List of Russian rulers

Monarchy of Russia
Former Monarchy
Imperial
Coat of Arms of Russian Empire.svg
Imperial Coat of arms
Nicholas II of Russia painted by Earnest Lipgart.jpg
Nicholas II
First monarch Andrei Bogolyubsky
(as Grand Prince)
Last monarch Nicholas II
(as Emperor)
Style His/Her Imperial Majesty
Monarchy started 1168
Monarchy ended 15 March 1917
Current pretender Nicholas Romanov
(Nikolaevichi branch)
Maria Vladimirovna
(Vladimirovichi branch)

The vast territory known today as Russia covers an area that has been known historically by various names, including Rus', Kievan Rus', the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, and the sovereigns of these many nations and throughout their histories have used likewise as wide a range of titles in their positions as chief magistrates of a country. Some of the earliest titles include Kniaz and Velikiy Kniaz, which mean "Prince" and "Great Prince" respectively but are often rendered as "Duke" and "Grand Duke" in Western literature; then the title of Tsar, meaning "Caesar", which was disputed to be the equal of either a king or emperor; finally culminating in the title of Emperor. The full title of the Russian Emperors, according to Article 59 of the 1906 Russian Constitution, was given as:

Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Tauric Chersonesos, Tsar of Georgia, Lord of Pskov, and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, and Finland, Prince of Estonia, Livonia, Courland and Semigalia, Samogitia, Belostok, Karelia, Tver, Yugra, Perm, Vyatka, Bulgaria and other territories; Lord and Grand Duke of Nizhni Novgorod, Sovereign of Chernigov, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Beloozero, Udoria, Obdoria, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislavl, and all northern territories; Sovereign of Iveria, Kartalinia, and the Kabardinian lands and Armenian territories - hereditary Lord and Ruler of the Circassians and Mountain Princes and others; Lord of Turkestan, Heir of Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Oldenburg, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth.

The Patriarchs of Moscow, who are the head of Russian Orthodox Church, also have acted as the leaders of Russia from time to time, usually in periods of political upheaval as during the Polish occupation and interregnum of 1610–1613.

Contents

Grand Princes of Novgorod and Kiev (c. 860–1240)

See Grand Prince of Kiev

Grand Princes of Vladimir-Suzdal (1168–1389)

Grand Prince of Vladimir, Alexander Nevsky 1252–1263

Grand Princes of Moscow (1283–1547)

Honour monopolized by rulers of Moscow principality, but see also Grand Prince (of Lithuania)

Rurik Dynasty

Portrait Name Born–Died Grand Prince From Grand Prince Until
Ib226.jpg Daniel 1261–1303 1283 4 March 1303
Jurij of Moscov.jpg Yuri 1281–1325 4 March 1303 21 November 1325
Ivan Kalita.jpg Ivan I (the Moneybag) 1288–1340 21 November 1325 31 March 1340
Simeon Dumny.jpg Simeon (the Proud) 1316–1353 31 March 1340 27 April 1353
Ivan2.jpg Ivan II (the Fair) 1326–1359 27 April 1353 13 November 1359
Dmitri Donskoy.jpg Dimitri I (of the Don) 1350–1389 13 November 1359 19 May 1389
Vasili I of Russia.jpg Vasily I 1371–1425 19 May 1389 27 February 1425
Vasil2b.gif Vasily II (the Blind) 1415–1462 27 February 1425 27 March 1462
Iwan Srogi.jpg Ivan III of Russia (the Great) 1440–1505 5 April 1462 6 November 1505
Vasilii III.jpg Vasily III 1479–1533 6 November 1505 13 December 1533
Ivan the Terrible (cropped).JPG Ivan IV (the Terrible) 1530–1584 13 December 1533 26 January 1547

Tsars of Russia (1547–1721)

Rurik Dynasty

Portrait Name Born–Died Tsar From Tsar Until
Ivan the Terrible (cropped).JPG Ivan IV (the Terrible) 1530–1584 26 January 1547 28 March 1584
Feodor I of Russia - Project Gutenberg eText 20880.jpg Feodor I 1557–1598 28 March 1584 17 January 1598

Time of Troubles (1598–1613)

Godunov Dynasty

Portrait Name Born–Died Tsar From Tsar Until
Boris Godunov.jpg Boris Godunov 1550/ c. 1551–1605 3 March 1598 23 April 1605
Tsar Fyodr II.jpg Feodor II 1589–1605 23 April 1605 11 June 1605

Usurper

Portrait Name Born–Died Tsar From Tsar Until
Dymitr Samozwaniec.jpg False Dmitriy I 1581–1606 30 June 1605 27 May 1606

Shuysky Dynasty

Portrait Name Born–Died Tsar From Tsar Until
Basil IV.jpg Vasili IV Shuysky 1552–1612 27 May 1606 27 July 1610

Usurper

Portrait Name Born–Died Tsar From Tsar Until
Pseudo-Dimitrij.jpg False Dmitriy II (nominally) 1582–1610 27 July 1610 21 December 1610

Council of Seven Boyars (27 July 1610 – 4 November 1612)

(From 6 September 1610 for absent Władysław IV Vasa):

Council of All the Land (17 April 1611 – 26 July 1613)

(In opposition to the Poles and Władysław IV Vasa):

House of Romanov

Monarch Portrait Birth Marriages Tsar From Tsar Until Death
Mikhail Tsar Mikhail I -cropped.JPG 12 July 1596
Moscow
son of Feodor Nikitich Romanov and Kseniya Ioannovna Shestova
Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova
1624
one stillborn child

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva
5 February 1626
ten children
26 July 1613 14 July 1645 14 July 1645
Moscow
aged 49
Alexei Alexis I of Russia.jpg 9 May 1629
Moscow
son of Tsar Mikhail and Eudoxia Lukyanova Streshneva
Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya
17 January 1648
13 children

Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina
1 February 1671
3 children
14 July 1645 29 January 1676 29 January 1676
Moscow
aged 46
Feodor III Feodor III of Russia.jpg 9 June 1661
Moscow
son of Tsar Alexei and Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya
Agaphia Simeonovna Grushevskaya
28 July 1680
one son

Marfa Matveievna Apraksina
24 February 1682
no children
29 January 1676 7 May 1682 7 May 1682
Moscow
aged 20
Peter I the Great
jointly with Ivan V 1682-1696
Peter der-Grosse 1838.jpg 9 June 1672
Moscow
son of Tsar Alexei and Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina
Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina
1689
3 children

Marta Helena Skowrońska
1707
9 children
7 May 1682 2 November 1721 8 February 1725
aged 52
Ivan V
jointly with Peter I
IvanV.jpg 6 September 1666
Moscow
son of Tsar Alexei and Maria Ilyinichina Miloslavskaya
Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova
1684
5 daughters
2 June 1682 8 February 1696 8 February 1696
aged 29

Emperors of Russia (1721–1917)

(Also Grand Dukes of Finland from 1809 until 1917; and Kings of Poland from 1815 until 1916)

The monarchs listed below reigned with absolute power until 1905, and then with executive and administrative powers from 1905-1917.

House of Romanov

Monarch Portrait Birth Marriages Emperor From Emperor Until Death
Peter I the Great Peter der-Grosse 1838.jpg 9 June 1672
Moscow
son of Tsar Alexei and Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina
Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina
1689
3 children

Marta Helena Skowrońska
1707
9 children
2 November 1721 8 February 1725 8 February 1725
aged 52
Catherine I Empress Catherine I -c.1724 -2.jpg 15 April 1684
Ringon, Duchy of Livonia
daughter of Samuel Skowroński and Elisabeth Moritz
Peter I of Russia
1707
9 children
8 February 1725 17 May 1727 17 May 1727
Saint Petersburg
aged 43
Peter II PietroIIRussia.1730.jpg 23 October 1715
Saint Petersburg
son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
unmarried 18 May 1727 30 January 1730 30 January 1730
Moscow
aged 14
Anna Annaioannovnarussia1693-2.jpg 7 February 1693
Moscow
daughter of Tsar Ivan V and Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova
Frederick Wilhelm, Duke of Courland
November 1710
no children
13 February 1730 28 October 1740 28 October 1740
aged 47
Ivan VI Ivan VI.jpg 23 August 1740
Saint Petersburg
son of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick and Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia
unmarried 28 October 1740 6 December 1741 16 July 1764
Shlisselburg (murdered)
aged 23
Elizabeth Elizabeth empress.jpg 29 December 1709
Kolomenskoye
daughter of Emperor Peter I and Empress Catherine I
Alexey Razumovsky
1742
no children
6 December 1741 5 January 1762 5 January 1762
aged 52
Peter III Coronation portrait of Peter III of Russia -1761.JPG 21 February 1728
Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
son of Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna
Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst
16 August 1745
one son
5 January 1762 9 July 1762 17 July 1762 (murdered)
Ropsha
aged 34
Catherine II the Great Johann-Baptist Lampi d. Ä. 007.jpg 2 May 1729
Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia, Holy Roman Empire
daughter of Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
Peter III of Russia
16 August 1745
one son
9 July 1762 6 November 1796 6 November 1796
Saint Petersburg
aged 67
Paul I Paul i russia.jpg 1 October 1754
Saint Petersburg
son of Emperor Peter III and Empress Catherine II
Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
29 September 1773
one stillborn daughter

Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
26 September 1776
ten children
17 November 1796 23 March 1801 23 March 1801 (assassinated)
Saint Michael's Castle, Saint Petersburg
aged 46
Alexander I the Blessed Alexander I of Russia.PNG 23 December 1777
Saint Petersburg
son of Emperor Paul I and Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)
Princess Louise of Baden
28 September 1793
2 daughters
24 March 1801 1 December 1825 1 December 1825
Taganrog
aged 47
Constantine I (disputed) Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia.JPG 27 April 1779
Tsarskoye Selo
son of Emperor Paul I and Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)
Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
26 February
no children
1 December 1825 26 December 1825 27 June 1831
Vitebsk
aged 52
Nicholas I the Conqueror Tsar Nicholas I.PNG 6 July 1796
Gatchina
son of Emperor Paul I and Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)
Princess Charlotte of Prussia
13 July 1817
7 children
26 December 1825 2 March 1855 2 March 1855
Saint Petersburg
aged 58
Alexander II the Liberator Makovsky Alexander II of Russia.jpg 29 April 1818
Moscow
son of Emperor Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia)
Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
16 April 1841
8 children
2 March 1855 13 March 1881 13 March 1881 (assassinated)
Saint Petersburg
aged 62
Alexander III the Peace-Maker Kramskoy Alexander III.jpg 10 March 1845
Saint Petersburg
son of Emperor Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse)
Princess Dagmar of Denmark
9 November 1866
6 children
13 March 1881 1 November 1894 1 November 1894
Livadiya, Crimea
aged 49
Nicholas II Repin Nikolay2.jpg 6 May 1868
Tsarskoye Selo
son of Emperor Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)
Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine
26 November 1894
5 children
1 November 1894 15 March 1917 17 July 1918 (murdered)
Yekaterinburg, Russian SFSR
aged 50
Mikhail II (disputed) Mihail II.jpg 22 November 1878
Tsarskoye Selo
son of Emperor Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)
Natalia Brassova
15 October 1911
one son (born before his parents' marriage)
15 March 1917 16 March 1917 12 June 1918 (murdered)
Perm, Russian SFSR
aged 39

See List of leaders of Russia for the continuation of leadership.

Pretenders to the Russian throne since 1917

See Line of succession to the Russian throne

See also

External links