The last rulers among the Rurikoviches were Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich and Vasily Shuisky. Furthermore, the family of the first prince of ancient Russia was interrupted, but this refers only to the direct line. Rurik had many children, and according to some calculations, any person from the 9th century, whose pedigree was not forcibly interrupted, can find at least 300,000 descendants today.

Due to the practice, which is widespread among the ancient Russian rulers – the marriage of sisters and daughters to foreign kings – traces of Rurik can be found in various countries today.

There are several hundred families in Russia, descended from the legendary prince. Most of them are from ancient noble families: Gagarin, Obolenski, Volkonski, Dashkov, Baryatinski, etc. If the Russian aristocracy had not been completely destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century, there would have been many more Rurikoviches among us. 

For example, the well-known television presenter and politician Petar Tolstoy is a representative of the count’s noble family Tolstoy, and thus he is not only the great-grandson of Lev Nikolayevich, but also a descendant of Rurik.

Another famous Rurikovic was Andrei Gagarin . Great Russian scientist and physicist, expert in the field of quantum electronics and physical optics. He came from the family of Prince Gagarin, who was the head of the St. Petersburg Provincial Assembly of the nobility. For many years, he led not only scientific, but also educational activities.

Rurik in Europe

Thanks to the marriage, the youngest daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Anna Yaroslavovna , became the Queen of France.

With this, the genes of the first Russian prince appeared among the French nobility in the 11th century. Along that line, Rurik’s successors are Cardinal Richelieu, German Chancellor Bismarck, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and even Princess Diana (Spencer). It turns out that even the heirs of the English crown are also Rurik.

Another descendant of the legendary ancient Russian prince is the English actor Benedict Cumberbatch . He comes from Richard III Plantagenet, who was the great-grandson of Edward III and Isabella of France from the Capetian dynasty, the direct heir of the family of Henry I and Anne of Yaroslavl.

This was not the only “way” for the spread of Rurik’s descendants among the European aristocracy. Another Russian princess, Maria Dobronega , the daughter of Saint Vladimir, became the wife of the Polish prince Casimir the Restorer, and the Piast dynasty was extremely numerous and connected with the rulers of many countries.

Overseas descendants of the Russian prince

The famous Rurikoviches can be found across the Atlantic Ocean. The most unexpected example in this case is the first African-American to be president of the United States. Barack Obama is a mulatto, his father is Kenyan, and his mother Stanley Ann Dunham is a distant descendant of Scottish King William I, great-granddaughter of Anna Yaroslavna.

The American political elite is quite closed, so it is not surprising that among Stanley’s distant relatives were relatives of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and several American presidents: James Madison, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. All of these politicians may also have Rurik’s genes.

The data were obtained from a study by the Historical Genealogical Society of New England.

Not everyone knows the fact that the British Queen Elizabeth II is related to Nicholas II, and Prince William is related to Nicholas I.

Source: sputniknews.com