. The Queen's son, Prince Leopold, had hemophilia and died prematurely after a minor car accident.
The hemophilia gene was also passed on to Victoria's grandchildren and great-grandchildren through their mothers in the royal houses of Spain and Germany.
Tsarevich Alexei was the long-awaited heir to the Romanov dynasty But perhaps the most tragic and significant impact of the hemophilia gene occurred in the ruling Romanov family in Russia. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna learned in 1904 that she was a carrier of hemophilia a few weeks after the birth of her precious son and heir to the Russian throne, Alexei.
In Russia, only men can inherit the throne. If Nicholas II did not have a son, then the crown would have passed to his younger brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. However, after 10 years of marriage and the birth of four healthy grand duchesses, the long-awaited son and heir was stricken with an incurable disease. Few subjects realized that the life of the Tsarevich often hung in the balance due to his deadly genetic disease. Alexei's hemophilia remained a closely guarded secret of the Romanov family.
In the summer of 1913, the Romanov family celebrated the tercentenary of their dynasty. The dark “time of troubles” of 1905 seemed like a long forgotten and unpleasant dream. To celebrate, the entire Romanov family made a pilgrimage to ancient historical monuments. Moscow region, and the people rejoiced. Nicholas and Alexandra were once again convinced that their people love them and that their policy is on the right track.
At this time, it was hard to imagine that just four years after these days of glory, the Russian Revolution would deprive the Romanov family of the imperial throne, and three centuries of the Romanov dynasty would end. The Tsar, enthusiastically supported during the celebrations of 1913, will no longer rule Russia in 1917. Instead, the Romanov family would be arrested and, a little more than a year later, murdered by their own people.
The story of the last reigning Romanov family continues to fascinate scholars and amateurs alike. Russian history. It has something for everyone: a great royal romance between a handsome young tsar who rules one-eighth of the world and a beautiful German princess who gave up her strong Lutheran faith and her usual life for love.
Four daughters of the Romanovs: Grand Duchess Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia There were their beautiful children: four beautiful daughters and a long-awaited boy born with deadly disease from which he could die at any moment. There was a controversial "peasant" - a peasant who seemed to be sneaking into the imperial palace, and who was seen to corrupt and immorally influence the Romanov family: the tsar, empress and even their children.
The Romanov family: Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra with Tsarevich Alexei on their knees, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. There were political murders of the powerful, executions of the innocent, intrigues, mass uprisings and World War; murder, revolution and bloody Civil War. And finally, the secret execution in the middle of the night of the last ruling Romanov family, their servants, even their pets, in the basement of a “special purpose house” in the heart of the Russian Urals.