History of Nicholas 2 novels. The Last Tsarevich

Nature did not give Nicholas the properties important for the sovereign that his late father possessed. Most importantly, Nikolai did not have the “mind of the heart” - political instinct, foresight and that inner strength that those around him feel and obey. However, Nikolai himself felt his weakness, helplessness before fate. He even foresaw his bitter fate: “I will be subjected to severe trials but I will see no reward on earth.” Nikolai considered himself an eternal loser: “I succeed in nothing in my endeavors. I have no luck”... Moreover, he not only turned out to be unprepared for ruling, but also did not like state affairs, which were torment for him, a heavy burden: “A day of rest for me - no reports, no receptions... I read a lot - again they sent heaps of papers…” (from the diary). He didn’t have his father’s passion or dedication to his work. He said: “I... try not to think about anything and find that this is the only way to rule Russia.” At the same time, dealing with him was extremely difficult. Nikolai was secretive and vindictive. Witte called him a “Byzantine” who knew how to attract a person with his trust and then deceive him. One wit wrote about the king: “He doesn’t lie, but he doesn’t tell the truth either.”

KHODYNKA

And three days later [after the coronation of Nicholas on May 14, 1896 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin] on the suburban Khodynskoye field, where folk festivities were supposed to take place, terrible tragedy. Thousands of people, already in the evening, on the eve of the day of festivities, began to gather there, hoping in the morning to be among the first to receive at the “buffet” (of which a hundred were prepared) the royal gift - one of 400 thousand gifts wrapped in a colored scarf, consisting of a “food set” ( half a pound of sausage, sausage, sweets, nuts, gingerbread), and most importantly - an outlandish, “eternal” enamel mug with a royal monogram and gilding. The Khodynskoye field was a training ground and was all pitted with ditches, trenches and holes. The night turned out to be moonless, dark, crowds of “guests” arrived and arrived, heading to the “buffets”. People, not seeing the road in front of them, fell into holes and ditches, and from behind they were pressed and pressed by those who were approaching from Moscow. […]

In total, by morning, about half a million Muscovites had gathered on Khodynka, compacted into huge crowds. As V. A. Gilyarovsky recalled,

“steam began to rise above the million-strong crowd, similar to swamp fog... The crush was terrible. Many became ill, some lost consciousness, unable to get out or even fall: deprived of feelings, with eyes closed, compressed as if in a vice, they swayed along with the mass.”

The crush intensified when the bartenders, fearing the onslaught of the crowd, began handing out gifts without waiting for the announced deadline...

According to official data, 1,389 people died, although in reality there were much more victims. The blood ran cold even among seasoned military men and firefighters: scalped heads, crushed chests, premature babies lying in the dust... The king learned about this disaster in the morning, but did not cancel any of the planned festivities and in the evening opened a ball with his charming wife French Ambassador Montebello... And although the king later visited hospitals and donated money to the families of the victims, it was too late. The indifference shown by the sovereign to his people in the first hours of the disaster cost him dearly. He received the nickname "Nicholas the Bloody".

NICHOLAS II AND THE ARMY

When he was heir to the throne, the young Sovereign received a thorough drill training, not only in the guard, but also in the army infantry. At the request of his sovereign father, he served as a junior officer in the 65th Moscow Infantry Regiment (the first time a member of the Royal House was assigned to the army infantry). The observant and sensitive Tsarevich became acquainted in every detail with the life of the troops and, having become Emperor of All Russia, turned all his attention to improving this life. His first orders streamlined production in the chief officer ranks, increased salaries and pensions, and improved soldiers' allowances. He canceled the passage with a ceremonial march and run, knowing from experience how difficult it was for the troops.

Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich retained this love and affection for his troops until his martyrdom. Characteristic of Emperor Nicholas II’s love for the troops is his avoidance of the official term “lower rank.” The Emperor considered him too dry, official and always used the words: “Cossack”, “hussar”, “shooter”, etc. Without deep emotion one cannot read the lines of the Tobolsk diary of the dark days of the cursed year:

December 6th. My name day... At 12 o'clock a prayer service was served. The riflemen of the 4th regiment, who were in the garden, who were on guard, all congratulated me, and I congratulated them on the regimental holiday.”

FROM THE DIARY OF NICHOLAS II FOR 1905

June 15th. Wednesday. Hot quiet day. Alix and I took a very long time at the Farm and were a full hour late for breakfast. Uncle Alexey was waiting for him with the children in the garden. Took a long trip in a kayak. Aunt Olga arrived for tea. Swimmed in the sea. After lunch we went for a drive.

I received stunning news from Odessa that the crew of the battleship Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky, which had arrived there, had mutinied, killed the officers and taken possession of the ship, threatening unrest in the city. I just can't believe it!

Today the war with Turkey began. Early in the morning, the Turkish squadron approached Sevastopol in the fog and opened fire on the batteries, and left half an hour later. At the same time, “Breslau” bombarded Feodosia, and “Goeben” appeared in front of Novorossiysk.

The scoundrel Germans continue to retreat hastily in western Poland.

MANIFESTO ON THE DISSOLUTION OF THE 1st STATE DUMA JULY 9, 1906

By Our will, people chosen from the population were called to legislative construction […] Firmly trusting in the mercy of God, believing in the bright and great future of Our people, We expected from their labors the good and benefit for the country. […] In all industries folk life We planned major transformations, and in the first place Our main concern was always to dispel the people's darkness with the light of enlightenment and the people's hardships by easing land labor. A severe test has been sent down to Our expectations. Those elected from the population, instead of working on legislative construction, deviated into an area that did not belong to them and turned to investigating the actions of local authorities appointed by Us, to pointing out to Us the imperfections of the Fundamental Laws, changes to which can only be undertaken by Our Monarch’s will, and to actions that are clearly illegal, such as an appeal on behalf of the Duma to the population. […]

Confused by such disorders, the peasantry, not expecting a legal improvement in their situation, moved in a number of provinces to open robbery, theft of other people's property, disobedience to the law and legitimate authorities. […]

But let Our subjects remember that only when in perfect order and peace, a lasting improvement in the people's life is possible. Let it be known that We will not allow any self-will or lawlessness and with all the might of the state we will bring those who disobey the law to submission to our Royal will. We call on all right-thinking Russian people to unite to maintain legitimate power and restore peace in our dear Fatherland.

May peace be restored in the Russian land, and may the Almighty help us to carry out the most important of our royal labors - raising the well-being of the peasantry. an honest way to expand your land holdings. Persons of other classes will, at Our call, make every effort to carry out this great task, the final decision of which in the legislative order will belong to the future composition of the Duma.

We, dissolving the current composition of the State Duma, at the same time confirm Our unchangeable intention to keep in force the very law on the establishment of this institution and, in accordance with this Decree of Ours to the Governing Senate on July 8, set the time for its new convening on February 20, 1907 year.

MANIFESTO ON THE DISSOLUTION OF THE II STATE DUMA JUNE 3, 1907

To our regret, a significant part of the composition of the second State Duma did not live up to our expectations. Many of the people sent from the population began to work not with a pure heart, not with a desire to strengthen Russia and improve its system, but with a clear desire to increase unrest and contribute to the disintegration of the state. The activities of these individuals in the State Duma served as an insurmountable obstacle to fruitful work. A spirit of hostility was introduced into the environment of the Duma itself, which prevented a sufficient number of its members who wanted to work for the benefit of their native land from uniting.

For this reason, the State Duma either did not consider the extensive measures developed by our government at all, or slowed down the discussion or rejected it, not even stopping to reject the laws that punished the open praise of crimes and especially punished the sowers of trouble in the troops. Avoiding condemnation of murders and violence. The State Duma did not provide moral assistance to the government in establishing order, and Russia continues to experience the shame of criminal hard times. The slow consideration by the State Duma of the state painting caused difficulties in the timely satisfaction of many urgent needs of the people.

A significant part of the Duma turned the right to interrogate the government into a way of fighting the government and inciting distrust of it among broad sections of the population. Finally, an act unheard of in the annals of history took place. The judiciary uncovered a conspiracy by an entire part of the State Duma against the state and royal power. When our government demanded the temporary, until the end of the trial, removal of the fifty-five members of the Duma accused of this crime and the detention of the most incriminated of them, the State Duma did not fulfill the immediate legal demand of the authorities, which did not allow any delay. […]

Created to strengthen the Russian state, the State Duma must be Russian in spirit. Other nationalities that were part of our state should have representatives of their needs in the State Duma, but they should not and will not appear in a number that gives them the opportunity to be arbiters of purely Russian issues. In those outskirts of the state where the population has not achieved sufficient development of citizenship, elections to the State Duma should be temporarily suspended.

Holy Fools and Rasputin

The king, and especially the queen, were susceptible to mysticism. The closest maid of honor to Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II, Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova (Taneeva), wrote in her memoirs: “The Emperor, like his ancestor Alexander I, was always mystically inclined; The empress was equally mystically inclined... Their Majesties said that they believe that there are people, as in the time of the Apostles... who possess the grace of God and whose prayer the Lord hears.”

Because of this in Winter Palace one could often see various holy fools, “blessed” ones, fortune tellers, people supposedly capable of influencing people’s destinies. This is Pasha the perspicacious, and Matryona the barefoot, and Mitya Kozelsky, and Anastasia Nikolaevna Leuchtenbergskaya (Stana) - the wife of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. The doors of the royal palace were wide open for all sorts of rogues and adventurers, such as the Frenchman Philip (real name Nizier Vashol), who presented the empress with an icon with a bell, which was supposed to ring when people “with bad intentions” approached Alexandra Feodorovna. .

But the crown of royal mysticism was Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, who managed to completely subjugate the queen, and through her, the king. “Now it is not the tsar who rules, but the rogue Rasputin,” Bogdanovich noted in February 1912. “All respect for the tsar has disappeared.” The same idea was expressed on August 3, 1916 by former Minister of Foreign Affairs S.D. Sazonov in a conversation with M. Paleologus: “The Emperor reigns, but the Empress, inspired by Rasputin, rules.”

Rasputin […] quickly recognized all the weaknesses of the royal couple and skillfully took advantage of it. Alexandra Fedorovna wrote to her husband in September 1916: “I fully believe in the wisdom of our Friend, sent to Him by God, to advise what you and our country need.” “Listen to Him,” she instructed Nicholas II, “...God sent Him to you as an assistant and leader.” […]

It got to the point that individual governors-general, chief prosecutors of the Holy Synod and ministers were appointed and removed by the tsar on the recommendation of Rasputin, transmitted through the tsarina. On January 20, 1916, on his advice, V.V. was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. Sturmer is “an absolutely unprincipled person and a complete nonentity,” as Shulgin described him.

Radzig E.S. Nicholas II in the memoirs of those close to him. New and recent history. No. 2, 1999

REFORM AND COUNTER-REFORMS

The most promising path of development for the country through consistent democratic reforms turned out to be impossible. Although it was marked, as if by a dotted line, even under Alexander I, later it was either subject to distortion or even interrupted. Under that autocratic form of government, which throughout the 19th century. remained unshakable in Russia, the final word on any issue about the fate of the country belonged to the monarchs. They, according to the whim of history, alternated: reformer Alexander I - reactionary Nicholas I, reformer Alexander II - counter-reformer Alexander III (Nicholas II, who ascended the throne in 1894, also had to undergo reforms after his father’s counter-reforms at the beginning of the next century) .

DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA DURING THE REIGN OF NICHOLAS II

The main executor of all transformations in the first decade of the reign of Nicholas II (1894-1904) was S.Yu. Witte. A talented financier and statesman, S. Witte, having headed the Ministry of Finance in 1892, promised Alexander III without carrying out political reforms, in 20 years to make Russia one of the leading industrialized countries.

The industrialization policy developed by Witte required significant capital investments from the budget. One of the sources of capital was the introduction of a state monopoly on wine and vodka products in 1894, which became the main revenue item of the budget.

In 1897, a monetary reform was carried out. Measures to increase taxes, increased gold production, and the conclusion of external loans made it possible to introduce gold coins into circulation instead of paper bills, which helped attract foreign capital to Russia and strengthen the country's monetary system, thanks to which state income doubled. The reform of commercial and industrial taxation carried out in 1898 introduced a trade tax.

The real result of Witte's economic policy was the accelerated development of industrial and railway construction. In the period from 1895 to 1899, an average of 3 thousand kilometers of tracks were built in the country per year.

By 1900, Russia took first place in the world in oil production.

By the end of 1903, there were 23 thousand factory enterprises operating in Russia with approximately 2,200 thousand workers. Politics S.Yu. Witte gave impetus to the development of Russian industry, commercial and industrial entrepreneurship, and the economy.

According to the project of P.A. Stolypin, agrarian reform began: peasants were allowed to freely dispose of their land, leave the community and run farmsteads. The attempt to abolish the rural community was of great importance for the development of capitalist relations in the countryside.

Chapter 19. The reign of Nicholas II (1894-1917). History of Russia

BEGINNING OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

On the same day, July 29, at the insistence of the Chief of the General Staff Yanushkevich, Nicholas II signed a decree on general mobilization. In the evening, the head of the mobilization department of the General Staff, General Dobrorolsky, arrived at the building of the St. Petersburg main telegraph and personally brought there the text of the decree on mobilization for communication to all parts of the empire. There were literally a few minutes left before the devices were supposed to start transmitting the telegram. And suddenly Dobrorolsky was given the tsar’s order to suspend the transfer of the decree. It turned out that the tsar received a new telegram from Wilhelm. In his telegram, the Kaiser again assured that he would try to reach an agreement between Russia and Austria, and asked the Tsar not to complicate this with military preparations. After reading the telegram, Nikolai informed Sukhomlinov that he was canceling the decree on general mobilization. The Tsar decided to limit himself to partial mobilization directed only against Austria.

Sazonov, Yanushkevich and Sukhomlinov were extremely concerned that Nikolai had succumbed to the influence of Wilhelm. They were afraid that Germany would get ahead of Russia in the concentration and deployment of the army. They met on the morning of July 30 and decided to try to convince the king. Yanushkevich and Sukhomlinov tried to do this over the phone. However, Nikolai dryly announced to Yanushkevich that he was ending the conversation. The general nevertheless managed to inform the tsar that Sazonov was present in the room, who would also like to say a few words to him. After a short silence, the king agreed to listen to the minister. Sazonov asked for an audience for an urgent report. Nikolai was silent again, and then offered to come to him at 3 o’clock. Sazonov agreed with his interlocutors that if he convinced the tsar, he would immediately call Yanushkevich from the Peterhof Palace, and he would give an order to the main telegraph to the officer on duty to communicate the decree to all military districts. “After this,” Yanushkevich said, “I will leave home, break the phone, and generally make it so that I can no longer be found for a new cancellation of the general mobilization.”

For almost an entire hour, Sazonov argued to Nikolai that war was inevitable anyway, since Germany was striving for it, and that under these conditions, delaying general mobilization was extremely dangerous. In the end, Nikolai agreed. […] From the lobby, Sazonov called Yanushkevich and reported the tsar’s sanction. “Now you can break your phone,” he added. At 5 pm on July 30, all the machines of the main St. Petersburg telegraph started knocking. They sent out the tsar's decree on general mobilization to all military districts. On July 31, in the morning, it became public.

The beginning of the First World War. History of Diplomacy. Volume 2. Edited by V. P. Potemkin. Moscow-Leningrad, 1945

THE REIGN OF NICHOLAS II IN THE ASSESSMENTS OF HISTORIANS

In emigration, there was a split among researchers in assessing the personality of the last king. Disputes often took on a harsh character, and participants in the discussions took opposing positions, from praise on the right-wing conservative flank to criticism from liberals and denigration on the left, socialist flank.

The monarchists who worked in exile included S. Oldenburg, N. Markov, I. Solonevich. According to I. Solonevich: “Nicholas II, a man of “average abilities,” faithfully and honestly did everything for Russia that He knew how to do, that He could. No one else was able or able to do more”... “Left-wing historians speak of Emperor Nicholas II as mediocrity, right-wing historians as an idol whose talents or mediocrity are not subject to discussion.” […].

An even more right-wing monarchist, N. Markov, noted: “The sovereign himself was slandered and defamed in the eyes of his people, he could not withstand the evil pressure of all those who, it would seem, were obliged to strengthen and defend the monarchy in every possible way” […].

The largest researcher of the reign of the last Russian Tsar is S. Oldenburg, whose work remains of paramount importance in the 21st century. For any researcher of the Nicholas period of Russian history, it is necessary, in the process of studying this era, to get acquainted with the work of S. Oldenburg “The Reign of Emperor Nicholas II”. […].

The left-liberal direction was represented by P. N. Milyukov, who stated in the book “The Second Russian Revolution”: “Concessions to power (Manifesto of October 17, 1905) not only could not satisfy society and the people because they were insufficient and incomplete. They were insincere and deceitful, and the power that gave them did not for a moment look at them as if they had been ceded forever and finally” […].

Socialist A.F. Kerensky wrote in “History of Russia”: “The reign of Nicholas II was fatal for Russia due to his personal qualities. But he was clear about one thing: having entered the war and linking the fate of Russia with the fate of the countries allied with it, he did not make any tempting compromises with Germany until the very end, until his martyrdom […]. The king bore the burden of power. She weighed him down internally... He had no will to power. He kept it according to oath and tradition” […].

Modern Russian historians have different assessments of the reign of the last Russian Tsar. The same split was observed among scholars of the reign of Nicholas II in exile. Some of them were monarchists, others had liberal views, and others considered themselves supporters of socialism. In our time, the historiography of the reign of Nicholas II can be divided into three directions, such as in emigrant literature. But in relation to the post-Soviet period, clarifications are also needed: modern researchers who praise the tsar are not necessarily monarchists, although a certain tendency is certainly present: A. Bokhanov, O. Platonov, V. Multatuli, M. Nazarov.

A. Bokhanov, the largest modern historian in the study of pre-revolutionary Russia, positively assesses the reign of Emperor Nicholas II: “In 1913, peace, order, and prosperity reigned all around. Russia confidently moved forward, no unrest occurred. Industry worked at full capacity, agriculture developed dynamically, and every year brought greater harvests. Prosperity grew, and the purchasing power of the population increased year by year. The rearmament of the army began, a few more years - and the Russian military power will become the first force in the world” […].

speaks positively about the last king conservative historian V. Shambarov, noting that the tsar was too lenient in dealing with his political enemies, who were also enemies of Russia: “Russia was not destroyed by autocratic “despotism,” but rather by the weakness and toothlessness of power.” The Tsar too often tried to find a compromise, to come to an agreement with the liberals, so that there would be no bloodshed between the government and part of the people deceived by the liberals and socialists. To achieve this, Nicholas II dismissed loyal, decent, competent ministers and instead appointed either unprofessionals or secret enemies. autocratic monarchy, or scammers. […].

M. Nazarov in his book “To the Leader of the Third Rome” drew attention to the aspect of the global conspiracy of the financial elite to overthrow the Russian monarchy... […] According to the description of Admiral A. Bubnov, an atmosphere of conspiracy reigned at Headquarters. At the decisive moment, in response to Alekseev’s cleverly formulated request for abdication, only two generals publicly expressed loyalty to the Emperor and readiness to lead their troops to pacify the rebellion (General Khan Nakhichevansky and General Count F.A. Keller). The rest welcomed the abdication by wearing red bows. Including the future founders of the White Army, Generals Alekseev and Kornilov (the latter then had the task of announcing to the royal family the order of the Provisional Government for its arrest). Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich also violated his oath on March 1, 1917 - even before the Tsar’s abdication and as a means of putting pressure on him! - took off his military unit(The Guards crew), guarding the royal family, came to the State Duma under a red flag, provided this headquarters of the Masonic revolution with its guards to guard the arrested royal ministers and issued an appeal to other troops to “join the new government.” “There is cowardice, treason, and deceit all around,” these were last words in the royal diary on the night of his abdication […].

Representatives of the old socialist ideology, for example, A.M. Anfimov and E.S. Radzig, on the contrary, negatively assess the reign of the last Russian Tsar, calling the years of his reign a chain of crimes against the people.

Between two directions - praise and overly harsh, unfair criticism are the works of Ananich B.V., N.V. Kuznetsov and P. Cherkasov. […]

P. Cherkasov adheres to the middle in assessing the reign of Nicholas: “From the pages of all the works mentioned in the review, the tragic personality of the last Russian Tsar appears - a deeply decent and delicate man to the point of shyness, an exemplary Christian, loving husband and a father, faithful to his duty and at the same time an undistinguished statesman, a prisoner of once and for all acquired convictions in the inviolability of the order of things bequeathed to him by his ancestors. He was neither a despot, much less an executioner of his people, as our official historiography claimed, but during his lifetime he was not a saint, as is sometimes now claimed, although by martyrdom he undoubtedly atoned for all the sins and mistakes of his reign. The drama of Nicholas II as a politician lies in his mediocrity, in the discrepancy between the scale of his personality and the challenges of the time” […].

And finally, there are historians of liberal views, such as K. Shatsillo, A. Utkin. According to the first: “Nicholas II, unlike his grandfather Alexander II, not only did not give overdue reforms, but even if they were wrested from him by force by the revolutionary movement, he stubbornly strove to take back what was given “in a moment of hesitation.” All this “driven” the country into a new revolution, making it completely inevitable... A. Utkin went even further, agreeing to the point that the Russian government was one of the culprits of the First World War, wanting a clash with Germany. At the same time, the tsarist administration simply did not calculate the strength of Russia: “Criminal pride destroyed Russia. Under no circumstances should she go to war with the industrial champion of the continent. Russia had the opportunity to avoid a fatal conflict with Germany.”

Another controversial and incomprehensible figure in the history of our country is the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II Romanov, whose death ended an entire era in the history of the country. He was called the most weak-willed ruler, and he himself considered government to be the heaviest burden and burden. During his reign, tension increased enormously, foreign policy ties became increasingly shaky, and revolutionary sentiments raged within the country. Nevertheless, he managed to make his contribution to the political and economic development of the state. Let's figure out together where the truth is and where the fiction is in his difficult life path.

The last Russian Emperor Nicholas 2: short biography

Many people are accustomed to presenting exactly the kind of story that was advantageous to present under a certain “sauce.” Nikolai 2 Romanov had a firmly established reputation as an incompetent, lazy and slightly stupid person who did not see anything beyond his own nose. They nicknamed him the Bloody because of the incident in Khodynka, they predicted bad news for him, imminent death and the end of his reign, and they practically guessed it right. So who was this man, what qualities did he have, what did he dream and think about, what did he hope for? Let's look at his life from a historical perspective to better understand ourselves.

By the time little Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov was born, his name had already become traditional in the family of monarchs. Moreover, they named him, according to the old Russian tradition, in honor of his father’s brother, the so-called “naming after his uncle.” He died in at a young age, without even having time to get married. It is interesting that they had the same not only names, but also patronymics and even namesake saints.

Childhood and growing up

Little Niki, as he was called at home, was born on May 6, 1868 in the family of the Russian Tsar Alexander III, as well as his wife Maria Fedorovna. The heir to the throne was born in Tsarskoe Selo, and in the same month he was baptized by Protopresbyter Vasily Bazhanov, the personal confessor of the royal family. By that time, his father did not even think that he would be on the throne, since it was planned that his older brother would become the heir. However, life took its own course and soon Nicholas, in poor health, died, Alexander 3 had to prepare to take the helm of a huge empire.

When the terrorist managed to throw a bomb at the Tsar’s feet, Alexander 3 was faced with a fact. However, he was a completely unique king; he preferred to live in Gatchina, with its narrow closet rooms, and not in the city residence - the Winter Palace. It was in this huge cold building with millions of rooms and thousands of narrow corridors that the future heir to the throne spent his early childhood. Remembering very well his own academic successes and aspirations in childhood, he tried to raise his children in such a way as to instill in them from an early age the idea of the need for education and the inadmissibility of laziness.

As soon as the boy was four years old, he was assigned a personal tutor, a real Englishman, Karl Osipovich Heath, who instilled in him an irresistible love for foreign languages. From the age of six, young Nikolai began to study languages and succeeded a lot. At the age of eight, the Tsarevich, like other children, received a course of general gymnasium education. Then Grigory Grigoryevich Danilovich, a real infantry general, began to monitor this process. The future Tsar Nicholas II did well in all subjects, but he especially loved military affairs, like all the other boys. By the age of five he became the chief of the Life Guards of the Reserve infantry regiment, while dashingly clicking on the teacher’s problems on strategy, military tactics or geography.

Youth and personal qualities of Nikolai Romanov

The personality of Nicholas 2 appears quite contradictory already from early childhood. He was not stupid, well educated, but he still managed to allow what happened later. All this will come later, but for now, from 1885 to 1890, he also took a course at the University Law Faculty, which was combined with a course at the Academy General Staff. In general, the education of the emperor’s children lasted exactly thirteen years, and not ten or eleven, as in modern world. First of all, subjects such as foreign languages, political history, Russian and foreign literature.

In the last five years, other subjects, more military in orientation, as well as economic and legal knowledge, prevailed. The teenage future ruler, like his brothers and sisters, was taught by the most illustrious minds on the planet, not just our country. Among the teachers of the last emperor of Russia one can find such names as Nikolai Beketov, Mikhail Dragomirov, Caesar Cui, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Nikolai Obruchev, Nikolai Bunge and many others. The prince even received very good grades for his studies.

As for his personal qualities, which determined the subsequent reign of Nicholas 2, we can rely on the opinion of people who knew him personally. The maid of honor and Baroness Sofia Karlovna Buxhoeveden wrote that he was unusually easy to use, but at the same time had an innate dignity that never allowed those around him to forget with whom they were talking. At the same time, it is believed that, for an aristocrat, Nicholas had a very sentimental and tearful, and perhaps even pitiful, worldview. He was very responsible about his own debt, but for others he could easily make concessions.

He was quite attentive and sensitive to the needs of the peasantry. The only thing he did not tolerate in any form was dirty money fraud, and he never forgave anyone for anything like that. All this undoubtedly influenced the historical portrait of Nicholas 2 and the memory of him, which, despite the efforts of the Bolsheviks, was nevertheless preserved, today paints somewhat different pictures than we could have imagined previously.

The reign of Nicholas II: the hard path of the last tsar

Some historians emphasize the weakness of spirit and character throughout the years of Nicholas II’s life. Such thoughts were expressed, for example, by Sergei Witte, Alexander Izvolsky, and even the Tsar’s wife Alexandra Fedorovna herself. Teacher French, who, from 1905 until the tragic events of 1918, Pierre Gilliard said that the burden placed on the fragile shoulders of such a romantic and sentimental person was too heavy for him. Moreover, even his wife suppressed him, she subordinated his will to hers, and he did not even have time to notice it. In 1884, the heir took his first oath in the Great Church of the Winter Palace.

Worth knowing

There is information that Emperor Nikolai Romanov never aspired to become one. A member of the State Duma, as well as a radical opposition politician, Viktor Obninsky, in his book “The Last Autocrat,” writes that at one time he actively refused the throne, even wanted to abdicate in favor of his younger brother Mishenka. However, Alexander the Third decided to insist, and on May 6, 1884, a manifesto was signed, and in honor of this, fifteen thousand gold rubles were distributed to those in need.

Beginning of reign: Nikolka the Bloody

For the first time, Alexander began to involve the heir in state affairs quite early, and already in 1889, Nicholas for the first time took part in meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Council. Around that time, the father sent his son on a trip around the country, as well as abroad, so that before he assumed the throne, he would have a clear idea of what he was dealing with. In the company of his brothers and servants, Nikolai traveled to many countries, China, Japan, Greece, India, Egypt and many others.

On October 20, 1894, Alexander III, having held the collapsed roof of the carriage on his mighty shoulders and after all this having lain with kidney nephritis for only a month, ordered him to live long. He died and after an hour and a half, his son, the new Tsar Nicholas 2, was already taking the oath of allegiance to the country and the throne. Tears choked the emperor, but he had to hold on, and he held on as best he could. On November 14 of the same year, in the Great Church of the Winter Palace, the young ruler was married to the nee Princess Victoria Alice Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt, who received the name Alexandra Feodorovna in Orthodoxy. The newlyweds' honeymoon was marked by funeral services and the necessary sympathetic visits.

Like his father, the emperor began to rule the country, even issued some decrees, supervised something, delimited his influence in the world with an excessively insolent Britain, but was in no hurry to be crowned. He also hoped that everything would “resolve” on its own, but it didn’t work out that way. The Tsar and his wife, the Great Tsarina, were crowned on May 14, 1896 in Moscow. All celebrations were scheduled four days later, when the real tragedy happened. Poor organization of the holiday and careless organizers are to blame for the tragedy that happened.

Interesting

The emperor's mother Maria Fedorovna, who believed that Niki was not capable of governing not only the country, but even himself, did not take the oath to him. Until the end of her life, she never swore allegiance to her son as emperor, believing that he was not worthy of the memory of his great father, who, when he could not prevail with knowledge or ingenuity, prevailed with perseverance and diligence.

The start of the festivities, where festive bags with sweets and souvenirs were to be distributed, was scheduled for ten o'clock in the morning, but already in the evening, people began to gather on Khodynskoye Field, where the festivities were supposed to be held. By five o'clock in the morning there were already at least half a million people there. When at ten they began to distribute colorful bundles of food and a mug, the police were unable to contain the pressure of the crowd. Distributors began throwing bundles into the crowd, but this made the situation even worse.

In a terrible stampede, diagnosed with compression asphyxia, more than one thousand three hundred people died. Despite this, further festivities were not cancelled, for which the king subsequently received the nickname Bloody. The accession to the throne of Nicholas II did not go well, as did his further path.

On the throne: the reign of Nicholas 2

Despite the weak will and non-fighting character, in the first years of the reign of Nicholas II, many reforms and improvements were carried out in state system. A general population census was carried out, and monetary reform was implemented. Moreover, the Russian ruble was more expensive then German mark almost doubled. Moreover, his dignity was ensured by pure gold. In 1897, Stolypin began to introduce his agrarian and factory reforms, and made worker insurance and primary education mandatory. In addition, some preventive measures for criminals were completely abolished. For example, there was no longer anyone to be frightened by exile to Siberia.

On January 24, 1904, Russia was handed a note about the severance of diplomatic relations with Japan, and already on January 27, war was declared, which we lost in disgrace.
On January 6, 1905, just on the bright holiday of Epiphany, which was held on the frozen waters of the Neva, a cannon suddenly fired in front of the Winter Palace. On January 9 of the same year in St. Petersburg, on the initiative of priest Georgy Gapon, a procession was held to the Winter Palace and a “Petition for Workers’ Needs” was drawn up. The protesters were dispersed, but it was rumored that there were more than two hundred dead and about a thousand wounded.
On February 4, 1905, a terrorist threw a bomb at the feet of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Unrest began to grow in the country, “ forest brothers“, under the revolutionary clamor, various swindlers and bandits began to emerge.
On August 18, 1907, an agreement was finally signed with Britain on delimiting spheres of influence in Persia, Afghanistan and China.
On June 17, 1910, Russification laws in Finland were regulated by law.
In 1912-1914, Mongolia asked for help and Russian Empire went to meet her halfway, helping her gain independence.
On July 19, 1914, Russia was declared war by Germany, which it did not expect at all. Nicholas II Romanov made every effort to prevent it, but he failed to influence anything, and on October 20 of the same year, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire.
The February Revolution of 1917 began as a kind of spontaneous action, which grew into something more. On February 7, 1917, the Tsar received news that almost the entire Petrograd garrison had gone over to the side of the revolutionaries. On February 28, the Mariinsky Palace was captured, and on March 2, the sovereign had already abdicated the throne in favor of the young heir, on the condition that his brother Mikhail would become regent.

On March 8, 1917, the executive committee of the Petrograd Soviet, which heard about the former tsar’s plans to leave for England, decided to arrest the tsar and his family, confiscate property and abolish all civil rights.

Personal life and death of Nikolai Romanov: beloved Alix and unnecessary execution

The father of the future king, Alexander, spent a long time choosing a bride for him, but he didn’t like everything, and his wife was meticulous in matters of blood. Nicholas 2 had a chance to see his bride for the first time only in 1889, when the marriage was already a done deal. This was Princess Alice's second visit to Russia, then future emperor fell in love with her and even gave her the affectionate nickname Alix.

Most of the time, the tsar, together with his royal family, lived in Tsarskoe Selo, where the Alexander Palace was located. It was favorite place Nicholas and his wife. The couple also visited Peterhof often, but in the summer they always went to Crimea, where they lived in the Livadia Palace. They loved to take pictures, read a lot of books, and the king also had the largest fleet of vehicles on the continent at that time.

Family and children

On a bright autumn day on November 14, 1894, in the church of the Winter Palace, the wedding of Nicholas II with Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna took place, because this is the name she received when converting to Orthodoxy, which was mandatory for Russian rulers. It was this sickly and neurasthenic woman who bore him all his children.

Olga (November 3, 1895)
Tatiana (May 29, 1897).
Maria (June 14, 1899).
Anastasia (June 5, 1901).
Alexey (July 30, 1904).

The last Tsarevich, the only boy and heir to the throne, had a blood disease from birth - hemophilia, which he inherited from his mother, who was a carrier, but did not suffer from it herself.

Death of the last Russian Tsar and perpetuation of memory

The reign of Nicholas 2 turned out to be difficult, but it ended life path undeservedly tragic. After the revolutionary events, he dreamed of simply leaving the country to lick his wounds somewhere, however new government There was no way I could allow such a situation to happen. The provisional government was going to transport the royal family to Tobolsk, from where they were supposed to go to the United States. However, Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who came to power, ordered to send the tsar, his wife, son and daughters to Yekaterinburg.

The Bolsheviks were going to hold a show trial and try the Tsar for all his sins, in turn, for the fact that he was the Tsar. However, the unfolding Civil War did not allow distractions, otherwise it was possible to lose what had already been won. On a troubled and windy night from July 16 to 17, 1918, the decision was made and put into practice to shoot the monarch himself, as well as his entire family. The bodies were doused with kerosene and burned, and the ashes were buried in the ground.

It is clear that Soviet ideology did not in any way imply any perpetuation of the memory of the tsar who died so tragically, killed without trial. However, starting in the twenties of the last century, the so-called “Union of Zealots of the Memory of Emperor Nicholas II” was created abroad, which regularly held memorial and funeral services for him. On October 19, 1981, he was canonized by the Russian foreign church, and on August 14, 2000, by the internal Orthodox Church. In Yekaterinburg, right where the house of engineer Ipatiev stood, in which they were killed royal family, the Temple on the Blood was built in the name of All Saints who shone in the Russian land.

Nicholas II was the last Russian Emperor. He was born on May 18, 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo. Nikolai began training at the age of 8. In addition to standard school subjects, he also studied drawing, music and fencing. Nikolai already showed an interest in military affairs from childhood. In 1884 he entered military service, and 3 years later he was appointed staff captain. In 1891, Nikolai received the rank of captain, and a year later he became colonel.

When Nicholas turned 26 years old, he was proclaimed emperor, Nicholas II. During his reign there were difficult times. This is the war with Japan, World War I. Despite this, Russia was becoming an agrarian-industrial country. Cities, factories and railways were built. Nicholas sought to improve the economic situation of the country. In 1905, Nicholas signed a manifesto on democratic freedom.

For the first time in Russia, an emperor ruled in the presence of a representative body that was elected by the people. At the end of 1917, a popular uprising began in Petrograd; society was opposed to Nicholas II and his dynasty. Nicholas wanted to stop the riot by force, but was afraid of much bloodshed. The emperor's supporters advised him to abdicate the throne; the people needed a change of power.

Tormented by thoughts, Nicholas II renounced power in March 1917 and transferred the crown to Prince Mikhail, who was Nicholas’s brother. A few days later, Nikolai and his family were arrested and spent 5 months in prison. The prisoners were in Yekaterinburg, they were kept in the basement. On the morning of July 17, 1918, Nikolai his wife and children were shot without trial.

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Nicholas II is the last Russian Tsar who abdicated the throne and was executed by the Bolsheviks, later canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. His reign has been assessed in various ways: from harsh criticism and statements that he was a “bloody” and weak-willed monarch, responsible for the revolutionary disaster and the collapse of the empire, to praise of his human virtues and statements that he was an outstanding statesman and reformer.

During his reign, there was an unprecedented boom in the economy, agriculture, industry. The country became the main exporter of agricultural products, coal mining and iron smelting increased fourfold, electricity production increased 100 times, and the gold reserves of the state bank more than doubled. The Emperor was the founder of Russian aviation and submarine fleet. By 1913, the empire entered the top five most developed countries in the world.

Childhood and adolescence

The future autocrat was born on May 18, 1868 at the country residence of Russian rulers in Tsarskoe Selo. He became the first-born of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna among their five children and the heir to the crown.

His main educator, according to the decision of his grandfather, Alexander II, became General Grigory Danilovich, who held this “position” from 1877 to 1891. Subsequently, he was accused of shortcomings complex nature Emperor.

Since 1877, the heir received home education according to a system that included general education subjects and lectures in higher sciences. At first he mastered the visual and musical art, literature, historical processes and foreign languages, including English, Danish, German, French. And from 1885 to 1890. studied military affairs, economics, and jurisprudence, which were important for royal activities. His mentors were prominent scientists - Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev, Nikolai Nikolaevich Beketov, Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev, Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov, etc. Moreover, they were only obliged to present the material, but not to test the knowledge of the heir to the crown prince. However, he studied very diligently.

In 1878, an English teacher, Mr. Karl Heath, appeared among the boy’s mentors. Thanks to him, the teenager not only mastered the language perfectly, but also fell in love with sports. After the family moved to the Gatchina Palace in 1881, not without the participation of the Englishman, a training room with a horizontal bar and parallel bars was equipped in one of its halls. In addition, together with his brothers, Nikolai rode horses well, shot, fenced, and became well developed physically.

In 1884, the young man took the oath of service to the Motherland and began service, first in Preobrazhensky, and 2 years later in His Majesty’s Life Guards Hussar Regiment.

In 1892, the young man earned the rank of colonel, and his father began to introduce him to the specifics of governing the country. The young man took part in the work of Parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers, visited different corners monarchy and abroad: in Japan, China, India, Egypt, Austria-Hungary, Greece.

Tragic accession to the throne

In 1894, at 2:15 a.m. in Livadia, Alexander III died of kidney disease, and an hour and a half later, in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, his son swore allegiance to the crown. The coronation ceremony - the assumption of power along with the corresponding attributes, including the crown, throne, scepter - took place in 1896 in the Kremlin.

It was overshadowed by the terrible events on the Khodynka field, where festivities were planned with the presentation of 400 thousand royal gifts - a mug with the monogram of the monarch and various delicacies. As a result, a million-strong crowd of people wishing to receive gifts formed on Khodynka. The result was a terrible stampede that claimed the lives of about one and a half thousand citizens.

Having learned about the tragedy, the sovereign did not cancel the festive events, in particular, the reception at the French embassy. And although he later visited victims in hospitals and financially supported the families of the victims, he still received the popular nickname “Bloody.”

Reign

In domestic politics, the young emperor maintained his father's commitment to traditional values and principles. In the first public speaking in 1895, in the Winter Palace, he announced his intention to “protect the principles of autocracy.” According to a number of historians, this statement was negatively received by society. People doubted the possibility of democratic reforms, and this caused an increase in revolutionary activity.

However, after his father’s counter-reforms, the last Russian Tsar began to maximally support decisions to improve the people’s life and strengthen the existing system.

Among the processes introduced under him were:

population census;
introduction of gold circulation of the ruble;
universal primary education;
industrialization;
limitation of working hours;
workers' insurance;
improving soldiers' allowances;
increasing military salaries and pensions;
religious tolerance;
agrarian reform;
large-scale road construction.

Rare newsreel with Emperor Nicholas II in color

Due to growing popular unrest and wars, the reign of the emperor took place in a very difficult situation. Following the demands of the time, he granted his subjects freedom of speech, assembly, and press. The State Duma was created in the country, which performed the functions of the highest legislative body. However, with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 internal problems escalated even more, mass protests against the authorities began.

The authority of the head of state was also negatively affected by military failures and the emergence of rumors about the interference in the governance of the country by various fortune tellers and other controversial personalities, especially the main “adviser to the Tsar” Grigory Rasputin, who was considered by most citizens to be an adventurer and rogue.

Footage of the abdication of Nicholas II

In February 1917, spontaneous riots began in the capital. The monarch intended to stop them by force. However, an atmosphere of conspiracy reigned at Headquarters. Only two generals expressed their readiness to support the emperor and send troops to pacify the rebels; the rest were in favor of his abdication. As a result, in early March in Pskov, Nicholas II made the difficult decision to abdicate in favor of his brother Mikhail. However, after the Duma refused to guarantee his personal safety if he accepted the crown, he officially renounced the throne, thereby putting an end to the thousand-year Russian monarchy and the 300-year reign of the Romanov dynasty.

Personal life of Nicholas II

The first love of the future emperor was ballet dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya. He had an intimate relationship with her with the approval of his parents, concerned about his son’s indifference to the opposite sex, for two years, starting in 1892. However, the connection with the ballerina, the path and favorite of St. Petersburg, for obvious reasons could not result in a legal marriage. Dedicated to this page in the life of the emperor feature film Alexei Uchitel “Matilda” (although viewers agree that there is more fiction in this picture than historical accuracy).

In April 1894, in the German city of Coburg, the engagement of the 26-year-old Tsarevich to the 22-year-old Princess Alice of Darmstadt of Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, took place. He later described the event as "wonderful and unforgettable." Their wedding took place in November in the church of the Winter Palace.

On a frosty day on December 16, 1614 in Moscow, at the Serpukhov Gate, the execution of a state criminal took place. The Time of Troubles, going down in history, ended with reprisals against its most active participants, who did not want to recognize the restoration of legality in Russia.

But this execution had little to do with the triumph of the law. The person sentenced to death was not four years. Nevertheless, the executioner threw a noose around his small head and hanged the unfortunate man.

However, the noose and the gallows were designed for an adult, and not for a frail child’s body. As a result, the unfortunate child died for more than three hours, choking, crying and calling for his mother. Perhaps in the end the boy died not even from suffocation, but from cold.

During the years of the Time of Troubles, Russia became accustomed to atrocities, but the execution carried out on December 16 was out of the ordinary.

Was executed Ivan Voronok, sentenced to death "for his evil deeds."

In fact, the three-year-old boy, whose massacre ended the Time of Troubles, was the son of False Dmitry II and Marina Mnishek. In the eyes of his parents' supporters, the boy was Tsarevich Ivan Dmitrievich, the legal heir to the Russian throne.

Of course, in fact, the boy had no rights to power. However, supporters of the new Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov believed that the little “prince” could become a “banner” for opponents of the new dynasty.

“We can’t leave them the banner,” the Romanov supporters decided and sent the three-year-old child to the gallows.

Could any of them then have thought that three centuries later the reign of the Romanovs would end the same way it began?

Heir at any cost

The monarchs from the House of Romanov, taught by bitter experience, feared dynastic crises like fire. They could only be avoided if reigning monarch there was an heir, or better yet two or three, to avoid accidents.

Personal coat of arms of the heir to the Tsarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / B.V. Köhne

Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, aka Nicholas II, ascended the throne in 1894, 26 years old. At that time, the new monarch was not even married, although the marriage with Victoria Alice Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt, in the future known as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, had already been appointed.

The wedding celebrations and “honeymoon” of the newlyweds took place in an atmosphere of funeral services and mourning for the father of Nicholas II, the emperor Alexander III.

But when the grief subsided a little, representatives of the ruling circles of Russia began to closely monitor the empress. The country needed an heir to the throne, and the sooner the better. Alexandra Fedorovna, a woman with a tough and decisive character, was unlikely to be happy with such attention to her person, but nothing can be done - such are the costs of living in royal families.

The wife of Nicholas II became pregnant regularly and regularly gave birth to daughters - Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia... And with each new girl, the mood at the Russian court became more and more pessimistic.

And yet, in the tenth year of the reign of Nicholas II, on July 30 (August 12, new style) 1904, Alexandra Feodorovna gave her husband an heir.

By the way, the very birth of a son, named Alexei, greatly spoiled the relationship between Nikolai and his wife. The fact is that before the birth, the emperor gave an order to doctors: if the life of the mother and baby is threatened, save the baby first. Alexandra, who learned about her husband’s order, could not forgive him for this.

Fatal name

The long-awaited son was named Alexei, in honor of St. Alexei of Moscow. Both the boy’s father and mother were prone to mysticism, so it is not clear why they gave the heir such an unfortunate name.

Before Alexei Nikolaevich, there were already two princes Alexei in Rus'. First, Alexey Alekseevich, son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, died of a sudden illness before his 16th birthday. Second, Alexey Petrovich, son of Peter the Great, was accused by his father of treason and died in prison.

Corporal of the Russian Army Alexey Romanov. 1916. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The fact that a difficult fate awaited the third Alexei also became clear in infancy. He was not even two months old when he suddenly began bleeding from his navel, which was difficult to stop.

Doctors made a terrible diagnosis - hemophilia. Due to a blood clotting disorder, any scratch or blow was dangerous for Alexey. Internal bleeding caused by trivial bruises caused the boy terrible suffering and threatened him with death.

Hemophilia is a hereditary disease; only men who get it from their mothers get it.

For Alexandra Fedorovna, her son’s illness became a personal tragedy. In addition, the attitude towards her in Russia, already quite cold, has become even worse. “A German woman who spoiled Russian blood,” is the popular conclusion about the causes of the prince’s illness.

The prince loved “soldiers’ delicacies”

Except serious illness, Tsarevich Alexei was an ordinary boy. Handsome in appearance, kind, adored his parents and sisters, cheerful, he aroused sympathy among everyone. Even at the guards of the “Ipatiev House”, where he was to spend his last days...

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The prince studied well, although not without laziness, which was especially evident in avoiding reading. The boy really liked everything related to the army.

He preferred to spend time with soldiers rather than with courtiers, and sometimes he would get into such expressions that his mother would be horrified. However, the boy preferred to share his “verbal discoveries” mostly with his diary.

Alexei adored simple “soldier’s” food - porridge, cabbage soup, black bread, which was brought to him from the kitchen of the palace guard regiment.

In a word, ordinary child, unlike many Romanovs, devoid of arrogance, narcissism and pathological cruelty.

But the disease increasingly invaded Alexei’s life. Any injury turned him practically into an invalid for several weeks, when he could not even move independently.

Renunciation

One day, at the age of 8, the active prince unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely bruised his thigh in the groin area. The consequences were so severe that Alexei’s life was in danger.

Children of Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II in Tsarskoye Selo. Grand Duchesses and Tsarevich: Olga, Alexei, Anastasia and Tatiana. Alexander Park, Tsarskoe Selo. May 1917. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Exhibition “German St. Petersburg”

The suffering of his son turned the souls of both the Tsar and Alexandra Feodorovna. It is not surprising that the Siberian man Grigory Rasputin, who knew how to alleviate Alexei’s suffering, soon became one of the most influential people in Russia. But it was precisely this influence of Rasputin that would finally undermine the authority of Nicholas II in the country.

It is clear that the future fate of his son worried his father. Although Alexey’s age made it possible to postpone adoption final decision“for later”, Nicholas II consulted with doctors, asking them the main question: will the heir be able to fully fulfill the duties of the monarch in the future?

Doctors shrugged their shoulders: patients with hemophilia can live long and fulfilling lives, but any accident threatens them with the most serious consequences.

Fate decided for the emperor. During February Revolution Nicholas II abdicated the throne both for himself and for his son. He considered that Alexei was too young and sick to ascend the throne of a country that had entered an era of great upheaval.

Strangers among our own

Of the entire family of Nicholas II, Alexei, perhaps, endured more easily than others everything that befell the Romanov family after October 1917. Due to his age and character, he did not feel the threat hanging over them.

The family of the last emperor turned out to be strangers to everyone in their country. Supporters of the monarchy in Russia in 1918 became a real relic of the era - even in the ranks of the White movement they were a minority. But even among this minority, Nicholas II and his wife had no supporters. Perhaps what both Reds and Whites agreed on was their hatred of the deposed imperial couple. They, and not without reason, were considered the culprits of the disasters that befell the country.

Alexey and his sisters were not guilty of anything before Russia, but they became hostages of their origin.

The fate of the Romanov family was largely predetermined when England refused to shelter them. In a country gripped by civil war, when both sides of the conflict are seized by ever-increasing hatred, belonging to the imperial family becomes a death sentence. In this sense, Russia only followed the global trends laid down by the English and French revolutions.

Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Tsarevich Alexei. 1914. Photo: RIA Novosti

“You can’t leave them a banner”

At the beginning of 1918, in Tobolsk, the illness of Tsarevich Alexei again reminded itself. Ignoring the depressed state of his elders, he continued to arrange fun activities. One of them was riding down the steps of the stairs of the house where the Romanovs were housed, in a wooden boat with runners. During one of the races, Alexey received a new bruise, which led to another exacerbation of the disease.

Alyosha Romanov did not live less than a month before his 14th birthday. When members of the Urals Council decided the fate of the family of Nicholas II, everyone understood perfectly well that the boy, tormented by illness, like his sisters, had nothing to do with the historical drama that had covered Russia.

But... “You can’t leave them a banner...”

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, in the basement of the Ipatiev House, Tsarevich Alexei was shot along with his parents and sisters.