The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities, and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598.

According to the Primary Chronicle, the dynasty was established in 862 by Rurik, a semi-legendary ruler of Novgorod. The exact origin of his tribe, the Varangians called Rus', is disputed and his ethnicity remains unclear, although Scandinavian and Slavic influences are cited. He 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 (Russian, or Rus' principalities), each ruled by different branches of the Rurik dynasty. By the end of the fifteenth century, the principality of Moscow had won a struggle for supremacy among these mediaeval Russian states. Beginning with the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the Muscovite branch of the Rurik dynasty used the title "Tsar of All the Russias" (or "Tsar of All Russia") and ruled over the Tsardom of Russia. The death in 1598 of Tsar Feodor I extinguished this Rurik dynasty.

The unstable period known as the Time of Troubles succeeded Feodor's death and lasted until 1613. In that year, Mikhail I ascended the throne, founding the Romanov dynasty that would rule until the revolutions of 1917. One descendant of the Rurik Grand Prince of Tver was Catherine the Great, who married Peter III of the Romanov dynasty. The historian Vasily Tatishchev, too, was descended from Rurik.

The Obolensky - Repnin coat of arms is composed of the emblems of Kiev and Chernigov.

Coat of arms of the Gorchakov family

Ostrogski Coat of Arms

Many noble Russian families are descended from Rurik. Among these Rurik descendants are the Volkonsky, Obolensky, Shuyski, Dolgorukov, Khilkoff, Repnin, Gorchakov, Gagarin, and Putyatin families, as well as the Polish or Lithuanian families of Ostrogski, Wareg-Massalski, and Czetwerty?ski families, among others.

List of rulers of the Rurik Dynasty

Princely families of Rurik stock

from princes of

• Starodub: Gagarin , Golibesovsky, Gundorov, Kovrov, Krivoborsky, Lyalovsky, Nebogaty, Neuchkin, Ossipovsky, Paletsky, Pozharsky, Romodanovsky, Ryapolovsky, Tatev, Tulupov and Khilkoff.
• Polotsk: Vitebsky, Izyaslavsky, Drutsky, Minsky and Polotsky.
• Peremyshl: Galitsky and Peremyshlsky.
• Chernigov: Baryatinsky , Belevsky , Volkonsky , Vorotynsky , Gorensky , Gorchakov , Dolgorukov , Yeletsky , Zvenigorodsky-Ryumin , Zvenigorodsky-Barashev , Zvenigorodsky-Spyachy , Zvenigorodsky-Shestov , Zvenigorodsky-Zventsov , Zvenigorodsky-Tokmakov , Zvenigorodsky-Nozdrevaty , Karachevsky, Kashin , Klubkov-Massalski, Kozelsky, Koltsov-Massalski , Koninsky, Kurlyatev , Litvinv-Massalski , Lykov , Massalski, Massalsky ,Machevsky, Mezetsky, Obolensky, Nogtev-Obolensky, Strigin-Obolensky, Yaroslavov-Obolensky, Nagiye-Obolensky, Telepnev-Obolensky, Ovchinin-Telepnev-Obolensky, Obolensky-Cherny, Obolensky-Bely, Obolensky-Zoloty, Obolensky-Serebryany, Odoevsky, Ogi?ski, Ossovitsky, Peremyshlsky (Peremyshl of Kaluga), Peninsky, Puzyny, Repnin, Repnin-Volkonsky , Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky , Spashsky, Torussky, Trostensky , Turenin, Tufyakin , Khotetovsky , Shchepin-Obolensky and Shcherbatov .
• Ryazan: Muromsky and Pronsky.
• Galich (Southern Galich): Babichev , Bakrinovsky, Volynsky, Drutsky, Drutsky-Ozeretsky, Drutsky-Sokolinsky, Drutsky-Gorsky, Drutsky-Lyubetsky , Drutsky-Podberezhsky, Zaslavsky, Lutsky, Ostrogski, and Putyatin.
• Smolensk: Vyazemsky, Berezuisky, Dashkov, Zhizhemsky, Kozlovsky, Korkodinov, Kropotkin, Porkhovsky, Selekhovsky, Solomeretsky and Fominsky.
• Yaroslavl: Alabyshev, Alenkin, Belsky, Velikogagin, Golygin, Dulov, Deyev, Zhirovy-Zasekin, Zaozersky, Zasekin, Zubaty, Kubensky, Kurbsky, L'vov, Molozhsky, Mortkin, Okhlyabinin, Penkov, Prozorovsky, Sandyrevsky, Siseev, Sitsky, Sontsov, Sontsov-Zasekin, Sudsky, Temnosiny, Troekurov, Ukhorsky, Ushaty, Khvorostinin, Yukhotsky, Shamin, Shastunov, Shakhovskoy, Shekhonsky, Shumorovsky and Shchetinin.
• Rostov: Bakhteyarov-Rostovsky, Brity-Rostovsky, Buinosov-Rostovsky, Bychkov-Rostovsky, Gvozdev-Rostovsky, Golenitsin-Rostovsky, Goluby-Rostovsky, Kasatkin-Rostovsky, Katyrev-Rostovsky, Lastkin-Rostovsky, Lobanov-Rostovsky, Priimkov-Rostovsky, Puzhbolsky-Rostovsky, Temkin-Rostovsky, Khokholkov-Rostovsky, Shchepin-Rostovsky and Yanov-Rostovsky.
• Beloozero: Andomsky, Beloselsky, Vadbolsky, Dyabrinsky, Kargolomsky, Kemsky, Sugorsky, Ukhtomsky and Sheleshpansky.
• Suzdal: Barbashin, Brukhaty-Shuisky, Glazaty-Shuisky, Gorbaty-Shuisky, Kirdyapin-Shuisky, Nizhegorodsky, Nogtev-Suzdalsky, Skopin-Shuisky and Shuisky.
• Moscow: Borovsky, Vereisky, Volotsky, Galitsky (Galich of Merya), Mozhaisky, Uglitsky and Shemyakin.
• Tver: Dorogobuzhsky, Kashinsky, Mikulinsky, Telyatevsky , Kholmsky and Chernyatinsky.

Noble families of Rurik stock

who lost their princely titles, from princes of

• Chernigov: Satin.
• Smolensk: Aladyin, Bezsonov, Bokeev, Burukhin, Vnukov, Vsevolozhsky, Gubastov, Danilov, Dmitriev, Dmitriev-Mamonov, Dobrynsky, Yeropkin, Zabolotsky, Ivanov, Karpov-Dalmatov, Kisleevsky, Knutov, Korobyin, Molody, Monastyrev, Mussorgsky, Netshin, Polev, Rezanov, Rzhevsky, Rozhestvensky, Sapogov, Solomin, Sudakov, Tatishchev, Tolbuzin, Travin, Tsyplyatev and Shukalovsky.
• Galich (Galich of Merya): Berezin, Ivin, Ilyin,Lyapunov, Ossinin.
• Belozersk: Kurtsov, Funikov.
• Ryazan: Ovtsyn, Lykov, Zhulyebin, Bulgakov, Denysyev, Nazarov, Izmailov, Zamyatin, Zlobin, Velyaminov, Fedorov.
• Tver: Agryenev.

See also

• Rulers of Kievan Rus?
• Vikings, Scandinavians of whom some travelled eastwards and southwards
• Grand Prince of Tver
• Knyaz

External links

• Genealogy of the Rurik dynasty from Genealogy.eu
• Family Tree DNA's Rurik Dynasty DNA Project
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