List of heirs to the Russian throne

This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of Russia or Grand Prince of Moscow. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold. Stillborn children and infants surviving less than a month are not included.

1281 to 1552

At this time the ruler is known as Grand Prince of Moscow.

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Yury Danilovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	1281	born	4 March 1303	became Grand Prince	Ivan Danilovich 1288–1303, brother	Daniel
Ivan Danilovich	Heir presumptive	brother	4 March 1303	brother became Grand Prince	21 November 1325	became Grand Prince	uncertain	Yury
Ivan Danilovich	Heir presumptive	brother	4 March 1303	brother became Grand Prince	21 November 1325	became Grand Prince	Simeon Ivanovich 1316–1325, son	Yury
Simeon Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	21 November 1325	father became Grand Prince	31 March 1340	became Grand Prince	Ivan Ivanovich 1325–1340, brother	Ivan I
Ivan Ivanovich	Heir presumptive	brother	31 March 1340	brother became Grand Prince	1348	son born to Grand Prince	uncertain	Simeon
Ivan Simeonovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	1349	born	1353	died	Ivan Ivanovich 1349–c. 1350, uncle
Ivan Simeonovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	1349	born	1353	died	XX Simeonovich c. 1350–1353, brother
Ivan Ivanovich	Heir presumptive	brother	1353	death of Grand Prince's sons	27 April 1353	became Grand Prince	Dmitry Ivanovich 1353, son
Dmitry Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	27 April 1353	father became Grand Prince	13 November 1359	became Grand Prince	uncertain	Ivan II
Dmitry Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	27 April 1353	father became Grand Prince	13 November 1359	became Grand Prince	Ivan Ivanovich c. 1356–1359, brother	Ivan II
Ivan Ivanovich	Heir presumptive	brother	13 November 1359	brother became Grand Prince	1364	died	Vladimir Andreyevich 1359–1364, cousin	Dmitry Donskoy
Vladimir Andreyevich	Heir presumptive	cousin	1364	death of Grand Prince's brother	c. 1370	son born to Grand Prince	uncertain
Daniil Dmitrievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	c. 1370	born	15 September 1379	died	Vladimir Andreyevich 1370–1371, father's cousin
Daniil Dmitrievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	c. 1370	born	15 September 1379	died	Vasily Dmitrievich 1371–1379, brother
Vasily Dmitrievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	15 September 1379	brother died	19 May 1389	became Grand Prince	Yury Dmitrievich 1379–1389, brother
Yury Dmitrievich	Heir presumptive	brother	19 May 1389	brother became Grand Prince	30 March 1395	son born to Grand Prince	Andrey Dmitrievich 1389–1395, brother	Vasily I
Yury Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	30 March 1395	born	30 November 1400	died	Yury Dmitrievich 1395–1396, uncle
Yury Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	30 March 1395	born	30 November 1400	died	Ivan Vasilievich 1396–1400, brother
Ivan Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	30 November 1400	brother died	20 July 1417	died	Yury Dmitrievich 1400, uncle
							Daniel Vasilievich 1400–1402, brother
							Yury Dmitrievich 1402–1415, uncle
							Vasily Vasilievich 1415–1417, brother
Vasily Viasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	20 July 1417	brother died	27 February 1425	became Grand Prince	Yury Dmitrievich 1417–1425, uncle
Yury Dmitrievich	Heir presumptive	uncle	27 February 1425	nephew became Grand Prince	1433	seized the throne	Vasily Yurievich Kosoy 1425–1433, son	Vasily II

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Vasily Kosoy	Heir apparent	eldest son	1433	father became Grand Prince	5 June 1434	became Grand Prince	Dmitry Yurievich 1433–1434, brother	Yury II Dmitrievich
Dmitry Yurievich	Heir presumptive	brother	5 June 1434	brother became Grand Prince	1435	Grand Prince deposed by his cousin	uncertain	Vasily Kosoy

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
succession uncertain 1435–1440								Vasily II
Ivan Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	22 January 1440	born	1446	Grand Prince deposed	uncertain
			1447	father returned to throne	27 March 1462	became Grand Prince	Andrey Vasilievich Bolshoy 1447–1458, brother
			1447	father returned to throne	27 March 1462	became Grand Prince	Ivan Ivanovich 1458–1462, son
Ivan Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	27 March 1462	father became Grand Prince	6 March 1490	died	Andrey Vasilievich Bolshoy 1462–1479, uncle	Ivan III
							Vasily Ivanovich 1479–1483, half-brother
							Dmitry Ivanovich 1483–1490, son
Dmitry Ivanovich	Heir apparent	grandson	1490	father died	April 1502	excluded from succession by Grand Prince	Vasili Ivanovich 1490–1502, half-uncle
Vasily Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest living son	April 1502	nephew excluded from succession by Grand Prince	27 October 1505	became Grand Prince	Yury Ivanovich 1502–1505, brother
Yury Ivanovich	Heir presumptive	brother	27 October 1505	brother became Grand Prince	25 August 1530	son born to Grand Prince	Andrey Ivanovich 1505–1530, brother	Vasily III
Ivan Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	25 August 1530	born	13 December 1533	became Grand Prince	Yury Ivanovich 1530–1532, uncle
Ivan Vasilievich	Heir apparent	eldest son	25 August 1530	born	13 December 1533	became Grand Prince	Yuri Vasilievich 1532–1533, brother
Yuri Vasilievich	Heir presumptive	brother	13 December 1533	brother became Grand Prince	16 January 1547	Grand Prince crowned Tsar	Yury Ivanovich 1533–1536, uncle	Ivan IV
							Andrey Ivanovich of Staritsa 1536–1537, uncle
							Vladimir of Staritsa 1537–1547, cousin

1552 to 1722

From this point of the ruler is Tsar (Czar) of Russia.

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Yuri Vasilievich	Heir presumptive	brother	16 January 1547	ruler first crowned Tsar	1552	son born to tsar	Vladimir of Staritsa 1547–1552, cousin	Ivan IV
Dmitry Ivanovich	Heir apparent	son	1552	born	1553	died	Yuri Vasilievich 1552–1553, uncle
Yuri Vasilievich	Heir presumptive	brother	1533	tsar's son died	28 March 1554	son born to tsar	Vladimir of Staritsa 1553–1554, cousin
Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich	Heir apparent	son	28 March 1554	born	19 November 1581	died	Yuri Vasilievich 1554–1563, uncle
							uncertain
							Tsarevich Feodor Ivanovich 1557–1581, brother
Tsarevich Feodor Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	19 November 1581	brother died	18 March 1584	became tsar	uncertain
Tsarevich Feodor Ivanovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	19 November 1581	brother died	18 March 1584	became tsar	Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich 1582–1591, half-brother
Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich	Heir presumptive	half-brother	18 March 1584	brother became tsar	15 May 1591	died	uncertain	Feodor I
succession uncertain 1591–1598								Feodor I

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Tsarevich Feodor Borisovich Godunov	Heir apparent	eldest son	21 February 1598	father became tsar	13 April 1605	became Tsar	uncertain	Boris Godunov
succession uncertain 1605–1606								Feodor II
succession uncertain 1605–1606								False Dmitriy I
Dmitry Shuisky	Heir presumptive	brother	19 May 1606	brother became tsar	17 July 1610	brother dethroned	uncertain	Vasili IV
succession uncertain 1610								False Dmitry II
Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland	Heir presumptive	father	6 September 1610	son became ruler of Moscowy	4 November 1612	Polish forces defeated	John Casimir Vasa 1610–1612, son	Władysław IV Vasa

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Ivan Romanov	Heir presumptive	uncle	26 July 1613	nephew became tsar	9 March 1629	son born to tsar	Nikita Romanov, son	Michael
Tsarevich Alexei Mikhailovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	9 March 1629	born	14 July 1645	became tsar	Ivan Romanov 1629–1640, granduncle
Tsarevich Alexei Mikhailovich	Heir apparent	eldest son	9 March 1629	born	14 July 1645	became tsar	Nikita Romanov 1640–1645, cousin
Nikita Romanov 1645–1648								Alexei
Tsarevich Dmitri Alekseyevich	Heir apparent	eldest son	1648	born	1649	died	Nikita Romanov
Nikita Romanov 1649–1654
Tsarevich Alexei Alekseyevich	Heir apparent	eldest son	15 February 1654	born	17 January 1670	died	uncertain
Tsarevich Alexei Alekseyevich	Heir apparent	eldest son	15 February 1654	born	17 January 1670	died	Tsarevich Feodor Alekseyevich 1661–1670, brother
Tsarevich Feodor Alekseyevich	Heir apparent	eldest son	17 January 1670	brother died	29 January 1676	became tsar	Tsarevich Ivan Alekseyevich 1670–1676, brother
Tsarevich Ivan Alekseyevich	Heir presumptive	brother	29 January 1676	brother became tsar	7 May 1682	became tsar	Tsarevich Peter Alekseyvich' 1676–1682, half-brother	Feodor III

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
succession uncertain 1682–1690								Peter I
succession uncertain 1682–1690								Peter I and Ivan V (jointly)
Grand Duke Alexei Petrovich	heir presumptive	eldest son (of Peter)	18 February 1690	born	26 June 1718	died	uncertain
							Grand Duke Alexander Petrovich 1691–1692, brother
							uncertain
	heir apparent	eldest son					uncertain	Peter I
	heir apparent	eldest son					Grand Duke Peter Alekseyevich 1715–1718, son
Grand Duke Peter Alekseyevich	Heir presumptive	grandson	26 June 1718	father died	16 February 1722	Decree of the succession to the throne	uncertain

1722 to 1797

Between Peter I's decree on the succession to the throne of 16 February 1722 and Paul I's decree of 15 May 1797, the Emperor had the right to name his or her own successor. All heirs in this period were nominated by the reigning monarch, rather than holding the position by right of inheritance. Despite Peter the Great's modification of the law to allow nomination of a successor by the monarch, neither he nor his two immediate successors ever nominated an heir, and Catherine I, Peter II, and Anna were all chosen irregularly, after the death of their predecessor. In addition, Ivan VI, who had not named a successor, was deposed in a coup, while Peter III, who was deposed and murdered after a coup, was succeeded not by his son Paul, his chosen successor, but by his wife, who became Catherine II.

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Monarch
Grand Duke Ivan Antonovich	Crown heir	grand nephew	1740	proclaimed by Empress	1740	became emperor	Anna
Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich	Heir apparent	nephew	1742	proclaimed by Empress	1762	became emperor	Elizabeth
Grand Duke Paul Petrovich	Heir apparent	son	1762	proclaimed by Emperor, and then by Empress	1796	became emperor	Peter III and Catherine II
Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich	Heir apparent	son	1796	proclaimed by Emperor	1801	became emperor	Paul I

1797 to 1917

In 1797, Emperor Paul modified the laws of succession, abolishing the Petrine law and establishing in its place a law establishing semi-Salic succession among his own descendants. This law remained until the abolition of the monarchy.

Although Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich renounced his claims to the throne in 1820, he did so secretly, and so was still widely viewed as heir to the throne until his older brother's death in 1825. At the death of Alexander I, the next brother, who would become Nicholas I, deferred his claims until his older brother Constantine renounced once again, but after Constantine's second renunciation he claimed to have taken the throne immediately upon Alexander's death.

Heir	Status	Relationship to Monarch	Became heir	Reason	Ceased to be heir	Reason	Next in line	Monarch
Tsarevich Alexander Pavlovich	Heir apparent	son	1797	designated as heir by new law of succession	1801	became emperor	Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich, brother	Paul I
Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich	Heir presumptive	brother	1801	brother acceded to the throne	1820	renounced claims to the throne	Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, brother	Alexander I
Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich	Heir presumptive	brother	1820	brother's renunciation	1825	became emperor	Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, son	Alexander I
Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich	Heir apparent	son	1825	father's accession to the throne	1855	became emperor	Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich 1825–1827, uncle	Nicholas I
							Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich 1827–1843, brother
							Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich 1843–1855, son
Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich	Heir apparent	son	1855	father's accession to the throne	1865	died	Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, brother	Alexander II
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich	Heir apparent	son	1865	brother's death	1881	became emperor	Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich 1865–1868, brother
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich	Heir apparent	son	1865	brother's death	1881	became emperor	Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich 1868–1881, son
Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich	Heir apparent	son	1881	father's accession to the throne	1894	became emperor	Grand Duke George Alexandrovich, brother	Alexander III
Grand Duke George Alexandrovich	Heir presumptive	brother	1894	brother's accession to the throne	1899	died	Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, brother	Nicholas II
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich	Heir presumptive	brother	1899	brother's death	1904	birth of Emperor's son	Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, uncle
Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich	Heir apparent	son	1904	born	1917	Russian monarchy abolished	Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, uncle

1281 to 1552

1552 to 1722

1722 to 1797

1797 to 1917

See also