Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1913, a few years before their banishment from Russia
The Romanov family is the former ruling house of Russia. It ruled the country from the 17th century, until 1920, when they were deposed and exiled by the Bolshevik regime that funded the Soviet Union. Today, even long after the Soviet Union had dissolved, the Romanov Family is in exile in both Germany and West Persia, where they continue to support the restoration of imperial Russia. Although in exile, the Romanov family is one of the richest families in the world, running a network of German and Russian businesses.
History[]
The Romanovs share their origin with two dozen other Russian noble families. Their earliest common ancestor is one Andrei Kobyla, attested around 1347 as a boyar in the service of Semyon I of Moscow. Later generations assigned to Kobyla an illustrious pedigree. An 18th-century genealogy claimed that he was the son of the Old Prussians prince Glanda Kambila, who came to Russia in the second half of the 13th century, fleeing the invading Germans. Indeed, one of the leaders of the Old Prussians rebellion of 1260–1274 against the Teutonic order was named Glande. This legendary version of the Romanovs origin is contested by another version of their descent from a boyar family from Novgorod.
The Romanov rose to power with Ivan the Terrible taking the title "Tsar", which roughly translates to "Caesar". This would continue to be a common term for the ruler of Russia, even as the official title changed to "Imperator". Over the three centuries of rule, Russia shifted from good Emperors such as Peter the Great, to less benevolent Emperors, such as Paul II. Over time, the Russian Empire declined, yet sometimes grew in certain parts.
In 1917, Russia left the Great War. Although Russia had stretched to its limit, radicals such as Lenin and Trotsky did not start a revolution until March. The rest of the imperial family, except for Nicholas II, had gone on a trip through Ukraine to help with the wounded soldiers. Nicholas II was in his private study, when a group of armed communists broke the doors and threatened to shoot the Emperor if he did not sign a pre-written abdication document. The telephone lines were cut, and the guard told Nicholas that if he did not sign, thousands of rounded up men and women would be exploded in the center of Moscow. Nicholas II gave in, and signed the abdication document.
After the abdication, Nicholas was put under house arrest while Petrograd, Moscow, and the rest of Russia were torn apart from imperial symbols. Lenin returned from exile and led the Bolshevik Army to occupy all of Russia. The rest of the imperial family heard about the Revolution, and tried to return to Moscow, but were captured and the entire family were kept at Ipatiev House.
In 1920, Lenin decided the Russian Royals could not be shot, nor could they stay in Russia, so Lenin officially banished the Romanovs, sending them south with only two flasks of water and some provisions. The Ipatiev Guards escorted the family to the outskirts of Yekaterinburg, and sent them off.
Banishment from Russia and exile[]
After the guards sent the family off, the Romanovs and their four servants ran south, trying to reach White-Army territory. The family kept running south, living off berries, mushrooms, and rabbits after eating what little provisions were given. Eventually, Alexei Trupp died from malnutrition. Once the family got to White-Army held Chelyabinsk, the family used some of the diamond jewels that Princess Tatiana had sown into her dress to buy a carriage. The Empress had gotten the official warrant that the family still owned all of their possessions in Russia, except for the palaces. Lenin didn't want the remaining citizens to find out that the Tsar was exiled, or his properties taken, so Lenin took all of the possessions in the palaces and the Imperial vaults and stored them in the Kremlin, where they can be withdrawn by the family.
Under disguise as a Bolshevik elite family, the Romanovs traveled from Chelyabinsk to Volgograd, where they bought a large boat and sailed to the Caspian Sea. The Romanovs landed near Chalus, in West Persia, and was welcomed by the West Persian Shah, Reza Shah. Reza Shah granted the family asylum in Tehran, but after a month, were moved to Isfahan due to rising Soviet influence in the area.
Nicholas II died in 1945, after living in Isfahan for 25 years. During the Anglo-Soviet invasion of West Persia, the family briefly moved to Shiraz, but when the occupation ended, they moved back to Isfahan. Alexei married Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, and moved to Germany after the marriage. Eventually, all of the Romanov children got married, but only Maria and Anastasia stayed in Isfahan, with their ailing mother. Alexandra died in 1948, in which Alexei became the Head of the Government in Exile.
In 1951, Republican rebels captured Tehran, forcing the Shah, Mohammad Reza Shah, to stay in Isfahan. During his time in Isfahan, Alexei, under a fake name, withdrew almost half of the money in Moscow. The total sum that Alexei withdrew is unknown, but in a 1980 interview, Alexei said he withdrew more than 200 billion dollars. Alexei used some money to support the Shah, which proved helpful, because if the revolution succeeded, Ayatollah Khomeini swore he would slaughter the Romanov family "to pieces".
After the Soviet Union fell, what was left of the imperial family, which included every Romanov sibling except for Maria, tried to enter Russia via private jet. However, the moment Alexei stepped off the plane, authorities confiscated his new passport and sent him back to the jet. Alexei was stirred, and decided to take all of the family fortunes from Russia. By then, the family fortune equaled over 650 billion dollars in profits.
Today[]
Amb. George Mikhailovich Romanov
Up until today, the Romanov family is still barred from entering Russia. Many protests have been asking for the government to allow the family back into their homeland, and some even for a possible restoration of the Romanov monarchy. The Romanovs control lots of businesses such as Gazprom. Even though they are barred from Russia, they can still send diplomats to Russia.
In the 2016 Forbes Magazine, the Romanovs were labeled as the "Richest Family in the World", the "Most Undercover Powerful Family in the World", and Nicholas Alexander Romanov was named the "Richest Person in the World".
In May 2020, George Mikhailovich Romanov was nominated by Emperor Franz of Germany as German Ambassador to Brazil. He was eventually confirmed and currently resides in Brasília.
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