Princes of the Russian Empire

The title of Prince or “Kniaz” (Князь) is one of the oldest Russian titles of nobility.  Its use was, until the reforms of Peter the Great, limited to the ancient nobility, most notably the descendants of the Princes Riurik and Gedimin.  After the reforms, the title was also granted by Peter I and by subsequent Emperors.  Princely titles of foreign origin were also confirmed for use within Russia by the Emperors.  The following is a partial list of the Russian princely families still extant in 1700.  Many of these names appear in some of the earliest armorials, including the Velvet Book or “Barkhatnaya Kniga” (Бархатная книга), a listing of the earliest nobility.

Riurikovichi

From the House of Chernigov:

Bariatinsky
Dolgorukov
Eletsky
Gorchakov
Massalski
Myshetsky
Obolenski
Odoevsky
Oginski
Repnin
Shcherbatov
Volkonsky

From the House of Galicia:

Babichev
Drucki-Lubecki
Drutskoy-Sokolinsky
Putyatin

From the House of Smolensk:

Dashkov
Korkodinov
Kozlovsky
Kropotkin
Vyazemsky

From the House of Yaroslavl

Dulov
Khvorostinin
Lvov
Prozorovsky
Shakhovskoy
Troekurov
Zasekin

From the House of Rostov-Beloozero:

Belosselsky-Belozersky
Kasatkin-Rostovsky
Lobanov-Rostovsky
Shchepin-Rostovsky
Sheleshpansky
Ukhtomsky
Vadbolsky

From the House of Starodub:

Gagarin
Gundorov
Khilkov
Romodanovsky

Gediminovichi

Golitsyn
Khovansky
Kurakin
Nieswicki
Trubetskoy
Volynsky
Woroniecki

The Eastern Princes

Cherkassky
Dondukov
Engalychev
Kudashev
Kugushev
Meshchersky
Sibirsky
Tenishev
Urusov
Yusupov

The Georgian Princes

See Georgian Nobility In The Russian Empire.

18th – 20th Century Princely Creations

The Following families received princely titles after 1703 from Peter the Great and subsequent Emperors:

Menshikov 30.5.1707
Kantemir 31.7.1711
Bezborodko 5.4.1797
Lopukhin 19.1.1799
Suvorov 8.8.1799
Kutuzov 29.7.1812
Saltykov 30.8.1814
Barclay de Tolly 30.8.1815
Lieven 22.8.1826
Paskevich 4.9.1831
Kochubey 6.12.1831
Osten-Sacken 8.11.1832
Vassiltchikov 1.1.1839
Tchernyshov 16.4.1841
Czetwertynski 10.11.1843
Voronzov 6.4.1845
Giray 25.6.1847
Tarkovsky 21.12.1849
Chingiz 23.2.1853
Romanovsky I 18.12.1852
Orlov 26.8.1856
Swiatopolk-Mirski 18.4.1861
Cantacuzene-Speransky 19.1.1865
Mingrelsky 4.1.1867
Mavrocordato 26.6.1875
Yurievsky 5.12.1880
Sturdza 31.3.1884
Persidsky 14.8.1886
Dabizha 23.11.1892
Muruzi 9.6.1893
Gantimurov 11.8.1896
Paley 15.8.1915