House of Romanov

Lore & Background

The Romanovs share their origin with two dozen other Russian noble families. Later generations assigned to Kobyla an illustrious pedigree, including a legendary version claiming he was the son of an Old Prussian prince, though this is contested by another version of descent from a boyar family from Novgorod. The family name 'Romanov' came from the grandchildren of Roman Yurievich Zakharyin-Yuriev. The family fortunes soared when Roman's daughter, Anastasia Zakharyina, married Ivan IV on 3 February 1547 and was crowned as the first tsaritsa of Russia.

Reader's Guide

The dynasty's rule ended with the February Revolution of 1917, leading to the establishment of the Russian Republic. Of the House's 65 members, 47 survivors went into exile abroad. The dynasty's legacy includes its role in shaping modern Russia and the ongoing existence of living descendants of other members of the imperial house.

Surname usage

It is legally unclear whether any ukase ever abolished the surname of Michael Romanov or his male-line descendants after his accession in 1613, though reigning dynasties traditionally used titles rather than surnames. From the time of Peter III, the monarchs claimed the throne as relatives of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna, who married Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, making them patrilineally members of the Holstein-Gottorp cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg.

The 1944 Almanach de Gotha recorded the ruling dynasty's name as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, yet the terms Romanov and House of Romanov appeared in official references. The Romanov boyar coat-of-arms was included in imperial legislation, and the 1913 jubilee celebrated the 300th anniversary of Romanov rule. After the February Revolution, a Provisional Government decree granted all imperial family members the surname Romanov, except the morganatic descendants of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, who took the surname Ilyinsky in exile.

Age of Autocracy

Paul I was murdered in 1801. Alexander I succeeded him and died without a son; his brother Nicholas I became emperor in 1825 after confusion over Constantine's renunciation led to the Decembrist revolt. Nicholas fathered four sons.

Alexander II succeeded in 1855 during the Crimean War, freeing the serfs in 1861 and gaining popularity. His family life unraveled after his eldest son died in 1864; his wife suffered tuberculosis, and he took a mistress, Princess Catherine Dolgorukova, marrying her morganatically in 1880. Tensions arose over legitimizing their children. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881.

His son Alexander III, not expected to inherit, strengthened autocratic rule and reversed some reforms. He was tall and physically imposing, with a beard evoking old tsars. His conservative policies influenced his son Nicholas II.