In Russia long ago: Who are the Romanovs?
MANILA, Philippines — The name Romanov (or Romanoff) has been mentioned numerous times during the past few weeks in connection to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
During impeachment proceedings, "Operation Romanov" was repeatedly raised in connection with the claim made by vlogger Princess Maui, a Duterte supporter, during a November 2024 Zoom press conference by the vice president.
It was in this same press conference that Duterte uttered alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez which became the basis for one article of impeachment against Duterte.
The National Bureau of Investigation then traced it to an earlier warning made by Duterte's brother, Davao City Acting Mayor Baste Duterte, against the first family but later classified "Operation Romanov" as unvalidated information.
"When you go to bed tonight, think about the Romanovs," NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc quoted the mayor as saying during his testimony before the impeachment court. "Parang sinasabi niya na baka mangyari sa pamilya niyo 'yun, gaya ng nangyari sa inyo noong 1986."
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The Romanovs
The current generation may be more familiar with Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in the annals of history, the House of Romanov was the last imperial dynasty of Russia.
Ivan IV Vasilyevich, the first crowned Tsar of Russia, better known as Ivan the Terrible, married Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina in 1547, which marked the family's rise to power.
In 1613, Mikhail Romanov was chosen to become the Tsar of All Russia, the first in the House of Romanov, which began a tumultuous reign until 1917 when Russia was an established empire.
The last emperor of Russia was Nicholas II of the Romanovs, married to Alexandra Feodorovna or Alix of Hesse whose lineage traces to Germany's Grand Duke of Hesse and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Nicholas and Alexandra had five children — only son Alexei and daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia — and took charge of leading Russia during the First World War.
Nicholas' reputation was hampered because of Alexandra's German origins and association with the mysterious Grigori Rasputin, an influential figure to the Romanovs, particularly to the emperor and Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia inherited from Alexandra and Victoria.
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End of the line
The February Revolution of 1917 saw Nicholas abdicate his throne, ending the rule of the Romanovs after his brothers Constantine and Michael declined ascenion, and the former royal family was placed under house arrest and later exile.
In July 1918, while in the Ipatiev House, the Romanovs were executed via by Bolshevik revolutionaries led by Vladimir Lenin. All seven members were killed, though many conspiracy theories were made that the youngest daughter Anastasia had survived.
Members of the extended royal family were also executed by Bolsheviks, while others survived in exile like Nicholas' mother Maria Feodorovna and sisters Xenia and Olga Alexandrovna, the latter two living until 1960.
Russia was briefly led by a Provisional Government and Russian Republic, a short-lived Russian State, the Soviet era that lasted from 1917 to 1991, and the present Russian Federation. — with reports from Cristina Chi and Ian Laqui
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