The House of Romanov celebrated its four hundredth anniversary in 2013. In the distant past was the day when Mikhail Romanov was proclaimed king. As many as 304, the descendants of the Romanov dynasty ruled Russia.
For a long time it was believed that with the shootingThe imperial family of Nicholas II ended with the entire royal dynasty. But even today, the descendants of the Romanovs are well, the Imperial House still exists today. The dynasty gradually returns to Russia, to its cultural and social life.
Who belongs to the dynasty
The family of the Romanovs dates back to the 16th century, withRoman Yurevich Zakharyin. He had five children who gave numerous offspring that have come down to our days. But the fact is that the majority of descendants no longer bear this surname, that is, they were born on the maternal line. Representatives of the dynasty are only descendants of the Romanovs in the male line, who bear the old name.
Boys in the family were born less often, and many wereare childless. Because of this, the royal family was almost interrupted. The branch revived Paul I. All now living descendants of the Romanovs are the heirs of Emperor Pavel Petrovich, son of Catherine II.
Family Tree Branching
Paul I had 12 children, two of them illegitimate. Their ten legitimate are four sons:
- Alexander I, in 1801, entered the Russian throne, did not leave behind him legitimate heirs to the throne.
- Konstantin. He was married twice, but marriages were childless. He had three illegitimate children who were not recognized as descendants of the Romanovs.
- Nicholas I, All-Russian Emperor since 1825. He had three daughters and four sons from marriage with the Prussian princess Frederica Louise Charlotte, in Orthodoxy Anna Feodorovna.
- Mikhail, in marriage, had five daughters.
Thus, only the sons of Russian Emperor Nicholas I continued the Romanov dynasty. So all the remaining descendants of the Romanovs were his great-great-great-grandchildren.
Continuation of the dynasty
The sons of Nicholas the First: Alexander, Konstantin, Nikolay and Michael. They all left behind posterity. Their lines are unofficially called:
- Alexandrovichi - the line went from AlexanderNikolayevich Romanov. Now live descendants of the Romanovs-Ilinsky Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich. Unfortunately, they are both childless, and with their departure from life, this line will be stopped.
- Konstantinovich - the line originates from Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov. The last direct descendant of the Romanovs in the male line died in 1992, and the branch stopped.
- Nikolayevich - descended from Romanov Nikolai Nikolaevich. The direct descendant of this branch, Dmitry Romanovich, is alive and well to this day. He has no heirs, so the line fades away.
- Mikhailovich - the heirs of Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov. It is to this branch that the other male Romanovs who live now belong. This gives hope to the Romanov family for survival.
Where are the descendants of the Romanovs today?
Many researchers wondered ifdescendants of the Romanovs? Yes, this great family has heirs to the male and female lines. Some branches have already been interrupted, other lines will soon fade away, but the royal family still has hope for survival.
But where do the descendants of the Romanovs live?They are scattered around the planet. Most of them do not know Russian and have never been to the homeland of their ancestors. Some names are completely different. Many people got acquainted with Russia solely through books or news reports of television channels. And yet, some of them are in their historic homeland, they are engaged in charity here and consider themselves Russian in their souls.
To the question whether the descendants of the Romanovs remained,answer that today only about thirty well-known offsprings of the royal family live in the world. Only two of them can be considered thoroughbreds, because their parents entered into marriages according to the laws of the dynasty. These two can consider themselves full representatives of the Imperial House. In 1992, they were issued Russian passports in exchange for the passports of refugees, for which they had been living abroad until that time. Funds received as sponsorship from Russia allow family members to make visits to their homeland.
It is not known how many in the world live those who have“Romanov” blood flows in the veins, but they do not belong to the genus, as they originated in the female line or from extramarital affairs. Nevertheless, genetically they also belong to an ancient family name.
Head of the Imperial House
Prince Romanov Dmitry Romanovich became the head of the House of Romanov after Nikolai Romanovich, his elder brother, passed away.
Pravo-grandson of Nicholas I, the great-grandson of Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich, the son of Prince Roman Petrovich and Countess Praskovya Sheremetyeva. He was born in France on May 17, 1926.
From 1936 he lived with his parents in Italy, later - inEgypt In Alexandria, he worked at the Ford Motor Works: he worked as a mechanic, selling cars. Upon returning to sunny Italy, he worked as a secretary in the shipping company.
He visited Russia for the first time back in 1953 as a tourist. When he married in Denmark with his first wife, Johanna von Kaufman, he settled in Copenhagen and served there for over 30 years.
All the numerous members of the royal family are calledhis Head House, only the branch of Kirillovich believes that he does not have legal rights to the throne due to the fact that his father was born in an unequal marriage (Kirillovich, Alexander II’s heirs are Princess Maria Vladimirovna, who herself claims to be the head of the Imperial House, and her son Georgy Mikhailovich, who claims the title of Tsarevich).
Dmitry Romanovich's old hobby is orders and medals from different countries. He has a large collection of awards, about which he writes a book.
Второй раз был повенчан в российском городе Kostroma with Dorrit Reventrow, Danish translator, in July 1993. He has no children, therefore, when another last direct descendant of the Romanovs leaves into the world, the Nikolayevich branch will be stopped.
Legal members of the house, the dying branch of Aleksandrovich
Today such true representatives of the royal are alive.families (in the male line from legal marriages, the direct descendants of Paul I and Nicholas II, who bear the royal surname, the title of prince and belong to the Alexandrovich line)
- Romanov-Ilyinsky Dmitry Pavlovich, 1954 - the direct heir of Alexander II in the male line, lives in the United States, has 3 daughters, all married and changed their names.
- Romanov-Ilinsky, Mikhail Pavlovich, 1959, b. - Prince Dmitrii Pavlovich’s half-brother, also lives in the USA, has a daughter.
If the direct descendants of the Romanovs did not become fathers of sons, the line of Alexandrovichs would be interrupted.
Direct descendants, princes and possible successors of the Romanovs clan - the most prolific branch of Mikhailovich
- Alexey Andreevich, 1953 p. - A direct descendant of Nicholas I, married, no children, lives in the United States.
- Peter Andreevich, 1961 p. - also purebred Romanov, married, childless, lives in the USA.
- Andrei Andreevich, 1963 p. - legally belongs to the house of the Romanovs, has a daughter from his second marriage, lives in the United States.
- Rostislav Rostislavovich, 1985 p. - The direct successor of the family, not yet married, lives in the United States.
- Nikita Rostislavovich, 1987 b. - A legitimate descendant, not yet married, lives in the UK.
- Nicholas-Christopher Nikolaevich, born in 1968, is a direct descendant of Nicholas I, lives in the USA, has 2 daughters.
- Daniel Nikolaevich, 1972 p. - The legal member of the house of the Romanovs, married, lives in the United States, has a daughter and a son.
- Daniil Danilovich, 2009 p. - The youngest legitimate descendant of the royal family in the male line, lives with his parents in the United States.
As can be seen from the genealogical tree, only the branch of Mikhailovich - the direct heirs of Mikhail Nikolayevich Romanov, the younger son of Nicholas I, gives hope for the continuation of the royal family.
The descendants of the Romanov family, who cannot pass on the royal family name, and the controversial applicants for the membership of the Imperial House
- Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, 1953 p.- Her Imperial Highness, claims the title of Head of the Russian Imperial House, the legitimate heiress of Alexander II, belongs to the line of Aleksandrovich. Until 1985, she was married to Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, from whom in 1981 she gave birth to her only son, George. At birth, he was given the patronymic Mikhailovich and the surname Romanov.
- Георгий Михайлович, 1981 г. р.- the son of Princess Romanova Maria Vladimirovna and Prince of Prussia, claims the title of Tsarevich, but most of the representatives of the Romanov dynasty rightly do not recognize his rights, since he is not a descendant in a straight male line, namely the right of inheritance is transferred. His birth is a joyous event in the Prussian palace.
- Princess Elena Sergeevna Romanova (after her husband Nirot), born in 1929, lives in France, one of the last representatives of the house of the Romanovs, belongs to the Aleksandrovich line.
- Georgy Alexandrovich Yuryevsky, 1961 p.- The legitimate heir of Alexander II, now lives in Switzerland. His grandfather George was an illegitimate son from the connection of the Emperor with Princess Dolgorukova. After the relationship was legalized, all the children of Dolgorukova were recognized as legitimate from Alexander II, but the last name was given to the Yuryevskys. Therefore, de jure George (Hans-Georg) does not belong to the house of the Romanovs, although de facto he is the last descendant of the Romanovs dynasty in the Alexandrovich male line.
- Princess Tatyana Mikhailovna, 1986 b. - belongs to the house of the Romanovs in the line of Mikhailovich, but as soon as he gets married and changes his last name, he will lose all rights. He lives in Paris.
- Princess Alexandra Rostislavovna, 1983 p. - also the hereditary descendant of the Mikhailovich branch, not married, lives in the USA.
- Princess Carline Nikolaevna, 2000 p. - is the legal representative of the Imperial House in the line of Mikhailovich, single, lives in the United States,
- Princess Chelli Nikolaevna, 2003 b. - A direct descendant of a royal family, not married, a US citizen.
- Princess Madison Danilovna, 2007 p. - through Mikhailovich legal member of the family, lives in the United States.
Association of the Romanovs
All the other Romanovs are children from Morganaticmarriages, therefore, can not belong to the Russian Imperial House. All of them are united by the so-called “Association of the Romanov Clan”, which was headed in 1989 by Nikolai Romanovich and performed this duty until his death, in September 2014.
Below are the biographies of the brightest representatives of the Romanov dynasty of the 20th century.
Romanov Nikolai Romanovich
Great-grandchild of Nicholas I. Watercolor painter.
He saw the light on September 26, 1922, not far fromthe French city of Antibes. There he spent his childhood. In 1936 he moved with his parents to Italy. In this country in 1941, directly from Mussolini received an offer to become the king of Montenegro, whom he refused. Later he lived in Egypt, then again in Italy, in Switzerland, where he was married to Countess Svevadella Garaldeski, then returned to Italy, where in 1993 he became a citizen.
"Union" headed in 1989.On his initiative in Paris in 1992, a meeting of the male Romanovs was convened, at which a decision was made to create the Fund for Russian aid. In his opinion, Russia should be a federal republic where the central government is strong, whose powers are strictly limited.
He has three daughters. Natalia, Elizabeth and Tatiana created families with Italians.
Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich
Born August 17, 1917 in Finland, inemigration from Sovereign Kirill Vladimirovich. He was raised by a truly Russian man. He was fluent in Russian, many European languages, knew the history of Russia very well, was a well-educated, erudite man and felt true pride that belongs to Russia.
At twenty, the last direct descendant of the Romanovsin the male line became the Head of the Dynasty. It was enough for him to enter into an unequal marriage, and by the 21st century there would no longer be any legal members of the imperial family.
But he met Princess Leonida GeorgievnaBagration-Mukhranskaya, daughter of the Head of the Georgian Imperial House, who became his lawful wife in 1948. In this marriage the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna was born in Madrid.
For several decades he was the Head of the Russian Imperial House and, by his own decree, announced the right of his daughter, born in wedlock, to inherit the throne.
In May 1992, he was buried in St. Petersburg in the presence of many family members.
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna
Единственная дочь князя Владимира Кирилловича, a member of the Imperial House in emigration and Leonida Georgievna, daughters of the Head of the Georgian Royal House of Prince George Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhransky. Born in law on December 23, 1953. Parents provided her with good education and excellent education. At the age of 16 she swore allegiance to Russia and its peoples.
After graduating from Oxford University, she received a philology diploma. Fluent in Russian, many European and Arabic languages. She worked in administrative positions in France and Spain.
In the property the imperial family hasmodest apartment in Madrid. The house in France was sold because it was impossible to maintain it. The family maintains an average standard of living - by the standards of Europe. He has Russian citizenship.
Upon reaching the age of majority in 1969,according to the dynastic act issued by Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, proclaimed to be the guardian of the throne. In 1976 he was married to the Prince of Prussia, Franz-Wilhelm. With the adoption of Orthodoxy, he received the title of Prince Mikhail Pavlovich. The current contender for the Russian throne, Prince Georgy Mikhailovich, was born of this marriage.
Tsarevich George Mikhailovich
Claims on the heir to the title of His Imperial Highness the Sovereign.
The only son of Princess Maria Vladimirovna andPrince of Prussia, born on March 13, 1981 in Madrid. The direct descendant of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, the Russian Emperor Alexander II, the English Queen Victoria.
He graduated from school in St. Briac, then trainingcontinued in Paris at St. Stanislav College. Lives in Madrid since 1988. He considers his native language to be French, Spanish and English fluent in Russian, the Russian language knows a little worse. I first saw Russia in 1992, when I accompanied the body of my grandfather, Prince Vladimir Kirillovich, with my family to the place of burial. His independent visit to his homeland took place in 2006. He worked in the European Parliament, the European Commission. Single
In the anniversary year for the House, they established a fund for research on the fight against cancer.
Andrey Andreevich Romanov
Great-grandson of Nicholas I, the great-grandson of Alexander III.Born in London on January 21, 1923. Now she lives in the United States, California, in Marin County. He knows Russian perfectly well, because everyone in his family always spoke Russian.
He graduated from the London College of Imperial Service.During World War II he served on a warship of the British Navy as a sailor. It was then, accompanying cargo ships to Murmansk, he first visited Russia.
He has American citizenship since 1954. In America he was engaged in agriculture: farming, agronomy, agricultural engineering. At university, Berkeley studied sociology. He worked in the shipping company.
His hobbies include painting and graphics. He creates works in a “childish” manner, as well as color drawings on plastic, which later undergoes heat treatment.
Third marriage. From the first marriage has a son Alexei, from the second two: Peter and Andrew.
It is believed that neither he nor his sons have rights to the throne, but how candidates can be considered by the Zemsky Sobor on a par with other descendants.
Mikhail Andreevich Romanov
Great-grandson of Nicholas I, the great-grandson of Prince Mikhail Nikolayevich, was born in Versailles on July 15, 1920. He graduated from Windsor Royal College, London Institute of Aeronautical Engineers.
He served in the Second World War in Sydney as a volunteer reserve of the British Navy Air Force. He was demobilized in 1945 to Australia. I stayed there to live in the aviation industry.
He was an active member of the Order of MaltaOrthodox knights of St. John of Jerusalem, even elected protector and the great prior of the Order. He was among the participants in the movement "Australians for a constitutional monarchy."
He was married three times: in February 1953 to Jill Murphy, in July 1954 - to Shirley Crammond, in July 1993 - to Julia Crespi. All marriages are unequal and childless.
He passed away in September 2008 in Sydney.
Romanov Nikita Nikitich
Great-grandchild of Nicholas I. Born in London on May 13, 1923. Childhood passed in the UK, then in France.
He served in the army of Great Britain. In 1949 he moved to the United States. At the University of Burkeley in 1960 he received a master's degree in history. He earned his studies and life by working as an upholstery in furniture.
At Stanford University, and later at San Francisco, he was teaching history. He wrote and published a book about Ivan the Terrible (co-author Pierre Payne).
His wife - Zhanet (Anna Mikhailovna - in Orthodoxy) Shonvald. Son Fedor committed suicide in 2007.
He was in Russia many times, visited Ai-Todor’s estate in Crimea. The last forty years he lived in New York until he died in May 2007.
The brothers Dmitry Pavlovich and Mikhail Pavlovich Romanovs-Ilyinsky (sometimes under the last name Romanovsky-Ilyinsky)
Dmitry Pavlovich, born in 1954, and Mikhail Pavlovich, born in 1960
Dmitry Pavlovich is married to Martha Merry McDowell, born in 1952, has 3 daughters: Katrina, Victoria, Lela.
Mikhail Pavlovich was married three times. The first marriage is with Marya Mary Lowe, the second is with Paula Gay Mair and the third is with Lisa Mary Shisler. In the third marriage, daughter Alexis was born.
В настоящее время потомки династии Романовых live in the United States, recognize the legitimacy of the rights of members of the Imperial House on the Russian throne. Princess Maria Vladimirovna recognized their right to be called princes. Dmitry Romanovsky-Ilyinsky is recognized by her as the senior masculine of all the descendants of the Romanovs, no matter what marriages they have.
Finally
About a hundred years in Russia there is no monarchy.But to this day someone breaks spears, arguing about who exactly of the living descendants of the royal family has the legal right to the Russian throne. Someone resolutely demands the return of the monarchy today. And let this question not be easy, as the laws and decrees relating to the issues of succession are interpreted differently, the disputes will continue. But they can be described by one Russian proverb: the descendants of the Romanovs, photos of which are presented in the article, "divide the skin of an unkilled bear."
