Illness of the son of Nicholas 2 Alexei. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (junior)

The fourth (youngest) August son of Sovereign Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich (1796-1855) and Empress Empress Alexandra I Feodorovna (1798-1860) Mikhail Nikolayevich was born on October 13 (26), 1832 on the holiday miraculous icon Mother of God "Iverskaya" - the heavenly patroness of the south of Russia. So, by the will of God, in the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich, nicknamed by his contemporaries "Feat-loving", the future pacifier of the Caucasus appeared in the Imperial Family, one of the best and most active governors in such a turbulent part Russian Empire.

Birth

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was born in St. Petersburg, in the Winter Palace and during the performance of the Holy Sacrament of Baptism received the name of the Holy Archangel of God Michael and the Imperial Orders of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Alexander Nevsky, the White Eagle, St. Anna 1st class, and St. Stanislaus 1st class. By the highest will of his August father, the Grand Duke was immediately enrolled by birth as the chief of the Life Guards of the Horse Grenadier Regiment.

The most august maternal ancestors of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, like all his sovereign brothers, came from the ancient German royal House of Hohenzollern.

Thus, the crowned great-grandfather and grandfather of Grand Duke Michael, the kings of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm II (1744-1797) and Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840), were holders of the highest imperial order of Russia - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. All four August uncles of the Grand Duke - crowned brothers of the August Mother - Empress Alexandra I Feodorovna were granted the highest Russian order: King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia (1795-18610, King and first emperor of Germany Wilhelm I (1797-1888), and princes Karl Friedrich Alexander (1801-1883) and Albrecht Friedrich Heinrich (1809-1872).

The august maternal grandmother of Grand Duke Michael was Princess Louise of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810), who was the fourth sovereign daughter of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charles II Ludwig Friedrich (1741-1816) - the crowned great-grandfather of Grand Duke Michael and also granted the Order of St. Andrew . In a word, from his birth, the Grand Duke was related by blood ties to the German Houses of Hohenzollern and Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whose August ancestors were holders of the highest order of Russia. All these circumstances, as it were, pointed to the future happy military career of the Grand Duke.

Education and military career

Grand Duke Mikhail was brought up together with his elder August brother Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (1831-1891), who was born in his year.

Since 1838, Major General Alexei Illarionovich Filosofov (1799-1874), a hero of the Turkish and Polish campaigns, served as an educator, and since 1852 - a trustee under the Grand Dukes. The best teachers of St. Petersburg educational institutions were invited to read the courses: Professor Ivan Petrovich Shulgin (1795-1869), teacher August Theodor Grimm (1805-1878), A. Ya. Kushakevich, geologist and mining engineer Grigory Petrovich von Gelmersen (1803-1883) , I. A. Kurnand and others.

The military sciences of the Grand Dukes were taught by the military engineer and historian Fyodor Fedorovich Laskovsky (1802-1870), writer on artillery, professor of the artillery school Alexander Stepanovich Platov (1817-1891), general of infantry, adjutant general Alexander Petrovich Kartsov (1817-1875), Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin (1816-1912), in 1861-1881 Minister of War, and others.

For a practical introduction to the responsibilities military service Grand Dukes Mikhail and Nikolai participated in the camps together with the cadets of the 1st Cadet Corps, in the ranks of which they were enrolled by the Most High August Father in 1839.

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich received his first officer rank of second lieutenant at the age of 14 in 1846. In 1847 he was promoted to lieutenant, in 1848 - to captain with enrollment in the Life Guards 2nd Artillery Brigade. In 1850, at the age of 18, Grand Duke Vysochaisho received the rank of colonel in the same brigade.

On April 23 (May 6), 1850, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich was appointed adjutant wing, and on November 26 (December 9), 1852, he was promoted to major general and enlisted in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty. At the same time, the Highest Grand Duke was appointed Feldzeugmeister General and brigade commander of the Guards Horse Artillery.

Death of the Emperor and new assignments

With the beginning of the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Grand Duke Mikhail, together with his August elder brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, was in the army, took part in military operations near Sevastopol.

For participation in the battle at the Inkerman Heights on November 7 (20), 1854, together with his sovereign brother, he was Highly granted the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George 4th class.

On February 18 (March 3), 1855, after the sudden death of the August father of his Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich and the accession to the throne of the elder crowned brother of the Emperor Alexander II Nikolayevich, Grand Duke Michael the Highest was appointed a member of the State Council, and in May of the same year - commander of artillery Guards infantry and reserve cavalry corps.

On January 25 (February 7), 1856, the Grand Duke was granted the rank of Adjutant General, and in April of the same year, by the August brother Sovereign Alexander II, the Highest was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Commission, established to improve the military. In August of the same year, the Grand Duke was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general with the post of head of the 2nd Light Guards Cavalry Division. In November 1856 - head of the Life Guards rifle battalion of the Imperial Family, and from August 1857 - head of artillery of the Separate Guards Corps.

At the head of the Russian artillery

In April 1859, Grand Duke Michael became a member of the Committee set up to review the state of the fortifications of the Baltic and Black Seas.

From January 1856, he actually begins to fulfill the duties of Feldzeugmeister General - the commander of all Russian artillery.

The tenure of Grand Duke Mikhail in this post coincided with a period of fundamental reforms in Russian artillery, caused, first of all, by the transition from smooth-bore to rifled weapons. In the course of these transformations, the training of artillerymen was reorganized, new artillery ranges were equipped, and a special artillery committee was created.

In February 1860, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was appointed by the Highest Will as the Chief Head of the military educational institutions of the Russian Empire. In August of the same year, he was promoted to general of artillery.

In 1862, for the service of Russia, the Grand Duke was granted the Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, 1st class, a rare award for members of the Imperial Family.

Viceroy in the Caucasus

Soon the most crucial period in the life of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich began.

From December 1862 to July 1881, by the Highest Will, he was the governor of the Caucasus: from 1664 - Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Army, and from 1865 - Commander of the Troops of the Caucasian military district.

On October 13 (26), 1863, His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich was appointed chief of the 1st rifle battalion, named the Caucasian Grenadier Rifle Regiment of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich.

It was during these years that the final “pacification” of Chechnya and Dagestan took place. Finally, Ciscaucasia and the Western Caucasus are assigned to Russia. To manage these territories, the Sukhum department, the Black Sea district, the Elizavetpol province, and later the Karsk and Batumi regions are established.

At the same time, the peasants were being liberated in the Caucasus, intensively carried out military reform, as well as transformations in the field of management and judiciary.

On June 15 (30), 1864, “for the end of the Caucasian War”, by the Highest Manifesto, Tsar Alexander II Nikolaevich bestows the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George 2nd class on Grand Duke Mikhail.

On August 31 (September 13), 1870, the regiment was named the 1st Caucasian Rifles of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich.

According to Count S. Yu. Witte (1849-1915), “The Grand Duke was a good Caucasian governor; he was a rather limited person, limited by the state, poorly educated by the state, but a man with traditions, and traditions of the Grand Dukes. According to his convictions, he was the son of his father Nikolai Pavlovich, and he adored his memory ... He kept the same traditions as his predecessors kept; the traditions of his predecessors were as follows: since the majority of the population of the Caucasus accepted Russian citizenship at their own request, and since the Orthodox population of the Caucasus, in general, its entire Christian population, was faithful to Russia throughout the entire Caucasian history, the governors adhered to the principle that the Caucasus should be part of the Empire and that the Christian population of the Caucasus in particular should be treated in the same way as the Russians. Under Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, the Caucasus lived the same life as under his predecessors, enjoying, perhaps, even more attention to itself for the simple reason that the Grand Duke was at first the brother of the Sovereign, and after the death of Alexander II, he was the uncle of Sovereign Alexander III . Both Sovereigns treated the Grand Duke very kindly and affectionately, which, however, the Grand Duke himself fully deserved, because he was the most beautiful, noblest person ... Mikhail Nikolayevich left the best memories of himself in the Caucasus.

During the bloody Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The Grand Duke was the commander-in-chief of the active Russian Army in the "Asian theater" - the Caucasian army. However, according to contemporaries, the Grand Duke did not possess the talents of a military leader, and did not show either the necessary energy or military art in this post. A number of successes of the Caucasian army was largely associated with the activities of generals Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (1825-1888), Nikolai Nikolaevich Obruchev (1830-1904) and Ivan Davidovich Lazarev (1820-1879).

On October 9 (22), 1877, "... for the utter defeat by the Caucasian troops under the personal leadership of His Highness the army of Mukhtar Pasha ..." By the highest will of Sovereign Alexander II, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was awarded the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George 1st class . So he became the 24th cavalier of the highest military order of the Russian Empire and the last cavalier of such a high award in the 19th century.

On April 16 (29), 1878, at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, the 45-year-old Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich was promoted by the Highest will to the highest military rank of the Russian Empire - Field Marshals, becoming the last representative of the Romanov House, granted such a high military rank. After Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, no one else had all the highest Russian military and civil awards of the Empire and the rank of Field Marshal.

New High Commissions

After the tragic death at the hands of the God-fighters of the August elder brother of Sovereign Alexander II Nikolaevich, the Grand Duke, who was with the Emperor until the last minute of his life, shared the heavy grief of the Imperial Family and the Russian people.

After the accession of his August nephew, Sovereign Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich left the Caucasus and on July 14 (27), 1881 returned to St. Petersburg.

In July of the same year, the Highest Grand Duke was appointed by Sovereign Alexander III Nikolaevich (1845-1894) chairman of the State Council. The highest state post in the Russian Empire, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich held 24 years, until August 1905 - more than anyone before and after him in the entire history of Russia.

Since May 1883, the Sovereign instructed the Grand Duke to be a member of the Committee of Ministers. As Feldzeugmeister General, he continued to deal with the affairs of the Russian artillery.

From 1892, the Grand Duke presided over the Imperial Alexander Committee for the Wounded.

In July 1894 the Sovereign Alexander III The Highest instructed the Grand Duke to head the Commission to develop issues related to the coastal defense of the state.

In the field of domestic policy, the Grand Duke was a conservative. His views were reflected in all state activities of the last quarter of the 19th - early 20th century. According to S. Yu. Witte: “Less gifted than his brothers, a man of noble and balanced character, exceptional posture, the Grand Duke ... by age and position occupied an exceptional position among the family. None of the relatives would argue with him. Thanks to his tact and influence, he was a real peacemaker.”

last years of life

With the accession on October 20 (November 2), 1894, of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II the Long-suffering (1868-1918), Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, the last of the most august children of the Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich who lived in the world, who had extensive experience in state activity, according to his most august son, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933), “would have been an ideal adviser to the young Emperor if he had not been such an adamant supporter of strict discipline. After all, his great-nephew was his Sovereign, and, as such, it was necessary for him to render unquestioning obedience. When Nicholas II told him: “I believe, Uncle Misha, that it is necessary to follow the advice of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my father bowed and “followed the advice” of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Accustomed to seeing people of a mature mind and unbending will at the head of Russia, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich never doubted the ultimate wisdom of his great-nephew’s decisions, which nullified the potential value of his comprehensive understanding of the issues of managing the Empire.”

According to Lieutenant-General, Governor-General of Moscow V.F. Dzhunkovsky (1865-1938), “his tall figure of an old knight made a charming impression on everyone who came into contact with him. He knew how to combine greatness with amazing simplicity. He was very a kind person... He was the only one of the Grand Dukes who retained, with some, the appeal to "you", and this "you" sounded in the mouth of the Grand Duke somehow dear and dear ... In recent years ... The Grand Duke was very ill with a general sclerosis; at first he lived for a long time in Mikhailovsky, near Strelna ... He was motionless, semi-paralyzed, but his head was quite fresh at times, and he was always very touched when they visited him ... ".

From August 1905, after the reorganization of the State Council undertaken by S. Yu. Witte, the Grand Duke was its honorary chairman. He was also an honorary vice-president of the Imperial Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy, an honorary member of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff, the Imperial Nikolaev Engineering and Imperial Military Medical Academies, the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, the chief of the Life Guards Horse Grenadier Regiment, and a number of other guards and army formations.

IN last years Since 1903, being seriously ill, the Grand Duke spent most of his time abroad.

Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich died on December 5 (18), 1909, at the age of 78, at his villa in Cannes, southern France.

With all due honors, on December 23, 1909 (January 5, 1910), the ashes of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich were buried in St. Petersburg in the Grand Princely Tomb of the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The memory of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was preserved in the Russian Army even after his death.

So, on December 30, 1909 (January 12, 1910), the regiment of the Grand Duke was named the 1st Caucasian Rifle Regiment of Field Marshal Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, and in February 1910 it was deployed into a regiment and named the 1st Caucasian Rifle General Field Marshal Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Regiment.

On the fields great war 1914-1918 the 1st Kuban Plastun General-Field Marshal of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich battalion also bravely fought.

August family: ancestors and descendants

According to S. Yu. Witte, “The Sovereign Emperor (Alexander III) was very fond of his father Alexander Mikhailovich, Mikhail Nikolaevich, his uncle; he was the only one of his uncles to whom he treated quite favorably and lovingly, mainly precisely because Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich was of exemplary behavior, as in family life, and in general as the Grand Duke.

But to his sons, to the children of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, Emperor Alexander III was no longer so favorably disposed; the Emperor’s attitude towards the wife of the Grand Duke, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna, was also not entirely favorable, probably because, firstly, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna was not a completely exemplary wife, and then, secondly, mainly because she had a Jewish type, for, as is known in Baden, she was quite closely related to one of the Jewish bankers in Karlsruhe.

This Jewish type, and perhaps even the Jewish character, passed on to some of her children to a large extent.

One day Emperor Alexander III, turning to me, says:

Did you see the children of .....zones yesterday? (The emperor uttered one Jewish surname.)

I did not understand what kind of children with a Jewish name he was talking to me about. Later they explained to me that he told me about some of the Mikhailovichs ... "

Upon detailed consideration of this issue, it was possible to establish the following.

At the age of 25, on August 16 (29), 1857, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich married Cecilia Augusta, Princess of the Grand Duchy of Baden (1839-1891), the fourth August daughter of the Grand Duke of Baden and St. Andrew's Cavalier Leopold I (1790-1852) and Princess of the House of Holstein -Gottorp Sophia Wilhelmina (1801-1865), former eldest August daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (1778-1837).

On the maternal side, the great-grandfather of Princess Cecilia Augusta, King Gustav IV Adolf, great-great-grandfather-King Gustav III (1746-1792) and the younger August brother of the latter were holders of the highest order of the Russian Empire future king Charles XIII (1748-1818). Finally, the founder of the Swedish dynasty of Holstein-Gottorp was the great-great-great-grandfather and King of Sweden Adolf Friedrich (1710-1771).

It should also be noted that the August grandmother of Princess Cecilia Augusta, Princess Frederica Wilhelmina Dorothea (1781-1826), was the younger crowned sister of the Empress Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna (1779-1826), the August wife of the Emperor Alexander I Pavlovich (1777-1825). That is why the ducal House of Baden was well known to the House of Romanovs from the end of the 18th century. So, the August great-grandfather of Princess Cecilia Augusta and the sovereign father of the Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, Margrave of Baden Karl Ludwig (17755-1801), as well as his crowned eldest son Duke Karl Ludwig (1786-1818) were most highly granted the highest order of Russia.

In addition, the August paternal great-grandfather Margrave of Baden Karl Friedrich (1730-1811) and the three August brothers of Princess Cecilia Augusta, who after the Holy Sacrament of marriage took the name of Olga Feodorovna and the title of Grand Duchess - Grand Duke of Baden Friedrich I Wilhelm Ludwig (1826-1907), Duke Ludwig Wilhelm August (1829-1897) and Duke Carl Friedrich Gustav Wilhelm Maximilian (1832-1906) were also highly awarded the highest order of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Such is the rich and varied pedigree of the chosen one of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich. As you can see, the ancestors of the Grand Duchess did not have a blood relationship with a banking, and even more so with a Jewish surname, either in the male or in the female line.

For 34 years of happy family life, the Grand Ducal couple gave birth to seven August children - grandchildren and granddaughters of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich. But, unfortunately, of the six sovereign sons of the Grand Duke, three were tortured by the theomachists in 1918-1919, and the youngest died before he was 20 years old.

The only August daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna (1860-1922), on January 12 (25), 1879, married the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Friedrich Franz III (1857-1891) and had three sovereign children from him: two daughters and the only son - the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and St. Andrew's Cavalier Friedrich Franz IV (1882-1945), unfortunately, who fought as part of the German Empire against Russia in the Great War of 1914-1918.

The august daughters of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna, the sovereign granddaughters of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, became related to the royal houses of Denmark and Germany. So the eldest August daughter Princess Alexandrina (Ingrid) on April 26 (May 9), 1898, married the Crown Prince of Denmark Christian (1870-1947), who ascended the throne of the kingdom in 1912 under the name Christian X. Their sovereign descendants now occupy the throne of Denmark.

The youngest August daughter - the granddaughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, Princess Cecilia Augusta (1886-1954) on June 6 (18), 1905, again related the House of Romanov to the House of Hohenzollern, marrying the heir to the throne of Germany, Crown Prince and St. Andrew's Cavalier Wilhelm Friedrich Victor August Ernst (1882-1951 ), Senior August Prince of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany (1859-1941).

The eldest August son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich (1859-1919), infantry general, famous Russian historian, left no descendants.

The life of the Grand Duke was cut short at the age of 60 under tragic circumstances. Together with other August representatives of the House of Romanov, he was shot as a hostage by the theomachists at the end of January 1919 in the courtyard of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Together with him, the August brother Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich (1863-1919), who will be discussed below, died.

Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich (1861-1929) lived for many years abroad, in Great Britain and France, where he was exiled at the behest of Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich for violating the word given to the Sovereign and a morganatic marriage with divorced Sophia Nikolaevna Merenberg (1868-1927), Countess de Torby, granddaughter of the poet A. S. Pushkin (1799-1837). From her, the Grand Duke had three children: Countess de Torby Anastasia (Zia) (1892-1977) and Nadezhda (1896-1963), and Count de Torby Michael (1898-1959), who left no offspring.

Both daughters of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich intermarried with English and Spanish aristocrats and had offspring.

So, Countess de Torby Anastasia Mikhailovna (Zia) (1892-1977), on July 4 (17), 1917, married the Baronet Harold Augustus Warner (1893-1973), Major General of the British Army, from whom three children were born: the only son George (1918-1942), and two daughters: Georgina (b. 1919) and Myra (b. 1925). The granddaughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich owned one of the most famous European castles, Luton Hoo in Baldfordshire, and collected the largest European museum of A. S. Pushkin in her own house.

Countess de Torby Nadezhda Mikhailovna (Nada) (1896-1963), on the second (15) November 1916, married Lord Mountbatten (von Battenberg) George Louis Victor Sergius (1892-1938), 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, Earl of Medina and gave birth to his daughter Tatyana (1917-1888) and son David (1919-1973). Her sovereign uncle Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich wrote about this granddaughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich in his memoirs: “One of his daughters, who is known in society by her current title of Lady Milford Haven (the title was granted in 1921), married Prince Battenberg , cousin of the Queen of Spain."

Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich (1863-1919), lieutenant general, manager of the Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III, a well-known collector-numismatist and historian, died at the hands of the theomachists on the same day and hour on January 30, 1919, with his elder August brother Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich in the courtyard Peter and Paul Fortress.

On April 30 (May 13), 1900, Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich married Princess Maria Georgievna of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sondenburg-Glücksburg (1876-1940), the second (youngest) August daughter of King George I of Greece (1845-1913) and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna (1851-1926).

From marriage he had two August daughters - the sovereign granddaughters of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich Princesses of the Imperial Blood Nina Georgievna (1901-1974) and Xenia Georgievna (1903-1965), who later did not have dynastic and equal marriages.

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933), admiral, field inspector general of the Russian Air Force, from a marriage concluded on July 25 (August 7), 1894 with the eldest August daughter of Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna (1875- 1960), had seven August children - grandchildren and granddaughters of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich and Sovereign Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich. However, none of them had dynastic or equal marriages.

The only daughter Grand Duchess Irina Alexandrovna (1895-1970), on the ninth (22) February 1914, married Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov (1887-1967) and gave birth to his only daughter Irina Feliksovna (1915-1983), who left no offspring.

Grand Duke Andrei Alexandrovich (1897-1981) had two non-dynastic marriages and three children.

Grand Duke Feodor Alexandrovich (1898-1968) was married once, but divorced. He had two children from Princess Paley Irina Pavlovna (1903-1990), who are now alive.

Grand Duke Nikita Alexandrovich (1900-1974) from Countess Vorontsova-Dashkova Maria Illarionovna (1903-1997) had two sons, now living.

Grand Duke Dimitri Alexandrovich (1901-1980) had an only daughter from two marriages, now alive.

Grand Duke Rostislav Alexandrovich (1902-1978) was married three times and had two sons, one of whom is now alive.

Grand Duke Vasily Alexandrovich (1907-1989) married Princess Natalia Alekseevna Golitsyna (1907-1989), from whom he had an only daughter, now alive.

Grand Duke Sergiy Mikhailovich (1869-1918), lieutenant general, inspector general of artillery under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich, retired and martyr Alapaevsky died at the hands of the theomachists on July 18, 1918 in the suburbs of Alapaevsk, Perm province, along with others The August Persons of the House of Romanov, among whom was the crowned sister of the Empress Empress Martyr Alexandra II Feodorovna (1872-1918), Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (1864-1918) and their faithful servants.

Grand Duke Sergius Mikhailovich never married and left no offspring.

The youngest August son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich (1875-1895) died at the age of 20 from tuberculosis in the Italian city of San Remo.

On February 28 (March 13), 1895, he was buried with due honors in St. Petersburg, in the Grand Duke's tomb of the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Alexander Rozhintsev

Nikolai Nikolaevich (junior)

In a nutshell

Nikolai Nikolaevich (11/6/1856-01/5/1929), leader. prince, son book. Nikolai Nikolaevich. Educated at the Academy of the General Staff. He took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. From 1895 he was inspector general of the cavalry. First world war was the supreme commander in chief, responsible for many defeats of the Russian army. Since the 20th century Nayala has been associated with Masonic lodges.

Used materials from the site Great Encyclopedia of the Russian people.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (junior) (1856-1929) - Grand Duke, adjutant general, cavalry general. Member of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, in 1905-1914. - Commander of the Guards and the St. Petersburg Military District, at the same time (in 1905-1908) - Chairman of the Council of State Defense. In 1914 - August 1915 - Supreme Commander-in-Chief: from August 1915 to March 1917 - Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Front. In March 1919 he emigrated to Italy, then to France. He was considered one of the contenders for the Russian imperial throne.

Nikolai Nikolaevich (N., Nikolasha), 1856-1929, Grand Duke, grandson of Nicholas I, uncle of Nicholas II, adjutant general, cavalry general, supreme commander (July 1914 - August 1915), later viceroy of His Majesty in the Caucasus, commander in chief Caucasian army, military ataman of the Caucasian army. Intrigued against Nicholas II, apparently seeking to take his place. He hated G. Rasputin, who constantly exposed his intrigues against the Tsar. Since 1907 he has been married to Anastasia Nikolaevna (Stan), nee Princess of Montenegro, a member of the Martinist Order.

"I fell into a panic state and joined the opinion of Witte"

general excitement ( in 1905. - Ed.) took such proportions that Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich fell into a panic state and joined Witte's opinion that the revolution could be prevented only by agreeing to constitutional reforms. Together with Witte, Nikolai Nikolayevich drew up the initial draft of the constitution and presented it to the Emperor, declaring that he had brought a pistol with him, and if the Emperor did not sign the document, then, having left the palace, he shoot himself. Finally, after lengthy negotiations, a commission headed by Alexander Grigoryevich Bulygin was created, which began work on preparing the necessary reforms. In this critical situation, the Emperor was forced to appoint Count Witte as prime minister, and the first law that accompanied his appointment was the law on freedom of the press. Newspapers immediately took advantage of their freedom and began to print such impudent jokes and cartoons that would not be allowed in any country in the world.

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

Other biographical material:

Supreme Commander ( Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 5: Adaptive radio communication line - Object air defense. 688 p., 1978).

Zalessky A.A. He had no military talent Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 10. NAKHIMSON - PERGAM. 1967).

Zalessky K.A. Member of the First World War ( Zalessky K.A. Who was who in World War I. Biographical encyclopedic dictionary. M., 2003).

Mosolov A.A. Could have led the opposition to Nicholas II ( Mosolov A.A. At the court of the last king. Memoirs of the head of the palace office. 1900-1916. M., 2006).

Alexander Mikhailovich. Had the greatest influence on our state affairs ( Alexander Mikhailovich [Romanov]. Memoirs of the Grand Duke. Moscow, 2001).

Nikolsky E.A. Hamovat has been ( Nikolsky E.A. Notes about the past. Comp. and prepare. text by D.G. Browns. M., Russian way, 2007).

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

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (junior)

The grandson of Nicholas I was born in 1856, a few months after the end of the Crimean War. Nikolai's father was Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. After the birth of his son, named after the august grandfather - Nikolai, the father received a prefix to the name and patronymic - "Elder", but the son, respectively - "Junior".

Nikolai Nikolayevich Sr. was a very outstanding person - he commanded the Russian army during the war with the Turks in 1877-78. For the victory in this war, he was promoted to field marshal and received the Order of St. George, I degree. By the way, Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder became the last holder of the highest degree of this order in history.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder in a field marshal's uniform with the Order of St. George, 1st class

It is difficult to call the childhood of Nikolai Nikolaevich the Younger happy - in the mid-1860s, his father accused his wife Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of treason and actually divorced her. The disgraced princess was forced to leave St. Petersburg for Kyiv, where she lived the rest of her life in the Kiev Intercession Monastery founded by her. Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder had a second family - the Grand Duke began to live with the ballerina Ekaterina Chislova, who later gave birth to four children. Family scandals left their mark on the personality of Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. The Grand Duke easily fell into anger, but after such outbursts he was very worried because of his incontinence.At the age of 15, Nikolai entered the Nikolaev Engineering School as a cadet. He left the school with the rank of ensign and was left in the capital in an infantry training battalion.

Nikolai Nikolaevich-Junior - cadet of the Nikolaev Engineering School

In 1876, Nikolai Nikolaevich graduated from the Imperial Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff - the highest military educational institution Russian Empire. The young Grand Duke graduated from the Academy with the best in his course, with a small silver medal and his name on a memorial plaque.

Captain Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. - graduate of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78. Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. was in the retinue of his father, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, as an officer for assignments. The young captain participated in the famous Danube crossing. Nikolai Nikolayevich-Junior led the reconnaissance of the banks of the river, choosing the most suitable place for forcing. On June 27, 1877, the 14th Infantry Division under the command of M.I. Dragomirova, in extremely unfavorable weather, unexpectedly for the enemy, began crossing the Danube. For greater secrecy, the troops were dressed in winter dark green (almost black) uniforms, so the first echelon managed to force the river unnoticed and fall on the Turks. At the same time, the second echelon, in which Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. was also located, was already under heavy shelling.

The operation to cross the Danube ended successfully for the Russian army - the Dragomirov division, which had crossed, overturned the defending Turks in hand-to-hand combat and occupied an important bridgehead on the opposite bank. The Grand Duke also took part in the assault on the Turkish fortifications on the Sistov Heights. These heights were attacked by the 53rd Volynsky and 54th Minsk infantry regiments, and our hero led one of the advancing columns. As the regimental historiographer wrote, Nikolai Nikolaevich shouted -Guys! What to bow, what not to bow to bullets - whoever lives - will not be touched, and who does not - will not be forgiven!led the soldiers. The Grand Duke himself miraculously survived - his uniform was shot in four places.

Nikolai Nikolaevich the Younger was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree for participation in the crossing.
Later, the Grand Duke served as a staff officer in the detachment of Prince Svyatopolk-Mirsky. As part of this detachment, Nikolai Nikolaevich participated in the attack on the Shipka Pass from Gabrovo. For this passage through the Balkans, our hero was awarded the golden St. George weapon with the inscription "For courage" and was promoted ahead of schedule to lieutenant colonel.

Russian army on the Shipka Pass

The same St. George saber of Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr., Image taken from the Internet catalog of the CHRISTIE`S auction on June 11, 2008:

Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. Ploiesti. 1877:

At the end of the war, Nikolai Nikolayevich was sent to the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. He served in it for 12 years - he commanded a squadron, regiment, cavalry division.

Life Guards Hussar Regiment of the late XIX - early XX centuries. In the first row, third from the left - Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich:

In 1885, he was promoted to major general, and becoming a lieutenant general in 1890, the Grand Duke was given command of the guards cavalry division. From 1895 until 1905 he served as inspector general of the cavalry, one of the most numerous and revered branches of the Russian army. Under his leadership, significant changes took place in the cavalry troops. The Grand Duke initiated and developed a new cavalry charter, which summarized the experience of using cavalry in the second half of the 19th century. Thanks to his labors, the cavalry troops became mobile, maneuverable and hardy. For his service, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, and in 1901 he received the rank of general from the cavalry.

At the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he refused to take part in it, as he did not get along with the governor of Russia on Far East Admiral E.I. Alekseev, and in the year the war ended, the prince headed the Council of State Defense and remained in this post until 1908, then becoming commander of the St. Petersburg military district and head of the guard troops.

By the beginning of the First World War, Nikolai Nikolayevich was 58 years old. The war, for which Russia was not ready, presented the country with many problems that needed to be resolved quickly. One of them was the creation of the highest governing body of the army and navy - the Headquarters - headed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Several candidates were nominated for this high and responsible post, among them Tsar Nicholas II, who wished to personally lead the troops.

All the ministers spoke out against this, and on July 20 an imperial decree was issued, which read as follows: “Not recognizing it possible, for reasons of a national nature, to now become the head of our land and sea forces intended for military operations, we recognized it for the good to graciously command our general - adjutant, commander of the troops of the guards and the St. Petersburg military district, cavalry general to his imperial highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich to be supreme commander in chief. Nicholas."

The stake unfolded in Baranovichi. Under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief there was a headquarters, which included a number of departments. In the summer of 1914, there were 9 generals, 36 officers, 12 officials, about 150 soldiers. In subsequent years, the composition of the Headquarters increased to 2 thousand people.

According to contemporaries, the new commander-in-chief was a well-prepared major military leader, a true military man who had great authority among the officers and troops of the army, but was easily influenced by persons close to him. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was endowed with unlimited powers and reported directly only to the emperor.

Nicholas II and Nicholas Nikolaevich:

No one else had the right to give him any instructions. But Nikolai Nikolaevich could not, in turn, influence the Minister of War, to whom the troops in the rear were subordinate, and all combat supplies and quartermaster support were also not within the competence of the commander in chief.
To wage war on the land theater of operations, the North-Western, South-Western, and somewhat later the Caucasian fronts were created. All front commanders were military commanders with great experience, but they did not have experience in managing large formations during the war. They made up the high command of the armed forces, at the head of which Nikolai Nikolayevich had to solve complex issues of wartime.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the younger

The first experience of the Grand Duke in a high command post was an operation in East Prussia. According to the plan of the Russian command, the German troops during the operation were to fall under a double blow: the 1st Russian Army (commander P.K. Rennenkampf) bypassed the Germans from the north, bypassing the Masurian Lakes and cut off the enemy from Konigsberg, and A.V. Samsonov) led the offensive from the south-west, preventing the enemy from withdrawing troops beyond the Vistula.

Russian infantry in East Prussia.

Russian trenches

The offensive began in August 1914. Despite the fact that the Russian troops had some superiority over the enemy, by the beginning of September the East Prussian operation ended in the complete defeat of the armies of the North-Western Front. Russian troops suffered huge losses - up to 250 thousand people were killed and taken prisoner.
The East Prussian operation clearly revealed the unpreparedness of the supreme commander and his staff to command troops and solve strategic problems.

After the defeat, Nikolai Nikolaevich sent the following telegram to the emperor: “I am fully aware that I was unable to insist on the fulfillment of my demands, therefore I lay down my guilty head before Your Majesty.” The emperor did not bring to justice those responsible for the death and capture of a quarter of a million Russian soldiers in East Prussia, and in order to support the commander in chief, he awards him the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

Emperor Nicholas II(left), Minister of the Court Count V.B. Frederiks(in the center) and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich(right) at Headquarters.

On the Southwestern Front, things were more successful. It provided for the offensive of the 5th and 3rd armies on Lvov with the aim of encircling and destroying the main forces of Austria-Hungary. The enemy command decided to stop the advance of the Russian troops, but the six-day battle forced the Austrians to retreat across the San and Dunaets rivers, suffering huge losses.

These victories were a kind of gift for the supreme command of the Russian army. In combination with the actions of troops in the Lublin direction, conditions were created for the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian armies. The Galician battle, which lasted for almost 40 days on a front of 400 kilometers, brought the Russians a new victory.

In this battle, the Austrian troops lost about 400 thousand people killed, wounded and captured. Russian troops lost almost 230 thousand soldiers and officers. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief immediately reported this to the emperor and submitted a petition to award orders to all commanders of the armies of the Southwestern Front and many commanders of corps and divisions with the Order of St. George 4th degree. Several military leaders were presented to the Order of St. George 3rd degree.

The victories in Galicia pushed the Headquarters to another strategic operation. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief and his closest assistants sought to get the opinion of the front commanders, with whom precious time was spent on correspondence.

Emperor Nicholas II (in the foreground in the center), the Supreme Commander led. Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich and the persons accompanying them listen to the explanations of the commandant of the Przemysl fortress, Major-General S.N. Among those present: Prince Pyotr Nikolayevich (7th from right), Adjutant General K.D. Nilov (2nd from right), life surgeon S.P. Fedorov and others

The defeat in Galicia brought Austria-Hungary to the brink of disaster, and she turned to her ally, Germany, for help. The Russian command prepared to fend off the attack that was being prepared in the Warsaw-Krakow direction. As subsequent events showed, the direction of the attack of the Allied troops was definitely correct by the Headquarters.

The plans of the Russian command included repelling an attack in the Warsaw direction with a subsequent transition to a counteroffensive. Nikolai Nikolaevich ordered the main forces of the Southwestern and part of the forces of the Northwestern fronts to be regrouped in the Middle Vistula region. This time, the supreme commander did not go along with his advisers. He himself gradually but persistently mastered the science of military leadership. A lot of power was concentrated in his hands, and he was called upon to resolve issues not only related to the operational use of the armed forces, but also many others on which the success of military operations depended.

Cossacks in Galicia.

Front 150 grams

This time he decided to unite the leadership of the troops concentrated on the Middle Vistula in the hands of an experienced general Ivanov. According to the directive of the Stavka, from September 19, the 2nd Army, as well as the Warsaw detachment with the Novogeorgievsk fortress, passed into his submission for the duration of the upcoming operation. Thanks to this, three armies and several separate corps were concentrated under a single command on the front from Warsaw to Ivangorod.

Russian medical workers and the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich(on the back seat in the car) in Lviv

At the first stage, the operation did not develop very well due to the fact that the troops did not have time to fully complete the regrouping, but the heroic defense of the units that took the first blow from the enemy helped the Russian command gain time to concentrate all the troops. Soon, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief personally arrived at the troops to get acquainted on the spot with the current situation. Having carefully studied everything and listened to the opinions of the army commanders, Nikolai Nikolayevich decided to divide command and control of the troops. At the same time, the defense of Warsaw and the southern approaches to it was entrusted to General Ruzsky, who was ordered to short time to complete the deployment of forces intended for offensive operations and the consolidation of broad bridgeheads on the left bank of the Vistula.

Crossing the (Vistula?, Veps?) near Ivangorod.

On October 5, without an operational pause, the Russian troops went on the offensive, and within two days they managed to break the enemy and force him to retreat to the south. The Warsaw-Ivangorod operation became the largest strategic operation of the First World War. During its implementation, the German army lost up to 50 percent of the forces involved in it.

In an effort to take revenge, the Germans, having gathered all their forces, went on the offensive in the Lodz region. They managed to split the Russian grouping in two, but the combined detachment sent by the supreme commander-in-chief to help - two army corps and two cavalry divisions - managed to surround the enemy and again win. Here the Germans lost over 40 thousand killed and captured. Only mistakes in the management of Russian troops, acting disunitedly separate detachments, allowed part of the German forces to break through to the north and get out of the encirclement. The Lodz operation was the last in the 1914 campaign.

Russian infantry reflects the German night attack in the battle on the Vistula.

With each new operation, the Grand Duke gained more and more experience. According to his entourage, "his popularity grew every day" and "his name became the property of not only the army, but of the entire Russian society." In general, it can be stated that under the leadership of the Grand Duke, the 1914 campaign on the Eastern Front was won by the Russians. In addition to the Order of St. George of the 3rd degree, Nikolai Nikolayevich was awarded for the 1914 campaign of the year and foreign insignia - the Grand Cross of the English Order of the Bath and the French medal "For Military Distinction".

Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious GeorgeMost Honorable Order of the Bath
The year 1915 was approaching. It became obvious that the war was dragging on, since neither side was able to achieve decisive results in the armed struggle. The plans for the 1915 campaign of the year, developed by the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, outlined two directions for striking. The main blow was directed to Berlin through East Prussia, another, secondary blow - through the Carpathians to Hungary. The development of the plans of the Russian high command was carried out taking into account the plans of the allies, and the terms of the offensive operation were set by January 23-25.

Emperor Nicholas II receives a report from the military governor-general of Galicia Count G.A. Bobrinsky at the car at the city outpost upon arrival in Lvov. In the car: The Supreme Commander led. Prince Nikolai Nikolayevich, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General of Infantry N.N. Yanushkevich (2nd from right), far left - Palace Commandant V.N. Voeikov.
Date of shooting: 04/09/1915

Emperor Nicholas II bypasses the guard of honor during his arrival in Lvov. Present: the Governor-General of Galicia, Lieutenant-General G.A. Bobrinsky (to the left of the emperor), the Supreme Commander led. Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich, Grand Duke Prince Alexander Mikhailovich, Minister of the Imperial Court Baron V.B. Frederiks and others.
Date of shooting: 04/09/1915

During the regrouping of troops, no secrecy measures were observed, which allowed the enemy to know exactly about the intentions of the command of the Russian army and deliver preemptive strikes. The plans of the Austro-German command included the main strike in the east, and in the west in 1915 an active defense was planned. The enemy command did not leave hope for a victorious end to the war.
At the beginning of 1915, the troops of the North-Western Front carried out several offensive operations that did not achieve the desired results. On the Southwestern Front, the year also began with offensive operations, but Russian troops could not overcome the enemy’s defenses in the Carpathians and break through to the Hungarian Plain.

The only success was the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Przemysl. The fortress surrendered on March 9 and its entire garrison of 120,000 (including 9 generals and more than 2,500 officers) was completely taken prisoner. This was the last victory of the Russian troops in this campaign.

The German army hastened to help the Austrians, and soon Przemysl was again abandoned by the Russian troops. The Germans continued to advance, and already in the summer of 1915, the Russians were forced to leave first Lvov, and then Galicia.

Russian troops suffered huge losses. Even the reserves brought into battle did not help.
Failures in the 1915 campaign intensified the intrigues of the court against Nikolai Nikolaevich. There was talk that in society he was perceived as the second emperor, calling him Nicholas III. It even went as far as accusing the Grand Duke of treason.

Then Emperor Nicholas II decides to personally lead the troops. He sends the Grand Duke to the Caucasus, instructing the Minister of War Polivanov to inform Nikolai Nikolayevich about this.
On the evening of August 9, Polivanov arrived in Mogilev, where the Stavka was moving from Baranovichi. After listening to the Minister of War, Nikolai Nikolaevich asked if he could take Yanushkevich with him to the Caucasus and, having received an affirmative answer, outwardly completely calmed down. Then the details of the transfer of the post of supreme commander were discussed.

Emperor Nicholas II and Supreme Commander led. Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich during a review of the fortifications of the Przemysl fortress, captured by Russian troops. Przemysl, 04/11/1915

On August 22, the emperor arrived at Headquarters, and the next day, the former commander-in-chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, having signed the act of surrendering command, left Mogilev.

The Caucasian front, where Nikolai Nikolaevich arrived in September 1915, was a separate theater of military operations, where a tense armed struggle was waged between Russia and Turkey. Here, Nikolai Nikolayevich had to deal not only with military, but also with diplomatic issues. The successes of the Russian troops in this region made the ruling circles of England very worried, who sought to establish sole domination in the oil-bearing regions. Without agreement with the Russian command, in November 1915, they landed troops in the Persian Gulf and launched an attack on Baghdad.

This operation failed - the Turks managed to surround the British and offered them to capitulate. Finding themselves in a difficult situation, the British command "remembered" the allies and turned for help to the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Caucasus, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich. He agreed, but put forward certain conditions that the British command did not accept. In turn, Nikolai Nikolayevich refused active offensive operations, despite the fact that the Stavka demanded this from him. In April 1916, having received no help, the British encircled troops (about 10 thousand people) were forced to capitulate - the prestige of England in Asia was seriously damaged.

In the autumn of 1915, the situation in Persia deteriorated sharply, the country was on the verge of civil war. In order to prevent Persia from being drawn into the war, Nikolai Nikolayevich obtained permission from the Headquarters to conduct the Hamadan operation with the forces of the expeditionary cavalry corps under the command of General N.N. Baratov. Within a month, the corps made a number of expeditions deep into Persia, defeating several armed formations of the enemy. In December, part of the forces of the corps occupied Hamadan, as well as a number of other settlements located on the outskirts of Tehran. The successful completion of the Hamadan operation, which had not so much military as political significance, put an end to the attempts of Germany and Turkey to draw the states of Central Asia into the war against Russia.

In 1916, the Caucasian army carried out three successive offensive operations. All of them were carried out under the direct supervision of Nikolai Nikolaevich and the commander of the Caucasian Army, General of Infantry N.N. Yudenich. The Russian army was opposed by the 3rd Turkish army, to strengthen which units from the Balkans moved.
The Grand Duke decided to defeat the 3rd Turkish Army before the arrival of reinforcements that could appear on the Caucasian front, according to headquarters calculations, not earlier than March 1916. For this purpose, the Erzurum operation was carried out from December 28, 1915. The successful assault on Erzurum was a major political victory for Russia, as a result of which the governments of England and France hastened to sign an agreement with Russia on the delimitation of spheres of influence in this region, which was beneficial for her.

Erzurum during World War I

Captured Turkish gun in Erzurum taken by Russian troops Early 1916

The results of the 1916 campaign on the Caucasian front were also very significant. In the course of three successive operations, the 3rd Turkish army was defeated three times. Russian troops managed to advance more than 250 kilometers into Turkish territory. Important points were captured, including the fortress of Erzurum, the port of Trebizond and the city of Erzincan.

Unprecedentedly snowy and severe winter of 1917 suspended fighting on the Caucasian front. Due to the lack of roads, the supply of food and fodder was very difficult. The soldiers were starving, epidemics began. By this period, the total losses of the Caucasian army since the beginning of the war, killed and died from wounds, reached 100 thousand people. There was not enough ammunition, especially cartridges. In this position, the army was not able to conduct offensive operations and, by order of the Grand Duke, went over to active defense.

The events of February 1917 and the abdication of Nicholas II required the urgent return of Nicholas Nikolayevich to Headquarters. Before his abdication, the emperor wished to return him to the post of supreme commander. However, the Provisional Government was not satisfied with the stay of a representative of the Romanov family in this post. This position of the Provisional Government deeply offended the Grand Duke, who was at the Headquarters at that time. In response to Lvov's letter, in which he asked Nikolai Nikolayevich to renounce the post of commander-in-chief in order to prove his love for the Fatherland, he sends a response to Petrograd with the following content: “I am glad to once again prove my love for the Motherland, which Russia has not doubted until now” .

Having handed over the command to General Alekseev, Nikolai Nikolaevich left Mogilev. He served in Russian army 46 years old and now left her forever. Soon he and his family moved to the Crimea, from where he was evacuated by the allies.

In March 1919, Nikolai Nikolaevich emigrated to Italy. Then he moved to France, where he remained until the end of his life. While in exile, he did not take part in active political activity, although among the white émigrés he was considered a contender for the Russian throne. In December 1924, he took over from General Wrangel command of the Russian foreign organizations united in the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS).
Nikolai Nikolayevich died on January 5, 1929 in the town of Antibes and was buried in Cannes. On the grave, compatriots installed a large green marble plaque with the words: "To the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich from the Russian foreign army."

Personal life and marriage.

At the end of 1880, he had an affair with the daughter of a small shopkeeper, S.I. Burenina, the wife of a furrier merchant and the mother of two children. He asked Emperor Alexander III for consent to marry her. From the memorandum of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev to the emperor dated August 7, 1892. it is clear that on May 6 of the same year the emperor verbally agreed to their marriage, which, however, was later not allowed "due to changed circumstances" (the original words of the resolution of Alexander III on the report). According to a legend that was widespread in St. Petersburg, Alexander III imposed a resolution on the petition of Nikolai Nikolayevich Jr.: "I am related to many courts in Europe, but I have not yet been and will not be with Gostiny!"

Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov the Younger

In early January 1598, with the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, the Rurik dynasty, the descendants of Ivan Kalita, ended. It was replaced by the Romanov dynasty, which had established itself on the Russian throne since 1613. The Romanov tsars were replaced by the Romanov emperors, and with the accession to the throne in December 1761 of Emperor Peter III, the Holstein-Gottorp branch of the dynasty was established in Russia. The son of Peter III, Paul I, having inherited the throne after his mother, Catherine the Great, crowned the ashes of Peter III. Probably, by this action, he wanted to stop talking about whose son he was "by blood" - Peter III or Sergei Saltykov, and officially legitimize his relationship with the Holstein-Gottorps. In order to avoid further confusion in the succession to the throne, Paul I in 1797 approves the “Act on the order of succession to the throne” and the “Institution on the imperial family”. The new legislation was based on the German-Dutch system of succession to the throne, but taking into account the tradition of succession to the throne in Russia. These documents regulated the hierarchy within the imperial family and, in addition to the order of succession to the throne, determined the rights, duties, privileges and material support of family members of the ruling dynasty. Legislation also introduced new titles for representatives of the imperial house. In particular, the title "tsarevich" was abolished, and now the Russian "princes" began to be called grand dukes.

Modern representatives of the Romanov dynasty trace lines from Nicholas I, the third son of Emperor Paul I. His brother Alexander, who took the throne after his father, left no descendants after his death, and the second brother, Konstantin, and his descendants were deprived of the right to the Russian throne due to Konstantin's second marriage Pavlovich with a woman not of princely blood. Thus, the throne passed to the third son of Paul I, Nikolai Pavlovich. Nicholas I had four sons, each of whom gave independent branches to the Romanov dynasty. The eldest son Alexander became the founder of the reigning line of the Romanovs. From the third son of Emperor Nicholas I, named the same as his father, Nicholas, the grand dukes of the “Nikolaevich line” originate.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (the Elder) was born in 1831. Traditionally, he chose a military career and rose to the rank of Field Marshal. He especially distinguished himself during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 as the commander-in-chief of the Danube army. Contemporaries noted his "Russian-knightly" charm. Many military men considered him a cordial, attentive and energetic person, not without a sense of humor, appreciated his presence of mind in difficult situations. It was noted that he could talk on an equal footing with both senior officers (generals) and junior officers. On the other hand, it was noted that as a strategist and tactician, he did not enjoy authority, but rather acted as an efficient administrator.

From his marriage with Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna, he had two sons - Nikolai and Peter, who traditionally went on "military affairs".

I must say that Pyotr Nikolaevich was no different good health and, having lived abroad for a long time, did not make a successful military career. After the events of October 1917, he managed to go abroad and escape the Bolshevik massacre, unlike many other representatives of the Romanov dynasty. He died in France in 1931.

His older brother made a completely different military career. The first Russian Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, in contrast to his father and namesake in court circles, was nicknamed "The Younger", was a rather striking figure in Russian military history at the beginning of the 20th century.

He was born on November 18, 1856 in St. Petersburg. It was decided immediately that he would become a military man, therefore, while still a baby, he became the chief of two regiments - the Lithuanian Life Guards and the 56th Zhytomyr Infantry.

Having received a good education at home, at the age of 15, Nikolai entered the Nikolaev Engineering School as a cadet. He left the school with the rank of ensign and was left in the capital in an infantry training battalion. Then the Grand Duke entered the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff, from which he graduated in 1876 with a silver medal. His name was inscribed on a marble plaque.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, he was assigned as an officer for special assignments under the commander-in-chief of the Danube army - his father. He was entrusted with the responsible task of carrying out reconnaissance of the banks of the Danube in order to select a place for the crossing of troops. During the war, Nikolai Nikolayevich took part in the assault on the Sistov Heights and in the capture of the Shipka Pass. For his bravery in battle, he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree and a golden weapon with the inscription "For Bravery".

At the end of the war, Nikolai Nikolayevich was sent to the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. He served in it for 12 years - he commanded a squadron, regiment, cavalry division.

In 1885, he was promoted to major general, and becoming a lieutenant general in 1890, the Grand Duke was given command of the guards cavalry division. From 1895 until 1905 he served as inspector general of the cavalry, one of the most numerous and revered branches of the Russian army. Under his leadership, significant changes took place in the cavalry troops. The Grand Duke initiated and developed a new cavalry charter, which summarized the experience of using cavalry in the second half of the 19th century. Thanks to his labors, the cavalry troops became mobile, maneuverable and hardy. For his service, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, and in 1901 he received the rank of general from the cavalry.

At the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, he refused to take part in it, as he did not get along with the Russian governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev, and in the year the war ended, the prince headed the Council of State Defense and remained in this post until 1908, then becoming commander of the St. Petersburg military district and head of the guard troops.

By the beginning of the First World War, Nikolai Nikolayevich was 58 years old. The war, for which Russia was not ready, presented the country with many problems that needed to be resolved quickly. One of them was the creation of the highest governing body of the army and navy - the Headquarters - headed by the supreme commander. Several candidates were nominated for this high and responsible post, among them Tsar Nicholas II, who wished to personally lead the troops. All the ministers spoke out against this, and on July 20 an imperial decree was issued, which read as follows: “Not recognizing it possible, for reasons of a national nature, to now become the head of our land and sea forces intended for military operations, we recognized it for the good to graciously command our general - adjutant, commander of the troops of the guards and the St. Petersburg military district, cavalry general to his imperial highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich to be supreme commander in chief. Nicholas."

The stake unfolded in Baranovichi. Under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief there was a headquarters, which included a number of departments. In the summer of 1914, there were 9 generals, 36 officers, 12 officials, about 150 soldiers. In subsequent years, the composition of the Headquarters increased to 2 thousand people.

According to contemporaries, the new commander-in-chief was a well-prepared major military leader, a true military man who had great authority among the officers and troops of the army, but was easily influenced by persons close to him. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was endowed with unlimited powers and reported directly only to the emperor. No one else had the right to give him any instructions. But Nikolai Nikolaevich could not, in turn, influence the Minister of War, to whom the troops in the rear were subordinate, and all combat supplies and quartermaster support were also not within the competence of the commander in chief.

To wage war on the land theater of operations, the North-Western, South-Western, and somewhat later the Caucasian fronts were created. All front commanders were military commanders with great experience, but they did not have experience in managing large formations during the war. They made up the high command of the armed forces, at the head of which Nikolai Nikolayevich had to solve complex issues of wartime.

The first experience of the Grand Duke in a high command post was an operation in East Prussia. According to the plan of the Russian command, the German troops during the operation were to fall under a double blow: the 1st Russian Army (commander P.K. Rennenkampf) bypassed the Germans from the north, bypassing the Masurian Lakes and cut off the enemy from Konigsberg, and A.V. Samsonov) led the offensive from the south-west, preventing the enemy from withdrawing troops beyond the Vistula.

The offensive began in August 1914. Despite the fact that the Russian troops had some superiority over the enemy, by the beginning of September the East Prussian operation ended in the complete defeat of the armies of the North-Western Front. Russian troops suffered huge losses - up to 250 thousand people were killed and taken prisoner.

The East Prussian operation clearly revealed the unpreparedness of the supreme commander and his staff to command troops and solve strategic problems. After the defeat, Nikolai Nikolaevich sent the following telegram to the emperor: “I am fully aware that I was unable to insist on the fulfillment of my demands, therefore I lay down my guilty head before Your Majesty.” The emperor did not bring to justice those responsible for the death and capture of a quarter of a million Russian soldiers in East Prussia, and in order to support the commander in chief, he awards him the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

On the Southwestern Front, things were more successful. It provided for the offensive of the 5th and 3rd armies on Lvov with the aim of encircling and destroying the main forces of Austria-Hungary. The enemy command decided to stop the advance of the Russian troops, but the six-day battle forced the Austrians to retreat across the San and Dunaets rivers, suffering huge losses.

These victories were a kind of gift for the supreme command of the Russian army. In combination with the actions of troops in the Lublin direction, conditions were created for the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian armies. The Galician battle, which lasted for almost 40 days on a front of 400 kilometers, brought the Russians a new victory. In this battle, the Austrian troops lost about 400 thousand people killed, wounded and captured. Russian troops lost almost 230 thousand soldiers and officers. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief immediately reported this to the emperor and submitted a petition to award orders to all commanders of the armies of the Southwestern Front and many commanders of corps and divisions with the Order of St. George 4th degree. Several military leaders were presented to the Order of St. George 3rd degree.

The victories in Galicia pushed the Headquarters to another strategic operation. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief and his closest assistants sought to get the opinion of the front commanders, with whom precious time was spent on correspondence.

The defeat in Galicia put Austria-Hungary on the brink of disaster, and she turned to her ally, Germany, for help. The Russian command prepared to fend off the attack that was being prepared in the Warsaw-Krakow direction. As subsequent events showed, the direction of the attack of the Allied troops was definitely correct by the Headquarters.

The plans of the Russian command included repelling an attack in the Warsaw direction with a subsequent transition to a counteroffensive. Nikolai Nikolaevich ordered the main forces of the Southwestern and part of the forces of the Northwestern fronts to be regrouped in the Middle Vistula region. This time, the supreme commander did not go along with his advisers. He himself gradually but persistently mastered the science of military leadership. A lot of power was concentrated in his hands, and he was called upon to resolve issues not only related to the operational use of the armed forces, but also many others on which the success of military operations depended. This time he decided to unite the leadership of the troops concentrated on the Middle Vistula in the hands of an experienced general Ivanov. According to the directive of the Stavka, from September 19, the 2nd Army, as well as the Warsaw detachment with the Novogeorgievsk fortress, passed into his submission for the duration of the upcoming operation. Thanks to this, three armies and several separate corps were concentrated under a single command on the front from Warsaw to Ivangorod.

At the first stage, the operation did not develop very well due to the fact that the troops did not have time to fully complete the regrouping, but the heroic defense of the units that took the first blow from the enemy helped the Russian command gain time to concentrate all the troops. Soon, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief personally arrived at the troops to get acquainted on the spot with the current situation. Having carefully studied everything and listened to the opinions of the army commanders, Nikolai Nikolayevich decided to divide command and control of the troops. At the same time, the defense of Warsaw and the southern approaches to it was entrusted to General Ruzsky, who was instructed to quickly complete the deployment of forces intended for offensive operations and securing wide bridgeheads on the left bank of the Vistula.

On October 5, without an operational pause, the Russian troops went on the offensive, and within two days they managed to break the enemy and force him to retreat to the south. The Warsaw-Ivangorod operation became the largest strategic operation of the First World War. During its implementation, the German army lost up to 50 percent of the forces involved in it.

In an effort to take revenge, the Germans, having gathered all their forces, went on the offensive in the Lodz region. They managed to split the Russian grouping in two, but the consolidated detachment sent by the supreme commander to help - two army corps and two cavalry divisions - managed to surround the enemy and again win. Here the Germans lost over 40 thousand killed and captured. Only errors in the management of the Russian troops, acting in separate detachments, allowed part of the German forces to break through to the north and get out of the encirclement. The Lodz operation was the last in the 1914 campaign.

With each new operation, the Grand Duke gained more and more experience. According to his entourage, "his popularity grew every day" and "his name became the property of not only the army, but of the entire Russian society." In general, it can be stated that under the leadership of the Grand Duke, the 1914 campaign on the Eastern Front was won by the Russians. In addition to the Order of St. George of the 3rd degree, Nikolai Nikolayevich was awarded for the 1914 campaign of the year and foreign insignia - the Grand Cross of the English Order of the Bath and the French medal "For Military Distinction".

The year 1915 was approaching. It became obvious that the war was dragging on, since neither side was able to achieve decisive results in the armed struggle. The plans for the 1915 campaign of the year, developed by the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, outlined two directions for striking. The main blow was directed to Berlin through East Prussia, another, secondary blow - through the Carpathians to Hungary. The development of the plans of the Russian high command was carried out taking into account the plans of the allies, and the terms of the offensive operation were set by January 23-25.

During the regrouping of troops, no secrecy measures were observed, which allowed the enemy to know exactly about the intentions of the command of the Russian army and deliver preemptive strikes. The plans of the Austro-German command included the main strike in the east, and in the west in 1915 an active defense was planned. The enemy command did not leave hope for a victorious end to the war.

At the beginning of 1915, the troops of the North-Western Front carried out several offensive operations that did not achieve the desired results. On the Southwestern Front, the year also began with offensive operations, but Russian troops could not overcome the enemy’s defenses in the Carpathians and break through to the Hungarian Plain. The only success was the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Przemysl. The fortress surrendered on March 9 and its entire garrison of 120,000 (including 9 generals and more than 2,500 officers) was completely taken prisoner. This was the last victory of the Russian troops in this campaign.

The German army hastened to help the Austrians, and soon Przemysl was again abandoned by the Russian troops. The Germans continued to advance, and already in the summer of 1915, the Russians were forced to leave first Lvov, and then Galicia. Russian troops suffered huge losses. Even the reserves brought into battle did not help.

Failures in the 1915 campaign intensified the intrigues of the court against Nikolai Nikolaevich. There was talk that in society he was perceived as the second emperor, calling him Nicholas III. It even went as far as accusing the Grand Duke of treason. Then Emperor Nicholas II decides to personally lead the troops. He sends the Grand Duke to the Caucasus, instructing the Minister of War Polivanov to inform Nikolai Nikolaevich about this.

On the evening of August 9, Polivanov arrived in Mogilev, where the Stavka was moving from Baranovichi. After listening to the Minister of War, Nikolai Nikolaevich asked if he could take Yanushkevich with him to the Caucasus and, having received an affirmative answer, outwardly completely calmed down. Then the details of the transfer of the post of supreme commander were discussed.

On August 22, the emperor arrived at Headquarters, and the next day, the former commander-in-chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, having signed the act of surrendering command, left Mogilev.

The Caucasian front, where Nikolai Nikolaevich arrived in September 1915, was a separate theater of military operations, where a tense armed struggle was waged between Russia and Turkey. Here, Nikolai Nikolayevich had to deal not only with military, but also with diplomatic issues. The successes of the Russian troops in this region made the ruling circles of England very worried, who sought to establish sole domination in the oil-bearing regions. Without agreement with the Russian command, in November 1915, they landed troops in the Persian Gulf and launched an attack on Baghdad. This operation failed - the Turks managed to surround the British and offered them to capitulate. Finding themselves in a difficult situation, the British command "remembered" the allies and turned for help to the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Caucasus - Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich. He agreed, but put forward certain conditions that the British command did not accept. In turn, Nikolai Nikolayevich refused active offensive operations, despite the fact that the Stavka demanded this from him. In April 1916, having received no help, the British encircled troops (about 10 thousand people) were forced to capitulate - the prestige of England in Asia was seriously damaged.

In the autumn of 1915, the situation in Persia deteriorated sharply, the country was on the verge of civil war. In order to prevent Persia from being drawn into the war, Nikolai Nikolayevich obtained permission from the Headquarters to conduct the Hamadan operation with the forces of the expeditionary cavalry corps under the command of General N.N. Baratov. Within a month, the corps made a number of expeditions deep into Persia, defeating several armed formations of the enemy. In December, part of the forces of the corps occupied Hamadan, as well as a number of other settlements located on the outskirts of Tehran. The successful completion of the Hamadan operation, which had not so much a military as a political significance, put an end to the attempts of Germany and Turkey to draw the states of Central Asia into the war against Russia.

In 1916, the Caucasian army carried out three successive offensive operations. All of them were carried out under the direct supervision of Nikolai Nikolaevich and the commander of the Caucasian Army, General of Infantry N.N. Yudenich. The Russian army was opposed by the 3rd Turkish army, to strengthen which units from the Balkans moved.

The Grand Duke decided to defeat the 3rd Turkish Army before the arrival of reinforcements that could appear on the Caucasian front, according to headquarters calculations, not earlier than March 1916. For this purpose, the Erzurum operation was carried out from December 28, 1915. The successful assault on Erzurum was a major political victory for Russia, as a result of which the governments of England and France hastened to sign an agreement with Russia on the delimitation of spheres of influence in this region, which was beneficial for her.

The results of the 1916 campaign on the Caucasian front were also very significant. In the course of three successive operations, the 3rd Turkish army was defeated three times. Russian troops managed to advance more than 250 kilometers into Turkish territory. Important points were captured, including the fortress of Erzurum, the port of Trebizond and the city of Erzincan.

The unprecedentedly snowy and harsh winter of 1917 suspended hostilities on the Caucasian front. Due to the lack of roads, the supply of food and fodder was very difficult. The soldiers were starving, epidemics began. By this period, the total losses of the Caucasian army since the beginning of the war, killed and died from wounds, reached 100 thousand people. There was not enough ammunition, especially cartridges. In this position, the army was not able to conduct offensive operations and, by order of the Grand Duke, went over to active defense.

The events of February 1917 and the abdication of Nicholas II required the urgent return of Nicholas Nikolayevich to Headquarters. Before his abdication, the emperor wished to return him to the post of supreme commander. However, the Provisional Government was not satisfied with the stay of a representative of the Romanov family in this post. This position of the Provisional Government deeply offended the Grand Duke, who was at the Headquarters at that time. In response to Lvov's letter, in which he asked Nikolai Nikolayevich to renounce the post of commander-in-chief in order to prove his love for the Fatherland, he sends a response to Petrograd with the following content: “I am glad to once again prove my love for the Motherland, which Russia has not doubted until now” . Having handed over the command to General Alekseev, Nikolai Nikolaevich left Mogilev. He served in the Russian army for 46 years and has now left it forever. Soon he and his family moved to the Crimea, from where he was evacuated by the allies.

In March 1919, Nikolai Nikolaevich emigrated to Italy. Then he moved to France, where he remained until the end of his life. While in exile, he did not take part in active political activity, although among the white émigrés he was considered a contender for the Russian throne. In December 1924, he took over from General Wrangel command of the Russian foreign organizations united in the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS).

Nikolai Nikolayevich died on January 5, 1929 in the town of Antibes and was buried in Cannes. On the grave, compatriots installed a large green marble plaque with the words: "To the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich from the Russian foreign army."

From the first days of his reign, Nicholas II dreamed of an heir. The Lord sent only daughters to the emperor.

The Tsesarevich was born on August 12, 1904. The heir to the Russian throne was born a year after the Sarov celebrations. The entire royal family fervently prayed for the birth of a boy. Alexei inherited all the best from his father and mother.

His parents loved him very much, he answered them with great reciprocity. The father was a real idol for Alexei Nikolaevich. The young prince tried to imitate him in everything.

How to name the newborn, the royal couple did not even think about it. Nicholas II had long wanted to name his future heir Alexei.

The tsar said that "it's time to break the line of Alexandrov and Nikolaev." Also, Nicholas II was a nice person, and the emperor wanted to name his son in honor of the great ancestor.

The young prince had beautiful hair, large gray-blue eyes, the skin of his face was soft pink, and charming dimples could be seen on his plump cheeks. When a smile shone on his face, it could not be called anything other than angelic. He was beautiful child. Those who saw the heir in the first years of his life unanimously noted this.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova devoted much time to her son. She bathed him, played and looked after him. The sensitivity and care of the mother were necessary for the child. As it turned out later, the prince was sick with hemophilia. The disease was a serious blow to royal family and the entire state.

In order to protect the child from bruises and other injuries that, due to illness, could cause severe pain to the child, a nanny, Maria Ivanovna Vishnyakova, was assigned to him. Later, the boatswain Derevenko was engaged in the upbringing of the prince, and Nagorny and footman Sednev helped him. All three were assigned to the child as uncles. It was the responsibility of these people to constantly be with the child and monitor his actions.

Despite his illness, the prince grew up as an unpretentious child. He did not act up, did not show any malice or irritation. He was surrounded by ordinary Russian people who had a great influence on the formation of the inner world of the heir.

Alexey loved people very much, tried to help them, never remained indifferent. He especially pitied those who, in his opinion, were unfairly offended, saying that when he reigns, there will be no poor and unfortunate in Russia. He said, "I want everyone to be happy."

In communication, Alexei was sincere and simple. Most of all he disliked lies. He had a decisive, but at the same time soft and affectionate character. He really loved everything Russian, he was a real patriot. The prince was the chief of all Cossack troops. The Cossacks loved their young ataman and their future emperor.

Describes one case that occurred at a time when the heir was only a year and a half. In January 1907, Nicholas II decided to show his heir to the Life Guards Ataman Regiment. Krasnov was the commander of one of the hundreds. When the Emperor and his son passed by the Cossacks, Krasnov noticed how the sabers of the Cossacks from his hundred swayed. Annoyance shrank in Krasnov's heart, "are you really tired!" he thought.

Peter followed the sovereign, and saw how the standard bent, and tears flowed down the face of the stern wahmister. The sovereign with the heir walked along the Cossacks. The Cossacks were crying, the sabers were swinging in mighty Russian hands... “I could not and did not want to stop this swinging,” Krasnov recalled. This incident shows the devotion and love of the Cossacks to Tsarevich Alexei.

Once, at the age of six, the heir was playing enthusiastically with his sisters. And then he was informed that the Cossacks had come and wanted to see him. He immediately stopped all games, and received guests.

Of the toys, the prince recognized only soldiers. He really liked to mess around with them. He also liked soldier's food. What was given at the royal table, Alexei did not always eat. Secretly from his parents, he ran away to the royal kitchen, where he asked for black bread and ordinary cabbage soup. My favorite soldiers eat such food - the prince said, I want it like they do.

The prince grew up, he had to study. But illness prevented him from taking up science seriously. One day, he carelessly jumped into a boat and began to bleed internally. The disease was very difficult, but he survived.

Recovery was slow. After the final recovery, the prince seriously sat down for science. As the teachers noted, the heir was very smart, and like his sister, he grasped everything on the fly.

Soon the revolution broke out. After it was the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, where the heir to the Russian throne, together with his family, was brutally murdered on 07/17/1918. Tsarevich Alexei, like other members of his family, canonized as a saint.