List of Russian monarchs

Monarchy of Russia
Imperial coat of arms
Visualisation of Russian monarchs as a tree (1886)
Details
Style	Moscow Kremlin
Appointer	Hereditary
Pretender(s)	Disputed Maria Vladimirovna Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen

This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the

According to Article 59 of the 1906 Russian constitution, the Russian emperor held several dozen titles, each one representing a region which the monarch governed.^[2]

Rurikids (862–1598)

Princes of Novgorod

In traditional historiography, the first Russian monarch is considered to be the semi-legendary Rurik, the first prince of Novgorod.^[a][4][5]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Rurik Рюрик	830–879	c. 862	c. 879	Founder of Rurik dynasty	Rurikids
Oleg the Seer Олег Вещий	855–912	c. 879	c. 882	Relative of Rurik and regent for his son Igor	Rurikids

Grand princes of Kiev

Rurik's successor

, whose holder (often the same person) could claim hegemony.

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Saint Vladimir I[12] the Great, the Baptist Владимир Святославич (Великий)	958–1015	11 June 980	15 July 1015	Son of Sviatoslav I and Malusha Younger brother of Yaropolk I	Rurikids
Sviatopolk I[13] the Cursed Святополк Владимирович (Окаянный)	980–1019	1015	1019	Son of Vladimir I Overthrown by Yaroslav of Novgorod	Rurikids
Yaroslav I[14] the Wise Ярослав Владимирович (Мудрый)	978–1054	Autumn 1016	22 July 1018	Son of Vladimir I and Rogneda of Polotsk Prince of Novgorod since 1010	Rurikids
Sviatopolk I the Cursed Святополк Владимирович (Окаянный)	980–1019	14 August 1018	27 July 1019	Restored. Fled from Kiev after defeat from Yaroslav on Alta River	Rurikids
Yaroslav I the Wise Ярослав Владимирович (Мудрый)	978–1054	27 July 1019	20 February 1054	Restored Co-ruler: Mstislav of Chernigov (1024–1036)	Rurikids

Feudal period

The gradual disintegration of Kievan Rus' began in the 11th century, after the death of Yaroslav the Wise. The position of the grand prince was weakened by the growing influence of regional clans. In 1097, the Council of Liubech formalized the feudal nature of the lands. The Liubech conference resulted in the creation of a federative structure, with the different principalities within the structure remaining bound to Kiev as the center of the state. This structure allowed for some of the principalities to develop into semi-independent polities, with conflict between the principalities intensifying in the 12th century.^[15]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Ingegerd Olofsdotter Handed over the throne to Iziaslav I Prince of Pereyaslavl (1054–73), Chernigov (1073–78). The first known of the Kiev princes to bear the title of "Prince of all Rus′"	Rurikids
Iziaslav I[21] Изяслав Ярославич	1024–1078	15 July 1077	3 October 1078	Restored	Rurikids
Vsevolod I[22] Всеволод Ярославич	1030–1093	3 October 1078	13 April 1093	Retook the throne after Iziaslav's death	Rurikids
Sviatopolk II[23] Святополк Изяславич	1050–1113	24 April 1093	16 April 1113	Son of Iziaslav I Prince of Novgorod (1078–88), Turov (1088–93)	Rurikids
Vladimir II[24] Monomakh ("He who fights alone") Владимир Всеволодович (Мономах)	1053–1125	20 April 1113	19 May 1125	Son of Vsevolod I and Anastasia of Byzantium Prince of Smolensk (1073–78), Chernigov (1078–94), Pereyaslavl (1094–1113)	Rurikids
Mstislav I[25] the Great Мстислав Владимирович (Великий)	1076–1132	20 May 1125	15 April 1132	Son of Vladimir II and Gytha of Wessex Prince of Novgorod (1088–1117), Belgorod (1117–25)	Rurikids

After Mstislav's death in 1132, Kievan Rus' fell into recession and a rapid decline, marking the end of a unified state.^[26] The throne of Kiev became an object of struggle between various territorial associations of Rurikid princes in the decades to come, despite Kiev losing almost all of its former glory and power.^[27]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Vladimir-Volynsky under the threat of Yuri's attack	Rurikids
Yuri I the Long Hands Юрий Владимирович (Юрий Долгорукий)	1099–1157	August 1150	Winter 1151	Restored	Rurikids
Iziaslav II Изяслав Мстиславич	1097–1154	Winter 1151	13 November 1154	Restored Co-ruler: Viacheslav	Rurikids
Viacheslav Вячеслав Владимирович	1083 – December 1154	Spring 1151	December 1154	Restored as Iziaslav's senior co-ruler. After Iziaslav's death Rostislav of Smolensk was proclaimed Viacheslav's new co-prince	Rurikids
Rostislav Ростислав Мстиславич	1110–1167	1154	January 1155	Son of Mstislav I and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, younger brother of Iziaslav II Left Kiev after defeat from Iziaslav of Chernigov	Rurikids
Iziaslav III[33] Изяслав Давыдович	12th century	January 1155	1155	Grandson of Sviatoslav II via Davyd of Chernigov. Ceded the Kiev throne to Yuri the Long Hands Prince of Chernigov (1151–57)	Rurikids
Yuri I[34] the Long Hands Юрий Владимирович (Юрий Долгорукий)	1099–1157	20 March 1155	15 May 1157	Restored	Rurikids
Iziaslav III[35] Изяслав Давыдович	12th century	19 May 1157	December 1158	Restored. Defeated by Mstislav of Volhynia	Rurikids
Mstislav II[36] Мстислав Изяславич	1125–1170	22 December 1158	Spring 1159	Son of Iziaslav II. Сeded the throne to Rostislav	Rurikids
Rostislav[37] Ростислав Мстиславич	1110–1167	12 April 1159	8 February 1161	Restored. Overthrown by Iziaslav and fled to Belgorod	Rurikids
Iziaslav III[38] Изяслав Давыдович	12th century	12 February 1161	6 March 1161	Restored. Mortally wounded after failed siege of Belgorod	Rurikids
Rostislav[39] Ростислав Мстиславич	1110–1167	March 1161	14 March 1167	Restored	Rurikids
Mstislav II[40] Мстислав Изяславич	1125–1170	19 May 1167	12 March 1169	Restored	Rurikids

In March 1169, a coalition of princes led by the grand prince of Vladimir, Andrey Bogolyubsky, sacked Kiev and forced the ruling prince, Mstislav II, to flee to Volhynia. Andrei appointed his brother, Gleb, as the prince of Kiev,^[41] while Andrei himself continued to rule his realm from Vladimir-on-the-Klyazma. Andrei styled himself as the grand prince of Vladimir, although the less important prince in Kiev would still bear the title of grand prince; the last prince to bear the title of grand prince of Kiev was Michael of Chernigov, who died in 1246, while the grand princes of Vladimir retained their title.^[27] The other future grand princely titles were derived from the grand princely title of Vladimir.^[27]

From that time onwards, Vladimir became one of the most influential principalities. In the south-west, the principality of

By the 12th century, the Grand Principality of Vladimir became the dominant principality in the north-east, adding its name to those of Novgorod and Kiev, culminating with the rule of Alexander Nevsky. In 1169, Andrey I's son sacked the city of Kiev, but Andrey instead stayed in Vladimir and made it his capital, while taking the title of grand prince to claim primacy, leading to political power being shifted to the north-east.^[43][44]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Konstantin[49] of Rostov Константин Всеволодович	1186–1218	Spring 1216	2 February 1218	Son of Vsevolod III and Maria Shvarnovna Elder brother of Yuri II	Rurikids
Yuri II[50] Юрий Всеволодович	1189–1238	February 1218	4 March 1238	Restored	Rurikids

Following the

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Yaroslav II[51] Ярослав Всеволодович	1191–1246	1238	30 September 1246	Son of Vsevolod III and Maria Shvarnovna Younger brother of Yuri II and Konstantin of Rostov Also Grand Prince of Kiev in 1236–38 and since 1243	Rurikids
Sviatoslav III[52] Святослав Всеволодович	1196 – 3 February 1252	1246	1248	Son of Vsevolod III and Maria Shvarnovna Younger brother of Yuri II, Konstantin of Rostov and Yaroslav II	Rurikids
Mikhail Khorobrit (the Brave) Михаил Ярославич (Хоробрит)	1229 – 15 January 1248	1248	15 January 1248	Son of Yaroslav II	Rurikids
Sviatoslav III Святослав Всеволодович	1196 – 3 February 1252	1248	1249	Restored	Rurikids
Andrey II[53] Андрей Ярославич	1222–1264	December 1249	24 July 1252	Son of Yaroslav II Elder brother of Mikhail Khorobrit	Rurikids
Saint Alexander[54] Nevsky Александр Ярославич (Невский)	1221–1263	1252	14 November 1263	Son of Yaroslav II and Rostislava Mstislavna, daughter of Kievan Rus' Prince Mstislav Mstislavich the Bold Elder brother of Mikhail Khorobrit and Andrey II Prince of Novgorod three times, Grand Prince of Kiev since 1249	Rurikids

After the death of Alexander Nevsky, the Grand Principality of Vladimir split into various appanage principalities, with Alexander's youngest son Daniel being the first permanent ruler of Moscow.^[55] The territory of Vladimir proper was received by the Horde to one of the appanage princes, who performed the enthronement ceremony in Vladimir, but remained to live and reign in his own principality. By the end of the century, only three cities – Moscow, Tver, and Nizhny Novgorod – still contended for the title of grand prince of Vladimir.^[27] The grand princely title occasionally reverted to Tver, but in the end, the Moscow branch of Rurikids established by Daniel successfully claimed the title for themselves exclusively.^[27]

Ivan I was able to collect tribute from the Russian princes to the Golden Horde and his reign saw a significant strengthening of Moscow as Ivan increased its wealth and purchased more land, including entire appanages from bankrupt princes.^[56] Ivan was also able to convince the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to move to Moscow, and Vladimir remained in the hands of the princes of Moscow.^[57] Ivan's son Simeon was the first prince to adopt the style of grand prince of Moscow and Vladimir.^[27]

The princes of Moscow and Suzdal entered a struggle for the grand princely title following the death of Ivan II, with Ivan's son Dmitry Ivanovich (later known as Dmitry Donskoy) taking the throne from Dmitry Konstantinovich in 1363.^[58] The Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 marked a turning point, with the prince of Moscow seen as the dominant prince.^[59]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Ivan I[71] Kalita (the Moneybag) of Moscow Иван Данилович (Иван Калита)	1288–1340	1328	31 March 1340	Grandson of Alexander Nevsky Son of Daniel of Moscow Younger brother of Yuri III Co-ruler: Alexander of Suzdal (until 1331)	Rurikids
Simeon[72] the Proud of Moscow Симеон Иванович (Симеон Гордый)	7 September 1317 – 27 April 1353	1 October 1340	27 April 1353	Son of Ivan I and Helena	Rurikids
Ivan II[73] the Fair of Moscow Иван Иванович (Иван Красный)	30 March 1326 – 13 November 1359	25 March 1354	13 November 1359	Son of Ivan I and Helena Younger brother of Simeon	Rurikids
Dmitry[74] of Suzdal Дмитрий Константинович	1322 – 5 July 1383	22 June 1360	December 1362	Son of Konstantin Vasilyevich of Suzdal	Rurikids
Saint Dmitry[75] Donskoy of Moscow Дмитрий Иванович (Дмитрий Донской)	12 October 1350 – 19 May 1389	January 1363	19 May 1389	Son of Ivan II and Alexandra Velyaminova Prince of Moscow since 1359	Rurikids

After the death of Dmitry Donskoy, the throne of Vladimir was passed to the prince of Moscow, thus usurping the right of the khan to appoint the grand prince.^[76][77] The grand princes of Moscow later adopted the title of sovereign and grand prince of all Russia,^[78][27] with the unification of other principalities with Moscow cultivating a sense of an imperial role for the grand prince as the ruler of all Russia.^[79]

Grand princes of Moscow

The Russians began to exert independence from the Mongols, culminating with Ivan III ceasing tribute to the Horde, effectively declaring his independence. Ivan III also greatly expanded his domain with the annexations of other principalities;^[80] his son Vasili III completed the task of uniting all of Russia by annexing the last few independent states in the 1520s.^[81]

Princely succession in medieval Russia proceeded along the lines of the eldest son usually being the being chosen, with the condition that substitution did not take place if the father died before the grandfather.^[82] The grand princes of Moscow, once they entrenched their status as the supreme prince with regard to other Russian princes, typically left a will in which they appointed their eldest son as heirs to the title of grand prince;^[82] this did not fully conform to traditional succession practices, and in 1497, Ivan III went one step further by crowning his grandson Dmitry as co-ruler, bypassing his son Vasily, who, according to the traditional system, would have been the heir, although in the end Vasily was made co-ruler and this arrangement did not work out.^[83] Ivan III also used the title of tsar in his foreign correspondence, but it would be his grandson Ivan IV who would be crowned as the first Russian tsar.^[84][85]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Sophia Paleologue	Rurikids
Ivan IV[91] the Terrible Иван Васильевич	25 August 1530 – 28 March 1584	13 December 1533	26 January 1547	Son of Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya Regent: Elena Glinskaya (1533–1538)	Rurikids

Tsars of Russia

Ivan IV ("the Terrible") assumed the title of tsar in 1547. Succession was treated in an unorthodox manner under Ivan IV, who, in 1575, formally transferred his powers to Simeon Bekbulatovich, a Tatar prince who had been baptized and given his own principality;^[92] Ivan returned to the throne the following year.^[92] Ivan was succeeded in 1584 by his only surviving son, Feodor, who died without an heir, marking the end of the Rurik dynasty.^[92]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Ivan IV[93] the Terrible Иван Васильевич (Иван Грозный)	25 August 1530 – 28 March 1584	26 January 1547	28 March 1584	Son of Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya "Grand Prince": Simeon Bekbulatovich (1575–1576)	Rurikids
Feodor I[94] the Blessed Фёдор Иванович (Фёдор Блаженный)	31 May 1557 – 17 January 1598	28 March 1584	17 January 1598	Son of Ivan IV and Anastasia Zakharyina-Yuryeva	Rurikids

Time of Troubles (1598–1613)

Tsars of Russia

In 1581, Ivan the Terrible killed his firstborn son Ivan Ivanovich in a fit of rage, leaving only Feodor I to succeed him.^[92] Feodor died childless, marking the end of the Rurik dynasty and the start of a succession crisis during a period known as the Time of Troubles.^[92] The first non-Rurikid tsar was Feodor's brother-in-law and regent, the influent boyar Boris Godunov, elected by the Zemsky Sobor (feudal parliament).

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Maria Grigorievna Skuratova-Belskaya Murdered	Godunov

Devastated by famine, rule under Boris descended into anarchy. There followed a series of impostors, known as the

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
False Dmitry I[96] Лжедмитрий I	1581 – 17 May 1606	20 June 1605	17 May 1606	Claiming to be son of Ivan IV, he was the only impostor to actually sit on the throne of a major power. Backed by Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Murdered.	Rurikids (claimed)
Vasily IV[97] Василий Иванович Шуйский	22 September 1552 – 12 September 1612	19 May 1606	17 July 1610	Orchestrated a conspiracy against False Dmitry, proclaimed tsar by the nobles. Deposed and sent to Poland Pretender: False Dmitry II (since June 1607)	Shuysky
Vladislav Владислав Жигимонтович	9 June 1595 – 20 May 1648	6 September 1610	November 1612 (resigned his claim in 1634)	King of Poland until 1632 Son of Sigismund III Vasa and Anne of Austria Elected by the Seven Boyars, never assumed the throne Pretenders: False Dmitry II (until 21 December 1610), False Dmitry III (July 1611 – May 1612)	Vasa

Romanovs (1613–1917)

Tsars of Russia

The

Following the death of Feodor, there were two candidates for the throne: his brother Ivan and his half-brother Peter, who were fifteen and nine years old, respectively.^[92] Each candidate was supported by a competing clan, the Miloslavskys and Naryshkins.^[92] At first, the throne was given to Peter, but as a result of the streltsy uprising in Moscow, a compromise solution was found and both Peter and Ivan were made co-monarchs in 1682, with Ivan's older sister Sophia ruling as regent.^[92] Ivan was considered the senior tsar and Peter the junior tsar; however, due to Ivan being considered unfit for the role, Peter was able to remove his half-sister Sophia from power and take control of the throne at the age of 17 with the assistance of another streltsy uprising in 1689.^[98] Peter then became the sole monarch in 1696 upon the death of Ivan.^[98]

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Alexis[100] the Quietest Алексей Михайлович (Алексей Тишайший)	9 May 1629 – 29 January 1676	12 July 1645	29 January 1676	Son of Michael and Eudoxia Streshneva	Romanov
Feodor III[101] Фёдор III Алексеевич	9 June 1661 – 7 May 1682	29 January 1676	7 May 1682	Son of Alexis and Maria Miloslavskaya	Romanov
Ivan V[102] Иван V Алексеевич	6 September 1666 – 8 February 1696	7 May 1682	8 February 1696	Son of Alexis and Maria Miloslavskaya Younger brother of Feodor III and Sophia Elder half-brother of Peter I Co-ruler: Peter I Regent: princess Sophia (8 June 1682 – 17 September 1689)	Romanov
Peter I[103] Пётр I Алексеевич	9 June 1672 – 8 February 1725	7 May 1682	2 November 1721	Son of Alexis and Natalya Naryshkina Younger half-brother of Feodor III Co-ruler: Ivan V (7 May 1682 – 8 February 1696) Regent: tsaritsa dowager Natalia (7 May – 2 June 1682), princess Sophia (8 June 1682 – 17 September 1689)	Romanov

Emperors of Russia

The Russian Empire was proclaimed by Peter the Great in 1721 following the creation of the imperial title in the aftermath of the Great Northern War.^[104] Russia's territorial gains and increased standing as a key player on the European scene allowed it to upgrade its official status from tsardom to empire.^[104] The full imperial title proposed in 1721 to Peter was "Father of the Fatherland, Peter the Great, All-Russian Emperor".^[104] At his accession as the sole monarch of Russia in 1696, Peter held the same title as his father, Alexis: "Great Lord Tsar and Grand Prince, Autocrat of Great, Small and White Russia".^[104] By 1710, he had styled himself as "Tsar and All-Russian Emperor", but it was not until 1721 that the imperial title became official.^[104] The adjective "All-Russian" had been increasingly used to refer to the territories of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine as well.^[82]

Peter issued a decree in 1722 in which the sovereign would be free to appoint a successor, referring to a number of historical precedents, including the conduct of Ivan III, who initially chose his grandson as his successor.^[105] This was later detailed in Pravda voli Monarshei v opredelenii Naslednika Derzhavy Sovei ("The righteousness of the monarch's will in appointing the successor in his reign"), a major political treatise written in its defense,^[106] which was only circulated widely following Peter's death, and argued on the basis of an abundance of examples from both biblical and secular history that it was fully correct for a ruler to appoint his own successor without being bound by traditional family succession rules.^[105] Peter died in 1725 without naming a successor.^[105]

Officially, Russia would be ruled by the

over the imperial throne until the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917.

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Murdered by the Bolsheviks	Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov

Pretenders after Nicholas II

Further information:

Restoration of the Russian monarchy

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Nikolai Nikolaevich Николай Николаевич	6 November 1856 – 5 January 1929	8 August 1922	25 October 1922	Grandson of Nicholas I Proclaimed Emperor of Russia by the Zemsky Sobor of the Provisional Priamurye Government while being in exile His nominal rule came to an end when the areas controlled by the Provisional Priamurye Government were overrun by the communists	Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
Kirill Vladimirovich "Cyril I" Кирилл Владимирович	30 September 1876 – 12 October 1938	31 August 1924	12 October 1938	Grandson of Alexander II Claimed the title Emperor of All the Russias while in exile[121] Recognised by a congress of legitimists delegates in Paris in 1926[122]	Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov

The rights of Kirill Vladimirovich and his heirs to the imperial throne of Russia have been repeatedly questioned following his marriage with Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The principles laid down by Paul I in the Act of Succession 1797 turned out to be not completely flawlessly formulated, and, as a result, the interpretation of these is not always obvious, and Russia now has no indisputable contender for the throne. Moreover, for more than a hundred years the throne itself has ceased to exist. Nevertheless, when in 1915 Nicholas II, before the lack of successible grand dukes, allowed them to retain their personal rights, as it had happened in practice with Alexander II after his second and morganatic marriage, Kirill Vladimirovich's issue was never deemed to be considered morganatic, nor were they demoted from grand dukes to mere princes.

Timeline of monarchs

See also

• Family tree of Russian monarchs
• List of Russian royal consorts
• List of heads of state of Russia (1917–present)
  • List of leaders of the Russian SFSR (1917–1991)
  • List of leaders of the Soviet Union (1922–1991)
  • List of presidents of Russia (1991–present)
• List of heads of government of Russia
  • Prime Minister of Russia
  • Premier of the Soviet Union

Note

References