Romanov Family Association

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The Romanov Family Association, Obyedineniye Chlenov Roda Romanovykh (Объединение Членов Рода Романовых), is an organization for male-line descendants of Emperor Paul I of Russia. The president is Prince Nicholas Romanov [1]. The association accepts that the Russian monarchy legally ended on 3 March (Julian Calendar)/ 16 March (Gregorian Calendar), 1917 with the decree of Emperor Mikhail II renouncing the throne and recognizing the Provisional Government.[2] Article IV-b of the bylaws of the Romanov Family Association states "The Members of the Association agree that all questions concerning the form of government in Russia and consequently also all matters of a dynastic character have been transmitted to the will of the great Russian people by the Manifest of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, which followed the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on the basis of 'general, direct, equal and secret voting'."[3]

The members of the association reject the claims of their cousin Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna that she is the current Pretender to the Russian throne, for reasons detailed in the article on the line of succession to the Russian throne.

As a charitable endeavor, the association operates the Romanov Fund for Russia to raise money to for aid projects in Russia.[4]

[edit] Members

Romanov Family Association claims as members all male-line descendants of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. It is unclear how many of the claimed members actually participate in the association's activities. Maria Vadimirovna and her late father Vladimir Cyrillovich clearly did not participate but were nevertheless listed as members. The RFA also claims the title Prince(ss) of Russia for all its members. The official members, listed in association's published listing of membership (with year of joining), are:

Princess Jekaterina Ivanovna of Russia, the sole surviving founding member of RFA; dynastic daughter of Prince Ivan Konstantinovich of Russia and Jelena Petrovna of Serbia
Prince Nicholas Romanovitch of Russia, president, joined RFA 1979 in conjunction of its founding
Princess Natalya Nikolaevna of Russia
Princess Elisabeth Nikolaevna of Russia
Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Prince Dimitri Romanovitch of Russia
Prince Michael Andrejevitch of Russia, joined 1980
Prince Andrew Andrejevitch of Russia
Princess Olga Andrejevna of Russia, joined 1980
Prince Alexis Andrejevitch of Russia, joined 1981
Prince Peter Andrejevitch of Russia, joined 1996
Prince Michael Feodorovich of Russia
Prince Nikita Nikitich of Russia
Prince Feodor Nikitich of Russia
Princess Stefana Rostislavna of Russia, joined 1980
Princess Alexandra Rostislavna of Russia, joined 1982
Prince Rostislav Rostislavich of Russia, joined 1985
Prince Nikita Rostislavich of Russia, joined 1987
Princess Marina Vassilievna of Russia, joined 1980

The RFA also offers Associate Memberships to the children and grandchildren of Princesses and Grand Duchesses, widows and widowers of Princes and Princesses and Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses, as well as people who have always shown close ties to the Romanovs. At the present there are only two Associate Members:

Prince David Pavlovich Chavchavadze, son of Princess Nina Georgievna
Mrs Xenia Sfiris née Countess Cheremeteva, granddaughter of Princess Irina Alexandrovna

According to listing of their membership published by RFA, Prince Andrew Andreyevich Romanov the Younger, Princess Natasha Andreyevna Romanov, Princess Tatiana Mikhailovna of Russia, Princess Irene Feodorovna of Russia, Prince Nicholas Rostislavich of Russia, Prince Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, Prince Daniel Nikolaevich of Russia, Princess Heather Nikolaevna of Russia, Prince George Alexandrovich of Russia (HSH Prince George Alexandrovich Yurievsky), Princess Elena Sergejevna of Russia (Countess Elena Sergejevna Belevskya-Zhukovskya), Prince Paul Dimitrievich of Russia (HSH Prince Paul Dimitrievich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky), Prince Dimitri Pavlovich of Russia (HSH Prince Dimitri Pavlovich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky), Princess Catherine Dimitrievna of Russia (HSH Princess Catherine Dimitrievna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), Princess Victoria Dimitrievna of Russia (HSH Princess Victoria Dimitrievna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), (Princess Lela Dimitrievna of Russia HSH Princess Lela Dimitrievna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), Princess Paula Pavlovna of Russia (HSH Princess Paula Pavlovna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), Princess Anna Pavlovna of Russia (HSH Princess Anna Pavlovna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), Prince Michael Pavlovich of Russia (HSH Prince Michael Pavlovich Romanovsky-Ilyinsky), Princess Alexis Mikhailovna of Russia (HSH Princess Alexis Mikhailovna Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya), and Princess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna) have not joined the association.