From the first days of his reign, Nicholas II dreamed of an heir. The Lord sent only daughters to the emperor.

The Tsesarevich was born on August 12, 1904. The heir to the Russian throne was born a year after the Sarov celebrations. The entire royal family fervently prayed for the birth of a boy. Alexei inherited all the best from his father and mother.

His parents loved him very much, he answered them with great reciprocity. The father was a real idol for Alexei Nikolaevich. The young prince tried to imitate him in everything.

How to name the newborn, the royal couple did not even think about it. Nicholas II had long wanted to name his future heir Alexei.

The tsar said that "it's time to break the line of Alexandrov and Nikolaev." Also, Nicholas II was a nice person, and the emperor wanted to name his son in honor of the great ancestor.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova was born on June 18, 1901. The sovereign had been waiting for an heir for a long time, and when the daughter turned out to be the long-awaited fourth child, he was saddened. Soon the sadness passed, and the Emperor loved the fourth daughter, no less than his other children.

They were expecting a boy, but a girl was born. Anastasia, by her agility, could give odds to any boy. She wore simple clothes inherited from older sisters. The bedroom of the fourth daughter was not richly cleaned.

Be sure to take a cold shower every morning. It was not easy to see her. As a child, she was very smart, she liked to climb where she didn’t get, to hide.

When she was still a child, Grand Duchess Anastasia loved to play pranks, as well as to make others laugh. In addition to gaiety, it reflected such character traits as wit, courage and observation.

Maria Nikolaevna Romanova was born on June 27, 1899. She became the third child of the Emperor and Empress. Grand Duchess Maria Romanova was a typical Russian girl. She was characterized by good nature, cheerfulness and friendliness. She had a beautiful appearance and vitality.

According to the memoirs of some of her contemporaries, she was very similar to her grandfather. The princess loved her parents very much, was strongly attached to them, much more than the other children of the royal couple.

The fact is that she was too small for her older sisters (and Tatiana), and too old for her younger sister and brother (Anastasia and).

Maria had big blue eyes. She was tall, with a bright ruddy face - a true Russian beauty, she was the embodiment of kindness and cordiality. The sisters even, a little, enjoyed this kindness.

Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna Romanova was born on June 11, 1897, the second child of the Romanov couple. Like Tatyana, she outwardly resembled her mother, but her character was paternal.

Tatyana was less emotional than her sister. Her eyes were similar to the eyes of the Empress, her figure is graceful, and the color of blue eyes harmoniously combined with brown hair. Rarely naughty and had amazing, according to contemporaries, self-control.

She had a strong sense of duty, and a penchant for order in everything. Due to her mother's illness, she often managed the household, and this did not burden the Grand Duchess in any way. The Grand Duchess was very smart, she had creative abilities. She behaved with everyone simply and naturally. The princess was surprisingly responsive, sincere and generous. The first daughter inherited facial features, posture, and golden hair from her mother.

From Nikolai Alexandrovich, the daughter inherited the inner world. She, like her father, possessed an amazingly pure Christian soul. The princess was distinguished by an innate sense of justice, did not like lies.

From renunciation to execution: the life of the Romanovs in exile through the eyes of the last empress

On March 2, 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne. Russia was left without a king. And the Romanovs ceased to be a royal family.

Perhaps this was Nikolai Alexandrovich's dream - to live as if he were not an emperor, but simply the father of a large family. Many said that he had a gentle character. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was his opposite: she was seen as a sharp and domineering woman. He was the head of the country, but she was the head of the family.

She was prudent and stingy, but humble and very pious. She knew how to do a lot: she was engaged in needlework, painted, and during the First World War she looked after the wounded - and taught her daughters how to dress. The simplicity of the royal upbringing can be judged by the letters of the Grand Duchesses to their father: they easily wrote to him about the "idiotic photographer", "nasty handwriting" or that "the stomach wants to eat, it is already cracking." Tatyana in letters to Nikolai signed "Your faithful Ascensionist", Olga - "Your faithful Elisavetgradets", and Anastasia did this: "Your daughter Nastasya, who loves you. Shvybzik. ANRPZSG Artichokes, etc."

A British-raised German, Alexandra wrote mostly in English, but she spoke Russian well, albeit with an accent. She loved Russia - just like her husband. Anna Vyrubova, a lady-in-waiting and close friend of Alexandra, wrote that Nikolai was ready to ask his enemies for one thing: not to expel him from the country and let him live with his family as "the simplest peasant." Perhaps the imperial family would really be able to live by their work. But the Romanovs were not allowed to live a private life. Nicholas from the king turned into a prisoner.

"The thought that we are all together pleases and comforts..."Arrest in Tsarskoye Selo

"The sun blesses, prays, holds on to her faith and for the sake of her martyr. She does not interfere in anything (...). Now she is only a mother with sick children ..." - the former Empress Alexandra Feodorovna wrote to her husband on March 3, 1917.

Nicholas II, who signed the abdication, was at Headquarters in Mogilev, and his family was in Tsarskoye Selo. The children fell ill one by one with the measles. At the beginning of each diary entry, Alexandra indicated what the weather was like today and what temperature each of the children had. She was very pedantic: she numbered all her letters of that time so that they would not get lost. The wife's son was called baby, and each other - Alix and Nicky. Their correspondence is more like the communication of young lovers than a husband and wife who have already lived together for more than 20 years.

“At first glance, I realized that Alexandra Fedorovna, a smart and attractive woman, although now broken and irritated, had an iron will,” wrote Alexander Kerensky, head of the Provisional Government.

On March 7, the Provisional Government decided to place the former imperial family under arrest. The attendants and servants who were in the palace could decide for themselves whether to leave or stay.

"You can't go there, Colonel"

On March 9, Nicholas arrived in Tsarskoye Selo, where he was first greeted not as an emperor. "The officer on duty shouted: 'Open the gates to the former tsar.' (...) When the sovereign passed by the officers gathered in the vestibule, no one greeted him. The sovereign did it first. Only then did everyone give him greetings," wrote valet Alexei Volkov.

According to the memoirs of witnesses and the diaries of Nicholas himself, it seems that he did not suffer from the loss of the throne. “Despite the conditions in which we now find ourselves, the thought that we are all together is comforting and encouraging,” he wrote on March 10. Anna Vyrubova (she stayed with the royal family, but was soon arrested and taken away) recalled that he was not even offended by the attitude of the guards, who were often rude and could say to the former Supreme Commander: “You can’t go there, Mr. Colonel, come back when you they say!"

A vegetable garden was set up in Tsarskoye Selo. Everyone worked: the royal family, close associates and servants of the palace. Even a few soldiers of the guard helped

On March 27, the head of the Provisional Government, Alexander Kerensky, forbade Nikolai and Alexandra to sleep together: the spouses were allowed to see each other only at the table and speak to each other exclusively in Russian. Kerensky did not trust the former empress.

In those days, an investigation was underway into the actions of the couple's inner circle, it was planned to interrogate the spouses, and the minister was sure that she would put pressure on Nikolai. "People like Alexandra Feodorovna never forget anything and never forgive anything," he later wrote.

Alexei's mentor Pierre Gilliard (he was called Zhilik in the family) recalled that Alexandra was furious. "To do this to the sovereign, to do this disgusting thing to him after he sacrificed himself and abdicated in order to avoid a civil war - how low, how petty!" she said. But in her diary there is only one discreet entry about this: "N<иколаю>and I'm only allowed to meet at mealtimes, not to sleep together."

The measure did not last long. On April 12, she wrote: "Tea in the evening in my room, and now we sleep together again."

There were other restrictions - domestic. The guards reduced the heating of the palace, after which one of the ladies of the court fell ill with pneumonia. The prisoners were allowed to walk, but passers-by looked at them through the fence - like animals in a cage. Humiliation did not leave them at home either. As Count Pavel Benkendorf said, "when the Grand Duchesses or the Empress approached the windows, the guards allowed themselves to behave indecently in front of their eyes, thus causing the laughter of their comrades."

The family tried to be happy with what they have. At the end of April, a garden was laid out in the park - the turf was dragged by the imperial children, and servants, and even guard soldiers. Chopped wood. We read a lot. They gave lessons to the thirteen-year-old Alexei: due to the lack of teachers, Nikolai personally taught him history and geography, and Alexander taught the Law of God. We rode bicycles and scooters, swam in a pond in a kayak. In July, Kerensky warned Nikolai that, due to the unsettled situation in the capital, the family would soon be moved south. But instead of the Crimea they were exiled to Siberia. In August 1917, the Romanovs left for Tobolsk. Some of the close ones followed them.

"Now it's their turn." Link in Tobolsk

“We settled far from everyone: we live quietly, we read about all the horrors, but we won’t talk about it,” Alexandra wrote to Anna Vyrubova from Tobolsk. The family was settled in the former governor's house.

Despite everything, the royal family remembered life in Tobolsk as "quiet and calm"

In correspondence, the family was not limited, but all messages were viewed. Alexandra corresponded a lot with Anna Vyrubova, who was either released or arrested again. They sent parcels to each other: the former maid of honor once sent "a wonderful blue blouse and delicious marshmallow", and also her perfume. Alexandra answered with a shawl, which she also perfumed - with vervain. She tried to help her friend: "I send pasta, sausages, coffee - although fasting is now. I always pull greens out of the soup so that I don’t eat the broth, and I don’t smoke." She hardly complained, except for the cold.

In Tobolsk exile, the family managed to maintain the old way of life in many ways. Even Christmas was celebrated. There were candles and a Christmas tree - Alexandra wrote that the trees in Siberia are of a different, unusual variety, and "it smells strongly of orange and tangerine, and resin flows all the time along the trunk." And the servants were presented with woolen vests, which the former empress knitted herself.

In the evenings, Nikolai read aloud, Alexandra embroidered, and her daughters sometimes played the piano. Alexandra Fedorovna's diary entries of that time are everyday: "I drew. I consulted with an optometrist about new glasses", "I sat and knitted on the balcony all afternoon, 20 ° in the sun, in a thin blouse and a silk jacket."

Life occupied the spouses more than politics. Only the Treaty of Brest really shook them both. "A humiliating world. (...) Being under the yoke of the Germans is worse than the Tatar yoke," Alexandra wrote. In her letters, she thought about Russia, but not about politics, but about people.

Nikolai loved to do physical labor: cut firewood, work in the garden, clean the ice. After moving to Yekaterinburg, all this turned out to be banned.

In early February, we learned about the transition to a new style of chronology. "Today is February 14. There will be no end to misunderstandings and confusion!" - wrote Nikolai. Alexandra called this style "Bolshevik" in her diary.

On February 27, according to the new style, the authorities announced that "the people do not have the means to support the royal family." The Romanovs were now provided with an apartment, heating, lighting and soldiers' rations. Each person could also receive 600 rubles a month from personal funds. Ten servants had to be fired. "It will be necessary to part with the servants, whose devotion will lead them to poverty," wrote Gilliard, who remained with the family. Butter, cream and coffee disappeared from the tables of the prisoners, there was not enough sugar. The family began to feed the locals.

Food card. “Before the October coup, everything was plentiful, although they lived modestly,” recalled the valet Alexei Volkov. “Dinner consisted of only two courses, but sweet things happened only on holidays.”

This Tobolsk life, which the Romanovs later recalled as quiet and calm - even despite the rubella that the children had had - ended in the spring of 1918: they decided to move the family to Yekaterinburg. In May, the Romanovs were imprisoned in the Ipatiev House - it was called a "house of special purpose." Here the family spent the last 78 days of their lives.

Last days.In "house of special purpose"

Together with the Romanovs, their close associates and servants arrived in Yekaterinburg. Someone was shot almost immediately, someone was arrested and killed a few months later. Someone survived and was subsequently able to tell about what happened in the Ipatiev House. Only four remained to live with the royal family: Dr. Botkin, footman Trupp, maid Nyuta Demidova and cook Leonid Sednev. He will be the only one of the prisoners who will escape execution: on the day before the murder he will be taken away.

Telegram from the Chairman of the Ural Regional Council to Vladimir Lenin and Yakov Sverdlov, April 30, 1918

“The house is good, clean,” Nikolai wrote in his diary. “We were given four large rooms: a corner bedroom, a bathroom, a dining room next to it with windows overlooking the garden and overlooking the low-lying part of the city, and, finally, a spacious hall with an arch without doors.” The commandant was Alexander Avdeev - as they said about him, "a real Bolshevik" (later Yakov Yurovsky would replace him). The instructions for protecting the family said: "The commandant must keep in mind that Nikolai Romanov and his family are Soviet prisoners, therefore, an appropriate regime is being established in the place of his detention."

The instruction ordered the commandant to be polite. But during the first search, a reticule was snatched from Alexandra's hands, which she did not want to show. “Until now, I have dealt with honest and decent people,” Nikolai remarked. But I received an answer: "Please do not forget that you are under investigation and arrest." The tsar's entourage was required to call family members by their first and patronymic names instead of "Your Majesty" or "Your Highness". Alexandra was truly pissed off.

The arrested got up at nine, drank tea at ten. The rooms were then checked. Breakfast - at one, lunch - about four or five, at seven - tea, at nine - dinner, at eleven they went to bed. Avdeev claimed that two hours of walking were supposed to be a day. But Nikolai wrote in his diary that only an hour was allowed to walk a day. To the question "why?" the former king was answered: "To make it look like a prison regime."

All prisoners were forbidden any physical labor. Nicholas asked permission to clean the garden - refusal. For a family that spent the past few months only chopping firewood and cultivating beds, this was not easy. At first, the prisoners could not even boil their own water. Only in May, Nikolai wrote in his diary: "They bought us a samovar, at least we will not depend on the guard."

After some time, the painter painted over all the windows with lime so that the inhabitants of the house could not look at the street. With windows in general it was not easy: they were not allowed to open. Although the family would hardly be able to escape with such protection. And it was hot in summer.

House of Ipatiev. “A fence was built around the outer walls of the house facing the street, quite high, covering the windows of the house,” wrote its first commandant Alexander Avdeev about the house.

Only towards the end of July one of the windows was finally opened. "Such joy, finally, delicious air and one window pane, no longer smeared with whitewash," Nikolai wrote in his diary. After that, the prisoners were forbidden to sit on the windowsills.

There were not enough beds, the sisters slept on the floor. They all dined together, and not only with the servants, but also with the Red Army soldiers. They were rude: they could put a spoon into a bowl of soup and say: "You still get nothing to eat."

Vermicelli, potatoes, beet salad and compote - such food was on the table of the prisoners. Meat was a problem. “They brought meat for six days, but so little that it was only enough for soup,” “Kharitonov cooked a macaroni pie ... because they didn’t bring meat at all,” Alexandra notes in her diary.

Hall and living room in the Ipatva House. This house was built in the late 1880s and later bought by engineer Nikolai Ipatiev. In 1918, the Bolsheviks requisitioned it. After the execution of the family, the keys were returned to the owner, but he decided not to return there, and later emigrated

"I took a sitz bath as hot water could only be brought in from our kitchen," Alexandra writes of minor domestic inconveniences. Her notes show how gradually for the former empress, who once ruled over "a sixth part of the earth", everyday trifles become important: "great pleasure, a cup of coffee", "good nuns now send milk and eggs for Alexei and us, and cream ".

Products were really allowed to be taken from the women's Novo-Tikhvinsky monastery. With the help of these parcels, the Bolsheviks staged a provocation: they handed over in the cork of one of the bottles a letter from a "Russian officer" with an offer to help them escape. The family replied: "We do not want and cannot RUN. We can only be kidnapped by force." The Romanovs spent several nights dressed, waiting for a possible rescue.

Like a prisoner

Soon the commandant changed in the house. They became Yakov Yurovsky. At first, the family even liked him, but very soon the harassment became more and more. "You need to get used to living not like a king, but how you have to live: like a prisoner," he said, limiting the amount of meat that came to prisoners.

Of the monastery transfers, he allowed to leave only milk. Alexandra once wrote that the commandant "had breakfast and ate cheese; he won't let us eat cream anymore." Yurovsky also forbade frequent baths, saying that they did not have enough water. He confiscated jewelry from family members, leaving only a watch for Alexei (at the request of Nikolai, who said that the boy would be bored without them) and a gold bracelet for Alexandra - she wore it for 20 years, and it was possible to remove it only with tools.

Every morning at 10:00 the commandant checked whether everything was in place. Most of all, the former empress did not like this.

Telegram from the Kolomna Committee of the Bolsheviks of Petrograd to the Council of People's Commissars demanding the execution of representatives of the Romanov dynasty. March 4, 1918

Alexandra, it seems, was the hardest in the family to experience the loss of the throne. Yurovsky recalled that if she went for a walk, she would certainly dress up and always put on a hat. "It must be said that she, unlike the rest, with all her exits, tried to maintain all her importance and the former," he wrote.

The rest of the family was simpler - the sisters dressed rather casually, Nikolai walked in patched boots (although, according to Yurovsky, he had enough whole ones). His wife cut his hair. Even the needlework that Alexandra was engaged in was the work of an aristocrat: she embroidered and wove lace. The daughters washed handkerchiefs, darned stockings and bed linen together with the maid Nyuta Demidova.

Nicholas II is the last Russian emperor who went down in history as the most weak-willed tsar. According to historians, the government of the country was a “heavy burden” for the monarch, but this did not prevent him from making a feasible contribution to the industrial and economic development of Russia, despite the fact that the revolutionary movement was actively growing in the country during the reign of Nicholas II, and the foreign policy situation was becoming more complicated. . In modern history, the Russian emperor is referred to by the epithets "Nicholas the Bloody" and "Nicholas the Martyr", since assessments of the activities and character of the tsar are ambiguous and contradictory.

Nicholas II was born on May 18, 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo of the Russian Empire in the imperial family. For his parents, and, he became the eldest son and the only heir to the throne, who from an early age was taught the future work of his whole life. From birth, the future tsar was educated by the Englishman Karl Heath, who taught the young Nikolai Alexandrovich to speak English fluently.

The childhood of the heir to the royal throne passed within the walls of the Gatchina Palace under the strict guidance of his father Alexander III, who raised his children in the traditional religious spirit - he allowed them to play and play pranks in moderation, but at the same time he did not allow the manifestation of laziness in studies, suppressing all thoughts of his sons about future throne.

At the age of 8, Nicholas II began to receive general education at home. His education was carried out within the framework of the general gymnasium course, but the future tsar did not show much zeal and desire for learning. His passion was military affairs - already at the age of 5 he became the chief of the Life Guards of the Reserve Infantry Regiment and happily mastered military geography, jurisprudence and strategy. Lectures to the future monarch were read by the best scientists of world renown, who were personally selected for their son by Tsar Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna.

The heir especially excelled in the study of foreign languages, therefore, in addition to English, he was fluent in French, German and Danish. After eight years of the general gymnasium program, Nicholas II began to be taught the necessary higher sciences for a future statesman, which are included in the course of the economic department of the law university.

In 1884, upon reaching adulthood, Nicholas II took the oath in the Winter Palace, after which he entered active military service, and three years later he began regular military service, for which he was awarded the rank of colonel. Fully devoting himself to military affairs, the future tsar easily adapted to the inconveniences of army life and endured military service.

The first acquaintance with state affairs at the heir to the throne took place in 1889. Then he began to attend meetings of the State Council and the Cabinet of Ministers, at which his father brought him up to date and shared his experience on how to govern the country. In the same period, Alexander III made numerous journeys with his son, starting from the Far East. Over the next 9 months, they traveled by sea to Greece, India, Egypt, Japan and China, and then through all of Siberia by land returned to the Russian capital.

Ascension to the throne

In 1894, after the death of Alexander III, Nicholas II ascended the throne and solemnly promised to protect the autocracy as firmly and steadily as his late father. The coronation of the last Russian emperor took place in 1896 in Moscow. These solemn events were marked by the tragic events at the Khodynka field, where mass riots took place during the distribution of royal gifts, which took the lives of thousands of citizens.

Due to the mass crush, the monarch who came to power even wanted to cancel the evening ball on the occasion of his ascension to the throne, but later decided that the Khodynka disaster was a real misfortune, but not worth it to overshadow the coronation holiday. The educated society perceived these events as a challenge, which became the foundation stone for the creation of the liberation movement in Russia from the dictator-tsar.

Against this background, the emperor introduced a tough internal policy in the country, according to which any dissent among the people was persecuted. In the first few years of the reign of Nicholas II in Russia, a census was carried out, as well as a monetary reform, which established the gold standard of the ruble. The gold ruble of Nicholas II was equal to 0.77 grams of pure gold and was half “heavier” than the mark, but twice “lighter” than the dollar at the exchange rate of international currencies.

In the same period, the "Stolypin" agrarian reforms were carried out in Russia, factory legislation was introduced, several laws on compulsory insurance of workers and universal primary education were passed, as well as the abolition of tax collection from landowners of Polish origin and the abolition of penalties such as exile to Siberia.

In the Russian Empire during the time of Nicholas II, large-scale industrialization took place, the pace of agricultural production increased, and coal and oil production started. At the same time, thanks to the last Russian emperor, more than 70 thousand kilometers of the railway were built in Russia.

Reign and abdication

The reign of Nicholas II at the second stage took place during the years of aggravation of the domestic political life of Russia and a rather difficult foreign political situation. At the same time, the Far East direction was in the first place. The main obstacle of the Russian monarch to dominance in the Far East was Japan, which without warning in 1904 attacked the Russian squadron in the port city of Port Arthur and, due to the inaction of the Russian leadership, defeated the Russian army.

As a result of the failure of the Russian-Japanese war, a revolutionary situation began to develop rapidly in the country, and Russia had to cede the southern part of Sakhalin and the rights to the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan. It was after this that the Russian emperor lost authority in the intelligentsia and ruling circles of the country, who accused the tsar of defeat and ties with, who was an unofficial "adviser" to the monarch, but who was considered in society a charlatan and a swindler, having full influence over Nicholas II.

The turning point in the biography of Nicholas II was the First World War of 1914. Then the emperor, on the advice of Rasputin, tried with all his might to avoid a bloody massacre, but Germany went to war against Russia, which was forced to defend itself. In 1915, the monarch took over the military command of the Russian army and personally traveled to the fronts, inspecting military units. At the same time, he made a number of fatal military mistakes, which led to the collapse of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire.

The war exacerbated the internal problems of the country, all military failures in the environment of Nicholas II were assigned to him. Then “treason” began to “nest” in the government of the country, but despite this, the emperor, together with England and France, developed a plan for the general offensive of Russia, which should have been triumphant for the country by the summer of 1917 to end the military confrontation.

The plans of Nicholas II were not destined to come true - at the end of February 1917, mass uprisings began in Petrograd against the royal dynasty and the current government, which he initially intended to stop by force. But the military did not obey the orders of the king, and members of the monarch's retinue persuaded him to abdicate the throne, which supposedly would help suppress the unrest. After several days of painful deliberation, Nicholas II decided to abdicate in favor of his brother, Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich, who refused to accept the crown, which meant the end of the Romanov dynasty.

Execution of Nicholas II and his family

After the signing of the abdication manifesto by the tsar, the Provisional Government of Russia issued an order to arrest the tsar's family and his associates. Then many betrayed the emperor and fled, so only a few close people from his entourage agreed to share the tragic fate with the monarch, who, together with the tsar, were sent to Tobolsk, from where, supposedly, the family of Nicholas II was supposed to be transported to the USA.

After the October Revolution and the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, headed by the royal family, they were transported to Yekaterinburg and imprisoned in a "special purpose house". Then the Bolsheviks began to hatch a plan for the trial of the monarch, but the Civil War did not allow their plan to be realized.

Because of this, in the upper echelons of Soviet power, it was decided to shoot the tsar and his family. On the night of July 16-17, 1918, the family of the last Russian emperor was shot in the basement of the house where Nicholas II was imprisoned. The tsar, his wife and children, as well as several of his entourage were taken to the basement under the pretext of evacuation and shot point-blank without explanation, after which the victims were taken outside the city, their bodies were burned with kerosene, and then buried in the ground.

Personal life and the royal family

The personal life of Nicholas II, unlike many other Russian monarchs, was the standard of the highest family virtue. In 1889, during the visit of the German princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt to Russia, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich paid special attention to the girl and asked his father for his blessing to marry her. But the parents did not agree with the choice of the heir, so they refused their son. This did not stop Nicholas II, who did not lose hope of marriage with Alice. They were assisted by the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, the sister of the German princess, who arranged secret correspondence for the young lovers.

After 5 years, Tsarevich Nikolai again persistently asked his father's consent to marry a German princess. Alexander III, in view of his rapidly deteriorating health, allowed his son to marry Alice, who, after chrismation, became. In November 1894, the wedding of Nicholas II and Alexandra took place in the Winter Palace, and in 1896 the couple accepted the coronation and officially became the rulers of the country.

In the marriage of Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II, 4 daughters were born (Olga, Tatyana, Maria and Anastasia) and the only heir Alexei, who had a serious hereditary disease - hemophilia associated with the process of blood clotting. The illness of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich forced the royal family to get acquainted with Grigory Rasputin, widely known at that time, who helped the royal heir to fight bouts of illness, which allowed him to gain a huge influence on Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II.

Historians report that the family for the last Russian emperor was the most important meaning of life. He always spent most of his time in the family circle, did not like secular pleasures, especially valued his peace, habits, health and well-being of his relatives. At the same time, worldly hobbies were not alien to the emperor - he went hunting with pleasure, participated in horse riding competitions, skating with passion and played hockey.

Time passes and a bygone era becomes history. The family of the last emperor of the Romanov dynasty - Nicholas II.

History is interesting and multifaceted, over the centuries a lot has changed. If now we perceive the world around us as commonplace, then palaces, castles, towers, estates, carriages, household items of that time are already a distant history for us and sometimes are the subject of study by archaeologists. An ordinary inkwell, a pen, an abacus can no longer be found in a modern school. But just a century ago, education was different.

"Future Monarchs"

All representatives of the imperial family, future monarchs, received an excellent education. Education began at an early age, first of all, they taught literacy, arithmetic, foreign languages, then there was the study of other disciplines. Military training was obligatory for young men, they were also taught to dance, and fine literature, and everything that a well-educated young man was supposed to know. As a rule, the training took place on a religious basis. Teachers for royal persons were carefully chosen, they had to give not only knowledge, but also instill spiritual and moral ideas and skills: accuracy, diligence, respect for elders. The rulers of the Romanov dynasty evoked sincere admiration from their subjects, served as an example for everyone.

Family of Emperor Nicholas II

"OTMA"

We can see a positive example in the upbringing and education of children in the family of the last emperor of the Romanov dynasty, Nicholas II. There were four daughters and a son in his family. Daughters were conditionally divided into two pairs: the older couple - Olga and Tatyana, and the youngest - Maria and Anastasia. The sisters made a collective name from their letters - OTMA, taking the capital letters of their names, and signed letters and invitations in this way. Tsarevich Alexei was the youngest child and the favorite of the whole family.

OTMA in profile. 1914

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna raised children according to religious traditions, the children read daily morning and evening prayers, the Gospel, among the disciplines taught was the Law of God.

Archpriest A. Vasiliev and Tsarevich Alexei

"The Emperor's Wife"

Traditionally, the wife of the sovereign could not be engaged in raising her daughters. However, Alexandra Fedorovna strictly selected teachers for her children, attended classes, formed the circle of interests of her daughters and their schedule - the girls never wasted time, almost did not appear at balls, and were not at social events for long.

Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (center) and their children

Classes for children were built in a fairly strict regime. They got up at 8 o'clock, drank tea and worked until 11 o'clock. Teachers came from Petrograd. Only Gibbs and Gilliard lived in Tsarskoye Selo.

Sydney Gibbs and Grand Duchess Anastasia

Sometimes after school, before breakfast, a short walk was made. After breakfast - music and needlework classes.

Anastasia knits in the Lilac Living Room

"Classrooms of the Grand Duchesses"

In the classroom of Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatyana, the walls were covered with olive-colored matte wallpaper, the floor was covered with a sea-green beaver carpet. All furniture is made of ash. A large study table was in the middle of the room and was lit by a six-armed chandelier that could be lowered. On one of the shelves stood a bust of I.V. Gogol. The class schedule hung on the side wall. Books were stored in the cabinets, mainly of religious and patriotic content, as well as textbooks. The girls' library had many books in English. The teachers kept a journal where homework was recorded and marks were given on a five-point scale.

Classroom of Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana in the Alexander Palace

In the classroom of the younger princesses Maria and Anastasia, the walls are painted white. Furniture - ash. Stuffed birds, children's books by Russian and French authors were kept in the room. There were especially many books by the famous children's writer L. A. Charskaya. On the walls are religious drawings and watercolors, class schedules, a couple of children's announcements of a playful nature. Since the girls were still small, dolls with their toilets were kept in the classroom. Behind the partition - toy furniture, games.

"Classroom of Tsarevich Alexei"

On the second floor there was also a class room of Tsarevich Alexei. Its walls were painted with white mastic paint. Furniture, as elsewhere, was of simple painted ash wood. On half-cupboards stretching along the walls were textbooks, an abacus, a map of the expansion of Russia under the Romanovs, a study collection of Ural minerals and rocks, and a microscope. Books of educational and military content were stored in the cabinets. There were especially many books on the history of the Romanov dynasty, published for the 300th anniversary of the dynasty. In addition, they kept a collection of transparencies on the history of Russia, reproductions of artists, albums and various gifts. On the door - the schedule of lessons and the testament of Suvorov.

Classroom of Tsarevich Alexei in the Alexander Palace

"Music Room"

There was also a room in the "children's part", which was used as a teacher's room and at the same time as a music room. Girls' "own" libraries played an important role in the educational process. Now these books are stored in Moscow in the Russian State Library. A special place in the royal family was occupied by the teachers of the crown prince. Of these, the Swiss Pierre Gilliard is the most famous, he was with the royal family in Yekaterinburg, where he miraculously managed to survive and in many ways, thanks to him, we know about the last days of the royal family.

Music room

"Week schedule"

The main backbone of teachers was formed while teaching gymnasium disciplines to the royal daughters. For example, in the 1908/09 academic year, they were taught:

• Russian language (Petrov, 9 lessons per week);

• English (Gibbs, 6 lessons per week);

• French (Gilliard, 8 lessons per week);

• arithmetic (Sobolev, 6 lessons per week);

• history and geography (Ivanov, 2 lessons per week).

Thus, there were 31 lessons per week, that is, with a five-day class schedule - 6 lessons per day. Teachers, like doctors, were usually selected on the basis of recommendations. Speaking about the study of foreign languages, it should be noted that the heir began to teach them rather late. On the one hand, this was associated with his constant ailments and long rehabilitation periods, and on the other hand, the royal family deliberately postponed teaching foreign languages ​​to the heir.

Tsesarevich Alexei with Russian teacher P. Petrov. Peterhof

"Teaching an heir to foreign languages"

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna believed that Alexei should, first of all, develop a pure Russian accent. P. Gilliard gave the first French lesson to the Tsesarevich on October 2, 1912 in Spala, but the classes were interrupted due to illness. Relatively regular classes with the Tsarevich began in the second half of 1913. Vyrubova highly appreciated the pedagogical abilities of teachers of French and English: “The first teachers were the Swiss Monsieur Gilliard and the Englishman Mr. Gibbs. A better choice was hardly possible. It seemed absolutely wonderful how the boy changed under the influence of these two people, how his manners improved and how well he began to treat people.

P. Gilliard with Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana. Livadia. 1911

"Schedule for the day of Tsarevich Alexei"

As Tsarevich Alexei grew older, the workload gradually increased. Unlike his great-grandfather, who was raised at 6 o'clock in the morning, the Tsarevich was awakened at 8 o'clock in the morning:

He was given 45 minutes to pray and clean himself up;

from 8.45 to 9.15 morning tea was served, which he drank alone. Girls and parents drank morning tea separately;

from 9.20 to 10.50 there were two first lessons (the first lesson - 40 minutes, the second - 50 minutes) with a break of 10 minutes;

a long break with a walk lasted 1 hour 20 minutes (10.50–12.10);

then there was another 40-minute lesson (12.10–12.50);

a little more than an hour was allotted for breakfast (12.50–14.00). As a rule, the whole family gathered at the same table for breakfast for the first time, unless there were official events on that day.

After breakfast, the 10-year-old crown prince rested for an hour and a half (2–2.30 pm);

then again followed by a walk, activities and games in the fresh air (14.30–16.40). At this time, he had a chance to talk with his father, who was walking in the park, or his mother.

This was followed by the fourth lesson, which lasted 55 minutes (16.45–17.40).

For lunch, the Tsarevich was allowed 45 minutes (17.45–18.30). He dined alone or with his sisters. Parents dined much later.

After dinner, the Tsarevich prepared lessons for an hour and a half (18.30–19.00);

an obligatory part of the “working day” of the crown prince was a half-hour massage (19.00–19.30);

the massage was followed by games and a light dinner (19.30–20.30);

then the crown prince got ready for bed (20.30–21.00), prayed and went to bed (21.00–21.30).

Tsarevich Alexei with teachers: P. Gilliard, Palace Commandant V. Voeikov, S. Gibbs, P. Petrov

"Training in War"

In 1914 the First World War began. Classes lasted six days a week, 4 lessons a day. In total there were 22 lessons per week. Particular emphasis was placed on the study of languages. By the number of hours they were distributed as follows: French - 6 lessons per week; Russian language - 5 lessons per week; English - 4 lessons. Other subjects: The Law of God - 3 lessons; arithmetic - 3 lessons and geography - 2 lessons per week.

Epilogue

As we can see, the daily routine was busy, there was practically no free time even for games. Tsarevich Alexei often exclaimed: “When I am king, there will be no poor and unfortunate! I want everyone to be happy." And if it were not for the revolution of 1917, then it is worth noting with confidence that Tsarevich Alexei would have made every effort to bring these words to life.

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Nicholas II and his family

They died martyrs for humanity. Their true greatness did not stem from their royal dignity, but from that amazing moral height to which they gradually rose. They have become the perfect force. And in their very humiliation, they were a striking manifestation of that amazing clarity of the soul, against which all violence and all rage are powerless, and which triumphs in death itself ”(Tsarevich Alexei’s teacher Pierre Gilliard).



Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov

Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II) was born on May 6 (18), 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo. He was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. He received a strict, almost harsh upbringing under the guidance of his father. “I need normal healthy Russian children,” Emperor Alexander III put forward such a demand to the educators of his children.
The future emperor Nicholas II received a good education at home: he knew several languages, studied Russian and world history, was deeply versed in military affairs, and was a widely erudite person.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

From the very beginning of his reign, Emperor Nicholas II treated the duties of the monarch as a sacred duty. He deeply believed that even for the 100-million Russian people, tsarist power was and remains sacred.

He had a lively mind - he always quickly grasped the essence of the issues reported to him, an excellent memory, especially for faces, the nobility of his way of thinking. But Nikolai Alexandrovich, with his gentleness, tact in handling, modest manners, gave the impression to many of a man who did not inherit the strong will of his father, who left him the following political testament: “I bequeath you to love everything that serves the good, honor and dignity of Russia. Protect autocracy, remembering that you are responsible for the fate of your subjects before the Throne of the Most High. Faith in God and the holiness of your royal duty be the foundation of your life for you. Be firm and courageous, never show weakness. Listen to everyone, there is nothing shameful in this, but listen to yourself and your conscience.

On November 3, 1895, the first daughter, Olga, was born in the family of Emperor Nicholas II; she was followed by Tatyana (May 29, 1897), Maria (June 14, 1899) and Anastasia (June 5, 1901). But the family was waiting for the heir.

On July 30 (August 12), 1904, the fifth child and the only, long-awaited son, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich, appeared in Peterhof. The royal couple attended the glorification of Seraphim of Sarov on July 18, 1903 in Sarov, where the emperor and empress prayed for the granting of an heir. At birth, he was named Alexei - in honor of St. Alexis of Moscow. On the mother's side, Alexei inherited hemophilia, which was carried by some of the daughters and granddaughters of the English Queen Victoria. The disease became apparent in the Tsarevich already in the autumn of 1904, when a two-month-old baby began to bleed heavily. In 1912, while resting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Tsarevich unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely injured his thigh: the hematoma that arose did not resolve for a long time, the child’s health was very difficult, and bulletins were officially published about him. There was a real threat of death.
The appearance of Alexei combined the best features of his father and mother. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Alexei was a handsome boy, with a clean, open face.

The life of the family was not luxurious for the purpose of education - the parents were afraid that wealth and bliss would spoil the character of the children. The imperial daughters lived two by two in a room - on one side of the corridor there was a “big couple” (eldest daughters Olga and Tatyana), on the other - a “small couple” (younger daughters Maria and Anastasia).

In the younger sisters' room, the walls were painted gray, the ceiling was painted with butterflies, the furniture was white and green, simple and artless. The girls slept on folding army beds, each labeled with the owner's name, under thick monogrammed blue blankets. This tradition came from the time of Catherine the Great (she introduced such an order for the first time for her grandson Alexander). The beds could easily be moved to be closer to the warmth in winter, or even in my brother's room, next to the Christmas tree, and closer to the open windows in summer. Here, everyone had a small bedside table and sofas with small embroidered little thoughts. The walls were decorated with icons and photographs; the girls themselves loved to take pictures - a huge number of pictures have still been preserved, taken mainly in the Livadia Palace - a favorite vacation spot for the family. Parents tried to keep the children constantly busy with something useful, girls were taught to needlework.
As in simple poor families, the younger ones often had to wear out the things that the older ones grew out of. They also relied on pocket money, which could be used to buy each other small gifts.
The education of children usually began when they reached the age of 8. The first subjects were reading, calligraphy, arithmetic, the Law of God. Later, languages ​​\u200b\u200bare added to this - Russian, English, French, and even later - German. Dancing, playing the piano, good manners, natural sciences and grammar were also taught to the imperial daughters.
Imperial daughters were ordered to get up at 8 o'clock in the morning, take a cold bath. Breakfast at 9 o'clock, second breakfast at one or half past twelve on Sundays. At 5 pm - tea, at 8 - common dinner.

Everyone who knew the family life of the emperor noted the amazing simplicity, mutual love and consent of all family members. Aleksey Nikolayevich was its center; all attachments, all hopes were concentrated on him. In relation to the mother, the children were full of respect and courtesy. When the empress was unwell, the daughters arranged alternate duty with their mother, and the one who was on duty that day remained hopelessly with her. The relationship of the children with the sovereign was touching - for them he was at the same time king, father and comrade; their feelings for their father went from almost religious worship to complete gullibility and the most cordial friendship. A very important memory of the spiritual state of the royal family was left by the priest Afanasy Belyaev, who confessed the children before their departure to Tobolsk: “The impression of the confession turned out to be this: give, Lord, that all children are morally as high as the children of the former king. Such kindness, humility, obedience to parental will, devotion to the unconditional will of God, purity in thoughts and complete ignorance of earthly dirt - passionate and sinful - led me to amazement, and I was decidedly perplexed: should I, as a confessor, be reminded of sins, maybe they unknown, and how to dispose to repentance for the sins known to me.

A circumstance that constantly darkened the life of the imperial family was the incurable illness of the heir. Frequent attacks of hemophilia, during which the child experienced severe suffering, made everyone suffer, especially the mother. But the nature of the disease was a state secret, and parents often had to hide their feelings while participating in the normal routine of palace life. The Empress was well aware that medicine was powerless here. But, being a deep believer, she indulged in fervent prayer in anticipation of a miraculous healing. She was ready to believe anyone who was able to help her grief, somehow alleviate the suffering of her son: the illness of the Tsarevich opened the doors to the palace to those people who were recommended to the royal family as healers and prayer books. Among them, the peasant Grigory Rasputin appears in the palace, who was destined to play a role in the life of the royal family and in the fate of the whole country - but he had no right to claim this role.
Rasputin was presented as a kind holy old man helping Alexei. Under the influence of their mother, all four girls had complete confidence in him and shared all their simple secrets. Rasputin's friendship with the imperial children was evident from their correspondence. Those who sincerely loved the royal family tried to somehow limit the influence of Rasputin, but the empress resisted this very much, since the “holy old man” somehow knew how to alleviate the plight of Tsarevich Alexei.

Russia was at that time at the pinnacle of glory and power: industry developed at an unprecedented pace, the army and navy became more and more powerful, and agrarian reform was successfully implemented. It seemed that all internal problems would be safely resolved in the near future.
But this was not destined to come true: the First World War was brewing. Using as a pretext the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne by a terrorist, Austria attacked Serbia. Emperor Nicholas II considered it his Christian duty to stand up for the Orthodox Serbian brothers...
On July 19 (August 1), 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, which soon became a pan-European one. In August 1914, Russia launched a hasty offensive in East Prussia to help its ally France, this led to a heavy defeat. By autumn, it became clear that the near end of the war was not in sight. But with the outbreak of war, internal disagreements subsided in the country. Even the most difficult questions became solvable - it was possible to implement a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages for the entire duration of the war. The sovereign regularly travels to Headquarters, visits the army, dressing stations, military hospitals, rear factories. The Empress, having taken courses as sisters of mercy, together with her eldest daughters Olga and Tatyana, looked after the wounded in her Tsarskoye Selo infirmary for several hours a day.


According to the memoirs of contemporaries, following their mother, all the sisters sobbed bitterly on the day the First World War was declared. During the war, the empress gave many of the palace rooms for hospital premises. The older sisters Olga and Tatyana, together with their mother, became sisters of mercy; Maria and Anastasia became patronesses of the hospital and helped the wounded: they read to them, wrote letters to their relatives, gave their personal money to buy medicines, gave concerts to the wounded and did their best to distract them from their heavy thoughts. They spent their days in the hospital, reluctantly breaking away from work for the sake of lessons.


On August 22, 1915, Nicholas II left for Mogilev to take command of all the armed forces of Russia and from that day on he was constantly at Headquarters, often with him was the heir. About once a month he came to Tsarskoe Selo for a few days. All responsible decisions were made by him, but at the same time he instructed the empress to maintain relations with the ministers and keep him informed of what was happening in the capital. She was the closest person to him, whom he could always rely on. Every day she sent detailed letters-reports to Headquarters, which was well known to the ministers.
The tsar spent January and February 1917 in Tsarskoye Selo. He felt that the political situation was becoming more and more tense, but he continued to hope that the feeling of patriotism would still prevail, he maintained faith in the army, whose situation had improved significantly. This raised hopes for the success of the great spring offensive, which would deal a decisive blow to Germany. But this was well understood by the forces hostile to him.

In the capital came complete anarchy. But Nicholas II and the army command believed that the Duma was in control of the situation; in telephone conversations with the chairman of the State Duma, M. V. Rodzianko, the emperor agreed to all concessions if the Duma could restore order in the country. The answer was: it's too late. Was it really so? After all, only Petrograd and its environs were embraced by the revolution, and the tsar's authority among the people and in the army was still great. The answer of the Duma confronted him with a choice: renunciation or an attempt to go to Petrograd with troops loyal to him - the latter meant a civil war, while the external enemy was within Russian borders.
Everyone around the king also convinced him that renunciation was the only way out. This was especially insisted on by the commanders of the fronts, whose demands were supported by the Chief of the General Staff, M. V. Alekseev. And after long and painful reflections, the emperor made a hard-won decision: to abdicate both for himself and for the heir, in view of his incurable illness, in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. On March 8, the commissars of the Provisional Government, having arrived in Mogilev, announced through General Alekseev that the emperor had been arrested and that he had to proceed to Tsarskoye Selo. For the last time, he turned to his troops, calling on them to be loyal to the Provisional Government, the very one that arrested him, to fulfill their duty to the Motherland until complete victory. The farewell order to the troops, which expressed the nobility of the emperor's soul, his love for the army, faith in it, was hidden from the people by the Provisional Government, which banned its publication.


On the very day of his abdication, March 2, the same general recorded the words of the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count V.B. He was worried about the thought of a family that remained alone in Tsarskoye Selo, the children were sick. The sovereign suffers terribly, but he is such a person who will never show his grief in public. Nikolai is also restrained in his personal diary. Only at the very end of the recording for that day does his inner feeling break through: “My renunciation is needed. The bottom line is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front in peace, you need to decide on this step. I agreed. A draft Manifesto was sent from Headquarters. In the evening, Guchkov and Shulgin arrived from Petrograd, with whom I spoke and handed them the signed and revised Manifesto. At one o'clock in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy feeling of what I had experienced. Around treason and cowardice and deceit!

From the moment of renunciation, the inner spiritual state of the emperor attracts the most attention. It seemed to him that he made the only right decision, but, nevertheless, he experienced severe mental anguish. “If I am an obstacle to the happiness of Russia and all the social forces now at the head of it ask me to leave the throne and pass it on to my son and brother, then I am ready to do this, I am ready not only to give my kingdom, but also to give my life for the Motherland. I think no one doubts this from those who know me, ”he said to General D.N. Dubensky.

The Provisional Government announced the arrest of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife and their detention in Tsarskoe Selo. Their arrest did not have the slightest legal basis or reason.
Nicholas returned a few days later. Life under house arrest began.

In March it became known that a separate peace with Germany was concluded in Brest. “This is such a shame for Russia and it is“ tantamount to suicide, ”the emperor gave such an assessment of this event. When a rumor spread that the Germans demanded that the Bolsheviks hand over the royal family to them, the empress declared: “I prefer to die in Russia than to be saved by the Germans.” The first Bolshevik detachment arrived in Tobolsk on Tuesday 22 April. Commissar Yakovlev inspects the house, gets acquainted with the prisoners. A few days later, he announces that he must take the emperor away, assuring him that nothing bad will happen to him. Assuming that they wanted to send him to Moscow to sign a separate peace with Germany, the emperor, who under no circumstances left his high spiritual nobility, firmly said: "I'd rather let my hand be cut off than sign this shameful treaty."

There is little evidence of the Yekaterinburg period of imprisonment of the royal family. Almost no letters. Basically, this period is known only from brief entries in the diary of the emperor and the testimony of witnesses in the case of the murder of the royal family.

All the prisoners understood the possibility of an early end. Once, Tsarevich Alexei said: “If they kill, if only they don’t torture ...” Almost in complete isolation, they showed nobility and fortitude. In one of the letters, Olga Nikolaevna says: “Father asks me to tell all those who remained devoted to him, and those on whom they can have influence, so that they do not avenge him, since he has forgiven everyone and prays for everyone, and so that avenged themselves, and to remember that the evil that is now in the world will be even stronger, but that it is not evil that will conquer evil, but only love.