People's king. Alexander III was a bad heir and an excellent sovereign

Biography of Emperor Alexander III Alexandrovich

Emperor of All Russia, second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, Alexander III born February 26, 1845, ascended the royal throne March 2, 1881 died November 1, 1894)

He received his education from his tutor, Adjutant General Perovsky, and his immediate supervisor, the famous professor at Moscow University, economist Chivilev. In addition to general and special military education, Alexander was taught political and legal sciences by invited professors from St. Petersburg and Moscow universities.

After the premature death of his elder brother, heir Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich on April 12, 1865, heatedly mourned royal family and the entire Russian people, Alexander Alexandrovich, having become the heir to the crown prince, began to continue both theoretical studies and perform many duties on state affairs.

Marriage

1866, October 28 - Alexander married the daughter of the Danish King Christian IX and Queen Louise Sophia Frederica Dagmara, who was named Maria Feodorovna upon marriage. The happy family life of the sovereign heir bound the Russian people with the royal family with bonds of good hopes. God blessed the marriage: he was born on May 6, 1868 Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. In addition to the heir, the Tsarevich, their august children: Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich, born April 27, 1871; Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna, born March 25, 1875, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, born November 22, 1878, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, born June 1, 1882.

Ascension to the throne

The accession of Alexander III to the royal throne followed on March 2, 1881, after the martyrdom of his father, the Tsar-Liberator, on March 1.

Seventeenth Romanov was a man of strong will and exceptionally purposeful. He was distinguished by his amazing capacity for work, could calmly think through every issue, was direct and sincere in his resolutions, and did not tolerate deception. Being an extremely truthful person himself, he hated liars. “His words never differed from his deeds, and he was an outstanding person in his nobility and purity of heart,” this is how Alexander was characterized III people who were in his service. Over the years, the philosophy of his life was formed: to be an example of moral purity, honesty, justice and diligence for his subjects.

Reign of Alexander III

Under Alexander III military duty was reduced to 5 years of active service, and the life of soldiers improved significantly. He himself could not stand the military spirit, did not tolerate parades, and was even a bad horseman.

Solving economic and social issues was what Alexander III saw as his main task. And he devoted himself, first of all, to the cause of state development.

To get acquainted with different regions of Russia, the tsar often made trips to cities and villages and could see firsthand the difficult life of the Russian people. In general, the emperor was distinguished by his commitment to everything Russian - in this he was not like the previous Romanovs. He was called the truly Russian Tsar not only because appearance, but also in spirit, forgetting that by blood he was most likely a German.

During the reign of this tsar, the words were first heard: “Russia for the Russians.” A decree was issued prohibiting foreigners from buying real estate in western regions Russia, there was a newspaper fuss against the dependence of Russian industry on the Germans, the first pogroms against Jews began, and “temporary” rules for Jews were issued that severely infringed on their rights. Jews were not admitted to gymnasiums, universities and other educational establishments. And in some provinces they were simply prohibited from residing or entering public service.

Alexander III in his youth

This king, incapable of cunning or ingratiating himself, had his own specific attitude towards foreigners. First of all, he disliked the Germans and did not have any kindred feelings towards the German House. After all, his wife was not a German princess, but belonged to the royal house of Denmark, which was not on friendly terms with Germany. The mother of this first Danish woman Russian throne, the smart and intelligent wife of King Christian IX of Denmark, was nicknamed “the mother of all Europe”, as she was able to wonderfully accommodate her 4 children: Dagmara became the Russian queen; Alexandra, the eldest daughter, married the Prince of Wales, who, even during the life of Queen Victoria, played an active role in the state, and then became the king of Great Britain; son Frederick, after the death of his father, ascended the Danish throne, the youngest, George, became the Greek king; the grandchildren connected almost all the royal houses of Europe with each other.

Alexander III was also distinguished by the fact that he did not like excessive luxury and was absolutely indifferent to etiquette. He lived almost all the years of his reign in Gatchina, 49 kilometers from St. Petersburg, in the beloved palace of his great-grandfather, whose personality he was especially drawn to, keeping his office intact. And the main halls of the palace were empty. And although there were 900 rooms in the Gatchina Palace, the emperor’s family did not live in luxurious apartments, but in the former premises for guests and servants.

The king and his wife, sons and two daughters lived in narrow small rooms with low ceilings, whose windows overlooked a wonderful park. A large beautiful park - what could be better for children! Games on fresh air, visits from numerous peers - relatives of the large Romanov family. Empress Maria, however, still preferred the city and every winter she begged the emperor to move to the capital. While sometimes agreeing to his wife’s requests, the Tsar nevertheless refused to live in the Winter Palace, finding it unfriendly and too luxurious. The imperial couple made the Anichkov Palace on Nevsky Prospect their residence.

Noisy court life and the social bustle quickly bored the king, and the family with the first spring days again moved to Gatchina. The emperor's enemies tried to claim that the king, frightened by the reprisal against his father, locked himself in Gatchina as if in a fortress, essentially becoming its prisoner.

The emperor actually did not like and was afraid of St. Petersburg. The shadow of his murdered father haunted him all his life, and he led a reclusive life, visiting the capital rarely and only on especially important occasions, preferring a lifestyle with his family, away from the “light.” And social life at court really somehow died out. Only the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir, the Tsar’s brother, the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, gave receptions and held balls in her luxurious St. Petersburg palace. They were eagerly visited by members of the government, high dignitaries of the court and the diplomatic corps. It was thanks to this that Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife were considered as representatives of the Tsar in St. Petersburg, and the life of the court was actually centered around them.

And the emperor himself with his wife and children remained at a distance, fearing assassination attempts. Ministers had to come to Gatchina to report, and foreign ambassadors sometimes could not see the emperor for months. And the visits of guests - crowned heads during the reign of Alexander III were extremely rare.

Gatchina, in fact, was reliable: soldiers were on duty for several miles around day and night, and they stood at all the entrances and exits of the palace and park. There were even sentries at the door of the emperor's bedroom.

Personal life

Alexander III was happy in his marriage to the daughter of the Danish king. He not only “relaxed” with his family, but, in his words, “enjoyed family life" The emperor was a good family man, and his main motto was constancy. Unlike his father, he adhered to strict morality and was not tempted by the pretty faces of the court ladies. He was inseparable from his Minnie, as he affectionately called his wife. The Empress accompanied him at balls and trips to the theater or concerts, on trips to holy places, at military parades, and while visiting various institutions.

Over the years, he increasingly took her opinion into account, but Maria Fedorovna did not take advantage of this, did not interfere in state affairs and did not make any attempts to influence her husband in any way or contradict him in anything. She was an obedient wife and treated her husband with great respect. And I couldn’t do it any other way.

The emperor kept his family in unconditional obedience. Alexander, while still a crown prince, gave the following instruction to the teacher of his eldest sons, Madame Ollengren: “Neither I nor the Grand Duchess want to turn them into greenhouse flowers. “They should pray well to God, study science, play ordinary children’s games, and be naughty in moderation. Teach well, don’t give any concessions, ask as strictly as possible, and most importantly, don’t encourage laziness. If there is anything, then contact me directly, and I know what to do. I repeat that I don’t need porcelain. I need normal Russian children. They'll fight, please. But the prover gets the first whip. This is my very first requirement."

Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna

Alexander, having become king, demanded obedience from all the great princes and princesses, although among them there were persons much older than him. In this respect he was in effect the head of all the Romanovs. He was not only revered, but also feared. The seventeenth Romanov on the Russian throne developed a special “family status” for the Russian reigning House. According to this status, from now on only the direct descendants of the Russian tsars in the male line, as well as the tsar’s brothers and sisters, were entitled to the title of Grand Duke with the addition of Imperial Highness. The great-grandchildren of the reigning emperor and their eldest sons had the right only to the title of prince with the addition of highness.

Every morning the emperor got up at 7 a.m. and washed his face. cold water, dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, made himself a cup of coffee, ate a few pieces of black bread and a couple of hard-boiled eggs. Having had a modest breakfast, he sat down to desk. The whole family was already gathering for second breakfast.

One of the king's favorite recreational activities was hunting and fishing. Rising before dawn and taking a gun, he went to the swamps or forest for the whole day. He could stand for hours in knee-deep boots in water and catch fish in the Gatchina pond with a fishing rod. Sometimes this activity pushed even state affairs into the background. Alexander’s famous aphorism: “Europe can wait while the Russian Tsar fishes” made the rounds in newspapers in many countries. Sometimes the emperor gathered a small society in his Gatchina house to perform chamber music. He himself played the bassoon, and played with feeling and quite well. From time to time, amateur performances were organized and artists were invited.

Assassination attempts on the Emperor

During his not so frequent trips, the emperor forbade escorting his crew, considering this a completely unnecessary measure. But along the entire road the soldiers stood in an unbroken chain - to the surprise of foreigners. Travel by rail - to St. Petersburg or Crimea - was also accompanied by all sorts of precautions. Long before the passage of Alexander III, soldiers with guns loaded with live ammunition were stationed along the entire route. The railway switches were tightly clogged. Passenger trains were diverted to sidings in advance.

Nobody knew which train the sovereign would be traveling on. There was no single “royal” train at all, but several trains of “extreme importance.” They were all disguised as royal ones, and no one could know which train the emperor and his family were on. It was a secret. The soldiers standing in a chain saluted each such train.

But all this could not prevent the train from crashing from Yalta to St. Petersburg. It was carried out by terrorists at the Borki station, near Kharkov, in 1888: the train derailed and almost all the cars crashed. The emperor and his family were having lunch at this time in the dining car. The roof collapsed, but the king, thanks to his gigantic strength, was able to hold it on his shoulders with incredible effort and held it until his wife and children got out of the train. The emperor himself received several injuries, which, apparently, resulted in his fatal kidney disease. But, having got out from under the rubble, he, without losing his cool, ordered immediate assistance to the wounded and those who were still under the rubble.

What about the royal family?

The Empress received only bruises and contusions, but the eldest daughter, Ksenia, injured her spine and remained hunchbacked - perhaps that’s why she was married off to a relative. Other family members suffered only minor injuries.

Official reports described the event as a train crash of unknown cause. Despite all efforts, the police and gendarmes were unable to solve this crime. As for the salvation of the emperor and his family, this was talked about as a miracle.

A year before the train crash, an assassination attempt on Alexander III was already being prepared, which fortunately did not take place. On Nevsky Prospect, the street along which the Tsar had to travel to attend a memorial service in the Peter and Paul Cathedral on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of his father's death, young people were arrested holding bombs made in the shape of ordinary books. They reported to the emperor. He ordered that the participants in the assassination be dealt with without unnecessary publicity. Among those arrested and then executed was Alexander Ulyanov, the elder brother of the future leader of the October Bolshevik Revolution, Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin, who even then set himself the goal of fighting against the autocracy, but not through terror, like his older brother.

Alexander III himself, the father of the last Russian emperor, mercilessly crushed opponents of the autocracy throughout the 13 years of his reign. Hundreds of his political enemies were sent into exile. Ruthless censorship controlled the press. Powerful police reduced the zeal of the terrorists and kept the revolutionaries under surveillance.

Domestic and foreign policy

The situation in the state was sad and difficult. Already the first manifesto on accession to the throne, and especially the manifesto of April 29, 1881, expressed the exact program of both foreign and domestic policy: maintaining order and power, observing the strictest justice and economy, returning to the original Russian principles and ensuring Russian interests everywhere .

In external affairs, this calm firmness of the emperor immediately gave rise to a convincing confidence in Europe that, with complete reluctance to any conquests, Russian interests would be inexorably protected. This largely ensured European peace. The firmness expressed by the government regarding Central Asia and Bulgaria, as well as the meetings of the sovereign with the German and Austrian emperors, only served to strengthen the conviction that had arisen in Europe that the direction of Russian policy was completely determined.

He entered into an alliance with France in order to obtain loans that were necessary for construction in Russia railways, begun by his grandfather, Nicholas I. Not liking the Germans, the emperor began to support German industrialists in order to attract their capital for the development of the state’s economy, and in every possible way to promote the expansion of trade relations. And during his reign, much changed in Russia for the better.

Not wanting war or any acquisitions, Emperor Alexander III had to increase his possessions during clashes in the east Russian Empire, and, moreover, without military action, since the victory of General A.V. Komarov over the Afghans at the Kushka River was an accidental, completely unforeseen clash.

But this brilliant victory had a huge impact on the peaceful annexation of the Turkmens, and then on the expansion of Russia’s possessions in the south to the borders of Afghanistan when the border line was established in 1887 between the Murghab River and the Amu Darya River on the side of Afghanistan, which has since become an Asian territory adjacent to Russia by the state.

On this vast expanse that had recently entered Russia, a railway was laid that connected the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with the center of Russian Central Asian possessions - Samarkand and the Amu Darya River.

In internal affairs, many new regulations were issued.

Alexander III with children and wife

The development of the great cause of the economic structure of the multimillion-dollar peasantry in Russia, as well as the increase in the number of peasants suffering from a lack of land allotment as a result of the increasing population, caused the establishment of the government Peasant Land Bank with its branches. The bank was entrusted with an important mission - to assist in issuing loans for the purchase of land both to entire peasant societies and to peasant partnerships and individual peasants. For the same purpose, to provide assistance to noble landowners who were in difficult economic conditions, the government Noble Bank was opened in 1885.

Significant reforms appeared in the matter of public education.

In the military department, military gymnasiums were transformed into cadet corps.

Another great desire overwhelmed Alexander: to strengthen the religious education of the people. After all, what were the masses of Orthodox Christians in their majority like? In their souls, many still remained pagans, and if they worshiped Christ, they did it, rather, out of habit, and as a rule, because this was the custom in Rus' from time immemorial. And what a disappointment it was for the believing commoner to learn that Jesus was, it turns out, a Jew... By order of the tsar, who himself was distinguished by deep religiosity, three-year parochial schools began to open at churches, where parishioners studied not only the Law of God, but also studied literacy And this was extremely important for Russia, where only 2.5% of the population was literate.

The Holy Governing Synod is instructed to assist the Ministry of Public Education in the field of public schools by opening parish schools in churches.

The general university charter of 1863 was replaced by a new charter on August 1, 1884, which completely changed the position of universities: direct management of universities and direct authority over a broad inspection was entrusted to the trustee of the educational district, rectors were elected by the minister and approved the highest authority, the appointment of professors was left to the minister, the degree of candidate and the title of full student were destroyed, why final examinations in universities were destroyed and replaced by examinations in government commissions.

At the same time, they began to revise the regulations on gymnasiums and the highest order was taken to expand vocational education.

The court area was also not ignored. The procedure for administering a trial with a jury was supplemented by new rules in 1889, and in the same year the judicial reform spread to the Baltic provinces, in relation to which a firm decision was made to implement in the matter of local government the general principles of management available in the whole of Russia, with the introduction of Russian language.

Death of the Emperor

It seemed that the peacemaker king, this hero, would reign for a long time. A month before the king’s death, no one imagined that his body was already “wear and tear.” Alexander III died unexpectedly for everyone, one year short of his 50th birthday. The cause of his premature death was kidney disease, which was aggravated by the dampness of the premises in Gatchina. The sovereign did not like to undergo treatment and almost never spoke about his illness.

1894, summer - hunting in the swamps weakened his health even more: headaches, insomnia and weakness in the legs appeared. He was forced to turn to doctors. He was recommended to rest, preferably in the warm climate of Crimea. But the emperor was not the kind of person who was capable of disrupting his plans just because he was not feeling well. After all, at the beginning of the year, a trip to Poland with my family was planned in September to spend a couple of weeks at a hunting lodge in Spala.

The sovereign's condition remained unimportant. A major specialist in kidney diseases, Professor Leiden, was urgently summoned from Vienna. After carefully examining the patient, he diagnosed nephritis. At his insistence, the family immediately left for Crimea, to the summer Livadia Palace. The dry, warm Crimean air had a beneficial effect on the king. His appetite improved, his legs became so strong that he could go ashore, enjoy the surf, take sunbathing. Surrounded by the care of the best Russian and foreign doctors, as well as his loved ones, the tsar began to feel much better. However, the improvement turned out to be temporary. The change for the worse came abruptly, the strength began to fade quickly...

On the morning of the first day of November, the emperor insisted that he be allowed to get out of bed and sit in the chair that stood by the window. He told his wife: “I think my time has come. Don't be sad about me. I am completely calm." A little later, the children and the bride of the eldest son were called. The king did not want to be put to bed. With a smile, he looked at his wife, kneeling in front of his chair, her lips whispering: “I have not died yet, but I have already seen an angel...” Immediately after noon, the king-hero died, bowing his head on the shoulder of his beloved wife.

It was the most peaceful death in last century reign of the Romanovs. Pavel was brutally killed, his son Alexander passed away, leaving behind a unsolved mystery, another son, Nicholas, despairing and disappointed, most likely, of his own free will, ceased to exist on earth, while Alexander II - the father of the peacefully deceased giant - became a victim of terrorists who called themselves opponents of autocracy and executors of the people's will.

Alexander III died after reigning for only 13 years. He fell into an eternal sleep on a wonderful autumn day, sitting in a huge “Voltaire” chair.

Two days before his death, Alexander III told his eldest son, the future heir to the throne: “You have to take the heavy burden of state power from my shoulders and carry it to the grave just as I carried it and as our ancestors carried it... Autocracy created historical individuality Russia. If the autocracy collapses, God forbid, then Russia will collapse with it. The fall of the primordial Russian power will open an endless era of unrest and bloody civil strife... Be strong and courageous, never show weakness.”

Yes! The seventeenth Romanov turned out to be a great seer. His prophecy came true in a little less than a quarter of a century...

Many descriptions of the appearance of Alexander III have reached us. Estimates of his activities in history are very diverse. He was a good family man kind person, but the burden of power was not his own. He did not have the qualities that an emperor was supposed to have. Alexander felt this inside and was constantly very critical of himself and his actions. This was the tragedy of the emperor’s personality in the history of Russia.

He reigned for thirteen years. Many argue that if not for the death of the heir to the throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich, then everything could have happened differently. Nicholas was a humane and liberal man, he could have carried out liberal reforms and introduced a constitution, and perhaps Russia could have avoided both revolution and further collapse of the empire.

The entire 19th century Russia was wasted, it was time for transformation, but not a single monarch dared to do anything grandiose. Alexander III was guided in his policy only by good intentions; he believed that by preserving everything liberal, he was preserving the future of the dynasty and the empire as a whole.

Personality of Alexander III

Alexander Alexandrovich grew up in a large family. He was born in February 1845, the third child. The girl Alexandra was born first, then Nikolai, and then Alexander. They had six sons, so there were no problems with heirs. Naturally, all attention was focused on Nikolai Alexandrovich as the heir to the throne. Nikolai and Alexander studied literacy and military affairs together, and were enlisted in the guards regiments from birth. At the age of eighteen, Alexander already bore the title of colonel. Over time, the training of Nicholas and Alexander began to differ; naturally, the teaching of the heir was much broader.

At the age of sixteen, Nicholas reached his legal age and was moved to separate apartments in the Winter Palace. Then Nikolai visited Western Europe, there he underwent treatment because he was experiencing back pain. In Denmark, he proposed to Princess Dagmara.

When he ended up in Nice, his mother Maria Alexandrovna came to see him, since his health was not improving. In April 1865, the heir became very ill; all his relatives and the bride and mother came to Nice. They only managed to stay with Nikolai for a few days. Alexander, mother Maria Alexandrovna and Nikolai’s fiancée were always at the bedside. The Tsarevich died on April 12, 1865, and Alexander Alexandrovich was proclaimed heir to the throne.

It was clear to everyone in the family that Alexander III was not successful in his government activities. Aunt Elena Pavlovna more than once spoke out that the third brother, Vladimir Alexandrovich, should have become the heir to the throne. Brother Konstantin Nikolaevich spoke about Alexander Alexandrovich’s complete unpreparedness to occupy the imperial throne. The new heir did not like to study, he liked military affairs, and he always preferred playing instead of studying.

Alexander III Alexandrovich

When Alexander was proclaimed heir to the throne, he received the rank of major general and was appointed ataman of the Cossack troops. He was already a mature man, and therefore absolutely unprepared for the new fate that befell him unexpectedly. They began to intensively teach him law, history, and economics. Alexander himself was an honest, sincere, direct, clumsy and shy man. In October 1866, the wedding of Alexander and the former bride of his brother Nikolai took place; she received the name Maria Feodorovna. Despite the fact that Alexander had feelings for Princess Meshcherskaya, and Maria Feodorovna for the late Tsarevich, their marriage turned out to be happy.

Alexander was the heir to the throne at the age of 15. His views were right-wing and very nationalistic. and his son looked at him differently national policy and some other things. Due to the unpopularity of some of the emperor’s decisions, like-minded people soon begin to group around the heir and those who are representatives of other directions begin to listen to Alexander Alexandrovich III, since the future belongs to him.

The Russian-Turkish War was a real event for the heir; he was on the territory of hostilities. The officers noted that Alexander was easy to communicate with, free time dedicated to archaeological excavations.

The heir participated in the creation of the Russian Historical Society. The society was supposed to attract people to study the history of the Fatherland, as well as promote science in Russia. It specialized in studying the history of Russia after the reign.

At the end of the 1870s. Alexander Alexandrovich's responsibilities are expanding. When he leaves St. Petersburg, the heir is engaged in current state affairs. At this time, the state is in a period of crisis. There are more and more attempts by terrorists to change the situation through illegal means. The situation becomes more complicated within the emperor's family. He transports his mistress E. Dolgorukaya to Winter Palace. The Empress, who had long known about her husband's affair, was very offended. She was sick with consumption and in May 1880 she died in the palace all alone; she was in Tsarskoe Selo with Ekaterina Dolgoruky.

The heir loved his mother very much and adhered to the reading of family ties; he was furious; he did not like his father’s behavior. The hatred especially intensified when the father soon married his mistress. Soon she and their children were transported to Crimea. In order to improve relations with his stepmother, the father often invited his son there. On one visit, everything only got worse, because Alexander saw how his stepmother took over his mother’s rooms there.

Emperor Alexander III

On March 1, 1881, he approved Loris-Melikov’s draft constitution and scheduled a meeting for March 4. But on March 1, as a result of two explosions, he died. When Alexander III took power, he did not make any promises to continue his father’s policies. In the first months, the emperor had to deal with many things: the funeral of his father, accession to the throne, the search for revolutionaries and reprisals against them. It should be noted that the emperor was merciless towards his father’s murderers; they were hanged.

There was also a problem in my father’s second family. He is in last letter entrusted his son with taking care of them. Alexander III wanted them to leave St. Petersburg, and conversations about this began with their stepmother. She and her children went to Nice, where she later lived.

In politics, Alexander III chose the path of autocratic power. A meeting on the Loris-Melikov project was held on March 8, and the project did not receive support. Alexander III spoke out that the project would usurp the rights of the monarch, so he recognized Loris-Melikov as a politically unreliable official, which could have had dire consequences for the latter.

Some, despite their fear, spoke out about the timeliness and need to introduce a constitution in Russia and change legislation. But the autocrat showed that he did not intend to establish a rule-of-law state in Russia. Soon the manifesto “On the Inviolability of Autocracy” was created. By 1882 from government ministries All representatives of “lousy liberalism” were forced out, and in their place, the closest associates of the current emperor sat in the offices. During his reign, the role of the State Council declined; it was reduced only to helping the emperor in implementing his intentions; he was always angry if any of his ideas met criticism in the State Council. In politics, Alexander III was similar to his grandfather. They both treated the state as an estate. He fought against bureaucracy, against the extravagance of the royal court, and tried to save money.

The imperial family grew, and the emperor began to reduce its representatives. Only the children and grandchildren of the emperor were grand dukes, and the rest became simply princes with imperial blood, thus their monetary support was reduced.

He also carried out a number of counter-reforms, all of his father’s previously liberal reforms came to naught. The emperor went down in history as the “peacemaker king.” During his reign, Russia did not wage wars. In foreign policy Russia is moving away from cooperation with Germany and Austria. But he gets closer to France, then to England.

The Emperor admired S.Yu. Witte, future Minister of Finance. He considered him the person who would be able to use and realize the full economic potential of Russia. Witte also said that Alexander would sooner or later come to liberal reforms. But, unfortunately, he did not have enough time for this. In 1894, his nephritis disease worsened, and his health became worse. He became weaker, lost weight, and his memory also began to suffer. He died at the end of 1894 in Crimea. The eldest son Nicholas II took over the country; his father considered him a man not ready for imperial power.

Alexander III video

Born on March 10 (February 26, old style) 1845 in St. Petersburg. He was the second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

He received the traditional military engineering education for grand dukes.

In 1865, after the death of his elder brother, Grand Duke Nicholas, he became crown prince, after which he received more fundamental knowledge. Among Alexander's mentors were Sergei Solovyov (history), Yakov Grot (history of literature), Mikhail Dragomirov (military art). Greatest influence The Tsarevich was influenced by law teacher Konstantin Pobedonostsev.

In my father’s reforms, I saw, first of all, negative aspects - the growth of government bureaucracy, difficult financial situation people, imitation of Western models. The political ideal of Alexander III was based on ideas about patriarchal-paternal autocratic rule, the inculcation of religious values ​​in society, the strengthening of the class structure, and nationally distinctive social development.

On April 29, 1881, Alexander III issued a manifesto “On the Inviolability of Autocracy” and launched a series of reforms that were aimed at partially curtailing the liberal initiatives of his father-reformer.

The tsar's domestic policy was characterized by increased control of the central government over all spheres of state life.

To strengthen the role of the police, local and central administration, the “Regulations on measures to protect state security and public peace” (1881) was adopted. The “Temporary Rules on the Press,” adopted in 1882, clearly outlined the range of topics that could be written about and introduced strict censorship. In addition, a number of “counter-reforms” were carried out, thanks to which it was possible to suppress the revolutionary movement, primarily the activities of the Narodnaya Volya party.

Alexander III took measures to protect the class rights of noble landowners: he established the Noble Land Bank, adopted a Regulation on hiring for agricultural work that was beneficial for landowners, strengthened administrative guardianship over the peasantry, helped strengthen the communalism of peasants, and the formation of the ideal of a large patriarchal family.

At the same time, in the first half of the 1880s, he took a number of measures to alleviate the financial situation of the people and mitigate social tension in society: the introduction of compulsory redemption and the reduction of redemption payments, the establishment of the Peasant Land Bank, the introduction of factory inspection, and the gradual abolition of the poll tax.

The emperor paid serious attention to increasing the social role of the Orthodox Church: he increased the number of parochial schools and tightened repression against Old Believers and sectarians.

During the reign of Alexander III, the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was completed (1883), parishes that had been closed during the previous reign were restored, and many new monasteries and churches were built.

Alexander III made a significant contribution to the restructuring of the system of state and public relations. In 1884 he issued the University Charter, which curtailed the autonomy of universities. In 1887, he issued a “circular about cooks’ children,” which limited the entry into gymnasiums of children from the lower classes.

He strengthened the social role of the local nobility: since 1889, peasant self-government was subordinated to zemstvo chiefs - who united judicial and administrative power in their hands to officials from local landowners.

He carried out reforms in the field of urban government: zemstvo and city regulations (1890, 1892) tightened the administration's control over local government and limited the rights of voters from the lower strata of society.

He limited the scope of the jury trial and restored closed proceedings for political trials.

The economic life of Russia during the reign of Alexander III is characterized by the economic growth, which was largely due to the policy of increased patronage of domestic industry. The country rearmed its army and navy and became the world's largest exporter of agricultural products. The government of Alexander III encouraged the growth of large capitalist industry, which achieved notable successes (metallurgical production doubled in 1886-1892, the railway network grew by 47%).

Russian foreign policy under Alexander III was distinguished by pragmatism. The main content was a turn from traditional cooperation with Germany to an alliance with France, which was concluded in 1891-1893. The aggravation of relations with Germany was smoothed out by the “Reinsurance Treaty” (1887).

Alexander III went down in history as the Peacemaker Tsar - during his reign, Russia did not participate in a single serious military-political conflict of that time. The only significant battle - the capture of Kushka - took place in 1885, after which the annexation of Central Asia to Russia was completed.

Alexander III was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Historical Society and its first chairman. Established the Historical Museum in Moscow.

He simplified court etiquette and ceremony, in particular, abolished genuflection before the king, reduced the staff of the court ministry and introduced strict supervision over the expenditure of money.

The emperor was pious, distinguished by frugality and modesty, and spent his leisure time in a narrow circle of family and friends. He was interested in music, painting, history. He collected an extensive collection of paintings, objects of decorative and applied art, and sculptures, which after his death was transferred to the Russian Museum founded by Emperor Nicholas II in memory of his father.

The personality of Alexander III is associated with the idea of ​​a real hero with iron health. On October 17, 1888, he was injured in a train accident near the Borki station, 50 km from Kharkov. However, saving the lives of loved ones, the emperor held the collapsed roof of the carriage for about half an hour until help arrived. It is believed that as a result of this excessive stress, his kidney disease began to progress.

On November 1 (October 20, old style), 1894, the emperor died in Livadia (Crimea) from the consequences of nephritis. The body was taken to St. Petersburg and buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Alexander III's wife was the Danish princess Louise Sophia Frederica Dagmara (in Orthodoxy - Maria Fedorovna) (1847-1928), whom he married in 1866. The emperor and his wife had five children: Nicholas (later Russian Emperor Nicholas II), George, Ksenia, Mikhail and Olga.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Alexander III

Alexander III Aleksandrovich (1845-1894), Russian Emperor since 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 80s, in the conditions of growing capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out "counter-reforms". Suppressed revolutionary democratic and labor movement, strengthened the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. During the reign of Alexander III, the annexation of Central Asia to Russia was basically completed (1885), and the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).

Nikolay SVERCHKOV. Alexander III

Nikolay DMITRIEV-ORENBURG. Portrait of Emperor Alexander III.

Nikolai SHILDER.Portrait of Alexander III

Zabolotsky P.P. Alexander III

A. Sokolov_Alexander III and his wife Maria-Sofia-Frederica-Dagmara,

in Orthodoxy Maria Feodorovna(1847-1928)

Initially, she was the bride of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the eldest son of Alexander II, who died in 1865. After his death, an attachment arose between Dagmara and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who together looked after the dying Tsarevich. On June 11, 1866, Tsarevich Alexander decided to propose, about which he wrote to his father on the same day. And on October 28 (November 9), 1866, the marriage took place .Maria, cheerful and cheerful in character, was warmly received by court and metropolitan society. Her marriage to Alexander, despite the fact that their relationship began under such sorrowful circumstances, turned out to be successful; During their almost thirty years of marriage, the couple maintained sincere affection for each other.

Coronation.

Vladimir MAKOVSKY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Maria Fyodorovna_Heinrich von Angeli

Konstantin MAKOVSKY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Reception of volost elders by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace in Moscow. Painting by I. Repin.

Sermon on the Mount 1889. Alexander III with his family. Ivan Makarov.

“The blessing of the Lord is upon you” The family of Alexander III before Christ. Makarov I.K.

Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna had 6 children:

Nikolai Alexandrovich(1868-1918) future Emperor of Russia.

Alexander Alexandrovich(1869-1870)

Georgy Alexandrovich (1871-1899)

Ksenia Alexandrovna (1875-1960)

Mikhail Alexandrovich (1878-1918)

Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960)

Last family photo. Livadia, Crimea 1893

From left to right: Tsarevich Nicholas, Grand Duke George, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duke Michael, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III.

Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Born on February 26, 1845. After the untimely death of his elder brother, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, on April 12, 1865, he was proclaimed heir to the throne; On October 28, 1866, he married the daughter of the Danish king Christian IX, Princess Sophia-Frederica-Dagmara, who was named Maria Feodorovna at holy confirmation. While still an heir, Alexander took part in state affairs, as commander of the troops of the Guards Corps, ataman of all Cossack troops, and a member of the State Council. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78, he commanded a separate Rushchuk detachment and successfully made a campaign against Osman Bazar, Razgrad and Eski-Juma. In 1877 he took an active part in the creation of a voluntary fleet.

Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894)

During the reign of Emperor Alexander III, important measures were taken in the area National economy, carried out mainly by the Minister of Finance N. X. Bunge: in 1882, redemption payments were reduced, the poll tax was abolished, a peasant bank was established, the work of minors in factories and factories was limited, a factory inspection was established, the life of the Chinsheviks and some other categories of rural inhabitants was organized. Even earlier, in 1881, and then in 1884, preferential conditions were established for peasants to rent state-owned land; On June 15, 1882, a tax on inheritances and gifts was established; in 1885, additional fees were introduced on trade and industrial enterprises, and a tax on money capital was established, and these financial reforms were supposed to serve as the gradual introduction in our country income tax. Subsequently, the most important facts in the financial policy of the state are: the achievement of a fairly stable balance between income and expenses, the conversion of public debts carried out on a large scale; to increase treasury funds, two new excise taxes were established - on matches and kerosene, a housing tax was introduced, in addition, as an experiment, a drinking monopoly was introduced in the eastern provinces.

Russian tsars. Alexander III

Among individual legislative acts of an economic nature, the regulation of the resettlement movement of peasants to lands beyond the Urals (a harbinger of the resettlement policy of P. A. Stolypin) and the law on the inalienability of allotment lands are especially important. In the customs policy of the state, there was a significant increase in protectionism, which reached its apogee in the tariff of 1891, but was then somewhat softened by trade agreements with France and Germany; An agreement with the latter country was concluded in 1894 after a persistent and very sharp customs war. Particularly important in railway policy is the subordination of tariff matters to government control, increased redemption into the treasury of railways and the opening of construction work Great Siberian Way.

A very prominent place in domestic policy took care of the nobility, about strengthening its importance in state and public life. To maintain noble land ownership, a state noble bank was established in 1885. To create more for large land ownership profitable terms, was published in 1886. Regulations on hiring for rural work. The Regulations on Zemstvo District Chiefs of 1889 and the new Regulations on Zemstvo Institutions of 1890 granted the nobility a primacy position in local government . Zemstvo chiefs, elected from local hereditary nobles, were supposed to appear “close to the people, with firm government authority,” combining “guardianship over rural inhabitants with concerns about completing the peasant business and with the responsibility for protecting the deanery and public order, security and rights of individuals in rural areas" In accordance with these tasks, zemstvo chiefs were granted, along with extensive administrative powers, judicial power. With the introduction of zemstvo chiefs, the institution of justices of the peace was abolished in most of the country.

General judicial institutions and the procedure for legal proceedings have also undergone changes: the competence of the jury trial has been limited in favor of a trial with the participation of class representatives, the procedure for electing jurors has been changed, the principles of irremovability and independence of judges have been significantly limited, and some significant exceptions have been made from general rule publicity of the trial.