The name of Emperor Alexander III, one of the greatest statesmen of Russia, was desecrated and forgotten for many years. And only in recent decades, when it became possible to speak unbiasedly and freely about the past, evaluate the present and think about the future, the public service of Emperor Alexander III is of great interest to everyone who is interested in the history of their country.

The reign of Alexander III was not accompanied by either bloody wars or devastating radical reforms. It brought economic stability to Russia, the strengthening of international prestige, the growth of its population and spiritual self-deepening. Alexander III put an end to the terrorism that shook the state during the reign of his father, Emperor Alexander II, who was killed on March 1, 1881 by a bomb from the gentry of the Bobruisk district of the Minsk province, Ignaty Grinevitsky.

Emperor Alexander III was not intended to reign by birth. As the second son of Alexander II, he became heir to the Russian throne only after the untimely death of his elder brother Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich in 1865. Then, on April 12, 1865, the Supreme Manifesto announced to Russia the proclamation of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich as the heir-Tsesarevich, and a year later the Tsarevich married the Danish princess Dagmar, who was married to Maria Feodorovna.

On the anniversary of his brother’s death on April 12, 1866, he wrote in his diary: “I will never forget this day ... the first funeral service over the body of a dear friend ... I thought in those minutes that I would not survive my brother, that I would constantly cry just at one thought that I no longer have a brother and friend. But God strengthened me and gave me the strength to take on my new assignment. Maybe I often forgot in the eyes of others my purpose, but in my soul there was always this feeling that I should not live for myself, but for others; heavy and difficult duty. But: "Thy will be done, O God". I repeat these words all the time, and they always comfort and support me, because everything that happens to us is all the will of God, and therefore I am calm and trust in the Lord! Awareness of the severity of obligations and responsibility for the future of the state, entrusted to him from above, did not leave the new emperor throughout his short life.

The educators of the Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich were Adjutant General, Count V.A. Perovsky, a man of strict moral rules, appointed by his grandfather Emperor Nicholas I. The well-known economist, professor of Moscow University A.I. Chivilev. Academician Ya.K. Grotto taught Alexander history, geography, Russian and German; prominent military theorist M.I. Dragomirov - tactics and military history, S.M. Solovyov - Russian history. The future emperor studied political and legal sciences, as well as Russian legislation, under K.P. Pobedonostsev, who had a particularly great influence on Alexander. After graduation, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich repeatedly traveled around Russia. It was these trips that laid in him not only love and the foundations of a deep interest in the fate of the Motherland, but formed an understanding of the problems facing Russia.

As heir to the throne, the Tsesarevich participated in meetings of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers, was chancellor of the University of Helsingfors, ataman of the Cossack troops, commander of the guards in St. Petersburg. In 1868, when Russia suffered a severe famine, he stood at the head of a commission formed to provide assistance to the victims. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. he commanded the Ruschuk detachment, which played an important and difficult tactical role: he held back the Turks from the east, facilitating the actions of the Russian army, which besieged Plevna. Understanding the need to strengthen the Russian fleet, the Tsesarevich addressed an ardent appeal to the people for donations to the Russian fleet. In a short time the money was raised. Vessels of the Volunteer Fleet were built on them. It was then that the heir to the throne became convinced that Russia had only two friends: its army and navy.

He was interested in music, fine arts and history, was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Historical Society and its chairman, was engaged in collecting collections of antiquities and restoring historical monuments.

The accession to the Russian throne of Emperor Alexander III followed on March 2, 1881, after the tragic death of his father, Emperor Alexander II, who went down in history for his extensive transformative activity. The regicide was the strongest shock for Alexander III and caused a complete change in the political course of the country. Already the Manifesto on the accession to the throne of the new emperor contained the program of his foreign and domestic policy. It said: “In the midst of Our great sorrow, the voice of God commands Us to stand up cheerfully for the cause of government, in the hope of God’s Providence, with faith in the strength and truth of the Autocratic power, which We are called to establish and protect for the good of the people from any encroachments on it.” It was clear that the time for constitutional hesitation, which had characterized the previous government, was over. The emperor set as his main task the suppression of not only the revolutionary terrorist, but also the liberal opposition movement.

The government formed with the participation of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev, focused on strengthening the "traditionalist" principles in the politics, economy and culture of the Russian Empire. In the 80s - mid 90s. a series of legislative acts appeared that limited the nature and actions of those reforms of the 60-70s, which, according to the emperor, did not correspond to the historical destiny of Russia. Trying to prevent the destructive power of the opposition movement, the emperor imposed restrictions on zemstvo and city self-government. The elective beginning in the magistrate's court was reduced, in the districts the execution of judicial duties was transferred to the newly established zemstvo chiefs.

At the same time, steps were taken to develop the state's economy, strengthen finances and carry out military reforms, and resolve agrarian-peasant and national-religious issues. The young emperor also paid attention to the development of the material well-being of his subjects: he founded the Ministry of Agriculture to improve agriculture, established noble and peasant land banks, with the assistance of which nobles and peasants could acquire land property, patronized domestic industry (by raising customs duties on foreign goods ), and the construction of new canals and railways, including through Belarus, contributed to the revival of the economy and trade.

The population of Belarus for the first time in full force was sworn in to Emperor Alexander III. At the same time, local authorities paid special attention to the peasantry, among whom there were rumors that the oath was being carried out in order to return the former serfdom and a 25-year term of military service. In order to prevent peasant unrest, the Minsk governor proposed to take the oath for the peasants together with the privileged estates. In the event that Catholic peasants refused to take the oath “in the prescribed manner”, it was recommended “to act ... in a condescending and cautious manner, watching ... that the oath be taken according to the Christian rite, ... without forcing ... and generally not influencing them in a spirit that could irritate their religious beliefs."

The state policy in Belarus was dictated, first of all, by the unwillingness of the "violent breaking of the historically established order of life" of the local population, the "violent eradication of languages" and the desire to ensure that "foreigners become modern sons, and not remain the eternal adoptives of the country." It was at this time that the general imperial legislation, administrative and political administration and the education system finally established themselves in the Belarusian lands. At the same time, the authority of the Orthodox Church rose.

In foreign policy affairs, Alexander III tried to avoid military conflicts, so he went down in history as the "Tsar-Peacemaker". The main direction of the new political course was to ensure Russian interests through the search for reliance on "themselves." Having approached France, with which Russia had no controversial interests, he concluded a peace treaty with her, thus establishing an important balance between the European states. Another extremely important policy direction for Russia was the preservation of stability in Central Asia, which became part of the Russian Empire shortly before the reign of Alexander III. The borders of the Russian Empire pr him advanced to Afghanistan. A railway was laid on this vast expanse, connecting the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with the center of Russian Central Asian possessions - Samarkand and the river. Amu Darya. In general, Alexander III persistently strove for the complete unification of all the outskirts with native Russia. To this end, he abolished the Caucasian governorship, destroyed the privileges of the Baltic Germans and forbade foreigners, including Poles, to acquire land in Western Russia, including Belarus.

The emperor also worked hard to improve military affairs: the Russian army was significantly enlarged and armed with new weapons; several fortresses were built on the western border. The navy under him became one of the strongest in Europe.

Alexander III was a deeply believing Orthodox man and tried to do everything he considered necessary and useful for the Orthodox Church. Under him, church life noticeably revived: church brotherhoods began to operate more actively, societies for spiritual and moral readings and discussions arose, as well as for the fight against drunkenness. To strengthen Orthodoxy in the reign of Emperor Alexander III, monasteries were founded again or restored, temples were built, including on numerous and generous imperial donations. During his 13-year reign, 5,000 churches were built with state funds and donated money. Of the churches erected at that time, they are remarkable for their beauty and internal splendor: the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in St. Petersburg on the site of the mortal wound of Emperor Alexander II - the Tsar Martyr, the majestic church in the name of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles in Kyiv, the cathedral in Riga. On the day of the coronation of the emperor, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, who guarded Holy Russia from the impudent conqueror, was solemnly consecrated in Moscow. Alexander III did not allow any modernization in Orthodox architecture and personally approved the projects of churches under construction. He zealously made sure that the Orthodox churches in Russia looked Russian, so the architecture of his time has pronounced features of a peculiar Russian style. He left this Russian style in churches and buildings as a legacy to the entire Orthodox world.

Parochial schools were extremely important in the era of Alexander III. The emperor saw in the parish school one of the forms of cooperation between the State and the Church. The Orthodox Church, in his opinion, from time immemorial has been the educator and teacher of the people. For centuries, schools at churches were the first and only schools in Russia, including Belaya. Until the half of the 60s. In the 19th century, almost exclusively priests and other members of the clergy were mentors in rural schools. On June 13, 1884, the "Rules on parish schools" were approved by the emperor. Approving them, the emperor wrote in a report about them: "I hope that the parish clergy will prove worthy of their high calling in this important matter." Parish schools began to open in many places in Russia, often in the most remote and remote villages. Often they were the only source of education for the people. At the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander III, there were only about 4,000 parish schools in the Russian Empire. In the year of his death, there were 31,000 of them and over a million boys and girls were studying in them.

Along with the number of schools, their position also strengthened. Initially, these schools were based on church funds, on the funds of church brotherhoods and trustees and individual benefactors. Later, the state treasury came to their aid. To manage all parochial schools, a special school council was formed under the Holy Synod, publishing textbooks and literature necessary for education. Taking care of the parochial school, the emperor realized the importance of combining the foundations of education and upbringing in the public school. This upbringing, protecting the people from the harmful influences of the West, the emperor saw in Orthodoxy. Therefore, Alexander III was especially attentive to the parish clergy. Before him, the parish clergy of only a few dioceses received support from the treasury. Under Alexander III, a vacation was started from the treasury of sums to provide for the clergy. This order laid the foundation for improving the life of the Russian parish priest. When the clergy expressed gratitude for this undertaking, he said: "I will be quite glad when I manage to provide for all the rural clergy."

Emperor Alexander III treated the development of higher and secondary education in Russia with the same care. During his short reign, Tomsk University and a number of industrial schools were opened.

The king's family life was distinguished by impeccability. According to his diary, which he kept daily when he was his heir, one can study the daily life of an Orthodox person no worse than according to Ivan Shmelev's well-known book "The Summer of the Lord." True pleasure was given to Alexander III by church hymns and sacred music, which he put much higher than secular.

Emperor Alexander reigned thirteen years and seven months. Constant worries and intense studies broke his strong nature early: he became more and more unwell. Before the death of Alexander III, he confessed and communed St. John of Kronstadt. Not for a moment did the consciousness leave the king; saying goodbye to his family, he said to his wife: “I feel the end. Be calm. I am completely calm… “About half past 3 he took communion,” the new emperor Nicholas II wrote in his diary on the evening of October 20, 1894, “soon, slight convulsions began, ... and the end came quickly! Father John stood at the head of the bed for more than an hour, holding his head. It was the death of a saint!” Alexander III died in his Livadia Palace (in the Crimea), before reaching his fiftieth birthday.

The personality of the emperor and his significance for the history of Russia are rightly expressed in the following verses:

In the hour of turmoil and struggle, having ascended under the shadow of the throne,
He extended a mighty hand.
And the noisy sedition froze around.
Like a dying fire.

He understood Russia's spirit and believed in its strength,
Loved her space and expanse,
He lived like a Russian Tsar and he went down to the grave
Like a true Russian hero.

Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov
Years of life: February 26, 1845, Anichkov Palace, St. Petersburg - October 20, 1894, Livadia Palace, Crimea.

Son of Maria Alexandrovna, recognized daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and Emperor.

Emperor of All Russia (1 (13) March 1881 - October 20 (November 1), 1894), Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from March 1, 1881

From the Romanov dynasty.

He was awarded a special epithet in pre-revolutionary historiography - the Peacemaker.

Biography of Alexander III

He was the 2nd son of the imperial family. Born February 26 (March 10), 1845 in Tsarskoye Selo His elder brother was preparing to inherit the throne.

The mentor who had a strong influence on his worldview was K.P. Pobedonostsev.

As a prince, he became a member of the State Council, commander of the guards and chieftain of all Cossack troops.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–1878. he was the commander of the Separate Ruschuk Detachment in Bulgaria. He created the Volunteer Fleet of Russia (since 1878), which became the core of the country's merchant fleet and the reserve of the Russian military fleet.

After the death of his elder brother Nicholas in 1865, he became the heir to the throne.

In 1866, he married the bride of his deceased brother, the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Princess Sophia Frederica Dagmar, who adopted the name Maria Feodorovna in Orthodoxy.

Emperor Alexander 3

Having ascended the throne after the assassination of Alexander II on March 1 (13), 1881 (his father's legs were blown off by a terrorist bomb, and his son spent the last hours of his life nearby), canceled the draft constitutional reform signed by his father just before his death. He stated that Russia would pursue a peaceful policy and deal with internal problems - strengthening the autocracy.

His manifesto of April 29 (May 11), 1881 reflected the program of domestic and foreign policy. The main priorities were: maintaining order and power, strengthening church piety and ensuring the national interests of Russia.

Reforms of Alexander 3

The tsar created the State Peasants' Land Bank for issuing loans to peasants for the purchase of land, and also issued a number of laws to alleviate the situation of the workers.

Alexander 3 pursued a tough policy of Russification, which faced opposition from some Finns and Poles.
After Bismarck's resignation from the post of Chancellor of Germany in 1893, Alexander III Alexandrovich concluded an alliance with France (Franco-Russian alliance).

In foreign policy, for years of reign of Alexander 3 Russia has firmly taken a leading position in Europe. Possessing enormous physical strength, the tsar symbolized for other states the power and invincibility of Russia. Once the Austrian ambassador began to threaten him during dinner, promising to move a couple of army corps to the borders. The king listened in silence, then took a fork from the table, tied it in a knot and threw it on the ambassador's plate. “This is what we will do with your couple of hulls,” the king replied.

Domestic policy of Alexander 3

Court etiquette and ceremonial became much simpler. He significantly reduced the staff of the Ministry of the Court, the number of servants was reduced and strict control over the spending of money was introduced. At the same time, a lot of money was spent on the acquisition of art objects by him, since the emperor was a passionate collector. Gatchina Castle under him turned into a storehouse of priceless treasures, which later became a true national treasure of Russia.

Unlike all his predecessors-rulers on the Russian throne, he adhered to strict family morality and was an exemplary family man - a loving husband and a good father. He was one of the most pious Russian sovereigns, firmly adhered to the Orthodox canons, willingly donated to monasteries, to build new churches and restore ancient ones.
Passionately fond of hunting and fishing, boating. Belovezhskaya Pushcha was the Emperor's favorite hunting ground. He participated in archaeological excavations, loved to play the trumpet in a brass band.

The family had very warm relations. Every year the date of marriage was celebrated. Evenings for children were often arranged: circus and puppet performances. Everyone was attentive to each other and gave gifts.

The emperor was very hardworking. And yet, despite a healthy lifestyle, he died young, before reaching the age of 50, quite unexpectedly. In October 1888, the tsar's train crashed near Kharkov. There were many victims, but the royal family remained intact. Alexander, with incredible efforts, held the collapsed roof of the car on his shoulders until help arrived.

But soon after this incident, the emperor began to complain of back pain. Doctors came to the conclusion that a terrible concussion during the fall served as the onset of kidney disease. At the insistence of the Berlin doctors, he was sent to the Crimea, to Livadia, but the disease progressed.

On October 20, 1894, the Emperor died. He was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The death of Emperor Alexander III caused an echo all over the world, flags were lowered in France, memorial services were held in all churches in England. Many foreign figures called him a peacemaker.

The Marquess of Salisbury said: “Alexander III saved Europe many times from the horrors of war. According to his deeds, the sovereigns of Europe should learn how to manage their peoples.

He was married to the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX Dagmar of Denmark (Maria Feodorovna). They had children:

• Nicholas II (May 18, 1868 - July 17, 1918),
• Alexander (May 20, 1869 – April 21, 1870),
• Georgy Alexandrovich (April 27, 1871 - June 28, 1899),
• Xenia Alexandrovna (April 6, 1875 - April 20, 1960, London), also Romanova by her husband,
• Mikhail Alexandrovich (December 5, 1878 - June 13, 1918),
• Olga Alexandrovna (June 13, 1882 - November 24, 1960).

He had a military rank - general of infantry, general of cavalry (Russian Imperial Army). The Emperor was of enormous stature.

In 1883, the so-called "coronation ruble" was issued in honor of the coronation of Alexander III.

Russian Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker (1845-1894) ascended the throne on March 2, 1881 after the death of his father Alexander II. He was killed as a result of a terrorist act committed in the center of St. Petersburg. Having come to power, the new sovereign began to implement a completely different policy, directly opposite to that pursued by his father.

The activity of the previous autocrat was assessed negatively, and the reforms carried out by him were called "criminal". Before the reign of Alexander II, peace and order reigned in the country. The population lived prosperously and quietly. However, general liberalization and thoughtlessly carried out reform to abolish serfdom plunged the country into chaos. A huge number of beggars appeared, drunkenness began to flourish, the nobles began to express sharp discontent, and the peasants took up pitchforks and axes.

Portrait of Alexander III

The situation was aggravated by mass terror. Feeling impunity, the radical intelligentsia created many revolutionary circles in which bloody terrorist acts became the norm. But during the commission of criminal acts, not only those who wanted to be killed, but also absolutely strangers, who happened to be at the scene of the tragedy, died. All this undisguised cynicism had to be resolutely combated.

The new emperor gathered extremely intelligent and strong-willed people around him. What is only Sergei Yulievich Witte (1849-1915). He was an ardent opponent of the liberal economy, which gave rise to the collapse of industry and corruption. The Chief Prosecutor of the Governing Synod Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev (1827-1907) took a tough and ruthless policy towards terrorism.

He was the author of the "Manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy". He saw the light on April 30, 1881 and caused general rejoicing in the country. With the direct participation of Pobedonostsev, the terrorists who killed the previous emperor were sentenced to death, although many liberal-minded gentlemen demanded that the death penalty be replaced by imprisonment. Additional measures were taken in the country to combat revolutionary unrest.

All this has borne fruit. By the middle of the 1980s, the terrorist activities of revolutionary elements had practically come to naught. During the entire reign of Alexander III, the Narodnaya Volya committed only one successful bloody action. In 1882, prosecutor Strelnikov Vasily Stepanovich was killed in the center of Odessa.

The perpetrators of the terrorist act Zhelvakov and Khalturin were arrested. They committed the crime on March 18, and on March 22, by the highest order, they were hanged. Vera Nikolaevna Figner (1852-1942) was later arrested in connection with this crime. She was also sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment.

All these harsh, uncompromising measures, of course, frightened the terrorists. And yet in 1887 they attempted to assassinate the new emperor. But the death of Alexander III came much later, and 1887 can be considered the last year of the 19th century, when the revolutionaries tried to carry out a bloody action in the country.

Assassination attempt on Alexander III

The attempt was organized by members of the "Terrorist faction". It was created in December 1886 in St. Petersburg and was formally part of the People's Will party. Its organizers were Pyotr Shevyryov (1863-1887) and Alexander Ulyanov (1866-1887). They planned to kill the sovereign on the anniversary of the death of his father. That is, they decided to date the murder to March 1.

But it should be noted that the terrorists are no longer the same. They did not know the elementary foundations of conspiracy. They told their friends about the planned terrorist act. In addition, many of them were under the supervision of the police as unreliable. And yet, the young people managed to make bombs, but they never made a clear plan for the assassination.

The main organizer of the terrorist act, Pyotr Shevyryov, already in February was frightened of what he had planned. He urgently left the capital and went to the Crimea, informing his accomplices that he had tuberculosis and needed urgent treatment. After that, Alexander Ulyanov took over the functions of the head. He marked the site of the assassination attempt on Nevsky Prospekt not far from the Admiralty.

From February 26 to 28, the conspirators, having hung themselves with bombs, went there in a crowd and waited for the sovereign. But he never showed up. All these walks aroused close interest from the police. One of the conspirators, Andreyushkin, detailed the plan of the assassination attempt to his comrade in a letter. And this comrade had nothing to do with the organization.

It all ended in the most sad way for the members of the "Terrorist Faction". March 1, 1887, when the terrorists again appeared on Nevsky Prospekt, they were arrested, and Shevyryov was detained in the Crimea on March 7. A total of 15 people were involved in the case. Of these, 5 people were sentenced to death, and 8 were given hard labor with subsequent exile.

The trial of the conspirators began on April 15, 1887 and lasted 5 days. The verdict was read out on April 19, and already on May 8, Shevyryov, Ulyanov, Andreyushkin, Osipanov and Generalov were hanged in the Shlisselburg fortress.

Death of Alexander III

The death of Alexander III was preceded by the collapse of the imperial train on October 17, 1888. It should be noted that the sovereign had an athletic physique and possessed great strength. At the same time, his height was 1 meter 90 cm. That is, this man was a real Russian hero with a strong-willed strong character.

On the specified date, the royal family was returning from the Crimea to the capital of the empire. Before reaching Kharkov, near the Borki station, near the village of Chervonny Veleten, a tragedy happened. The cars were pulled by 2 steam locomotives, and the train raced at a speed of almost 70 km / h. On the embankment, the height of which reached 10 meters, there was a derailment of wagons. At the time of the tragedy, there were 290 people on the train. Of these, 21 people died and 68 were injured.

Imperial train crash

At the time of the crash, the sovereign and his family were sitting in the dining room, as it was lunch time - 14 hours and 15 minutes. Their wagon was thrown onto the left side of the embankment. The walls collapsed, the floor collapsed, and everyone who was in the car ended up on the sleepers. The situation was aggravated by the collapsed roof. But the mighty emperor saved people from injuries. He put his shoulders up and held the roof on them until all the victims got out.

Thus, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the third son of the sovereign Georgy Alexandrovich, daughter Xenia Alexandrovna, as well as representatives of the royal court, who dined with the crowned family, were saved. All of them escaped with bruises, abrasions and scratches. But if the emperor had not held the roof, people would have received much more serious injuries.

The train consisted of 15 wagons. But only 5 of them remained on the railway track. All the others have turned over. Most of all went to the car in which the attendants rode. Everything turned into a mess there. Terribly mutilated corpses were pulled out from under the rubble.

The dining room was not the youngest daughter Olga Alexandrovna and the 4th son of Mikhail Alexandrovich. They were in the royal carriage. When they crashed, they were thrown onto an embankment and sprinkled with debris. But the 10-year-old boy and the 6-year-old girl did not receive any serious injuries.

An investigation was carried out after the accident. It concluded that the cause of the tragedy was the poor quality of the track, as well as the high speed at which the train was traveling.

However, there was another version. Its supporters claimed that the disaster occurred as a result of a terrorist act. Allegedly, in the royal servants there was a person associated with the revolutionaries. He planted a bomb equipped with a clockwork, and he left the train at the last station before the explosion. However, no facts confirming the authenticity of this version were provided.

Alexander III with his wife and children

Emperor's death

The railway accident that happened was fatal for the emperor. The enormous physical and nervous tension provoked kidney disease. The disease began to progress. Soon this affected the health of the sovereign in the most deplorable way. He began to eat poorly, there were problems with the heart. In 1894, the autocrat became very ill, as acute inflammation of the kidneys began.

Doctors strongly recommended to go south. In September of the same year, the royal family arrived at their southern residence, Livadia Palace, on the Black Sea coast. But the healthy Yalta climate did not save the emperor. Every day he got worse and worse. He lost a lot of weight and ate almost nothing. On October 20, 1894, at 2:15 pm, the All-Russian autocrat died of chronic nephritis, which caused complications in the heart and blood vessels.

The death of Alexander III caused nationwide despondency in the country. On October 27, the coffin with the body was delivered to Sevastopol, and from there it was sent by rail to St. Petersburg. On November 1, the remains of the monarch were exhibited for farewell in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and on November 7, a funeral liturgy and funeral service were held. Thus ended the life of the 13th emperor and autocrat of all Russia.

Tsar Alexander III, who ruled Russia from 1881 to 1894, was remembered by posterity for the fact that under him a period of stability and absence of wars began in the country. P...

By Masterweb

20.05.2018 19:00

Tsar Alexander III, who ruled Russia from 1881 to 1894, was remembered by posterity for the fact that under him a period of stability and absence of wars began in the country. Having endured many personal tragedies, the emperor left the empire at a phase of economic and foreign policy upsurge, which seemed firm and unshakable - such were the qualities of the character of the Tsar-Peacemaker. A brief biography of Emperor Alexander 3 will be told to the reader in the article.

Milestones of the life path

The fate of the Tsar-Peacemaker abounded in surprises, but with all the sharp turns in his life, he behaved with dignity, following once and for all learned principles.

Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was not initially considered in the royal family as the heir to the throne. He was born in 1845, when his grandfather, Nicholas I, was still ruling the country. Another grandson, named after his grandfather, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich, who was born two years earlier, was to inherit the throne. However, at the age of 19, the heir died of tuberculous meningitis, and the right to the crown passed to the next oldest brother, Alexander.

Not having the appropriate education, Alexander still had the opportunity to prepare for the future reign - he was in the status of heir from 1865 to 1881, gradually taking an increasing part in government. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, the Grand Duke was with the Danube army, where he commanded one of the detachments.

Another tragedy that elevated Alexander to the throne was the murder of his father by the Narodnaya Volya. Taking the reins of government into his own hands, the new king dealt with the terrorists, gradually extinguishing the internal unrest in the country. Alexander ended plans for a constitution, reaffirming his commitment to traditional autocracy.

In 1887, the organizers of the assassination attempt on the tsar were arrested and hanged, which never took place (one of the participants in the conspiracy was Alexander Ulyanov, the elder brother of the future revolutionary Vladimir Lenin).

And the next year, the emperor almost lost all members of his family during a train crash near the Borki station in Ukraine. The king personally held the roof of the dining car in which his relatives were.

The trauma received during this incident marked the beginning of the end of the reign of Emperor Alexander III, which was 2 times shorter than the reigns of his father and grandfather.

In 1894, the Russian autocrat, at the invitation of his cousin, the Queen of Greece, went abroad for treatment for nephritis, but did not arrive and died a month later in the Livadia Palace in the Crimea.

Biography of Alexander 3, personal life

With his future wife - the Danish princess Dagmar - Alexander met under difficult circumstances. The girl was officially engaged to his elder brother Nikolai Alexandrovich, heir to the throne. Before the wedding, the Grand Duke visited Italy and fell ill there. When it became known that the heir to the throne was dying, Alexander, together with his brother's bride, went to see him in Nice to care for the dying.

The very next year after the death of his brother, during a trip to Europe, Alexander came to Copenhagen to offer his hand and heart to Princess Minnie (such was Dagmar's home name).

“I don’t know her feelings for me, and it really torments me. I’m sure that we can be so happy together,” Alexander wrote to his father at that time.

The engagement was successfully completed, and in the autumn of 1866 the bride of the Grand Duke, who received the name Maria Fedorovna in baptism, married him. She subsequently outlived her husband by 34 years.

Failed marriages

In addition to the Danish princess Dagmara, her sister, Princess Alexandra, could become the wife of Alexander III. This marriage, which Emperor Alexander II had hoped for, did not take place due to the intrigues of the British Queen Victoria, who managed to marry her son to the Danish princess, who later became King Edward VII.

Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was for some time in love with Princess Maria Meshcherskaya, his mother's maid of honor. For her sake, he was ready to give up his rights to the throne, but after hesitation, he chose Princess Dagmar. Princess Maria died 2 years later - in 1868, and subsequently Alexander III visited her grave in Paris.

Counter-reforms of Alexander III

One of the reasons for the rampant terrorism under Emperor Alexander II, his heir saw in the overly liberal order that was established during this period. Having ascended the throne, the new king stopped the movement towards democratization and focused on strengthening his own power. The institutions created by his father still functioned, but their powers were significantly curtailed.

1. In the years 1882-1884, the government issues new tougher rules regarding the press, libraries and reading rooms.
2. In 1889-1890, the role of the nobility in the zemstvo administration was strengthened.
3. Under Alexander III, university autonomy was abolished (1884).
4. In 1892, according to the new edition of the City Regulations, clerks, small merchants and other poor sections of the urban population lost their voting rights.
5. A "circular about the cook's children" was issued, limiting the rights of raznochintsy to receive an education.

Reforms aimed at investing the lot of peasants and workers

The government of Tsar Alexander 3, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, was aware of the degree of poverty in the post-reform village and sought to improve the economic situation of the peasants. In the first years of the reign, redemption payments for land plots were reduced, and a peasant land bank was created, the responsibility of which was to issue loans to farmers for the purchase of plots.

The emperor also sought to streamline labor relations in the country. Under him, the factory work of children was limited, as well as night shifts in factories for women and adolescents.

The foreign policy of the Tsar-Peacemaker

In the field of foreign policy, the main feature of the reign of Emperor Alexander III was the complete absence of wars during this period, thanks to which he received the title of Tsar-Peacemaker.

At the same time, the tsar, who had a military education, cannot be reproached for the lack of due attention to the army and navy. Under him, 114 warships were launched, which made the Russian fleet the third largest in the world after the British and French.

The emperor rejected the traditional alliance with Germany and Austria, which did not show its viability, and began to focus on the Western European states. Under him, an alliance was concluded with France.

Balkan reversal

Alexander III personally took part in the events of the Russian-Turkish war, but the subsequent behavior of the Bulgarian leadership led to a cooling of Russia's sympathies for this country.

Bulgaria was involved in a war with the same faith Serbia, which caused the anger of the Russian tsar, who did not want a new possible war with Turkey because of the provocative policy of the Bulgarians. In 1886, Russia severed diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, which succumbed to Austro-Hungarian influence.

European peacemaker

A brief biography of Alexander 3 contains information that he delayed the start of World War I for a couple of decades, which could have broken out as early as 1887 as a result of a failed German attack on France. Kaiser Wilhelm I listened to the voice of the tsar, and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, holding a grudge against Russia, provoked customs wars between states. Subsequently, the crisis ended in 1894 with the conclusion of a Russian-German trade agreement that was beneficial for Russia.

Asian conqueror

Under Alexander III, the annexation of territories in Central Asia by peaceful means continues at the expense of the lands inhabited by Turkmens. In 1885, this caused a military clash with the army of the Afghan emir on the Kushka River, whose soldiers were led by British officers. It ended with the defeat of the Afghans.

Domestic politics and economic growth

The cabinet of Alexander III managed to achieve financial stabilization and growth in industrial production. The ministers of finance under him were N. Kh. Bunge, I. A. Vyshnegradsky and S. Yu. Witte.

The abolished poll tax, which unduly burdened the poor, was compensated by the government with a variety of indirect taxes and increased customs duties. Excises were imposed on vodka, sugar, oil and tobacco.

Industrial production only benefited from protectionist measures. Under Alexander III, steel and iron production, coal and oil production grew at a record pace.

Tsar Alexander 3 and his family

The biography testifies that on the mother's side, Alexander III had relatives in the German Hesse house. Subsequently, in the same dynasty, his son Nikolai Alexandrovich found himself a bride.

In addition to Nicholas, whom he named after his beloved older brother, Alexander III had five children. His second son Alexander died as a child, the third - George - at the age of 28 in Georgia. The eldest son Nicholas II and the younger Mikhail Alexandrovich died after the October Revolution. And the two daughters of the emperor Xenia and Olga survived until 1960. This year, one of them died in London, and the other in Toronto, Canada.

Sources describe the emperor as an exemplary family man - this quality was inherited from him by Nicholas II.

Now you know the summary of the biography of Alexander 3. Finally, I would like to bring to your attention a few interesting facts:

• Emperor Alexander III was a tall man, and in his youth he could break horseshoes with his hands and bend coins with his fingers.
• In clothing and culinary tastes, the emperor adhered to folk traditions, at home he wore a Russian patterned shirt, and from food he preferred simple dishes, such as pig with horseradish and pickles. However, he liked to season his food with delicious sauces, and he also adored hot chocolate.
• An interesting fact in the biography of Alexander 3 is that he had a passion for collecting. The tsar collected paintings and other art objects, which then formed the basis of the collection of the Russian Museum.
• The emperor liked to hunt in the forests of Poland and Belarus, and fished in the Finnish skerries. Alexander's famous phrase: "When the Russian tsar is fishing, Europe can wait."
• Together with his wife, the emperor periodically visited Denmark during his summer vacation. In the warm months he did not like to be disturbed, but at other times of the year he was completely immersed in business.
• The king could not be denied condescension and a sense of humor. Having learned, for example, about the criminal case against the soldier Oreshkin, who, being drunk in a tavern, said that he wanted to spit on the Emperor, Alexander III ordered to stop the case, and no longer hang his portraits in taverns. "Tell Oreshkin that I didn't give a damn about him either," he said.

Kievyan street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255