The Romanov Dynasty

When Michael Romanov found out he was going to be the tsar of all Russia, he cried. Michael was just 16 years old. It was 1613, and Russia was in chaos. Political leaders in Moscow hoped that having one all-powerful ruler would bring Russia stability.

And they thought Michael, a relative of the fearsome former tsar, Ivan the Terrible, was the one to do it.

Michael said no. It was too difficult and too dangerous a job. It took six hours of begging before Michael ﬁnally accepted the crown. The Romanov family would rule Russia and its empire for the next 304 years.

There were 18 Romanov rulers in all. Some were clever, others ridiculous, some cruel, others warm—and many were all these things.

Peter the Great turned Russia into a great empire, but he was also a terrifying tyrant who murdered his own son!

Peter III was a foolish brat, but his wife, Catherine the Great, became a sophisticated leader. Progressive Alexander II eliminated the cruel serfdom system, yet his harsh son, Alexander III, empowered noblemen.
Despite their differences, the Romanov rulers shared two things: all were extremely rich and powerful, and all feared losing that power.

Nicholas II was not well-prepared to be tsar. His father, Alexander III, was a bully who mocked his shy bookworm son and refused to involve him in politics.

The same year Nicholas inherited the throne, Nicholas married his second cousin, a German princess named Alix. She was a granddaughter of England’s Queen Victoria. As a little girl, Alix was so joyful that her nickname was “Sunny.” But when Alix was six years old, her mother died.

Ever afterward, people said that Alix became sad and suspicious. She grew deeply religious, obsessed with the afterlife, and anxious for spiritual protection.

As tsarina, Alix took the name Alexandra. Nicholas and Alexandra adored each other, but the Russian people disliked her. Some whispered that Alexandra was awkward. Others questioned the mystics she befriended, like creepy Grigori Rasputin.

Alexandra’s worries were surely increased by the pressure to give birth to an heir. Only sons could inherit the throne. In their ﬁrst seven years of marriage, Alexandra and Nicholas had four children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia—all daughters.

As they grew up, the Romanov sisters did everything together. They dressed in matching white dresses with colorful sashes. They even sometimes signed cards as one person, writing “OTMA,” the ﬁrst letter of each of their names.

But the sisters were very different. Moody Olga loved to read. Tatiana was glamorous and the accepted leader among her sisters (they sometimes called her “the Governess”). Maria was friendly and liked to draw. And no one could get into mischief like Anastasia. One family friend called her “a true genius in naughtiness.”

Just as Russia gave up hope for an heir, Alexandra gave birth to a boy. Great cheers welcomed news of the new tsarevich, Alexei.

But though he grew into a bright-eyed boy, all was not well with Alexei. Alexei had a genetic condition called hemophilia—his blood did not clot. If Alexei got a cut or bruise, he might bleed for hours. Small injuries could put Alexei in serious pain or even threaten his life.

Alexandra and Nicholas did everything they could to keep Alexei safe. He wasn’t allowed to ride a bicycle or play with the family dogs. Two royal sailors followed him everywhere to make sure he didn’t take risks.

The restrictions frustrated Alexei. “Why can other boys have everything,” he asked his mother, “and I nothing?”

But as restricted as Alexei’s life was, he had far more fun than most Russian boys did. When Nicholas ruled, about 80 percent of Russia’s people were peasants. While the Romanovs

ate their afternoon tea and biscuits in a parlor Alexandra had specially designed so that everything matched her favorite shade of lilac, many Russian families starved.
While the Romanov daughters complained about French lessons and rode their bicycles through their palace’s 100 rooms, most Russian children had to ﬁnd work at a young age.

Many labored long hours their whole lives, working in unsafe conditions on farms or in factories where bosses demanded much and gave little in return.

Though Nicholas was a warm and loving father to his own children, as tsar, he did almost nothing to help the children of Russia. He refused to pass laws that would protect workers or help starving peasants. When protestors marched to Saint Petersburg Palace to demand change, the tsar’s soldiers shot at them. People started calling the tsar “Bloody Nicholas.”

Rather than face Russia’s problems, Nicholas blamed his subjects for the unrest, especially Jews.

He supported a violent group, the Black Hundred, that attacked Jews and other peoples they deemed rebellious.

Many people began to think that Russia needed a different sort of government—a government where ordinary people had a say in the law and where all people shared money and resources equally. Why should the tsar get to make the rules when people suffered without his help or protection?

World War I made things worse. Prices went up, and food became more scarce. Many Russian soldiers had to go barefoot in the snow because the army didn’t provide enough boots.

On July 17, 1918, revolutionary soldiers woke the Romanov family in the middle of the night. The Romanovs and their servants were told to dress quickly and led to a basement room. Once there, a soldier read off a short statement: the new Russian government had decided that it was the end of the Romanovs. The room ﬁlled with smoke and noise as the soldiers ﬁred.

At ﬁrst, the Romanov children seemed mysteriously unharmed. The jewels the girls had sewn into their and Alexei’s clothes were blocking incoming bullets! But in the end, all the Romanovs and their servants were killed.