| Emperor and Autocrat ofall Russia | |
|---|---|
| Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссійскій | |
Imperial | |
.svg) Imperial Standard (1858–1917) | |
-2.jpg) | |
| Details | |
| Style | His/Her Imperial Majesty |
| First monarch | Peter I |
| Last monarch | Nicholas II |
| Formation | 2 November 1721 |
| Abolition | 15 March 1917 |
| Residences | Winter Palace Moscow Kremlin Peterhof Palace Catherine Palace Alexander Palace |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Pretender(s) | |
Theemperor and autocrat of all Russia[1] (Russian:Император и Самодержец Всероссийский,romanized: Imperator i Samoderzhets Vserossiyskiy,IPA:[ɪm⁽ʲ⁾pʲɪˈratərɪsəmɐˈdʲerʐɨt͡sfsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskʲɪj]),[a] also translated asemperor and autocrat of all the Russias,[2] was the official title of theRussian monarch from 1721 to 1917.
The title originated in connection with Russia's victory in theGreat Northern War (1700–1721) and appeared as an adaptation of thetsar's title under the accepted system of titling in Europe. The title was transformed from the previous title oftsar and grand prince of all Russia. The old titletsar (ortsaritsa) continued to be popularly used to refer to the emperor (or empress) until the monarchy was abolished in 1917.
Article 1 of theFundamental Laws of the Russian Empire stated that "the Emperor of All Russia is an autocratic and unrestricted monarch. To obey his supreme authority, not only out of fear but out of conscience as well,God himself commands".[3]
The full title of the emperor in the 20th century (Art. 37 of the Fundamental Laws) was:
By the Grace of God, We, NN,Emperor andAutocrat ofAll the Russias,Moscow,Kiev,Vladimir,Novgorod;Tsar ofKazan, Tsar ofAstrakhan, Tsar ofPoland, Tsar ofSiberia, Tsar ofChersonese Taurian, Tsar ofGeorgia; Lord ofPskov and Grand Prince ofSmolensk,Lithuania,Volhynia,Podolia,Finland; Prince ofEstland,Livland,Courland,Semigalia,Samogitia,Belostok,Karelia,Tver,Yugra,Perm,Vyatka,Bolgar and others; Lord and Grand Prince ofNizhny Novgorod,Chernigov,Ryazan,Polotsk,Rostov,Yaroslavl,Beloozero,Udoria,Obdoria,Kondia,Vitebsk,Mstislav, and all of thenorthern countries Master; and Lord ofIberia,Kartli, andKabardia lands andArmenian provinces; hereditary Sovereign and ruler of theCircassian andMountainous Princes and of others; Lord ofTurkestan; Heir ofNorway; Duke ofSchleswig-Holstein,Stormarn,Dithmarschen, andOldenburg, and others, and others, and others.[4]
Thetsar himself, the embodiment ofsovereign authority, stood at the center of the tsarist autocracy, with full power over the state and its people.[5] The autocrat delegated power to persons and institutions acting on his orders, and within the limits of his laws, for the common good of all Russia.[5] The tsar was metaphorically a father and all of his subjects were his children; this metaphor even appeared in Orthodoxprimers,[6] and is remembered in the common Russian expression "царь-батюшка"tsar-batyushka ("tsar-dear father").
Furthermore, contrary to the movement for separation of church and state in West European monarchies, the Russian Empire combined monarchy with the supreme authority on religious issues (seeChurch reform of Peter I andcaesaropapism for details).
Another key feature related topatrimonialism. In Russia, the tsar owned a much higher proportion of the state (lands, enterprises, etc.) than did Western monarchs.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
The tsarist autocracy had many supporters within Russia. Major Russian advocates and theorists of the autocracy included writerFyodor Dostoyevsky,[13][14]Mikhail Katkov,[15]Konstantin Aksakov,[16]Nikolay Karamzin,[14]Konstantin Pobedonostsev[13][5] andPyotr Semyonov. They all argued that a strong and prosperous Russia needed a strong tsar and that philosophies ofrepublicanism andliberal democracy were alien to it.[13]
Peter I recognized the need to secure the position of Russia within the European states system, including the importance of securing recognition from theHoly Roman Emperor of the equality of the titles of tsar and emperor.[17] Following his victory at theBattle of Poltava, Peter I brought up the question of the title of emperor to the Viennese court.[17] In 1717, Peter I defended his right to use the title ofimperator, using the letter fromMaximilian I toVasily III to support his claim.[18]
The title of Emperor of all Russia was introduced forPeter the Great. After his victory in theGreat Northern War and the signing theTreaty of Nystad in September 1721, theSenate andSynod decided to award Peter with the title of Emperor of all Russia with the following statement: "in the manner of the Roman Senate for the noble cause of emperors such titles publicly given them as a gift and into statues for the everlasting generations inscribed".
On this 20th day of October, after a consultation of the Senate together with the Holy Synod accepted the intention, to his majesty, in the testimony of a proper gratitude for his high grace and paternalism and effort which he for the welfare of state in all his glorious time of ruling and especially during the past Swedish War, deigned to manifest, and all-Russian state in such a strong and good fortune, and his people subjected to such fame over the whole world through his unique ruling led, as that to all quite known, by the name of all the Russian people to ask, so graciously to accept, following the example of others, from them title: the Father of the Fatherland, the Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great ...
— Laws of the Russian Empire at Large. Vol.VI. No.3840
On November 2, 1721, Peter I accepted the title. TheDutch Republic andKingdom of Prussia immediately recognized the new title of the Russian monarch, followed by theKingdom of Sweden in 1723, theOttoman Empire in 1739, theUnited Kingdom andAustria in 1742,[b] theHoly Roman Empire, theKingdom of France andSpain in 1745, and finally thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1764. From then on, the Russian state was referred to as theRussian Empire.
On February 16, 1722, Peter I issued the Decree of Succession by which he abolished the old custom of passing the throne to the direct descendants in the male line, but allowed the appointment of an heir through any decent person, at the will of the monarch.
Coronations in the Russian Empire involved a highly developed religious ceremony in which the emperor wascrowned and invested withregalia, thenanointed withchrism and formally blessed by thechurch to commence his reign. Although thegrand princes of Moscow had been crowned prior to the reign ofIvan III (r. 1462–1505), their coronation rituals assumed overtByzantine overtones as the result of the influence of Ivan's wifeSophia Paleologue, and the imperial ambitions of his grandson,Ivan IV.[19]
The modern coronation style, introducing "European-style" elements, replaced the previous "crowning" ceremony and was first used forCatherine I in 1724.[20][21] Since tsarist Russia claimed to be the "Third Rome" and the successor to Byzantium,[22] the Russian rite was designed to link its rulers and prerogatives to those of the so-called "Second Rome" (Constantinople).[23]
While months or even years could pass between the initial accession of the sovereign and the performance of this ritual, church policy held that the monarch must be anointed and crowned according to the Orthodox rite to have a successful tenure.[24] As the church and state were essentially one in Imperial Russia, this service invested the tsars with political legitimacy; however, this was not its only intent. It was equally perceived as conferring a genuine spiritual benefit that mystically wedded sovereign to subjects, bestowing divine authority upon the new ruler. As such, it was similar in purpose to other European coronation ceremonies from themedieval period.
Even when the imperial capital was located atSt. Petersburg (1713–1728, 1732–1917), Russian coronations were always held inMoscow at theCathedral of the Dormition in theKremlin. The last coronation service in Russia was held on 26 May 1896 forNicholas II and his wifeAlexandra Feodorovna, who would be the final emperor and empresses of Russia. The Russian Imperial regalia survived the subsequentRussian Revolution and the Soviet period, and are currently on exhibit at theDiamond Fund in theKremlin Armoury.
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Peter I
| 9 June 1672 — 8 February 1725 | as a tsar: 2 June 1682 as an emperor: 2 November 1721 | 8 February 1725 | Son of Alexis I andNatalya Naryshkina Younger brother of Sophia Alekseyevna, Feodor III and Ivan V He ruled jointly with Ivan V Regarded as one of the greatest Russian monarchs | Romanov |  |
 Catherine I
| 15 April 1684 — 17 May 1727 | 8 February 1725 | 17 May 1727 | Wife of Peter I | Skavronsky [ru] (by birth) Romanov (by marriage) |  |
 Peter II
| 23 October 1715 — 30 January 1730 | 18 May 1727 | 30 January 1730 | Grandson of Peter I via the murderedTsesarevichAlexei. Last of the direct male Romanov line. | Romanov | _detail.jpg) |
 Anna
| 7 February 1693 — 28 October 1740 | 15 February 1730 | 28 October 1740 | Daughter of Ivan V | Romanov | .jpg) |
 Ivan VI
| 23 August 1740 — 16 July 1764 | 28 October 1740 | 6 December 1741 | Great-grandson of Ivan V Deposed as a baby, imprisoned and later murdered | Mecklenburg-Brunswick-Romanov [ru] | .jpg) |
 Elizabeth
| 29 December 1709 — 5 January 1762 | 6 December 1741 | 5 January 1762 | Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I, usurped the throne. | Romanov | .jpeg) |
 Peter III
| 21 February 1728 — 17 July 1762 | 9 January 1762 | 9 July 1762 | Grandson of Peter I Nephew of Elizabeth Murdered | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | .jpg) |
 Catherine II
| 2 May 1729 — 17 November 1796 | 9 July 1762 | 17 November 1796 | Wife of Peter III | Ascania (by birth) Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov (by marriage) | .jpg) |
 Paul I
| 1 October 1754 — 23 March 1801 | 17 November 1796 | 23 March 1801 | Son of Peter III and Catherine II Assassinated | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | %2c_Russian_museum).jpg) |
 Alexander I
| 23 December 1777 — 1 December 1825 | 23 March 1801 | 1 December 1825 | Son of Paul I andSophie Dorothea of Württemberg First Romanov King of Poland and Grand Prince of Finland | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | .jpg) |
 Nicholas I
| 6 July 1796 — 2 March 1855 | 1 December 1825 | 2 March 1855 | Son of Paul I andSophie Dorothea of Württemberg Younger brother of Alexander I | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov |  |
 Alexander II
| 29 April 1818 — 13 March 1881 | 2 March 1855 | 13 March 1881 | Son of Nicholas I andAlexandra Feodrovna Nephew of Alexander I Assassinated | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | .jpg) |
 Alexander III
| 10 March 1845 — 1 November 1894 | 13 March 1881 | 1 November 1894 | Son of Alexander II andMaria Alexandrovna | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov |  |
 Nicholas II
| 18 May 1868 — 17 July 1918 | 1 November 1894 | 15 March 1917 | Son of Alexander III andMaria Feodorovna Abdicated the throne during theFebruary Revolution Murdered by theBolsheviks | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov |  |
_of_Russia_-_lifespan_age_(1721-1918).png)
Nicholas II abdicated in favour of his brother,Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, but the next day, after a nominal reign of only 18 hours, "Emperor Michael II" declined power, ending dynastic rule in Russia.
SeeList of leaders of Russia for the continuation of leadership.
