Who ruled Russia. History of the Russian monarchy
Many believe that there is no need to know the history of their state. However, any historian is ready to thoroughly argue with this. After all, knowing the history of the rulers of Russia is very important not only for general development but also to avoid the mistakes of the past.
In this article, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the table of all the rulers of our country from the date of its foundation in chronological order. The article will help you find out who and when ruled our country, as well as what outstanding things he did for it.
Before the advent of Russia, its future territory was inhabited for many centuries by a large number of different tribes, however, the history of our state started in the 10th century with the call to the throne of the Russian state of Rurik. He laid the foundation for the Rurik dynasty.
List of classifications of rulers of Russia
It's no secret that history is a whole science, which is studied by a huge number of people called historians. For convenience, the entire history of the development of our country has been divided into the following stages:
- Novgorod princes (from 863 to 882).
- Great Kyiv princes (from 882 to 1263).
- Muscovy(from 1283 to 1547).
- Tsars and emperors (from 1547 to 1917).
- USSR (from 1917 to 1991).
- Presidents (from 1991 to the present day).
As can be understood from this list, the center political life of our state, in other words, the capital, has changed several times depending on the era and events taking place in the country. Until 1547, the princes of the Rurik dynasty were at the head of Russia. However, after that, the process of monarchization of the country began, which continued until 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power. Further, the collapse of the USSR, the emergence of independent countries on the territory of the former Russia and, of course, the emergence of democracy.
So, to study this issue thoroughly., find out details about all the rulers of the state in chronological order, we suggest studying the information next chapters articles.
Heads of state from 862 to the period of fragmentation
This period includes the Novgorod and Great Kyiv princes. The main source of information that has survived to this day and helps all historians to compile lists and tables of all rulers is the Tale of Bygone Years. Thanks to this document, they were able to accurately or as close as possible to establish all the dates of the reign of the Russian princes of that time.
So, list of Novgorod and Kyiv princes looks like this:
Obviously, for any ruler, from Rurik to Putin, main goal was to strengthen and modernize their state in the international arena. Of course, they all pursued the same goal, however, each of them preferred to go to the goal in their own way.
Fragmentation of Kievan Rus
After the reign of Yaropolk Vladimirovich, the process of a strong decline of Kyiv and the state as a whole began. This period called the times of fragmentation of Russia. During this time, all the people who were at the head of the state did not leave any significant mark on history, but only brought the state into its worst form.
Thus, until 1169, the following personalities managed to visit the throne of the ruler: Izyavlav the Third, Izyaslav Chernigov, Vyacheslav Rurikovich, and also Rostislav Smolensky.
Vladimir princes
After fragmentation, the capital of our state was moved to a city called Vladimir. This happened for the following reasons:
- The Kiev principality has undergone a total decline and weakening.
- Several political centers arose in the country, which they tried to pull over the board.
- Every day the influence of the feudal lords grew.
The two most influential centers of influence on Russian politics were Vladimir and Galich. Although the Vladimir time was not as long as the rest, it left a serious mark on the history of the development of the Russian state. Therefore, it is necessary to make a list following Vladimir princes:
- Prince Andrei - ruled for 15 years from 1169.
- Vsevolod - was in power for a long 36 years, starting in 1176.
- George Vsevolodovich - stood at the head of Russia from 1218 to 1238.
- Yaroslav - was also the son of Vsevolod Andreevich. Ruled from 1238 to 1246.
- Alexander Nevsky, who was on the throne for 11 long and productive years, came to power in 1252 and died in 1263. It's no secret that Nevsky was a great commander who made a huge contribution to the development of our state.
- Yaroslav III - from 1263 to 1272.
- Dmitry the first - 1276 - 1283.
- Dmitry II - 1284 - 1293.
- Andrey Gorodetsky - the Grand Duke, who ruled in the period 1293 - 1303.
- Mikhail of Tverskoy, also called "Saint". Came to power in 1305 and died in 1317.
As you may have noticed, the rulers were not included in this list for some time. The fact is that they did not leave any significant trace in the history of the development of Russia. For this reason, they are not studied in the school course.
When the fragmentation of the country ended, there was a transfer of the political center of the country to Moscow. Moscow princes:
For the next 10 years, Russia again experienced a decline. During these years, the Rurik dynasty was broken off, and various boyar families were in power.
The beginning of the Romanovs, the rise of the tsars to power, the monarchy
List of rulers of Russia from 1548 until the end of the 17th century is as follows:
- Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible is one of the most famous and useful for the history of the rulers of Russia. Ruled from 1548 to 1574, after which the reign was interrupted for 2 years.
- Semyon Kasimovsky (1574 - 1576).
- Ivan the Terrible returned to power and ruled until 1584.
- Tsar Fedor (1584 - 1598).
After Fedor's death, it turned out that he had no heirs. From that moment on, the state began to experience new problems. They lasted until 1612. The Rurik dynasty was over. It was replaced by a new one: the Romanov dynasty. They began their reign in 1613.
- Mikhail Romanov is the first representative of the Romanovs. Ruled from 1613 to 1645.
- After the death of Mikhail, his heir Alexei Mikhailovich sat on the throne. (1645 - 1676)
- Fedor Alekseevich (1676 - 1682).
- Sophia, Fyodor's sister. When Fedor died, his heirs were not yet ready to come to power. Therefore, the emperor's sister ascended the throne. She ruled from 1682 to 1689.
It is impossible to deny that with the advent of the Romanov dynasty, stability finally came to Russia. They were able to do what the Rurikovichs had been striving for so long. Namely: useful reforms, strengthening of power, territorial growth and banal strengthening. Finally, Russia entered the world field as one of the favorites.
Peter I
Historians claim that for all the improvements in our state we owe it to Peter I. He is rightfully considered the great Russian tsar and emperor.
Peter the Great launched the heyday of the Russian state, the fleet and army strengthened. He pursued an aggressive foreign policy, which at times strengthened Russia's position in the global race for supremacy. Of course, even before him, many rulers realized that the armed forces are the key to the success of the state, however, only he managed to achieve such success in this area.
After Peter the Great, the list of rulers of the Russian Empire is as follows:
The monarchy in the Russian Empire existed for quite a long time and left a huge mark on its history. The Romanov dynasty is one of the most legendary in the whole world. However, like everything else, she was destined to break off after October revolution which changed the structure of the state to a republic. There were no more kings.
USSR times
After the execution of Nicholas II and his family, Vladimir Lenin came to power. At this moment, the state of the USSR(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) has been legalized. Lenin led the country until 1924.
List of rulers of the USSR:
During Gorbachev's time, the country again experienced colossal changes. The collapse of the USSR occurred, as well as the emergence of independent states on the territory former USSR. Boris Yeltsin, president of independent Russia, came to power by force. He ruled from 1991 to 1999.
In 1999, Boris Yeltsin voluntarily resigned as president of Russia, leaving behind a successor, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. A year later, Putin was officially elected by the people and was at the head of Russia until 2008.
In 2008, another election was held, which was won by Dmitry Medvedev, who ruled until 2012. In 2012, Vladimir Putin was again elected president of the Russian Federation and holds the presidency today.
For almost 400 years of the existence of this title, it was worn by completely different people - from adventurers and liberals to tyrants and conservatives.
Rurikovichi
Over the years, Russia (from Rurik to Putin) has changed its political system many times. At first, the rulers had a princely title. When after a period political fragmentation a new Russian state was formed around Moscow, the owners of the Kremlin thought about accepting the royal title.
This was done under Ivan the Terrible (1547-1584). This one decided to marry the kingdom. And this decision was not accidental. So the Moscow monarch emphasized that he was the 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.
Such historical figures as this king had a great influence on the development of the whole country. In addition to the fact that Ivan the Terrible changed his title, he also captured the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates, starting Russian expansion to the East.
Ivan's son Fedor (1584-1598) was distinguished by his weak character and health. Nevertheless, under him the state continued to develop. The patriarchate was established. Rulers have always paid much attention to the issue of succession to the throne. This time he stood up especially sharply. 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 royal 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 keep calm in the provinces. Due to the tense situation, Godunov failed to do this. Several peasant uprisings took place in the country.
In addition, the adventurer Grishka Otrepiev called himself one of the sons of Ivan the Terrible and began a military campaign against Moscow. He really managed to capture the capital and become king. Boris Godunov did not live up to this moment - he died from health complications. His son Fyodor II was captured by the associates 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 that False Dmitry surrounded himself with Catholic Poles. decided to transfer the crown to Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610). During the Time of Troubles, the rulers of Russia often changed.
The princes, tsars and presidents of Russia had to carefully guard their power. Shuisky did not hold her back and was overthrown by the Polish interventionists.
First Romanovs
When in 1613 Moscow was liberated from foreign invaders, the question arose of who should be made sovereign. This text presents all the tsars of Russia in order (with portraits). Now it's time to tell about the ascension to the throne of the Romanov dynasty.
The first sovereign of this kind - Michael (1613-1645) - was just a young man when he was put to rule a vast country. His main goal was the struggle with Poland for the lands occupied by it during the Time of Troubles.
These were the biographies of the rulers and the dates of reign until mid-sixteenth I century. After Michael, 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, Fedor 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 govern 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 (let's look at all the rulers in chronological order) - knows few examples of an era so full of changes.
A new army and navy appeared. To do this, Peter started a war against Sweden. The Northern War lasted 21 years. During it, the Swedish army was defeated, and the kingdom agreed to cede its southern Baltic lands. In this region, in 1703, St. Petersburg was founded - the new capital of Russia. Peter's success 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 unstable power. The monarchs succeeded each other with enviable regularity, which was facilitated. As a rule, the guards or certain courtiers were 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), Elizabeth Petrovna (1741-1761) and Peter III (1761-1762) ruled ).
The last of them was of German origin. Under Peter's predecessor III Elizabeth Russia waged a victorious war against Prussia. The new monarch renounced all conquests, returned Berlin to the king and concluded a peace treaty. With this act, he signed his own death warrant. The guards organized another palace coup, after which Peter's wife Catherine II was 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 statutory 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 needed for the country. The reforms were curtailed when, in the 1770s, the Volga region broke out peasant uprising under the leadership of Pugachev.
All the tsars and presidents of Russia (in chronological order, we listed all the royal persons) took care that the country looked worthy on the foreign arena. She was no exception. She led 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 partitions of Poland took place. So the Russian Empire received important acquisitions in the west.
After the death of the 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 there was another and the last palace coup. A group of conspirators dealt with Pavel. His son Alexander I (1801-1825) was on the throne. His reign was Patriotic war and Napoleon's invasion. The rulers of the Russian state have not faced such a serious enemy intervention for two centuries. 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".
Inside 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) there was an uprising of the Decembrists. Because of this, conservative orders triumphed in the country for thirty years.
Second half of the 19th century
Here are all the tsars of Russia in order, with portraits. Further we will talk about the main reformer of the national state - Alexander II (1855-1881). He became the initiator of the manifesto on the liberation of the peasants. The destruction of serfdom allowed the development of the Russian market and capitalism. The country began to grow economically. The reforms also affected judiciary, local self-government, administrative and conscription systems. The monarch tried to raise the country to its feet and learn the lessons that the lost started under Nicholas I presented him.
But Alexander's reforms were not enough for the radicals. Terrorists attempted several times on his life. In 1881 they were successful. 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 hard reactionary and conservative. But he is best known as a peacemaker. During his reign, Russia did not conduct a single war.
The last king
Alexander III died in 1894. 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 the absolute power of kings and kings had already outlived itself. Russia - from Rurik to Putin - knew a lot of upheavals, but it was under Nicholas that there were more than ever many of them.
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 to public opinion. He agreed to establish a constitutional monarchy and a parliament.
The 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 began. 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 had to abdicate. Nicholas II, together with his family, was shot by the Bolsheviks in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg.
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Rurik (862-879)
Rurik Prince of Novgorod, nicknamed the Varangian, as he was called to reign by the Novgorodians because of the Varangian Sea. Rurik is the founder of the Rurik dynasty. He was married to a woman named Efanda, with whom he had a son named Igor. He also raised his daughter and stepson Askold. After his two brothers died, he became the sole ruler of the country. He gave all the surrounding villages and settlements to the management of his close associates, where they had the right to independently create a court. Around this time, Askold and Dir, two brothers who had nothing to do with Rurik family ties, occupied the city of Kyiv and began to rule the glades.
Oleg (879 - 912)
Kyiv prince, nicknamed the Prophet. Being a relative of Prince Rurik, he was the guardian of his son Igor. According to legend, he died, stung in the leg by a snake. Prince Oleg became famous for his intelligence and military prowess. With a huge army for those times, the prince went along the Dnieper. On the way, he conquered Smolensk, then Lyubech, and then took Kyiv, making it the capital. Askold and Dir were killed, and Oleg showed the glades the little son of Rurik - Igor as their prince. He went on a military campaign to Greece and provided the Russians with a brilliant victory preferential rights free trade in Constantinople.
Igor (912 - 945)
Following the example of Prince Oleg, Igor Rurikovich conquered all the neighboring tribes and forced them to pay tribute, successfully repulsed the Pecheneg raids and also undertook a campaign in Greece, which, however, was not as successful as the campaign of Prince Oleg. As a result, Igor was killed by the neighboring subjugated tribes of the Drevlyans for his irrepressible greed in extortions.
Olga (945 - 957)
Olga was the wife of Prince Igor. She, according to the customs of that time, very cruelly avenged the Drevlyans for the murder of her husband, and also conquered main city Drevlyans - Korosten. Olga was distinguished by very good ability to rule, as well as a brilliant, sharp mind. Already at the end of her life, she accepted Christianity in Constantinople, for which she was later canonized as a saint and named Equal-to-the-Apostles.
Svyatoslav Igorevich (after 964 - spring 972)
The son of Prince Igor and Princess Olga, who, after the death of her husband, took the reins of government into her own hands, while her son grew up, learning the wisdom of the art of war. In 967, he managed to defeat the army of the Bulgarian king, which greatly alarmed the emperor of Byzantium, John, who, in collusion with the Pechenegs, persuaded them to attack Kyiv. In 970, together with the Bulgarians and Hungarians, after the death of Princess Olga, Svyatoslav went on a campaign against Byzantium. The forces were not equal, and Svyatoslav was forced to sign a peace treaty with the empire. After his return to Kyiv, he was brutally killed by the Pechenegs, and then the skull of Svyatoslav was decorated with gold and made from it a bowl for pies.
Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich (972 - 978 or 980)
After the death of his father, Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, he made an attempt to unite Russia under his rule, defeating his brothers: Oleg Drevlyansky and Vladimir Novgorodsky, forcing them to leave the country, and then annexed their lands to the Kyiv principality. He managed to conclude a new agreement with the Byzantine Empire, and also to attract the horde of the Pecheneg Khan Ildea to his service. Tried to establish diplomatic relations with Rome. Under him, as the Joachim manuscript testifies, Christians were given a lot of freedom in Russia, which caused displeasure of the pagans. Vladimir Novgorodsky immediately took advantage of this displeasure and, having agreed with the Varangians, recaptured Novgorod, then Polotsk, and then laid siege to Kyiv. Yaropolk was forced to flee to Roden. He tried to make peace with his brother, for which he went to Kyiv, where he was a Varangian. Chronicles characterize this prince as a peace-loving and meek ruler.
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich (978 or 980 - 1015)
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich Vladimir was the youngest son of Prince Svyatoslav. He was Prince of Novgorod since 968. Became Prince of Kyiv in 980. He was distinguished by a very warlike disposition, which allowed him to conquer the Radimichi, Vyatichi and Yotvingians. Vladimir also waged wars with the Pechenegs, with the Volga Bulgaria, with the Byzantine Empire and Poland. It was during the reign of Prince Vladimir in Russia that defensive structures were built at the borders of the rivers: Desna, Trubezh, Sturgeon, Sula and others. Vladimir also did not forget about his capital city. It was under him that Kyiv was rebuilt with stone buildings. But Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became famous and remained in history due to the fact that in 988 - 989. made Christianity the state religion Kievan Rus which immediately strengthened the country's prestige in the international arena. Under him, the state of Kievan Rus entered the period of its greatest prosperity. Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became an epic character, in which he is referred to only as "Vladimir the Red Sun." Canonized by Russian Orthodox Church, named Prince Equal to the Apostles.
Svyatopolk Vladimirovich (1015 - 1019)
Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, during his lifetime, divided his lands between his sons: Svyatopolk, Izyaslav, Yaroslav, Mstislav, Svyatoslav, Boris and Gleb. After Prince Vladimir died, Svyatopolk Vladimirovich occupied Kyiv and decided to get rid of his rival brothers. He gave the order to kill Gleb, Boris and Svyatoslav. However, this did not help him establish himself on the throne. Soon, Prince Yaroslav of Novgorod expelled him from Kyiv. Then Svyatopolk turned to his father-in-law, the King of Poland, Boleslav, for help. With the support of Polish king Svyatopolk again took possession of Kyiv, but soon circumstances developed in such a way that he was again forced to flee the capital. On the way, Prince Svyatopolk committed suicide. This prince was popularly nicknamed the Accursed because he took the life of his brothers.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (1019 - 1054)
Yaroslav Vladimirovich, after the death of Mstislav Tmutarakansky and after the expulsion of the Holy Regiment, became the sole ruler of the Russian land. Yaroslav was distinguished by a sharp mind, for which, in fact, he received his nickname - the Wise. He tried to take care of the needs of his people, built the cities of Yaroslavl and Yuryev. He also built churches (St. Sophia in Kyiv and Novgorod), realizing the importance of spreading and establishing a new faith. It was Yaroslav the Wise who published the first code of laws in Russia called "Russian Truth". He divided the allotments of the Russian land between his sons: Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, Igor and Vyacheslav, bequeathing them to live in peace with each other.
Izyaslav Yaroslavich the First (1054 - 1078)
Izyaslav was the eldest son of Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of his father, the throne of Kievan Rus passed to him. But after his campaign against the Polovtsy, which ended in failure, he was driven out by the people of Kiev themselves. Then his brother Svyatoslav became the Grand Duke. Only after the death of Svyatoslav, Izyaslav again returned to the capital city of Kyiv. Vsevolod the First (1078 - 1093) It is possible that Prince Vsevolod could well have been a useful ruler, thanks to his peaceful disposition, piety and truthfulness. Being myself an educated person, knowing five languages, he actively contributed to education in his principality. But, alas. Constant, incessant raids of the Polovtsy, pestilence, famine did not favor the rule of this prince. He held onto the throne thanks to the efforts of his son Vladimir, who would later be called Monomakh.
Svyatopolk II (1093 - 1113)
Svyatopolk was the son of Izyaslav the First. It was he who inherited the throne of Kyiv after Vsevolod the First. This prince was distinguished by a rare spinelessness, which is why he failed to calm the internecine friction between the princes for power in the cities. In 1097, a congress of princes took place in the city of Lubicz, at which each ruler, kissing the cross, pledged to own only his father's land. But this shaky peace treaty was not allowed to materialize. Prince Davyd Igorevich blinded Prince Vasilko. Then the princes, at a new congress (1100), deprived Prince Davyd of the right to own Volhynia. Then, in 1103, the princes unanimously accepted Vladimir Monomakh's proposal for a joint campaign against the Polovtsy, which was done. The campaign ended with the victory of the Russians in 1111.
Vladimir Monomakh (1113 - 1125)
Regardless of the right of seniority of the Svyatoslavichs, when Prince Svyatopolk II died, Vladimir Monomakh was elected Prince of Kyiv, who wanted the unification of the Russian land. Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh was brave, indefatigable, and distinguished himself favorably from the rest with his remarkable mental faculties. He managed to humble the princes with meekness, and he fought successfully with the Polovtsians. Vladimir Monoma- a prime example the service of the prince not to his personal ambitions, but to his people, which he bequeathed to his children.
Mstislav the First (1125 - 1132)
The son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the First, was very much like his legendary father, demonstrating the same remarkable qualities of a ruler. All the recalcitrant princes showed him respect, fearing to anger the Grand Duke and share the fate of the Polovtsian princes, whom Mstislav expelled to Greece for disobedience, and sent his son to reign in their place.
Yaropolk (1132 - 1139)
Yaropolk was the son of Vladimir Monomakh and, accordingly, the brother of Mstislav the First. During his reign, he came up with the idea to transfer the throne not to his brother Vyacheslav, but to his nephew, which caused confusion in the country. It was because of these strife that the Monomakhovichi lost the throne of Kyiv, which was occupied by the descendants of Oleg Svyatoslavovich, that is, the Olegovichi.
Vsevolod II (1139 - 1146)
Having become the Grand Duke, Vsevolod II desired to secure the throne of Kyiv for his family. For this reason, he handed over the throne to Igor Olegovich, his brother. But Igor was not accepted by the people as a prince. He was forced to take the veil as a monk, but even the monastic attire did not protect him from the wrath of the people. Igor was killed.
Izyaslav the Second (1146 - 1154)
Izyaslav II fell in love with the people of Kiev to a greater extent because with his mind, temper, affability and courage he very much reminded them of Vladimir Monomakh, the grandfather of Izyaslav II. After Izyaslav ascended the throne of Kyiv, the concept of seniority was violated in Russia, accepted for centuries, that is, for example, while an uncle was alive, his nephew could not be a Grand Duke. Between Izyaslav II and Rostov prince Yuri Vladimirovich began a stubborn struggle. Izyaslav was twice expelled from Kyiv in his life, but this prince still managed to retain the throne until his death.
Yuri Dolgoruky (1154 - 1157)
It was the death of Izyaslav II that paved the way to the throne of Kyiv Yuri, whom the people later called Dolgoruky. Yuri became the Grand Duke, but he did not have a chance to reign for long, only three years later, after which he died.
Mstislav II (1157 - 1169)
After the death of Yuri Dolgoruky between the princes, as usual, internecine strife for the throne of Kyiv began, as a result of which Mstislav II Izyaslavovich became the Grand Duke. Mstislav was expelled from the throne of Kyiv by Prince Andrei Yurievich, nicknamed Bogolyubsky. Before the expulsion of Prince Mstislav, Bogolyubsky literally ruined Kyiv.
Andrei Bogolyubsky (1169 - 1174)
The first thing that Andrei Bogolyubsky did, becoming the Grand Duke, was to transfer the capital from Kyiv to Vladimir. He ruled Russia autocratically, without squads and vecha, pursued all those dissatisfied with this state of affairs, but, in the end, he was killed by them as a result of a conspiracy.
Vsevolod III (1176 - 1212)
The death of Andrei Bogolyubsky caused strife between the ancient cities (Suzdal, Rostov) and new ones (Pereslavl, Vladimir). As a result of these confrontations, Andrei Bogolyubsky's brother Vsevolod the Third, nicknamed Big Nest. Despite the fact that this prince did not rule and did not live in Kyiv, nevertheless, he was called the Grand Duke and was the first to make him swear allegiance not only to himself, but also to his children.
Constantine the First (1212 - 1219)
The title of Grand Duke Vsevolod the Third, contrary to expectations, was transferred not to his eldest son Konstantin, but to Yuri, as a result of which strife arose. The decision of the father to approve the Grand Duke Yuri was also supported by the third son of Vsevolod the Big Nest - Yaroslav. And Konstantin in his claims to the throne was supported by Mstislav Udaloy. Together they won the Battle of Lipetsk (1216) and Konstantin nevertheless became the Grand Duke. Only after his death, the throne passed to Yuri.
Yuri II (1219 - 1238)
Yuri successfully fought with the Volga Bulgarians and Mordovians. On the Volga, on the very border of Russian possessions, Prince Yuri built Nizhny Novgorod. It was during his reign that the Mongol-Tatars appeared in Russia, who in 1224 in the Battle of Kalka first defeated the Polovtsy, and then the troops of the Russian princes who came to support the Polovtsy. After this battle, the Mongols left, but thirteen years later they returned under the leadership of Batu Khan. The hordes of the Mongols ravaged the Suzdal and Ryazan principalities, and also, in the battle of the City, they defeated the army of the Grand Duke Yuri II. In this battle, Yuri died. Two years after his death, the hordes of the Mongols plundered the south of Russia and Kyiv, after which all the Russian princes were forced to admit that from now on they all and their lands were under the rule of the Tatar yoke. The Mongols on the Volga made the city of Saray the capital of the horde.
Yaroslav II (1238 - 1252)
The Khan of the Golden Horde appointed Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Novgorod as Grand Duke. This prince during his reign was engaged in restoring the ruined Mongolian army Russia.
Alexander Nevsky (1252 - 1263)
Being at first the Prince of Novgorod, Alexander Yaroslavovich defeated the Swedes on the Neva River in 1240, for which, in fact, he was named Nevsky. Then, two years later, he defeated the Germans in the famous Battle on the Ice. Among other things, Alexander fought very successfully with the Chud and Lithuania. From the Horde, he received a label for the Great reign and became a great intercessor for the entire Russian people, since he traveled four times to Golden Horde with rich gifts and bows. Alexander Nevsky was later canonized as a saint.
Yaroslav III (1264 - 1272)
After Alexander Nevsky died, two of his brothers began to fight for the title of Grand Duke: Vasily and Yaroslav, but the Khan of the Golden Horde decided to give the label to reign to Yaroslav. Nevertheless, Yaroslav failed to get along with the Novgorodians, he treacherously called on even the Tatars against his own people. The Metropolitan reconciled Prince Yaroslav III with the people, after which the prince again swore an oath on the cross to rule honestly and fairly.
Basil the First (1272 - 1276)
Vasily the First was the prince of Kostroma, but he claimed the throne of Novgorod, where the son of Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry, reigned. And soon Vasily the First achieved his goal, thereby strengthening his principality, previously weakened by division into destinies.
Dmitry the First (1276 - 1294)
The entire reign of Dmitry the First proceeded in a continuous struggle for the rights of the great reign with his brother Andrei Alexandrovich. Andrei Alexandrovich was supported by the Tatar regiments, from which Dmitry managed to escape three times. After his third escape, Dmitry nevertheless decided to ask Andrei for peace and, thus, received the right to reign in Pereslavl.
Andrew II (1294 - 1304)
Andrei II pursued a policy of expanding his principality through the armed seizure of other principalities. In particular, he claimed the principality in Pereslavl, which caused civil strife with Tver and Moscow, which, even after the death of Andrei II, were not stopped.
Saint Michael (1304 - 1319)
Prince Mikhail Yaroslavovich of Tver, having paid a large tribute to the khan, received from the Horde a label for a great reign, while bypassing the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich. But then, while Mikhail was at war with Novgorod, Yuri, conspiring with the Horde ambassador Kavgady, slandered Mikhail before the khan. As a result, the khan summoned Michael to the Horde, where he was brutally killed.
Yuri III (1320 - 1326)
Yuri the Third, married the daughter of Khan Konchaka, who in Orthodoxy took the name Agafya. It was in her untimely death that Yuri Mikhail Yaroslavovich of Tverskoy treacherously accused, for which he suffered an unjust and cruel death at the hands of the Horde Khan. So Yuri received a label for reigning, but the son of the murdered Mikhail, Dmitry, also claimed the throne. As a result, Dmitry at the first meeting killed Yuri, avenging the death of his father.
Dmitry II (1326)
For the murder of Yuri III, he was sentenced to death by the Horde Khan for arbitrariness.
Alexander of Tverskoy (1326 - 1338)
The brother of Dmitry II - Alexander - received from the khan a label to the throne of the Grand Duke. Prince Alexander of Tverskoy was distinguished by justice and kindness, but he literally ruined himself by allowing the people of Tver to kill Shchelkan, the khan's ambassador hated by all. Khan sent a 50,000-strong army against Alexander. The prince was forced to flee first to Pskov and then to Lithuania. Only 10 years later, Alexander received the khan's forgiveness and was able to return, but at the same time, he did not get along with the prince of Moscow - Ivan Kalita - after which Kalita slandered Alexander of Tver before the khan. Khan urgently summoned A. Tverskoy to his Horde, where he was executed.
John the First Kalita (1320 - 1341)
John Danilovich, nicknamed "Kalita" (Kalita - wallet) for his stinginess, was very cautious and cunning. With the support of the Tatars, he devastated the principality of Tver. It was he who took upon himself the responsibility of accepting tribute for the Tatars from all over Russia, which contributed to his personal enrichment. With this money, John bought entire cities from the specific princes. Through the efforts of Kalita, the metropolis was also transferred from Vladimir to Moscow in 1326. He laid the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Since the time of John Kalita, Moscow has become the permanent residence of the Metropolitan of All Russia and becomes the Russian center.
Simeon the Proud (1341 - 1353)
The Khan gave Simeon Ioannovich not only a label to the Grand Duchy, but also ordered all the other princes to obey only him, so Simeon began to be called the prince of all Russia. The prince died, leaving no heir from a pestilence.
John II (1353 - 1359)
Brother of Simeon the Proud. He had a meek and peaceful disposition, he obeyed the advice of Metropolitan Alexei in all matters, and Metropolitan Alexei, in turn, was highly respected in the Horde. During the reign of this prince, relations between the Tatars and Moscow improved significantly.
Dmitry the Third Donskoy (1363 - 1389)
After the death of John the Second, his son Dmitry was still small, therefore the khan gave the label for the great reign to the Suzdal prince Dmitry Konstantinovich (1359 - 1363). However, the Moscow boyars benefited from the policy of strengthening the Moscow prince, and they managed to achieve a great reign for Dmitry Ioannovich. The Suzdal prince was forced to submit and, together with the rest of the princes of northeastern Russia, swore allegiance to Dmitry Ioannovich. The attitude of Russia towards the Tatars also changed. Due to civil strife in the horde itself, Dmitry and the rest of the princes took the opportunity not to pay the usual dues. Then Khan Mamai entered into an alliance with Lithuanian prince Jagiello and moved with a large army to Russia. Dmitry and other princes met the army of Mamai on the Kulikovo field, (near the river Don) and at the cost of huge losses on September 8, 1380, Russia defeated the army of Mamai and Jagello. For this victory they called Dmitry Ioannovich Donskoy. Until the end of his life, he took care of strengthening Moscow.
Basil the First (1389 - 1425)
Vasily ascended the princely throne, already having experience of government, since even during the life of his father he shared the reign with him. Expanded the Moscow principality. Refused to pay tribute to the Tatars. In 1395, Khan Timur threatened Russia with an invasion, but it was not he who attacked Moscow, but Edigey, the Tatar Murza (1408). But he lifted the siege from Moscow, receiving a ransom of 3,000 rubles. Under Basil the First, the Ugra River was designated as the border with the Lithuanian principality.
Vasily II (Dark) (1425 - 1462)
Vasily II Dark Yuri Dmitrievich Galitsky decided to take advantage of the minority of Prince Vasily and claimed his rights to the Grand Duke's throne, but the Khan decided the dispute in favor of the young Vasily II, which was greatly facilitated by the Moscow boyar Vasily Vsevolozhsky, hoping in the future to marry his daughter to Vasily, but these expectations were not was destined to come true. Then he left Moscow and assisted Yuri Dmitrievich, and soon he took possession of the throne, on which he died in 1434. His son Vasily Kosoy began to claim the throne, but all the princes of Russia rebelled against this. Vasily II captured Vasily Kosoy and blinded him. Then the brother of Vasily Kosoy Dmitry Shemyaka captured Vasily II and also blinded him, after which he took the throne of Moscow. But soon he was forced to give the throne to Vasily II. Under Vasily II, all metropolitans in Russia began to be recruited from Russians, and not from Greeks, as before. The reason for this was the adoption of the Florentine Union in 1439 by Metropolitan Isidore, who was from the Greeks. For this, Vasily II gave the order to take Metropolitan Isidore into custody and instead appointed Bishop John of Ryazan.
John the Third (1462 -1505)
Under him, the core of the state apparatus began to form and, as a result, the state of Russia. He annexed Yaroslavl, Perm, Vyatka, Tver, Novgorod to the Moscow principality. In 1480 he overthrew Tatar-Mongol yoke(Standing on the Ugra). In 1497, the Sudebnik was compiled. John the Third launched a large construction in Moscow, strengthened the international position of Russia. It was under him that the title "Prince of All Russia" was born.
Basil the Third (1505 - 1533)
"The last collector of Russian lands" Vasily the Third was the son of John the Third and Sophia Paleolog. He had a very impregnable and proud disposition. Having annexed Pskov, destroyed specific system. He fought twice with Lithuania on the advice of Mikhail Glinsky, a Lithuanian nobleman, whom he kept in his service. In 1514, he finally took Smolensk from the Lithuanians. Fought with the Crimea and Kazan. As a result, he managed to punish Kazan. He withdrew all trade from the city, ordering from now on to trade at the Makariev Fair, which was then transferred to Nizhny Novgorod. Vasily the Third, wishing to marry Elena Glinskaya, divorced his wife Solomonia, which turned the boyars against him even more. From the marriage with Elena, Vasily III had a son, John.
Elena Glinskaya (1533 - 1538)
She was appointed to rule by Vasily III himself until the age of their son John. Elena Glinskaya, having barely ascended the throne, very severely dealt with all the rebellious and dissatisfied boyars, after which she made peace with Lithuania. Then she decided to repulse the Crimean Tatars, who boldly attacked the Russian lands, however, these plans of hers could not be realized, since Elena suddenly died.
John the Fourth (Terrible) (1538 - 1584)
John the Fourth, Prince of All Russia became in 1547 the first Russian Tsar. From the end of the forties he ruled the country with the participation Chosen Rada. During his reign, the convocation of all Zemsky Sobors began. In 1550, a new Sudebnik was drawn up, and reforms of the court and administration (Zemskaya and Gubnaya reforms) were also carried out. John Vasilyevich conquered the Kazan Khanate in 1552, and the Astrakhan Khanate in 1556. In 1565, the oprichnina was introduced to strengthen the autocracy. Under John the Fourth, they established trade relations with England in 1553, and also opened the first printing house in Moscow. From 1558 to 1583 continued Livonian War for access to the Baltic Sea. In 1581, the annexation of Siberia began. All domestic politics country under Tsar John was accompanied by disgrace and executions, for which he was nicknamed the Terrible by the people. The enslavement of the peasants increased considerably.
Fedor Ioannovich (1584 - 1598)
He was the second son of John the Fourth. He was very sickly and weak, did not differ in sharpness of mind. That is why very quickly the actual control of the state passed into the hands of the boyar Boris Godunov, the brother-in-law of the tsar. Boris Godunov, having surrounded himself with exclusively devoted people, became a sovereign ruler. He built cities, strengthened relations with countries Western Europe, built the Arkhangelsk harbor on the White Sea. By order and instigation of Godunov, an all-Russian independent patriarchate was approved, and the peasants were finally attached to the land. It was he who in 1591 ordered the assassination of Tsarevich Dmitry, who was the brother of the childless Tsar Fedor, and was his direct heir. 6 years after this murder, Tsar Fedor himself died.
Boris Godunov (1598 - 1605)
The sister of Boris Godunov and the wife of the late Tsar Fedor abdicated the throne. Patriarch Job recommended that Godunov's supporters convene a Zemsky Sobor, at which Boris was elected tsar. Godunov, having become king, was afraid of conspiracies on the part of the boyars and, in general, was distinguished by excessive suspicion, which naturally caused disgrace and exile. At the same time, the boyar Fyodor Nikitich Romanov was forced to take tonsure, and he became a monk Filaret, and his young son Mikhail was sent into exile at Beloozero. But not only the boyars were angry with Boris Godunov. A three-year crop failure and the pestilence that followed it, which fell upon the Muscovite kingdom, forced the people to see this as the fault of Tsar B. Godunov. The king tried his best to alleviate the plight of the starving. He increased the earnings of people employed in state buildings (for example, during the construction of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower), generously distributed alms, but people still grumbled and willingly believed the rumors that the legitimate Tsar Dmitry was not killed at all and would soon take the throne. In the midst of preparations for the fight against False Dmitry, Boris Godunov died suddenly, while managing to bequeath the throne to his son Fyodor.
False Dmitry (1605 - 1606)
The fugitive monk Grigory Otrepiev, who was supported by the Poles, declared himself Tsar Dmitry, who miraculously managed to escape from the murderers in Uglich. He entered Russia with several thousand men. The army came out to meet him, but it also went over to the side of False Dmitry, recognizing him as the legitimate king, after which Fyodor Godunov was killed. False Dmitry was a very good-natured man, but with a sharp mind, he diligently engaged in all state affairs, but caused displeasure of the clergy and boyars, from the fact that, in their opinion, he did not honor the old Russian customs enough, and completely neglected many. Together with Vasily Shuisky, the boyars entered into a conspiracy against False Dmitry, spread a rumor that he was an impostor, and then, without hesitation, they killed the fake tsar.
Vasily Shuisky (1606 - 1610)
The boyars and townspeople elected the old and inept Shuisky as king, while limiting his power. In Russia, rumors arose again about the salvation of False Dmitry, in connection with which new unrest began in the state, intensified by the rebellion of a serf named Ivan Bolotnikov and the appearance of False Dmitry II in Tushino (“Tushinsky thief”). Poland went to war against Moscow and defeated the Russian troops. After this, Tsar Vasily was forcibly tonsured a monk, and a troubled time of interregnum came to Russia, lasting three years.
Mikhail Fedorovich (1613 - 1645)
Letters of the Trinity Lavra, sent throughout Russia and calling for the defense of the Orthodox faith and the fatherland, did their job: Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, with the participation zemstvo headman Nizhny Novgorod Kozma Minin (Sukhoroky) gathered a large militia and moved to Moscow in order to clear the capital of rebels and Poles, which was done after painful efforts. On February 21, 1613, the Great Zemstvo Duma gathered, at which Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was elected Tsar, who, after long rejections, nevertheless ascended the throne, where the first thing he undertook was to pacify both external and internal enemies.
He concluded the so-called pillar agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden, in 1618 he signed the Treaty of Deulino with Poland, according to which Filaret, who was the parent of the king, was returned to Russia after a long captivity. Upon his return, he was immediately elevated to the rank of patriarch. Patriarch Filaret was an adviser to his son and a reliable co-ruler. Thanks to them, by the end of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, Russia began to enter into friendly relations with various Western states almost recovered from the horror of troubled times.
Alexei Mikhailovich (The Quietest) (1645 - 1676)
Alexei Mikhailovich Tsar Alexei is considered one of the the best people ancient Russia. He had a meek, humble disposition, and was very pious. He could not stand quarrels at all, and if they happened, he suffered greatly and tried in every possible way to reconcile with the enemy. In the first years of his reign, his closest adviser was his uncle, boyar Morozov. In the fifties, Patriarch Nikon became his adviser, who decided to unite Russia with everything else. Orthodox world and commanding everyone from now on to be baptized in the Greek manner - with three fingers, which caused a split among the Orthodox in Russia. (The most famous schismatics are the Old Believers, who do not want to deviate from the true faith and be baptized with a “fig”, as ordered by the patriarch, noblewoman Morozova and archpriest Avvakum).
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, every now and then in different cities riots broke out that were suppressed, and the decision of Little Russia to voluntarily join the Muscovite state provoked two wars with Poland. But the state survived thanks to the unity and concentration of power. After the death of his first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, in whose marriage the tsar had two sons (Fyodor and John) and many daughters, he married a second time to the girl Natalia Naryshkina, who bore him a son, Peter.
Fedor Alekseevich (1676 - 1682)
During the reign of this tsar, the issue of Little Russia was finally resolved: its western part went to Turkey, and the East and Zaporozhye - to Moscow. Patriarch Nikon was returned from exile. They also abolished localism - the ancient boyar custom to take into account the service of ancestors when occupying state and military positions. Tsar Fedor died without leaving an heir.
Ivan Alekseevich (1682 - 1689)
Ivan Alekseevich, together with his brother Peter Alekseevich, was elected king thanks to the Streltsy rebellion. But Tsarevich Alexei, suffering from dementia, did not take any part in public affairs. He died in 1689 during the reign of Princess Sophia.
Sophia (1682 - 1689)
Sophia remained in history as the ruler of an extraordinary mind and possessed all the necessary qualities of a real queen. She managed to calm the unrest of the dissenters, curb the archers, conclude " eternal peace” with Poland, very beneficial for Russia, as well as the Nerchinsk Treaty with distant China. The princess undertook campaigns against the Crimean Tatars, but fell victim to her own lust for power. Tsarevich Peter, however, having guessed her plans, imprisoned her half-sister in the Novodevichy Convent, where Sophia died in 1704.
Peter the Great (Great) (1682 - 1725)
The greatest king, and since 1721 the first Russian emperor, state, cultural and military figure. He made revolutionary reforms in the country: collegiums, the Senate, bodies of political investigation and state control were created. He made divisions in Russia into provinces, and also subordinated the church to the state. He built a new capital - St. Petersburg. The main dream of Peter was the elimination of Russia's backwardness in development compared to European countries. Taking advantage of Western experience, Petr Alekseevich tirelessly created manufactories, factories, shipyards.
To facilitate trade and for access to the Baltic Sea, he won the Northern War, lasting 21 years, from Sweden, thereby “cutting through” a “window to Europe”. He built a huge fleet for Russia. Thanks to his efforts, the Academy of Sciences was opened in Russia and the civil alphabet was adopted. All reforms were carried out cruelest methods and caused multiple uprisings in the country (Streletsky in 1698, Astrakhan from 1705 to 1706, Bulavinsky from 1707 to 1709), which, however, were also mercilessly suppressed.
Catherine the First (1725 - 1727)
Peter the Great died without leaving a will. So, the throne passed to his wife Catherine. Catherine became famous for equipping Bering in trip around the world and also established the Supreme secret council at the instigation of a friend and colleague of her late husband Peter the Great - Prince Menshikov. Thus, Menshikov concentrated in his hands virtually all state power. He persuaded Catherine to appoint the son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, who was still sentenced to death by his father, Peter the Great, as the heir to the throne, for being disgusted with the reforms - Peter Alekseevich, and also to agree to his marriage with Menshikov's daughter Maria. Until the age of Peter Alekseevich, Prince Menshikov was appointed ruler of Russia.
Peter II (1727 - 1730)
Peter II ruled for a short time. Having barely got rid of the imperious Menshikov, he immediately fell under the influence of the Dolgoruky, who, in every possible way distracting the emperors from public affairs with fun, actually ruled the country. They wished to marry the emperor to Princess E. A. Dolgoruky, but Pyotr Alekseevich suddenly died of smallpox and the wedding did not take place.
Anna Ioannovna (1730 - 1740)
The Supreme Privy Council decided to somewhat limit the autocracy, therefore they chose Anna Ioannovna, Dowager Duchess of Courland, daughter of John Alekseevich, as empress. But she was crowned Russian throne autocratic empress and, first of all, having entered into rights, destroyed the Supreme Privy Council. She replaced it with the Cabinet and, instead of the Russian nobles, gave positions to the Germans Ostern and Munnich, as well as to the Courlander Biron. The cruel and unjust rule was later called "Bironism".
Russia's intervention in the internal affairs of Poland in 1733 cost the country dearly: the lands conquered by Peter the Great had to be returned to Persia. Before her death, the empress appointed the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna as her heir, and appointed Biron as regent for the baby. However, Biron was soon overthrown, and Anna Leopoldovna became the empress, whose reign cannot be called long and glorious. The guards staged a coup and proclaimed Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great.
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741 - 1761)
Elizabeth destroyed the Cabinet, established by Anna Ioannovna, and returned the Senate. Issued a decree abolishing the death penalty in 1744. In 1954, she established the first loan banks in Russia, which became a great boon for merchants and nobles. At the request of Lomonosov, she opened the first university in Moscow and in 1756 opened the first theater. During her reign, Russia waged two wars: with Sweden and the so-called "seven-year war", in which Prussia, Austria and France took part. Thanks to the peace with Sweden, part of Finland went to Russia. The death of Empress Elizabeth put an end to the Seven Years' War.
Peter the Third (1761 - 1762)
He was absolutely unsuitable for governing the state, but his temper was complacent. But this young emperor managed to turn absolutely all layers of Russian society against him, since he, to the detriment of Russian interests, showed a craving for everything German. Peter the Third, not only did he make a lot of concessions in relation to the Prussian Emperor Frederick II, he also reformed the army according to the same Prussian model, dear to his heart. He issued decrees on the destruction of the secret office and the free nobility, which, however, did not differ in certainty. As a result of the coup, due to his relationship with the empress, he quickly signed the abdication and soon died.
Catherine II (1762 - 1796)
The time of her reign was one of the greatest after the reign of Peter the Great. Empress Catherine ruled harshly, suppressed the Pugachev peasant uprising, won two Turkish wars, which resulted in the recognition of the independence of the Crimea by Turkey, and also the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov departed Russia. Russia has got Black Sea Fleet, and in Novorossia, active construction of cities began. Catherine II established the colleges of education and medicine. Cadet corps were opened, and for the education of girls - the Smolny Institute. Catherine the Second, herself possessing literary abilities, patronized literature.
Pavel the First (1796 - 1801)
He did not support the transformations that his mother, Empress Catherine, started, in state system. Of the achievements of his reign, one should note a very significant relief in the life of serfs (only a three-day corvee was introduced), the opening of a university in Dorpat, and the emergence of new women's institutions.
Alexander the First (Blessed) (1801 - 1825)
The grandson of Catherine II, assuming the throne, vowed to govern the country "according to the law and heart" of his crowned grandmother, who, in fact, was engaged in his upbringing. At the very beginning he took whole line various liberation measures aimed at different sections of society, which caused the undoubted respect and love of people. But external political problems distracted Alexander from domestic reforms. Russia, in alliance with Austria, was forced to fight against Napoleon, the Russian troops were defeated at Austerlitz.
Napoleon forced Russia to abandon trade with England. As a result, in 1812, Napoleon nevertheless, having violated the agreement with Russia, went to war against the country. And in the same year, 1812, Russian troops defeated Napoleon's army. Alexander the First founded state council in 1800, the ministries and the cabinet. In St. Petersburg, Kazan and Kharkov, he opened universities, as well as many institutes and gymnasiums, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. It greatly facilitated the life of the peasants.
Nicholas the First (1825 - 1855)
He continued the policy of improving peasant life. He founded the Institute of St. Vladimir in Kyiv. Published a 45-volume complete collection of laws Russian Empire. Under Nicholas I in 1839, the Uniates were reunited with Orthodoxy. This reunification was a consequence of the suppression of the uprising in Poland and the complete destruction of the Polish constitution. There was a war with the Turks, who oppressed Greece, as a result of the victory of Russia, Greece gained independence. After the rupture of relations with Turkey, on the side of which England, Sardinia and France sided, Russia had to join a new struggle.
The emperor died suddenly during the defense of Sevastopol. During the reign of Nicholas I, the Nikolaevskaya and Tsarskoye Selo railways, lived and worked great Russian writers and poets: Lermontov, Pushkin, Krylov, Griboedov, Belinsky, Zhukovsky, Gogol, Karamzin.
Alexander II (Liberator) (1855 - 1881)
The Turkish war had to be ended by Alexander II. Parisian world was concluded on very unfavorable terms for Russia. In 1858, according to an agreement with China, Russia acquired the Amur Territory, and later Usuriysk. In 1864, the Caucasus finally became part of Russia. The most important state transformation of Alexander II was the decision to free the peasants. Killed by an assassin in 1881.
Alexander the Third (1881 - 1894)
Nicholas II - the last of the Romanovs, ruled until 1917. This ends a huge period of development of the state, when the kings were in power.
After the October Revolution, a new political structure appeared - the republic.
Russia during the Soviet era and after its collapse The first few years after the revolution were difficult. Among the rulers of this period, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky can be distinguished.
After legal registration The USSR as a state and until 1924 was led by Vladimir Lenin.
Nikita Khrushchev was First Secretary of the CPSU after Stalin's death until 1964;
- Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982);
Yuri Andropov (1982-1984);
Konstantin Chernenko, General Secretary of the CPSU (1984-1985); After the betrayal of Gorbachev, the USSR collapsed:
Mikhail Gorbachev, the first President of the USSR (1985-1991); After the drunkard Yeltsin, independent Russia was on the verge of collapse:
Boris Yeltsin, leader of independent Russia (1991-1999);
The current head of state, Vladimir Putin, has been the President of Russia since 2000 (with a break for 4 years, when Dmitry Medvedev was in charge of the state) Who are they - the rulers of Russia? All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who have been in power for more than thousand years of history states are patriots who wished the flourishing of all the lands of a vast country. Most of the rulers were not random people in this difficult field and each made his own contribution to the development and formation of Russia.
All the rulers of Russia, of course, wanted goodness and prosperity for their subjects: the main forces were always directed to strengthening borders, expanding trade, and strengthening defense capabilities.
The history of Russia has more than a thousand years, although even before the advent of the state, a variety of tribes lived on its territory. The last ten-century period can be divided into several stages. All the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Putin, are people who were true sons and daughters of their eras.
The main historical stages of the development of Russia
Historians consider the following classification to be the most convenient:
Governing body Novgorod princes(862-882);
Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054);
From 1054 to 1068, Izyaslav Yaroslavovich was in power;
From 1068 to 1078, the list of rulers of Russia was replenished with several names at once (Vseslav Bryachislavovich, Izyaslav Yaroslavovich, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod Yaroslavovichi, in 1078 Izyaslav Yaroslavovich ruled again)
The year 1078 was marked by some stabilization in the political arena, until 1093 Vsevolod Yaroslavovich ruled;
Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich was on the throne from 1093 to;
Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh (1113-1125) - one of the best princes of Kievan Rus;
From 1132 to 1139, Yaropolk Vladimirovich had power.
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who lived and ruled during this period and up to the present, saw their main task in the prosperity of the country and strengthening the role of the country in the European arena. Another thing is that each of them went to the goal in his own way, sometimes in a completely different direction than his predecessors.
The period of fragmentation of Kievan Rus
During the feudal fragmentation of Russia, changes on the main princely throne were frequent. None of the princes left a serious mark on the history of Russia. To middle of XIII century Kyiv fell into absolute decline. It is worth mentioning only a few princes who ruled in the XII century. So, from 1139 to 1146, Vsevolod Olgovich was the prince of Kyiv. In 1146, Igor II was at the helm for two weeks, after which Izyaslav Mstislavovich ruled for three years. Until 1169, such people as Vyacheslav Rurikovich, Rostislav Smolensky, Izyaslav Chernigov, Yuri Dolgoruky, Izyaslav the Third managed to visit the princely throne.
Capital moves to Vladimir
The period of formation of late feudalism in Russia was characterized by several manifestations:
The weakening of the Kyiv princely power;
The emergence of several centers of influence that competed with each other;
Strengthening the influence of the feudal lords.
On the territory of Russia, 2 most major centers influences: Vladimir and Galich. Galich was the most important political center of that time (located on the territory of modern Western Ukraine). It seems interesting to study the list of rulers of Russia who reigned in Vladimir. The importance of this period of history has yet to be assessed by researchers. Of course, the Vladimir period in the development of Russia was not as long as the Kyiv period, but it was after it that the formation of monarchical Russia began. Consider the dates of the reign of all the rulers of Russia of this time. In the early years this stage In the development of Russia, the rulers changed quite often, there was no stability that would appear later. For more than 5 years, the following princes have been in power in Vladimir:
Andrew (1169-1174);
Vsevolod, son of Andrei (1176-1212);
Georgy Vsevolodovich (1218-1238);
Yaroslav, son of Vsevolod (1238-1246);
Alexander (Nevsky), great commander (1252-1263);
Yaroslav III (1263-1272);
Dmitry I (1276-1283);
Dmitry II (1284-1293);
Andrei Gorodetsky (1293-1304);
Michael "Saint" of Tver (1305-1317).
All the rulers of Russia after the transfer of the capital to Moscow until the appearance of the first tsars
The transfer of the capital from Vladimir to Moscow chronologically approximately coincides with the end of the period of feudal fragmentation of Russia and the strengthening of the main center political influence. Most of the princes were on the throne longer than the rulers of the Vladimir period. So:
Prince Ivan (1328-1340);
Semyon Ivanovich (1340-1353);
Ivan the Red (1353-1359);
Alexei Byakont (1359-1368);
Dmitry (Donskoy), famous commander (1368-1389);
Vasily Dmitrievich (1389-1425);
Sophia of Lithuania (1425-1432);
Vasily the Dark (1432-1462);
Ivan III (1462-1505);
Vasily Ivanovich (1505-1533);
Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538);
The decade before 1548 was a difficult period in the history of Russia, when the situation developed in such a way that the princely dynasty actually ended. There was a period of stagnation when boyar families were in power.
The reign of tsars in Russia: the beginning of the monarchy
Historians distinguish three chronological periods in the development of the Russian monarchy: before the accession to the throne of Peter the Great, the reign of Peter the Great and after it. The dates of the reign of all the rulers of Russia from 1548 to the end of the 17th century are as follows:
Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (1548-1574);
Semyon Kasimovsky (1574-1576);
Ivan the Terrible again (1576-1584);
Fedor (1584-1598).
Tsar Fedor did not have heirs, so she interrupted. - one of the most difficult periods the history of our country. Rulers changed almost every year. Since 1613, the country has been ruled by the Romanov dynasty:
Mikhail, the first representative of the Romanov dynasty (1613-1645);
Alexei Mikhailovich, son of the first emperor (1645-1676);
He ascended the throne in 1676 and ruled for 6 years;
Sophia, his sister, ruled from 1682 to 1689.
In the 17th century, stability finally came to Russia. strengthened central authority, reforms are gradually beginning, which led to the fact that Russia has grown territorially and strengthened, the leading world powers began to reckon with it. The main merit in changing the face of the state belongs to the great Peter I (1689-1725), who simultaneously became the first emperor.
Rulers of Russia after Peter
The reign of Peter the Great is the heyday when the empire acquired its own strong fleet and strengthened the army. All the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Putin, understood the importance of the armed forces, but few were able to realize the huge potential of the country. An important feature At that time, there was an aggressive foreign policy of Russia, which manifested itself in the forcible annexation of new regions (Russian-Turkish wars, the Azov campaign).
The chronology of the rulers of Russia from 1725 to 1917 is as follows:
Catherine Skavronskaya (1725-1727);
Peter II (killed in 1730);
Queen Anna (1730-1740);
Ivan Antonovich (1740-1741);
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761);
Petr Fedorovich (1761-1762);
Catherine the Great (1762-1796);
Pavel Petrovich (1796-1801);
Alexander I (1801-1825);
Nicholas I (1825-1855);
Alexander II (1855 - 1881);
Alexander III (1881-1894);
Nicholas II - the last of the Romanovs, ruled until 1917.
This ends a huge period of development of the state, when the kings were in power. After the October Revolution, a new political structure appeared - the republic.
Russia during the Soviet era and after its collapse
The first few years after the revolution were difficult. Among the rulers of this period, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky can be distinguished. After the legal registration of the USSR as a state and until 1924, Vladimir Lenin led the country. Further, the chronology of the rulers of Russia looks like this:
Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich (1924-1953);
Nikita Khrushchev was First Secretary of the CPSU after Stalin's death until 1964;
Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982);
Yuri Andropov (1982-1984);
General Secretary of the CPSU (1984-1985);
Mikhail Gorbachev, the first President of the USSR (1985-1991);
Boris Yeltsin, leader of independent Russia (1991-1999);
The current head of state, Putin, has been the President of Russia since 2000 (with a break of 4 years, when Dmitry Medvedev was in charge of the state)
Who are the rulers of Russia?
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who have been in power over the entire more than a thousand-year history of the state, are patriots who wished the flourishing of all the lands of a vast country. Most of the rulers were not random people in this difficult field and each made his own contribution to the development and formation of Russia. All the rulers of Russia, of course, wanted goodness and prosperity for their subjects: the main forces were always directed to strengthening borders, expanding trade, and strengthening defense capabilities.
Rules of Russia during the minority of Svyatoslav. In the annals, she is not called an independent ruler, but appears as such in Byzantine and Western European sources. Ruled until at least 959, when her embassy to the German king Otto I is mentioned (chronicle of the Successor of Reginon). start date independent government Svyatoslav is not exactly known. In the annals, the first campaign is marked in 6472 (964) (PSRL, vol. I, st. 64), but it is likely that it nevertheless began earlier.