The administrators of this project until 2008 were co-operating with Stepan Kravchenko and Nikita Maximov, who were the Editor-in-Chief and the Scientific Editor of the Russian Newsweek Magazine, respectively. The Russian Newsweek tested the first two Rurikid princes. The first one was Prince Dmitri Mikhailovich Shahovskoi of Paris, France, the prominent Professor at the Russian Orthodox Institute, who made the 1st Y-DNA test in the Rurikid Dynasty (at the end of 2006). Unexpectedly, he was found to belong to the genetic haplogroup N1c1 – the so-called “Finno-Ugrian”. Later, however, it was discovered that the N1c1 Rurikid princes belong to the so-called “Varangian Branch” in this haplogroup. This branch is one that is quite different from the present population of Finland (which is the “Finno-Karelian Branch”). The 2nd one was Professor Andrei Petrovich Gagarin of St. Petersburg, Russia, now deceased. His Y-DNA test result matched that of Prof. Shahovskoi. Professor Gagarin's test was confirmed later by the test of his cousin,  Prince Grigori Grigorievich Gagarin. Andrei Gagarin was also the 1st Rurikid prince to have done a DeepClade N test (this proved that his haplotype, in fact, belonged to the N1c1 haplogroup). Since the Russian Newsweek Magazine had tested only 25 markers for him, he later joined the Rurikid Dynasty DNA Project and his test was upgraded to 67 markers (FTDNA Co.'s standard). This also became the case with Professor Dmitri Shahovskoi. The Rurikid Project gave him an entirely new (67 markers) test from the very beginning, since an incomplete12 markers test was made earlier for him by the Russian Newsweek.

Next came Alexandr Solomin of Russia. For many years it was believed that his family was, in fact, a lost branch of the Monastyrev family. The Monastyrevs of Smolensk lost the rights to their princely title as early as the 16th cent. Since his Y-DNA test result seemed to be matching those of Shahovskoi and Gagarin, for a long time he was declared to be a Rurikid prince. However, new haplotypes in the Rurikid dynasty, and especially that of Prince Nicholas Rzhevsky of Smolensk, had shown that this was not really so.

The 5^thone was Prince Puzyna of Poland who was tested by the Rurikid Project.

The 6^thone was Prince Nikita Dmitrievich Lobanov-Rostovsky of Great Britain, who was tested by the Russian Newsweek. His result matched those of Shahovskoy, Rzhevsky and Puzyna, as well as those of the two Gagarins. Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky later joined the Rurikid Project and his 67 markers were repeated in this project from the very beginning.

The first prince who was tested by the Rurikid Project, and who was found to belong to the R1a1 haplogroup, was Piotr Szuyski of Poland, probably the last male Szuyski in the world. The Rurikid Project had also discovered that Prince Stanislaw Antoni Czetwertynski of Poland belongs to the I2a2 haplogroup. Since this haplogroup is also typical for inhabitants of the Ukrainian-Belarussian Polissya (Polesie) region it seems that Prince Tur(e),who founded the dynasty of the Turov-Pinsk princes, had originated from the local population. It is quite probable that he was married either to a sister or a daughter of Rurik, and in such a way he joined the Rurikid clan. This could also be the case with the Szuyski princes.

Next the following Rurikid princes were tested in the Rurikid Project : Putyatin, Kropotkin, Khilkov, Vadbolsky, Myshetsky (all of them belong to the N1c1 haplogroup) and Volkonsky (R1a1). The Russian Newsweek had earlier tested Prince Obolensky (R1a1). However, again, his test (67markers) was repeated in the Rurikid Project.

All of the N1c1 princes, with the exception of Myshetsky,  match well with the other Rurikids. Prince Myshetsky, who probably is also the last male Myshetsky in the world, belongs to the same N1c1 haplogroup. However, by no means is he a direct descendant of Rurik.

Thanks to Stanislaw Dumin, a prominent genealogist, the Rurikid Project has tested the following princes : Droutskoy-Sokolinsky (Drucki), Belosselsky-Belozersky and Bariatynsky (all belong to the R1a1 haplogroup; however, none of the three is a cousin to either of the other two among them), as well as Prince Massalski of Poland (N1c1). Prince Massalski matches well with the other N1c1 Rurikids. However, since he comes from another branch in the Rurikid dynasty, his test result is a direct proof that the N1c1 haplogroup had already been shared by Prince Yaroslav Mudry (the Wise), the son of St. Vladimir the Great of Kiev.

Last but not least are the results of Prince Korybut-Woroniecki. His 25 markers were tested by Marek Skarbek-Kozielulski in his genetic project. He simply believed that he is a Gediminid prince. However, the test result confirmed what some historians had said: that he is a Rurikid. The Rurikid Project has ordered an upgrade for him to 67 markers. Nevertheless, this is what can be said now:  Vasily Shuysky by no means was the last Rurikid on the Russian throne, at least in a genetic sense of the word "Rurikid". The last ruling Rurikid was the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Michal Korybut-Wisniowiecki (the Wisniowieckis and the Woronieckis are related by blood).

Other explanations can be found on this web site http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mozhayski/teksty/ydna.html .

The above database also includes Gediminid princes that were solely tested in the Rurikid Project : Khilkov (Chilkow), Golitsin (Golicyn) and Trubetskoy (Trubecki). They match well with another Troubetzkoy prince who took his Y-DNA test himself, as well as with Alex Chartorisky (Czartoryski) of Australia. Alex’s ancestors came from Russia and were boyars in the Moscow Gubernya. Most probably one of the Czartoryskis was captured by the Russians as a POW in the war of 1500-1503 between Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later he decided to settle himself in Moscow.

Prince Jerzy Czartoryski of Canada decided to have his Y-DNA tested in the Rurikid Project in spite of what historians speculate(d) about the descent of his princely branch. In the memoires of Armand Louis de Gontaut-Biron it was said that it was he who, in fact, fathered this branch in the Czartoryski princely family.  Prince Jerzy was found to be descended from a Germanic tribe (R1b1), to which a lot of French people belong. However, in case of a discrepancy between traditional and genetic genealogies, this is just a documented genealogy which counts here, i.e. that princes in this branch inherited their surname, their title, their possessions and family tradition from their legitimate ancestors, the Czartoryski princes. On the other hand, however, provided that he is really descended from the Gontaut-Birons, this duly means that he is also a genetic descendant of this old French family, which, possibly, may have its roots in the time of the Merovingian or the Carolingian kings of France.

For more information you are welcome to get in touch with the administrators. Administrator : Andrzej Bajor, Poland; Co-Administrator : Roy Kosonen, USA (Finland); Co-Administrator : Edward Ernstrom, USA(Sweden).

The Y-DNA results of all of the aforementioned princes that were acquired in this Project were joined to the N1c1-Y DNA Project, as well as to the Russian Nobility DNA Projects.

Sponsors of this project (in alphabetic order) :

- anonymous (paid for one 67 markers test)

- Joseph A.Donohoe V (Breifne Clan Y-DNA Project)

- Familyspace, Russia (http://www.familyspace.ru)

- Marek Jerzy Minakowski (http://www.przodkowie.com)

- Anders Ostlund, Sweden

- Viktor V. Svistunov, Russia

Alex Chartorisky of Australia paid for a WTY (Walk Through the Y (chromosome)) test in the Rurikid Dynasty (N. Rzhevsky).