According to some sources, the Romanovs are not of Russian blood at all, but came from Prussia, according to the historian Veselovsky they are still Novgorodians. The first Romanov appeared as a result of the plexus of childbirth Koshkin-Zakharyin-Yuryev-Shuisky-Rurik in the guise of Mikhail Fedorovich, elected tsar of the Romanov dynasty. The Romanovs, in different interpretations of surnames and names, ruled until 1917.

The Romanov family: a story of life and death - a summary

The era of the Romanovs is a 304-year-old usurpation of power in the expanses of Russia by one boyar family that was born. According to the social classification of the feudal society of the 10th - 17th centuries, the boyars were called large landowners in Moscow Russia. AT 10th - 17th for centuries it was the upper stratum of the ruling class. According to the Danubian-Bulgarian origin, "boyar" is translated as "noble". Their history is a time of unrest and an irreconcilable struggle with the kings for complete power.

Exactly 405 years ago, a dynasty of kings of this name appeared. 297 years ago, Peter the Great took the title of All-Russian Emperor. In order not to degenerate by blood, leapfrog began with its mixing along the male and female lines. After Catherine the First and Paul II, the branch of Mikhail Romanov sank into oblivion. But new branches sprang up, mixed with other bloodlines. Fyodor Nikitich, Patriarch of Russia Filaret, also bore the surname Romanov.

In 1913, the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty was splendidly and solemnly celebrated.

The highest officials of Russia, invited from European countries, did not even suspect that a fire was already warming up under the house, which would burn the ashes of the last emperor and his family in just four years.

In the times under consideration, members of the imperial families did not have surnames. They were called crown princes, grand dukes, princesses. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, which critics of Russia call a terrible coup for the country, its Provisional Government decided that all members of this house should be called Romanovs.

More on the main reigning persons of the Russian state

16-year-old first king. Appointment, election of essentially inexperienced in politics or even young children, grandchildren during the transition of power is nothing new for Russia. Often this was practiced in order for the curators of minor rulers to solve their own tasks before they came of age. In this case, Mikhail the First razed the "Time of Troubles" to the ground, brought peace and brought the almost collapsed country together. Of his ten family offspring, also 16-year-old Tsarevich Alexei (1629 - 1675) succeeded Michael as king.

The first attempt on the Romanovs by relatives. Tsar Theodore the Third dies at the age of twenty. The tsar, who was in poor health (even barely survived the time of the coronation), meanwhile, turned out to be strong in politics, reforms, organization of the army and civil service.

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He forbade foreign tutors who poured from Germany, France to Russia to work without control. Russian historians suspect that the tsar's death was prepared by close relatives, most likely his sister Sophia. What will be discussed below.

Two kings on the throne. Again about the infancy of Russian tsars.

After Fedor, Ivan the Fifth was supposed to take the throne - the ruler, as they wrote, without a king in his head. Therefore, two relatives shared the throne on the same throne - Ivan and his 10-year-old brother Peter. But all state affairs were in charge of the already called Sophia. Peter the Great removed her from her affairs when he found out that she had prepared a state conspiracy against his brother. He sent an intriguer to the monastery to atone for sins.

Tsar Peter the Great becomes monarch. The one about whom they said that he cut a window to Europe for Russia. Autocrat, military strategist, who finally defeated the Swedes in the wars of twenty years. Titled Emperor of All Russia. The monarchy changed the reign.

The female line of monarchs. Peter, already nicknamed the Great, died in another world, without officially leaving an heir. Therefore, power was transferred to the second wife of Peter, Catherine the First, a German by birth. Rules for only two years - until 1727.

The female line was continued by Anna the First (Peter's niece). During her ten years on the throne, her lover Ernst Biron actually reigned.

The third empress along this line was Elizaveta Petrovna from the family of Peter and Catherine. At first she was not crowned, because she was an illegitimate child. But this grown-up child made the first royal, fortunately, bloodless coup d'état, as a result of which she sat on the All-Russian throne. Eliminating the regent Anna Leopoldovna. It is to her that contemporaries should be grateful, because she returned to St. Petersburg its beauty and significance of the capital.

About the end of the female line. Catherine II the Great, arrived in Russia as Sophia Augusta Frederick. Overthrew the wife of Peter III. Rules for over three decades. Becoming a Romanov record holder, a despot, she strengthened the power of the capital, increasing the country territorially. Continued to improve architecturally the northern capital. Strengthened the economy. Patron, loving woman.

New, bloody, conspiracy. The heir Paul was killed after refusing to abdicate.

Alexander the First entered the government of the country on time. Napoleon went to Russia with the strongest army in Europe. The Russian one was much weaker and bled dry in battles. Napoleon is within easy reach of Moscow. We know from history what happened next. The Emperor of Russia agreed with Prussia, and Napoleon was defeated. The combined troops entered Paris.

Assassination attempts on a successor. They wanted to destroy Alexander II seven times: the liberal did not suit the opposition, which was already ripening then. They blew it up in the Winter Palace of the Emperors in St. Petersburg, shot it in the Summer Garden, even at the world exhibition in Paris. In one year there were three assassination attempts. Alexander II survived.

The sixth and seventh assassination attempts took place almost simultaneously. One terrorist missed, and the Narodnaya Volya member Grinevitsky finished the job with a bomb.

The last Romanov is on the throne. Nicholas II was crowned for the first time with his wife, who had previously had five female names. It happened in 1896. On this occasion, they began to distribute the imperial present to those gathered on Khodynka, and thousands of people died in the stampede. The emperor seemed not to notice the tragedy. Which further alienated the bottom from the top and prepared the coup.

The Romanov family - the story of life and death (photo)

In March 1917, under pressure from the masses, Nicholas II terminated his imperial powers in favor of his brother Mikhail. But he was even more cowardly, and refused the throne. And that meant only one thing: the end of the monarchy. At that time, there were 65 people in the Romanov dynasty. Men were shot by the Bolsheviks in a number of cities in the Middle Urals and in St. Petersburg. Forty-seven managed to escape into exile.

The emperor and his family were put on a train and sent to Siberian exile in August 1917. Where all those objectionable to the authorities were driven into severe frosts. The small city of Tobolsk was briefly identified as the place, but it soon became clear that Kolchak’s men could capture them there and use them for their own purposes. Therefore, the train was hastily returned to the Urals, to Yekaterinburg, where the Bolsheviks ruled.

Red terror in action

Members of the imperial family were secretly placed in the basement of a house. The shooting took place there. The emperor, members of his family, assistants were killed. The execution was given a legal basis in the form of a resolution of the Bolshevik Regional Council of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies.

In fact, without a court decision, and it was an illegal action.

A number of historians believe that the Yekaterinburg Bolsheviks received the sanction from Moscow, most likely from the weak-willed All-Russian headman Sverdlov, and maybe personally from Lenin. According to testimony, the people of Yekaterinburg rejected the court hearing because of the possible advance of Admiral Kolchak's troops to the Urals. And this is legally not a repression in retaliation for tsarism, but a murder.

The representative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Solovyov, who investigated (1993) the circumstances of the execution of the royal family, argued that neither Sverdlov nor Lenin had anything to do with the execution. Even a fool would not have left such traces, especially the top leaders of the country.

Romanovs.
There are two main versions of the origin of the Romanov family. According to one they come from Prussia, according to the other from Novgorod. Under Ivan IV (the Terrible), the family was close to the royal throne and had a certain political influence. The surname Romanov was first adopted by Patriarch Filaret (Fyodor Nikitich).

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov dynasty.

Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645).
Years of government - 1613-1645.
The son of Patriarch Filaret and Xenia Ivanovna Shestova (after the tonsure, nun Martha). On February 21, 1613, sixteen-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar by the Zemsky Sobor, and on July 11 of the same year he was married to the kingdom. Was married twice. He had three daughters and a son - the heir to the throne Alexei Mikhailovich.
The reign of Mikhail Fedorovich was marked by rapid construction in large cities, the development of Siberia and the development of technical progress.

Alexei Mikhailovich (Quiet) (1629-1676)
Years of government - 1645-1676
The reign of Alexei Mikhailovich was noted:
- church reform (in other words, a split in the church)
- peasant war led by Stepan Razin
- reunification of Russia and Ukraine
- a number of riots: "Salt", "Copper"
Was married twice. His first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, bore him 13 children, including the future tsars Fedor and Ivan, and Princess Sophia. Second wife Natalya Naryshkina - 3 children, including the future Emperor Peter I.
Before his death, Alexei Mikhailovich blessed his son from his first marriage, Fedor, to the kingdom.

Fedor III (Fyodor Alekseevich) (1661-1682)
Years of government - 1676-1682
Under Feodor III, a census was conducted and the cutting off of hands for theft was abolished. Orphanages began to be built. The Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was established, with admission to study in it for representatives of all classes.
Was married twice. There were no children. He did not appoint heirs before his death.

Ivan V (Ivan Alekseevich) (1666-1696)
Years of government - 1682-1696
He took over the reign after the death of his brother Fedor by the right of seniority.
He was very painful and incapable of governing the country. The boyars and the patriarch decided to depose Ivan V and declare the underage Peter Alekseevich (future Peter I) the king. Relatives from both heirs fought desperately for power. The result was a bloody Streltsy rebellion. As a result, it was decided to crown both of them, which happened on June 25, 1682. Ivan V was a nominal tsar and never engaged in public affairs. In reality, the country was ruled first by Princess Sophia, and then by Peter I.
He was married to Praskovya Saltykova. They had five daughters, including the future Empress Anna Ioannovna.

Princess Sofya (Sofya Alekseevna) (1657-1704)
Years of government - 1682-1689
Under Sophia, the persecution of the Old Believers was intensified. Her favorite Prince Golits undertook two unsuccessful campaigns against the Crimea. As a result of the coup in 1689, Peter I came to power. Sophia was forcibly tonsured a nun and died in the Novodevichy Convent.

Peter I (Peter Alekseevich) (1672-1725)
Years of government - 1682-1725
He was the first to take the title of emperor. When there were many global changes in the state:
- the capital was moved to the newly built city of St. Petersburg.
- the Russian navy was founded
- carried out a lot of successful military campaigns, including the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava
- another church reform was carried out, the Holy Synod was established, the institution of the patriarch was abolished, the church was deprived of its own funds
- the Senate was established
The emperor was married twice. The first wife is Evdokia Lopukhina. The second is Marta Skavronskaya.
Three children of Peter survived to adulthood: Tsarevich Alesya and daughters Elizabeth and Anna.
Tsarevich Alexei was considered the heir, but was accused of high treason and died under torture. According to one version, he was tortured to death by his own father.

Catherine I (Marta Skavronskaya) (1684-1727)
Years of government - 1725-1727
After the death of her crowned husband, she took his throne. The most significant event of her reign was the opening of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Peter II (Peter Alekseevich) (1715-1730)
Years of government - 1727-1730
Grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei.
He ascended the throne quite young and was not involved in public affairs. He was passionate about hunting.

Anna Ioannovna (1693-1740)
Years of government - 1730-1740
Daughter of Tsar Ivan V, niece of Peter I.
Since there were no heirs after Peter II, the members of the Privy Council decided the issue with the throne. They chose Anna Ioannovna, forcing her to sign a document limiting royal power. Subsequently, she tore the document, and the members of the Privy Council were either executed or sent into exile.
Anna Ioannovna declared the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna, Ivan Antonovich, her heir.

Ivan VI (Ivan Antonovich) (1740-1764)
Years of government - 1740-1741
Great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, nephew of Anna Ioannovna.
First, under the young emperor, the favorite of Anna Ioannovna Biron was regent, then his mother Anna Leopoldovna. After the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna, the emperor and his family spent the rest of their days in captivity.

Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)
Years of government - 1741-1761
Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. The last ruler of the state, who is a direct descendant of the Romanovs. She ascended the throne as a result of a coup d'état. All her life she patronized the arts and science.
She declared her nephew Peter to be her heir.

Peter III (1728-1762)
Years of government - 1761-1762
Grandson of Peter I, son of his eldest daughter Anna and Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich.
During his short reign, he managed to sign a decree on equality of religions and the Manifesto of Liberty of the Nobility. He was killed by a group of conspirators.
He was married to Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica (future Empress Catherine II). He had a son, Pavel, who would later take the Russian throne.

Catherine II (née Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica) (1729-1796)
Years of government - 1762-1796
She became empress after the coup d'état and the assassination of Peter III.
The reign of Catherine is called the golden age. Russia conducted a lot of successful military campaigns and gained new territories. Science and art developed.

Pavel I (1754-1801)
Years of government - 1796-1801
Son of Peter III and Catherine II.
He was married to the princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, at baptism Natalya Alekseevna. They had ten children. Two of whom later became emperors.
Killed by conspirators.

Alexander I (Alexander Pavlovich) (1777-1825)
Reign 1801-1825
Son of Emperor Paul I.
After the coup and the murder of his father, he ascended the throne.
Defeated Napoleon.
He had no heirs.
A legend is connected with him that he did not die in 1825, but became a wandering monk and ended his days in one of the monasteries.

Nicholas I (Nikolai Pavlovich) (1796-1855)
Years of government - 1825-1855
Son of Emperor Paul I, brother of Emperor Alexander I
Under him, the Decembrist Uprising took place.
He was married to the Prussian princess Friederika Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina. The couple had 7 children.

Alexander II the Liberator (Alexander Nikolaevich) (1818-1881)
Years of government - 1855-1881
Son of Emperor Nicholas I.
He abolished serfdom in Russia.
Was married twice. First time on Mary, Princess of Hesse. The second marriage was considered morganatic and was concluded with Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruky.
The emperor died at the hands of terrorists.

Alexander III the Peacemaker (Alexander Alexandrovich) (1845-1894)
Years of government - 1881-1894
Son of Emperor Alexander II.
Under him, Russia was very stable, rapid economic growth began.
He married the Danish princess Dagmar. The marriage produced 4 sons and 2 daughters.

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich) (1868-1918)
Years of government - 1894-1917
Son of Emperor Alexander III.
The last Russian emperor.
The time of his reign was quite difficult, marked by riots, revolutions, unsuccessful wars and a fading economy.
He was greatly influenced by his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Alice of Hesse). The couple had 4 daughters and a son Alex.
In 1917 the Emperor abdicated.
In 1918, together with his entire family, he was shot by the Bolsheviks.
Ranked by the Russian Orthodox Church to the Face of Saints.

Candidates

There were many contenders for the Russian throne. The two most unpopular candidates - the Polish prince Vladislav and the son of False Dmitry II - were "weeded out" immediately. The Swedish king's son Karl-Philip had more supporters, among them - the leader of the Zemstvo army, Prince Pozharsky. Why did the patriot of the Russian land opt for a foreign prince? Perhaps the antipathy of the “thin-born” Pozharsky to domestic applicants - the well-born boyars, who in the Time of Troubles more than once betrayed those to whom they swore allegiance, had an effect. He feared that the “boyar tsar” would sow the seeds of a new unrest in Russia, as happened during the short reign of Vasily Shuisky. Therefore, Prince Dmitry stood for the calling of the "Varangian", but most likely it was Pozharsky's "manoeuvre", since in the end only Russian applicants, noble princes, participated in the struggle for the royal throne. The head of the infamous "seven boyars" Fyodor Mstislavsky compromised himself by collaborating with the Poles, Ivan Vorotynsky renounced his claim to the throne, Vasily Golitsyn was in Polish captivity, the leaders of the militia Dmitry Trubetskoy and Dmitry Pozharsky did not differ in nobility. But the new king must unite the country split by the Time of Troubles. The question was: how to give preference to one family, so that a new round of boyar civil strife would not begin?

Mikhail Fedorovich did not pass the first round

The candidacy of the Romanovs as the main contenders did not arise by chance: Mikhail Romanov was the nephew of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. Mikhail's father, Patriarch Filaret, was respected among the clergy and Cossacks. In favor of the candidacy of Mikhail Fedorovich, the boyar Fyodor Sheremetyev actively campaigned. He assured the obstinate boyars that Mikhail "is young and will be familiar to us." In other words, become their puppet. But the boyars did not allow themselves to be persuaded: in the preliminary vote, the candidacy of Mikhail Romanov did not get the required number of votes.

no-show

When Romanov was elected, an overlay arose: the Cathedral demanded the arrival of the young applicant in Moscow. The Romanov party could not allow this: an inexperienced, timid, inexperienced young man in intrigues would have made an unfavorable impression on the delegates of the Council. Sheremetyev and his supporters had to show miracles of eloquence, proving how dangerous the path from the Kostroma village of Domnino, where Mikhail was, to Moscow. Was it not then that the legend about the feat of Ivan Susanin, who saved the life of the future tsar, arose? After a heated debate, the Romanovites succeeded in convincing the Council to cancel the decision on Michael's arrival.

tightening

On February 7, 1613, the rather tired delegates announced a two-week break: “for a large strengthening, they postponed February from the 7th of February to the 21st.” Messengers were sent to the cities "to see through their thoughts in all sorts of people." The voice of the people, of course, is the voice of God, but isn't two weeks not enough to monitor the public opinion of a large country? It is not easy for a messenger to get to Siberia, for example, even in two months. Most likely, the boyars counted on the departure from Moscow of the most active supporters of Mikhail Romanov - the Cossacks. If the stanitsa get bored, they say, to sit idle in the city, they will disperse. The Cossacks really dispersed, so much so that the boyars did not seem a little ...

The role of Pozharsky

Let's return to Pozharsky and his lobbying for the Swedish candidate for the Russian throne. In the autumn of 1612, the militia captured a Swedish spy. Until January 1613, he languished in captivity, but shortly before the beginning of the Zemsky Sobor, Pozharsky freed the spy and sent him to Novgorod occupied by the Swedes with a letter to the commander Jacob Delagardie. In it, Pozharsky reports that both he himself and most of the noble boyars want to see Karl-Philip on the Russian throne. But, as subsequent events showed, Pozharsky misinformed the Swede. One of the first decisions of the Zemsky Sobor was that there should not be a foreigner on the Russian throne, the sovereign should be elected "from Moscow families, which God wills." Was Pozharsky really so naive that he did not know the mood of the majority? Of course not. Prince Dmitry deliberately fooled Delagardie's head with "universal support" for the candidacy of Charles Philip, in order to prevent Swedish interference in the election of the king. The Russians hardly repelled the Polish onslaught, and the Swedish army’s campaign against Moscow could also turn out to be fatal. Pozharsky's "cover operation" was successful: the Swedes did not move. That is why on February 20, Prince Dmitry, having safely forgotten about the Swedish prince, proposed to the Zemsky Sobor to choose a tsar from the Romanov family, and then he put his signature on the council's charter on the election of Mikhail Fedorovich. During the coronation of the new sovereign, it was Pozharsky who was given a high honor by Mikhail: the prince presented him with one of the symbols of power - the royal power. Modern political technologists can only envy such a competent PR move: the savior of the Fatherland hands the state to the new tsar. Handsomely. Looking ahead, we note that until his death (1642) Pozharsky faithfully served Mikhail Fedorovich, taking advantage of his unchanging location. It is unlikely that the tsar would have favored someone who wanted to see not him, but some Swedish prince on the throne of the Ruriks.

Cossacks

A special role in the selection of the king belongs to the Cossacks. An interesting story about this is contained in the Tale of the Zemsky Sobor of 1613. It turns out that on February 21 the boyars decided to choose the king by casting lots, but the hope for "maybe", in which any forgery is possible, seriously angered the Cossacks. Cossack orators smashed the boyar "tricks" to smithereens and solemnly proclaimed: "By God's will, in the reigning city of Moscow and all Russia, let there be a tsar, sovereign and grand duke Mikhailo Fedorovich!" This cry was immediately picked up by supporters of the Romanovs, and not only in the Cathedral, but also among the large crowd of people in the square. It was the Cossacks who cut the "Gordian knot", having achieved the election of Mikhail. The unknown author of the “Tale” (probably an eyewitness of what is happening) does not spare colors, describing the reaction of the boyars: “At that time, the Bolyar was obsessed with fear and trembling, and their faces were changing with blood, and no one could say anything.” Only Mikhail's uncle, Ivan Romanov, nicknamed Kasha, who for some reason did not want to see his nephew on the throne, tried to object: "Mikhailo Fedorovich is still young and not in full mind." To which the Cossack wits objected: “But you, Ivan Nikitich, are an old verst, in full mind ... you will be a strong potor to him.” Mikhail did not forget Uncle's assessment of his mental abilities and subsequently removed Ivan Kasha from all state affairs. The Cossack demarche was a complete surprise for Dmitry Trubetskoy: “His face is black, and falling into an ailment, and lying for many days, not leaving his yard from the mountain, that the Cossacks exhausted the treasury and recognized them as flattering in words and deceit.” The prince can be understood: it was he, the leader of the Cossack militia, who counted on the support of his comrades-in-arms, generously endowed them with a "treasury" - and suddenly they were on the side of Mikhail. Perhaps the Romanov party paid more?

British recognition

On February 21 (March 3), 1613, the Zemsky Sobor made a historic decision: to elect Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom. The first country to recognize the new sovereign was England: in the same year, 1613, the embassy of John Metric arrived in Moscow. Thus began the history of the second and last royal dynasty of Russia. It is significant that throughout his reign, Mikhail Fedorovich showed a special attitude towards the British. So, Mikhail Fedorovich restored relations with the British “Moscow Company” after the Time of Troubles, and although he curtailed the freedom of action of English merchants, he nevertheless put them on favorable terms not only with other foreigners, but also with representatives of the Russian “big business”.

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 opening on Monday, November 4, “Orthodox Russia. 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 Russian tsars today.

Coat of arms of the Romanov family. © RIA Novosti

On National Unity Day, November 4, the exhibition “Orthodox Russia. Romanovs. This is a tribute to the memory of the rulers of that old Russia, which remained in the annals, the first historical works, diary entries and at its sunset in the photographs of Prokudin-Gorsky. The organizers of the exhibition, which promises to be really interesting and useful, offer us to look at our history impartially, without idealizing the sovereign rulers.

“Today, in many ways, we still enjoy the fruits of their (the Romanovs’ - ed.) labors, forgetting who we owe it to,” Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), executive secretary of the Patriarchal Council for Culture, notes.

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

The founder of the dynasty is the Moscow boyar Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuriev, whose sister Anastasia Romanovna became the first wife of the first Russian Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible. Nikita Romanovich was a prominent figure - Moscow still has street names that are closely associated 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 the 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 Proud. The Velvet Book, which contains genealogies of the most noble boyar and noble families of Russia, says that Andrei Kobyla arrived in Russia 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 origin from Western surnames. A prominent historian of boyar families, Stepan Veselovsky, as well as a number of other researchers, including Alexander Zimin, trace the origin of Andrei Kobyla to the Novgorod nobility.

The first name Romanov, in honor of his grandfather, began to be Fedor Nikitich, better known to history as Patriarch Filaret. Fyodor Nikitich was forcibly tonsured as a monk together with his wife Xenia Shestova when all the Romanov brothers were disgraced under Boris Godunov. Having taken the tonsure, Filaret remained a man of the world 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 actually led Moscow politics and, along with the tsar, used the title "Great Sovereign".

Patriarch Philaret. 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 one was cut off thirty years earlier, even 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 that 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 treaty. From that moment, according to the genealogical rules, the imperial family is called Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovsky.

In popular historiography, this detail, as a rule, is ignored, continuing to call the rulers simply the Romanovs. However, Russian aristocrats always remembered the origin of the rulers, and that the Romanov family “faded away in the male tribe in 1730”, as it was written in the “Small Encyclopedic Dictionary” of Brockhaus and Efron (1907–1909). On the "German" origin of the ruling dynasty, many politicians built intrigues, and some even called, for example, Alexander II "the acting Romanov in Russia." Such speculation reached its apogee by the beginning of 1917, when almost the entire Russian aristocracy turned away from the royal family, and Emperor Nicholas II decided to abdicate. Abandoned and betrayed by the elite of Russian society, the last Romanovs found their end in the basement of the Ipatiev 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, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia.

After the October Revolution, 47 representatives of the Romanov dynasty managed to escape, who ended up in exile abroad. Some of them until the end of the 30s hoped for the restoration of the monarchy in Russia. In 1942, two representatives of the Romanov dynasty were offered the Montenegrin throne. Currently, most of the representatives of the family are members of the Association of members of the Romanov family. Since 1989, the head of the association has been Prince Nikolai Romanovich Romanov.

Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei.

Tsarevich Alexei studying. The last generation of the royal family.

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

The house where the family of Emperor Nikolai Romanov spent their last days. © Igor Vinogradov/RIA Novosti

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

1. INTRODUCTION

FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DYNASTY OF THE ROMANOV FAMILY

THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

PERSONALITY OF NICHOLAS II

CHILDREN OF ALEXAEDRA AND NICHOLAS

DEATH OF THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. INTRODUCTION

The history of the Romanov family has been documented since the middle of the 14th century, from the boyar of the Grand Duke of Moscow Simeon Gordoy - Andrei Ivanovich Kobyly, who, like many boyars in the medieval Moscow state, played a significant role in government.

Kobyla had five sons, the youngest of whom, Fedor Andreevich, bore the nickname "Cat".

According to Russian historians, “Mare”, “Koshka” and many other Russian surnames, including noble ones, came from nicknames that arose spontaneously, under the influence of various random associations, which are difficult, and most often impossible, to reconstruct.

Fedor Koshka, in turn, served the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy, who, speaking in 1380 on the famous victorious campaign against the Tatars on Kulikovo Field, left Koshka to rule Moscow instead of himself: “Observe the city of Moscow and protect the Grand Duchess and all his family” .

The descendants of Fyodor Koshka occupied a strong position at the Moscow court and often became related to members of the Rurik dynasty then ruling in Russia.

By the names of men from the family of Fedor Koshka, in fact, by patronymic, the descending branches of the family were called. Therefore, the descendants bore different surnames, until finally one of them - the boyar Roman Yuryevich Zakharyin - occupied such an important position that all his descendants began to be called Romanovs.

And after the daughter of Roman Yuryevich - Anastasia - became the wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the surname "Romanovs" became unchanged for all members of this family, who played an outstanding role in the history of Russia and many other countries.

2. FROM THE HISTORY OF THE DYNASTY OF THE ROMANOV FAMILY

The Romanovs, a boyar family, from 1613 - the royal, and from 1721 - the imperial dynasty in Russia, which ruled until February 1917. The documented ancestor of the Romanovs was Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla, the boyar of the Moscow princes of the middle of the 14th century. Ancestors of the Romanovs before the beginning of the 16th century. were called Koshkins (from the nickname of the 5th son of Andrei Ivanovich - Fedor Koshka), then Zakharyins. The rise of the Zakharyins dates back to the second third of the 16th century. and is associated with the marriage of Ivan IV to the daughter of Roman Yurievich - Anastasia (died in 1560). The ancestor of the Romanovs was the 3rd son of Roman - Nikita Romanovich (died in 1586) - a boyar from 1562, an active participant in the Livonian War and many diplomatic negotiations; after the death of Ivan IV, he headed the regency council (until the end of 1584). Of his sons, the most famous are Fedor (see Filaret) and Ivan (died in 1640) - a boyar since 1605, was a member of the government of the so-called "Seven Boyars"; after the accession of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - the son of Filaret and nephew Ivan, the latter and his son Nikita (see Romanov N.I.) enjoyed very great influence at court. In 1598, with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, the Rurik dynasty came to an end. In preparation for the election of a new tsar, Fedor Nikitich Romanov was named as a possible candidate for the tsar's throne. Under Boris Godunov, the Romanovs fell into disgrace (1600) and their exile (1601) to Beloozero, Pelym, Yarensk and other places far from Moscow, and Fedor was tonsured a monk under the name Filaret. The new rise of the Romanovs began in the reign of I "False Dmitry I. In the Tushino camp II" False Dmitry II, Filaret was named the Russian patriarch.

At the Zemsky Sobor of 1613, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the son of Fyodor (Filaret) Romanov, was elected Russian Tsar (reigned 1613-1645). Michael was a man of small mind, indecisive and, moreover, painful. The main role in governing the country was played by his father, Patriarch Filaret (until his death in 1633). During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-76), transformations began in the social and political fields. Alexey himself participated in government, was an educated person for his time. He was succeeded by Fedor Alekseevich, sickly and far from state affairs (reigned in 1676-1682); then his brother the Great Peter I the Great (1682-1725) became king, during whose reign the largest reforms were carried out in Russia, and a successful foreign policy made it one of the strongest countries in Europe. In 1721 Russia became an empire, and Peter I became the first Emperor of All Russia. By Peter's decree of February 5, 1722, on the succession to the throne (confirmed in 1731 and 1761), the emperor appointed himself a successor from among the members of the imperial family. Peter I did not have time to appoint a successor, and after his death, his wife Catherine I Alekseevna (1725-27) took the throne. The son of Peter I - Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich was executed on June 26, 1718 for actively opposing the reforms. The son of Alexei Petrovich - Peter II Alekseevich occupied the throne from 1727 to 1730. With his death in 1730, the Romanov dynasty in the direct male generation was cut short. In 1730-40, the granddaughter of Alexei Mikhailovich, the niece of Peter I, Anna Ivanovna, ruled, and from 1741, the daughter of Peter I, Elizaveta Petrovna, with whose death in 1761 the Romanov dynasty was stopped along the female line. However, the surname of the Romanovs was carried by representatives of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty: Peter III (son of the Duke of Holstein Friedrich Karl and Anna, daughter of Peter I), who ruled in 1761-62, his wife Catherine II, nee Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, who ruled in 1762-96, their son Paul I (1796-1801) and his descendants. Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I (1801-25), Nicholas I (1825-55), in the conditions of the development of capitalist relations, tried in every possible way to preserve the feudal system with an absolute monarchy, brutally suppressed the revolutionary liberation movement. Alexander II (1855-81), son of Nicholas I, was forced to abolish serfdom in 1861. However, in the hands of the nobility, the most important posts in the government, the state apparatus and the army were practically preserved. Desiring to continue to hold power, the Romanovs, especially Alexander III (1881-94) and Nicholas II (1894-1917), pursued a reactionary course in domestic and foreign policy. Among the many great princes from the Romanov family, who occupied the highest positions in the army and in the state apparatus, Nikolai Nikolaevich (the Elder) (1831-91), Mikhail Nikolaevich (1832-1909), Sergei Alexandrovich (1857-1905) and Nikolai Nikolaevich (Younger) (1856-1929).

3. THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

Any Orthodox Christian often has to see the icons of the martyrs, of which there are many in our Church, and hear about their deeds that exceed human nature. But how often do we know how these people lived? How was their life before their martyrdom? What filled their holidays and weekdays? Were they great prayer books and ascetics, or just ordinary people like the rest of us? What filled and warmed their souls and hearts so much that at a fateful moment they confessed their faith with blood and sealed its truth with the loss of their temporary life?

Small surviving photo albums slightly open the veil of this mystery, as they allow you to see with your own eyes the moments of the personal life of not one martyr, but the whole family - the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers of the Romanovs.

The personal life of the last Russian Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II and his family was carefully hidden from prying eyes. Sincerely and invariably observing the commandments of Christ, living according to them not for show, but with their hearts, the Sovereign and Empress carefully avoided everything evil and unclean that only surrounds all those in power, finding for themselves endless joy and rest in their family, arranged according to the word of Christ like a small Church, where respect, understanding and mutual love reigned until the last moments of their lives. In the same way, their children, hidden by parental love from the corrupting influence of time and brought up in the spirit of Orthodoxy from birth, did not find greater joy for themselves than common family meetings, walks or holidays. Being deprived of the opportunity to be near their royal parents incessantly, they especially appreciated and cherished those days, and sometimes just minutes, that they could spend together with their dearly beloved father and mother.

PERSONALITY OF NICHOLAS II

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov) (05/19/1868 - 07/17/1918), Russian tsar, Russian emperor, martyr, son of Tsar Alexander III. Nicholas II was brought up and educated under the personal guidance of his father, on a traditional religious basis, in Spartan conditions. The subjects were taught by prominent Russian scientists K.P. Pobedonostsev, N. N. Beketov, N. N. Obruchev, M. I. Dragomirov and others. Much attention was paid to the military training of the future tsar.

Nicholas II ascended the throne at the age of 26, earlier than expected, as a result of the premature death of his father. Nicholas II managed to quickly recover from the initial confusion and began to pursue an independent policy, which caused dissatisfaction with part of his entourage, who hoped to influence the young tsar. The basis of the state policy of Nicholas II was the continuation of the aspirations of his father to give Russia more internal unity by asserting the Russian elements of the country.

In his first address to the people, Nikolai Alexandrovich announced that from now on, having imbued with the precepts of his deceased parent, he accepts a sacred vow before the face of the Almighty to always have as a single goal the peaceful prosperity, power and glory of dear Russia and the arrangement of the happiness of all His loyal subjects . In an address to foreign countries, Nicholas II declared that will devote all its cares to the development of the internal welfare of Russia and will not deviate in anything from the completely peace-loving, firm and straightforward policy that has so powerfully contributed to the general calm, while Russia will continue to see in respect for law and legal order the best guarantee of the security of the state.

The model of a ruler for Nicholas II was Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who carefully preserved the traditions of antiquity.

In addition to a strong will and a brilliant education, Nikolai possessed all the natural qualities necessary for state activity, above all, a huge ability to work. If necessary, he could work from morning until late at night, studying the numerous documents and materials received in his name. (By the way, he also willingly engaged in physical labor - sawing firewood, removing snow, etc.) Possessing a lively mind and a broad outlook, the king quickly grasped the essence of the issues under consideration. The king had an exceptional memory for faces and events. He remembered by sight most of the people he had to deal with, and there were thousands of such people.

However, the time in which Nicholas II fell to reign was very different from the era of the first Romanovs. If then the folk foundations and traditions served as a unifying banner of a society that was revered by both the common people and the ruling class, then to n. 20th century Russian foundations and traditions become the object of denial on the part of an educated society. A significant part of the ruling stratum and intelligentsia rejects the path of following Russian foundations, traditions and ideals, many of which they consider obsolete and ignorant. Russia's right to its own path is not recognized. Attempts are being made to impose on it an alien model of development - either Western European liberalism or Western European Marxism.

The reign of Nicholas II is the most dynamic period in the growth of the Russian people in its entire history. In less than a quarter of a century, the population of Russia has increased by 62 million people. The economy grew rapidly. Between 1885 and 1913, industrial output increased fivefold, exceeding the rate of industrial growth in the most developed countries of the world. The Great Siberian Railway was built, in addition, 2 thousand km of railways were built annually. The national income of Russia, according to the most underestimated calculations, has grown from 8 billion rubles. in 1894 to 22-24 billion in 1914, that is, almost three times. The average per capita income of Russian people has doubled. The incomes of workers in industry grew at a particularly high rate. For a quarter of a century, they have grown at least three times. The total expenditure on the share of public education and culture increased by 8 times, more than twice the expenditure on education in France and one and a half times - in England.

PERSONALITY OF ALEXANDRA FEDEROVNA (WIFE OF NICHOLAS II)

She was born in Darmstadt (Germany) in 1872. She was baptized on July 1, 1872 according to the Lutheran rite. The name given to her consisted of her mother's name (Alice) and the four names of her aunts. Godparents were: Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future Emperor Alexander III) with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice, Augusta von Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge and Maria Anna , Princess of Prussia.

In 1878, a diphtheria epidemic spread in Hesse. Alice's mother and her younger sister May died from her, after which Alice lived most of the time in the UK at Balmoral Castle and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny (“Sunny”).

In June 1884, at the age of 12, Alice visited Russia for the first time, when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Feodorovna) was married to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. For the second time, she arrived in Russia in January 1889 at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. After staying in the Sergievsky Palace (Petersburg) for six weeks, the princess met and attracted the special attention of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

March 1892, Alice's father, Duke Ludwig IV, died.

In the early 1890s, the marriage of Alice and Tsarevich Nicholas was opposed by the latter's parents, who hoped for his marriage to Helen Louise Henriette, daughter of Louis-Philippe, Count of Paris. A key role in arranging Alice's marriage with Nikolai Alexandrovich was played by the efforts of her sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and the latter's husband, through whom the lovers corresponded. The position of Emperor Alexander and his wife changed due to the perseverance of the crown prince and the deteriorating health of the emperor; On April 6, 1894, the engagement of the Tsarevich and Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt was announced by a manifesto. The following months, Alice studied the basics of Orthodoxy under the guidance of the court protopresbyter John Yanyshev and the Russian language with the teacher E. A. Schneider. On October 10 (22), 1894, she arrived in the Crimea, in Livadia, where she stayed with the imperial family until the day of the death of Emperor Alexander III - October 20. On October 21 (November 2), 1894, she accepted Orthodoxy there through chrismation with the name Alexander and patronymic Fedorovna (Feodorovna).

CHILDREN OF ALEXAEDRA AND NICHOLAS

The four daughters of Nikolai and Alexandra were born beautiful, healthy, real princesses: daddy's favorite romantic Olga, serious beyond her years Tatyana, generous Maria and funny little Anastasia.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova.

She was born in November 1895. Olga became the first child in the family of Nicholas II. Parents could not get enough of the appearance of the child. Olga Nikolaevna Romanova distinguished herself by her abilities in the study of sciences, she loved solitude and books. The Grand Duchess was very smart, she had creative abilities. Olga behaved with everyone simply and naturally. The princess was surprisingly responsive, sincere and generous. The first daughter of Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova inherited facial features, posture, as well as golden hair from her mother. From Nikolai Alexandrovich, the daughter inherited the inner world. Olga, like her father, had an amazingly pure Christian soul. The princess was distinguished by an innate sense of justice, did not like lies.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was a typical good Russian girl with a big soul. She made an impression on those around her with her tenderness, with her enchanting sweet treatment of everyone. She behaved with everyone evenly, calmly and amazingly simply and naturally. She did not like housekeeping, but she loved solitude and books. She was developed and very well-read; she had an aptitude for the arts: she played the piano, sang, and studied singing in Petrograd, drawing well. She was very modest and did not like luxury.

Olga Nikolaevna was remarkably smart and capable, and teaching was a joke to her, which is why she was sometimes lazy. Her characteristic features were a strong will and an incorruptible honesty and directness, in which She was like a Mother. She had these wonderful qualities from childhood, but as a child Olga Nikolaevna was often stubborn, disobedient and very quick-tempered; afterwards she knew how to restrain herself. She had wonderful blond hair, large blue eyes and a marvelous complexion, a slightly upturned nose, resembling the Sovereign.

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova.

She was born on June 11, 1897, and was the second child in the Romanov couple. Like Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Tatyana outwardly resembled her mother, but her father's character was. Tatyana Nikolaevna Romanova was less emotional than her sister. Tatyana's eyes were similar to the eyes of the Empress, the figure was graceful, and the color of blue eyes harmoniously combined with brown hair. Tatyana was rarely naughty, and had amazing, according to contemporaries, self-control. Tatyana Nikolaevna had a highly developed sense of duty and a penchant for order in everything. Due to her mother's illness, Tatyana Romanova often managed the household, and this did not burden the Grand Duchess in any way. She loved needlework, embroidered and sewed well. The princess was of sound mind. In cases requiring decisive action, she always remained herself.

Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna was just as charming as her older sister, but in her own way. She was often called proud, but I did not know anyone who would have been less proud than her. The same thing happened to her as to Her Majesty. Her shyness and restraint were taken for arrogance, but as soon as you got to know Her better and win Her trust, the restraint disappeared and the real Tatyana Nikolaevna appeared before you. She had a poetic nature, longed for true friendship. His Majesty dearly loved the second Daughter, and the Sisters joked that if you need to turn to the Sovereign with some kind of request, then "Tatyana should ask Papa to let us do this." Very tall, thin as a reed, She was endowed with a graceful cameo profile and brown hair. She was fresh, fragile and pure as a rose.

Maria Nikolaevna Romanova.

She was born on June 27, 1899. She became the third child of the Emperor and Empress. Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Romanova was a typical Russian girl. She was characterized by good nature, gaiety, and affability. Maria had a beautiful appearance and vitality. According to the memoirs of some of her contemporaries, she was very similar to her grandfather Alexander III. Maria Nikolaevna loved her parents very much. She was strongly attached to them, much more than the rest of the children of the royal couple. The fact is that she was too small for the older daughters (Olga and Tatiana), and too old for the younger children (Anastasia and Alexei) of Nicholas II.

The successes of the Grand Duchess were average. Like the rest of the girls, she was capable of languages, but she only fluently mastered English (which she constantly communicated with her parents) and Russian - the girls spoke it to each other. Not without difficulty, Gilliard managed to learn her French at a level "quite tolerable", but no more. German - despite all the efforts of Fraulein Schneider - remained undeveloped.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova.

She was born on June 18, 1901. The sovereign had been waiting for an heir for a long time, and when the daughter turned out to be the long-awaited fourth child, he was saddened. Soon the sadness passed, and the Emperor loved the fourth daughter, no less than his other children.

They were expecting a boy, but a girl was born. Anastasia Romanova, in her agility, could give odds to any boy. Anastasia Nikolaevna wore simple clothes inherited from her older sisters. The bedroom of the fourth daughter was not richly cleaned. Necessarily every morning Anastasia Nikolaevna took a cold shower. It was not easy to keep an eye on Princess Anastasia. As a child, she was very nimble. She liked to climb, where not getting, to hide. When she was a child, Grand Duchess Anastasia loved to play pranks, as well as to make others laugh. In addition to gaiety, Anastasia reflected such character traits as wit, courage and observation.

Like other children of the emperor, Anastasia was educated at home. Education began at the age of eight, the program included French, English and German, history, geography, the law of God, natural sciences, drawing, grammar, arithmetic, as well as dance and music. Anastasia did not differ in diligence in her studies, she could not stand grammar, she wrote with terrifying mistakes, and called arithmetic with childish immediacy "svin'". English teacher Sydney Gibbs recalled that once she tried to bribe him with a bouquet of flowers to increase her grade, and after he refused, she gave these flowers to a Russian teacher, Pyotr Vasilyevich Petrov.

During the war, the empress gave many of the palace rooms for hospital premises. The older sisters Olga and Tatyana, together with their mother, became sisters of mercy; Maria and Anastasia, being too young for such hard work, became patronesses of the hospital. Both sisters gave their own money to purchase medicines, read aloud to the wounded, knitted things for them, played cards and checkers, wrote letters home under their dictation, and in the evenings entertained them with telephone conversations, sewed linen, prepared bandages and lint.

Tsarevich Alexei was the fourth child in the family of Nicholas II.

Alexei was a long-awaited child. From the first days of his reign, Nicholas II dreamed of an heir. The Lord sent only daughters to the emperor. Tsesarevich Alexei was born on August 12, 1904. The heir to the Russian throne was born a year after the Sarov celebrations. The entire royal family fervently prayed for the birth of a boy. Tsarevich Alexei inherited all the best from his father and mother. Parents loved the heir very much, he answered them with great reciprocity. The father was a real idol for Alexei Nikolaevich. The young prince tried to imitate him in everything. The royal couple did not even think about how to name the newborn prince. Nicholas II had long wanted to name his future heir Alexei. The tsar said that "it's time to break the line of Alexandrov and Nikolaev." Also, Nicholas II was sympathetic to the personality of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, and the emperor wanted to name his son in honor of the great ancestor.

On the mother's side, Alexei inherited hemophilia, which was carried by some of the daughters and granddaughters of the English Queen Victoria.

The heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was a boy of 14 years old, intelligent, observant, receptive, affectionate, cheerful. He was lazy and did not particularly like books. He combined the features of his father and mother: he inherited the simplicity of his father, was alien to arrogance, arrogance, but had his own will and obeyed only his father. His mother wanted to, but could not be strict with him. His teacher Bitner says of him: "He had a great will and would never submit to any woman." He was very disciplined, withdrawn and very patient. Undoubtedly, the disease left its mark on him and developed these traits in him. He did not like court etiquette, he liked to be with the soldiers and learned their language, using in his diary purely folk expressions he had overheard. His stinginess reminded him of his mother: he did not like to spend his money and collected various abandoned things: nails, lead paper, ropes, etc.

During the First World War, Alexei, who was the chief of several regiments and chieftain of all Cossack troops, visited the army with his father, awarded distinguished fighters, etc. He was awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree.

Romanov emperor nikolai burial

7. DEATH OF THE LAST OF THE ROMANOV DYNASTY

After the Bolshevik Revolution, the tsar and his family were placed under house arrest. Members of the imperial family were executed on July 17, 1918, during the Civil War, because the Bolsheviks feared that whites might unite around the living tsar.

The night of July 16-17, 1918 was fatal for the last Romanovs. On this night, the former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, the former Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, their children, 14-year-old Alexei, daughters, Olga (22 years old), Tatiana (20 years old), Maria (18 years old) and Anastasia (16 years old), as well as the doctor Botkin E.S., the maid A. Demidova, the cook Kharitonov and the footman who were with them, were shot in the basement of the House of Special Purpose (the former house of engineer Ipatiev) in Yekaterinburg. At the same time, the bodies of those shot in a car were taken outside the city and, not far from the village of Koptyaki, were dumped into an old mine.

But the fear that the whites approaching Yekaterinburg would find the corpses and turn them into "holy relics" forced a reburial. The next day, the executed were taken out of the mine, again loaded onto a car, which moved along a dead road into the forest. In a swampy place, the car stalled, and then, after trying to burn the corpses, they decided to bury them right on the road. The grave was filled and leveled.

So, more than 80 years ago, the 300-year-old Russian Romanov dynasty came to an end. The paradoxes of the reign of Nicholas II can be explained by the objectively existing contradictions of Russian reality at the beginning of the 20th century, when the world was entering a new phase of its development, and the tsar did not have the will and determination to master the situation. Trying to uphold the "autocratic principle", he maneuvered: either he made small concessions, or he refused them. Surprisingly, the nature of the last king corresponded to the essence of the regime: to avoid change, to maintain the status quo. As a result, the regime rotted, pushing the country to the abyss. Rejecting and hindering the reforms, the last tsar contributed to the beginning of the social revolution, which could not but bear in itself all the tightness that had accumulated in Russian life over many decades of its trampling and oppression. This should be recognized with absolute sympathy for the terrible fate of the royal family and with a categorical rejection of the crime that was committed against her and other representatives of the Romanov dynasty.

At the critical moment of the February coup, the generals changed their oath and forced the tsar to abdicate. Then, for political reasons, the Provisional Government trampled on the principles of humanism, leaving the abdicated tsar in revolutionary Russia, which overthrew tsarism. And, finally, class interests, as they were understood in the outbreak of civil war, took precedence over moral considerations. The result of all this was the assassination of the emperor

I also consider the fate of the royal remains to be a tragedy of the last Romanovs, which turned out to be not only the subject of detailed research, but also a bargaining chip in the political struggle. The burial of the royal remains, unfortunately, did not become a symbol of repentance, let alone reconciliation. For most, this procedure passed by consciousness. But, nevertheless, their burial was a real step towards the disappearance of the protracted uncertainty of the relationship between today's Russia and its past.

The drama of the Russian tsar, in all likelihood, is more correctly viewed in the context of world history from the standpoint of its forward movement and the principles of humanism in relation to the human person. Three hundred years ago, the head of the English king rolled onto the chopping block, a hundred years later, the French king, and a hundred and a half later, the Russian king.

9. LIST OF USED LITERATURE

1.#"justify">. Alekseev V. The death of the royal family: myths and reality. (New documents about the tragedy in the Urals). Yekaterinburg, 1993.

The murder of the century: a selection of articles about the murder of the family of Nicholas II. New time. 1998

.#"justify">. Volkov A. Near the royal family. M., 1993.

.#"justify">.http://nnm.ru/blogs/wxyzz/dinastiya_romanovyh_sbornik_knig/

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