House of Romanov (1881–1894), and Nicholas II (1894–1917). Constantine Pavlovich and Michael Alexandrovich, both morganatically married, are occasionally counted among Russia's emperors by historians who observe that the Russian monarchy did not legally permit interregnums. But neither was crowned and both actively declined the throne. The February Revolution of 1917 resulted in the abdication of Nicholas II in favor of his brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich. The latter declined to accept imperial authority save to delegate it to the Provisional Government pending a future democratic referendum, effectively terminating the Romanov dynasty's rule over Russia. After the February Revolution, Nicholas II and his family
Restoration of the Russian monarchy predictions of Russian Orthodox prophets that foresee future monarchy in Russia. Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for the Cooperation of Church and Society of the Moscow Patriarchate from 2009 to December 2015, has argued that Vladimir Putin ought to become "royal emperor" of Russia. Restoration of the Russian monarchy A restoration of the Russian monarchy is a hypothetical event in which the Russian monarchy, which has been non-existent since the abdication of the reigning Nicholas II in 1917 and the massacre of him and the rest of his closest family in 1918, is reinstated in today's Russian Federation.