Nikita Romanovich

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Nikita Romanovich also known as Nikita Zakharyin-Yuriev (Russian: Никита Романович, d. 23 April 1586) was a Muscovite boyar whose grandson Mikhail Feodorovich founded the Romanov dynasty of Russian tsars. He was son of the boyar Roman Zakharyin and the brother-in-law of Ivan IV of Russia.

Nikita Romanovich is first recorded in 1547, when, on account of the tsar's wedding with Anastasia Zakharyina, he was promoted to spalnik and stolnik. He participated as a rynda (bodyguard) of the tsar in the unlucky campaigns against the Khanate of Kazan in 1547 and 1548. Later, he was the assistant to the Princes Vasily Serebryany and Andrey Nogtev-Suzdalsky with the rank of okolnichy in the Livonian campaign of 1559.

He was granted a boyar dignity in 1562. Four years later, following the death of his brother Daniil Romanovich, he became the governor of Tver. He commanded detachments of the Muscovite army during the winter campaign of 1572 in Novgorod and against Sweden. He also took part in the Livonian campaigns of 1573 and 1577.

On his deathbed Ivan the Terrible left his two sons, Fyodor and Dmitry, to the care of trusted associates. Until the illness incapacitated him in late 1584, Nikita Romanovich led the regency, as the only uncle of the young tsar. He died on 23 April 1586 and was buried in the Novospassky Monastery.