Believed to be of either German or Prussian-Lithuanian origins, 13th-century Romanovs fled invading Germans. A boyar in the service of Semyon I, a Moscovite, Andrei Kobyla, claimed his father to be a Prussian prince. Historic records indicate during the Prussian Rebellion, one of the rebellion leaders was indeed Kobyla's father, Glanda Kambila. Thus, there was a deep family involvement in the military from which Romanovs rose to nobility.
Rise to Power
During the 15th century, nobleman, Ivan IV, effected changes in Russia, from a small nation state to an empire with growing power. By the 16th century, the family name changed several times even as the early dynasty split into two groups, one of which took the name, Roman Zakharin-Yuriev, whose grandchildren later changed their name to Romanov, the name most commonly recognized today.
The Marriage of Anastasia and Ivan IV
When Anastasia, daughter of Roman of the 16th century, married Tsar Ivan IV, the Romanovs rose to imperial status. Anastasia's son, Fyodor, became the last tsar of the Rurik Dynasty, a 700 year old ruling class that included the earliest Russian tsars. Upon the mysterious death of Anastasia, Ivan IV, believing she was poisoned, his mental state changed radically. He became known as "Ivan the Terrible", killing his own son, Ivan the Elder" during an argument. Fyodor, soulful and lacking the ambition of his father, inherited the tsardom when his father died.
Boris Godunov
A struggle for power erupted between his cousins and brother-in-law, Boris Godunov. Fyodor died without an heir. Godunov and Romanovs engaged in a battle for control of the government. But, Godunov prevailed. In Russia's history, this beacame known as the "Times of Trouble. His vengence on Romanovs was banishment to remote areas of Russia where most died of starvation or from brutish imprisonment. One Romanov, Feodor Nikitich, would be the catalyst that returned the dynasty to power. Nikitich, exiled to a monastery by Godunov, took the name Filaret. The Godunov rule fell out of power in 1606 and Mikhail, son of Filaret was persuaded to accept the imperial crown.
The Lines of Succession
The rule of the Romanovs can be viewed in three periods, the first beginning with Tsar Michael in 1613, Alexis, 1645 to 1676 and Fyodor 1676 to 1682. Russia ascended as a leader of Slavic power, enlarging its borders to the south and west, with the Ukraine added. The government took precedence over religion and nobility, while peasantry was reduced to serfdom. The second period of Romanov rule began with Peter the Great, 1689 to 1725 and ended with Catherine the Great, 1762 to 1796. In the second period, Russia enjoyed its greatest European power, expanded its realm to the Baltic and Black seas, as well as military power of its army and navy.
Empress Catherine, The Great Revitalizes Russian Culture
Upon her accession to the throne, the result of a conspiracy against her husband, Peter III, the influence of nobility on government reached greater heights. Catherine developed friendships with Voltaire, Montesqui and Diderot which effected higher levels of westernization in Russia. Of her greatest accomplishments as Empress, none is more noteworthy than her enormous personal collections of some of the greatest works of art secured at the Hermitage Museum. With her factotum, Ivan Betskoi, Catherine secured the reputation as patron of the arts, literature and education.
The Last and Most Tragic Ruling Romanov, Nicholas II
When Nicholas Romanov was born on May 18, 1868, he couldn't know that he would be the last ruling Romanov to hold the throne of tsar. He became known as "Bloody Nicholas", having achieved that infamy as a result of a stampede that occurred on May 18, 1896, his 28th birthday and the day of his coronation. At Khodynka Field in Moscow, 1389 people were trampled to death when rumors spread throughout the masses that gifts and beer were insufficient for the entire coronation crowd. When Nicholas and Romanov family members attended a coronation ball that evening, seeds of public indignation began to grow.
The Execution of the Last Tsar
His approval of the Russian mobilization in World War I secured the demise of the Romanov dynasty. Nicholas abdicated the throne following the February Revolution in 1917. On the night of July 17, 1918, Nicholas, his wife, son, 4 daughters, a lady in waiting, cook, valet and family doctor were executed by the Bolsheviks at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. Though rumor held two of Nicholas children, Alexei and Anastasia survived, present day DNA prove there were no survivors. Many imposters surfaced claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna between 1920 and 1922. Two movies were filmed based on the most famous imposter, Anna Anderson. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh and consort of Queen Elizabeth II is the grandnephew of Empress Alexandra, wife of Nicholas II.
References: Colliers Encyclopedia and Wikipedia.com
