House of Romanov
On the 21st of February 1613, a sixteen-year-old boy named Mikhail Romanov burst into tears of fear and despair while sitting at the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma. He had been offered the crown of Russia by the Zemsky Sobor, but his mother Kseniya Ivanovna Shestova persuaded him to accept it after blessing him with the holy image of Our Lady of St. Theodore. The Romanov family had originated as boyars under the Rurik dynasty, sharing their earliest common ancestor with two dozen other noble families around the year 1347. That ancestor was Andrei Kobyla, who served Simeon, the prince of Moscow and grand prince of Vladimir. Later generations assigned Kobyla an illustrious pedigree involving Old Prussian origins, though this claim remains contested by historians favoring descent from a Novgorod boyar family.
The family fortunes soared dramatically when Roman's daughter Anastasia Zakharyina married Ivan IV on the 3rd of February 1547. Her husband assumed the title of Tsar of all Russia on the 16th of January 1547, making her the first tsaritsa of Russia. Her mysterious death in 1560 changed Ivan's character for the worse, leading to a reign of terror against the boyars he suspected of poisoning her. Among his children by Anastasia, the eldest son Ivan was murdered by the tsar himself during a quarrel, while the younger Feodor inherited the throne upon his father's death in 1584.
Throughout Feodor's reign from 1584 to 1598, Boris Godunov and his Romanov cousins contested de facto rule over Russia. Upon Feodor's childless death, the seven-hundred-year-old line of the Rurik dynasty came to an end, ushering in the Time of Troubles. The party of Boris Godunov prevailed over the Romanovs initially, leading to their deportation to remote corners of the Russian North and Urals where most died of hunger or in chains. Filaret Romanov, the family leader, was exiled to the Antoniev Siysky Monastery and forced to take monastic vows with the name Filaret.
Peter I took the title of emperor and proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721, transforming the country into a great power through wars and reforms. He led a cultural revolution that replaced traditionalist medieval systems with modern scientific and Europe-oriented structures. Peter ruled from 1682 until his death in 1725, expanding the tsardom into a huge empire during numerous successful campaigns. His only son to survive into adulthood, Tsarevich Alexei, did not support Peter's modernization efforts and had previously been arrested before dying in prison shortly thereafter.
Near the end of his life, Peter managed to alter succession traditions allowing him to choose his heir directly. Power then passed into the hands of his second wife Empress Catherine, who ruled until her death in 1727. Peter II, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, took the throne but died in 1730, ending the direct male line of the Romanovs. Anna I, daughter of Peter the Great's half-brother Ivan V, succeeded him before declaring her grandnephew Ivan VI should succeed her upon her death in 1740.
Elizabeth Petrovna, a legitimized daughter of Peter I, gained favor of the populace and dethroned Ivan VI in a coup supported by the Preobrazhensky Regiment and ambassadors from France and Sweden. Ivan VI was murdered in 1764 while imprisoned, and his parents died from illness during their captivity. Elizabeth brought Anna's son Peter of Holstein-Gottorp to St. Petersburg in 1742 and proclaimed him her heir, eventually marrying him off to Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst.
In 1762, shortly after Empress Elizabeth's death, Sophia overthrew her unpopular husband with the aid of her lover Grigory Orlov. She reigned as Catherine the Great, establishing the Holstein-Gottorp-Rainov branch that retained the Romanov surname through matrilineal descent from Peter the Great via Anna Petrovna. Paul I became the first heir to the throne holding the title tsesarevich, which was subsequently used for all main heirs. He decreed house laws known as the Pauline Laws among the strictest in Europe requiring Orthodox faith for monarchs and dynasts.
Paul I was murdered in his palace in Saint Petersburg in 1801, succeeded by Alexander I who later died without leaving a son. His brother Nicholas I took the throne in 1825 following confusion caused by hundreds of troops taking oaths to Constantine Pavlovich who had unknowingly renounced his claim in 1822. This led to the Decembrist revolt against Nicholas's accession. Nicholas fathered four sons educating them for ruling Russia and military careers from whom the last branches descended.
Alexander II became emperor in 1855 during the Crimean War believing only strong Russian military could maintain peace. He developed the Imperial Russian Army giving increased autonomy to Finland and freeing serfs in 1861 gaining popular support despite family life unraveling mid-1860s when Tsarevich Nicholas died suddenly. His wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna suffered tuberculosis spending much time abroad before contracting a morganatic marriage with Princess Catherine Dolgorukova after her death in 1880.
Nicholas II became emperor upon Alexander III's death due to kidney disease at age forty-nine in November 1894. He reputedly said he was not ready to be tsar before marrying Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt just one week after the funeral. Though kind-hearted, Nicholas tended to leave intact his father's harsh policies while Alexandra Feodorovna avoided many social duties traditional for Russia's tsarinas. Seen as distant and severe, unfavorable comparisons were drawn between her and her popular mother-in-law Maria Fyodorovna.
In September 1915, Nicholas took command of the army at front lines during World War I while Alexandra sought to influence him toward authoritarian government approaches even more than during peacetime. Her German origin and unique relationship with Rasputin injured both his and dynasty reputation during global conflict. Alexandra carried the gene for haemophilia inherited from Queen Victoria making their son Alexei suffer agonizing bouts of protracted bleeding partially alleviated by Rasputin's ministrations.
Alexander III had been physically impressive standing six feet four inches tall with large physique and considerable strength. His beard hearkened back to likeness of old tsars contributing to aura of brusque authority alienating some while awe-inspiring others. Despite contrasting natures and backgrounds, Alexander and Dagmar produced six children acquiring reputation as first tsar not known to take mistresses.
The February Revolution of 1917 resulted in abdication of Nicholas II favoring brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich who declined accepting imperial authority pending future democratic referendum effectively terminating Romanov rule over Russia. After revolution Nicholas II and family were placed under house arrest in Alexander Palace before being sent into exile in Siberian town Tobolsk by Alexander Kerensky in August 1917. In October Revolution Bolsheviks ousted Provisional Government moving Romanovs to Yekaterinburg in Urals where they were placed in Ipatiev House.
On night between 16th and the 18th of July 1918 entire Russian Imperial Romanov family along with several retainers executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries most likely on orders of Vladimir Lenin. Late that evening Nicholas Alexandra their five children and four servants ordered dress quickly go down cellar arranged two rows for photograph told taken quell rumors escape. Suddenly dozen armed men burst room gunned imperial family hail gunfire those survived shooting stabbed death.
Dark room filled smoke dust spray bullets creating limited visibility causing shooters blind often hitting ceiling walls generating debris injuring some gunmen themselves. Alexandra soon shot head military commissar Peter Ermakov killed. Room cleared smoke shooters re-enter find remaining imperial family still alive uninjured. Maria attempted escape through doors rear leading storage area doors nailed shut noise rattling attracted attention Ermakov.
In mid-1970s Dr Alexander Avdonin discovered mass grave containing remains Nicholas II Alexandra Feodorovna three five Romanov children near Old Koptyaki road Yekaterinburg Russia. Grave contained forty-four heavily degraded bone tooth fragments found using metal detectors rods probes striped material appeared blue-white cloth Alexei commonly wore undershirt same pattern. Area where remains found under double bonfire sites about seventy meters from mass grave Pigs Meadow near Yekaterinburg.
Archaeologists stated bones boy approximately between ages ten thirteen young woman between eighteen twenty-three years old. At time Anastasia seventeen years old Maria nineteen while brother Alexei few weeks away turning fourteen. Elders sisters Olga Tatiana twenty-two and twenty-one respectively at murder time. Mid-2007 Russian archaeologist announced discovery uncovered following items two pits forming T-shape: remains forty-four human bone fragments bullet jackets short barrel guns pistols wooden boxes deteriorated fragments pieces ceramic amphoras containers acid iron nails angles seven fragments teeth fabric garment fragment.
Geneticists used combination autosomal STR mtDNA sequencing detect relationships family members' remains. Using DNA sample Prince Philip Duke Edinburgh grand nephew Alexandra matched his DNA her children's remains found mass grave. Investigation concluded Alexei one Romanov daughter missing experts continue debate which daughter missing United States believe Anastasia Russia believe Maria.
In 1919 Maria Feodorovna widow Alexander III mother Nicholas II managed escape Russia aboard ship sent nephew King George V United Kingdom rescue urging own mother Queen Alexandra Maria elder sister. After stay England with Queen Alexandra returned native Denmark first living Amalienborg Palace nephew King Christian X later Villa Hvidore. Upon death 1928 coffin placed crypt Roskilde Cathedral burial site Danish royal family.
Among other exiles who managed leave Russia Maria Feodorovna two daughters Grand Duchesses Xenia Alexandrovna Olga Alexandrovna husbands Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Nikolai Kulikovsky respectively children spouses Xenia elder two children granddaughter. Xenia remained England following mother return Denmark although after mother death Olga moved Canada husband both sisters dying 1960. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna widow Nicholas II uncle Grand Duke Vladimir children Grand Dukes Kiril Boris Andrei Kiril wife Victoria Melita children also managed flee Russia.
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich cousin Nicholas II exiled Caucasus 1916 part murder Grigori Rasputin managed escape Russia. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich supreme commander Russian troops World War I prior Nicholas II taking command brother Grand Duke Peter wives Grand Duchesses Anastasia Militza sisters Peter's children son-in-law granddaughter fled country. Elizaveta Mavrikievna widow Konstantin Konstantinovich escaped daughter Vera Konstantinovna son Georgii Konstantinovich grandson Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich granddaughter Princess Catherine Ivanovna Sweden.
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Common questions
When did Mikhail Romanov accept the crown of Russia?
Mikhail Romanov accepted the crown of Russia on the 21st of February 1613. He was sixteen years old and sitting at the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma when he received the offer from the Zemsky Sobor.
Who founded the House of Romanov dynasty in Russia?
The House of Romanov originated as boyars under the Rurik dynasty with Andrei Kobyla serving as the earliest common ancestor around the year 1347. The family gained power when Anastasia Zakharyina married Ivan IV on the 3rd of February 1547, making her the first tsaritsa of Russia.
How did Peter I change the Russian Empire?
Peter I took the title of emperor and proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721 to transform the country into a great power through wars and reforms. He led a cultural revolution that replaced traditionalist medieval systems with modern scientific and Europe-oriented structures during his rule from 1682 until his death in 1725.
What happened to the Romanov family after the October Revolution of 1917?
Bolsheviks moved the Romanovs to Yekaterinburg in the Urals where they were placed in the Ipatiev House. On the night between the 16th and the 18th of July 1918 the entire Russian Imperial Romanov family along with several retainers was executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries most likely on orders of Vladimir Lenin.
When was the mass grave containing Nicholas II and his family discovered?
Dr Alexander Avdonin discovered the mass grave containing remains of Nicholas II Alexandra Feodorovna three five Romanov children near Old Koptyaki road Yekaterinburg Russia in the mid-1970s. The grave contained forty-four heavily degraded bone tooth fragments found using metal detectors rods probes striped material appeared blue-white cloth Alexei commonly wore undershirt same pattern.