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This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. The list begins with the semi-legendary prince Rurik of Novgorod, sometime in the mid-9th century, and ends with Nicholas II, who abdicated in 1917, and was executed with his family in 1918. Two dynasties have ruled Russia: the Rurikids (862–1598) and Romanovs (from 1613).
- Bob Strauss
- Ivan the Terrible (1547 to 1584) The first undisputed Russian czar, Ivan the Terrible has gotten a bad rap: The modifier in his name, grozny, is better translated into English as "formidable" or "awe-inspiring."
- Boris Godunov (1598 to 1605) A bodyguard and functionary of Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov became co-regent in 1584, after Ivan's death. He seized the throne in 1598 following the death of Ivan's son Feodor.
- Michael I (1613 to 1645) A rather colorless figure compared to Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov, Michael I is important for being the first Romanov czar.
- Peter the Great (1682 to 1725) The grandson of Michael I, Peter the Great is best known for his ruthless attempts to "Westernize" Russia and import the principles of the Enlightenment into what the rest of Europe still considered a backward and medieval country.
- Ivan III
- Vasiliy III
- Ivan IV The Terrible
- Fyodor Ioannovich
- Boris Godunov
- False Dmitry I
- Vasili IV Shuisky
- Mikhail Fyodorovich
- Alexey Mikhailovich
- Fyodor Alekseevich
The Grand Duchy of Moscow was created well before Ivan III (1440-1505), but it was he who ceased paying tributes to the Golden Horde in 1480, effectively declaring Moscow’s independence from the Mongol-Tatars. He created the Sudebnik (Code of Laws) of 1497, a unified legislation for the lands who swore allegiance to the Grand Duchy of Moscow or wer...
Ivan’s son, Vasiliy III (1479-1533), finalized the centralization of the Russian lands under Moscow’s reign. He was the father of Ivan IV the Terrible.
Ivan IV (1530-1584) was the first to be crowned and anointed to Tsardomas the Tsar of All Russia in 1547. He revisited the Russian legislation in his Code of Laws of 1550, established diplomatic relations with England and doubled Russia’s territory. His time was also known for repressions against some noble Moscow boyar families, known as the ‘opri...
Fyodor (1557-1598), the third son of Ivan the Terrible, wasn’t known to have taken part in governing the state. Almost all his days were dedicated to praying, visiting monasteries, studying theology and the scriptures, etc. Some historians, including Dmitry Volodikhin, argue that Fyodor deliberately removed himself from politics to evade the chance...
Boris Godunov (1552-1605),Tsar Fyodor’s brother in law was probably the first Russian ruler who tried to establish cultural connections and cooperation between Moscow and Europe. However, he didn’t last long at the helm and died under ambiguous circumstances.
An impostor whose identity is debated to the present day, False Dmitry I (16th century – 1606) posed as Dmitry, the last son of Ivan IV, who miraculously survived a murder attempt. Dmitry took the Moscow throne during the Time of Troubles, using the help of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was crowned as the tsar and ruled for about a year be...
The last Rurikid on the Russian throne, Vasiliy Shuisky (1552-1612), became the tsar after the uprising against False Dmitry I, which Vasiliy Shuisky ignited himself. However, Shuisky wasn’t trusted among the Russian population. He couldn’t stop the ongoing uprisings and, in 1610, he was deposed by the Moscow boyars and forcibly tonsured as a monk;...
The first tsar in the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fyodorovich(1596-1645), was chosen as the tsar at the Zemsky Sobor (people’s assembly) of 1613. During his reign, the Moscow Tsardom recuperated after the disastrous Time of Troubles.
The second Romanov, Alexey Mikhailovich(1629-1676), encouraged Russia’s trade and cooperation with Europe and invited European military men and engineers to Russia. He introduced the Council Code (Sobornoye Ulozhenie) of 1649 and he was the father of Peter the Great.
Alexey Mikhailovich’s son Fyodor (1661-1682), who inherited the throne, had weak health and spent most of his time in bed. During his short reign, a population census was performed and the Russian military was reviewed and assessed.
This is a list of the kings, queens, and other rulers ("monarchs") of Russia, from 862 to 917. The list starts with Rurik, the ruler (Prince) of a state called Novgorod in 862. It ends with Nicholas the Second, who stopped ruling in 1917. Nicholas the Second and his family were killed in 1918.
MonarchBorn-diedRelationship With Predecessor(s)Ruled FromAskold and Dir (non-Rurikids)?-882none842 or 862Oleg of Novgorod (regent)855-912Relative of Rurik and regent of Rurik's ...882878-945Son of Rurik879 (in Novgorod, as an heir of Rurik);Saint Olga of Kiev (regent)890-969Igor I's wife and regent of Sviatoslav I ...9453 days ago · Last Updated: Sep 21, 2024 • Article History. The table provides a chronological list of the leaders of Russia from 1276 onward. Leaders of Muscovy, Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. princes and grand princes of Moscow (Muscovy): Danilovich dynasty*.
List of Russian monarchs. This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. The list begins with the semi-legendary prince Rurik of Novgorod, sometime in the mid-9th century, and ends with Nicholas II, who abdicated in 1917, and was executed with his family in 1918.
Alexander I (1801-25) The eldest son of Paul I, Alexander inherited the throne aged 23 and initially was viewed as an enlightened, liberal ruler: he built several universities, initiated major educational reforms and made plans to create a constitution and parliament.
