Birth of Alexander 2. Alexander the Second. The beginning of a series of assassination attempts

Emperor Alexander 2nd was born on April 29, 1818. Being the son of Nicholas 1st and heir to the throne, he received an excellent, comprehensive education. Alexander's teachers were Zhukovsky and military officer Merder. His father also had a noticeable influence on the formation of the personality of Alexander II. Alexander ascended the throne after the death of Nicholas 1st - in 1855. By that time, he already had some management experience, since he acted as sovereign while his father was not in the capital. This ruler went down in history as Alexander the 2nd Liberator. When compiling a short biography of Alexander II, it is necessary to mention his reform activities.

The wife of Alexander 2nd in 1841 was Princess Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt, better known as Maria Alexandrovna. She bore Alexander seven children, the eldest two died. And since 1880, the tsar was married (in a morganatic marriage) to Princess Dolgorukaya, with whom he had four children.

The internal policy of Alexander the 2nd was strikingly different from the policy of Nicholas the 1st and was marked. The most important of them was the peasant reform of Alexander the 2nd, according to which in 1861, on February 19, it was. This reform caused an urgent need for further changes in many Russian institutions and led to the implementation of Alexander the 2nd.

In 1864, by decree of Alexander the 2nd, it was carried out. Its goal was to create a system of local self-government, for which the institution of district zemstvo was established.

He went down in history as a great reformer and “liberator.” His reign is interesting not only for its political initiatives, but also for personal factors that played an important role in his reign.

Mother's prediction

Emperor Alexander II was perhaps the last ruler born in Moscow. His family moved here in 1817 to support and help rebuild the city, which suffered as a result of Napoleon's invasion. The birth of Alexander on April 17 (29) became a real holiday in the Romanov family, because over the past 20 years only girls were born in the family. It was 1818 - Alexander I had not yet shown symptoms of the illness that ended his life, the terrible uprising on Senate Square had not yet occurred, and Alexander’s successor, to whom fate had not given a son, had not yet been announced.

But already during the birth, the mother of the future emperor Alexandra Fedorovna predicted the future of the newborn: “When mother (Maria Feodorovna), approaching us, said, “This is a son,” our happiness doubled, however, I remember that I felt something impressive and sad at the thought that this little creature would one day become an emperor.”
A year later, the will of Alexander I became known to make his brother Nikolai Pavlovich his successor. The presence of a male heir in his family played a certain role in this decision.

Talisman stone

On April 17, 1834, the Grand Duke turned 16 years old, the young Tsarevich was declared an adult. On the same day, in the Urals, the Finnish geologist Nordenschild discovered a previously unknown gemstone and named it “Alexandrite” in honor of his heir. With all the abundance of omens and predictions that accompanied the reign of Alexander II, conversations about this stone were especially remembered by contemporaries. Alexandrite has the unique property of changing its color - from green to blood red. Because of this, mystical properties began to be attributed to the stone and were more than once compared with the fate of the emperor: “...here is that prophetic Russian stone...The insidious Siberian! He was all green, like hope, and by the evening he was covered in blood... there is a green morning and a bloody evening in him... This is fate, this is the fate of the noble Tsar Alexander! ”, Nikolai Leskov wrote in one of his stories.

Alexandrite became the emperor’s talisman, who more than once warded off trouble from him, but on the ill-fated day of the last assassination attempt - March 1 (13), 1881, Alexander forgot to take the stone with him.

Father's last parting words

Alexander II, as often happens in the imperial family, had a difficult relationship with his father. Nicholas I understood perfectly well what fate awaited his son and did not slack in his upbringing. In addition, his contemporaries remember him as “a despot in everything,” including in the family. He himself said more than once: “I look at human life only as a service, since everyone serves.” Nikolai did not forget about his role even on his deathbed. He handed over the reins to his son with great regret: “I’m handing over the command to you, but, unfortunately, not in the order I wanted, leaving you with a lot of work and worries. I had two thoughts, two desires: to free Eastern Christians from under the Turkish yoke; second: free the Russian peasants from the power of the landowners. Now the war is hard, there is no need to think about the liberation of Eastern Christians, promise me to liberate the Russian serfs.”

It should be noted that before his accession to the throne, Alexander II was a staunch conservative. After these memories, it may seem that Alexander II changed his position in order to fulfill the will of his father, but this is not so. The Crimean War and the defeat of Nicholas taught him an important lesson - you can’t live like that anymore.

Selling Alaska

What Alexander has always been blamed for is selling Alaska to the United States. The main claims are that the rich region, which brought furs to Russia, and with more careful exploration could become a gold mine, was sold to America for some 11 million royal rubles. The truth is that after the Crimean War, the Russian Empire simply did not have the resources to develop such a distant region, and besides, the Far East was a priority.

In addition, even during the reign of Nicholas, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, presented to the sovereign a report on the need to strengthen ties with America, which sooner or later would raise the question of expanding its influence in this region, which was strategically important for the latter.

Alexander II returned to this issue only when the country needed money for reforms. The emperor had a choice - either to solve the pressing problems of the people and the state, or to cherish the distant prospect of the possible development of Alaska. The choice was made in favor of topical issues. At 4 a.m. on March 30, 1867, Alaska became US property.

Step forward

Alexander II can safely be called an experimenter. This quality was manifested not only in his numerous reforms, which brought him the historical name “Liberator”. Alexander II tried to get as close as possible to the people and understand their needs. Already in the 20th century, Solzhenitsyn wrote in his accusatory work “The Gulag Archipelago”: “There is a known case that Alexander II, the same one surrounded by revolutionaries who sought his death seven times, once visited a pre-trial detention house on Shpalernaya and in solitary confinement 227 (solitary confinement ) ordered himself to be locked up, sat there for more than an hour - he wanted to understand the state of those he kept there.”

Undesirable marriage

Alexander II respected and dearly loved his wife Maria, but was not an exemplary husband. It’s impossible to list all his mistresses, but he had the most sincere feelings for Ekaterina Dolgorukaya, who became his second wife. When they met, he was already forty-one years old, and she was only thirteen. The romance began six years later, in 1865, when Catherine took her place at court among the empress’s ladies-in-waiting. In 1866, the emperor proposed his hand in marriage to her: “Today, alas, I am not free, but at the first opportunity I will marry you, from now on I consider you my wife before God, and I will never leave you.”

On June 3, 1880, Empress Maria Alexandrovna died in splendid isolation. The marriage with Catherine became possible, despite all the discontent and censure of the court, which did not stop calling her “an impudent adventurer.” Many historians, in particular Leonid Lyashchenko, subsequently linked the strengthening of the split in society with the split in the royal family.
Being the second legal wife of Alexander II, Catherine did not become empress. A morganatic marriage was concluded between them, in which the wife of lower origin does not become equal in status to her husband.

Unfinished business

On March 1, 1881, Alexander II was mortally wounded on the embankment of the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg by a bomb thrown by Narodnaya Volya member I. I. Grinevitsky. Ironically, he died on the very day when he decided to launch the constitutional project of M. T. Loris-Melikov, which would have granted the third estate the right to participate in the discussion of the political initiatives of the monarch. This move was supposed to lead to a decline in revolutionary terror in the country. On March 1 (13) at noon, the emperor announced to Loris-Melikov that the project would be discussed on March 4 at a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Then he turned to his sons Alexander (future Alexander III) and Vladimir: “I do not hide from myself that we are following the path of the constitution.” Four hours later the emperor was killed.

Emperor Alexander II known primarily as the “tsar-liberator” who abolished serfdom. But we should not forget that the reformer sovereign carried out much more reforms.

Birth of Tsar-Liberator Alexander 2

Having accomplished the great work of liberating the peasants and carrying out a number of other reforms, Alexander II took the necessary steps towards transforming Russia into a competitive state destined to play one of the leading roles on the world stage. But at the same time, his reforms accelerated the process of revolutionary ferment in Russian society, to which their creator fell victim. Alexander 2.

In 1818, the Russian imperial court spent the last days before Easter and Holy Week in Moscow. All members of the imperial family, with the exception of Emperor Alexander I himself, who was on a trip to the south of Russia, celebrated Easter Sunday within the ancient walls.

15 years of happy and serene life have passed Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov after his marriage. The future emperor is young, healthy, “ideally” in love with his wife and enjoys reciprocity; children are born one after another; his father introduced him to state affairs - but the burden of autocratic responsibility had not yet fallen on his shoulders. Everything moves along the track that was drawn for Russia by the index finger of Nicholas I, and it is not he, Alexander, who has to make decisions that could lead to either glory or the destruction of the empire.

Alexander Nikolaevich bowed to his father’s authority until his sudden death on February 18, 1855. Nikolai left his son a difficult inheritance. The Crimean War was going on, and it was obvious that, despite the unprecedented courage of the Russian soldiers, Russia would be defeated in it for many months.

The technical backwardness of our army, the lack of weapons, organization, the complete breakdown of the financial system - all this could not be redeemed by the heroism of the Russian army. And on March 18, 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed between Russia on the one hand and “all of Europe” together with the Ottoman Empire on the other. The treaty cost Russia the Black Sea Fleet, but—through the efforts of the diplomatic genius A.M. Gorchakov—it turned out to be not as humiliating as one might have expected.

Nevertheless, the defeat in the Crimean War was an important lesson for Alexander II, which pushed him to realize the need for speedy reforms.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 14.02.2017 08:59

In the photo: “Announcement of the 1861 Manifesto” by Kustodiev

Emperor Alexander II began his reform activities even before the signing of the Treaty of Paris. In December 1855, he ordered the liquidation of the Supreme Censorship Committee, ushering in a new era of glasnost in Russian history. Society, discouraged and humiliated by what was happening in the army in the field, was in dire need of at least speaking out, believing urbi et orbi its doubts and hopes. It received this opportunity - and was immediately provided with a multitude of independent printed publications of various kinds.

Next, it was necessary to resolve the most painful issue - the peasant one, thanks to which Russia for many years remained somewhere on the “feudal backyard” of Europe. Apparently, the emperor was afraid to approach him. Back in March 1856, he assured the Moscow nobility that the “rumors” about the liberation of the peasants were “unfair,” although he tested the waters with caution, he often made the following speeches:

“But I won’t tell you that I am completely against it. We live in such an age that this must happen over time. I think that you are of the same opinion as me; therefore, it is much better that it should happen from above than from below.”

Only in January 1861 did the sovereign find enough strength to push through the bill on the abolition of serfdom, prepared by the relevant committee. He accepted it despite the objections of the majority of members of the State Council. On February 19, Alexander II approved the final text of the law on the liberation of peasants and signed the Highest Manifesto, read out on March 5 after mass in all churches from the pulpits of which the Tsar’s word was heard:

“Make the sign of the cross, Orthodox people, and call with Us God’s blessing on your free labor, the guarantee of home well-being and public good.”

It should be noted that after many years of dreaming about “freedom,” the peasants received less than they would have liked. However, considering that in 1859 almost a third of the nobility spoke out in favor of the fact that the “grey-legged” should not be freed under any circumstances, and another third proposed to free them without any land at all, we must recognize the beneficence and enormous significance of this “revolution from above.”

Reforms of Alexander II:

1861 Peasant reform.

Liberation of peasants from serfdom with personal land allotment and the possibility of purchasing land from the landowner.

The peasants gained personal freedom. True, the former serfs did not automatically receive land plots - they had to pay redemption payments to the state for 49 years. Nevertheless, the reform gave impetus to the development of both agriculture and industry - after all, many peasants who became free flowed to the factories.

The reform was of a compromise nature and therefore did not satisfy either the peasants, who silently talked among themselves about “another will”, which the tsar supposedly “promised, but the bar was taken away,” nor the nobles, who for the most part were unable to manage their estates without using free labor and quickly ruined.

1864 Zemstvo reform.

In 1864, zemstvos appeared - local bodies of self-government in counties and provinces.

One of the greatest liberal reforms of the reign of Alexander II was the creation of a new structure of local government in rural Russia - the zemstvo. Already on January 1, 1864, the Regulations on provincial and district zemstvo institutions were promulgated.

Creation of local government bodies (provincial and district zemstvo assemblies and councils), elected, on an unclassified basis. It was intended to promote “local initiative”, but only partially achieved its goals.

Among other responsibilities, zemstvo self-government bodies in a number of Russian provinces were entrusted with the most difficult task - the arrangement and further development of the public health care system.

1864 Judicial reform.

Judicial reform was of great importance for Russia. Since 1864, the court was built on an estateless basis, the irremovability of judges and the independence of the court from the administration were proclaimed. The introduction of all-class courts, the establishment of openness of legal proceedings, the establishment of the legal profession. Refers to the most radical reforms.

1870 Urban reform.

“City version” of zemstvo reform. Creation of city councils and councils - unlike zemstvos, they were classless in nature.

1874 Military reform.

The military reform stretched until 1874, the result of which was the transition from conscription to universal conscription. The introduction of universal conscription, reducing the period of active service to 5 (ground forces) - 7 (navy) years against the previous service period of 25 years. The goal was to strengthen Russia's defense capabilities.

1860-1870s Church and educational reforms

as a result of which graduates of theological seminaries received access to universities, the persecution of Old Believers loyal to the secular authorities stopped, partial autonomy of universities was introduced, and the first Higher Women's Courses in Russia were opened (1869). The new university charter and school reform led to the democratization of all levels of education, and press reform significantly weakened censorship.

Military reform of the 1860s-1870s

The military reform of the 1860s-1870s turned out to be very progressive and timely during the reign of Alexander 2.

The lesson of the Crimean War that sadly ended for Russia - “the British don’t clean their guns with bricks” - was learned and understood. The personnel structure, organization, and technical equipment of the Russian army were subject to reform. The troops received new states - so, in peacetime, the highest tactical unit was now considered a division (not an army or a corps, as before), and for ease of administration, the entire territory of the state was divided into military districts - this system is still used today. All troops stationed in it were subordinate to the district commander. The districts ensured the rapid mobilization of the army in case of war.

Also, during the reform, the Main (now General) Headquarters was created, the size of the enormously bloated army of the “Nikolaev model” was reduced by almost half, a network of military schools and courts was created, corporal punishment was abolished; and although those “especially fined” in some cases could still be punished with canes, the nightmarish gauntlets and passes through the gauntlet are a thing of the past. The army and navy were radically re-equipped: breech-loading (that is, loaded not from the muzzle, but from the breech) guns and artillery pieces, rapid-fire cannons on metal carriages appeared, obsolete sailing ships began to be replaced by battleships.

One of the remarkable achievements of the reform was the replacement of conscription with universal conscription in 1874. Theoretically, all young people over 20 years old were considered liable for military service; In practice, only the minimum required number of recruits was drafted, about a quarter of the draft. The only sons in the family and the only breadwinners were not recruited; those whose older brother had already served were exempt from conscription.

The length of service was also significantly reduced: to six years in the army plus nine years in the reserve. Benefits extended to the educated: those with primary education served for four years, graduates of city schools - three, and graduates of gymnasiums - four. Those with higher education served for only six months.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 14.02.2017 09:14

Alas, the society contemporary to Alexander II failed to give a proper assessment of what had happened. The emperor found himself between a rock and a hard place. Reproaches fell both from the conservative nobility, on which the throne was accustomed to rely, and from the new force - guardians for the people, who read Fourier, Saint-Simon, Dobrolyubov and Chernyshevsky and looked forward to the kingdom of God - on earth and without God.

The police measures by which order was maintained in Russia under Nicholas I were a thing of the past, and the educated class (a fair portion of it was already made up of commoners) wandered. To experience loyal feelings towards the anointed one, and even more so to speak about them out loud, became more and more indecent, “uncomme il faut” - not everywhere, of course, but in certain circles, which, however, were rapidly expanding. The intelligentsia took the path of denying the monarchy and opposed itself to it: already in 1862, the first proclamations appeared calling for the overthrow of the autocracy and the division of the land.

Simultaneously with internal Russian fermentation processes, the national liberation movement revived in the northwestern outskirts of the empire. Some softening of the rules established in his time by Nicholas I in the Kingdom of Poland was perceived by Polish patriots as a signal to action. In January 1863, an armed uprising began, which was suppressed only with the most severe measures. The situation stabilized, but the suppression of the rebels also did not add to the popularity of Alexander II.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 14.02.2017 09:36

The last years of the reign of Alexander II were marked for the country by the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, which caused a certain patriotic upsurge in society, alleviated the situation of the Orthodox Slavic population of the Balkans and demonstrated the combat effectiveness of our army, but nevertheless, according to the results of the peace treaty, not at all so victorious , as the successes of Russian weapons deserved. Why this happened is a topic for a separate conversation, which is not appropriate to conduct here.

For Emperor Alexander II himself, the years from 1865 to 1881 became a time of painful discord in the family and equally painful happiness.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna, whose health was undermined by frequent childbirth and the rotten St. Petersburg climate, slowly faded away. Alexander felt sorry for her, but languished nearby. In 1865, the untimely death of Tsarevich Nicholas, a handsome young man who suffered from spinal tuberculosis, dealt the final blow to the emperor's family. The crowned spouses moved away from each other. The sovereign’s affairs, which had happened before, were no secret to anyone, but in 1865 he fell in love with his last love. His chosen one, Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukova, bore him three children, and soon after the death of Maria Alexandrovna in 1880, without waiting for the prescribed period of mourning, the emperor married her.

High society took his action with hostility - but Alexander probably foresaw his imminent death, because starting in 1879, terrorists hunted him like an animal - and sought to ensure the future of his morganatic wife and children.

On the way to the constitution

On the morning of March 1, 1881, Alexander II ordered the convening of the Council of Ministers for the final editing of the relevant government message. It was not yet a parliament, not a constitution, but a definite step towards both.

The assassination of Alexander II by the terrorist Grinevitsky on the Catherine Canal

After this, the sovereign went to Manege for a divorce, and then to the Mikhailovsky Palace to visit his cousin Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna. At the beginning of three, he left her and got into the carriage, ordering the coachman to return to Zimny. When Alexander was driving along the Catherine Canal, an explosion occurred, severely damaging the crew, wounding two Cossack escorts and a bystander. The emperor got out of the carriage and approached the wounded, despite the entreaties of those close to him to quickly go to the palace. At that moment, Ignatius Grinevitsky threw a second bomb at the feet of Alexander II.

The bleeding sovereign was taken to the Winter Palace, where he died, almost without regaining consciousness. It was the first week of Great Lent. The day before, the servant of God Alexander confessed and received the Holy Mysteries.

The need to perpetuate the place where the Tsar-Liberator was mortally wounded arose in society immediately after the tragic events of March 1, 1881. Alexander III insisted that it should be a temple, not a chapel.

The step towards the constitution was never taken; it was laid on the Catherine Canal.

On March 1, 1881, a bomb thrown by Ignatius Grinevitsky ended the life of Alexander II. The Narodnaya Volya carried out their “sentence”. But popular unrest that would have turned into a revolution (as the Narodnaya Volya members hoped for) did not happen. On the contrary, for the most part people were depressed by what happened.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 14.02.2017 09:51

The future ruler of Russia was born on April 17, 1818 in Moscow. He became the first and only heir to the throne born in the mother see since 1725. There, on May 5, the baby was baptized in the Cathedral of the Chudov Monastery.

The boy received a good education at home. One of his mentors was the poet V. A. Zhukovsky. He told the crowned parents that he would prepare his pupil not to be a rude martinet, but a wise and enlightened monarch, so that he would see in Russia not a parade ground and a barracks, but a great nation.

The poet’s words turned out to be not empty bravado. Both he and other educators did a lot to ensure that the heir to the throne became a truly educated, cultured and progressively thinking person. From the age of 16, the young man began to take part in the administration of the empire. His father introduced him to the Senate, then to the Holy Governing Synod and other highest government bodies. The young man also completed military service, and very successfully. During the Crimean War (1853-1856) he commanded the troops stationed in the capital and held the rank of general.

The reign of Alexander II (1855-1881)

Domestic policy

Emperor Alexander II, who ascended the throne, inherited a difficult inheritance. A lot of foreign policy and domestic policy issues have accumulated. The financial situation of the country was extremely difficult due to the Crimean War. The state, in fact, found itself isolated, pitting itself against the strongest countries in Europe. Therefore, the first step of the new emperor was the conclusion of the Paris Peace, signed on March 18, 1856.

The signing was attended by Russia on the one hand and the allied states of the Crimean War on the other. These are France, Britain, Austria, Prussia, Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. The peace conditions for the Russian Empire turned out to be quite mild. She returned the previously occupied territories to Turkey, and in return received Kerch, Balaklava, Kamysh and Sevastopol. Thus, the foreign policy blockade was broken.

On August 26, 1856, the coronation took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In this regard, the highest manifesto was issued. He granted benefits to certain categories of subjects, suspended recruitment for 3 years and abolished military settlements since 1857, which were widely practiced during the reign of Nicholas I.

But the most important thing in the activities of the new emperor was abolition of serfdom. A manifesto about this was announced on February 19, 1861. At that time, there were 23 million serfs out of 62 million people inhabiting the Russian Empire. This reform was not perfect, but it destroyed the existing social order and became a catalyst for other reforms that affected the court, finance, army, and education.

The merit of Emperor Alexander II is that he found the strength to suppress the resistance of opponents of the changes, which were many nobles and officials. In general, public opinion in the empire sided with the sovereign. And the court flatterers called him Tsar-Liberator. This nickname has taken root among the people.

A discussion of the constitutional structure began in the country. But the question was not about a constitutional monarchy, but only about some limitation of absolute royal power. It was planned to expand the State Council and create a General Commission, which would include representatives of zemstvos. As for the Parliament, they did not intend to create it.

The emperor planned to sign the papers, which were the first step towards a constitution. He announced this on March 1, 1881 during breakfast with Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. And literally a couple of hours later the sovereign was killed by terrorists. The Russian Empire was once again unlucky.

At the end of January 1863, an uprising began in Poland. At the end of April 1864 it was suppressed. 128 instigators were executed, 800 were sent to hard labor. But these speeches accelerated peasant reform in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus.

Foreign policy

Emperor Alexander II pursued a foreign policy taking into account the further expansion of the borders of the Russian Empire. The defeat in the Crimean War showed the backwardness and weakness of weapons in the land army and navy. Therefore, a new foreign policy concept was created, which was inextricably linked with technological reforms in the field of weapons. All these issues were supervised by Chancellor A. M. Gorchakov. He was considered an experienced and efficient diplomat and significantly increased the prestige of Russia.

In 1877-1878, the Russian Empire fought with Turkey. As a result of this military campaign, Bulgaria was liberated. It became an independent state. Vast territories were annexed in Central Asia. The empire also included the North Caucasus, Bessarabia, and the Far East. As a result of all this, the country has become one of the largest in the world.

In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to America (for more details, see the article Who Sold Alaska to America). Subsequently, this caused a lot of controversy, especially since the price was relatively low. In 1875, the Kuril Islands were transferred to Japan in exchange for Sakhalin Island. In these matters, Alexander II was guided by the fact that Alaska and the Kuril Islands are remote, unprofitable lands that are difficult to manage. At the same time, some politicians criticized the emperor for annexing Central Asia and the Caucasus. The conquest of these lands cost Russia great human sacrifices and material costs.

The personal life of Emperor Alexander II was complex and confusing. In 1841 he married Princess Maximiliana Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse (1824-1880) of the Hessian dynasty. The bride converted to Orthodoxy in December 1840 and became Maria Alexandrovna, and on April 16, 1841 the wedding took place. The couple have been married for almost 40 years. The wife gave birth to 8 children, but the crowned husband was not distinguished by fidelity. He regularly took on mistresses (favorites).

Alexander II with his wife Maria Alexandrovna

Her husband's infidelities and childbirth undermined the empress's health. She was often sick, and died in the summer of 1880 from tuberculosis. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Less than a year had passed after the death of his wife, and the sovereign entered into an organic marriage with his longtime favorite Ekaterina Dolgoruka (1847-1922). The relationship with her began in 1866, when the girl was 19 years old. In 1972, she gave birth to a son from the emperor, named George. Then three more children were born.

It should be noted that Emperor Alexander II loved Dolgorukaya very much and was very attached to her. By a special decree, he bestowed the surname Yuryevsky and the titles of His Serene Highness on the children born from her. As for the environment, it disapproved of the organic marriage with Dolgoruka. The hostility was so strong that after the death of the sovereign, the newly-made wife and their children emigrated from the country and settled in Nice. There Catherine died in 1922.

The years of Alexander II's reign were marked by several attempts on his life (read more in the article Attempts on Alexander II). In 1879, the Narodnaya Volya members sentenced the emperor to death. However, fate protected the sovereign for a long time, and the assassination attempts were thwarted. It should be noted here that the Russian Tsar was not known for cowardice and, despite the danger, appeared in public places either alone or with a small retinue.

But on March 1, 1881, the autocrat’s luck changed. The terrorists carried out their murder plan. The assassination attempt was carried out on the Catherine Canal in St. Petersburg. The body of the sovereign was mutilated by the bomb thrown. On the same day, Emperor Alexander II died, having taken communion. He was buried on March 7 in the Peter and Paul Cathedral next to his first wife Maria Alexandrovna. Alexander III ascended the Russian throne.

Leonid Druzhnikov

The fate of this emperor is in many ways the fate of Russia, in many ways a game on the edge of the possible and the impossible. All his life, Alexander II did not act as he wanted, but as circumstances, relatives, and country required. Is it possible that the king named Liberator will be destroyed by those who considered themselves the best representatives of the people!

On April 17, 1818, the first-born son of Russian Emperor Nicholas I was born in the Chudov Monastery. Prominent teachers and scientists were involved in raising the heir to the throne: V.A. became a teacher of the Russian language. Zhukovsky, legislation was taught by M.M. Speransky, and finances E.F. Kankrin. The future emperor quickly developed a complete picture of the state of Russia and its potential future, and also developed state thinking.

Already in 1834-1635, Nicholas I introduced his son to the most important government bodies of the Empire: the Senate and the Holy Synod. Like his predecessors, Alexander is in military service and is responsible during the Russian-Turkish War of 1853-1856 for the combat effectiveness of the militia in St. Petersburg. An ardent champion of autocracy, Alexander very quickly comes to believe in the backwardness of Russia's socio-economic system, while launching a whole set of reforms that will forever change the face of the empire.

The reforms of Alexander II are called Great: Abolition of serfdom (1861), Judicial reform (1863), Education reform (1864), Zemstvo reform (1864), Military reform (1874). The transformations affected all spheres of Russian society, shaping the economic and political contours of post-reform Russia. The activities of Alexander II were largely aimed at breaking down the order that had been established for centuries, which led to a surge in social activity on the one hand, and also aroused a reaction on the part of the landowner class. As a result of such an attitude towards the Tsar-Liberator, on March 1, 1881, on the embankment of the Catherine Canal (now the Griboyedov Canal), Emperor Alexander II died at the hands of Narodnaya Volya bombers. Historians are still arguing about what Russia would have become if the sovereign had lived for at least four days, when Loris-Melikov’s constitutional draft was to be discussed in the State Council.

During the reign of Alexander II, Russian society and the state reached its 1000th anniversary. Looking back, deep into the centuries, every Russian person saw the years of struggle with stubborn nature for the harvest, the 240-year Tatar yoke and Ivan the Great, who threw it off, the campaigns of the Terrible against Kazan and Astrakhan, the first Emperor Peter and his associates, as well as Alexander I the Blessed, who brought peace and the triumph of law in Europe! The list of glorious ancestors and their deeds were captured in the monument “Millennium of Russia” (in the spirit of the times, it was not immortalized on the monument), which was installed in the first capital of the Russian state, Novgorod, in 1862.

Today there are many monuments to Alexander II the Liberator, one of them stands in Helsinki. In St. Petersburg on the embankment of the canal. Griboyedov, on the site of the mortal wound of the emperor-liberator, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built, where you can still see the cobblestones on which Alexander’s blood was spilled on March 1, 1881.