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

	Years of reign	Main events
Mikhail Fedorovich		Peace of Stolbovo with Sweden (1617) and Truce of Deulino with Poland (1618). Smolensk War (1632-1634), Azov seat of the Cossacks (1637-1641)
Alexey Mikhailovich		Council Code (1649), Nikon's church reform (1652-1658), Pereyaslav Rada - annexation of Ukraine (1654), war with Poland (1654-1667), uprising of Stepan Razin (1667-1671)
Fedor Alekseevich		Peace of Bakhchisarai with Turkey and the Crimean Khanate (1681), abolition of localism
(son of Alexei Mikhailovich)	1682-1725 (until 1689 - regency of Sophia, until 1696 - formal co-rule with Ivan V, from 1721 - emperor)	Streletsky revolt (1682), Crimean campaigns of Golitsyn (1687 and 1689), Azov campaigns of Peter I (1695 and 1696), “Great Embassy” (1697-1698), Northern War (1700-1721) .), foundation of St. Petersburg (1703), establishment of the Senate (1711), Prut campaign of Peter I (1711), establishment of collegiums (1718), introduction of the “Table of Ranks” (1722) , Caspian campaign of Peter I (1722-1723)
Catherine I (wife of Peter I)		Creation of the Supreme privy council(1726), conclusion of an alliance with Austria (1726)
(grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei)		Fall of Menshikov (1727), return of the capital to Moscow (1728)
Anna Ioannovna (daughter of Ivan V, granddaughter of Alexei Mikhailovich)		Creation of a cabinet of ministers instead of the Supreme Privy Council (1730), return of the capital to St. Petersburg (1732), Russian-Turkish war(1735-1739)
Ivan VI Antonovich		Regency and overthrow of Biron (1740), resignation of Minich (1741)
Elizaveta Petrovna (daughter of Peter I)		Opening of a university in Moscow (1755), Seven Years' War (1756-1762)
(nephew of Elizaveta Petrovna, grandson of Peter I)		Manifesto “On the Freedom of the Nobility”, the union of Prussia and Russia, decree on freedom of religion (all -1762)
Catherine II (wife of Peter III)		The laid down commission (1767-1768), Russian-Turkish wars (1768-1774 and 1787-1791), partitions of Poland (1772, 1793 and 1795), the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev (1773-1774), provincial reform (1775), charters granted to the nobility and cities (1785)
(son of Catherine II and Peter III)		Decree on three-day corvee, ban on selling serfs without land (1797), Decree on succession to the throne (1797), war with France (1798-1799), Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov (1799)
Alexander I (son of Paul I)		The establishment of ministries instead of collegiums (1802), the decree “On free cultivators” (1803), the liberal censorship charter and the introduction of university autonomy (1804), participation in Napoleonic Wars(1805-1814), establishment of the State Council (1810), Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), granting a constitution to Poland (1815), creation of a system of military settlements, emergence of Decembrist organizations
Nicholas I (son of Paul 1)		Decembrist uprising (1825), creation of the “Code of Laws” Russian Empire"(1833), monetary reform, reform in the state village, Crimean War (1853-1856)
Alexander II (son of Nicholas I)		End of the Crimean War - Treaty of Paris (1856), abolition of serfdom (1861), zemstvo and judicial reforms (both 1864), sale of Alaska to the United States (1867), reforms in finance, education and press, city government reform, military reforms: abolition of the limited articles of the Peace of Paris (1870), the alliance of the three emperors (1873), the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), the terror of the Narodnaya Volya (1879-1881)
Alexander III (son of Alexander II)		Manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy, Regulations on strengthening emergency protection (both 1881), counter-reforms, creation of the Noble Land and Peasant Banks, guardianship policy towards workers, creation of the Franco-Russian Union (1891-1893)
Nicholas II (son Alexandra III)		General Population Census (1897), Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), 1st Russian Revolution (1905-1907), Stolypin Reform (1906-1911), I world war(1914-1918), February Revolution(February 1917)

Results of the Romanov reign

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

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

For the final completion of the Time of Troubles, it was necessary not only to elect a new monarch to the Russian throne, but also to ensure the security of Russian borders from the two most active neighbors - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden. However, this was impossible until a social consensus was reached in the Moscow kingdom, and a person appeared on the throne of the descendants of Ivan Kalita who would fully suit the majority of the delegates of the Zemsky Sobor of 1612-1613. For a number of reasons, 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov became such a candidate.

CLAIMERS TO THE MOSCOW THRONE

With the liberation of Moscow from the interventionists, the zemstvo people had the opportunity to begin electing the head of state. In November 1612, the nobleman Filosofov informed 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 of Kaluga,” while the senior 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. Zarutsky’s army stood behind the back of the Kolomna prince. The atamans hoped that at a critical moment their longtime comrades would come to their aid. But hopes for Zarutsky’s return did not materialize. In the hour of trial, 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 “vorenk” failed. The townspeople expressed their negative attitude towards the candidacy of “Ivan Dmitrievich”. Propaganda in his favor began to subside in Moscow on its own.

Without the Boyar Duma, the election of the Tsar could not have legal force. The election of the Duma threatened to drag on for many years. Many noble families laid claim to the crown, and no one wanted to give way to another.

SWEDISH PRINCE

When the Second Militia stood in Yaroslavl, D.M. Pozharsky, with the consent of the clergy, service people, and townsmen who supplied the militia with funds, entered into negotiations with the Novgorodians about the candidacy of a Swedish prince for the Moscow throne. On May 13, 1612, they wrote letters to the Novgorod Metropolitan Isidore, Prince Odoevsky and Delagardie and sent them to Novgorod with Stepan Tatishchev. For the sake of the importance of the matter, elected officials also went with this militia ambassador - one person from each city. It’s interesting that Metropolitan Isidore and Voivode Odoevsky were asked how their and the Novgorodians’ relations were with the Swedes? And Delagardie was informed that if the new swedish king Gustav II Adolf will release his brother to the Moscow throne 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 had gathered, a three-day fast was appointed, after which the councils began. First of all, they began to talk about whether to choose from foreign royal houses or their natural Russian, and decided “the Lithuanian and Swedish king and their children and other German faiths and no foreign-speaking states Christian faith Greek law should not be elected to the Vladimir and Moscow states, and Marinka and her son should not be elected to the state, because the Polish and German kings were seen as untruths and crimes on the cross and a violation of peace: the Lithuanian king ruined the Moscow state, and the Swedish king took Veliky Novgorod by deception " They began to choose their own: then intrigues, unrest and unrest began; everyone wanted to do according to their own thoughts, everyone wanted their own, some even wanted the throne themselves, they bribed and sent; sides formed, but none of them gained the upper hand. Once, the chronograph says, some nobleman from Galich brought a written opinion to the council, which said that Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was the closest in relationship to the previous tsars, and he should be elected tsar. The voices of dissatisfied people were heard: “Who brought such a letter, who, where from?” 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 the elected officials were in Moscow yet; there were no noble boyars; Prince Mstislavsky and his comrades immediately after their liberation left Moscow: it was awkward for them to remain in it near the liberating commanders; now they sent to invite them to Moscow for a common cause, they also sent reliable people to cities and districts to find out the people’s thoughts about the new chosen one and final decision postponed for two weeks, from 8 to 21 February 1613. Finally, Mstislavsky and his comrades arrived, the belated elected officials also arrived, and envoys to the regions returned with the news that the people would joyfully recognize Michael as king. On February 21, the week of Orthodoxy, i.e., on the first Sunday of Lent, there was the last council: each rank submitted a written opinion, and all these opinions were found similar, all ranks pointed to one person - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. Then the Ryazan Archbishop Theodorit, the Trinity cellarer Abraham Palitsyn, the Novospassky Archimandrite Joseph and the boyar Vasily Petrovich Morozov ascended to the Execution Ground and asked the people filling Red Square who they want as king? “Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov” was the answer.

THE CATHEDRAL OF 1613 AND MIKHAIL ROMANOV

The first act of the great Zemsky Sobor, which elected 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 council did not know where Michael was, and therefore to this ambassador The order said: “Go to the Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' in Yaroslavl.” Arriving in Yaroslavl, the embassy here only learned that Mikhail Fedorovich lives with his mother in Kostroma; without hesitation, 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 the residents of Yaroslavl and the nobles who came from everywhere, boyar children, guests, trading people with their wives and children met the new king with procession of the cross, they brought him images, bread and salt, rich gifts. Mikhail Fedorovich chose the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery as his place of stay here. Here, in the archimandrite’s cells, he lived with his mother nun Martha and the temporary State Council, which was composed of Prince Ivan Borisovich Cherkassky with other nobles and 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 its consent to accept the royal crown.

2013 marks the 400th anniversary of the accession to the Russian throne of the first representative of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. The surname under which Russia stood on a par with the greatest powers of the world is dedicated to the exhibition “Orthodox Rus'” opening on Monday, November 4th. The Romanovs." In this regard, “Reedus” suggests remembering where the Romanovs came from, why at the end of the ruling dynasty the tsars were called “Germans” and how things are with the descendants of the Russian tsars today.

Coat of arms of the Romanov family. © RIA Novosti

On the Day national unity, November 4, the exhibition “ Orthodox Rus'. The Romanovs." This is a tribute to the memory of the rulers of that old Russia, which remained in the chronicles, the first historical works, diary entries and at sunset in the photographs of Prokudin-Gorsky. The organizers of the exhibition, which promises to be truly interesting and useful, invite you and me to look at our history impartially, without idealizing the sovereign rulers.

“In many ways, today we enjoy the fruits of their (Romanovs - editor’s note) labors, forgetting about who we owe it to,” notes Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), executive secretary of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.

There is probably no point in retelling the story of the three hundred years of the reign of the Romanovs, since, one way or another, we all learned it at school. But it’s interesting to talk about the origin of the family, which largely predetermined the development of Russian statehood.

The founder of the dynasty is considered to be the Moscow boyar Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuryev, whose sister Anastasia Romanovna became the first wife of the first Russian Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible. Nikita Romanovich was a prominent figure - in Moscow there are still street names that are closely connected with the grandfather of the first tsar from the House of Romanov, Mikhail Fedorovich. Romanov Lane got its name from the chambers of Nikita Romanovich, which were located in it. And the longest street in the center of the capital - Bolshaya Nikitskaya - is named after Nikitsky monastery, which was founded by Nikita Romanovich.

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1596–1645).

The origin of Nikita Romanovich can be traced back to the boyar Andrei Kobyla, who served at the court of the Moscow princes Ivan Kalita and Simeon the Proud. In the Velvet Book, which contains the genealogies of the most noble boyars and noble families Russia, it is said that Andrei Kobyla arrived in Rus' from Prussia. Modern historians, however, consider this version untenable, and attribute the appearance of this legend to the fashion of the 17th century (the time of the appearance of the Velvet Book): then it was considered prestigious among the boyars to trace their origins to Western families. Major historian boyar families Stepan Veselovsky, as well as a number of other researchers, including Alexander Zimin, trace the origins of Andrei Kobyla to the Novgorod nobility.

The first to bear the surname Romanov, in honor of his grandfather, was Fyodor Nikitich, more famous history as Patriarch Filaret. Fyodor Nikitich was forcibly tonsured as a monk together with his wife Ksenia Shestova, when all the Romanov brothers fell into disgrace under Boris Godunov. Having taken monastic vows, Filaret remained a secular man and at the same time a strong politician. His son Mikhail Fedorovich, largely thanks to his father, was elected tsar in 1613. Until the end of his life, Filaret was a co-ruler under the tsar and from 1619 he actually led Moscow politics and, along with the tsar, used the title “Great Sovereign”.

Patriarch Filaret. Artist Tyutryumov Nikanor.

Under Peter the Great, the royal house turned into an imperial one. But already under Elizaveta Petrovna, who remained unmarried and childless, the direct female line of the Romanov dynasty was cut short. The men's line ended thirty years earlier, under Peter II in 1730. Before her death, Elizabeth decided to transfer power to the son of her late sister, the second daughter of Peter I and Catherine I Anna Petrovna. She was married to Duke Karl of Holstein-Gottorp, so in fact the Romanov family passed into the Holstein-Gottorp family. So Peter III was recognized as a member of the House of Romanov only by dynastic agreement. From this moment on, according to genealogical rules, the imperial family is called Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovsky.

In popular historiography, as a rule, they do not pay attention to this detail, continuing to call the rulers simply the Romanovs. However, Russian aristocrats always remembered the origin of the rulers, and that the Romanov family “extinct in the male tribe in 1730,” as it was stated in the “Small encyclopedic dictionary» Brockhaus and Efron (1907–1909). Many politicians built intrigues on the “German” origin of the ruling dynasty, and some even called, for example, Alexander II “serving the position of Romanov in Russia.” Such speculation reached its apogee by the beginning of 1917, when almost the entire Russian aristocracy turned its back on the royal family, and Emperor Nicholas II decided to abdicate the throne. Abandoned and betrayed by the top Russian society the last Romanovs found their end in the basement of Ipatiev's house in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 1918, where they were shot by the Bolsheviks.

All the Romanovs: Emperor Nicholas II with his wife Alexandra Fedorovna and children - son Alexei and daughters - Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia.

After October Revolution 47 representatives of the House of Romanov, who found themselves in exile abroad, managed to escape. Some of them, until the end of the 30s, hoped for the restoration of the monarchy in Russia. In 1942, two representatives of the House of Romanov were offered the Montenegrin throne. Currently, most representatives of the family are members of the Association of Members of the House of Romanov. The head of the association since 1989 is Prince Nikolai Romanovich Romanov.

Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei.

Tsarevich Alexei studying. Last generation royal family.

Russian Emperor Nicholas II with his heir, Tsarevich Alexei (in the background in the arms of a Cossack) are leaving the Novospassky Monastery. Celebrating the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. © RIA Novosti

The house where I spent last days family of Emperor Nicholas Romanov. © Igor Vinogradov/RIA Novosti

Princess Olga Nikolaevna Kulikovskaya-Romanova. © Vitaly Ankov/RIA Novosti

In the Kremlin, in the Armory Chamber, two unsightly-looking sabers are kept. But, despite their unpresentable appearance, they are priceless relics of Russia. These sabers were the military weapons of Minin and Pozharsky. In 1612, a merchant from Nizhny Novgorod Kuzma Minin called on the Russian people to fight the Polish invaders, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky led the people’s militia.

In the autumn of the same year, the Mother See was cleared of Polish lords. After this, the Zemsky Sobor met and elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the throne. The Romanov family itself came from the family of Queen Anastasia (the first wife of Ivan the Terrible). The people loved and revered her for her kindness and meekness. The formidable king himself loved her and was very worried after the death of his wife.

All this was the reason that the representatives of the Russian lands, who gathered at the Zemsky Sobor, chose in favor of a 16-year-old boy, who was a descendant of Anastasia. They announced this to him at the Ipatiev Monastery in the city of Kostroma. Thus began the reign of the Romanov dynasty. It lasted 300 years and turned the Russian land into a huge and great power.

Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645)

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676)

Tsar Fedor Alekseevich (1676-1682)

Three Powers and Princess Sofya Alekseevna (1682-1689)

Peter I the Great (1689-1725)

Tsar and then Emperor Peter I is considered a great reformer who turned the Muscovite kingdom into the Russian Empire. His merits include the defeat of the Swedes, access to Baltic Sea, construction of St. Petersburg, rapid growth metallurgical industry. Were converted public administration, legal proceedings and the education system. In 1721, the Russian Tsar began to be called the Emperor, and the country an Empire.
Read more in the article Peter I Romanov.

Empress Catherine I (1725-1727)

Emperor Peter II (1727-1730)

Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740)

Ivan VI and the Brunswick family (1740-1741)

Empress Elisabeth (1741-1761)

Emperor Peter III (1761-1762)

Empress Catherine II the Great (1762-1796)

Emperor Paul I (1796-1801)

Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825)

Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855)

Emperor Alexander II the Liberator (1855-1881)

Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker (1881-1894)

Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917)

Nicholas II became the last emperor of the Romanov dynasty. Under him, the Khodynka tragedy and Bloody Sunday occurred. Was extremely poorly conducted Russo-Japanese War. At the same time, the economy of the Russian Empire experienced an upswing. At its peak, the First World War began, ending with a revolution and the abdication of the emperor. The renunciation manifesto was signed on March 2, 1917. Nicholas II abdicated in favor of his brother Mikhail, but he also renounced power.

Leonid Druzhnikov

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

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

Who belongs to the dynasty

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

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

Branching of the family tree

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

• Alexander I, who ascended the Russian throne in 1801, did not leave behind legitimate heirs to the throne.
• Konstantin. He was married twice, but the marriages were childless. Had three who were not recognized as descendants of the Romanovs.
• Nicholas I, All-Russian Emperor since 1825. He had three daughters and four sons from his marriage to the Prussian princess Frederica Louise Charlotte, in Orthodoxy Anna Fedorovna.
• Mikhail, married, had five daughters.

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

Continuation of the dynasty

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

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

Where are the descendants of the Romanovs today?

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

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

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

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

Head of the Imperial House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Descendants of the Romanov family, who cannot inherit the royal family, and controversial contenders for membership of the Imperial House

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

Unification of the Romanov family

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

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

Romanov Nikolay Romanovich

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

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

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

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

Vladimir Kirillovich

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

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

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

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

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

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna

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

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

Owned imperial family has a modest apartment in Madrid. A house in France was sold due to the inability to maintain it. Family support intermediate level life - by European standards. Has Russian citizenship.

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

Tsarevich Georgy Mikhailovich

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

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

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

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

Andrey Andreevich Romanov

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mikhail Andreevich Romanov

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

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

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

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

He passed away in September 2008 in Sydney.

Romanov Nikita Nikitich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Currently, the descendants of the Romanov dynasty live in the United States and recognize the legality of the rights of members of the Imperial House to Russian throne. Princess Maria Vladimirovna recognized their right to be called princes. Dmitry Romanovsky-Ilyinsky is recognized by her as a senior representative masculine all descendants of the Romanovs, regardless of what marriages they entered into.

In conclusion

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