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(1672 - 1725) a period of palace coups began in the country. This time was characterized by a rapid change of both the rulers themselves and the entire elite around them. However, Catherine II was on the throne for 34 years, lived a 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 her prestige all over the world, and some succeeded. The history of the country has forever included the names of those who ruled in 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-Zerbskaya. She was born on May 2, 1729 in Prussia. In 1744 she was invited by Elizabeth II together with her mother to Russia, where she immediately began to study the Russian language and the history of her new homeland. In the same year, she converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy. On September 1, 1745, she was married to Peter Fedorovich, the future emperor Peter III, who at the time of the marriage was 17 years old.

During his reign from 1762 to 1796. Catherine II raised the general culture of the country, its political life 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. Catherine II founded the Russian Academy of Sciences, introduced a secondary education system, opened institutes for girls. In 1769, paper money, the so-called bank notes, was put into circulation. The money turnover 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 pounds, that is, more than a centner, which made it very difficult to carry out financial transactions. Under Catherine II, the number of factories and plants quadrupled, the army and navy gained strength. But there were also many negative assessments of her activities. Including abuse of power by officials, bribery, embezzlement. 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 years of the reign of Catherine II, the situation of the serfs worsened 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. Hieromonk Plato, his mentor, had a great influence on the worldview of the heir to the throne. He was married twice, had 10 children. He ascended the throne after the death of Catherine II. He issued a decree on succession to the throne, which legalized the transfer of the throne from father to son, the Manifesto on the three-day corvee. On the very first day of his reign, A.N. Radishchev from Siberian exile, released N.I. Novikov and A.T. Kosciuszko. He 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 supported the Order of Malta, which was practically defeated by the troops of France and for this was proclaimed the protector of the order, that is, its defender, and later the Chief Master. Paul's unpopular recent political decisions, his harsh and oppressive nature, have caused discontent throughout the 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. He carried out a number of liberal reforms. He led successful military operations against Turkey, Sweden and Persia. After the victory in the war against Napoleon, Bonaparte was among the leaders of the Vienna Congress and the organizers of the 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 “retire from the world,” a legend arose in society that a double died in Taganrog, and Alexander I became the elder Fyodor Kuzmich, who lived in the Urals and died in 1864.

The next Russian emperor was the brother of Alexander I, Nikolai Pavlovich, since the Grand Duke Constantine, who inherited the throne by seniority, renounced the throne. During the oath to the new sovereign on December 14, 1825, the Decembrist uprising took place, the purpose of which was the liberalization of the existing political system, including the abolition of serfdom, and democratic freedoms up to a change in the form of government. The demonstration 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-Wilgemina, with whom they had seven children. This marriage was of great importance for Prussia and Russia. Nicholas I had an engineering education and personally supervised the construction of railways and the "Emperor Paul I" fort, projects of fortifications for the naval defense of St. Petersburg. He died on March 2, 1855 from pneumonia.

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

• 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;
• in 1874 he approved a military reform on universal military service.

Several attempts were made on the emperor. He died on March 13, 1881 after Ignatius Grinevitsky, a member of the Narodnaya Volya, 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 a good military education, and after the death of his elder brother Nicholas he mastered an additional course of sciences that one needed to know in order to competently govern the state. His reign was characterized by a series of tough measures to strengthen administrative control. Judges began to be appointed by the government, censorship of print media was reintroduced, and Old Believers were given legal status. In 1886, the so-called poll tax was abolished. Alexander III pursued an open foreign policy, which helped to strengthen his position in the international arena. The prestige of the country during his reign was extremely high, Russia did not participate in any war. He died on November 1, 1894 at the Livadia Palace, in the Crimea.

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

According to the decision of the Provisional Government, he was sent into exile with his family to Tobolsk. In the spring of 1918 he was transported to Yekaterinburg, where he was shot along with his wife, children and several close 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 face of saints.

The Romanovs.
There are two main versions of the origin of the Romanov family. According to one they come from Prussia, on 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 the first to be adopted by Patriarch Filaret (Fedor Nikitich).

Tsars and emperors of the Romanov dynasty.

Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645).
The years of government are 1613-1645.
Son of Patriarch Filaret and Xenia Ivanovna Shestova (after the tonsure of the nun Martha). On February 21, 1613, sixteen-year-old Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar by the Zemsky Sobor, and on July 11 of the same year he was crowned king. He 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 large cities, the development of Siberia and the development of technical 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: "Salt", "Copper"
He was married twice. The first wife Maria Miloslavskaya bore him 13 children, including the future tsars Fyodor and Ivan, and Princess Sophia. Second wife Natalia Naryshkina - 3 children, including the future Emperor Peter I.
Before his death, Alexei Mikhailovich blessed his son from his first marriage, Fyodor, for the kingdom.

Fedor III (Fedor Alekseevich) (1661-1682)
Years of reign - 1676-1682
Under Fedor III, a population census was carried out and the chopping off of hands for theft was abolished. The construction of orphanages began. The Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was established, with admission to training in it representatives of all classes.
He 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
Took rule after the death of his brother Theodore by right of seniority.
He was very painful and incapable of running the country. The boyars and the patriarch decided to depose Ivan V and declare the young Peter Alekseevich (future Peter I) tsar. Relatives on the side of both heirs fought desperately for power. The result was a bloody Rifle 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 dealt with 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 (Sophia Alekseevna) (1657-1704)
Years of reign - 1682-1689
Under Sophia, the persecution of the Old Believers was intensified. Her favorite, Prince Golits, undertook two unsuccessful campaigns to the Crimea. As a result of the coup in 1689, Peter I came to power. Sophia was forcibly tonsured as 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. When there were many global changes in the state:
- the capital was moved to the newly built city of St. Petersburg.
- the Russian military fleet was founded
- a lot of successful military campaigns were carried out, including the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava
- the next church reform was carried out, the Holy Synod was established, the institution of the patriarch was abolished, the church was deprived of its own funds
- the Senate was established
The emperor was married twice. The first wife is Evdokia Lopukhina. The second is Marta Skavronskaya.
Three children of Peter survived to adulthood: Tsarevich Alesya and daughters Elizabeth and Anna.
Tsarevich Alexei was considered the heir, but was accused of high 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 of her reign is 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 did not deal with state 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 after Peter II there were no heirs left, the issue of the throne was decided by the members of the Privy Council. They chose Anna Ioannovna, forcing her to sign a document limiting the royal power. Subsequently, she tore up the document, and the members of the Privy Council were either executed or sent into exile.
Anna Ioannovna announced her heir to the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna - Ivan Antonovich.

Ivan VI (Ivan Antonovich) (1740-1764)
Years of reign - 1740-1741
Great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, nephew of Anna Ioannovna.
At first, under the minor emperor, the favorite of Anna Ioannovna Biron was regent, then his mother Anna Leopoldovna. After the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna, 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'état. All her life she patronized the arts and science.
Announced 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 the equality of religions and the Manifesto of the Liberty 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 Sofia Augusta Frederica) (1729-1796)
Years of reign - 1762-1796
She became empress after a coup d'etat and the assassination of Peter III.
The reign of Catherine is called the golden age. Russia has carried out a lot of successful military campaigns and has grown in 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 Natalia Alekseevna. They had ten children. Two of whom later became emperors.
Killed by conspirators.

Alexander I (Alexander Pavlovich) (1777-1825)
Years of government 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.
A legend is connected 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
During his reign, the Decembrist Uprising took place.
He was married to the Prussian princess Frederick 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.
He was married twice. First time on Mary, Princess of Hesse. The second marriage was considered morganatic and was concluded with Princess Catherine Dolgoruka.
The emperor was killed by terrorists.

Alexander III the Peacemaker (Alexander Alexandrovich) (1845-1894)
Years of government - 1881-1894
Son of Emperor Alexander II.
Under him, Russia was very stable, and rapid economic growth began.
He married the Danish princess Dagmara. In the marriage, 4 sons and two daughters were born.

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich) (1868-1918)
Years of government - 1894-1917
Son of Emperor Alexander III.
The last Russian emperor.
The time of his reign was quite difficult, marked by riots, revolutions, unsuccessful wars and a dying economy.
He was greatly influenced by his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Alice of Hesse). The couple had 4 daughters and a son, Alexei.
In 1917, the emperor abdicated the throne.
In 1918, together with his entire family, he was shot by the Bolsheviks.
Enumerated by the Russian Orthodox Church to the Face of the Saints.

This August marks the 15th anniversary of the historic decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on August 13-16, 2000, on the canonization of the Tsar Emperor Nicholas II and his family members. In this regard, the site begins publishing materials about the last Russian emperor, Passion-Bearer Nicholas and about the Romanov dynasty in general. We hope that these articles will help the readers of the site to navigate in the flow of various information about the saint and to draw for themselves the correct conclusion regarding the role of the holy martyr Tsar Nicholas in our Church.

The first All-Russian Emperor, was born on May 30, 1672 from the second marriage of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, a pupil of the boyar A.S. Matveyev. Peter I carried out reforms in public administration (the Senate, collegiums, the "Table of Ranks", bodies of supreme state control and political investigation were created; the church was subordinated to the state; the country was divided into provinces, a new capital was built - St. Petersburg, the core of which was the Peter and Paul Fortress) ... He used the experience of Western European countries in the development of industry, trade, culture. He pursued a policy of mercantilism (creation of manufactories, metallurgical, mining and other factories, shipyards, marinas, canals). He led the army in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, the Northern War of 1700-1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, etc .; commanded troops during the capture of Noteburg (1702), in the battles at the village of Lesnaya (1708) and near Poltava (1709). Supervised the construction of the fleet and the creation of a regular army. He contributed to the consolidation of the economic and political position of the nobility. On the initiative of Peter I, many educational institutions, the Academy of Sciences were opened, the civil alphabet was adopted, etc. The reforms of Peter I were carried out by cruel means, by extreme exertion of material and human forces, oppression of the masses (per capita tax, etc.), which entailed uprisings (Streletskoye in 1698, Astrakhan in 1705-06, Bulavinskoye in 1707-09, etc.), which were ruthlessly suppressed by the government. As the creator of a powerful absolutist state, Peter I achieved the recognition of the authority of a great power by the countries of Western Europe.

Catherine I Alekseevna Romanova

Empress of All Russia (January 28, 1725 - May 6, 1727). She was born on April 5, 1684 in Livonia, into a peasant family of the Skavronsky family, of Lithuanian or Latvian origin, and when she was baptized according to the Catholic rite, she was named Martha. Since Catherine herself did not possess the abilities and knowledge of a statesman, under her the Supreme Privy Council (1726–1730) that ruled the country was created, and Menshikov became its leader. The Council included both Menshikov's supporters and his opponents. P.A.Tolstoy took a prominent place in the administration of the country. Among the most significant events of this time were the opening of the Academy of Sciences, the conclusion of an alliance with Austria, etc. Having become an autocratic empress, Catherine discovered a craving for unrestrained entertainment: she spent almost all of her time at feasts, balls, various holidays, which had a detrimental effect on her health, and was almost not interested in management affairs. Before her death, at the insistence of Menshikov, Catherine signed a will, according to which the throne was to go to the Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, and in case of his death to her daughters or their descendants.

The All-Russian Emperor, grandson of Peter I, son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Sophia-Charlotte of Blankenburg, was born on October 12, 1715. Peter's mother died ten days after his birth, and in 1718 he lost his father as well. After the death in 1719 of the son of Peter I from the second marriage of Tsarevich Peter Petrovich, various political forces both in Russia and abroad began to consider the boy as a possible contender for the Russian throne. In 1727, A. D. Menshikov managed to convince Catherine I to sign a will in favor of Peter, which also stipulated that the prince should marry Menshikov's daughter Maria. After the death of Catherine and the proclamation of Peter as emperor, Menshikov settled the young autocrat in his house and completely controlled all his actions. Peter was lively, quick-witted and, apparently, not devoid of ability, but at the same time a stubborn and wayward boy, with a disposition reminiscent of his great grandfather. Despite some similarities, the tsar, unlike Peter I, did not want to study. Due to his young age, he could not properly deal with state affairs, almost did not appear in the Supreme Privy Council. This soon led to the breakdown of the entire management system, since officials, fearing Peter's unmotivated actions, did not dare to take responsibility for important decisions.

The Supreme Privy Council ("Verkhovniki") - the highest state institution in Russia in 1726 - 1730. It was created by decree of Catherine I in. the result of the struggle for power between individual groupings of the nobility. Formally, he had a consultative character, but in fact he decided all the most important state affairs. Collegia were under his control, the role of the Senate was limited, he lost the name "ruling" and began to be called "high". At first, the Supreme Privy Council continued the policy of Peter I, but then began to deviate more and more from it. A concession to the nobility was the breaking up of the Petrine state apparatus and the transfer of the capital to Moscow. Under Peter II, the activities of the Supreme Privy Council were aimed at eliminating the results of the transformations of the first quarter of the 18th century. After his death, the members of the Council - "supreme leaders" - made an attempt to limit the autocracy in the interests of the aristocracy. With a manifesto on March 4, 1730, Empress Anna Ioannovna dissolved the Supreme Privy Council. She imprisoned many supporters of the council in prisons and monasteries, and executed the Dolgoruky princes.

Empress of All Russia (1730 - 1740), the middle daughter of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich and Praskovya Feodorovna, born Saltykova. Born in Moscow on January 28, 1693, died in St. Petersburg on October 17, 1740. The domestic and foreign policy of Russia during the times of Anna Ivanovna was generally aimed at continuing the line of Peter I. After the dissolution of the Supreme Privy Council in 1730, the importance of the Senate was restored, and in 1731 the Cabinet of Ministers was created, which actually ruled the country. Not trusting the former political elite and the guards, the empress created new guards regiments - Izmailovsky and Horse, staffed by foreigners and one-yard palaces of the South of Russia. The Secret Investigation Office was created, the highest body of political investigation in 1731-1762. The system of political search “word and deed” was introduced. Anna was emphatically pious, superstitious, and showed concern for the strengthening of Orthodoxy. Under her, new theological seminaries were opened, the death penalty for blasphemy was established.

The son of Empress Anna Ioannovna's niece, Anna Leopoldovna, Princess of Mecklenburg, and Anton-Ulrich, Duke of Braunschweig-Luneburg, was born on August 12, 1740 and Anna Ioannovna's manifesto, dated October 5, 1740, was declared heir to the throne. Upon the death of Anna Ioannovna (October 17, 1740), John was proclaimed emperor, and the manifesto on October 18 announced the handing over of the regency to John Biron until his majority. After the overthrow of Biron Minich (November 8), the regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna, but on the night of December 25, 1741, the ruler with her husband and children, including Emperor John, were arrested in the palace by Elizabeth Petrovna, and the latter was proclaimed empress. She intended to expel the deposed emperor with all his family abroad, and on December 12, 1741, they were sent to Riga, under the supervision of Lieutenant General V.F. Saltykov; but then Elizabeth changed her mind, and, before reaching Riga, Saltykov received an order to drive as quietly as possible, and wait for new orders in Riga. The prisoners stayed in Riga until December 13, 1742, when they were transported to the Dinamünde fortress. Elizabeth had finally matured the decision not to let John and his parents out of the borders of Russia, as dangerous pretenders.

The second son of Karl Biron, was born in 1690, on his father's estate Kalentsi; for education, the only one of all the brothers, Biron was sent to the best university of that time in Konigsberg, but without completing the course there, he returned to Courland. What he did before 1718, when, thanks to the efforts of one influential Courland nobleman Keyserling, he received a position at the court of Anna Ioannovna, has not been established with certainty. There is news that he came to Russia with an unfulfilled desire to enter the chamber-cadet at the court of the wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, that he was engaged in teaching in Mitava, served in Riga as a drinking department, etc. He was probably a secretary at Anna's court Ioannovna, Biron wanted to use the same meaning of the duchess, which was used by one of the prominent representatives of her state, Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, with his sons Mikhail and Alexei, and for this purpose he resorted to the usual means at all the courts of that time - to "undermining" , libel; but the result of his intrigues was the removal from the court, to which he managed to get a second time only in 1724, thanks to the patronage of the same Keyserling, and from that year Biron remained inseparably with the person of Anna Ioannovna until her death.

Ruler of the Russian Empire (from November 9, 1740 to November 25, 1741), daughter of Duke Karl-Leopold of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Catherine Ioannovna. Born in Rostock on December 7, 1718; there she was baptized according to the rite of the Protestant Church and named Elizabeth-Christina. At home, she lived only up to three years. The married life of her mother, Ekaterina Ioannovna, was very unhappy: the rudeness, quarrelsomeness and despotism of her husband were completely unbearable. She still lived with him for six years, but could no longer tolerate his antics and left for Russia (1722), taking her daughter with her. In Russia they were greeted unfriendly. She lived under the old Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna, now in Moscow, now in St. Petersburg, now in the vicinity of the capitals. Elizabeth-Christina grew up in a dark environment, under the supervision of a poorly educated mother, without receiving the correct upbringing and education. Circumstances changed in 1731. The accession to the throne of Anna Ioannovna, who had no children, raised the question of her successor. Wanting to preserve the Russian throne for her family, Empress Anna brought her 13-year-old niece closer to her court and surrounded her with a staff of servants and mentors. A French woman, the widow of General Aderkas, was appointed as the teacher of the princess; in Orthodoxy, she was instructed by Feofan Prokopovich himself.

The Russian empress from November 25, 1741 to December 24, 1761, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I. She spent her childhood and adolescence in the villages of Preobrazhensky and Izmailovsky near Moscow, thanks to which Moscow and its environs remained close to her for life. In the field of politics, Elizabeth's government generally followed the path that was partly indicated by Peter the Great, and partly dependent on the then position of the main Western European states. On her accession to the throne, Elizabeth found Russia in a war with Sweden and under the strong influence of France, a hostile Austria. Peace in Abo in 1743 gave Russia the Kymenegorsk province, and the military assistance rendered to the Holstein party led to the fact that Adolf-Friedrich, uncle of the heir to Elizabeth Petrovna, was declared heir to the Swedish throne. With the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, not only the line of Peter I was cut short, but the entire Romanov dynasty. Although all subsequent heirs to the throne bore the surname of the Romanovs, they were no longer Russian (Holstein-Gottorp line).

Emperor of All Russia, son of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl-Friedrich, son of the sister of Karl XII of Sweden, and Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great; Thus, he is the grandson of two rival sovereigns and could, under certain conditions, be a contender for both the Russian and the Swedish throne. In December 1761, Peter III ascended the throne. Reveling in his autocratic power, the emperor developed a frenzied activity, the main purpose of which was to prove that he was able to govern the country better than his deceased aunt. However, he did not have any specific political program. During the six months of his reign, he managed to issue a significant number of legislative acts, among which it is necessary to note the Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility and the decree on the secularization of ecclesiastical landed property. Undoubtedly, a liberal step on the part of Peter was the liquidation of the Secret Investigative Affairs of the Chancellery. The emperor's policy was distinguished by religious tolerance, he stopped persecuting the Old Believers and was going to carry out a reform of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the army, he began to consistently introduce the Prussian order, which did not add to his popularity.

Empress of All Russia in 1762 - 1796, born Sophia-Frederica-Amalia, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. She was born on April 21, 1729. She was the daughter of the younger brother of the little German "fürst"; her mother came from the Holstein-Gottorp house and was the great-aunt of the future Peter III. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent connoisseur of people; she skillfully selected assistants for herself, not being afraid of bright and talented people. That is why Catherine's time was marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding statesmen, military leaders, writers, artists, and musicians.

The Emperor of All Russia, the son of Emperor Peter III and Empress Catherine II, was born on September 20, 1754, ascended the throne after the death of Catherine II, on November 6, 1796. Paul's policy, combined with his despotic character, unpredictability and, at the same time, a certain eccentricity of behavior, caused discontent in various social strata, but especially among the nobility and in the army. Soon after his accession to the throne, a conspiracy began to ripen against him, in which his eldest son was also involved. On the night of March 11, 1801, the conspirators, mostly guards officers, broke into Paul's chambers in the newly built Mikhailovsky Castle, demanding to abdicate the throne. When the emperor tried to object and even hit one of them, one of the rebels began to choke him with his scarf, and the other hit him in the temple with a massive snuffbox. It was announced to the people that Paul had died of a stroke.

The All-Russian Emperor, the eldest son of Emperor Pavel Petrovich and Maria Feodorovna, was born on December 12, 1777. The people greeted joyfully the news of the birth of the firstborn to the heir to the throne: direct succession to the throne seemed to be ensured for a long time, and the troubles that disturbed Russia were to end. Alexander received his name in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky, patron of St. Petersburg. Emperor Joseph II and King Frederick II of Prussia were the recipients of his baptism: Russia, Austria and Prussia united at the cradle of the Creator of the Holy Alliance. The poets of that time - Maikov, Petrov, Derzhavin - greeted the birth of the future ruler of Russia with solemn odes.

Interregnum

In November 1825, Emperor Alexander I suddenly died far from St. Petersburg, in Taganrog. He had no son, and his brother Constantine was the heir to the throne. But married to a simple noblewoman, a person not of royal blood, Constantine, according to the rules of succession to the throne, could not transfer the throne to his descendants and therefore abdicated the throne. The next brother, Nicholas, was to become the heir of Alexander 1, being rude and cruel, hated in the army. The abdication of Constantine was kept secret - only the narrowest circle of members of the royal family knew about it. The abdication that was not made public during the life of the emperor did not receive the force of law, therefore Constantine continued to be considered the heir to the throne; he reigned after the death of Alexander 1, and on November 27 the population was sworn in to Constantine. Formally, a new emperor appeared in Russia - Constantine I.

Emperor of All Russia, the third son of Emperor Paul I and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Born on June 25, 1796, Nicholas considered the main goal of his reign to be the struggle against the widespread revolutionary spirit, and he subordinated this goal all his life. Sometimes this struggle was expressed in open violent clashes, such as the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831. or sending troops abroad in 1848 - to Hungary to defeat the national liberation movement against Austrian rule. Russia became the object of fear, hatred and ridicule in the eyes of the liberal part of European public opinion, and Nikolai himself acquired the reputation of a gendarme in Europe.

Emperor of All Russia, son of Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Born in Moscow on April 17, 1818. Alexander II carried out the abolition of serfdom and then carried out a number of reforms (zemstvo, judicial, military, etc.). After the Polish uprising of 1863–64, he switched to a reactionary internal political course. Repressions against revolutionaries have intensified since the late 1970s. During the reign of Alexander II, the annexation of the territories of the Caucasus (1864), Kazakhstan (1865), most of Central Asia (1865-1881) to Russia was completed. In 1867, Alaska was sold to the United States of America. In order to strengthen its influence in the Balkans and help the national liberation movement of the Slavic peoples, Russia took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II (1866, 1867, 1879, 1880); killed by the People's Will.

Emperor of All Russia, the second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Born on February 26, 1845 at the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg. Until the death of his older brother, Tsarevich Nicholas, that is, until the age of twenty, Alexander III was not the heir to the throne and was brought up not as a future emperor, but as a grand duke, destined mainly for a military career. In the first half of the 1980s, he abolished the poll tax and lowered the redemption payments. From the second half of the 80s he carried out "counter-reforms". Strengthened the role of the police, local and central administration. During the reign of Alexander III. the annexation of Central Asia to Russia has basically been completed.

The All-Russian Emperor is the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Born May 6, 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo. The reign of Nicholas II was the period of the highest rates of economic growth in the history of Russia. For the years 1880-1910. the growth rate of Russian industrial production exceeded 9% per year. According to this indicator, Russia came out on top in the world, ahead of even the rapidly developing United States of America. In the production of the main agricultural crops, Russia has come out on top in the world, growing more than half of the rye produced in the world, more than a quarter of wheat, oats and barley, and more than a third of potatoes. Russia has become the main exporter of agricultural products, the first granary of Europe. It accounted for 2/5 of all world exports of peasant products. The autocratic form of government did not hinder the economic progress of Russia. According to the manifesto on October 17, 1905, the population of Russia received the right to personal inviolability, freedom of speech, press, assembly, and unions. Political parties grew up in the country, and thousands of periodicals were published. Parliament - State Duma was elected by free expression of will. Russia was becoming a rule-of-law state.

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The first Russian emperor Peter the Great

“People of all generations in their assessments of the personality and activities of Peter agreed on one thing: he was considered a force. Peter was the most prominent and influential figure of his time, the leader of the entire people. No one considered him an insignificant person, unconsciously using power or blindly walking along a random path. " (S. F. Platonov "Personality and Activity").

Peter I was the first Russian emperor. He took this title in 1721 after the victory in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), which resulted in the expansion of the territory of Russia in the Baltic region. According to the Peace of Nystad (August 30, 1721), Russia received access to the Baltic Sea, annexed the territory of Ingria, part of Karelia, Estonia and Livonia. Thus, the country became a great European power, and by the decision of the Senate, Peter was proclaimed emperor of the Russian Empire, while he was given the titles "Great" ("Peter the Great") and "Father of the Fatherland").

It is known that from the time of his activity to the present, there have been diametrically opposite assessments of both the personality of Peter I and his role in the history of Russia. Let's try to understand them and form our own opinion about him, although it is obvious that Peter I is one of the most outstanding statesmen who determined the direction of Russia's development for many years to come.

short biography

Young Peter

He was proclaimed tsar at the age of 10 (in 1682), began to rule independently from 1689. From a young age, he showed interest in science and a foreign way of life, among his youth friends there were many foreigners, especially Germans, who lived in Moscow in German settlement. Peter was the first of the Russian tsars to make a long journey to the countries of Western Europe (1697-1698), where he not only got acquainted with the lifestyle and culture of these countries, but also learned a lot, delving into many crafts and sciences, as well as self-education. After returning to Russia, he launched large-scale reforms of the Russian state and social order. He possessed tireless energy and curiosity, knew 14 crafts, but the main reason for the ambiguous attitude towards him was that he also demanded the same from others - full dedication to the cause uncompromisingly. He firmly believed in the correctness and necessity of his actions, therefore, in order to achieve the set goals, he did not reckon with anything.

You can read about the reform activities of Peter I on our website:,.

In this article, we will pay more attention to the personality of Peter I and the assessment of his activities.

Peter's personalityI

Appearance and character

Peter was very tall (204 cm), but not of a heroic build: he had a small foot (size 38), a slender build, small arms, and a swift gait.

They are distinguished by the beauty and liveliness of his face, disturbed only by periodic strong convulsive twitchings, especially in moments of excitement or emotional stress. It is believed that this was due to a childhood shock during the streltsy riots - the time of the seizure of power by his sister Sofya Alekseevna.

K.K. Steiben "Peter the Great in childhood, saved by his mother from the rage of archers"

Those around him were often frightened by these twitching of the face, which distorted his appearance. This is how the Duke of Saint-Simon, who met Peter during his stay in Paris, recalls this: “ He was very tall, well built, rather thin, with a roundish face, high forehead, fine eyebrows; his nose is rather short, but not too short, and somewhat thick towards the end; the lips are rather large, the complexion is reddish and swarthy, beautiful black eyes, large, lively, penetrating, beautifully shaped; the look is majestic and affable when he watches himself and restrains himself, otherwise severe and wild, with convulsions on his face, which do not recur often, but distort both the eyes and the whole face, frightening everyone present. The spasm usually lasted one moment, and then his gaze became strange, as if bewildered, then everything immediately took on a normal look. All his appearance showed intelligence, reflection and greatness and was not devoid of charm". But not only this frightened the sometimes refined foreign aristocrats: Peter had a simple disposition and rude manners.

He was a lively, cheerful person, savvy and natural in all his manifestations: both joy and anger. But his anger was terrible and was often combined with cruelty. In anger, he could hit and even beat his entourage. His evil jokes are known, especially often they were directed at noble and old boyars, who did not approve of his innovations and hindered the implementation of reforms, were supporters of the primordial Russian moral and religious foundations. In general, he treated the opponents of transformations with particular cruelty and disdain. That only is the All-Sense, All-Drunken and Extravagant Council, created by him, which was engaged in mockery of everything that was revered in society as primordially Russian. It was one of the undertakings he established for the purpose of entertainment, drinking amusements, a kind of clownish "order organization" that united tsarist like-minded people.

Y. Pantsyrev "Peter and Menshikov"

The main feature of the "Council" was a parody of the rituals of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Some historians even believe that the “Cathedral” was created with the aim of discrediting the church and, along with shaving beards, is part of a general series of destroying the stereotypes of old Russian everyday life; at the "Cathedral" they drank a lot and swore a lot. It existed for about 30 years - until the mid-1720s. Perhaps that is why Peter I is still perceived by some as the Antichrist (the opposite and antipode of Christ).

In this anti-behavior, Peter was similar to Ivan the Terrible. Also, Peter sometimes personally performed the duties of an executioner.

A family

For the first time, Peter entered into marriage at the age of 17 at the insistence of his mother in 1689. Evdokia Lopukhina became his wife. Their son, Tsarevich Alexei, was brought up mainly by his mother; he was alien to Peter's reformatory activities. The rest of the children of Peter and Evdokia died in infancy. Subsequently, Evdokia Lopukhina was implicated in an archery riot and was exiled to a monastery.

Alexei Petrovich, the official heir to the Russian throne, condemned the transformation of his father and fled to Vienna under the patronage of a relative of his wife (Charlotte of Braunschweig), Emperor Charles VI. There he hoped to find support for his idea of ​​overthrowing Peter I. In 1717 he was persuaded to return home, where he was immediately taken into custody. In 1718 the Supreme Court sentenced him to death and found him guilty of high treason.

But Tsarevich Alexei did not wait for the sentence to be carried out and died in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The true cause of his death has not yet been established.

The tsarevich had two children: Peter Alekseevich, who became Emperor Peter II in 1727 (read about him on our website :), and his daughter Natalya.

In 1703, Peter I met 19-year-old Katerina, nee Martha Samuilovna Skavronskaya, captured by Russian troops as booty during the capture of the Swedish fortress of Marienburg. Peter took the former servant from the Baltic peasants from Alexander Menshikov and made her his mistress. They had 6 daughters (including Elizabeth, the future empress, and three sons who died in infancy). The official wedding of Peter I to Ekaterina Alekseevna took place in 1712, shortly after his return from the Prut campaign. In 1724, Peter crowned Catherine as empress and co-ruler. After Peter's death in January 1725, Yekaterina Alekseevna, with the support of the service nobility and the guards regiments, became the first ruling Russian empress Catherine I (read about her on our website :), but she did not rule for long and died in 1727, leaving the throne to Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich.

According to some sources, Peter I had 14 officially registered children. Many of them died in infancy.

Death of PeterI

Peter I died on February 8, 2725 in the Winter Palace. The cause of his death was kidney stones, complicated by uremia, but a sharp exacerbation of the disease began after Peter, examining the Ladoga Canal in October, entered the water waist-deep to rescue a stranded boat with soldiers. It turns out that he could not only execute and be angry, but also sacrifice his health and, as it turned out, his life for the sake of others. After that, his state of health deteriorated sharply and death occurred.

I. Nikitin "Peter on his deathbed"

Contemporaries and historians on the activities of Peter the Great

Here are just some of the many characteristics of this person, which cannot be characterized unambiguously. They say that a person should be judged by his deeds. Peter's deeds are enormous, but when realizing this, another problem always arises: at what cost?

Let's hear different opinions about Peter I.

Mikhail Lomonosov always spoke of Peter with enthusiasm: “With whom can I compare the Great Sovereign? I see in antiquity and in modern times the Owners who were called great. Indeed, they are great before others. However, before Peter they are small. ... To whom shall I liken our Hero? I often wondered what the One who rules the sky, the earth and the sea with an omnipotent beating: his spirit dies - and the waters will flow, touch the mountains - and rise up " .

L. Bernshtam. Monument to Peter I "Tsar Carpenter"

Swedish writer and playwright Johan August Strindberg characterized it as follows: “The barbarian who civilized his Russia; he, who built cities, but himself did not want to live in them; he, who punished his wife with a whip and gave the woman wide freedom - his life was great, rich and useful in the public sense, in the private sense as it turned out. "

Historian S.M. Soloviev gave a high assessment of the activities of Peter, and the polarity of assessments of such a broad personality as Peter, considered inevitable: “The difference in views stemmed from the enormity of the deed accomplished by Peter, the duration of the impact of this deed. The more significant a phenomenon, the more contradictory views and opinions it generates, and the longer they talk about it, the longer they feel its influence on themselves. "

P. N. Milyukov believes that the reforms were carried out by Peter spontaneously, from time to time, under the pressure of specific circumstances, without any logic and plan, were "reforms without a reformer." He also mentions that only "at the cost of ruining the country, Russia was elevated to the rank of a European power." According to Milyukov, during the reign of Peter, the population of Russia within the borders of 1695 declined due to incessant wars.

N. M. Karamzin He agreed with the characterization of Peter as "the Great", but criticizes him for his excessive enthusiasm for foreign affairs, the desire to make Russia the Netherlands. According to the historian, the abrupt change in the "old" way of life and national traditions undertaken by the emperor is far from always justified. As a result, Russian educated people "became citizens of the world, but ceased to be, in some cases, citizens of Russia." But "A great man proves his greatness by the most mistakes."

Some historians believe that Peter did not change the most important thing in the country: serfdom. Temporary improvements in the present have doomed Russia to a crisis in the future.

Thinker and Publicist Ivan Solonevich gives an extremely negative description of the activities of Peter I. In his opinion, the result of Peter's activities was the gap between the ruling elite and the people, the first denationalization. He accused Peter of cruelty, incompetence, tyranny and cowardice.

IN. Klyuchevsky understands Peter's reforms not as transformations carried out according to a premeditated plan, but as a response and reaction to the dictates of the times: “The reform spontaneously emerged from the vital needs of the state and the people, instinctively
felt by a domineering person with a sensitive mind and strong character. " "The reform was his personal affair, an unparalleled violent affair, yet involuntary and necessary." And then the historian notes that “The reform gradually turned into a stubborn internal struggle, stirred up all the stagnant mold of the Russian
life, excited all classes of society ... ".

Conclusion

Peter I, the first Russian emperor, influenced Russian history so significantly that interest in his activities is unlikely to ever fade away, no matter how evaluated his reforms.

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, Natalia Naryshkina. He ascended the throne for nine years, together with his older brother, Tsar John V, during the regency of his elder sister, Princess Sophia Alekseevna. In 1689, his mother married Peter I to Evdokia Lopukhina. In 1690, a son, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, was born, but family life did not work out. In 1712, the tsar announced his divorce and married Catherine (Marta Skavronskaya), who since 1703 was his de facto wife. In this marriage, 8 children were born, but apart from Anna and Elizabeth, they all died in infancy. In 1694, the mother of Peter I died, and two years later, in 1696, the elder brother, Tsar John V. Peter I, also died. In 1712, the new capital of Russia became St. Petersburg, founded by Peter I, 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. Daughter of the Lithuanian peasant Samuil Skavronsky, who moved from Lithuania to Livonia. Before the adoption of Orthodoxy - Marta Skavronskaya. In the fall of 1703, she became the de facto wife of Peter I. The church marriage was formalized on 02.19.1712. 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 10/12/1715 in St. Petersburg, died on 1/18/1730 in Moscow, the Russian emperor (1727-1730) from the Romanov dynasty. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Princess Charlotte Christina Sophia of Wolfenbüttel, grandson of Peter I. Erected to the throne 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 the royal dynasty by marrying Peter II to his daughter. Despite the engagement of Menshikov's daughter Maria to Peter II in May 1727, in September followed by dismissal and disgrace, and then Menshikov's exile. Peter II was influenced by the Dolgoruky family, I. Dolgoruky became his favorite, and Princess E. Dolgorukaya became his bride. The real power was in the hands of A. Osterman. Peter II fell ill with smallpox and died on the eve of the wedding. With his death, the Romanov family was interrupted in the male line. Buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Anna Ioannovna 1693 - 1740

Anna Ioannovna was born on 01/28/1693 in Moscow, died on 10/17/1740 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-Welgem, soon became a widow, lived in Mitava. After the death of Emperor Peter II (did not leave a will), the Supreme Privy Council at a meeting in the Lefortovo Palace on 01/19/1730 decided to invite Anna Ioannovna to the throne. In 1731, Anna Ioannovna published the Manifesto on the popular oath of allegiance to the heir. 01/08/1732 Anna Ioannovna, together with the court and the highest state. Institutions moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Power during the reign of Anna Ioannovna was in the hands of a native of Courland E. Biron and his proteges.

Ivan VI Antonovich 1740 - 1764

John Antonovich was born on 08/12/1740, killed on 07/07/1764, the Russian emperor from 10/17/1740 to 11/25/1741. Son of Anna Leopoldovna and Prince Anton Ulrich Braunschwezg-Brevern-Luneburg, great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, grand-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, John Antonovich was exiled to Kholmogory. In 1756 he was transferred to the Shlisselburg fortress. On July 5, 1764, Lieutenant V. Mirovich tried to free Ioann Antonovich from the fortress, but failed. The guards killed the prisoner.

Elizaveta Petrovna 1709 - 1762

Elizaveta Petrovna was born on 12/18/1709 in the village of Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, died on 12/25/1761 in St. Petersburg, the Russian empress in 1741-1761, daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. She ascended the throne as a result of a palace coup on 11/25/1741, during which representatives of the Brunswick dynasty (Prince Anton Ulrich, Anna Leopoldovna and John Antonovich), as well as many representatives of the "German party" (A. Ostermann, B. Minich, etc.) were arrested. One of the first actions of the new government was the invitation from Holstein to the nephew of Elizabeth Petrovna Karl Ulrich and the announcement of him as heir to the throne (the future emperor Peter III). In fact, Count P. Shuvalov became the head of domestic policy under Elizaveta Petrovna.

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, the Russian emperor from 1761 to 1762. Grandson of Peter I, son of the Duke of Holstein-Gottop Karl Friedrich and the crown princess Anna Petrovna. In 1745 he married Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbskaya (future Empress Catherine II). Having ascended the throne on December 25, 1761, he immediately ceased 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, disregard for Russian rituals and customs, the introduction of Prussian orders in the army caused opposition in the guard, led 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 21.04.1729 in Stettin, died on 06.11.1796 in Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin), Russian empress 1762-1796. She came from a small North German princely family. Born Sophia Augusta Frederica Anhalt-Zerbst. Received a home education. In 1744, she was summoned to Russia with her mother by Empress Elizaveta Pertovna, baptized according to the Orthodox tradition under the name of Catherine and was named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Emperor Peter III), with 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 was increasingly hostile to her, her position became precarious. Relying on the guards regiments (G. and A. Orlovs and others), on June 28, 1762, Catherine II made 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. After parting in the early 1770s with G. Orlov, in subsequent years the empress changed a number of favorites. As a rule, they were not allowed to participate in solving political issues. Only two of her well-known favorites - G. Potemkin and P. Zavodovsky - became major statesmen.

Paul I Petrovich 1754 - 1801

Paul I was born on 09/20/1754 in St. Petersburg, killed on 03/12/1881 in the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, the Russian emperor 1796-1801, the son of Peter III and Catherine II. He was brought up at the court of his grandmother Elizabeth Petrovna, who intended to make him the 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, after her death in 1776 - to Princess Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg (in Orthodoxy Maria Fedorovna). He had sons: Alexander (in the future Emperor Alexander I, 1777), Constantine (1779), Nicholas (in the future Emperor Nicholas I, 1796), Michael (1798), as well as six daughters. A conspiracy has ripened 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 and others) entered the Mikhailovsky Castle and killed Paul I. Alexander I ascended the throne, in the very first weeks of his reign he returned many of those who had been exiled by his father and destroyed much of his innovations.

Alexander I Pavlovich 1777 - 1825

Alexander I was born on 12.12.1777 in St. Petersburg, died on 19.11.1825 in Taganrog, the Russian emperor 1801-1825, the eldest son of Paul I. By the will of his grandmother Catherine II, he was educated in the spirit of the 18th century enlighteners. His mentor was Colonel Frederic de Laharpe, a republican by conviction, the future leader of the Swiss revolution. In 1793, Alexander I married the daughter of the Margrave of Baden, Louise Maria Augusta, who took the name of Elizabeth Alekseevna. Alexander I succeeded to the throne after the assassination of his father in 1801 and undertook wide-ranging reforms. He became the main executor of the social transformations of Alexander I in 1808-1812. his State Secretary M. Speransky, who reorganized the ministries, created the state. advice 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). After being 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 the Russian troops, together with his allies, entered Paris in the spring of 1814. He was one of the leaders of the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815. According to official data, Alexander I died in Taganrog.

Nicholas I Pavlovich 1796 - 1855

Nicholas I was born on 25.06.1796 in Tsarskoe Selo, nowadays Pushkin, died on 18.02.1855 in St. Petersburg, Russian emperor (1825-1855). The third son of Paul I. Enrolled in military service since birth, Nicholas I was brought up by Count M. Lamsdorf. In 1814 he first visited abroad with the Russian army under the command of his elder brother Alexander I. In 1816 he made a three-month journey across European Russia, and from October 1816 to May 1817 he traveled and lived in England. In 1817 he married the eldest daughter of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm II, Princess Charlotte Frederick Louise, who took the name of Alexandra Feodorovna. Under Nicholas I, the monetary reform of Minister of Finance E. Kankrin was successfully carried out, which streamlined money circulation and protected the 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, the Russian emperor of 1855-1881, the 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 attitude towards life. 1837 Alexander II made a long journey across Russia, then in 1838 - across the countries of Western Europe. In 1841 he married Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, who took the name of 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 emancipation of the peasants from serfdom. Under Alexander II, the annexation of the Caucasus to Russia was completed and its influence expanded in the east. Turkestan, the Amur region, the Ussuri region, the Kuril skeletons in exchange for the southern part of Sakhalin became part of Russia. 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 Catherine Dolgoruka. A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II, he was killed by a bomb thrown by the People's Will I. Grinevitsky.

Alexander III Alexandrovich 1845 - 1894

Alexander III was born on 02/26/1845 in Tsarskoe Selo, died on 10/20/1894 in the Crimea, the Russian emperor in 1881-1894, the son of Alexander II. The mentor of Alexander III, who had a strong influence on his worldview, was K. Pobedonostsev. After the death of his elder brother Nicholas in 1865, Alexander III became the heir to the throne. In 1866, he married the bride of his deceased brother, daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Princess Sophia Frederick Dagmara, who took the name of Maria Feodorovna. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78. was the commander of the Separate Ruschuk detachment in Bulgaria. Created the Voluntary Fleet of Russia in 1878, which became the nucleus of the country's merchant fleet and the reserve of the military fleet. Having ascended the throne after the assassination of Alexander II on 03/01/1881, he canceled the draft constitutional reform signed by his father just before his death. Died Alexander III in Livadia in the Crimea.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich 1868 - 1918

Nicholas II (Romanov Nikolai Alexandrovich) was born on 05/19/1868 in Tsarskoe Selo, was shot on 07/17/1918 in Yekaterinburg, the last Russian emperor in 1894-1917, the son of Alexander III and the Danish princess Dagmara (Maria Fedorovna). From 14.02.1894 he was married to Alexandra Fedorovna (nee Alice Princess of Hesse and Rhine). Daughters Olga, Tatiana, 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, abdicated the throne. 03/08/1917 was "imprisoned". After the Bolsheviks came to power, the regime of his detention was sharply increased, and in April 1918 the royal family was transferred to Yekaterinburg, where they were accommodated in the house of the mining engineer N. Ipatiev. On the eve of the fall of Soviet power in the Urals, in Moscow it was decided to execute Nicholas II and his relatives. The murder was entrusted to Yurovsky and his deputy Nikulin. The royal family and all confidants and servants were killed on the night of 16 July 17, 1918, the execution took place in a small room on the ground floor, where the victims were taken under the pretext of evacuation. According to the official version, the decision to kill the royal family was made by the Ural Soviet, fearing the approach of the Czechoslovak troops. However, in recent years it became known that Nicholas II, his wife and children were killed on the direct orders of V. Lenin and Y. Sverdlov. After the remains of the royal family were discovered and by the decision of the Russian government on July 17, 1998, they were buried in the tomb of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church abroad canonized Nicholas II.