Who was Russia’s only king?
In Old Rus', tsars ruled for a long time – this title implied not only the secular, but also the spiritual power of the ruler. But, still, there was one king in the history of the state – in the 13th century.
We are talking about Daniil Galitsky, the great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, the Prince of Novgorod and Galicia–Volhynia. He inherited the princely throne as a child, but was unable to hold on to it and grew up at the court of the Hungarian King Andras II.
Over time, Daniil nevertheless returned the lands that belonged to him by right of heir, united them and even increased them. In 1245, he went to Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde: In order to save his possessions from ruin, Daniil recognized his dependence on the khans.
But, there had to be other ways to protect the Galicia–Volhynia principality and when Pope Innocent IV offered him the crown and the title of King of Rus', he agreed, counting on help. In 1253, Daniil Galitsky was crowned in Dorogichin. But, Innocent IV's plans went much further: He wanted to unite the Catholic and Orthodox churches, in order to fight the Tatar-Mongol yoke with joint efforts. However, his wishes remained on paper: the prince did not convert to Catholicism and did not end up receiving help from the papal throne.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, envoys from the Papal throne and the Holy Roman Empire offered the Moscow princes the royal title several times, but, each time, they were refused. Thus, Daniil Galitsky remained the only king in the history of Russia.
