The term 'Bygone Russian Rulers' refers to the Tsars, who were the monarchs of the Russian Empire from 1547 to 1917. Tsars were absolute rulers who held all political, economic, and military power in their hands. They were usually members of the Romanov dynasty, which was founded by Tsar Michael I in 1613. The last Tsar of Russia was Nicholas II, who was overthrown in the Russian Revolution of 1917.