The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the

Varangian The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian
," Online Etymology Dictionary were

Rurik Rurik (also spelled Rorik, Riurik or Ryurik; ; ; died 879) was a Varangians, Varangian chieftain of the Rus' people, Rus' who, according to tradition, was invited to reign in Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod in the year 862. The ''Primary Chronicle' ...

, who, according to tradition, established himself at

Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...

in the year 862. The Rurikids were the ruling

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

and its principalities following its disintegration. The ''Romanovichi'' ruled the southwestern territories, which were unified by

Roman the Great Roman Mstislavich ( – 19 June 1205), also known as Roman the Great, was Prince of Novgorod (1168–1170), Volhynia (1170–1189; 1189–1205), and Galicia (1189; 1198/99–1205). He founded the ''Romanovichi'' branch of Rurikids, which wou ...

and his son

Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...

, who was in 1253 crowned by

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

as the

king of Ruthenia King of Ruthenia, King of Rus', King of Galicia and Lodomeria, Lord and Heir of Ruthenian Lands (Latin: ''Rex Rusiae'', ''Rex Ruthenorum'', ''Rex Galiciae et Lodomeriae'', ''Terrae Russiae Dominus et Heres''; ) was a title of Kingdom of Galicia� ...

. Galicia–Volhynia was eventually annexed by

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. The northern and northeastern territories were unified by the ''Daniilovichi'' of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

; by the 15th century,

Ivan III Ivan III Vasilyevich (; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1462 until his death in 1505. Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blind father Vasily II be ...

threw off the control of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

and assumed the title of sovereign of all Russia.

Ivan IV Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584. ...

was crowned as the

tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

of all Russia, where the Rurik line ruled until 1598, following which they were eventually succeeded by the

House of Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...

. As a ruling house, the Rurikids held their own for a total of 21 generations in male-line succession, from Rurik () to

Feodor I of Russia Feodor I Ioannovich () or Fyodor I Ivanovich (; 31 May 1557 – 17 January 1598), nicknamed the Blessed (), was Tsar of all Russia from 1584 until his death in 1598. Feodor's mother died when he was three, and he grew up in the shadow of his ...

(), a period of more than 700 years. Numerous princely families have claimed to trace their lineage to Rurik. They are one of Europe's oldest royal houses, with numerous existing

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

es.

Origins

Genealogical issues

The origins of the Rurikids are unclear, as its namesake

, a

Varangian The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian
," Online Etymology Dictionary were

Calling of the Varangians The calling of the Varangians, calling of the (Varangian) princes or invitation to the Varangians (; ) is a legend about the origins of the Rus' people, the Rurik dynasty and the Kievan Rus' state, recorded in many divergent versions in various ma ...

", is considered to be a legendary, mythical and perhaps even entirely fictional character by modern scholars.

Nicholas V. Riasanovsky Nicholas Valentine Riasanovsky (born Nicolai Valentinovitch Riasanovskiy;. (December 21, 1923 – May 14, 2011) was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of numerous books on Russian history and European intellectua ...

(1947) stated: '...no Kievan sources anterior to the ''

Primary Chronicle The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...

'' (early twelfth century), knew of Riurik. In tracing the ancestry of Kievan princes they usually stopped with Igor.' As an example,

Hilarion of Kiev Hilarion or Ilarion was the first non-Greek Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus'. He held the metropolitan post before or during the ongoing 11th century East–West Schism. While there is not much verifiable information regarding Hilarion's biograp ...

's ''

Sermon on Law and Grace The ''Sermon on Law and Grace'' () is a sermon written by Hilarion, the metropolitan of Kiev. It is one of the earliest Slavonic texts available, having been written several decades before the '' Primary Chronicle''. Since Hilarion was conside ...

'' (1050s), praising

Volodimer I of Kiev Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (; Christian name: ''Basil''; 15 July 1015), given the epithet "the Great", was Prince of Novgorod from 970 and Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 until his death in 1015. The Eastern Orthodox ...

, only goes back to his father

Sviatoslav I Sviatoslav or Svyatoslav I Igorevich (; Old Norse: ''Sveinald''; – 972) was Prince of Kiev from 945 until his death in 972. He is known for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers ...

and grandfather Igor of Kiev. Even if Rurik did exist, scholars have long doubted or rejected his

paternity Paternity may refer to: *Father, the male parent of a (human) child *Paternity (law), fatherhood as a matter of law * ''Paternity'' (film), a 1981 comedy film starring Burt Reynolds * "Paternity" (''House''), a 2004 episode of the television seri ...

of Igor. The connections between Rurik,

Oleg Oleg (), Oleh (), or Aleh () is an East Slavic given name. The name is very common in Russia, Ukraine, and Belаrus. Origins ''Oleg'' derives from the Old Norse ''Helgi'' ( Helge), meaning "holy", "sacred", or "blessed". The feminine equival ...

and Igor, as attested in the ''

'' and ''

Novgorod First Chronicle The Novgorod First Chronicle ( rus, Новгоро́дская пе́рвая ле́топись, Novgoródskaya pérvaya létopisʹ, nəvɡɐˈrot͡skəjə ˈpʲervəjə ˈlʲetəpʲɪsʲ, commonly abbreviated as NPL), also known by its 1914 Eng ...

'', are tenuous at best; in all other cases, these two chronicles base any particular ruler's legitimacy on the fact that their father or grandfather previously "sat on the throne in Kiev", and never refer back to Rurik. Legitimacy in the ''

Kievan Chronicle The ''Kievan Chronicle'' or ''Kyivan Chronicle'' is a chronicle of Kievan Rus'. It was written around 1200 in Vydubychi Monastery as a continuation of the ''Primary Chronicle''. It is known from two manuscripts: a copy in the '' Hypatian Codex'' ...

'' is also heavily based on a ruler being descended from his father and grandfather, with the exception of two 5-generation lists. Before the mid-15th century, no historical source claims that Rurik founded a dynasty; the

Hypatian Codex The ''Hypatian Codex'', also known as Hypatian Letopis or Ipatiev Letopis, is a compendium of three Rus' chronicle, Rus' chronicles: the ''Primary Chronicle'', ''Kievan Chronicle'' and ''Galician-Volhynian Chronicle''. It is the most important sou ...

of 1425 began its list of ''

knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...

i'' of Kiev with "Dir and Askold", then "Oleg", then "Igor", up to 1240, and does not mention Rurik anywhere. It was not until the 16th century that Rus' churchmen developed an explicit tradition, described in the 1560 '' Book of Royal Degrees'' by Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, according to which the reigning Danilovichi house of the

Grand Duchy of Moscow The Grand Principality of Moscow, or Muscovy, known as the Principality of Moscow until 1389, was a late medieval Russian monarchy. Its capital was the city of Moscow. Originally established as a minor principality in the 13th century, the gra ...

(Muscovy) was part of a "Rurikid dynasty", which not only traced back all the way to the legendary Rurik, but was purportedly descended from a certain Prus, a supposed kinsman of

Augustus Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

. According Ostrowski (2018), the Rus' churchmen developed this concept of a R(i)urikid dynasty for the purpose of "bolstering the Muscovite dynastic state". Although many later historians would accept the 16th-century Rus' churchmen's dynastic claim that the Danilovichi were descended from Rurik, they did not accept Prus as the ancestor of the Muscovite princes. Because of these issues, various scholars have instead named the dynasty the ''Volodimerovichi'', descendants of grand prince

Ethnographic issues

The scholarly consensus is that the

Rus' people The Rus, also known as Russes, were a people in early medieval Eastern Europe. The scholarly consensus holds that they were originally Norsemen, mainly originating from present-day Sweden, who settled and ruled along the river-routes between t ...

originated in what is currently coastal eastern Sweden around the eighth century and that their name has the same origin as

Roslagen Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago. Historically, it was the name for all the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, including the eastern par ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

(with the older name being ''

Roden Roden is a name of Germanic origin, originally meaning "red valley" or an anglicization of the Gaelic name "O'Rodain". It may refer to: Places *Roden, Bavaria, a town in the Main-Spessart district of Bavaria, Germany *Roden, Netherlands, a town ...

''). According to the prevalent theory, the name ''Rus'', like the Proto-Finnic name for Sweden (''*Ruotsi''), is derived from an

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

term for "the men who row" (''rods-'') as rowing was the main method of navigating the rivers of Eastern Europe, and that it could be linked to the Swedish coastal area of

(''Rus-law'') or ''Roden'', as it was known in earlier times.Stefan Brink, 'Who were the Vikings?', in
The Viking World
'', ed. by Stefan Brink and Neil Price (Abingdon: Routledge, 2008), pp. 4–10 (pp. 6–7). The name ''Rus'' would then have the same origin as the Finnish and

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

names for Sweden: ''Ruotsi'' and ''Rootsi''."Russ, adj. and n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, June 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/169069. Retrieved 12 January 2021. The ''

'' gives the following account the "

", dating it to the Byzantine years of the world 6368–6370 (AD 860–862): There is some ambiguity even in the ''Primary Chronicle'' about the specifics of the story, "hence their paradoxical statement 'the people of Novgorod are of Varangian stock, for formerly they were Slovenes. However, archaeological evidence such as "

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

swords, a sword chape and a tortoiseshell brooch" in the area suggest that there was, in fact, a Scandinavian population during the tenth century at the latest.

Genetic studies

A genetic study on the origins of Rurikids (Zhur et al. 2023) analysed "for the first time", remains belonging to Prince

Dmitry Alexandrovich Dmitry Alexandrovich (; 1250–1294) was Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1276 to 1281, and again from 1283 until 1293. Biography Dmitry was the second son of Alexander Nevsky. When his elder brother Vasily died young, Dmitry remained the chief ...

. The study found that Dmitry Alexandrovich and most of the "medieval and modern Rurikids", starting with Prince

Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I Vladimirovich ( 978 – 20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, ...

, belong to paternal haplogroup N-M231 (N1a). The genetic results suggest that the formation of the Rurikid lineage included a population from eastern

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

(

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...

), a population from

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

or the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Eurasian Steppe, and an

East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

component via Siberian geneflow to Northeastern Europe.

History

Rurik and his brothers founded a state that later historians called ''Kievan Rus′''. By the middle of the twelfth century, Kievan Rus′ had dissolved into independent

principalities A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchical state or feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "principality" is often ...

, each ruled by a different branch of the Rurikid house. The dynasty followed

agnatic seniority Agnatic seniority is a patrilineality, patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children (the next generation) succeed only ...

and the ''

izgoi Izgoi is a term that is found in medieval Kievan Rus'. In primary documents, it indicated orphans who were protected by the church. In historiographic writing on the period, the term was meant as a prince in Kievan Rus' who was excluded from succe ...

'' principle. The house underwent a major schism after the death of

in 1054, dividing into three branches on the basis of descent from three successive ruling Grand Princes: Iziaslav (1024–1078),

Sviatoslav Sviatoslav (, ; , ) is a Russian and Ukrainian given name of Slavic origin. Cognates include Svetoslav, Svatoslav, , Svetislav. It has a Pre-Christian pagan character and means "one who worships the light" (likely in reference to the sun). In C ...

(1027–1076), and

Vsevolod Vsevolod or Wsewolod ( ; ) is a Slavic male first name. Its etymology is from Slavic roots 'vse' (all) and 'volodeti' (to rule) and means 'lord-of-everything/everybody', (similar to another princely name, "Vladimir" or "Volodymyr"). It is equiva ...

(1030–1093). In addition, a line of Polotsk princes assimilated themselves with the princes of

. In the 10th century the

Council of Liubech The Council of Liubech (sometimes referred to as the Liubech Conference) (, ) was one of the best documented princely meetings in Kievan Rus' that took place in Liubech (today in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine) on October 19, 1097. The council ended the ...

made some amendments to a succession rule and divided

Ruthenia ''Ruthenia'' is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin, as one of several terms for Rus'. Originally, the term ''Rus' land'' referred to a triangular area, which mainly corresponds to the tribe of Polans in Dnieper Ukraine. ''Ruthenia' ...

into several autonomous principalities that had equal rights to obtain the Kievan throne. Vsevolod's line eventually became better known as the

Monomakhovichi The House of Monomakh or Monomakhovichi were a major princely branch of the Rurikid dynasty, descendants of which managed to inherit many princely titles which originated in Kievan Rus'. History The progenitor of the house is Vladimir II Monoma ...

and was the predominant one. The line of Sviatoslav later became known as Olegovychi and often laid claim to the lands of

Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...

and

Severia Severia (, ; ) or Siveria ( / , ''Siveria'' / ''Sivershchyna'') is a historical region in present-day southwest Russia, northern Ukraine, and eastern Belarus. The largest part lies in modern Russia, while the central part of the region is the c ...

. The Izyaslavychi who ruled Turov and

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

were eventually replaced by a Monomakhovychi branch. According to

Jaroslaw Pelenski Jaroslaw Pelenski (Warsaw, 12 April 1929 – New York City, 20 February 2022) was a Polish-born Ukrainian historian, political scientist and professor emeritus. He obtained his higher education in West Germany in the late 1940s and 1950s, and hi ...

, This caused the Rurikid house to effectively dissolve into several sub-dynasties ruling smaller states in the 10th and 11th centuries. These were the ''Olgoviches'' of

who ruled in

Chernigov Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukrain ...

, ''Yuryeviches'' who controlled

Vladimir-Suzdal The Principality of Suzdal, from 1157 the Grand Principality of Vladimir, commonly known as Vladimir-Suzdal, or simply Suzdalia, was a medieval principality that was established during the disintegration of Kievan Rus'. In historiography, the ...

, and ''Romanoviches'' in Galicia-Volhynia.

Descendants of Sviatoslav II of Kiev

The

Olgovichi The Olgovichi or Olhovychi were one of the four dominant princely clans of Kievan Rus' in the 12th and 13th century. First mentioned in the Hypatian Codex, Hypatian continuation of the ''Primary Chronicle'' (PVL) under the year 1116 and literally m ...

descended from

Oleg I of Chernigov Oleg Svyatoslavich (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Олег Святославич; 1052 – 1 August 1115), nicknamed Gorislavich (Гориславич, literally "of famous woe") was a prince from Kievan Ru ...

, a son of

Sviatoslav II of Kiev Sviatoslav II Iaroslavich or Sviatoslav II Yaroslavich (; 1027 – 27 December 1076) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1073 until his death in 1076. He was a younger son of Yaroslav the Wise, the grand prince of Kiev. He is the progenitor of the '' ...

and grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. They continued to rule until the early 14th century when they were torn apart by the emerging

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

and

. The line continued through Oleg's son

Vsevolod II of Kiev Vsevolod II Olgovich (died August 1, 1146) was Prince of Chernigov (1127–1139) and Grand Prince of Kiev (1139–1146). He was a son of Oleg I of Chernigov, Oleg Svyatoslavich, Prince of Chernigov. Family Vsevolod married Maria Mstislavna of Ki ...

, grandson

Sviatoslav III of Kiev Sviatoslav III Vsevolodovich (died 1194) was Prince of Turov (1142 and 1154), Volhynia (1141–1146), Pinsk (1154), Novgorod-Seversk (1157–1164), Chernigov (1164–1177), Grand Prince of Kiev (1174; 1177–1180; 1182–1194). He was the son of ...

, great-grandson

Vsevolod IV of Kiev Vsevolod IV Svyatoslavich the Red or Vsevolod Chermnyi (died August 1212) was Grand Prince of Kiev (1203; 1206; 1207; 1208–1212). He was also Prince of Chernigov (1204–1206/1208) and Belgorod (1205). Reign In 1183 and 1191 Vsevolod took part ...

and great-great-grandson

Michael of Chernigov Mikhail Vsevolodovich ( – 20 September 1246), known as Michael or Mikhail of Chernigov, was Grand Prince of Kiev (1236–1239; 1241–1243); he was also Prince of Pereyaslavl (1206), Novgorod-Seversk (1219–1226), Chernigov (1223–1235; 1242� ...

, from whose sons the extant lines of the Olegoviches are descended, including the Massalsky, Gorchakov, Baryatinsky, Volkonsky and Obolensky, including Repnin.

Descendants of Vsevolod I of Kiev

Vsevolod I of Kiev Vsevolod I Yaroslavich (; – 13 April 1093) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1078 until his death in 1093. Early life He was the fifth and favourite son of Yaroslav I the Wise by Ingigerd Olafsdottir. He was born around 1030. On his seal f ...

was the father of

Vladimir II Monomakh Vladimir II Monomakh (; Christian name: ''Vasily''; 26 May 1053 – 19 May 1125) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1113 to 1125. He is considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and is celebrated on May 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), May 6 ...

, giving rise to the name Monomakh for his progeny. Two of Vladimir II's sons were

Mstislav I of Kiev Mstislav I Vladimirovich Monomakh (; Christian name: ''Fedor''; February 1076 – 14 April 1132), also known as Mstislav the Great, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1125 until his death in 1132. After his death, the state began to quickly disin ...

and

Yuri Dolgorukiy Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...

. The

Romanovichi Roman Mstislavich ( – 19 June 1205), also known as Roman the Great, was Prince of Novgorod (1168–1170), Volhynia (1170–1189; 1189–1205), and Galicia (1189; 1198/99–1205). He founded the ''Romanovichi'' branch of Rurikids, which woul ...

(Izyaslavichi of Volhynia) were the line of

, descended from Mstislav I of Kiev through his son

Iziaslav II of Kiev Iziaslav II Mstislavich (
at Izbornik – 13 November 1154)

and his grandson

Mstislav II of Kiev Mstislav II Iziaslavich (died 19 August 1170) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1158 to 1159 and again from 1167 to 1169. Life Mstislav was the son of Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev. Along with his father, he participated in the wars against Yur ...

, father of Roman the Great. The older Monomakhovychi line that ruled the

Principality of Volhynia A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchical state or feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "principality" is often ...

were eventually crowned kings of Galicia and Volhynia and ruled until 1323. The Romanovychi displaced the older line of Izyaslavychi from Turov and Volhynia as well as Rostyslavychi from Galicia. The last were two brothers of Romanovychi,

Andrew Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

and Lev II, who ruled jointly and were slain trying to repel

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

incursions. The Polish king,

Władysław I the Elbow-high Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: People Mononym * Włodzis ...

, in his letter to the Pope wrote with regret: "The two last Ruthenian kings, that had been firm shields for Poland from the Tatars, left this world and after their death Poland is directly under Tatar threat." Losing their leadership role, the Rurikids, however, continued to play a vital role in the

and the later

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. Most notably, the

Ostrogski family The House of Ostrogski (; ; ) was one of the more prominent families in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The family spanned from the 14th century Ruthenian noble Daniil Ostrogski ...

held the title of

Grand Hetman of Lithuania Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), s ...

and strove to preserve the

Ruthenian language Ruthenian (see also #Nomenclature, other names) is an exonymic linguonym for a closely related group of East Slavic languages, East Slavic linguistic Variety (linguistics), varieties, particularly those spoken from the 15th to 18th centuries in ...

and

Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

in this part of Europe. It is thought that the Drutsk and related princely families may also descend from Roman the Great. The

Rostislavichi The Rostislavichi of Smolensk were one of the four dominant princely clans of Kievan Rus' in the 12th and 13th century. They were one of many branches of the House of Rurik. History They are named after Rostislav I Mstislavich of Kiev (died 11 ...

were the line of

Rostislav I of Kiev Rostislav Mstislavich ( – 1167) was Prince of Smolensk (1125–1160), Novgorod (1154) and Grand Prince of Kiev (1154–1155; 1159–1161; 1161–1167). He is the founder of the Rostislavichi branch of Rurikid princes in Smolensk Smolensk ...

, another son of Mstislav I of Kiev, who was

Prince of Smolensk The Prince of Smolensk was the '' kniaz'', the ruler or sub-ruler, of the Rus' Principality of Smolensk, a lordship based on the city of Smolensk. It passed between different groups of descendants of Grand Prince Iaroslav I of Kiev until 1125, wh ...

and a progenitor of the lines descending from the princes of Smolensk and Yaroslavl. The

Shakhovskoy The House of Shakhovskoy is the name of a Russian nobility, noble family of the Russian Empire which claims descent from Konstantin Glebovich "Shah", a voivode of Nizhny Novgorod in 1481. Most members of the family fled the Russian Empire in 191 ...

s were founded by Konstantin "Shakh" Glebovich, Prince of

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...

, and traces its lineage to

through his son

Davyd Rostislavich David Rostislavich (Cyrillic: Давыд Ростиславич) (1140 - 23 April 1197), Prince of Smolensk (1180–1198) was fourth son of Rostislav Mstislavich, Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kiev. Biography David was born in Smolensk in 1140, ...

. This branch also descends cognatically of

Ivan I of Moscow Ivan I Danilovich Kalita (, ; – 31 March 1340) was Prince of Moscow from 1325 and Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1331 until his death. Ivan inherited the Moscow principality following the death of his elder brother Yury. In 1327, following a ...

, through the latter's daughter Evdokia Ivanovna Moskovskaya (1314–1342), who married , Prince of

(died 1345). They were the great-grandparents of Andrey and Yuriy, the first Shakhovskoy princes. This is possibly the most senior extant branch of the Rurikids, with many Shakhovskoys living outside of Russia after having fled during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. The

Yurievichi Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...

were founded by

Yuriy Dolgorukiy Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...

, the founder of Moscow and spread vastly in the north-east. Yuri's son

Vsevolod the Big Nest Vsevolod III Yuryevich, or Vsevolod the Big Nest (; 1154–1212), was Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1176 to 1212. During his long reign, the city reached the zenith of its glory. Family Vsevolod was the tenth or eleventh son of Yuri Dolgoruk ...

was Prince of

, a precursor state to the

Grand Principality of Moscow The Grand Principality of Moscow, or Muscovy, known as the Principality of Moscow until 1389, was a late medieval Russian monarchy. Its capital was the city of Moscow. Originally established as a minor principality in the 13th century, the gra ...

and thus of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. Vsevolod's son

Konstantin of Rostov Konstantin Vsevolodovich () (18 May 1186 in Rostov – 2 February 1218) was the eldest son of Vsevolod the Big Nest and Maria Shvarnovna. In 1206 and 1207, he was the prince of Novgorod. In 1207, his father sent him to rule the towns of R ...

was Prince of Rostov and the progenitor of various Rostov princely lines. Another son, Ivan Vsevolodich, was Prince of

Starodub Starodub (, , ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, on the Babinets (river), Babinets River in the Dnieper basin, southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 (1975). History Starodub has been known ...

and progenitor of a number of extant lines, most notably the Gagarin line. Vsevolod's son

Yaroslav II of Vladimir Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich (; Christian name: ''Theodor'' (); 8 February 1191 – 30 September 1246), also transliterated as Iaroslav, was Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1238 to 1246. He collaborated with Batu Khan following the Mongol invasion, be ...

was the father of

Alexander Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (; ; monastic name: ''Aleksiy''; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) was Prince of Novgorod (1236–1240; 1241–1256; 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1249–1263), and Grand Prince of Vladimir (1252–1263). ...

, whose son

Daniel of Moscow Daniil Aleksandrovich ( Russian: Даниил Александрович; 1261 – 5 March 1303), also known as Daniil of Moscow, was the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky and forefather of all Princes of Moscow. His descendants are known as t ...

sired the ruling house of Moscow until the end of the 16th century; the princes of Moscow are often referred to as the ''Daniilovichi''. Beginning with the reign of

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...

, the Muscovite branch used the title "Tsar of All Russia" and ruled over the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

. The death in 1598 of Tsar Feodor I ended the rule of the Rurik dynasty. The dynasty was briefly revived in the person of

Vasili IV of Russia Vasili IV Ivanovich Shuisky (, 12 September 1612) was Tsar of all Russia from 1606 to 1610, after the murder of False Dmitri I. His rule coincided with the Time of Troubles. He was the only member of Shuysky, House of Shuisky to become t ...

, a descendant of Shuyskiy line of the Rurik dynasty, but he died without issue. The unstable period known as the

Time of Troubles The Time of Troubles (), also known as Smuta (), was a period of political crisis in Tsardom of Russia, Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Feodor I of Russia, Feodor I, the last of the Rurikids, House of Rurik, and ended in 1613 wit ...

followed Feodor's death and lasted until 1613. In that year, Mikhail I ascended the throne, founding the

Romanov dynasty The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia. Ni ...

that would rule until 1762 and as

Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...

until the revolutions of 1917. Tsar Mikhail's father

Patriarch Filaret of Moscow Feodor Nikitich Romanov (, ; 1553 – 1 October 1633) was a Russian boyar who after temporary disgrace rose to become patriarch of Moscow as Filaret (, ), and became de facto ruler of Russia during the reign of his son, Mikhail Feodorovich. B ...

was descended from the Rurik dynasty through the female line. His mother, Evdokiya Gorbataya-Shuyskaya, was a Rurikid princess from the

Shuysky The House of Shuysky (Shuisky; ) was a Russian family of boyars and tsars, a cadet branch of the Rurikids. The surname is derived from the town of Shuya, of which the Shuiskys gained ownership in 1403. From 1606 to 1610, Vasili Shuisky ...

branch, daughter of

Alexander Gorbatyi-Shuisky Prince Alexander Borisovich Gorbatyi-Shuisky (; died 1565) was a Russian general during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Life He belonged to the powerful Shuisky family, being the last scion of its junior branch. His father was one of the success ...

. Tsar Mikhail's first wife

Maria Dolgorukova Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (; 1608 – ) was the tsaritsa of all Russia as the first wife of Michael of Russia. She was the first tsaritsa of the Romanov dynasty. Life Maria Dolgorukova was born in 1608 into the family of the ''boyar'' an ...

was of Rurikid stock but their marriage produced no children.

Branches

Volodimerovichi, grand princes of Kiev * Izyaslavichi of Polotsk, princes of Polotsk ** Putyatin, princes Putyatin (extant) * Izyaslavichi of Turov, princes of Turiv and Volhynia *

, princes of Pereyaslav ** Izyaslavichi of Volhynia, princes of Volhynia, kings of Rus (senior branch) **

Rostislavichi of Smolensk The Rostislavichi of Smolensk were one of the four dominant princely clans of Kievan Rus' in the 12th and 13th century. They were one of many branches of the House of Rurik. History They are named after Rostislav I Mstislavich of Kiev (died 11 ...

, princes of Smolensk (middle branch) ***

Kropotkin Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (9 December 1842 – 8 February 1921) was a Russian anarchist and geographer known as a proponent of anarchist communism. Born into an aristocratic land-owning family, Kropotkin attended the Page Corps and later ...

, princes Kropotkin (extant) ***

Lvov princely family The House of Lvov () is a princely Russian family of Rurikid stock. The family is descended from the princes (''knyazes'') of Yaroslavl where early members of the family are buried.https://russiannobility.org/princes-of-the-russian-empire/ Not ...

, emerged in the 17th century as descendants of the Rostislavichi princes of Yaroslavl (before 1260 Yaroslavl was in Yurievichi hands) *** Rzhesvsky, non-titled (extant) ***

Prozorovsky The House of Prozorovsky () were a Russian nobility, Russian noble family descending from medieval rulers of Yaroslavl and Mologa and eventually the Rostislavichi of Smolensk. Their name is derived from the village of Prozorovo near Mologa, which ...

(extinct since 1914) **

, princes of Vladimir-Suzdal; until 1260 princes of Yaroslavl ***

Daniilovichi Daniil Aleksandrovich (Russian: Даниил Александрович; 1261 – 5 March 1303), also known as Daniil of Moscow, was the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky and forefather of all Princes of Moscow. His descendants are known as the ...

, princes of Moscow. This branch would reign in

Muscovy Muscovy or Moscovia () is an alternative name for the Principality of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721). It may also refer to: *Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555 *Muscovy duck (''Cairina mosch ...

and the

until it went extinct with the 1598 death of

Feodor I Feodor I Ioannovich () or Fyodor I Ivanovich (; 31 May 1557 – 17 January 1598), nicknamed the Blessed (), was Tsar of all Russia from 1584 until his death in 1598. Feodor's mother died when he was three, and he grew up in the shadow of his ...

, which caused the

. ***Konstantinovichi, princes of

Galich, Russia Galich () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Kostroma Oblast, Russia, located on the southern bank of Lake Galichskoye. As of the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census, its population was 12,856. History It was first chro ...

(1247–1362). Progenitor: , son of

****

Lyapunov family The Lyapunov family () is a Russian noble family claiming descent from the Galich Rurikids, who lost their princely title in the 15th century.Their descent from Rurik is disputed by some historians, such as Sergey Soloviev. The family later se ...

, emerged in the 16th century as descendants from the Konstantinovichi princes of

, princes of Yaroslavl (senior extant branch) **

Lobanov-Rostovsky Lobanov-Rostovsky (), feminine: Lobanova-Rostovskaya () is a Russian surname of noble origin, associated with the House of Lobanov-Rostovsky. Notable people with the surname include: * Aleksandr Lobanov-Rostovsky (disambiguation), multiple persons ...

, princes of Rostov (middle extant branch) ** Gagarin, princes of

Starodub-on-the-Klyazma Starodub-on-the-Klyazma ( rus, Староду́б-на-Кля́зьме, p=stərɐˈdub nə ˈklʲæzʲmʲɪ) was a prominent urban centre of Russian Opolye from the 12th until the 14th century. Like so many towns in the vicinity, it was named ...

(junior extant branch) *

Sviatoslavichi Sviatoslav II Iaroslavich or Sviatoslav II Yaroslavich (; 1027 – 27 December 1076) was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1073 until his death in 1076. He was a younger son of Yaroslav the Wise, the grand prince of Kiev. He is the progenitor of the '' ...

, princes of Ryazan and Murom **

, princes of Chernihiv *** Skarzynski, Belarusian nobles ***

Gorchakov The House of Gorchakov, or Gortchakoff (), is a Russian noble family claiming descent from Michael of Chernigov, although it did not gain prominence until the 18th century. Aleksey Gorchakov The family first achieved prominence during the reig ...

, princes Gorchakov (extant) ***Massalski family, princes of Mosalsky (Massalsky) ***Obolensky, princes Obolensky (extant) ****House of Dolgorukov, Dolgorukov, princes Dolgorukov (extant; cadet branch of the Obolensky family) * Rostislavichi of Tmutarakan, princes of Tmutarakan *Rostislavichi of Halych, princes of Halych *Vadbosky, a branch of the princes Prince of Beloozero, Belozersky (extant) *Volkonsky, a branch of the princes of Tarusa (extant)

Disputed

*Possibly the Ogiński family; various "Rurikid" branches have been proposed, as well as Lithuanian ones. *Possibly the

, a branch of the

, but could also be descended from the Lithuanian Gediminids. *Possibly the Wiśniowiecki family, a branch of the House of Zbaraski (extinct), but could also be descended from the Lithuanian Gediminids.

Legacy

Russians, Russian and Ukrainians, Ukrainian historians have debated for many years about the legacy of the Rurikid dynasty. The Russian view sees the Principality of Moscow ruled by the Rurikid dynasty as the sole heir to the Kievan Rus' civilisation, this view is "resting largely on religious-ecclesiastical and historical claims" because Eastern Russian lands managed to establish themself as independent state that was ruled by the Rurikid dynasty until 16th century. This view started in Moscow as ruled by the original Rurikid dynasty between the 1330s and the late 1560s. At the same time Ukrainian view of sole succession is based on continuity from the Kievan Rus and its subsequent Kingdom of Ruthenia, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Lithuania-Ruthenia, Cossack Hetmanate. For that it had utilised mainly territorial, ethnodemographic, social, and institutional arguments. The predominant Ukrainian view had gradually changed over time. After decline of Kievan Rus rulers of Galicia-Volhynia claimed sole succession and the title of ruler of all former Rus lands as was noted in Kievan Chronicle, Kievan and then Galician–Volhynian Chronicles. Following downfall of Galicia-Volhynia, monarchs of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Ruthenia and then

gathering of the Russian lands, claimed sole succession as well, which in turn was supported by Ruthenian population and historians at the time. But that view had shifted by mid 17th century, especially after Pereiaslav Agreement and publication of Kievan Synopsis in 1674 that viewed people of Great Russia, Little Russia and White Ruthenia, White Russia as single All-Russian nation under leadership of Tsar. Though latter was challenged, but eventually became predominantly accepted until History of Ruthenians was written at the break of the 18th and 19th centuries underlying foundation for separate Ukrainian historiography with later monolineal and exclusivist Ukrainian national theory being advanced by national historiography between the 1840s and the end of the 1930s. It was summarised most clearly by Mykhailo Hrushevsky in his History of Ukraine-Rusʹ laying foundation for current sole succession view. During Soviet Union, Soviet times by 1930s prior All-Russian nation ideology was a modified to "allot equal rights to the Kievan inheritance to the All-Russian nation, Three Slavic peoples, that is the Russians, the Ukrainians, and the Belarusians, Belorussians", but later elevated the Russian nation as the elder brother to give the others "needed guidance in revolutionary struggles and socialist construction." There are currently various extant branches of the Rurikids, for instance: the Houses of

, Gagarin, and

. Their representatives include Prince Dmitriy Mikhailovich Shakhovskoy (born 1934); Andrey Gagarin, Prince Dmitri Andreevich Gagarin (born 1934); and Nikita Lobanov, Prince Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky (born 1935), a descendant of Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich of Principality of Rostov, Rostov. The three of them are of the

branch. While the Shakhovskoys claim descent from

, the Gagarins and the Lobanov-Rostovskys are descendants of Vsevolod the Big Nest, Vsevolod III of Vladimir, which makes the Shakhovskoys the most senior.

Gallery

File:COA Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov chivalric.svg, Arms of the House of

File:RU COA Dolgorukov.svg, Coat of arms of the Dolgoruky family File:RU COA Beloselsky-Belozersky.svg, Coat of arms of the Belosselsky-Belozersky family File:RU COA Kropotkin.svg, Coat of arms of the Kropotkin family File:Coat of Arms of Aladin.jpg, Coat of arms of the Mussorgsky family, families of Monastyrev stock is composed of Smolensk and Belozersk emblems. File:Coats of arms of the house of Gagarin.svg, Gagarin family / Khilkoff Coat of arms File:Golitsyn dukes v1 p2.png, Coat of arms of the Golitsyn family, Golitsyn family File:Gorchakov arms.jpg, Coat of arms of the

family File:RU COA Mosalsky XV, 2.jpg, Coat of arms of the Massalski family, Mosalsky family File:Herb Ostrogski.jpg, Coat of arms of the Ostrogski Coat of Arms, Ostrogski family File:Repnin coat.jpg, The Obolensky – Repnin coat of arms is composed of the emblems of Kyiv and

. File:RU COA Romodanovsky.svg, Coat of arms of the Romodanovsky family, Romodanowski family File:RU COA Shujski.png, Coat of arms of the Shuyski family File:RU_COA_Tatischev_II,_17.png, Coat of arms of the Tatischev family image:POL COA Korybut.svg, Korybut coat of arms

Origins

Genealogical issues

Ethnographic issues

Genetic studies

History

Descendants of Sviatoslav II of Kiev

Descendants of Vsevolod I of Kiev

Branches

Disputed

Legacy

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links