The Rurik dynasty on the Russian throne.

4. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev (04/17/1894-09/11/1971)

Soviet statesman and party leader. First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR from 1958 to 1964. Hero Soviet Union, Thrice Hero Socialist Labor. The first laureate of the Shevchenko Prize, reign 09/07/1. (Moscow city).

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born in 1894 in the village of Kalinovka, Kursk province, into the family of miner Sergei Nikanorovich Khrushchev and Ksenia Ivanovna Khrushcheva. In 1908, having moved with his family to the Uspensky mine near Yuzovka, Khrushchev became an apprentice mechanic at a factory, then worked as a mechanic at a mine and, as a miner, was not taken to the front in 1914. In the early 1920s, he worked in the mines and studied at the workers' department of the Donetsk Industrial Institute. Later he was engaged in economic and party work in Donbass and Kyiv. Since January 1931, he was at party work in Moscow, during which time he was the first secretary of the Moscow regional and city party committees - MK and MGK VKP (b). In January 1938, he was appointed first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. In the same year he became a candidate, and in 1939 - a member of the Politburo.

During World War II, Khrushchev served as a political commissar of the highest rank (a member of the military councils of a number of fronts) and in 1943 received the rank of lieutenant general; led the partisan movement behind the front line. First post-war years headed the government in Ukraine. In December 1947, Khrushchev again headed the Communist Party of Ukraine, becoming the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine; He held this post until he moved to Moscow in December 1949, where he became the first secretary of the Moscow Party Committee and secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Khrushchev initiated the consolidation of collective farms (kolkhozes). After Stalin's death, when the Chairman of the Council of Ministers left the post of Secretary of the Central Committee, Khrushchev became the “master” of the party apparatus, although until September 1953 he did not have the title of First Secretary. Between March and June 1953 he attempted to seize power. In order to eliminate Beria, Khrushchev entered into an alliance with Malenkov. In September 1953, he took the post of First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. In June 1953, a struggle for power began between Malenkov and Khrushchev, in which Khrushchev won. At the beginning of 1954, he announced the start of a grandiose program for the development of virgin lands in order to increase grain production, and in October of the same year he headed the Soviet delegation to Beijing.

Most a bright event Khrushchev's career included the 20th Congress of the CPSU, held in 1956. At a closed meeting, Khrushchev condemned Stalin, accusing him of mass extermination of people and erroneous policies that almost ended with the liquidation of the USSR in the war with Nazi Germany. This report resulted in unrest in countries eastern bloc- Poland (October 1956) and Hungary (October and November 1956). In June 1957, the Presidium (formerly Politburo) of the CPSU Central Committee organized a conspiracy to remove Khrushchev from the post of First Secretary of the Party. After his return from Finland, he was invited to a meeting of the Presidium, which, by seven votes to four, demanded his resignation. Khrushchev convened a Plenum of the Central Committee, which overturned the decision of the Presidium and dismissed the “anti-party group” of Molotov, Malenkov and Kaganovich. He strengthened the Presidium with his supporters, and in March 1958 he took the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers, taking into his own hands all the main levers of power. In September 1960, Khrushchev visited the United States as head of the Soviet delegation to general assembly UN. During the assembly, he managed to hold large-scale negotiations with the heads of government of a number of countries. His report to the Assembly called for general disarmament, the immediate elimination of colonialism and the admission of China to the UN. During the summer of 1961, the Soviet foreign policy became more and more stringent, and in September the USSR interrupted the three-year moratorium on testing nuclear weapons, carrying out a series of explosions. On October 14, 1964, by the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, Khrushchev was relieved of his duties as First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee. He was succeeded by becoming the First Secretary of the Communist Party, and becoming the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. After 1964, Khrushchev, while retaining his seat on the Central Committee, was essentially in retirement. Khrushchev died in Moscow on September 11, 1971.

Rurikovich - descendants of Rurik, who became the first known prince in the chronicles ancient Rus'. Over time, the Rurik family split into several branches.

The birth of a dynasty

The Tale of Bygone Years, written by the monk Nestor, tells the story of the calling of Rurik and his brothers to Rus'. The sons of the Novgorod prince Gostomysl died in the wars, and he married one of his daughters to a Varangian-Russian, who gave birth to three sons - Sineus, Rurik and Truvor. They were called by Gostomysl to reign in Rus'. It was with them that the Rurik dynasty began in 862, which reigned in Rus' until 1598.

The first princes

In 879, the summoned Prince Rurik died, leaving little son Igor. While he was growing up, the principality was ruled by Oleg, a relative of the prince through his wife. He conquered the entire Principality of Kiev, and also built diplomatic relations with Byzantium. After Oleg's death in 912, Igor began to reign until he died in 945, leaving two heirs - Gleb and Svyatoslav. However, the eldest (Svyatoslav) was a three-year-old child, and therefore his mother, Princess Olga, took the reign into her own hands.

Having become a ruler, Svyatoslav was more interested in military campaigns and in one of them he was killed in 972. Svyatoslav left three sons: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Yaropolk killed Oleg for the sake of autocracy, while Vladimir first fled to Europe, but later returned, killed Yaropolk and became ruler. It was he who baptized the people of Kiev in 988 and built many cathedrals. He reigned until 1015 and left behind 11 sons. After Vladimir, Yaropolk began to reign, who killed his brothers, and after him Yaroslav the Wise.

Yaroslavichy

Yaroslav the Wise reigned in total from 1015 to 1054 (including breaks). When he died, the unity of the principality was disrupted. His sons divided Kievan Rus into parts: Svyatoslav received Chernigov, Izyaslav - Kyiv and Novgorod, Vsevolod - Pereyaslavl and the Rostov-Suzdal land. The latter, and subsequently his son Vladimir Monomakh, significantly expanded the acquired lands. After the death of Vladimir Monomakh, the disintegration of the unity of the principality was finally established, each part of which was ruled by a separate dynasty.

Rus' is specific

Feudal fragmentation is growing due to the laddered right of succession to the throne, according to which power was transferred by seniority to the prince's brothers, while the younger ones were given to them in cities of lesser importance. After the death of the main prince, everyone moved according to seniority from city to city. This order led to internecine wars. The most powerful princes launched a war for Kyiv. The power of Vladimir Monomakh and his descendants turned out to be the most influential. Vladimir Monomakh leaves his possessions to three sons: Mstislav, Yaropolk and Yuri Dolgoruky. The latter is considered the founder of Moscow.

The fight between Moscow and Tver

One of the famous descendants of Yuri Dolgoruky was Alexander Nevsky, under whom an independent Moscow principality arose. In an effort to increase their influence, the descendants of Nevsky begin a fight with Tver. During the reign of the descendant of Alexander Nevsky, the Moscow Principality became one of the main centers of the unification of Rus', but the Tver Principality remained outside of its influence.

Creation of the Russian State

After the death of Dmitry Donskoy, power passes to his son Vasily I, who managed to preserve the greatness of the principality. After his death, a dynastic struggle for power begins. However, under the reign of Dmitry Donskoy’s descendant Ivan III, the Horde yoke ends and the Principality of Moscow plays in this decisive role. Under Ivan III, the process of forming a unified Russian state was completed. In 1478, he appropriated the title “Sovereign of All Rus'”.

The Last Rurikovichs

The last representatives of the Rurik dynasty in power were Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor Ivanovich. The latter was not a ruler by nature, and therefore, after the death of Ivan the Terrible, the state was essentially ruled by the Boyar Duma. In 1591, Dmitry, another son of Ivan the Terrible, dies. Dmitry was the last contender for the Russian throne, since Fyodor Ivanovich had no children. In 1598, Fyodor Ivanovich also died, with whom the dynasty of the first Russian rulers, who had been in power for 736 years, was interrupted.

The article mentions only the main and most prominent representatives of the dynasty, but in fact there were much more descendants of Rurik. The Rurikovichs made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian state.

The Rurik dynasty is the very first grand-ducal dynasty on the Russian throne. It was established, according to the text of the Tale of Bygone Years, in 862. This date has the symbolic name “calling of the Varangians.”

The Rurik dynasty lasted 8 centuries. During this time, there were a lot of displacements, mistrust, and conspiracies against its representatives. The first representative of the dynasty, that is, its founder, Rurik. was invited to rule the city's people's council in Novgorod. Rurik laid the foundation of statehood in Rus' and became the founder of the first grand-ducal dynasty. But it is worth noting that more than half of the representatives of the Rurik region still came from Kievan Rus.

So, the Rurik dynasty, a list of which will be presented below with all the characteristics of its figures, has its own branched system. The second representative was Oleg. He was the governor of Rurik and ruled when his son was young. He is known for uniting Novgorod and Kyiv, and also for signing the first treaty between Rus' and Byzantium. When Rurik's son Igor grew up, power passed into his hands. Igor conquered and conquered new territories, imposing tribute on them, which is why he was brutally killed by the Drevlyans. After Igor, power passed into the hands of his wife. This wise woman carried out the first economic reform on Russian soil, establishing lessons and graveyards. When Olga and Igor’s son Svyatoslav grew up, naturally, all power went to him.

But this prince was distinguished by his military thinking and was constantly on campaigns. After Svyatoslav, Vladimir 1, better known as Vladimir the Holy, ascended the throne.

He baptized Rus' at the end of the 10th century. After Vladimir, Svyatopolk ruled; he was in an internecine war with his brothers, which was won by Yaroslav the Wise. This is whose reign was great: the first Russian code of laws was compiled, the Pechenegs were defeated and great temples were erected. After the reign of Yaroslav, Rus' will remain in a kind of turmoil for a long time, because the struggle for the great princely throne is getting tougher and no one wants to lose it.

The Rurik dynasty, whose tree was very complex, received its next great ruler almost 100 years later. It was Vladimir Monomakh. He was the organizer of the Lyubechsky Congress, he defeated the Polovtsians and preserved the relative unity of Rus'. The Rurik dynasty branched out again after his reign.

Yuri Dolgoruky and Andrei Bogolyubsky can be distinguished from this period. Both princes were prominent figures in the era of fragmentation of Rus'. The remaining period of this dynasty will be remembered by several names: Vasily 1, Ivan Kalita, Ivan 3, Vasily 3 and Ivan the Terrible. It is with the names of these figures that the creation of a unified Russian state is associated; it was they who began the annexation of all lands to Moscow and they also completed it.

The Rurik dynasty gave our land statehood, huge spacious territories that were united by the last representatives of this dynasty, and an extensive cultural heritage.

The history of the founding of Rus' in the 9th century AD is shrouded in a dense veil of secrets, which sometimes contradict statements official history Russian state. The name of Prince Rurik is associated with many hypotheses and studies that try to restore the chain of true events of that distant time.

Maybe there would be fewer of these hypotheses if not for one main circumstance: the name of Rurik is associated with the founding of the ruling dynasty, whose representatives occupied the Russian thrones until 1610, until the Time of Troubles, until the change from the Rurik dynasty to the Romanov dynasty.

So, Rurik.

Official details:
- year of birth unknown, from the Varangian princely family, family coat of arms - a falcon falling down.
- Called by the Slavs to suppress civil strife with the Finno-Ugric tribes in 862 AD.
- becomes the Prince of Novgorod and the founder of the princely, royal Rurik dynasty.
- died in 879 AD.

The arrival of Rurik with his family retinue, in historiography, is usually called the “Calling of the Varangians.” Brothers Sineus and Truvor came with Rurik. After the death of the brothers in 864, Rurik became the sole ruler of the Novgorod principality.

Versions of the origin of Rurik:
- The Norman version claims that Rurik comes from Scandinavian Vikings. Some researchers associate Rurik with Rorik of Jutland from Denmark, and others with Eirik from Sweden.

— The West Slavic version claims that Rurik was from the Vagrs or Prussians. This theory was adhered to by M.V. Lomonosov.

After Rurik's death in 879, he was succeeded by his son Igor. Igor was raised by the Prophetic Oleg, whose involvement in the Rurik family is doubtful. Most likely, Prophetic Oleg was one of Rurik’s squad, or at least was distantly related.

The influence of the Rurik dynasty began to spread throughout Slavic lands south of Novgorod.

The direct line of succession after Rurik continued. After Igor came Svyatoslav Igorevich, Vladimir Svyatoslavich (the Great), Yaroslav (the Wise). After the death of Yaroslav the Wise (1054), the process of branching of the Rurikovich genealogical line began.

The division was caused by the Ladder order and the increasing feudal fragmentation of Rus'. Individual descendants of the senior princes became sovereign princes of the separated principalities. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise led the so-called “Triumvirate”:

• Izyaslav ruled Kiev, Novgorod and the lands west of the Dnieper.
• Svyatoslav ruled Chernigov and Murom.
• Vsevolod reigned in Rostov, Suzdal and Pereyaslavl.

Of these three branches, the strongest was the branch of Vsevolod and his son Vladimir Monomakh. This branch was able to expand its possessions at the expense of Smolensk, Galich and Volyn. In 1132, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Mstislav the Great, died. At that time Kievan Rus completely collapsed. The formation and strengthening of local dynasties began, which, however, were also Rurikovichs.

We will focus on the Rurik dynasty from the main branch - the Monomakhovichs.

The following famous princes belonged to this branch: Yuri Dolgoruky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the First Kalita, Simeon Ivanovich Proud, Ivan the Second Red, Dmitry Donskoy; hereditary princes: Vasily the First Dmitrievich, Vasily the Second Dark, Ivan the Third Vasilyevich, Vasily the Third Ivanovich; Moscow kings: Ivan the Fourth the Terrible, Fyodor the First Ioannovich.

The reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the third son of Ivan the Terrible, became the last in a long line of offspring of the semi-legendary Varangian prince Rurik. With the death of Fyodor Ioannovich, the bloody Time of Troubles began for Russia, which ended with the capture of Kitai-gorod in Moscow on November 4, 1612 and the election of a new tsar.

In the image you can see the sequence of changing rulers of Rus', as well as their many relatives: sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. The family tree of the Rurikovichs, the diagram of which begins with the Varangian prince Rurik, is most interesting material for study by historians. This is what helped researchers find out Interesting Facts about the descendants of the Grand Duke - the founder of the Old Russian state, became a symbol of the unity of family members, power and continuity of generations.

Where does the tree of the Rurik dynasty come from?

Prince Rurik himself and his wife Efanda are semi-mythical figures, and there is still debate among historians about their possible origin. The most common version, based on the Tale of Bygone Years, says that a native of the Varangians was voluntarily invited to reign, although some suggest that Rurik and his squad captured Novgorod during one of their campaigns. There are also opinions that the founder of the royal dynasty had Danish roots and was called Rorik. According to the Slavic version, the origin of his name is associated with the designation of a falcon in the language of one of the tribes. There are also those who believe that the prince, as a historical figure, did not exist at all and was a fictional character.

Ambition pushed Rurik’s descendants into internecine wars and murders. In the battle for the throne, the strongest won, but the loser faced death. Bloody divisions of lands were accompanied by fratricide. The first happened between the sons of Svyatoslav: Yaropolk, Oleg and Vladimir. Each of the princes wanted to gain power in Kyiv and for this purpose they were ready to make any sacrifices. So, Yaropolk killed Oleg, and he himself was destroyed by Vladimir. The winner became the Grand Duke of Kyiv. This bright historical figure deserves to be told in more detail.

The rise to power of Vladimir Svyatoslavich

A photo of the Rurik family tree with dates of reign shows that the reign of Svyatoslav Igorevich’s son, Prince Vladimir, falls at the end of the 10th century. He was not a legitimate son, since his mother was the housekeeper Malusha, but according to pagan customs had the right to inherit the throne from his father of princely origin. However, the story of his birth caused many to smile. Due to his low origins, Vladimir was dubbed “robichich” - the son of a slave. Vladimir’s mother was removed from raising the child and the boy was handed over to the warrior Dobrynya, who is Malusha’s brother.

When Svyatoslav died, a struggle for power broke out in Kyiv between Yaropolk and Oleg. The latter, retreating during a battle with his brother, fell into a ditch and was crushed to death by horses. The Kiev throne passed to Yaropolk, and Vladimir, having learned about this, moved with Dobrynya to the Varangian lands to gather an army.

Together with his soldiers, he conquered Polotsk, which was on the side of Kyiv at that time, and decided to marry Yaropolk’s bride, Princess Rogneda. She did not want to take the slave’s son as her husband, which greatly offended the prince and aroused his rage. He forcibly took the girl as his wife and killed her entire family.

To overthrow Yaropolk from the throne, Vladimir resorted to cunning. He lured his brother into negotiations, where Prince of Kyiv Vladimir's warriors stabbed him with swords. So power in Kyiv was concentrated in the hands of the third son of Svyatoslav Igorevich, Grand Duke Vladimir. Despite such a bloody background, a lot was done during his reign for the development of Rus'. The most significant merit of Vladimir is considered to be the baptism of Rus' in 988. From that moment on, our state turned from pagan to Orthodox and received new status on the international stage.

Branching of the family tree of the Rurik dynasty

The direct heirs through the line of the first prince were:

• Igor
• Olga
• Svyatoslav
• Vladimir

There are documents in which you can find references to Igor’s nephews. According to sources, their names were Igor and Akun, but little is known about them. The ramifications in the scheme of the Rurikovich tree began after the death of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir. In the previously united family, a struggle for power began between the princes, and feudal fragmentation only made the situation worse.

Thus, the son of the Kyiv prince Vladimir, Svyatopolk the Accursed, killed his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav in the battle for the throne. However, another figure claimed power, which can be seen in the photo of the family tree of the Rurik dynasty. Svyatopolk's opponent was Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Between two contenders for the throne for a long time a destructive internecine war was waged. It ended with the victory of Yaroslav in the battle on the Alta River. Kyiv came under the rule of Yaroslav the Wise, and Svyatopolk was recognized as a traitor to the Rurik family.

Yaroslav the Wise died in 1054, after which the tree changed radically. Over the years of Yaroslav's reign, the unity of the clan came to an end, the state was divided into fiefs with their own way of life, laws, power and government. Most of the inheritance and lands were divided between the three sons of the Wise:

• Izyaslav – Kyiv, Novgorod
• Vsevolod – Rostov-Suzdal possessions and the city of Pereyaslavl
• Svyatoslav – Murom and Chernigov

As a result, the previously unified government split and the so-called triumvirate was formed - the rule of three Yaroslavich princes.

Local dynasties began to form in appanage lands. The photo shows that it was from this period that the genus began to expand greatly. This happened mainly due to large quantity dynastic marriages, which the princes concluded in order to increase their authority, maintain and consolidate power. Previously, only the most influential and significant princes could afford to look for a spouse abroad. Now many people have begun to enjoy this privilege.

Family tree of the Rurikovichs: branching diagram

There could no longer be any talk of the original unity of the clan; the branches multiplied and intertwined. Let's take a closer look at the largest of them.

Izyaslavich Polotsk

The line received its name from the founder of the branch - Izyaslav, the son of Vladimir Yaroslavich and the Polotsk princess Rogneda. According to legend, Rogneda decided to take revenge on her husband for what he did to her and her family. At night, she snuck into his bedroom and wanted to stab him, but he woke up and deflected the blow. The prince ordered his wife to put on an elegant dress and stood in front of her with a sword in his hands. Izyaslav stood up for his mother and Vladimir did not dare to kill his wife in front of his son.

The prince decided to send Rogneda and Izyaslav to live in the Polotsk lands. This is where the line of Izyaslavichs of Polotsk came from. There is information that some descendants of Izyaslav attempted to seize power in Kyiv. Thus, Vseslav and Bryacheslav tried to oust Yaroslav the Wise, but their expectations were not destined to come true.

Rostislavichy

They originate from Prince Rostislav. He was an outcast and had no right to claim the throne after the death of his father, but with the help of wars he managed to gain power in Tmutarakan. He left behind three sons:

• Vasilko
• Volodar
• Rurik

Rurik left no descendants, and Vasilko’s sons ruled Terebovlya and Galich. Volodar's son, Vladimirko, trying to expand the estates of the Rostislavichs, annexed Galich to the lands. Helped him cousin Ivan Galitsky. He added Terebovl to his possessions. This is how the large and influential Principality of Galicia was formed. The Rostislavich branch was interrupted when Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of the famous prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, died. After this event, Roman the Great, one of the heirs and descendants of Yaroslav the Wise, began to rule in Galich.

Izyaslavich Turovsky

Another descendant of the Wise, Izyaslav Yaroslavich, ruled in Turov. The prince died in 1078, his brother Vsevolod began to rule in Kyiv, and in Turov younger son Yaropolk. However, a fierce struggle was waged for these lands, as a result of which Izyaslav’s descendants died one after another. In the end, they were forever expelled from their possessions by Vladimir Monomakh. Only in 1162, Izyaslav’s distant descendant Yuri was able to regain his lost possessions and strengthen them for himself. According to some sources, some Lithuanian-Russian princely dynasties originate from the Izyaslavichs of Turov.

Svyatoslavichy

This branch of the Rurik family tree originates from Svyatoslav, one of the members of the triumvirate formed after the death of Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of their father, the sons of Svyatoslav fought with their uncles Izyaslav and Vsevolod, as a result of which they were defeated. However, one of the sons, Oleg Svyatoslavich, did not lose hope of regaining power and expelled Vladimir Monomakh. The lands rightfully belonging to the Svyatoslavichs were divided among the surviving brothers.

Monomakhovichi

The line was formed from Vladimir Monomakh, the son of Prince Vsevolod. He also had a brother who died fighting the Polovtsians. Thus, all princely power was concentrated in the hands of Vladimir. The princes of Kyiv gained control and influence in all Russian lands, including Turov and Polotsk. But the fragile unity did not last long. With the death of Monomakh, civil strife resumed and power in the destinies again became fragmented.

It is noteworthy that a descendant of the Monomakhovich branch on the family tree of the Rurik dynasty was Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. It is he who is indicated in the chronicles as the founder of Moscow, which later became the collector of Russian lands.

The Rurik family tree is full of tyrants, murderers, traitors and conspirators. One of the most cruel sovereigns of Rus' is consideredIvan IV the Terrible. The atrocities that occurred during his reign on Russian lands are still remembered with shudder. Murders, robberies, raids on civilians, which the guardsmen carried out with the permission of the tsar, are bloody and terrible pages in the history of our state. It is not for nothing that the sculpture of Ivan the Terrible is absent from the “Millennium of Russia” monument, erected in honor of the great sovereigns of our country.

Among the Rurikovichs there were also wise rulers - the pride of the family and defenders of their state. ThisIvan Kalita- collector of Russian lands, brave warriorAlexander Nevskiyand liberated Rus' from Tatar-Mongol dependence, the Grand DukeDmitry Donskoy.

Compose family tree The Rurik dynasty with dates and years of reign is a difficult task for historians, requiring deep knowledge and lengthy research. The point here is both in the remoteness of the era and in the numerous intertwining of surnames, clans and branches. Since the great princes had many descendants, it is now almost impossible to find the person on whom the royal dynasty was finally interrupted and ceased to exist. It is only known that the last kings from this ancient family before the Romanovs came to power were Fyodor Ioannovich and Vasily Shuisky. It is difficult to answer the question whether the descendants of the first Russian prince exist today or whether the family has sunk into oblivion forever. Researchers have tried to find out this using a DNA test, but reliable data on this matter still does not exist.