Alexander Alexandrovich was the second son in the imperial family. His older brother Nikolay was preparing to inherit the throne, and he received the appropriate education.

Childhood, education and upbringing

In May 1883, Alexander III proclaimed a course called "counter-reforms" in historical-materialist literature, and "adjustment of reforms" in liberal-historical literature. He expressed himself as follows.

In 1889, to strengthen supervision over the peasants, the positions of zemstvo chiefs with broad rights were introduced. They were appointed from local landowning nobles. The clerks and small merchants, other poor sections of the city, lost their suffrage. Judicial reform has undergone a change. In the new regulation on the zemstvos of 1890, the representation of estates and nobility was strengthened. In 1882-1884. many publications were closed, the autonomy of universities was abolished. primary schools were transferred to the church department - the Synod.

In these events, the idea of ​​“official nationality” from the time of Nicholas I was manifested - the slogan “Orthodoxy. Autocracy. Spirit of Humility” was in tune with the slogans of a bygone era. The new official ideologists K. P. Pobedonostsev (chief prosecutor of the Synod), M. N. Katkov (editor of Moskovskie Vedomosti), Prince V. Meshchersky (publisher of the Grazhdanin newspaper) were omitted from the old formula "Orthodoxy, autocracy and the people" the word "people" as "dangerous"; they preached the humility of his spirit before the autocracy and the church. In practice, the new policy resulted in an attempt to strengthen the state by relying on the traditionally loyal to the throne. nobility. Administrative measures were supported by the economic support of the landowners.

On October 20, 1894, in the Crimea, 49-year-old Alexander III died suddenly from acute inflammation of the kidneys. Nicholas II ascended the imperial throne.

In January 1895, at the first meeting of representatives of the nobility, the tops of the zemstvos, cities and Cossack troops with the new tsar, Nicholas II declared his readiness to “guard the beginnings of autocracy as firmly and steadily as his father guarded”. During these years, representatives of the royal family often intervened in government, which by the beginning of the 20th century had up to 60 members. Most of the Grand Dukes held important administrative and military posts. The king's uncles, brothers Alexander III- Grand Dukes Vladimir, Alexei, Sergei and cousins ​​\u200b\u200bNikolai Nikolaevich, Alexander Mikhailovich.

Domestic politics

His departure was a real escape. On the day he was due to leave, four imperial trains stood ready at four different stations in St. Petersburg, and while they were waiting, the emperor left with a train that was standing on a siding.

Nothing, even the need for a coronation, could force the tsar to leave the Gatchina palace - for two years he ruled uncrowned. Fear of " People's Will”And fluctuations in the choice of political course determined this time for the emperor.

Economic poverty was accompanied by a delay in the mental and legal development of the mass of the population, education under Alexander III was again taken into blinders, from which it escaped after the abolition of serfdom. Alexander III expressed the attitude of tsarism to education in a litter on a report that literacy is very low in the Tobolsk province: “And thank God!”

In the 1980s and 1990s, Alexander III encouraged unprecedented persecution of Jews. They were evicted to the Pale of Settlement (only 20,000 Jews were evicted from Moscow), a percentage rate was set for them in secondary and then higher educational institutions (in the Pale of Settlement - 10%, outside the Pale - 5, in the capitals - 3%) .

new period in the history of Russia, which began with the reforms of the 1860s, ended by the end of the 19th century with counter-reforms. For thirteen years, Alexander III, in the words of G. V. Plekhanov, "sowed the wind." His successor - Nicholas II - fell to the lot to reap the storm.

For thirteen years Alexander III sowed the wind. Nicholas II will have to prevent the storm broke. Will he succeed?

Professor S. S. Oldenburg in his scientific work on the history of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, referring to the domestic policy of his father, testified that during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, among others, the following main tendency of power manifested itself: the desire to give Russia more internal unity by asserting the primacy of the Russian elements of the country.

Foreign policy

The reign of Emperor Alexander III brought serious changes in foreign policy. Proximity with Germany and Prussia, so characteristic of the reigns of Catherine the Great, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, was replaced by a noticeable cooling, especially after the resignation of Bismarck, with whom Alexander III signed a special three-year Russian-German treaty on "benevolent neutrality" in in the event of an attack by any of the third countries on Russia or Germany.

N. K. Girs became the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Experienced diplomats of the Gorchakov school remained at the head of many departments of the ministry and in the Russian embassies of the leading countries of the world. The main directions of the foreign policy of Alexander III were as follows.

1. Strengthening influence in the Balkans;
2. Search for reliable allies;
3. Support peaceful relations with all countries;
4. Establishment of borders in the south of Central Asia;
5. Consolidation of Russia in the new territories of the Far East.

Russian policy in the Balkans. After the Berlin Congress, Austria-Hungary significantly strengthened its influence in the Balkans. Having occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina, she began to seek to extend her influence to other Balkan countries. Germany supported Austria-Hungary in its aspirations. Austria-Hungary began to try to weaken Russia's influence in the Balkans. Bulgaria became the center of the struggle between Austria-Hungary and Russia.

By this time, an uprising broke out in Eastern Rumelia (Southern Bulgaria as part of Turkey) against Turkish rule. Turkish officials were expelled from Eastern Rumelia. The accession of Eastern Rumelia to Bulgaria was announced.

The unification of Bulgaria caused an acute Balkan crisis. The war between Bulgaria and Turkey, with the involvement of Russia and other countries in it, could break out at any moment. Alexander III was angry. The unification of Bulgaria took place without the knowledge of Russia, this led to the complication of Russia's relations with Turkey and Austria-Hungary. Russia suffered the heaviest human losses in Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878 and was not ready for a new war. And Alexander III for the first time retreated from the traditions of solidarity with the Balkan peoples: he advocated strict observance of the articles of the Berlin Treaty. Alexander III invited Bulgaria to solve its own foreign policy problems, recalled Russian officers and generals, and did not interfere in Bulgarian-Turkish affairs. Nevertheless, the Russian ambassador to Turkey announced to the Sultan that Russia would not allow a Turkish invasion of Eastern Rumelia.

In the Balkans, Russia has turned from an opponent of Turkey into its de facto ally. Russia's positions were undermined in Bulgaria, as well as in Serbia and Romania. In 1886 diplomatic relations between Russia and Bulgaria were severed. In the city, Ferdinand I, Prince of Coburg, who had previously been an officer in the Austrian service, became the new Bulgarian prince. The new Bulgarian prince understood that he was the ruler of an Orthodox country. He tried to reckon with the deep Russophile sentiments of the broad masses of the people, and even in 1894 he elected the Russian Tsar Nicholas II as godfather to his heir, son Boris. But the former officer of the Austrian army was never able to overcome in relation to Russia "a feeling of insurmountable antipathy and a certain fear." Russia's relations with Bulgaria remained strained.

Looking for allies. At the same time, in the 1980s complicated relations between Russia and England. The clash of interests of two European states occurs in the Balkans, in Turkey, Central Asia. At the same time, relations between Germany and France are becoming more complicated. Both states were on the brink of war with each other. In this situation, both Germany and France began to seek an alliance with Russia in case of war with each other. In the city, German Chancellor O. Bismarck proposed to Russia and Austria-Hungary to renew the "Union of Three Emperors" for six years. The essence of this alliance was that the three states pledged to comply with the decisions Berlin Congress not to change the situation in the Balkans without the consent of each other and to maintain neutrality towards each other in case of war. It should be noted that the effectiveness of this union for Russia was insignificant. At the same time, O. Bismarck, secretly from Russia, concluded the Tripartite Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) against Russia and France, which provided for the provision of military assistance by the participating countries to each other in case of hostilities with Russia or France. The conclusion of the Triple Alliance did not remain a secret for Alexander III. The Russian Tsar began to look for other allies.

Far Eastern direction. AT late XIX in. on the Far East Japan expanded rapidly. Japan before the 60s 19th century was a feudal country, but in - gg. a bourgeois revolution took place there, and the Japanese economy began to develop dynamically. With the help of Germany, Japan created modern army, with the help of England and the United States, actively built its own fleet. At the same time, Japan pursued an aggressive policy in the Far East.

Private life

The main seat of the emperor (because of the threat of terrorism) was Gatchina. For a long time he lived in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo, and when he came to St. Petersburg, he stayed at the Anichkov Palace. He did not like winter.

Court etiquette and ceremonial became much simpler under Alexander. He greatly reduced the staff of the Ministry of the Court, reduced the number of servants and introduced strict control over the spending of money. Expensive foreign wines have been replaced by Crimean and Caucasian ones, and the number of points is limited to four per year.

At the same time, huge sums of money were spent on the acquisition of art objects. The emperor was a passionate collector, second only to Catherine II in this respect. Gatchina Castle literally turned into a storehouse of priceless treasures. Acquisitions of Alexander - paintings, art objects, carpets and the like - no longer fit in the galleries of the Winter Palace, Anichkov and other palaces. However, in this passion, the emperor did not show either fine taste or great understanding. Among his acquisitions there were many ordinary things, but there were also many masterpieces, which later became the true national treasure of Russia.

Unlike all his predecessors on the Russian throne, Alexander adhered to strict family morality. He was an exemplary family man - a loving husband and a good father, never had mistresses or connections on the side. At the same time, he was also one of the most pious Russian sovereigns. The simple and direct soul of Alexander knew neither religious doubts, nor religious pretense, nor the temptations of mysticism. He firmly adhered to the Orthodox canons, always stood up to the end of the service, prayed earnestly and enjoyed church singing. The sovereign willingly donated to monasteries, to the construction of new churches and the restoration of ancient ones. Under him, church life noticeably revived.

Alexander's hobbies were also simple and artless. He was passionate about hunting and fishing. Often in the summer the royal family went to the Finnish skerries. Here, among the picturesque semi-wild nature, in the labyrinths of numerous islands and canals, freed from palace etiquette, the august family felt like an ordinary and happy family, devoting most of their time to long walks, fishing and boating. The Emperor's favorite hunting ground was Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Sometimes the imperial family, instead of relaxing in the skerries, went to Poland to the Principality of Loviche, and there they enthusiastically indulged in hunting amusements, especially deer hunting, and most often ended their vacation with a trip to Denmark, to Bernstorf Castle - Dagmara's ancestral castle, where they often gathered from all over Europe her crowned relatives.

During the summer holidays, the ministers could distract the emperor only in cases of emergency. True, during the rest of the year, Alexander devoted himself entirely to business. He was a very hardworking sovereign. Every morning I got up at 7 o'clock, washed my face with cold water, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the desk. Often the working day ended late at night.

Death

Train wreck with the royal family

And yet, despite the relatively healthy lifestyle life, Alexander died quite young, before reaching the age of 50, quite unexpectedly for both relatives and subjects. In October, a royal train coming from the south crashed near the Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov. Seven wagons were smashed to smithereens, there were many victims, but the royal family remained intact. At that moment they were eating pudding in the dining car. The roof of the wagon collapsed during the crash. Alexander with incredible efforts kept her on his shoulders until help arrived.

However, shortly after this incident, the emperor began to complain of back pain. Professor Trube, who examined Alexander, came to the conclusion that a terrible concussion during the fall marked the onset of kidney disease. The disease progressed steadily. The emperor increasingly felt unwell. His complexion became sallow, his appetite was gone, and his heart was not working well. In winter, he caught a cold, and in September, while hunting in Belovezhye, he felt completely bad. The Berlin professor Leiden, who urgently arrived on a call to Russia, found nephritis in the emperor - an acute inflammation of the kidneys. At his insistence, Alexander was sent to

Alexander 3 is the Russian emperor who ascended the throne after the assassination of his father by terrorists in 1881 and reigned until his death in 1894. Unlike his predecessor, the tsar held conservative and nationalist views in politics. After the beginning of the reign, he almost immediately began to carry out counter-reforms. He paid a lot of attention to the development and modernization of the Russian army, but during the years of his reign the country did not take part in wars. For this, the emperor was called the peacemaker after his death. He was a decent family man, an extremely religious and hardworking person.

We will tell in this article in more detail about the biography, politics and personal life of the penultimate Russian tsar.

Birth and early years

It is noteworthy that initially the future Emperor Alexander 3 was not supposed to inherit the throne. His fate was not to govern the state, and therefore they prepared him for another matter. His father Alexander II already had an eldest son, Tsarevich Nikolai, who grew up as a healthy and intelligent child. He was supposed to be the king. Alexander himself was only the second son in the family, he was born 2 years later than Nikolai - on February 26, 1845. Therefore, according to tradition, early childhood prepared for military service. Already at the age of seven, he received his first officer rank. At the age of 17, he was rightfully enlisted in the Emperor's Retinue.

Like other great princes from the Romanov dynasty, Alexander 3 received a traditional military engineering education. He was trained by Professor Chivilev, who worked at Moscow University and was, according to his education, a historian and economist. At the same time, contemporaries recalled that the small Grand Duke he was not distinguished by a craving for knowledge, he could be lazy. His parents did not force him too much, thinking that his older brother would take the throne.

Outstanding for members of the imperial family was the appearance of Alexander. FROM early years he was distinguished by good health, a dense physique and high growth - 193 cm. The young prince loved art, was fond of painting, took lessons in playing wind instruments.

Alexander - heir to the throne

Unexpectedly for everyone, Tsarevich Nikolai felt unwell during a trip to Europe. For several months he was treated in Italy, but his health only worsened. In April 1865, Nikolai died of tuberculous meningitis, he was 21 years old. Alexander, who had always been on excellent terms with his older brother, was shocked and depressed by the event. He not only lost a close friend, but now had to inherit the throne after his father. He came to Italy with Nicholas' fiancee, Princess Dagmar from Denmark. They found the Tsarevich already at death.

The future Tsar Alexander 3 was not trained in government. Therefore, he had to urgently master several disciplines at once. In a short time he took a course in history as well as law. It was taught to him by the jurist K. Pobedonostsev, who was a supporter of conservatism. He was also appointed mentor of the newly-made Tsarevich.

According to tradition, the future Alexander 3, as heir, traveled around Russia. Subsequently, his father began to attach him to public administration. The Tsarevich was also promoted to major general, and in 1877-78 he commanded his detachment during the Russian-Turkish war.

Marriage to a Danish princess

Initially, Alexander II planned to marry his eldest son and heir Nicholas to the Danish princess Dagmar. During his trip to Europe, he made a special trip to Denmark, where he asked for her hand. There they were engaged, but did not have time to get married, because a few months later the Tsarevich died. The death of his elder brother brought the future Emperor Alexander III closer to the princess. For several days they looked after the dying Nikolai and became friends.

However, at that time, Alexander was deeply in love with Princess Maria Meshcherskaya, who was a maid of honor at the imperial court. They secretly met for several years, and the Tsarevich even wanted to renounce the throne in order to marry her. Because of this, a major quarrel broke out with his father Alexander II, who insisted that he go to Denmark.

In Copenhagen, he proposed to the princess, and she agreed. Their engagement took place in June and their wedding in October 1866. The newly-made wife of Alexander 3 converted to Orthodoxy before the wedding and received a new name - Maria Feodorovna. After the wedding, which took place in the Great Church, located on the territory of the emperor's residence, the couple spent some time in the Anichkov Palace.

Father's assassination and accession to the throne

Tsar Alexander 3 ascended the throne on March 2, 1881 after the sudden death of his father, who was killed by terrorists. Before that, they had made attempts on the emperor, but they were unsuccessful. This time the explosion turned out to be fatal, and the sovereign died on the same day, a few hours later. The event greatly shocked the public and the heir himself, who seriously feared for his family and his own life. And not in vain, because during the first years of his reign, the revolutionaries continued to assassinate the king and his entourage.

The deceased Emperor Alexander II was distinguished by liberal views. It is known that on the day of his assassination, he planned to approve the first constitution in Russia, developed by Count Loris-Melikov, but his heir did not support this idea. In the early days of his reign, he abandoned liberal reforms. The terrorists involved in organizing the assassination of his father were arrested and executed on the orders of the new king.

The coronation of Alexander 3 took place 2 years after his accession to the throne - in 1883. By tradition, it was held in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral.

Domestic policy of the new king

The newly minted tsar immediately abandoned the liberal reforms of his father, choosing the path of counter-reforms. Their ideologist was the former mentor of the tsar, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, who now held the position of Chief Prosecutor Holy Synod.

He was distinguished by extremely radical conservative views, which were supported by the emperor himself. In April 1881, Alexander signed a manifesto drawn up by his former mentor, which indicated that the tsar was moving away from the liberal course. After its release, most of the freely minded ministers were forced to resign.

The new government considered the reforms of Alexander II ineffective and even criminal. They believed that counter-reforms were needed to eliminate the problems caused by liberal changes.

Domestic politics Alexander 3 included a revision of many of his father's transformations. The changes affected next reforms:

• peasant;
• judicial;
• educational;
• zemstvo.

In the 1880s, the tsar began to support the landlords, who began to become poorer after the abolition of serfdom. In 1885, the Noble Bank was created, which subsidizes them. By decree of the tsar, restrictions are introduced on the land redistribution of peasant plots, it becomes more and more difficult for them to leave the community on their own. In 1895, the position of zemstvo chief was introduced for increased supervision of the common people.

In August 1881, a decree was issued allowing the authorities of the regions and provinces, at their own discretion, to introduce a state of emergency in the region. At this time, the police could expel suspicious persons without trial or investigation. They had the right to close educational establishments, newspapers and magazines, as well as industrial enterprises.

During the counter-reforms, control over secondary schools was strengthened. The children of lackeys, petty shopkeepers and laundresses could no longer study in gymnasiums. In 1884, university autonomy was abolished. Tuition fees rose significantly, so few could now afford higher education. Primary schools were placed in the hands of the clergy. In 1882, the rules of censorship increased. Now the authorities were allowed to close any printed publication at their own discretion.

National politics

Emperor Alexander 3 (Romanov) was famous for his radical nationalist views. During his reign, the persecution of the Jews intensified. Immediately after the assassination of Alexander II, unrest began throughout the country among the people of this nation who lived beyond the Pale of Settlement. The newly-made emperor issued a decree on their eviction. The number of places for Jewish students at universities and gymnasiums was also reduced.

At the same time, an active policy of Russification of the population was pursued. By decree of the tsar, instruction in Russian was introduced in Polish universities and schools. On the streets of Finnish and Baltic cities Russified inscriptions began to appear. Also, the influence of Orthodox Church. The number of periodicals was increased, which produced huge circulations of religious literature. The reign of Alexander 3 was marked by the construction of new Orthodox churches and monasteries. Restrictions were imposed on the rights of people with a different religion and foreigners by the emperor.

Economic development of the country during the reign of Alexander

The emperor's policy is characterized not only by a large number of counter-reforms, but also by the rapid development of industry during the years of his reign. Successes were especially outstanding in metallurgy. Russia was engaged in the production of iron and steel, oil and coal were actively extracted in the Urals. The pace of development was truly record-breaking. The government was engaged in supporting domestic industrialists. It introduced new customs tariffs and duties on imported goods.

Finance Minister Bunge at the beginning of Alexander's reign was held and tax reform which abolished the poll tax. Instead, an apartment payment was introduced, depending on the size of the dwelling. Indirect taxation began to develop. Also, by decree of Bunge, excise taxes were introduced on certain goods: tobacco and vodka, sugar and oil.

At the initiative of the king, redemption payments for the peasants were significantly reduced. According to tradition, during the years of his reign, commemorative coins of Alexander 3 were issued, dedicated to the coronation of the newly-made sovereign. His portrait was printed only on silver ruble and gold five-ruble copies. Now they are considered quite rare and valuable for numismatists.

Foreign policy

After his death, Emperor Alexander 3 was called a peacemaker, since during his reign Russia did not enter any war. However foreign policy during these years was quite dynamic. The growth of industry was largely supported by the active modernization of the army. By improving it, the emperor managed to reduce the number of soldiers and reduce the cost of their maintenance. As a rule, historians believe that the policy of the tsar during his reign contributed to the strengthening of Russia in the international arena and significantly increased its prestige.

In 1881, the emperor was able to negotiate neutrality with Germany and Austria-Hungary, with whom they also concluded an agreement on the division of spheres of influence in the Balkans. He pointed out that Russia had the right to control their eastern part: Bulgaria, which gained independence after the war of 1879. However, by 1886 it had lost its influence on this country.

In 1887, Alexander personally approached the German Kaiser and was able to convince him not to declare war on France. In Central Asia, the policy of annexing border lands continued. During the years of the tsar's reign, the total area of ​​Russia increased by 430 thousand km². In 1891, the construction of a railway line was begun, which was supposed to connect European part countries from the Far East.

Making an alliance with France

The conclusion of a friendly alliance with France is considered an important merit of Alexander 3. Russia at that time needed reliable support. France, on the other hand, needed an alliance with another influential state in order to avoid a war with Germany, which constantly claimed part of its territories.

For a long time, relations between the two countries were cold. Republican France supported the revolutionaries in Russia and contributed to their struggle against the autocracy. However, Emperor Alexander managed to overcome such ideological differences. In 1887, France provided Russia with large cash loans. In 1891, their squadron of ships arrived in Kronstadt, where the emperor solemnly received the allied troops. In August of the same year, an official friendship treaty between the two countries came into force. Already in 1892, France and Russia agreed on the signing of a military convention. Countries pledged to help each other if they were attacked by Germany, Italy or Austria-Hungary.

Family and Children

Although the marriage between the spouses was concluded according to political agreements, according to the will of Romanov's father, Alexander 3 was a decent family man. Even before the engagement, he completely stopped relations with Princess Meshcherskaya. Throughout his marriage to Maria Feodorovna, he had no favorites or mistresses, which was rare among Russian emperors. He was a loving father, although he was distinguished by strictness and exactingness. Maria Fedorovna bore him six children:

• Nicholas - future the last Emperor Russia.
• Alexander - the boy died of meningitis a year after birth.
• George - died in 1899 from tuberculosis.
• Xenia - married the Grand Duke, later, after the revolution, she was able to leave Russia with her mother.
• Mikhail - was shot by the Bolsheviks in Perm in 1918.
• Olga - left Russia after the revolution, married a military officer. Like her father, she was fond of painting and earned her a living.

The emperor was very unpretentious in everyday life, distinguished by modesty and thrift. Contemporaries believed that aristocracy was alien to him. Often the king dressed in simple and even worn clothes. After ascending the throne, he and his family settled in Gatchina. In St. Petersburg, they lived in the Anichkov Palace, since the Winter Emperor did not like. The emperor was engaged in collecting, was fond of painting. During his life, he collected so many works of art that they did not fit in the galleries of his palaces. After his death, Nicholas II transferred most of his father's collection to the Russian Museum.

The emperor had a remarkable appearance. He was distinguished by his great stature and impressive physical strength. In his youth, he could easily bend coins with his hands or even break a horseshoe. However, the king's children did not inherit his height or strength. It is noteworthy that the daughter of Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Maria, who was large and strong from birth, looked like her grandfather.

In the photo, Alexander 3 is resting with his family in Livadia in Crimea. The image was taken in May 1893.

Train wreck in 1888

In October 1888, the emperor, along with his family, was returning by train after a vacation to St. Petersburg. Suddenly, near Kharkov, the train suddenly crashed and derailed. More than 20 passengers were killed, more than 60 people were seriously injured. Together with his wife and children, Alexander 3 was at the time of the disaster in a restaurant. None of them were hurt, although the roof of the wagon could have collapsed on them. The emperor held her on his shoulders until his family and other victims got out from under the rubble. Officially, it was stated that the disaster occurred due to technical problems and malfunction of the tracks, but some believed that it was a planned assassination attempt on members of the royal family.

Illness and death of the emperor

And although Emperor Alexander 3 was not injured directly during the disaster, very soon he began to complain about the deterioration of his health. He began to suffer from frequent back pain. Qualified doctors conducted a thorough examination and came to the conclusion that the king began to develop a severe kidney disease, which arose due to excessive stress on the back. The emperor's illness progressed rapidly, he increasingly felt unwell. In the winter of 1894, Alexander caught a bad cold and never recovered from his illness. In the fall, doctors diagnosed him with acute nephritis. The tsar, who was not even 50 years old, died in November 1894 in the Livadia Palace in the Crimea.

The years of the reign of Alexander 3 were controversially assessed by both contemporaries and historians. His counter-reforms were able to temporarily stop the revolutionary movement in Russia. In 1887, the last unsuccessful attempt on the tsar took place. After that, until the beginning of the 20th century, there were no terrorist acts in the country at all. However, the problems that caused concern among the masses were never resolved. Some scholars believe that it was partly the conservative policy of the penultimate Russian tsar that subsequently led to numerous power crises that Emperor Nicholas II faced.

He was on the throne for thirteen and a half years and died 49 years old, having earned the title of "Tsar-Peacemaker" during his lifetime, since during his reign not a drop of Russian blood was shed on the battlefields...

Soon after his death, the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Science will give Emperor Alexander III a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, subjugated the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral circulation of mankind, encouraged and uplifted Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when He no longer exists, Europe understood what He was for her."

The venerable professor was wrong in his predictions. For more than a hundred years, the figure of the penultimate Russian Tsar has been the target of the most impartial assessments; his personality is the object of unbridled attacks and tendentious criticism.

The false image of Alexander III is being recreated to this day. Why? The reason is simple: the Emperor did not admire the West, did not worship liberal-egalitarian ideas, believing that the literal imposition of foreign orders would not be good for Russia. Hence - the irreconcilable hatred of this Tsar from the Westerners of all stripes.

However, Alexander III was not a narrow-minded Western-hater, from the threshold rejecting everything that did not have a generic stigma: "made in Russia." For him, Russian was primary and especially significant, not because it was the best in the world, but because it was native, close, and his own. Under Emperor Alexander III, the words "Russia for the Russians" were heard throughout the country for the first time. And although he was well aware of the malfunctions and absurdities in Russian life, he never doubted for a moment that they should be overcome only relying on his own sense of understanding of duty and responsibility, not paying attention to what some "princess Marya Aleksevna" would say about this. ".

For almost two hundred years, this was the first ruler who not only did not covet the "love of Europe", but was not even interested in what they say and write about him there. However, it was Alexander III who became the ruler under whom, without a single gun shot, Russia began to gain the moral authority of a great world power. The imposing bridge across the Seine in the very center of Paris, bearing the name of the Russian Tsar, has remained forever bright to that confirmation...

Alexander Alexandrovich ascended the throne at the age of 36 on March 1, 1881. On that day, his father was mortally wounded by a terrorist bomb, who soon died, and Alexander Alexandrovich became the "Autocrat of All Russia." He did not dream of a crown, but when death took away his father, he showed amazing self-control and humility, accepting what was given only by the will of the Almighty.

With great spiritual trepidation, with tears in his eyes, he read his father's testament, the words and instructions of the murdered. “I am sure that my son, Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, will understand the importance and difficulty of his high calling and will continue to be worthy of the title of an honest man in every respect ... May God help him to justify my hopes and complete what I failed to do to improve the well-being of our dear Fatherland. I conjure him not to get carried away by fashionable theories, take care of his constant development, based on love for God and on the law. He must not forget that the power of Russia is based on the unity of the State, and therefore everything that can tend to the upheavals of the entire unity and to the separate development of various nationalities, is detrimental to her and should not be allowed.I thank him, for the last time, from the depths of his tenderly loving heart, for his friendship, for the zeal with which he performed his official duties and helped me in state affairs."

Tsar Alexander III inherited a heavy legacy. He was well aware that improvements in various areas of life and government controlled necessary, they are long overdue, no one argued with that. He also knew that the "bold transformations" that were carried out in the 60-70s by Alexander II often gave rise to even more acute problems.

Since the late 70s public setting the country became so tense that some concluded that a collapse would soon come. Others tried to move away from Petersburg: some to the estate, and some abroad.

The bleakness of the social situation was felt everywhere. Finances were upset economic development slowed down in agriculture stagnation was observed. The zemstvos did not cope well with the affairs of local improvement, all the time they asked for money from the treasury, and some zemstvo meetings turned into centers for public discussions of political issues that did not concern them in any way.

Almost anarchy reigned in the universities: anti-government publications were almost openly distributed, student meetings were held, where attacks on the government were heard. And most importantly: murders and attempts on officials were constantly taking place, and the authorities could not cope with terror. The monarch himself became the object of these villainous intentions and fell at the hands of terrorists!

Alexander III had an extremely difficult time. There were plenty of advisers: every relative and dignitary dreamed that the tsar "invited to the conversation." But the young Emperor knew that these recommendations were often too biased, too self-serving, to be trusted without looking back. The late father sometimes brought unscrupulous people closer to him, devoid of will and firm monarchical convictions.

Things had to be done differently, he was sure of that. First of all, it is not necessary to draw up new laws, but to ensure that existing ones are respected. This conviction matured in him in the spring days of 1881. Even earlier, in January, speaking at a meeting with the main patron of the "constitutionalists" Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the future Tsar clearly stated that "he does not see the need to impose on Russia all the inconveniences of constitutionalism that impede good legislation and governance." Such a statement was immediately interpreted by the liberal public as a manifestation of "reactionary convictions."

Alexander III never sought popularity, did not curry favor with entrepreneurs and regulars in St. Petersburg salons, either before he became Tsar or after. A few years after accession, talking with close associates, Alexander III said that he would consider "the constitution to be very calm for himself, but very dangerous for Russia." As a matter of fact, he repeated the thought expressed more than once by his father.

Long before his death, Alexander II realized that to give broad public freedoms, to which some of the most Europeanized compatriots urged him, was an unacceptable thing. In the empire of the double-headed eagle, the historical conditions for establishing the social order that existed in England or France had not yet taken shape. More than once he spoke about this both in a narrow circle and outside the royal palaces. In September 1865, receiving in Ilyinsky, near Moscow, the Zvenigorod district marshal of the nobility P. D. Golokhvastov, Alexander II outlined his political credo:

"I give you my word that now, on this table, I am ready to sign any constitution, if I were convinced that it is useful for Russia. But I know that if I do it today, tomorrow Russia will fall to pieces" . And until his death, he did not change his conviction, although then completely unsubstantiated allegations circulated that allegedly Alexander II intended to introduce constitutional government ...

Alexander III fully shared this conviction and was ready to change and improve a lot, without breaking or rejecting what seemed reliable and historically justified. The main political value of Russia was the autocracy - sovereign rule, independent of written norms and public institutions limited only by the dependence of the earthly king on the Heavenly King.

Talking at the end of March 1881 with the poet's daughter Anna Fedorovna Tyutcheva, the wife of the famous Slavophil I.S. Aksakov, who published the popular newspaper "Rus" in Moscow, the Tsar said: "I read all the articles of your husband for recent times. Tell him I'm happy with them. In my grief, I was greatly relieved to hear the word of honor. He is an honest and truthful person, and most importantly, he is a real Russian, of which, unfortunately, there are few, and even these few have been eliminated lately, but this will not happen again.

Soon the word of the new Monarch sounded to the whole world. On April 29, 1881, the Supreme Manifesto appeared, thundering like the thunder of an alarm bell.

"In the midst of Our great sorrow, the voice of God commands Us to stand up cheerfully for the cause of government, in the hope of Divine Providence, with faith in the strength and truth of the Autocratic power, which We are called to establish and protect for the good of the people from all encroachments."

Further, the new Tsar called on all the faithful sons of the Fatherland to take courage and contribute to "the eradication of vile sedition that dishonors the Russian land, to the establishment of faith and morality, to the good upbringing of children, to the extermination of untruth and theft, to establish order and truth in the operation of institutions granted to Russia by her benefactor beloved Parent."

The manifesto was unexpected for many. It became clear that the days of liberal smiles were over. The fall of political projectors? losers was only a matter of time.

Alexander III considered this outcome to be logical. On June 11, 1881, he wrote to his brother Sergey: “Having appointed new people almost everywhere, we have unanimously set to hard work and, thank God, we are moving forward with difficulty and little by little, and things are going much more successfully than under the previous ministers, who, by their behavior, forced me to fire They wanted to take me into their clutches and enslave me, but they did not succeed... ready to go straight and boldly towards the goal, not deviating to the side, and most importantly - not to despair and hope in God!

Although there were no persecutions, arrests, expulsions of objectionable dignitaries (almost all of them retired with honor, received appointments to the State Council), it seemed to some that an earthquake had begun at the top of power. The bureaucratic ear has always subtly caught the impulses and moods in the highest corridors of power, which determined the behavior and official zeal of officials.

As soon as Alexander III was on the Throne, it quickly became clear that the new government was no joke, that the young Emperor was a tough man, even harsh, and his will must be obeyed implicitly. Immediately everything began to spin, discussions subsided, and the state machine suddenly started working with renewed vigor, although in last years During the reign of Alexander II, it seemed to many that she no longer had the strength.

Alexander III did not create any emergency bodies (in general, during his reign there were few new divisions in the state administration system), he did not carry out any “special purge” of the bureaucracy, but the atmosphere in the country and in the corridors of power changed.

Salon talkers, who had only recently passionately defended freedom-loving principles, suddenly became almost speechless and no longer dared to popularize "Liberte", "Egalite", "Fraternite" not only at open meetings, but even in the circle of "their own", behind the tightly closed doors of the capital's living rooms. Gradually, dignitaries who were known as liberals were replaced by others who were ready to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland unquestioningly, without looking into European cribs and not afraid to be branded as "reactionaries".

Alexander III boldly and decisively began to fight against the enemies of the state order. There were arrests of direct perpetrators of regicide and some other persons who did not personally participate in the March 1 atrocity, but were preparing other terrorist acts. In total, about fifty people were arrested, and five regicides were hanged by the court's verdict.

The Emperor had no doubt that Russia's enemies had to be fought uncompromisingly. But not only by police methods, but also by mercy. It is necessary to distinguish where are the true, irreconcilable opponents, and where are the lost souls, who, through thoughtlessness, allowed themselves to be drawn into anti-government actions. The emperor himself always followed the course of the inquiry on political matters. Ultimately everything judgments were left at his discretion, many asked for royal favor, and he should have known the details. Sometimes he decided not to bring the case to court.

When in 1884 a circle of revolutionaries was opened in Kronstadt, the tsar, having learned from the testimony of the accused that midshipman of the naval crew Grigory Skvortsov sheds tears, repents and gives frank testimony, ordered: the midshipman be released and not prosecuted.

Alexander III always had sympathy for those people who professed traditional values. Conformism, conciliation, apostasy caused nothing in his soul but disgust. His political principle was simple and consistent with the Russian administrative tradition. Malfunctions in the state must be corrected, proposals must be listened to, but for this it is absolutely not necessary to convene some kind of people's assembly.

It is necessary to invite experts, experts on a particular issue, to listen, discuss, weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision. Everything should be done according to the law, and if it turns out that the law is outdated, then it must be revised, relying on tradition and only after discussion in the State Council. It became the rule of state life.

The tsar repeatedly told his associates and ministers that "officialdom is a force in the state, if it is kept in strict discipline." And indeed, under Alexander III, the administrative apparatus of the empire worked in a strict regime: the decisions of the authorities were strictly implemented, and the tsar personally monitored this. Inefficiency, neglect of official duties, he could not stand.

The emperor introduced an innovation unprecedented in Russia: he demanded that he be presented with a statement of all outstanding orders and decisions, indicating the persons responsible for them. This news greatly increased the "labor enthusiasm" of the bureaucracy, and red tape became much less.

He was especially implacable towards those who used their official position for personal gain. There was no mercy for such people.

The reign of Alexander III was distinguished by a simply amazing phenomenon: bribery and corruption, which used to be a sad Russian reality, almost completely disappeared. Russian history of this period did not reveal a single high-profile case of this kind, and numerous professional "exposers of tsarism" did not find a single corruption fact, although they were persistently searched for for many decades ...

In the era of the reign of Alexander III in Russia, strict administrative regulation of social life was maintained. Enemies of state power were persecuted, arrested, and deported. Such facts existed both before and after Alexander III, however, in order to justify the immutable thesis about a certain "course of reaction", it is precisely the period of his reign that is often characterized as a particularly gloomy and hopeless period of history. Nothing of the sort has actually been observed.

In total, 17 people were executed for political crimes (there was no death penalty for criminal acts in Russia) during the "reaction period". All of them either participated in the regicide, or prepared for it, and not one of them repented. In total, less than 4 thousand people were interrogated and detained for anti-state acts (almost fourteen years). Considering that the population of Russia at that time exceeded 120 million people, these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the "terror regime" that was allegedly established in Russia during the reign of Alexander III.

Judicial-prison "reprisals" are only a part of the "gloomy picture of Russian life" that is so often painted. Its essential point is the "oppression of censorship", which allegedly "strangled" any "freedom of thought".

In the 19th century, in Russia, as in all other, even the "most-most" democratic states, censorship existed. In the tsarist empire, it not only protected the moral foundations, religious traditions and beliefs, but also performed the function of protecting state interests.

Under Alexander III, as a result of an administrative ban or for other reasons, mainly of a financial nature, several dozen newspapers and magazines ceased to exist. However, this did not mean that "the voice of the independent press has died out" in the country. Many new editions appeared, but many old ones continued to appear.

A number of liberally oriented publications (the most famous are the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper and the Vestnik Evropy magazine), although they did not allow direct attacks on the government and its representatives, did not get rid of the critical ("skeptical") tone and successfully survived the "era of repression" .

In 1894, the year of the death of Alexander III, 804 periodicals in Russian and other languages ​​were published in Russia. Approximately 15% of them were state ("state"), and the rest belonged to various companies and individuals. There were socio-political, literary, theological, reference, satirical, scientific, educational, sports newspapers and magazines.

During the reign of Alexander III, the number of printing houses grew steadily; The nomenclature of produced book products also increased annually. In 1894, the list of titles of published books reached almost 11,000 thousand (in 1890 - 8638). Many thousands of books were imported from abroad. During the entire reign, less than 200 books were not allowed to circulate in Russia. (This number included, for example, the notorious "Capital" by Karl Marx.) The majority was forbidden not for political, but for spiritual and moral reasons: insulting the feelings of believers, propaganda of obscenity.

Alexander III died early, not yet an old man. His death was mourned by millions of Russian people, not under compulsion, but at the call of their hearts, who honored and loved this crowned ruler - a big, strong, Christ-loving, so understandable, just, such "their own".
Alexander Bokhanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences

120 years ago, on November 1, 1894, in the Crimea, in Livadia, the Russian Emperor Alexander III, the 13th tsar of the Romanov family, died at the age of 49, father.

During the 13 years of the reign of Alexander III the Peacemaker, Russia did not participate in any war, thanks to the skillful public policy and diplomacy, the Russian empire became a stronger and greater power than it was before his reign.

On the day of the death of Alexander III, Europe felt that it had lost an international arbiter who had always been guided by the idea of ​​justice.

The cause of death of Alexander III was chronic nephritis, which led to damage to the heart and blood vessels. According to experts, kidney disease arose after a railway accident that hit the royal train near the Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov in the fall of 1888. During the train crash, the roof collapsed in the royal carriage, and Tsar Alexander III, saving his family, held the roof on his shoulders until help arrived.

Emperor Alexander III ascended the throne on March 14, 1881, after the assassination of his father Alexander II.

On April 29, 1881, the emperor signed "Manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy", who called on "all faithful subjects to serve faithfully and truthfully to eradicate the vile sedition that dishonors the Russian land, - to affirm faith and morality, - to the good upbringing of children, - to exterminate untruth and theft, - to establish order and truth in the operation of all institutions ".

In 1881, a peasant bank was established for issuing loans to peasants for the purchase of land, the redemption of peasant allotments.

1882 - 1884 - the tax system was changed: the poll tax for the poorest classes has been abolished, the inheritance tax and interest-bearing papers have been abolished, and the taxation of crafts has been increased. Protection of workers: the admission to factory work of minors and night work of adolescents and women is prohibited.

1881 - 82 - a commission was established to draw up laws of criminal and civil law.
Measures have been taken to expand the advantages of the local nobility, in 1885 a noble land bank was established, giving long-term loans to noble landowners, the Ministry of Finance was entrusted with the creation land bank for all classes.

Public education. In 1884, the charter of a new university reform was adopted, which destroyed university self-government, students were not exempted from military service, military gymnasiums were transformed into cadet corps.
The elementary school was handed over to the clergy and established. Circular issued on "cook's children" limiting receipt higher education for children from the lower strata of society.

The Emperor was an avid collector and founded the Russian Museum. A rich collection of paintings, graphics, arts and crafts, sculptures, collected by Alexander III, was transferred to the Russian Museum.

From 1881 - 1895 the share of customs duties for imported goods increased from 19% to 31%, thus, Russian producers were protected from imported goods. A course has been taken for the industrialization of Russia, for the creation of its own industry - this is not only an economic, but also a fundamental political task, which is the main direction in the system of internal patronage.

The deficits of the Russian state budget were replaced in 1881-87 by a grandiose excess of state revenues over expenditures. The ruble has become gold! Indirect taxes were the main source of state revenues, taxation items were increased (new taxes on gasoline, kerosene, matches). In 1881, an apartment tax was introduced in Russia and taxation rates were raised - excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco and sugar were raised.

Emperor Alexander III loved Georgian, and, and knew a lot about them. During the reign of Alexander III, expensive foreign wines were ousted from domestic market Russian Empire with domestic wines. Crimean winemaking has received good sales markets, high-quality wines have been presented at world wine exhibitions.

In the reign of Alexander III, the Russian Empire became a strong naval power. The Russian fleet took 3rd place in the world after England and France. 114 new warships were launched, including 17 battleships and 10 armored cruisers, the total displacement of the Russian fleet reached 300,000 tons.

Emperor Alexander III uttered his famous phrase "Russia has only two true allies - the army and the navy." Over the past 100 years, the situation with Russia's loyal allies has not changed at all.

The main directions of the foreign policy of Alexander III were:
1. Strengthening influence in the Balkans. As a result Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 Bulgaria was liberated in 1879 from the 500-year-old Turkish yoke.

2. Search for reliable allies. In 1881, the German Chancellor Bismarck signed the secret Austro-Russian-German Treaty "Union of the Three Emperors", which provided for the neutrality of each of the parties in the event that one of the countries was at war with the 4th side. In 1882, secretly from Russia, Bismarck concluded a "tripartite alliance" - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy against Russia and France, which provided for the provision of military assistance to each other in case of hostilities with Russia or France. In 1887, the Russian-German "customs war": Germany did not provide Russia with a loan and increased duties on Russian bread and created advantages for the import of American grain into Germany. Russia responded by raising duties on imported German goods: iron, coal, ammonia, steel.

3. Maintain peaceful relations with all countries. Secret alliance of France and Russia. France of the 80s saw in Russia its protector from Germany and savior. A grandiose parade in honor of the first visit of Alexander III to France, a solemn reception of the Russian squadron in Toulon, and a return visit of the French squadron to Kronstadt in the summer of 1891.

4. Establishment of borders in the south of Central Asia, after the annexation of Kazakhstan, the Kokand Khanate, the Bukhara Emirate, the Khiva Khanate. During the reign of Alexander III, the territory of the Russian Empire increased by 430,000 sq. km.

5. Consolidation of Russia in the new territories of the Far East. In 1891, Russia began construction of the "Great Siberian Railway" - 7 thousand km. railway line Chelyabinsk - Omsk - Irkutsk - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok.

For the maintenance of European peace, Alexander III was called the Peacemaker. During the reign of Alexander III, Russia did not wage a single war, and "the Russian nation, under the just and peaceful rule of its emperor, enjoyed security, this highest good of society and an instrument of true greatness"

Emperor Alexander II was married twice. His first wife was Maria Alexandrovna, daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse. True, the mother of the Tsarevich was against marriage, suspecting that the princess was actually born from the chamberlain of the duke, but Nicholas I simply adored his daughter-in-law. In the marriage of Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna, eight children were born. However, soon the relationship in the family went wrong and the emperor began to make himself a favorite.

So in 1866 he became close to the 18-year-old Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukova. She became the closest person to the king and moved to Winter Palace. From Alexander II, she gave birth to four illegitimate children. After the death of the Empress, Alexander and Catherine got married, which legalized common children. Who were the descendants of the emperor - you will learn from our material.

Alexandra Alexandrovna

Alexandra was the first and long-awaited child of the grand ducal couple. She was born on August 30, 1842. The birth of a granddaughter was especially expected by Emperor Nicholas I. The next day, happy parents received congratulations. On the ninth day, the Grand Duchess was transferred to the chambers prepared for her and the child. Maria Alexandrovna expressed a desire to feed her daughter on her own, but the emperor forbade this.

On August 30, the girl was baptized in the Tsarskoye Selo Church. But unfortunately, the little Grand Duchess did not live long. She fell ill with meningitis and died suddenly on June 28, 1849, before she was 7 years old. Since then, girls in the imperial family were no longer called Alexandra. All the princesses with that name mysteriously died before reaching the age of 20.

Nikolai Alexandrovich

Tsarevich Nikolai was born on September 20, 1843 and was named after his grandfather. The emperor was so excited about the birth of the heir to the throne that he ordered his sons - Grand Dukes Konstantin and Mikhail - to kneel before the cradle and take an oath of allegiance to the future Russian emperor. But the Tsarevich was not destined to become a ruler.

Nikolai grew up as a universal favorite: his grandfather and grandmother doted on him, but Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna was most attached to him. Nicholas was well brought up, polite, courteous. He made friends with his second cousin, Princess of Oldenburg. There were even negotiations about their wedding, but in the end, the mother of the princess refused.

In 1864, the Tsarevich went abroad. There, on the day of his 21st birthday, he became engaged to Princess Dagmar, who would later become the wife of Alexander III. Everything was fine until, while traveling in Italy, the heir suddenly fell ill. He was treated in Nice, but in the spring of 1865 Nikolai's condition began to deteriorate.

On April 10, Emperor Alexander II arrived in Nice, and already on the night of the 12th, the Grand Duke died after a four-hour agony from tuberculous meningitis. The body of the heir was delivered to Russia on the Alexander Nevsky frigate. The mother was inconsolable and, it seems, she could not fully recover from the tragedy. Years later, Emperor Alexander III named his eldest son in honor of his brother, whom he "loved more than anything else."

Alexander Alexandrovich

Alexander III was two years younger than his older brother, and by the will of fate it was he who was destined to ascend the Russian throne. Since Nicholas was being prepared for the reign, Alexander did not receive an appropriate education, and after the death of his brother he had to take an additional course of science necessary for the ruler.

In 1866 he became engaged to Princess Dagmar. His ascension to the throne was also overshadowed by death - in 1881, Emperor Alexander II died as a result of a terrorist act. After this, the son did not support the liberal ideas of his father, his goal was to suppress the protests. Alexander followed a conservative policy. So, instead of the draft “Loris-Melikov constitution” supported by his father, the new emperor adopted the “Manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy”, compiled by Pobedonostsev, who had a great influence on the emperor.

Administrative pressure was increased, the beginnings of peasant and city self-government were eliminated, censorship was strengthened, military power was strengthened, it was not for nothing that the emperor said that "Russia has only two allies - the army and the navy." Indeed, during the reign of Alexander III there was a sharp decrease in protests, so characteristic of the second half of his father's reign. Terrorist activity also began to decline, and since 1887 there were no terrorist attacks in the country until the beginning of the 20th century.

Despite the build-up of military power, during the reign of Alexander III, Russia did not wage a single war, for maintaining peace he received the nickname Peacemaker. He bequeathed his ideals to the heir and the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

Vladimir Alexandrovich

The Grand Duke was born in 1847 and devoted his life to a military career. He participated in the Russian-Turkish war, since 1884 he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and the St. Petersburg Military District. In 1881, his brother appointed him regent in case of his death before the age of Tsarevich Nicholas, or in the event of the latter's death.

Known for participating in the tragic events of January 1905, known as "Bloody Sunday". It was Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich who gave the order to Prince Vasilchikov to use force against the procession of workers and residents of the city, which was heading towards the Winter Palace.

He was forced to leave his post as Commander of the Guards and the St. Petersburg Military District after a high-profile scandal with his son's marriage. His eldest son Cyril married the former wife of the brother of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Princess Victoria-Melite of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Marriage was not given Highest Resolution, even despite the blessing of Kirill's mother Maria Pavlovna. Vladimir was a well-known philanthropist and was even the president of the Academy of Arts. In protest against his role in the execution of workers and townspeople, the artists Serov and Polenov left the Academy.

Aleksey Aleksandrovich

The fifth child in the grand-ducal family was already enrolled in military service- in Guards crew and the Life Guards Preobrazhensky and Jaeger regiments. His fate was sealed.

In 1866, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich was promoted to lieutenant of the fleet and lieutenant of the guard. Participated in the voyage of the frigate "Alexander Nevsky", which on the night of September 12-13, 1868 was wrecked in the Jutland Strait. The commander of the ship noted the courage and nobility of Alexei, who refused to be one of the first to leave the ship. Four days later he was promoted to staff captain and adjutant wing.

In 1871 he was a senior officer of the Svetlana frigate, on which he reached North America, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and, having visited China and Japan, arrived in Vladivostok, from where he reached home by land through all of Siberia.

In 1881 he was appointed a member State Council, and in the summer of the same year - the Chief of the Fleet and the Naval Department with the rights of Admiral General and Chairman of the Admiralty Council. During the management of the fleet, he carried out a number of reforms, introduced a maritime qualification, increased the number of crew, arranged the ports of Sevastopol, Port Arthur and others, expanded the docks in Kronstadt and Vladivostok.

In the end Russo-Japanese War, after the Tsushima defeat, he resigned and was dismissed from all naval posts. He was considered one of the responsible for the defeat of Russia in the war. He died in Paris in 1908.

Maria Alexandrovna

Princess Maria was born in 1853. She grew up as a "weak" girl and suffered from worms as a child. Despite the prescriptions of the doctors, the father wanted to ride everywhere with her, he did not look for the soul in his daughter. In 1874 she married Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of the British Queen Victoria. Alexander gave her as a dowry the unimaginable sum of £100,000 and an annual allowance of £20,000.

Alexander insisted that in London his daughter should be addressed as "Her Imperial Highness" and that she should have precedence over the Princess of Wales. This infuriated Queen Victoria. However, after marriage, the requirements of the Russian emperor were met.

In 1893 her husband became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as his older brother Edward had renounced his claim to the throne. Mary became a duchess, retaining the title of Duchess of Edinburgh. However, tragedy befell their family.

Their son, Crown Prince Alfred, was engaged to Duchess Elsa of Württemberg. However, Alfred was convicted of extramarital affairs and in 1898 he began to show severe symptoms of syphilis. It is believed that the disease shook his mind.

In 1899, he shot himself with a revolver during a solemn family gathering on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his parents' marriage. On February 6, he died at the age of 24. A year later, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha died of cancer. The Dowager Duchess Maria remained to reside in Coburg.

Sergey Aleksandrovich

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich became the Moscow governor-general. On his initiative, the creation of a portrait gallery of former governors-general began. Under him, the Public Art Theater was opened, in order to take care of the students, he ordered the construction of a hostel at Moscow University. A gloomy episode of his reign was the tragedy on the Khodynka field. In the stampede, according to official figures, 1,389 people were killed and another 1,300 were seriously injured. The public found Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich guilty and nicknamed him "Prince Khodynsky".

Sergei Alexandrovich supported monarchist organizations and was a fighter against the revolutionary movement. He died in a terrorist attack in 1905. At the entrance to the Nikolaevskaya Tower, a bomb was thrown into his carriage, which tore the prince's carriage apart. He died on the spot, the coachman was mortally wounded.

The attack was carried out by Ivan Kalyaev from the "Combat Organization of the Party of Socialist Revolutionaries." He planned to make it two days earlier, but could not throw a bomb into the carriage in which the wife and nephews of the Governor General were. It is known that the widow of Prince Elizabeth visited her husband's killer in prison and forgave him on behalf of her husband.

Pavel Alexandrovich

Pavel Alexandrovich made military career, possessed not only Russian, but also foreign orders and honors. He was married twice. He entered into his first marriage in 1889 with his cousin, the Greek princess Alexandra Georgievna. She bore him two children - Maria and Dmitry. But the girl died at the age of 20 during premature birth. The children were given to be brought up in the family of their brother, Moscow Governor-General Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.

10 years after the death of his wife, he married a second time, Olga Pistohlkors, she was the ex-wife of a subordinate Prince Pavel Alexandrovich. Since the marriage was unequal, they could not return to Russia. In 1915, Olga Valerievna received for herself and the children of the prince the Russian title of princes Paley. They had three children: Vladimir, Irina and Natalya.

Soon after the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, the Provisional Government took measures against the Romanovs. Vladimir Paley was exiled to the Urals in 1918 and then executed. Pavel Alexandrovich himself was arrested in August 1918 and sent to prison.

In January of the following year, he, along with his cousins, Grand Dukes Dmitry Konstantinovich, Nikolai Mikhailovich and Georgy Mikhailovich, were shot in the Peter and Paul Fortress in response to the murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in Germany.

Georgy Alexandrovich

Georgy Alexandrovich was born out of wedlock in 1872, and after the wedding of Alexander II with Princess Dolgorukova, he received the title of Most Serene Prince and the surname Yuryevsky. The emperor wanted to equate illegitimate children with heirs from an alliance with Empress Maria Alexandrovna. After the assassination of his father-emperor, he left for France with his sisters and mother.

In 1891 he graduated from the Sorbonne with a bachelor's degree, then returned to Russia, where he continued his studies. Served in the Baltic Fleet, trained in the Dragoon Department of the Officers cavalry school. He was assigned to the 2nd squadron of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, in 1908 he retired. After 4 years, he died of jade in Magburg, German Empire. He was buried in Wiesbaden at the Russian cemetery. Goga had, as his father jokingly called him, brother Boris. But the boy did not live even a year, and was posthumously legalized as Yuryevsky.

Olga Alexandrovna

She was born a year after her older brother, and was also legalized as the Most Serene Princess Yuryevskaya. It is interesting that the emperor chose the title for children not by chance. It was believed that the princely family of his second wife Dolgorukova took its origins from Rurik and had Prince Yuri Dolgoruky as an ancestor. In fact, this is not so. The ancestor of the Dolgorukovs was Prince Ivan Obolensky, who received the nickname Dolgoruky for his vindictiveness. It originated from the second cousin of Yuri Dolgoruky - Vsevolod Olgovich.

The Most Serene Princess in 1895 married the grandson of Alexander Pushkin - Count Georg-Nikolaus von Merenberg and became known as Countess von Merenberg. In marriage, she gave birth to her husband 12 children.

Ekaterina Aleksandrovna

But the youngest daughter of Alexander II, Ekaterina Yuryevskaya, twice unsuccessfully married and became a singer in order to earn her bread. After the accession of Nicholas II, she returned to Russia with her mother, brother and sister. In 1901, Catherine married the richest prince Alexander Baryatinsky. She was smart and talented, but she was not lucky with her husband. He was a rather extravagant character, led a wild life and adored the beautiful Lina Cavalieri. The husband demanded that his wife also share his love for the favorite.

The Serene Princess, loving her husband, tried to win his attention. But it was all in vain. The three of them went everywhere - performances, operas, dinners, some even lived together in a hotel. But the triangle collapsed with the death of the prince, the inheritance went to Catherine's children - princes Andrei and Alexander. Since they were minors, the mother became their guardian.

After World War I, they moved from Bavaria to the Baryatinsky estate in Ivanovsky. Soon, Catherine met a young guards officer, Prince Sergei Obolensky, and jumped out to marry him. After the revolution, they lost everything and left on false documents to Kyiv, and then to Vienna and further to England. For the sake of earning money, the most serene princess began to sing in living rooms and at concerts. Mother's death did not improve financial situation princesses.

In the same 1922, Obolensky left his wife for another wealthy lady, Miss Alice Astor, daughter of millionaire John Astor. Abandoned Catherine became a professional singer. For many years she lived on an allowance from Queen Mary, widow of George V, but after her death in 1953 she was left without a livelihood. She sold her property and died in 1959 in a nursing home on Hayling Island.