What illness did Tsarevich Alexei have? Russian scientists investigated the form and genetic cause of hemophilia in Grand Duke Alexei, son of Nicholas II

Case history of Alexey Romanov

The most notorious hemophiliac of the 20th century, an unfortunate crown prince, a sad boy, heir to the throne of the Moscow tsars... How would history have turned out if he had been born healthy? What's the use of hysterical subjunctive exclamations, everything was as it was...

July 30 (August 12 n.s.) 1904 in the family Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Fedorovna) the long-awaited (after 4 daughters) heir was born - Tsarevich Alexei. No one knows how many hours the royal couple spent begging long-awaited son, but the joy was great - three hundred artillery salvoes greeted the Tsarevich (and they were “conducted” by rifle and revolver salvos!). The first “bell” sounded immediately after birth - the blood from the umbilical cord did not clot longer than usual (for three days!), but then everything seemed to return to normal... The Tsarevich began to crawl, began to stand up and, naturally, fell. But unlike ordinary children, these banal episodes began to turn into a problem, bruises: “Within a few hours...increased in size, turning into bluish tumors. Blood underneath skin didn't curl up. The parents' terrible guess was confirmed. The child turned out to have hemophilia,” writes the biographer. From that moment on, the disease constantly reminded itself of itself - at the age of three and a half years, Alexey hit his face (not too hard!), but the resulting hematoma closed both eyes. The Tsarevich's illness was considered a state secret, but rumors about it were, nevertheless, widespread.

Where did this misfortune fall on the family of the last Russian “anointed one,” already offended by God? The fact is that the family of Queen Victoria, whose granddaughter was Alice of Hesse, became the “supplier” of this terrible disease V royal families Spain, England and Russia. Victoria's son, Leopold, Duke of Albany died of haemophilia at the age of 31. His daughter, naturally, was the conductor of the disease, and his grandson, Ruprecht, Prince of Athlone, was ill. Victoria's daughter, Princess Beatrice, was a carrier of the gene, and her sons Leopold and Moritz, Princes of Battenberg, had hemophilia. Victoria's other daughter, Princess Eugenie, was a carrier; her sons Alfonso, Juan and Gonzalez, the Spanish infantas, were sick. Victoria's third daughter, Princess Alice, was a conductor, her son Friedrich died of hemophilia at three years old, daughter Irena was a carrier, her sons: Prince Henry died at four years of age from hemophilia, Prince Waldemar “held out” until he was 56 years old, but died of hemophilia, daughter Alice (Hesse) - a conductor, married our Tsar Nicholas, their son, by definition, was doomed to get sick. In total, in the Victoria dynasty there are 6 female carriers and 11 male hemophiliacs. Victoria's family tree has been traced back hundreds of years and no hemophilia has been reported. Where did this come from? Spontaneous mutation in the X chromosome in Victoria’s father or in Victoria herself? Or (seditious thought) Victoria’s mother sinned with a hemophiliac... German Kaiser Wilhelm avoided such a fate by refusing to marry Victoria’s granddaughter, Ella. “Queen Victoria, through her offspring, declared a biological war of destruction on the royal families of Europe.”, - sounds like a witty and evil aphorism! Nowhere did she hit the mark like that, except for the already frail Russian dynasty... It is curious that in the fifth generation of Victoria’s descendants, to which Elizabeth also belongs II, there are no more hemophiliacs! Did Alice know about the evil fate? She was twelve when Uncle Leopold died, she knew about the torment of Prince Frederick, her older brother, she knew that the children older sister, Princess Irene of Prussia, hemophiliac. Doctors then already knew about hemophilia. Famous German doctor K. Nasse wrote back in 1820: “The disease is transmitted by a female carrier who does not suffer from it herself.” TO end of the 19th century centuries, doctors no longer recommended that women from bleeding families marry or not have children. Did Nicholas II know about the danger that awaited his family? Some believe that he could have guessed, but hoped for the help of John of Kronstadt or one of the church fathers. None of the doctors, no matter how authoritative and respected he was, could have warned the autocrat verbally or through the press about the undesirability of his marriage to Alice! “Kings are carefully protected from unwanted reality... The Tsarevich’s hemophilia was a manifestation of the gap between royal life and reality"- writes the biographer, and you can’t argue with that.

The Tsarevich grew up surrounded by completely exclusive attention. His fate is somewhat similar to the fate of Ivan the Terrible’s son, Tsarevich Dimitri, who suffered from epilepsy. But they didn’t save him, but Alexei was guarded from all sides. This is understandable: in the case of hemophilia, the only guarantee against external and internal bleeding is to protect the child from injury. The Spanish infantas, Victoria’s great-grandchildren, were taken for walks dressed in cotton suits, and even the trees in the garden were carefully wrapped in cotton wool!” The Tsarevich grew, but the illness did not go away, and could not go away... During his stay royal family In Spala (Belovezhskaya Pushcha), while riding a boat, the Tsarevich stumbled and hit the rowlock with the upper third of his thigh. Upon examination, E.S. Botkin discovered a small swelling below the inguinal fold. After a week of bed rest, the swelling subsided, his condition improved, and Botkin decided that the danger was over. The Tsarevich is taken on a car ride through terrible Russian roads, which and healthy person can't be transferred. Immediately upon returning there was a sharp deterioration: “Internal hemorrhage in the iliac and lumbar regions. Temperature 39.4 0, pulse 144 beats/min.” One of the most insidious features of hemophilia is precisely the remoteness of the moment of bleeding from the injury itself. The Tsarevich's condition was critical, the hematoma was compressing the neurovascular bundle, and he screamed in pain day and night. For twenty days the Tsarevich was on the verge of life and death, and life physician S.P. Fedorov warned the emperor that a fatal outcome was very possible. In the churches they prayed for the health of the crown prince, and G.E. Rasputin sent a reassuring telegram to the empress, assuring that everything would be okay! And it worked out! In this regard, it should be said about Rasputin’s role in the “treatment” of the Tsarevich.

At that time, doctors were powerless against hemophilia, and everything often depended on basic luck. In the first third of the last century, barely 20% of patients survived to adulthood. S.P. Fedorov believed that the heir would not live to see 18 years of age... Given the powerlessness of official medicine, the appearance of a “miraculous” healer was a foregone conclusion... E.S. Botkin said that if Rasputin did not exist, he would still be invented from someone else. Under conditions of emotional stress, a hemophiliac bleeds much more, this is very well known to doctors. Bleeding has a depressing effect on any person, and when a person knows that with every drop of blood life is leaving him, his fear is much stronger. For the hysterical Alexandra Feodorovna, each bleeding of her son caused a generalized panic attack which she could not hide from him. Rasputin’s decisive, unshakable behavior in the most critical situations, his performance in public had a calming effect on the empress, who was immersed in medieval superstitions and mysticism (she was a Ph.D. from Oxford!). She stopped unnerving Alexei, who, according to many testimonies, behaved quite courageously. He calmed down, and in many cases local thromboplastic factors had an effect or the hematoma itself compressed the bleeding vessels and the bleeding stopped. V. Pikul, in one of his delusional inventions, reports (the novel “ Evil spirits") that the Tibetan doctor, Pyotr Badmaev, gave a powder that increased bleeding to the heir (Vyrubova mixed it into food), the bleeding intensified, Rasputin appeared with another, “hemostatic” powder in his pocket, it was again added to the heir, and the bleeding allegedly stopped due to the prayer of the elder ! Pikul's only excuse is that he has a poor understanding of hemophilia. Chinese or Tibetan doctors were as helpless in front of her as European doctors! Well, okay, that's how it was. But what about after 1917, when there was neither Rasputin nor Vyrubova, but the Tsarevich continued to bleed? Fairy tales, fairy tales!

The Tsarevich was treated by the most famous Russian doctors: professors S.P. Fedorov, E.S. Botkin, K.A. Rauchfus, doctors V.P. Derevenko and I.P. Korovin. What could the medicine of that time offer to a child? It was recommended to elevate the limb from which bleeding was occurring, a pressure bandage with gelatin, a tourniquet or ligature on the adductor artery. Subcutaneous injections of a 2% gelatin solution, oral preparations of ergot, iron, adrenal glands, infusion of sterile saline into the veins. Rest of joints, plaster cast, bandaging, massage, active and passive movements. W. Osler recommended the introduction of fresh blood serum or citrated blood 20-30 ml ( Factor VIII is found in fresh blood, although in small quantities). But this was seven years after the death of the Tsarevich. By the way, the Tsarevich’s doctors treated him correctly: for hemarthrosis, they used temporary immobilization and warming of the joint, but in no case cooling! The crown prince had undeniable hemophilia A and without the use of coagulation factors he would not have become a long-liver. So E. Radzinsky’s fantasies on the topic of his miraculous salvation under the guise of F. Semenov are complete fantasy, and unscientific at that! Be that as it may, the brutal reprisal of the Bolsheviks against a defenseless family does not become any less terrible...

Nikolay Larinsky, 1996-2012

Hemophilia, or “royal disease,” is a severe manifestation of genetic pathology that affected the royal houses of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. Thanks to dynastic marriages this disease spread to Russia. The disease manifests itself in a decrease in blood clotting, so in patients any, even minor, bleeding is almost impossible to stop.

The difficulty in registering this disease is that it manifests itself only in men, and women, while remaining apparently healthy, transfer the affected gene to the next generation. It logically follows from this that the gene causing the disease is associated with the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes, one of them carries a mutant gene, and the other carries a healthy one. The mutant gene is recessive, so the disease itself does not manifest itself externally.

But if, by the will of nature, the son of a female carrier inherits the chromosome that carries the disease, he no longer has a duplicate healthy fragment in his Y chromosome, and hemophilia is observed.

Transmission of hemophilia from Queen Victoria to her descendants // Science/AAAS

To Russian royal family hemophilia came from Queen Victoria of England (1819-1901). Her granddaughter (the daughter of her daughter Alice) became the emperor's wife, Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. From her the disease was passed on to her son, Grand Duke Alexei, who suffered from severe bleeding from early childhood. These facts are known from history, but the genetic origins of hemophilia remained unknown: this disease is very rare, and its male carriers usually no longer continue the family line. However, recent excavations, studies and reburial of the remains of Emperor Nicholas II and his family have allowed scientists to obtain, albeit in small quantity, priceless genetic material, which allowed us to study the disease in detail.

The results of a study by an international group of scientists led by employees of the Institute of General Genetics. Vavilov RAS and the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Evgeniy Rogaev and Anastasia Grigorenko published this week by Science.

Researchers were able to obtain DNA fragments of members of the royal family from skeletal bones.

Since the available genetic material was very scarce, amplification and massively parallel sequencing operations were carried out before the research. The obtained genetic material was already sufficient for a complete analysis.

At the first stage, scientists conducted research on samples of Empress Alexandra’s genes, which obviously contained genes that impair blood clotting. Factor VIII, F8 (exon 26) and factor IX, F9 (exon 8) were examined. They are both linked to the X chromosome, and it is their mutations that usually cause hemophilia. Since the genetic material was rather scarce, in order to verify the purity of the experiment and unambiguously identify the obtained material, mitochondrial DNA was additionally analyzed and compared with it.

Gene analysis showed the absence of insertion-deletion mutations in the F8 and F9 genes from the weaned sample.

However, a mutation was still found - this is the replacement of adenine with guanine in exon 4 (at the border of the intron and exon IVS3-3A>G) in the F9 gene. It was she who turned out to be pathogenic. Both mutant and healthy alleles were found in Alexandra Feodorovna’s genome (we remember about two X chromosomes in women). But the genome samples of her son, Tsarevich Alexei, already contain only the mutant allele. One of his sisters (possibly Anastasia) was also a healthy carrier of the mutant gene.

Next, it was necessary to find out exactly what role the mutant gene plays in the processes of transcription of information from DNA to RNA (messenger or m-RNA). Bioinformatic analysis showed that the IVS3-3A>G mutation disrupts the splicing process (splicing is a process in which sections of non-protein-coding sequence, called introns, are removed from pre-mRNA; the sequences that remain include protein-coding nucleotides, and are called exons). Under the influence of a mutant gene, a shift occurs in the mechanism for “reading” information, which leads to the premature appearance of the so-called stop codon, which stops reading.

Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich with his mother, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna // State Archives of the Russian Federation

Thus, carriers of the “royal disease” and, in particular, Grand Duke Alexey, were amazed at the presence of an incorrectly synthesized protein that was unable to perform its function.

A mutation that creates an abnormal splice site on the F9 gene is the cause of hemophilia B, which is also known as “Christmas disease.”

This form of hemophilia occurs in only 12% of cases, only 4% more often than hemophilia C, associated with factor XI deficiency. The most common form of this disease is hemophilia A, which occurs in 80% of cases, which is associated with factor VIII deficiency.

St. Tsarevich Alexei

The long-awaited heir to the Throne was born a year after the visit of the Royal Family of Sarov on the days of the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov. At the same time, the holy fool, blessed Pasha of Sarov, famous throughout Russia for the sake of Christ, in a personal conversation with the August Family, predicted her tragic death in the days of the anti-monarchist revolution. A small consolation was the promise of the birth of an heir, when Paraskeva Ivanovna took a piece of red cloth from the bed and said to the Tsarina: “This is for your little son’s pants, and when he is born, then you will believe what I told you.”

Alexey's birth occurred at the height of Russo-Japanese War, and all the soldiers active army on this day they declared him godparents. Thus, Emperor Nicholas II initially instilled in his son an inextricable connection with the people. Another manifestation of it was that on the eve of Christmas Eve, December 23, 1905, the Sovereign and Heir to the Throne Tsarevich Alexei became members of the Union of the Russian People.

This happened during the Imperial reception by the Emperor of the RNC delegation, which was headed by the Chairman of the Union, Alexander Ivanovich Dubrovin. The Sovereign and the Heir accepted from him the signs of the Union members presented to him. Although Heir Alexey was still an infant at that time, there is evidence that subsequently he often wore the badge of a member of the RNC.

According to a long tradition, the Russian Tsar first of all had to know military science and be a military man. Therefore, Alexei was taught this from childhood. From the age of two and a half he was listed as a cadet of the 1st cadet corps, and at first he learned military wisdom from his “uncles” - the boatswain Derevenko and the sailors Ivan Sednev and Klimenty Nagorny. In Alexey’s children’s room there were a lot of soldiers and toy military equipment, and military maps hung. He had a small model of a real Russian rifle, which was made for him at one of the rifle factories.

With this gun he demonstrated techniques like a skilled non-commissioned officer. The prince could spend hours playing wars, parades and maneuvers. When in the summer the Royal Family went to the Crimea, to the Livadia Palace, where the Emperor worked and everyone else rested, Tsarevich Alexei several times a week together with the sons of the lower army officials He did gymnastics, marched, studied military science, and sang soldiers' songs. Together they cooked potato soup and buckwheat porridge over a fire in a soldier's kettle.

During the First World War in August 1915, the Emperor personally took command of the troops and went to Headquarters in Mogilev. The prince came here in the fall. They lived in a small room in the governor's house, completely simple. It contained two hard camp beds and several chairs. When the Emperor left for headquarters in the morning, Tsarevich Alexei was taught lessons by his teacher: in the Russian language and Russian literature, French and English languages, arithmetic, history, geography, natural science and the Law of God. While walking in the city garden, Alexey made friends with local high school students and cadets, his peers. He would come here after school and play war games with them.

The Emperor wanted to raise the morale of the troops by having the Tsarevich next to him at Headquarters and going to combat positions. The boy communicated with the wounded and was able to feel the cruelty of the war. At one of the positions there was a review of troops, and the Emperor ordered those who had been in the ranks since the beginning of the campaign to raise their hands. Only a few hands rose above the crowd of thousands... The Tsarevich was deeply shocked by all this. He was on the line of fire and was awarded the St. George Medal “For Bravery” for this, and also received the rank of corporal.

Tsarevich Alexy, by tradition, was the ataman of all Cossack troops, the chief of the Ataman Life Guards Regiment, the Finnish Life Guards, the 51st Lithuanian Infantry Regiment, the 12th East Siberian Rifle Regiment and other military units. Having the Tsarevich as chief was a special distinction and was considered an honor.

The Tsarevich discovered rare disease, inherited on the maternal line: blood incoagulability. You could die from the slightest cut or bruise. This left an imprint on the life of the Royal Family and especially on the behavior of the mother. For the sake of her son, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna was ready to attract any healers, including the peasant Grigory Rasputin, who had healing abilities. The enemies of the monarchy inflated this circumstance into a slanderous campaign on an all-Russian scale...

With the forcible abdication of Sovereign Nicholas II from the throne, he intended to transfer the kingdom to his son, as prescribed by the law on succession to the throne. However, after consulting with a doctor, the Emperor decided that with Alexei’s dangerous illness this would be impossible, and transferred power to his brother Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. Of course, this was illegal from the point of view of the Basic Laws of the Empire, as was the abdication itself. All the more flagrantly illegal was the transfer by the Tsar’s brother of the decision of the fate of the monarchical state itself to the “will of the people” (the Constituent Assembly).

Grand Duke Michael was forced to do this by the Februaryist revolutionaries, who themselves recognized the illegitimacy of this act. So, V.D. Nabokov, one of the drafters of Mikhail's refusal, admitted that no one had the right to “deprive the throne of the person [Tsarevich Alexei] who by law has the right to it.” Therefore, the conspirators “did not see the center of gravity in legal force formula, but only in its moral and political meaning,” this is an important recognition from the point of view of the illegitimacy of all subsequent Russian authorities.

On March 4, having learned about this act of his brother, the Tsar declared that he had changed his mind and agreed to Tsarevich Alexei’s accession to the Throne under his brother’s regency. But General Alekseev did not send this telegram to the Provisional Government, “so as not to confuse minds,” since the recantations had already been published. (Colonels V.M. Pronin and D.N. Tikhobrazov, General A.I. Denikin, and historian G.M. Katkov wrote about this little-known but extremely important episode.)

After the overthrow of the monarchy, Tsarevich Alexei experienced all the humiliations that befell the Royal Family and suffered martyrdom along with it. He was not yet 14 years old at that time.

“There is not a single bad or vicious trait in the soul of this child; The Russian land will receive not only a wonderful and intelligent Sovereign, but also wonderful person“,” wrote Tsarevich Alexei’s educator Pierre Gilliard... Tsarevich Alexei was canonized along with the entire Royal Family and their sacrificial servants in 1981 by the Russian Church Abroad.

The royal family spent the summer of 1904 at their summer residence at the lower dacha in Peterhof. The calendar showed July 30 (August 12, new style), and the weather, as befits midsummer in St. Petersburg, turned out to be sunny and hot. However, this day promised to be different from others from the very morning: the court doctors noted signs imminent birth at Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Future baby It didn’t take long for her to wait - during breakfast, the empress went into labor and had difficulty getting to the bedroom. It was there that one of the things happened greatest events in the history of the 20th century - the heir to the throne was born.

The ruins of the “Lower Dacha” in Alexandria Park, Peterhof - the birthplace of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich

Alexei became the fifth child in the family of Emperor Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.

Almost ten years have passed since the wedding of the king and queen. Olga was born in 1895, Tatyana in 1897, Maria in 1899 and Anastasia in 1901. However, according to Russian laws, all grand duchesses could not become the head of the empire; only a boy could be the heir. Therefore, not only the royal family, but the whole world had been waiting for the birth of the crown prince for many years. With his very birth, he began to play an important role in big politics.

BY GOD'S GRACE
WE, NICHOLAS THE SECOND,
EMPEROR AND AUTOCRET
ALL-RUSSIAN,
KING OF POLISH, GRAND DUKE OF FINNISH.
and so on, and so on, and so on.

We announce to all OUR faithful subjects:

On the 30th day of this July, OUR most dear Spouse, EMPRESS EMPRESS ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA, was safely relieved of her burden by giving birth to our Son, named Alexei.

Accepting this joyful event, as a sign of the grace of God poured out on US and OUR Empire, we offer, together with OUR faithful subjects, fervent prayers to the Almighty for the prosperous growth and success of OUR Firstborn Son, called to be the Heir of the God-given Power and OUR great service.
By the Manifesto of June 28, 1899, WE called on OUR Most Dear Brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, to succeed US until the birth of our Son. From now on, due to fundamental State Laws Empire, OUR Son Alexei belongs high rank and the title of Heir Tsarevich, with all the rights associated with it.
Given in Peterhof on the 30th day of July in the year of Christ one thousand nine hundred and four, and of OUR reign in the tenth.

On the genuine Own of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY it is written in hand:

"NIKOLAY".

Published in St. Petersburg, under the Senate
July 30, 1904

The news of the birth instantly spread to all corners of the world. Fireworks thundered in the Peter and Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg and the military harbor of Peterhof, bells rang throughout the country, St. Petersburg and Peterhof were festively illuminated, festivities began in the streets, they sang the royal anthem and prayed for the prince. Congratulatory telegrams poured into Peterhof.

"To His Majesty
Tears of joy respond to your touching proposal. I can't express my feelings in words. God bless you and dear little Alexei. I most tenderly hug you and my future godson.

“I am infinitely happy to have the opportunity to bring Your Imperial Majesty and Her Imperial Highness my loyal congratulations on the greatest joy of the birth of His Imperial Highness the Sovereign, Heir to the Throne, Tsarevich.

Prince Chakrabon of Siam"

“May the great lord not reject my sincere expression of joy and most heartfelt congratulations on the happy day when Providence sent you a son. May God bless Him, sending happiness and long summers to the delight of Your Majesty and the mighty Russian Empire. Heir to the Persian Throne, devoted to Your Imperial Majesty

Prince Mohammed Ali Mirza"

Alexey was born at 1.15 in the afternoon. Weight 4660 g, height 58 cm, head circumference - 38 cm, chest 39 cm. Immediately after birth, he received a number of titles and ranks: commander of the Finnish guards regiment, 51st Lithuanian infantry regiment, 12th East Siberian rifle regiment. In addition, he was included in the lists of all guards regiments and military units under the command of the Tsar, as well as regiments of the Horse Guards, the Cuirassier Guards of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, the Uhlan Guards regiments of Her Majesty Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna and the 13th Yerevan Infantry Regiment of the Tsar. Alexey also became the chieftain of the entire Cossack army.

In honor significant event Amnesty and benefits were announced. All Russian soldiers who fought in distant Manchuria became honorary godfathers boy. Nicholas II sent a telegram to the army commander, General Kuropatkin: “Today the Lord gave Her Majesty and me a son, Alexei. I hasten to inform you about this mercy God's Russia and to Us... May He retain throughout his life a special spiritual connection with all those dear to Us and to all of Russia, from the highest commanders to the soldier and sailor, who expressed their ardent love for the Motherland and the Sovereign with a selfless feat, full of hardships, suffering and mortal dangers."

The first steps of the Tsarevich, photo 1905

But soon the worst fears were confirmed: the prince was sick with incurable hemophilia - a disease that is expressed in a tendency to bleed as a result of non-clotting of blood.

Hemophilia constantly caused bleeding in the joints - they caused unbearable pain, turning Alexei into a disabled person. During the celebrations dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, the Heir was only carried in his arms through the state halls. He returned to his room in a state of complete exhaustion. His parents considered his presence at the celebrations necessary. But even brief appearances the prince at the ceremonies harmed his health.

Tsarevich Alexei on board the Imperial yacht "Standard". Photo 1907

Alexey in naval uniform. Petersburg, photo 1909

Tsarevich Alexei, photo 1909 Tsarskoe Selo

Photo 1910

One of the most severe attacks of the disease occurred in the autumn of 1912 in Spala. Severe bleeding began, which doctors could not stop. On October 19, the temperature rose to 39°, two days later it reached 40°. This case seemed hopeless to the doctors. Alexei was unctioned, and a bulletin was sent to St. Petersburg, compiled in such a way as to prepare everyone for the announcement of the death of the prince. Alexandra Fedorovna sent a telegram to Rasputin and asked him to pray for the boy. The next day the bleeding stopped and the pain began to subside...

During an attack of illness in Spala, photo from 1912.

The aggravation in Spala took a toll on more than just his body. The illness broke his spirit. Alexey became thoughtful and withdrawn into himself. In the summer of 1911, Pierre Gilliard became Alexei's French teacher and tutor. This is how Gilliard spoke about his pupil: “Alexey Nikolaevich was then nine and a half years old, for his age he was quite tall. He had a long face with regular, soft features, brown hair with a reddish tint and large gray-blue eyes, like her mother's. He genuinely enjoyed life - when it allowed him to - and was cheerful and playful... He was very resourceful, and he had a shrewd, sharp mind. Sometimes I was simply amazed by his serious questions beyond his age - they testified to his subtle intuition. It was not difficult for me to understand that everyone around him, those who did not need to force him to change habits and teach him discipline, constantly experienced his charm and were simply fascinated by him... I discovered a child with a naturally kind, sympathetic character suffering of others precisely because he himself experienced terrible suffering..."

The boy had an easygoing character, he adored his parents and sisters, and they, in turn, doted on the young Tsarevich, especially Grand Duchess Maria. Alexey was a capable student, like his sisters, and made progress in learning languages.

The heir, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, was a 14-year-old boy, smart, observant, receptive, affectionate, and cheerful. He was lazy and didn’t particularly like books. He combined the features of his father and mother: he inherited his father’s simplicity, was alien to arrogance, but had his own will and obeyed only his father. His mother wanted to, but could not be strict with him. His teacher Bitner says of him: “He had a great will and would never submit to any woman.” He was very disciplined, reserved and very patient. Undoubtedly, the disease left its mark on him and developed these traits in him. He did not like court etiquette, loved to be with the soldiers and learned their language, using purely folk expressions he overheard in his diary. He resembled his mother in his stinginess: he did not like to spend his money and collected various thrown things: nails, lead paper, ropes, etc.

N.A. Sokolov. Murder of the royal family

At the end of October, the Tsar, Alexei and his retinue left for Headquarters in Mogilev. Alexandra Feodorovna, like Nicholas II, believed that if the soldiers could see the Heir in person, this would raise their morale. The Emperor hoped that such a trip would broaden the Tsarevich’s horizons, and in the future he would understand what this war cost Russia.

At the review of the troops in Rezhitsa, Gilliard watched Alexei, who did not leave his father and listened carefully to the stories of the soldiers... “The presence of the Heir next to the Tsar greatly excited the soldiers... But the greatest impression on them was that the Tsarevich was dressed in the uniform of a private - this made him equal to any young man who was on military service", writes Gilliard in his diary.

I. Stepanov recalls: “The Heir visited the infirmary several times. I can’t write calmly here. There is no tenderness to convey all the charm of this appearance, all the otherworldliness of this charm. Not of this world. They said about him: “He won’t live!” I believed it even then. Such children do not live. Radiant eyes, pure, sad and at the same time glowing at times with some amazing joy.”

The Tsarevich was given the new rank of sergeant major, and he was awarded St. George's Cross for visiting hospitals near the front line...

Visit to a military hospital

photo 1915

photo 1916

On March 2, 1917, Emperor Nicholas II signed a manifesto abdicating the throne. The family was informed that they were under house arrest. At the end of August royal family was transported to Tobolsk.

Alexey and Olga Romanov.
Tobolsk, photo 1917

Alexei's illness worsened again - not once after the terrible days in Spala had he felt so bad. “Mom, I want to die. I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of what they can do to us here. If they kill, then as long as they don’t torture...” said Alexey.

By May 20, 1918, it was decided that Alexey was strong enough, and the prisoners were taken under escort to a new place of detention - in Yekaterinburg. Here the royal family first encountered such open hostility.

Attempts to influence the British consul and take measures to save the imperial family were in vain. The only hope remained the Russian White Army of Admiral Kolchak, which was rapidly advancing in the direction of Yekaterinburg.

On July 13, the Ural Council decided to shoot the imperial family and their entourage. The execution of the order was entrusted to the new commandant of the Ipatiev House - Yakov Yurovsky.

Tsarevich Alexei. Life and death of the heir

Documentary film about the son of Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei. Consists mainly of newsreels from the early 20th century. In one of the episodes of the film we have a unique opportunity to see a living participant in the Battle of Borodino. The authors made an attempt to reconstruct the last minutes of the life of the heir Alexei, his parents and sisters - the execution of the royal family in the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg.

Please or to view hidden links

The Emperor and Empress with their children Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Tsarevich Alexei

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with Tsarevich Alexei

Tsarevich Alexey

Only son Emperor Nicholas II, bestowed by God in response to a long, diligent parental prayer, can probably, without exaggeration, 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 for Russia it was begged for great king. 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.

Baptism of Tsarevich Alexei

"The attitude towards women is best way test the nobility of a man. 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.

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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.”

Tsarevich Alexey and A.E. Derevenko.

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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. Parents and his nanny Maria Vishnyakova in early childhood he was very pampered. 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? "

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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.

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

“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 embarrassment of the child, who blushed crimson. As soon as we were alone, I asked him if he was pleased to see these people kneeling 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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

I. Stepanov recalls: “In last days On January 1917, I was in the Tsar’s Alexander Palace with the tutor of the heir, Gilliard, and together we went to see 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 she came in Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna... All this furnishings of the heir’s two children’s rooms were simple and did not give any idea that the future Russian Tsar lived here and received 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 Sultan lost its importance forever in Crimea and southern steppes. I liked this expression, and then I told my dad about it. I always tell him what I like."

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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 idea that he 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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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 everyday life For 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 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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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 happening 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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

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.”

Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich

Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexei

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. He looked at life with interest and deep attention. 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.”

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.”