A sixteen-year-old hiding in a monastery became Tsar of Russia because nobody el

1613 Event

Romanov Dynasty Begins: Mikhail I Elected Tsar

A sixteen-year-old hiding in a monastery became Tsar of Russia because nobody else wanted the job. Mikhail Romanov's father was in Polish captivity. His mother was a nun. The previous decade had seen three false Tsars, a Polish invasion, and mass starvation. The national assembly chose him precisely because he was weak — young, inexperienced, with no powerful backers. They thought they could control him. His dynasty ruled for 304 years, until a firing squad ended it in a basement in 1918.

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February 21, 1613

413 years ago

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362 Event

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Romanov Dynasty Begins: Mikhail I Elected Tsar

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