On July 30 (August 12, new style), 1904, the only son of the last Russian Sovereign Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, heir to the throne of the Russian Empire, Tsarevich Alexei, was born in Peterhof.

He was the fifth and very long-awaited child of the royal couple, for whom they prayed a lot and fervently, including during celebrations dedicated to the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov July 17-19, 1903

On September 3, 1904, in the church of the Great Peterhof Palace, the sacrament of Baptism of the Tsarevich was performed with the name in honor of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. According to a number of researchers, the heir received the name Alexey in memory of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676). The successors of the porphyritic baby were the English and Danish kings, the German emperor, as well as the Russian Grand Dukes. Since Russia was at war with Japan during this period, all officers and soldiers of the Russian army and navy were proclaimed honorary godparents of the heir. According to tradition, in connection with the birth of an heir, charitable organizations were established: a military hospital train named after the heir-cresarevich, the Alekseevsky Committee for providing assistance to children who lost their fathers in the Russian-Japanese War.

And in fact, the Tsarevich was at that time the most marvelous child one could dream of, with his wonderful blond curls and large gray-blue eyes, shaded by long, curled eyelashes. He had the fresh and rosy complexion of a healthy child, and when he smiled, two dimples appeared on his round cheeks. When I approached him, he looked at me seriously and shyly, and only with great difficulty did he decide to extend his small hand to me.

During this first meeting, I saw several times how the Empress hugged the Tsarevich to her with the tender gesture of a mother who always seems to tremble for the life of her child; but this caress and the look that accompanied it revealed so clearly and so strongly hidden anxiety that I was already amazed by it. It was only a long time later that I came to understand its meaning.”

Terrible disease

On his mother's side, Alexey inherited hemophilia, the carriers of which were some of the daughters and granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901). The disease became evident already in the fall of 1904, when a two-month-old baby began to bleed heavily. Any scratch could lead to the death of the child; the lining of his arteries and veins was so weak that any bruise, increased movement or tension could cause rupture of blood vessels and lead to a fatal end: a fall, a nosebleed, a simple cut - everything that would be a trifle for an ordinary child could be fatal for Alexei. From the very first years of his life, the Tsarevich required special care and constant vigilance, as a result of which, on doctors’ orders, two sailors from the imperial yacht were assigned to him as bodyguards: the boatswain Derevenko and his assistant Nagorny.

The Empress's maid of honor Anna Taneyeva wrote: “The life of Alexei Nikolaevich was one of the most tragic in the history of the Tsar’s children. He was a charming, affectionate boy, the most beautiful of all children. In early childhood, his parents and nanny Maria Vishnyakova spoiled him greatly, fulfilling his slightest whims. And this is understandable, since it was very difficult to see the constant suffering of the little one; Whether he hit his head or his hand on the furniture, a huge blue tumor would immediately appear, indicating an internal hemorrhage that was causing him great suffering. At the age of five or six he passed into the hands of men, to uncle Derevenko. This one used to be less pampering, although he was very loyal and had great patience. I hear Alexei Nikolaevich’s voice during his illnesses: “Raise my hand,” or: “Turn my leg,” or: “Warm my hands,” and often Derevenko calmed him down. When he began to grow up, his parents explained his illness to Alexei Nikolaevich, asking him to be careful. But the heir was very lively, loved the games and fun of boys, and it was often impossible to restrain him. “Give me a bicycle,” he asked his mother. “Alexey, you know you can’t!” - “I want to learn to play tennis like my sisters!” - “You know that you don’t dare play.” Sometimes Alexey Nikolaevich cried, repeating: “Why am I not like all the boys?”

Alexey understood perfectly well that he might not live to reach adulthood. When he was ten years old, his older sister Olga found him lying on his back and looking at the clouds. She asked what he was doing. “I like to think, reflect,” Alexey answered. Olga asked what he liked to think about. “Oh, a lot of things,” the boy replied, “I enjoy the sun and the beauty of summer while I can. Who knows, maybe one of these days I won’t be able to do this anymore.”

Life in Tsarskoe Selo

Outwardly, Alexei resembled the Empress and Grand Duchess Tatiana: he had the same delicate facial features and large blue eyes. P. Gilliard describes him as follows: “Alexey Nikolaevich was then nine and a half years old. He was quite large for his age, had a thin, elongated oval face with delicate features, wonderful light brown hair with bronze tints, large blue-gray eyes, reminiscent of his mother's eyes.

He thoroughly enjoyed life when he could, like a playful and cheerful boy. His tastes were very modest. He was not at all proud of the fact that he was the heir to the throne; this was the last thing he thought about. His greatest happiness was playing with the two sons of the sailor Derevenko, who were both somewhat younger than him. He had great quickness of mind and judgment and a lot of thoughtfulness. He sometimes amazed me with questions above his age, which testified to a delicate and sensitive soul.

I easily understood that those who, like me, did not have to instill discipline in him, could easily succumb to his charm without a second thought. In the little capricious creature that he seemed at first, I discovered a child with a heart that was naturally loving and sensitive to suffering, because he himself had already suffered a lot.”

Resident of Tsarskoye Selo S.Ya. Ofrosimova shares the following impressions: “The heir Tsarevich had a very soft and kind heart. He was passionately attached not only to those close to him, but also to the ordinary employees around him. None of them saw arrogance or harsh behavior from him. He especially quickly and passionately became attached to ordinary people. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, hot and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was playing with his uncle's children and being among ordinary soldiers. With interest and deep attention, he peered into the lives of ordinary people, and often an exclamation escaped him: “When I am king, there will be no poor and unhappy! I want everyone to be happy."

A.A. Taneyeva recalled: “The heir took an ardent part if the servants experienced any grief. His Majesty was also compassionate, but did not actively express it, while Alexey Nikolaevich did not calm down until he immediately helped. I remember the case of a cook who for some reason was denied a position. Alexey Nikolaevich somehow found out about this and pestered his parents all day until they ordered the cook to be taken back again. He defended and stood up for all his people.”

At the age of seven, Alexey began to study. The classes were led by the Empress, who herself chose the teachers: the spiritual teacher of the imperial family, Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev, became the teacher of the law, and Privy Councilor P.V. became the teacher of the Russian language. Petrov, arithmetic teacher - State Councilor E.P. Tsytovich, French teacher and tutor - P. Gilliard, English was taught by C. Gibbs and Alexandra Fedorovna herself.

Life in Tsarskoe Selo was of a close family nature: the retinue, with the exception of the ladies-in-waiting on duty and the commander of the consolidated guards regiment, did not live in the palace, and the Royal family, except when visiting relatives, gathered at the table without strangers and quite easily. The Tsarevich's lessons began at nine o'clock with a break between eleven and noon, during which the heir and his teacher went for a walk in a carriage, sleigh or car. Then classes resumed until lunch, after which Alexey always spent two hours outdoors. The Grand Duchesses and the Emperor, when he was free, joined him. In winter, Alexey had fun with his sisters, descending from an icy mountain built on the shore of a small artificial lake.

In 1910, Patriarch Damian of Jerusalem, knowing about the piety of the heir, gave him for Easter an icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” with particles of stones from the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha.

According to P. Gilliard, Alexey was the center of the closely knit Royal family; all affections and hopes were focused on him. “His sisters adored him and he was the joy of his parents. When he was healthy, the whole palace seemed to be transformed; it was a ray of sunshine that illuminated both things and those around us. Happily gifted by nature, he would have developed quite correctly and evenly if his illness had not prevented this.” S.Ya. Ofrosimova recalls: “His liveliness could not be tempered by his illness, and as soon as he felt better, as soon as his suffering subsided, he began to play pranks uncontrollably, he buried himself in pillows, crawled under the bed to scare the doctors with an imaginary disappearance... When the Princesses came, especially Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, terrible fuss and pranks began. Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna was a desperate naughty girl and a faithful friend in all the Tsarevich’s pranks, but she was strong and healthy, and the Tsarevich was forbidden from these hours of childhood pranks that were dangerous for Him.”

Raising an heir to the throne

In 1912, while on vacation in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Tsarevich unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely bruised his thigh: the resulting hematoma did not resolve for a long time, the child’s health condition was very serious, and bulletins were officially published about him. There was a real threat of death. “The Empress sat at her son’s bedside from the beginning of the illness,” writes P. Gilliard, “bent over to him, caressed him, surrounded him with her love, trying with a thousand small concerns to alleviate his suffering. The Emperor also came as soon as he had a free minute.

He tried to cheer up the child, entertain him, but the pain was stronger than the mother's caresses and father's stories, and the interrupted moans were resumed. From time to time the door opened, and one of the Grand Duchesses tiptoed into the room, kissed her little brother and seemed to bring with her a stream of freshness and health. The child opened his large eyes, already deeply outlined by illness, for a minute, and immediately closed them again.

One morning I found a mother at the head of her son... The Tsarevich, lying in his crib, moaned pitifully, pressing his head against his mother’s hand, and his thin, bloodless face was unrecognizable. Occasionally he interrupted his groans to whisper only one word, “mother,” in which he expressed all his suffering, all his despair. And his mother kissed his hair, his forehead, his eyes, as if with this caress she could ease his suffering, breathe into him a little of the life that was leaving him. How to convey the torture of this mother, helplessly present at the torment of her child during long hours of mortal anxiety..."

According to the opinion of many people surrounding Tsarevich Alexei, he had a strong will, which was not just an inherited quality, but developed and strengthened due to the frequent physical suffering caused to the child by a terrible illness. The disease became a kind of teacher of the little martyr. According to Anna Taneyeva, “frequent suffering and involuntary self-sacrifice developed in the character of Alexei Nikolaevich pity and compassion for everyone who was sick, as well as amazing respect for his mother and all elders.”

However, for all his kindness and compassion, the boy did not tolerate it when he, as the heir to the throne, was treated with insufficient respect. S.Ya. Ofrosimova recounts the following episode: “The Tsarevich was not a proud child, although the thought that he was a future king filled his entire being with the consciousness of his highest destiny. When he was in the company of noble people and people close to the Emperor, he became aware of his royalty.

One day, the Tsarevich entered the office of the Tsar, who at that time was talking with the minister. When the heir entered, the Tsar’s interlocutor did not find it necessary to stand up, but only, rising from his chair, offered his hand to the Tsarevich. The heir, offended, stopped in front of him and silently put his hands behind his back; this gesture did not give him an arrogant appearance, but only a regal, expectant pose. The minister involuntarily stood up and straightened up to his full height in front of the Tsarevich. The Tsarevich responded to this with a polite handshake. Having told the Emperor something about his walk, he slowly left the office. The Emperor looked after him for a long time and finally said with sadness and pride: “Yes, it will not be as easy for you to cope with him as with me.”

According to the memoirs of Yulia Den, maid of honor and friend of the Empress, while still a very small boy, Alexei already realized that he was the heir: “Once, when he was playing with the Grand Duchesses, he was informed that officers of his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and asked permission to see Tsesarevich. The six-year-old child, immediately leaving the fuss with his sisters, said with an important look: “Girls, go away, the heir will have a reception.”

Claudia Mikhailovna Bitner, who gave lessons to the heir in Tobolsk, recalled the Tsarevich this way: “I loved Alexei Nikolaevich most of all. He was a sweet, good boy. He was smart, observant, receptive, very affectionate, cheerful and cheerful, despite his often severe painful condition...

He was used to being disciplined, but did not like the former court etiquette. He could not stand lies and would not have tolerated them around him if he had ever taken power. He combined the features of his father and mother. From his father he inherited his simplicity. There was no complacency, arrogance or arrogance in him at all. He was simple.

But he had a great will and would never submit to outside influence. Now, the Emperor, if he took power again, I’m sure he would forget and forgive the actions of those soldiers who were known in this regard. Alexey Nikolaevich, if he received power, would never forget or forgive them for this and would draw the appropriate conclusions.

He understood a lot and understood people. But he was closed and reserved. He was terribly patient, very careful, disciplined and demanding of himself and others. He was kind, like his father, in the sense that he did not have the ability in his heart to cause unnecessary harm.

At the same time, he was thrifty. One day he was sick, he was served a dish that was shared with the whole family, which he did not eat because he did not like this dish. I was indignant. How can they not prepare a separate meal for a child when he is sick? I said something. He answered me: “Well, here’s another one!” There’s no need to waste money just because of me.”

Favorite Bet. Introduction to military life

According to tradition, grand dukes became chiefs or officers of guard regiments on their birthday. Alexey became the chief of the 12th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, and later other military units and the ataman of all Cossack troops. The sovereign introduced him to Russian military history, the structure of the army and the peculiarities of its life, organized a detachment of the sons of lower ranks under the leadership of the “uncle” Tsarevich Derevenko and managed to instill in the heir a love of military affairs. Alexey was often present when receiving deputations and at troop reviews, and during the First World War he visited the active army with his father, awarded distinguished soldiers, and was himself awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree.

On July 20, 1914, the President of the French Republic R. Poincaré presented the heir with the ribbon of the Order of the Legion of Honor. In Petrograd, in the Winter Palace, there were two institutions named after Alexei - a hospital and the Committee of One-Time Benefits for Sick and Wounded Soldiers, and many military hospitals also bore his name.

The Tsarevich spent almost the entire 1916 with his father at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Mogilev. According to A.A. Mordvinov, the aide-de-camp of Nicholas II, the heir “promised to be not only a good, but also an outstanding monarch.” P. Gilliard recalls: “After the review, the Emperor approached the soldiers and entered into a simple conversation with some of them, asking them about the fierce battles in which they had participated.

Alexey Nikolaevich followed his father step by step, listening with passionate interest to the stories of these people who had seen the proximity of death so many times. His usually expressive and moving face was full of tension from the effort he made not to miss a single word of what they were saying.

The presence of the heir next to the Sovereign aroused the interest of the soldiers, and when he walked away, they could be heard exchanging impressions in a whisper about his age, height, facial expression, etc. But what struck them most was that the Tsarevich was in a simple soldier’s uniform, no different from the one worn by the team of soldiers’ children.”

The English General Hanbury-Williams, with whom the Tsarevich became friends at Headquarters, published after the revolution his memoirs “Emperor Nicholas II as I Knew Him.” About his acquaintance with Alexei, he writes: “When I first saw Alexei Nikolaevich in 1915, he was about eleven years old. Having heard stories about him, I expected to see a very weak and not very bright boy. He was indeed of a frail build, as he was stricken with illness. However, during those periods when the heir was healthy, he was cheerful and mischievous, like any boy of his age...

The Tsarevich wore a protective uniform and high Russian boots, proud of the fact that he looked like a real soldier. He had excellent manners and spoke several languages ​​fluently. Over time, his shyness disappeared, and he began to treat us like old friends.

Every time, greeting, the Tsarevich came up with some joke for each of us. When he approached me, he used to check that all the buttons on my jacket were fastened. Naturally, I tried to leave one or two buttons undone. In this case, the Tsarevich stopped and noticed to me that I was “sloppy again.” Sighing heavily at the sight of such sloppiness on my part, he buttoned up my buttons to restore order.”

After visiting Headquarters, the Tsarevich’s favorite food became “cabbage soup and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat,” as he always said. Every day they brought him sampler of cabbage soup and porridge from the soldiers’ kitchen of the Consolidated Regiment. According to the recollections of those around him, the Tsarevich ate everything and still licked the spoon, beaming with pleasure and saying: “This is delicious - not like our lunch.” Sometimes, without touching anything at the table, he would quietly make his way to the royal kitchen buildings, ask the cooks for a hunk of black bread and secretly share it with his dog.

From Headquarters, the Tsarevich brought an ugly, sand-colored kitten with white spots, which he named Zubrovka and, as a sign of special affection, put a collar with a bell on it. Julia Den writes about the Tsarevich’s new favorite: “Zubrovka was not a particular admirer of palaces. Every now and then he fought with Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna’s bulldog, whose name was Artipo, and knocked over all the family photographs in Her Majesty’s boudoir to the floor. But Zubrovka enjoyed the privileges of his position. What happened to him when the Imperial Family was sent to Tobolsk is unknown.”

The newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” dated November 7, 1915 published an article entitled “Our Hope”, dedicated to the heir’s stay at Headquarters. It described the days of Alexei: “...After mass, the Emperor, along with the heir and retinue, went home on foot. The smile, look, gait of the young heir, his habit of waving his left hand - all this was reminiscent of the manners of the Emperor, from whom the child adopted them. Despite wartime and frequent trips with his sovereign parent to the fronts, the Tsarevich continued to study...

The Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II himself did a lot to instill in his son attention and compassion for people. P. Gilliard describes the following incident: “On the way back, having learned from General Ivanov that there was a forward dressing station nearby, the Emperor decided to go straight there. We drove into a dense forest and soon noticed a small building, dimly lit by the red light of torches. The Emperor, accompanied by Alexei Nikolaevich, entered the house, approached all the wounded and talked to them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line caused amazement to be expressed on all faces.

One of the soldiers, who had just been put back to bed after bandaging, looked intently at the Tsar, and when the latter bent over him, he raised his only good hand to touch his clothes and make sure that it was really the Tsar in front of him, and not vision. Alexey Nikolaevich stood slightly behind his father. He was deeply shocked by the groans he heard and the suffering he sensed around him.”

On March 2 (15th Art.), 1917, news was received of the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne for himself and for his son in favor of Mikhail Alexandrovich, the Sovereign’s younger brother. P. Gilliard recalls: “... It was noticeable how she [the Empress] suffered at the thought of how she would have to worry the sick Grand Duchesses by announcing to them the abdication of their father, especially since this excitement could worsen their health. I went to Alexei Nikolaevich and told him that the Emperor was returning tomorrow from Mogilev and would not return there again.

Because your father doesn't want to be commander in chief anymore!

You know, Alexey Nikolaevich, your father doesn’t want to be Emperor anymore.

He looked at me in surprise, trying to read on my face what had happened.

For what? Why?

Because he is very tired and has suffered a lot lately.

Oh yes! Mom told me that when he wanted to go here, his train was delayed. But will dad be Emperor again later?

I explained to him then that the Emperor had abdicated the throne in favor of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, who in turn declined.

But then who will be the Emperor?

I don't know, no one yet!..

Not a word about himself, not a hint of his rights as an heir. He blushed deeply and was excited. After several minutes of silence he said:

If there is no longer a Tsar, who will rule Russia?

I explained to him that a Provisional Government had been formed, which would deal with State affairs until the convening of the Constituent Assembly, and that then, perhaps, his uncle Mikhail would ascend the throne. I was once again amazed at the modesty of this child.”

The last lessons of the Sovereign Father

From March 8, 1917, the Royal Family was under arrest in Tsarskoye Selo, and on August 1 they were sent into exile to Tobolsk, where they were imprisoned in the governor’s house. Here the Emperor managed to fulfill his dream of raising his son himself. He gave lessons to the Tsarevich in a gloomy house in Tobolsk. The lessons continued in the poverty and squalor of the Yekaterinburg confinement, where the imperial family was transported in the spring of 1918.

Life of the Royal Family in the house of engineer N.K. Ipatieva was subject to a strict prison regime: isolation from the outside world, meager food rations, an hour-long walk, searches, hostility from the guards. While still in Tobolsk, Alexey fell down the stairs and received severe bruises, after which he could not walk for a long time, and in Yekaterinburg his illness worsened greatly.

In a tragic time, the family was united by common prayer, faith, hope and patience. Alexei was always present at the service, sitting in a chair; at the head of his bed hung many icons on a gold chain, which was later stolen by the guards. Being surrounded by enemies, the prisoners turned to spiritual literature and strengthened themselves with the examples of the Savior and St. martyrs, prepared for martyrdom.

Tsarevich Alexei did not live to see his fourteenth birthday for several weeks. On the night of July 17, 1918, he was killed along with his parents and sisters in the basement of the Ipatiev House.

In 1996, the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, chaired by Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov) of Krutitsy and Kolomna, found “it possible to raise the question of canonizing... Tsarevich Alexy.” Canonization of St. passion-bearer Tsarevich Alexy took place at the Council of Bishops in August 2000.

The only son of Emperor Nicholas II, given by God in response to a long, diligent parental prayer, probably, without exaggeration, can be called the most attractive and most mysterious child figure in Russian history. “During the baptism of the baby, a remarkable incident occurred that attracted the attention of all those present,” wrote Abbot Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “When the newborn Tsarevich was anointed with holy myrrh, he raised his hand and extended his fingers, as if blessing those present.” What could this boy have become if he had lived to adulthood? One can only assume that a great tsar was begged for Russia. But history does not know the “if” phrase. And although we understand that the figure of the young Tsarevich Alexei is too bright and unusual, we still turn to his bright image, wanting to find an example for teaching and imitation in the relationship of this boy with the outside world.

Attitude towards women is the best way to test a man's nobility. He must treat every woman with respect, regardless of whether she is rich or poor, high or low in social position, and show her every sign of respect,” Empress Alexandra Feodorovna wrote in her diary. She could write such words with confidence: an example of male nobility, a chivalrous attitude towards a woman was always before her eyes - her husband, Emperor Nicholas P.

It is very important that from childhood the little Tsarevich Alexei could see respectful attitude towards women from a man whose authority was undeniable for him. The Emperor did not ignore even the little things, thanks to which it was possible to teach his son a lesson.

Claudia Mikhailovna Bitner, who gave lessons to the heir in Tobolsk, recalled him: he combined the features of his father and mother. From his father he inherited his simplicity. There was no complacency, arrogance or arrogance in him at all. He was simple. But he had a great will and would never submit to outside influence. Now, the sovereign, if he took power again, I am sure, he would forget and forgive the actions of those soldiers who were known in this regard. Alexey Nikolaevich, if he received power, would never forget or forgive them for this and would draw the appropriate conclusions.

He understood a lot and understood people. But he was closed and reserved. He was terribly patient, very careful, disciplined and demanding of himself and others. He was kind, like his father, in the sense that he did not have the ability in his heart to cause unnecessary harm. At the same time, he was thrifty. One day he was sick, he was served a dish that was shared with the whole family, which he did not eat because he did not like this dish. I was indignant. How can they not prepare a separate meal for a child when he is sick? I said something. He answered me: “Well, here’s another thing. You don’t have to spend money just because of me.”

Anna Taneyeva: “The life of Alexei Nikolaevich was one of the most tragic in the history of the royal children. He was a charming, affectionate boy, the most beautiful of all children. His parents and his nanny Maria Vishnyakova spoiled him a lot in his early childhood. And this is understandable, since it was very difficult to see the constant suffering of the little one; Whether he hit his head or his hand on the furniture, a huge blue tumor would immediately appear, indicating an internal hemorrhage that was causing him great suffering. As he began to grow up, his parents explained his illness to him, asking him to be careful. But the heir was very lively, loved the games and fun of boys, and it was often impossible to restrain him. “Give me a bicycle,” he asked his mother. “Alexey, you know you can’t!” - “I want to learn to play tennis like my sisters!” “You know you don’t dare play.” Sometimes Alexey Nikolaevich cried, repeating: “Why am I not like all the boys?”


He needed to be surrounded with special care and concern. That is why, on doctors’ orders, two sailors from the imperial yacht were assigned to him as bodyguards: the boatswain Derevenko and his assistant Nagorny. His teacher and mentor Pierre Gilliard recalls: “Alexey Nikolaevich had great agility of mind and judgment and a lot of thoughtfulness. He sometimes amazed me with questions above his age, which testified to a delicate and sensitive soul. In the little capricious creature that he seemed at first, I discovered a child with a heart that was naturally loving and sensitive to suffering, because he himself had already suffered a lot.”
The upbringing of any boy as the future head of the family should consist of instilling responsibility, independence, and the ability to make a decision in the right situation, without looking at anyone. At the same time, it is necessary to cultivate compassion and sensitivity and an important property - the ability to listen to the opinions of Other people. The boy needs to be prepared for the role of husband, father and master of the house. For Tsarevich Alexei, all of Russia was such a home.

“The queen inspired her son that everyone is equal before God and that one should not be proud of one’s position, but one must be able to behave nobly without humiliating one’s position” (Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “Orthodox Tsar-Martyr”). If the mother had not made efforts to do this, then the position of the heir’s teacher, which was already difficult, would have become even more difficult.

“I understood more clearly than ever how much environmental conditions were hindering the success of my efforts. I had to contend with the servility of the servants and the absurd admiration of some of those around me. And I was even very surprised to see how the natural simplicity of Alexei Nikolaevich resisted these immoderate praises.

I remember how a deputation of peasants from one of the central provinces of Russia once came to bring gifts to the heir to the crown prince. The three men of whom it consisted, by order given in a whisper by the boatswain Derevenko, knelt before Alexei Nikolaevich to present him with their offerings. I noticed the child's embarrassment, who blushed crimson. As soon as we were alone, I asked him if he was pleased to see these people on their knees in front of him. “Oh no! But Derevenko says that’s how it’s supposed to be!”

I then spoke with the boatswain, and the child was delighted that he was freed from what was a real nuisance for him.”

I. Stepanov recalls: “In the last days of January 1917, I was in the Tsar’s Alexander Palace with the tutor of the heir Gilliard, and we went with him to the Tsarevich. Alexey Nikolaevich and some cadet were animatedly playing a game near a large toy fortress. They positioned soldiers, fired cannons, and their whole lively conversation was full of modern military terms: machine gun, airplane, heavy artillery, trenches, etc. However, the game soon ended, and the heir and the cadet began to look at some books. Then Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna entered... All this furnishing of the heir’s two children’s rooms was simple and did not give any idea that the future Russian Tsar was living here and receiving his initial upbringing and education. There were maps hanging on the walls, there were cabinets with books, there were several tables and chairs, but all this was simple, modest to the point of extremes.

Alexey Nikolaevich, speaking to me, recalled our conversation with him when he was on the train with the sovereign in the fall of 1915 in the south of Russia: “Remember, you told me that in Novorossiya Catherine the Great, Potemkin and Suvorov tied Russian influence and Turkish The sultan forever lost its significance in the Crimea and the southern steppes. I liked this expression, and I told my dad about it. I always tell him that I like it.”

It was especially clearly demonstrated that the boy cared a lot about Russia, but little about himself, in the episode told by Gilliard. However, the little prince’s modesty did not at all interfere with his awareness of himself as the heir to the throne. The episode that S. Ya. Ofrosimova told about is quite well known: “The Tsarevich was not a proud child, although the thought that he was a future king filled his entire being with the consciousness of his highest destiny. When he was in the company of noble people and people close to the sovereign, he became aware of his royalty.

One day the Tsarevich entered the office of the sovereign, who at that time was talking with the minister. When the heir entered, the sovereign’s interlocutor did not find it necessary to stand up, but only, rising from his chair, offered his hand to the crown prince. The heir, offended, stopped in front of him and silently put his hands behind his back; this gesture did not give him an arrogant appearance, but only a regal, expectant pose. The minister involuntarily stood up and straightened up to his full height in front of the crown prince. The Tsarevich responded to this with a polite handshake. Having told the sovereign something about his walk, he slowly left the office, the sovereign looked after him for a long time and finally said with sadness and pride: “Yes. It will not be as easy for you to cope with him as with me.”

According to the memoirs of Yulia Den, Alexei, while still a very small boy, already realized that he was the heir: “Her Majesty insisted that the Tsarevich, like his sisters, be raised completely naturally. In the heir's daily life, everything happened casually, without any ceremony, he was the son of his parents and the brother of his sisters, although sometimes it was funny to watch him pretend to be an adult. One day, when he was playing with the Grand Duchesses, he was informed that officers from his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and asked permission to see the Tsarevich. The six-year-old child, immediately leaving the fuss with his sisters, said with an important look: “Girls, go away, the heir will have a reception.”

Klavdia Mikhailovna Bitner said: “I don’t know if he thought about power. I had a conversation with him about this. I told him: “What if you reign?” He answered me: “No, it’s over forever.” I told him: “Well, what if it happens again, if you reign?” He answered me: “Then we need to arrange it so that I know more about what is going on around me.” I once asked him what he would do with me then. He said that he would build a large hospital, appoint me to manage it, but he would come himself and “interrogate” everything, whether everything was in order. I’m sure that with him there would be order.”

Yes, one can assume that under Emperor Alexei Nikolaevich there would be order. This tsar could have been very popular among the people, since will, discipline and awareness of his own high position were combined in the nature of the son of Nicholas II with kindness and love for people.

A. A. Taneyeva: “The heir took an ardent part if the servants experienced any grief. His Majesty was also compassionate, but did not actively express it, while Alexey Nikolaevich did not calm down until he immediately helped. I remember the case of a cook who for some reason was denied a position. Alexey Nikolaevich somehow found out about this and pestered his parents all day until they ordered the cook to be taken back again. He defended and stood up for all his people.”

Y. Ofrosimova: “The heir, the Tsarevich, had a very soft and kind heart. He was passionately attached not only to those close to him, but also to the ordinary employees around him. None of them saw arrogance or harsh behavior from him. He especially quickly and passionately became attached to ordinary people. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, hot and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was playing with his uncle's children and being among ordinary soldiers. With interest and deep attention, he peered into the lives of ordinary people, and often an exclamation escaped him: “When I am king, there will be no poor and unhappy people, I want everyone to be happy.”

The Tsarevich’s favorite food was “cabbage soup and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat,” as he always said. Every day they brought him sampler and porridge from the soldiers’ kitchen of the Consolidated Regiment; The Tsarevich ate everything and still licked the spoon. Beaming with pleasure, he said: “This is delicious - not like our lunch.” Sometimes, eating almost nothing at the royal table, he quietly made his way with his dog to the buildings of the royal kitchen and, knocking on the glass windows, asked the cooks for a hunk of black bread and secretly shared it with his curly-haired favorite.”

P. Gilliard: “We set out immediately after breakfast, often stopping at the exit of oncoming villages to watch how the peasants worked. Alexey Nikolaevich loved to question them; they answered him with the good nature and simplicity characteristic of a Russian peasant, completely unaware of who they were talking to.”

Emperor Nicholas himself did an enormous amount to instill in his son attention and compassion for people. Gilliard recalled the time when the Tsarevich was with the sovereign at Headquarters: “On the way back, having learned from General Ivanov that there was an advanced dressing station nearby, the sovereign decided to go straight there.

We drove into a dense forest and soon noticed a small building, dimly lit by the red light of torches. The Emperor, accompanied by Alexei Nikolaevich, entered the house, approached all the wounded and talked to them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line caused amazement to be expressed on all faces. One of the soldiers, who had just been put back to bed after bandaging, looked intently at the sovereign, and when the latter bent over him, he raised his only good hand to touch his clothes and make sure that before him was really a king, and not vision. Alexey Nikolaevich stood slightly behind his father. He was deeply shocked by the groans he heard and the suffering he sensed around him.”

The heir adored his father, and the sovereign in his “happy days” dreamed of raising his son himself. But for a number of reasons this was impossible, and Mr. Gibbs and Monsieur Gilliard became Alexei Nikolaevich’s first mentors. Subsequently, when circumstances changed, the sovereign managed to fulfill his desire.

He gave lessons to the crown prince in a gloomy house in Tobolsk. The lessons continued in the poverty and squalor of Yekaterinburg captivity. But perhaps the most important lesson that the heir and the rest of the family learned was the lesson of faith. It was faith in God that supported them and gave them strength at a time when they were deprived of their treasures, when their friends abandoned them, when they found themselves betrayed by that very country, more important than which nothing in the world existed for them.

Sovereign Nicholas II with his son, 1904

Nicholas II on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. On the left is Tsarevich Alexei, on the right is Grand Duchess Anastasia, photo 1907.

Laying logs, photo 1908

Alexey sweeps the path in the park. (Tsarskoe Selo), photo 1908

Alexey in naval uniform. Petersburg, photo 1909

On a bench in Alexander Park (Tsarskoe Selo), photo 1909

The only son of Emperor Nicholas II, given by God in response to a long, diligent parental prayer, probably, without exaggeration, can be called the most attractive and most mysterious child figure in Russian history. “During the baptism of the baby, a remarkable incident occurred that attracted the attention of all those present,” wrote Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “When the newborn Tsarevich was anointed with holy chrism, he raised his hand and extended his fingers, as if blessing those present.” What could this boy have become if he had lived to adulthood? One can only assume that a great tsar was begged for Russia. But history does not know the “if” phrase. And although we understand that the figure of the young Tsarevich Alexei is too bright and unusual, we still turn to his bright image, wanting to find an example for teaching and imitation in the relationship of this boy with the outside world.

Attitude towards women is the best way to test a man's nobility. He must treat every woman with respect, regardless of whether she is rich or poor, high or low in social position, and show her every sign of respect,” Empress Alexandra Feodorovna wrote in her diary. She could write such words with confidence: an example of a man’s Nobility, a chivalrous attitude towards a woman was always before her eyes - her husband, Emperor Nicholas P.

It is very important that from childhood the little Tsarevich Alexei could see respectful attitude towards women from a man whose authority was undeniable for him. The Emperor did not ignore even the little things, thanks to which it was possible to teach his son a lesson.

Claudia Mikhailovna Bitner, who gave lessons to the heir in Tobolsk, recalled him: he combined the features of his father and mother. From his father he inherited his simplicity. There was no complacency, arrogance or arrogance in him at all. He was simple. But he had a great will and would never submit to outside influence. Now, the sovereign, if he took power again, I am sure, he would forget and forgive the actions of those soldiers who were known in this regard. Alexey Nikolaevich, if he received power, would never forget or forgive them for this and would draw the appropriate conclusions.

He understood a lot and understood people. But he was closed and reserved. He was terribly patient, very careful, disciplined and demanding of himself and others. He was kind, like his father, in the sense that he did not have the ability in his heart to cause unnecessary harm. At the same time, he was thrifty. One day he was sick, he was served a dish that was shared with the whole family, which he did not eat because he did not like this dish. I was indignant. How can they not prepare a separate meal for a child when he is sick? I said something. He answered me: “Well, here’s another thing. You don’t have to spend money just because of me.”

Anna Taneyeva: “The life of Alexei Nikolaevich was one of the most tragic in the history of the royal children. He was a lovely, affectionate boy, the most beautiful of all children. His parents and his nanny Maria Vishnyakova spoiled him a lot in his early childhood. And this is understandable, since you can see The constant suffering of the little one was very difficult; whether he hit his head or his hand on the furniture, a huge blue tumor immediately appeared, indicating internal hemorrhage, which caused him severe suffering. When he began to grow up, his parents explained his illness to him, asking him to be careful. He was very lively, loved the games and fun of boys, and it was often impossible to hold him. “Give me a bicycle,” he asked his mother. “Alexey, you know that you can’t do it.” “I want to learn to play tennis, like my sisters.” !" - you know that you don't dare play." Sometimes Alexey Nikolaevich cried, repeating: “Why am I not like all the boys?”


He needed to be surrounded with special care and concern. That is why, on doctors’ orders, two sailors from the imperial yacht were assigned to him as bodyguards: the boatswain Derevenko and his assistant Nagorny. His teacher and mentor Pierre Gilliard recalls: “Alexei Nikolaevich had great agility of mind and judgment and a lot of thoughtfulness. He sometimes amazed me with questions above his age, which testified to a delicate and sensitive soul. In the small capricious creature that he seemed at first, I discovered a child with a heart that is naturally loving and sensitive to suffering, because he himself has already suffered a lot.”
The upbringing of any boy as the future head of the family should consist of instilling responsibility, independence, and the ability to make a decision in the right situation, without looking at anyone. At the same time, it is necessary to cultivate compassion and sensitivity and an important property - the ability to listen to the opinions of Other people. The boy needs to be prepared for the role of husband, father and master of the house. For Tsarevich Alexei, all of Russia was such a home.

“The queen inspired her son that everyone is equal before God and that one should not be proud of one’s position, but one must be able to behave nobly without humiliating one’s position” (Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “Orthodox Tsar-Martyr”). If the mother had not made efforts to do this, then the position of the heir’s teacher, which was already difficult, would have become even more difficult.

“I understood more clearly than ever how much the environmental conditions were hindering the success of my efforts. I had to fight the servility of the servants and the absurd admiration of some of those around me. And I was even very surprised to see how the natural simplicity of Alexei Nikolaevich resisted these immoderate praises .

I remember how a deputation of peasants from one of the central provinces of Russia once came to bring gifts to the heir to the crown prince. The three men of whom it consisted, by order given in a whisper by the boatswain Derevenko, knelt before Alexei Nikolaevich to present him with their offerings. I noticed the child's embarrassment, who blushed crimson. As soon as we were alone, I asked him if he was pleased to see these people on their knees in front of him. “Oh no! But Derevenko says that’s how it’s supposed to be!”

I then spoke with the boatswain, and the child was delighted that he was freed from what was a real nuisance for him."

I. Stepanov recalls: “In the last days of January 1917, I was in the Tsar’s Alexander Palace with the tutor of the heir Gilliard, and we went with him to the Tsarevich. Alexei Nikolaevich and some cadet were animatedly playing a game near a large toy fortress. They were placing soldiers , fired from cannons, and their whole lively conversation was full of modern military terms: machine gun, airplane, heavy artillery, trenches, etc. However, the game soon ended, and the heir and the cadet began to look at some books. Then Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna entered. .. All this furnishing of the heir’s two children’s rooms was simple and did not give any idea that the future Russian Tsar was living here and receiving his initial upbringing and education. Maps hung on the walls, there were cabinets with books, there were a few tables and chairs, but that’s all. it is simple, modest to the extreme.

Alexey Nikolaevich, speaking to me, recalled our conversation with him when he was on the train with the sovereign in the fall of 1915 in the south of Russia: “Remember, you told me that in Novorossiya Catherine the Great, Potemkin and Suvorov tied Russian influence and Turkish The sultan forever lost its significance in the Crimea and the southern steppes. I liked this expression, and I told my dad about it. I always tell him that I like it.”

It was especially clearly demonstrated that the boy cared a lot about Russia, but little about himself, in the episode told by Gilliard. However, the little prince’s modesty did not at all interfere with his awareness of himself as the heir to the throne. There is a fairly well-known episode about which S. Ya. Ofrosimova spoke: “The Tsarevich was not a proud child, although the thought that he was a future king filled his entire being with the consciousness of his highest destiny. When he was in the company of noble people and people close to the sovereign, he became aware of his royalty.

One day the Tsarevich entered the office of the sovereign, who at that time was talking with the minister. When the heir entered, the sovereign’s interlocutor did not find it necessary to stand up, but only, rising from his chair, offered his hand to the crown prince. The heir, offended, stopped in front of him and silently put his hands behind his back; this gesture did not give him an arrogant appearance, but only a regal, expectant pose. The minister involuntarily stood up and straightened up to his full height in front of the crown prince. The Tsarevich responded to this with a polite handshake. Having told the sovereign something about his walk, he slowly left the office, the sovereign looked after him for a long time and finally said with sadness and pride: “Yes. It will not be as easy for you to cope with him as with me.”

According to the memoirs of Yulia Den, Alexei, while still a very small boy, already realized that he was the heir: “Her Majesty insisted that the Tsarevich, like his sisters, be raised completely naturally. In the everyday life of the heir, everything happened casually, without any ceremony , he was the son of his parents and the brother of his sisters, although sometimes it was funny to watch him pretend to be an adult. One day, when he was playing with the grand duchesses, he was informed that officers of his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and asked permission to see him. Tsarevich. The six-year-old child, immediately leaving the fuss with his sisters, said with an important look: “Girls, go away, the heir will have a reception.”

Klavdia Mikhailovna Bitner said: “I don’t know if he thought about power. I had a conversation with him about this. I told him: “What if you reign?” He answered me: “No, it’s over forever.” I She said to him: “Well, what if it happens again, if you reign?” He answered me: “Then we need to arrange it so that I know more about what is happening around me. I once asked him what he would do with it.” me. He said that he would build a large hospital, appoint me to manage it, but he would come and “interrogate” everything, I’m sure that under him there would be order.”

Yes, one can assume that under Emperor Alexei Nikolaevich there would be order. This tsar could have been very popular among the people, since will, discipline and awareness of his own high position were combined in the nature of the son of Nicholas II with kindness and love for people.

A. A. Taneyeva: “The heir took an ardent part if the servants experienced any grief. His Majesty was also compassionate, but did not actively express it, while Alexey Nikolaevich did not calm down until he immediately helped. I remember the incident with the kitchen boy , who for some reason was denied a position. Alexey Nikolaevich somehow found out about this and pestered his parents all day until they ordered the cook to be taken back. He defended and stood up for all his people.”

Y. Ofrosimova: “The heir to the Tsarevich had a very soft and kind heart. He was passionately attached not only to those close to him, but also to the simple employees around him. None of them saw arrogance or harsh behavior from him. He was especially quick and ardent He became attached to ordinary people. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, warm and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was playing with his uncle’s children and being among ordinary soldiers. He peered into the life of ordinary people with interest and deep attention. an exclamation burst out from him: “When I am king, there will be no poor and unhappy, I want everyone to be happy.”

The Tsarevich’s favorite food was “cabbage soup and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat,” as he always said. Every day they brought him sampler and porridge from the soldiers’ kitchen of the Consolidated Regiment; The Tsarevich ate everything and still licked the spoon. Beaming with pleasure, he said: “This is delicious - not like our lunch.” Sometimes, eating almost nothing at the royal table, he quietly made his way with his dog to the buildings of the royal kitchen and, knocking on the glass windows, asked the cooks for a hunk of black bread and secretly shared it with his curly-haired favorite.

P. Gilliard: “We set out immediately after breakfast, often stopping at the exit of oncoming villages to watch how the peasants worked. Alexey Nikolaevich loved to question them; they answered him with the good nature and simplicity characteristic of a Russian peasant, completely unaware of who they were talking to ".

Emperor Nicholas himself did an enormous amount to instill in his son attention and compassion for people. Gilliard recalled the time when the Tsarevich was with the sovereign at Headquarters: “On the way back, having learned from General Ivanov that there was an advanced dressing station nearby, the sovereign decided to go straight there.

We drove into a dense forest and soon noticed a small building, dimly lit by the red light of torches. The Emperor, accompanied by Alexei Nikolaevich, entered the house, approached all the wounded and talked to them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line caused amazement to be expressed on all faces. One of the soldiers, who had just been put back to bed after bandaging, looked intently at the sovereign, and when the latter bent over him, he raised his only good hand to touch his clothes and make sure that before him was really a king, and not vision. Alexey Nikolaevich stood slightly behind his father. He was deeply shocked by the groans he heard and the suffering he sensed around him."

The heir adored his father, and the sovereign in his “happy days” dreamed of raising his son himself. But for a number of reasons this was impossible, and Mr. Gibbs and Monsieur Gilliard became Alexei Nikolaevich’s first mentors. Subsequently, when circumstances changed, the sovereign managed to fulfill his desire.

He gave lessons to the crown prince in a gloomy house in Tobolsk. The lessons continued in the poverty and squalor of Yekaterinburg captivity. But perhaps the most important lesson that the heir and the rest of the family learned was the lesson of faith. It was faith in God that supported them and gave them strength at a time when they were deprived of their treasures, when their friends abandoned them, when they found themselves betrayed by that very country, more important than which nothing in the world existed for them.

Sovereign Nicholas II with his son, 1904

Nicholas II on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. On the left is Tsarevich Alexei, on the right is Grand Duchess Anastasia, photo 1907.

Laying logs, photo 1908

Alexey sweeps the path in the park. (Tsarskoe Selo), photo 1908

Alexey in naval uniform. Petersburg, photo 1909

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich October 13, 1832 Peterhof, Russian Empire - December 5, 1909, Cannes, France. The fourth son of Emperor Nicholas I, military leader and statesman, Field Marshal General (April 16, 1878), Field Chief General (1852). Chairman of the State Council (1881-1905).

Mikhail Nikolaevich, Grand Duke (son of Emperor Nicholas I).
Guard box in the children's room

Chevalier F. Portrait of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. Lithography. Drawing by A.F. Chernysheva. 1849

Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov (1832-1909), Grand Duke, fourth and youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duke Mikhail was brought up under the direct supervision of his parents and, according to the tradition of the Romanov family, prepared for a military career. At the age of 14, he received his first officer rank of second lieutenant, and two years later he entered active military service in the Life Guards 2nd Artillery Brigade.

In 1852, he was promoted to major general and enrolled in the emperor's retinue, appointed brigade commander of the guards horse artillery and general-feldtzeichmeister, although the latter position was filled formally, since the management of artillery affairs was in the hands of the inspector of all artillery, Baron N. I. Korf.

With the beginning of the Crimean War, Mikhail was with the active army. Sending his sons, Grand Dukes Nicholas and Mikhail, to Crimea, the emperor said: “If there is danger, then it is not for my children to avoid it!” Both grand dukes received baptism of fire under Inkerman. The Russian commander-in-chief A.S. Menshikov decided to deliver the main blow to the English corps on the Inkerman Heights and cut the allied army in half, then introducing large cavalry forces and thereby lifting the blockade of Sevastopol.

A. S. Menshikov

On October 24, 1854, Russian troops attacked the Allied positions, but due to thick fog, the battle was divided into a number of separate battles. The 2nd French Corps arrived in time and forced the Russian troops to retreat, suffering serious losses. For distinction in the battle at the Inkerman Heights, Grand Duke Mikhail was awarded the Order of St. on November 7. George 4th degree.

With the accession of the emperor's elder brother, Alexander II, to the throne, Mikhail was appointed a member of the State Council, and on January 25, 1856, he began to perform the duties of Feldzeichmeister General, simultaneously receiving the rank of adjutant general. During these same years, the Grand Duke took on many state and public responsibilities: he became vice-chairman of a commission established to improve the service and life of military personnel; member of the committee on the establishment of the cavalry academy; head of the 2nd Light Guards Cavalry Division, and from 1857 - chief of artillery of a separate guards corps; in 1859 - member of the committee to review the state of the fortifications of the Baltic and Black Seas. On February 9, 1860 he was appointed to the post of chief commander of military educational institutions, and on August 25 he was promoted to artillery general.

From December 6, 1862 and for the next two decades, Mikhail Nikolaevich was the governor of the Caucasus and commander-in-chief of the Caucasian army.

Under his leadership, Chechnya, Dagestan and the Western Caucasus were finally conquered. On June 15, 1864 he was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree for the conquest of the Western Caucasus and the end of the Caucasian War. In the Caucasus, he carried out reforms that were carried out throughout Russia in those years: the liberation of peasants from serfdom, the reform of peasant and people's government, judicial, administrative and military reforms, improvement of communications and finance.

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich with officers

With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. the Grand Duke became commander-in-chief in the Caucasian theater of military operations. On April 12, 1877, the day war was declared, troops of three detachments of the active corps crossed the border. The Turks, who underestimated the Russian forces and considered them too small for an offensive campaign, were taken by surprise.

Constantinople - Review of Turkish troops leaving for the theater of military operations by Sultan Abdul Hamid

Mukhtar Pasha aiming guns from the wall of one of the Erzurum forts at Russian troops

1 - Mukhtar Pasha, 2 - Pashid Pasha, 3 - Ali Pasha, 4 - Austrian military agent, 5 - Sheeket Pasha, 6 - Arifi Bey, secretary of Mukhtar Pasha, 7 - Sheeket Bey, 8 - Gaasan Pasha, 9 , 10 - English correspondents, 11 - Turkish position on the heights, artillery, 12 - Turkish troops, 13 - Skirmish, 14, 15 - Russian battery, 16 - Russian infantry

However, the not always skillful actions of the top military leadership of the Russian army led to the fact that the situation on the Caucasian front gradually leveled out and even began to tilt in favor of the Turkish troops. The unfavorable turn of affairs alarmed Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich; He personally arrived at the front with his chief of staff, General Obruchev, and took charge of operations.

Russians near Kars. Shelling of forts

Investment of the Kars fortress by Russian troops

On September 27, the Grand Duke began to prepare an army to deliver a crushing blow to the Turkish troops. In the battle of October 2 and 3 on the Aladzhin Heights, the Turkish army was completely destroyed, losing only 15 thousand people killed. The remnants of Mukhtar Pasha's army fled to Karsun Zevin. All the artillery that was in the hands of the Turks went to the Russians.

City and citadel of Kars

Erzurum city

General view of the city of Bayazet and the citadel, famous for the defense of our garrison

Capture of the Ardahan fortress. The invasion of Russian troops into the city under the command of General Gaiman

Fall of the Kars fortress. Capture of Fort Karadag

Fall of the Kars fortress. Capture of Fort Suvari

The 1st battery of the 38th artillery brigade, which shot down Turkish guns on the Tsikhidziri heights in 35 minutes, June 11, 1877.

On October 9, 1877, Mikhail Nikolaevich was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree "...for completely defeating the army of Mukhtar Pasha by Caucasian troops under the personal leadership of His Highness in a bloody battle on October 3, 1877 on the Aladzhin Heights and forcing most of it to lay down their arms."

Fall of Kars. Ceremonial entry of H.I.V. Commander-in-Chief to the Kars fortress

Capture of Kars. Solemn prayer service on the main square of Kars

Kars and Plevna are taken! Hooray! (Scenes from camp life)

The captured army of Mukhtar Pasha at the first halt

On October 9, General Lazarev’s detachment approached the Kare fortress and began siege work on the 13th. The siege corps came under the command of Loris-Melikov. The Grand Duke left for Tiflis to fulfill his duties as governor. The brilliant assault on the night of November 6 ended with the capture of Kars and virtually ended the war in the Caucasus. On April 16, 1878, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was promoted to field marshal general for his Distinctions in the Russian-Turkish War.

Ceremonial entry of E.I.V. Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich to Tiflis after the capture of Kars

After the death of Emperor Alexander II and the accession of Alexander III to the throne, Mikhail (uncle of the new emperor) was appointed chairman of the State Council and held this position until 1905, when his health no longer allowed him to fulfill his duties.

Under Alexander III, the activities of Mikhail Nikolaevich in the post of Feldzejmeister-General had a full impact. The artillery was re-equipped with new guns of the 1877 model with good ballistic qualities; in the period 1889-1894. five mortar regiments of four or five batteries were formed; in 1891 - a mountain artillery regiment, in which mountain guns of various types were tested. With the increase in the number of artillery officers, the Mikhailovsky School alone was not enough, and in 1894 the Konstantinovsky School was transformed into an artillery school. The Grand Duke paid special attention to shooting and encouraged it in every possible way by establishing various competitions (the General Feldzeichmeister Cup).

Head of the Chancellery of the Ministry of the Imperial Court A.A. Mosolovin his book of memoirs he called Mikhail Nikolaevich “Patriarch of the House of Romanov.”In his memoirs, he gave the Grand Duke a brief but clear description, pointing out the sad role played by the departure of the “patriarch” from politics - the collapse of the dynasty:

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was not a particularly gifted person. He was noble and level-headed in character and possessed a courtesy which is a very rare trait in these days. He spent most of his life in the Caucasus as the Tsar's deputy. During the war of 1877 he was commander-in-chief of the Russian troops; he held the rank of Feldzeichmeister General (Chief) of Artillery, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st class, and until his death he held the important post of Chairman of the Imperial Council

Mikhail Nikolaevich did not play a special role in political life; he was too old for this (born in 1832) and preferred his Villa Wenden in Cannes to the palaces he owned in St. Petersburg; he died on the Cote d'Azur, taking with him to the grave the traditions of a bygone era. As the patriarch of the family, he was revered by all his relatives, and none of them ever questioned his authority. His tactful intervention suppressed petty squabbles between the Romanovs in the bud.

The death of Mikhail Nikolaevich became an irreparable loss, since nothing but the name no longer united the dynasty, and since 1910 this gulf became wider and wider.

Family of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich

In 1857, in St. Petersburg, he married Cecilia Augusta, the youngest daughter of the Grand Duke of Baden Leopold (in Orthodoxy Olga Feodorovna).

Olga Fedorovna(September 20, 1839, Karlsruhe, Baden - April 12, 1891, Kharkov, Russian Empire) - née Cecilia Augusta, Princess and Margravess of Baden, after marriage and conversion to Orthodoxy - Russian Grand Duchess.

The youngest daughter of Grand Duke Leopold of Baden and Sophia Wilhelmina of Sweden, cousin of Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna.

Leopold of Baden

Sofia Swedish Winterhalter F.K.

Princess Cecilia grew up in Spartan conditions, which she never regretted. Her father was strict with his children, but gentle with his subjects. He was considered the first German ruler to carry out liberal reforms in his state. All this left a certain imprint on the worldview of the future Grand Duchess.

In August 1857, 18-year-old Olga married the youngest son of Russian Emperor Nicholas 1, Mikhail Nikolaevich.

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich

Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna had a strong temperamental character and had a sharp mind. With her sharp tongue, she caused many unpleasant moments for Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. She was especially outraged by the emperor's decision to limit the circle of great princes, which did not include her own grandchildren.

. She was only 23 years old when she arrived in Tiflis with her husband and three small children.The family lived in the Caucasus for almost 20 years.

All the commanders and governors in the Caucasus lived in this palace.

Olga Feodorovna devoted herself to caring for her family and raising children, but her active nature could not stay away from the many problems she faced in the Caucasus. Like many first ladies, the princess became involved in charitable activities, using mainly her personal funds.In addition to her official duties as the wife of the imperial governor, Olga Fedorovna provided every possible support to Mikhail Nikolaevich, who led the reforms of Emperor Alexander II in Georgia.

A year later, under the patronage of Olga Fedorovna, the Council of the St. Nina Society was formed, in which she became the chairman. The charitable society took care of the upbringing and education of girls throughout the Caucasus. Particular attention was paid to children from poor families and orphans, who were given the opportunity to study in primary school, and many to continue their education. In addition, Olga Fedorovna became the August patron of the Society for the Propagation of Christianity.

In 1865, largely thanks to her efforts, the first women's gymnasium in the Caucasus was opened in Tiflis, which later received the name of Grand Duchess Olga Fedorovna - OLGINSKAYA. Next, a pro-gymnasium opened. Within a few years, the number of students in these educational institutions grew to a thousand. The gymnasium was supported by Olga Fedorovna’s money. For training girls from wealthy families, a fee of 150 rubles was charged. per year, while needy students, with good academic performance and behavior, were exempt from fees and even received a scholarship.

Tiflis. 1st Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna women's gymnasium. Loris-Melikovskaya street No. 12.

In the early 70s of the 19th century, the Midwifery Institute was opened, which was also under the August patronage of Olga Fedorovna and therefore it was not by chance called the Transcaucasian Olga Midwifery Institute

During the Russian-Turkish War, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna took upon herself the care of those leaving for the war and wounded soldiers. She became the patroness of the Red Cross Society in the Caucasus.

The guards go on a campaign

Hospital train

It is interesting that Olga Feodorovna received all the military personnel passing through Tiflis for this war at her place in the Palace Garden (on Golovinsky Prospekt), where tables were laid with refreshments and she herself served tea, sugar and rolls to the soldiers. The receptions lasted for 2 hours, at the same time, they were attended by 200-300 soldiers and officers. More than 10 thousand people went to war through the Palace Garden

Viceroy's Palace

Caring for the wounded and providing hospitals with the most necessary things became Olga Feodorovna’s main concern during the war. She constantly ensured that the Red Cross Society had everything it needed to care for the wounded and even purchased with her own money a field pharmacy van with medicines and surgical instruments for 200 people.

Olga Feodorovna left a good memory of herself in the Caucasus and until the end of her days she warmly recalled the years spent in Tiflis. She continued to do charity work without ignoring any petition that came into her hands.

Olginskaya street in Tiflis

Grand Duchess Olga Fedorovna also strictly monitored the upbringing and education of her children, demanding complete obedience.

The grand ducal family had 6 sons and 1 daughter:

Nikolai (1859—1919)

Anastasia (1860—1922)

Mikhail (1861—1929)

Georgy (1863—1919),

Alexander (Sandro) (1866-1933),

Sergei (1869—1918),

Alexey (1875-1895).

Olga Fedorovna with her son Sergei

Vel. Prince Mikhail Nikolaevich with his wife, leader. Princess Olga Fedorovna, and children: son Nikolai and daughter Anastasia

Family of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich

Mikhail Nikolaevich with his sons

The parents decided to marry their only daughter Anastasia to the heir to the Grand Ducal throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, without asking her opinion.

Friedrich Franz III van Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Anastasia Mikhailovna in 1880

The Grand Duchess was unable to influence her grown-up sons. They arranged their destiny according to their own discretion. A big blow for Olga Feodorovna was the marriage of her son Mikhail to Countess Sofia Merenberg in February 1891.

Countess Sophia de Torby and Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich

In March of the same year, the Grand Duchess listened to the doctors and went to Crimea to improve her poor health. A telegram announcing the marriage was handed to Olga Fedorovna at the railway station in Kharkov, where the train made a short stop. The announcement of the marriage shocked the Grand Duchess so much that she had a heart attack. Olga Feodorovna died in Kharkov on April 12, 1891 at the age of 51. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna

Photos

Members of the imperial family in Ropsha. From right to left: v.k. Pavel Alexandrovich and Pyotr Nikolaevich, Nicholas II; first on the left - v.k. Vladimir Alexandrovich; on the balcony - v.k. Mikhail Nikolaevich, V.K. Maria Pavlovna and her daughter Elena Vladimirovna.

E. Lipagart (1847-1932), Portrait of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich (1913

1901 Serov V.A. "Portrait of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich in a jacket"

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, Princess Alexandrina, Prince Frederick

Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace. Palace embankment. Neva River.

Northern façade of the Mikhailovsky Palace (pre-revolutionary postcard)

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org http://bp21.org.by

Series of messages " ":
Part 1 - Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich.

Nikolai Nikolaevich (junior)

In a nutshell

Nikolai Nikolaevich (11/6/1856-01/5/1929), leader. Prince, son led. book

Nikolai Nikolaevich. He received his education at the Academy of the General Staff..

He took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. From 1895 he served as inspector general of cavalry. During the First World War he was the supreme commander in chief, responsible for many defeats of the Russian army. Since the 20th century he has been associated with Masonic lodges.

Nikolai Nikolaevich (N., Nikolasha), 1856-1929, Grand Duke, grandson of Nicholas I, uncle of Nicholas II, adjutant general, cavalry general, supreme commander (July 1914 - August 1915), later His Majesty's viceroy in the Caucasus, commander-in-chief Caucasian Army, military ataman of the Caucasian army.

He intrigued against Nicholas II, apparently trying to take his place. He hated G. Rasputin, who constantly exposed his intrigues against the Tsar. Since 1907, he has been married to Anastasia Nikolaevna (Stan), née Princess of Montenegro, a member of the Martinist Order.

“I fell into a state of panic and joined Witte’s opinion” General excitement ( in 1905. - Ed. ) assumed such proportions that Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich fell into a state of panic and joined Witte’s opinion that the revolution could be prevented only by agreeing to constitutional reforms. Together with Witte, Nikolai Nikolaevich drew up the initial draft of the constitution and presented it to the Emperor, declaring that he had brought a pistol with him, and if the Emperor did not sign the document, then, after leaving the palace, he shoot himself

. Finally, after lengthy negotiations, a commission was created headed by Alexander Grigorievich Bulygin, which began work on preparing the necessary reforms. Given the critical situation that had arisen, the Emperor was forced to appoint Count Witte as Prime Minister, and the first law that accompanied his appointment was the law on freedom of the press. Newspapers immediately took advantage of their freedom and began to publish such daring jokes and caricatures that would not be allowed in any country in the world.

Naryshkina E.A. My memories. Under the rule of three kings / Elizaveta Alekseevna Naryshkina. M., 2014, p. 360.

Other biographical materials: Supreme Commander ().

Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 5: Adaptive radio communication line - Object air defense. 688 pp., 1978 Zalessky A.A. He had no talent for leadership ().

Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 10. NAHIMSON - PERGAMUS. 1967 Zalessky K.A. Member of the First World War ().

Zalessky K.A. Who was who in the First World War. Biographical encyclopedic dictionary. M., 2003 Mosolov A.A. Could lead the opposition to Nicholas II ().

Mosolov A.A. At the court of the last king. Memoirs of the head of the palace chancellery. 1900-1916. M., 2006 Alexander Mikhailovich [Romanov]. Memoirs of the Grand Duke. Moscow, 2001).

Nikolsky E.A. Has been rude ( Nikolsky E.A. Notes about the past. Comp. and preparation text by D.G. Browns. M., Russian way, 2007).

Kolchak A.V. The most talented in the imperial family ( Around Kolchak: documents and materials. Compiled by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor A.V. Kvakin. M., 2007).