The traditional form of government in Russia is considered a monarchy. Once upon a time, part of this large country was part of Kievan Rus: the main cities (Moscow, Vladimir, Veliky Novgorod, Smolensk, Ryazan) were founded by princes, descendants of the semi-legendary Rurik. Hence, the first ruling dynasty is called the Rurikovich. But they bore the title of princes, the tsars of Russia appeared much later.
The period of Kievan Rus
Initially, the ruler of Kiev was considered the great prince of all Russia. The specific princes paid tribute to him, obeyed him, put up squads during the military campaign. Later, when the period of feudal fragmentation (eleventh to fifteenth centuries) came, there was no single state. But still, it was precisely the Kiev throne that was most desired for everyone, although it lost its former influence. The invasion of the Mongol-Tatar army and the creation of the Golden Horde by Batu deepened the isolation of each principality: separate countries began to form on their territory - Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. On the modern Russian territory, the cities of Vladimir and Novgorod were the most influential (he did not suffer from the invasion of nomads at all).
History of the Tsars of Russia
Prince Vladimir of Kalita, with the support of the great khan of Uzbekistan (with whom he had good relations), transferred the political and church capital to Moscow. Over time, the Grand Dukes of Moscow united other Russian lands near their city: the Novgorod and Pskov republics became part of a single state. It was then that the kings of Russia appeared - for the first time Ivan the Terrible began to wear such a title . Although there is a legend that royal regalia was transferred to the rulers of this land much earlier. It is believed that the 1st Tsar of Russia is Vladimir Monomakh, who was crowned according to Byzantine customs.
Ivan the Terrible - the first autocrat in Russia
So, the first kings of Russia appeared with the coming to power of Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584). He was the son of Vasily III and Elena Glinsky. Becoming a Moscow prince very early, he began to introduce reforms, encouraged self-government at the local level. However, he abolished the Chosen Rada and began to rule himself. The reign of the monarch was very strict, and even dictatorial. The defeat of Novgorod, the atrocities in Tver, Klin and Torzhok, the oprichnina, protracted wars led to a socio-political crisis. But the international influence of the new kingdom also increased, its borders expanded.
Transition of the Russian throne
With the death of the son of Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor the First, the Rurikovich dynasty ceased . The clan of Godunov reigned on the throne. Even during the life of Fyodor the First, Boris Godunov had a great influence on the tsar (his sister Irina Fyodorovna was the wife of the monarch) and in fact ruled the country. But the son of Boris, Fedor II, was unable to hold power in his hands. The time of troubles began, and for some time the country was ruled by False Dmitry, Vasily Shuisky, Semiboyarschina and Zemsky Council. Then the Romanovs reigned on the throne.
The Great Dynasty of Tsars of Russia - Romanovs
The beginning of the new royal dynasty was laid by Mikhail Fedorovich, who was elected to the throne by the Zemsky Sobor. This ends the historical period called the Time of Troubles. The House of Romanov is the descendants of the great Tsar, who ruled in Russia until 1917 and the overthrow of the monarchy in the country.
Mikhail Fedorovich from an old Russian noble family resembled the Romanov family from the middle of the sixteenth century. His ancestor is considered to be a certain Andrei Ivanovich Kobyl, whose father came to Russia either from Lithuania, or from Prussia. It is believed that he came from Novgorod. The five sons of Andrei Kobyl founded seventeen noble families. The representative of the clan - Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina - was the wife of Ivan IV the Terrible, who the newly-born monarch was a grand-nephew.
The tsars of Russia from the Romanov dynasty stopped the Troubles in the country, which earned the love and respect of the common people. Mikhail Fedorovich was young and inexperienced during his election to the throne. At first, the great elder Martha and Patriarch Filaret helped him rule , so the Orthodox Church significantly strengthened its position. The reign of the first king of the Romanov dynasty is characterized by the beginning of progress. The first newspaper appears in the country (its clerks made it specially for the monarch), international relations have strengthened, factories are being built and operating (pig-iron, iron-making and weapons), and foreign experts are being involved. Centralized power is being strengthened, new territories are joining Russia. The wife gave Mikhail Fedorovich ten children, one of whom inherited the throne.
From kings to emperors. Peter the Great
In the eighteenth century, Peter the Great transformed his kingdom into an empire. Therefore, in history, all the names of the tsars of Russia who ruled after him were already used with the title emperor.
A great reformer and an outstanding politician, he did a lot for the prosperity of Russia. The board began with a fierce struggle for the throne: his father, Alexei Mikhailovich, had a very large offspring. At first he ruled along with his brother Ivan and the regent Princess Sophia, but their relationship did not work out. Eliminating other claimants to the throne, Peter began to rule the state alone. Then he began military campaigns to ensure Russia's access to the sea, built the first fleet, reorganized the army, having recruited foreign specialists. If the great tsars of Russia did not pay due attention to the education of their subjects, then Emperor Peter the First personally sent the nobles to study abroad, brutally suppressing dissenters. He remade his country according to the European model, since he traveled a lot and saw how people live there.
Nikolai Romanov - the last king
The last Russian emperor was Nicholas II. He received a good education and a very strict upbringing. His father, Alexander the Third, was demanding: from his sons he expected not so much obedience as reason, a strong faith in God, a hunt for work, he did not particularly put up with denunciations of children against each other. The future ruler served in the Preobrazhensky regiment, so he knew what the army and military affairs were. During his reign, the country was actively developing: the economy, industry, and agriculture reached their peak. The last Tsar of Russia took an active part in international politics, carried out a reform in the country, and shortened his military service. But he also conducted his own military campaigns.
The fall of the monarchy in Russia. October Revolution
In February 1917, unrest began in Russia, in particular in the capital. The country at that time took part in the First World War. Wanting to stop the contradictions at home, the emperor, being at the front, abdicated in favor of a young son, and a few days later did the same on behalf of Tsarevich Alexei, entrusting his brother with the rule. But Grand Duke Mikhail also refused such an honor: the rebel Bolsheviks had already crushed him. Upon returning to his homeland, the last Tsar of Russia was arrested with his family and sent into exile. On the night of July 17-18, the same 1917, the monarchial family name, along with a servant who did not want to leave her sovereigns, was shot. All the representatives of the Romanov dynasty who remained in the country were also destroyed. Some managed to emigrate to the UK, France, America, and their descendants still live there.
Will there be a revival of the monarchy in Russia
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many began to talk about the revival of the monarchy in Russia. At the site of the execution of the royal family - where Ipatiev’s house used to be in Yekaterinburg (the death sentence was set in the basement of the building), a temple was built to commemorate the innocent victims. In August 2000, the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church ranked all saints, having approved the fourth of July on the day of their memory. But many believers do not agree with this: voluntary abdication is considered a sin, since priests blessed the kingdom.
In 2005, the descendants of the Russian autocrats held a council in Madrid. Then they sent a demand to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to rehabilitate the Romanovs' house. However, they were not recognized as victims of political repression due to lack of official data. This is a criminal offense, not a political one. But representatives of the Russian imperial house do not agree with this and continue to appeal the verdict, hoping for a restoration of historical justice.
But whether the monarchy of modern Russia is needed is a question for the people. History will put everything in its place. In the meantime, people honor the memory of members of the royal family who were cruelly shot during the Red Terror and pray for their souls.