Are there any descendants of the Romanovs? Romanov Dynasty

The heirs to the throne preserved in exile, the head of the imperial house in exile, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova and her son, Tsarevich George, will visit Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma to participate in the holidays dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the accession of the Romanov dynasty in Russia. , where they will participate in divine services, educational and other events. But the most deserved and respected foreign Romanov patriarchs of the clan have already announced that they are not a foot away for the celebration. What cannot the modern foreign Romanovs share and what family secrets does the recent history of the monarchical clan hide?

16 destroyed, 43 survived

When in March 1917, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne (Brother Michael also abdicated), he could hardly have foreseen the tragic fate of his family. Having seized power, the Bolsheviks destroyed 16 members of the Russian imperial house - twelve men and six women, including two nee foreign princesses. But it was not possible to destroy the crowned family under the root. In 1919, from the Crimea, where members of the Romanov family were kept under house arrest in the royal estate of Ai-Todor, they were taken out by the British battleship Marlboro. In total, 43 members of the Romanov dynasty turned out to be outside the country - 19 men and 24 women.

I was lucky to meet the head of the imperial house in exile in the summer of 1990 in Paris. An interview with him under the title “Challenger for the Throne” appeared in the Moscow News on August 5, 1990. As I remember now, the imperial apartments did not seem chic to me. It was remembered that a French journalist and I climbed a tiny elevator into an apartment located in a side street not far from the famous Rivoli street, which, in turn, hardly squeezed sideways, although in other houses in the center of Paris there were no elevators at all, they were forbidden to be built in ancient buildings. Vladimir Kirillovich received us together with his wife Leonida Georgievna. During the conversation, he showed an impressive picture on the wall - it depicted his great-grandfather, Emperor Alexander II.

Grand Duke with a red bow

However, the first Russian emperor in exile was not Vladimir Kirillovich at all, but his father, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (the prefix “great” was to him as the grandson of Emperor Alexander II). I learned about this already in Moscow, when, in response to an interview with the “living Russian emperor”, an angry letter from Australia came to the editorial office. As it turned out, after the revolution, Cyril - the cousin of the murdered Nicholas II - settled with his family in France, where in 1922 he accepted the rank of guardian of the sovereign of the throne, and in 1924 - the duties of the all-Russian emperor in exile. The logic of his “accession” was dictated by the fact that in a situation where the Bolsheviks exterminated all the male offspring of Emperor Alexander III, the right to the throne, which at that time the monarchists still hoped to return, had to go to the clan of the next son of Alexander II, whose senior dynastic representative he just appeared.

But not all Romanovs who were in exile, as reported from faraway Australia, agreed with this situation. Opponents were headed by Nikolai Nikolayevich Romanov - uncle of Nicholas II, the former supreme commander in chief - apparently, he himself was aiming at the throne.

The head of the dynasty in exile has repeatedly stated that representatives of the Romanov dynasty always perceived power not as a coveted fruit, but as a heavy cross

Opponents of "Cyril the First" remembered a lot of it. For example, that in March 1917 his behavior was not an example of courage and devotion to the crowned brother - allegedly in those difficult days he with a red bow on his chest and along with his guards crew came to the State Duma and almost swore allegiance to her, although his cousin emperor had not yet abdicated. That at one time he married not only his own cousin, but also divorced. And this is true - on the eve of their marriage, Nicholas II deprived Cyril of all the rights of a member of the imperial family, including the right to inherit the throne. True, a few years later the emperor took mercy and nevertheless recognized the marriage, so that cousin Cyril immediately turned out to be the third among his possible successors. His wife became the Grand Duchess Victoria Fedorovna, born to 1917, the daughter of Maria and Cyrus - princesses of imperial blood. And the son and heir named by Vladimir, who was practically the same age as the revolution, he was born in August 1917 in Finland, where the family managed to leave, and became the second exiled Russian emperor after his father.

Passport for the emperor

The childhood of Vladimir Kirillovich passed in German Coburg and in Saint-Briac - a resort town on the banks of the Lamanche, where the imperial family finally resettled in 1928. The heir to the Russian crown never went to school - his parents were afraid for his safety, so they brought up and educated Vladimir, like all the tsar’s children before the revolution, as home mentors. From childhood, in addition to Russian, he was fluent in English, French, Spanish and German. In his youth he was fond of technology, assembled existing models of aircraft and ships, studied the structure of the car. In 1933, at dynastic adulthood, he was presented with the first motorcycle. He took the throne at the age of 21 - after his father, Kirill Vladimirovich, died in a hospital near Paris in 1938. A year later, the head of the Romanov’s house went incognito to the UK, where he entered the diesel engine factory under the name of Peter Mikhailov, like Peter the Great once — he wanted to know more about the lives of workers, received a working salary, rented a room.

He married the nee Princess Bagration-Mukhrana Leonid, daughter of the head of the Georgian royal house. Today both of them are not alive. Leonida Georgievna passed away at the age of 95, already in the twenty-first century. Vladimir Kirillovich died a year after the collapse of the USSR. But he still managed to see his homeland - on November 5, 1991, together with his wife, he arrived at the invitation of Mayor Anatoly Sobchak to celebrations in honor of the return of his real name to St. Petersburg. Going on that trip, he put forward only one condition - he will not take any visa.

And in February 1992, President Yeltsin visited Paris. Tsar Boris wished to meet with the head of the Russian imperial house, and as soon as he left for his homeland, when Vladimir Kirillovich had already received a passport of a Russian citizen — an old model, with the coat of arms of the USSR on the cover. But the head of the Romanov dwelling did not stay long as a Russian citizen - in April 1992, during a visit to America, he suddenly died of a heart attack right at a press conference. During his lifetime, Vladimir Kirillovich announced the transfer of dynastic rights to his daughter Maria, born in 1953. And grandson - Tsarevich George. They first arrived in Russia, following the coffin of their father. He was buried in the ancestral tomb of the Romanovs in the Peter and Paul Fortress, his patriarch Alexy II, with whom he had corresponded in recent years, was buried.

Dissenting

Not all overseas Romanovs agree with the current distribution of roles in the dynasty. The angry relatives of Empress Maria and Tsarevich George do not tire of repeating that all the princes of imperial blood abroad accepted the titles and surnames of their foreign husbands. But with Maria Vladimirovna, it happened differently - her husband, Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia (by the way, they divorced a long time ago), received the title of Grand Duke from her father. But if she followed the general rule, then their son born in 1981, George would become Prince George of Prussia, and not at all the heir to the Romanov dynasty. And the fact that Maria Vladimirovna herself is a person of imperial dignity, the opponents of the “Kirillovites” strongly doubt. Her mother, Leonida Georgievna, in their opinion, can be called a representative of the Romanov’s tsar’s house of equal value: they say, what kind of Georgian tsar’s dynasty can one speak of if Georgia became part of the Russian Empire in 1801? And what exclusive rights to the primacy in the Romanov dynasty then may Maria Vladimirovna herself have?

As far back as 1979, seven princes and princesses of imperial blood - all born before the March Revolution of 1917 - established abroad the organization of the dissenting “Association of Romanov Clan Members”. Living in Italy, 90-year-old Nikolai Romanovich Romanov is the great-great-grandson of the male line of Emperor Nicholas I, a philanthropist, writer and historian, the current head of the opposition. The members of the movement today include ten princes, 12 princesses and a whole regiment of less noble clan representatives. True, most women have already non-Russian surnames - Consolo, Bonacini, Komiser, Glossinger, Tirotti, etc. On the opposition website “Russian Diary” (www.rdnevnik.ru) you can find out that the union of descendants considers the unity of the family to be their main task , propaganda of its historical traditions and educational activities - in particular, at the 1992 congress of all senior men of the Romanov clan in Paris, it was decided to create the Romanovs for Russia fund, which helps orphanages, shelters and hospitals. That the organization was created solely to strengthen ties between members of the dynasty scattered around the world, and not to solve the question of the form of government in Russia that only the great Russian people can decide. And of course, not to participate in dynastic squabbles.

However, relatives do not hide the hostility to the heirs of the throne. They like to remember that at the historic event - the burial ceremony in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the remains of the imperial family shot in Yekaterinburg, which gathered more than 40 foreign Romanovs on July 17, 1998 - Maria Vladimirovna, although she was then in Russia, was not present. Apparently, because the Russian authorities warned: they would not give preference to any member of the family present at the ceremony.

On their website, the opposition explains that most of the Russian princes and princesses who found themselves in a foreign land chose their spouses among members of great historical Russian families. Because they no longer allowed the thought of the traditional search for a husband or wife among the representatives of the German nobility, once traditional for the Romanovs, considering Germany the main reason for the troubles of Russia that began in 1914. Another clear attack against the "Cyril". Cesarevich George on his father is the great-great-grandson of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. The elder sisters of his grandfather Vladimir - Maria and Kira - also chose the Germans as husbands: Maria Kirillovna in 1925 became the wife of Prince Karl Leningensky, and the blonde beauty Kira Kirillovna in 1938 in Potsdam celebrated a magnificent wedding with Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, the heir to the house of the German emperor. Now the number one among the heirs of this house is the grandson of Kira Kirillovna, Georg Friedrich (Hohenzollern).

In the office of the Romanov dynasty (in Russia this already exists), in response to unfriendly statements, relatives call their opponents an "association of morganatic relatives." As the director of the chancellery, Alexander Zakatov, explains, they were born from morganatic marriages and, according to family laws, cannot belong to the Russian imperial house. And the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna belongs and is not at all a “contender for the throne,” but the legitimate hereditary head of the dynasty. The status of Maria Vladimirovna, according to him, was recognized by much more authoritative forces than the "private association of relatives", namely the church and foreign royal houses.

Almost officials

This is a fairly modest statement. In fact, the unrecognized de jure head of the Romanov dynasty is almost an official person in the homeland of their ancestors. Only last November, Maria Vladimirovna talked with the Mufti of Moscow, attended the premiere of the opera Life for the Tsar in Chelyabinsk, met with State Duma Chairman Sergei Naryshkin and Patriarch Kirill

The Grand Duchess distributes orders in Russia - in 2001, in agreement with the command of the armed forces, she revived the military order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, established in 1929 by her grandfather

Not recognized in their homeland, but restored to Russian citizenship, the Romanov mother and son traveled to almost all regions of the country - from Smolensk to Vladivostok. They come to Russia by official invitations - from the patriarch, representatives of the president, governors and mayors. The house of the Romanovs has its official website www. imperialhouse.ru with detailed information about the life and work of the imperial family. The Chancellery of the Imperial House, established in Moscow in 1997, passed state registration in 2003, that is, it operates on completely legal grounds, although approximately two dozen of its employees work on a voluntary basis. There is also a representative office in Transnistria - the unrecognized republic was the first to recognize the unrecognized empress. Vladimir Churov presents his books to Maria Vladimirovna. In his spare time from nervous work, the CEC chairman studies the history of the White movement and even wrote and published the story “The Secret of the Four Generals”.

The Grand Duchess distributes orders in Russia - in 2001, in agreement with the command of the armed forces, she revived the military order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, established in 1929 by her grandfather, and now comes to award them the Russian military. The empress herself also received the order in Russia, although it is not yet at the hands of the secular authorities - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II awarded her the Order of St. Olga of the 1st degree. And she shortly before the Holy Patriarch passed away, attributed him to the highest dynastic order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Maria Vladimirovna revived another imperial order - St. Anne. Two years ago, she specially visited Moscow at the invitation of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Russia Vyacheslav Lebedev - to elevate him to the rank of Knight of the Imperial Order of St. Anna of the 1st degree.

The Empress Empress elevates her compatriots even to noble dignity - for her efforts in the field of charity, support for the church, strengthening defense capabilities and achievements in the civil service. True, so far on a smaller scale than was done in the good old days. And the names of the newly arrived noblemen - figures of modern politics and characters in social life - today are not particularly advertised.

Empress grows watermelons

“When will you return to Russia?” - such a question to Maria Vladimirovna and her son George is constantly asked. Usually they answer that if they were private individuals, they would have returned long ago. But the return to the homeland of the imperial house is not just the return of a collection of private individuals, but a whole historical institution. This has already happened in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Albania, Italy, France, Portugal, and other republican countries, where decent reigning dynasties have created decent living conditions at home. Mother and son of the Romanovs periodically communicate with the European royal dynasties, with whom they are related, attend family celebrations. At the end of 2011, they visited the 90th anniversary of the King of Romania, Michael I. We saw that a concert was given in honor of the hero of the day at the National Opera, crowds of people came to the opera building to wish to congratulate their monarch. The king lives in the palace, his residence is guarded by the horse guard.

By the way, in the Vladimir Palace on the embankment of St. Petersburg, where the ancestor of Maria Vladimirovna lived - the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, son of Emperor Alexander II, the St. Petersburg House of Scientists was located in the 1920s. Once, when Anatoly Sobchak received her at the city hall, he joked: “Maybe return the palace to you?” The empress in exile also laughed: “What are you, who will clean it”.

The head of the imperial house lives in an ordinary apartment in the center of Madrid - now it is the only property of the imperial family. They had to part with a family villa in the French Saint-Briac - it is too expensive to maintain and repair. The life of the sovereign is simple, no ceremonial, the housemaid Moroccan helps her with the housework. She herself always loved to mess with the land and plants: she used to take care of the garden around her villa in Saint-Briac, now - for a small corner on the roof of the house, where tenants can grow flowers and vegetables. Sometimes, with luck, the Russian Empress manages to get a crop of tomatoes and small, but very sweet watermelons.

Once Anatoly Sobchak joked: “Maybe return the palace to you?” The empress in exile also laughed: “What are you, who will clean it”

Prince of the great Nornickel

Tsesarevich George, who will be 32 years old in May, is making a successful career. Oddly enough, connected with Russia, although he was born in Spain, he received education in England and France and speaks English, French and Spanish more freely than in Russian. After Oxford University, where he studied economics and jurisprudence, working in the evenings at a law firm, George Romanov worked in Brussels as an assistant to the vice president of the European Commission and the commissioner for transport and energy, then in Luxembourg he dealt with the problems of nuclear energy and nuclear safety. But at the end of 2008, the heir to the tsesarevich was invited to his advisers by the General Director of Norilsk Nickel Vladimir Strzhalkovsky (recall that the head of the holding resigned last December, receiving the largest severance pay in Russian history - $ 100 million). With the help of the “real prince”, the leaders of Norilsk Nickel hoped to reduce the damage from the decision of the European Commission to classify a number of nickel compounds as dangerous substances - they hoped that a descendant of Alexander II would be better able to defend their interests in a united Europe. Apparently, the shareholders ’expectations were justified - today Georgy is no longer working in the concern’s representative office in Brussels, but headed his sales“ daughter ”in Switzerland.

Now he can only "correctly" marry. If the laws of the Russian Empire were in effect in modern Britain, the marriage of the English prince William and Kate Middleton would be considered morganatic, that is, uneven. But life does not stand still, and most European royal houses, including the ruling, abolished the concept of morganatic marriages. Now, for the recognition of a dynastic marriage, the consent of the reigning monarch is enough. The Russian law on succession to the throne, approved by Emperor Paul I in 1797, incidentally, contained the same rule. An additional restriction on the marriages of members of the imperial house was introduced in 1820 by Emperor Alexander I. He established that if a member of the dynasty marries a person who does not belong to any royal or possessive house, he himself does not lose his right to the throne, but his spouse and offspring do not have dynastic rights. For the Romanov dynasty in exile, this limitation is still valid.

True, the Empress mother has already hinted that if a girl of non-royal origin becomes a chosen one of her son and correcting the existing dynastic laws will be required to conclude a proper marriage with her, then this will not be the case. The problem is different - if Georgy Romanov marries “wrong”, dynastic disputes with his morganatic relatives will flare up with renewed vigor. And they can end with a real palace coup.

On the highest level

A year ago, the head of the Romanov dynasty and the heir, the Tsarevich, attended the blessing ceremony for the foundation stone of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ in Madrid, where they communicated with Svetlana Medvedeva. Last September, they participated in celebrations dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the nationwide victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, where they were warmly greeted by President Putin personally. True, neither the president nor the prime minister has yet arranged special meetings with the heirs of the crown of the Russian Empire. Although they have known each other for a long time - since being the employees of the St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office on behalf of the Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, they oversaw the first visits of the Romanovs to their homeland. They later met regularly, for example, four years ago they met at the intronization of Patriarch Kirill.

The Grand Duchess expects that the conditions for an official meeting will mature over time. A good occasion is the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the calling of the Romanovs to the Russian throne. However, in her address to compatriots on the occasion of the round date, Maria Vladimirovna wrote that this anniversary was not a celebration of the dynasty, but a celebration of the end of the Time of Troubles. An anniversary given to reflect on the past and learn from it. Holiday of the people who liberated their country from invaders and restored their statehood.

The head of the dynasty in exile has repeatedly stated that representatives of the Romanov dynasty always perceived power not as a coveted fruit, but as a heavy cross. And that they do not seek political power or participation in the political struggle. Another thing is the preservation of the eternal ideal of a family state, capable of ensuring unity, harmony and balance in society, the head of the dynasty has no right to refuse this obligation. It only seems that the reigning, but not ruling overseas tandem is hopelessly late - they are ready to implement the idea of \u200b\u200blifelong power in modern Russia without the participation of the Romanovs.

  IN ACCORDANCE OF THE NOVELS,

The "dynastic" disputes within the modern monarchical movement in Russia are formally based on a different interpretation of a number of historical facts from the point of view of their compliance with the legislation of the Russian Empire.

The Law on succession to the throne was first issued in Russia by Emperor Paul I in 1797 (before that, either the eldest son of the previous sovereign or the person named as the heir in the will was considered the legal heir to the throne).

With some additions (made, in particular, in 1820), the law of 1797 was valid until the fall of the monarchy in 1917.

The legal heir to the throne must satisfy several rules, one of which is the origin of the "equal marriage", included in the Law on succession in 1820 on the Austrian model.

In this case, the successor to the throne must either become Orthodox (at present, of the possible foreign applicants for the legacy of the House of Romanov, Orthodox are only Serbian, Bulgarian, Romanian and Greek princes; German, Spanish and English are naturally Catholics or Protestants).

Princess Sophia of Greece had the rights to the Russian throne before her conversion to Catholicism and marriage to Juan Carlos of Spain; her rights passed to her and Juan Carlos’s children and grandchildren - theoretically, they could receive the Russian throne provided that they converted to Orthodoxy and renounced the rights to the Spanish crown.

Monarchists - supporters of strict observance of the Law on succession to the throne, are called legitimists.

Unlike the Legitimists, collegiate monarchists - supporters of the election of the tsar at the All-Russian Zemsky Sobor - believe that the conditions in the country have changed so much that it is no longer possible to strictly follow all imperial laws.

In their opinion, it is necessary to return to a tradition that is more ancient than the post-Petrine legislation - namely, the Zemsky Sobor, which can decide which of the laws of the Russian Empire (including legislation relating to succession issues) must be respected at all costs, and which ones are permissible to ignore or correct.

The most radical individuals even allow the choice of a new dynasty (proposed options: -

rurik’s offspring, Stalin’s grandson, Marshal Zhukov’s grandson), but the majority nevertheless recognizes the Cathedral Oath of 1613 to the Romanov Dynasty and tends to exclude the rule of origin from an equal marriage (as “alien to Russian tradition” and, most importantly, undermining the rights of all or almost all possible non-foreign applicants), as well as to consider at the Zemsky Sobor the preferred rights and human qualities of the descendants of the Romanov clan, including descendants from unequal marriages.

Among the possible pretenders, "cathedrals" in former times were most often called Tikhon and Guri Kulikovsky (sons of the sister of Nicholas II Olga). However, Tikhon Kulikovsky died on April 8, 1993, and even earlier, in the 80s, his brother Gury died.

ROMANOVA Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess, Head of the Imperial House of Romanov, Locum Tenens of the Russian Throne

Great-great-granddaughter of Alexander II. Her father, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich (1917-1992) - the son of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (1876-1938) and cousin of Nicholas II - headed the Russian imperial house for 54 years and was considered legitimate monarchists as locum tenens. Grandfather - Kirill Vladimirovich - in 1922 declared himself the locum tenens of the throne, and in 1924 adopted the title of All-Russian Emperor ("Cyril I"). In 1905, against the will of Nicholas II, Kirill Vladimirovich married his cousin Princess Victoria-Melite (1878-1936), who in her first marriage was married (in 1894-1903) to Ernst Ludwig, the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt - his native brother of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Nicholas II. After the divorce (due to the "unnatural inclinations of the duke", which was not known before the marriage), Victoria-Melita married Cyril in 1905. The marriage of Cyril and Victoria at first was not recognized by Nicholas and was legalized by imperial decree only in 1907, after the birth of their first daughter, Mary.

The mother of Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna (1914), nee Princess Bagrationi-Mukhranskaya, belongs to the Georgian royal house, was married to Vladimir Kirillovich for the second marriage (the first husband is an American businessman of Scottish descent Sumner Moore Kirby, who participated in the French Resistance and died in the French Resistance German concentration camp in 1945).

Maria Vladimirovna grew up in France, studied at Oxford. December 23, 1969, on the day of her coming of age, the head of the imperial house, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich published the “Appeal”, in which he declared her guardian of the throne. At that moment, seven members of the male dynasty (aged 55 to 73 years), who had the right to inherit the throne in the event of the death of Vladimir Kirillovich, were still alive, but, as stated in the “Appeal,” all of them “are married and .. "it is hardly possible to assume that any of Them, taking into account Their age, will be able to enter into a new, equal marriage and, moreover, to have offspring that would become entitled to the right of succession." Accordingly, it was announced that after their death, the legacy would pass to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

In 1976, she married Franz-Wilhelm Hohenzollern, Prince of Prussia (son of Prince of Prussia Karl Franz Joseph, grandson of Prince Joachim and, accordingly, great-grandson of the German Emperor Wilhelm II). The wedding took place after the prince adopted Orthodoxy; at a wedding in the Madrid Orthodox Church, Franz-Wilhelm was proclaimed "Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich."

After the death in 1989 of the last of the princes of imperial blood - Prince Vasily Alexandrovich - Maria Vladimirovna was officially proclaimed heir to the throne. In 1992, when Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich died, she headed the imperial House of Romanovs. Legitimist monarchists referring to the Law on succession to the throne, Maria Vladimirovna is considered as the locum tenens of the Russian throne and de jure empress, and her son George - as the only legitimate successor to the throne.

Opponents of the Kirillov branch of the Romanovs question the rights of Mary and her son to the Russian throne, referring to the fact that Grand Duke Kirill was married to his cousin, who was also divorced (i.e. his marriage was illegal according to the canons of the Orthodox Church), and they also deny the uniformity of the marriage between Vladimir Kirilovich and Grand Duchess Leonida (who, in their opinion, either lost their royal status as a result of their first unequal marriage, or did not have it from the very beginning, since the Bagration-Mukhransky family ceased to be to be a master of the house after the inclusion of Georgia in the Russian Empire). However, the international monarchist “public” (represented by European monarchs and representatives of sovereign houses that have lost their thrones) recognizes as the true Romanovs only the branch of Kirillovich.

Maria Vladimirovna lives in Saint-Briak (France), speaks good Russian. In 1986, divorced her husband (Bishop of Los Angeles Anthony divorced his spouses, who married them); after the divorce, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich returned to Lutheranism and began to be titled as before - Franz-Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia.

ROMANOV George Mikhailovich, Grand Duke of Russia, Prince of Prussia (George, Prince of Prussia Romanov), heir to the Russian throne.

On his father - a direct descendant (great-great-grandson) of the German emperor Wilhelm II. Great-great-great-grandson of Emperor Alexander II. On the line of great-grandmother of the English Princess Victoria-Melita (or Grand Duchess Victoria Fedorovna) - a direct descendant of the English Queen Victoria.

He studied at a primary school in Saint-Brieuc (France), then at the College of St. Stanislav in Paris. Since 1988, lives in Madrid, where he attended an English school for children of diplomats.

George's native language is French, he is fluent in Spanish and English, he knows Russian a little worse.

He came to Russia for the first time in late April 1992, accompanying his family to St. Petersburg with the body of his grandfather, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich. He visited Russia a second time in May-June 1992 to take part in the transfer of his grandfather’s body from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to the Grand Duke’s tomb of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and then visited Moscow.

Maria Vladimirovna has repeatedly stated that the formation of George will continue in Russia. In late 1996 - early 1997, media reported that George would return to his homeland in 1997, but this did not happen.

Doubts about the right to the throne are the same as with his mother.

Opponents of the Kirillovich call Grand Duke George "George Hohenzollern", and also - as a joke - "Prince Gosha" (and his followers, respectively, "Goshists").

ROMANOV Andrey Andreevich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male junior line, the descendant of Alexander III on the female junior line, the son of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich Romanov (1897-1981) from his morganatic marriage with Elizabeth Fabricevna Ruffo, daughter of the Duke of Don Fabrizio Ruffo and Princess Natalia Alexandrovna Meshchersky, the grandson of Grand Duke Mikhailovich (1866-1933) and Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna (daughters of Alexander III, sister of Nicholas II), younger brother of Mikhail Andreyevich Romanov, cousin of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov.

Married with a third marriage to Ines Storer. The first marriage was married to Elena Konstantinovna Durneva, the second - to Kathleen Norris. He has three sons: the eldest Alexei (1953) - from the first marriage, the younger Peter (1961) and Andrew (1963) - from the second.

From the point of view of the legitimists, he does not have legal rights to the throne, since he comes from an unequal marriage. From the point of view of conciliar monarchists, it can be considered by the Zemsky Cathedral as a candidate for the throne, since it comes from Nicholas I along the male line.

ROMANOV Dmitry Romanovich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male younger line, the great-grandson of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Sr. (1831-1891), the grandson of Grand Duke Pyotr Nikolaevich (1864-1931) and the Montenegrin Princess Militsa, son of Roman Petrovich Romanov (1896-1978) and Countess Praskovya Sheremeteva .

In 1936, he moved with his parents to Italy, where Elena was the queen, the sister of Militsa Chernogorskaya, who was her aunt, respectively, to his father. Shortly before the liberation of Rome, he was hiding as allies, as the Germans decided to arrest all the relatives of the Italian king. After the referendum in Italy on the monarchy, he left for Egypt after the abjured Italian king and his wife. He worked at the Ford Automobile Plant in Alexandria as a mechanic, a car salesman. After the overthrow of King Farouk and the beginning of the persecution of the Europeans, he left Egypt and returned to Italy. He worked as a secretary to the chief of a ship company.

In 1953, as a tourist, he first visited Russia. While on vacation in Denmark, he met his future first wife, a year later married her and moved to Copenhagen, where he worked as a bank clerk for more than 30 years.

Since 1973, it has been a member of the Association of Members of the House of Romanov, since 1989 it is headed by its older brother, Prince Nikolai Romanovich Romanov.

In June 1992, he became one of the founders and chairman of the Romanov Foundation for Russia. In 1993-1995 five times came to Russia. In July 1998, attended the funeral of the remains of Nicholas II and his family in St. Petersburg.

Opponent of the restoration of the monarchy, believes that in Russia "there must be a democratically elected president."

From the point of view of the Legitimists, he does not have legal rights to the throne, since his father comes from an unequal marriage.

Collects orders and medals. He wrote and published in English several books about awards - Montenegrin, Bulgarian and Greek. She is working on a book about Serbian and Yugoslav awards, she dreams of writing a book about old Russian and Soviet awards, as well as about post-Soviet Russia awards.

Married with a second marriage to Danish translator Dorrit Reventrow. He married her in July 1993 in a cathedral in Kostroma, in which Mikhail Romanov was married to the kingdom. No children.

ROMANOV Mikhail Andreevich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male younger line, the descendant of Alexander III on the female younger line, the son of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich Romanov. Lives in Australia.

In 1953 he married Esther Blanche, divorced her the following year and married Elizabeth Shirley. (Both marriages are naturally uneven). No children. He has a younger brother - Andrei Andreyevich (1923).

The journalist of the collegiate camp Leonid Bolotin defended the hypothetical rights of Mikhail Andreevich (as well as Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - see below) to the throne, interpreting the mention of the future tsar named Michael as a prediction of Russia in the Prophecy of Daniel. At the same time, from the point of view of the majority of the collegiate monarchists, who are almost all indifferent to the "Jewish question", the rights of Mikhail Andreevich (as well as Andrei Andreevich and Mikhail Fedorovich) are apparently doubtful, since their great-grandmother, the great prince Alexander the great mother Princess Olga Fyodorovna, Princess of Baden, had family ties with representatives of the dynasty of Jewish financiers from Karlsruhe (according to Count Sergei Witte, expressed in his memoirs, precisely because of this, children of Olga Fedorovna - Nikolai, Mikhail, Georg I, Alexander and Sergey - did not like Anti-Semitism is not alien to the Emperor Alexander III).

[2009 note: died in September 2008]

ROMANOV Mikhail Fedorovich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male youngest line and Alexander III on the female line, the great-grandson of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, grandson of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna (daughter of Alexander III, sister of Nicholas II), son of Grand Duke Fedor Alexandrovich (1898-1968 ) and Irina Pavlovna (1903), the daughter of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich from an morganatic marriage with Olga Valerianovna Paley.

Lives in Paris.

In 1958, he married Helge Stauffenberger. Son Michael (1959), granddaughter Tatyana (1986).

ROMANOV Nikita Nikitich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male younger line, the great-grandson of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich (1832-1909), the grandson of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933), the son of Nikita Alexandrovich Romanov (1900-1974) and Countess Maria Illarionovna Vorontsova-Dashkova (1903) . Lives in New York.

Vice-chairman of the Association of Members of the Romanov House established in 1979 (chairman - Prince Nikolai Romanovich Romanov). He visited Russia several times, visited the estate of his grandfather Ai-Todor in Crimea. In July 1998, attended the funeral of the remains of Nicholas II and his family in St. Petersburg. There is a younger brother Alexander Nikitich Romanov (1929), also living in the United States.

Married to Janet (in Orthodoxy - Anna Mikhailovna) Shonvald (1933), has a son Fedor (1974).

The law of succession does not comply (comes from unequal marriage, consists in unequal marriage).

ROMANOV Nikolay Romanovich

The great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I on the male younger line, the great-grandson of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Sr. (1831-1891), a participant in the liberation of Bulgaria. Grandson of Grand Duke Pyotr Nikolayevich (1864-1931) and Montenegrin Princess Militsa (daughter of Montenegrin King Nicholas I), son of Roman Petrovich Romanov (1896-1978) from his morganatic marriage with Countess Praskovya Dmitrievna Sheremetyeva (1901-1980). The grand-nephew of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Jr. (1856-1929), commander in chief of the Russian army during the First World War, a conspirator and contender for the throne.

In 1936, he moved with his parents from France to Italy. In 1941, he refused the offer of Mussolini to take the throne of the king of Montenegro.

After the referendum in Italy on the monarchy, following the abdicated Italian king and Queen Elena, the family moved to Egypt, and when King Farouk was overthrown, he returned to Italy.

Watercolor painter.

He lived in Rougemont (Switzerland), then moved to Rome (after he married the Florentine decanter Sveva della Garaldesca and acquired Italian citizenship in 1993).

In 1989, after the death of Grand Duke Vasily Alexandrovich - chairman of the "Association (Association) of members of the Romanov dynasty", he headed this association, whose members do not recognize the right to the throne of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, and her son George Mikhailovich is considered to belong to the house of the Hohenzollern, not the Romanovs. He initiated the congress of the Romanov men in June 1992 in Paris. At the congress, the Russian Assistance Fund was created, led by his brother Dmitry.

After the death (April 8, 1993), Tikhon Kulikovsky was considered by the Russian opponents of the Cyril branch to be "senior in the Romanov dynasty", but undermined his authority in this environment by his republican and Yeltsinist statements. He called himself a supporter of Yeltsin. He stands for the presidential republic, believes that "Russia should have borders more or less similar to the borders of the Soviet Union, the former Russian Empire," and "a form of organization resembling the United States," that "a truly federal republic with a strong central authority needs to be created, but with strictly limited powers. " In an interview with the Paris magazine Poins de Vue in 1992, he expressed confidence that "the monarchy in Russia cannot be restored."

The law of succession does not comply, because it comes from an unequal marriage and consists in an unequal marriage.

In July 1998, attended the funeral of the remains of Nicholas II and his family in St. Petersburg.

Nikolai Romanovich has three daughters: Natalia (1952), Elizabeth (1956), Tatyana (1961). All of them are married to Italians, and their two eldest daughters have a son and a daughter.

Romanov-Ilyinsky (Romanovsky-Ilyinsky) Pavel Dmitrievich (Paul R. Ilyinsky)

The great-grandson of Tsar Alexander II, the grandson of his fifth son - Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich (killed in the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1919) - and Alexandra Grecheskaya, son of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich (1891-1942). The Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich was one of the murderers of Grigory Rasputin, in the United States he married the American Orthodox Anna (Audrey) Emery (1904-1971), daughter of John Emery, who gave birth to his son Paul (Paul). (In 1937 they divorced, Anna was then married by a second marriage to Prince Dmitry Georgadze.) Dmitry Pavlovich died in Switzerland.

Paul Romanov-Ilyinsky is a retired US Marine Colonel. A member of the Municipal Council of Palm Beach in Florida, at one time was the mayor of this city.

Member of the Republican Party of the United States.

Member of the Association of the House of Romanov, headed by Nikolai Romanov. He did not claim the throne, but considered himself (after the death of Vladimir Kirillovich) the head of the Romanov dynasty.

Married with an American marriage to Orthodoxy, Angelica Kaufman. The first marriage was married to an American Mary-Evelyn Prince.

Does not comply with the Law of Succession: derives from unequal marriage, consists in unequal marriage.

Children Dmitry (1954), Mikhail (1960), Paula (1956), Anna (1959). He has seven grandchildren.

[Died after 2000. Sons Dmitry Romanovsky-Ilyinsky and Mikhail Romanovsky-Ilyinsky recognize the right to the throne of Maria Vladimirovna and her son George; in turn, Maria recognizes their right to be called princes (NB: but not Grand Dukes), and also recognizes Dmitry Romanovsky-Ilyinsky as "the senior male representative of the FAMILY Romanovs (that is, all male and female descendants of DYNASTY Members, regardless of the marriages of the aforementioned persons) ")].

LEYINGEN Emich-Cyril, the seventh prince of Leningen

Born in 1926

The son of Friedrich-Karl, the sixth prince of Leiningen, and Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna Romanova (daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who proclaimed himself in 1924 "Emperor Cyril I"). Father, a German naval officer, died in August 1946 from starvation in Soviet captivity in a camp near Saransk, his mother died of a heart attack on October 27, 1951 in Madrid.

As a child, he was a member of the Hitler Youth.

He has two younger brothers - Karl-Vladimir (1928) and Friedrich-Wilhelm (1938) and three sisters - Kira-Melita (1930), Margarita (1932) and Matilda (1936). It is related to the Bulgarian and Greek royal houses, as well as to the younger branch of the Serbian Karageorgievich dynasty.

According to the "Cyril" interpretation of the Law of Succession, it is the first in the "line" to the Russian throne after the Grand Duke George Mikhailovich. In the case of the childless death of George (and, accordingly, the suppression of the senior line of the Kirillovich), Emich-Cyril Leiningen or his sons will inherit the right to the throne - subject to the transition to Orthodoxy.

KENT Michael (Michael, Prince of Kent)

Born in 1942

Great-great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The grandson of King George V of England, the youngest son of George, Duke of Kent, Prince of Great Britain (1902-1942) and Princess Marina (1906-1968), daughter of the Greek Prince Nikolai (1872-1938) and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna (1882-1957), sister Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.

Along the lines of his grandfather Nikolai Grechesky, the son of Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna (1851-1926), was the great-great-grandson of the second son of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov (1827-1892). On the line of his grandmother, Elena Vladimirovna is the great-great-grandson of the Russian Emperor Alexander II. Accordingly, the second cousin of the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

The elder brother is Duke Edward of Kent, and his sister is Princess Alexandra.

He graduated from the military school, where he learned the Russian language, received the profession of military translator. He served in the headquarters of military intelligence. He retired with the rank of major. Unsuccessfully tried to do business. Then he made two television films - about Queen Victoria and her wife Alberta and about Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexander.

Mason. According to some reports, the head of the Great Lodge of the East.

After 1992, he repeatedly visited Russia.

In the English succession, he originally occupied the 8th place (his father George, the Duke of Kent, was the younger brother of Kings Edward VIII and George VI), but, having married a Catholic, he lost the right to the British throne - according to the law of 1701 (Wife - previously divorced Austrian Baroness Maria Cristina von Reybnits.Her father in 1933 was a member of the Nazi party, rose to the rank of SS Sturmbanführer.)

Theoretically retains the rights to the Russian throne - subject to the transition to Orthodoxy. His marriage, however, is uneven and the descendants of this marriage (if any) cannot inherit the throne.

In the novel by Frederick Forsythe, the Icon (1997) appears as a candidate for the throne (and then the tsar), invited to Russia to save her from dictatorship.

WOLVES Maxim (Max)

A descendant of Nicholas I through his grandson of Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich Romanov (brother of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov, better known as the poet "K.R") and his (Grand Duke Nicholas) daughter Olga Pavlovna Sumarokova-Elston (surname and patronymic on the stepfather) .

He worked as a guide in the Tretyakov Gallery.

He has no rights to the throne, since the marriage of Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich was morganatic.

The Church is trying to involve conspiratorial historians in the investigation of the “royal case”

The daughters and wife of Nicholas II, Alexander Fedorovna, were not shot and lived to old age, the body of the emperor was dissolved in acid and splashed into the river, and the burial in Porosenkov Log, where the remains of the royal family were found, is actually a fake created by order of Stalin. The Russian Orthodox Church is ready to seriously consider all these versions in order not to recognize the authenticity of the remains of the Romanovs.

Royal prisoners: Olga, Alexei, Anastasia and Tatyana Romanovs. Tsarskoye Selo, Alexander Park, May 1917.

One mystery in the “tsarist case” was less: the results of the exhumation of Alexander III make it possible to unequivocally state that there was no penetration into the crypt of the emperor before. Earlier, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern that the tombs of the tsars had been opened during the years of Soviet rule and the ashes were in an “unfortunate state”.

If this version were confirmed, the Patriarchate would have occasion to question the belonging of the discovered remains to Alexander III and, moreover, raise the question of the exhumation of the remaining Romanovs buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In this case, the final case of the death of Nicholas II and his family would be lost in the boundless distance.

However, to consider that the ending is close would be in any case too optimistic. Indeed, among the studies that should establish the identity of the “Yekaterinburg remains,” the Patriarchate considers the most important not the work of geneticists, but historical expertise.

Meanwhile, acquaintance with the arguments of historians, endowed with the trust of the church authorities, casts doubt on the fact that in this case someday the point will be put at all.

Milestone change

Currently, a historical expert examination within the framework of the “royal case” resumed on September 23 is being conducted by a team of specialists, historians and archivists, under the direction of the Director of the State Archive of the Russian Federation Sergey Mironenko. According to Mironenko himself, the work will be completed in late January - early February.

Meanwhile, the position of the director of the State Archive is well known. It is reflected, in particular, in the historical reference compiled last summer on behalf of the government working group on issues related to the study and reburial of the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria Romanov.

Academician Veniamin Alekseev, Bishop Egorievsky Tikhon (Shevkunov), Chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Moscow Patriarchate Vladimir Legoyda at a press conference on the issue of establishing the authenticity of the “Yekaterinburg remains”. Photo: mskagency

In addition to Mironenko, the certificate was signed by the head of the Federal Archival Agency Andrei Artizov, director of the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Petrov, head of the registration and archival funds department of the FSB Khristoforov, and historians Pikhoya and Pchelov.

“An analysis of archival sources, together with data obtained during previous investigative actions, confirm the conclusion that the remains currently stored in the State Archives of the Russian Federation really belong to the children of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II - Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, - stated in this document. “For all the years of work, no other documentary materials that could refute the conclusions made by the investigation and the government commission were found.”

It is unlikely that the position of Mironenko and his colleagues will change. However, the composition of the expert group itself may undergo changes. The examination was appointed by the former head of the investigation - Vladimir Solovyov, senior forensic investigator, Main Department of Criminalistics of the Investigative Committee. However, at the end of November this year. Headed the investigative team The head of the said unit, Major General of Justice Igor Krasnov.

The press service of the Investigative Committee informs about the reasons for castling only that it was made for the purpose of a full and objective investigation. However, according to MK, these decisions were preceded by a conversation between the patriarch and the chairman of the TFR, Alexander Bastrykin. According to MK sources, it was the primate who insisted on reformatting the investigation.

According to this version, the main object of the lobbying attack was Soloviev, who "had long been an eyesore of the church" and whom the ROC seeks to "get out of the game." And this goal has been achieved. Formally, Soloviev remains in the investigation team, but is actually suspended from the case. Moreover, according to available information, the leadership of the ICR is ready to meet the church on the issue of the studies assigned by Soloviev and replace a number of experts. Moreover, the most significant changes await just a historical examination.

This information is also confirmed by recent public statements by Bishop Egorievsky Tikhon (Shevkunov), a member of the recently established special commission of the Patriarchate to study the results of research on the "Yekaterinburg remains." “The composition of the expert group is determined,” Vladyka said, discussing the prospects of historical expertise. “There are different opinions about this ... In any case, we would very much like to see all the experts who have studied this issue over the past 25 years.” At the same time, Tikhon emphasizes, the church intends to participate in the selection of experts and to attract specialists to whom it trusts.

Information for consideration

Of all the historians who dealt with the theme of the tsar’s remains, it seems that the academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Veniamin Alekseev enjoys the greatest trust in the church. By the way, in 1993-1998. Alekseev was part of the government commission to study issues related to the study and reburial of the remains of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

Doubts about the belonging of the “Yekaterinburg remains” to the royal family Veniamin Vasilievich expressed even then, 20 years ago. And since then they have only strengthened. Alekseev shared his thoughts explaining “some circumstances of the study of the problem associated with determining the authenticity of the remains of the royal family” in a letter addressed to the patriarch (at the disposal of MK).

According to our sources, Cyril took the academician’s arguments very seriously. It is known that the information contained in the message was brought to the attention and leadership of the Investigative Committee. Apparently, by the way, the letter played an important role in the removal of Solovyov: the academician complains in him that the investigator not only did not listen to his arguments, but rejected, they say, the very need for historical examination.

So, what are the “circumstances” without which, according to the academician, one can’t do without? Firstly, Alekseev considers it necessary to familiarize himself with the materials of the lawsuit initiated by the well-known Anna Anderson, who required the official recognition of her Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanova. Documents are kept in the Danish Royal Archives.

According to the academician, Russian researchers tried to get acquainted with these funds in the early 1990s, but then they refused, citing the fact that the documents were marked as strictly secret. Alekseev offers to try again: "Perhaps now, after more than twenty years, work with these funds has become possible."

The academician also cites the testimony of the waitress Ekaterina Tomilova, who carried dinners to prisoners of the “special purpose house” - she was interrogated in November 1918 by the “White Guard investigation”.

“One day after the announcement in the newspaper about the execution of the former Sovereign, they gave me lunch for the royal family ... and I again took it to Ipatiev House,” the waitress recalled. “But I did not see the former Sovereign, the doctor and the third man, and I saw only the daughters of the Sovereign.”

Further, with reference to the information contained in the archives of Kolchak’s investigator Nikolai Sokolov, it is reported that in 1918 — even after July 17, when the Romanovs were executed according to the conclusions of the investigation — between Kaiser German diplomats and the Bolshevik leadership, represented by Chicherin, Ioffe, and Radek , negotiations were held on the "fencing of the life of the royal family." “How they ended is unclear to the end,” Alekseev comments on this information. “We have to understand the archive of the Russian Federation.”

Operation Cross and other adventures

Other facts are given that contradict, in the academician's opinion, the official version.

“In the FSB archive in the Sverdlovsk region I discovered the directive of the deputy L. Beria B. Kabulov dated March 1946, which set the task of returning to the problem of the death of the royal family, but I was not allowed to get acquainted with the results of the implementation of this directive,” complains Alekseev. However, he immediately offers an explanation of the riddle.

Such, according to the academician, is the version put forward by the late professor of the Diplomatic Academy, Vladlen Sirotkin, whom Alexeyev certifies as a well-informed specialist.

The version is the same: when in 1946 the Americans raised the question of Anastasia (Anne Anderson), the heiress of Romanov’s jewels, Stalin responded by instructing him to build a fake “grave” of the executed royal family under him, thereby closing the question of the Grand Duchess. The operation, codenamed “Cross,” was allegedly oversaw by the closest associate of the leader, Vyacheslav Molotov.

And in 1970, according to Alekseev, Glavlit (the main censorship authority of the USSR) issued an instruction in connection with Lenin’s anniversary forbidding to mention in the press that the corpse of Nicholas II was dissolved in acid and the solution was poured into the Iset River. The academician refers to the stories of people who allegedly saw the instructions. The document itself, "despite all efforts," he did not find.

From the same source - “stories of veterans of various services of the city of Yekaterinburg” - Alekseev became aware of the existence of “the history of the Ural Cheka, which presents a completely different version of the disappearance of the royal family than the one that appears officially.” However, the academician laments access to the relevant archival funds, he could not get it.

Complaints that many documents concerning the fate of the Romanovs are still classified can be called the leitmotif of the Alekseevsky letter. Among the undoubtedly existing, according to the academician, but inaccessible documents - the "official report on the execution of the imperial family", compiled by the executors immediately after the execution.

“In all likelihood, this most important document must be sought in the FSB archive,” Alekseev said. The ending of the message, however, is rather optimistic: “I hope that the receipt of new materials in conjunction with my previous achievements will allow us to come closer to the truth.”

At a recent press conference (in addition to Alekseev, it was attended by Bishop Tikhon and Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Information Department of the Moscow Patriarchate), the academician added a couple more to the “circumstances” listed in the letter. With reference to his foreign colleagues, Alekseev said that former German Chancellor Wilhelm II, as godfather Olga Nikolaevna (daughter of Nicholas II), provided her with a pension until his death in 1941.

Another fact that, according to the academician, makes one wonder is that in 2007, during excavations that, according to investigators, discovered the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria, 1930 coins were found next to the charred bones. How could they end up in a burial site dating back to 1918? “There is still no answer to this question,” the academician states sadly.

Savior on Spilled Blood

However, Veniamin Vasilievich is somewhat disingenuous: from a written and said by him a very definite version emerges. It includes two main points.

Firstly, both burial sites discovered in the Porosenko log, both the “main” excavated in 1991 and the second discovered in 2007, are fakes, the result of deliberate falsification carried out by the Soviet authorities several decades after the revolutionary events ( apparently, in 1946). Secondly, most of the royal family (namely, the female part) survived and was transported abroad.

Alekseev prudently draws up his thoughts in the form of questions that, they say, must be dealt with. However, the direction of the questions and the passion with which they are articulated leave no doubt as to which interpretation of events the academician adheres to.

Quite unambiguous information on this subject is also provided by the collection “Who are you, Mrs. Tchaikovsky?” Published last year.

The publication was prepared by the team of the Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the project manager is Academician Alekseev, who headed the institute from 1988 to 2013.

The book contains documents (mainly letters) from the personal archives of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who recognized Ms Tchaikovsky as Anna Anderson, who miraculously escaped Grand Duchess Anastasia from the Bolshevik dungeons.

Anna Anderson, aka Anastasia Tchaikovsky, aka Francis Shantskovskaya, is the most famous of impostors. Posing as Grand Duchess Anastasia.

For reference: the absolute majority of the relatives of Andrei Vladimirovich who survived the revolution held a different point of view. In 1928, the so-called “Romanov Declaration” was published, in which members of the imperial house denied kinship with Anderson, calling it an impostor.

No less safely, according to the sources of Alekseev, the fate of the mother and sisters of Anastasia was formed. In the preface to the collection, the academician reproduces the version of the French historian Marc Ferro: in the summer of 1918 the female part of the family was transferred to the Germans; after the transfer, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was protected by the Vatican and later died in; Grand Duchess Maria married “for one of the former Ukrainian princes”; Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was granted asylum in Poland - she lived with her daughter Tatyana in the Lviv convent.

“Then what about the decision of the government commission to identify the alleged remains for the reburial of all family members in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg?” Asks Alekseev. And he certainly knows the answer to this question. Such can be considered his statement of Marc Ferro, which the academician fully shares: “The historian’s reflection can be more reliable than DNA analysis.”

Marga Bodts, the most famous of the false Olga.

Of course, it would be an exaggeration to say that the Russian Orthodox Church is ready to sign every word of the academician. However, an approving attitude towards Alekseev's “search for truth” is visible, as they say, with the naked eye.

“We are convinced that the questions that he (Alekseev. - A.K.) poses are serious questions and cannot be ignored,” said Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the synodal information department of the Moscow Patriarchate. - We cannot reduce everything to genetic examination only. Historical and anthropological expertise is also extremely important ... We consider it obligatory to take into account all existing versions. ”

But if the question is just like that, then the “royal case” has very little chance of ending in the foreseeable future. The number of "existing versions" is such that their verification can stretch to infinity.

Clone attack

“Many versions of the life of Princess Anastasia are known - should all of these versions be studied by the investigation? - sarcastically comments on the statements of the academician and his patrons, politician and theologian Viktor Aksyuchits, in 1997-1998, adviser to Boris Nemtsov, who headed the government commission for the study and reburial of the remains of Nicholas II and his family. - On the day of the burial of the remains on the stage of the Ermolova Theater during the performance, a woman got up and said that she was Princess Anastasia. Why not even study this version ?! ”

Grand Duchess Anastasia

Holy truth: Anna Anderson, to put it mildly, was far from alone. At least 34 women are known who call themselves the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Even more “clones” of the Tsarevich are 81. 53 self-proclaimed Mary, 33 Tatyana, and 28 Olga are also known in history.

In addition, two foreign citizens impersonating the emperor’s daughters who never existed — Alexander and Irina. The latter was allegedly born after the revolution, in Tobolsk exile, and was transported abroad with the consent of the Soviet government.

In total, there are at least 230 impostors. This list is not complete: it includes only more or less well-known characters. And far from closed.

Michelle Anshe. Pretended to be “miraculously saved from execution” by Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna.

“Since the story of the tsesarevich’s burial began, I receive 2-3 letters each week from people who proclaim themselves to be descendants of Nicholas II, from his“ grandchildren, ”“ great-grandchildren, ”and so on,” the representative of the Romanov Family Association said Russian Ivan Artsishevsky. “There are those who impersonate the descendant descendants of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.”

“We do not exclude any versions right now,” says Vladimir Legoyda promisingly. If you understand the words of the church administrator literally (well, how else?), Then you need to deal with each of these "heirs to the throne." True, there is one significant obstacle to the “search for truth” - the decision of the ROC Council of Bishops, held in August 2000.

The cathedral "determined" to glorify Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra and their five children - Alexei, Olga, Tatyana, Mary and Anastasia - as "passion-bearers in the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia."

The corresponding act, “Acts of the Council,” as an undoubted fact, refers to the “martyrdom” of all seven “in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 4 (17), 1918.” It turns out that the authors of alternative versions question not only the version of the investigation, but also the legitimacy of the canonization of most members of the royal family. And then all the Romanovs.

Saints and Sinners

So, for example, according to one of the "miraculously saved Tsarevich Alekseev", he is also the Polish scout defector Mikhail Golenevsky, there was no execution at all. And the commandant of the "house for special purposes" Yakov Yurovsky is not at all the executioner of the Romanovs, but a savior: thanks to him, the tsar's family managed to safely leave Yekaterinburg, cross the country, and then the Polish border. First, the Romanovs allegedly settled in Warsaw, then moved to Poznan.

Michael Golenevsky. He declared himself Tsarevich Alexei.

According to the same source, Alexandra Fedorovna died in 1925, after which the family split up: Anastasia moved in, Olga and Tatyana moved in, and Alexey and Maria stayed with her father.

According to the "prince", the former emperor shaved off his beard and mustache, completely changing his appearance. And he was not idle: he headed the secret "All-Russian Imperial Anti-Bolshevik Organization", which, of course, included his son. It was precisely the desire to harm the Communists that supposedly led Alesha, who had grown up, whom prudent parents renamed Mikhail Golenevsky, into military intelligence of socialist Poland by that time.

The harm, by the way, unlike all this fantastic story, was quite real: having fled to the West in 1960, Golenevsky shared a ton of various secrets with his new masters. Including the Soviet and Polish agents working in the West. And then he suddenly declared himself Tsarevich Alexei. For what purpose?

According to one version, the defector simply moved his mind. According to another, more believable (Golenevsky was not very similar to a psycho), the impostor set out to gain access to the tsar’s family accounts in Western banks, which he allegedly learned about when contacting the KGB. However, nothing came of this venture.

The same not altruistic motivation can be traced in the actions of most of the rest of the "miraculously saved Romanovs." Including the most famous of them - Anna Anderson (she is Anastasia Tchaikovsky, she is Francis Shantskovskaya). It is known that she was keenly interested in the royal family's deposits in European banks, but they refused to talk to her about this topic. Actually, after this, Anderson began the trial regarding the recognition of her Romanov estate as her heir. The lawsuit lasted intermittently for almost 40 years - from 1938 to 1977 - and ended up in the defeat of the impostor.

Maria Seslava

The aunt of the real Anastasia, the sister of Nicholas II, Olga Alexandrovna Romanova, spoke about the efforts of her false niece and her energetic “friends”: “I am convinced that all this was started by unprincipled people who hoped to warm their hands, having obtained at least a fraction of the fabulous non-existent wealth of the Romanov family ".

Let us clarify that the efforts of the impostors were not completely meaningless: the tsarist family did have foreign bank accounts, and judging by some indirect evidence, some money was spent on them. But there is no consensus among historians about the size of this state, as well as about who it ultimately got (and whether anyone got it at all).

In short, the "happily saved Romanovs" are much more like rogues a la the great combiner Ostap Bender, rather than the righteous and martyrs. “The son of a Turkish citizen”, I remember, also earned some time for bread in a similar way - posing as the son of Lieutenant Schmidt. By the way, the lies of Colonel Romanov — the emperor had such a military rank — also often “violated the convention” and exposed each other. It is known, for example, that the same Mikhail Golenevsky, having met with his "sister" Eugenia Smith, one of the false Anastasias, publicly disgraced her, calling her a fraud.

Obviously, by declaring the eligibility of “all versions”, the Russian Orthodox Church runs the risk of suffering significantly more reputation damage than if it agrees with the version of the investigation. The latter, at least in one paragraph, does not contradict the decision to canonize the royal family.

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How fair are Alekseyev's reproaches to the investigation and the government commission for neglecting historical expertise and inattention to archival sources?

“Academician Alekseev has been a member of the government commission for five years,” says Viktor Aksyuchits. - In this capacity, he could request any documents in any departments and archives. That is, he could conduct any historical research himself and answer all the questions that he is asking to this day. Where are his applications and where are the official refusals to him about this? ” As for the historical examination, it, according to Aksyuchits, was very authoritative and more than thorough.

For reference: in February 1994, the commission decided to create a special group of historians and archivists to identify and study documents revealing the circumstances of regicide. It was headed by Academician-Secretary of the Department of Historical Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ivan Kovalchenko.

The search was conducted in many Russian archival funds, including the archives of the president and the FSB. As a result, the group concluded that the documents found were enough to make an unambiguous conclusion: the entire royal family, as well as Dr. Botkin and the servants were killed on the night of July 16-17, 1918, and their remains were buried on Old Koptyakovskaya Road .

“A lot of the documents found are published,” says Victor Aksyuchits. - But Alekseev needs to consider precisely his “facts” and “versions” as part of the investigation. Moreover, he does not cite any real documentary evidence, but lists a number of myths and gossip, which are always in bulk, especially in such a case. ”

A similar position is held by specialists related to the historical examination appointed by the investigation, which the MK observer asked to comment on Alexeyev’s recent statements.

However, in fairness it must be said that in some cases its alternative version is based on completely real facts. It is all about their interpretation. We are talking, for example, about the disposal signed by Bogdan Kobulov, dated March 1946, which refers to the death of the imperial family. According to experts, such a document can indeed take place. But they give him a much more prosaic explanation than the “Operation Cross.”

The fact is that in March 1946, Kobulov was appointed deputy head of the Main Directorate of Soviet Property Abroad. His competence included the return of material assets belonging to the USSR, to which the Soviet authorities also attributed the property of members of the Russian imperial house. It is likely that Kobulov put before the competent authorities the question of finding the royal inheritance.

The fact of negotiations between Soviet and German diplomats, the subject of which was the fate of the imperial family, can also be considered quite reliable. But it does not follow either that the Romanovs were saved, or even that they intended to save them.

According to MK sources, on the part of the Bolsheviks, it was nothing more than a game that created the appearance that the Romanovs — at least the female part of the family — were still alive. The Bolsheviks were afraid to anger Emperor William II, who was in a fairly close family relationship with the Romanovs: he was a cousin to both Nikolai and Alexandra Fedorovna. After Kaiser Germany was defeated in the war, the need for pretense disappeared and negotiations were immediately terminated.

Camo coming?

The testimony of the waitress Ekaterina Tomilova, who claimed that she fed meals to the female part of the family after July 17, 1918, is not news for experts.

It is possible that the witness was simply confused in the dates: after the transition of Soviet Russia from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, this was a very common occurrence. The confusion was added by the fact that territories repelled by white were returning to the Julian calendar.

But it cannot be ruled out that Tomilova deliberately misled the “white consequence”. After all, the fact that, in addition to Nicholas II, his wife and children were also shot, was carefully hidden by the Bolsheviks. By the way, the “whites” did not fall for this bait. Investigator Nikolai Sokolov, who was investigating the death of the royal family on behalf of Admiral Kolchak, came to the exact same conclusion as the modern investigation: all the prisoners of the "special house" were killed.

And finally, the last, “slaughter”, it would seem, argument - coins of the 1930s and a later period, found next to the remains of Alexei and Mary.

Yes, in the Porosenko log they actually found several coins that did not correspond to the estimated burial time. As well as a host of other things, by no means ancient, - cans, bottles, knives ... But there is nothing strange here, experts assure: the locals this was a favorite place for picnics. In addition, all these "artifacts" were located at a considerable distance from the burial site and almost on the surface of the earth. In the excavation itself, at the depth at which the charred remains of the prince and the Grand Duchess rested, there was nothing of the kind.

In a word, the sensations in the arguments of academician Alekseev and other adherents of the "alternative versions" have not yet been revealed. And there is reason to suspect that new historical research will not greatly change this picture. Not to mention genetic.

But why then all this fuss? The motives of historians, both professionals and amateurs, that defy the boring, boredom "officialdom" are not so difficult to understand. Actually, this is the only way to make a name in this, perhaps, the most subjective of the sciences. Someone is swimming against the stream from only one, so to speak, love of art, but some also make good money on this.

It is much more difficult to comprehend the driving motives of the church, which is today the de facto main moderator of the “royal business”.

It is no secret that a significant part of the hierarchy considers the non-recognition of the royal remains a lesser sin than the recognition that the church made a mistake. However, some time ago it seemed: the Russian Orthodox Church agrees to “honorable surrender”. That is, it is ready to reconsider its previous position, provided that: a) the reburial ceremony of the remains of Alexei and Mary, originally scheduled for October 18 of the outgoing year, is postponed; b) additional studies will be carried out, in which representatives of the Patriarchate will take part this time. This would allow the church to save face and, no less important, give it time to prepare the flock in an appropriate manner, to reassure the Orthodox community.

The conditions are met, nevertheless, recent events make us suspect that the plan is still somewhat different, not “capitulating.” Which one? “Do you even dodge here at the navel, the church, God's people, will never recognize these lies as genuine,” says Konstantin Dushenov, director of the Russian Orthodox Analytical Information Agency. Dushenov can hardly be attributed to insiders, but one gets the full impression that in the language of this public figure is what is on the mind of many church hierarchs. I would like to believe - not at all.

His Grace Prince George Aleksandrovich Yuryevsky was born on December 8, 1961 in Switzerland and is the only son of His Grace Prince Alexander Georgievich Yuryevsky (1900-1988) and his wife Princess Ursula Anna Maria (nee Beer de Gruneck, 1925-2001). His Grace’s grandfather - His Grace Prince George Alexandrovich (1872-1913) was the son of Emperor Alexander II from the second, morganatic marriage of His Majesty with Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (1847-1922). That’s who should be on the throne

Alexander Komise, the only son of Princess Paula Romanova, was born on April 6, 1983

To the left is Princess Karline Nikolaevna Romanova (2000), the eldest daughter of Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (1968). On the left is her sister Shelley (2003). They represent the line of Mikhailovich.

Natalya Nikolaevna Romanova (1952), the eldest daughter of Nikolai Romanov, with her daughter Nicoletta, named after her grandfather. Nicoletta is a famous model, she has three children

Princess Katerina Romanova-Elias (1981). The eldest daughter of Dmitry Pavlovich Romanov (1954), great-great-granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. She represents the line of Alexandrovich

Prince Nikita Rostislavovich Romanov (1987). Descendant of Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna

Elizaveta Nikolaevna Romanova (1956), the second daughter of Prince Nikolai Romanov (1922)

Rostislav Romanov, a descendant of Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna. Rostislav returned to Russia, lives in Petrodvorets, works at the Raketa watch factory, founded by Peter I. Member of the Board of Directors and adviser to the creative department

Another descendant of V.K. Ksenia Alexandrovna, Natasha Kathleen, daughter of Prince Andrei Romanov

In 2013, little Mikhail Romanov, the son of Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov, was born in London. Michael, by the way, is a direct descendant of Emperor Nicholas I, and, according to his great-great-grandmother, Ksenia Alexandrovna - Alexander III

It’s funny to you, and this is Princess Madison Daniilovna and Prince Daniel Daniilovich, children of Prince Daniil Nikolaevich Romanov (1972). Represent the line of Mikhailovich

The tsarist Romanov dynasty ceased to exist in mid-July 1918 - very soon there would be exactly one hundred years from the date of the execution of members of the imperial family and some servants.

The arrest of the royal family

A year before the tragic events, Nicholas II abdicated first in favor of his son, and then his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich (it was planned that the Grand Duke would be regent under the young emperor). However, the Provisional Government did not consider the abdication manifesto, and Nikolai and his heir lost their right to the throne. From that moment, the family lived in Tsarskoye Selo as prisoners.

As you know, many kings and emperors of Europe are related to each other. In August 1917, information appeared that the imperial family was planning to leave Russia and go to England, where King George V, the cousin of Nicholas, ruled at that time (their mothers, Empress Maria Fedorovna and Queen Consort Queen of Great Britain Alexander were sisters). Externally, the brothers were very similar, which sometimes caused confusion at official meetings. Thus, George could help the Russian Tsar escape and shelter members of the royal family.

The British government was ready to grant asylum to the former emperor, but the king refused, because of the danger of the flight and the advisability of the cousin's stay with his family in London. Public opinion was also against the arrival of the king's relatives. Thus, Nikolai had to stay. And the Provisional Government, learning about the English plans, quickly stripped them of all civil rights and sent them away from the capital - to Siberia. So the link began. First they were brought to Tobolsk, then to Yekaterinburg, to the house of the merchant Ipatiev. This mansion became their last refuge.

Execution

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, almost a year after the start of the exile, the former imperial family was woken up by soldiers guarding the house, brought to the basement and executed. The execution was carried out by order of the executive committee of the Ural association of workers and peasants (although some historians agree that the order for the execution was given from Lenin and Sverdlov personally from Moscow). The revolutionary Yakov Yurovsky, who was the commandant, led the execution. He recalled how at first they could not decide how to kill the members of the royal family - grenades, daggers, and shooting were offered.

When, his wife Alexander Fedorovna, five children, as well as four servants were brought to the basement, Yurovsky read out a sentence to them. The firing squad was ready. The first shot was Yurovsky himself and killed the emperor. Then erratic shooting began. The children of the king were seriously injured. According to the recollections of the participants in the execution, they were finished off with bayonets. The bodies of the executed were dumped in a pit and buried.

These are official sources about the death of the royal family. However, let's not forget that the imperial family always had many children. The direct (closest) heirs of Nicholas were not lucky - they were killed in the same 1918, someone died in the war. But still, some representatives of the dynasty were able to leave rebellious Russia and settle in Europe. Their descendants now claim the title of “Head of the Romanov Dynasty”.

Applicants

One of them is Maria Vladimirovna Romanova. She is the granddaughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, through him - the great-great-granddaughter of Alexander II. In 1924, while in exile, Cyril officially declared himself the heir to the last emperor and the head of the House, which most monarchists, as well as some members of the dynasty, including the descendants of Nicholas I and the mother of the last king, Maria Fedorovna, did not agree with.

Maria Vladimirovna was born and raised in Madrid, the capital of Spain, where she lives today. She was married to the Prussian prince Franz Wilhelm, and as a result of this union, his son George was born in 1981, who was declared heir to the prince.

Another branch of the applicants is the so-called Nikolaevichs, the descendants of Emperor Nicholas I. They dispute the right of Maria Romanova to the status of heiress. Its main competitor is Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov, considered the oldest of the descendants.

He was born in France in 1926 in the family of Prince Roman Petrovich, the great-grandson of Nicholas I. At the age of 10 he moved with his parents to Italy. After the end, shortly before the historical referendum on the advisability of maintaining the monarchy in the country, the Romanov family and the last king of Italy, Victor Immanuel III, emigrated to Egypt. The Romanov family did not plan to live in an Arab country for a long time, but the link dragged on for a long 6 years (1946-1952).

In Alexandria, Dmitry worked as a simple mechanic at one of Ford's plants. After the overthrow of King Farouk, Dmitry Romanov left the country and returned to European lands. Since 1958, he settled in Denmark. In 1979 he created the organization "Association of Romanov Clan Members". Dmitry Romanovich died in 2016 in Copenhagen and was buried there.

Applicant Status

For many years, applicants from both branches achieved special status for their surname. It is worth saying that the monarchist movement in Russia is rather weak - citizens prefer to stay away from disputes between the heirs of the surname. Maria Romanova several times came to our country as a private person, and stated that she would like for herself and her son the special status of the Romanov dynasty.

The representative of the association of members of the Romanov dynasty called these statements absurd, because "its branch does not belong to the Russian tsars, but rather is a continuation of the Prussian branch." At the same time, a public figure, historian Alexander Zakatov cites his arguments on the legitimacy of the Romanov dynasty: “Maria Vladimirovna is the only head of the Romanov dynasty. She has developed good relations with all relatives, even the side branches. ”

Zakatov mentions that Maria Romanova and her son can come to Russia, but only in private. And it is necessary that the Romanovs return with dignity. And this requires a special status that would recognize the Imperial House as a “historical institution”. He will not bring applicants any money, no powers, no privileges. It is about protecting the historical heritage of Russia, namely, the Romanov dynasty. Speaking in economic terms, if the corresponding law were adopted, Maria Vladimirovna would have received a patent and protection for the Romanov brand.

Both the branches of Kirillovich and Nikolayevich attach great importance to charity, noting that under this occupation there is no political connotation. In 2015, when Crimea became part of Russia, both Dmitry and Maria Romanov supported the referendum. Maria Vladimirovna in many interviews notes the importance of strengthening ties between the peoples of the former Russian Empire, as well as the Soviet Union.

Conclusion

Note that according to the latest data obtained during a survey of the population of Russia, only 10% of Russians want to return the monarchy. Of course, this is not enough even to raise the issue in government circles. After 70 years of Soviet power, when so many generations have changed, it is impossible to imagine Russia as a monarchy. Now citizens believe in a good president, who realized their ambitions and restored Russia as a Great Power. But in a slightly different quality.