Bygone Russian leaders refers to the Tsars, or rulers of the Russian Empire from 1547 to 1917. The Tsars were autocrats who held absolute power over the country and its people. They were members of the Romanov dynasty, which was founded by Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible). During this period, Russia underwent a period of rapid expansion and modernization, and the Tsars were responsible for many of the reforms that took place. The last Tsar, Nicholas II, was overthrown in the Russian Revolution of 1917, which marked the end of the Tsarist era.