At different times, a ruler in Ruthenia/Kievan Rus'/Muscovy/early Russia/Imperial Russia bore the title of Kniaz (translated as Duke or Prince), Velikiy Kniaz (translated as Grand Duke, Grand Prince or Great Prince), Tsar, Emperor.

The Patriarchs, heads of the Russian Orthodox Church, also sometimes acted as the leaders of Russia — as, for example, during the Polish occupation and interregnum of 1610—1613.

For pre-Muscovite Russia see also Rulers of Kievan Rus.

Princes and Grand Princes

• Andrei Bogolyubsky (1168-1174), a Vladimir-Suzdal prince
• Vsevolod III (1176-1212)
• Yuri II (1212-1216)
• Konstantin (1216-1218)
• Yuri II (1218-1238)
• Yaroslav II (1238-1246)
• Svyatoslav III (1246-1249)
• Andrei II (1249-1252)
• Alexander Nevski (1252-1263)
• Yaroslav III (1264-1271)
• Vassili (1272-1277)
• Dimitri I (1277-1281)
• Andrei III (1281-1283)
• Daniel (1283-1303) - first prince of Moscow
• Yuri (1303-1325)
• Ivan I (1325-1341)
• Semeon (1341-1353)
• Ivan II (1353-1359)
• Dmitri Donskoi (1359-1389)
• Vasili I (1389-1425)
• Vasili II (1425-1462)
• Ivan III (Ivan the Great) (1462-1505) - first Sovereign for all Russia
• Vasili III (1505-1533)
• Ivan IV (1533-1547)

Tsars of Russia, 1547-1721

• Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) (1547-1584)
• Simeon Bekbulatovich (1574-1576) (fake tsar set by Ivan IV)
• Feodor I (1584-1598) - last of the Riurikovich
• Boris Godunov (1598-1605)
• Feodor II (1605)
• False Dmitri I (1605-1606)
• Vasili IV (1606-1610)
• Succession broken due to Time of Troubles
• Michael I (1613-1645) - first of the Romanovs: elected Tsar following the Time of Troubles
• Aleksey I (1645-1676)
• Feodor III (1676-1682)
• Ivan V (1682-1696) (joint ruler with Peter I)
• Peter I (Peter the Great) (1682-1721) (joint ruler with Ivan V)

Emperors of Russia, 1721-1917

• Peter I (Peter the Great) (1721-1725)
• Catherine I (1725-1727)
• Peter II (1727-1730)
• Anne (1730-1740)
• Ivan VI (1740-1741)
• Elizabeth (1741-1762)
• Peter III (1762)
• Catherine II (Catherine the Great) (1762-1796)
• Paul (1796-1801)
• Alexander I (1801-1825)
• Nicholas I (1825-1855)
• Alexander II (1855-1881)
• Alexander III (1881-1894)
• Nicholas II (1894-1917)
• Grand Duke Michael (1917), refused to become emperor, see Tsar article

In 1924, Nicholas II's cousin Cyril Vladimirovitch declared himself emperor. Here are the claimants to the throne since his death:

Titular Emperors of Russia

• Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovitch (1924-1938)
• Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovitch (1938-1992)
• Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna (1992-)
• Tsarevitch Georgij Mikhailovitch (Heir-Apparent)

In addition, "Prince" Nicholas Romanov, who product of a morganatic marriage between HH Prince Roman Petrovitch and Countess Praskovia Cheremeteva, was elected President of the Romanov Family Association, and thus could also be considered the Head of the Imperial Family of Russia.

See List of leaders of Russia for the continuation of leadership.