Date of publication or update 01.11.2017
Nicholas I Pavlovich Romanov
Years of life: 1796–1855
Russian emperor (1825–1855). King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland.
From the Romanov dynasty.
Monument to Nicholas I in St. Petersburg.
In 1816 he made a three-month journey through European Russia, and from October 1816. to May 1817 Nicholas traveled and lived in England.
In 1817 Nikolay the First Pavlovich married the eldest daughter of the Prussian king Frederick William II, Princess Charlotte Frederick-Louise, who adopted the name Alexandra Feodorovna in Orthodoxy.
In 1819, his brother Emperor Alexander I announced that the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, wanted to renounce his right to succeed to the throne, so Nikolai would become the heir as the next brother in seniority. Formally, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich renounced his rights to the throne in 1823, since he had no children in a legal marriage and was married in a morganatic marriage to the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya.
On August 16, 1823, Alexander I signed a manifesto appointing his brother Nikolai Pavlovich as heir to the throne.
However Nikolay the First Pavlovich refused to proclaim himself emperor until the final expression of the will of his elder brother. Nicholas refused to recognize Alexander's will, and on November 27 the entire population was sworn in to Constantine, and Nicholas Pavlovich himself swore allegiance to Constantine I as emperor. But Konstantin Pavlovich did not accept the throne, at the same time he did not want to formally renounce him as emperor, to whom the oath had already been taken. An ambiguous and very tense interregnum was created, which lasted twenty-five days, until December 14th.
Nicholas was married once in 1817 to Princess Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm III, who received the name Alexandra Feodorovna after converting to Orthodoxy. They had children:
Alexander II (1818-1881)
Maria (08/6/1819-02/09/1876), was married to the Duke of Leuchtenberg and Count Stroganov.
Olga (08/30/1822 - 10/18/1892), was married to the King of Württemberg.
Alexandra (12/06/1825 - 29/07/1844), married to Prince of Hesse-Kassel
Konstantin (1827-1892)
Nicholas (1831-1891)
Mikhail (1832-1909)
Nicholas led an ascetic and healthy lifestyle. He was a believing Orthodox Christian, he did not smoke and did not like smokers, he did not drink strong drinks, he walked a lot and did drills with weapons. He had a remarkable memory and a great capacity for work. Archbishop Innokenty wrote about him: "He was ... such a crowned bearer, for whom the royal throne served not as a head to peace, but as an incentive to unceasing work." According to the memoirs of the maid of honor of Her Imperial Majesty, Anna Tyutcheva, the favorite phrase of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich was: "I work like a slave in the galleys."
The king's love for justice and order was well known. He personally visited military formations, inspected fortifications, educational institutions, government agencies. He always gave concrete advice to correct the situation.
He had a pronounced ability to form a team of talented, creatively gifted people. The employees of Nicholas I Pavlovich were the Minister of Public Education Count S. S. Uvarov, the commander Field Marshal His Serene Highness Prince I. F. Paskevich, the Minister of Finance Count E. F. Kankrin, the Minister of State Property Count P. D. Kiselev and others.
Growth Nicholas I Pavlovich was 205 cm.
All historians agree on one thing: Nikolay the First Pavlovich was undoubtedly a bright figure among the rulers-emperors of Russia.
From childhood, the boy enthusiastically played war games. At the age of six months he received the rank of colonel, and at the age of three the baby was presented with the uniform of the Life Guards of the Horse Regiment, since from birth the child's future was predetermined. By tradition, the Grand Duke, who is not the direct heir to the throne, was prepared for a military career.
Family of Nicholas I: parents, brothers and sisters
Until the age of four, the upbringing of Nicholas was entrusted to the court maid of honor Charlotte Karlovna von Lieven, after the death of his father, Paul I, the responsibility was transferred to General Lamzdorf. The home education of Nicholas and his younger brother Mikhail consisted of studying economics, history, geography, law, engineering, and fortifications. Much attention was paid to foreign languages: French, German and Latin.
If lectures and classes in the humanities were difficult for Nikolai, then everything related to military affairs and engineering attracted his attention. The future emperor in his youth mastered the flute and took drawing lessons. Acquaintance with art allowed Nikolai Pavlovich to subsequently pass for a connoisseur of opera and ballet.
Since 1817, the Grand Duke was in charge of the engineering part of the Russian army. Under his leadership, educational institutions were created in companies, battalions. In 1819, Nikolai contributed to the opening of the Main Engineering School and the School of Guards Ensigns. In the army, the younger brother of Emperor Alexander I was disliked for such character traits as excessive pedantry, pickiness to trifles and dryness. The Grand Duke was a person tuned to indisputable obedience to the laws, but at the same time he could flare up for no reason.
In 1820, the elder brother Alexander had a conversation with Nicholas, during which the current emperor announced that the heir to the throne, Konstantin, had renounced his obligations, and the right to reign had passed to Nicholas. The news struck the young man on the spot: neither morally nor intellectually, Nikolai was ready for the possible management of Russia.
Despite the protests, Alexander in the Manifesto indicated Nicholas as the successor and ordered to open the papers only after his death. After that, for six years, the life of the Grand Duke outwardly did not differ from the previous one: Nikolai was engaged in military service, oversaw educational military institutions.
Decembrist rule and uprising
December 1 (November 19 O.S.), 1825, Alexander I died suddenly. The emperor was at that moment far from the capital of Russia, so the royal court received the sad news a week later. Due to his own doubts, Nicholas initiated the oath to Constantine I among the courtiers and the military. But at the State Council the tsar's Manifesto was promulgated, indicating Nikolai Pavlovich's heir.
The Grand Duke was still adamant in his decision not to assume such a responsible position and persuaded the Council, the Senate and the Synod to swear allegiance to his elder brother. But Konstantin, who was in Poland, was not going to come to St. Petersburg. 29-year-old Nicholas had no choice but to agree with the will of Alexander I. The date of the swearing in front of the troops on Senate Square was December 26 (December 14, according to the old calendar).
The day before, inspired by free ideas about the abolition of tsarist power and the creation of a liberal system in Russia, the members of the Union of Salvation movement decided to take advantage of the uncertain political situation and change the course of history. According to the organizers of the uprising S. Trubetskoy, N. Muravyov, K. Ryleev, P. Pestel, at the proposed National Assembly, it was supposed to choose one of two forms of government: a constitutional monarchy or a republic.
Decembrist revolt But the plan of the revolutionaries failed, as the army did not go over to their side, and the Decembrist uprising was quickly suppressed. After the trial, five organizers were hanged, and the participants and sympathizers were sent into exile. The execution of the Decembrists K. F. Ryleev, P. I. Pestel, P. G. Kakhovsky, M. P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, S. I. Muravyov-Apostol was the only death penalty that was applied during all the years of the reign of Nicholas I.
The wedding of the Grand Duke to the kingdom took place on August 22 (September 3, O.S.) in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. In May 1829, Nicholas I became the autocrat of the Polish Kingdom.
Domestic politics
Nicholas I turned out to be an ardent supporter of the monarchy. The views of the emperor were based on the three pillars of Russian society - autocracy, Orthodoxy and nationality. The monarch adopted the laws in accordance with his own unshakable guidelines. Nicholas I did not seek to create a new one, but to preserve and improve the existing order. As a result, the monarch achieved his goals.
The internal policy of the new emperor was distinguished by conservatism and adherence to the letter of the law, which gave rise to an even greater bureaucracy in Russia than it was before the reign of Nicholas I. The emperor began political activity in the country by introducing severe censorship and putting the Code of Russian laws in order. A division of the Secret Chancellery was created, headed by Benckendorff, which was engaged in political investigations.
The printing industry also underwent reforms. The State Censorship, created by a special decree, monitored the purity of printed matter and confiscated suspicious publications that opposed the ruling regime. The reforms also affected serfdom.
The peasants were offered uncultivated lands in Siberia and the Urals, where the tillers moved regardless of their desire. Infrastructure was organized in new settlements, new agricultural technology was allocated to them. Events created the prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom.
Nicholas I showed great interest in innovations in engineering. In 1837, on the initiative of the tsar, the construction of the first railway was completed, which connected Tsarskoye Selo and St. Petersburg. Possessing analytical thinking and far-sightedness, Nicholas I used a gauge wider than European for railways. Thus, the tsar prevented the risk of enemy equipment penetrating deep into Russia.
Nicholas I played a major role in streamlining the financial system of the state. In 1839, the emperor began a reform of finance, the purpose of which was a unified system for calculating silver coins and banknotes. The appearance of kopecks is changing, on one side of which the initials of the reigning emperor are now printed. The Ministry of Finance initiated the exchange of precious metals held by the population for credit notes. For 10 years, the state treasury has increased the reserve of gold and silver.
Foreign policy
In foreign policy, the tsar sought to reduce the penetration of liberal ideas into Russia. Nicholas I sought to strengthen the position of the state in three directions: western, eastern and southern. The emperor suppressed all possible uprisings and revolutionary uprisings on the European continent, after which he began to rightfully be called the "gendarme of Europe."
Following Alexander I, Nicholas I continued to improve relations with Prussia and Austria. The king needed to strengthen his power in the Caucasus. The Eastern question included relations with the Ottoman Empire, the decline of which made it possible to change the position of Russia in the Balkans and on the western coast of the Black Sea.
Wars and uprisings
Throughout the entire period of his reign, Nicholas I conducted military operations abroad. Having barely entered the kingdom, the emperor was forced to take over the baton of the Caucasian war, which was started by his elder brother. In 1826, the tsar unleashed the Russian-Persian campaign, which resulted in the annexation of Armenia to the Russian Empire.
In 1828, the Russian-Turkish war began. In 1830, Russian troops suppressed the Polish uprising, which arose after the wedding in 1829 of Nicholas to the Polish kingdom. In 1848, the uprising that broke out in Hungary was again extinguished by the Russian army.
In 1853, Nicholas I began the Crimean War, participation in which resulted in the collapse of the ruler's political career. Not expecting that British and French assistance would be provided to the Turkish troops, Nicholas I lost the military campaign. Russia lost its influence on the Black Sea, having lost the opportunity to build and use military fortresses on the coast.
Personal life
Nikolai Pavlovich and his future wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm III, were introduced in 1815 by Alexander I. Two years later, the young people got married, which sealed the Russian-Prussian alliance. Before the wedding, the German princess converted to Orthodoxy, received a name in baptism.
For 9 years of marriage, the first-born Alexander and three daughters were born in the family of the Grand Duke - Maria, Olga, Alexandra. After accession to the throne, Maria Feodorovna gave Nicholas I three more sons - Konstantin, Nicholas, Mikhail - thereby securing the throne with heirs. The emperor lived in harmony with his wife until his death.
Death
Seriously ill with the flu at the beginning of 1855, Nicholas I courageously resisted the disease and, overcoming pain and loss of strength, in early February went to the military parade without outerwear. The emperor wanted to support the soldiers and officers who were already losing in the Crimean War.
After the construction, Nicholas I finally fell ill and died suddenly on March 2 (February 18, O.S.) from pneumonia. Before his death, the emperor managed to say goodbye to his relatives, as well as to give orders to his son Alexander, the successor to the throne. The tomb of Nicholas I is located in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the northern capital.
Memory
The memory of Nicholas I is immortalized by the creation of more than 100 monuments, the most famous of which is the monument of the Horseman on St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg. Also famous are the bas-relief dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of Russia, located in Veliky Novgorod, and the bronze bust on the Kazansky railway station square in Moscow.
Monument to Nicholas I on St. Isaac's Square, St. Petersburg In cinema, the memory of the era and the emperor is captured in more than 33 films. The image of Nicholas I hit the screens back in the days of silent cinema. In modern art, the audience remembered his film incarnations performed by actors,.
Now in production is the historical drama "Union of Salvation" by the director, which will tell about the events preceding the Decembrist uprising. Who played the main roles is not yet known.
Few of the Russian autocrats had to take the throne with a fight, and in the literal sense of the word. The thunder of cannons, the whistle of buckshot, the groans of the wounded ... All this happened late in the evening on December 14, 1825 in St. Petersburg, when Nicholas I (06/25/1796-02/18/1855) decided to suppress the Decembrist rebellion. For himself, he decided the day before: “Tomorrow I am either an emperor or without breathing,” and later, when everything was over, he would say to his brother Mikhail: “The most amazing thing is that they didn’t shoot you and me then.”
Biography of Nicholas I
Nicholas was the third son of Maria Feodorovna and Pavel Petrovich. His chances of taking the Russian throne, even in the long run, were slim. This must be why he was prepared mainly for military service, and the lad himself did not particularly oppose this. He was brought up quite harshly, including subjecting him to corporal punishment. In the army, Nicholas was both loved and feared. People's memory assigned him an expressive nickname - "Palkin". Under Nicholas, soldiers began to be driven through the ranks, which was not so much a punishment as an execution. Nicholas was happily married. He had seven children, one of whom succeeded to the throne in 1855 under the name of Alexander II. Brought up in an ascetic spirit, the emperor retained the habits of his youth and in his mature years: he worked a lot, slept little, refused comforts, was always collected, disciplined, moderate in food, indifferent to alcohol. With all his suspiciousness and suspicion, he more than once showed personal courage, pacifying the popular unrest by the very fact of his arrival. So it was during the cholera riot in 1831, as well as in the Novgorod military settlements. Being a man of honor, Nicholas could not bear the shame of Russia's defeat in the Crimean War and, according to an unofficial version, ordered the court physician to give him poison.
Domestic policy of Nicholas I
Frightened by the scope of dissatisfaction with the autocracy, soon after the investigation and trial of the Decembrists, Nikolai established the Third Gendarmerie Department, headed by A.Kh. Benkendorf, which became in charge of detective work and internal control over dissent. Twice new censorship statutes were adopted. In 1837, the first railway line in Russia was opened from Tsarskoe Selo to St. Petersburg. The appearance of the northern Russian capital has undergone significant changes: the Anichkov Bridge was reconstructed, the buildings of the Senate and Synod, the Nobility Assembly were erected. The memory of Alexander I was honored by the installation of the Alexander Column on Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace complex.
Foreign policy of Nicholas I
The pacification of the Caucasian peoples and, in particular, Chechnya, continued. The war in the Caucasus continued for more than half a century. For access to the coast of the Black Sea, Russia had to fight with Persia and Turkey. The last years of the reign of Nicholas I, Russia was drawn into the Crimean War, which ended in complete defeat. In fact, then all the largest European countries were against Russia. It was during the reign of Nicholas I that Russia received the unflattering status of the "gendarme of Europe." Nikolai made a vow to himself that as long as he lives and breathes, the revolution will no longer penetrate the country. No less zealously, he saw to it that, as far as possible, revolutionary uprisings in the neighboring countries of Eastern Europe were nipped in the bud. So the uprisings in Poland and Hungary were suppressed.
- Nicholas I owns the final remark in Pushkin's tragedy "Boris Godunov": "the people are silent."
- The emperor was Pushkin's personal censor, publicly calling him "the smartest man in Russia", and also paid off all the poet's posthumous debts.
- In 1833, Nicholas I approved the text and melody of the first official Russian anthem - "God Save the Tsar."
Nicholas I (short biography)
The 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 him to be nicknamed "Nikolai Palkin" in the army environment.
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. The second pretender to the Russian throne, Konstantin 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 in 1826 of a special censorship charter, 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, a financial reform was carried out, which established the relationship between the banknote and the silver ruble, but the issue of serfdom remained unresolved.
Nikolaev's foreign policy had the same goals as the domestic one. The constant struggle against the revolutionary moods of the 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.
Romanovs: Nicholas I and his children (1) Daughters 
Princess Charlotte (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna) and Tsarevich and Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (Emperor Nicholas I)
Today about the children of Nicholas I. In total, Nicholas I has seven children: Alexander II, Maria, Olga, Alexandra, Konstantin, Nikolai, Mikhail. Many people know about his son, Emperor Alexander II
A little about the three daughters of Nicholas I - Olga, Maria, Alexander.
M A R I A
Maria Nikolaevna
Maria Nikolaevna(August 18, 1819 - February 21, 1876) - the first mistress of the Mariinsky Palace in St. Petersburg, president of the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1852-1876. She was the eldest daughter and the second child in the family of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna.
P. Sokolov. Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with her daughter Maria on the Black Sea coast. 1829
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was born on August 18, 1819 in Pavlovsk. She was the eldest daughter and second child in the family of Grand Duke Nikola I Pavlovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna, nee Princess Charlotte of Prussia. The birth of a girl was not a joyful event for her father. Alexandra Fedorovna wrote:
Alexander II and Maria Nikolaevna
“Indeed, I lay down and dozed off a bit; but the pain soon set in. The Empress, warned of this, appeared extremely soon, and on August 6, 1819, at three o'clock in the morning, I gave birth to a daughter safely. The birth of little Marie was not greeted by her father with particular joy: he was expecting a son; subsequently, he often reproached himself for this and, of course, passionately fell in love with his daughter "
Her parents paid much attention to the upbringing of their children and gave them an excellent education.
Portrait of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, née Charlotte of Prussia with her two eldest children, Alexander and Maria Nikolaevna.
Contemporaries noted the similarity of the Grand Duchess to her father both in appearance and character. Colonel F. Gagern, who accompanied the Dutch Prince Alexander to Russia, spoke about her in his diary:
"The eldest, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, wife of the Duke of Leuchtenberg, is small in stature, but her facial features and character are the spitting image of her father. Her profile is very similar to the profile of Empress Catherine in her youth. Grand Duchess Maria is her father's favorite, and it is believed that in the event of the death of the Empress, she would have gained great influence. In general, who can foresee the future in this country? Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, of course, has many talents, as well as a desire to command; already in the first days of her marriage, she took the reins of government into her own hands "
P.F. Sokolov Maria Nikolaievna, Duchess of Leuchtenberg as child
Unlike many princesses of that time, whose marriages were for dynastic reasons, Maria Nikolaevna married for love. Married to the Duchess of Leuchtenberg. Despite the origin of Maximilian and his religion (he was a Catholic), Nicholas I agreed to marry his daughter with him, on the condition that the spouses would live in Russia, and not abroad.
Maximilian of Leuchtenberg
The wedding took place on July 2, 1839 and took place according to two rites: Orthodox and Catholic. The wedding took place in the chapel of the Winter Palace. Before the blessing, two gray doves were released into the church, which sat on the ledge above the heads of the young and remained there throughout the ceremony. The crown over Mary was held by her brother - Tsarevich Alexander, over the duke - Count Palen. At the end of the ceremony, the choir sang "You, God, we praise," and cannon shots announced the marriage. Later, in one of the palace halls, specially adapted for this purpose, the marriage blessing of the couple by a Catholic priest took place. Count Sukhtelen remarked in a conversation with Friedrich Gagern:
Duchess Maria of Leuchtenberg (former Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia) with her four older children.
It is very unpleasant for the sovereign that not one of the princes of kindred houses appeared for this celebration; he would put it very highly, also because this marriage found opposition in Russia itself and did not like foreign courts
By decree of July 2 (14), 1839, the emperor granted Maximilian the title of His Imperial Highness, and by decree of December 6 (18), 1852, he bestowed the title and surname of the Romanovsky princes on the descendants of Maximilian and Maria Nikolaevna. The children of Maximilian and Maria Nikolaevna were baptized into Orthodoxy and brought up at the court of Nicholas I, later Emperor Alexander II included them in the Russian Imperial family. From this marriage, Maria Nikolaevna had 7 children: Alexandra, Maria, Nikolai, Eugene, Eugene, Sergey, George.
In her first marriage to Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg, Maria Nikolaevna had seven children:
Portrait of Maria Nikolaevna by F.K. Winterhalter (1857) State Hermitage Museum
Alexandra(1840–1843), Duchess of Leuchtenberg, died in childhood;
Maria ( 1841-1914), in 1863 she married Wilhelm of Baden, the younger son of Duke Leopold of Baden;
Nicholas(1843-1891), 4th Duke of Leuchtenberg, since 1868 he was married in a morganatic marriage to Nadezhda Sergeevna Annenkova, in his first marriage - Akinfova (1840-1891);
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, with her daughters Maria and Eugenia
Evgenia(1845-1925), married A.P. Oldenburgsky
Evgeniy(1847-1901), 5th Duke of Leuchtenberg, was married by the first morganatic marriage to Daria Konstantinovna Opochinina (1845-1870), by the second morganatic marriage since 1878 to Zinaida Dmitrievna Skobeleva (1856-1899), sister of General Skobelev;
Sergey(1849-1877), Duke of Leuchtenberg, killed in the Russo-Turkish War;
George(1852-1912), 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg, was married by his first marriage to Teresa of Oldenburg (1852-1883), by his second marriage to Anastasia of Montenegro (1868-1935).
Children from second marriage:
Gregory(1857-1859), Count Stroganov;
Elena Grigoryevna Sheremeteva, ur. Stroganov
Elena(1861-1908), Countess Stroganova, married first to Vladimir Alekseevich Sheremetev (1847-1893), adjutant wing, commander of the imperial convoy; then - for Grigory Nikitich Milashevich (1860-1918), an officer in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty.
Of these, daughter Eugene gave birth to an only child - Peter of Oldenburg. The one with whom the sister of Nicholas II Olga lived in an unhappy marriage for 7 years. The granddaughter of Maria Nikolaevna from her son, whose name is Evgeny, was shot by the Bolsheviks. George, the only one of the brothers, entered into a dynastic marriage, but his two sons did not leave offspring, so the family stopped.
Count Grigory Alexandrovich Stroganov
Maria Nikolaevna's first husband, Maximilian, died at the age of 35, and she remarried in 1853 to Count Grigory Alexandrovich Stroganov (1823-1878). The wedding was performed on November 13 (25), 1853 in the palace church of the Mariinsky Palace, the priest of the Trinity Church of the Gostilitsky estate of Tatyana Borisovna Potemkina, John Stefanov. This marriage was morganatic, concluded in secret from the father of Maria Nikolaevna, Emperor Nicholas I, with the assistance of the heir and his wife. From this marriage, Maria has two more children - Gregory and Elena.
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna
Since 1845, the Mariinsky Palace, named after Maria Nikolaevna, has become the official residence of the Leuchtenberg princes in St. Petersburg. She and her husband were actively involved in charity work. Maximilian Leuchtenberg was the president of the Academy of Arts, after his death in 1852, Maria Nikolaevna, who was fond of collecting works of art, succeeded him in this post.
Mariinsky Palace
OLGA
Olga Nikolaevna, second daughter of Nicholas I
Born in the Anichkov Palace on August 30 (September 11), 1822, she was the third child in the family of Emperor Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna.
Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Nevsky Avenue. Anichkov Palace.
By mother, Princess Olga came from the Prussian royal house of Hohenzollern. Her grandfather and great-grandfather were Kings of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm II and Friedrich Wilhelm III. Attractive, educated, multilingual, passionate about playing the piano and painting, Olga was regarded as one of the best brides in Europe.
After the wedding of her sister Maria, who married a prince below her in rank, Olga Nikolaevna's parents wanted to find her a promising spouse. But time passed, and nothing changed in the life of Grand Duchess Olga. Those close to him were perplexed: “How, at the age of nineteen, still not married?”
Olga, Queen of Württemberg
And at the same time, there were many applicants for her hand. Back in 1838, while staying with her parents in Berlin, the sixteen-year-old princess attracted the attention of Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria. But neither she nor her family liked him. A year later, Archduke Stefan took over her thoughts.
Zakharov-Chechen P.Z. Grand Duchess Olga of Württemberg
He was the son of Palatine Joseph of Hungary (wife of the deceased Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna) from his second marriage. But this union was prevented by Stephen's stepmother, who did not want to have a Russian princess as a relative because of jealousy for the first wife of Archduke Joseph. By 1840, Olga decided that she would not rush into marriage, she said that she was already fine, she was happy to stay at home. Emperor Nicholas I declared that she was free and could choose whoever she wanted.
Olga Nikolaevna's aunt, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (wife of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich) began to make efforts to pass her off as her brother, Prince Friedrich of Württemberg. He was denied. But the answer to the counter proposal for marriage with Stefan had to wait a long time.
Olga and Friedrich Eugene of Württemberg
A letter from Vienna stated that the marriage of both Stefan and Olga Nikolaevna, who profess different faiths, seemed unacceptable to Austria. The Archduchess of Russian origin may become dangerous for the state due to the fact that among the Slavic population of the "explosive" regions of Austria, fermentation may arise.
Stefan himself said that, knowing about Albrecht's feelings, he considered it right to "step aside." This uncertainty acted depressingly not only on Olga, but also on her parents. She has already begun to be considered a cold nature. Parents began to look for another party for their daughter and settled on Duke Adolf of Nassau. And this almost led to a break with the wife of Mikhail Pavlovich, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna.
Queen Olga in the arm chair, two ladies-in-waiting and a reader, probably Charles Woodcock. Photographer taken in Nizza.
She had long dreamed of marrying her youngest daughter Elizabeth to him. Nicholas I, taking care of maintaining peace in the imperial house, decided that the prince himself was free to make a choice between cousins. But Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, who had not forgiven her niece for neglecting her brother, was now worried that Adolf would give preference to the royal daughter at the expense of her Lily. But Adolf, who came to Russia with his brother Maurice, asked for the hand of Elizabeth Mikhailovna. The emperor had nothing against it, but was surprised.
Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaevna of Russia (1822-1892)
At the beginning of 1846, in Palermo, where Olga was accompanied by her mother-empress, who stayed there for some time to improve her health, which had deteriorated sharply after the death of her youngest daughter Alexandra, she met the Crown Prince of Württemberg Karl, and agreed to his marriage proposal.
The wedding took place in Peterhof on July 1 (13), 1846, on the birthday of Alexandra Feodorovna and on the day of her wedding with Nikolai Pavlovich. It was believed that this number should bring happiness to the new couple. The bells rang all day long, even houses in St. Petersburg were decorated with illumination. The emperor wished his daughter: "Be Karl the same as your mother has been for me all these years." Olga's family life was quite successful, but they had no children.
Queen Olga of Württemberg (1822-1892).
Olga's family life was quite successful, but they had no children. A. O. Smirnova commented on the marriage as follows: “The most beautiful of the daughters of our emperor was destined to marry a learned fool in Virtemberg; la Belle et la Bête, they said in the city
ALEXANDRA
Alexandra Nikolaevna ("Adini") was born on June 12 (24), 1825 in Tsarskoe Selo. From early childhood, she was not like her sisters in her character and behavior. The girl preferred to deal with herself, loved loneliness and silence.
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia, Princess of Hesse-Kassel. State Open Air Museum Peterhof, St. Petersburg
Alexandra was distinguished in the family by amazing kindness and special musical talent. She had a wonderful voice and began to sing under the guidance of the Italian Solivi. However, after a year of classes, the princess's voice began to change, something disturbed the rhythm of breathing. The doctors suggested lung disease.
On the portrait of the daughters of Nicholas I Olga and Alexandra. Olga Nikolaevna (1822-1892), Grand Duchess, since 1846 the wife of Karl Friedrich Alexander, Prince of Württemberg, is depicted sitting at the harpsichord. Nearby stands Alexandra Nikolaevna (1825-1844), Grand Duchess, since 1843 the wife of Friedrich Georg Adolf, Prince of Hesse-Kassel.
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nicolayevna of Russia (1825-1844)
Among the contenders for the hand of the princesses was Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel. Arriving in St. Petersburg, the young handsome prince, with his simple manner, won the sympathy of many, but not all: for example, to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, the prince seemed "insignificant and without special manners."
Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel
Judging by his treatment of the Grand Duchesses, it was decided at court that he would ask for the hand of the eldest, Olga Nikolaevna. But it turned out that everyone was wrong. It soon became known that the Prince of Hesse proposed to Alexandra Nikolaevna, but she, without giving him a definite answer, came to her father's office, where she asked on her knees to agree to this marriage.
Silver toilet set. Carl Johann Tegelsten. St. Petersburg, 1842 Silver, casting, chasing. Fulda-Eichenzell, Fasaneri Palace, Hessian Landgraviate Foundation. Made as a dowry to Alexandra Nikolaevna (youngest daughter of Nicholas I), who married Prince Friedrich-Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel. Exhibition "Russians and Germans: 1000 years of history, art and culture".
The Grand Duchess said that, contrary to the rules of etiquette, she had already encouraged the prince in the possibility of their happiness. Nicholas I blessed his daughter, but explained that in this case he could not finally resolve the issue: after all, Friedrich Wilhelm is the nephew of Christian VIII, he can become the heir to the throne, so you need to get the consent of the Danish court.
On January 16 (28), 1844, Alexandra Nikolaevna married Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hesse-Kassel (1820-1884). Shortly before the wedding, Alexandra Nikolaevna was diagnosed with tuberculosis. This terrible news was told to Nicholas I by medical officer Mandt, who had specially arrived in England, where Emperor Nicholas I was visiting at that time. He told the tsar that one lung of the Grand Duchess was already so affected that there was no hope of recovery. The course of the disease only worsened during her pregnancy. The emperor, interrupting the visit, urgently returned to St. Petersburg. Due to her poor health, Alexandra and her husband did not go to Hesse after the wedding, remaining in St. Petersburg. Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna dreamed of how she would develop her husband morally and spiritually in her new homeland, how she would read Plutarch with him.
Three months before the due date, Alexandra Nikolaevna gave birth to a son, who died shortly after birth, and on the same day she herself died. "Be happy" were her last words. The father-emperor wept, not embarrassed by his own tears. He considered the death of his daughter a punishment from above for the blood shed in the year of her birth - the year of the suppression of the December uprising. Together with her son Wilhelm, she was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Subsequently, her burial was transferred to the grand ducal tomb built in 1908.
Peterhof. Lower park. Bench-monument built in 1844-1847 in memory of Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna (Monument restored in 2000)
Your fingers smell like incense
And sadness sleeps in the eyelashes.
We don't need anything anymore
No one is sorry now
In honor of her, the village near Peterhof is called Sashino, and the church of the Holy Martyr Empress Alexandra was built in Nizino.
In St. Petersburg, after the death of Alexandra Nikolaevna, an orphanage named after her was opened. The building at the corner of the 12th company (now the 12th Krasnoarmeiskaya) (house 27) and the current Lermontovsky Prospekt (house 51) was built by A.K. Kavos in 1846-1848 (later it was completely rebuilt).
Alexandria women's clinic.
In 1850, in Tsarskoe Selo, where her days ended, a monument was erected in the form of a chapel with a statue of the Grand Duchess with a child in her arms.
In 1853, Prince Friedrich-Wilhelm married a second time - to the Prussian Princess Anna (1836-1918), with whom he had six children.
P. I. Barteneva // Russian archive, 1868. - Ed. 2nd. - M., 1869. - Stb. 107-108.
