The last years of Nicholas 2. Nicholas II - biography, information, personal life

Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov), the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, was born May 18 (May 6, old style), 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo (now the city of Pushkin, Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg).

Immediately after his birth, Nikolai was enrolled in the lists of several guards regiments and was appointed chief of the 65th Moscow Infantry Regiment. The childhood of the future tsar passed within the walls of the Gatchina Palace. Regular homework with Nikolai began at the age of eight.

In December 1875 he received his first military rank - ensign, in 1880 he was promoted to second lieutenant, four years later he became a lieutenant. In 1884 Nikolay entered active military service, in July 1887 year began regular military service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment and was promoted to staff captain; in 1891, Nikolai received the rank of captain, and a year later - colonel.

To get acquainted with state affairs from May 1889 he began to attend meetings of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers. IN October 1890 year went on a trip to the Far East. For nine months, Nikolai visited Greece, Egypt, India, China, and Japan.

IN April 1894 the engagement of the future emperor took place with Princess Alice of Darmstadt-Hesse, daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse, granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria. After converting to Orthodoxy, she took the name of Alexandra Feodorovna.

November 2 (October 21, old style), 1894 Alexander III died. A few hours before his death, the dying emperor ordered his son to sign the Manifesto on accession to the throne.

The coronation of Nicholas II took place 26 (14 old style) May 1896. On May 30 (18 according to the old style) May 1896, during the celebration on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II in Moscow, a stampede occurred on the Khodynka field, in which more than a thousand people died.

The reign of Nicholas II took place in an atmosphere of growing revolutionary movement and the complication of the foreign policy situation (the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905; Bloody Sunday; the Revolution of 1905-1907; the First World War; the February Revolution of 1917).

Influenced by a strong social movement in favor of political change, 30 (17 old style) October 1905 Nicholas II signed the famous manifesto "On the improvement of the state order": the people were granted freedom of speech, press, personality, conscience, assembly, unions; The State Duma was created as a legislative body.

The turning point in the fate of Nicholas II was 1914- Beginning of the First World War. August 1st (July 19 old style) 1914 Germany declared war on Russia. IN August 1915 Nicholas II took over the military command (previously Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich held this position). After that, the tsar spent most of his time at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Mogilev.

At the end of February 1917 unrest began in Petrograd, which grew into mass demonstrations against the government and the dynasty. The February revolution found Nicholas II at headquarters in Mogilev. Having received the news of the uprising in Petrograd, he decided not to make concessions and to restore order in the city by force, but when the scale of the unrest became clear, he abandoned this idea, fearing great bloodshed.

At midnight 15 (2 old style) March 1917 in the saloon car of the imperial train, standing on the tracks at the Pskov railway station, Nicholas II signed the act of abdication, transferring power to his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, who did not accept the crown.

20 (7 old style) March 1917 The provisional government issued an order for the arrest of the king. On March 22 (9 old style) March 1917, Nicholas II and his family were arrested. For the first five months they were under guard in Tsarskoe Selo, August 1917 they were transported to Tobolsk, where the Romanovs spent eight months.

At the beginning 1918 the Bolsheviks forced Nikolai to remove the shoulder straps of a colonel (his last military rank), he took this as a serious insult. In May of this year, the royal family was transferred to Yekaterinburg, where they were placed in the house of mining engineer Nikolai Ipatiev.

On the night of 17 (4 old) July 1918 and Nicholas II, the queen, their five children: daughters - Olga (1895), Tatiana (1897), Maria (1899) and Anastasia (1901), son - Tsarevich, heir to the throne Alexei (1904) and several close associates (11 people in total) , . The execution took place in a small room on the lower floor of the house, where the victims were brought under the pretext of evacuation. The tsar himself was shot from a pistol point-blank by the commandant of the Ipatiev House, Yankel Yurovsky. The bodies of the dead were taken out of the city, doused with kerosene, tried to burn, and then buried.

Early 1991 The city prosecutor's office filed the first application for the discovery near Yekaterinburg of bodies with signs of violent death. After many years of research on the remains found near Yekaterinburg, a special commission came to the conclusion that they really are the remains of nine Nicholas II and his family. In 1997 they were solemnly buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

In 2000 Nicholas II and members of his family were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

On October 1, 2008, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and members of his family as victims of illegal political repressions and rehabilitated them.

Biography of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II from birth and youth of the heir to the throne until the last days of his life.

Nicholas II (May 6 (19), 1868, Tsarskoe Selo - July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg), Russian emperor (1894-1917), eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1876).

His reign coincided with the rapid industrial and economic development of the country. Under Nicholas II, Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the Revolution of 1905-1907, during which the Manifesto was adopted on October 17, 1905, allowing the creation of political parties and establishing the State Duma; Stolypin agrarian reform began to be carried out. In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente, in which it entered the First World War. Since August (September 5), 1915, the Supreme Commander. During the February Revolution of 1917, on March 2 (15), he abdicated. Shot with his family. In 2000 he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Nikolai's regular homework began when he was 8 years old. The curriculum included an eight-year general education course and a five-year course in higher sciences. It was based on a modified program of the classical gymnasium; instead of Latin and Greek, mineralogy, botany, zoology, anatomy and physiology were studied. The courses of history, Russian literature and foreign languages ​​were expanded. The cycle of higher education included political economy, law and military affairs (military jurisprudence, strategy, military geography, service of the General Staff). There were also classes in vaulting, fencing, drawing, and music. Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna themselves selected teachers and mentors. Among them were scientists, statesmen and military figures: K. P. Pobedonostsev, N. Kh. Bunge, M. I. Dragomirov, N. N. Obruchev, A. R. Drenteln, N. K. Girs.

From an early age, Nicholas 2 was drawn to military affairs.: he knew perfectly the traditions of the officer environment and military regulations, in relation to the soldiers he felt like a patron-mentor and did not shy away from communicating with them, meekly endured the inconvenience of army everyday life at camp gatherings or maneuvers.

Immediately after his birth, he was enrolled in the lists of several guards regiments and was appointed chief of the 65th Moscow Infantry Regiment. At the age of five he was appointed chief of the Life Guards of the Reserve Infantry Regiment, and in 1875 he was enlisted in the Life Guards of the Erivan Regiment. In December 1875 he received his first military rank - an ensign, and in 1880 he was promoted to second lieutenant, after 4 years he became a lieutenant.

In 1884, Nikolai entered active military service, in July 1887 he began regular military service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment and was promoted to staff captain; in 1891, Nikolai 2 received the rank of captain, and a year later - colonel.

October 20, 1894, Nicholas at the age of 26, took the crown in Moscow under the name of Nicholas II. On May 18, 1896, during the coronation celebrations, tragic events took place on the Khodynka field. His reign fell on a period of sharp aggravation of the political struggle in the country, as well as the foreign policy situation (the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905; Bloody Sunday; the Revolution of 1905-1907 in Russia; the First World War; the February Revolution of 1917).

During the reign of Nicholas 2, Russia turned into an agrarian-industrial country, cities grew, railways and industrial enterprises were built. Nikolai supported decisions aimed at the economic and social modernization of the country: the introduction of the gold circulation of the ruble, the Stolypin agrarian reform, laws on workers' insurance, universal primary education, religious tolerance.

Not being a reformer by nature, Nicholas II was forced to make important decisions that did not correspond to his inner convictions. He believed that in Russia the time had not yet come for a constitution, freedom of speech, and universal suffrage. However, when a strong social movement arose in favor of political change, he signed the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, proclaiming democratic freedoms.
In 1906, the State Duma, established by the tsar's manifesto, began to work. For the first time in Russian history, the emperor began to rule in the presence of a representative body elected by the population. Russia gradually began to transform into a constitutional monarchy. But despite this, the emperor still had enormous power functions: he had the right to issue laws (in the form of decrees); to appoint the prime minister and ministers accountable only to him; determine the course of foreign policy; was the head of the army, court and earthly patron of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The personality of Nicholas II, the main features of his character, advantages and disadvantages caused conflicting assessments of his contemporaries. Many noted “weakness of will” as the dominant feature of his personality, although there is a lot of evidence that the tsar was distinguished by a stubborn desire to fulfill his intentions, often reaching stubbornness (only once someone else’s will was imposed on him - Manifesto on October 17). Unlike his father Alexander III, Nicholas 2 did not give the impression of a strong personality. At the same time, according to the reviews of people who knew him closely, he had exceptional self-control, which was sometimes perceived as indifference to the fate of the country and people (for example, he met the news of the fall of Port Arthur or the defeat of the Russian army during the First World War with composure, hitting the royal environment). In public affairs, the tsar showed "extraordinary perseverance" and accuracy (for example, he never had a personal secretary and he himself put seals on letters), although in general the rule of a huge empire was a "heavy burden" for him. Contemporaries noted that Nicholas II had a tenacious memory, keen powers of observation, and was a modest, affable and sensitive person. At the same time, most of all, he valued his peace, habits, health, and especially the well-being of his family.

The support of Nicholas was the family. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt) was not only a wife for the tsar, but also a friend and adviser. The habits, ideas and cultural interests of the spouses largely coincided. They got married on November 14, 1894. They had five children: Olga (1895-1918), Tatiana (1897-1918), Maria (1899-1918), Anastasia (1901-1918) and Alexei (1904-1918).
The fatal drama of the royal family was connected with the incurable illness of the son, Tsarevich Alexei - hemophilia (blood incoagulability). The illness of the heir to the throne led to the appearance in the royal house of Grigory Rasputin, who, even before meeting with the crowned bearers, became famous for the gift of foresight and healing; he repeatedly helped Tsarevich Alexei overcome bouts of illness.
The turning point in the fate of Nicholas 2 was 1914 - the beginning of the First World War. The king did not want war and until the very last moment he tried to avoid a bloody clash. However, on July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany declared war on Russia.

In August (September 5), 1915, during the period of military failures, Nicholas 2 assumed military command (previously Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich held this position). Now the tsar visited the capital only occasionally, but most of the time he spent at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander in Mogilev.

The war exacerbated the internal problems of the country. The king and his entourage began to be blamed for the military failures and the protracted military campaign. Claims spread that "treason is nesting" in the government. At the beginning of 1917, the high military command headed by the tsar (together with the allies - England and France) prepared a plan for a general offensive, according to which it was planned to end the war by the summer of 1917.

At the end of February 1917, unrest began in Petrograd, which, without meeting serious opposition from the authorities, in a few days grew into mass demonstrations against the government and the dynasty. Initially, the tsar intended to restore order in Petrograd by force, but when the scale of the unrest became clear, he abandoned this idea, fearing great bloodshed. Some high-ranking military officials, members of the imperial retinue and politicians convinced the king that a change of government was required to pacify the country, he needed to abdicate the throne. On March 2, 1917, in Pskov, in the salon car of the imperial train, after painful reflections, Nikolai signed the act of abdication, transferring power to his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

On March 9, Nicholas 2 and the royal family were arrested. For the first five months they were under guard in Tsarskoye Selo, in August 1917 they were transferred to Tobolsk. In April 1918, the Bolsheviks transferred the Romanovs to Yekaterinburg. On the night of July 17, 1918, in the center of Yekaterinburg, in the basement of the Ipatiev house, where the prisoners were imprisoned, Nikolai, the queen, five of their children and several close associates (11 people in total) were shot without trial or investigation.

Birth and youth of Nicholas II. Nikolai Alexandrovich - Grand Duke

Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov was born on May 6/19, 1868, in the family of Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and His wife Maria Feodorovna, the first-born was born, to whom no one predicted an imminent reign. For the boy's grandfather - the fifty-year-old Russian Emperor Alexander II - was a strong, healthy man, whose reign could last decades, and his father - the future Russian Emperor Alexander III - was a young man, twenty-three years old. In the diary of Alexander the Third, an entry was preserved: “God sent us a son, whom We named Nicholas. What a joy it was, it cannot be imagined, I rushed to hug my darling wife, who at once cheered up and was terribly happy. I cried like a child, and it was so easy on my soul and pleasant ... and then Ya. G. Bazhanov came to read prayers, and I held My little Nikolai in my arms. (Oleg Platonov. Regicide plot. S. 85-86.)
Let us pay attention, Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich does not know the prophecies of the Monk Abel either about His fate, not about the fate of His son, for they are sealed and are in the Gatchina Palace. But He calls His first-born child Nicholas. The Lord, for this obedience to His heart, endows the Tsesarevich with joy that “cannot be imagined”, gives tears of joy, and He “felt light in his soul and pleasant”!

Birth on the day of Job the Long-suffering

The birth of the future Tsar Nicholas II took place at 2.30 pm in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoe Selo on the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of St. Job the Long-suffering. Both Nikolay Aleksandrovich Himself and many of His entourage attached great importance to this coincidence as a foreshadowing of terrible trials.
“Truly,” St. John Chrysostom wrote about Righteous Job, “there is no human misfortune that this man, the hardest of all adamant, would not endure, who suddenly experienced hunger, and poverty, and illness, and the loss of children, and the deprivation of such wealth; and then, having experienced deceit from his wife [from his neighbors], insults from friends, attacks from slaves. In everything he turned out to be harder than any stone, and, moreover, to law and grace. According to the teaching of the Church, Saint Job is a prototype of the suffering Redeemer of the world.” For all his sufferings were not because of his sins, the words have nothing to do with him: those who shouted wickedness and sowed evil reap it; by the breath of God they perish, and by the spirit of His wrath they disappear (Job 4:8-9).
To his friends, who said to him: how can a man be right before God, and how can a man born of a woman be pure? (Job 25:4) - and many other similar things, Saint Job answered: what do your accusations prove? Do you think up speeches for reproof? You let your words go to the wind (Job 6:25-26). Lives is God, who has deprived me of judgment, and the Almighty, who has grieved my soul, that as long as my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my mouth will not tell lies, and my tongue will not speak lies! Far be it from me to recognize you as just; Until I die, I will not yield my integrity (Job 27:2-5).
And the Lord, summing up the denunciations of the “pious” friends, said to one of those who accused the righteous Job: My anger burns on you and on your two friends because you spoke about Me not so correctly as My servant Job (Job. 42.7 ). If not for his sake, he would have destroyed you (Iov. 42:8). That is, you were pardoned for the sake of his prayers, for you his prayers are saving. And the accusers of their wrong faith went and did as the Lord commanded them - and the Lord (Job 42:9) forgive their sins for the sake of them (Job 42:9). And the Lord returned the loss of Job when he prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). Here we see that the plan of God included the most difficult temptations of the righteous Job and the holy Tsar Nicholas II, including those from relatives and friends, and the prayer of those who were tempted for those who tempted them. And in the case of St. Nicholas II, the Lord God intended prayer for the entire Russian people, who, having violated the vow given to God in 1613, to faithfully serve the legitimate Tsars from the Reigning House of the Romanovs, committed the sin of perjury. Abel the Seer directly predicted: “The people between fire and flame ... But they will not be destroyed from the face of the earth, as if the prayer of the tortured Tsar prevails!”

The basis of the character of Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich III is truth, honesty and directness

“The father of Nicholas Tsesarevich Alexander, both in soul and in appearance, was a truly Russian man, a deeply religious, caring husband and father. With His life He gave an example to His environment: He was unpretentious in everyday life, wore clothes almost to the holes, did not like luxury. Alexander was distinguished by physical strength and firmness of character, he loved the truth most of all, he calmly considered every matter, he was remarkably easy to handle and generally preferred everything Russian. (Oleg Platonov. The plot of the regicides. S. 86).
“In addition to general and special military education, Tsesarevich Alexander was taught political and legal sciences by invited professors from St. Petersburg and Moscow Universities. After the untimely death of his dearly beloved elder brother, the Sovereign Heir Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (April 12, 1865), warmly mourned by the August family and all the Russian people, His Imperial Highness Alexander Alexandrovich, having become the Tsarevich's heir, began to continue both theoretical studies and the implementation of many duties in public affairs that were assigned to Him. As chieftain of the Cossack troops, chancellor of the University of Helsingfors, head of successively various military units (including up to the command of the district troops), a member of the State Council, His Imperial Highness was involved in all areas of state administration. The travels that were undertaken in Russia strengthened the seeds of a deep love for everything truly Russian, historical, that had already been planted since childhood.
During the last Eastern War with Turkey (1877-1878), His Highness was appointed commander of the Ruschun detachment, which played a tactically important and difficult role in this campaign, glorious for the Russian name. (Encyclopedia of the Russian Monarchy, edited by V. Butromeev. U-Factoria. Ekaterinburg. 2002).
“Alexander the Third became Emperor at the age of thirty-six. Of these, for 16 years he was Tsesarevich, preparing, according to his father, "to intercede for me every minute." By this age, even an ordinary, average person enters a period of maturity. The Emperor differed from any of His subjects by the fact that on His shoulders lay a huge responsibility to the country and people, for which He held an answer only to God and Himself. Such a heavy burden could not but affect the formation of the worldview of the Heir, His actions, attitude towards others.

A capacious psychological portrait of Alexander III of that period was recreated many years later by Prince V.P. Meshchersky: “The sovereign was then 36 years old. But in spiritual age, He was undoubtedly older in terms of life hardening. This hardening was greatly facilitated by His life as the leader of the Ruschuk detachment during the war, where, separated from the family in constant concentration, He experienced all the impressions alone in front of Himself, and then His also lonely political life after the war in those difficult years 79, 80 and 81st, when again in Himself He had to conceal so many painful impressions from the heard role of a spectator and participant in the course of internal politics, where far from always His voice of frankness and common sense had the power to carry out what He considered necessary, and interfere with what He recognized as harmful...
His character was firmly based on three main features: truth, honesty, and directness. I won’t be mistaken if I say that it was thanks to these three main features of His spiritual personality, which made her truly beautiful, that disappointment began to penetrate into His soul even when she was very young ...
But this disappointment ... did not affect His spiritual personality to such an extent as to arm Him against people with an armor of principled distrust or put the beginnings of apathy into His soul ... "".
“A kind and caring, but at the same time domineering and intolerant of any contradiction father in the family, the Emperor transferred this patriarchal and paternal attitude to His vast country. [Which many of His entourage, corrupted by Western free-thinking, did not like.] None of the Romanovs, according to contemporaries, corresponded to such an extent to the traditional popular idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe real Russian Tsar, as Alexander III. A mighty, brown-bearded giant, towering over any crowd, He seemed to be the embodiment of the strength and dignity of Russia. The commitment of Alexander the Third to domestic traditions and interests largely contributed to His popularity [among the Russian people and fierce hatred among the enemies of God, among the enemies of His Anointed One and among the enemies of the Russian people]." “As a politician and statesman, the father of Nicholas II showed a strong will in implementing the decisions made (a trait that, as we will see later, His son also inherited).
The essence of the policy of Alexander the Third (which was continued by the policy of Nicholas II) can be characterized as the preservation and development of Russian foundations, traditions and ideals. Giving an assessment of the reign of Emperor Alexander III, the Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky wrote: " Science will give the Emperor Alexander the Third a proper place not only in the history of Russia and the whole country, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won a victory in the area where victories are most difficult, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, conquered the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral circulation of mankind, encouraged and uplifted Russian historical thought, Russian national self-consciousness.
Alexander the Third possessed great physical strength. Once, during a train wreck, He managed to hold the falling roof of the car for some time until His wife and children were safe.».
We will remember the prophecy of the Monk Abel told to Emperor Paul the First about Emperor Alexander the Third, which the Emperor Himself did not know: “Your great-grandson, Alexander the Third, is a true peacemaker. Glorious will be His reign. He will lay siege to the accursed sedition, He will bring peace and order. But he will only reign for a short time. “There is an opinion that the retinue plays the king. The personality of Alexander III completely contradicts this well-established measure of the merits of statesmen. [And it is clear why: the king may be played by the retinue, but the Lord God Himself "plays" the Anointed One!]
There were no favorites in the Emperor's entourage. He was the sole master and director, who determined ... [the rules for preparing His subjects for life in the Kingdom of Heaven] on one sixth of the world's land, in His, Alexander III, the Russian Empire. Even such outstanding state minds as S. Yu. Witte, K. P. Pobedonostsev, D. A. Tolstoy, could not claim exclusivity, a special place in the Court or the government - everything was decided by one person - Autocrat of All Russia Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov . Emperor Alexander the Third strove to set a personal example of behavior, which he considered true and correct for each of His subjects. The basis of His ethical standards of behavior, all of His understanding of the world proceeded from deep religiosity. It is unlikely that any of the twelve predecessors of Alexander III on the Russian Imperial throne was more pious and sincerely faithful. [At the same time, it should be remembered that all legitimate Kings - the Anointed of God, being the Incarnate Name of God - are always sincere believers and the most devout Christians, for the Lord God Himself chose them to feed His people, Jacob, and the earthly Church - His inheritance, Israel, and the Lord Himself helps them to do this in the purity of His heart and guide them with wise hands (Ps. 77:71-72).]
The faith of Emperor Alexander III - pure and free from dogmatism [more precisely: from inertia and fanaticism] - explained both the God-chosenness of the Russian Autocracy, and the special Russian path that His power should follow. To believe for Alexander III was as natural as breathing. He scrupulously observed Orthodox rites, whether it was fasting or divine services, regularly visited St. Isaac's and Peter and Paul Cathedrals, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and palace churches.
Not all clergy could boast of such knowledge of the intricacies of a complex Orthodox church rite, which the Russian Emperor sometimes showed. ... The faith of Alexander the Third was combined with a sober, rational mind that did not tolerate sectarianism or obscurantism. The emperor followed with undisguised skepticism the attempt of some hierarchs to increase their political influence.
[Any Orthodox hierarch (from bishop to metropolitan and patriarch) is a monk who has renounced this world; being a clergyman, any bishop has the power from God only to shepherd spiritually, not ruling over the heritage of God (1 Peter 5:3). And therefore, even the patriarch (as we remember, the ruling bishop of the city of Moscow) does not have any lordly power and cannot interfere in the decisions of worldly affairs, and, consequently, no bishop can exert any political influence on life in the Orthodox Kingdom.]
When Metropolitan Filofei of Kyiv, having decided to imitate John Chrysostom, submitted a note to the Emperor, in which he reproached Him [the Anointed One!] for estrangement from the people, Alexander the Third only shrugged his shoulders and offered to examine the mental abilities of the lord. [Or maybe it is necessary to check the mental abilities of those who invented the Orthodox ruling bishop of the city of Moscow to call "Great Lord and Our Father of all Russia" instead of the canonical "His Holiness Patriarch", and those who, instead of praying for the coming Victorious Tsar, at each divine service, he repeatedly offers up "prayers" (in self-condemnation!) for the "Great Master...". After all, a sick man, deprived of God’s mind, will not be judged at the Last Judgment as a heretic-papist!] A deeply believing Orthodox man, Emperor Alexander III professed Christian norms not only in solving state problems, but also in private life. (Unknown Alexander III. S. 197-198).

“I need normal, healthy Russian children”

There were five children in the family - Nikolai (the eldest), Georgy, Ksenia, Mikhail and Olga. The father taught his children to sleep on simple soldier bunks with hard pillows, to douse themselves with cold water in the morning, and to eat simple porridge for breakfast. The first, of course unconscious, acquaintance of Nikolai with ordinary Russian people took place through the nurse-mother. Mothers were chosen from Russian peasant families and, at the end of their mission, went back to their native villages, but they had the right to come to the palace, firstly, on the day of the Angel of their pet, and secondly, on Easter and on the Christmas tree, on Christmas day.
During these meetings, teenagers talked with their mothers, absorbing the folk turns of Russian speech into their minds. As rightly noted, “with an incredible mixture of blood in the Royal family, these mothers were, so to speak, a precious reservoir of Russian blood, which poured into the veins of the Romanov House in the form of milk and without which it would be very difficult to sit on the Russian Throne. All the Romanovs, who had Russian mothers, spoke Russian with a touch of common people. So said (father of Nicholas) Alexander the Third. If He did not take care of himself, then in His intonations ... there was something of Varlamov's roaring.
From 1876 until the age of ten, Nikolai's tutor was Alexandra Petrovna Ollengran (nee Okoshnikova), daughter of an admiral, Knight of St. George, widow of a Russian officer of Swedish origin. Nicholas's first tutor was instructed to teach him basic Russian literacy, initial prayers, and arithmetic.
The dialogue that took place between Nikolai's father and his first teacher is very characteristic (I quote it in a summary):
- You are given two little boys who are still too early to think about the Throne, who must not be let out of their hands and not given the habit. Keep in mind that neither I nor the Grand Duchess want to make greenhouse flowers out of Them. They should be naughty in moderation, play, study, pray well to God and not think about any thrones, - said Tsarevich Alexander.
- Your Highness! Allengren exclaimed. - But I also have little Vladimir.
- How old is he? - asked the Heir.
- Eighth year.
- Just the same age as Nicky. Let him be brought up with My children, - said the Heir, - and you will not be separated, and Mine will have more fun. All the extra boy.
“But he has character, Your Highness.
- What character?
- Pugnacious, Your Highness ... [In the words of this Vladimir: “By the age of seven, I had developed that type of street boy, who in Paris is called“ gamen ”. ... My main concern was to achieve the title of "first strong man" on Pskovskaya Street [outskirts of St. Petersburg]. This title, as is known in boyish circles throughout the globe, is developed in tireless battles and feats close to military ones. And because bruises and lanterns were, to the horror of my mother, permanent signs of my differences. As you can see, behind the word "pugnacious" is really the character of the street "Daredevil" of the St. Petersburg outskirts.]
- Nonsense, honey. This is before the first pass. Mine are not heavenly angels either. There are two of them. With united forces, They will quickly lead your hero to the Christian faith. Not made from sugar. Teach the little boys well, do not give concessions, ask to the fullest extent of the laws, do not encourage laziness in particular. If anything, address directly to Me, and I know what needs to be done. I repeat that I do not need porcelain. I need normal, healthy Russian children. Fight - please. But the informer - the first whip. This is my very first requirement. Do you understand me?
“Understood, Your Imperial Highness. From childhood, the future Tsar Nicholas II cultivated in himself a deep religious feeling and genuine piety. The boy was not burdened by long church services, which were held strictly and solemnly in the palace. The child wholeheartedly empathized with the torments of the Savior and, with childlike spontaneity, pondered how to help Him. The son A.P. Allengren, who was brought up with Nicholas, for example, recalled how the rite of carrying out the Shroud on Good Friday, solemn and mournful, struck Nicholas's imagination. He became mournful and depressed for the whole day and asked to be told how the evil high priests tortured the good Savior. [In March 1917, the high priests of the Russian Orthodox Church were in the forefront of those who betrayed the Anointed Tsar Nicholas II.] “His eyes filled with tears, and He often said, clenching his fists: “Oh, I wasn’t there then, I would have shown them!” And at night, left alone in the bedchamber, the three of us (Nikolai, His brother Georgy and son Ollengran Volodya. - OP) developed plans for the salvation of Christ. Nicholas II especially hated Pilate, who could save him and did not save him. I remember that I had already dozed off when Nikolai came up to my bed and, crying, mournfully said: I feel sorry for God. Why are they hurting him so much? I still can't forget His big, excited eyes."
In childhood and youth, Nicholas 2 slept on a narrow iron bed with a simple mattress. He spent much of his time outdoors, playing sports. Even in the cold season, in order to temper his son, the Father insisted on walking. Outdoor children's games and physical work in the garden were encouraged. Nikolai and other children of Tsarevich Alexander often visited the poultry yard, the greenhouse, the farm, and worked in the menagerie. They were given birds, geese, rabbits, cubs, which They looked after themselves: fed them, cleaned them. Birds always lived in the children's rooms - bullfinches, parrots, canaries, which the children took with them when they left for Gatchina in the summer.
During the years 1876-1879, Nikolai passed all the subjects under the program for admission to a secondary educational institution. To test the knowledge of Nicholas, a special commission was assembled, which gave him an exam. The commission was very pleased with the success of the ten-year-old boy. To further continue the teachings of his son, Tsesarevich Alexander invited Adjutant General G. G. Danilovich, who, at his own discretion, chose for Nicholas teachers of the Law of God, Russian, mathematics, geography, history, French and German.

To be able to restrain himself... to fulfill your duty... to love ordinary people... - the main features of Tsarevich Nicholas

The child grew up quiet and thoughtful. From an early age, the main features of His character are already felt in him, and - above all - self-control. “Sometimes, during a major quarrel with brothers or comrades of children's games,” says His tutor K. I. Heath (Heath), “Nikolai Aleksandrovich, in order to refrain from a harsh word or movement, would silently go into another room, take up a book and, only having calmed down, he returned to the offenders and again started playing, as if nothing had happened.
And another feature: a sense of duty. The boy learns his lessons with diligence; He reads a lot, especially when it comes to people's life. The love of His people... That's what He always dreams of. One day He reads with His tutor Heath one of the episodes of the history of England, which describes the entry of King John, who loved the common people, and whom the crowd greeted with enthusiastic cries: "Long live the king of the people!" The boy's eyes sparkled, He turned red with excitement and exclaimed: "Ah, I would like to be like that!"
To be able to restrain himself... silently move away... to fulfill His duty... to love ordinary people... The whole Emperor Nicholas II is reflected in these features of the boy.
But by His nature, a boy, and then a youth and a young man, is far from gloomy sadness; even a spark of naive and careless fun burns in Him, which, subsequently, under the pressure of a heavy burden of power, worries and grief, will fade and only occasionally manifest itself in quiet humor, in a smile, in a good-natured joke..

Used Books:

See the prophecy of St. Abel the Seer section 2.1.
Royal collection. Compiled by S. and T. Fomina. Services. Akathists. Monthly. Commemoration. Prayers for the King. Coronation. From the Pilgrim. 2000. [below - Tsar's collection.] S. 414.
Let us pay attention to the fact that on the icon of the holy Tsar-Redeemer Nicholas II on the scroll, which the Tsar holds in His hands, these very words are placed.
The prophecy of St. Abel the Seer is given in section 2.1.
O. Barkovets, A. Krylov-Tolstikovich. Unknown Alexander III. RIPOL CLASSIC. M. 2002. [below - Unknown Alexander the Third.] S. 106-107.
Nikolay Romanov. pages of life. Compiled by N. Yu. Shelaev and others. "Faces of Russia". SPb.2001. [below - Pages of life.] S. 8.
Oleg Platonov. Crown of Thorns of Russia. Nicholas II in secret correspondence. Spring. M. 1996. [below - O. Platonov. Nicholas II in secret correspondence.] S. 10-11.
For this reason, not a single Orthodox clergyman (from a simple priest to the most holy patriarch) can bear the title of our Great Lord and Father. If someone calls a certain clergyman the Great Lord, then this someone loudly declares to the Lord and the coming Victorious Tsar that he is in the heresy of papism, just like the Catholics, who revere the Pope of Rome as the Great Lord.
The compiler of R.S. cites a fragment of chapter 14 from Oleg Platonov's book "The Conspiracy of the Regicides".
Surguchev I. Childhood of Emperor Nicholas II. Paris, b / g. pp. 138-139.
Together with Nikolai, his brother George also studied.
Ilya Surguchev. Childhood of Emperor Nicholas II. Royal business. S-Pb. 1999. S. 11-13.
Babkin Mikhail Anatolyevich - Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Lecturer, South Ural State University. In the journals of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Questions of History" (No. 6 2003, No. 2-5 2004, No. 2 2005) and "Domestic History" (No. 3 2005). And also in the book “The Russian Clergy and the Overthrow of the Monarchy in 1917” (Materials and Archival Documents on the History of the Russian Orthodox Church. Indrik Publishing House. 2006) published interesting documents “dedicated to the history of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for the period from early March to mid-July 1917. From them one can get an idea of ​​the attitude of the clergy to the overthrow of the Monarchy in Russia, the establishment of the power of the Provisional Government and its activities. But most importantly, these documents very effectively heal the mild and moderate degree of spiritual damage to Orthodox Christians by the heresy of papism!
Surguchev I. Childhood of Emperor Nicholas II. Paris, b / g. S. 108.
The compiler of R. S. cites a fragment of the 1st chapter from the book of I. P. Yakobiy “Emperor Nicholas II and the Revolution”.

After the murder of his grandfather, Nikolai Alexandrovich became the Heir to the Throne of the Russian Empire.

After several unsuccessful assassination attempts, Emperor (God-anointed!!!) Alexander II, the native and beloved grandfather of Nicholas II, was villainously murdered Alexander II (1818-1881), who went down in Russian history under the name of the Tsar-Liberator, was one of the most prominent statesmen Russia of the 19th century.
The greatest deed of His reign was the signing of the Manifesto on February 19, 1861, on the abolition of the serfdom of some Orthodox Christians over others.

The question that arose during the reign of Boris Godunov, which burdened all the Tsars and Emperors of the Royal House of Romanov and before which all His predecessors stopped in indecision, was resolved by Him.

World evil, through the hands of spiritually corrupted Russian half-educated intellectuals, responded to the liberation of the God-chosen Russian people from serfdom with such a terrible atrocity - the murder of the Father of the great Russian people.

“The mysterious prediction of a fortune-teller came true, who once prophesied to Alexander II that He would survive seven attempts on His life. This tragedy became an important milestone in the formation of the personality and character of Nikolai.

The end of the serene childhood of Tsarevich Nicholas

But it was an important milestone for all mankind. And earlier they killed tsars and kings in public, but the Lord God allowed His Anointed Ones, according to the sins of His chosen Russian people, to be killed only secretly.
And although Emperor Paul the First was brutally murdered (on the night of March 11 - on Sophronius of Jerusalem in 1801) by drunken "guards" officers, but at night and drunk!

And then the artists spent the whole night making up what the world's evil of English origin had created with the hands of drunken Russian traitors and God, and the Tsar, and the Fatherland. The murder was declared death from apoplexy, that is, from a rapidly developing hemorrhage in the brain, supposedly - this is a natural death. So, “the serene childhood of Nikolai ended on March 1, 1881.

On this day, a thirteen-year-old boy faced a terrible villainy that struck him with monstrous cruelty - the murder of his grandfather, Emperor Alexander II, by political bandits. The criminals bombarded the Emperor [God Anointed One!!!], seriously wounding Him. Alexander II was brought to the Winter Palace bleeding, with broken legs. (Oleg Platonov. The plot of the regicides. S. 89).

We will remember the prophecy told to Emperor Paul the First, by the Monk Abel about Emperor Alexander II, which Alexander II himself did not know: “Your grandson, Alexander II, was destined by the Tsar-Liberator. Your plan will be fulfilled: He will give freedom to the serfs, and after that He will beat the Turks and the Slavs will also free them from the yoke of the infidel. The Jews will not forgive Him for great deeds, they will start hunting for Him, they will kill in the middle of a clear day in the capital of a loyal subject with renegade hands. Like You, the feat of His service He will seal with the blood of the Royal, and on the blood the Temple will be erected.

It was Emperor Alexander II who turned the bedroom into a brownie “Temple on the Blood”, where Emperor Paul the First was killed as a result of a conspiracy planned in the English embassy, ​​but by the hands of Russian officers who forgot their oaths to faithfully serve their Emperor. From the windows of this "Temple on Blood" behind the trees of the park of the Russian Museum, another "Temple on Blood" is clearly visible - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ - "Savior on Blood", built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded in 1881.
As Abel the Seer predicted, "the Jews did not forgive Him for great deeds, they arranged a hunt for Him" ​​and on the eighth attempt killed "in the midst of a clear day in the capital, a loyal subject with renegade hands."

Already on March 2, 1881, at an emergency meeting, the city duma asked Emperor Alexander III "to allow the city public administration to erect ... a chapel or a monument at the expense of the city." The emperor replied: "It would be desirable to have a church ... and not a chapel." However, it was temporarily decided to build a chapel. Already in April the chapel was erected. Panikhidas were served daily in the chapel in memory of the assassinated Emperor Alexander II. This chapel stood on the embankment until the spring of 1883, then, in connection with the start of construction of the cathedral, it was moved to Konyushennaya Square. Emperor Alexander the Third expressed the wish that the temple be in the style of Russian churches of the 16th-17th centuries. Naturally, the wish of the Emperor became a prerequisite. In October 1883, a solemn laying of the temple took place. Its construction took 24 years. According to the estimate, the state allocated 3 million 600 thousand silver rubles for the construction of the memorial temple. It was huge money for those times. However, the actual construction cost exceeded the estimate by 1 million rubles. This million rubles for the construction of the memorial temple was contributed by the Royal Family. On August 19/September 1, 1907, the Cathedral of the Resurrection was consecrated.

“Together with his younger brother George, Nikolai was present at the death of His Grandfather.” My Father brought Me to bed, the last [at the moment] Autocrat later recalled. - "Daddy," He said, raising his voice, "Your ray of sunshine" is here." I saw the trembling of eyelashes, the blue eyes of My Grandfather opened, He tried to smile. He moved his finger, He could not raise his hand, nor say what he wanted, but He undoubtedly recognized Me...” [“On the night of the assassination of Alexander II, a continuous crowd of people loyal to the Sovereigns did not disperse through the streets of the capitals. Sovereign Nicholas II remembered that day and night ... ”(Pavlov. His Majesty Sovereign Nicholas II. P. 47).]

The shock experienced remained in the memory of Nikolai until the last days of His life, He remembered it even in distant Tobolsk. “... Anniversary of the death of Apap (Alexander II. - Auth.), - noted in the diary on March 1, 1918. - At 2 o'clock we had a memorial service. The weather was the same as then - frosty and sunny ... "

In 1881, “for a week, twice a day, Nikolai, along with his entire family, came to solemn requiems in the Winter Palace. On the morning of the eighth day, the body [of the dead Anointed of God] was solemnly transferred to the Peter and Paul Cathedral. So that the Russian people could say goodbye to the Tsar-Liberator, the Tsar-Great Martyr, the longest path along all the main streets of the capital was chosen, which Nikolai did together with everyone.

The murder of Grandfather changed the political situation and [status] of Nicholas. From a simple Grand Duke He became Heir to the Throne of the Russian Empire, clothed with great responsibility before the country [and before the earthly Church of Christ, as the Heir to the Throne of David].

A few hours after the death of Alexander II, the Supreme Manifesto came out, which said: “We declare to all our faithful subjects: the Lord God was pleased in His inscrutable ways to strike Russia with a fatal blow and suddenly recall to Himself her benefactor, Lord. Imp. Alexander II. He fell at the sacrilegious hand of murderers who repeatedly attempted on His precious life. They encroached on this so precious life because they saw in it a stronghold and guarantee of the greatness of Russia and the prosperity of the Russian people. Humbled before the mysterious decrees of Divine Providence and offering prayers to the Almighty for the repose of the pure soul of Our deceased Parent, We enter Our Ancestral Throne of the Russian Empire...

Let us lift the heavy burden that God places upon Us, with firm hope in His Almighty help. May He bless Our labors for the good of Our beloved Fatherland, and may He direct Our forces to the happiness of all Our loyal subjects.

Repeating the vow given to Us by Our Parent before the Lord Almighty to dedicate, according to the testament of Our ancestors, Our whole life with care for the prosperity, power and glory of Russia, We call on Our loyal subjects to unite their prayers with Our prayers before the Altar of the Most High and command them to take an oath of allegiance to Us and the Heir Ours, His Imp. High Tsarevich Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich.

[The above text from the Manifesto makes it possible for Orthodox Christians, and indeed for all those who believe in God, to see how the God-Anointed Tsar, chosen by God Himself for the Tsar's service, differs from a president elected by people. In addition, the Russian Tsar strives to direct all His forces to “the arrangement of the happiness of all His loyal subjects,” and not just the Russian people. The atheist in the above text will see some meaningless, from his point of view, spells and appeals to “some” God, he will see the attempt of Alexander the Third to shift all responsibility for governing the country to the entity “God” that is incomprehensible to the atheist. This is for such atheists, offended by God or punished by God, and m, "the institution of the monarchy in the modern world has only a historical-sentimental significance." The only thing that can be done for such enlightened worldly evil is to pray to God for them, so that He would grant them “if death, then instantaneous”, but better, if it’s possible, then He would give them at least a handful of the mind of Christ!]

For a teenager, Nikolai, such a terrible death of Grandfather became an unhealed spiritual wound. He could not understand why the murderers raised their hand against the Sovereign, who became famous among the Russian people for his justice, goodness and meekness, who freed the serfs, approved a public court and self-government of local authorities. Even then, Nikolai begins to realize that not all subjects of Russia want the good of their homeland [that is, not all subjects are loyal subjects, but it turns out that in Russia the Anointed of God has subjects who do not want to serve God, the Tsar and the Fatherland, but Satan , world evil and hell]. Against Holy Russia and the Russian state and social structure, dark atheistic forces rebelled, about the existence of which the boy had once been told by His mentor according to the Law of God.

Nikolai's consciousness also included the understanding that the most essential thing in the state life of Russia was violated - the traditional spiritual, patriarchal connection between the Tsar and the Russian people. It became clear after March 1, 1881, that the Russian Tsar would never again be able to treat His subjects with boundless trust. He will not be able, forgetting regicide, to devote himself entirely to state affairs.

The training course of the gymnasium and the university, from ensign to colonel

Tsesarevich “Nikolai was a little above average height, physically well developed and hardy - the result of his father's training and the habit of physical labor, which He did at least a little, but did all his life, affected.
The king had an "open, pleasant, thoroughbred face." All those who knew the Tsar, both in their youth and in their mature years, noted His amazing eyes, so wonderfully conveyed in the famous portrait of V. Serov. They are expressive and radiant, although sadness and defenselessness lurk in their depths.

The upbringing and education of Nicholas II took place under the personal guidance of His Father, on a traditional religious basis in Spartan conditions.” Since Nicholas by His very birth was destined for the future supreme power, the closest attention was paid to His upbringing and education.
His systematic training began at the age of eight according to a special program developed by Adjutant General G. G. Danilovich, who was obliged to supervise Nikolai's training sessions. The program was divided into two parts.

The general education course, designed for eight years, in general terms corresponded to the gymnasium, although with significant changes. The ancient [classical] languages ​​- Greek and Latin - were excluded, and instead of them, the Tsesarevich was taught an expanded amount of political history, Russian literature, geography, the elementary foundations of mineralogy and biology. Particular attention in the first eight years of study was given to classes in modern European languages.

Nikolai perfectly mastered English and French, German and Danish knew worse.
From childhood, he fell in love with historical and fiction, read it both in Russian and in foreign languages, and even once admitted that "if I were a private person, I would devote myself to historical works." Over time, His literary predilections were also revealed: Tsarevich Nikolai with pleasure turned to Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, loved Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov ... "

The higher course of education, “the next five years were devoted to the study of military affairs, legal and economic sciences, necessary for a statesman. The teaching of these sciences was conducted by outstanding Russian scientists with a worldwide reputation: [presbyter] Yanyshev I. L. taught canon law in connection with the history of the church, the main departments of theology and the history of religion ”; "HER. Zamyslovsky conducted political history; Professor-Economist, Minister of Finance in 1881-1889 and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers in 1887-1895 N. H. Bunge taught - statistics and political economy [financial law]; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in 1882-1895 N.K. Girs introduced Tsesarevich into the complex world of European international relations; Academician N. N. Beketov taught a course in general chemistry. Professor and Corresponding Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences ... Infantry General G. A. Leer was entrusted with courses in strategy and military history. Military engineer General Ts. A. Cui ... conducted fortification classes. A. K. Puzyrevsky read the history of military art. This series was supplemented by the professors of the Academy of the General Staff, Generals M. I. Dragomirov, N. N. Obruchev, P. K. Gudima-Levkovich, P. L. Lobko and others. The role of the spiritual and ideological mentor of the Tsesarevich undoubtedly belonged to K.P.

Tsesarevich Nikolay studied a lot. By the age of fifteen, He had more than 30 lessons a week, not counting the daily hours of self-study. During the training, the mentors could not give Him marks for academic performance and did not ask questions to test knowledge, but on the whole their impression was favorable. Nicholas was distinguished by perseverance, pedantry and innate accuracy. He always listened attentively and was very efficient. ... The heir, like all the children of Alexander III, had an excellent memory. Easily remembered what he heard or read. A fleeting meeting with a person was enough for him (and there were thousands of such meetings in His life) to remember not only the name and patronymic of the interlocutor, but also his age, origin and seniority. The natural tact and delicacy inherent in Nikolai made communication with him pleasant. (Pages of life. 12-13).
“In order for the future Tsar to get acquainted in practice with military life and the order of military service, the Father sends Him to military training. First, Nikolai served in the ranks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment for two years, acting as a subaltern officer, and then as a company commander. For two summer seasons, Tsesarevich Nikolai served in the ranks of the cavalry hussar regiment as a platoon officer, and then as a squadron commander. And, finally, the future Emperor conducts one camp gathering in the ranks of the artillery. He received the next officer ranks, starting with the ensign, successively occupying the corresponding positions in the troops.

“According to contemporaries, he was loved in the guards regiments, noting the amazing evenness and goodwill in relations with fellow officers, regardless of rank and rank. The Tsarevich was not among those who were frightened by the hardships of camp life. He was hardy, strong, unpretentious in everyday life and truly loved the army. ...

Nicholas's military career reached its peak on August 6, 1892, when he was promoted to colonel. Due to the untimely death of Alexander III, His Son was not destined to become a general of the Russian army, which were all of His predecessors on the Throne and most of the Grand Dukes. Emperors did not assign military ranks to Themselves ... “But general ranks were awarded to Him in the armies of the allies.

The activities of the Tsesarevich were not limited to military service. In parallel, the Father introduces Him to the course of the country's administration, inviting Him to participate in the studies of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers.

“By the age of 21, Nikolai had become a highly educated person with a broad outlook, who knew Russian history and literature perfectly, was fluent in the main European languages ​​.... Nikolai’s brilliant education was combined with deep religiosity and knowledge of spiritual literature, which was not often found among young people from higher education. , the ruling class of the time. Alexander the Third managed to instill in His Son a selfless love for Russia, a sense of responsibility for its fate. [All this gave Him the opportunity to bear the cross of a redemptive feat, to Jesus Christ in likeness!] From childhood, Nikolai became close to the idea that His main mission was to follow the Russian Orthodox, spiritual foundations, traditions and ideals. (Oleg Platonov. The plot of the regicides. S. 94.)

The Miraculous Rescue of the Royal Family in Borki

On October 17, 1888, Tsarevich Nicholas experienced a terrible shock. On this day, near the Borki station, during a railway accident, the entire Royal Family could have died. When the Tsar's train passed through a deep gully, subsidence occurred and several wagons fell into the pit at full speed.
The Royal Family at the time of the crash was in the dining car. Breakfast was coming to an end when everyone felt a terrible concussion. The disaster had three moments. Two shocks, and then in less than a second, the wall of the car began to shatter.
Here is what the newspaper Grazhdanin, which was published at that time, wrote: The first push was followed by a stop.
The second push, by the force of inertia, knocked out the bottom of the car. Everyone fell on the embankment. Then came the third moment, the most terrible: the walls of the car separated from the roof and began to fall inward. By the will of the Lord, the falling walls met and formed a roof, on which the roof of the car fell down: the dining car turned into a flattened mass.

The entire course of the wheels is thrown far to the side and broken into tiny pieces. The roof, then rolled up and thrown aside, revealed the miserable remains of the carriage. Under the rubble, it seemed, the Royal Family was buried.
But the Lord performed a great miracle. The Tsar, the Tsarina and the Tsar's Children were preserved for the Fatherland by the miracle of the Almighty.

The roof fell on them obliquely, says Zichy, an eyewitness who was in the car.
“There was a hole between the wall of the car and the roof, through which I entered. Countess Kutuzova came in behind me. The Empress Empress was taken out of the carriage window. The Sovereign Emperor had a flattened silver cigarette case, on the right side in his pocket».

According to an eyewitness, the crash site presented a terrible picture. The kitchen car went downhill.
The roof of another, ministerial, carriage has been demolished to the lake. The first four cars were a pile of wood chips, sand and iron. The locomotive, undamaged, stood in the way, but the rear wheels dug into the ground, derailing.
The second locomotive dug into the sand of the embankment. At the sight of the picture of the crash, Alexander III had tears in his eyes.
Little by little, the retinue and all the survivors began to group around the Sovereign. The only witnesses to the crash were the soldiers of the Penza Infantry Regiment, numb with horror, standing in chains in this area. Seeing that there was no way to help the victims with the forces and means of the broken train, the Emperor ordered the soldiers to shoot. The anxiety started. All along the line ran the soldiers; with them was the doctor of the Penza regiment; dressings appeared, although in scarce quantities.

There was slush, it was a fine, cold rain with hoarfrost. The empress was in one dress, badly damaged at the time of the disaster. Under the arms there was nothing to cover Her from the cold, and an officer's coat was thrown over Her shoulders. At the first moment, many of the generals who were on the spot, wishing to provide all possible assistance, each made his own orders, but this only slowed down the overall progress of the work to provide assistance. Seeing this, the Sovereign took upon Himself the order to provide assistance.

Since 1889, the Sovereign began to involve Nikolai in work in the highest state bodies, inviting him to participate in the classes of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers. Alexander III developed a practical educational program for the Son to get acquainted with various regions of Russia.

For this, the Heir accompanied His Father on numerous trips around the country. [“As a completion of His education, Nicholas II traveled around the world. In nine months He traveled through Austria, Trieste, Greece, Egypt, India, China, Japan, and then by land through all of Siberia.]

In Vladivostok, he participated in the opening of the construction of the Siberian railway, at the laying of a dock and a monument to Admiral Nevelsky.

In Khabarovsk, the Heir was present at the consecration of the monument to Muravyov-Amursky. Through Irkutsk, Tobolsk, Yekaterinburg, Nikolai returned to Tsarskoye Selo matured and strengthened. He spent 9 months away from his parents (from October 23, 1890 to August 4, 1891), making a journey of 35 thousand miles.

After such a school of life, which the Heir passed during the round-the-world trip, Alexander III began to entrust him with more serious matters. Nikolai was appointed chairman of the committee of the Siberian Railway. He attended all its meetings, treating this appointment with great responsibility. Father also instructed Nikolai to chair a special committee for the delivery of assistance to the population of the provinces affected by crop failure (valid until March 5, 1893). The Committee collected donations for more than 13 million rubles and distributed them among the starving peasants.

In addition to working in these committees, Nikolai is constantly invited to meetings of the highest state institutions, where he practically gets acquainted with the science of governing a great country.

“Oh, You, Heavenly Chosen One, oh, great redeemer, You are above all!”

Very interesting and explains a lot both in the actions of Tsar Nicholas II during His reign, and in Russian events after 1917, the sermon delivered after the war by Bishop (then Archpriest) Mitrofan (Znosko-Borovsky) on the Name Day of the Tsar Redeemer.

[The sermon tells a prophecy about the amazingly grandiose role of the holy Tsar, then Tsesarevich, Nicholas in the destinies of the whole world, in the salvation of the Russian people, in the victory of good over evil.]

BUT). All Buddhism, represented by Buddhist clergy, bowed before the Tsesarevich

“Our tortured and murdered Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, while still being the Heir, [in April 1891] visited Japan. This interesting voyage of His is described by Prince Ukhtomsky in his 2-volume work. May the Lord bless me to tell you, my dear ones, about this interesting and extremely important, but little known, page from the life of the Redeemer King before we start praying for Him. [It would have been more correct to turn to Him with a prayer!] During this trip, the historian, a participant in the trip, said that the general attention was attracted by those special signs of reverence and honor that were given to the Heir to the Tsarevich by Buddhist clergy when He visited Buddhist temples. These were not just honors rendered to the Heir to the Throne of the Great Power - in their face, as it were, all Buddhism bowed before the Tsarevich. [Is this not the preaching of Orthodoxy by Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, and Buddhism is the recognition of the omnipotence of Jesus Christ!]

One day, one of the thoughtful companions of the Tsarevich rightly noted that each such meeting had the character of some incomprehensible mysterious cult performed before the highest incarnation, who, by the will of Heaven, descended to earth with a special mission. When the Tsarevich entered the temple, the Buddhist clergy prostrated themselves before Him, and when He raised them, they looked at Him with reverence and trepidation, solemnly, barely touching Him, led Him into the sanctuary of their temple.

If any of the retinue wanted to enter after the Tsarevich, they would not let him in. Once such an attempt was made by Prince George of Greece, but the lamas blocked his path.

[Here we recall the words of the Apostle Paul: it is not the hearers of the law that are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified; it is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and their thoughts (Rom. 2:13-15).

Buddhists are pagans who do not have the law of Christ, but by their nature, having cleansed their hearts from earthly passions by observing moral laws, they can find the Truth, which will be written in their hearts! Jesus Christ Himself said about such pagans: Blessed are the pure heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8).

And the Buddhists saw the earthly God - the King-redeemer, who redeemed, to Christ in the likeness and glory of Christ, the conciliar sin of treason committed by His subjects; they saw an earthly man who has a holy feat in likening the Most important Feat of Jesus Christ - in likening His Redemptive Feat.

To a possible question why the Lord revealed to the Buddhists, and hid from the "Orthodox" "ascetics", we will answer together with the Apostle Paul: "The Lord gives Orthodox Christians a reason to boast with a pure heart, and even pagans, so that they have something to say to those who boast in their faces, and not with the heart” (2 Corinthians 5:12).

And about the "Orthodox" Christians, who blasphemed and blasphemed the holy Tsar Nicholas II, Jesus Christ says: These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me; but in vain they worship me, teaching doctrines, commandments, and wisdom of men (Matt. 15:8-9). Here is one of such human wisdom: “The Priesthood is higher than the Kingdom!” Why would it be like this???

And the Lord explains why they think so, He convicts them: your heart is hardened (Mk. 8:17), and therefore the Holy Spirit does not penetrate into such a heart and does not cleanse it of human philosophies. If any of you thinks that he is pious, and does not bridle his tongue about the God-anointed, but deceives his heart with his high-mindedness, his piety is empty (James 1:26).

To those who reject the rite of holiness “King-Redeemer,” Jesus Christ said: O foolish and slow-hearted to believe everything that the prophets foretold! (Luke 24:25) For the heart of these people is hardened, and they can hardly hear with their ears; 15; Acts 28:27) from the heresy of tsarism, from the non-Orthodox understanding of the dogmas of Icon-worship and Atonement. Cruel! People with uncircumcised hearts and ears! you always oppose the Holy Spirit, as your fathers do, so do you (Acts 7:51).

To all priests and other thieves of the royal power, the brother of the Lord, the apostle James urgently advises: if in your heart you have bitter envy towards the holders of the power of the Anointed of God and have quarrelsomeness, because you do not understand Their actions, then do not boast of your piety and do not lie against the truth (James. 3.14).

It is said about them: a veil lies over their heart (2 Corinthians 3:15), and their eyes are filled with lust and continual sin; they deceive unasserted souls; their heart is accustomed to covetousness: these are the sons of a curse (2 Pet. 2:14).

Therefore I was indignant with that generation, and said, They go astray in heart, they do not know my ways; therefore I swore in my anger that they would not enter into my rest (Heb. 3:10-11).]

B). “There is no more blessed Thy sacrifice for all Thy people!”

In Japan, the Heir to the Tsesarevich was pleased to visit on one island the cemetery of our sailors from the Askold frigate, which in the 1860s circumnavigated the world under the command of the outstanding Unkovsky and was under repair near this island for a long time.

In the retinue of the Tsarevich were the sons of two officers from the "Askold" - Ukhtomsky and Eristov. The heir charmed with His caress and attention the old Japanese, the keeper of the graves of our sailors. During a treat in a purely Japanese spirit and taste, he asked the Heir for mercy to give Him advice, for which he received the Highest permission. “The Distinguished Guest is going to visit our sacred ancient capital of Kyoto,” began the Japanese, the guardian of the graves of Russian sailors, “not far from the latter, our famous hermit monk Terakuto labors, whose gaze reveals the secrets of the world and the fate of people. There is no time for him and he only gives signs of deadlines. He does not like to interrupt his contemplative solitude and rarely goes out to anyone. If the Royal traveler wishes to see him, he will come out to Him, if there is a blessing from Heaven.

In civilian clothes, accompanied by Prince George of Greece and an interpreter - Marquis Ito, a prominent figure in Japan, the Heir Tsarevich went on foot to Terakuto, who lived in one of the groves near Kyoto. The heir leaned over and carefully lifted him off the ground. No one said a word, waiting for what the recluse would say. Looking with unseeing eyes, as if cut off from everything earthly, Terakuto spoke:

Oh, You, Heavenly Chosen One, oh, great redeemer, should I prophesy the secret of Your earthly existence? You are above all. There is no guile, no flattery in my mouth before the Almighty. And this is a sign: danger hovers over Your head, but death will recede and the reed will be stronger than the sword ... and the reed will shine with brilliance. Two crowns are destined for You, Prince: earthly and heavenly. Precious stones play on Your crown, Lord of a mighty State, but the glory of the world passes away and the stones on the earthly crown will fade, while the radiance of the heavenly crown will abide forever. The legacy of Your ancestors calls You to a sacred duty. Their voice is in your blood. They are alive in You, many of them are great and beloved, but of all of them You will be the greatest and most beloved.

Great sorrows and upheavals await You and Your country. You will fight for EVERYONE, and EVERYONE will be against You. Beautiful flowers bloom on the edge of the abyss, but their poison is pernicious; children yearn for flowers and fall into the abyss if they do not listen to the Father. Blessed is he who lays down his life for his friends. Thrice blessed is he who lays it down for his enemies. But there is no more blessed Thy sacrifice for all Thy people. [That is, none of the earthly people has and will not have a feat higher than the holy Tsar Nicholas!] It will come that You are alive, and the people are dead, but it will come true: the people are saved, and (You) are holy and immortal. Your weapon against malice is meekness, against resentment is forgiveness. Both friends and enemies will bow before You, and the enemies of Your people will be cut off. [While there is still a little time, the enemies of the God-bearing Russian people can still try to save their souls and bodies to become friends and allies of the Russians against the world behind the scenes! All who come in peace are accepted by the Russians.

But whoever comes to Russia with a sword will die by the sword! This happens for one single reason: with us, with the Russians, God, and therefore tremble tongues and submit! And remember that Abel the Seer spoke about the Jewish yoke to Emperor Paul the First: "Do not be sad, Father-King, the Christ-killers will bear their own." “Then Russia will be great, throwing off the yoke of the Jews.

He will return to the origins of his ancient life, to the times of the Equal-to-the-Apostles, he will learn the mind-reason by the bloody misfortune [the bloody scourge of the Jewish yoke!]. ... A great fate is destined for Russia. [That's why the enemies of God hate everything Russian; everything related to Russia; everything that reminds of her great past and future greatness! That is why Russians should not forget their destiny, their service to God!] That is why she will suffer, in order to purify herself and kindle the light into the revelation of tongues ... “] I see fiery tongues over Your head and Your Family. This is initiation. I see countless sacred fires in the altars before you. This is performance. Let there be a pure sacrifice and redemption be made. You will become a shining barrier to evil in the world. Terakuto told You what was revealed to him from the Book of Fates. Here is the wisdom and part of the mystery of the Creator. Beginning and the end. Death and immortality, moment and eternity. Blessed be the day and hour in which You came to old Terakuto.

IN). The cane turned out to be stronger than the sword and the cane shone

Touching the ground, Terakuto, without turning around, began to move away until he disappeared into the thicket of trees. What a powerful denunciation for their lack of the Spirit of Christ to all "Orthodox" Christians who lived at the same time as Saint Nicholas Alexandrovich and who still blaspheme and vilify Him.

Holy Tsar Nicholas said that the Old Believers and Cossacks would not understand Him. And it is clear why: these two communities of people, and now fighters against TIN, against globalization, with new passports, etc., have a firmly established practice of pleasing God to serve Satan with their zeal!

These communities of Orthodox Christians, zealously occupied with the virtues of a fallen nature, are zealous to serve God in the way and where they themselves decide, and not in the same way and where the Lord blesses. Proverbs 21:1), and not in their hands. They cannot understand that the Lord God Himself guides His Anointed One, and not servile wisdom! But they wear a cross and go to church regularly, and now they also offer fervent prayers for the Great Lord and Father of all heretic papists!]

The Tsarevich stood with his head bowed. His companions are too. Excited, the Tsesarevich returned and asked not to talk about Terakuto's prediction. A few days later, an attempt was made on the life of the Heir to the Tsarevich in Kyoto.

A Japanese fanatic [also zealous to serve God!] hit Him on the head with a saber, but the blow only slipped, causing a harmless wound. Prince George of Greece hit the criminal with all his might with a bamboo cane, thereby saving the life of the Tsarevich. Upon the return of the heir to St. Petersburg, talking with Prince George, Emperor Alexander III expressed a desire to get a cane for a while. The emperor returned it to Prince George already in the frame of the finest jewelry work, all showered with diamonds. The sign came true, the first prediction of old Terakuto: the cane turned out to be stronger than the sword and the cane shone.

On June 23, 1901, the Sovereign Emperor was pleased to receive in the great hall of the Peterhof Palace a special mission of the Dalai Lama, who arrived from Tibet. The embassy bowed low when His Majesty entered the hall, accompanied by a retinue. The Tibetan embassy carried with them a heavily bound chest, from which they never parted for a moment.

Presenting His Majesty the robes taken from the chest, the head of the embassy, ​​the old honored lama, said: “These are the authentic robes of the Buddha, which no one has touched after him. To you alone they belong by right, and now accept them from all Tibet.” The words of the embassy from Tibet, like those predicted by the recluse Terakuto, are the key to understanding the mystery of our Sovereign and Russia sealed from Above. (Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko). Chronicle of one life. On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of pastoral ministry IX.1935-IX.1995. M. 1995. S. 294-297).

The Tsarevich showed Himself to be deeply religious, selflessly loving and possessing an exceptionally strong character.

BUT). “Everything is in the will of God. Trusting in His mercy, I calmly and humbly look to the future.”

The first serious test of willpower the Heir to Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich had to endure in connection with His marriage, when, thanks to His stubborn perseverance, endurance and patience, He successfully overcame three seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Back in 1884, when He was only sixteen years old, He first met the twelve-year-old strikingly beautiful Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, who had come to the wedding of His elder sister Vel. Book. Elizabeth Feodorovna and Vel. Book. Sergei Alexandrovich - uncle of the Heir Tsarevich.

From that moment, a close friendship was born between Them, and then a holy, selfless, self-sacrificing and ever-increasing love that united Their lives until the joint acceptance ... [martyrdom].

Such marriages are a rare gift of God even among mere mortals, and among the Crowned Persons, where marriages are made mainly for political reasons, and not for love, this is an exceptional phenomenon.

In 1889, when the Heir to the Tsesarevich was twenty-one years old and, according to Russian laws, reached the age of majority, He turned to His Parents with a request to bless Him for marriage with Princess Alice. The answer of Emperor Alexander III was short: “You are very young, for marriage there is still time, and, in addition, remember the following: You are the Heir to the Russian Throne, You are betrothed to Russia, and we will still have time to find a wife.

Before the will of the Father - heavy, unswerving - what is said, that is, the law, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich resigned himself for a while without a murmur and began to wait.

A year and a half after this conversation, He wrote in His diary: “Everything is in the will of God. Trusting in His mercy, I calmly and humbly look to the future.”

On the part of Princess Alice's family, Their marriage plans were also not met with sympathy. Since She lost Her mother when She was only 6 years old and her father at eighteen, Her upbringing was mainly carried out by Her maternal grandmother, Queen Victoria of England.

This Queen, so celebrated in the Anglo-Saxon world, during many decades of her 64-year reign (1837-1901) pursued an extremely ignoble foreign policy, built on intricate insidious intrigues, directed mainly against Russia.

Queen Victoria especially did not like the Russian Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, who, in turn, responded to Her with contemptuous hostility. It is no wonder that with such unfriendly relations between the Russian and English Courts, the Heir Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich could not meet with support from the grandmother of Princess Alice. [“For Alexander III, falling in love with his son did not seem like something serious. The marriage of the Heir to the Russian Throne has always been too serious a political event for only tender feelings to be taken into account. Although the parents did not intend to forcefully marry Nikolai, at various times he was offered several options for a possible marriage.

One of the brides was the daughter of the Count of Paris, the head of the Bourbon dynasty, the possible president of France. This marriage could significantly strengthen the Russian-French alliance, Alexander III's favorite foreign policy brainchild. Princess Margaret of Prussia was considered as another contender for the role of the future Empress.

Nikolai wrote at the end of 1891: “December 21. In the evening at Mama's ... we talked about family life ...; involuntarily, this conversation touched the most vital string of my soul, touched the dream and the hope that I live by day by day. A year and a half has already passed since I spoke about this with Papa in Peterhof ... My dream is to ever marry Alix G. I have loved her for a long time, but even deeper and stronger since 1889, when she spent six weeks in Petersburg! For a long time I resisted my feelings, trying to deceive myself with the impossibility of realizing my cherished dream. ... The only obstacle or gulf between her and me is the question of religion! Apart from this barrier, there is no other; I'm almost sure that our feelings are mutual! [Everything is in the will of God. Trusting in His mercy, I calmly and humbly look to the future]"...

Maria Feodorovna decided to distract Him a little from thoughts about Alex. At this time, a new star was shining on the stage of the Imperial Mariinsky Theater - the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya. [The Tsarevich's parents contributed to the rapprochement of young people ... "There was gossip about this novel, but in the Family of Nicholas they did not attach serious importance to it - the Heir seemed to be too responsible and devoted to duty as a person to connect His life with a dancer. Alexander III condescendingly reacted to his son's passion and, perhaps, even hoped that Kshesinskaya would help him forget the German princess that his parents did not like. ”]

Of course, Kshesinskaya understood all the hopelessness of their romance, and Nikolai’s love for the Princess of Darmstadt was not a secret to her: “We spoke more than once about the inevitability of His marriage and the inevitability of our separation Of all those whom He prophesied as a bride, He considered her the most suitable and that He was attracted to her more and more [for They were created for each other by the plan of God!], that she would be His chosen one, if parental permission followed. ”]

Five years have passed since the day when Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich turned to His August Father with a request to allow Him to marry Princess Alice.

[During these ten years, They only saw each other when Princess Alice came to Russia twice (in 1884 and 1889). The Lord God unites them. And those around Them see only that “there are only fantasies and memories between Them, correspondence that stirs up passions through sister Ella” (through Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna).]

In the early spring of 1894, seeing the unshakable decision of His Son, His patience and meek obedience to the Parental will, Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna finally gave their blessing to the marriage.

At the same time in England, Princess Alice, who by this time had lost her father, who died in 1890, received a blessing from Queen Victoria. The last obstacle remained - the change of religion and the adoption of holy Orthodoxy by the August Bride.

B). Tsarevich Nicholas was able to reveal to Princess Alice the truth of His Orthodox faith

Princess Alice was extremely religious. She was brought up in Protestantism and was sincerely and deeply convinced of the truth of Her religion. Along with this, She knew that She could not become the Russian Empress without accepting holy Orthodoxy, but a change of religion.

She considered it a betrayal of Her most sacred feelings and convictions. Being exceptionally honest with herself, distinguished by nobility and devotion to Her ideals, and, moreover, being well educated - She received a Ph.D.

Thus, this question became a matter of conscience for Princess Alice, since the Russian Throne, although the most brilliant in that era, in itself, did not tempt Her, especially since, thanks to Her striking beauty and internal attractiveness, She enjoyed great success among European Crowned Suitors and Heirs to the Thrones.

So, the last obstacle to the marriage of the Heir to the Tsarevich and Princess Alice seemed insurmountable. There was only one possible way out - the complete persuasion of Her religious views, i.e. sincere understanding of the falsity of the Protestant religion and sincere acceptance of holy Orthodoxy. This difficult and complex task fell to the lot of the Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich himself.

At the beginning of April He visited Coburg and spent twelve days at the palace of the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, where Princess Alice was visiting at the same time. Here Their fate was to be decided, which depended on the conviction of the Heir to the Tsesarevich in the correctness of His arguments. On the third day there was a decisive conversation between Them. There was no one in the living room, They were left alone to decide the question of Their life. The princess was lovely. There was no need to speak, it was clear without words. He knew now that Their love is mutual, that in this love is the happiness of the life to come. One obstacle remained - a change of religion; He foresaw this before, but did not imagine that this obstacle could turn out to be so decisive and difficult.

He saw the spiritual struggle of Princess Alice, the real real struggle of a Christian. He understood that it now depends on Him to convince Her that She does not commit apostasy, that by accepting Orthodoxy, She approaches God in the brightest forms of communion with Him. And He found wonderful words in His heart. “Alix, I understand your religious feelings and revere them. But we believe in one Christ; there is no other Christ. God, who created the world, gave us soul and heart. And He filled my heart and yours with love, so that we merge soul with soul, so that we become one and follow the same path in life.

There is nothing without His will. Let not your conscience trouble you that my faith will become your faith. When you find out later how beautiful, fertile and humble our Orthodox religion is, how majestic and magnificent our churches and monasteries are, and how solemn and majestic our services are, you will love them, Alix, and nothing will separate us "...

At that moment, a great, immense one appeared before Him - from the Solovetsky monasteries to the New Athos monasteries, from the northern grayish-blue waters of the Baltic Sea to the bright blue Pacific Ocean - His sovereign Mother Russia, Holy God-bearing Orthodox Russia. Tears of tenderness and delight appeared in my eyes. The princess listened attentively, looking into His blue eyes, His excited face, and a transformation took place in Her soul. Seeing the tears, She could not resist herself. Then she whispered only two words: "I agree." Their tears mingled together.

He outlined the sequence of His conversations, told how he urged Her to change religion and how She felt.

... “She cried all the time and only from time to time said in a whisper:“ no, I can’t. ”I, however, continued to insist and repeat my arguments, and although this conversation lasted two hours, it did not lead to anything because neither she nor I yielded. I gave her your letter and after that she could no longer argue. She decided to talk to Aunt Mikhen (Grand Duke Maria Pavlovna (senior)). As for me, during these three days I was in the most anxious state all the time ... This morning we were left alone, and here, from the very first words, she agreed. God only knows what happened to me. I cried like a baby and so did she. But her face expressed complete satisfaction.

No, dear Mother, I cannot express to you how happy I am, and at the same time, how sorry I am that I cannot hold you and my dear Papa close to my heart. The whole world changed for me at once: nature, people, everything; and everyone seems kind, sweet and happy to me. I couldn't even write, my hands were shaking so much. She has completely changed: she has become cheerful, funny, talkative and gentle ... The Savior told us: "Everything that you ask God, God will give you." These words are infinitely dear to me, because for five years I prayed them, repeating them every night, begging Him to facilitate the transition to the Orthodox faith for Alix and give her to me as a wife...

It's time to finish the letter. Farewell, my dear Mother. I hug you tightly. Christ is with you. Warmly and wholeheartedly loving you Nicky. He took an elegant dark crimson shagreen leather notebook - His diary and made the following entry into it: “A wonderful, unforgettable day in my life - the day of my engagement to dear, beloved Alix ... God, what a mountain fell off my shoulders; with what joy it was possible to please dear Papa and Mama. I walked all day, as if in a dope, not quite realizing what actually happened to me "... [After breakfast, we went to Comrade Marie's church and served a thanksgiving service.] ... (S. Pozdnyshev. Op. Cit., pp. 11-16).

On the same day, April 8/21, 1894, Their engagement was officially announced. [Alexandra Fedorovna, until her death, wore around her neck, along with a cross, Nikolai's groom's gift - a ring with a ruby. (Oleg Platonov. The plot of the regicides. S. 102.) “The news delivered to Russia on the same day caused a response telegram from the parents, and a few days later ... a personal message from Alexander III arrived. “Dear, dear Nicky,” wrote the father, “you can imagine with what a feeling of joy and with what gratitude to the Lord we learned about your engagement! I confess that I did not believe the possibility of such an outcome and was sure of the complete failure of your attempt, but the Lord instructed you, strengthened and blessed you, and great gratitude to Him for His mercies... Now I am sure that you are doubly enjoying and everything you have gone through, although forgotten, but I am sure it has benefited you, proving that not everything gets so easily and for free, and especially such a great step that decides your whole future and your whole subsequent family life!

Ten years have passed since the August Bride and Groom met for the first time, and five years have passed since the Parents refused to bless Their marriage. The heir Tsesarevich meekly humbled himself, but patiently waited and steadily strived towards His goal. Over the years, He managed to gradually overpower His August Father - a mighty hero, distinguished by unshakable willpower, to overcome the dissympathy for His plans on the part of Empress Maria Feodorovna and the grandmother of Princess Alice - Queen Victoria of England, and, finally, without being a theologian, to reveal to Princess Alice the truth of His faith, change Her firm religious convictions and incline Her to a sincere, sincere acceptance of holy Orthodoxy. Only a deeply believing and selflessly loving person, possessing an exceptionally strong character, could overcome all these obstacles.

[“After almost a quarter of a century, She [Alexandra Feodorovna] will remind Him [Nikolai Alexandrovich] of the events of that day with words in which sincere love is felt:“ On this day, the day of our engagement, all my tender thoughts are with you, filling my heart with endless gratitude for that deep love and happiness that you always gave me, from that memorable day - 22 years ago. May God help me to reward you a hundredfold for all your kindness!

Yes, I, - I say quite sincerely, - I doubt that there are many wives as happy as I, so much love, trust and devotion you have shown me in these long years in happiness and sorrow. For all my torment, suffering and indecision, you gave me so much in return, my precious fiance and husband ... Thank you, my treasure, do you feel how I want to be in your strong arms and relive those wonderful days that brought us all new evidence of love and tenderness? Today I will wear that expensive brooch. I can still smell your gray clothes and smell them - there by the window in Coburg Castle.

How vividly I remember all this! Those sweet kisses that I dreamed and yearned for so many years and never hoped to get again. You see how already at that time faith and religion played a big role in my life. I cannot take this lightly and if I decide on something, then forever, the same is in my love and affection.

Too big heart - it devours me. Also, love for Christ - it has always been so closely connected with our lives during these 22 years!

Before leaving for Russia, Nikolai decided to tell his bride about his affair with Kshesinskaya """What happened, it happened," Alice writes with tears in her eyes, "the past can never be returned. We are all subject to temptation in this world, and when we are young, it is especially difficult for us to resist temptation. But if we can repent, God will forgive us. I'm sorry I talk about this so much, but I want you to be sure of my love for you. I love you even more after you told me this story. Your trust touched me deeply. I will try to be worthy of him. God bless you, my beloved Nicky..."

The words that Alice writes in her fiancé's diary are imbued with the most exalted feeling of love, the light of which they managed to carry through their whole lives. Just before she leaves England, She will write in His diary: “I am yours and you are mine, be sure. You are locked in my heart, the key is lost, and you will have to stay there forever.”]

Used Books:
pages of life. S. 7.
As predicted to the holy Emperor Paul the First, Abel the Seer.
G. P. Butnikov. Savior on Spilled Blood. SPb. B / g.
So Emperor Alexander II called the beloved grandson of Tsarevich Nicholas.
pages of life. S. 7.
On the oath, see the explanation of St. Philaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow, given in the notes "Christian Doctrine of Royal Power and the Duties of Loyal Subjects."
A folk proverb teaches us: "Whoever God wants to punish, He takes away his mind."
TVNZ. March 23, 2006.
Oleg Platonov. The conspiracy of the regicides. 89-91.
"The perfection with which the Heir spoke English was such that the Oxford professor mistook Him for an Englishman." (Oleg Platonov. The plot of the regicides. S. 94.)
pages of life. S. 12.
O. Platonov. Nicholas II in secret correspondence. S. 11.
Oleg Platonov. The conspiracy of the regicides. S. 94.
pages of life. S. 14.
The compiler of R. S. cites a fragment of chapter 16 from Oleg Platonov's book "The Conspiracy of the Regicides".
O. Platonov. Nicholas II in secret correspondence. pp. 11-12.
Compiler R. S. cites the text from the book compiled by S. Fomin "Orthodox Tsar-Martyr". (Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov). Pilgrim. 1997. [below - Hegumen Seraphim. Orthodox Tsar.] S. 499-501.)
In Russia, the book of Bishop Mitrofan (Znosko-Borovsky) "Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Sectarianism" (Lectures on Comparative Theology, read at the Holy Trinity Theological Seminary) is known. (Edition of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra (reprint). 1991.) We draw attention to this fact in order to prevent in advance possible accusations by “zealots” not according to the mind of Christ of this bishop of ignorance of the teachings of the Orthodox Church and of an unorthodox, biased attitude towards Buddhism and towards predictions of the Buddhist hermit monk Terakuto.
S. Fomin has here and everywhere below: Tsar-Martyr.
Who boast of their theological or other education, their ordination to the priesthood, their “Orthodoxy”, their belonging to the Russian God-chosen people, their social position, etc. It should be understood that all these are talents given by God, which impose an obligation on their possessors to use them pleasingly and thereby acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The double-headed eagle in the State Emblem of the Russian Empire clearly indicates that both the Priesthood and the Kingdom are in obedience to the Anointed Tsar!
The root of this word is "fornication", and therefore deceived in heart means spiritual fornication.
That is, he was chosen as the King of Heaven!
No one else can have this love, but whoever lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13) - There is no greater love than if someone lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
The compiler cites the 2nd chapter from the book by E. E. Alferyev "Emperor Nicholas II as a man of strong will." (Edition of the Holy Trinity Monastery. Jordanville, 1983. S. 15-21.)
S. Pozdnyshev. Crucify Him. Paris. 1952, p. 9.
Ibidem, p. 10.
From Queen Victoria, the Empress Empress Alexandra Feodorovna inherited, as a transmitter, the fatal disease hemophilia. which She handed over to Her son, the Heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. See The Last Courts of Europe - A Royal Family Album 1860-1914. Introductory text by Robert K. Massie. J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd., London, 1981, p. 25.
pages of life. S. 20.
pages of life. S. 18.
Unknown Alexander III. pp. 215-216.
pages of life. S. 18.
Wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, daughter of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna is the third lady in the Russian Empire after both Empresses. She was considered the head of the grand ducal opposition to Emperor Nicholas II. (Encyclopedia of the Russian Empire. Edited by V. Butromeev. U-Factoria. Yekaterinburg. 2002.) (Remark by the compiler R.S.).
pages of life. S. 22.
E. E. Alferiev. Letters from the Royal Family from imprisonment. Edition of the Holy Trinity Monastery. Jordanville, 1974, pp. 340-341.
Unknown Alexander III. S. 218.
Oleg Platonov. The conspiracy of the regicides. pp. 101-102.

The upbringing he received under the guidance of his father was strict, almost harsh. “I need normal healthy Russian children” - such a requirement was put forward by the emperor to the educators of his children. Such an upbringing could only be Orthodox in spirit. Even as a small child, the Tsarevich showed a special love for God, for His Church. The heir received a very good education at home - he knew several languages, studied Russian and world history, was deeply versed in military affairs, and was a widely erudite person. But the plans of the father to prepare his son for bearing the royal duty were not destined to be fully realized.

The first meeting of the sixteen-year-old heir Nicholas Alexandrovich and the young princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt took place in the year when her older sister, the future Reverend Martyr Elizabeth, married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the uncle of the Tsarevich. A strong friendship began between them, which later turned into a deep and ever-growing love. When in a year, having reached the age of majority, the heir turned to his parents with a request to bless him for marriage with Princess Alice, his father refused, citing his youth as the reason for the refusal. Then he resigned himself to his father's will, but in the year, seeing the unshakable determination of his son, usually gentle and even timid in communication with his father, Emperor Alexander III gave his blessing to the marriage.

The joy of mutual love was overshadowed by a sharp deterioration in the health of Emperor Alexander III, who died on October 20 of the year. Despite the mourning, it was decided not to postpone the marriage, but it took place in the most modest atmosphere on November 14 of the year. The days of family happiness that followed were soon replaced by the need for the new emperor to take on the entire burden of governing the Russian Empire, despite the fact that he had not yet been fully introduced to the course of higher state affairs.

Reign

The character of Nikolai Alexandrovich, who was twenty-six years old at the accession to the throne, and his worldview by this time were completely determined. The faces that stood close to the court marked his lively mind - he always quickly grasped the essence of the issues reported to him, an excellent memory, especially for faces, the nobility of his way of thinking. At the same time, Nikolai Alexandrovich, with his gentleness, tact in handling, and modest manners, gave the impression to many of a man who did not inherit the strong will of his father.

The guide for Emperor Nicholas II was the political testament of his father:

“I bequeath to you to love everything that serves the good, honor and dignity of Russia. Protect the autocracy, remembering, moreover, that you are responsible for the fate of your subjects before the Throne of the Most High. Faith in God and the holiness of your royal duty be the foundation of your life for you. Be firm and courageous, never show weakness. Listen to everyone, there is nothing shameful in this, but listen to yourself and your conscience ".

From the very beginning of his reign as a Russian power, Emperor Nicholas II treated the performance of the duties of the monarch as a sacred duty. The sovereign deeply believed that for the Russian people the royal power was and remains sacred. He always had the idea that the king and queen should be closer to the people, see them more often and trust them more. Having become the supreme ruler of a vast empire, Nikolai Alexandrovich took upon himself an enormous historical and moral responsibility for everything that happened in the state entrusted to him. One of his most important duties he considered the preservation of the Orthodox faith.

Emperor Nicholas II paid great attention to the needs of the Orthodox Church throughout his reign. Like all Russian emperors, he generously donated to the construction of new churches, including those outside Russia. During the years of his reign, the number of parish churches in the empire increased by more than 10 thousand, more than 250 new monasteries were opened. He himself participated in the laying of new churches and other church celebrations. The personal piety of the Sovereign was also manifested in the fact that during the years of his reign more saints were canonized than in the two previous centuries, when only 5 saints were glorified - during his reign, St. Theodosius of Chernigov (g.), Rev. Seraphim of Sarov (city), Holy Princess Anna of Kashinskaya (restoration of veneration in the city), Saint Joasaph of Belgorod (city), Saint Hermogenes of Moscow (city), Saint Pitirim of Tambov (city), Saint John of Tobolsk (city) . At the same time, the emperor was forced to show special perseverance, seeking the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Sts. Joasaph of Belgorod and John of Tobolsk. Emperor Nicholas II highly revered the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt and after his blessed death ordered that his nationwide prayer commemoration be performed on the day of repose.

During the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the synodal system of governing the Church was preserved, but it was under him that the church hierarchy got the opportunity not only to widely discuss, but also to practically prepare the convocation of the Local Council.

The desire to introduce Christian religious and moral principles of one's worldview into public life has always distinguished the foreign policy of Emperor Nicholas II. Back in the year, he turned to the governments of Europe with a proposal to convene a conference to discuss issues of maintaining peace and reducing armaments. The consequence of this was the peace conferences in The Hague in 1997, whose decisions have not lost their significance to this day.

But, despite the sovereign's sincere desire for peace, during his reign Russia had to participate in two bloody wars that led to internal unrest. In the year without a declaration of war, Japan began hostilities against Russia, and the result of this difficult war for Russia was the revolutionary turmoil of the year. The sovereign perceived the unrest that took place in the country as a great personal grief.

In an informal setting, few spoke with the Sovereign. And everyone who knew his family life firsthand noted the amazing simplicity, mutual love and consent of all members of this closely knit family. The relationship of the children with the sovereign was touching - for them he was at the same time king, father and comrade; their feelings changed depending on the circumstances, passing from almost religious worship to complete gullibility and the most cordial friendship.

But the center of the family was Alexei Nikolaevich, on whom all affections and hopes were concentrated. His incurable illness darkened the life of the family, but the nature of the illness remained a state secret, and parents often had to hide their feelings. At the same time, the illness of the Tsarevich opened the doors to the palace for those people who were recommended to the royal family as healers and prayer books. Among them, the peasant Grigory Rasputin appears in the palace, whose healing abilities gave him great influence at court, which, together with the bad fame that spread about him, undermined the faith and loyalty of many to the imperial house.

At the beginning of the war, on the wave of patriotism in Russia, internal disagreements largely subsided, even the most difficult issues became solvable. It was possible to carry out the sovereign's long-conceived ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages for the entire duration of the war - his conviction in the usefulness of this measure was stronger than all economic considerations.

The sovereign regularly traveled to Headquarters, visiting various sectors of his huge army, dressing stations, military hospitals, rear factories - everything that played a role in waging a grandiose war.

From the beginning of the war, the emperor considered his tenure as supreme commander in chief as the fulfillment of a moral and state duty to God and the people. However, the Sovereign always gave the leading military experts a broad initiative in resolving all military-strategic and operational-tactical issues. On August 22, the sovereign left for Mogilev in order to take command of all the armed forces of Russia, and from that day on he was constantly at Headquarters. Only about once a month did the Emperor come to Tsarskoye Selo for a few days. All responsible decisions were made by him, but at the same time he instructed the empress to maintain relations with the ministers and keep him informed of what was happening in the capital.

Imprisonment and execution

Already on March 8, the commissars of the Provisional Government, having arrived in Mogilev, announced through General Alekseev that the sovereign had been arrested and the need to proceed to Tsarskoye Selo. The arrest of the royal family did not have the slightest legal basis or reason, but born on the day of memory of the righteous Job the Long-suffering, in which he always saw a deep meaning, the sovereign accepted his cross in the same way as the biblical righteous man. In the words of the sovereign:

“If I am an obstacle to the happiness of Russia and all the social forces now at the head of it ask me to leave the throne and pass it on to my son and brother, then I am ready to do this, I am ready not only to give my kingdom, but also to give my life for the Motherland. I think no one doubts this from those who know me..

“You need my renunciation. The bottom line is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front in peace, you need to decide on this step. I agreed ... At one in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy feeling of what I had experienced. Around treason and cowardice and deceit!

For the last time, he turned to his troops, calling on them to be loyal to the Provisional Government, the very one that arrested him, to fulfill their duty to the Motherland until complete victory. The farewell order to the troops, which expressed the nobility of the Sovereign's soul, his love for the army, faith in it, was hidden from the people by the Provisional Government, which banned its publication.

The sovereign accepted and endured all the trials sent down to him firmly, meekly and without a shadow of grumbling. On March 9, the emperor, who had been arrested the day before, was transported to Tsarskoe Selo, where the whole family was impatiently waiting for him. An almost five-month period of indefinite stay in Tsarskoye Selo began. The days passed measuredly - in regular worship, joint meals, walks, reading and communication with loved ones. However, at the same time, the life of the prisoners was subjected to petty embarrassments - the sovereign was announced by A.F. Kerensky that he should live separately and see the empress only at the table, and speak only in Russian, guard soldiers made rude remarks to him, access to the palace persons close to the royal family were forbidden. Once, the soldiers even took away a toy gun from the heir under the pretext of a ban on carrying weapons. Father Afanasy Belyaev, who regularly performed divine services in the Alexander Palace during this period, left his testimonies about the spiritual life of the Tsarskoye Selo prisoners. Here is how the service of Good Friday Matins on March 30 took place in the palace:

“The service went on reverently and touchingly ... Their Majesties listened to the entire service while standing. Folding lecterns were placed in front of them, on which the Gospels lay, so that they could follow the reading. Everyone stood until the end of the service and left through the common hall to their rooms. One must see for oneself and be so close in order to understand and make sure how the former royal family zealously, in the Orthodox way, often on their knees, prays to God. With what humility, meekness, humility, completely surrendering themselves to the will of God, they stand behind the divine service!.

In the palace Church or in the former royal chambers, Father Athanasius regularly served the All-Night and Divine Liturgy, which were always attended by all members of the imperial family. After the day of the Holy Trinity, disturbing messages appear more and more often in the diary of Father Athanasius - he notes the growing irritation of the guards, sometimes reaching rudeness towards the royal family. The state of mind of the members of the royal family does not remain without his attention - yes, they all suffered, he notes, but along with suffering, their patience and prayer increased.

Meanwhile, the Provisional Government appointed a commission to investigate the activities of the emperor, but, despite all efforts, they could not find at least something discrediting the king. However, instead of releasing the royal family, it was decided to remove them from Tsarskoe Selo - on the night of August 1, they were sent to Tobolsk, allegedly due to possible unrest, and arrived there on August 6. The first weeks of his stay in Tobolsk were perhaps the calmest for the entire period of imprisonment. On September 8, the feast day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the prisoners were allowed to go to church for the first time. Subsequently, this consolation very rarely fell to their lot.

One of the greatest hardships during my life in Tobolsk was the almost complete absence of any news. The emperor followed with anxiety the events unfolding in Russia, realizing that the country was rapidly heading towards death. The tsar's sadness was immeasurable when the Provisional Government rejected Kornilov's proposal to send troops to Petrograd in order to stop the Bolshevik agitation. The emperor was well aware that this was the only way to avoid imminent disaster. During these days, the sovereign repented of his abdication. As P. Gilliard, tutor of Tsarevich Alexei, recalled:

“He made this decision [on renunciation] only in the hope that those who wanted his removal would still be able to continue the war with honor and not ruin the cause of saving Russia. He was then afraid that his refusal to sign the renunciation would lead to civil war in the sight of the enemy. The tsar did not want even a drop of Russian blood to be shed because of him ... It was painful for the emperor to now see the futility of his sacrifice and realize that, having in mind then only the good of the motherland, he harmed her by his renunciation ".

Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks had already come to power in Petrograd - a period had come, about which the Sovereign wrote in his diary: "much worse and more shameful than the events of the Time of Troubles." The soldiers guarding the governor's house were imbued with affection for the royal family, and several months passed after the Bolshevik coup before the change of power began to affect the situation of the prisoners. In Tobolsk, a “soldier’s committee” was formed, which, in every possible way striving for self-affirmation, demonstrated its power over the Sovereign - either they forced him to remove his shoulder straps, or they destroyed the ice hill arranged for the royal children, and from March 1, “Nikolai Romanov and his family are transferred to soldier's pack." The letters and diaries of members of the imperial family testify to the deep experience of the tragedy that unfolded before their eyes. But this tragedy did not deprive the royal prisoners of strength of mind, firm faith and hope for God's help. Consolation and meekness in enduring sorrows were provided by prayer, the reading of spiritual books, divine services and Communion. In sufferings and trials, spiritual knowledge, knowledge of oneself, of one's soul, multiplied. Striving for eternal life helped endure suffering and gave great consolation:

“... Everything that I love suffers, there is no count of all the dirt and suffering, and the Lord does not allow despondency: He protects from despair, gives strength, confidence in a bright future still in this world”.

In March, it became known that a separate peace was concluded with Germany in Brest, about which the sovereign wrote that this was "tantamount to suicide." The first Bolshevik detachment arrived in Tobolsk on Tuesday 22 April. Commissar Yakovlev examined the house, got acquainted with the prisoners, and a few days later announced that he had to take the Sovereign away, assuring him that nothing bad would happen to him. Assuming that they wanted to send him to Moscow to sign a separate peace with Germany, the sovereign said firmly: "I'd rather let my hand be cut off than sign this shameful treaty." The heir at that time was ill, and it was impossible to take him, but the Empress and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna followed the emperor and were transported to Yekaterinburg, for imprisonment in the Ipatiev house. When the health of the Heir recovered, the rest of the family from Tobolsk were imprisoned in the same house, but most of those close to them were not allowed.

Much less evidence remains about the Yekaterinburg period of imprisonment of the Imperial Family - there are almost no letters, basically this period is known only from brief entries in the diary of the emperor and the testimony of witnesses. Especially valuable is the testimony of Archpriest John Storozhev, who performed the last divine services in the Ipatiev House. Father John served there twice on Sundays at Mass; for the first time it was on May 20 (June 2), when, according to his testimony, members of the royal family "Prayed very earnestly ...". Living conditions in the "special purpose house" were much more difficult than in Tobolsk. The guard consisted of 12 soldiers who lived in close proximity to the prisoners, ate with them at the same table. Commissar Avdeev, an inveterate drunkard, daily contrived, together with his subordinates, to invent new humiliations for the prisoners. I had to put up with hardships, endure bullying and obey the demands of rude people, including former criminals. The royal couple and princesses had to sleep on the floor, without beds. At dinner, a family of seven was given only five spoons; The guards sitting at the same table smoked, brazenly exhaling smoke in the faces of the prisoners, and rudely took away their food. A walk in the garden was allowed once a day, at first for 15-20 minutes, and then no more than five. The behavior of the guards was completely obscene.

Only doctor Yevgeny Botkin remained next to the royal family, who surrounded the prisoners with care and acted as an intermediary between them and the commissars, trying to protect them from the rudeness of the guards, and several tried and true servants.

The faith of the prisoners supported their courage, gave them strength and patience in suffering. All of them understood the possibility of a speedy end and expected it with nobility and clarity of spirit. In one of Olga Nikolaevna's letters there are the following lines:

“The father asks to convey to all those who remained devoted to him, and to those on whom they can have influence, so that they do not avenge him, since he has forgiven everyone and prays for everyone, and that they do not avenge themselves, and that they remember that the evil that is now in the world will be even stronger, but that it is not evil that will overcome evil, but only love..

Most of the testimonies speak of the prisoners of the Ipatiev House as suffering people, but deeply believing, undoubtedly submissive to the will of God. Despite bullying and insults, they led a decent family life in the Ipatiev house, trying to brighten up the oppressive atmosphere with mutual communication, prayer, reading and feasible activities. One of the witnesses of their life in captivity, the educator of the heir, Pierre Gilliard, wrote:

“The Sovereign and Empress believed that they were dying martyrs for their homeland ... Their true greatness did not stem from their royal dignity, but from that amazing moral height to which they gradually rose ... And in their very humiliation they were an amazing manifestation of that amazing clarity of the soul, against which all violence and all rage are powerless, and which triumphs in death itself..

Even the rude guards gradually softened in dealing with the prisoners. They were surprised by their simplicity, they were subdued by the full dignity of spiritual clarity, and they soon felt the superiority of those whom they thought to keep in their power. Even Commissar Avdeev relented. Such a change did not escape the eyes of the Bolshevik authorities. Avdeev was replaced by Yurovsky, the guards were replaced by Austro-German prisoners and selected people from among the executioners of the "emergency". The life of its inhabitants turned into a continuous martyrdom. On July 1 (14), Father John Storozhev performed the last divine service in the Ipatiev House. Meanwhile, in the strictest confidence from the prisoners, preparations were made for their execution.

On the night of July 16-17, at about the beginning of the third, Yurovsky woke up the royal family. They were told that the city was unsettled and that it was necessary to move to a safe place. Forty minutes later, when everyone was dressed and gathered, Yurovsky, together with the prisoners, went down to the first floor and led them to a basement room with one barred window. All were outwardly calm. The sovereign carried Alexei Nikolaevich in his arms, the rest had pillows and other small things in their hands. At the request of the Empress, two chairs were brought into the room, pillows brought by the Grand Duchesses and Anna Demidova were placed on them. The empress and Alexei Nikolaevich were seated on chairs. The sovereign stood in the center next to the heir. The rest of the family and servants were placed in different parts of the room and prepared to wait for a long time, already accustomed to nightly alarms and all sorts of movements. Meanwhile, armed men were already crowding in the next room, waiting for a signal. At that moment, Yurovsky came very close to the sovereign and said: "Nikolai Alexandrovich, by order of the Ural Regional Council, you will be shot with your family." This phrase was so unexpected for the king that he turned towards the family, stretching out his hands to them, then, as if wanting to ask again, he turned to the commandant, saying: “What? What?" Empress Alexandra and Olga Nikolaevna wanted to cross themselves. But at that moment, Yurovsky fired at the Sovereign from a revolver almost point-blank several times, and he immediately fell. Almost simultaneously, everyone else began to shoot - everyone knew their victim in advance. Those already lying on the floor were finished off with shots and bayonets. When it seemed that everything was over, Alexei Nikolaevich suddenly groaned weakly - they shot at him several more times. After making sure that their victims were dead, the killers began to remove jewelry from them. Then the dead were carried out into the yard, where a truck was already standing ready - the noise of its engine was supposed to drown out the shots in the basement. Even before sunrise, the bodies were taken to the forest in the vicinity of the village of Koptyaki.

Together with the imperial family, their servants, who followed their masters into exile, were also shot: Dr.

July 23, 2013, 00:55

The birth of children is a joy, and in the imperial family it is a double joy, especially if a boy is born, since the boys ensured the "stability" of the ruling dynasty. In general, since the time of Paul I, who had four sons, the problem of the heir throughout the 19th century. It was not relevant for the imperial family. There was always a “reserve” in a direct descending line, which made it possible to replace emperors or crown princes who “dropped out” for various reasons without pain for the country.

All Russian empresses gave birth at home, that is, in those imperial residences in which they found themselves at the time of childbirth. As a rule, during childbirth or in the immediate vicinity of the delivery room, all relatives who happened to be nearby were present. And the husband literally “held his wife by the hand” while in the maternity ward. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, in order to verify the truth of the birth and the heir.

Beginning with Paul I, all imperial families had many children. There was no question of any birth control. Empresses, princesses and grand duchesses gave birth, how many "God gave." The exemplary family man Nicholas I and his wife had 7 children, four sons and three daughters. In the family of Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, despite the poor health of the latter, there were eight children - two daughters and six sons. The family of Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna had six children, one of whom died at an early age. There are three sons and two daughters left in the family. Five children were born in the family of Nicholas II. For Nicholas, the absence of an heir could turn into serious political consequences - numerous male relatives from the younger branches of the Romanov dynasty were ready with a great desire to inherit the throne, which did not suit the royal spouses at all.

The birth of children in the family of Nicholas II.

The first childbirth of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was difficult. Nikolai's diary mentions time - from one in the morning until late in the evening, almost a day. As the younger sister of the king, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, recalled, “the baby was dragged with tongs.” Late in the evening of November 3, 1895, the Empress gave birth to a girl, whom her parents named Olga. Pathological childbirth, apparently, was due to both the poor health of the Empress, who at the time of childbirth was 23 years old, and the fact that from adolescence she suffered from sacro-lumbar pain. Pain in her legs haunted her all her life. Therefore, households often saw her in a wheelchair. After a difficult birth, the Empress “got on her feet” only by November 18, and immediately sits in a wheelchair. “I sat with Alix, who rode in a rolling chair and even visited me.”

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna

The Empress gave birth again less than two years later. This pregnancy was also difficult. In the early stages of pregnancy, doctors feared a miscarriage, since the documents dully mention that the Empress got out of bed only on January 22, 1897, i.e. stayed for about 7 weeks. Tatyana was born on May 29, 1897 in the Alexander Palace, where the Family moved for the summer. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich wrote in his diary: “In the morning, God gave Their Majesties ... a daughter. The news spread quickly and everyone was disappointed as they were expecting a son.”

Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna

In November 1998, it turned out that the Empress was pregnant for the third time. As with the first birth, she immediately sits down in a stroller, as she cannot walk because of pain in her legs, and travels around the halls of the Winter Palace "in armchairs." On June 14, 1899, the third daughter, Maria, was born in Peterhof. The series of daughters in the royal family caused a steady mood of disappointment in society. Even the closest relatives of the king in their diaries repeatedly noted that the news of the birth of another daughter caused a sigh of disappointment throughout the country.

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna

The start of the fourth pregnancy was confirmed by court physicians in the fall of 1900. The expectation became unbearable. In the diary of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich it is written: “She has become very prettier ... therefore, everyone tremblingly hopes. That this time there will be a son. On June 5, 1901, the fourth daughter of the Tsar, Anastasia, was born in Peterhof. From the diary of Xenia Alexandrovna: “Alix feels great - but, my God! What a disappointment! Fourth girl!

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna

The empress herself was in despair. Her fifth pregnancy began in November 1901. Since the royal family associated this pregnancy exclusively with the “passes” of the court psychic Philip, she was hidden even from her closest relatives. On the recommendation of Philip, the Empress did not allow medical doctors to visit her until August 1902, i.e. almost to term. Meanwhile, the birth did not come. Finally, the empress agreed to let herself be examined. Life obstetrician Ott, after the examination, Alix announced that "the Empress is not pregnant and was not pregnant." This news struck a terrible blow to the psyche of Alexandra Feodorovna. The child she had been carrying since November was simply gone. It came as a shock to everyone. The official Government Gazette published a message that the empress's pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. After that, the police ordered to exclude from the opera "Tsar Saltan" the words "the queen gave birth on the night of either a son, or a daughter, not a dog, not a frog, so, an unknown little animal."

The Empress with Tsarevich Alexei

It is paradoxical that after an unsuccessful pregnancy, the empress did not lose faith in Philip. In 1903, following the advice of Philip, the whole family visited the Sarov Hermitage. After visiting the village of Diveeva, the empress became pregnant for the sixth time. This pregnancy ended with the successful birth of Tsarevich Alexei on July 30, 1904. Nikolai wrote in his diary: “An unforgettable great day for us, on which the mercy of God so clearly visited us. At 1.4 days, Alix had a son, who, during prayer, was named Alexei. It all happened remarkably soon—for me, at least.” The Empress gave birth to an heir very easily "in half an hour." In her notebook she wrote: "weight - 4660, length - 58, head circumference - 38, chest - 39, on Friday, July 30, at 1:15 in the afternoon." Against the backdrop of the festive bustle of the royal parents, they were worried that the alarming signs of a terrible illness would not appear. A number of documents testify that the parents found out about hemophilia in the heir literally on the day of his birth - the baby had bleeding from the umbilical wound.

Tsesarevich Alexei

Igor Zimin, "Children's World of Imperial Residences".

Nicholas II Alexandrovich. Born on May 6 (18), 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo - shot on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg. Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He reigned from October 20 (November 1), 1894 to March 2 (15), 1917. From the Imperial House of the Romanovs.

Full title of Nicholas II as Emperor: “By the grace of God, Nicholas II, emperor and autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod; Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Chersonese Tauride, Tsar of Georgia; the Sovereign of Pskov and the Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuanian, Volyn, Podolsky and Finland; Prince of Estonia, Livonia, Courland and Semigalsky, Samogitsky, Belostoksky, Korelsky, Tversky, Yugorsky, Permsky, Vyatsky, Bulgarian and others; Sovereign and Grand Duke of Novgorod of the Nizovsky lands, Chernigov, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersky, Udorsky, Obdorsky, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislav and all Northern countries ruler; and sovereign of Iver, Kartalinsky and Kabardian lands and regions of Armenia; Cherkasy and Mountain princes and other hereditary sovereign and owner, the sovereign of Turkestan; heir of Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarsen and Oldenburg and others, and others, and others.

Nicholas II Alexandrovich was born on May 6 (18th according to the old style) May 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo.

The eldest son of the Emperor and Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Immediately after his birth, on May 6 (18), 1868, he was named Nikolai. This is a traditional Romanov name. According to one version, it was “the name of the uncle” - a custom known from the Rurikovich: it was named in memory of the father’s elder brother and mother’s fiancé, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (1843-1865), who died young.

Two great-great-grandfathers of Nicholas II were siblings: Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel and Karl of Hesse-Kassel, and two great-great-grandmothers were cousins: Amalia of Hesse-Darmstadt and Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt.

The baptism of Nikolai Alexandrovich was performed by the confessor of the imperial family, Protopresbyter Vasily Bazhanov, in the Resurrection Church of the Grand Tsarskoye Selo Palace on May 20 of the same year. The godparents were: Queen Louise of Denmark, Crown Prince Friedrich of Denmark, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna.

From birth, he was titled His Imperial Highness (sovereign), Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. After the death as a result of a terrorist attack committed by populists, on March 1, 1881, his grandfather, Emperor Alexander II, received the title of heir to the Tsarevich.

In early childhood, the Englishman Karl Osipovich His (Charles Heath, 1826-1900), who lived in Russia, was the teacher of Nikolai and his brothers. General G. G. Danilovich was appointed his official educator as an heir in 1877.

Nikolai was educated at home as part of a large gymnasium course.

In 1885-1890 - according to a specially written program that connected the course of the state and economic departments of the law faculty of the university with the course of the Academy of the General Staff.

The training sessions were conducted for 13 years: the first eight years were devoted to the subjects of the extended gymnasium course, where special attention was paid to the study of political history, Russian literature, English, German and French (Nikolai Alexandrovich spoke English as his native language). The next five years were devoted to the study of military affairs, legal and economic sciences, necessary for a statesman. Lectures were given by world-famous scientists: N. N. Beketov, N. N. Obruchev, Ts. A. Cui, M. I. Dragomirov, N. Kh. Bunge, and others. All of them were just lecturing. They had no right to ask questions to check how the material was learned. Protopresbyter John Yanyshev taught the crown prince canon law in connection with the history of the church, the main departments of theology and the history of religion.

On May 6 (18), 1884, upon reaching the age of majority (for the heir), he took the oath in the Great Church of the Winter Palace, which was announced by the highest manifesto.

The first act published on his behalf was a rescript addressed to the Moscow Governor-General V. A. Dolgorukov: 15 thousand rubles for distribution, at the discretion of that, “among the residents of Moscow who most need help.”

For the first two years, Nikolai served as a junior officer in the ranks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. For two summer seasons, he served in the ranks of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment as a squadron commander, and then camp duty in the ranks of the artillery.

On August 6 (18), 1892 he was promoted to colonel. At the same time, his father introduces him to the affairs of the country, inviting him to participate in meetings of the State Council and the Cabinet of Ministers. At the suggestion of the Minister of Railways S. Yu. Witte, in 1892 Nikolai was appointed chairman of the committee for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in order to gain experience in public affairs. By the age of 23, the Heir was a man who received extensive information in various fields of knowledge.

The education program included trips to various provinces of Russia, which he made with his father. To complete his education, his father placed at his disposal the cruiser "Memory of Azov" as part of a squadron to travel to the Far East.

For nine months, he visited Austria-Hungary, Greece, Egypt, India, China, Japan with his retinue, and later returned by land from Vladivostok through all of Siberia to the capital of Russia. During the trip, Nikolai kept a personal diary. In Japan, an assassination attempt was made on Nikolai (the so-called Otsu Incident) - a shirt with blood stains is kept in the Hermitage.

Growth of Nicholas II: 170 centimeters.

Personal life of Nicholas II:

The first woman of Nicholas II was a famous ballerina. They were in an intimate relationship during the period 1892-1894.

Their first meeting took place on March 23, 1890 during the final exam. Their romance developed with the approval of members of the royal family, starting from Emperor Alexander III, who organized this acquaintance, and ending with Empress Maria Feodorovna, who wanted her son to become a man. Matilda called the young Tsarevich Nika.

Their relationship ended after Nicholas II's engagement to Alice of Hesse in April 1894. By her own admission, Kshesinskaya, she had a hard time with this gap.

Matilda Kshesinskaya

The first meeting of Tsarevich Nicholas with his future wife took place in January 1889 during the second visit of Princess Alice to Russia. Then there was a mutual attraction. In the same year, Nikolai asked his father for permission to marry her, but was refused.

In August 1890, during Alice's 3rd visit, Nikolai's parents did not allow him to meet her. A letter in the same year to the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna from the English Queen Victoria, in which the grandmother of a potential bride probed the prospects for a marriage, also had a negative result.

However, due to the deteriorating health of Alexander III and the perseverance of the Tsarevich, he was allowed by his father to make an official proposal to Princess Alice and on April 2 (14), 1894, Nicholas, accompanied by his uncles, went to Coburg, where he arrived on April 4. Queen Victoria and German Emperor Wilhelm II also came here.

On April 5, the Tsarevich proposed to Princess Alice, but she hesitated due to the issue of changing her religion. However, three days after the family council with relatives (Queen Victoria, sister Elizabeth Feodorovna), the princess gave her consent to marriage and on April 8 (20), 1894 in Coburg at the wedding of the Duke of Hesse Ernst-Ludwig (Alice's brother) and Princess Victoria-Melita of Edinburgh (daughter of Duke Alfred and Maria Alexandrovna), their engagement took place, announced in Russia by a simple newspaper notice.

In his diary, Nikolai called this day "Wonderful and unforgettable in my life".

On November 14 (26), 1894, in the palace church of the Winter Palace, the marriage of Nicholas II with the German princess Alice of Hesse took place, who took the name after chrismation (performed on October 21 (November 2), 1894 in Livadia). The newlyweds initially settled in the Anichkov Palace next to Empress Maria Feodorovna, but in the spring of 1895 they moved to Tsarskoye Selo, and in the fall to the Winter Palace in their chambers.

In July-September 1896, after the coronation, Nikolai and Alexandra Feodorovna made a big European tour as a royal couple and visited the Austrian emperor, the German Kaiser, the Danish king and the British queen. The trip ended with a visit to Paris and a rest in the homeland of the Empress in Darmstadt.

In subsequent years, the royal couple had four daughters:

Olga(November 3 (15), 1895;
Tatyana(May 29 (June 10), 1897);
Maria(14 (26) June 1899);
Anastasia(5 (18) June 1901).

The Grand Duchesses used the abbreviation to refer to themselves in diaries and correspondence. "OTMA", compiled by the first letters of their names, following in the order of birth: Olga - Tatyana - Maria - Anastasia.

On July 30 (August 12), 1904, the fifth child appeared in Peterhof and The only son- Tsarevich Alexey Nikolaevich.

All correspondence between Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II (in English) has been preserved, only one letter from Alexandra Feodorovna has been lost, all her letters are numbered by the Empress herself; published in Berlin in 1922.

At the age of 9 he began to keep a diary. The archive contains 50 voluminous notebooks - the original diary for 1882-1918, some of them have been published.

Contrary to the assurances of Soviet historiography, the tsar was not among the richest people in the Russian Empire.

Most of the time, Nicholas II lived with his family in the Alexander Palace (Tsarskoye Selo) or Peterhof. In the summer, he rested in the Crimea in the Livadia Palace. For recreation, he also annually made two-week trips around the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea on the Shtandart yacht.

He read both light entertainment literature and serious scientific works, often on historical topics - Russian and foreign newspapers and magazines.

Smoked cigarettes.

He was fond of photography, he also liked to watch movies, and all his children also took pictures.

In the 1900s, he became interested in a then new type of transport - cars. He formed one of the most extensive car parks in Europe.

In 1913, the official government press organ wrote in an essay on the domestic and family side of the emperor's life: “The sovereign does not like the so-called secular pleasures. His favorite entertainment is the hereditary passion of the Russian Tsars - hunting. It is arranged both in the permanent places of the Tsar's residence, and in special places adapted for this - in Spala, near Skiernevitsy, in Belovezhye.

He had a habit of shooting crows, homeless cats and dogs on walks.

Nicholas II. Documentary

Coronation and accession to the throne of Nicholas II

A few days after the death of Alexander III (October 20 (November 1), 1894) and his accession to the throne (the highest manifesto was published on October 21), on November 14 (26), 1894 in the Great Church of the Winter Palace, he married Alexandra Feodorovna. The honeymoon passed in the atmosphere of requiems and mourning visits.

One of the first personnel decisions of Emperor Nicholas II was the dismissal in December 1894 of the conflicting I. V. Gurko from the post of Governor-General of the Kingdom of Poland and the appointment in February 1895 to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs A. B. Lobanov-Rostovsky - after the death of N. K. Gears.

As a result of the exchange of notes dated March 27 (April 8), 1895, "the delimitation of the spheres of influence of Russia and Great Britain in the Pamirs region, to the east of Lake Zor-Kul (Victoria)", along the Pyanj River, was established. The Pamir volost became part of the Osh district of the Fergana region, the Wakhan ridge on Russian maps received the designation of the ridge of Emperor Nicholas II.

The first major international act of the emperor was the Triple Intervention - simultaneous (11 (23) April 1895), at the initiative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the presentation (together with Germany and France) of demands for Japan to revise the terms of the Shimonoseki peace treaty with China, renouncing claims to the Liaodong Peninsula .

The first public speech of the emperor in St. Petersburg was his speech delivered on January 17 (29), 1895 in the Nicholas Hall of the Winter Palace in front of deputations of the nobility, zemstvos and cities who arrived "to express loyal feelings to Their Majesties and bring congratulations on their marriage." The delivered text of the speech (the speech was written in advance, but the emperor only delivered it from time to time looking at the paper) read: “I know that recently in some zemstvo meetings the voices of people who were carried away by senseless dreams about the participation of representatives of the zemstvos in matters of internal administration have been heard. Let everyone know that, devoting all my strength to the good of the people, I will guard the beginning of autocracy as firmly and unswervingly as my unforgettable, late parent guarded it..

The coronation of the emperor and his wife took place on May 14 (26), 1896. The celebration resulted in mass casualties on the Khodynka field, the incident is known as Khodynka.

The Khodynka disaster, also known as a mass crush, occurred in the early morning of May 18 (30), 1896, on the Khodynka field (north-western part of Moscow, the beginning of modern Leningradsky Prospekt) on the outskirts of Moscow during the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II on May 14 (26) . It killed 1,379 people and crippled more than 900. Most of the corpses (except those identified immediately on the spot and given out for burial in their parishes) were collected at the Vagankovsky cemetery, where they were identified and buried. In 1896, at the Vagankovsky cemetery on a mass grave, a monument was erected to the victims of the stampede on the Khodynka field, designed by the architect I. A. Ivanov-Shitz, with the date of the tragedy engraved on it: “May 18, 1896”.

In April 1896, the Russian government formally recognized the Bulgarian government of Prince Ferdinand. In 1896, Nicholas II also made a big trip to Europe, meeting with Franz Joseph, Wilhelm II, Queen Victoria (grandmother of Alexandra Feodorovna), the trip ended with his arrival in the capital of allied France, Paris.

By the time of his arrival in Great Britain in September 1896, there was a sharp aggravation of relations between Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire, associated with the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, and the simultaneous rapprochement between St. Petersburg and Constantinople.

Visiting Queen Victoria in Balmoral, Nicholas, agreeing to the joint development of a reform project in the Ottoman Empire, rejected the proposals made to him by the British government to remove Sultan Abdul-Hamid, keep Egypt for England, and in return receive some concessions on the issue of the Straits.

Arriving in Paris in early October of the same year, Nicholas approved joint instructions to the ambassadors of Russia and France in Constantinople (which the Russian government had categorically refused until that time), approved the French proposals on the Egyptian question (which included "guarantees of the neutralization of the Suez Canal" - the goal, which was previously outlined for Russian diplomacy by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Lobanov-Rostovsky, who died on August 30 (September 11), 1896).

The Paris agreements of the tsar, who was accompanied on the trip by N. P. Shishkin, provoked sharp objections from Sergei Witte, Lamzdorf, Ambassador Nelidov and others. Nevertheless, by the end of the same year, Russian diplomacy returned to its previous course: strengthening the alliance with France, pragmatic cooperation with Germany on certain issues, freezing the Eastern Question (that is, supporting the Sultan and opposition to England's plans in Egypt).

From the plan approved at the meeting of ministers on December 5 (17), 1896, under the chairmanship of the tsar, it was decided to abandon the plan for the landing of Russian troops on the Bosphorus (under a certain scenario). In March 1897, Russian troops took part in the international peacekeeping operation in Crete after the Greco-Turkish war.

During 1897, 3 heads of state arrived in St. Petersburg to pay a visit to the Russian emperor: Franz Joseph, Wilhelm II, French President Felix Faure. During the visit of Franz Josef, an agreement was concluded between Russia and Austria for 10 years.

The Manifesto of February 3 (15), 1899 on the order of legislation in the Grand Duchy of Finland was perceived by the population of the Grand Duchy as an infringement on its autonomy rights and caused mass discontent and protests.

The manifesto of June 28 (July 10), 1899 (published on June 30) announced the death of the same June 28 "heir to the Tsarevich and Grand Duke George Alexandrovich" (the oath to the latter, as heir to the throne, was previously taken along with the oath to Nicholas) and read further: “From now on, until the Lord is pleased to bless us with the birth of a son, the next right of succession to the All-Russian throne, on the exact basis of the main State Law on Succession to the Throne, belongs to our most kind brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.”

The absence in the manifesto of the words “heir to the Tsarevich” in the title of Mikhail Alexandrovich aroused bewilderment in court circles, which prompted the emperor to issue a nominal imperial decree on July 7 of the same year, which commanded to call the latter “sovereign heir and grand duke”.

According to the first general census conducted in January 1897, the population of the Russian Empire was 125 million people. Of these, for 84 million native was the Russian language, literate among the population of Russia was 21%, among people aged 10-19 years - 34%.

In January of the same year, monetary reform, which established the gold standard for the ruble. Switching to the golden ruble, among other things, was the devaluation of the national currency: on the imperials of the previous weight and standard, “15 rubles” was now indicated - instead of 10; nevertheless, the stabilization of the ruble at the rate of "two-thirds", contrary to forecasts, was successful and without shocks.

Much attention was paid to the labor issue. On June 2 (14), 1897, a law was issued on the limitation of working hours, which established the maximum working day limit of no more than 11.5 hours on ordinary days, and 10 hours on Saturday and pre-holiday days, or if at least part of the working day fell on a night time.

In factories with more than 100 workers, free medical care was introduced, covering 70 percent of the total number of factory workers (1898). In June 1903, the Rules on the Remuneration of Victims of Industrial Accidents were approved, obliging the entrepreneur to pay benefits and pensions to the victim or his family in the amount of 50-66% of the victim's maintenance.

In 1906, workers' trade unions were created in the country. The law of June 23 (July 6), 1912 introduced compulsory insurance of workers against illness and accidents in Russia.

A special tax on landowners of Polish origin in the Western Territory, introduced as a punishment for the Polish uprising of 1863, was abolished. Decree of 12 (25) June 1900 abolished exile to Siberia as a punishment.

The reign of Nicholas II was a period of economic growth: in 1885-1913, the growth rate of agricultural production averaged 2%, and the growth rate of industrial production was 4.5-5% per year. Coal mining in the Donbass increased from 4.8 million tons in 1894 to 24 million tons in 1913. Coal mining began in the Kuznetsk coal basin. Oil production developed in the vicinity of Baku, Grozny and on Emba.

The construction of railways continued, the total length of which, which was 44 thousand km in 1898, by 1913 exceeded 70 thousand km. In terms of the total length of railways, Russia surpassed any other European country and was second only to the United States, however, in terms of the provision of railways per capita, it was inferior to both the United States and the largest European countries.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Back in 1895, the emperor foresaw the possibility of a clash with Japan for dominance in the Far East, and therefore prepared for this fight - both diplomatically and militarily. From the resolution of the tsar on April 2 (14), 1895, in the report of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, his desire for the further expansion of Russia in the South-East (Korea) was clear.

On May 22 (June 3), 1896, a Russian-Chinese treaty on a military alliance against Japan was concluded in Moscow; China agreed to the construction of a railway through Northern Manchuria to Vladivostok, the construction and operation of which was provided to the Russian-Chinese Bank.

On September 8 (20), 1896, a concession agreement was signed between the Chinese government and the Russian-Chinese Bank for the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER).

On March 15 (27), 1898, Russia and China in Beijing signed the Russo-Chinese Convention of 1898, according to which Russia was given the ports of Port Arthur (Lushun) and Dalny (Dalian) with adjacent territories and water space for lease for 25 years; in addition, the Chinese government agreed to extend the concession granted by it to the CER Society for the construction of a railway line (South Manchurian Railway) from one of the CER points to Dalniy and Port Arthur.

On August 12 (24), 1898, according to the order of Nicholas II, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count M. N. Muravyov, handed over to all representatives of foreign powers staying in St. Petersburg a government message (circular note), which read among other things: “To put an end to continuous armaments and to find means to avert the misfortunes that threaten the whole world - such is now the highest duty for all States. Filled with this feeling, the Sovereign Emperor ordered me to deign to address the Governments of the states, whose representatives are accredited to the Highest Court, with a proposal to convene a conference in the form of discussing this important task..

In 1899 and 1907, the Hague Peace Conferences were held, some decisions of which are still valid today (in particular, the Permanent Court of Arbitration was created in The Hague). For the initiative to convene the Hague Peace Conference and contribution to its holding, Nicholas II and the famous Russian diplomat Fedor Fedorovich Martens were nominated in 1901 for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the UN Secretariat to this day there is a bust of Nicholas II and his Appeal to the powers of the world on the convening of the first Hague Conference is placed.

In 1900, Nicholas II sent Russian troops to suppress the Ihetuan uprising together with the troops of other European powers, Japan and the United States.

The lease of the Liaodong Peninsula by Russia, the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and the establishment of a naval base in Port Arthur, the growing influence of Russia in Manchuria clashed with the aspirations of Japan, which also laid claim to Manchuria.

On January 24 (February 6), 1904, the Japanese ambassador presented the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs V. N. Lamzdorf with a note that announced the termination of negotiations, which Japan considered "useless", and the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia. Japan withdrew its diplomatic mission from St. Petersburg and reserved the right to resort to "independent actions" to protect its interests, as it deemed necessary. On the evening of January 26 (February 8), 1904, the Japanese fleet attacked the Port Arthur squadron without declaring war. The highest manifesto, given by Nicholas II on January 27 (February 9), 1904, declared war on Japan.

The border battle on the Yalu River was followed by battles near Liaoyang, on the Shahe River and near Sandepa. After a major battle in February - March 1905, the Russian army left Mukden.

After the fall of the fortress of Port Arthur, few people believed in a favorable outcome of the military campaign. The patriotic upsurge was replaced by irritation and despondency. This situation contributed to the intensification of anti-government agitation and critical sentiment. The emperor for a long time did not agree to admit the failure of the campaign, believing that these were only temporary setbacks. He certainly wanted peace, only the honorable peace that a strong military position could provide.

By the end of the spring of 1905, it became obvious that the possibility of changing the military situation existed only in the distant future.

The outcome of the war was decided by the sea battle of Tsushima May 14-15 (28), 1905, which ended with the almost complete destruction of the Russian fleet.

On May 23 (June 5), 1905, the emperor received, through the US ambassador in St. Petersburg, Meyer, President T. Roosevelt's proposal for mediation to conclude peace. The answer was not long in coming. On May 30 (June 12), 1905, Foreign Minister VN Lamzdorf informed Washington by official telegram of the acceptance of T. Roosevelt's mediation.

The Russian delegation was headed by S.Yu. Witte, the authorized representative of the tsar, and in the United States he was joined by the Russian ambassador to the United States, Baron R.R. Rosen. The difficult situation of the Russian government after the Russo-Japanese War prompted German diplomacy to make another attempt in July 1905 to tear Russia away from France and conclude a Russian-German alliance: Wilhelm II invited Nicholas II to meet in July 1905 in the Finnish skerries, near the island of Björke. Nikolai agreed, and at the meeting he signed the agreement, returning to St. Petersburg, he refused it, since on August 23 (September 5), 1905, a peace treaty was signed in Portsmouth by Russian representatives S. Yu. Witte and R. R. Rosen. Under the terms of the latter, Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of influence of Japan, ceded to Japan South Sakhalin and the rights to the Liaodong Peninsula with the cities of Port Arthur and Dalniy.

The American researcher of the era T. Dennett in 1925 stated: “Few people now believe that Japan was deprived of the fruits of the upcoming victories. The opposite opinion prevails. Many believe that Japan was already exhausted by the end of May, and that only the conclusion of peace saved her from collapse or complete defeat in a clash with Russia.. Japan spent about 2 billion yen on the war, and its public debt increased from 600 million yen to 2.4 billion yen. In interest alone, the Japanese government had to pay 110 million yen annually. The four foreign loans received for the war were a heavy burden on the Japanese budget. In the middle of the year, Japan was forced to take out a new loan. Realizing that the continuation of the war due to lack of funding becomes impossible, the Japanese government, under the guise of "personal opinion" of the Minister of War Terauchi, through the American ambassador, already in March 1905 brought to the attention of T. Roosevelt the desire to end the war. The calculation was made on the mediation of the United States, which eventually happened.

The defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (the first in half a century) and the subsequent suppression of the unrest of 1905-1907, which was subsequently aggravated by the appearance of rumors about influences, led to a fall in the authority of the emperor in the ruling and intellectual circles.

Bloody Sunday and the first Russian revolution 1905-1907

With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Nicholas II made some concessions to liberal circles: after the assassination of the Minister of Internal Affairs V.K.

On December 12 (25), 1904, the highest decree was given to the Senate "On the plans for the improvement of the state order", promising the expansion of the rights of zemstvos, insurance of workers, the emancipation of foreigners and non-believers, and the elimination of censorship. When discussing the text of the Decree of December 12 (25), 1904, he, however, privately said to Count Witte (according to the latter’s memoirs): “I will never, in any case, agree to a representative form of government, because I consider it harmful to the person entrusted to me. God of the people."

January 6 (19), 1905 (on the feast of Epiphany), during the blessing of water on the Jordan (on the ice of the Neva), in front of the Winter Palace, in the presence of the emperor and members of his family, at the very beginning of the singing of the troparion, a shot rang out from a gun, in which accidentally (according to the official version) there was a charge of buckshot left after the exercises on January 4th. Most of the bullets hit the ice next to the royal pavilion and into the facade of the palace, in 4 windows of which glass was broken. In connection with the incident, the editor of the synodal publication wrote that “it is impossible not to see something special” in the fact that only one policeman named “Romanov” was mortally wounded and the flagpole of the “nursery of our ill-fated fleet” was shot through - the banner of the naval corps.

On January 9 (22), 1905, in St. Petersburg, at the initiative of priest Georgy Gapon, a procession of workers to the Winter Palace took place. On January 6-8, the priest Gapon and a group of workers drew up a petition for workers' needs in the name of the emperor, which, along with economic ones, contained a number of political demands.

The main demand of the petition was the elimination of the power of officials and the introduction of popular representation in the form of a Constituent Assembly. When the government became aware of the political content of the petition, it was decided not to allow the workers to the Winter Palace, but, if necessary, to detain them by force. On the evening of January 8, Minister of the Interior P. D. Svyatopolk-Mirsky informed the emperor of the measures taken. Contrary to popular belief, Nicholas II did not give the order to fire, but only approved the measures proposed by the head of government.

On January 9 (22), 1905, columns of workers headed by the priest Gapon moved from different parts of the city to the Winter Palace. Electrified by fanatical propaganda, the workers stubbornly strove for the city center, despite warnings and even attacks by cavalry. To prevent the accumulation of a crowd of 150,000 in the center of the city, the troops were forced to fire rifle volleys at the columns.

According to official government data, on January 9 (22), 1905, 130 people were killed and 299 wounded. According to the calculations of the Soviet historian V.I. Nevsky, up to 200 people were killed, and up to 800 people were wounded. On the evening of January 9 (22), 1905, Nicholas II wrote in his diary: "Hard day! In St. Petersburg, there were serious riots due to the desire of the workers to reach the Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different parts of the city, there were many killed and wounded. Lord, how painful and hard!”.

The events of January 9 (22), 1905 became a turning point in Russian history and marked the beginning of the First Russian Revolution. The liberal and revolutionary opposition placed all the blame for the events on Emperor Nicholas.

The priest Gapon, who fled from police persecution, wrote an appeal on the evening of January 9 (22), 1905, in which he called on the workers to an armed uprising and overthrow of the dynasty.

On February 4 (17), 1905, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who professed extreme right-wing political views and had a certain influence on his nephew, was killed by a terrorist bomb in the Moscow Kremlin.

On April 17 (30), 1905, a decree “On strengthening the principles of religious tolerance” was issued, which abolished a number of religious restrictions, in particular with regard to “schismatics” (Old Believers).

Strikes continued in the country, unrest began on the outskirts of the empire: in Courland, the Forest Brothers began to massacre local German landowners, and the Armenian-Tatar massacre began in the Caucasus.

Revolutionaries and separatists received support in money and weapons from England and Japan. So, in the summer of 1905, the English steamer John Grafton, which had run aground, carrying several thousand rifles for Finnish separatists and revolutionary militants, was detained in the Baltic Sea. There were several uprisings in the fleet and in various cities. The largest was the December uprising in Moscow. At the same time, the Socialist-Revolutionary and anarchist individual terror gained a large scope. In just a couple of years, thousands of officials, officers and policemen were killed by revolutionaries - in 1906 alone, 768 were killed and 820 representatives and agents of power were wounded.

The second half of 1905 was marked by numerous unrest in universities and theological seminaries: due to the riots, almost 50 secondary theological educational institutions were closed. The adoption on August 27 (September 9), 1905, of a provisional law on the autonomy of universities caused a general strike of students and stirred up teachers at universities and theological academies. The opposition parties took advantage of the expansion of freedoms to intensify attacks on the autocracy in the press.

On August 6 (19), 1905, a manifesto was signed on the establishment of the State Duma (“as a legislative institution, which is given the preliminary development and discussion of legislative proposals and consideration of the schedule of state revenues and expenditures” - the Bulygin Duma) and the law on the State Duma and the regulation on elections in Duma.

But the revolution, which was gaining strength, stepped over the acts of August 6: in October, an all-Russian political strike began, more than 2 million people went on strike. On the evening of October 17 (30), 1905, Nikolai, after psychologically difficult hesitation, decided to sign a manifesto, commanding, among other things: "one. Grant the population an unshakable foundation of civil freedom on the basis of real inviolability of the individual, freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association... participation in the supervision of the regularity of the actions of the authorities appointed by us”.

On April 23 (May 6), 1906, the Fundamental State Laws of the Russian Empire were approved, providing for a new role for the Duma in the legislative process. From the point of view of the liberal public, the manifesto marked the end of the Russian autocracy as the unlimited power of the monarch.

Three weeks after the manifesto, political prisoners were amnestied, except for those convicted of terrorism; a decree of November 24 (December 7), 1905, abolished both preliminary general and spiritual censorship for time-based (periodical) publications published in the cities of the empire (April 26 (May 9), 1906, all censorship was abolished).

After the publication of the manifestos, the strikes subsided. The armed forces (except for the fleet, where unrest took place) remained faithful to the oath. An extreme right-wing monarchist public organization, the Union of the Russian People, arose and was tacitly supported by Nicholas.

From the First Russian Revolution to the First World War

On August 18 (31), 1907, an agreement was signed with Great Britain on the delimitation of spheres of influence in China, Afghanistan and Persia, which on the whole completed the process of forming an alliance of 3 powers - the Triple Entente, known as Entente (Triple-Entente). However, mutual military obligations at that time existed only between Russia and France - under the agreement of 1891 and the military convention of 1892.

On May 27 - 28 (June 10), 1908, the meeting of the British King Edward VII with the tsar took place - on a roadstead in the harbor of Reval, the tsar received from the king the uniform of the admiral of the British fleet. The Revel meeting of the monarchs was interpreted in Berlin as a step towards the formation of an anti-German coalition - despite the fact that Nicholas was a staunch opponent of rapprochement with England against Germany.

The agreement (Potsdam Agreement) concluded between Russia and Germany on August 6 (19), 1911 did not change the general vector of Russia's and Germany's involvement in opposing military-political alliances.

On June 17 (30), 1910, the law on the procedure for issuing laws relating to the Principality of Finland, approved by the State Council and the State Duma, was approved - known as the law on the order of general imperial legislation.

The Russian contingent, which had been in Persia since 1909 due to the unstable political situation, was reinforced in 1911.

In 1912, Mongolia became a de facto protectorate of Russia, having gained independence from China as a result of the revolution that took place there. After this revolution in 1912-1913 Tuvan noyons (ambyn-noyon Kombu-Dorzhu, Chamzy Khamby-lama, noyon of Daa-ho.shun Buyan-Badyrgy and others) appealed to the tsarist government several times with a request to accept Tuva under the protectorate of the Russian Empire. On April 4 (17), 1914, by a resolution on the report of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a Russian protectorate was established over the Uryankhai region: the region was included in the Yenisei province with the transfer of political and diplomatic affairs in Tuva to the Irkutsk Governor-General.

The beginning of military operations of the Balkan Union against Turkey in the autumn of 1912 marked the collapse of the diplomatic efforts undertaken after the Bosnian crisis by the Minister of Foreign Affairs S. D. Sazonov in the direction of an alliance with the Port and at the same time keeping the Balkan states under their control: contrary to the expectations of the Russian government, the troops of the latter successfully pushed Turks and in November 1912 the Bulgarian army was 45 km from the Ottoman capital of Constantinople.

In connection with the Balkan war, the behavior of Austria-Hungary became more and more defiant towards Russia, and in this regard, in November 1912, at a meeting with the emperor, the issue of mobilizing the troops of three Russian military districts was considered. Minister of War V. Sukhomlinov advocated this measure, but Prime Minister V. Kokovtsov managed to convince the emperor not to take such a decision, which threatened to drag Russia into the war.

After the actual transfer of the Turkish army under the German command (German General Liman von Sanders at the end of 1913 took over as chief inspector of the Turkish army), the question of the inevitability of war with Germany was raised in Sazonov's note to the emperor of December 23, 1913 (January 5, 1914), Sazonov's note also discussed at the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

In 1913, a wide celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty took place: the imperial family made a trip to Moscow, from there to Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, and then along the Volga to Kostroma, where on March 14 (24), 1613, the first tsar was called to the kingdom from the Romanovs - Mikhail Fedorovich. In January 1914, a solemn consecration took place in St. Petersburg of the Fedorovsky Cathedral, erected to commemorate the anniversary of the dynasty.

The first two State Dumas were unable to conduct regular legislative work: the contradictions between the deputies, on the one hand, and the emperor, on the other, were insurmountable. So, immediately after the opening, in a response address to the throne speech of Nicholas II, the left Duma members demanded the liquidation of the State Council (the upper house of parliament), the transfer of monastery and state lands to the peasants. On May 19 (June 1), 1906, 104 deputies of the Labor Group put forward a draft land reform (Draft 104), the content of which was reduced to the confiscation of landed estates and the nationalization of all land.

The Duma of the first convocation was dissolved by the Emperor by a Personal Decree to the Senate of July 8 (21), 1906 (published on Sunday, July 9), which set the time for the convocation of the newly elected Duma on February 20 (March 5), 1907. The subsequent Imperial Manifesto of July 9 explained the reasons, among which were: “Electives from the population, instead of working to build a legislative one, 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 of which can be undertaken only by our royal will, and to actions that are clearly illegal, as an appeal on behalf of the Duma to the population. By decree of July 10 of the same year, the sessions of the State Council were suspended.

Simultaneously with the dissolution of the Duma, instead of I. L. Goremykin, he was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. Stolypin's agrarian policy, the successful suppression of unrest, and his bright speeches in the Second Duma made him the idol of some of the right.

The second Duma turned out to be even more left-wing than the first, since the Social Democrats and Socialist-Revolutionaries, who boycotted the first Duma, participated in the elections. The idea was ripening in the government to dissolve the Duma and change the electoral law.

Stolypin was not going to destroy the Duma, but to change the composition of the Duma. The reason for the dissolution was the actions of the Social Democrats: on May 5, a gathering of 35 Social Democrats and about 30 soldiers of the St. Petersburg garrison was discovered by the police in the apartment of a Duma member from the RSDLP Ozol. In addition, the police found various propaganda materials calling for the violent overthrow of the state system, various orders from soldiers of military units and false passports.

On June 1, Stolypin and the chairman of the St. Petersburg Court of Justice demanded from the Duma that the entire composition of the Social Democratic faction be removed from Duma meetings and that the immunity of 16 members of the RSDLP be lifted. The Duma responded to the government's demands with a refusal, the result of the confrontation was the manifesto of Nicholas II on the dissolution of the Second Duma, published on June 3 (16), 1907, along with the Regulations on elections to the Duma, that is, the new electoral law. The manifesto also indicated the opening date of the new Duma - November 1 (14), 1907. The act of June 3, 1907 in Soviet historiography was called the "June 3 coup", as it conflicted with the manifesto of October 17, 1905, according to which no new law could be adopted without the approval of the State Duma.

Since 1907, the so-called "Stolypin" agrarian reform. The main direction of the reform was the consolidation of lands, previously collectively owned by the rural community, to the peasant proprietors. The state also provided extensive assistance in the purchase of landed estates by peasants (through lending by the Peasant Land Bank), and subsidized agronomic assistance. During the reform, much attention was paid to the fight against striping (a phenomenon in which the peasant cultivated many small strips of land in different fields), the allocation of plots “to one place” (cuts, farms) to peasants was encouraged, which led to a significant increase in the efficiency of the economy.

The reform, which required a huge amount of land management work, unfolded rather slowly. Before the February Revolution, no more than 20% of communal lands were assigned to the peasants. The results of the reform, obviously noticeable and positive, did not have time to manifest themselves in full.

In 1913, Russia (excluding the Vistula provinces) was in first place in the world in the production of rye, barley and oats, third (after Canada and the USA) in wheat production, fourth (after France, Germany and Austria-Hungary) in the production of potatoes. Russia has become the main exporter of agricultural products, accounting for 2/5 of all world agricultural exports. Grain yield was 3 times lower than English or German, potato yield was 2 times lower.

The military transformations of 1905-1912 were carried out after the defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which revealed serious shortcomings in the central administration, organization, recruitment system, combat training and technical equipment of the army.

In the first period of military transformations (1905-1908), the highest military administration was decentralized (the Main Directorate of the General Staff was established independent of the Military Ministry, the Council of State Defense was created, the inspector generals were directly subordinate to the emperor), the terms of active service were reduced (in the infantry and field artillery from 5 to 3 years, in other branches of the military from 5 to 4 years, in the navy from 7 to 5 years), the officer corps was rejuvenated, the life of soldiers and sailors (food and clothing allowance) and the financial situation of officers and re-enlisted personnel were improved.

In the second period (1909-1912), the centralization of the higher administration was carried out (the Main Directorate of the General Staff was included in the Ministry of War, the Council of State Defense was abolished, inspector generals were subordinate to the Minister of War). At the expense of the militarily weak reserve and fortress troops, the field troops were strengthened (the number of army corps increased from 31 to 37), a reserve was created at the field units, which, during mobilization, was allocated for the deployment of secondary ones (including field artillery, engineering and railway troops, communications units) , machine gun teams were created in the regiments and corps squadrons, cadet schools were transformed into military schools that received new programs, new charters and instructions were introduced.

In 1910, the Imperial Air Force was created.

Nicholas II. A thwarted triumph

World War I

Nicholas II made efforts to prevent the war in all the pre-war years, and in the last days before it began, when (July 15 (28), 1914) Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and began bombing Belgrade. On July 16 (29), 1914, Nicholas II sent a telegram to Wilhelm II with a proposal to “transfer the Austro-Serbian question to the Hague Conference” (to the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague). Wilhelm II did not reply to this telegram.

Opposition parties both in the Entente countries and in Russia (including the Social Democrats) at the beginning of WWI considered Germany to be the aggressor. in the autumn of 1914, he wrote that it was Germany that unleashed the war, at a convenient time for her.

On July 20 (August 2), 1914, the emperor issued and by the evening of the same day published a manifesto on the war, as well as a royal decree in which he, “not recognizing it possible, for reasons of a national nature, now become the head of our land and sea forces intended for military operations, "ordered the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich to be the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

By decrees of July 24 (August 6), 1914, classes of the State Council and the Duma were interrupted from July 26.

On July 26 (August 8), 1914, a manifesto was issued on the war with Austria. On the same day, the highest reception was held for members of the State Council and the Duma: the emperor arrived at the Winter Palace on a yacht together with Nikolai Nikolaevich and, entering the Nikolaevsky Hall, addressed the audience with the following words: “Germany and then Austria declared war on Russia. That huge upsurge of patriotic feelings of love for the Motherland and devotion to the throne, which, like a hurricane swept through our entire land, serves in my eyes and, I think, in yours, as a guarantee that our great mother Russia will bring the war sent down by the Lord God to the desired end . ... I am sure that each and every one of you in your place will help me endure the test sent down to me and that everyone, starting with me, will fulfill their duty to the end. Great is the God of the Russian Land!. In conclusion of his response speech, the Chairman of the Duma, Chamberlain M. V. Rodzianko, said: “Without a difference of opinions, views and convictions, the State Duma, on behalf of the Russian Land, calmly and firmly says to its tsar: “Go for it, sovereign, the Russian people are with you and, firmly trusting in the mercy of God, will not stop at any sacrifice until the enemy is broken and the dignity of the Motherland will not be protected".

During the period of command of Nikolai Nikolaevich, the tsar went to Headquarters several times for meetings with the command (September 21 - 23, October 22 - 24, November 18 - 20). In November 1914 he also traveled to the south of Russia and the Caucasian front.

At the beginning of June 1915, the situation on the fronts deteriorated sharply: Przemysl, a fortified city, was surrendered, captured in March with huge losses. Lvov was abandoned at the end of June. All military acquisitions were lost, the loss of the Russian Empire's own territory began. In July, Warsaw, all of Poland and part of Lithuania were surrendered; the enemy continued to advance. There was talk in society about the inability of the government to cope with the situation.

Both on the part of public organizations, the State Duma, and on the part of other groups, even many grand dukes, they started talking about creating a "ministry of public trust."

At the beginning of 1915, the troops at the front began to experience a great need for weapons and ammunition. The need for a complete restructuring of the economy in accordance with the requirements of the war became clear. On August 17 (30), 1915, Nicholas II approved the documents on the formation of four Special Meetings: on defense, fuel, food and transportation. These meetings, which consisted of representatives of the government, private industrialists, members of the State Duma and the State Council and were chaired by the relevant ministers, were supposed to unite the efforts of the government, private industry and the public in mobilizing industry for military needs. The most important of these was the Special Defense Conference.

On May 9 (22), 1916, the All-Russian Emperor Nicholas II, accompanied by his family, General Brusilov and others, held a review of troops in the Bessarabian province in the city of Bendery and visited the infirmary located in the city auditorium.

Along with the creation of special conferences, military-industrial committees began to emerge in 1915 - public organizations of the bourgeoisie, which bore a semi-oppositional character.

The reassessment by Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich of his abilities resulted in a number of major military mistakes, and attempts to deflect the relevant accusations from himself led to inflated Germanophobia and spy mania. One of these most significant episodes was the case of Lieutenant Colonel Myasoedov, which ended with the execution of the innocent, where Nikolai Nikolayevich played first violin along with A. I. Guchkov. The front commander, due to the disagreement of the judges, did not approve the verdict, but Myasoedov’s fate was decided by the resolution of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich: “Hang anyway!” This case, in which the Grand Duke played the first role, led to an increase in the clearly oriented suspicion of society and played its role, including in the May 1915 German pogrom in Moscow.

Failures at the front continued: on July 22, Warsaw and Kovno were surrendered, the fortifications of Brest were blown up, the Germans were approaching the Western Dvina, and the evacuation of Riga was begun. In such conditions, Nicholas II decided to remove the Grand Duke who could not cope and himself to stand at the head of the Russian army.

On August 23 (September 5), 1915, Nicholas II assumed the title of Supreme Commander, replacing the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, who was appointed commander of the Caucasian Front. M. V. Alekseev was appointed chief of staff of the headquarters of the Supreme Commander.

The soldiers of the Russian army met the decision of Nicholas to take the post of Supreme Commander without enthusiasm. At the same time, the German command was satisfied with the departure of Prince Nikolai Nikolayevich from the post of supreme commander in chief - they considered him a tough and skillful opponent. A number of his strategic ideas were praised by Erich Ludendorff as eminently bold and brilliant.

During the Sventsyansky breakthrough on August 9 (22), 1915 - September 19 (October 2), 1915, the German troops were defeated, and their offensive was stopped. The parties switched to a positional war: the brilliant Russian counterattacks that followed in the Vilna-Molodechno region and the events that followed made it possible, after a successful September operation, no longer fearing an enemy offensive, to prepare for a new stage of the war. All over Russia, work was in full swing on the formation and training of new troops. The industry at an accelerated pace produced ammunition and military equipment. This speed of work became possible due to the emerging confidence that the enemy's offensive was stopped. By the spring of 1917, new armies had been raised, better supplied with equipment and ammunition than at any time before in the entire war.

The autumn draft of 1916 put 13 million people under arms, and the losses in the war exceeded 2 million.

In 1916, Nicholas II replaced four chairmen of the Council of Ministers (I. L. Goremykin, B. V. Shtyurmer, A. F. Trepov and Prince N. D. Golitsyn), four ministers of the interior (A. N. Khvostov, B. V. Shtyurmer, A. A. Khvostov and A. D. Protopopov), three Ministers of Foreign Affairs (S. D. Sazonov, B. V. Shtyurmer and N. N. Pokrovsky), two Ministers of War (A. A. Polivanov, D.S. Shuvaev) and three Ministers of Justice (A.A. Khvostov, A.A. Makarov and N.A. Dobrovolsky).

By January 1 (14), 1917, there were changes in the State Council. Nicholas expelled 17 members and appointed new ones.

On January 19 (February 1), 1917, a meeting of high-ranking representatives of the Allied Powers opened in Petrograd, which went down in history as the Petrograd Conference: from the allies of Russia, it was attended by delegates from Great Britain, France and Italy, who also visited Moscow and the front, had meetings with politicians of various political orientations, with the leaders of the Duma factions. The latter unanimously spoke to the head of the British delegation about the imminent revolution - either from below or from above (in the form of a palace coup).

Nicholas II, hoping for an improvement in the situation in the country in the event of the success of the spring offensive of 1917, which was agreed upon at the Petrograd Conference, was not going to conclude a separate peace with the enemy - he saw the most important means of consolidating the throne in the victorious end of the war. Hints that Russia might start negotiations for a separate peace were a diplomatic game that forced the Entente to recognize the need for Russian control over the Straits.

The war, during which there was a broad mobilization of the able-bodied male population, horses and a massive requisition of livestock and agricultural products, had a detrimental effect on the economy, especially in the countryside. In the environment of the politicized Petrograd society, the authorities turned out to be discredited by scandals (in particular, those related to the influence of G. E. Rasputin and his proteges - “dark forces”) and suspicions of treason. Nicholas' declarative adherence to the idea of ​​"autocratic" power came into sharp conflict with the liberal and leftist aspirations of a significant part of the Duma members and society.

Abdication of Nicholas II

The general testified about the mood in the army after the revolution: “As for the attitude to the throne, then, as a general phenomenon, in the officer corps there was a desire to distinguish the person of the sovereign from the court dirt that surrounded him, from the political mistakes and crimes of the tsarist government, which clearly and steadily led to the destruction of the country and to the defeat of the army. . They forgave the sovereign, they tried to justify him. As we will see below, by 1917 even this attitude in a certain part of the officers wavered, causing the phenomenon that Prince Volkonsky called the "revolution from the right", but already on purely political grounds..

Forces in opposition to Nicholas II had been preparing a coup d'état since 1915. These were the leaders of various political parties represented in the Duma, and big military men, and the top of the bourgeoisie, and even some members of the Imperial Family. It was assumed that after the abdication of Nicholas II, his minor son Alexei would ascend the throne, and the younger brother of the tsar, Mikhail, would become regent. During the February Revolution, this plan began to be implemented.

Since December 1916, a "coup" in one form or another was expected in the court and political environment, the possible abdication of the emperor in favor of Tsarevich Alexei under the regency of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

On February 23 (March 8), 1917, a strike began in Petrograd. After 3 days it became universal. On the morning of February 27 (March 12), 1917, the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison rebelled and joined the strikers, only the police counteracted the rebellion and unrest. A similar uprising took place in Moscow.

On February 25 (March 10), 1917, by decree of Nicholas II, the meetings of the State Duma were terminated from February 26 (March 11) until April of the same year, which further aggravated the situation. Chairman of the State Duma M. V. Rodzianko sent a number of telegrams to the emperor about the events in Petrograd.

The Headquarters learned about the beginning of the revolution two days late, according to the reports of General S. S. Khabalov, the Minister of War Belyaev and the Minister of the Interior Protopopov. The first telegram announcing the beginning of the revolution was received by General Alekseev only on February 25 (March 10), 1917 at 18:08: “I report that on February 23 and 24, due to a lack of bread, a strike broke out at many factories ... 200 thousand workers ... At about three o'clock in the afternoon on Znamenskaya Square, the bailiff Krylov was killed while dispersing the crowd. The crowd is scattered. In the suppression of unrest, in addition to the Petrograd garrison, five squadrons of the Ninth Reserve Cavalry Regiment from Krasnoye Selo, one hundred L.-Gds. Consolidated Cossack Regiment from Pavlovsk and five squadrons of the Guards Reserve Cavalry Regiment were called to Petrograd. No. 486. Sec. Khabalov". General Alekseev reports to Nicholas II the contents of this telegram.

At the same time, the palace commandant Vojekov reported to Nicholas II a telegram from the Minister of the Interior Protopopov: "Bid. Palace commandant. ...On February 23, a strike broke out in the capital, accompanied by street riots. On the first day, about 90,000 workers went on strike, on the second day - up to 160,000, today - about 200,000. Street riots are expressed in demonstrative processions, some with red flags, the destruction of some points of shops, the partial cessation of tram traffic by the strikers, and clashes with the police. ... the police fired several shots in the direction of the crowd, from which return shots followed. ... bailiff Krylov was killed. The movement is unorganized and spontaneous. ... It's calm in Moscow. MIA Protopopov. No. 179. February 25, 1917".

After reading both telegrams, Nicholas II on the evening of February 25 (March 10), 1917 ordered General S. S. Khabalov to stop the unrest by military force: “I order tomorrow to stop the unrest in the capital, unacceptable in the difficult time of the war with Germany and Austria. NIKOLAY".

February 26 (March 11), 1917 at 17:00 Rodzianko's telegram arrives: “The situation is serious. Anarchy in the capital. ...There is a random shooting going on in the streets. Parts of the troops fire at each other. It is necessary to immediately instruct a person who enjoys confidence to form a new government.. Nicholas II refuses to respond to this telegram, stating to the Minister of the Imperial Court, Frederiks, that “again, that fat Rodzianko wrote me various nonsense, to which I will not even answer him”.

Rodzianko's next telegram arrives at 22:22, and also has a similar panic character.

On February 27 (March 12), 1917 at 19:22, a telegram from Minister of War Belyaev arrives at Headquarters, announcing that the Petrograd garrison has almost completely gone over to the side of the revolution, and demanding that troops loyal to the tsar be sent, at 19:29 he reports that the Council of Ministers has declared a state of siege in Petrograd. General Alekseev reports the contents of both telegrams to Nicholas II. The tsar orders General N.I. Ivanov to go at the head of loyal army units to Tsarskoye Selo to ensure the safety of the imperial family, then, as Commander of the Petrograd Military District, to take command of the troops that were supposed to be transferred from the front.

From 11 pm to 1 am, the Empress sends two telegrams from Tsarskoye Selo: “The revolution assumed terrifying proportions yesterday... Concessions are necessary. ... Many troops went over to the side of the revolution. Alix".

At 0:55 a telegram from Khabalov arrives: “I ask you to report to His Imperial Majesty that I could not fulfill the order to restore order in the capital. Most of the units, one after the other, betrayed their duty, refusing to fight against the rebels. Other units fraternized with the rebels and turned their weapons against the troops loyal to His Majesty. Those who remained true to duty fought the rebels all day, suffering heavy losses. By evening, the rebels had captured most of the capital. Faithful to the oath remain small units of different regiments, gathered at the Winter Palace under the command of General Zankevich, with whom I will continue the fight. Gen.-leit. Khabalov".

February 28 (March 13), 1917 at 11 am, General Ivanov raised the alarm Battalion of St. George Cavaliers of 800 people, and sent him from Mogilev to Tsarskoye Selo through Vitebsk and Dno, leaving at 13:00.

The battalion commander, Prince Pozharsky, announces to his officers that he will not "shoot at the people in Petrograd, even if Adjutant General Ivanov demands it."

Chief Marshal Benckendorff telegraphs from Petrograd to Headquarters that the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment shot its commander, and the battalion commander of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment was shot.

February 28 (March 13), 1917 at 21:00, General Alekseev orders the Chief of Staff of the Northern Front, General Yu. Danilov, to send two cavalry and two infantry regiments, reinforced by machine-gun teams, to help General Ivanov. It is planned to send approximately the same second detachment from the South-Western Front of General Brusilov as part of the Preobrazhensky, Third Rifle and Fourth Rifle regiments of the Imperial family. Alekseev also proposes, on his own initiative, to add one cavalry division to the "punitive expedition".

On February 28 (March 13), 1917, at 5 am, the tsar departed (at 4:28 train Letter B, at 5:00 train Letter A) to Tsarskoe Selo, but could not pass.

February 28 8:25 General Khabalov sends a telegram to General Alekseev about his desperate situation, and at 9:00 - 10:00 he talks with General Ivanov, stating that “At my disposal, in the Glavn. admiralty, four guard companies, five squadrons and hundreds, two batteries. The rest of the troops have gone over to the side of the revolutionaries or remain, by agreement with them, neutral. Separate soldiers and gangs roam the city, shooting at passers-by, disarming officers ... All stations are in the power of revolutionaries, they are strictly guarded ... All artillery establishments are in the power of revolutionaries ".

At 13:30, Belyaev's telegram arrives about the final surrender of units loyal to the tsar in Petrograd. The king receives it at 15:00.

On the afternoon of February 28, General Alekseev tries to take control of the Ministry of Railways through Comrade (Deputy) Minister General Kislyakov, but he convinces Alekseev to reverse his decision. On February 28, General Alekseev by a circular telegram stopped all combat-ready units on the way to Petrograd. His circular telegram falsely asserted that the unrest in Petrograd had subsided and the need to suppress the rebellion had disappeared. Some of these units were already an hour or two from the capital. All of them were stopped.

Adjutant General I. Ivanov received Alekseev's order already in Tsarskoye Selo.

Duma deputy Bublikov occupies the Ministry of Railways, arresting its minister, and prohibits the movement of military trains for 250 miles around Petrograd. At 21:27 in Likhoslavl, a message was received about Bublikov's orders to the railway workers.

February 28 at 20:00 the uprising of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison began. The units that have retained their loyalty continue to guard the palace.

At 3:45 am the train approaches Malaya Vishera. They reported that the way ahead was captured by the insurgent soldiers, and two revolutionary companies with machine guns were stationed at the Lyuban station. Subsequently, it turns out that in fact, at the Lyuban station, the rebel soldiers plundered the buffet, but they were not going to arrest the king.

At 4:50 am on March 1 (14), 1917, the tsar orders to turn back to Bologoye (where they arrived at 9:00 on March 1), and from there to Pskov.

According to a number of testimonies, on March 1 at 16:00 in Petrograd, the cousin of Nicholas II, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who led the Guards naval crew to the Tauride Palace, went over to the side of the revolution. Subsequently, the monarchists declared this a slander.

On March 1 (14), 1917, General Ivanov arrives in Tsarskoye Selo, and receives information that the Tsarskoye Selo Guards Company has rebelled, and has voluntarily left for Petrograd. Also, the rebel units were approaching Tsarskoe Selo: a heavy division and one guards battalion of a reserve regiment. General Ivanov leaves Tsarskoye Selo for Vyritsa and decides to inspect the Tarutinsky regiment handed over to him. At the Semrino station, railway workers block his further movement.

On March 1 (14), 1917 at 15:00, the tsarist train arrives at the Dno station, at 19:05 to Pskov, where the headquarters of the armies of the Northern Front, General N. V. Ruzsky, was located. General Ruzsky, in his political convictions, believed that the autocratic monarchy in the twentieth century was an anachronism, and personally disliked Nicholas II. Upon the arrival of the royal train, the general refused to arrange the usual ceremony of welcoming the king, and appeared alone and only a few minutes later.

General Alekseev, who, in the absence of the tsar at the Headquarters, was assigned the duties of the Supreme Commander, on February 28 received a report from General Khabalov that he had only 1,100 people left in the right units. Having learned about the beginning of the unrest in Moscow, on March 1 at 15:58 he telegraphs the tsar that “The revolution, and the last one is inevitable, once unrest begins in the rear, marks a shameful end to the war with all the grave consequences for Russia. The army is too closely connected with the life of the rear, and it can be said with certainty that unrest in the rear will cause the same in the army. It is impossible to demand from the army that it fight calmly when a revolution is going on in the rear. The current young composition of the army and the officer corps, among which a huge percentage of those called up from the reserve and promoted to officers from higher educational institutions, does not give any reason to believe that the army will not respond to what will happen in Russia ".

After receiving this telegram, Nicholas II received General Ruzsky N.V., who spoke in favor of establishing a government responsible to the Duma in Russia. At 10:20 p.m., General Alekseev sends Nicholas II a draft of a proposed manifesto on the establishment of a responsible government. At 17:00 - 18:00 telegrams about the uprising in Kronstadt arrive at the Headquarters.

On March 2 (15), 1917, at one in the morning, Nicholas II telegraphs General Ivanov “I ask you not to take any measures until my arrival and report to me,” and instructs Ruzsky to inform Alekseev and Rodzianko that he agrees to the formation of a responsible government. Then Nicholas II goes to the sleeping car, but falls asleep only at 5:15, sending a telegram to General Alekseev “You can announce the submitted manifest by marking it with Pskov. NICHOLAS".

On March 2, at 3:30 am, Ruzsky contacts Rodzianko M.V., and during a four-hour conversation he gets acquainted with the tense situation that had developed by that time in Petrograd.

Having received a record of Ruzsky’s conversation with Rodzianko M.V., on March 2 at 9:00 Alekseev ordered General Lukomsky to contact Pskov and immediately wake the tsar, to which he received an answer that the tsar had just recently fallen asleep, and that Ruzsky’s report was scheduled for 10:00 .

At 10:45 Ruzsky began his report, informing Nicholas II of his conversation with Rodzianko. At this time, Ruzsky received the text of a telegram sent by Alekseev to the commanders of the fronts on the question of the desirability of renunciation, and read it to the tsar.

March 2, 14:00 - 14:30 began to receive answers from the front commanders. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich stated that "as a loyal subject, I consider it my duty to take the oath and the spirit of the oath to kneel to pray to the sovereign to renounce the crown in order to save Russia and the dynasty." Also, Generals Evert A.E. (Western Front), Brusilov A.A. (South-Western Front), Sakharov V.V. (Romanian Front), Commander of the Baltic Fleet Admiral Nepenin A.I., and General Sakharov called the Provisional Committee of the State Duma "a robber bunch of people who took advantage of a convenient moment," but "sobbing, I have to say that abdication is the most painless way out," and General Evert noted that "you can’t count on the army in its present composition to suppress unrest .. I take every measure to ensure that information about the current state of affairs in the capitals does not penetrate into the army in order to protect it from undoubted unrest. There are no means to stop the revolution in the capitals.” The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral A. Kolchak, did not send a response.

Between 14:00 and 15:00, Ruzsky entered the tsar, accompanied by generals Yu. N. Danilov and Savich, taking with him the texts of telegrams. Nicholas II asked the generals to speak. All of them were in favor of renunciation.

Around 3 p.m. March 2 the tsar decided to abdicate in favor of his son under the regency of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

At this time, Ruzsky was informed that representatives of the State Duma A. I. Guchkov and V. V. Shulgin had advanced to Pskov. At 15:10 this was reported to Nicholas II. Representatives of the Duma arrive on the royal train at 21:45. Guchkov informed Nicholas II that there was a danger of unrest spreading at the front, and that the troops of the Petrograd garrison went over to the side of the rebels immediately, and, according to Guchkov, the remnants of loyal troops in Tsarskoye Selo went over to the side of the revolution. After listening to him the king announces that he has already decided to abdicate for himself and for his son.

On March 2 (15), 1917 at 23:40 (in the document, the time of signing was indicated by the tsar, as 15:00 - the time for making a decision) Nikolai handed over to Guchkov and Shulgin Abdication Manifesto which, in particular, read: “We command our brother to govern the affairs of the state in full and inviolable unity with the representatives of the people in legislative institutions, on those principles that will be established by them, taking an inviolable oath to that”.

Guchkov and Shulgin also demanded that Nicholas II sign two decrees: on the appointment of Prince G. E. Lvov as head of government and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich as supreme commander in chief, the former emperor signed the decrees, indicating in them the time of 14 hours.

After that, Nikolai writes in his diary: “In the morning Ruzsky came and read his long conversation on the phone with Rodzianko. According to him, the situation in Petrograd is such that now the ministry from the Duma seems to be powerless to do anything, since the Social[ial]-Dem[ocratic] Party represented by the workers' committee is fighting against it. I need my renunciation. Ruzsky passed this conversation on to the headquarters, and Alekseev to all the commanders-in-chief. By 2½ o'clock the answers came from everyone. The bottom line is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front in peace, you need to decide on this step. I agreed. From the rate sent a draft manifesto. In the evening, Guchkov and Shulgin arrived from Petrograd, with whom I spoke and gave them a signed and revised manifesto. At one o'clock in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy sense of experience. Around treason, and cowardice, and deception ".

Guchkov and Shulgin leave for Petrograd on March 3 (16), 1917 at three in the morning, having informed the government in advance by telegraph of the text of the three adopted documents. At 6 am, the State Duma's provisional committee contacted Grand Duke Mikhail, informing him of the abdication of the already former emperor in his favor.

During a meeting on the morning of March 3 (16), 1917, with Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Rodzianko, he declares that if he accepts the throne, a new uprising will immediately break out, and consideration of the issue of the monarchy should be transferred to the Constituent Assembly. He is supported by Kerensky, opposed by Milyukov, who declared that “the government alone without a monarch ... is a fragile boat that can sink in the ocean of popular unrest; the country under such conditions may be threatened with the loss of any consciousness of statehood. After listening to the representatives of the Duma, the Grand Duke demanded a private conversation with Rodzianko, and asked if the Duma could guarantee his personal safety. Hearing that he can't Grand Duke Michael signed a manifesto on renunciation of the throne.

On March 3 (16), 1917, Nicholas II, having learned about the refusal of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich of the throne, wrote in his diary: “It turns out that Misha renounced. His manifesto ends with a four tail for elections in 6 months of the Constituent Assembly. God knows who advised him to sign such a disgusting thing! In Petrograd, the riots have stopped - if only it continued like this.”. He draws up the second version of the renunciation manifesto, again in favor of the son. Alekseev took away the telegram, but did not send it. It was too late: two manifestos had already been announced to the country and the army. Alekseev did not show this telegram to anyone, “so as not to embarrass the minds”, he kept it in his wallet and handed it to me at the end of May, leaving the supreme command.

On March 4 (17), 1917, the commander of the Guards Cavalry Corps sends a telegram to the Headquarters to the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander “We have received information about major events. I ask you not to refuse to throw at the feet of His Majesty the boundless devotion of the Guards Cavalry and the readiness to die for your adored Monarch. Khan of Nakhichevan". In a reply telegram, Nikolai said: “I never doubted the feelings of the guards cavalry. I ask you to submit to the Provisional Government. Nicholas". According to other sources, this telegram was sent back on March 3, and General Alekseev never gave it to Nikolai. There is also a version that this telegram was sent without the knowledge of the Khan of Nakhichevan by his chief of staff, General Baron Vineken. According to the opposite version, the telegram, on the contrary, was sent by Khan Nakhichevan after a meeting with the commanders of the corps.

Another well-known telegram of support was sent by the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Corps of the Romanian Front, General F. A. Keller: “The third cavalry corps does not believe that You, Sovereign, voluntarily renounced the throne. Command, King, we will come and protect You". It is not known whether this telegram reached the tsar, but it reached the commander of the Romanian Front, who ordered Keller to surrender command of the corps under threat of being accused of treason.

On March 8 (21), 1917, the executive committee of the Petrograd Soviet, when it became known about the tsar's plans to leave for England, decided to arrest the tsar and his family, confiscate property and deprive him of civil rights. The new commander of the Petrograd district, General L. G. Kornilov, arrives in Tsarskoye Selo, who arrested the empress and posted guards, including to protect the tsar from the rebellious Tsarskoye Selo garrison.

On March 8 (21), 1917, the tsar in Mogilev said goodbye to the army, and issued a farewell order to the troops, in which he bequeathed to "fight until victory" and "obey the Provisional Government." General Alekseev transmitted this order to Petrograd, but the Provisional Government, under pressure from the Petrograd Soviet, refused to publish it:

“For the last time I turn to you, my beloved troops. After my abdication for myself and for my son from the throne of Russia, power was transferred to the Provisional Government, which arose at the initiative of the State Duma. May God help him lead Russia along the path of glory and prosperity. May God help you, valiant troops, to defend Russia from the evil enemy. In the course of two and a half years, you have been carrying out hourly heavy military service, much blood has been shed, much effort has been made, and the hour is near when Russia, bound with its valiant allies by one common desire for victory, will break the last effort of the enemy. This unprecedented war must be brought to complete victory.

Whoever thinks about peace, who desires it, is a traitor to the Fatherland, his traitor. I know that every honest warrior thinks this way. Fulfill your duty, defend our valiant Great Motherland, obey the Provisional Government, listen to your superiors, remember that any weakening of the order of service only plays into the hands of the enemy.

I firmly believe that the boundless love for our Great Motherland has not faded in your hearts. May the Lord God bless you and may the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George lead you to victory.

Before Nikolai leaves Mogilev, the representative of the Duma at Headquarters tells him that he "must consider himself, as it were, under arrest."

The execution of Nicholas II and the royal family

From March 9 (22), 1917 to August 1 (14), 1917, Nicholas II, his wife and children lived under arrest in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo.

At the end of March, the Minister of the Provisional Government, P. N. Milyukov, tried to send Nicholas and his family to England, in the care of George V, to which the preliminary consent of the British side was obtained. But in April, due to the unstable internal political situation in England itself, the king chose to abandon such a plan - according to some evidence, against the advice of Prime Minister Lloyd George. However, in 2006, some documents became known that, until May 1918, the MI 1 unit of the British military intelligence agency carried out preparations for the operation to rescue the Romanovs, which was never brought to the stage of practical implementation.

In view of the intensification of the revolutionary movement and anarchy in Petrograd, the Provisional Government, fearing for the lives of the prisoners, decided to transfer them deep into Russia, to Tobolsk, they were allowed to take the necessary furniture, personal belongings from the palace, and also invite the attendants to voluntarily accompany them to the place of the new accommodation and further service. On the eve of his departure, the head of the Provisional Government A.F. Kerensky arrived and brought with him the brother of the former emperor, Mikhail Alexandrovich. Mikhail Alexandrovich was exiled to Perm, where on the night of June 13, 1918 he was killed by the local Bolshevik authorities.

On August 1 (14), 1917 at 6:10 a.m., a train with members of the imperial family and servants under the sign "Japanese Mission of the Red Cross" set off from Tsarskoe Selo from the Alexandrovskaya railway station.

On August 4 (17), 1917, the train arrived in Tyumen, then those arrested on the steamships "Rus", "Breadwinner" and "Tyumen" were transported along the river to Tobolsk. The Romanov family settled in the governor's house specially renovated for their arrival.

The family was allowed to walk across the street and the boulevard to worship at the Church of the Annunciation. The security regime here was much easier than in Tsarskoye Selo. The family led a calm, measured life.

In early April 1918, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) authorized the transfer of the Romanovs to Moscow for the purpose of holding a trial against them. At the end of April 1918, the prisoners were transferred to Yekaterinburg, where a private house was requisitioned to house the Romanovs. Here, five people of the attendants lived with them: the doctor Botkin, the lackey Trupp, the room girl Demidova, the cook Kharitonov and the cook Sednev.

Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, their children, Dr. Botkin and three servants (except for the cook Sednev) were killed with cold and firearms in the "House of Special Purpose" - the Ipatiev mansion in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 1918.

Since the 1920s, in the Russian diaspora, at the initiative of the Union of Zealots for the Memory of Emperor Nicholas II, regular funeral commemorations of Emperor Nicholas II were held three times a year (on his birthday, name day and on the anniversary of the murder), but his veneration as a saint began to spread after World War II.

On October 19 (November 1), 1981, Emperor Nicholas and his family were canonized by the Russian Church Abroad (ROCOR), which at that time did not have church communion with the Moscow Patriarchate in the USSR.

The decision of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church of August 14, 2000: “To glorify as passion-bearers in the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia the royal family: Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia” (their memory - 4 July according to the Julian calendar).

The act of canonization was perceived by Russian society ambiguously: opponents of canonization argue that the proclamation of Nicholas II as a saint was of a political nature. On the other hand, ideas are circulating in a part of the Orthodox community that glorifying the tsar as a martyr is not enough, and he is a “king-redeemer”. The ideas were condemned by Alexy II as blasphemous, since "there is only one redemptive feat - our Lord Jesus Christ."

In 2003, in Yekaterinburg, on the site of the demolished house of engineer N. N. Ipatiev, where Nicholas II and his family were shot, the Church-on-the-Blood was built in the name of All Saints, who shone in the Russian land, in front of which a monument to the family was erected Nicholas II.

In many cities, the construction of churches in honor of the holy Royal Passion-Bearers began.

In December 2005, the representative of the head of the "Russian Imperial House" Maria Vladimirovna Romanova sent a statement to the Russian prosecutor's office about the rehabilitation of the executed former Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family as victims of political repression. According to the application, after a series of refusals to satisfy, on October 1, 2008, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to rehabilitate the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family (despite the opinion of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, which stated in court that the requirements for rehabilitation do not comply with the provisions of the law due to the fact that these persons were not arrested for political reasons, and no court decision on execution was made).

On October 30 of the same 2008, it was reported that the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation decided to rehabilitate 52 people from the entourage of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

In December 2008, at a scientific and practical conference held on the initiative of the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, with the participation of geneticists from Russia and the United States, it was stated that the remains found in 1991 near Yekaterinburg and buried on June 17, 1998 in the Catherine's aisle of the Peter and Paul Cathedral (St. Petersburg), belong to Nicholas II. Nicholas II had a Y-chromosomal haplogroup R1b and a mitochondrial haplogroup T.

In January 2009, the Investigative Committee completed the investigation of the criminal case into the circumstances of the death and burial of the family of Nicholas II. The investigation was terminated "due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for bringing to justice and the death of the perpetrators of the premeditated murder." The representative of M. V. Romanova, who calls herself the head of the Russian Imperial House, stated in 2009 that “Maria Vladimirovna fully shares the position of the Russian Orthodox Church on this issue, which did not find sufficient grounds for recognizing the “Yekaterinburg remains” as belonging to members of the royal family. Other representatives of the Romanovs, led by N. R. Romanov, took a different position: the latter, in particular, took part in the burial of the remains in July 1998, saying: "We have come to close the era."

On September 23, 2015, the remains of Nicholas II and his wife were exhumed for investigative actions as part of the identification of the remains of their children, Alexei and Maria.

Nicholas II in cinema

Several feature films have been shot about Nicholas II and his family, among which are Agony (1981), the English-American film Nicholas and Alexandra (Nicholas and Alexandra, 1971) and two Russian films The Regicide (1991) and Romanovs. Crowned family "(2000).

Hollywood made several films about the allegedly saved daughter of the Tsar Anastasia "Anastasia" (Anastasia, 1956) and "Anastasia, or the secret of Anna" (Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, USA, 1986).

Actors who played the role of Nicholas II:

1917 - Alfred Hickman - Fall of the Romanovs (USA)
1926 - Heinz Hanus - Die Brandstifter Europas (Germany)
1956 - Vladimir Kolchin - Prologue
1961 - Vladimir Kolchin - Two Lives
1971 - Michael Jaston - Nicholas and Alexandra (Nicholas and Alexandra)
1972 - - The Kotsiubinsky family
1974 - Charles Kay - Fall of Eagles (Fall of Eagles)
1974-81 - - Agony
1975 - Yuri Demich - Trust
1986 - - Anastasia, or the secret of Anna (Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna)
1987 - Alexander Galibin - Life of Klim Samgin
1989 - - Eye of God
2014 - Valery Degtyar - Grigory R.
2017 - - Matilda.