Who was the emperor after Catherine. First Russian Emperor

For almost 400 years of the existence of this title, it was worn completely different people- from adventurers and liberals to tyrants and conservatives.

Rurikovich

Over the years, Russia (from Rurik to Putin) has changed many times political system. At first, rulers bore the title of prince. When after the period political fragmentation something new has developed around Moscow Russian state, the owners of the Kremlin began to think about accepting the royal title.

This was accomplished under Ivan the Terrible (1547-1584). This one decided to marry into the kingdom. And this decision was not accidental. So the Moscow monarch emphasized that he was the legal successor. It was they who bestowed Orthodoxy on Russia. In the 16th century, Byzantium no longer existed (it fell under the onslaught of the Ottomans), so Ivan the Terrible rightly believed that his act would have serious symbolic significance.

Historical figures such as this king had a great influence on the development of the entire country. In addition to changing his title, Ivan the Terrible also captured Kazan and Astrakhan Khanate, starting Russian expansion to the East.

Ivan's son Fedor (1584-1598) was distinguished weak character and health. Nevertheless, under him the state continued to develop. The patriarchate was established. Rulers have always paid a lot of attention to the issue of succession to the throne. This time he became especially acute. Fedor had no children. When he died, the Rurik dynasty on the Moscow throne came to an end.

Time of Troubles

After Fyodor's death, Boris Godunov (1598-1605), his brother-in-law, came to power. He did not belong to the reigning family, and many considered him a usurper. Under him, due to natural disasters, a colossal famine began. The tsars and presidents of Russia have always tried to maintain calm in the provinces. Due to the tense situation, Godunov was unable to do this. Several peasant uprisings took place in the country.

In addition, the adventurer Grishka Otrepyev called himself one of the sons of Ivan the Terrible and began a military campaign against Moscow. He actually managed to capture the capital and become king. Boris Godunov did not live to see this moment - he died from health complications. His son Feodor II was captured by the comrades of False Dmitry and killed.

The impostor ruled for only a year, after which he was overthrown during the Moscow uprising, inspired by disgruntled Russian boyars who did not like the fact that False Dmitry surrounded himself with Catholic Poles. decided to transfer the crown to Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610). IN Troubled times The rulers of Russia changed frequently.

The princes, tsars and presidents of Russia had to carefully guard their power. Shuisky could not restrain her and was overthrown by the Polish interventionists.

The first Romanovs

When in 1613 Moscow was liberated from foreign invaders, the question arose about who to make sovereign. This text presents all the kings of Russia in order (with portraits). Now the time has come to talk about the rise to the throne of the Romanov dynasty.

The first sovereign from this family, Mikhail (1613-1645), was just a youth when he was put in charge of a huge country. His main goal began the struggle with Poland for the lands it captured during the Time of Troubles.

These were the biographies of the rulers and the dates of their reign until the middle of the 17th century. After Mikhail, his son Alexei (1645-1676) ruled. He annexed left-bank Ukraine and Kyiv to Russia. So, after several centuries of fragmentation and Lithuanian rule, the fraternal peoples finally began to live in one country.

Alexei had many sons. The eldest of them, Feodor III (1676-1682), died at a young age. After him came the simultaneous reign of two children - Ivan and Peter.

Peter the Great

Ivan Alekseevich was unable to rule the country. Therefore, in 1689, the sole reign of Peter the Great began. He completely rebuilt the country in a European manner. Russia - from Rurik to Putin (in chronological order consider all the rulers) - knows few examples of an era so saturated with changes.

Appeared new army and the fleet. For this, Peter started a war against Sweden. lasted 21 years North War. During it, the Swedish army was defeated, and the kingdom agreed to cede its southern Baltic lands. In this region, St. Petersburg, the new capital of Russia, was founded in 1703. Peter's successes made him think about changing his title. In 1721 he became emperor. However, this change did not abolish the royal title - in everyday speech, monarchs continued to be called kings.

The era of palace coups

Peter's death was followed by a long period of instability in power. Monarchs replaced each other with enviable regularity, which was facilitated by the Guard or certain courtiers, as a rule, at the head of these changes. During this era, Catherine I (1725-1727), Peter II (1727-1730), Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740), Ivan VI (1740-1741), Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761) and Peter III (1761-1762).

The last of them was German by birth. Under Peter's predecessor III Elizabeth Russia waged a victorious war against Prussia. The new monarch renounced all his conquests, returned Berlin to the king and concluded a peace treaty. With this act he signed his own death warrant. The Guard organized another palace coup, after which Peter's wife Catherine II found herself on the throne.

Catherine II and Paul I

Catherine II (1762-1796) had a deep state mind. On the throne, she began to pursue a policy of enlightened absolutism. The Empress organized the work of the famous laid down commission, the purpose of which was to prepare a comprehensive project of reforms in Russia. She also wrote the Order. This document contained many considerations about the transformations necessary for the country. The reforms were curtailed when the Volga region broke out in the 1770s. peasant revolt under the leadership of Pugachev.

All the tsars and presidents of Russia (we have listed all the royal persons in chronological order) made sure that the country looked decent in the external arena. She was no exception. She conducted several successful military campaigns against Turkey. As a result, Crimea and other important Black Sea regions were annexed to Russia. At the end of Catherine's reign, three divisions of Poland occurred. So Russian empire received important acquisitions in the west.

After death great empress Her son Paul I (1796-1801) came to power. This quarrelsome man was not liked by many in the St. Petersburg elite.

First half of the 19th century

In 1801, the next and last palace coup took place. A group of conspirators dealt with Pavel. His son Alexander I (1801-1825) was on the throne. His reign occurred during the Patriotic War and Napoleon's invasion. Rulers Russian state For two centuries they have not faced such a serious enemy intervention. Despite the capture of Moscow, Bonaparte was defeated. Alexander became the most popular and famous monarch of the Old World. He was also called the "liberator of Europe."

Within his country, Alexander in his youth tried to implement liberal reforms. Historical figures often change their policies as they age. So Alexander soon abandoned his ideas. He died in Taganrog in 1825 under mysterious circumstances.

At the beginning of the reign of his brother Nicholas I (1825-1855), the Decembrist uprising occurred. Because of this, conservative orders triumphed in the country for thirty years.

Second half of the 19th century

All the kings of Russia are presented here in order, with portraits. Further we'll talk about the main reformer of Russian statehood - Alexander II (1855-1881). He initiated the manifesto for the liberation of the peasants. The destruction of serfdom allowed the Russian market and capitalism to develop. Economic growth began in the country. The reforms also affected judiciary, local government, administrative and conscription systems. The monarch tried to get the country back on its feet and learn the lessons that the lost beginnings under Nicholas I taught him.

But Alexander's reforms were not enough for the radicals. Terrorists made several attempts on his life. In 1881 they achieved success. Alexander II died from a bomb explosion. The news came as a shock to the whole world.

Because of what happened, the son of the deceased monarch Alexander III(1881-1894) forever became a tough reactionary and conservative. But most of all he is known as a peacemaker. During his reign, Russia did not wage a single war.

The last king

In 1894, Alexander III died. Power passed into the hands of Nicholas II (1894-1917) - his son and the last Russian monarch. By that time the old world order with absolute power kings and czars have already outlived their usefulness. Russia - from Rurik to Putin - has known a lot of upheavals, but it was under Nicholas that more than ever happened.

In 1904-1905 The country experienced a humiliating war with Japan. It was followed by the first revolution. Although the unrest was suppressed, the king had to make concessions public opinion. He agreed to establish a constitutional monarchy and parliament.

Tsars and presidents of Russia at all times faced a certain opposition within the state. Now people could elect deputies who expressed these sentiments.

In 1914 the First World War. No one then suspected that it would end with the fall of several empires at once, including the Russian one. In 1917, the February Revolution broke out, and the last tsar was forced to abdicate. Nicholas II and his family were shot by the Bolsheviks in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg.

Peter I Alekseevich 1672 - 1725

Peter I was born on 05/30/1672 in Moscow, died on 01/28/1725 in St. Petersburg, Russian Tsar from 1682, Emperor from 1721. Son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second wife, Natalya Naryshkina. He ascended the throne at the age of nine, together with his elder brother Tsar John V, under the regency of his elder sister Princess Sophia Alekseevna. In 1689, his mother married Peter I to Evdokia Lopukhina. In 1690 a son was born, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, but family life didn't work out. In 1712, the tsar announced his divorce and married Catherine (Marta Skavronskaya), who had been his de facto wife since 1703. This marriage produced 8 children, but except for Anna and Elizabeth, they all died in infancy. In 1694, the mother of Peter I died, and two years later, in 1696, his elder brother, Tsar John V, also died. Peter I became the sole sovereign. Since 1712 new capital Petersburg, founded by Peter I, became Russia, where part of the population of Moscow was transferred.

Catherine I Alekseevna 1684 - 1727

Catherine I Alekseevna was born on 04/05/1684 in the Baltic states, died on 05/06/1727 in St. Petersburg, Russian empress in 1725-1727. The daughter of the Lithuanian peasant Samuil Skavronsky, who moved from Lithuania to Livonia. Before accepting Orthodoxy - Marta Skavronskaya. In the fall of 1703 she became the de facto wife of Peter I. The church marriage was formalized on February 19, 1712. Following the decree on succession to the throne, not without the participation of A.D. Menshikov, she bequeathed the throne to the grandson of Peter I - 12-year-old Peter II. She died on May 6, 1727. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Peter II Alekseevich 1715 - 1730

Peter II Alekseevich was born on October 12, 1715 in St. Petersburg, died on January 18, 1730 in Moscow, Russian Emperor (1727-1730) from the Romanov dynasty. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Charlotte Christina Sophia of Wolfenbüttel, grandson of Peter I. Enthroned through the efforts of A.D. Menshikov, after the death of Catherine I, Peter II was not interested in anything except hunting and pleasure. At the beginning of the reign of Peter II, power was actually in the hands of A. Menshikov, who dreamed of becoming related to royal dynasty, having married Peter II to his daughter. Despite the engagement of Menshikov's daughter Maria to Peter II in May 1727, in September Menshikov's dismissal and disgrace followed, and then Menshikov's exile. Peter II came under the influence of the Dolgoruky family, I. Dolgoruky became his favorite, and Princess E. Dolgoruky became his fiancée. Real power was in the hands of A. Osterman. Peter II fell ill with smallpox and died on the eve of his wedding. With his death, the Romanov family in the male line was interrupted. He was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Anna Ioannovna 1693 - 1740

Anna Ioannovna was born on January 28, 1693 in Moscow, died on October 17, 1740 in St. Petersburg, Russian empress in 1730-1740. Daughter of Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich and P. Saltykova, niece of Peter I. In 1710, she was married to the Duke of Courland, Friedrich-Velgem, and soon became a widow and lived in Mitau. After the death of Emperor Peter II (he did not leave a will), the Supreme Privy Council, at a meeting in the Lefortovo Palace on January 19, 1730, decided to invite Anna Ioannovna to the throne. In 1731, Anna Ioannovna issued a Manifesto on a nationwide oath to the heir. 01/08/1732 Anna Ioannovna together with the court and the highest state officials. The institutions moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, power was in the hands of E. Biron, a native of Courland, and his henchmen.

Ivan VI Antonovich 1740 - 1764

John Antonovich was born on 08/12/1740, killed on 07/07/1764, Russian Emperor from 10/17/1740 to 11/25/1741. Son of Anna Leopoldovna and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Brevern-Luneburg, great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, great-nephew of Empress Anna Ioannovna. On November 25, as a result of a palace coup, the daughter of Peter I, Elizaveta Petrovna, came to power. In 1744, Ivan Antonovich was exiled to Kholmogory. In 1756 he was transferred to the Shlisselburg fortress. On July 5, 1764, Lieutenant V. Mirovich tried to free Ivan Antonovich from the fortress, but was unsuccessful. The guards killed the prisoner.

Elizaveta Petrovna 1709 - 1762

Elizaveta Petrovna was born on December 18, 1709 in the village of Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, died on December 25, 1761 in St. Petersburg, Russian empress in 1741-1761, daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. She ascended the throne as a result of a palace coup on November 25, 1741, during of which representatives of the Brunswick dynasty (Prince Anton Ulrich, Anna Leopoldovna and John Antonovich), as well as many representatives of “ German party"(A. Osterman, B. Minich and others) were arrested. One of the first actions of the new reign was to invite Elizaveta Petrovna’s nephew Karl Ulrich from Holstein and declare him heir to the throne ( future emperor Peter III). Actually the leader domestic policy under Elizaveta Petrovna became Count P. Shuvalov.

Peter III Fedorovich 1728 — 1762

Peter III was born on 02/10/1728 in Kiel, killed on 07/07/1762 in Ropsha near St. Petersburg, Russian Emperor from 1761 to 1762. Grandson of Peter I, son of Duke of Holstein-Gottop Karl Friedrich and Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna. In 1745 he married Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerb (future Empress Catherine II). Having ascended the throne on December 25, 1761, he immediately stopped military operations against Prussia in the Seven Years' War and ceded all his conquests to his admirer Frederick II. The anti-national foreign policy of Peter III, disdain for Russian rites and customs, and the introduction of Prussian orders in the army aroused opposition in the guard, headed by Catherine II. During the palace coup, Peter III was arrested and then killed.

Catherine II Alekseevna 1729 - 1796

Catherine II Alekseevna was born on 04/21/1729 in Stettin, died on 11/06/1796 in Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin), Russian empress 1762-1796. Came from a small North German princely family. Born Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst. Received home education. In 1744, she and her mother were summoned to Russia by Empress Elizaveta Pertovna, baptized according to Orthodox custom under the name of Catherine and named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (the future Emperor Peter III), whom she married in 1745. In 1754, Catherine II gave birth to a son, the future Emperor Paul I After the accession of Peter III, who treated her more and more hostilely, her position became precarious. Relying on guards regiments(G. and A. Orlov and others), 06/28/1762 Catherine II carried out a bloodless coup and became an autocratic empress. The time of Catherine II is the dawn of favoritism, characteristic of European life in the second half of the 18th century. Having parted with G. Orlov in the early 1770s, in subsequent years the empress changed a number of favorites. To participate in the decision political issues they were generally not allowed. Only two of her famous favorites - G. Potemkin and P. Zavodovsky - became major statesmen.

Pavel I Petrovich 1754 - 1801

Paul I was born on September 20, 1754 in St. Petersburg, killed on March 12, 1801 in the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russian Emperor 1796-1801, son of Peter III and Catherine II. He was brought up at the court of his grandmother Elizaveta Petrovna, who intended to make him heir to the throne instead of Peter III. The main educator of Paul I was N. Panin. Since 1773, Paul I was married to Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt, and after her death, from 1776, to Princess Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg (in Orthodoxy, Maria Feodorovna). He had sons: Alexander (future Emperor Alexander I, 1777), Constantine (1779), Nicholas (future Emperor Nicholas I, 1796), Mikhail (1798), as well as six daughters. A conspiracy had matured among the guards officers, about which the heir to the throne, Alexander Pavlovich, was aware. On the night of March 11-12, 1801, the conspirators (Count P. Palen, P. Zubov, etc.) entered the Mikhailovsky Castle and killed Paul I. Alexander I ascended the throne, and in the very first weeks of his reign returned many exiled by his father and destroyed many of his innovations.

Alexander I Pavlovich 1777 - 1825

Alexander I was born on December 12, 1777 in St. Petersburg, died on November 19, 1825 in Taganrog, Russian Emperor 1801-1825, the eldest son of Paul I. By the will of his grandmother Catherine II, he received an education in the spirit of the enlighteners of the 18th century. His mentor was Colonel Frederic de La Harpe, a republican by conviction, a future figure in the Swiss revolution. In 1793, Alexander I married the daughter of the Margrave of Baden, Louise Maria Augusta, who took the name Elizaveta Alekseevna. Alexander I inherited the throne after the assassination of his father in 1801 and undertook broadly conceived reforms. Alexander I became the main executor of social reforms in 1808-1812. his state secretary M. Speransky, who reorganized the ministries, created the state. council and carried out financial reform. In foreign policy, Alexander I participated in two coalitions against Napoleonic France(with Prussia in 1804-05, with Austria in 1806-07). Having been defeated at Austerlitz in 1805 and Friedland in 1807, he concluded the Peace of Tilsit in 1807 and an alliance with Napoleon. In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia, but was defeated during the Patriotic War of 1812. Alexander I, at the head of Russian troops, together with his allies, entered Paris in the spring of 1814. Was one of the leaders Congress of Vienna 1814-1815. According to official data, Alexander I died in Taganrog.

Nicholas I Pavlovich 1796 - 1855

Nicholas I was born on June 25, 1796 in Tsarskoye Selo, now the city of Pushkin, died on February 18, 1855 in St. Petersburg, Russian Emperor (1825-1855). Third son of Paul I. From birth recorded in military service, Nicholas I was brought up by Count M. Lamsdorff. In 1814 he visited abroad for the first time under Russian army under the command of his elder brother Alexander I. In 1816 he made a three-month journey around European Russia, and from October 1816 to May 1817 traveled and lived in England. In 1817, he married the eldest daughter of the Prussian king Frederick William II, Princess Charlotte Frederica Louise, who took the name Alexandra Feodorovna. Under Nicholas I, the monetary reform of the Minister of Finance E. Kankrin was successfully carried out, streamlining monetary circulation and protecting backward Russian industry from competition.

Alexander II Nikolaevich 1818 - 1881

Alexander II was born on 04/17/1818 in Moscow, killed on 03/01/1881 in St. Petersburg, Russian Emperor 1855-1881, son of Nicholas I. His educators were General Merder, Kavelin, as well as the poet V. Zhukovsky, who instilled in Alexander II liberal views and romantic relationship to life. 1837 Alexander II made a long trip around Russia, then in 1838 - around the countries Western Europe. In 1841 he married the Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, who took the name Maria Alexandrovna. One of the first acts of Alexander II was the pardon of the exiled Decembrists. 02/19/1861. Alexander II issued a manifesto on the liberation of peasants from serfdom. Under Alexander II, the annexation of the Caucasus to Russia was completed and its influence in the east expanded. Russia included Turkestan, the Amur region, the Ussuri region, and the Kuril Islands in exchange for southern part Sakhalin. He sold Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to the Americans in 1867. In 1880, after the death of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the Tsar entered into a morganatic marriage with Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruka. A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II; he was killed by a bomb thrown by Narodnaya Volya member I. Grinevitsky.

Alexander III Alexandrovich 1845 - 1894

Alexander III was born on 02/26/1845 in Tsarskoye Selo, died on 10/20/1894 in Crimea, Russian Emperor 1881-1894, son of Alexander II. Mentor of Alexander III, who provided strong influence on his worldview, was K. Pobedonostsev. After the death of his elder brother Nicholas in 1865, Alexander III became heir to the throne. In 1866, he married the fiancee of his deceased brother, the daughter of the Danish King Christian IX, Princess Sophia Frederica Dagmar, who took the name Maria Feodorovna. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78. was the commander of the Separate Rushchuk detachment in Bulgaria. Created the Russian Voluntary Fleet in 1878, which became the core merchant fleet country and naval reserve. Having ascended the throne after the assassination of Alexander II on March 1, 1881, he canceled the draft constitutional reform signed by his father immediately before his death. Alexander III died in Livadia in Crimea.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich 1868 - 1918

Nicholas II (Romanov Nikolai Alexandrovich) was born on May 19, 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo, executed on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg, the last Russian emperor 1894-1917, son of Alexander III and the Danish princess Dagmara (Maria Fedorovna). From 02/14/1894 he was married to Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Alice, Princess of Hesse and Rhine). Daughters Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia, son Alexey. He ascended the throne on October 21, 1894 after the death of his father. 02/27/1917 Nicholas II, under pressure from the high military command, renounced the throne. On March 8, 1917, he was “deprived of his freedom.” After the Bolsheviks came to power, the regime for its maintenance was sharply strengthened, and in April 1918 the royal family was transferred to Yekaterinburg, where they were placed in the house of mining engineer N. Ipatiev. On the eve of the fall Soviet power in the Urals, in Moscow, a decision was made to execute Nicholas II and his relatives. The murder was entrusted to Yurovsky and his deputy Nikulin. The royal family and all the close associates and servants were killed on the night of July 16, 17, 1918; the execution took place in a small room on the ground floor, where the victims were taken under the pretext of evacuation. By official version decision to kill royal family was adopted by the Urals Council, which feared the approach of Czechoslovak troops. However, in last years It became known that Nicholas II, his wife and children were killed on the direct orders of V. Lenin and Y. Sverdlov. Afterwards, the remains of the royal family were discovered and, by decision of the Russian government, were buried in the tomb on July 17, 1998 Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church abroad canonized Nicholas II as a saint.

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 clan was close to the royal throne and had a certain political influence. The surname Romanov was first adopted by Patriarch Filaret (Fedor Nikitich).

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov dynasty.

Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645).
Years of reign - 1613-1645.
Son of Patriarch Filaret and Ksenia Ivanovna Shestova (after tonsure, nun Martha). On February 21, 1613, sixteen-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar Zemsky Sobor, and on July 11 of the same year he was crowned king. 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 major cities, the development of Siberia and the development of technological progress.

Alexey Mikhailovich (Quiet) (1629-1676)
Years of reign – 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: “Solyany”, “Medny”
Was married twice. His first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, bore him 13 children, including the future Tsars Fyodor 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.

Feodor III (Fedor Alekseevich) (1661-1682)
Years of reign – 1676-1682
Under Feodor III, a population census was carried out and the cutting off of hands for theft was abolished. Orphanages began to be built. A Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was established, with representatives of all classes allowed to study there.
Was married twice. There were no children. He did not appoint heirs before his death.

Ivan V (Ivan Alekseevich) (1666-1696)
Years of reign – 1682-1696
He took over the reigns after the death of his brother Fedor by right of seniority.
He was very sick and incapable of governing the country. The boyars and the patriarch decided to remove Ivan V and declare the young Peter Alekseevich (the future Peter I) tsar. Relatives from both heirs fought desperately for power. The result was the bloody Streletsky riot. 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 state 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 Sophia (Sofya Alekseevna) (1657-1704)
Years of reign – 1682-1689
Under Sophia, the persecution of Old Believers was intensified. Her favorite, Prince Golits, undertook two unsuccessful campaign to Crimea. As a result of the coup of 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 reign – 1682-1725
He was the first to take the title of emperor. A lot happened when global changes in the state:
- the capital was moved to the newly built city of St. Petersburg.
- the Russian navy was founded
- a lot of successful military campaigns were carried out, including the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava
- the next one was held church reform, the Holy Synod was established, the institution of the patriarch was abolished, the church was deprived of its own funds
- was Senate established
The emperor was married twice. The first wife is Evdokia Lopukhina. The second is Marta Skavronskaya.
Three of Peter's children lived to adulthood: Tsarevich Alesei and daughters Elizabeth and Anna.
Tsarevich Alexei was considered the heir, but was accused of treason and died under torture. According to one version, he was tortured to death by his own father.

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

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

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

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

Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)
Years of reign - 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'etat. All her life she patronized the arts and science.
She declared her nephew Peter as her heir.

Peter III (1728-1762)
Years of reign - 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 Freedom 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, Paul, who would later take the Russian throne.

Catherine II (née Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica) (1729-1796)
Years of reign - 1762-1796
She became empress after the coup d'etat 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.

Paul I (1754-1801)
Years of reign – 1796-1801
Son of Peter III and Catherine II.
He was married to 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.
There is a legend associated 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 reign – 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 Friederike Louise Charlotte Wilhelmina. The couple had 7 children.

Alexander II the Liberator (Alexander Nikolaevich) (1818-1881)
Years of reign – 1855-1881
Son of Emperor Nicholas I.
Abolished serfdom in Russia.
Was married twice. The first time was on Maria, Princess of Hesse. The second marriage was considered morganatic and was concluded with Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruka.
The emperor died at the hands of terrorists.

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

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich) (1868-1918)
Years of reign – 1894-1917
Son of Emperor Alexander III.
The last Russian emperor.
The time of his reign was quite difficult, marked by riots, revolutions, failed 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, Alexey.
In 1917, the emperor abdicated the throne.
In 1918, together with his entire family, he was shot by the Bolsheviks.
Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a Saint.

(1672 - 1725) a period began in the country palace coups. This time was characterized by a rapid change of both the rulers themselves and the entire elite surrounding them. However, Catherine II was on the throne for 34 years and lived long life and died at the age of 67. After her, emperors came to power in Russia, each of whom tried in his own way to raise its prestige throughout the world, and some succeeded. The history of the country will forever include the names of those who ruled Russia after Catherine II.

Briefly about the reign of Catherine II

The full name of the most famous Empress of All Russia is Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerb. She was born on May 2, 1729 in Prussia. In 1744, she was invited by Elizabeth II and her mother to Russia, where she immediately began to study the Russian language and the history of her new homeland. That same year she converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy. On September 1, 1745, she was married to Pyotr Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter III, who was 17 years old at the time of the marriage.

During the years of his reign from 1762 to 1796. Catherine II raised general culture country, its political life up to the European level. Under her, new legislation was adopted, which contained 526 articles. During her reign, Crimea, Azov, Kuban, Kerch, Kiburn, the western part of Volyn, as well as some regions of Belarus, Poland and Lithuania were annexed to Russia. was founded by Catherine II Russian Academy sciences, a secondary education system was introduced, and institutes for girls were opened. In 1769, paper money, the so-called assignats, was put into circulation. Money circulation at that time was based on copper money, which was extremely inconvenient for large trade transactions. For example, 100 rubles in copper coins weighed more than 6 poods, that is, more than a hundredweight, which made financial transactions very difficult. Under Catherine II, the number of factories and plants increased fourfold, and the army and navy gained strength. But there were also many negative assessments of her activities. Including abuse of power by officials, bribery, theft. The empress's favorites received orders, gifts of fabulous value, and privileges. Her generosity extended to almost everyone who was close to the court. During the reign of Catherine II, the situation of serfs deteriorated significantly.

Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (1754 - 1801) was the son of Catherine II and Peter III. From birth he was under the tutelage of Elizabeth II. His mentor, Hieromonk Plato, had a great influence on the worldview of the heir to the throne. He was married twice and had 10 children. He ascended the throne after the death of Catherine II. He issued a decree on succession to the throne, which legitimized the transfer of the throne from father to son, the Manifesto of three-day corvee. On the very first day of his reign he returned A.N. Radishchev from Siberian exile, released N.I. from prison. Novikov and A.T. Kosciuszko. Made serious reforms and transformations in the army and navy.

The country began to pay more attention to spiritual and secular education, military educational institutions. New seminaries and theological academies were opened. Paul I in 1798 provided support Order of Malta, who was practically defeated by French troops and for this was proclaimed protector of the order, that is, its defender, and subsequently the Chief Master. Unpopular latest political decisions, accepted by Paul, his harsh and despotic character caused discontent throughout society. As a result of the conspiracy, he was killed in his bedroom on the night of March 23, 1801.

After the death of Paul I, in 1801, Alexander I (1777 - 1825), his eldest son, ascended the Russian throne. Spent a series liberal reforms. Conducted successful military operations against Turkey, Sweden and Persia. After the victory in the war against Napoleon, Bonaparte was among the leaders of the Congress of Vienna and the organizers Holy Alliance, which included Russia, Prussia and Austria. He died unexpectedly during an epidemic of typhoid fever in Taganrog. However, due to the fact that he repeatedly mentioned the desire to voluntarily leave the throne and “remove the world,” a legend arose in society that a double died in Taganrog, and Alexander I became the elder Fedor Kuzmich, who lived in the Urals and died in 1864

Next Russian Emperor became the brother of Alexander I, Nikolai Pavlovich, since Grand Duke Constantine, who inherited the throne by seniority, abdicated the throne. During the oath of allegiance to the new sovereign on December 14, 1825, the Decembrist uprising occurred, the purpose of which was to liberalize the existing political system, including the abolition of serfdom, and democratic freedoms up to a change in the form of government. The protest was suppressed on the same day, many were sent into exile, and the leaders were executed. Nicholas I was married to Alexandra Feodorovna, the Prussian princess Frederica-Louise-Charlotte-Wilhemina, with whom they had seven children. This marriage had great importance for Prussia and Russia. Nicholas I had an engineering education and personally supervised the construction railways and fort "Emperor Paul I", fortification projects for naval defense St. Petersburg. Died on March 2, 1855 from pneumonia.

In 1855, the son of Nicholas I and Alexandra Fedorovna, Alexander II, ascended the throne. He was an excellent diplomat. He carried out the abolition of serfdom in 1861. Implemented a number of reforms that were of great importance for further development countries:

• in 1857 he issued a decree that liquidated all military settlements;
• in 1863 he introduced the university charter, which determined the procedures in Russian higher institutions;
• carried out reforms of city government, judicial and secondary education;
• approved in 1874 military reform on universal conscription.

Several attempts were made on the emperor's life. He died on March 13, 1881 after Narodnaya Volya member Ignatius Grinevitsky threw a bomb at his feet.

Since 1881, Russia was ruled by Alexander III (1845 - 1894). He was married to a princess from Denmark, known in the country as Maria Feodorovna. They had six children. The Emperor had good military education, and after the death of his older brother Nikolai mastered additional course sciences that needed to be known in order to competently manage the state. His reign was characterized by a number of tough measures to strengthen administrative control. Judges began to be appointed by the government, and censorship was reintroduced printed publications, the Old Believers were given legal status. In 1886 the so-called poll tax was abolished. Alexander III led an open foreign policy, which contributed to strengthening its position in the international arena. The prestige of the country during his reign was extremely high; Russia did not participate in a single war. He died on November 1, 1894 in the Livadia Palace, in Crimea.

The years of the reign of Nicholas II (1868 - 1918) were characterized by rapid economic development Russia and the simultaneous increase social tension. The increased growth of revolutionary sentiment resulted in the First Russian Revolution of 1905 - 1907. It was followed by a war with Japan for control of Manchuria and Korea, and the country's participation in the First World War. After February revolution Abdicated the throne in 1917.

According to the decision of the Provisional Government, he was sent into exile with his family in Tobolsk. In the spring of 1918, he was transported to Yekaterinburg, where he was shot along with his wife, children and several associates. This is the very last of those who ruled in Russia after Catherine 2. The family of Nicholas II is glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in the ranks of saints.

Transformation of a fragmented, weakened Tatar-Mongol invasion, feudal Rus' into a centralized strong state - a complex and lengthy process.

One of the main signs of this process is the strengthening of power. The reign gradually became a thing of the past. The administration of vast territories could only be effective under the sole rule of a strong monarch.

Russian tsarism, with all its shortcomings, lasted almost 400 years. At the same time, a change of dynasty occurred only once, and even then as a result of events that became a turning point in Russian history. Of great interest are the two Russian monarchs who became the first tsars of each dynasty.

The first emperor of Russia was.

Let's consider the life of the last tsar and first emperor of Russia, Peter I. He completely overthrew the old mores and brought Russia to new level development in various industries. Thanks to his successful innovative ideas and competent approach to leading the country, he was called the Great.

Personality of a great man

Outwardly, Peter I (06/09/1672 - 02/08/1725) was handsome, stood out for his tall stature, regular physique, large, penetrating black eyes, and beautiful eyebrows.

WITH early years was interested in mastering various crafts such as carpentry, turning, blacksmithing and others. He had the ability to master foreign languages.

Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna was the daughter of Marie Miloslavskaya. After the tsars declared sixteen-year-old Ivan and ten-year-old Peter boyars, the Streletsky revolt took place in May 1682.

The Sagittarius suffered disfavor from the state and were dissatisfied with their living and service conditions. Streltsy troops at that time they were a huge force, and from childhood I remembered how the mass of soldiers smashed the Naryshkins.

Sophia was smart, ambitious, and also possessed English language and knew Latin. In addition, she was pretty and wrote poetry. Legally, the queen could not get to the throne, but her excessive ambition was constantly “gnawing from the inside.”

Sophia managed to stop the Khovanshchina - the Streltsy riot. The Sagittarius attracted the Apologist Nikita from the uprising, trying to give the performance a religious character.

However, Sofya Alekseevna invited Nikita to the Garnovitaya Chamber to talk with him in person, away from the people. Next, the queen fought against the “schismatics” according to the law, relying on 12 articles. Thousands of people were accused of Old Belief and executed publicly.

Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich is known as Theodore the Blessed. One of the kings of all and the princes of Moscow. His reign spanned from March 1584 until his death in 1598.
Fedor, the son of the Fourth and Anastasia Romanova, became the last of the Rurikovichs. In honor of the birth of Fedor, he ordered the construction of a temple in. The church still exists today and bears the name of Theodore Stratelates.
In 1581, the heir to the throne, John, died tragically: this is how Fyodor the Blessed became king. The twenty-year-old youth was completely unfit to reign. The father himself spoke of him as if he was born more “for the cell than for power.”
characterize Fedor as a person of weak mind and health. The tsar actually did not take part in governing the state, but relied on the opinion of the nobles and his brother-in-law. It was he who ruled the kingdom through the mouth of Theodore the Blessed. It was Godunov who became the tsar’s successor after his death.

There is a very sad period of history in Russia - we're talking about about a period of time called "". This era “gave” many tragic destinies.

Especially tragic, against the backdrop of unfulfilled lives historical characters, look at the fates of the children of the emperors - Peter II and Ivan VI Antonovich. It is the latter that will be discussed.

The Empress had no children; she had to think about the heir to the Russian throne. Anna spent a long time choosing, and her choice fell on her niece’s unborn child.

In August 1740, Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Anton Ulrich had their first child, named John. Soon he was destined to become the Russian emperor.

In mid-autumn, Empress Anna Ioannovna dies and Ivan Antonovich becomes her heir. The baby ascended the throne on October 28, 1740, and Biron was proclaimed regent under him.

Biron was already pretty boring to everyone with his anti-Russian rules, and his regency, with his parents still alive, looked strange. Soon Biron was arrested, and Anna Leopoldovna was proclaimed regent of Ivan Antonovich.

Anna Leopoldovna was unsuited to govern the country and at the end of 1741 another palace coup took place.

Relying on the guard, the daughter of Elizaveta Petrovna became the new Russian empress. Fortunately, the coup took place without bloodshed.

Catherine II was born on April 21, 1729, before accepting Orthodoxy she had the name Sophia-August-Frederike. As fate would have it, in 1745 Sophia converted to Orthodoxy and was baptized under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna.

Married the future Emperor of Russia. The relationship between Peter and Catherine somehow did not work out right away. A wall of barriers arose between them due to the banal misunderstanding of each other.

Despite the fact that the spouses did not have a particularly big difference in age, Pyotr Fedorovich was a real child, and Ekaterina Alekseevna wanted a more adult relationship with her husband.

Catherine was quite well educated. I studied since childhood various sciences such as: history, geography, theology and foreign languages. The level of her development was very high, she danced and sang beautifully.

Arriving in, she was immediately imbued with the Russian spirit. Realizing that the emperor’s wife must have certain qualities, she sat down with textbooks on Russian history and the Russian language.

There have been incomprehensible characters in Russian history. One of these was Peter III, who, by the will of fate, was destined to become the Russian emperor.

Peter-Ulrich was the son of Anna Petrovna, the eldest daughter, and the Duke of Holstein, Kal - Friedrich. The heir to the Russian throne was born on February 21, 1728.

Anna Petrovna died three months after the birth of the boy, from consumption. At the age of 11, Peter-Ulrich will lose his father.

Peter-Ulrich's uncle was Swedish king Charles XII. Peter had rights to both the Russian and Swedish thrones. From the age of 11, the future emperor lived in Sweden, where he was brought up in the spirit of Swedish patriotism and hatred of Russia.

Ulrich grew up as a nervous and sickly boy. It was related to to a greater extent with the manner of his upbringing. His teachers often took humiliating and harsh punishments towards their ward. The character of Peter-Ulrich was simple-minded; there was no particular malice in the boy.

In 1741, Peter-Ulrich's aunt became Empress of Russia. One of her first steps at the head of the state was the proclamation of an heir. The Empress named Peter-Ulrich as his successor.

Why? She wanted to establish the paternal line on the throne. And her relationship with her sister, Peter’s mother, Anna Petrovna, was very, very warm.

Admit it, who among us has not dreamed of being a representative of a noble and wealthy family? Well, they say, they have power and wealth. But power and wealth do not always bring happiness to a person.

In Russian history there are many examples of the unfortunate fates of monarchs, various officials, and people.

Of particular note in the list of these examples is the personality of Emperor Peter II, and we will talk about him.

Peter II was the grandson of Peter I, the son of Tsarevich Alexei and Princess Sophia Charlotte of Blankenburg, who received the name Natalya Alekseevna at baptism.

Pyotr Alekseevich was born on October 12, 1715. Natalya Alekseevna died ten days after giving birth. And three years later, his father, Tsarevich Alexei, died.

At the end of 1726 she began to get sick. This circumstance forced the empress and the Russian public to think about the heir to the throne.

Several descendants claimed the Russian throne at once. These were his daughters - Elizabeth (the future Empress), Anna and grandson Peter Alekseevich.

In order to Russian throne little Peter was seated, representatives of the old boyar families spoke.

There are some dark spots in the biography of Catherine I; information about some periods of her life is very scarce. It is known that before the adoption of Orthodoxy, Ekaterina Alekseevna’s name was Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya.

She was born in April 1684. Marta was of Baltic origin, lost her parents at an early age and was raised in the family of a Protestant pastor.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Russia participated in. Sweden was the enemy of the Russian state. In 1702, the army occupied the Marienburg fortress, which is located on the territory of modern Latvia.

During military operation About four hundred inhabitants of the fortress were captured. Martha was among the prisoners. There are two versions of how Martha got surrounded.

The first says that Marta became the mistress of the commander of the Russian army, Sheremetyev. Later, Menshikov, who had more influence than the field marshal, took Marta for himself.

The second version looks like this: Martha was entrusted with managing the servants in the house of Colonel Baur. Baur could not get enough of his manager, but Menshikov drew attention to her, and until the last decade of 1703 she worked in the house of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich.

In Menshikov’s house, Peter I drew attention to Martha.

Peter I solemnly entered Moscow, and the monarch was immediately informed that his daughter had been born. As a result, they celebrated not the military successes of the state, but the birth of the daughter of Peter I.

In March 1711, Elizabeth was recognized as the daughter of august parents and proclaimed princess. Even in childhood, courtiers, as well as foreign ambassadors, noticed the amazing beauty of the daughter of the Russian monarch.

She danced excellently, had a lively mind, resourcefulness and intelligence. The young princess lived in the villages of Preobrazhenskoye and Izmailovskoye, where she received her education.

She studied foreign languages, history, and geography. She devoted a lot of time to hunting, horse riding, rowing, and, like all girls, she was very concerned about her appearance.

Elizaveta Petrovna excelled in horse riding; she felt very confident in the saddle and could give odds to many cavalrymen.