WIFE OF NICHOLAS II

ALEXANDRA Fedorovna (wife of Nicholas II)
ALEXA;NDRA Feodorovna (May 25 (June 6), 1872 - July 16 (29), 1918, Yekaterinburg), Russian empress, wife of Nicholas II Alexandrovich (see NICHOLAY II Alexandrovich) (from November 14, 1894); daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis IV, granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria (see VICTORIA (queen)).
Before her marriage she was named Alice Victoria Elena Louise Beatrice. The imperious and hysterical Alexandra Feodorovna had great influence on Nicholas II, was an ardent supporter of unlimited autocracy, and the head of the Germanophile group at court. She was extremely superstitious and had unlimited faith in G.E. Rasputin (see RASPUTIN Grigory Efimovich), who used the queen’s location in resolving political issues. During the First World War, Alexandra Feodorovna was a supporter of concluding a separate peace with Germany. After February Revolution, in March 1917 she was arrested along with the entire royal family, exiled to Tobolsk, and then to Yekaterinburg, where, by order of the Ural Regional Council, she was shot along with her family in July 1918.

Biography

Relations with society

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In culture

Maria Fedorovna
Children
Alexander I
Konstantin Pavlovich
Alexandra Pavlovna
Ekaterina Pavlovna
Elena Pavlovna
Maria Pavlovna
Olga Pavlovna
Anna Pavlovna
Nicholas I
Mikhail Pavlovich
Alexander I
Elizaveta Alekseevna
Nicholas I
Alexandra Fedorovna
Children
Alexander II
Maria Nikolaevna
Olga Nikolaevna
Alexandra Nikolaevna
Konstantin Nikolaevich
Nikolai Nikolaevich
Mikhail Nikolaevich
Alexander II
Maria Alexandrovna
Children
Alexandra Alexandrovna
Nikolai Alexandrovich
Alexander III
Maria Alexandrovna (Grand Duchess)
Vladimir Alexandrovich
Aleksey Aleksandrovich
Sergey Aleksandrovich
Pavel Alexandrovich
Alexander III
Maria Fedorovna
Children
Nicholas II
Alexander Alexandrovich
Georgy Alexandrovich
Ksenia Alexandrovna
Mikhail Alexandrovich
Olga Alexandrovna
Nicholas II
Alexandra Fedorovna
Children
Olga Nikolaevna
Tatyana Nikolaevna
Maria Nikolaevna
Anastasia Nikolaevna
Alexey Nikolaevich

Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna with her family, Livadia, Crimea, 1913
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna with her sister Tsarina Alexandra and son-in-law Tsar Nicholas II

Interesting Facts

According to diplomat M.V. Mayorov, Alexandra Fedorovna not only did not seek, out of pro-German sympathies, to persuade her husband to a separate peace with Germany, as is usually attributed to her, but, on the contrary, played “a detrimental role in Nicholas II’s intention to wage a “war to a victorious end” “, while even “not paying attention to the colossal human losses of the Russian army.”

Biography

The fourth daughter (and sixth child) of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Rhine Ludwig IV and Duchess Alice, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England.

She was born in Darmstadt (Hesse), on the day of the third discovery of the head of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John.

In 1884, she came to visit her sister, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Here she met the heir to the Russian throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich.

On November 2, 1894 (the day after the death of Emperor Alexander III) she converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy, accepting Russian name, and already on November 26 she married the new Emperor of Russia Nicholas II.

She considered the Siberian peasant G. E. Rasputin-Novy an elder and friend of her family.

She was killed along with her entire family in 1918 in Yekaterinburg. In 1981 she was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, and in 2000 by the Moscow Patriarchate.

When she was canonized, she became Queen Alexandra the New, since Queen Alexandra was already among the saints.
Relations with society

During her lifetime, Alexandra Feodorovna failed to become popular in her new homeland, especially in high society. Empress-mother Maria Feodorovna was fundamentally against her son’s marriage to a German princess, and this, along with a number of other external circumstances, coupled with the young empress’s painful shyness, immediately affected the attitude of the entire Russian court towards her.

As A. A. Mosolov, who was the head of the office of the Minister of the Court in 1916, believed, Maria Feodorovna, being a devout Dane, hated the Germans, not forgiving them for the annexation of Schleswig and Holstein in 1864.

The French ambassador M. Paleologue, however, noted in 1915:

Several times now I have heard the empress reproached for maintaining sympathy, preference, and deep tenderness for Germany on the throne. The unfortunate woman in no way deserves this accusation, which she knows and which drives her into despair.

Alexandra Feodorovna, born a German, was never her in mind or heart.<…>Her upbringing, her training, her mental and moral education were also entirely English. And now she is also English in her appearance, in her posture, in some inflexibility and puritanism, in the irreconcilable and militant severity of her conscience, and finally, in many of her intimate habits. This, however, is the extent of everything that stems from its Western origin.

The basis of her nature became completely Russian. Above all, and despite the hostile legend that I see springing up around her, I have no doubt about her patriotism. She loves Russia with a passionate love. And how can she not be tied to this adopted homeland, which for her summarizes and personifies all her interests as a woman, wife, empress, mother?

When she ascended the throne in 1894, it was already known that she did not like Germany and especially Prussia.

According to the testimony of the daughter of life physician E. S. Botkin, after the emperor read out the manifesto on the war with Germany, Alexandra Fedorovna cried with joy. And during the second Boer War, Empress Alexandra was, like Russian society, on the side of the Boers (although she was horrified by the losses among the British officers).

In addition to the Empress-Mother, other relatives of Nicholas II did not like the young Empress. If you believe the testimony of her maid of honor A.A. Vyrubova, then the reason for this was, in particular, the following:

…Last years little cadets came to play with the Heir. They were all told to handle Alexei Nikolaevich carefully. The Empress was afraid for him and rarely invited his cousins, frisky and rude boys, to see him. Of course, my family was angry about this.

In difficult times for Russia, when there was World War, high society amused itself with a new and very interesting activity - spreading all kinds of gossip about Alexandra Feodorovna. If you believe A.A. Vyrubova, then around the winter of 1915/1916, the excited Mrs. Marianne von Derfelden (her sister-in-law) somehow ran to her sister Alexandra Pistolkors, the wife of a chamber cadet of the Highest Court, with the words:

Today we are spreading rumors in factories that the Empress is getting the Tsar drunk, and everyone believes it.

Other enemies of Alexandra Fedorovna did not hesitate to express their innermost thoughts on paper. Thus, her “namesake” A.F. Kerensky wrote in his memoirs:

...who could have predicted that the sparkling joy of the princess, the “Windsor ray of sunshine,” as Nicholas II affectionately called her, was destined to become a gloomy Russian queen, a fanatical adherent of the Orthodox Church.

The reason for the enmity towards the empress was not a mystery to N. N. Tikhanovich-Savitsky (leader of the Astrakhan People's Monarchist Party), who wrote to Nicholas II:

Sovereign! The plan of the intrigue is clear: by defaming the Tsarina and pointing out that everything bad comes from her, they inspire the population that You are weak, which means that it is necessary to take control of the country from You and transfer it to the Duma.

“If we allow our Friend to be persecuted, then we and our country will suffer for it” (about G. Rasputin and Russia, from a letter to my husband dated June 22, 1915)
“I want to beat off almost all the ministers...” (from a letter to my husband dated August 29, 1915)
“Big brutes, I can’t call them anything else” (about Holy Synod, from a letter to my husband dated September 12, 1915)
“...a country where a man of God helps the sovereign will never perish. This is true" (about G. Rasputin and Russia, from a letter to my husband dated December 5, 1915)
“Yes, I am more Russian than many others, and I will not sit quietly” (from a letter to my husband dated September 20, 1916)
“Why do they hate me? Because they know that I have a strong will and that when I am convinced of the rightness of something (and if Gregory blessed me), then I do not change my mind, and this is unbearable for them" (about his enemies and about G. Rasputin, from a letter to his husband dated December 4, 1916)
“Why don’t the generals allow you to send R. to the army? Banner" (small patriotic newspaper)? Dubrovin thinks that this is a shame (I agree) - but can they read all sorts of proclamations? Our bosses are, really, idiots" (about the newspaper " Russian Banner"and its Black Hundred publisher, from a letter to her husband dated December 15, 1916)
“I can’t understand people who are afraid to die. I have always looked at death as a deliverance from earthly suffering” (from a conversation with friend Julia Den on December 18, 1916)
“I prefer to die in Russia than to be saved by the Germans” (from a conversation in prison, March 1918)

In culture

The singer Zhanna Bichevskaya has a song “Queen Alexandra” on the album “We are Russians” (2002):

She lived by love simply, prayerfully and modestly -
I'm not afraid to say in front of the whole world -
Queen Alexandra is like the archangels,
That Rus' is begging for the last times...

The last Russian empress... is the closest to us in time, but perhaps also the least known in her authentic appearance, untouched by the pen of interpreters. Even during her lifetime, not to mention the decades that followed the tragic 1918, speculation and slander, and often outright slander, began to cling to her name. No one will know the truth now.
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Alice Victoria Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt; May 25 (June 6), 1872 - July 17, 1918) - wife of Nicholas II (since 1894). The fourth daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Rhine, Ludwig IV, and Duchess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria of England. She was born in Germany, in Darmstadt. The fourth daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Rhine, Ludwig IV, and Duchess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria of England.

When little Alex was six years old, a diphtheria epidemic spread in Hesse in 1878. Alice's mother and her younger sister May died from it.
father Alex (280x403, 32Kb) mother Alex (280x401, 26Kb)
Ludwig IV of Hesse and Duchess Alice (second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) are Alex's parents

And then the girl is taken in by her English grandmother. Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny. So most Alix spent her childhood and adolescence in England, where she was raised. Queen Victoria, by the way, did not like the Germans and had a special dislike for Emperor William II, which was passed on to her granddaughter. All her life, Alexandra Fedorovna felt more drawn to her homeland on her mother’s side, to her relatives and friends there. Maurice Paleologue, the French ambassador to Russia, wrote about her: “Alexandra Fedorovna is not German either in mind or in heart and never has been. Of course, she is one by birth. Her upbringing, education, formation of consciousness and morality have become completely English. And now she is still English in her appearance, her demeanor, her somewhat tense and puritanical character, her intransigence and militant severity of conscience, and finally, in many of her habits.”
2Alexandra Fedorovna (374x600, 102Kb)

In June 1884, at the age of 12, Alice visited Russia for the first time, when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna) married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. In 1886, she came to visit her sister, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (Ella), the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Then she met the heir, Nikolai Alexandrovich. The young people, who were also quite closely related (they were second cousins ​​through the princess’s father), immediately fell in love with each other.
Sergey Alexander., brother Nick 11 (200x263, 52Kb) Eliz. Fedor.-sister (200x261, 43Kb)
Sergei Alexandrovich and Elizaveta Fedorovna (Ella)

While visiting her sister Ella in St. Petersburg, Alix was invited to social events. The verdict handed down by high society was cruel: “Uncharming. It holds on as if it had swallowed an arshin.” What does high society care about the problems of little Princess Alix? Who cares that she grows up without a mother, suffers greatly from loneliness, shyness, and terrible pain in the facial nerve? And only the blue-eyed heir was completely absorbed and delighted with the guest - he fell in love! Not knowing what to do in such cases, Nikolai asked his mother for an elegant brooch with diamonds and quietly placed it in the hand of his twelve-year-old lover. Out of confusion, she did not answer. The next day, the guests were leaving, a farewell ball was given, and Alix, taking a moment, quickly approached the Heir and just as silently returned the brooch to his hand. Nobody noticed anything. Only now there was a secret between them: why did she return her?

The childish naive flirtation of the heir to the throne and Princess Alice on the girl’s next visit to Russia three years later began to acquire the serious nature of a strong feeling.

However, the visiting princess did not please the parents of the crown prince: Empress Maria Feodorovna, like a true Dane, hated the Germans and was against the marriage with the daughter of Ludwig of Hesse of Darmstadt. His parents hoped until the very end for his marriage to Elena Louise Henrietta, daughter of Louis Philippe, Count of Paris.

Alice herself had reason to believe that the beginning of an affair with the heir to the Russian throne could have favorable consequences for her. Returning to England, the princess begins to study the Russian language, gets acquainted with Russian literature, and even has long conversations with the priest of the Russian embassy church in London. Queen Victoria, who loves her dearly, of course, wants to help her granddaughter and writes a letter to Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. The grandmother asks to find out in more detail about the intentions of the Russian imperial house in order to decide whether Alice should be confirmed according to the rules of the Anglican Church, because according to tradition, members of the royal family in Russia had the right to marry only women of the Orthodox faith.

Another four years passed, and blind chance helped decide the fates of the two lovers. As if an evil fate hovering over Russia, unfortunately, young people of royal blood united. Truly this union turned out to be tragic for the fatherland. But who thought about it then...

In 1893, Alexander III became seriously ill. Here a dangerous question for the succession to the throne arose - the future sovereign is not married. Nikolai Alexandrovich categorically stated that he would choose a bride only for love, and not for dynastic reasons. Through the mediation of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, the emperor's consent to his son's marriage to Princess Alice was obtained. However, Maria Feodorovna poorly concealed her dissatisfaction with the unsuccessful, in her opinion, choice of an heir. The fact that the Princess of Hesse joined the Russian imperial family during the mournful days of the suffering of the dying Alexander III probably set Maria Feodorovna even more against the new empress.
April 3, 1894, Coburg-Alex agreed to become Nicholas's wife (486x581, 92Kb)
April 1894, Coburg, Alex agreed to become Nikolai's wife

(in the center is Queen Victoria, Alex's grandmother)

And why, having received the long-awaited parental blessing, Nikolai could not persuade Alix to become his wife? After all, she loved him - he saw it, felt it. What it took for him to persuade his powerful and authoritarian parents into this marriage! He fought for his love and now, the long-awaited permission has been received!

Nicholas goes to the wedding of Alix's brother at Coburg Castle, where everything is already prepared for the Heir to the Russian Throne to propose to Alix of Hesse. The wedding went on as usual, only Alix... was crying.

“We were left alone, and then that conversation began between us, which I had long and strongly desired and, at the same time, was very afraid of. They talked until 12 o'clock, but to no avail, she still resists the change of religion. She, poor thing, cried a lot.” But is it just one religion? In general, if you look at portraits of Alix from any period of her life, it is impossible not to notice the stamp of tragic pain that this face carries. It seems like she always KNEW... She had a presentiment. Cruel fate, the basement of the Ipatiev House, terrible death... She was afraid and tossed about. But the love was too strong! And she agreed.

In April 1894, Nikolai Alexandrovich, accompanied by a brilliant retinue, went to Germany. Having gotten engaged in Darmstadt, the newlyweds spend some time at the English court. From that moment on, the Tsarevich’s diary, which he kept throughout his life, became available to Alex.

Already at that time, even before her accession to the throne, Alex had a special influence on Nicholas. Her entry appears in his diary: “Be persistent... don’t let others be first and bypass you... Reveal your personal will and don’t let others forget who you are.”

Subsequently, Alexandra Feodorovna’s influence on the emperor often took increasingly decisive, sometimes excessive, forms. This can be judged from the published letters from the Empress Nicholas to the front. Not without her pressure, a popular man in the army received his resignation Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Alexandra Fedorovna was always worried about her husband’s reputation. And she more than once pointed out to him the need for firmness in relations with the courtiers.

Alix the bride was present during the agony of the groom's father, Alexander III. She accompanied his coffin from Livadia across the country with her family. On a sad November day, the body of the emperor was transferred from the Nikolaevsky station to the Peter and Paul Cathedral. A huge crowd crowded along the path of the funeral procession, moving along dirty roads. wet snow pavement. The commoners whispered, pointing to the young princess: “She came to us behind the coffin, she brings misfortune with her.”

Tsarevich Alexander and Princess Alice of Hesse

On November 14 (26), 1894 (on the birthday of Empress Maria Feodorovna, which allowed for a retreat from mourning), the wedding of Alexandra and Nicholas II took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace. After the wedding, a thanksgiving prayer service was served by members of the Holy Synod, led by Metropolitan Palladius (Raev) of St. Petersburg; While singing “We praise You, God,” a cannon salute of 301 shots was fired. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich wrote in his emigrant memoirs about their first days of marriage: “The wedding of the young Tsar took place less than a week after the funeral of Alexander III. Their honeymoon passed in an atmosphere of funeral services and mourning visits. The most deliberate dramatization could not have invented a more suitable prologue for the historical tragedy of the last Russian Tsar.”
5coronation (528x700, 73Kb)

Typically, the wives of Russian heirs to the throne were in secondary roles for a long time. Thus, they had time to carefully study the mores of the society they would have to manage, had time to navigate their likes and dislikes, and most importantly, had time to acquire the necessary friends and helpers. Alexandra Fedorovna was unlucky in this sense. She ascended the throne, as they say, having fallen from a ship to a ball: not understanding the life that was alien to her, not being able to understand the complex intrigues of the imperial court.
9-Wedding of Nick 11 and Grand Duchess Alex.Fedor. (700x554, 142Kb)

In truth, her very inner nature was not adapted for the vain royal craft. Painfully withdrawn, Alexandra Feodorovna seemed to be the opposite example of a friendly dowager empress - our heroine, on the contrary, gave the impression of an arrogant, cold German woman who treated her subjects with disdain. The embarrassment that invariably engulfs the queen when communicating with strangers, prevented the establishment of simple, relaxed relationships with representatives of high society, which were vital for her.
19-alex.fedor-tsarina (320x461, 74Kb)

Alexandra Fedorovna did not know how to win the hearts of her subjects at all; even those who were ready to bow to members of the imperial family did not receive food for this. So, for example, in women's institutes, Alexandra Fedorovna could not squeeze out a single friendly word. This was all the more striking, since the former Empress Maria Fedorovna knew how to evoke a relaxed attitude towards herself in college students, turning into enthusiastic love for the bearers of royal power. The consequences of the mutual alienation that grew over the years between society and the queen, sometimes taking on the character of antipathy, were very diverse and even tragic. Alexandra Fedorovna’s excessive pride played a fatal role in this.
6tsaritsa-al.fed. (525x700, 83Kb)

The first years of married life turned out to be tense: the unexpected death of Alexander III made Niki emperor, although he was completely unprepared for this. He was bombarded with advice from his mother and five respectable uncles, who taught him to rule the state. Being a very delicate, self-possessed and well-mannered young man, Nikolai at first obeyed everyone. Nothing good came of this: on the advice of their uncles, after the tragedy on Khodynka Field, Niki and Alix attended a ball at the French ambassador - the world called them insensitive and cruel. Uncle Vladimir decided to pacify the crowd in front of the Winter Palace on his own, while the Tsar’s family lived in Tsarskoe - Bloody Sunday ensued... Only over time will Niki learn to say a firm “no” to both uncles and brothers, but... never to HER.
7nikolai 11 with his wife photo (560x700, 63Kb)

Immediately after the wedding, he returned her diamond brooch - a gift from an inexperienced sixteen-year-old boy. And all life together The Empress will not part with her - after all, it is a symbol of their love. They always celebrated the day of their engagement - April 8th. In 1915, the forty-two-year-old empress wrote a short letter to her beloved at the front: “For the first time in 21 years we are not spending this day together, but how vividly I remember everything! My dear boy, what happiness and what love you have given me over all these years... How time flies - 21 years have already passed! You know, I saved that “princess dress” I was wearing that morning, and I’ll wear your favorite brooch...”

The queen's intervention in the affairs of government did not appear immediately after her wedding. Alexandra Feodorovna was quite happy with the traditional role of guardian hearth and home, the role of a woman next to a man engaged in difficult, serious business. She is, first of all, a mother, busy with her four daughters: taking care of their upbringing, checking their assignments, protecting them. She is the center, as always subsequently, of her closely knit family, and for the emperor, she is the only beloved wife for life.

Her daughters adored her. From the initial letters of their names they made up a common name: “OTMA” (Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia) - and under this signature they sometimes gave gifts to their mother and sent letters. There was an unspoken rule among the Grand Duchesses: every day one of them seemed to be on duty with her mother, without leaving her a single step. It is curious that Alexandra Fedorovna spoke English to the children, and Nicholas II spoke only Russian. The empress communicated with those around her mostly in French. She also mastered Russian quite well, but spoke it only to those who did not know other languages. And only German speech was not present in their everyday life. By the way, the Tsarevich was not taught this.
8 al.fed. with daughters (700x432, 171Kb)
Alexandra Fedorovna with her daughters

Nicholas II, a domestic man by nature, for whom power seemed more like a burden than a way of self-realization, rejoiced at any opportunity to forget about his state concerns in a family setting and gladly indulged in those petty domestic interests for which he generally had a natural inclination. Perhaps, if this couple had not been so highly elevated by fate above mere mortals, she would have calmly and blissfully lived until her death hour, raising beautiful children and resting in God, surrounded by numerous grandchildren. But the mission of monarchs is too restless, the lot is too difficult to allow them to hide behind the walls of their own well-being.

Anxiety and confusion gripped the reigning couple even when the empress, with some fatal sequence, began to give birth to girls. Nothing could be done against this obsession, but Alexandra Feodorovna, who had learned with her mother’s milk her destiny as a queen of a woman, perceived the absence of an heir as a kind of heavenly punishment. On this basis, she, an extremely impressionable and nervous person, developed pathological mysticism. Gradually, the entire rhythm of the palace obeyed the tossing of the unfortunate woman. Now every step of Nikolai Alexandrovich himself was checked against one or another heavenly sign, and state policy was imperceptibly intertwined with childbirth. The queen's influence on her husband intensified and the more significant it became, the further the date for the appearance of an heir moved forward.
10Alex.Fedoroo (361x700, 95Kb)

The French charlatan Philip was invited to the court, who managed to convince Alexandra Feodorovna that he was able to provide her, through suggestion, with male offspring, and she imagined herself to be pregnant and felt all the physical symptoms of this condition. Only after several months of the so-called false pregnancy, which was very rarely observed, the empress agreed to be examined by a doctor, who established the truth. But the most important misfortune was not in the false pregnancy or in the hysterical nature of Alexandra Fedorovna, but in the fact that the charlatan received, through the queen, the opportunity to influence state affairs. One of Nicholas II’s closest assistants wrote in his diary in 1902: “Philip inspires the sovereign that he does not need other advisers except representatives of the highest spiritual, heavenly powers, with whom he, Philip, puts him into intercourse. Hence the intolerance of any contradiction and complete absolutism, sometimes expressed as absurdity. If at the report the minister defends his opinion and does not agree with the opinion of the sovereign, then a few days later he receives a note with a categorical order to carry out what he was told.”

Philip was still able to be expelled from the palace, because the Police Department, through its agent in Paris, found indisputable evidence of the French subject’s fraud.
Alex.fedor (527x700, 63Kb)

With the outbreak of the war, the couple were forced to separate. And then they wrote letters to each other... “Oh, my love! It's so hard to say goodbye and see you alone pale face with big sad eyes in the train window - my heart is breaking, take me with you... I kiss your pillow at night and passionately wish that you were next to me... We have experienced so much over these 20 years and understand each other without words..." " I have to thank you for coming with the girls, for bringing me life and sunshine, despite the rainy weather. Of course, as always, I didn’t have time to tell you even half of what I was going to, because when I meet you after a long separation, I always become shy. I just sit and look at you - this in itself is a great joy for me...”

And soon the long-awaited miracle followed - the heir Alexey was born.

The four daughters of Nikolai and Alexandra were born beautiful, healthy, real princesses: father's favorite romantic Olga, serious beyond her years Tatyana, generous Maria and funny little Anastasia. It seemed that their love could conquer everything. But love cannot defeat Fate. Their only son turned out to be sick with hemophilia, in which the walls of blood vessels burst from weakness and lead to difficult-to-stop bleeding.

12-Tsar and Family (237x300, 18Kb)The illness of the heir played a fatal role - they had to keep it secret, they painfully searched for a way out and could not find it. At the beginning of the last century, hemophilia remained incurable and patients could only hope for 20-25 years of life. Alexey, who was born a surprisingly handsome and intelligent boy, was ill almost all his life. And his parents suffered with him. Sometimes, when the pain was very severe, the boy asked for death. “When I die, will it hurt me anymore?” - he asked his mother during indescribable attacks of pain. Only morphine could save him from them, but the Tsar did not dare to have as heir to the throne not just a sick young man, but also a morphine addict. Alexei's salvation was loss of consciousness. From pain. He went through several serious crises, when no one believed in his recovery, when he rushed about in delirium, repeating one single word: “Mom.”
Alexey Nikol.-Tsesarevich (379x600, 145Kb)
Tsarevich Alexey

Having turned gray and aged several decades at once, my mother was nearby. She stroked his head, kissed his forehead, as if this could help the unfortunate boy... The only, inexplicable thing that saved Alexei was Rasputin’s prayers. But Rasputin brought an end to their power.
13-Rasputin and the Emperor (299x300, 22Kb)

Thousands of pages have been written about this major adventurer of the 20th century, so it is difficult to add anything to the multi-volume research in a small essay. Let's just say: of course, possessing the secrets of unconventional methods of treatment, being an extraordinary person, Rasputin was able to inspire the empress with the idea that he, a person sent by God to the family, had a special mission - to save and preserve the heir to the Russian throne. And Alexandra Feodorovna’s friend, Anna Vyrubova, brought the elder into the palace. This gray, unremarkable woman had such a huge influence on the queen that it is worth special mention about her.

14-Taneeva-Vyrubova (225x500, 70Kb) She was the daughter of the outstanding musician Alexander Sergeevich Taneyev, an intelligent and dexterous man who held the position of chief manager of His Majesty’s office at court. It was he who recommended Anna to the queen as a partner for playing the piano four hands. Taneyeva pretended to be an extraordinary simpleton to such an extent that she was initially declared unfit for court service. But this prompted the queen to intensively promote her wedding with naval officer Vyrubov. But Anna’s marriage turned out to be very unsuccessful, and Alexandra Fedorovna, as an extremely decent woman, considered herself to some extent guilty. In view of this, Vyrubova was often invited to the court, and the empress tried to console her. Apparently, nothing strengthens female friendship, as confidential compassion in amorous affairs.

Soon, Alexandra Fedorovna already called Vyrubova her “personal friend,” especially emphasizing that the latter did not have an official position at court, which means that her loyalty and devotion to the royal family were completely selfless. The empress was far from thinking that the position of a friend of the queen was more enviable than the position of a person belonging by position to her entourage. In general, it is difficult to fully appreciate the enormous role that A. Vyrubova played in last period reign of Nicholas II. Without her active participation, Rasputin, despite all the power of his personality, would not have been able to achieve anything, since direct relations between the notorious old man and the queen were extremely rare.

Apparently, he did not strive to see her often, realizing that this could only weaken his authority. On the contrary, Vyrubova entered the queen’s chambers every day and did not part with her on trips. Having fallen entirely under the influence of Rasputin, Anna became the best conductor of the elder’s ideas in the imperial palace. In essence, in the stunning drama that the country experienced two years before the collapse of the monarchy, the roles of Rasputin and Vyrubova were so closely intertwined that there is no way to find out the degree of significance of each of them separately.

Anna Vyrubova on a walk in wheelchair with Grand Prince Olga Nikolaevna, 1915-1916

The last years of Alexandra Feodorovna's reign were full of bitterness and despair. The public at first transparently hinted at the pro-German interests of the empress, and soon began to openly vilify the “hated German woman.” Meanwhile, Alexandra Fedorovna sincerely tried to help her husband, she was sincerely devoted to the country, which had become her only home, the home of her closest people. She turned out to be an exemplary mother and raised her four daughters with modesty and decency. The girls, despite their high origins, were distinguished by their hard work, many skills, did not know luxury and even assisted during operations in military hospitals. This, oddly enough, was also blamed on the empress, they say, she allows her young ladies too much.

Tsarevich Alexei and Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Livadia, 1914

When a rioting revolutionary crowd overran Petrograd, and the Tsar's train was stopped at Dno station for the abdication to be drafted, Alix was left alone. The children had measles, lay with high temperature. The courtiers fled, leaving only a handful of loyal people. The electricity was turned off, there was no water - we had to go to the pond, break off the ice and heat it on the stove. The palace with defenseless children remained under the protection of the Empress.

18-alex (280x385, 23Kb) She alone did not lose heart and did not believe in renunciation until the last. Alix supported the handful of loyal soldiers who remained to stand guard around the palace - now this was her entire Army. On the day when the ex-Sovereign, who had abdicated the Throne, returned to the palace, her friend, Anna Vyrubova, wrote in her diary: “Like a fifteen-year-old girl, she ran along the endless stairs and corridors of the palace towards him. Having met, they hugged, and when left alone, they burst into tears...” While in exile, anticipating an imminent execution, in a letter to Anna Vyrubova, the Empress summed up her life: “Dear, my dear... Yes, the past is over. I thank God for everything that happened, that I received - and I will live with memories that no one will take away from me... How old I have become, but I feel like the mother of the country, and I suffer as if for my child and I love my Motherland, despite all the horrors now ... You know that it is IMPOSSIBLE to tear LOVE OUT OF MY HEART, and Russia too... Despite the black ingratitude to the Emperor, which tears my heart... Lord, have mercy and save Russia.”

The abdication of Nicholas II from the throne brought the royal family to Tobolsk, where they, along with the remnants of their former servants, lived under house arrest. With his selfless act, the former king wanted only one thing - to save his beloved wife and children. However, the miracle did not happen; life turned out to be worse: in July 1918, the couple went down to the basement of the Ipatiev mansion. Nikolai carried his sick son in his arms... Following, walking heavily and holding her head high, was Alexandra Feodorovna...

On that last day of their lives, which is now celebrated by the church as the Day of Remembrance of the Holy Royal Martyrs, Alix did not forget to wear “his favorite brooch.” Having become material evidence No. 52 for the investigation, for us this brooch remains one of the many evidence of that Great Love. The shooting in Yekaterinburg ended the 300-year reign of the House of Romanov in Russia.

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, after the execution, the remains of Emperor Nicholas II, his family and associates were taken to this place and thrown into the mine. Nowadays it is located on Ganina Yama monastery in honor of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers.
male monastery (700x365, 115Kb)

In the marriage of Nikolai Alexandrovich with Alexandra Fedorovna, five children were born:

Olga (1895-1918);

Tatiana (1897-1918);

Maria (1899-1918);

Anastasia (1901-1918);

Alexey (1904-1918).

The “Thomas” magazine continues the “Thoughts of the Great” column, where sayings and aphorisms of holy fathers, writers, and philosophers are published. Collections of sayings – ancient tradition, dating back to antiquity and early Christianity. Today we invite you to get acquainted with the wise sayings of Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, the passion-bearer and wife of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

About God and life by faith

True faith is manifested in all our behavior. It's like the sap of a living tree that reaches the farthest branches.

We know that when He denies us our request, then fulfilling it would be to our harm; when He does not lead us along the path we have planned, He is right; when He punishes or corrects us, He does it with love. We know that He does everything for our highest good.

Let others see from the example of your life that faith is more than doctrine or observance of rituals.

The remembrance of past mercies will support faith in God in the trials to come.

Do not lose heart, but calmly trust the will of God, and, no matter what befalls you, endure everything for the glory of the Lord, since after winter comes summer, after night comes day, and after storm comes silence.

Messiah in Old Testament many times called the Servant of God. Service is not something base, it is Divine.

If our love is true and sincere, we always trust in heaven.

What is prayer? This is when we are close to Christ.

Religion makes some people stern and gloomy. But this is not Christian. The religion inspired by the word of Christ is sunny and joyful.

Joy is the hallmark of a Christian. A Christian should never become discouraged; he should never doubt that good will triumph over evil.

If the word of Christ lives in us, it will compel us to help others.

About man and virtues

We must become real people.

To be great means to be happy - this is one of the erroneous opinions that most of humanity has held at almost all times. To be kind means to be happy - this is a secret accessible to those few wise and virtuous who are an adornment not only to themselves, but also an adornment to their neighbors and the Fatherland.

The soul writes its history on the body.

The more humble a person is, the more peace in his soul.

Humility is not about talking about your shortcomings, but about enduring others talking about them; in listening to them patiently and even gratefully; in correcting the shortcomings that we are told about; is not to feel hostility towards those who tell us about them.

When doing charity, it is important not to drown in self-esteem.

The basis of a noble character is absolute sincerity.

Purity of thoughts and purity of soul are what truly ennobles.

Encouragement inspires us; if it is not there, many noble opportunities are extinguished.

True wisdom does not consist in the assimilation of knowledge, but in the correct application of it for good.

The first lesson to learn and execute is patience.

If everything is good inside, then nothing will harm the outside.

If you are aware of what you are, you will not pay attention to what people say about you.

Be courageous - that's the main thing.

True virtue is to act without witnesses as one usually acts before the eyes of the world.

Trust your heart, especially when this trust is good, listen to it.

Anyone who has done good should not talk about it, but if they boast about it, goodness loses its nobility...

Give without looking for anything in return, without calculating benefits in the future; give to children, the elderly, the dying, those who cannot repay, and those whom you will never see again, otherwise it will not be a benefit, but a bargain; try to help even your enemies. Do not trust the distribution of your alms to dubious intermediaries, otherwise the very act, which the Apostle called “labor of love” (1 Sol. 1:3), will be in doubt. With your own hand, do what your heart tells you. In this way you will become acquainted with the life and needs of the poor - the creatures of Christ.

The longer I live, the more clearly I understand that the main difference between people strong and weak, great and insignificant is energy, invincible determination, a firm goal, in which even death is victory.

A person is never so beautiful as when he prays for his own forgiveness or the forgiveness of another.

Morality is what determines the meaning of any action - vain or otherworldly meaning.

The most difficult thing a person must overcome is himself.

Relationships between people. Love, family

The life of humanity is a large common life of individual human creatures. It is necessary to understand that the existence of one person separately from all other people is the same as if a person existed separately from the cells of his own body.

Everyone, until the end of his life, bears the sacred responsibility for happiness and greater good another.

We must try to ensure that everything we do, our whole life, is for the benefit of other people. We must live in such a way that we do not harm anyone, so that our life serves as an example for others.

Trying to make your neighbors happy is the path to your own happiness.

Most arguments between people are pointless. They are caused either by the intervention of strangers, or by frivolous words, or by the action of unrepentant sins.

What people around us need most is just kindness.

Kind words always connect.

No one deserves a greater reward than peacemakers.

The possibilities of helping people simply by talking to them are almost endless. One who knows how to speak with conviction, knows how to speak the language of love, can inspire others to good and wonderful deeds, console their grief, cheer up those who are discouraged, enlighten those who are inexperienced - can help others in a thousand ways.

Adversity is the time when you need to support your neighbor.

There are many people in the world who have fallen into despair, and we must be able to tell them a word of hope or do a good deed that will lead them out of hopelessness and give them strength to return to a joyful, full life.

He who stops helping others becomes a burden to himself.

Every new friend who enters our lives is trusted in us. The most correct concept of friendship is that it gives us the opportunity to serve, help, protect another. The moment we make a new friend is a sacred moment. This is another life entrusted to us so that we can be a blessing to it, bring beauty to it, be its refuge and protection.

Fill your days with love. Forget yourself and remember others. If someone needs your kindness, then show this kindness immediately, now... If your heart longs for words of encouragement, gratitude, support, say these words today.

One word covers everything - the word “love”. The word “love” contains a whole volume of thoughts about life and duty, and when we study it closely and carefully, each of them appears clearly and distinctly.

How sweet are the words of Truth, carried by the breath of love.

Only that life is worthy in which there is sacrificial love.

Jesus demands love not only as a wonderful feeling, but as a love that permeates everything daily life affecting relationships with all people.

There cannot be deep and sincere love where selfishness rules. Perfect love is perfect self-denial.

Life is too short to waste it fighting and arguing, especially within the sacred circle of family.

As long as you love, you forgive.

Marriage is a Divine rite. He was part of God's plan when He created man. This is the closest and most sacred connection on earth.

Love does not grow, does not become great and perfect suddenly and on its own, but requires time and constant care.

Love requires special delicacy. You can be sincere and devoted, and yet your speeches and actions may lack that tenderness that so captivates hearts... The closer the relationship, the more painful the heart is from a look, tone, gesture or word that speaks of irritability or is simply thoughtless.

Without purity it is impossible to imagine true femininity. Even in the midst of this world, mired in sins and vices, it is possible to preserve this holy purity.

You can tell what a woman is like by the home she creates.

A woman is endowed with the gift of sympathy, delicacy, and the ability to inspire. This makes her seem like a messenger of Christ with a mission to alleviate human suffering and sorrow.

Attitude towards women - this is The best way test the nobility of a man.

Parents should be what they want their children to be - not in words, but in deeds. They must teach their children by the example of their lives.

Childhood songs are never forgotten. Memories of them lie under the burden of years filled with worries, like delicate flowers under the snow in winter.

The importance of the environment is vital. We do not yet fully understand how much the atmosphere in the home where children grow up means for the development of their character. The very first place for us where we learn truth, honesty, love is our home - the most dear place for us in the world.

Life. Pacification

Every day is life in miniature.

We often lose what is dear to us, chasing the unattainable.

How many opportunities we miss to do good without even realizing the value of what we missed!

Due to constant troubles and worries, we do not reveal even half of the good that is in us.

The meaning of life is not to do what you like, but to do what you should do with love.

Go forward, make mistakes, fall and get up again, just keep going.

Often more heavenly grace is required for ordinary things than for great ones.

No person is so poor that he can consider himself like that. Wisdom is for a person to allow the Lord to decide everything for him.

Everyone has their place, and everyone is important in their place. The smallest and most insignificant also have their places, and it is necessary that these small places be filled as well as the places occupied by the most important and significant individuals.

Never lose heart and never let others lose heart.

We are creators. Human lives there are unfinished buildings everywhere, and everyone who passes by places a brick on the wall or adds some decoration. Everyone with whom we come into contact, who speaks even a word to us, who even influences us from afar, leaves in our character a touch of beauty or a sign of something bad.

We must remain in our place, do our duty, bear our burden, do God's will. This is the path to peace of mind.

The peace that the Lord gives us is peace of the soul - not external peace, not idleness. One can enjoy it to the fullest, and at the same time continuously work and endure suffering and pain. Some of the best Christians the world has ever known were the greatest sufferers, but at the same time, nothing could disturb their peace of mind.

Only those who have peace in their souls can do their jobs well. A restless mind is not suitable for good work.

Worry makes us weak.

An irritated mind cannot think clearly.

Peace is a Divine gift, but at the same time, we must learn it. Learn by taking upon yourself the yoke of Christ.

The kindest thing a teacher can do for his students is to teach them to lead a life full of faith and courage - a life of winners.

Biography of Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova

Alexandra Feodorovna (Feodorovna, née Princess Victoria Alice Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt; June 6, 1872 - July 17, 1918) - Russian Empress, wife of Nicholas II (since 1894).

The future empress was born in 1872 in Darmstadt (Germany), in the family of the Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine, Ludwig IV, and Duchess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria of England. On July 1, 1872, she was baptized according to the Lutheran rite.

Alice was Queen Victoria's favorite granddaughter.

At the age of 12 years (1884), Princess Alice first came to Russia for the wedding of her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna), who married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.

Then in 1889, Alice visited Russia for the second time at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. During this visit, the princess met Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

The young people immediately drew attention to each other, but they had to fight for their happiness, because the parents of the Tsarevich were against them. On April 6, 1894, a manifesto announced the engagement of Nicholas and Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt.

For several months before the wedding, Alice studied the basics of Orthodoxy and the Russian language, and on October 21 (November 2), 1894, in Livadia (Crimea), she accepted Orthodoxy through confirmation with the name Alexandra and patronymic Fedorovna (Feodorovna).

On November 14 (26), 1894, the wedding of Alexandra and Nicholas II took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace. They had four daughters: Olga (November 3/15, 1895), Tatyana (May 29/June 10, 1897), Maria (June 14/26, 1899) and Anastasia (June 5/18, 1901).

Some time later, on July 30 (August 12), 1904, a long-awaited son, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, was born into the family of the young emperor. But to the great misfortune of the entire royal family, he inherited from his mother's side serious illness- hemophilia.

Nicholas and Alexandra bravely endured this ordeal, surrounding the crown prince with tender care and love. It was a truly friendly Christian family, where parents were able to give their children a good upbringing by word and example.

During the First World War, in Tsarskoe Selo, where the imperial family lived most of the time, a hospital was equipped for wounded soldiers, and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, along with her daughters Olga and Tatiana, worked there as surgical nurses (having undergone preliminary training).

On March 8 (21), 1917, after the February Revolution, the imperial family was arrested in accordance with the resolution of the Provisional Government and was for some time under home confinement in the Alexander Palace, then, at the beginning of August 1917, they were exiled to Tobolsk, and in April 1918, by decision of the Bolsheviks - to Yekaterinburg.

In Yekaterinburg, on the night of July 17, 1918, in the basement of the house of the merchant Ipatiev, the royal family suffered martyrdom: Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and their children were shot...

In August 2000, Emperor Nicholas II and all members of the royal family were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of the holy passion-bearers.

The last Russian empress - one of the most “promoted” female characters of the Romanov dynasty - invariably maintained a strict view of “external decency”.

Alexandra Fedorovna. Photo: hu.wikipedia.org.

Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of Nicholas II and the last Russian empress, is one of the most mysterious figures of this era. Historians are still arguing about various aspects of her biography: about her connection with Rasputin, about her influence on her husband, about her “contribution” to the revolution, about her personality in general. Today we will try to unravel the most known secrets, associated with Alexandra Fedorovna.

Costs of education

When Alix arrived in Russia, she was terribly embarrassed by the new society in which she had no acquaintances, and by the fact that she knew nothing about this distant country and was forced to quickly study the language and religion of the Russians. Her shyness and the costs of her English upbringing seemed to everyone like arrogance and arrogance. Because of her shyness, she was never able to establish relationships with either her mother-in-law or the ladies of the court. The only friends in her life were the Montenegrin princesses Milica and Stana - the wives of the grand dukes, and also her maid of honor Anna Vyrubova.

A question of power

Alix's domineering character was legendary. There is still a widespread belief that she kept the All-Russian Emperor “under the thumb.” However, this is not entirely true. It is an indisputable fact that she inherited her strong and commanding character from her grandmother, Queen Victoria. However, she was unable to take advantage of Nikolai’s gentle character, because she simply did not want it and loved her husband, trying to support him in everything. Their correspondence often contains advice from the empress to her husband, but, as is known, the tsar did not implement all of them. It is this support that is often perceived as Alexandra’s “power” over Nikolai.

However, it is true that she participated in the discussion of laws and decision-making. This began during the days of the First Russian Revolution, when Nicholas needed advice and support. Did the emperor and his wife discuss decrees and orders? Of course, this is undeniable. And during the First World War, the tsar actually gave control of the country into the hands of his wife. Why? Because he loved Alexandra and trusted her endlessly. And who else, if not the most trusted person in life, should be given the administrative affairs that the emperor could not tolerate and from which he fled to Headquarters? The two of them tried to make key decisions in the life of the country because it was difficult for autocrat Nicholas to do this due to a lack of character, and Alexandra wanted to lighten the emperor’s heavy burden as much as possible.

Connections with “seers”

Alexandra Feodorovna is also accused of her contacts with “God’s people” and seers, primarily with Grigory Rasputin. It is interesting that before the Siberian elder, the empress already had a whole collection of different healers and fortunetellers. For example, she welcomed the holy fool Mitka and a certain Daria Osipovna, and the most famous “healer” before Grigory Rasputin is Dr. Philip from France. Moreover, all this lasted from the beginning of the century until 1917. Why did these incidents happen?

Firstly, because it was a feature of her character. Alexandra Fedorovna was a believer and accepted Orthodoxy very deeply, but her faith had exalted features, which were expressed in her love for mysticism, which, by the way, was popular at that time. Secondly, this keen interest in her was fueled by her friends Milica and Stana. After all, it was they who brought “miracle workers” to the court, including Gregory. But, perhaps, the most important reason for such interest was her obsession with two problems: the first was the birth of an heir, which still could not take place. That is why she believed the charlatan Philip, who promised the empress to “conjure” the imminent birth of an heir. Because of his fortune telling and predictions, she suffered a false pregnancy, which greatly affected the attitude of the court towards Alexandra. And the second is the tragic illness of Alexei’s heir: hemophilia. She couldn't help but feel guilty that her beloved son had contracted this disease. And the empress, like any loving mother, tried by all means to alleviate the fate of her child. True, for this she did not use the help of doctors, who could not do anything about Alexei’s condition, but the services of Rasputin, who managed to treat the heir.

All this subsequently influenced the fact that she began to immensely trust the “elder” Gregory and taught her children and husband to do so. She could not help but believe the one who treated not only her son, but also herself for the headaches that tormented her. And Rasputin, who was a smart Russian peasant, could not help but take advantage of this. And they, in turn, were already used by cunning officials, ministers and generals, who asked to appoint them higher or closer to the court.

Why didn't they love her?

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was disliked by many, including Nikolai's mother Maria Feodorovna. Everyone had their own reasons for this, but by the end of the emperor’s reign, all the hatred of the court and society had only one reason: it was leading Niki and the empire to destruction. Rumors were spread about her connections with Rasputin, which never happened, about her espionage for Germany, which was also a lie, about her influence on the Tsar, which was not what it was “inflated.” But all these rumors and gossip greatly affected the prestige of the authorities. And the empress and emperor themselves contributed to this by isolating themselves from society and the Romanov family.

This is what her relatives and associates said and wrote about Alexandra Fedorovna:

• “All of Russia knows that the late Rasputin and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna are one and the same. The first one was killed, now the other one must disappear too” (Grand Prince Nikolai Mikhailovich).
• “The alienation of the queen from St. Petersburg society was significantly facilitated by the external coldness of her treatment and her lack of outward friendliness. This coldness arose, apparently, mainly from the extraordinary shyness inherent in Alexandra Fedorovna and the embarrassment she experienced when communicating with strangers. This embarrassment prevented her from establishing simple, relaxed relationships with people who introduced themselves to her, including the so-called city ladies, and they spread jokes around the city about her coldness and unapproachability.” (Senator V.I. Gurko).
• “...Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (sister of Empress Alexandra), also almost never visiting Tsarskoye, came to talk with her sister. After that we waited for her at home. We sat on pins and needles, wondering how it would end. She came to us trembling and in tears. “My sister kicked me out like a dog! - she exclaimed. “Poor Niki, poor Russia!” (Prince F.F. Yusupov).
• “Opinions may differ about the role played by the Empress during her reign, but I must say that in her the Heir found a wife who fully accepted the Russian faith, principles and foundations of royal power, a woman of great spiritual qualities and duty” (ballerina M.F. Kshesinskaya ).

On November 14, 1894, Nikolai Alexandrovich married the daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Rhine Ludwig IV, the granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria Alike Victoria Elena Brigitte Louise Beatrice, who converted to Orthodoxy with the name Alexandra Feodorovna. His father at one time opposed this marriage, since the Hessian princesses, which included the wives of the murdered emperors Paul I and Alexander II, enjoyed a bad reputation at the Russian court. They were believed to bring bad luck. In addition, the family of the Dukes of Hesse through the female line transmitted hereditary disease- hemophilia. However, Nikolai, in love with Alika, insisted on his own.

Nikolai Alexandrovich was an exemplary family man, spending all his free time with his family. He enjoyed playing with children, sawing and chopping wood, clearing snow, driving a car, going on a yacht, riding a train, walking a lot, and the emperor also loved to shoot crows with a rifle. The sovereign only disliked dealing with state affairs. But his wife constantly interfered in these matters, and her interference had disastrous consequences. The Russian Empress was raised by her grandmother in England. She graduated from the University of Heidelberg and received a Bachelor of Philosophy. At the same time, Alexandra Feodorovna was susceptible to religious mysticism, or rather, she was superstitious and had a penchant for charlatans. She repeatedly turned to dubious individuals for advice and help. At first it was Mitka the holy fool, who could only moo. However, with him was someone named Elpidifor, who explained the meaning of Mitka’s cries during the seizures that happened to Mitka. Mitka was replaced by the clique Daria Osipovna, and many others followed her. In addition to domestic “miracle workers,” their foreign “colleagues” were also invited to the royal palace - Papus from Paris, Schenck from Vienna, Philip from Lyon. What motives forced the queen to communicate with these people? The fact is that the dynasty certainly needed an heir to the throne, and daughters were born. The obsessive idea of ​​a male child so possessed Alexandra Feodorovna that, under the influence of one of the “miracle workers,” she imagined herself to be pregnant, despite the fact that she felt all the symptoms required by the case, and even gained weight. They were expecting the birth of a boy, but all the deadlines passed, and... the pregnancy turned out to be a figment of her imagination. Confused by this turn of events, the subjects irreverently quoted Pushkin: “The queen gave birth in the night / Either a son or a daughter; / Not a mouse, not a frog, / But an unknown animal.” But finally, the heir Alexey Nikolaevich was born. The joy about this did not last long, as it turned out that Alexey was suffering from hemophilia, which was considered incurable at that time.

The wedding of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna.

1894. Artist I.E. Repin

Speech of Nicholas II to volost elders and representatives rural population outskirts of Russia in the yard

Petrovsky Palace in 1896. Artist I.E. Repin

Alexandra Feodorovna in court costume.

Artist I.S. Galkin