Mikhael Romanov was already crowned as the tsar of Russia but lived together with his mother in the village Domnino Kostroma region. The Poles, who didn't want Russia to have its own tsar, sent the troop of soldiers to capture Mikhael. They met Ivan Susanin on their way to Domnino and asked him to guide them to the young tsar. Ivan Susanin led them to the swamps, but before he sent his son-in-law to the tsar with the news about imminent danger. The Poles understood that they were deceived and killed Ivan Susanin. But his sacrifice wasn't wasted. The Poles couldn't find the way out of the swamps and drowned. The fame about Ivam Susanin's courageous deed lives through the ages. The great Russian musician M. Glinka composed an opera "Life for the Tsar" which was devoted to the exploit of Ivan Susanin.
If you want to know more about Ivan Susanin, you can find the information here
Peter the Great brought to Russia many things we use until now: potatoes, New Year celebrations with the fir tree etc. He started to wear European clothes and ordered his subjects to shave beards. He also brought smoking into the fashion. Peter was interested in medicine, and when his familiars had, for example, toothache the tsar was always ready to help. But the subjects were dead scared that the tsar would know about their problems, because he was a good craftsman, but a bad doctor. The Emperor left the big collection of medical instruments.
The real name of Catherine the Great was Sophie Auguste Friederike von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg. She was married Peter III. She got the name "Catherine" when she went over Ortodoxy.
Alexander I ascended the throne through his father's Paul I assassination. The whole life Alexander suffered from the thoughts about his fault. Many reforms were carried out during his rule. Napoleon was defeated. Alexanderplatz in Berlin was called in honor of the Emperor of Russia. But at the end of his life Alexander left the throne and flew to Taganrog. He died there on 1 December 1825. But the legend says that the tsar didn't die but started new life as the elder and the hermit. He lived by the name Fyodor Kuzmitch and died in 1864 in Tomsk.
Another architectural monument called in honor of one of the Russian Tsars is located in Paris. It's The Pont Alexandre III. The word "pont" means "the bridge". The bridge was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The bridge is decorated with amps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end.
The tsars of Russia were highly educated people. Catherine II corresponded with Voltaire. Some Emperors patronized famous Russian writers. For example, Nicholas I was the personal censor of A. S. Pushkin. The Emperor had good relationship with his wife. After the poet's death he paid all his debts. Alexander III loved Tolstoy's works very much. Although the writer had difficulties with the Orthodox church, he was excommunicated only after the Emperor's death.
Alexander II was named the Liberator because he abolished serfdom. But inspite of it ten attempts were made on the Emperor's life. He was killed by Ignaty Grinevitskiy in the result of the tenth attempt on 1 March 1881.
The legend says that the history of the House of Romanovs on the Russian throne will start from the tsar with the name Mikhael and will end with the tsar with the same name. In 1917 the last Emperor of Russia Nicholas II demised in favor of his brother Mikhael. Mikhael was not crowned because of the revolution but formally the legend came true. Another mystical fact: the first Romanov started his reign in the Ipatyevsky monastery, the last emperor and his family were shot in the Ipatyev's house.