Russian Tsars (1533-1917)

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• published: 11 Feb 2009
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This video contains paintings and art from almost four hundred years of Imperial autocratic history: *Ivan IV (1533-84), also known as Ivan the Terrible, was the first to use "Tsar of all Russia" as his title. He was an impulsive man and prone to incandescent rages. It was in a fit of anger that he struck his favorite son and heir on the head with his staff and crushed his skull, killing him. *Feodor I (1584-98), Ivan IV's weaker son, followed Ivan and occupied the throne for 14 years. He was known as "Feodor the Bell Ringer" because he liked to visit monasteries and ring their bells. His death without issue led to Russia's "Time of Troubles." *Boris Godunov (1598-1605) was Feodor's brother-in-law, best known as the musical subject of "Boris Godunov," an opera by Modest Mussorgsky. *Feodor II (1605), son of Boris Godunov, was proclaimed tsar at the age of 16, and immediately surrounded by treachery. He was strangled to death in his apartment two months later. *False Dmitriy I (1605-06), one of three people who claimed to be sons of Ivan IV during the Time of Troubles, was assassinated a year later. *Vasily IV (1606-10), a leading Boyar, assumed the throne, but was deposed four years later. --There was unrest and no recognized claimant for the throne for three years, though Wladislaw IV of Poland pressed his claim to the throne. He tried but failed to capture Moscow and finally withdrew. *Michael (1613-1645), first of the Romanovs, was elected tsar by a national assembly in 1613, effectively signaling an end to the Time of Troubles. He was a gentle, pious prince. *Alexander I (1645-76), son of Michael, was succeeded by his son: *Feodor III (1676-82), who was placed on the throne at age 18. He died shortly without issue. --The first and only joint tsarship. Feodor was replaced by two more sons of Alexander -- Ivan V, a sickly youth with serious mental and physical disabilities and his half-brother Peter I, who was 10 years old. Power was assumed by Ivan's sister and Peter's half-sister, Sophia. Peter eventually displaced Sophia in 1689. Ivan died seven years later and Peter, whom history has dubbed "Peter the Great," became the sole tsar and ruled another 29 years. Tall (6'8") and very active, Peter built the new city of St. Petersburg, helped modernize Russia, and through his fascination with ships and sailing created the first Russian navy. *Catherine I (1721-27), Peter's second wife, was of low birth and had a somewhat shady background, but Peter adored her and shared the final years of his rule with her. She was succeeded by: *Peter II (1727-30), Peter 's son by his first wife. Ruled only three years and was succeeded by: *Anna (1730-40), daughter of Peter's sickly half-brother Ivan, wasn't particularly interested in ruling, preferring frivolous friends and crude court entertainments. *Ivan VI (1740-41) assumed the throne when he was barely two months old. Still a babe when he was deposed 13 months later, he was locked away for the next 12 years, then finally murdered when he reached the age of 23. *Elizabeth (1741-62), the second oldest daughter of Peter the Great, had little knowledge and even less experience, but is said to have conducted government affairs adequately during her 20-odd years of rule. *Peter III (1762) was 34 years old when he succeeded to the throne. He was mentally immature and was deposed by his wife after only six months of rule and was murdered in prison. *Catherine II (1762-96), the wife who deposed Peter III, was promiscuous, taking several lovers after ridding herself of her husband, but was nevertheless an enlightened sovereign who ruled long and well before dying of a stroke. She is known as Catherine the Great. *Paul I (1796-1801), Catherine's son, didn't get on well with his mother, and accused her of trying to kill him. An idealistic ruler, he was temperish and could be quite vindictive. He was slain in his apartment five years later by nobles. *Alexander I (1801-1825), son of Paul, ruled during the chaotic Napoleonic Wars. He began as a friend of Napoleon, but Napoleon's 1812 invasion changed that forever. *Nicholas I (1825-55), another of Paul's sons, was a paternal autocrat, without much interest in ruling. *Alexander II (1855-81), son of Nicholas, was killed by a bomb in St. Petersburg at the age of 62. He was succeeded by his son: *Alexander III (1881-94) was a burly, crude, unpolished man, and proud of it. He was anti-semitic and declared that he had no intention of limiting his autocratic powers. Succeeded by his son: *Nicholas II (1894-1917), who continued his father's political myopia to peasant restlessness. His rule saw Russia descend from a world power to an economic and military disaster. He was forced to abdicate in 1917, and was murdered in a cellar with his entire family a year later.