Romanov Dynasty

The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia from 1613 until the February Revolution of 1917. The family was descended from Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, a Muscovite boyar who lived in the first half of the 14th century. The name Romanov was taken from Roman Yuriev (d. 1543), the father of Anastasia Romanova (d. 1560), who was the first wife of Tsar Ivan IV.

Michael Romanov, grandnephew of Anastasia, was elected tsar by a National Assembly in 1613; he was the first of the dynasty to rule Russia. Important Romanov rulers included Peter I, whose reign marks the beginning of imperial Russia; Catherine II, actually a German who married into the family; Alexander I, who defeated Napoleon in 1812; and Alexander II, who emancipated the serfs in 1861. The last Romanov tsar, Nicholas II, abdicated in March 1917. He and his immediate family were executed (July 1918) at Yekaterinburg.

  • 1613-1645 Michael Romanov
  • 1645-1676 Alexis I - the Meek
  • 1676-1682 Fyodor III
  • 1682-1689 Sophia (regent).
  • 1682-1696 Ivan V (co-star)
  • 1682-1725 Peter I - the Great
  • 1725-1727 Catherine I
  • 1727-1730 Peter II
  • 1730-1740 Anna
  • 1740-1741 Ivan VI
  • 1741-1762 Elizabeth
  • 1762-1762 Peter III
  • 1762-1796 Catherine II - the Great
  • 1796-1801 Paul I
  • 1801-1825 Alexander I - the Blessed
  • 1825-1855 Nicholas I
  • 1855-1881 Alexander II - the Libertator
  • 1881-1894 Alexander III - the Peacemaker
  • 1894-1917 Nicholas II

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