Page "Emperor" Paragraph 44

On 31 October 1721, Peter I was proclaimed Emperor by the Senate-the title used was Latin " Imperator ", which is a westernizing form equivalent to the traditional Slavic title " Tsar ".

He based his claim partially upon a letter discovered in 1717 written in 1514 from Maximilian I to Vasili III, in which the Holy Roman Emperor used the term in referring to Vasili.

The title has not been used in Russia since the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on 15 March 1917.