Emperor Alexander III. Tsar-Peacemaker

On March 10 (February 26, old style), 1845 - exactly 165 years ago - the following message was printed in the Vedomosti of the St. Petersburg City Police: " On February 26, Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Tsesarevna and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna was successfully relieved of her burden by the Grand Duke, named Alexander. This happy event was announced to the inhabitants of the capital at three o'clock in the afternoon three hundred and one cannon shot from the bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress, and in the evening the capital was illuminated". So the second son of Emperor Alexander II entered into life - Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who, by the will of fate, was destined to become Emperor of Russia Alexander III.

"In the whole world we have only two faithful allies - our army and navy. All the rest, at the first opportunity, will take up arms against us."

"Russia - for Russians and in Russian"

Alexander III

By God's hastening mercy, Alexander the Third, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Tauric Chersonis, Tsar of Georgia; Sovereign of Pskov and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuanian, Volyn, Podolsk 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 Nizovsky lands, Chernigov, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Beloozersky, Udora, Obdorsky, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislav and all Northern countries Princes and other hereditary Sovereign and Possessor, Sovereign of Turkestan, Heir of Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Ditmarsen and Oldenburg and others, and others, and others

Later, contemporaries and descendants will call Alexander III king Peacemaker: this is due to the fact that during his reign, Russia did not wage a single war. But not only this is his merit, for 13 years of his reign he managed to do a lot for Russia, for which the Russian people were grateful to him and considered him truly theirs. Enemies of Russia are still afraid and hate this Russian Tsar.

Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich in childhood

Zaryanko S.K. Portrait of Grand Duke Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich 1867
(State Russian Museum)

Family... family with early childhood until the end of his life was the basis for Emperor Alexander III. " If there is something good, good and honest in Me, then I owe it only to our dear dear Mother ... Thanks to Mother, we, all brothers and Marie, became and remained true Christians and fell in love with both faith and the Church ... "(from a letter of Emperor Alexander III to his wife Maria Feodorovna). Empress Maria Alexandrovna raised Alexander as a deeply religious and decent person with strong moral principles. He also owes her love for art, Russian nature, history. Alexander's education began at the age of eight and lasted twelve years. Mandatory list the lesson was this: the Law of God, General history, Russian history, mathematics, geography, Russian language, gymnastics, fencing, languages, etc. The teachers were the best people Russia: historian Professor S. M. Solovyov, philologist - Slavic professor F. I. Buslaev, academician Ya. K. Grot, the creator of Russian classical orthography, General M. I. Dragomirov., Professor K. P. Pobedonostsev. Alexander considered M. Yu. Lermontov his favorite poet, he knew German, French and English well, but in communication he used only Russian.

Jokers... the famous Romanov pyramid

In the photo: Prince Albert of Altenburg, Grand Duke Alexander, his brother Vladimir and Prince Nicholas of Leuchtenberg

But still the boy was mainly prepared for military career and it was not supposed that he would rule the state. On the day of his birth, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, by the Highest Order, was enrolled in the Life Guards Hussars, Preobrazhensky and Pavlovsky regiments and was appointed chief of the Astrakhan Carabinieri His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich Regiment. But ... in April 1865 in Nice, the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, dies from a serious illness and the century-old Prince Alexander Alexandrovich, according to the will of Emperor Alexander II, becomes heir to the throne.

Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich

Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich Photo 1873

Khudoyarov V.P. Portrait of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich

Unknown artist Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna 1880

Mihai Zichy Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna

On October 28, 1865, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich entered into marriage with the fiancée of his elder brother Nikolai Alexandrovich, the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Dagmar, who adopted the name Maria Feodorovna in Orthodoxy. This marriage was happy, six children were born in love, although the fate of some was very tragic.

Sverchkov N. Alexander III 1881

(State Palace-Museum of Tsarskoye Selo)

Communion of the Holy Mysteries by Sovereign Emperor Alexander III during the coronation 1883

Alexander Alexandrovich ascended the throne on March 14 (March 1, according to the old style), 1881, 36 years old, after the villainous murder of Alexander II by Narodnaya Volya. The coronation took place on May 28 (May 15, old style), 1883, after the end of mourning for his father. And immediately it was necessary to solve important state affairs, and one of them was the one that his father did not have time to complete. Dane Beshorn, author of "Allexandre III et Nicolas II" says: "... Not a single monarch ascended the throne under such circumstances as Emperor Alexander III. Before he had time to recover from the first horror, he immediately had to resolve the most important, most urgent matter - the project presented by Count Loris-Melikov constitution, allegedly approved already in principle by Emperor Alexander II. At first glance, Emperor Alexander III wanted to fulfill last will his parent, but his inherent prudence stopped him".

Kramskoy I. N. Portrait of Alexander III 1886

The reign of Alexander III was tough, but tough on those who wanted to destroy Russia. At the very beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander III, it was announced: " The voice of God commands us to stand up cheerfully for the cause of government in the hope of the Divine Thought, with faith in the strength and truth of autocratic power, which we are called upon to establish and protect for the good of the people from any encroachments on it."By the mid-1880s, the government succeeded in suppressing the revolutionary movement, primarily the People's Will, through repressions. At the same time, a number of measures were taken to alleviate the financial situation of the people and alleviate social tension in society (the introduction of mandatory redemption and a reduction in redemption payments , the establishment of the Peasant Land Bank, the introduction of factory inspection, the gradual abolition of the poll tax, etc.) Under Alexander III, Russia received the right to keep a fleet on the Black Sea, but the fleet did not exist, it appeared there only after the death of Emperor Alexander III.

Dmitriev-Orenburgsky N. Portrait of Emperor Alexander III 1896

Family of Emperor Alexander III

Alexander III was a connoisseur of art, very well versed in painting and had a good collection of Russian and foreign art. On the initiative of the Sovereign, the Russian Museum was opened in St. Petersburg. Officially it was called "The Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III". The sovereign donated his collection, as well as the collection of Russian paintings of the Imperial Hermitage, to the new museum. In honor of Emperor Alexander III, the Museum of Fine Arts was also named (now State Museum fine arts them. Pushkin in Moscow). Alexander III loved music, played the French horn, patronized P. I. Tchaikovsky, he himself participated in home concerts. Under him, the first university in Siberia was opened - in Tomsk, a project was prepared for the creation of the Russian Archaeological Institute in Constantinople, and the famous Historical Museum in Moscow was founded.

Serov V.A. Emperor Alexander III in the form of the Royal Danish Life Guards Regiment against the background of the northern facade of Fredensborg Castle 1899

(Collection of the officer corps of the Royal Danish Life Guards)

As a person, Alexander III was simple, modest and unpretentious in everyday life, he did not like secular conversations and receptions. He was distinguished by frugality. The emperor was distinguished by his enormous physical strength. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, daughter of the emperor, recalled: " The father had the power of Hercules, but he never showed it in the presence of strangers. He said that he could bend a horseshoe and tie a spoon into a knot, but he did not dare to do this, so as not to arouse the wrath of his mother. Once, in his office, he bent and then straightened an iron poker. I remember how he glanced at the door, fearing that someone would come in..

Makarov I.K. Sermon on the Mount 1889

(the picture depicts the family of Alexander III and was painted after the tragedy in Borki)

During the tragic events at the Borki station of the Zmievsky district of the Kharkov province on October 30 (17 old style) October 1888, the Emperor held the roof of the car on his shoulders while his whole family and other victims got out from under the rubble.

The family of Emperor Alexander III and the court retinue after the hunt 1886

Alexander III with his family on the hunt

Alexander III on the hunt

But the disease did not spare him. Emperor Alexander III did not like to be treated or talk about his illness. In the summer of 1894, hunting in Spala, among the swamps, further weakened the Emperor. On the advice of doctors, he immediately left from there for Livadia, and here he began to fade rapidly, surrounded by the cares of the best Russian foreign doctors and closest relatives. Emperor Alexander III died on October 20, 1894, at the age of 50, having reigned for 13 years, 7 months and 19 days ... remaining in memory as the most Russian Tsar of Russia.

Mihai Zichy Memorial service for Alexander III in his bedroom in the Small Palace in Livadia 1895

(State Hermitage, St. Petersburg)

Emperor Alexander III on his deathbed Photo 1894

Brozh K.O. The funeral of Alexander III in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg 1894

(State Hermitage, St. Petersburg)

On the grave of Emperor Alexander III

With a soul imbued with love and humility,
With the seal of goodness and peace on the forehead,
He was God-sent incarnation
Greatness, goodness and truth on earth.
In the days of trouble, in the dark, bleak time
Rebellious plans, disbelief and threats
He lifted the burden of royal power
And with faith to the end he carried the burden of God.
But not pride and the strength of formidable power,
Not with vain brilliance, not with blood and a sword -
He is a lie, and hostility, and flattery, and evil passions
Humbled and won only truth and kindness.
He glorified Russia, his feat is not a single
Not overshadowed by enmity, not demanding praise;
And - a quiet righteous man - before a righteous death,
Like the sun in the sky, shone over the world!
Human glory is smoke, and earthly life is mortal.
Greatness, noise and brilliance - everything will be silent, everything will pass!
But the glory of God is immortal and incorruptible:
The righteous king in native legends will not die.
He is alive and will live! And to the mountain abode
Exalted from the throne, before the King of kings
He prays - our King, our bright patron -
For the Son, for the Family, for Russia... for all people.

A. L. Golenishchev-Kutuzov

P.S. Most of paintings and photographs are clickable and enlarge to a large size.

Facts from articles used

"In everything, always, everywhere, He was a Christian..." A. Rozhintsev

"Emperor Alexander III. Tsar-Peacemaker" V.A. Teplov

Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Born on February 26, 1845. After the untimely death of his elder brother, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, on April 12, 1865, he was proclaimed heir to the throne; On October 28, 1866, he married the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Princess Sophia-Frederika-Dagmara, who was named Maria Feodorovna during holy chrismation. While still heir, Alexander took part in public affairs, as commander of the troops guards corps, chieftain of all Cossack troops, member of the State Council. In the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 he commanded a separate Ruschuk detachment and successfully made a trip to Osman-Bazaar, Razgrad and Eski-Juma. In 1877 he took an active part in the creation of a voluntary fleet.

Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894)

During the reign of Emperor Alexander III, important measures were taken in the field of the national economy, carried out mainly by the Minister of Finance N. X. Bunge: in 1882 redemption payments were lowered, the poll tax was abolished, a peasant bank was established, factory inspection, the life of chinsheviks and some other categories of rural inhabitants is arranged. Even earlier, in 1881, and then in 1884, favorable conditions were established for the peasants to rent state lands; On June 15, 1882, a tax on inheritances and gifts was established, in 1885 additional fees were introduced from commercial and industrial enterprises, and a tax on money capital was established, and these financial reforms were to serve for the gradual introduction of an income tax in our country. Subsequently, the most important facts in the financial policy of the state are: the achievement of a fairly stable balance between income and expenditure, the large-scale conversion of public debts; to increase the funds of the treasury, two new excises were established - on matches and kerosene, an apartment tax was introduced, in addition, in the form of an experiment, a drinking monopoly was introduced in the eastern provinces.

Russian tsars. Alexander III

Of the individual legislative acts of an economic nature, the regulation of the resettlement movement of peasants to the lands beyond the Urals (a forerunner of the resettlement policy of P. A. Stolypin) and the law on the inalienability of allotment lands are of particular importance. In the customs policy of the state, there was a significant increase in protectionism, which reached its apogee in the tariff of 1891, but then was somewhat softened by trade agreements with France and Germany; an agreement with the latter country was concluded in 1894 after a stubborn and very sharp customs war. In railway policy, it is especially important to subordinate the tariff business to government control, to increase the redemption to the treasury of railways and to open work on the construction of Great Siberian Way.

A very prominent place in domestic politics took care of the nobility, on strengthening its importance in state and public life. To maintain noble land ownership, a state noble bank was established in 1885. In order to create more favorable conditions for large land ownership, it was published in 1886. Regulations on hiring for rural work .The Regulations on zemstvo district chiefs of 1889 and the new Regulations on zemstvo institutions of 1890 gave the nobility a pre-eminent position in local government . Zemstvo chiefs, elected from local hereditary nobles, were supposed to be "close to the people, a firm government authority", combining "trusteeship over the village inhabitants with the care of completing the peasant business and with the duty to protect the deanery and public order, security and the rights of private persons in rural areas". In accordance with these tasks, the zemstvo chiefs were given, along with extensive administrative powers, judicial power. With the introduction of zemstvo chiefs, the institute of magistrates was abolished in most of the country.

General judicial institutions and the order of legal proceedings have also undergone changes: the competence of the jury has been limited in favor of a court with the participation of estate representatives, the procedure for electing jurors has been changed, the principles of irremovability and independence of judges have been significantly limited, some significant exceptions have been made to general rule publicity of the trial.

10/20/1894 (2.11). – Tsar Peacemaker Alexander III died in the Livadia Palace in Crimea at the age of 50

Tsar Peacemaker

Alexander III (02/26/1845–10/20/1894) - Russian Emperor since 1881, after the death of his father, who was killed by terrorists.

The future Emperor Alexander III grew up in large family, in which there were six brothers: Nikolai, Alexander, Vladimir, Alexei, Sergey, Pavel and two sisters (Maria married the son English queen Victoria). Boys, at the insistence of their grandfather, were brought up in a strict spirit. Started at the age of eight, regular training continued for 12 years. They were taught: the Law of God, the Russian language, foreign languages(German, French, English), mathematics, geography, general and Russian history, reading, calligraphy, drawing, military affairs, gymnastics, horseback riding, fencing, music.

The teachers were the most qualified specialists, so that, contrary to the liberal myths about "lack of education" and "unpreparedness", the future Emperor Alexander III, like all the royal children, received an excellent education. He was taught the law of God by the professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy N.P. Christmas. General M.I. Dragomirov taught military history and tactics. The boys were taught marching, rifle techniques and other military skills by military educators under the guidance of Major General N.V. Zinoviev. Russian literature was taught by professor philologist and historian Ya.K. Grotto and the future director of the Public Library in St. Petersburg M.A. Korf; history was taught by a famous historian; classes in jurisprudence were first led by Professor I.E. Andreevsky, and then professor, who was destined to become one of the closest people to Alexander Alexandrovich.

Alexander Alexandrovich became heir to the throne in 1865 after the death of his elder brother Nikolai. In 1866 he married his bride -. He was an exemplary Orthodox family man, had six children (one of whom died in infancy). Royal children were traditionally brought up in strictness and simplicity.

Ascending the Throne, Emperor Alexander III was aware that the murder of His Most August Parent testified to internal trouble in the state, which required the adoption of decisive measures to combat the corrupters of state foundations. We read about the beginning of the reign of Alexander III at: “It was terrible for him to enter the kingdom. He sat down on the Throne of his fathers, irrigated with tears, ... in the midst of the horror of the people, in the midst of hissing anger and sedition. Wishing to support the new Tsar, Pobedonostsev wrote to him:

“The mad villains who killed your Parent will not be satisfied with any concession and will only become furious. And you can calm down, the evil seed can be torn out only by fighting them on your stomach and to death. It is not difficult to win: until now everyone wanted to avoid the struggle and deceived the late Sovereign, you, themselves, everyone and everything in the world ... No, Your Majesty, there is only one sure direct way to get on your feet and start without falling asleep for a moment, the most holy struggle that has ever been in Russia. All the people are waiting for an authoritative decision on this, and as soon as they feel the sovereign will, everything will rise, everything will come to life and freshen up in the air.

“And now the darkness of turmoil ... began to quickly dissipate,” writes historian V.V. Nazarevsky. - The sedition, which seemed insurmountable, melted like wax in the face of fire ... The confusion in the minds began to quickly give way to Russian sanity, licentiousness and self-will gave way to order and discipline. Freethinking no longer trampled Orthodoxy as a kind of ultramontanism and our native Church as clericalism. The authority of the indisputable and hereditary national supreme power has again risen to its historical and traditional height. For the general improvement of the atmosphere in the country, it is indicative that the number of crimes has sharply decreased and bribery has disappeared.

The guiding rules of his reign were: complete peacefulness in external relations and focus on the internal well-being of the power entrusted to him by God. The Tsar himself, as if a hero who came to us from a Russian epic, encouraged everything Russian both in industry and in culture. He was the founder and first chairman of the Russian Historical Society, with his active participation and partly at his own expense created , after the death of Alexander III, bearing his name.

There is no area in which, during the incomplete 14 years of the reign of Alexander III, there was no significant rise. But Alexander III was especially concerned about the Church and the peasantry. To raise the welfare of the peasants in 1882, the Peasant Land Bank was established. In 1883 Coronation Manifesto. A rule was issued on the hiring of workers for rural and factory work, a factory inspection was introduced to protect the interests of workers. But not only the financial situation of the common people worried the Emperor: his constant desire was to give public education, about which he also cared a lot, the religious basis, for which purpose the establishment in 1884 of parochial schools was adopted. In 1885 the Noble Land Bank was established. In 1890, in order to improve the civil and family life of the common people, Alexander III established the position of zemstvo chiefs. Thanks to a number of measures, despite the large crop failure in 1891, financial and economic situation countries improved significantly by the end of the nineteenth century.

In Soviet historiography, the reign of Alexander III is presented only as a "rampant gloomy reaction", this tradition is continued by many democratic post-Soviet authors. “For more than a hundred years, the figure of the penultimate Russian Tsar has been the target of the most impartial assessments; his personality serves as the object of unbridled attacks and tendentious criticism,” writes historian A. Bokhanov, and objects: “In total, 17 people were executed for political crimes (for criminal acts) in the “reaction period”. All of them either participated in the regicide, or prepared for it, and not one of them repented. In total, less than 4 thousand people were interrogated and detained for anti-state acts (almost fourteen years). Considering that the population of Russia at that time exceeded 120 million people, then these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the "terror regime" that was allegedly established in Russia during the reign of Alexander III.

The people sincerely loved their Tsar. When, by the grace of God, the Sovereign and the entire August Family remained unharmed, then all of Russia rejoiced and prayed.

The emerging threat of the death of the entire Imperial family. The fact was that his brother Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (the next oldest son of Alexander II) in 1874 married the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who did not accept Orthodoxy before marriage (she converted to Orthodoxy only in 1908, when children become adults). By doing so, he violated Art. 185 of the Fundamental Laws: "The marriage of a male person of the Imperial House, who may have the right to inherit the Throne, with a special other faith is made only by the perception of her Orthodox confession." In 1886, being the chairman of the Highest approved Commission for the revision of the Institution of the Imperial Family, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich tried to change the wording of this article, limiting its effect: instead of “Marriage of a male person of the Imperial House, who may have the right to inherit the Throne”, Vel. Book. Vladimir Alexandrovich wrote: "The marriage of the Heir to the Throne and the eldest man in his generation." In this wording, the article would cease to apply to the family of Grand Duke Vladimir. However, in 1889 Emperor Alexander III restored the article in its previous edition. For if he had died with his family in a train crash, then, according to the meaning of the amended article, the Throne would have gone to his brother Vladimir and his non-Orthodox wife (these were the parents of the future violator of family, state and church laws and traitor Februaryist brought up in this family – )...

The sovereign was deeply moral and honest, an extremely simple, cheerful and very witty person. Many of his resolutions have become classics. There is a known case when in some volost board one peasant spat on his portrait. Cases of lèse majesty were dealt with in the District Courts and the verdict was necessarily brought to the attention of the Sovereign. So it was in this case. The offending man was sentenced to six months in prison and brought to the attention of the Emperor. Alexander III burst out laughing:

- How! He didn't give a damn about my portrait, and for that I'm going to feed him for another six months? You're crazy, sir. Send him away and tell him that I, in turn, wanted to spit on him. And the end of the matter. Here's another unseen!

Or, arrested for some reason political cause writer Tsebrikov and informed the Emperor about it. He deigned to draw the following resolution on paper: "Let go of the old fool!". All Petersburg, including the ultra-revolutionary, laughed to tears. Mrs. Tsebrikova's career was completely destroyed...

In the reign under Alexander III, it was completed, which put an end to internecine conflicts and raids on the tribes that became part of the Russian Empire.

It has come Peaceful time and in Europe. Without interfering in European affairs, since they did not affect our interests, Alexander III, with his sincere peacefulness, strengthened the military power of Russia, skillfully and firmly created political balance in Europe, becoming the guardian of peace in it. The influence of Russia in Europe during his reign was generally recognized. The well-known episode with fishing, which Alexander III loved very much, is characteristic. One day, when he was fishing on Karpin Pond, the Minister of Foreign Affairs rushed to him and began to insistently ask him to immediately receive the ambassador of some Western power on an important European business. To which Alexander III replied: "When the Russian Tsar is fishing, Europe can wait."

But, unfortunately, the reign of Emperor Alexander III was short-lived. After a short illness, on October 20, 1894, the Tsar, having taken communion three times before his death, departed into eternity, admonished by the great prayer book and miracle worker of the Russian land who was with him.

The historian spoke as follows after the death of the Sovereign Peacemaker: “Science will give the Emperor Alexander III a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and this 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 consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when He is no longer , Europe understood what He was for her.

Monument to Alexander III at the Marble Palace (works by P. Trubetskoy)

Indeed, the whole world reacted to the death of the Russian Tsar - and this respect for him was simply amazing against the background of ordinary European Russophobia. The French Foreign Minister Flourance said: “Alexander III was a true Russian Tsar, such as Russia had not seen before him for a long time. Of course, all the Romanovs were devoted to the interests and greatness of their people. But prompted by the desire to give their people a Western European culture, they were looking for ideals outside of Russia... best examples. He showed himself the ideal type of a truly Russian person. Even the Marquis of Salisbury, hostile to Russia, admitted: “Alexander III saved Europe many times from the horrors of war. According to his deeds, the sovereigns of Europe should learn how to manage their peoples. This respect of contemporaries for the Russian Emperor is still evidenced by the bridge over the Seine named after him in the very center of Paris.

Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov
Years of life: February 26, 1845, Anichkov Palace, St. Petersburg - October 20, 1894, Livadia Palace, Crimea.

Son of Maria Alexandrovna, recognized daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and Emperor.

Emperor of All Russia (1 (13) March 1881 - October 20 (November 1), 1894), Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from March 1, 1881

From the Romanov dynasty.

He was awarded a special epithet in pre-revolutionary historiography - the Peacemaker.

Biography of Alexander III

He was the 2nd son of the imperial family. Born February 26 (March 10), 1845 in Tsarskoye Selo His elder brother was preparing to inherit the throne.

The mentor who had a strong influence on his worldview was K.P. Pobedonostsev.

As a prince, he became a member of the State Council, commander of the guards and chieftain of all Cossack troops.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878. he was the commander of the Separate Ruschuk Detachment in Bulgaria. He created the Volunteer Fleet of Russia (since 1878), which became the core of the country's merchant fleet and the reserve of the Russian military fleet.

After the death of his elder brother Nicholas in 1865, he became the heir to the throne.

In 1866, he married the bride of his deceased brother, the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Princess Sophia Frederica Dagmar, who adopted the name Maria Feodorovna in Orthodoxy.

Emperor Alexander 3

Having ascended the throne after the assassination of Alexander II on March 1 (13), 1881 (due to the explosion of the terrorist bomb, my father's legs were torn off, and last hours his son spent his life nearby), canceled the draft constitutional reform signed by his father just before his death. He stated that Russia would pursue a peaceful policy and deal with internal problems - strengthening the autocracy.

His manifesto of April 29 (May 11), 1881 reflected the program of domestic and foreign policy. The main priorities were: maintaining order and power, strengthening church piety and ensuring the national interests of Russia.

Reforms of Alexander 3

The tsar created the State Peasant Land Bank to issue loans to peasants for the purchase of land, and also issued a number of laws to alleviate the situation of the workers.

Alexander 3 pursued a tough policy of Russification, which faced opposition from some Finns and Poles.
After Bismarck's resignation from the post of Chancellor of Germany in 1893, Alexander III Alexandrovich concluded an alliance with France (Franco-Russian alliance).

In foreign policy, for years of reign of Alexander 3 Russia has firmly taken a leading position in Europe. Possessing enormous physical strength, the tsar symbolized for other states the power and invincibility of Russia. Once the Austrian ambassador began to threaten him during dinner, promising to move a couple of army corps to the borders. The king listened in silence, then took a fork from the table, tied it in a knot and threw it on the ambassador's plate. “This is what we will do with your couple of hulls,” the king replied.

Domestic policy of Alexander 3

Court etiquette and ceremonial became much simpler. He significantly reduced the staff of the Ministry of the Court, the number of servants was reduced and strict control over the spending of money was introduced. At the same time, a lot of money was spent on the acquisition of art objects by him, since the emperor was a passionate collector. Gatchina Castle under him turned into a storehouse of priceless treasures, which later became a true national treasure of Russia.

Unlike all his predecessors-rulers on the Russian throne, he adhered to strict family morality and was exemplary family man- a loving husband and a good father. He was one of the most pious Russian sovereigns, firmly adhered to the Orthodox canons, willingly donated to monasteries, to build new churches and restore ancient ones.
Passionately fond of hunting and fishing, boating. The emperor's favorite hunting ground was Bialowieza Forest. He participated in archaeological excavations, loved to play the trumpet in a brass band.

The family had very warm relations. Every year the date of marriage was celebrated. Evenings for children were often arranged: circus and puppet performances. Everyone was attentive to each other and gave gifts.

The emperor was very hardworking. And yet, despite a healthy lifestyle, he died young, before reaching the age of 50, quite unexpectedly. In October 1888, the tsar's train crashed near Kharkov. There were many victims, but royal family remained whole. Alexander, with incredible efforts, held the collapsed roof of the car on his shoulders until help arrived.

But soon after this incident, the emperor began to complain of back pain. Doctors came to the conclusion that a terrible concussion during the fall served as the onset of kidney disease. At the insistence of the Berlin doctors, he was sent to the Crimea, to Livadia, but the disease progressed.

On October 20, 1894, the Emperor died. He was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The death of Emperor Alexander III caused an echo all over the world, flags were lowered in France, memorial services were held in all churches in England. Many foreign figures called him a peacemaker.

The Marquess of Salisbury said: “Alexander III saved Europe many times from the horrors of war. According to his deeds, the sovereigns of Europe should learn how to manage their peoples.

He was married to the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX Dagmar of Denmark (Maria Feodorovna). They had children:

• Nicholas II (May 18, 1868 - July 17, 1918),
• Alexander (May 20, 1869 – April 21, 1870),
• Georgy Alexandrovich (April 27, 1871 - June 28, 1899),
• Xenia Alexandrovna (April 6, 1875 - April 20, 1960, London), also Romanova by her husband,
• Mikhail Alexandrovich (December 5, 1878 - June 13, 1918),
• Olga Alexandrovna (June 13, 1882 - November 24, 1960).

He had military rank- General of Infantry, General of Cavalry (Russian Imperial Army). The Emperor was of enormous stature.

In 1883, the so-called "coronation ruble" was issued in honor of the coronation of Alexander III.

The relatively short era of Alexander III today is idealized by many, associated with the power of the empire and the patriotic unity of the Orthodox people. Of course, there is more mythology here than historical truth.

The political decisions made during the reign of Alexander III are contradictory. The socio-economic course was strikingly different from the ideological declarations.

Russia interacted more and more closely with rebellious France, and the country's welfare largely depended on French capital. But it was impossible to remain isolated, and the policy of Germany caused reasonable fears of our emperor.

The adult life of the future emperor began with a tragedy. His older brother Nikolai, after his engagement to Danish princess Dagmaroy, fell ill after a bruise and soon died of tuberculous inflammation of the spinal cord. Nineteen-year-old Alexander, who sincerely mourned his beloved brother, unexpectedly became the heir to the throne and (after a while) Dagmara's fiancé ...

He began to prepare for the reign of such luminaries as the historian Solovyov and the chief procurator of the Synod of Pobedonostsev. The first test of the state level was the famine of 1868 for him. The Tsarevich was chairman of the Special Committee for the collection and distribution of benefits to the starving.

In those days, the chairman of the Novgorod Zemstvo Council, Nikolai Kachalov, became the confidant of the future emperor. This experienced administrator was engaged in the purchase of bread, delivering it to the starving regions. He acted thoughtfully and promptly. In personal communication, he will show himself an honest, thinking person. He will become one of the favorite employees of Alexander Alexandrovich.

The peacemaker ascended the throne in tragic days, after the death of his father - March 2 (14), 1881. For the first time, peasants were also invited to take the oath to the emperor "along with all subjects." The war on terror has turned the empire into a troubled sea. The new emperor did not make indulgences to the enemies of the throne, but he also showed personal caution, avoiding appearing in crowded places without protection. Alas, the time of Emperor Nicholas I, when, as they said, the whole people was the tsar's bodyguard, has gone into the irretrievable past.

Shortly after accession, the emperor signs the "Decree on measures to preserve state order and public peace and put certain areas in a state of enhanced protection." In fact, a state of emergency was established in ten central provinces of Russia. The political police set about rooting out terrorism and the revolutionary movement. The fight went on with varying degrees of success.

From the first days of his reign, Pobedonostsev urged the new emperor not to take the liberal path, not to pay attention to " public opinion". Alexander did not need such persuasion, but Pobedonostsev's exhortations strengthened his spirit. He proclaims a course towards plenipotentiary autocracy, which, however, could not be full-fledged after the reforms of the 1860s.

Revolutionary teachings came to Russia from the West. Many conservatives believed that it was worth slamming the doors to Europe and everything would calm down. The emperor supported the anti-Western line in ideology. This is also reflected in the aesthetics. It was then that neo-Russian style appeared in architecture to replace the Russian-Byzantine style. Russian motifs also appeared in painting, literature, and music. Beards, boyar costumes returned to fashion ...

The famous Parisian bridge is named after him - powerful, luxurious. The bridge not only resembles the name of the Russian emperor. He was a straightforward person, as a rule, he gave an assessment to everything without diplomatic hypocrisy. “In these eyes, deep and almost touching, the soul shone, frightened in its trust in people and helpless against lies, to which it was incapable,” A.F. Koni, not the most enthusiastic person, said about him.

When the Danish mother-in-law tried to teach him politics, he answered sharply, bluntly: “I, a natural Russian, find it extremely difficult to manage my people from Gatchina, which, as you know, is in Russia, and you, a foreigner, imagine that can be successfully managed from Copenhagen.” He did not look for ideals or teachers outside of Russia.

In the enlightened public of that time, he found many enemies.

Contemporaries for the most part considered him an ordinary politician, although they recognized the emperor's efficiency (he sometimes worked 20 hours a day). They did not compare with Peter the Great. They talked about the heroic, truly Russian appearance of the tsar. About his ambiguous conservatism. About cautious and consistent tactics.

AT last years the popularity of this emperor increased. With admiration they repeat the emperor's jokes, which are not always historically reliable. Almost the golden age of the state is associated with it. The tsar-peacemaker firmly held Russia in his hands - such an image has been preserved in history for the patriots of the Russian Empire.

There is a core of truth in this view. But there is also a tendency to wishful thinking. And in the character of a mighty monarch there is indeed a lot of attractiveness!

“He was a deeply believing and religious man, believed that He was the anointed of God, that His fate to reign was predetermined by God, and He accepted His God-predetermined fate submissively, completely submitting to all its hardships, and with amazing, rare conscientiousness and honesty fulfilled everything His duties as an autocrat. These duties required enormous, almost superhuman work, which neither His abilities, nor His knowledge, nor His health corresponded to, but He worked tirelessly, until His death, worked in a way that rarely anyone else,” recalled Dr. Nikolai Velyaminov who knew the Emperor well.

The emperor's religiosity was indeed no mask. As well as commitment to the spirit of the Fatherland - quite rare in the St. Petersburg aristocratic environment. He tried to reduce the proportion of hypocrisy in politics. Inevitable, but no less shameful in the repentant thoughts of a Christian.

General (and in those years - a guards officer) Alexander Mosolov recalled:

“The king took his role as the representative of God on earth with exceptional seriousness. This was especially evident when he considered petitions for clemency for those sentenced to death. The right to pardon brought him closer to the Almighty.

As soon as the pardon was signed, the king demanded that it be sent away immediately, so that it would not come too late. I remember once, during our train ride, the request came late at night.

I ordered the servant to report me. The king was in his compartment and was very surprised to see me at such a late hour.

“I dared to disturb your Majesty,” I said, “as far as human life is concerned.

“You did absolutely the right thing. But how do we get Frederiks's signature? (According to the law, the tsar's reply telegram could only be sent if it was signed by the minister of the court, and the tsar knew that Frederiks had been asleep for a long time.)

- I will send a telegram with my signature, and the count will replace it with his own tomorrow.

- Excellent. Don't waste your time.

The next morning the king returned to our conversation.

“Are you sure,” he asked, “that the telegram was sent immediately?”

- Yes, immediately.

– Can you confirm that all my telegrams go out of order?

- Yes, all without exception.

The king was pleased."

Russophilism of the emperor was expressed mainly in distrust of the Germans. He believed that the long-term support of Austria and Prussia, which contributed to the appearance on the political map of the world united Germany, was disadvantageous for Russia. And unexpectedly made a bet on the French - the rivals of Germany.

Mosolov claimed: “He was disgusted with everything German. He tried to be Russian in the smallest details of his personal life, so his manners seemed less attractive than those of his brothers; he declared, without bothering to substantiate himself, that a truly Russian person should be somewhat rude, he did not need too elegant manners. Yielding to the requirements of palace etiquette, in a narrow circle of friends, he discarded any unnaturalness, considering ceremonies necessary only for German princes.

A close alliance with Paris was not a perfect solution. But such was the decision of the emperor - bold, independent.

Alexander Nikolaevich interrupted a series of radical reforms, canceled the planned transition to a constitutional monarchy and advocated a gradual evolutionary development states.

In this direction, Russia achieved notable successes during the thirteenth anniversary of Alexander. The emperor managed to set the government in a creative way. Although the policy of Witte, whom Alexander trusted, laid the foundations for future social explosions, exacerbating Russia's dependence on foreign capital.

It is difficult for us to fully comprehend the tragedy of the first weeks of his reign. 1881 was a time of upheaval for Russia, and for ruling class- severe depression. A terrorist plot ended the reigning emperor's life. In previous years, monarchs died more than once as a result of palace conspiracies, but this was not publicly announced. And then the murder was committed in front of the whole world. And everyone knew about the attempts that preceded the murder.

Terrorism has taken over public life, imposed a sense of fear, a bloody confrontation between revolutionaries and guardians. Among the monarchists, there was confidence that politics led to the catastrophe. liberal reforms. This made sense. But too tight "tightening the screws" did not lead to prosperity.

What is the liberalism that the conservatives fought against in those days? It seems that this phenomenon is demonized (or, on the contrary, idealized) especially without thinking about its essence. First, it is a bet on public freedoms, including freedom of conscience. Individualism, which, of course, is contrary to the values ​​of the cathedral.

The separation of the school from the Church. In this direction, there was an orientation to Western models: to British parliamentarism, to republican traditions from the dramatic history of France. Many of the liberals went too far in their criticism of Russian morals and went so far as to reject everything that was domestic. This is an emotionally explainable complex: an aggressive struggle with one's own roots. Such trends can be traced in every mature culture, this is one of the diseases of civilizational growth. The usual thing? Yes. But a disease is a disease, people die from it.

Analyzing the policy of Russian conservatives, it is difficult to agree with the skeptical attitude towards mass education. There was a strange demagogy in the course: the ignorance of the people was associated with Christian piety. Say, the gulf between the "clean public" and "men" grew - and this painful condition was considered a kind of sacred canon. I think this is one of the objective reasons for the global defeat of the imperial foundations in 1917.

There was a lot of common sense in the policy of Alexander III. But it did not give the empire its due strength. Revolutionary tendencies were growing in various circles - and it was not possible to develop antidotes. But we remember the emperor for his own and honest view of Russia. This king was unlike any of their predecessors. He carried his cross without bending under the burden.