Feodor Alexeyevich Romanov, the third son of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich and Maria Miloslavskaya, was baptized in honor of Saint Theodore Stratilates. In March 1669, his mother passed away. That same year, he participated in the election of a king in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth but was unable to win.

In 1670, he was assigned a teacher, Pamfil Belyaninov, who was later replaced by Simeon Polotsky, who instilled in Feodor an interest in Polish culture. He studied Polish, Ancient Greek, and Latin, was knowledgeable in painting and church music, and also showed talent in poetry, creating a poetic translation of the psalms for Polotsky's "Psalter."

After the death of his elder brother Alexey, Feodor became the heir to the throne and was officially declared as such in September 1675. He was weak and sickly, like the other sons of Alexey Mikhailovich from Maria Miloslavskaya. Historians believe that Feodor suffered from scurvy, which manifested in swollen legs.

Like his father and grandfather, Feodor ascended to the throne at a young age, at 15, and was crowned on June 18, 1676. His title included numerous lands and principalities, emphasizing his power.

In early 1676, by his decree, the order of secret affairs was abolished, and in 1677, the monastery order. Feodor was interested in European politics, and at meetings of the Boyar Duma, whose membership increased from 66 to 99 members, he was read reviews of the Western press. He was passionate about music and singing. Odes were composed by Simeon Polotsky and his student Silvester Medvedev for his wedding to Agafya Grushetskaya.

In the first months of his reign, Feodor was seriously ill, and the actual rulers of the state became A. S. Matveev, Patriarch Joakim, and I. M. Miloslavsky. However, by mid-1676, the tsar took power into his own hands, and Matveev was exiled, suspected of conspiracy against the tsar.

Feodor Alexeyevich's reign was marked by significant reforms. In 1678, a census was conducted, and in 1679, a household tax was introduced. In 1682, the practice of mestnichestvo in the army was abolished, ending the practice of appointments based on ancestral merit. Genealogical books were introduced, and a Duma commission was established for the centralization of governance. In 1679 and 1680, a "review" of the military forces of Russia was conducted. In November 1681, the order of military affairs was created, later renamed the Response Chamber, to prepare for military reform.

In 1680, an attempt was made to mitigate criminal punishments, including the abolition of hand amputation for theft. The construction of defensive lines continued, and a war was waged against the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate. By the Treaty of Bakhchisarai in 1681, Turkey recognized Left-Bank Ukraine and Kyiv as part of Russia.

In 1681, Feodor issued a decree encouraging stone construction in Moscow and created the first sewage system in the Kremlin. The weight of the silver kopeck was reduced.

Under the influence of his wife Agafya Grushetskaya, court life changed: young boyars began to shave their beards, and from October 1680, traditional clothing was banned at court. Courtiers adopted Polish customs and fashion.

Feodor Alexeyevich, being an educated man, became one of the founders of the Greek-Slavic Typographic School in April 1681, a predecessor of the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.

Repressions against Old Believers continued, and in April 1682, Protopope Avvakum was burned. The plan for reforming the Russian Church was rejected by the Council of 1681-1682.

On April 23, 1682, the Streltsy uprising began. The next day, an order was issued to punish Colonel Semyon Griboedov, but it was not carried out due to the tsar's death.

Feodor married Agafya Grushetskaya on July 18, 1680, which weakened the position of the Miloslavskys. Their only son Ilya died in infancy, and Agafya passed away shortly after childbirth, which severely affected the tsar's health. His second marriage to Marfa Matveyevna Apraksina took place on February 15, 1682, but they had no children.

Feodor Alexeyevich died on April 27, 1682, at the age of 20, leaving no instructions regarding the succession. His death led to the continuation of the Streltsy rebellion, which was resolved by the decision to crown his two younger brothers, Ivan and Peter, under the regency of their sister Sophia Alexeyevna.