Advances in technology have greatly changed our world in a short time. Many concepts that were in use a hundred years ago are now a thing of the past. For example, to the question: “Who is taller - the count or the prince?” our ancestors would have answered without hesitation.
However, it can baffle many of us. Indeed, it is no wonder for residents of the 21st century to get confused about noble titles, and even more so to explain how a prince differs from a count.
The emergence of class nobility
The social structure of medieval society was clearly regulated. Each person from birth occupied a certain level in it, and the transition from one class to another was practically impossible. Then, in the Middle Ages, a social hierarchy emerged that regulated the way of life and relationships within classes.
The nobility appeared in Europe during the formation of feudalism, when there was a need to streamline the relations between overlords and their vassals. The duties of the latter included protecting the interests and life of the feudal lord, from whom they received possession of the flax. Thus, a medieval nobleman is a warrior who is ready to join his army at the call of his overlord.
Over time, economic relations in society changed, and with them the role of the noble class. For example, count is a title that in the early Middle Ages designated a major feudal ruler who had complete power in his county. However, after the formation of centralized states, its possession only indicated belonging to the highest nobility - the aristocracy.
Titled nobles of medieval Europe
As already noted, each class had a strict hierarchical structure. Thus, the nobility was divided into granted and patrimonial, as well as titled and untitled. The last group was the largest in all countries.
The social affiliation of family nobles was determined by the very fact of birth in a noble family, while grantees became part of the privileged class due to personal merit or impeccable public service.
Titled nobles were at the very top of the hierarchical pyramid, second only to monarchs and members of the royal family in terms of birth. Princes, dukes, counts, marquises, barons, and viscounts made up the feudal aristocracy in medieval Western Europe.
But prince is a title that was mainly used by the noble class. In importance, it corresponded to a Western European prince or duke.
Origin of noble titles
Due to the passage of time, today it is impossible to say with certainty when and how the honorary titles of nobles appeared. Let's say count is a title that researchers associate with the Latin word comes. This is how the highest state dignitaries were called in the late Roman Empire. Today in Romance languages the title is written as conte (Italian), conde (Spanish) and comte (French).
During the early Middle Ages, the Frankish tribes called the leaders of the rural community counts. Several centuries later, under the king, their possessions and title, along with the right to manage, began to be inherited.
Slavic princes were originally heads of tribes, and only over the course of centuries did this honorary title become associated with the clans that ruled a certain territory, which had the right to reign, transmitted by inheritance.
Thus, one can notice something in common in the titles “prince” and “count”. The difference was initially rather geographical. In Western Europe the word count was used, and in Eastern and Central Europe - prince. Only over time did these titles acquire a different meaning.
Petrovskaya Table of Ranks
It was formed in the 12th century on the basis of courtyard people who were in the service of the boyars or appanage princes. They performed various judicial and administrative functions along with the obligation to perform military service in the princely army.
Peter I, as part of the fight against the patrimonial boyar aristocracy, introduced new titles of nobility, borrowed from Western European countries. Thus, in the 18th century, counts and barons appeared in Russia along with princes. These and other innovations were recorded in the Table of Ranks - a list of civil, court and military ranks.
Some time passed until the subjects of the Russian autocrat understood the new hierarchical structure and were able to understand who was higher - the count or the prince. The latter title existed in Rus' for a long time, and by the time of the reign of Peter I there were 47 princely families in Russia.
Award of titles
Peter's reforms put an end to the aristocratic hierarchy, which was based on birth. From that time on, not only the descendants of the Rurikovichs and Gediminovichs could become princes. Elevation to princely or counthood now depended on the will of the emperor.
The first in Russia, even before the adoption of the Table of Ranks, to receive the title of count was Boris Sheremetev, a field marshal and associate of Peter the Great. However, not all the successors of the reformer king generously bestowed new titles. Catherine II elevated mainly her favorites to the dignity of counts.
The new title also came with a specific address: high nobility. It is noteworthy that the princes in the 18th century. have not yet enjoyed such a privilege. For this reason, to the question: “Who is higher - the count or the prince?” a Russian nobleman at that time would most likely answer: “Count.” In the next century, this title was received mainly by ministers or those who had previously been awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
What is the difference between a prince and a count?
In the 19th century, emperors no longer skimped on new awards. Therefore, by the end of the century in Russia there were 310 count families and 250 princely families. In exceptional cases, one nobleman was allowed to have several titles. For example, V., for his invaluable services to the Fatherland, was elevated to both count and princely dignity.
So, who is higher - the count or the prince? In short, the holders of the last title stood one step higher on the hierarchical ladder. Only someone who had previously been elevated to the rank of count could become a prince.
This state of affairs was characteristic not only of the Russian nobility. As mentioned above, in Western Europe the title of prince corresponded to the title of duke or prince, who occupied the highest rung on the aristocratic ladder.
Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"
But first, let’s deal with the concept of “nobility” itself. “What is nobility? – wrote A.S. Pushkin. “The hereditary class of the people is the highest, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom.”
The emergence of the nobility in Russia
The word "nobleman" literally means "a person from the princely court", or "courtier".
In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which made up the court of a prince or a major boyar.
The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire states that belonging to the nobility “ is a consequence flowing from the quality and virtue of the men in command in ancient times, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the service itself into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who were born from noble ancestors, or were granted this dignity by monarchs.”
Rise of the nobility
Since the 14th century nobles began to receive land for their diligent service. This is how the class of landowners - landowners - emerged. Later they were allowed to buy land.
The Code of Law of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.
In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor took place in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV (the Terrible) gave a speech there. The Tsar set a course towards building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant a struggle with the old (boyar) aristocracy. He accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
G. Sedov “Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov”
In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) were placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.
In the middle of the 16th century. The Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the patrimonial people were evicted from the oprichnina region, which was declared the property of the tsar. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
In the 80s of the 16th century. were introduced reserved summers(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state peasants were prohibited from going out on the autumn St. George’s Day, provided for in the Code of Laws of 1497. Reserved summers began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) in 1581.
The “Conciliar Code” of 1649 secured the right of nobles to perpetual possession and indefinite search for fugitive peasants.
But Peter I began a decisive struggle against the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722 he introduced Table of ranks.
Monument to Peter I in Voronezh
The table of ranks replaced the principle of birth with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical destinies of the noble class.
Personal length of service became the only regulator of service; “fatherly honor”, the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lowest XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone of any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland any services.”
The table of ranks was subject to numerous changes, but in general it existed until 1917.
After Peter I, the nobles received one privilege after another. Catherine II actually freed the nobles from compulsory service while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, which created a real gap between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their embitterment became one of the reasons for Pugachev's uprising.
The apogee of the power of the Russian nobility was the receipt of “noble liberties” - a charter from Catherine II, which freed nobles from compulsory service. But this began the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into a “leisure class,” and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And after the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened even more.
By the beginning of the 20th century. the hereditary nobility, “the first support of the throne” and “one of the most reliable tools of the government,” is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.
Noble titles
In Muscovite Rus' there was only one aristocratic title - “prince”. It came from the word “to reign” and meant that his ancestors had once ruled some part of Russia. Not only Russians had this title - foreigners who converted to Orthodoxy were also allowed to become princes.
Foreign titles in Russia appeared under Peter I: “baron” and “count”. There is the following explanation for this: in the territories annexed by Peter there were already people with such titles, and these titles were also borne by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title “count” was initially burdened with the words “Holy Roman Empire”, i.e. this title was assigned at the request of the Russian monarch by the German emperor. In January 1776, Catherine II petitioned the “Roman Emperor” Grigory Orlov “ give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which he greatly obliged himself».
Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) become the first counts of the Holy Roman Empire in Russia, and under Catherine II, four of her favorites received the titles of princes of the Holy Roman Empire: Orlov, Potemkin, Bezborodko and Zubov. But the assignment of such titles ceased in 1796.
Title "Count"
Earl's heraldic crown
Graph(German) Graf) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title arose in the 4th century. in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to high dignitaries.
During the period of feudal fragmentation graph- feudal lord of a county, then becomes a title of the highest nobility. Woman - countess. It continues to be formally retained as a title in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Sheremetyev became the first Russian count in 1706.
Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev (1652-1719)
Russian commander during the Northern War, diplomat, one of the first Russian field marshals.
Born into the old boyar family of the Sheremetyevs.
In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He proved himself in the military and diplomatic fields. In 1686 he participated in the conclusion of the “Eternal Peace” with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and then was sent to Warsaw to ratify the concluded peace.
Protected Russia from Crimean raids. In 1695 he took part in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.
In 1697-1699 visited Poland, Austria, Italy, the island of Malta, carrying out diplomatic assignments of Peter I. During the Northern War of 1700-1721. proved himself to be a cautious and talented commander who earned the trust of Peter I. In 1701 he inflicted a defeat on the Swedes, from which they “remained ignorant and would not recover for a long time,” for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and granted the rank of Field Marshal. Subsequently he won several victories over the Swedes.
In 1705-1706 Sheremetyev suppressed the mutiny of the archers in Astrakhan, for which I was first in Russia awarded the title of count.
In recent years, he expressed a desire to become a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow Sheremetyev’s will to be buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to be fulfilled: Peter I ordered Sheremetev to be buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even the dead to serve the state companion.
At the end of the 19th century. There were over 300 count families in Russia. The title of count in Soviet Russia was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Title "baron"
English baronial crown
Baron(from Late Lat. baro with the original meaning “man, man”). In medieval feudal Western Europe, a major ruling nobleman and feudal lord, later simply an honorary title of nobility. Woman - Baroness. The title of baron in England continues to this day and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount. In Germany, this title was lower than the count's.
In the Russian Empire, the title of baron was introduced by Peter I, and P. P. Shafirov was the first to receive it in 1710. Then A. I. Osterman (1721), A. G., N. G. and S. G. Stroganov (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The families of the barons were divided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.
Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)
Diplomat of Peter's time, vice-chancellor. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722 in fact, he was in charge of the Russian postal service. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after the death of Peter he was able to return to diplomatic activity.
He came from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began serving as a translator in 1691 in the same embassy department where his father served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in concluding an agreement with the Polish king Augustus II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the Sedmigrad prince Rakoczi. In 1709 he became a privy councilor and promoted to vice-chancellor. In 1711 he concluded the Prut Peace Treaty with the Turks and he himself, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained hostage with them. He concluded agreements with Denmark, Prussia, and France to maintain peace in Europe.
In 1723, Shafirov quarreled with the powerful Prince A.D. Menshikov and Chief Prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, convicting them of embezzlement. In response, he was accused of embezzlement and sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced with exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stop “to live” in Nizhny Novgorod “under a strong guard.”
Empress Catherine I, upon her accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, returned his baronial title, awarded him the rank of actual state councilor, made him president of the commerce board and commissioned the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.
Barons enjoyed the right to appeal "your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mr. Baron".
At the end of the 19th century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Baltic (Baltic) nobility. The title was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Baron P.N. Wrangel
Title "prince"
Prince- head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (appanage prince) in the 9th-16th centuries. among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy. Later it became the highest noble title, equivalent to a prince or duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern Europe - konung.
In Russia Grand Duke(or princess) is a noble title for members of the royal family. Princess also called the prince's wife, prince(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- daughter of a prince.
Y. Pantyukhin “Prince Alexander Nevsky” (“For the Russian Land!”)
Princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Rus', Gediminovich and Jagiellon in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piasts in Poland, etc.). With the formation of a centralized state, appanage princes gradually became part of the grand ducal (from 1547 - royal) court in the Moscow principality. In Russia until the 18th century. the title of prince was only generic. From the beginning of the 18th century. The title of prince also began to be granted by the tsar to the highest dignitaries for special merits (the first prince granted was A.D. Menshikov).
Russian princes
Before Peter I, there were 47 princely families in Russia, some of which traced their origins to Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His Excellency" And "his lordship", which was considered higher.
Until 1797, no new princely families appeared, with the exception of Menshikov, who was granted the title of Prince of Izhora in 1707.
Under Paul I, awards with this title began, and the annexation of Georgia literally “exploded” the Russian nobility - 86 families recognized the princely title.
By the end of the 19th century. in the Russian Empire there were 250 princely families, 40 of which traced their origins to Rurik or Gediminas. 56% of the princely families in the empire were Georgian.
In addition, there were about 30 Tatar, Kalmyk and Mordovian princes; the status of these princes was considered lower than that of barons.
Did you know?
Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century.
Did you know that Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, the national hero of Russia, the great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art, had several titles at the same time: prince Italian (1799), graph Rymniksky (1789), graph Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal General of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, Grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Prince of the Royal Blood (with the title "King's Cousin"), Knight of all Russian orders of his time awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders
Details Category: Western European Countries Published 03/14/2013 14:21 Views: 4745Liechtenstein is a very small state, its territory is only 160.4 square meters. km. One could joke here, but we will refrain: this tiny state has managed to provide its citizens with the highest standard of living in Europe.
Liechtenstein (Principality of Liechtenstein) borders Switzerland and Austria. Liechtenstein is considered one of the recognized European centers ski tourism. For this purpose, the country has created an excellent base in the Alpine Mountains Malbyun. The mountain slopes are relatively flat, which makes it possible to engage in various sports at the same time: skiing, mountaineering, walking and snowboarding. Malbyn resort offers 20 slopes for beginners and 4 slopes for top-class skiers and snowboarders. Two first-class ski schools will help beginner skiers.
In addition to mountaineering, you can practice delta and paragliding in Liechtenstein. The country is also a center for winter recreation: there are many ski resorts and sledding trails.
History of the state
Liechtenstein's borders have remained unchanged since 1434, when the Rhine River established the border between the Holy Roman Empire and the Swiss cantons.
Liechtenstein Dynasty, from which the Principality takes its name (and not vice versa) is named after the castle of Liechtenstein in Lower Austria, which they owned from 1140 to the XIII century and from 1807 to the present. Over the centuries, the dynasty acquired large tracts of land primarily in Moravia, Lower Austria and the Duchy of Styria, but all of these vast and rich territories were part of the fief estates of other, larger feudal lords, in particular various branches of the Habsburg family, for whom many Liechtensteins served as court advisors . Thus, without lands directly subject to the imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet the basic requirement to gain the right to sit in the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire, although they were granted the rank of a principality at the end of the 17th century.
During Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) Liechtenstein was invaded by troops of the Austrian Empire and Sweden. The Thirty Years' War is the first military conflict in European history, which affected almost all European countries (including Russia) to one degree or another. The war began as a religious clash between Protestants and Catholics in Germany, but then escalated into a struggle against Habsburg hegemony in Europe. This is the last significant religious war in Europe, giving rise to Westphalian system of international relations (the idea of balance of power).
During the 17th century, the country experienced difficult times: the plague epidemic was widespread and Witch hunt(persecution of people suspected of witchcraft), as a result of which more than 100 people were persecuted and executed.
On October 23, 1719, by decree of Emperor Charles IV, the Principality of Schellenberg and the County of Vaduz were united into the Principality of Liechtenstein, of which Anton Florian von Liechtenstein became the first prince. 
Liechtenstein became a sovereign state in 1806., as a result of the creation by Napoleon of the Confederation of the Rhine after the collapse of the Great Roman Empire.
Until the end of the First World War, Liechtenstein was closely associated with Austria, but due to the economic damage suffered by Austria, it entered into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. According to the 1919 treaty, Switzerland took upon itself to represent the interests of Liechtenstein at the diplomatic and consular level in those countries where it was not represented.
In 1938, Prince Franz Joseph II became the first prince of the state to have a permanent residence in Liechtenstein. During World War II, Liechtenstein remained neutral.
After the war, Liechtenstein was in dire financial straits, so the dynasty often resorted to selling the family's artistic assets (for example, the portrait of "Ginevra Benci" by Leonardo da Vinci, which was acquired by the US National Gallery of Art in 1967). But then gradually Liechtenstein began to prosper after modernizing its economy, attracting many companies due to its low tax rates. Liechtenstein became an increasingly important financial center in Europe.
Brief information about the country
Capital– Vaduz.
Largest city- Shan.
Official language- German
Form of government- hereditary constitutional monarchy.
Head of State- prince.
Chief Executive- Prime Minister.
Population– 36,476 people.
State religion- Catholicism.
Currency– Swiss franc.
Climate– moderate continental, alpine.
Economy- a prosperous industrial country with a developed financial services sector and a high standard of living. Main branch of the economy- manufacturing industry: metalworking, precision instrument making, optics, production of vacuum equipment, electronic systems, microprocessors. The industry is almost entirely export-oriented.
State symbols
Flag- originally consisted of two horizontal stripes of yellow and red ancestral colors of the ruling dynasty. Since the 19th century, the national flag has become blue and red. The change is associated with the traditional colors of the clothes of the courtiers and servants of the princely court. The blue color symbolizes the blue of the sky over the country, the red color symbolizes the bright sunsets in the mountains of Liechtenstein.
At the 1936 Olympic Games, Liechtensteiners were saddened to see the national flag of Haiti identical to their flag. Therefore, in 1937, a princely crown was added to the blue stripe of the flag of Liechtenstein at the flagpole - a symbol of princely power, the unity of the dynasty and the people, the design of which was changed twice on the flag: in 1957 and 1982.
In 1937, the head of the government of the principality, Joseph Hop, gave an official interpretation of the symbols of the flag: blue is the color of the shining sky, red is the color of smoldering coals in the fireplace, the golden color of the crown shows our people that the country and the princely family are united in heart and spirit.
Coat of arms- The large coat of arms of Liechtenstein is a divided and dissected shield with an azure pressed concave point and a shield in the center. The scarlet mantle, lined with ermine fur, and the princely crown symbolize the monarchical political system and the power of the prince.
This small country is rich in artistic and cultural attractions.
Sights of Liechtenstein
Castle in Liechtenstein, the official residence of the prince, named after the city of Vaduz, on the hill above which it is located. Donjon The castle (main tower) dates back to the 12th century, and the buildings in its eastern part are considered the oldest. The donjon stands on a foundation measuring 12 by 13 meters with walls 4 meters thick at the base level. The construction of the castle chapel, dedicated to St. Anne, also traditionally dates back to the Middle Ages, although it has a late Gothic main altar. In 1499, during the Swabian War, the castle was destroyed by Swiss troops. During the reign of Count Caspar von Hohenems (1613-1640), the western part of the castle was expanded.
The Liechtenstein family took ownership of the castle after acquiring the County of Vaduz in 1712. Since 1938, the castle has served as the main residence of the princely family and is closed to general access.
Liechtenstein State Museum (Vaduz)
The museum's exhibition is dedicated to the history, geography and biosphere of this state. In Vaduz, the museum complex includes two ancient buildings and a new building. The museum also owns a traditional wooden alpine house in the commune of Schellenberg.
The Liechtenstein State Museum is also organizationally affiliated Liechtenstein Postal Museum. The museum's collection includes exhibits from the history of the principality and its surrounding regions: archaeological finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, Roman domination in the Alpine regions, the medieval history of the principality, etc. up to the New Age. The collection includes household items from peasant households, weapons, as well as works of art, orders and coins. Following the opening of a new building at the museum and the expansion of its space, the State Museum of Liechtenstein is also presenting an exhibition dedicated to the natural world of Liechtenstein, its flora and fauna.
Art gallery in Vaduz
Among the exhibits are paintings by Botticelli, Bruegel, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Rubens.
Vaduz Cathedral
Center of the Archdiocese of Vaduz. Originally a parish church, it received cathedral status in 1997.
The cathedral was built in 1873 by Friedrich von Schmidt on the site of a medieval foundation. The cathedral is named after Florin of Remus, the patron saint of the Val Venosta valleys, who lived in the 9th century. The Archdiocese of Vaduz was proclaimed by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Constitution on December 2, 2002. Before this, the cathedral was part of the Liechtenstein deanery, which was part of a diocese governed from Switzerland.
The meeting building of the city and municipal council of the capital of Liechtenstein. The construction of the building was carried out in 1932-1933. It is stylized as an architectural monument of the Western European Middle Ages.
Postal Museum of the Principality of Liechtenstein
A museum located in the capital of Liechtenstein and dedicated to the history of mail and postage stamps of this principality. It was founded in 1930 with the aim of preserving documents on the history of local postal and philatelic material produced in Liechtenstein. The collection was opened to visitors in 1936.
Liechtenstein Art Museum
State Museum of Modern Art in Vaduz. In 1967, Liechtenstein received a gift of ten paintings, which became the basis of the State Art Collection. Construction of the building, designed by Swiss architects, was completed in November 2000.
Castle Gutenberg
The castle is located on a hill about 70 m high. The approximate construction time of the castle is 1100-1200. In 1314 it became the property of the Habsburgs. In the 15th century During the Old Zurich War, the castle was seriously damaged by fire. In 1795, the castle was again seriously damaged by fire. It was restored in its modern form only in 1912.
Other information about the country
Hiking around castles and chapels is very popular among tourists. In addition to winter sports, the country has a lot of interesting things to do. The capital of the state, Vaduz, is a tourist center.
It is interesting to visit strains, cozy cafes where locals gather in the evening. Strains look like semi-closed clubs. It will be interesting to observe the local color, which combines a combination of an urban village and a colorful rich village. Among the scattered 2-3 storey white brick cottages with peaked roofs, you will find fields of corn, herds of sheep on the lawns and horses roaming freely. Modernity is present here with the only 10-story building, the tallest in the entire country.
It will be interesting to get acquainted with a country where residents know each other by sight and will immediately recognize a foreigner, but will definitely greet him. It will be unusual to walk across the entire territory of the country at any time of the day and not be afraid of either insult or robbery.
Small towns will also be of interest to tourists: Balzers, Troesen, Schellenberg, Eschen, each with its own characteristics.
The history of Rus' goes back more than a thousand years, although even before the advent of the state, a variety of tribes lived on its territory. The last ten-century period can be divided into several stages. All the rulers of Russia, from Rurik to Putin, are people who were true sons and daughters of their eras.
Main historical stages of development of Russia
Historians consider the following classification to be the most convenient:
Reign of the Novgorod princes (862-882);
Yaroslav the Wise (1016-1054);
From 1054 to 1068 Izyaslav Yaroslavovich was in power;
From 1068 to 1078, the list of rulers of Russia was replenished with several names (Vseslav Bryachislavovich, Izyaslav Yaroslavovich, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod Yaroslavovich, in 1078 Izyaslav Yaroslavovich ruled again)
The year 1078 was marked by some stabilization in the political arena; Vsevolod Yaroslavovich ruled until 1093;
Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich was on the throne from 1093 to;
Vladimir, nicknamed Monomakh (1113-1125) - one of the best princes of Kievan Rus;
From 1132 to 1139 Yaropolk Vladimirovich had power.
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who lived and ruled during this period and up to the present time, saw their main task in the prosperity of the country and strengthening the country’s role in the European arena. Another thing is that each of them walked towards the goal in their own way, sometimes in a completely different direction than their predecessors.
The period of fragmentation of Kievan Rus
During the times of feudal fragmentation of Rus', changes on the main princely throne were frequent. None of the princes left a serious mark on the history of Rus'. By the middle of the 13th century, Kyiv fell into absolute decline. It is worth mentioning only a few princes who ruled in the 12th century. So, from 1139 to 1146 Vsevolod Olgovich was the prince of Kyiv. In 1146, Igor the Second was at the helm for two weeks, after which Izyaslav Mstislavovich ruled for three years. Until 1169, such people as Vyacheslav Rurikovich, Rostislav of Smolensky, Izyaslav of Chernigov, Yuri Dolgoruky, Izyaslav the Third managed to visit the princely throne.
The capital moves to Vladimir
The period of formation of late feudalism in Rus' was characterized by several manifestations:
Weakening of the Kyiv princely power;
The emergence of several centers of influence that competed with each other;
Strengthening the influence of feudal lords.
On the territory of Rus', 2 largest centers of influence arose: Vladimir and Galich. Galich was the most important political center at that time (located on the territory of modern Western Ukraine). It seems interesting to study the list of Russian rulers who reigned in Vladimir. The importance of this period of history will still have to be assessed by researchers. Of course, the Vladimir period in the development of Rus' was not as long as the Kiev period, but it was after it that the formation of monarchical Rus' began. Let us consider the reign dates of all the rulers of Russia at this time. In the first years of this stage of development of Rus', rulers changed quite often; there was no stability, which would appear later. For more than 5 years, the following princes were in power in Vladimir:
Andrew (1169-1174);
Vsevolod, son of Andrei (1176-1212);
Georgy Vsevolodovich (1218-1238);
Yaroslav, son of Vsevolod (1238-1246);
Alexander (Nevsky), great commander (1252-1263);
Yaroslav III (1263-1272);
Dmitry I (1276-1283);
Dmitry II (1284-1293);
Andrey Gorodetsky (1293-1304);
Michael "Saint" of Tverskoy (1305-1317).
All rulers of Russia after the transfer of the capital to Moscow until the appearance of the first tsars
The transfer of the capital from Vladimir to Moscow chronologically approximately coincides with the end of the period of feudal fragmentation of Rus' and the strengthening of the main center of political influence. Most of the princes were on the throne longer than the rulers of the Vladimir period. So:
Prince Ivan (1328-1340);
Semyon Ivanovich (1340-1353);
Ivan the Red (1353-1359);
Alexey Byakont (1359-1368);
Dmitry (Donskoy), famous commander (1368-1389);
Vasily Dmitrievich (1389-1425);
Sophia of Lithuania (1425-1432);
Vasily the Dark (1432-1462);
Ivan III (1462-1505);
Vasily Ivanovich (1505-1533);
Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538);
The decade before 1548 was a difficult period in the history of Russia, when the situation developed in such a way that the princely dynasty actually ended. There was a period of timelessness when boyar families were in power.
The reign of tsars in Rus': the beginning of the monarchy
Historians distinguish three chronological periods in the development of the Russian monarchy: before the accession to the throne of Peter the Great, the reign of Peter the Great and after him. The reign dates of all the rulers of Russia from 1548 to the end of the 17th century are as follows:
Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (1548-1574);
Semyon Kasimovsky (1574-1576);
Again Ivan the Terrible (1576-1584);
Feodor (1584-1598).
Tsar Fedor had no heirs, so it was interrupted. - one of the most difficult periods in the history of our homeland. Rulers changed almost every year. Since 1613, the Romanov dynasty has ruled the country:
Mikhail, the first representative of the Romanov dynasty (1613-1645);
Alexei Mikhailovich, son of the first emperor (1645-1676);
He ascended the throne in 1676 and reigned for 6 years;
Sophia, his sister, reigned from 1682 to 1689.
In the 17th century, stability finally came to Rus'. The central government has strengthened, reforms are gradually beginning, leading to the fact that Russia has grown territorially and strengthened, and the leading world powers began to take it into account. The main credit for changing the appearance of the state belongs to the great Peter I (1689-1725), who simultaneously became the first emperor.
Rulers of Russia after Peter
The reign of Peter the Great was the heyday when the empire acquired its own strong fleet and strengthened the army. All Russian rulers, from Rurik to Putin, understood the importance of the armed forces, but few were given the opportunity to realize the country's enormous potential. An important feature of that time was Russia’s aggressive foreign policy, which manifested itself in the forcible annexation of new regions (Russian-Turkish wars, the Azov campaign).
The chronology of the rulers of Russia from 1725 to 1917 is as follows:
Ekaterina Skavronskaya (1725-1727);
Peter the Second (killed in 1730);
Queen Anna (1730-1740);
Ivan Antonovich (1740-1741);
Elizaveta Petrovna (1741-1761);
Pyotr Fedorovich (1761-1762);
Catherine the Great (1762-1796);
Pavel Petrovich (1796-1801);
Alexander I (1801-1825);
Nicholas I (1825-1855);
Alexander II (1855 - 1881);
Alexander III (1881-1894);
Nicholas II - the last of the Romanovs, ruled until 1917.
This marks the end of a huge period of development of the state, when the kings were in power. After the October Revolution, a new political structure appeared - the republic.
Russia during the USSR and after its collapse
The first few years after the revolution were difficult. Among the rulers of this period one can single out Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky. After the legal registration of the USSR as a state and until 1924, Vladimir Lenin led the country. Next, the chronology of the rulers of Russia looks like this:
Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich (1924-1953);
Nikita Khrushchev was the First Secretary of the CPSU after Stalin's death until 1964;
Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982);
Yuri Andropov (1982-1984);
General Secretary of the CPSU (1984-1985);
Mikhail Gorbachev, first president of the USSR (1985-1991);
Boris Yeltsin, leader of independent Russia (1991-1999);
The current head of state is Putin - President of Russia since 2000 (with a break of 4 years, when the state was led by Dmitry Medvedev)
Who are they, the rulers of Russia?
All the rulers of Russia from Rurik to Putin, who have been in power for the entire more than thousand-year history of the state, are patriots who wanted the flourishing of all the lands of the vast country. Most of the rulers were not random people in this difficult field and each made their own contribution to the development and formation of Russia. Of course, all the rulers of Russia wanted the good and prosperity of their subjects: the main forces were always directed to strengthening the borders, expanding trade, and strengthening defense capabilities.
