The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-07 00:00:00

TEE ROMANOFF FAMILY.

The Presse contains the following interesting bio-
graphy of the Romanoff family :
"Russia reckons three historical dynasties—the first
commencing with Rurik, a prince of Scandinavian origin ;
the second, that of the Grand Princess of Wolodomir, com-
mencing in 1157 with Andrew Yourowitch, who was assas-
sinated in his palace ; the third, that of the House of Ro-
manoff, commencing in 1613 with Michael, and numbering
among its descendants Peter the Great, founder of the ex-
isting greatness of the Russian monarchy.
"Peter the Great ascended the throne in 1652, having
for his first wife a Princess of Wolfenbuttel. He organised
against Europe that great destructive machine known as
the Russian Empire, and reformed his country with a
hatchet in his hand instead of a sceptre. His son Alexis,
terrified at the cruelties of his father, fled. first to Austria,
and then to Naples. Peter prevailed on him to return,
when Alexis was tried, and condemned to death. The sen-
tence was commuted to perpetual imprisonment, but the
unfortunate prince died on the morrow of poison. His
mother, who was soon after committed to a convent, also
died suddenly. Peter then espoused Catherine Skovronsky.
Later in life he became suspicious and cruel, and grew tired
of the ascendancy of his favourite Menechikoff. In 1725 he
died suddenly in his palace. _

" Catherine I. succeeded him. At her death, after a
reign of two years, Menschikoff elevated to the throne
Peter 11., the son of the unfortunate Alexis. The Emperor,
who was governed by the Dolgorouki family, ordered Men-
schikoff and his family into Siberia. During this reign the
old boyards recovered their power, and the German and
other adventurers patronised by Peter the Great and Ca-
therine were in disfavour. Peter 11. died suddenly is
1730.

" The old Russian party, by a sudden reaction seized
the Government, and proclaimed as Empress Anne, Duchess
of Courland, niece of Peter the Great, and daughter of
Ivan, who was put to death by order of the former Sove-
reign. The Dolgorouki family, who had bestowed the
Crown on Anne, were sent to Siberia ; and Biron, a Cour-
land favourite of the Empress, governed Russia. He is
said to have transported 25,000 men into Siberia without
trial. Anne died exhausted in 1740..
" Biron placed on the throne the young Ivan, the child
of the Duke of Brunswick Luneburg, and a niece of Peter
the Great. General Munich, the favourite of those now
in power, sent Biron into Siberia. Lestock, a French
barber, conspired with Elizabeth, a daughter of Peter the
Great. They entered the chamber of the Duke of Bruns-
wick, took the young Czar from his cot, and sent him to
the fortress of Schlusselberg. His parents, who were thrown
into the Castle of Kolmogora, lingered through twenty
years of suffering.
" Elizabeth, now Empress, sent for the son of her sister,
the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, who was married to a
Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. Elizabeth died of some un-
discovered malady in 1762, and the Duke Holstein-Gottorp
ascended the throne under the title of Peter 111. Cathe-
rine of Anhalt-Zerbst, his wife, had been assassinated the
same year in the Peterhoff Palace. A few days afterwards
Ivan suffered the same fate in his prison of Schlusselberg;
and thus ends the legitimate line of the Romanoffs. The
succeeding Czars have no drop of Muscovite blood in their
veins.

" Catherine and her favourite Potemkin now governed
Russia. She lavished an unnatural hatred on her son Paul,
who betrayed a Finnish origin by his Calmuck face and red
hair. Catherine died of apoplexy in 1796.
" Paul I. ascended the throne, and took to wife a Princess
of Wurtemberg. Of a fantastic temper, dangerous to all
about him, notwithstanding all his vigilance and precau-
tions, Paul I. was strangled in his own scarf on the night of
the 23d-24th of March, 1801.

" Alexander succeeded him. His favourite, the cruel
Arakbchuff, governed in his name. Towards the end of his
life, this Prince was infected with religious mysticism, and
the Russian orthosioxy suspected him of a leaning towards
Catholicism. He died at Taganrog, on the Ist of December,
1825, under circumstances of much mystery.
" There were still alive three sons of the Emperor Paul.
Constantine abdicated in favour of his brother, receiving
in exchange the viceroyalty of Poland. This prince died in
1831, after an interview with Count Alexis Orloff; and
his wife soon followed him to the tomb.

"Nicholas ascended the throne in 1825, and inaugurated
his reign by drowning in blood the revolt of the 13th of
December. After a reign of 30 years he died suddenly at
St. Petersburg, on the 2d of March, 1855, from a disease of
the lungs, according to the Moniteur—from a stroke of
apoplexy, according to the Debate. Michael, Paul's fourth
son, died suddenly at Warsaw, in 1848, during the war in
Hungary. This prince was opposed to Russian inter-
♦ention in Hungary, and persisted in a claim to the vice-
royalty of Poland for himself.

"The Emperor Nicholas leaves behind him the following
numerous family :—His wife, the Empress Alexandra
Fedorowna, formerly Frederica Louisa Charlotte Wilhel-
mina, daughter of the late Frederic-William 111., King of
Prussia, and born on the 13th of July, 1793. The issue of
this marriage are :
"1. Alexander Nicolaiewitch Ce3arewitch, and here-
ditary Grand Duke, born on the 29th of April, 1818 ;
married on the 28th of April, 1841, Maria Alexandrovna,
formerly Maximilionne Wilbelmina Augusta Sophia
Maria, daughter of the late Louis 11., Grand Duke of
Hesse, 'Jorn on the Bth of May, 18?.4. Issue of this mar-
riage—Nicholas Alexandrovitch, born on the 20th of Sep-
tember, 1843 ; Vladimir Alexandrovitch, born on the 2.2 d
of April, 1817 ; Alexis Alexandrovitch, born on the 14th
of January.

"2. Maria Nicolaievna, born on the Bth of August,
1819; married on the 14th of July, 1839, to Maximilian,
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widow on the Ist of November, 1852.
"3. Olga Nicolaievna, born on the 11th of September,
1822 ; married to Charles, Prince Royal of Wurtemburg,
on the 13th of July, 1846.

"4. Constantine Nicolaiewitch, Grand Duko, born on
the 21st of September, 1827; married on the 11th of Sep-
tember, 184 S, to Alexandra-Josefovna, formerly Alex-
andra, daughter of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, born
on the 20th of July, 1830. Issue—a Prince and Princess.
" 5. Nicholas Nicolaiewitch, Grand Duke, born on the
Bth of August, 1831.
"6. Michael Nicolaiewitch, Grand Duke, born on the
25th of October, 1832.
"The Emperor leaves, besides, two sisters—Maria Pau-
lovna, Dowager Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar; Anne
Paulovna, widow of William 11., King of Holland.
" And a sister-in-law—Helen Paulovna, widow of the
Grand Duke Michael, and daughter of the late Prince Paul
of Wurtem berg. This lady's daughter, the Grand Duchess
Catherine Michaelovna, is married to the Duke George of
Mecklenb urg-Strelitz."