For more than 200 years, Russia was ruled by the descendants of the Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (with the exception of the purebred German Catherine II). Since the time of Peter I, St. Petersburg has been the seat of monarchs. Except for Peter II (who died at the age of 14) and John VI Antonovich (deposed in infancy), all the emperors were at the pinnacle of power, being already of age.
Growth and age of the Romanovs in the imperial era
What was common, and what was different for these people in appearance? And what kind of health has the fate of the almighty rulers of a huge power awarded?
The growth of Russian monarchs
Peter I - 203 cm.
Alexander III- 190 cm.
Anna Ioannovna - 189 cm.
Nicholas I - 189 cm.
Alexander II - 185 cm.
Elizaveta Petrovna - 179 cm.
Alexander I - 178 cm.
Nicholas II - 170 cm.
Peter III- 170 cm.
Pavel I - 166 cm.
Catherine II - 157 cm.
Catherine I - 155 cm.
Age of Russian monarchs
67 years - Catherine II
63 years - Alexander II
59 years old - Nicholas I
53 years old - Peter I
53 years old - Elizaveta Petrovna
50 years - Nicholas II
49 years old - Alexander III
48 years - Alexander I
47 years old - Pavel I
47 years old - Anna Ioannovna
43 years - Catherine I
34 years old - Peter III
Bogatyr
A man with amazing strength and a powerful figure, Alexander III seemed to his contemporaries exclusively a healthy person. However, after the train crash, when he allegedly supported the roof of his car on his shoulders, everything changed. It was after this event that the emperor began to complain of back pain. Then Alexander was diagnosed with kidney disease. The immoderate “treatment” with strong alcohol clearly played an important role in the shaken health. The king-bogatyr did not live up to 50 years
Longevity
The crowned Romanovs did not differ in particular longevity. In the male line, the age of Alexander II became a record. He was the only one who managed to "reach out to retirement." And, perhaps, a person who liberated his people from slavery would have lived in health and mind for more than a dozen years. But the madness of Russian terrorists, who declared a real hunt for the tsar, cut short his life after terrible explosion on the embankment of the Catherine Canal in 1881
The highest and heaviest
The niece of Peter the Great seemed huge to his contemporaries. Gossips they assured that Anna Ioannovna weighed almost 150 kilograms. In fact, the empress was not zealous with gluttony, and even more so with drinking. However, by the age of 40, she had already accumulated a whole tangle of diseases. Yes and excess weight hasn't extended anyone's life yet.
In the prime of life
An unexpected death is relatively young Alexander I, who did not have special problems with health, gave rise to a lot of legends about the wanderer king. As if tired of the burden of power, the emperor under the guise a simple man went to wander around Mother Russia
centenarian
Catherine II ruled the longest and lived the longest. This german princess accidentally ended up in Russia. And her main participation in the fate of the Romanov dynasty is the murder of her own husband by the hands of her favorites. But in the memory of her descendants, it is her reign that is considered the “golden age”.
Last of the dynasty
The future Emperor Nicholas II grew up such a frail little stature that his father, Alexander III, often (and publicly) shouted at his wife Maria Feodorovna: “ Spoiled the Romanov breed!". The last monarch of Russia really went to his mother. But she, despite her fragile physique, was distinguished by good health and lived to be 80 years old. Thus, Nicholas II, had not the catastrophe of "1917" happened, could have ruled Russia until 1948 ...
Nicholas the First is one of the most famous emperors Russia. He ruled the country for 30 years (from 1825 to 1855), between the two Alexanders. Nicholas I made Russia truly enormous. Before his death, it reached its geographical zenith, stretching over almost twenty million square kilometers. Tsar Nicholas I also held the title of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He is known for his conservatism, unwillingness to reform and losing in Crimean War 1853-1856.
Early years and rise to power
Nicholas I was born in Gatchina in the family of Emperor Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna. He was the younger brother of Alexander I and Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. Initially, he was not raised as a future Russian emperor. Nicholas was youngest child in a family in which, besides him, there were two eldest sons, so it was not expected that he would ever ascend the throne. But in 1825, Alexander I died of typhus, and Konstantin Pavlovich renounced the throne. Nicholas was next in the line of succession. On December 25, he signed a manifesto on his ascension to the throne. The date of the death of Alexander I was called the beginning of the reign of Nicholas. The period between it (December 1) and his ascent is called the intermediate period. At this time, the military tried to seize power several times. This led to the so-called December Uprising, but Nicholas the First managed to quickly and successfully suppress it.
Nicholas the First: years of reign
The new emperor, according to numerous testimonies of his contemporaries, lacked the spiritual and intellectual breadth of his brother. He was not brought up as a future ruler, and this affected when Nicholas the First ascended the throne. He saw himself as an autocrat who governs people as he sees fit. He was not the spiritual leader of his people, inspiring people to work and develop. They also tried to explain dislike for the new tsar by the fact that he ascended the throne on Monday, which has long been considered a difficult and unhappy day in Russia. In addition, on December 14, 1825, it was very cold, the temperature dropped below -8 degrees Celsius.
The common people immediately considered this a bad omen. Blood suppression December uprising for the introduction of representative democracy only strengthened this view. This event at the very beginning of the reign had a very bad effect on Nicholas. All subsequent years of his reign, he will impose censorship and other forms of education and other areas public life, and His Majesty's Office will contain a whole network of all kinds of spies and gendarmes.
Rigid centralization
Nicholas I was afraid of all kinds of forms of national independence. He abolished the autonomy of the Bessarabian region in 1828, Poland - in 1830, and the Jewish Kahal - in 1843. The only exception to this trend was Finland. She managed to maintain her autonomy (largely due to the participation of her army in the suppression of the November Uprising in Poland).
Character and spiritual qualities
Biographer Nikolai Rizanovsky describes the rigidity, purposefulness and iron will new emperor. He talks about his sense of duty and hard work on himself. According to Rizanovsky, Nicholas I saw himself as a soldier who devoted his life to serving the good of his people. But he was only an organizer, and not a spiritual leader at all. He was an attractive man, but extremely nervous and aggressive. Often the emperor got too hung up on the details, not seeing the whole picture. The ideology of his rule is "official nationalism". It was proclaimed in 1833. The policy of Nicholas I was based on Orthodoxy, autocracy and Russian nationalism. Let's dwell on this issue in more detail.
Nicholas the First: foreign policy
The emperor was successful in his campaigns against southern enemies. He selected last territories Caucasus from Persia, which included modern Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russian empire received Dagestan and Georgia. His success in finishing Russo-Persian War 1826-1828 allowed him to gain an advantage in the Caucasus. He ended the confrontation with the Turks. He was often called behind his back "the gendarme of Europe." He indeed constantly offered to help put down the uprising. But in 1853, Nicholas the First got involved in the Crimean War, which led to disastrous results. Historians point out that in dire consequences not only an unsuccessful strategy is to blame, but also the flaws of local management and the corruption of his army. Therefore, it is most often said that the reign of Nicholas the First is a mixture of unsuccessful domestic and foreign policies that put the common people on the brink of survival.
Military and army
Nicholas I is known for his big army. It numbered about a million people. This meant that approximately one in fifty men was in the military. They had outdated equipment and tactics, but the tsar, dressed as a soldier and surrounded by officers, celebrated the victory over Napoleon with a parade every year. Horses, for example, were not trained for battle, but looked great during processions. Behind all this brilliance, real degradation was hidden. Nicholas put his generals at the head of many ministries, despite their lack of experience and qualifications. He tried to extend his power even to the church. It was led by an agnostic known for his military exploits. The army became a social lift for noble youth from Poland, the Baltic, Finland and Georgia. The military also sought to become criminals who could not adapt to society.
Nevertheless, throughout the reign of Nicholas, the Russian Empire remained a force to be reckoned with. And only the Crimean War showed the world its backwardness in the technical aspect and corruption within the army.
Achievements and censorship
During the reign of the heir of Alexander the First, the first in the Russian Empire was opened Railway. It stretches for 16 miles, connecting St. Petersburg with the southern residence in Tsarskoe Selo. The second line was built in 9 years (from 1842 to 1851). She connected Moscow with St. Petersburg. But progress in this area was still too slow.
In 1833, Minister of Education Sergei Uvarov developed the program "Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationalism" as the main ideology of the new regime. People had to demonstrate loyalty to the tsar, love for Orthodoxy, traditions and the Russian language. The result of these Slavophile principles was the suppression of class distinctions, extensive censorship and surveillance of such independent thinker poets as Pushkin and Lermontov. Figures who did not write in Russian or belonged to other confessions were severely persecuted. The great Ukrainian poet and writer Taras Shevchenko was sent into exile, where he was forbidden to draw or compose poems.
Domestic politics
Nicholas the First did not like serfdom. He often toyed with the idea of abolishing it, but did not do so for state reasons. Nicholas was too afraid of the strengthening of free-thinking among the people, believing that this could lead to uprisings like the December one. In addition, he was wary of aristocrats and was afraid that such reforms would force them to turn away from him. However, the sovereign still tried to somewhat improve the position of the serfs. Minister Pavel Kiselev helped him in this.
All the reforms of Nicholas I centered around the serfs. Throughout his reign, he tried to increase control over the landowners and other powerful groups in Russia. Created a category of state serfs with special rights. He limited the votes of the representatives of the Honorary Assembly. Now only the landlords had this right, in whose subordination there were more than a hundred serfs. In 1841, the emperor forbade the sale of serfs separately from the land.
culture
The reign of Nicholas I is the time of the ideology of Russian nationalism. It was fashionable among the intelligentsia to argue about the place of the empire in the world and its future. Debates were constantly fought between pro-Western figures and Slavophiles. The first believed that the Russian Empire had stopped in its development, and further progress was possible only through Europeanization. Another group, the Slavophiles, assured that it was necessary to focus on the original folk customs and traditions. They saw the possibility of development in Russian culture, and not in Western rationalism and materialism. Some believed in the country's mission to liberate other nations from brutal capitalism. But Nikolai did not like any freethinking, so the Ministry of Education often closed philosophical faculties because of their possible negative impact for the rising generation. The benefits of Slavophilism were not considered.
Education system
After the December uprising, the sovereign decided to devote his entire reign to maintaining the status quo. He began with the centralization of the education system. Nicholas I sought to neutralize attractive Western ideas and what he calls "pseudo-knowledge." However, Education Minister Sergei Uvarov secretly welcomed freedom and autonomy. educational institutions. He even succeeded in raising academic standards and improving learning conditions, as well as opening universities to the middle class. But in 1848, the tsar canceled these innovations out of fear that pro-Western sentiment would lead to possible uprisings.
Universities were small and the Ministry of Education constantly monitored their programs. The main mission was not to miss the moment when pro-Western sentiments appeared. The main task was to educate the youth as true patriots of Russian culture. But, despite the repressions, at that time there was a flourishing of culture and arts. Russian literature gained worldwide fame. The works of Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol and Ivan Turgenev secured their status as true masters of their craft.
Death and heirs
Nikolai Romanov died in March 1855 during the Crimean War. He caught a cold and died of pneumonia. An interesting fact is that the emperor refused treatment. There were even rumors that he committed suicide, unable to withstand the oppression catastrophic consequences their military failures. The son of Nicholas I - Alexander II - took the throne. He was destined to become the most famous reformer after Peter the Great.
The children of Nicholas I were born both in marriage and not. The sovereign's wife was Alexandra Fedorovna, and her mistress was Varvara Nelidova. But, as his biographers note, the emperor did not know what real passion was. He was too organized and disciplined for that person. He was supportive of women, but none of them could turn his head.
Heritage
Many biographers call Nicholas' foreign and domestic policy catastrophic. One of the most devoted supporters - A. V. Nikitenko - noted that the entire reign of the emperor was a mistake. However, some scholars are still trying to improve the reputation of the king. Historian Barbara Jelavic notes many of the mistakes, including bureaucracy that led to irregularities, corruption, and inefficiency, but did not view his entire reign as a complete failure.
Under Nicholas, Kyiv was founded National University, as well as about 5,000 other similar establishments. Censorship was ubiquitous, but this did not interfere with the development of free thought. Historians note kind heart Nicholas, who just had to behave the way he behaved. Every ruler has his failures and achievements. But it seems that the people could not forgive anything to Nicholas. His reign largely determined the time in which he had to live and rule the country.
Baroness M.P. Frideriks told very interesting things about the personal and privacy Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Now this information has become the property of the general public, but I have always liked to refer to primary sources rather than to their retellings.
"What example did Nikolai Pavlovich give to everyone with his deep respect for his wife and how he sincerely loved and protected her until last minute own life! It is known that he had love affairs on the side - what kind of man does not have them, firstly, and secondly, under reigning persons, intrigue often arises to remove the legal wife, through doctors they try to convince the husband that his wife is weak, sick, it is necessary protect her, etc., and under this pretext they bring women closer, through whom extraneous influence could act. But Emperor Nicholas I did not succumb to this intrigue and, in spite of everything, remained faithful to the moral influence of his angelic wife, with whom he was in the most tender relationship.
Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. Engraving by Grégoire and Deneu. It was dated 1826, but judging by the mustache, not earlier than 1830.
Although the subject of his extraneous connection lived in the palace, it never occurred to anyone to pay attention to it, all this was done so covertly, so nobly, so decently. For example, I, being no longer a very young girl, living in a palace under the same roof, seeing this person almost every day, for a long time did not suspect that there was anything wrong in the life of her and the sovereign, so he behaved carefully and respectfully before wife, children and people around. Undoubtedly, this is a great dignity in such a person as Nikolai Pavlovich. As for that person (maid of honor V.A. Nelidova, who died in October 1897), she did not even think of revealing her exclusive position among her fellow maids of honor, she always behaved very calmly, coldly and simply. Of course, there were individuals who, as always in these cases, tried to curry favor with this person, but they gained little through her. It is impossible not to do her justice, that she was a worthy woman, deserving respect, especially in comparison with others of the same position.
After the death of Nikolai Pavlovich, this person immediately wanted to leave the palace, but Alexander II, who reigned, by agreement with his august mother, personally asked her not to leave the palace (she died in the palace, which she had not left since that time.): but from that She was no longer on duty for a day, only came to read aloud to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, when Her Majesty was completely alone and rested after dinner.
Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. Engraving by Afanasiev. 1852.
To himself, Emperor Nicholas I was in the highest degree strict, led the most temperate life, ate remarkably little, for the most part vegetables, drank nothing but water, except sometimes a glass of wine, and I really don’t know when this happened, at dinner every evening he ate a bowl of the same pureed potato soup, he never smoked, but he didn’t like it either, for others to smoke. I walked twice a day on foot necessarily - early in the morning before breakfast and classes and after dinner, never rested during the day. He was always dressed, he never had a dressing gown, but if he was unwell, which, however, very rarely happened, then he put on an old overcoat. He slept on a thin mattress filled with hay. His camp bed stood constantly in the bedchamber of the august wife, covered with a shawl. In general, the whole situation surrounding his personal intimate life, bore the imprint of modesty and strict abstinence. His Majesty had his chambers on the top floor Winter Palace their decoration was not luxurious. Last years he lived below, under the apartments of the empress, where an internal staircase led. This room was small, the walls were covered with simple paper wallpaper, there were several paintings on the walls. On the fireplace big clock in wooden decoration, above the clock - a large bust of Count Benckendorff. Here stood: the second camp bed of the sovereign, above it a small image and a portrait Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna - she is represented on it in the hussar uniform of the regiment of which she was the chief - a Voltaire chair, a small sofa, a writing desk, on it are portraits of the Empress and his children and unpretentious decoration, a few simple chairs, all mahogany furniture, covered with dark green morocco, a large dressing table, near which stood his sabers, swords and a gun, on the shelves attached to the frame of the dressing table were a bottle of perfume - he always used "Parfum de la Cour" (court perfumes), - a brush and a comb. Here he dressed and worked ... he died right there! This room is still preserved (1888), as it was during his lifetime."
P.S. Pictures are clickable.
P.P.S. I don `t understand. Either fidelity to his wife, or "the subject of his constant connection." But so that both phenomena at once ...
and his wife, Maria Fedorovna. As soon as Nikolai Pavlovich was born (06/25/1796), his parents recorded him on military service. He became the chief of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, with the rank of colonel.
Three years later, the prince put on the uniform of his regiment for the first time. In May 1800, Nicholas I became the chief of the Izmailovsky regiment. In 1801, as a result palace coup, his father, Paul I, was killed.
The real passion of Nicholas I was military affairs. Passion for military affairs, apparently passed on from his father, and at the gene level.
Soldiers and cannons were the favorite toys of the Grand Duke, for which, together with his brother Mikhail, he spent a lot of time. To the sciences, unlike his brother, he did not gravitate.
On July 13, 1817, the marriage of Nicholas I and the Prussian princess Charlotte took place. In Orthodoxy, Charlotte was named Alexandra Feodorovna. By the way, the marriage took place on the birthday of his wife.
The joint life of the royal couple was happy. After the wedding, he became an inspector general in charge of engineering.
Nicholas I never prepared himself as the heir to the Russian throne. He was only the third child of Paul I. It so happened that Alexander I had no children.
In this case, the throne passed to younger brother Alexander, and Nikolai's older brother, Konstantin. But, Konstantin was not eager to take responsibility on his shoulders and became the Russian emperor.
Alexander I wanted to make Nicholas his heir. This has long been a mystery to Russian society. In November, Alexander I died unexpectedly, and Nikolai Pavlovich was to ascend the throne.
It so happened that on the day the Russian society took the oath to the new emperor, it happened. Thankfully it all ended well. The uprising was crushed, and Nicholas I became emperor. After tragic events on the Senate Square he exclaimed - "I am the Emperor, but at what cost."
The policy of Nicholas I had brightly inspired conservative features. Quite often, historians accuse Nicholas I of excessive conservatism and strictness. But how could the emperor behave differently after the Decembrist uprising? It was this event that set the course domestic policy during his reign.
Domestic politics
The most important issue of the domestic policy of Nicholas I is the peasant question. He believed that every effort should be made to alleviate the situation of the peasants. During his reign, many legislative acts were issued to make life easier for the peasantry.
In the strictest secrecy, as many as 11 committees worked, which tried to think through decisions peasant question. Emperor returned to active state activity Mikhail Speransky and instructed him to streamline the legislation of the Russian Empire.
Speransky brilliantly coped with the task, preparing " complete collection Laws of the Russian Empire for 1648-1826" and "Code of Laws of the Russian Empire". Finance Minister Kankrin held a progressive monetary reform which brought the country's economy to life.
Most historians criticize Nicholas I for the activities of the 3rd branch Imperial Chancellery. This body had a supervisory function. The Russian Empire was divided into gendarmerie districts, which were in charge of generals who had a large staff under their command.
The third branch was engaged in the investigation of political affairs, closely monitored censorship, as well as the activities of officials of various ranks.
Foreign policy
The foreign policy of Nicholas I became a continuation of the policy of Alexander I. He sought to maintain peace in Europe, guided by the interests of Russia, to develop vigorous activity on the eastern borders empire.
During his reign, talented diplomats appeared in Russia, knocking out "our partners" profitable terms cooperation. There were constant diplomatic battles for influence in the world.
Russian diplomats won many such battles. In July 1826, the Russian army fought in Iran. In February 1828, peace was signed, thanks to the efforts of Griboyedov, the Nakhichevan and Erivan khanates retreated to Russia, and the empire also acquired the exclusive right to have a navy in the Caspian Sea.
During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia was at war with the mountain peoples. There was also a successful war with Turkey, which showed the world military talent. Next Russian-Turkish war turned around for Russia real disaster. After, in which the Russian ships under the command of Nakhimov won a stunning victory.
England and France, fearing the strengthening of Russia, entered the war on the side of Turkey. The Crimean War began. Participation in the Crimean War showed the problems that existed in Russian society. First of all, it is technological backwardness. was a good and timely lesson that marked the beginning of a new development in Russia.
Results
Nicholas I died on February 18, 1855. The reign of this monarch can be assessed in different ways. Despite the strengthening of control and the suppression of dissent, Russia greatly increased its territory and won many diplomatic disputes.
A monetary reform was carried out in the country, which provided economic development, the oppression on the peasantry was weakened. All these indulgences have largely become the basis for the future.
Nicholas I (short biography)
Future Russian emperor Nicholas I was born on June 25, 1796. Nicholas was the third son of Maria Feodorovna and Paul the First. He was able to get a pretty good education, but denied the humanities. At the same time, he was well-versed in fortification and military art. Nikolai also owned and engineering. But despite all this, the ruler was not a favorite of soldiers and officers. His coldness and cruel corporal punishment led to the fact that in the army environment he was nicknamed "Nikolai Palkin".
In 1817 Nicholas married the Prussian princess Frederica Louise Charlotte Wilhelmine.
Nicholas I comes to the throne after the death of his elder brother Alexander. Second contender for Russian throne, Constantine renounces the rights to rule during the life of his brother. At the same time, Nicholas did not know this and at first gave the oath to Constantine. Historians call this time the Interregnum.
Although the manifesto on the accession to the throne of Nicholas I was issued on December 13, 1825, his actual administration of the country began on November 19. On the very first day of the reign, the Decembrist uprising took place, the leaders of which were executed a year later.
The domestic policy of this ruler was characterized by extreme conservatism. The smallest manifestations of free thought were immediately suppressed, and the autocracy of Nicholas was defended with all his might. The secret office, which was led by Benckendorff, carried out a political investigation. After the release of a special censorship charter in 1826, all printed publications that had at least some political overtones were banned.
At the same time, the reforms of Nicholas I were distinguished by their limitations. Legislation was streamlined and the publication of the Complete Collection of Laws began. In addition, Kiselev is reforming the management of state peasants, introducing new agricultural techniques, building first-aid posts, etc.
In 1839 - 1843 the financial reform, which establishes the relationship between the banknote and the silver ruble, but the issue of serfdom remained unresolved.
Nikolaevskaya foreign policy had the same goals as the internal one. Constant struggle with revolutionary sentiment people did not stop.
As a result of the Russian-Iranian war, Armenia joins the state territory, the ruler condemns the revolution in Europe and even sends an army in 1849 to suppress it in Hungary. In 1853 Russia enters the Crimean War.
Nicholas died on March 2, 1855.
