The Romanov Family Association (russian: Объединение Членов Рода Романовых, Obyedineniye Chlenov Roda Romanovykh) is an organization for descendants of the former
Russian Imperial House
The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastacia of Russia, Anastasi ...
. It was created in 1979 and officially registered in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. The current head of the organization is
Princess Olga Andreevna.
History
The idea for the creation of a family association was thought up by
Prince Vsevolod Ioannovich,
Prince Roman Petrovich and
Prince Andrei Alexandrovich the heads of the
Konstantinovichi,
Nikolaevichi and
Mihailovichi branches of the Imperial Family in order to strengthen the links between the family and protect it from
impostors
An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise. Their objective is usually to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but also often for purposes ...
.
Following the death of Prince Roman Petrovich in 1978, his son
Prince Nicholas Romanovich, after looking through his father's papers found that everything was effectively in place for the creation of a family association. Prince Nicholas then wrote to all the Romanovs who had been in communication with his father and it was agreed that a Family Association should be created. In 1979 the Romanov Family Association was officially formed with
Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich as president and Prince Nicholas Romanovich as vice president. Prince Nicholas Romanovich was elected president, following
Prince Vasili Alexandrovich who died in 1989.
[
The association accepts that since 3 March (]Julian Calendar
The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...
) / 16 March (Gregorian Calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
), 1917 with the decree of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia (russian: Михаи́л Алекса́ндрович, r=Mikhail Aleksandrovich; 13 June 1918) was the youngest son and fifth child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and youngest brother of Nicholas ...
's deferral of acceptance of the throne, that the Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government ( rus, Временное правительство России, Vremennoye pravitel'stvo Rossii) was a provisional government of the Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately ...
was recognized. Article IV-b of the bylaws of the Romanov Family Association states "The Members of the Association agree that all questions concerning the form of government in Russia and consequently also all matters of a dynastic character have been transmitted to the will of the great Russian people by the Manifest of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, which followed the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on the basis of 'general, direct, equal and secret voting'."[
As a charitable endeavor, the association operates the Romanov Fund for Russia to raise money for aid projects in Russia.]
Members
The Romanov Family Association (RFA) is an organization of legitimate male-line descendants of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. While extensive, it by no means includes all of the House of Romanov or all Romanov descendants; Maria Vladimirovna
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (russian: Мария Владимировна Романова; born 23 December 1953) has been a claimant to the headship of the Imperial Family of Russia (who reigned as Emperors and Autocrats of al ...
has never joined and neither did her late father, Vladimir Cyrillovich. The Association attributes the title of ''Prince'' or ''Princess of Russia'' to each of its members. Members of the Association now living are:
* Prince Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1954), grandson of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
** Princess Catherine Dmitrievna Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1981), daughter of Prince Dmitri Pavlovich
** Princess Victoria Dmitrievna Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1984), daughter of Prince Dmitri Pavlovich
** Princess Lela Dmitrievna Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1986), daughter of Prince Dmitri Pavlovich
* Princess Paula Pavlovna Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1956), granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
* Princess Anna Pavlovna Romanov-Ilynsky (b. 1959), granddaughter of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
* Princess Natalia Nikolaevna (b. 1952), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
* Princess Elizabeth Nikolaevna (b. 1956), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
* Princess Tatiana Nikolaevna (b. 1961), granddaughter of Prince Roman Petrovich
** Prince Alexis Andreevich (b. 1953), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
** Prince Peter Andreevich (b. 1961), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
** Prince Andrew Andreevich (b. 1963), grandson of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
* Princess Olga Andreevna (b. 1950), daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich
* Prince Rostislav Rostislavich (b. 1985), grandson of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
* Prince Nikita Rostislavich (b. 1987), grandson of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
* Princess Stephena Rostislavna (b. 1963), granddaughter of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
* Princess Alexandra Rostislavna (b. 1983), granddaughter of Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich
* Princess Marina Vasilievna (b. 1940), daughter of Prince Vasili Alexandrovich
The RFA also offers Associate Memberships to the children and grandchildren of princesses and grand duchesses, widows and widowers of princes and princesses and grand dukes and grand duchesses, as well as people who have always shown close ties to the Romanovs. One of the Associate Members as of 1998 is still alive:
* Mrs Xenia Sfiris née Countess Sheremetev
The House of Sheremetev (russian: Шереме́тевы) was one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in Russia descending from Feodor Koshka who was of Old Prussian origin.
History
The family held many high commanding ran ...
a (b. 1942), granddaughter of Princess Irina Alexandrovna
General Assembly
* President: Princess Olga Andreevna
* Vice president: Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich
Committee members
* Prince Alexis Andreevich
* Prince Nikita Rostislavovich
* Princess Natalia Nikolaevna
* Princess Catherine Dmitrievna
* Princess Alexandra Rostislavna
Presidents
* Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich (1979–1980)
* Prince Vasili Alexandrovich (1980–1989)
* Prince Nicholas Romanovich (1989–2014)
*Prince Dimitri Romanov
Dimitri Romanovich Romanov (russian: Дмитрий Романович Романов; 17 May 1926 – 31 December 2016) was a descendant of Russia's former ruling dynasty, a banker, philanthropist, and author. He was also a claimant to the heads ...
ich (2014–2016)
* Princess Olga Andreevna (since December 2017)Russia Beyond
''Russia Beyond'' (formerly ''Russia Beyond The Headlines'') is a Russian multilingual project operated by TV-Novosti (formerly Russia Today), founded by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
History
''Russia Beyond The Headlines'' was l ...
. 11 December 2017
Romanovs Elect New Chairman to Spearhead Dynasty
Retrieved 18 July 2018.
References
External links
Official Romanov Family Association website
The Romanov Fund for Russia
{{Use dmy dates, date=February 2021
Family associations