Czar Alexandre III

INFORMATION

Alexander III was the penultimate Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 1881 until his death, having ruled the country for a period of 13 years, being the second son of Emperor Alexander II and his wife, Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Born: March 10, 1845, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia Died: 1 November 1894, Livadia Palace, Livadiya Children: Nicholas II of Russia, Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, Olga Alexandrovna, Xenia Alexandrovna, Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia and George Alexandrovich of Russia. Height: 1.90 m Emperor of Russia: Reign: March 13, 1881 on November 1, 1894 Coronation: May 27, 1883 Predecessor: Alexander II Successor: Nicholas II Grand Duke of Finland: Reign: March 13, 1881 on November 1, 1894 Predecessor: Alexander II Successor: Nicholas II Governor-General: Fyodor Logginovich van Heiden Born: March 10, 1845 Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia Died: 1 November 1894 (aged 49) Livadia, Crimea, Russia Buried: November 18, 1894 Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia Full name: Alexandr Alexandrovich Romanov Wife: Dagmar of Denmark Descendants: Nicholas II of Russia, Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia, George Alexandrovich of Russia, Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, Olga Alexandrovna of Russia Home: Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov Father: Alexander II of Russia Mother: Maria of Hesse and Rhine Religion: Russian Orthodox

BIOGRAPHY

Alexander was born in St. Petersburg, the second son of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and his wife Maria Alexandrovna. In personality, he bore little resemblance to his father (who was soft-hearted and liberal) and even less to his great-uncle Alexander I, who was known for being refined, philosophical, sentimental and graceful. Although an enthusiastic ballet lover, Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovitch lacked the refinement and elegance required of a royal member. Indeed, Alexander prided himself on being made of the same strong stock that characterized most of his subjects. His blunt honesty and abrupt manner, sometimes tempered by ill-humor, were perfectly suited to his gigantic stature. Alexander was also known for his great physical strength. His upbringing was not intended to soften these features. Perhaps the testimony of the artist Aleksandr Benois best describes the personality of Alexander III: “After a performance of the ballet “Tsar Kandav” at the Mariinsky Theatre, I saw the Emperor for the first time. I was struck by his size, and although he was clumsy and heavy, he was still a powerful figure. Indeed, there was something of the “muzhik” (Russian peasant) about him. The expression in his shining eyes also struck me. As he passed by where I was standing, he raised his head for a second, and to this day I remember what I felt when our eyes met. It was a gaze as cold as steel, in which there was something menacing, even frightening, and it struck me like a blow. A look from the Tsar! The look of a man who stood above all others, but who carried a monstrous burden and lived every minute in fear for his life and the lives of all those dear to him. In later years I met the Emperor several times and did not feel the least bit shy. On certain occasions Tsar Alexander III was even kind, simple and even… homely.”

EDUCATION

During the first twenty years of his life, Alexander had little prospect of succeeding to the Russian throne, since he had an older brother (Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich) who seemed to be in good health and build. Even when his brother showed early signs of deteriorating health, the possibility that the heir might die was never taken seriously. Nicholas became engaged to the gentle Princess Dagmar of Denmark in 1864. Under these circumstances, the greatest educational efforts were directed at Nicholas, and Alexander received only the basic education given to a grand duke of the time, which did not go beyond a secondary education with basic training in languages ​​such as French, English and German and much military practice.

HEIR APPARENTLY

Alexander became heir apparent to the throne (tsarevich) after the sudden death of his elder brother in 1865. It was from this time that he began to study the principles of law and administration under the guidance of Konstantin Pobedonostsev, who was at the time a professor of civil law at Moscow University and who later (in 1880) became Chief Procurator of the Holy Council. Pobedonostsev did not interest his student much in abstract studies or lengthy intellectual dissertations, but he influenced the style of Alexander III's reign, shaping the young man's mindset to believe in the zeal of the Russian Orthodox Church, which was seen as an essential factor in Russian patriotism. On his deathbed, Alexander's elder brother Nicholas is said to have expressed the wish that his fiancée, Princess Dagmar of Denmark, should marry his younger brother, which she did on 9 November 1866. A happy union, monogamous, and strong to the end. For unlike his relatives, he never had lovers. During the years in which his father remained on the throne, Alexander never had a prominent role in public, but he made it clear that he had his own ideas and that they did not coincide with the practices of the government of Alexander II. Later, father and son became estranged due to their political differences and also due to the resentment that the future tsar felt towards his father, due to the long relationship that he had with Catherine Dolgorukov, his oldest mistress, with whom he had illegitimate children, even while his mother, the empress, suffered from fragile health. To the horror of Alexander and the entire court, the tsar would end up marrying his mistress just a month after the death of his first wife.

REIGN

Alexander III of Russia (1845–1894) ruled from 1881 until his death, succeeding his father, Alexander II, who was assassinated by revolutionaries. His reign was marked by authoritarianism and the reversal of his father's liberal reforms, imposing a highly centralized and repressive government. He strengthened the autocracy, expanded the powers of the secret police (Okhrana), and persecuted political opponents. His policy of Russification forced Russian culture on ethnic minorities, repressed Jews, and restricted freedoms in regions such as Poland and Finland. In the economic field, Alexander III promoted the industrialization of Russia, promoting investment in infrastructure, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway, and adopting protectionist measures under the leadership of his finance minister, Sergei Witte. Despite his internal authoritarianism, he maintained a pacifist foreign policy, consolidating alliances such as the rapprochement with France after breaking with Germany. Married to Maria Feodorovna, he had several children, including Nicholas II, who would inherit an unstable empire, contributing to its downfall in the Revolution of 1917. Alexander III's reign ensured a certain stability, but his political repression and lack of reforms deepened the social tensions that would lead to the collapse of Tsarism.

FAMILY LIFE

Alexander III of Russia had a solid family life marked by a strong sense of duty. He married in 1866 Princess Dagmar of Denmark, who adopted the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Russian Orthodoxy. The couple had a stable and affectionate relationship, and were known for their relatively simple lifestyle for royalty, preferring more intimate residences such as the Gatchina Palace rather than the luxurious Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Together, they had six children: Nicholas (future Nicholas II), George, Xenia, Michael, Olga and Alexander, who died as a child. Alexander III was a strict father, but he also showed affection for his children, especially his eldest son, Nicholas, whom he was preparing for the throne. However, the sudden death of Alexander III in 1894 due to kidney problems meant that Nicholas II took over the empire without being fully prepared, which contributed to the instability that would lead to the Russian Revolution. Maria Feodorovna survived the collapse of the monarchy and lived in exile until her death in 1928.

ILLNESS AND DEATH

In 1894, Alexander fell ill with terminal kidney disease (Nephritis). In the autumn of that year, Maria Feodorovna's sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece, offered her villa Mon Repos on the island of Corfu, hoping that the mild climate would help improve the Tsar's health. However, when they reached Crimea, they stayed at the Maly Palace in Livadia, as Alexander was too weak to continue the journey. Recognizing that the Tsar did not have much time left to live, several imperial relatives traveled to Livadia. Even a well-known cleric of the time, John of Kronstadt, visited the Tsar and gave him communion. On October 21, Alexander received Nicholas's bride, Princess Alexandra Feodorovna, who had traveled from Darmstadt to receive the Tsar's blessing, Despite being very weak, Alexander insisted on receiving Alexandra dressed in uniform, an activity that left him exhausted. Soon after, his health began to deteriorate rapidly. Tsar Alexander III would eventually die in his wife's arms, in the Maly Palace, in Livadia, on the afternoon of November 11, 1894, at the age of forty-nine. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Tsarevich Nicholas, who became Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. His remains were taken from Livadia on 18 November and, after a journey through Moscow, were buried in St. Peter's Cathedral. and São Paulo, in St. Petersburg, on November 20.