The Russian state can trace its origin to the principality
of Kievan Rus. The princely dynasty that first ruled over Novgorod until they
conquered Kiev was of Swedish origin and ruled over all Russia until the 17th
century. Kievan Rus was 1019 divided between different branches of the dynasty,
but the grand prince of Kiev (from 1169 in Vladimir-Suzdal and from 1328 in
Moscow) had supremacy over the other princes. The Russian principalities
were 1240 defeated by the Mongols and forced to be their vassals until 1480
when the Russians broke free and was unified by Ivan the Great. Ivan the
Terrible had him self crowned as tsar 1547. Tsar was the Russian word for
Emperor but abroad it was generally seen as Russian variant of king. To be
recognised as emperor Peter the Great proclaimed himself as Imperator of all
Russia 1721, which became the official title although the title tsar lived
on in popular use.
House
of Rurik
(Novgorod)
c. 862-879
c. 880-882
Rurik (Rörek)
Oleg (prince in Kiev 882-912)
c. 882-912
c. 912-945
c. 945-972
c. 972-980
c. 980-1015
1015-1019
1019-1054
1054-1073
1068-1069
1073-1076
1076-1078
1078-1093
1093-1113
1113-1125
1125-1132
1132-1139
1139
1139-1146
1146
1146-1149
1150
1150
1150-1151
1150-1154
1150-1154
1154-1155
1155-1157
1157
1157-1158
1158-1167
1167-1169
1169
House
of Rurik
(Kiev)
Oleg (Helge the Wise)
Igor (Ingvar)
Svyatoslav
Yaropolk I
Vladimir I Svatoy (the Holy)
Svyatopolk I
Yaroslav I
Izyaslav I
Vseslav
Svyatoslav II
Izyaslav I (restored)
Vsevolod I
Svyatopolk II
Vladimir II Monomach
Mstislav I
Yaropolk II
Vyacheslav
Vsevolod II
Igor II
Izyaslav II
Yuri Dolgoruky
Izyaslav II (restored)
Yuri Dolgoruky (restored)
Vyacheslav (restored)
Izyaslav II (re-restored)
Rostislav I
Yuri Dolgoruky
(Vladimir-Suzdal)
Izyaslav III
Mstislav III
Rostislav I (restored)
Mstislav III (restored)
Gleb
The
grand princes of Kiev lost its role
as the leading Russian state
to Vladimir-Suzdal 1169. They continued however to call themselves
grand princes until Kiev was destroyed by the Mongols 1240.
House of Rurik
(Vladimir-Suzdal)
(grand princes from 1169)
Yuri I Dolgoruky
Andrei I Bogulyubsky
Michail Yuryevich
Vsevolod III
Yuri II
Konstantin
Yuri II (restored)
Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich
Svyatoslav III
Andrei II
Aleksandr Nevsky
Yaroslav III
Vasiliy (Kostroma)
Dmitry (Pereslavl)
Andrei III (Gorodets)
Dmitry (restored)
Andrei III (restored)
Michail (Tver)
Jurij Danilovitj (prince of Moscow
1303-1325)
Dmitry (Tver)
Aleksandr (Tver)
Ruled by Moscow
Dmitry
Vladimir-Suzdal is merged with Moscow
Daniil Aleksandrovich
Yury Danilovich
Ivan I Kalita (Moneybag)
Simeon Gordy (the Proud)
Ivan II Krasny (the Fair)
Dmitry Donskoy
Vasiliy I Dmitrivich
Vasiliy II Tiomny (the Blind)
Ivan III Veliky (the Great)
Vasiliy III Ivanovich
Ivan IV Grozny (the Terrible)
=
1547
Fyodor I
Mikhail
Aleksey Michailovich
Fyodor III
Ivan V
Pyotr I Veliky (Peter the Great)
= 1721
Yekaterina I
Pyotr II Alekseyevich
Anna Ivanovna
Ivan VI
Yelizaveta Petrovna (Elizabeth)
House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
1762
Pyotr III Fyodorovich
1762-1796
Yekaterina II Velikaya
(Catherine the Great)
1796-1801
Pavel Petrovich **
1801-1825
Alexandr I
1825-1855
Nikolay I
1855-1881
Aleksandr II
1881-1894
Aleksandr III
1894-1917
Nikolay II
1917-1991
1991-
Soviet Union
Russian Federation
* = Vladislav was also king of Poland 1632-1648.
** = Pavel was duke of Holstein-Gottorp 1762-1773. = Tsar = Emperor