Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Alexander III
Alexander III Aleksandrovich (1845-1894), Russian emperor from 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 1980s, under the conditions of the growth of capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered the redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out "counter-reforms". Suppressed the revolutionary democratic and workers' 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), the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).
Nikolay SVERCHKOV. Alexander III
Nikolay DMITRIEV-ORENBURGSKY. Portrait of Emperor Alexander III.
Nikolay Schilder. Portrait of Alexander III
Zabolotsky P.P. Alexander III
A. Sokolov_Alexander III and his wife Maria-Sophia-Frederica-Dagmara,
in orthodoxy Maria Fedorovna(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 the Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who together looked after the dying Tsarevich. On June 11, 1866, Tsarevich Alexander decided to propose, which he wrote to his father on the same day. Maria, cheerful and cheerful in character, was warmly received by the court and metropolitan society. Her marriage to Alexander, despite the fact that their relationship began under such mournful circumstances, turned out to be successful; during their almost thirty years of life together, the couple retained a 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 on you" The family of Alexander III before Christ. Makarov I.K.
Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna had 6 children:
Nikolay 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 Mikhail, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III.
On November 1, 1894, a man named Alexander died in the Crimea. He was called the Third. But for his deeds he was worthy to be called the First. And maybe even the only one.
It is about such kings that the current monarchists sigh. They may be right. Alexander III was truly great. Both a man and an emperor.
However, some dissidents of that time, including Vladimir Lenin, joked rather maliciously about the emperor. In particular, they nicknamed him "Pineapple". True, Alexander himself gave a reason. In the manifesto "On Our Ascension to the Throne" dated April 29, 1881, it was clearly stated: "And on Us to entrust the Sacred Duty." So when the document was announced, the tsar inevitably turned into an exotic fruit.
Reception of volost elders by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace in Moscow. Painting by I. Repin (1885-1886) In fact, this is unfair and dishonest. Alexander was distinguished by amazing strength. He could easily break a horseshoe. He could easily bend silver coins in the palm of his hand. He could lift a horse on his shoulders. And even to make him sit like a dog - this is recorded in the memoirs of his contemporaries.
At a dinner in the Winter Palace, when the Austrian ambassador started talking about the fact that his country was ready to form three corps of soldiers against Russia, he bent and tied a fork in a knot. Threw it in the direction of the ambassador. And he said: "This is what I will do with your corps."
Height - 193 cm.Weight - over 120 kg. It is not surprising that a peasant who accidentally saw the emperor at the railway station exclaimed: "This is a tsar so tsar, damn me!" The wicked peasant was immediately seized for "uttering obscene words in the presence of the sovereign." However, Alexander ordered to let go of the foul language. Moreover, he rewarded him with a ruble with his own image: "Here's my portrait for you!"
And his look? Beard? Crown? Remember the cartoon "The Magic Ring"? “Ampirator drink tea. The samovar is mattere! Each appliance has three pounds of sieve bread! " It's all about him. He really could eat 3 pounds of sieve bread for tea, that is, about 1.5 kg.
At home he liked to wear a simple Russian shirt. But always with sewing on the sleeves. He tucked his pants into his boots, like a soldier. Even at official receptions he allowed himself to go out in shabby trousers, a jacket or a sheepskin coat.
Alexander III on the hunt. Slept (Kingdom of Poland). Late 1880s - early 1890s Photographer K. Bech. RGAKFD. Al. 958. Sn. 19. His phrase is often repeated: "While the Russian Tsar is fishing, Europe can wait." In reality, it was like that. Alexander was very correct. But he was very fond of fishing and hunting. Therefore, when the German ambassador demanded an immediate meeting, Alexander said: “Biting! It bites at me! Germany can wait. I'll take it tomorrow at noon. "
In an audience with the British ambassador, Alexander said:
- I will not allow encroachment on our people and our territory.
The ambassador replied:
- It could cause an armed clash with England!
The king calmly remarked:
- Well ... Probably we can do it.
And mobilized the Baltic Fleet. It was 5 times less than the forces that the British had at sea. And yet the war did not happen. The British calmed down and surrendered their positions in Central Asia.
After that, the British Interior Minister Disraeli called Russia “a huge, monstrous, terrible bear hanging over Afghanistan and India. And our interests in the world. "
In order to list the deeds of Alexander III, you need not a newspaper strip, but a scroll 25 meters long. The Trans-Siberian Railway gave a real outlet to the Pacific Ocean. He gave civil liberties to the Old Believers. He gave real freedom to the peasants - the former serfs under him were given the opportunity to take solid loans, buy out their lands and farms. He made it clear that everyone is equal before the supreme power - he deprived some of the great princes of privileges, reduced their payments from the treasury. By the way, each of them was entitled to a "allowance" in the amount of 250 thousand rubles. gold.
One can indeed yearn for such a sovereign. Alexander's elder brother Nikolai(he died without ascending the throne) said about the future emperor as follows:
“Pure, truthful, crystal soul. There is something wrong with the rest of us, fox. Alexander alone is truthful and correct in soul. "
In Europe, they said about his death in about the same way: "We are losing an arbiter who has always been guided by the idea of justice."
Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov The largest deeds of Alexander III
The emperor is credited, and, apparently, not unreasonably, the invention of the flat flask. And not just flat, but bent, the so-called "boot". Alexander loved to drink, but did not want those around him to know about his addictions. A flask of this shape is ideal for secret use.
It was he who owns the slogan, for which today you can seriously pay: "Russia - for the Russians." However, his nationalism was not aimed at bullying national minorities. In any case, the Jewish deputation headed by Baron Gunzburg expressed to the emperor "boundless gratitude for the measures taken to protect the Jewish population at this difficult time."
The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway has begun - until now it is almost the only transport artery that somehow connects the whole of Russia. The Emperor also instituted the Day of the Railroad Worker. Even the Soviet government did not abolish it, despite the fact that Alexander set the date of the holiday for the birthday of his grandfather Nicholas I, under whom they began to build railways.
He actively fought against corruption. Not in words, but in deeds. Minister of Railways Krivoshein, Minister of Finance Abaza were sent to shameful resignation for bribes. He did not bypass his relatives either - because of corruption, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich were deprived of their posts.
Emperor Alexander III with his family in the Private Garden of the Great Gatchina Palace. The story of the patch
Despite his more than noble position, disposed to luxury, extravagance and a cheerful lifestyle, which, for example, Catherine II managed to combine with reforms and decrees, Emperor Alexander III was so modest that this trait of his character became a favorite topic of conversation of his subjects ...
For example, there was an incident that one of the tsar's close associates recorded in his diary. He happened to be one of the days next to the emperor, and then an object suddenly fell from the table. Alexander III bent down to the floor to pick it up, and the courtier, with horror and shame, from which even the top of his head acquires a beetroot color, notices that in a place that is not accepted in society to be called, the tsar has a rough patch!
It should be noted here that the tsar did not wear pants made of expensive materials, preferring rough, military cut to them, not at all because he wanted to save money, as did the future wife of his son, Alexandra Fedorovna, who gave her daughters' dresses to the junkers for sale, before the disputes were expensive buttons. In everyday life, the emperor was simple and undemanding, he wore his uniform, which was long overdue to be thrown away, and gave the torn clothes to his orderly, so that he would repair and mend where necessary.
Nonar preferences
Alexander III was a man of a categorical nature and it was not for nothing that he was nicknamed a monarchist and an ardent defender of autocracy. He never allowed his subjects to contradict him. However, there were plenty of reasons for this: the emperor significantly reduced the staff of the ministry of the court, and the balls that were given in St. Petersburg on a regular basis were reduced to four a year.
Emperor Alexander III with his wife Maria Feodorovna 1892 The emperor not only showed indifference to secular fun, but also showed a rare neglect of what many enjoyed and served as an object of worship. Take food, for example. According to the recollections of contemporaries, he preferred simple Russian food: cabbage soup, fish soup and fried fish, which he caught himself, leaving with his family to rest in the Finnish skerries.
One of Alexander's favorite delicacies was "Guryev's" porridge, invented by the serf chef of retired Major Yurisovsky, Zakhar Kuzmin. The porridge was prepared simply: semolina was boiled in milk and nuts were added there - walnuts, almonds, hazel, then creamy foam was poured in and dried fruits were poured with a generous hand.
The tsar always preferred this simple dish to exquisite French desserts and Italian delicacies, which he ate with tea in his Annichkov Palace. The tsar did not like the Winter Palace with its pompous luxury. However, against the background of darned trousers and porridge, this is not surprising.
The power that saved the family
The emperor had one pernicious passion, which, although he fought with it, sometimes prevailed. Alexander III loved to drink vodka or strong Georgian or Crimean wine - it was with them that he replaced expensive foreign varieties. In order not to injure the tender feelings of his beloved wife Maria Feodorovna, he secretly put a flask with a strong drink in the boot of wide tarpaulin boots and applied to it when the empress could not see it.
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Petersburg. 1886 g. Speaking about the relationship of spouses, it should be noted that they can serve as an example of reverent treatment and mutual understanding. For thirty years they lived in perfect harmony - a timid emperor who did not like crowded gatherings and a cheerful, cheerful Danish princess Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmar.
It was rumored that in her youth she loved to do gymnastics and performed virtuoso somersaults in front of the future emperor. However, the tsar also loved physical activity and was famous throughout the state as a man-hero. Standing 193 centimeters tall, with a large figure and broad shoulders, he bent coins with his fingers and bent horseshoes. His amazing strength even once saved the life of him and his family.
In the fall of 1888, the tsarist train crashed at the Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov. Seven cars were broken, there were seriously wounded and died among the servants, but the members of the royal family remained unharmed: at that time they were in the dining car. However, the roof of the car still collapsed, and, according to eyewitnesses, Alexander held it on his shoulders until help arrived. Investigators, who were investigating the reasons for the crash, concluded that the family had miraculously survived, and if the tsar's train continues to travel at such a speed, then the miracle may not happen a second time.
In the fall of 1888, the tsarist train crashed at the Borki station. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org Tsar-artist and art lover
Despite the fact that in everyday life he was simple and unassuming, thrifty and even economical, huge funds were spent on the acquisition of art objects. Even in his youth, the future emperor was fond of painting and even studied drawing with the famous professor Tikhobrazov. However, the royal troubles took a lot of time and effort, and the emperor was forced to leave his studies. But he retained his love for the graceful until the last days and transferred it to collecting. It was not for nothing that his son Nicholas II, after the death of his parent, founded the Russian Museum in his honor.
The emperor provided patronage to artists, and even such a seditious canvas as "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on November 16, 1581" by Repin, although it aroused discontent, but did not become the reason for the persecution of the Itinerants. Also, the tsar, who was devoid of external gloss and aristocracy, was unexpectedly well versed in music, loved the works of Tchaikovsky and contributed to the fact that not Italian opera and ballets, but the works of domestic composers, sounded on the stage of theaters. Until his death, he supported Russian opera and Russian ballet, which received worldwide recognition and veneration.
After the death of his parent, his son Nicholas II founded the Russian Museum in his honor. Emperor's legacy
During the reign of Alexander III, Russia was not dragged into any serious political conflict, and the revolutionary movement became stalled, which was nonsense, since the murder of the previous tsar was seen as a sure reason for the beginning of a new round of terrorist acts and a change in the state order.
The emperor introduced a number of measures that made life easier for the common people. He gradually canceled the poll tax, paid special attention to the Orthodox Church and influenced the completion of the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Alexander III loved Russia and, wanting to fence it off from an unexpected invasion, strengthened the army.
His expression: "Russia has only two allies: the army and the navy" became winged.
Also, the emperor owns another phrase "Russia for the Russians." However, there is no reason to reproach the tsar for nationalism: Minister Witte, whose wife was of Jewish origin, recalled that Alexander's activities were never aimed at bullying national minorities, which, by the way, changed during the reign of Nicholas II, when the Black Hundred movement found support in the state level.
In honor of Emperor Alexander III, about forty monuments were erected in the Russian Empire In just 49 years, fate measured this autocrat. His memory is alive in the name of the bridge in Paris, in the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, in the village of Aleksandrovsky, which laid the foundation for the city of Novosibirsk. And in these troubling days, Russia remembers the catch phrase of Alexander III: “In the whole world we have only two loyal allies - the army and the navy. All the rest, at the first opportunity, themselves will take up arms against us. "
Grand Dukes Vladimir Alexandrovich (standing), Alexander Alexandrovich (second from right) and others. Koenigsberg (Germany). 1862 g. Photographer G. Hessau.
Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich. Petersburg. Mid-1860s Photographer S. Levitsky. 
Alexander III on the deck of the yacht. Finnish skerries. End of the 1880s 
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with children Georgy, Xenia and Mikhail and others on the deck of the yacht. Finnish skerries. End of the 1880s 
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with children Xenia and Mikhail on the porch of the house. Livadia. End of the 1880s 
Alexander III, Empress Maria Feodorovna, their children Georgy, Mikhail, Alexander and Xenia, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and others at the tea table in the forest. Khalila. Early 1890s 
Alexander III with children watering trees in the garden. End of the 1880s 
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Tsarevna Maria Fedorovna with their eldest son Nikolai. Petersburg. 1870 g. Photographer S. Levitsky.
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with her son Mikhail (on horseback) and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich for a walk in the forest. Mid-1880s 
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich in the form of the Life Guards Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Family. 1865 g. Photographer I. Nostitz.
Alexander III with Empress Maria Feodorovna and her sister, Princess Alexandra of Wales. London. 1880s Photo studio "Maul and K °"
On the veranda - Alexander III with Empress Maria Fedorovna and children Georgy, Xenia and Mikhail, Count II Vorontsov-Dashkov, Countess EA Vorontsova-Dashkova and others. Red Village. End of the 1880s 
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich with Princess Maria Fedorovna, her sister, Princess Alexandra of Wales (second from right), their brother, Crown Prince of Denmark Frederick (far right), and others. Denmark. Mid-1870s Russell & Sons Photo Studio. © Fotodom.ru / REX
“Science will give the Sovereign Emperor a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that he won a victory in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, conquered the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral turn of mankind, sharpened and elevated Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when he is no longer there, Europe understood what he was for her " ...
Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky
During the sacrament of chrismation, which took place on October 12, 1866 in the Great Cathedral of the Savior Not Made by Hands (Great Church) of the Winter Palace, the Danish princess Maria Sophie Frederikke Dagmar (Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar) received a new name - Maria Feodorovna and a new title - Grand Duchess. “There is intelligence and character in facial expressions,” wrote a contemporary of the future Russian empress. - Beautiful poems of the book. Vyazemsky to match that sweet Dagmar, whom he justly calls the name a sweet word. " Ivan Sergeevich Aksakov echoes him: “The image of Dagmara, a 16-year-old girl who combines tenderness and energy, acted especially gracefully and sympathetically. She resolutely captivated everyone with the childlike simplicity of her heart and the naturalness of all her mental movements. " Alas, the clever and beautiful woman outlived all four of her sons.
The thirteen and a half years of the reign of Alexander III were unusually calm. Russia has not fought wars. For this, the sovereign received the official nickname Tsar-Peacemaker. Although under him, 114 new military ships were launched, including 17 battleships and 10 armored cruisers. After the rampage of terrorists under his father Alexander II and before the revolutionary turmoil that swept away his son Nicholas II, the reign of Alexander Alexandrovich seemed to be lost in the annals of history. Although it was he who became one of the initiators of the creation in May 1866 of the Imperial Russian Historical Society and its honorary chairman. The last public execution of "Narodnaya Volya" and terrorists, perpetrators of the assassination attempt on Alexander II, took place under Alexander III. His family had 4 sons and 2 daughters.
Alexander Alexandrovich - Russian Grand Duke, second child and son, did not live even a year. He died in April 1870, 10 days after Volodya Ulyanov was born in Simbirsk. It is unlikely that the fate of the "angel Alexander" would have been happier than that of Nikolai Alexandrovich's elder brother. Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich - the third child and son died of tuberculosis at the age of 28 in the summer of 1899. In the Memoirs of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov, when it comes to the three sons (Nicholas, George and Mikhail) of Alexander III, it is written: "George was the most gifted of all three, but died too young to have time to develop his brilliant abilities."
The most tragic was the fate of the eldest in the family of Emperor Alexander - the last Russian Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich. The fate of his entire family is tragic and the fate of all of Russia is tragic.
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov recalled that the youngest son of Alexander III - Mikhail Alexandrovich “charmed everyone with the captivating simplicity of his manners. A favorite of his family, fellow officers, and countless friends, he had a methodical mind and would have been promoted to any post if he had not entered into his morganatic marriage. This happened when the Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich had already reached maturity, and put the Tsar in a very difficult position. The Emperor wished his brother complete happiness, but, as the Head of the Imperial Family, he had to follow the prescriptions of the Basic Laws. Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich married Mrs. Wulfert (the divorced wife of Captain Wulfert) in Vienna and settled in London. Thus, during the long years preceding the war, Mikhail Alexandrovich was separated from his brother and, therefore, had nothing to do with management matters. " Shot in 1918
Protopresbyter Georgy Shavelsky left the following note about the last Grand Duchess and the youngest in the tsar's family: “The Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, among all the persons of the imperial family, was distinguished by her extraordinary simplicity, accessibility, and democracy. In his estate of the Voronezh province. she was completely comfortable: she walked around the village huts, nursed peasant children, etc. In St. Petersburg, she often walked, rode in simple cabs, and was very fond of talking with the latter. " She died in the same year with her older sister Ksenia.
Ksenia Alexandrovna was her mother's favorite, and outwardly she looked like her “dear Mama”. Prince Felix Feliksovich Yusupov later wrote about the Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna: “The greatest dignity - her personal charm - she inherited from her mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna. The look of her wondrous eyes and penetrated into the soul, her grace, kindness and modesty conquered everyone. "
All-Russian Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov was born on February 26 (old style) 1845 in St. Petersburg in the Anichkov Palace. His father was a reformer emperor, and his mother was a queen. The boy was the third child in a family, in which then five more children were born. His elder brother Nikolai was preparing for the reign, and Alexander was destined for the fate of a military man.
As a child, the Tsarevich studied without much zeal, and the teachers were undemanding to him. In the memoirs of his contemporaries, young Alexander was not too smart, but possessed a sound mind and the gift of reasoning.
By his disposition, Alexander was kind and a little shy, although he turned out to be a noble figure: with an increase of 193 cm, his weight reached 120 kg. Despite his austere appearance, the young man loved art. He took painting lessons from Professor Tikhobrazov and studied music. Alexander mastered playing brass and woodwind instruments. Subsequently, he will in every possible way support domestic art and, with sufficient unpretentiousness in everyday life, will collect a good collection of works by Russian artists. And in opera houses, with his light hand, Russian operas and ballets will be staged much more often than European ones.
Tsarevichs Nicholas and Alexander were very close to each other. The younger brother even claimed that there was no one closer and more beloved to him, except Nikolai. Therefore, when in 1865 the heir to the throne, while traveling across Italy, suddenly felt ill and suddenly died of tuberculosis of the spine, Alexander could not accept this loss for a long time. In addition, it turned out that it was he who became a contender for the throne, for which Alexander was completely unprepared.
The teachers of the young man were horrified for a moment. The young man was urgently assigned a course of special lectures, which were read to him by his mentor Konstantin Pobedonostsev. After accession to the kingdom, Alexander will make his teacher an advisor and will turn to him for the rest of his life. Nikolai Alexandrovich Kachalov was appointed another assistant to the Tsarevich, with whom the young man traveled across Russia.
Crowning the throne
In early March 1881, after another attempt on his life, Emperor Alexander II died from his wounds, and his son ascended the throne urgently. Two months later, the new emperor promulgated the "Manifesto on the inviolability of the autocracy," with which he suppressed all the liberal changes in the structure of the state, established by his father.
The sacrament of the wedding to the kingdom took place later - on May 15, 1883 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. During the reign, the royal family moved to the palace in Gatchina.
Domestic policy of Alexander III
Alexander III adhered to clearly expressed monarchical and nationalist principles, his actions in domestic politics could be called a counter-reformation. The first thing the emperor did was to sign the decrees that sent the Liberal ministers to retirement. Among them were Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich, M. T. Loris-Melikova, D. A. Milyutin, A. A. Abaza. He made KP Pobedonostsev, N. Ignatiev, DA Tolstoy, MN Katkov key figures in his circle.
In 1889, a talented politician and financier S. Yu. Witte appeared at the court, whom Alexander Aleksandrovich soon appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Railways. Sergei Yulievich did a lot for Great Russia. He introduced the provision of the ruble with the country's gold reserves, which contributed to the strengthening of the Russian currency in the international market. This led to the fact that the flow of foreign capital into the Russian Empire increased, and the economy began to develop at an accelerated pace. In addition, he did a lot for the development and construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is still the only road connecting Vladivostok with Moscow.
Despite the fact that for peasants Alexander III tightened the right to receive education and vote in zemstvo elections, he gave them the opportunity to take loans at low interest rates in order to expand their economy and strengthen their position on the earth. For the nobles, the emperor also imposed restrictions. Already in the first year of his reign, he canceled all additional payments from the royal treasury to those close to him, and also did a lot to eradicate corruption.
Alexander III strengthened control over students, set a limit on the number of Jewish students in all educational institutions, and tightened censorship. His slogan was the phrase: "Russia for the Russians." On the outskirts of the Empire, he proclaimed an active Russification.
Alexander III did a lot for the metallurgical industry and the development of oil and gas production. Under him, a real boom in improving the well-being of the people began, and the terrorist threats completely stopped. The autocrat also did a lot for Orthodoxy. During his reign, the number of dioceses increased, new monasteries and temples were built. In 1883, one of the most magnificent buildings was erected - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
As a legacy after his reign, Alexander III left a country with a strong economy.
Foreign policy of Alexander III
Emperor Alexander III, with his wisdom in foreign policy actions and the prevention of wars, went down in history as the Tsar-peacemaker. But at the same time, he did not forget to strengthen the power of the army. Under Alexander III, the Russian fleet became the third after the flotillas of France and Great Britain.
The emperor managed to maintain calm relations with all the main rivals. He signed peace agreements with Germany, England, and also significantly strengthened Franco-Russian friendship on the world stage.
During the years of his reign, the practice of open negotiations was established, and the rulers of the European powers began to trust the Russian tsar, as a wise arbiter, in resolving all controversial issues between states.
Personal life
After the death of the heir to Nicholas, he was left with a bride, the Danish princess Maria Dagmar. It suddenly turned out that young Alexander was also in love with her. And even despite the fact that for some time he courted the maid of honor, Princess Maria Meshcherskaya, Alexander, at the age of 21, proposes to Maria Sophia Frederica. So in a short time, Alexander's personal life changed, which he did not regret later on.
After the sacrament of the wedding, which took place in the large church of the Winter Palace, the young couple moved to Anichkov Palace, where they lived until Alexander's accession to the throne.
In the family of Alexander Alexandrovich and his wife Maria Feodorovna, who, like all overseas princesses, converted to Orthodoxy before marriage, six children were born, five of them survived to adulthood.
Elder Nicholas will become the last Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty. Of the younger children - Alexander, Georgy, Xenia, Mikhail, Olga - only sisters will survive to old age. Alexander will die at the age of one year, George will die in his youth from tuberculosis, and Mikhail will share the fate of his brother - he will be shot by the Bolsheviks.
The emperor brought up his children in severity. Their clothing and food were the most basic. The royal offspring were engaged in physical exercise and received a good education. Peace and harmony reigned in the family, spouses with children often went to Denmark to visit their relatives.
Unsuccessful attempt
On March 1, 1887, an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the emperor took place. The participants in the conspiracy were students Vasily Osipanov, Vasily Generalov, Pakhomiy Andreyushkin and Alexander Ulyanov. Despite the many months of preparation of a terrorist act under the leadership of Pyotr Shevyrev, the young people did not manage to carry out their plans to the end. All four were captured by the police and two months after the trial were executed by hanging in the Shlisselburg fortress.
Several members of the revolutionary circle, who were also arrested after the terrorists, were sent into exile for a long time.
Death
A year after the assassination attempt, an unpleasant event occurred in the life of the royal family: the train in which Alexander and his family traveled crashed near Kharkov. Part of the train capsized, people died. The roof of the carriage, in which the royal persons were, was held by the mighty emperor for a long time with his own forces for 30 minutes. By this he saved everyone who was near him. But such an overstrain undermined the health of the king. Alexander Alexandrovich developed kidney disease, which slowly progressed.
In the first winter months of 1894, the emperor caught a bad cold and six months later felt very ill. Ernst Leiden, a professor of medicine from Germany, was called, who diagnosed Alexander Alexandrovich with nephropathy. On the recommendation of a doctor, the emperor was sent to Greece, but on the way he got worse, and his family decided to stay in Livadia in the Crimea.
Within a month of his heroic physique, the tsar died out in front of everyone and, due to the complete failure of his kidneys, died on November 1, 1894. During the last month, his confessor John (Yanyshev), as well as Archpriest John Sergiev, in the future John of Kronstadt, was constantly with him.
An hour and a half after the death of Alexander III, his son Nicholas swore allegiance to the kingdom. The coffin with the body of the emperor was brought to St. Petersburg and solemnly buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The image of the emperor in art
Not as many books have been written about Alexander III as about other emperors-conquerors. This happened because of his peacefulness and non-conflict. His persona is mentioned in some historical books dedicated to the Romanov family.
In documentary filmmaking, information about him is presented in several tapes of journalists and. Feature films featuring the character of Alexander III began to appear in 1925. A total of 5 paintings were published, including The Shore of Life, in which the emperor-peacemaker was played by Lev Zolotukhin, as well as The Barber of Siberia, where he played this role.
The last film in which the hero of Alexander III appears was the picture of 2017 "Matilda". In it he played the king.
After the assassination of Alexander 2, his son, Emperor Alexander 3, began to rule Russia. This ruler took over the country at the age of 20. This young man, from childhood, had a passion for military sciences, which he was more willing to do than others.
The death of his father made a strong impression on Alexander III. He sensed the danger that revolutionaries could carry within themselves. As a result, Emperor Alexander III vowed that he would do everything possible to destroy the beginnings of a revolution in Russia. On March 2, 1881, the Russian government swore allegiance to the new emperor. In his speech, the emperor stressed that he intends to continue his father's course and maintain peace with all countries of the world in order to focus on internal problems.
The abolition of serfdom did not solve all the problems of the peasants. Therefore, the new emperor paid great attention to the solution of the peasant question. He believed that at all costs in Russia it was necessary to preserve the peasant communities, which were supposed to preserve the cohabitation of the peasants and rid them of poverty. Wanting to strengthen this legislatively, Emperor Alexander III issued a law in 1893 that extremely limited the possibility of leaving the community.
During the reign of Alexander III in Russia, great attention was paid to the working conditions of workers. In 1882, a law was passed that prohibited the labor of children under 12 years of age. Therefore, according to the law, children between the ages of 12 and 15 were required to work no more than 8 hours a day. In 1885, a law was passed prohibiting night work for children and women. In 1886, a law was passed defining the relationship between the employer and the worker. Thus, Russia became the first country in Europe to legally control the working conditions of workers in factories and plants.
Determining the foreign policy of the state, Emperor Alexander III made the only correct conclusion in the current situation. Russia has taken a position of neutrality. Alexander III did not want to intervene in bloody European conflicts, which for a century had been suppressed only by the Russian army. The emperor said that Russia has no friends, there are only state interests that need to be followed. A similar opinion was expressed much later by the British Prime Minister Churchill, who, speaking of England, noted that England had no permanent friends, only permanent interests. As for Alexander III, he said that Russia has only 2 friends: its army and its navy.
An exception from the policy of neutrality was made only for the Balkans, since Emperor Alexander III wanted to strengthen Russia's influence in this region, primarily at the expense of Bulgaria, which was grateful to Russia for its independence. But everything happened differently. At the end of 1885, an uprising broke out in eastern Rumelia, which led to the separation of the province from Turkey and its entry into Bulgaria. This was contrary to the provisions of the Berlin Treaty and was a pretext for a new war in the Balkans. The emperor was angry with the Bulgarians, who accepted Rumelia into their ranks, without consulting Russia. As a result, not wanting to get involved in a war that was about to begin between Bulgaria and Turkey, the Russian emperor recalled all officials from Bulgaria, as well as all Russian officers. Austria took advantage of this by elevating its ruler to the Bulgarian throne.
Subsequently, the ruler of the Russian Empire continued to adhere to a policy of neutrality, as a result of which Russia had no allies, but also no enemies. The reign of Alexander III lasted until 1894. On October 20, 1894, Emperor Alexander III died.
