On November 1, 1894, Emperor Alexander III died, nicknamed the Peacemaker, because he was the only Russian monarch in the entire 19th century who did not participate in any war during his entire reign.
The reign of Alexander was variously evaluated both by his contemporaries and descendants. People of the left and liberal views considered him a gloomy reactionary who set himself the goal of eradicating any social progress. Slavophiles and conservatives, on the contrary, saw in him the ideal of a sovereign who was not inclined to drastic and radical reforms and who cared primarily for the good of society.
Under him there were no great accomplishments, breathtaking, but at the same time there were no catastrophic failures. Life found out what the last Russian monarch was, under which society lived without radical upheavals.
Random Emperor
Alexander Alexandrovich, in fact, was not supposed to become emperor. He was the second oldest son of Alexander II. The heir to the throne was his elder brother Nikolai Alexandrovich. It was he who received the upbringing and education necessary to solve pressing state problems. Alexander, on the other hand, was preparing for military service and was educated with an emphasis on military affairs. The mentor of the young Alexander Alexandrovich was General Perovsky.
Nikolai Alexandrovich was a young man of great talents. According to his mentor, he had every chance of becoming one of the best Russian rulers, he was so smart and capable. Alexander was significantly inferior to his brother in training. For example, he flunked a course in history and the Russian language (he wrote competently, but did not know how to formulate an idea in the way that befitted his status).
Fate was cruel to the prince. During a visit to Europe, the young heir to the throne suddenly fell ill and, at the age of 21, died of tuberculous meningitis. 20-year-old Alexander automatically became the heir to the throne. He lamented such a blow of fate and its duality, the worst day - the day of the death of his brother, whom he loved very much - was at the same time the best day for him, as he became the heir to the throne: "A terrible day of the death of a brother and my only friend. This day will remain for me the best day of my life," he wrote. In honor of the deceased brother, he named his first child, the future Emperor Nicholas II.
Immediately after these events, the best teachers were assigned to Alexander to fill in the gaps in education, and he listened to the course necessary for the future emperor. The mentor of the young Tsarevich, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, will become one of the most influential politicians in Russia during his reign, and many issues will be resolved with his direct participation.
In no less sad circumstances, Alexander became emperor. If he became the heir due to the tragic death of his brother, then the emperor - after the tragic death of his father, who was killed by terrorists of the People's Volunteers.
State interests over private interests
Alexander married the bride of his deceased brother. The Danish princess Dagmara was betrothed to Nikolai Alexandrovich, but they did not have time to get married due to the illness of the heir to the throne. Dagmara and Alexander looked after a seriously ill brother in his last days. At that time, Alexander already had a lady of the heart - the maid of honor Meshcherskaya. But in the new circumstances, Alexander could no longer marry her, otherwise the marriage would be morganatic and their children would not have rights to the throne.
Emperor Alexander II insisted that his son marry Dagmar, who had already fallen in love with the imperial family. The heir to the throne chose to give up the throne for the sake of love or accept it, but marry another. After a short period of throwing, under the influence of his father, the heir to the throne subordinated his own interests to the state interests, having explained with Meshcherskaya. A little over a year after his brother's death, he proposed to his fiancee. Oddly enough, the marriage, concluded in such unusual circumstances, turned out to be surprisingly strong and happy. Almost all contemporaries note the mutual affection of the spouses to each other.
peacemaker
Alexander with good reason can be called the Peacemaker, he is the first emperor since the time of Peter II who did not take part in wars, and the only Russian emperor with such a long period of peaceful rule. Nevertheless, Alexander personally had a chance to take part in the war - only then he was Tsarevich.
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, he commanded the Eastern Detachment of the Danube Army. It was this detachment that took the main blow during the autumn offensive of the Turks in 1877 and managed to hold it back.
Alexander distributed all the things sent from St. Petersburg to the soldiers, thanks to which he was popular in his detachment. During the war, he began to grow a beard, which he later wore constantly, becoming the first bearded Russian emperor. The military experience had a great influence on the king: “I am glad that I was at war and saw for myself all the horrors inevitably associated with war ... Any ruler to whom the people are entrusted by God must take all measures in order to avoid the horrors of war, of course, if he will not be forced into war by his opponents," he later said.
In the future, the emperor strictly adhered to peaceful attitudes, and not only did not enter into wars himself, but also prevented individual conflicts. In particular, including through his efforts, the next Franco-German war did not take place.
Conservative
Alexander II was assassinated a few days before Loris-Melikov's constitutional draft was considered. The new emperor at first doubted which course to take: to continue the liberal reforms of his father, or to partially curtail them. Under the influence of Pobedonostsev, Alexander leaned towards the second option.
Pobedonostsev - one of the emperor's mentors, during his reign became one of the main gray cardinals of politics. Being a liberal in his youth (he even collaborated with Herzen's Kolokol), in his mature years Pobedonostsev became a staunch conservative who believed that further liberal reforms would destroy Russia.
Under the new emperor, censorship of the press was restored. For the Jews, who were then associated with revolutionism, quotas were set for higher education. The most famous restrictive act in the educational sphere was the famous "Circular on Cook's Children". True, he did not forbid children from the poorest families to study in gymnasiums. He only recommended that school directors be more careful in selecting children from the poorest sections of society, taking into account their opportunities for learning. At best, this decree affected 0.1% of gymnasium students, since the children of cooks and laundresses rarely studied at gymnasiums, preferring zemstvo or parochial schools to them. In any case, the emperor cannot be called a persecutor of progress; budgetary spending on education during his reign increased by almost one and a half times.
The governors received the right to introduce a regime of enhanced security in their territories. Under this regime, the police had the right to arrest for 7 days suspected of state crimes. During the reign of Alexander, there were practically no terrorist attacks and the atmosphere remained relatively calm.
Protectionist
In the economic sphere, Alexander was waiting for great success. Stable economic growth accompanied all 13 years of the emperor's reign. This was due to the protectionist state policy. It was not so easy to achieve it: the principles of free trade were actively defended by merchant circles. It was much more profitable to buy goods abroad and sell them already in Russia than to start production from scratch. This vicious system was broken by the introduction of high customs duties.
Duty tariffs on those industrial goods that could be produced in Russia were raised to 30%, making it more profitable to produce them in the country than to buy them abroad. The growth in the production of iron, steel and coal was a record for all pre-revolutionary times. Oil, too, but it must be taken into account that it was practically not developed in previous years, therefore, growth from almost zero was high, and in the case of iron and steel, Russia had a fairly developed production before. The establishment of a low tax on the profits of joint-stock companies stimulated the opening of new enterprises. On average, Russian industry grew steadily by 7-8% per year.
Order was restored in the field of railways. Previously, they were private and were distinguished by the most intricate tariff system. Alexander nationalized most of the roads and established a clear tariff system, thanks to which they became profitable from unprofitable ones and brought a lot of money to the state budget.
Abolition of the poll tax
One of the most significant changes in the financial sector was the abolition of the poll tax. Now we are all used to the fact that every citizen pays taxes. But Alexander took a risky step that eased the financial burden of the peasantry, which was the main draft class. He completely abolished the poll tax, which was a significant help to the budget. Instead of taxes, the number of indirect taxes was increased: excises on vodka, tobacco, sugar, matches, etc.
Despite the rejection of the poll tax, which was one of the main sources of replenishment of the budget in the previous century and a half, the competent economic policy of the emperor made it possible not only to compensate for these losses, but also to replenish them many times over. The budget went from a deficit to a surplus and grew significantly.
Tsar-artist
In Soviet times, when all former tsars were characterized exclusively negatively, not the most flattering characteristic was assigned to Alexander - "sergeant major", which was supposed to demonstrate the narrow-mindedness allegedly inherent in the tsar. But in fact it was not so. Alexander was very keenly interested in painting and in his younger years he often drew and took lessons from artists. But he, on the contrary, did not like military parades. Having become emperor, he was forced to leave his former hobby, for which there was no longer enough time due to state affairs, but he retained his love for art. He collected an outstanding collection of paintings, which later became the basis for the creation of the Russian Museum, which appeared after the death of the emperor and was named after him.
Army and Navy
The emperor's famous expression: "Russia has only two allies - the army and the navy" - became winged. The fleet experienced by no means the best of times under the previous emperors, but under Alexander III a large-scale program of modernization and rearmament of the fleet was carried out, thanks to which about a hundred new ships were put into operation, including 17 battleships - the strongest ships at that time. The Black Sea Fleet, which Russia lost after the Crimean War, was also restored. Thanks to this, the Russian fleet, traditionally considered secondary to the army, became the third most powerful after the two strongest powers of that time: Britain and France.
The construction of the fleet required modern shipyards. An extensive program of modernization of shipyards was carried out, thanks to which it was possible to abandon the practice of placing orders for the construction of sea vessels abroad.
The army was re-equipped with Mosin rifles, which became the main small arms of the Russian army for the next 60 years, including the Great Patriotic War. And only the appearance of the Kalashnikov assault rifle forced us to abandon the reliable weapon proven in more than one military conflict.
Legalization of duels
During the reign of Alexander III, duels among officers were actually legalized. Special Rules for the Proceeding of Quarrels that Occur in the Officers' Environment provided that a duel could take place by decision of the Officers' Court of Honor, which could either reconcile the officers or approve their duel, subject to intolerable insults. In the event that the Court of Honor approved the duel, but one of the participants did not come to it, the officer who did not appear was obliged to resign from the army within two weeks.
Perhaps the decision to regulate the duels of the emperor was prompted by an incident in which he became a participant in his youth. The still young Tsarevich quarreled with an officer. Since the officer could not challenge the heir to the throne to a duel, he demanded an apology from him, threatening to shoot himself otherwise. The Tsarevich did not apologize, and the officer actually committed suicide. Upon learning of this case, the father-emperor became furious and forced Alexander to follow the coffin of the deceased officer at his funeral.
Tsar-railwayman
Alexander III considered the development of railways a priority. It was during his reign that private roads were turned into a single connected system, and most of them were bought out and began to belong to the treasury. Under him, the Transcaucasian and Transcaspian railways were built, the construction of the Great Siberian Route began - the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connected the European part of Russia with the Asian Far East, which contemporaries called the wonder of the world and which, after completion of construction (already under Nicholas II) became one of the most famous Russian brands in the world and one of the most recognizable symbols of Russia in Western countries. During the 13 years of Alexander's reign, more than 10 thousand kilometers of railways were laid.
Foreign policy
In foreign policy during the time of Alexander, conflicting results were achieved. Influence on Bulgaria was finally lost, which at one time was liberated from Ottoman rule with the participation of the Russian army. At first, the influence of St. Petersburg on Bulgarian affairs was so great that even the Bulgarian constitution was written in the Russian capital, and the Bulgarian monarch could not be elected without approval from Russia.
However, the Bulgarians very soon fell under Austrian influence and brewed such a mess, because of which another major war with the participation of Turkey almost broke out. As a result, Russia even broke off diplomatic relations with the Bulgarians. Ultimately, it all ended with the emperor giving up on Bulgaria, which was under very strong German and Austrian influence.
On the other hand, there was a rapprochement and subsequent conclusion of a military alliance with France. Despite ideological differences (France is a republic, and Russia is a monarchy), this union proved to be strong and lasted almost 30 years - until the collapse of the Russian Empire. In addition, it is worth noting his efforts to prevent a conflict between France and Germany, which he managed to extinguish, preventing it from flaring up to a pan-European war.
Catastrophe
In 1888, the imperial train got into a serious railway accident near Kharkov. At full speed, most of the train cars derailed and overturned. At that moment, his whole family was traveling with the emperor. By a happy coincidence, all of them were successfully thrown onto the embankment and none of the family was seriously injured (several people from the servants and guards died). However, the king, holding the roof of the wagon on his shoulders so that his family could get out from under it, undermined his health. Shortly after the accident, he began to complain of back pain. It turned out that he had nephritis - inflammation of the kidneys. Over time, the disease only progressed, and the king was increasingly sick. From a mighty and full of health giant, he turned into a pale and sickly man. On November 1, 1894, he died at the age of only 49.
His reign was controversial. On the one hand, he left behind a steadily developing country in economic terms, a modern fleet and army. On the other hand, he did nothing to overcome the contradictions in society. He only temporarily froze the passions that boiled in him, but did not solve the main problems, and they already poured in a stormy stream on his successor, Nikolai Alexandrovich.
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.
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 moments that I would not survive my brother, that I would constantly cry just at the mere 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 console 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 gravity 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.
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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.
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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, the administrative-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.
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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 his 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.
In general, and the history of Russia in particular, this post is simply a must-read.
Emperor Alexander III
Here you can get acquainted with the memoirs of Sergei Yulievich Witte, one of the most prominent state and diplomatic figures of Russia at the end of the 19th century, about Emperor Alexander III.
Alexander 3 went down in history with the official title of Tsar-Peacemaker, since he did not wage a single war during his reign.
However, despite the huge number of transformations useful for the country that Alexander 3 brought to life, evil tongues formed many false legends about him: that he was spineless, prone to alcoholism, completely uneducated and, as a result, absolutely useless, if not harmful to Russian Empire Tsar.
So, who is quite often cited as an example of an anti-monarchist by modern pseudo-liberals, said the following about Alexander III Alexandrovich.
Here are verbatim excerpts from his article for 1911.
Witte's memoirs of Alexander III
“I have already had several occasions to speak about the remarkable and noble personality of Emperor Alexander III. It is a great misfortune that he reigned so little: only 13 years; but even in these thirteen years the figure of him as an emperor was completely outlined and grew. This was felt by all of Russia and all abroad on the day of his death.
Alexander III was a great emperor... His contemporaries and the next generation were far from being appreciated, and most of them are skeptical about his reign.
This is highly unfair.
He possessed the noblest - it is not enough to say the noblest - he possessed precisely the royal heart. Such nobility, which Alexander III had, could only be, on the one hand, innate, and on the other hand, not spoiled by life.
The emperor had an absolutely outstanding nobility and purity of heart, purity of morals and thoughts. As a family man, he was an exemplary family man; as a boss and owner - he was an exemplary boss, an exemplary owner.
He never missed a word with a deed. He could, regarding what he was not sure of, not express, keep silent, expect; but if he said anything, then his word could be counted on like a stone mountain.
As a result, Alexander III enjoyed, on the one hand, the general trust and respect of all his close associates, and on the other hand, which is much more important, the respect and trust of the whole world.
... He was a good host: Emperor Alexander III was a good host, not because of a sense of self-interest, but because of a sense of duty. Not only in the royal family, but even among dignitaries, I never met that feeling of respect for the state ruble, for the state penny, which Alexander III possessed.
He saved every penny of the Russian people, the Russian state, as the best owner could not protect it.
Thanks to Emperor Alexander III... I managed to put my finances in order (Witte was the Minister of Finance - ed.).
In the sense of a state treasurer, we can say that Emperor Alexander III was an ideal state treasurer ...
He could not stand excessive luxury, he could not stand the excessive throwing of money - he lived with remarkable modesty.
Alexander III loved extremely simple food, and when his table bored him, he, being already poor, ill, in the last six months of his life or a little more, sometimes asked as goodies to bring him an ordinary soldier's or hunting lunch from the nearest barracks or hunting grounds. commands.
The main merit of Emperor Alexander III is that he reigned peacefully for 13 years, without a single war, except for the most insignificant expedition in Akhaltek, but he gave Russia these 13 years of peace and tranquility not by concessions, but by fair and unshakable firmness.
He knew how to inspire confidence abroad, on the one hand, that he would not act unfairly towards anyone, would not wish for any seizures; everyone was calm that he would not start any adventure. His reign did not need laurels; he did not have the pride of rulers who wished for victories through the grief of their subjects in order to decorate the pages of their reign.
But everyone knew about Alexander III that, not wanting any conquests, acquisitions, no military laurels, the emperor would never, in any case, compromise the honor and dignity of Russia entrusted to him by God.
Alexander III, as I have already said, did not like to talk much, in particular he did not like to say phrases; this is his trait; and his gigantic figure, representing some kind of clumsy giant, with an extremely good-natured physiognomy and infinitely kind eyes, inspired Europe, on the one hand, as if with fear, and on the other, bewilderment: what is it?
Everyone was afraid that if suddenly this giant would bark.
We all remember the time when Emperor Alexander III was dying in Yalta, and the coming months after that, when all of Europe suddenly felt that the force that had kept Europe in a peaceful and calm position with its moral figure was leaving; only then did everyone realize the enormous role that this emperor played in international world relations.
With Alexander III, every word was not an empty sound, as we often see among rulers: very often rulers say a series of beautiful phrases on one occasion or another, which are then forgotten after half an hour. With Alexander III, the word never disagreed with the deed. What he said was felt by him, and he never backed down from what he said.
Thus, generally speaking, Alexander III, having received Russia at the confluence of the most unfavorable political conjunctures, deeply raised the international prestige of Russia without shedding a drop of Russian blood.
We can say that at the end of his reign, Emperor Alexander III was the main factor in world international politics.
Emperor Alexander III largely restored our army after the disorganization that occurred as a result of the Turkish war in the late 70s.
He was deeply cordial to all the needs of the Russian peasantry in particular and the Russian weak people in general. It was the type of a truly autocratic monarch, an autocratic Russian tsar...
I am convinced that if Emperor Alexander III had been destined to continue to reign for as many years as he reigned, then his reign would have been one of the greatest reigns of the Russian Empire.
Emperor Alexander III was indeed the head of the royal family; he kept all the grand dukes and grand duchesses in their respective positions; everyone not only revered and respected him, but also extremely feared him.
Alexander III was a real patriarch, the head of the imperial family; under him, the various episodes that occurred after his death would have been unthinkable in the imperial family.
The sovereign understood with the mind of his heart that the numerous imperial family, consisting of dozens of people of various characters and different morals, should serve as an example for his subjects with their private, public and state life ...
All the children of Emperor Alexander III, I will not say that they were afraid of their father - no, but they were embarrassed in front of him, feeling his authority ...
The last weeks before his death, which followed on October 20, 1894, the attention of all Europe was riveted to Yalta, and in these last weeks it became especially clear what enormous prestige and what enormous importance Emperor Alexander III had in all world politics.
Without exception, newspapers of all directions and all countries wrote praises to the emperor, recognizing his enormous importance in the international life of the whole world, and also doing justice to his honest, noble, truthful and direct character.
The whole world recognized that if for the last 13 years during the reign of Emperor Alexander III Russia lived in peace and all of Europe lived peacefully, it was only thanks to the extremely peaceful character of Emperor Alexander III, who was peace-loving beyond words - he did not initiate various peaceful conferences, peaceful pronouncements and peaceful rattles, and in fact, in the essence of his high character, he was firm, but to a high degree peaceful.
On October 19, under the impression of disturbing information coming from Yalta, there was an official prayer in the Kazan Cathedral, which was attended not only by all the highest administrative officials of the city of St. Petersburg, but also by ordinary inhabitants, including students.
Last family photo, Livadia (May 1893) Petersburg prayed for the granting of life to Emperor Alexander III, and on October 20, terrible news came about his death ...
Emperor Alexander III died the same way he lived - as a true Christian, as a faithful son of the Orthodox Church and as a simple, firm and honest person.
He died quite calmly, and, dying, he cared much more about the fact that this would upset his associates and his beloved family than he thought about himself.
St. Petersburg, 1911
So, we see that Witte gave a very high assessment of both the personality and the activities of Alexander III.
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How to evaluate a statesman? It's very simple - if a civil war broke out under him, this is a bad politician. If under him the state was defeated in an external conflict and lost territories, this is the one whose mistakes need to be studied, but you don’t need to take yourself as an example.
There have been many leaders in the history of our country. But future generations need to be educated on the best examples. Not forgetting the worst examples, such as Gorbachev and Yeltsin. The best leader of the Soviet period is undoubtedly Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin.
The best emperor in the history of the Russian Empire was Alexander III. He is one of the most unknown kings. There are two reasons for this: Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov was a peacemaker tsar. Under him, Russia did not fight, there were no resounding victories, but our influence in the world did not decrease at all, and peace made it possible for industry and the entire economy to develop. The second reason is the collapse of the country in 1917 (the tsar died in 1894), they did not have time to realize his greatness and wisdom. Due to its obscurity, we have to give a "hint". Alexander III was the son of the sovereign liberator killed by terrorists Alexandra II and father of Nicholas II, which, due to the tragedy of the royal family and all of Russia, is known to anyone in our country.
"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. Or maybe even the only one.
It is about such kings that today's monarchists sigh. Perhaps they are right. Alexander III was truly great. Both human and emperor.
However, some dissidents of that time, including Vladimir Lenin, joked rather evilly at the emperor. In particular, they nicknamed him "Pineapple". True, Alexander himself gave a reason for this. In the manifesto "On Our Ascension to the Throne" dated April 29, 1881, it was clearly stated: "And on Us to impose a Sacred Duty." So when the document was read out, the king 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 remarkable for his amazing strength. He could easily break a horseshoe. He could easily bend silver coins in the palm of his hand. I could lift a horse on my shoulders. And even 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. Threw it towards the ambassador. And he said, "That's what I'll do with your hulls."
Height - 193 cm. Weight - more than 120 kg. It is not surprising that a peasant who accidentally saw the emperor at the railway station exclaimed: “This is the king, so the king, damn me!” The wicked peasant was immediately seized for "uttering indecent words in the presence of the sovereign." However, Alexander ordered the foul language to be released. Moreover, he rewarded him with a ruble with his own image: “Here is my portrait for you!”
What about his look? Beard? Crown? Remember the cartoon "Magic Ring"? “Ampirator drink tea. Motherly samovar! Each appliance of sieve bread has three pounds! It's all about him. He really could eat 3 pounds of sieve bread with 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 boots, like a soldier. Even at official receptions, he allowed himself to go out in worn trousers, a jacket or a sheepskin coat.
Alexander III on the hunt. Slept (Kingdom of Poland). Late 1880s - early 1890s Photographer K. Beh. RGAKFD. Al. 958. Sn. nineteen.
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 loved fishing and hunting. Therefore, when the German ambassador demanded an immediate meeting, Alexander said: “Pecking! It pecks at me! Germany can wait. I'll take it tomorrow at noon."
At an audience with the British ambassador, Alexander said:
- I will not allow encroachment on our people and our territory.
The ambassador replied:
- This can cause an armed clash with England!
The king calmly remarked:
- Well, well ... Probably, we can do it.
And mobilized the Baltic Fleet. It was 5 times smaller than the forces that the British had at sea. And yet there was no war. The British calmed down and surrendered their positions in Central Asia.
After that, the British Minister of the Interior, Disraeli, called Russia “a huge, monstrous, terrible bear that hangs over Afghanistan, India. And our interests in the world."
In order to list the affairs of Alexander III, we need not a newspaper page, but a scroll 25 meters long. It gave a real exit to the Pacific Ocean - the Trans-Siberian Railway. He gave civil liberties to the Old Believers. He gave real freedom to the peasants - the former serfs under him got the opportunity to take solid loans, redeem their lands and farms. He made it clear that everyone is equal before the supreme power - he deprived some of the grand dukes of their 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.
Indeed, one can yearn for such a sovereign. Alexander's older brother Nikolai(he died without ascending the throne) said about the future emperor: “Pure, truthful, crystal soul. There's something wrong with the rest of us, fox. Alexander alone is truthful and correct in soul.
In Europe, they spoke about his death in much the same way: "We are losing an arbitrator who has always been guided by the idea of justice."
Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia Alexander III Alexandrovich Romanov The biggest deeds of Alexander III
The emperor is credited, and, apparently, not without reason, with the invention of a flat flask. And not just flat, but bent, the so-called "boot". Alexander liked to drink, but did not want others to know about his addictions. A flask of this shape is ideal for secret use.
It is he who owns the slogan, for which now you can seriously pay: "Russia is for the Russians." Nevertheless, his nationalism was not aimed at the treatment of 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 all of Russia. The Emperor also instituted the Railwayman's Day. Even the Soviet authorities did not cancel it, despite the fact that Alexander set the date of the holiday for the birthday of his grandfather Nicholas I, under which we began to build railways.
Actively fought against corruption. Not in words, but in deeds. The Minister of Railways Krivoshein and the Minister of Finance Abaza were sent to a shameful resignation for bribes. He did not bypass his relatives either - because of corruption, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich were deprived of their posts.
Emperor Alexander III with his family in the Private Garden of the Grand Gatchina Palace. History of the patch
Despite his more than noble position, conducive 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 for his subjects. .
For example, there was an incident that one of the king's associates wrote down in his diary. He happened to be next to the emperor one of the days, and then some 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 turns beet-colored, notices that in a place that is not commonly called in society, the king has a rough patch!
It should be noted here that the tsar did not wear pants made of expensive materials, preferring coarse, military cut, 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 junk dealers for sale, previously expensive disputes buttons. The emperor in everyday life was simple and undemanding, wearing a uniform, which it was high time to throw away, and giving the torn clothes to his batman to mend and mend where necessary.
Non-royal preferences
Alexander III was a categorical person 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 reduced the balls that were given regularly in St. Petersburg 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. For example, food. According to the memoirs 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 Finnish skerries.
One of Alexander's favorite delicacies was "Guryev's" porridge, invented by Zakhar Kuzmin, the serf cook of the retired major Yurisovsky. 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 gourmet French desserts and Italian delicacies, which he ate at tea in his Annichkov Palace. The Tsar did not like the Winter Palace with its pompous luxury. However, against the backdrop of mended pants and porridge, this is not surprising.
The force that saved the family
The emperor had one fatal passion, which, although he fought with it, sometimes prevailed. Alexander III liked 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 top of his wide tarpaulin boots and applied to it when the empress could not see it.
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. Petersburg. 1886
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 soul in spirit - the timid emperor, who did not like crowded gatherings, and the cheerful cheerful Danish princess Maria Sophia Friederika 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 king also loved physical activity and was famous throughout the state as a heroic man. 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 autumn of 1888, the tsar's train crashed near the Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov. Seven wagons were broken, there were seriously wounded and dead 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 nevertheless collapsed, and, according to eyewitnesses, Alexander held it on his shoulders until help arrived. Investigators who found out the causes of the crash concluded that the family had miraculously escaped, and if the royal train continues to travel at such a speed, then a miracle may not happen a second time.
In the autumn of 1888, the tsar's train crashed near the Borki station. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org Tsar-artist and admirer of the arts
Despite the fact that in everyday life he was simple and unpretentious, thrifty and even economical, huge amounts of money 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 chores took a lot of time and effort, and the emperor was forced to leave classes. But he retained his love for the elegant until the last days and transferred it to collecting. Not without reason, 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 caused discontent, did not become a reason for the persecution of the Wanderers. 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 sounded on the theater stage, but the works of domestic composers. Until his death, he supported Russian opera and Russian ballet, which received worldwide recognition and reverence.
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 drawn into any serious political conflict, and the revolutionary movement became at a standstill, which was nonsense, since the murder of the previous tsar was seen as a sure pretext for starting a new round of terrorist acts and changing the state order.
The emperor introduced a number of measures that made life easier for the common people. He gradually abolished 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.
The emperor also owns another phrase "Russia for the Russians." However, there is no reason to blame the tsar for nationalism: Minister Witte, whose wife was of Jewish origin, recalled that Alexander's activities were never aimed at treating national minorities, which, by the way, changed during the reign of Nicholas II, when the Black Hundred movement found support in the state level.
About forty monuments were erected in honor of Emperor Alexander III in the Russian Empire
Only 49 years fate measured this autocrat. The memory of him 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 troubled days, Russia remembers the catchphrase of Alexander III: “In the whole world we have only two faithful allies - the army and the navy. All the rest, at the first opportunity, will take up arms against us.”
Next, we offer you to see the rarest photographs of Emperor Alexander III
Grand Dukes Vladimir Alexandrovich (standing), Alexander Alexandrovich (second from right) and others. Koenigsberg (Germany). 1862 Photographer G. Hessau.
Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich. Petersburg. Mid 1860s Photographer S. Levitsky. 
Alexander III on the deck of the yacht. Finnish skerries. Late 1880s 
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with their children George, Xenia and Mikhail and others on the deck of the yacht. Finnish skerries. Late 1880s... 
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with their children Xenia and Mikhail on the porch of the house. Livadia. Late 1880s 
Alexander III, Empress Maria Feodorovna, their children George, Mikhail, Alexander and Xenia, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and others at a tea table in the forest. Khalila. Early 1890s 
Alexander III with children watering the trees in the garden. Late 1880s 
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna with their eldest son Nikolai. Petersburg. 1870 Photographer S. Levitsky.
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna with their son Mikhail (on horseback) and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich for a walk in the forest. Mid 1880s 
Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich in the uniform of the Life Guards Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Family. 1865 Photographer I. Nostits.
Alexander III with Empress Maria Feodorovna and her sister, Princess Alexandra of Wales. London. 1880s Photo studio Maul & Co.
On the veranda - Alexander III with Empress Maria Feodorovna and children George, Xenia and Mikhail, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, Countess E. A. Vorontsova-Dashkova and others. Red Village. Late 1880s 
Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich with Tsarevich Maria Feodorovna, her sister, Princess Alexandra of Wales (second from right), their brother, Danish Crown Prince Frederick (far right), and others. Denmark. Mid 1870s Russell & Sons Photo Studio. Barantseva Svetlana
IV District Children's Christmas Readings
Literary and historical mini-essay
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MBOU Aryevskaya secondary school
IV District Children's Christmas Readings
Literary and historical mini-essay:
Three Alexanders of Russian history: Alexander I (Blessed), Alexander II (Liberator), Alexander III (Peacemaker).
8 A class.
Head: history teacher
Kiseleva Valentina Andreevna
year 2013
And if anyone hears
My words will not be believed
I do not judge him: for I have come
not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Gospel of John 12:17.
In the coming year 2013, it is planned to hold a number of festive, festive events dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. Back in 2007, a number of cities, including Nizhny Novgorod, offered to celebrate the anniversary of the dynasty with magnificent ceremonies at the state level. In 2010, a presentation of the Romanovs' photo exhibition took place in the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition complex. To the 400th anniversary of service to Russia. The basis of the exhibition is the figure of Nicholas II and his family, but a series of rare photographs from the family albums of the Russian emperors Alexander II and Alexander III was also presented.
I want to tell about the three emperors Alexander and their place in the historical fate of Russia.
Alexander I Pavlovich, Blessed. Reign time from 1801 to 1825 from the Nativity of Christ.
This emperor is the first and only paricide on the Russian throne. It was Paul I himself who pushed his son and heir Alexander to commit a crime. Even in the family, he seemed to be trying to assassinate power. That is why he intended to send his wife into exile, and to imprison his sons Konstantin and Alexander for life in the Peter and Paul and Shlisselburg fortresses. Saving his mother and brother, Alexander allowed the conspirators to arrest his father, on the condition that Paul's life would be spared. However, this did not happen.
Alexander was looking for ways to atone for his sin. It seemed to him that he, the autocrat, could make Russia a modern, enlightened and prosperous country, give it a constitutional form of government, free the peasants from serfdom, and then retire from power. And this, at least in part, will help to atone for the terrible guilt of parricide. For the joy of the good of Russia, its liberation from the Antichrist-Napoleon, Alexander I received the nickname of the Blessed among the people. However, he did not succeed in bringing all his plans to life, which explains Alexander's protracted bouts of depression, which became more frequent in the last years of his reign. After the death of the emperor in 1825, the elder Fyodor Kuzmich appeared in Siberia, built a cell in the taiga, and prayed fervently. He was the same height and age as Alexander, which was noted by many contemporaries. When the elder died in 1864, pilgrims flocked to his grave, believing that this was the emperor himself. Their guesses were confirmed in 1921, when the Chekists opened the tomb of Alexander I, which turned out to be empty ...
Alexander II assumed power in 1855 after the sudden death of his father in difficult days for Russia. The emperor understood that Russia was catastrophically lagging behind European countries in its development, and he was obliged to return the power of the empire. We need an industry of the European level, and for it to arise, a radical reformation of the entire life of the country is necessary. This meant the intention to carry out social, legal, educational and industrial reforms. And, above all, the abolition of serfdom. For the liberation of the Balkan peoples from Turkish rule, for the liberation of millions of serfs according to the Tsar's manifesto on February 19, 1861, Alexander II received the official title of the Liberator. On March 1, 1881, as a result of the 8th assassination attempt, Emperor Alexander was mortally wounded and died as a martyr. Boris Nikolayevich Chicherin, one of the smartest people of that time, wrote: He received a martyr's crown, which atoned for all his weaknesses and left his image as a bright face among the Russian tsars. Many surpassed his abilities, but no one did more than him for Russia, although neither he nor his contemporaries were given to see the good fruits of his labors, but only the thorns scattered on the way had to be experienced.
So, Alexander III Alexandrovich, Peacemaker. 13th emperor who ruled for 13 years. Alexander's activities were based on two principles: Russia for the Russians was his slogan in matters of domestic policy, and the principle of peace guided him in foreign policy. For maintaining European peace, Alexander III was nicknamed the Peacemaker. He was the only Russian emperor during whose reign, Russia did not wage a single war, but significantly strengthened its position on the world stage. The most Russian emperor - as some historians call Alexander III. There is an opinion that in his famous painting Bogatyrs in the central figure of Ilya Muromets, Vasnetsov portrayed the Emperor Alexander III. Alexander was distinguished by religiosity: with a prayer for the strengthening of the spirit, he stood for hours at the lectern with the Holy Scriptures in his hands. The reign of Alexander the Peacemaker was unique not only because of the absence of wars. This convinced monarchist, autocrat, the real Romanov surprised his contemporaries with his freedom and breadth of thinking.
I would like to end my story with the words of the historian Zakatov: The main and invariable meaning of the existence of the Russian Imperial House of Romanov at all times and in all political and life circumstances is the preservation of the Russian historical state tradition and its spiritual foundations.
The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Imperial House maintain an uninterrupted connection with the entire thousand-year history of our Motherland. The Romanov dynasty is a living symbol of Russia, and as such is dear to everyone who respects the great past of the Fatherland.