What Nicholas 2 became known for. Nicholas II

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

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

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

Reign

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Imprisonment and execution

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nicholas II is known to everyone not as a politician, but as the emperor, the last to rule from the Romanov dynasty. He is often pitied, because I consider him a martyr, his fate is often mystified. The death of his family in 1918 still occupies a black page in Russian history.

The royal family, which fell victim to the "red terror" of Bolshevism. They became a symbol of the suffering of the entire decline of the Russian Empire, which occurred at the dawn of a new powerful state, in which there is no place for the monarchy with its tsar-father.

There is a message left in 1801. In it, according to the prediction of a certain monk, the collapse of the royal dynasty was described. The message was to be opened in a hundred years. In such a situation, one might think that Nikolai and his family after 1901, to some extent, imagined what awaited them in the future.

Personality of Nicholas II

Nicholas II was born on May 6, 1868. He was the first-born of the emperor and Maria Feodorovna. According to tradition, in honor of the birth of the Grand Dukes, three hundred and one shots were saluted. May 30, Nicholas II was baptized. Naturally, like all previously born grand dukes, he was enrolled in the service.

At the insistence of his grandfather, he was enrolled in almost all the regiments where his father was listed. Since 1877, Adjutant General G.G. Danilovich. He created a schedule of twenty-four lessons a week, which included arithmetic, calligraphy, Russian, French, and English.

The heir worked 6 days a week. This order was designed for 12 years.

The military part of the training of Nicholas II was very versatile, there was artillery, and military history, and geodesy with topography, and tactics, and fortification. Upon reaching the age of sixteen, he received the rank of lieutenant, he twice attended camp training in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, where he was a company commander. In 1892, Nicholas II received the rank of colonel.

Emperor Nicholas II

To get acquainted with state affairs, he began to actively participate in the work of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Council in 1889, and also traveled with his father through the territory of Russia. In 1894, during the emperor's illness, the engagement of the heir Nicholas II with Princess Alice of Hesse took place. She arrived in Russia ten days before her death. After his death, she was baptized under the name of Alexandra Feodorovna.

The wedding took place on November 14th. The new monarch always gives the people hope for a brighter future, but Nicholas II did not talk about any changes, he intended to continue his father's policy. The protection of autocracy is the main goal of the policy of Nicholas II. He and his family considered the power of the monarch divine, therefore, based on Christianity, they must protect it.

Nicholas II understood all his unpreparedness for power. For the first few years of his reign, he listened to the advice of relatives, and there were more than forty of them in the imperial family. Each of them told him something, they had their favorites who had to be encouraged in time and moved up the career ladder. The first conflict within the family occurred after the events at Khodynskoye Pole - in 1896, during the coronation, gifts were distributed to the population there, and many people died during the stampede. Some grand dukes demanded to stop the celebrations and declare mourning. Also, the sovereign was advised not to attend the ball of the French envoy, but he nevertheless appeared there. This caused outrage among the people.

The new emperor did not have a clear idea where to lead Russia. From this, the control apparatus functioned unsuccessfully. K.P. enjoyed a strong influence on the emperor. Pobedonostsev, S.Yu. Witte and I.L. Goremykin. By the end of the nineties, Witte's influence had become dominant over the emperor. He presented him with a new economic program, and the sovereign accepted it. This program did not try to encroach on autocratic power and could strengthen the economic power of Russia. When V.K. Plehve Witte's authority began to decline.

The wife of the Emperor Alexander Feodorovna was in the shadow of the popularity of his mother Maria Feodorovna. The young empress was not loved at court, she was sometimes arrogant and capricious. This attitude was reflected in the behavior of Nicholas II. He became secretive, evasive, avoided open discussion of the political course.

The emperor did not show a strong character, there was no decisiveness in him. But he had a good education, an excellent memory, was inquisitive, but constantly experienced unsuitability in the management of the state.
He was only comfortable with his family. First, five daughters were born to the royal couple in a row, and only in 1904 was the son of Tsarevich Alexei born. It soon became clear that he was ill with hemophilia, this disease was incurable. This disease is inherited by women, but only men get sick. This tragedy aggravated the behavior of the empress, she became fanatical in religion, and constantly believed in superstitions. She tried to influence state affairs, this influence increased like the presence at the court of her new friend Grigory Rasputin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Birth on the day of Job the Long-suffering

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

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

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

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

“I need normal, healthy Russian children”

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

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

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

Used Books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The end of the serene childhood of Tsarevich Nicholas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Miraculous Rescue of the Royal Family in Borki

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nicholas 2 Alexandrovich (May 6, 1868 - July 17, 1918) - the last Russian emperor, who ruled from 1894 to 1917, the eldest son of Alexander 3 and Maria Feodorovna, was an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In the Soviet historiographic tradition, he was given the epithet "Bloody". The life of Nicholas 2 and his reign are described in this article.

Briefly about the reign of Nicholas 2

During the years there was an active economic development of Russia. At the same time, the country lost to the sovereign in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the revolutionary events of 1905-1907, in particular, the adoption of the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, according to which the creation of various political parties was allowed, and also formed The State Duma. According to the same manifesto, agrarian activity began. In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente and participated in the First World War as part of it. In August 1915, Nikolai 2 Romanov became the supreme commander in chief. On March 2, 1917, the sovereign abdicated. He and his entire family were shot. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized them in 2000.

Childhood, early years

When Nikolai Aleksandrovich was 8 years old, his home education began. The program included a general education course lasting eight years. And then - a course of higher sciences lasting five years. It was based on the program of the classical gymnasium. But instead of Greek and Latin, the future king mastered botany, mineralogy, anatomy, zoology and physiology. The courses of Russian literature, history and foreign languages ​​were expanded. In addition, the higher education program included the study of law, political economy and military affairs (strategy, jurisprudence, the service of the General Staff, geography). Nicholas 2 was also engaged in fencing, vaulting, music, and drawing. Alexander 3 and his wife Maria Feodorovna themselves chose mentors and teachers for the future tsar. Among them were military and statesmen, scientists: N. Kh. Bunge, K. P. Pobedonostsev, N. N. Obruchev, M. I. Dragomirov, N. K. Girs, A. R. Drenteln.

Carier start

From childhood, the future emperor Nicholas 2 was interested in military affairs: he perfectly knew the traditions of the officer environment, the soldier did not shy away, realizing himself as their mentor-patron, he easily endured the inconveniences of army life during camp maneuvers and training camps.

Immediately after the birth of the future sovereign, he was enrolled in several guards regiments and made commander of the 65th Moscow Infantry Regiment. At the age of five, Nicholas 2 (dates of reign - 1894-1917) was appointed commander of the Life Guards of the Reserve Infantry Regiment, and a little later, in 1875, of the Erivan Regiment. The future sovereign received his first military rank (ensign) in December 1875, and in 1880 he was promoted to second lieutenant, and four years later - to lieutenant.

Nicholas 2 entered active military service in 1884, and starting in July 1887 he served in and reached the rank of captain. He became a captain in 1891, and a year later - a colonel.

Beginning of the reign

After a long illness, Alexander 3 died, and Nicholas 2 took over the reign in Moscow on the same day, at the age of 26, on October 20, 1894.

During his solemn official coronation on May 18, 1896, dramatic events took place on the Khodynka field. There were mass riots, thousands of people were killed and injured in a spontaneous stampede.

The Khodynka field was not previously intended for festivities, since it was a training base for the troops, and therefore it was not landscaped. There was a ravine right next to the field, and the field itself was covered with numerous pits. On the occasion of the celebration, the pits and the ravine were covered with boards and covered with sand, and along the perimeter they set up benches, booths, stalls for distributing free vodka and food. When people, attracted by rumors about the distribution of money and gifts, rushed to the buildings, the decks that covered the pits collapsed, and people fell, not having time to stand up: a crowd was already running along them. The police, swept away by the wave, could not do anything. Only after reinforcements arrived did the crowd gradually disperse, leaving the bodies of mutilated and trampled people on the square.

The first years of the reign

In the first years of the reign of Nicholas 2, a general census of the country's population and a monetary reform were carried out. During the reign of this monarch, Russia became an agrarian-industrial state: railways were built, cities grew, industrial enterprises arose. The sovereign made decisions aimed at the social and economic modernization of Russia: the gold circulation of the ruble was introduced, several laws on workers' insurance, Stolypin's agrarian reform was carried out, laws on religious tolerance and universal primary education were adopted.

Main events

The years of the reign of Nicholas 2 were marked by a strong aggravation in the internal political life of Russia, as well as a difficult foreign policy situation (the events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Revolution of 1905-1907 in our country, the First World War, and in 1917 - the February Revolution) .

The Russo-Japanese War, which began in 1904, although it did not cause much damage to the country, however, significantly shook the authority of the sovereign. After numerous failures and losses in 1905, the Battle of Tsushima ended in a crushing defeat for the Russian fleet.

Revolution 1905-1907

On January 9, 1905, the revolution began, this date is called Bloody Sunday. Government troops shot down a demonstration of workers, organized, as is commonly believed, by George of the transit prison in St. Petersburg. As a result of the executions, more than a thousand demonstrators died, who participated in a peaceful procession to the Winter Palace in order to submit a petition to the sovereign about the needs of the workers.

After this uprising swept many other Russian cities. Armed performances were in the navy and in the army. So, on June 14, 1905, the sailors took possession of the battleship Potemkin, brought it to Odessa, where at that time there was a general strike. However, the sailors did not dare to land ashore to support the workers. "Potemkin" headed to Romania and surrendered to the authorities. Numerous speeches forced the king to sign the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, which granted citizens civil liberties.

Not being a reformer by nature, the king was forced to implement reforms that did not correspond to his convictions. He believed that in Russia the time had not yet come for freedom of speech, a constitution, and universal suffrage. However, Nicholas 2 (whose photo is presented in the article) was forced to sign the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, as an active social movement for political transformation began.

Establishment of the State Duma

The State Duma was established by the tsar's manifesto of 1906. In the history of Russia, for the first time, the emperor began to rule in the presence of a representative elected body from the population. That is, Russia is gradually becoming a constitutional monarchy. However, despite these changes, the emperor during the reign of Nicholas 2 still had enormous powers of authority: he issued laws in the form of decrees, appointed ministers and the prime minister, accountable only to him, was the head of the court, the army and the patron of the Church, determined foreign policy the course of our country.

The first revolution of 1905-1907 showed the deep crisis that existed at that time in the Russian state.

Personality of Nicholas 2

From the point of view of his contemporaries, his personality, main character traits, advantages and disadvantages were very ambiguous and sometimes caused conflicting assessments. According to many of them, Nicholas 2 was characterized by such an important feature as weak will. However, there is a lot of evidence that the sovereign stubbornly strove to implement his ideas and undertakings, sometimes reaching stubbornness (only once, when signing the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, he was forced to submit to someone else's will).

In contrast to his father, Alexander 3, Nicholas 2 (see his photo below) did not create the impression of a strong personality. However, according to people close to him, he had exceptional self-control, sometimes interpreted as indifference to the fate of people and the country (for example, with composure that amazed the sovereign’s entourage, he met the news of the fall of Port Arthur and the defeat of the Russian army in World War I war).

Being engaged in state affairs, Tsar Nicholas 2 showed "extraordinary perseverance", as well as attentiveness and accuracy (for example, he never had a personal secretary, and he put all the seals on letters with his own hand). Although, in general, the management of a huge power was still a "heavy burden" for him. According to contemporaries, Tsar Nicholas 2 had a tenacious memory, observation, in communication he was a friendly, modest and sensitive person. Most of all, he valued his habits, peace, health, and especially the well-being of his own family.

Nicholas 2 and his family

The support of the sovereign was his family. Alexandra Fedorovna was not just a wife for him, but also an adviser, a friend. Their wedding took place on November 14, 1894. The interests, ideas and habits of the spouses often did not coincide, largely due to cultural differences, because the empress was a German princess. However, this did not interfere with family harmony. The couple had five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei.

The drama of the royal family was caused by the illness of Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia (blood incoagulability). It was this disease that caused the appearance in the royal house of Grigory Rasputin, who was famous for the gift of healing and foresight. He often helped Alexei cope with bouts of illness.

World War I

1914 was a turning point in the fate of Nicholas 2. It was at this time that the First World War began. The sovereign did not want this war, trying until the very last moment to avoid a bloody massacre. But on July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany nevertheless decided to start a war with Russia.

In August 1915, marked by a series of military setbacks, Nicholas 2, whose reign was already drawing to a close, assumed the role of commander in chief of the Russian army. Previously, it was assigned to Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich (the Younger). Since then, the sovereign only occasionally came to the capital, spending most of his time in Mogilev, at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander.

The First World War intensified Russia's internal problems. The king and his entourage began to be considered the main culprit for the defeats and the protracted campaign. There was an opinion that treason was "breeding" in the Russian government. The military command of the country, headed by the emperor, at the beginning of 1917 created a plan for a general offensive, according to which it was planned to end the confrontation by the summer of 1917.

Abdication of Nicholas 2

However, at the end of February of the same year, unrest began in Petrograd, which, due to the lack of strong opposition from the authorities, grew in a few days into mass political uprisings against the tsar's dynasty and government. At first, Nicholas 2 planned to use force to achieve order in the capital, but, realizing the true scale of the protests, he abandoned this plan, fearing even more bloodshed that it could cause. Some of the high-ranking officials, political figures and members of the sovereign's retinue convinced him that a change in government was necessary to suppress the unrest, the abdication of Nicholas 2 from the throne.

After painful reflections on March 2, 1917 in Pskov, during a trip on the imperial train, Nicholas 2 decided to sign an act of abdication from the throne, transferring the reign to his brother, Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich. However, he refused to accept the crown. The abdication of Nicholas 2 thus meant the end of the dynasty.

Last months of life

Nicholas 2 and his family were arrested on March 9 of the same year. First, for five months they were in Tsarskoye Selo, under guard, and in August 1917 they were sent to Tobolsk. Then, in April 1918, the Bolsheviks moved Nicholas and his family to Yekaterinburg. Here, on the night of July 17, 1918, in the center of the city, in the basement in which the prisoners were imprisoned, Emperor Nicholas 2, his five children, his wife, as well as several close associates of the king, including the family doctor Botkin and servants, without any trial and the investigations were shot. In total, eleven people were killed.

In 2000, by decision of the Church, Nicholas 2 Romanov, as well as his entire family, were canonized, and an Orthodox church was erected on the site of the Ipatiev house.

Professor Sergei Mironenko on the personality and fatal mistakes of the last Russian emperor

In the year of the 100th anniversary of the revolution, talk about Nicholas II and his role in the tragedy of 1917 does not stop: the truth and myths in these conversations are often mixed. Scientific director of the State Archive of the Russian Federation Sergey Mironenko- about Nicholas II as a man, ruler, family man, martyr.

"Nicky, you're just some kind of Muslim!"

Sergei Vladimirovich, in one of your interviews you called Nicholas II "frozen". What did you mean? What was the emperor like as a person, as a person?

Nicholas II loved the theatre, opera and ballet, he loved physical exercise. He had unassuming tastes. He liked to drink a glass or two of vodka. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich recalled that when they were young, he and Nicky once sat on a sofa and pushed with their feet, who would knock someone off the sofa. Or another example - a diary entry during a visit to relatives in Greece about how nicely they left oranges with cousin Georgie. He was already quite an adult young man, but something childish remained in him: leaving oranges, kicking his feet. Absolutely alive person! But still, it seems to me, he was so kind of ... not a daring, not “eh!”. You know, sometimes meat is fresh, and sometimes when it was first frozen, and then thawed, you know? In this sense - "frostbitten".

Sergei Mironenko
Photo: DP28

Restrained? Many noted that he very dryly described the terrible events in his diary: next to him was the shooting of the demonstration, and the lunch menu. Or that the emperor remained absolutely calm when receiving heavy news from the front of the Japanese war. What does this indicate?

In the imperial family, keeping a diary was one of the elements of education. A person was taught to write down what happened to him at the end of the day, and in this way to give an account of how you lived this day. If the diaries of Nicholas II are used for the history of the weather, then this would be a wonderful source. “Morning, so many degrees of frost, got up at so much.” Is always! Plus or minus: "sunny, windy" - he always wrote it down.

Similar diaries were kept by his grandfather Emperor Alexander II. The Ministry of War published small commemorative books: each sheet was divided into three days, and so Alexander II managed all day, from the moment he got up to the moment he went to bed, to paint his whole day on such a small sheet. Of course, this was only a record of the formal side of life. Basically, Alexander II wrote down who he received, with whom he dined, with whom he dined, where he was, at a review or somewhere else, etc. Rarely-rarely something emotional breaks through. In 1855, when his father, Emperor Nicholas I, was dying, he wrote: “Such an hour. Last terrible torment. This is a different type of diary! And Nikolai's emotional assessments are extremely rare. In general, he seemed to be an introvert by nature.

- Today you can often see in the press a certain average image of Tsar Nicholas II: a man of noble aspirations, an exemplary family man, but a weak politician. How true is this image?

As for the fact that one image was established - this is wrong. There are diametrically opposed points of view. For example, academician Yuri Sergeevich Pivovarov claims that Nicholas II was a major, successful statesman. Well, you yourself know that there are many monarchists who bow before Nicholas II.

I think that this is just the right image: he really was a very good person, a wonderful family man and, of course, a deeply religious person. But as a politician, he was absolutely out of place, I would say so.

Coronation of Nicholas II

When Nicholas II ascended the throne, he was 26 years old. Why, despite a brilliant education, he was not ready to be king? And there is such evidence that he did not want accession to the throne, was he burdened by this?

Behind me are the diaries of Nicholas II, which we published: if you read them, everything becomes clear. He was actually a very responsible person, he understood all the burden of responsibility that fell on his shoulders. But, of course, he did not think that his father, Emperor Alexander III, would die at 49, he thought that he still had some time to spare. Nicholas was weighed down by the ministers' reports. Although one can treat Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich differently, I think he was absolutely right when he wrote about the features characteristic of Nicholas II. For example, he said that Nikolai was right in the one who came to him last. Various issues are being discussed, and Nikolai takes the point of view of the one who came into his office last. Maybe it was not always like this, but this is a certain vector that Alexander Mikhailovich speaks about.

Another trait of his is fatalism. Nicholas believed that since he was born on May 6, the day of Job the Long-suffering, he was destined to suffer. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich told him about this: “Niki (that was the name of Nicholas in the family) you're just some kind of muslim! We have the Orthodox faith, it gives free will, and your life depends on you, there is no such fatalistic destiny in our faith.” But Nicholas was sure that he was destined to suffer.

In one of your lectures, you said that he really had a lot of suffering. Do you think that this was somehow connected with his warehouse, mood?

You see, each person makes his own destiny. If you think from the very beginning that you are created to suffer, in the end, so it will be in life!

The most important misfortune, of course, is that they had a terminally ill child. This cannot be discounted. And it turned out literally immediately after birth: the umbilical cord of the Tsarevich was bleeding ... This, of course, frightened the family, they hid for a very long time that their child was sick with hemophilia. For example, the sister of Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Xenia, found out about this almost 8 years after the birth of the heir!

Then, difficult situations in politics - Nicholas was not ready to manage the vast Russian Empire in such a difficult period of time.

On the birth of Tsarevich Alexei

The summer of 1904 was marked by a joyful event, the birth of the unfortunate crown prince. Russia has been waiting for an heir for so long, and how many times has this hope turned into disappointment that his birth was greeted with enthusiasm, but the joy did not last long. Even in our house there was despondency. Uncle and aunt no doubt knew that the child was born with hemophilia, a disease that bleeds due to the inability of the blood to clot quickly. Of course, the parents quickly learned about the nature of their son's illness. One can imagine what a terrible blow this was for them; from that moment on, the character of the empress began to change, from painful experiences and constant anxiety, her health, both physical and mental, was shaken.

- But after all, he was prepared for this from childhood, like any heir!

You see, cook - don't cook, and you can't discount a person's personal qualities. If you read his correspondence with his bride, who later became Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, you will see that he writes to her, how he rode twenty miles and feels good, and she told him about how she was in church, how she prayed. Their correspondence shows everything from the very beginning! Do you know what he called her? He called her "owl", and she called him "calf". Even this detail gives a clear idea of ​​their relationship.

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna

Initially, the family was against his marriage to the princess of Hesse. Can we say that Nicholas II showed character here, some strong-willed qualities, insisting on his own?

They didn't really mind. They wanted to marry him to a French princess - because of the turn in the foreign policy of the Russian Empire from an alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary to an alliance with France, which was outlined in the early 90s of the XIX century. Alexander III also wanted to strengthen family ties with the French, but Nicholas categorically refused. A little-known fact - Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna, when Alexander was still only the heir to the throne, became the godparents of Alice of Hesse - the future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna: they were the godmother and father of the young! So there were still connections. Yes, and Nikolai wanted to marry at all costs.

- But he was still a follower?

Of course there was. You see, it is necessary to distinguish between stubbornness and will. Very often, weak-willed people are stubborn. I think that in a certain sense Nikolai was like that too. There are wonderful moments in their correspondence with Alexandra Fedorovna. Especially during the war, when she writes to him: “Be Peter the Great, be Ivan the Terrible!”, and then adds: “I see how you smile.” She writes to him “be”, but she herself perfectly understands that he cannot be, according to his temperament, the way his father was.

For Nikolai, his father has always been an example. He wanted, of course, to be like him, but he could not.

Dependence on Rasputin led Russia to destruction

- And how strong was the influence of Alexandra Feodorovna on the emperor?

Alexandra Fedorovna had a huge influence on him. And through Alexandra Fedorovna - Rasputin. And, by the way, relations with Rasputin became one of the rather strong catalysts for the revolutionary movement, general dissatisfaction with Nicholas. Even not so much the figure of Rasputin caused discontent, but the image of a dissolute old man created by the press, which influences political decision-making. Add to this the suspicion that Rasputin is a German agent, which was fueled by the fact that he was against the war with Germany. Rumors spread that Alexandra Feodorovna was also a German spy. In general, everything rolled along the well-known road, which led, in the end, to renunciation ...

Caricature of Rasputin

Pyotr Stolypin

- What other political mistakes have become fatal?

There were many. One of them is distrust of prominent statesmen. Nicholas could not save them, could not! The example of Stolypin is very indicative in this sense. Stolypin is truly an outstanding person. Outstanding not only and not so much because he uttered in the Duma those words that everyone is now repeating: "You need great upheavals, but we need a great Russia."

That's not why! But because he understood: the main brake in a peasant country is the community. And he firmly pursued a line of destruction of the community, and this was contrary to the interests of a fairly wide range of people. After all, when Stolypin arrived in Kyiv in 1911 as prime minister, he was already a lame duck. The issue of his resignation was resolved. He was killed, but the end of his political career came earlier.

There is no subjunctive mood in history, as you know. But I really want to dream. But what if Stolypin had been at the head of the government longer, if he had not been killed, if the situation had turned out differently, what would have happened? Would Russia have entered the war with Germany so recklessly, was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand worth getting involved in this world war? ..

1908 Royal Village. Rasputin with the Empress, five children and a governess

However, I really want to use the subjunctive mood. The events taking place in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century seem so spontaneous, irreversible - the absolute monarchy has outlived its usefulness, and sooner or later what happened would happen, the personality of the tsar did not play a decisive role. This is not true?

You know, this question, from my point of view, is useless, because the task of history is not to guess what would have happened if, but to explain why it happened this way and not otherwise. It has already happened. But why did it happen? After all, history has many paths, but for some reason it chooses one out of many, why?

Why did it happen that the previously very friendly, close-knit Romanov family (the ruling house of the Romanovs) turned out to be completely split by 1916? Nikolai and his wife were alone, and the whole family - I emphasize, the whole family - was against it! Yes, Rasputin played a role - the family split largely because of him. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, tried to talk to her about Rasputin, it was useless to dissuade her! Nikolai's mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, tried to speak - to no avail.

In the end, it came to the Grand Duke's conspiracy. Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, Nicholas II's favorite cousin, was involved in Rasputin's murder. Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich wrote to Maria Feodorovna: "The hypnotist has been killed, now it's the turn for the hypnotized, she must disappear."

They all saw that this indecisive policy, this dependence on Rasputin, was leading Russia to destruction, but they could not do anything! They thought that they would kill Rasputin, and things would somehow get better, but they didn’t get better - everything had gone too far. Nikolai believed that relations with Rasputin were a private matter of his family, in which no one had the right to interfere. He did not understand that the emperor could not have private relations with Rasputin, that the matter had taken on a political turn. And he miscalculated cruelly, although one can understand him as a person. Therefore, personality is certainly of great importance!

About Rasputin and his murder
From the memoirs of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

Everything that happened to Russia due to the direct or indirect influence of Rasputin can, in my opinion, be regarded as a vindictive expression of the dark, terrible, all-consuming hatred that burned for centuries in the soul of the Russian peasant in relation to the upper classes, who did not try to understand him or attract him to your side. Rasputin, in his own way, loved both the empress and the emperor. He felt sorry for them, as children feel sorry for those who have made a mistake through the fault of adults. They both liked his seeming sincerity and kindness. His speeches - they had never heard anything like it before - attracted them with their simple logic and novelty. The emperor himself strove for intimacy with his people. But Rasputin, who had no education and was not accustomed to such an environment, was spoiled by the boundless trust that his high patrons placed in him.

Emperor Nicholas II and Supreme Commander led. Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich during a review of the fortifications of the Przemysl fortress

Is there evidence that Empress Alexandra Feodorovna directly influenced her husband's specific political decisions?

Of course! At one time there was such a book by Kasvinov “23 steps down”, about the murder of the royal family. So, one of the most serious political mistakes of Nicholas II was the decision to become the most supreme commander in 1915. It was, if you like, the first step towards renunciation!

- And only Alexandra Feodorovna supported this decision?

She convinced him! Alexandra Fedorovna was a very strong-willed, very smart and very cunning woman. What did she fight for? For the future of their son. She was afraid that Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich (Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in 1914-1915 - ed.), who was very popular in the army, will deprive Nike of the throne and become emperor himself. Let us leave aside the question of whether this was actually the case.

But, believing in the desire of Nikolai Nikolaevich to take the Russian throne, the empress began to intrigue. “In this difficult time of trials, only you can lead the army, you must do it, this is your duty,” she persuaded her husband. And Nikolai succumbed to her persuasion, sent his uncle to command the Caucasian front and took command of the Russian army. He did not listen to his mother, who begged him not to take a disastrous step - she just perfectly understood that if he became commander in chief, all the failures at the front would be associated with his name; nor the eight ministers who wrote him a petition; nor State Duma Chairman Rodzianko.

The emperor left the capital, lived for months at headquarters, and as a result could not return to the capital, where a revolution took place in his absence.

Emperor Nicholas II and commanders of the fronts at a meeting of the Headquarters

Nicholas II at the front

Nicholas II with Generals Alekseev and Pustovoitenko at Headquarters

What kind of person was the empress? You said - strong-willed, smart. But at the same time, she gives the impression of a sad, melancholy, cold, closed person ...

I wouldn't say she was cold. Read their letters - after all, in letters a person opens up. She is a passionate, loving woman. A woman of power who fights for what she sees fit, fighting to ensure that the throne is passed to her son despite his terminal illness. You can understand her, but she, in my opinion, lacked the breadth of her vision.

We will not say why Rasputin acquired such influence over her. I am deeply convinced that the matter is not only in the sick Tsarevich Alexei, whom he helped. The fact is that the Empress herself needed a person who would support her in this hostile world for her. She arrived, shy, embarrassed, in front of her is the rather strong Empress Maria Feodorovna, whom the court loves. Maria Fedorovna loves balls, but Alix does not like balls. Petersburg society is accustomed to dancing, accustomed to, accustomed to having fun, and the new empress is a completely different person.

Nicholas II with his mother Maria Feodorovna

Nicholas II with his wife

Nicholas II with Alexandra Feodorovna

Gradually, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law gets worse and worse. And in the end it comes to a complete break. Maria Fedorovna, in her last diary before the revolution, in 1916, calls Alexandra Fedorovna only "fury". “This fury” - she can’t even write her name ...

Elements of the great crisis that led to the renunciation

- Nevertheless, Nikolai and Alexandra were a wonderful family, right?

Definitely a wonderful family! They sit, read books to each other, their correspondence is wonderful, tender. They love each other, they are spiritually close, physically close, they have wonderful children. Children are different, some of them are more serious, some, like Anastasia, more mischievous, some secretly smoke.

About the atmosphere in the family of Nikolai II and Alexandra Feodorovna
From the memoirs of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

The emperor and his wife were always tender in their relations with each other and children, and it was so pleasant to be in an atmosphere of love and family happiness.

At a costume ball. 1903

But after the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (Governor-General of Moscow, uncle of Nicholas II, husband of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna - ed.) in 1905, the family locks up in Tsarskoye Selo, no more - not a single big ball, the last big ball takes place in 1903, a costume ball, where Nikolai is in the costume of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Alexander is in the costume of the queen. And then they become more and more closed.

Alexandra Fedorovna did not understand much, did not understand the situation in the country. For example, failures in the war... When you are told that Russia almost won the First World War, do not believe it. A serious socio-economic crisis was growing in Russia. First of all, it manifested itself in the inability of the railways to cope with freight traffic. It was impossible to simultaneously deliver food to large cities and carry military supplies to the front. Despite the railway boom that began under Witte in the 1880s, Russia had a poorly developed railway network compared to European countries.

Groundbreaking ceremony for the Trans-Siberian Railway

- Despite the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was this not enough for such a large country?

Absolutely! This was not enough, the railways could not cope. Why am I talking about this? When food shortages began in Petrograd, in Moscow, what does Alexandra Fyodorovna write to her husband? "Our Friend advises (Friend - so Alexandra Fedorovna called Rasputin in correspondence. - Ed.): order to attach one or two wagons with food to each echelon that goes to the front. To write this means to be completely unaware of what is happening. It is a search for simple solutions, solutions to the problem, the roots of which do not lie in this at all! What is one or two carriages for the multi-million dollar Petrograd and Moscow?..

Yet it grew!

Prince Felix Yusupov, participant in the conspiracy against Rasputin

Two or three years ago we received the Yusupov archive - Viktor Fedorovich Vekselberg bought it and donated it to the State Archive. This archive contains letters from the teacher Felix Yusupov in the Corps of Pages, who went with Yusupov to Rakitnoye, where he was exiled after participating in the murder of Rasputin. Two weeks before the revolution, he returned to Petrograd. And he writes to Felix, who is still in Rakitnoye: “Can you imagine that I haven’t seen or eaten a piece of meat in two weeks?” There is no meat! The bakeries are closed because there is no flour. And this is not the result of some malicious conspiracy, as they sometimes write about it, which is complete nonsense and nonsense. And evidence of the crisis that has gripped the country.

The leader of the Cadets, Milyukov, speaks in the State Duma - he seems to be a wonderful historian, a wonderful person - but what does he say from the Duma rostrum? He throws accusations after accusations against the government, addressing them to Nicholas II, of course, and ends each passage with the words: “What is this? Stupidity or treason? The word "treason" has already been dropped.

It's always easy to blame your failures on someone else. It's not we who fight badly, it's treason! Rumors begin to circulate that from Tsarskoye Selo the empress has a direct gold cable laid to Wilhelm's headquarters, that she is selling state secrets. When she arrives at headquarters, the officers are defiantly silent in her presence. It's like a snowball growing! The economy, the railroad crisis, failures at the front, the political crisis, Rasputin, the family split - all these are elements of a great crisis that eventually led to the abdication of the emperor and the collapse of the monarchy.

By the way, I am sure that those people who thought about the abdication of Nicholas II, and he himself, did not at all assume that this was the end of the monarchy. Why? Because they had no experience of political struggle, they did not understand that they don’t change horses in the middle! Therefore, the commanders of the fronts, as one, wrote to Nicholas that in order to save the Motherland and continue the war, he must abdicate the throne.

About the situation at the beginning of the war

From the memoirs of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

In the beginning, the war went well. Every day a crowd of Muscovites staged patriotic demonstrations in the square opposite our house. The people in the front rows held flags and portraits of the emperor and empress. With their heads uncovered, they sang the national anthem, shouted out words of approval and greetings, and calmly dispersed. People took it as entertainment. Enthusiasm took on more and more violent forms, but the authorities did not want to prevent this expression of loyal feelings, people refused to leave the square and disperse. The last gathering turned into rampant drinking and ended with bottles and stones thrown at our windows. The police were called and lined up along the sidewalk to block access to our house. Excited cries and muffled murmurs of the crowd came from the street all night.

About the bomb in the temple and the changing moods

From the memoirs of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

On Easter Eve, when we were in Tsarskoye Selo, a conspiracy was uncovered. Two members of the terrorist organization, disguised as singers, tried to get into the choir, which sang at services in the palace church. Apparently, they planned to carry bombs under their clothes and detonate them in the church during the Easter service. The emperor, although he knew about the plot, went with his family to church as usual. Many people were arrested that day. Nothing happened, but it was the saddest service I have ever attended.

Abdication of the throne of Emperor Nicholas II.

There are still myths about the renunciation - that it had no legal force, or that the emperor was forced to abdicate ...

This just surprises me! How can you say such nonsense? You see, the renunciation manifesto was published in all the papers, in all! And in the year and a half that Nikolai lived after that, he never said: “No, they forced me, this is not my real renunciation!”

The attitude towards the emperor and empress in society is also “steps down”: from delight and devotion to ridicule and aggression?

When Rasputin was killed, Nicholas II was at headquarters in Mogilev, and the Empress was in the capital. What is she doing? Alexandra Fedorovna summons the Petrograd Chief of Police and orders the arrest of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich and Yusupov, participants in the murder of Rasputin. This caused an outburst of indignation in the family. Who is she?! What right does she have to order someone to be arrested? This proves 100% who rules with us - not Nikolai, but Alexandra!

Then the family (mother, grand dukes and grand duchesses) turned to Nikolai with a request not to punish Dmitry Pavlovich. Nikolay imposed a resolution on the document: “I am surprised by your appeal to me. No one is allowed to kill!" Decent answer? Of course yes! No one dictated this to him, he himself, from the depths of his soul, wrote it.

In general, Nicholas II as a person can be respected - he was an honest, decent person. But not too smart and without a strong will.

“I don’t feel sorry for myself, but I feel sorry for the people”

Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna

The phrase of Nicholas II is known after the abdication: "I do not feel sorry for myself, but I feel sorry for the people." He really rooted for the people, for the country. How well did he know his people?

I will give you an example from another area. When Maria Fedorovna married Alexander Alexandrovich and when they - then the Tsarevich and Tsesarevna - traveled around Russia, she described such a situation in her diary. She, who grew up in a rather poor but democratic Danish royal court, could not understand why her beloved Sasha did not want to communicate with the people. He does not want to leave the ship on which they traveled, to the people, he does not want to take bread and salt, he is absolutely not interested in all this.

But she arranged it so that he had to get off at one of the points of their route, where they landed. He did everything flawlessly: he received the foremen, bread and salt, charmed everyone. He came back and ... gave her a wild scandal: he stamped his feet, broke the lamp. She was horrified! Her sweet and beloved Sasha, who is throwing a kerosene lamp on the wooden floor, is about to burst into flames! She couldn't understand why? Because the unity of the king and the people was like a theater where everyone played their roles.

Even chronicle footage has been preserved of Nicholas II sailing away from Kostroma in 1913. People go into the water up to their chests, stretch their hands to him, this is the king-father ... and after 4 years these same people sing shameful ditties about both the king and the queen!

- The fact that, for example, his daughters were sisters of mercy, was it also a theater?

No, I think it was sincere. They were still deeply religious people, and, of course, Christianity and mercy are almost synonymous. The girls really were sisters of mercy, Alexandra Fedorovna really assisted in operations. Some of the daughters liked it, some didn't, but they were no exception among the imperial family, among the Romanovs. They gave their palaces for hospitals - there was a hospital in the Winter Palace, and not only the emperor's family, but also other grand duchesses. The men fought and the women did charity work. So mercy is just not ostentatious.

Princess Tatiana in the hospital

Alexandra Fedorovna - sister of mercy

Princesses with the wounded in the infirmary of Tsarskoye Selo, winter 1915-16

But in a sense, any court action, any court ceremony is a theater, with its own script, with its characters, and so on.

Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna in the hospital for the wounded

From the memoirs of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna

The Empress, who spoke Russian very well, made her rounds through the wards and talked for a long time with each patient. I walked behind and not so much listened to the words - she said the same thing to everyone - how much I watched the expression on their faces. Despite the sincere sympathy of the empress for the suffering of the wounded, something prevented her from expressing her true feelings and comforting those to whom she addressed. Although she spoke Russian correctly and almost without an accent, people did not understand her: her words did not find a response in their souls. They looked at her with fear when she approached and started a conversation. I visited hospitals with the emperor more than once. His visits looked different. The emperor behaved simply and charmingly. With his appearance, a special atmosphere of joy arose. Despite his small stature, he always seemed taller than everyone present and moved from bed to bed with extraordinary dignity. After a short conversation with him, the expression of anxious expectation in the eyes of the patients was replaced by a joyful animation.

1917 - This year marks the 100th anniversary of the revolution. How, in your opinion, should we talk about it, how should we approach the discussion of this topic? Ipatiev house

How was the decision to canonize them made? "Dug", as you say, weighed. After all, the commission did not immediately declare him a martyr, there were quite big disputes on this score. After all, it was not in vain that he was canonized as a martyr, as one who gave his life for the Orthodox faith. Not because he was an emperor, not because he was an outstanding statesman, but because he did not renounce Orthodoxy. Until their martyr's end, the royal family constantly invited priests who served Mass, even in the Ipatiev House, not to mention Tobolsk. The family of Nicholas II was a deeply religious family.

- But even about canonization there are different opinions.

They were canonized as passion-bearers - what different opinions can there be?

Some insist that the canonization was hasty and politically motivated. What to say to this?

From the report of the Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Yuvenaly,Chairman of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints at the Bishops' Jubilee Council

... Behind the many sufferings endured by the Royal Family over the last 17 months of their lives, which ended with execution in the basement of the Yekaterinburg Ipatiev House on the night of July 17, 1918, we see people who sincerely strived to embody the commandments of the Gospel in their lives. In the suffering endured by the Royal Family in captivity with meekness, patience and humility, in their martyrdom, the light of Christ's faith conquering evil was revealed, just as it shone in the life and death of millions of Orthodox Christians who suffered persecution for Christ in the 20th century. It is in understanding this feat of the Royal Family that the Commission, in complete unanimity and with the approval of the Holy Synod, finds it possible to glorify in the Cathedral of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in the face of the Passion-Bearers Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatyana, Maria and Anastasia.

- How do you generally assess the level of discussions about Nicholas II, about the imperial family, about 1917 today?

What is a discussion? How can you argue with the ignorant? In order to say something, a person must know at least something, if he does not know anything, it is useless to discuss with him. So much rubbish has appeared in recent years about the royal family and the situation in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. But what pleases me is that there are also very serious works, for example, studies by Boris Nikolaevich Mironov, Mikhail Abramovich Davydov, which deal with economic history. So Boris Nikolaevich Mironov has a wonderful work, where he analyzed the metric data of people who were called up for military service. When a person was called up for service, his height, weight, and so on were measured. Mironov was able to establish that in the fifty years that have passed since the liberation of the serfs, the growth of conscripts has increased by 6-7 centimeters!

- That is, they began to eat better?

Of course! Live better! But what did Soviet historiography talk about? "The exacerbation, beyond the ordinary, of the needs and calamities of the oppressed classes," "relative impoverishment," "absolute impoverishment," and so on. In fact, as I understand it, if you believe the works that I named - and I have no reason not to believe them - the revolution did not come about because people began to live worse, but because, paradoxically it sounds, what is better began to live! But everyone wanted to live even better. The situation of the people even after the reform was extremely difficult, the situation was terrible: the working day was 11 hours, terrible working conditions, but in the countryside they began to eat better, dress better. There was a protest against the slow movement forward, we wanted to go faster.

Sergei Mironenko.
Photo: Alexander Bury / russkiymir.ru

They don't look for good from good, in other words? Sounds menacing...

Why?

Because one involuntarily wants to draw an analogy with our days: over the past 25 years, people have learned that it is possible to live better ...

They don't look for good from good, yes. For example, the Narodnaya Volya revolutionaries who killed Alexander II, the liberator Tsar, were also dissatisfied. Although he is the king-liberator, he is indecisive! He does not want to go further in the reforms - he needs to be pushed. If he doesn't go, he must be killed, those who oppress the people must be killed... You can't fence yourself off from this. We need to understand why this all happened. I do not advise you to draw analogies with today, because analogies are usually erroneous.

Usually today they repeat something else: the words of Klyuchevsky that history is a warden who punishes for ignorance of her lessons; that those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat its mistakes...

Of course, one must know history not only in order not to make the same mistakes. I think the main thing for which you need to know your history is in order to feel like a citizen of your country. Without knowing your own history, you cannot be a citizen, in the truest sense of the word.