The Romanov

They're one of the longest running families in Europe, from Mikhail their first Czar to Nikolai II are more than 300 years of a country being ruled by one family. They had strong Kings, or Czars (Can also be called Tsar. Both are the variant in russian for Ceasar). To name you one, Peter I or Peter The Great, responsable for the conquest of good part of Ukraine, defeated the Swedish Empire, The Polish and the Turks who for years have been terrorizing the russian borders. The Romanov family itself risen to power thanks by an polish invasion. I do strongly recomend for everyone here to read the book "The Romanovs 1613-1918" by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  It's a little extanse but not something you guys can't handle, i don't about the english version, but in portuguese it's a very simple read, you can easily read 200 pages in short time. Here a link to The Guardian review of the book https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/25/the-romanovs-1613-1918-simon-sebag-montefiore-review

But for last and Most important. What comes to your mind when talking about The Romanovs? Catherine conquest of Polonia? Alexander I major victory over Napoleon? Nikolai II being deposed? The rise of the russian culture in the 19th century with the minds of Pushkin, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoi? Peter The Great unstopable army?

For me Peter The Great it's the most important Czar in russian history, not only in the Romanov Family. There's a theory of International Relations who studies the "Hegemonic  Powers". An hegemonic power it's a Country which controls alone certain region, not only by conquest but as well with influence. And Peter transformed the once poor and fragile russian state into the hegemonic power in the region. He defeated all the former enemies who once wore stronger than them. He Created Saint Petersburg The Russian Venice. And molded The russian army who later would defeat Napoleon.

I agree, Peter is probably the most important Zar for russian history.
A western empire, ready to challenge everyone in their path from a backwards kingdom stuck in the middle ages

They weren't perfect, but it's a damn shame they went out the way they did. Though, there are still some people in Europe's royal families connected to their bloodline, however distantly.

CptCrape wrote:They weren't perfect, but it's a damn shame they went out the way they did. Though, there are still some people in Europe's royal families connected to their bloodline, however distantly.

Talking about bloodline there's this pic here i think is awesome, George V of England and Nikolai II of Russia. They're cousins if i'm not mistaken

r3volutionr0ck wrote:

CptCrape wrote:They weren't perfect, but it's a damn shame they went out the way they did. Though, there are still some people in Europe's royal families connected to their bloodline, however distantly.

Talking about bloodline there's this pic here i think is awesome, George V of England and Nikolai II of Russia. They're cousins if i'm not mistaken

I've seen that before. They look a lot less similar if you block out their beards. Though, they still look very similar. (And apparently they were really good friends).

From Peter I onward they were officially know as emperors, which is different from Tsar. For many Russians "Tsar" meant "ruler of a monarchy" in general. So for commoners and poets they were known as "tsars", but officially Romanovs were referred to only as emperors.

Also, did you know that de-jure, the Romanov dynasty has ended after the death of Yelizaveta (Elizabeth) Petrovna. From Peter III onward they are Holstein-Hottorp-Romanovs.

The first thought I have when I hear "Romanov" is of course the Russian Revolution. It's unfortunate, but it's probably the most meaningful event people are taught about regarding that family (from a Western point of view, mind you).

I like to think of Peter the Great as the culmination of a process of Russian cultural and societal evolution over time. He came as things were already changing in Russia, from fashion to music to European intercourse (as in, the exchange of economy, knowledge, and culture). I really don't think of him as this defining character that shaped more of Russia than, say, Catherine the Great, who helped settle thousands of ethnic Germans in South-Central Russia during her reign. To me, that is more important from a cultural unity standpoint.