Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
back to Rurik, the legendary founder of the Rus-
sian state dynasty. From 1598 to 1613, Russia
underwent a period of dynastic instability, social
upheaval, and foreign invasion known as the
TIME OF TROUBLES
. To restore order to the coun-
try, a
ZEMSKII SOBOR
(assembly of the land) con-
vened in January 1613 to elect a new monarch.
After some deliberations, foreign candidates
were removed from consideration, and the 16-
year old
MICHAEL ROMANOV
emerged as the can-
didate with the most support. The Romanov
family was a respected but not dominant aristo-
cratic family that descended from a Moscow aris-
tocrat whose daughter Anastasia Romanova had
married Ivan IV. Anastasia's brother Nikita was a
prominent official in Ivan's court, and his son
became Metropolitan Filaret, a powerful mem-
ber of the Russian Orthodox Church. Filaret's
son was Michael.
Throughout the 17th century the principle of
male primogeniture determined the order of
succession. Thus, Michael (r. 1613-45) was suc-
ceeded by his son
ALEKSEI
(r. 1645-76), who
in turn was succeeded by his son,
FEODOR III
(r. 1676-82). Feodor's death without children
complicated the issue of succession because Alek-
sei had married twice and in-laws from both fam-
ilies, the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins,
advanced their own candidates. A compromise
was reached by which two younger sons of
Aleksei—
IVAN V
, a Miloslavsky, and
PETER I
,a
Naryshkin—reigned as co-czars with their sister
SOPHIA
as regent. In 1689, Sophia was over-
thrown as regent and in 1696, after Ivan's early
death, Peter assumed the throne as sole czar.
Peter I, later known as Peter the Great,
reigned as czar from 1682 to 1725. In 1722 he
introduced the principle of the reigning ruler
choosing the successor to the throne, a principle
that remained in place until the reign of
PAUL I
.
From Peter's time onward, the Romanov rulers
assumed the title of emperor or empress. The
successions that followed from 1725 to 1801
were not smooth as the Imperial Guards fre-
quently staged palace revolts to install new
monarchs. Beginning with the reign of Peter's
second wife,
CATHERINE I
(r. 1725-27), the throne
passed to
PETER II
(r. 1727-30), a grandson of
Peter the Great; to Anna (r. 1730-40); to
IVAN VI
(r. 1740-41), an ill-fated infant; to
ELIZABETH
(r. 1741-62), the daughter of Peter the Great
from his second marriage. Elizabeth, in turn,
chose her nephew, the German-born
PETER III
(r. 1762), to succeed her, but after nine months
he was overthrown and assassinated, and suc-
ceeded by his German wife, who reigned as
CATHERINE II
(1762-96). She alone of the 18th-
century monarchs was succeeded by a son, the
future Paul I. The death of Peter II in 1730
marked the end of the male line of the Roma-
novs. From Peter III onward, with the exception
of Catherine II, the rulers of Russia belonged to
the German family of Holstein-Gottorp (related
to the Romanovs through Peter the Great's
daughter), even though they retained the Roma-
nov name.
Paul I (r. 1796-1801) brought relative order to
the process of succession by restoring the princi-
ple of male primogeniture, even though he him-
self was overthrown and killed in a palace revolt.
His son
ALEXANDER I
(r. 1801-25) assumed the
throne, but when he died childless his younger
brother,
NICHOLAS I
(r. 1825-55) was crowned
emperor. Nicholas I was in turn succeeded by his
son
ALEXANDER II
(r. 1855-81). After Alexander's
assassination by terrorists, his son
ALEXANDER III
(r. 1881-94) assumed the throne. The last Rom-
anov ruler was Alexander's son,
NICHOLAS II
(r.
1894-1917).
Rostropovich, Mstislav Leopoldovich
(1927- )
cellist and conductor
One of the greatest cellists of his generation,
Rostropovich is also known for having the
courage of his convictions. Born in Baku in
Azerbaijan, he first studied under his father, and
made his musical debut in 1942. He graduated
from the Moscow Conservatory in 1946 and
began teaching there the following year winning
first prize at the International Cellists' Competi-
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