Alexander 3 married. Illness and death of Alexander III
Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Born on February 26, 1845. After the untimely death of his elder brother, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, on April 12, 1865, he was proclaimed heir to the throne; On October 28, 1866, he married the daughter of the Danish King Christian IX, Princess Sophia-Frederika-Dagmara, who was named Maria Feodorovna during holy chrismation. While still heir, Alexander took part in public affairs, as commander of the guards corps, ataman of all Cossack troops, a member of the State Council. In the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 he commanded a separate Ruschuk detachment and successfully made a trip to Osman-Bazaar, Razgrad and Eski-Juma. In 1877 he took an active part in the creation of a voluntary fleet.
Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894)
During the reign of Emperor Alexander III, important measures were taken in the field of the national economy, carried out mainly by the Minister of Finance N. X. Bunge: in 1882 redemption payments were lowered, the poll tax was abolished, a peasant bank was established, factory inspection, the life of chinsheviks and some other categories of rural inhabitants is arranged. Even earlier, in 1881, and then in 1884, favorable conditions were established for the peasants to rent state lands; On June 15, 1882, a tax on inheritances and gifts was established, in 1885 additional fees were introduced from commercial and industrial enterprises, and a tax on money capital was established, and these financial reforms were to serve for the gradual introduction of an income tax in our country. Subsequently, the most important facts in the financial policy of the state are: the achievement of a fairly stable balance between income and expenditure, the large-scale conversion of public debts; to increase the funds of the treasury, two new excises were established - on matches and kerosene, an apartment tax was introduced, in addition, in the form of an experiment, a drinking monopoly was introduced in the eastern provinces.
Russian tsars. Alexander III
Of the individual legislative acts of an economic nature, the regulation of the resettlement movement of peasants to the lands beyond the Urals (a forerunner of the resettlement policy of P. A. Stolypin) and the law on the inalienability of allotment lands are of particular importance. In the customs policy of the state, there was a significant increase in protectionism, which reached its apogee in the tariff of 1891, but then was somewhat softened by trade agreements with France and Germany; an agreement with the latter country was concluded in 1894 after a stubborn and very sharp customs war. In railway policy, it is especially important to subordinate the tariff business to government control, to increase the redemption to the treasury of the railways and to open work on the construction of Great Siberian Way.
A very prominent place in domestic politics was occupied by the care of the nobility, on strengthening its importance in state and public life. To maintain noble land ownership, a state noble bank was established in 1885. In order to create more favorable conditions for large land ownership, it was published in 1886. Regulations on hiring for rural work. The Regulations on zemstvo district chiefs of 1889 and the new Regulations on zemstvo institutions of 1890 gave the nobility a pre-eminent position in local government . Zemstvo chiefs, elected from local hereditary nobles, were supposed to be "close to the people, a firm government authority", combining "trusteeship over the village inhabitants with concerns for the completion of peasant affairs and with the duty to protect deanery and public order, security and the rights of private people in rural areas. In accordance with these tasks, the zemstvo chiefs were given, along with extensive administrative powers, judicial power. With the introduction of zemstvo chiefs, the institute of magistrates was abolished in most of the country.
The general judicial institutions and the procedure for judicial proceedings have also undergone changes: the jurisdiction of the jury has been limited in favor of a court with the participation of estate representatives, the procedure for electing jurors has been changed, the principles of irremovability and independence of judges have been significantly limited, and some significant exceptions have been made to the general rule of publicity of the trial.
Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Alexander III
Alexander III Aleksandrovich (1845-1894), Russian emperor since 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 1980s, in the conditions of the growth of capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered redemption payments. Since the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out counter-reforms. Suppressed the revolutionary-democratic and workers' movement, strengthened the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. In the reign of Alexander III, the annexation of Central Asia to Russia (1885) was basically completed, the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).
Nikolay SVERCHKOV. Alexander III
Nikolai DMITRIEV-ORENBURG. Portrait of Emperor Alexander III.
Nicholas Schilder. Portrait of Alexander III
Zabolotsky P.P. Alexander III
A.Sokolov_Alexander III and his wife Maria-Sophia-Frederica-Dagmar,
in Orthodoxy Maria Fedorovna(1847-1928)
Initially, she was the bride of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the eldest son of Alexander II, who died in 1865. After his death, affection arose between Dagmar and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who together looked after the dying crown prince. On June 11, 1866, crown prince Alexander decided to make an offer, about which he wrote to his father on the same day. And on October 28 (November 9), 1866, the marriage took place .Mary, cheerful and cheerful by nature, was warmly received by the court and metropolitan society. Her marriage to Alexander, despite the fact that their relationship began under such mournful circumstances, turned out to be successful; in the course of almost thirty years of marriage, the spouses retained sincere affection for each other.
Coronation.
Vladimir MAKOVSKY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna
Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna
Maria Fyodorovna_Heinrich von Angeli
Konstantin Makovsky. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna
Reception of volost elders by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace in Moscow. Painting by I. Repin.
Sermon on the Mount 1889. Alexander III with his family. Ivan Makarov.
"God's blessing upon you" The family of Alexander III before Christ. Makarov I.K.
Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna had 6 children:
Nikolai Alexandrovich(1868-1918) future emperor of Russia.
Alexander Alexandrovich(1869-1870)
Georgy Alexandrovich (1871-1899)
Xenia Alexandrovna (1875-1960)
Mikhail Alexandrovich (1878-1918)
Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960)
Last family photo. Livadia, Crimea, 1893
From left to right: Tsarevich Nicholas, Grand Duke George, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duke Mikhail, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III.
He was on the throne for thirteen and a half years and died 49 years old, having earned the title of "Tsar-Peacemaker" during his lifetime, since during his reign not a drop of Russian blood was shed on the battlefields...
Soon after his death, the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Science will give Emperor Alexander III a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, subjugated the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral circulation of mankind, encouraged and uplifted Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when He no longer exists, Europe understood what He was for her."
The venerable professor was wrong in his predictions. For more than a hundred years, the figure of the penultimate Russian Tsar has been the target of the most impartial assessments; his personality is the object of unbridled attacks and tendentious criticism.
The false image of Alexander III is being recreated to this day. Why? The reason is simple: the Emperor did not admire the West, did not worship liberal-egalitarian ideas, believing that the literal imposition of foreign orders would not be good for Russia. Hence - the irreconcilable hatred of this Tsar from the Westerners of all stripes.
However, Alexander III was not a narrow-minded Western-hater, from the threshold rejecting everything that did not have a generic stigma: "made in Russia." For him, Russian was primary and especially significant, not because it was the best in the world, but because it was native, close, and his own. Under Emperor Alexander III, the words "Russia for the Russians" were heard throughout the country for the first time. And although he was well aware of the malfunctions and absurdities in Russian life, he never doubted for a moment that they should be overcome only relying on his own sense of understanding of duty and responsibility, not paying attention to what some "princess Marya Aleksevna" would say about this. ".
For almost two hundred years, this was the first ruler who not only did not covet the "love of Europe", but was not even interested in what they say and write about him there. However, it was Alexander III who became the ruler under whom, without a single gun shot, Russia began to gain the moral authority of a great world power. The imposing bridge over the Seine in the very center of Paris, bearing the name of the Russian Tsar, has forever remained a vivid confirmation of this...
Alexander Alexandrovich ascended the throne at the age of 36 on March 1, 1881. On that day, his father was mortally wounded by a terrorist bomb, who soon died, and Alexander Alexandrovich became the "Autocrat of All Russia." He did not dream of a crown, but when death took away his father, he showed amazing self-control and humility, accepting what was given only by the will of the Almighty.
With great spiritual trepidation, with tears in his eyes, he read his father's testament, the words and instructions of the murdered. “I am sure that my son, Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, will understand the importance and difficulty of his high calling and will continue to be worthy of the title of an honest man in every respect ... May God help him to justify my hopes and complete what I failed to do to improve the well-being of our dear Fatherland. I conjure him not to get carried away by fashionable theories, take care of his constant development, based on love for God and on the law. He must not forget that the power of Russia is based on the unity of the State, and therefore everything that can tend to the upheavals of the entire unity and to the separate development of various nationalities, is detrimental to her and should not be allowed.I thank him, for the last time, from the depths of his tenderly loving heart, for his friendship, for the zeal with which he performed his official duties and helped me in state affairs."
Tsar Alexander III inherited a heavy legacy. He perfectly understood that improvements in various areas of life and public administration were necessary, they were long overdue, no one argued with this. He also knew that the "bold transformations" that were carried out in the 60-70s by Alexander II often gave rise to even more acute problems.
Already from the end of the 70s, the social situation in the country became so tense that some concluded that collapse would soon come. Others tried to move away from Petersburg: some to the estate, and some abroad.
The bleakness of the social situation was felt everywhere. Finances were upset, economic development slowed down, and agriculture stagnated. The zemstvos did not cope well with the affairs of local improvement, all the time they asked for money from the treasury, and some zemstvo meetings turned into centers for public discussions of political issues that did not concern them in any way.
Almost anarchy reigned in the universities: anti-government publications were almost openly distributed, student meetings were held, where attacks on the government were heard. And most importantly: murders and attempts on officials were constantly taking place, and the authorities could not cope with terror. The monarch himself became the object of these villainous intentions and fell at the hands of terrorists!
Alexander III had an extremely difficult time. There were plenty of advisers: every relative and dignitary dreamed that the tsar "invited to the conversation." But the young Emperor knew that these recommendations were often too biased, too self-serving, to be trusted without looking back. The late father sometimes brought unscrupulous people closer to him, devoid of will and firm monarchical convictions.
Things had to be done differently, he was sure of that. First of all, it is not necessary to draw up new laws, but to ensure that existing ones are respected. This conviction matured in him in the spring days of 1881. Even earlier, in January, speaking at a meeting with the main patron of the "constitutionalists" Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the future Tsar clearly stated that "he does not see the need to impose on Russia all the inconveniences of constitutionalism that impede good legislation and governance." Such a statement was immediately interpreted by the liberal public as a manifestation of "reactionary convictions."
Alexander III never sought popularity, did not curry favor with entrepreneurs and regulars in St. Petersburg salons, either before he became Tsar or after. A few years after accession, talking with close associates, Alexander III said that he would consider "the constitution to be very calm for himself, but very dangerous for Russia." As a matter of fact, he repeated the thought expressed more than once by his father.
Long before his death, Alexander II realized that to give wide public freedoms, to which some of the most Europeanized compatriots urged him, was an unacceptable thing. In the empire of the double-headed eagle, the historical conditions for establishing the social order that existed in England or France had not yet taken shape. More than once he spoke about this both in a narrow circle and outside the royal palaces. In September 1865, receiving in Ilyinsky, near Moscow, the Zvenigorod district marshal of the nobility P. D. Golokhvastov, Alexander II outlined his political credo:
"I give you my word that now, on this table, I am ready to sign any constitution, if I were convinced that it is useful for Russia. But I know that if I do it today, tomorrow Russia will fall to pieces" . And until his death, he did not change his conviction, although then completely unsubstantiated assertions circulated that supposedly Alexander II intended to introduce constitutional government ...
Alexander III fully shared this conviction and was ready to change and improve a lot, without breaking or rejecting what seemed reliable and historically justified. The main political value of Russia was autocracy - sovereign rule, independent of written norms and state institutions, limited only by the dependence of the earthly king on the Heavenly King.
Talking at the end of March 1881 with the daughter of the poet Anna Fedorovna Tyutcheva, wife of the famous Slavophile I.S. Aksakov, who published the popular newspaper Rus in Moscow, the Tsar said: “I have read all the articles of your husband lately. Tell him that I happy with them. In my grief, I was very relieved to hear the word of honor. He is an honest and truthful person, and most importantly, he is a real Russian, which, unfortunately, are few, and even these few have been eliminated lately, but this will not happen again " .
Soon the word of the new Monarch sounded to the whole world. On April 29, 1881, the Supreme Manifesto appeared, thundering like the thunder of an alarm bell.
"In the midst of Our great sorrow, the voice of God commands Us to stand up cheerfully for the cause of government, in the hope of Divine Providence, with faith in the strength and truth of the Autocratic power, which We are called to establish and protect for the good of the people from all encroachments."
Further, the new Tsar called on all the faithful sons of the Fatherland to take courage and contribute to "the eradication of vile sedition that dishonors the Russian land, to the establishment of faith and morality, to the good upbringing of children, to the extermination of untruth and theft, to establish order and truth in the operation of institutions granted to Russia by her benefactor beloved Parent."
The manifesto was unexpected for many. It became clear that the days of liberal smiles were over. The fall of political projectors? losers was only a matter of time.
Alexander III considered this outcome to be logical. On June 11, 1881, he wrote to his brother Sergey: “Having appointed new people almost everywhere, we have unanimously set to hard work and, thank God, we are moving forward with difficulty and little by little, and things are going much more successfully than under the previous ministers, who, by their behavior, forced me to fire They wanted to take me into their clutches and enslave me, but they did not succeed... ready to go straight and boldly towards the goal, not deviating to the side, and most importantly - not to despair and hope in God!
Although there were no persecutions, arrests, expulsions of objectionable dignitaries (almost all of them retired with honor, received appointments to the State Council), it seemed to some that an earthquake had begun at the top of power. The bureaucratic ear has always subtly caught the impulses and moods in the highest corridors of power, which determined the behavior and official zeal of officials.
As soon as Alexander III was on the Throne, it quickly became clear that the new government was no joke, that the young Emperor was a tough man, even harsh, and his will must be obeyed implicitly. Immediately everything began to spin, discussions subsided, and the state machine suddenly started working with renewed vigor, although in the last years of the reign of Alexander II it seemed to many that it no longer had the strength.
Alexander III did not create any emergency bodies (in general, during his reign there were few new divisions in the state administration system), he did not carry out any “special purge” of the bureaucracy, but the atmosphere in the country and in the corridors of power changed.
Salon talkers, who had only recently passionately defended freedom-loving principles, suddenly became almost speechless and no longer dared to popularize "Liberte", "Egalite", "Fraternite" not only at open meetings, but even in the circle of "their own", behind the tightly closed doors of the capital's living rooms. Gradually, dignitaries who were known as liberals were replaced by others who were ready to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland unquestioningly, without looking into European cribs and not afraid to be branded as "reactionaries".
Alexander III boldly and decisively began to fight against the enemies of the state order. There were arrests of direct perpetrators of regicide and some other persons who did not personally participate in the March 1 atrocity, but were preparing other terrorist acts. In total, about fifty people were arrested, and five regicides were hanged by the court's verdict.
The Emperor had no doubt that Russia's enemies had to be fought uncompromisingly. But not only by police methods, but also by mercy. It is necessary to distinguish where the true, irreconcilable opponents are, and where the lost souls, who, through thoughtlessness, allowed themselves to be drawn into anti-government actions. The emperor himself always followed the course of the inquiry on political matters. In the end, all judicial decisions were left to his discretion, many asked for royal favor, and it was up to him to know the details. Sometimes he decided not to bring the case to court.
When in 1884 a circle of revolutionaries was opened in Kronstadt, the tsar, having learned from the testimony of the accused that midshipman of the naval crew Grigory Skvortsov sheds tears, repents and gives frank testimony, ordered: the midshipman be released and not prosecuted.
Alexander III always had sympathy for those people who professed traditional values. Conformism, conciliation, apostasy caused nothing in his soul but disgust. His political principle was simple and consistent with the Russian administrative tradition. Malfunctions in the state must be corrected, proposals must be listened to, but for this it is absolutely not necessary to convene some kind of people's assembly.
It is necessary to invite experts, experts on a particular issue, to listen, discuss, weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision. Everything should be done according to the law, and if it turns out that the law is outdated, then it must be revised, relying on tradition and only after discussion in the State Council. It became the rule of state life.
The tsar repeatedly told his associates and ministers that "officialdom is a force in the state, if it is kept in strict discipline." Indeed, under Alexander III, the administrative apparatus of the empire worked in a strict regime: the decisions of the authorities were strictly implemented, and the tsar personally monitored this. Inefficiency, neglect of official duties, he could not stand.
The emperor introduced an innovation unprecedented in Russia: he demanded that he be presented with a statement of all outstanding orders and decisions, indicating the persons responsible for them. This news greatly increased the "labor enthusiasm" of the bureaucracy, and red tape became much less.
He was especially implacable towards those who used their official position for personal gain. There was no mercy for such people.
The reign of Alexander III was distinguished by a simply amazing phenomenon: bribery and corruption, which used to be a sad Russian reality, almost completely disappeared. Russian history of this period did not reveal a single high-profile case of this kind, and numerous professional "exposers of tsarism" did not find a single corruption fact, although they were persistently searched for for many decades ...
In the era of the reign of Alexander III in Russia, strict administrative regulation of social life was maintained. Enemies of state power were persecuted, arrested, and deported. Such facts existed both before and after Alexander III, however, in order to justify the immutable thesis about a certain "course of reaction", it is precisely the period of his reign that is often characterized as a particularly gloomy and hopeless period of history. Nothing of the sort has actually been observed.
In total, 17 people were executed for political crimes (there was no death penalty for criminal acts in Russia) during the "reaction period". All of them either participated in the regicide, or prepared for it, and not one of them repented. In total, less than 4 thousand people were interrogated and detained for anti-state acts (almost fourteen years). Considering that the population of Russia at that time exceeded 120 million people, these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the "terror regime" that was allegedly established in Russia during the reign of Alexander III.
Judicial-prison "reprisals" are only a part of the "gloomy picture of Russian life" that is so often painted. Its essential point is the "oppression of censorship", which allegedly "strangled" any "freedom of thought".
In the 19th century, in Russia, as in all other, even the "most-most" democratic states, censorship existed. In the tsarist empire, it not only protected moral principles, religious traditions and beliefs, but also performed the function of protecting state interests.
Under Alexander III, as a result of an administrative ban or for other reasons, mainly of a financial nature, several dozen newspapers and magazines ceased to exist. However, this did not mean that "the voice of the independent press has died out" in the country. Many new editions appeared, but many old ones continued to appear.
A number of liberally oriented publications (the most famous are the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper and the Vestnik Evropy magazine), although they did not allow direct attacks on the government and its representatives, did not get rid of the critical ("skeptical") tone and successfully survived the "era of repression" .
In 1894, the year of the death of Alexander III, 804 periodicals were published in Russia in Russian and other languages. Approximately 15% of them were state ("state"), and the rest belonged to various companies and individuals. There were socio-political, literary, theological, reference, satirical, scientific, educational, sports newspapers and magazines.
During the reign of Alexander III, the number of printing houses grew steadily; The nomenclature of produced book products also increased annually. In 1894, the list of titles of published books reached almost 11,000 thousand (in 1890 - 8638). Many thousands of books were imported from abroad. During the entire reign, less than 200 books were not allowed to circulate in Russia. (This number included, for example, the notorious "Capital" by Karl Marx.) The majority was forbidden not for political, but for spiritual and moral reasons: insulting the feelings of believers, propaganda of obscenity.
Alexander III died early, not yet an old man. His death was mourned by millions of Russian people, not under compulsion, but at the call of their hearts, who honored and loved this crowned ruler - a big, strong, Christ-loving, so understandable, just, such "their own".
Alexander Bokhanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences
Russia for Russians, and in Russian (Emperor Alexander III)
Alexander III is a significant figure in the history of Russia. During his reign, no Russian blood was shed in Europe. Alexander III ensured long years of calm for Russia. For his peace-loving policy, he entered Russian history as a "tsar-peacemaker."
He was the second child in the family of Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna Romanov. According to the rules of succession to the throne, Alexander was not prepared for the role of ruler of the Russian Empire. The throne was to take the elder brother - Nicholas.
Alexander, not at all envious of his brother, did not feel the slightest jealousy, watching how Nicholas was being prepared for the throne. Nikolai was a diligent student, and Alexander was overcome by boredom in the classroom.
The teachers of Alexander III were such distinguished people as the historians Solovyov, Grott, the remarkable military tactician Dragomirov, and Konstantin Pobedonostsev. It was the latter who had a great influence on Alexander III, largely determining the priorities of the domestic and foreign policy of the Russian emperor. It was Pobedonostsev who brought up in Alexander III a true Russian patriot and Slavophile.
Little Sasha was more attracted not by study, but by physical activity. The future emperor loved horseback riding and gymnastics. Even before he came of age, Alexander Alexandrovich showed remarkable strength, easily lifted weights and easily bent horseshoes.
He did not like secular entertainment, he preferred to spend his free time improving his riding skills and developing physical strength. The brothers joked, they say, - "Sasha is the Hercules of our family." Alexander loved the Gatchina Palace, and loved to spend time there, spending his days walking in the park, thinking about the day ahead.
In 1855 Nicholas was proclaimed Tsarevich. Sasha was glad for his brother, and even more so that he himself would not have to be emperor. However, fate nevertheless prepared the Russian throne for Alexander Alexandrovich.
Nicholas's health deteriorated. The Tsarevich suffered from rheumatism from a bruised spine, and later he also contracted tuberculosis. In 1865 Nikolai died. Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov was proclaimed the new heir to the throne. It is worth noting that Nicholas had a bride - the Danish princess Dagmar. They say that the dying Nikolai took the hands of Dagmar and Alexander with one hand, as if urging two close people not to be separated after his death.
In 1866, Alexander III set off on a trip to Europe. His path lies in Copenhagen, where he wooed his brother's bride. Dagmar and Alexander became close when they cared for the sick Nikolai together. Their engagement took place on June 17 in Copenhagen. On October 13, Dagmar converted to Orthodoxy and became known as Maria Fedorovna Romanova, and on that day the young people got engaged.
Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna Romanov lived a happy family life. Their family is a true role model. Alexander Alexandrovich was a real, exemplary family man. The Russian Emperor loved his wife very much. After the wedding, they settled in the Anichkov Palace. The couple was happy and raised three sons and two daughters. The first-born of the imperial couple was the son Nikolai. Alexander loved all his children very much, but the second son, Misha, enjoyed special paternal love.
The high morality of the emperor gave him the right to ask her from the courtiers. Under Alexander III, the Russian autocrat fell into disgrace for adultery. Alexander Alexandrovich was modest in everyday life, did not like idleness. Witte, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Empire, witnessed how the emperor's valet darned worn things for him.
The emperor loved pictures. The Emperor even had his own collection, which by 1894 consisted of 130 works by various artists. On his initiative, a Russian museum was opened in St. Petersburg. He treated the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky with great respect. Alexander Romanov also liked the artist Alexei Bogolyubov, with whom the emperor had a good relationship.
The emperor provided all kinds of support to young and talented cultural figures, museums, theaters and universities were opened under his patronage. Alexander adhered to truly Christian postulates, and in every possible way guarded the Orthodox faith, tirelessly defending its interests.
Alexander III ascended the Russian throne after the assassination of Alexander II by terrorist revolutionaries. It happened on March 2, 1881. For the first time, peasants were sworn in to the emperor, along with the rest of the population. In domestic policy, Alexander III embarked on the path of counter-reforms.
The new Russian emperor was distinguished by conservative views. During his reign, the Russian Empire achieved great success. Russia was a strong, developing country with which all European powers sought friendship. In Europe, there were always some political movements.
And then one day, a minister came to Alexander, who was fishing, talking about affairs in Europe. He asked the emperor to somehow react. To which Alexander replied - "Europe can wait until the Russian Tsar is fishing." Alexander Alexandrovich really could afford such statements, because Russia was on the rise, and its army was the most powerful in the world.
Nevertheless, the international situation obliged Russia to find a reliable ally. In 1891, friendly relations between Russia and France began to take shape, which ended with the signing of an alliance agreement.
On October 17, 1888, an attempt was made on Alexander III and the entire royal family. The terrorists derailed the train in which the emperor was. Seven wagons were broken, many victims. The king and his family remained alive by the will of fate. At the time of the explosion, they were in the restaurant car. During the explosion, the roof collapsed near the car with the royal family, and Alexander literally held it on himself until help arrived.
After some time, he began to complain of back pain. During the examination, it turned out that the king had kidney problems. In the winter of 1894, Alexander caught a bad cold, and soon the emperor became very ill while hunting, and was diagnosed with acute nephritis. Doctors sent the emperor to the Crimea, where on November 20, 1894, Alexander III died.
Alexander III left a big mark in the history of Russia. After his death, the following lines were written in one of the French newspapers: - "He leaves Russia, greater than he received it."
Russia has two allies - it's the Army and the Navy (Alexander III)
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 comfort 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 severity 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 was besieging 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 counties 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, administrative and 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." Drawing closer to France, with which Russia had no disputed interests, he concluded a peace treaty with her, thereby 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 a 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 in the Russian Empire there were only about 4,000 parochial schools. 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, which publishes textbooks and literature necessary for education. Taking care of the parochial school, the emperor was aware of 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.
