Romanov Dynasty: The Tsars and Emperors of Russia, 1613-1917
Every Romanov tsar and emperor of Russia from Michael I in 1613 to Nicholas II in 1917, with reign dates, how each came to power, the disputed reign of Ivan VI, and the end of the dynasty in 1917-1918.
Last updated September 2026
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The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for just over three centuries, from 1613 to 1917. It began after years of civil war and foreign invasion. A national assembly then chose the sixteen-year-old Michael Romanov as tsar.
It ended when Nicholas II gave up the throne in the February Revolution. This hub lists every Romanov ruler. It explains how the crown passed. It marks the reigns that sources treat differently, and it links every page in the Russia section.
TL;DR: Eighteen Romanov rulers reigned, from Michael I in 1613 to Nicholas II in 1917. That count includes the infant Ivan VI. Peter I made Russia an empire in 1721. Several reigns began with palace coups, such as those of Elizabeth and Catherine II. Nicholas II gave up the throne on 15 March 1917. The Bolsheviks killed him and his family in July 1918.
Every ruler of the Romanov dynasty
Dates after 1700 use the modern calendar where sources give both styles.
| Ruler | Reign | How the reign began | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael I | 1613-1645 | Elected by a national assembly (Zemsky Sobor) after the Time of Troubles | Reviewed |
| Alexis I | 1645-1676 | Inheritance | Reviewed |
| Feodor III | 1676-1682 | Inheritance | Reviewed |
| Ivan V and Peter I (joint tsars) | 1682-1696 | Joint proclamation; their half-sister Sophia regent until 1689 | Reviewed |
| Peter I, the Great (sole reign) | 1696-1725 | Survived Ivan V; took the title Emperor in 1721 | Reviewed |
| Catherine I | 1725-1727 | Widow of Peter I, backed by the guards regiments | Reviewed |
| Peter II | 1727-1730 | Grandson of Peter I | Reviewed |
| Anna | 1730-1740 | Invited by the Supreme Privy Council | Reviewed |
| Ivan VI | 1740-1741 | Infant heir under a regent; deposed | Disputed |
| Elizabeth | 1741-1762 | Palace coup | Reviewed |
| Peter III | 1762 | Nephew of Elizabeth; deposed and killed | Reviewed |
| Catherine II, the Great | 1762-1796 | Palace coup against her husband, Peter III | Reviewed |
| Paul I | 1796-1801 | Inheritance; killed in a palace conspiracy | Reviewed |
| Alexander I | 1801-1825 | Inheritance after his father's murder | Reviewed |
| Nicholas I | 1825-1855 | Inheritance after his brother Constantine renounced the throne | Reviewed |
| Alexander II | 1855-1881 | Inheritance; killed by a revolutionary's bomb | Reviewed |
| Alexander III | 1881-1894 | Inheritance | Reviewed |
| Nicholas II | 1894-1917 | Inheritance; abdicated 15 March 1917 | Reviewed |
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The table follows Britannica's list of the rulers of Muscovy, Russia and the Soviet Union. It is checked against Britannica's history of Romanov Muscovy.
How the Romanov dynasty began
The old Rurikid line had ruled Russia for centuries. It died out in 1598 with Tsar Feodor I. The years that followed are known as the Time of Troubles. They brought famine, rival claimants, and Polish and Swedish invasions.
In 1613 a national assembly, the Zemsky Sobor, chose Michael Romanov as tsar. His family was linked to the old dynasty by marriage. Ivan IV's first wife, Anastasia, was a Romanov. The earlier tsars are listed on the Russian czars page.
The Romanov dynasty in three phases
| Phase | Years | Main features |
|---|---|---|
| Tsardom of Muscovy | 1613-1721 | Recovery after the Troubles; expansion into Siberia and Ukraine; church schism |
| The age of palace coups | 1725-1801 | Several rulers made or unmade by the guards; empresses dominate the century |
| The 19th-century empire | 1801-1917 | Victory over Napoleon; the emancipation of the serfs in 1861; revolution |
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Peter I's reforms are covered on the Peter the Great page. So is his new city, Saint Petersburg. The empire he made is on the Russian Empire page.
Ivan VI and the Holstein-Gottorp question
Ivan VI
Ivan VI, proclaimed emperor as an infant, October 1740.
Status: Disputed Counted by most lists, left out by some.
Note: Ivan VI reigned for about a year, with a regent in charge. Then a palace coup put Elizabeth on the throne in December 1741. He spent the rest of his life in prison.
His guards killed him in 1764 during an attempt to free him. Britannica's list of Russian rulers includes him. Some popular lists leave him out, because he never governed.
Sources: Britannica, "Leaders of Muscovy, Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union"; Britannica, "Russia: Romanov Muscovy".
A Romanov line in name
Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, from 1762.
Status: Disputed Genealogists and popular usage label the later rulers differently.
Note: Peter III was the son of Peter I's daughter Anna. His father was Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp. So in the male line, the rulers from Peter III on belonged to that German house.
Genealogists often call the later dynasty Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. Catherine II was a German princess by birth. She was a Romanov only by marriage. Everyday usage, and the family itself, kept the name Romanov.
Sources: Britannica, "Russian Empire"; Britannica, "Peter III".
The end of the Romanov dynasty
Russia entered the First World War in 1914. Defeats, shortages and anger led to the February Revolution in Petrograd in 1917. Nicholas II gave up the throne on 15 March 1917 (2 March, Old Style).
He did so for himself and his son, in favour of his brother Michael. Michael turned the throne down the next day. That ended Romanov rule.
The family was held first near Petrograd, then at Tobolsk in Siberia, then at Yekaterinburg. On the night of 16-17 July 1918, Bolsheviks shot the whole family. They killed Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, their five children and four servants. It happened in the basement of the Ipatiev House. The full story, and what is still disputed, is on the Romanov execution page.
Calendar note
Russia used the Julian calendar until February 1918. By the 20th century it ran thirteen days behind the calendar used in the West. Sources quote many dates in both styles, marked Old Style and New Style. This section gives the New Style date first where both are known.
Pages in the Russia section
- Russian czars: every tsar from Ivan IV to Nicholas II
- Peter the Great, emperor of Russia
- Russian Empire: the state from 1721 to 1917
- Romanov empire: the empire under Romanov rule
- Russian Empire map: how the borders grew
- Romanov family: members, branches and descendants
- Alexei Romanov: the last heir, and the earlier Tsar Alexis
- Romanov execution: the events of July 1918
For kings and queens of other lands, start at the lists of monarchs index.
To read more, try our guide to the best books about the Romanovs. It picks eight. They run from the whole dynasty to the family's last months.
Verdict: the Romanov dynasty in brief
The Romanovs ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. By the usual count there were eighteen rulers. They turned Muscovy into a vast empire. They lived through an age of palace coups.
The dynasty ended in revolution, and the last tsar's family was killed in 1918. Two points are marked here as disputed. One is whether to count the infant Ivan VI. The other is what to call the later rulers.
Sources checked for this page
- Britannica, "Leaders of Muscovy, Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union"
- Britannica, "Russia: Romanov Muscovy"
- Britannica, "Russian Empire"
- Britannica, "Nicholas II: Abdication and death"
- History.com, "Romanov family"
- Library of Congress Name Authority, "House of Romanov"
Our picks in this topic
8 picks
8 Best Books About the Romanovs, From Peter the Great to Ekaterinburg, in 2026
Eight books about the Romanovs, from Simon Sebag Montefiore's full dynasty history to Robert K. Massie and Helen Rappaport on Nicholas II's family, with the author, publisher and scope of each edition.
Questions people also ask
How many Romanov tsars and emperors were there?
Eighteen, from Michael I in 1613 to Nicholas II in 1917, by the count most reference works use. That count includes Ivan VI, an infant emperor deposed within a year, whom some lists leave out.
When did the Romanovs stop being tsars and become emperors?
In 1721, when Peter I took the title Emperor of All Russia after victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War. 'Tsar' stayed in everyday use until 1917.
How did Romanov rule end?
Nicholas II abdicated on 15 March 1917 (2 March in the Julian calendar) during the February Revolution. Bolsheviks killed him, his wife and their five children in Yekaterinburg on the night of 16-17 July 1918.
Are there Romanovs alive today?
Yes. Descendants of other branches of the family survived the revolution abroad. Who leads the family today is disputed between rival claimants.
Who was the first Romanov tsar?
Michael I, elected by a national assembly, the Zemsky Sobor, in 1613 at the age of sixteen. He reigned until 1645.