Illness of Nicholas 2. Illness of the Russian Tsars. The character of Tsarevich Alexei

The family of the last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas Romanov, was killed in 1918. Due to the concealment of facts by the Bolsheviks, a number of alternative versions appear. For a long time there were rumors that turned the murder of the royal family into a legend. There were theories that one of his children escaped.

What really happened in the summer of 1918 near Yekaterinburg? You will find the answer to this question in our article.

Background

Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century was one of the most economically developed countries in the world. Nikolai Alexandrovich, who came to power, turned out to be a meek and noble man. In spirit he was not an autocrat, but an officer. Therefore, with his views on life, it was difficult to manage the crumbling state.

The revolution of 1905 showed the insolvency of the government and its isolation from the people. In fact, there were two powers in the country. The official one is the emperor, and the real one is officials, nobles and landowners. It was the latter who, with their greed, licentiousness and short-sightedness, destroyed the once great power.

Strikes and rallies, demonstrations and bread riots, famine. All this indicated decline. The only way out could be the accession to the throne of an imperious and tough ruler who could take complete control of the country.

Nicholas II was not like that. It was focused on building railways, churches, improving the economy and culture in society. He managed to make progress in these areas. But positive changes affected mainly only the top of society, while the majority of ordinary residents remained at the level of the Middle Ages. Splinters, wells, carts and everyday life of peasants and craftsmen.

After the entry of the Russian Empire into the First World War, the discontent of the people only intensified. The execution of the royal family became the apotheosis of general madness. Next we will look at this crime in more detail.

Now it is important to note the following. After the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II and his brother from the throne, soldiers, workers and peasants began to take the leading roles in the state. People who have not previously dealt with management, who have a minimal level of culture and superficial judgments, gain power.

Small local commissars wanted to curry favor with the higher ranks. The rank and file and junior officers simply mindlessly followed orders. The troubled times that ensued during these turbulent years brought unfavorable elements to the surface.

Next you will see more photos of the Romanov royal family. If you look at them carefully, you will notice that the clothes of the emperor, his wife and children are by no means pompous. They are no different from the peasants and guards who surrounded them in exile.
Let's figure out what really happened in Yekaterinburg in July 1918.

Course of events

The execution of the royal family was planned and prepared for quite a long time. While power was still in the hands of the Provisional Government, they tried to protect them. Therefore, after the events in July 1917 in Petrograd, the emperor, his wife, children and retinue were transferred to Tobolsk.

The place was deliberately chosen to be calm. But in fact, they found one from which it was difficult to escape. By that time, the railway lines had not yet been extended to Tobolsk. The nearest station was two hundred and eighty kilometers away.

They sought to protect the emperor's family, so the exile to Tobolsk became for Nicholas II a respite before the subsequent nightmare. The king, queen, their children and retinue stayed there for more than six months.

But in April, after a fierce struggle for power, the Bolsheviks recalled “unfinished business.” A decision is made to transport the entire imperial family to Yekaterinburg, which at that time was a stronghold of the red movement.

The first to be transferred from Petrograd to Perm was Prince Mikhail, the Tsar’s brother. At the end of March, their son Mikhail and three children of Konstantin Konstantinovich were deported to Vyatka. Later, the last four are transferred to Yekaterinburg.

The main reason for the transfer to the east was Nikolai Alexandrovich’s family ties with the German Emperor Wilhelm, as well as the proximity of the Entente to Petrograd. The revolutionaries feared the release of the Tsar and the restoration of the monarchy.

The role of Yakovlev, who was tasked with transporting the emperor and his family from Tobolsk to Yekaterinburg, is interesting. He knew about the assassination attempt on the Tsar that was being prepared by the Siberian Bolsheviks.

Judging by the archives, there are two opinions of experts. The first ones say that in reality this is Konstantin Myachin. And he received a directive from the Center to “deliver the Tsar and his family to Moscow.” The latter are inclined to believe that Yakovlev was a European spy who intended to save the emperor by taking him to Japan through Omsk and Vladivostok.

After arriving in Yekaterinburg, all prisoners were placed in Ipatiev’s mansion. A photo of the Romanov royal family was preserved when Yakovlev handed it over to the Urals Council. The place of detention among the revolutionaries was called a “house of special purpose.”

Here they were kept for seventy-eight days. The relationship of the convoy to the emperor and his family will be discussed in more detail below. For now, it is important to focus on the fact that it was rude and boorish. They were robbed, psychologically and morally oppressed, abused so that they were not noticeable outside the walls of the mansion.

Considering the results of the investigations, we will take a closer look at the night when the monarch with his family and retinue were shot. Now we note that the execution took place at approximately half past two in the morning. Life physician Botkin, on the orders of the revolutionaries, woke up all the prisoners and went down with them to the basement.

A terrible crime took place there. Yurovsky commanded. He blurted out a prepared phrase that “they are trying to save them, and the matter cannot be delayed.” None of the prisoners understood anything. Nicholas II only had time to ask that what was said be repeated, but the soldiers, frightened by the horror of the situation, began to shoot indiscriminately. Moreover, several punishers fired from another room through the doorway. According to eyewitnesses, not everyone was killed the first time. Some were finished off with a bayonet.

Thus, this indicates a hasty and unprepared operation. The execution became lynching, which the Bolsheviks, who had lost their heads, resorted to.

Government disinformation

The execution of the royal family still remains an unsolved mystery of Russian history. Responsibility for this atrocity may lie both with Lenin and Sverdlov, for whom the Urals Soviet simply provided an alibi, and directly with the Siberian revolutionaries, who succumbed to general panic and lost their heads in wartime conditions.

Nevertheless, immediately after the atrocity, the government began a campaign to whiten its reputation. Among researchers studying this period, the latest actions are called a “disinformation campaign.”

The death of the royal family was proclaimed the only necessary measure. Since, judging by the ordered Bolshevik articles, a counter-revolutionary conspiracy was uncovered. Some white officers planned to attack the Ipatiev mansion and free the emperor and his family.

The second point, which was furiously hidden for many years, was that eleven people were shot. The Emperor, his wife, five children and four servants.

The events of the crime were not disclosed for several years. Official recognition was given only in 1925. This decision was prompted by the publication of a book in Western Europe that outlined the results of Sokolov’s investigation. Then Bykov is instructed to write about “the current course of events.” This brochure was published in Sverdlovsk in 1926.

Nevertheless, the lies of the Bolsheviks at the international level, as well as hiding the truth from the common people, shook faith in power. and its consequences, according to Lykova, became the reason for people's distrust of the government, which did not change even in post-Soviet times.

The fate of the remaining Romanovs

The execution of the royal family had to be prepared. A similar “warm-up” was the liquidation of the Emperor’s brother Mikhail Alexandrovich and his personal secretary.
On the night from the twelfth to the thirteenth of June 1918, they were forcibly taken from the Perm hotel outside the city. They were shot in the forest, and their remains have not yet been discovered.

A statement was made to the international press that the Grand Duke had been kidnapped by attackers and went missing. For Russia, the official version was the escape of Mikhail Alexandrovich.

The main purpose of such a statement was to speed up the trial of the emperor and his family. They started a rumor that the escapee could contribute to the release of the “bloody tyrant” from “just punishment.”

It was not only the last royal family that suffered. In Vologda, eight people related to the Romanovs were also killed. The victims include the princes of the imperial blood Igor, Ivan and Konstantin Konstantinovich, Grand Duchess Elizabeth, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, Prince Paley, the manager and the cell attendant.

All of them were thrown into the Nizhnyaya Selimskaya mine, not far from the city of Alapaevsk. Only he resisted and was shot. The rest were stunned and thrown down alive. In 2009, they were all canonized as martyrs.

But the thirst for blood did not subside. In January 1919, four more Romanovs were also shot in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Nikolai and Georgy Mikhailovich, Dmitry Konstantinovich and Pavel Alexandrovich. The official version of the revolutionary committee was the following: the liquidation of hostages in response to the murder of Liebknecht and Luxemburg in Germany.

Memoirs of contemporaries

Researchers have tried to reconstruct how members of the royal family were killed. The best way to cope with this is the testimony of the people who were present there.
The first such source is notes from Trotsky’s personal diary. He noted that the blame lies with the local authorities. He especially singled out the names of Stalin and Sverdlov as the people who made this decision. Lev Davidovich writes that as Czechoslovak troops approached, Stalin’s phrase that “the Tsar cannot be handed over to the White Guards” became a death sentence.

But scientists doubt the accurate reflection of events in the notes. They were made in the late thirties, when he was working on a biography of Stalin. A number of mistakes were made there, indicating that Trotsky forgot many of those events.

The second evidence is information from Milyutin’s diary, which mentions the murder of the royal family. He writes that Sverdlov came to the meeting and asked Lenin to speak. As soon as Yakov Mikhailovich said that the Tsar was gone, Vladimir Ilyich abruptly changed the topic and continued the meeting as if the previous phrase had not happened.

The history of the royal family in the last days of its life is most fully reconstructed from the interrogation protocols of the participants in these events. People from the guard, punitive and funeral squads testified several times.

Although they are often confused, the main idea remains the same. All the Bolsheviks who were close to the tsar in recent months had complaints against him. Some were in prison themselves in the past, others had relatives. In general, they gathered a contingent of former prisoners.

In Yekaterinburg, anarchists and Socialist Revolutionaries put pressure on the Bolsheviks. In order not to lose authority, the local council decided to quickly put an end to this matter. Moreover, there was a rumor that Lenin wanted to exchange the royal family for a reduction in the amount of indemnity.

According to the participants, this was the only solution. In addition, many of them boasted during interrogations that they personally killed the emperor. Some with one, and some with three shots. Judging by the diaries of Nikolai and his wife, the workers guarding them were often drunk. Therefore, real events cannot be reconstructed for certain.

What happened to the remains

The murder of the royal family took place secretly and was planned to be kept secret. But those responsible for the disposal of the remains failed to cope with their task.

A very large funeral team was assembled. Yurovsky had to send many back to the city “as unnecessary.”

According to the testimony of the participants in the process, they spent several days with the task. At first it was planned to burn the clothes and throw the naked bodies into the mine and cover them with earth. But the collapse did not work out. We had to extract the remains of the royal family and come up with another method.

It was decided to burn them or bury them along the road that was just under construction. The preliminary plan was to disfigure the bodies with sulfuric acid beyond recognition. It is clear from the protocols that two corpses were burned and the rest were buried.

Presumably the body of Alexei and one of the servant girls burned.

The second difficulty was that the team was busy all night, and in the morning travelers began to appear. An order was given to cordon off the area and prohibit travel from the neighboring village. But the secrecy of the operation was hopelessly failed.

The investigation showed that attempts to bury the bodies were near shaft No. 7 and the 184th crossing. In particular, they were discovered near the latter in 1991.

Kirsta's investigation

On July 26-27, 1918, peasants discovered a golden cross with precious stones in a fire pit near the Isetsky mine. The find was immediately delivered to Lieutenant Sheremetyev, who was hiding from the Bolsheviks in the village of Koptyaki. It was carried out, but later the case was assigned to Kirsta.

He began to study the testimony of witnesses pointing to the murder of the Romanov royal family. The information confused and frightened him. The investigator did not expect that this was not the consequences of a military court, but a criminal case.

He began questioning witnesses who gave conflicting testimony. But based on them, Kirsta concluded that perhaps only the emperor and his heir were shot. The rest of the family was taken to Perm.

It seems that this investigator set himself the goal of proving that not the entire Romanov royal family was killed. Even after he clearly confirmed the crime, Kirsta continued to interrogate more people.

So, over time, he finds a certain doctor Utochkin, who proved that he treated Princess Anastasia. Then another witness spoke about the transfer of the emperor’s wife and some of the children to Perm, which she knew about from rumors.

After Kirsta completely confused the case, it was given to another investigator.

Sokolov's investigation

Kolchak, who came to power in 1919, ordered Dieterichs to understand how the Romanov royal family was killed. The latter entrusted this case to the investigator for particularly important cases of the Omsk District.

His last name was Sokolov. This man began to investigate the murder of the royal family from scratch. Although all the paperwork was handed over to him, he did not trust Kirsta’s confusing protocols.

Sokolov again visited the mine, as well as Ipatiev’s mansion. Inspection of the house was made difficult by the location of the Czech army headquarters there. However, a German inscription on the wall was discovered, a quote from Heine's verse about the monarch being killed by his subjects. The words were clearly scratched out after the city was lost to the Reds.

In addition to documents on Yekaterinburg, the investigator was sent cases on the Perm murder of Prince Mikhail and on the crime against the princes in Alapaevsk.

After the Bolsheviks recapture this region, Sokolov takes all office work to Harbin, and then to Western Europe. Photos of the royal family, diaries, evidence, etc. were evacuated.

He published the results of the investigation in 1924 in Paris. In 1997, Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, transferred all paperwork to the Russian government. In exchange, he was given the archives of his family, taken away during the Second World War.

Modern investigation

In 1979, a group of enthusiasts led by Ryabov and Avdonin, using archival documents, discovered a burial near the 184 km station. In 1991, the latter stated that he knew where the remains of the executed emperor were. An investigation was re-launched to finally shed light on the murder of the royal family.

The main work on this case was carried out in the archives of the two capitals and in the cities that appeared in the reports of the twenties. Protocols, letters, telegrams, photos of the royal family and their diaries were studied. In addition, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, research was carried out in the archives of most countries of Western Europe and the USA.

The investigation of the burial was carried out by the senior prosecutor-criminologist Soloviev. In general, he confirmed all of Sokolov’s materials. His message to Patriarch Alexei II states that “under the conditions of that time, the complete destruction of the corpses was impossible.”

In addition, the investigation of the late 20th - early 21st centuries completely refuted alternative versions of events, which we will discuss later.
The canonization of the royal family was carried out in 1981 by the Russian Orthodox Church abroad, and in Russia in 2000.

Since the Bolsheviks tried to keep this crime secret, rumors spread, contributing to the formation of alternative versions.

So, according to one of them, it was a ritual murder as a result of a conspiracy of Jewish Freemasons. One of the investigator's assistants testified that he saw "kabbalistic symbols" on the walls of the basement. When checked, these turned out to be traces of bullets and bayonets.

According to Dieterichs' theory, the emperor's head was cut off and preserved in alcohol. The finds of remains also refuted this crazy idea.

Rumors spread by the Bolsheviks and false testimonies of “eyewitnesses” gave rise to a series of versions about the people who escaped. But photographs of the royal family in the last days of their lives do not confirm them. And also the found and identified remains refute these versions.

Only after all the facts of this crime were proven, the canonization of the royal family took place in Russia. This explains why it was held 19 years later than abroad.

So, in this article we got acquainted with the circumstances and investigation of one of the most terrible atrocities in the history of Russia in the twentieth century.

Case history of Alexey Romanov

The most notorious hemophiliac of the 20th century, an unfortunate crown prince, a sad boy, heir to the throne of the Moscow tsars... How would history have turned out if he had been born healthy? What's the use of hysterical subjunctive exclamations, everything was as it was...

July 30 (August 12, n.s.) 1904 in the family of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Fedorovna) the long-awaited (after 4 daughters) heir was born - Tsarevich Alexei. No one knows how many hours the royal couple spent begging for their long-awaited son, but the joy was great - three hundred artillery salvoes greeted the Tsarevich (and they were “conducted” by rifle and revolver salvoes!). The first “bell” sounded immediately after birth - the blood from the umbilical cord did not clot longer than usual (for three days!), but then everything seemed to return to normal... The Tsarevich began to crawl, began to stand up and, naturally, fell. But unlike ordinary children, these banal episodes began to turn into a problem, bruises: “Within a few hours...increased in size, turning into bluish tumors. The blood under the skin did not clot. The parents' terrible guess was confirmed. The child turned out to have hemophilia,” writes the biographer. From that moment on, the disease constantly reminded itself of itself - at the age of three and a half years, Alexey hit his face (not hard!), but the resulting hematoma closed both eyes. The Tsarevich's illness was considered a state secret, but rumors about it were, nevertheless, widespread.

Where did this misfortune fall on the family of the last Russian “anointed one,” already offended by God? The fact is that the family of Queen Victoria, whose granddaughter was Alice of Hesse, became the “supplier” of this terrible disease to the royal families of Spain, England and Russia. Victoria's son, Leopold, Duke of Albany died of haemophilia at the age of 31. His daughter, naturally, was the conductor of the disease, and his grandson, Ruprecht, Prince of Athlone, was ill. Victoria's daughter, Princess Beatrice, was a carrier of the gene, and her sons Leopold and Moritz, Princes of Battenberg, had hemophilia. Victoria's other daughter, Princess Eugenie, was a carrier; her sons Alfonso, Juan and Gonzalez, the Spanish infantas, were sick. Victoria's third daughter, Princess Alice, was a conductor, her son Friedrich died of hemophilia at three years old, daughter Irena was a carrier, her sons: Prince Henry died at four years of age from hemophilia, Prince Waldemar “held out” until he was 56 years old, but died of hemophilia, daughter Alice (Hesse) - a conductor, married our Tsar Nicholas, their son, by definition, was doomed to get sick. In total, in the Victoria dynasty there are 6 female carriers and 11 male hemophiliacs. Victoria's family tree has been traced back hundreds of years and no hemophilia has been reported. Where did this come from? Spontaneous mutation in the X chromosome in Victoria’s father or in Victoria herself? Or (seditious thought) Victoria’s mother sinned with a hemophiliac... German Kaiser Wilhelm avoided such a fate by refusing to marry Victoria’s granddaughter, Ella. “Queen Victoria, through her offspring, declared a biological war of destruction on the royal families of Europe.”, - sounds like a witty and evil aphorism! Nowhere did she hit the nail on the head, except for the already frail Russian dynasty... It is curious that in the fifth generation of Victoria’s descendants, to which Elizabeth belongs II, there are no more hemophiliacs! Did Alice know about the evil fate? She was twelve when Uncle Leopold died, she knew about the torment of Prince Frederick, her elder brother, she knew that the children of her elder sister, Princess Irene of Prussia, were hemophiliacs. Doctors then already knew about hemophilia. The famous German doctor K. Nasse wrote back in 1820: “The disease is transmitted by a female carrier who does not suffer from it herself.” By the end of the 19th century, doctors no longer recommended that women from bleeding families marry or not have children. Did Nicholas II know about the danger awaiting his family? Some believe that he could have guessed, but hoped for the help of John of Kronstadt or one of the church fathers. None of the doctors, no matter how authoritative and respected he was, could have warned the autocrat verbally or through the press about the undesirability of his marriage to Alice! “Kings are carefully protected from unwanted reality... The crown prince’s hemophilia was a manifestation of the gap between royal life and reality,”- writes the biographer, and you can’t argue with that.

The Tsarevich grew up surrounded by completely exclusive attention. His fate is somewhat similar to the fate of Ivan the Terrible’s son, Tsarevich Dimitri, who suffered from epilepsy. But they didn’t save him, but Alexei was guarded from all sides. This is understandable: in the case of hemophilia, the only guarantee against external and internal bleeding is to protect the child from injury. The Spanish infantas, Victoria’s great-grandchildren, were taken for walks dressed in cotton suits, and even the trees in the garden were carefully wrapped in cotton wool!” The Tsarevich grew, but the disease did not go away, and could not go away... During the stay of the royal family in Spala (Belovezhskaya Pushcha), while riding a boat, the Tsarevich stumbled and hit the rowlock with the upper third of his thigh. Upon examination, E.S. Botkin discovered a small swelling below the inguinal fold. After a week of bed rest, the swelling subsided, his condition improved, and Botkin decided that the danger was over. The Tsarevich is taken for a car ride along the terrible Russian roads, which even a healthy person cannot endure. Immediately upon returning there was a sharp deterioration: “Internal hemorrhage in the iliac and lumbar regions. Temperature 39.4 0, pulse 144 beats/min.” One of the most insidious features of hemophilia is precisely the remoteness of the moment of bleeding from the injury itself. The Tsarevich's condition was critical, the hematoma was compressing the neurovascular bundle, and he screamed in pain day and night. For twenty days the Tsarevich was on the verge of life and death, and life physician S.P. Fedorov warned the emperor that a fatal outcome was very possible. In the churches they prayed for the health of the crown prince, and G.E. Rasputin sent a reassuring telegram to the empress, assuring that everything would be okay! And it worked out! In this regard, it should be said about Rasputin’s role in the “treatment” of the Tsarevich.

At that time, doctors were powerless against hemophilia, and everything often depended on basic luck. In the first third of the last century, barely 20% of patients survived to adulthood. S.P. Fedorov believed that the heir would not live to see 18 years of age... Given the powerlessness of official medicine, the appearance of a “miraculous” healer was a foregone conclusion... E.S. Botkin said that if Rasputin did not exist, he would still be invented from someone else. Under conditions of emotional stress, a hemophiliac bleeds much more, this is very well known to doctors. Bleeding has a depressing effect on any person, and when a person knows that with every drop of blood life is leaving him, his fear is much stronger. For the hysterical Alexandra Feodorovna, each bleeding of her son caused a generalized panic attack, which she could not hide from him. Rasputin’s decisive, unshakable behavior in the most critical situations, his performance in public had a calming effect on the empress, who was immersed in medieval superstitions and mysticism (she was a Ph.D. from Oxford!). She stopped unnerving Alexei, who, according to many testimonies, behaved quite courageously. He calmed down, and in many cases local thromboplastic factors had an effect or the hematoma itself compressed the bleeding vessels and the bleeding stopped. V. Pikul, in one of his delusional inventions, reports (the novel “Evil Spirit”) that the Tibetan healer, Pyotr Badmaev, gave a powder that increased bleeding to the heir (Vyrubova mixed it into food), the bleeding intensified, Rasputin appeared with another, “hemostatic” powder in the pocket, it was again poured into the heir, and the bleeding stopped, supposedly through the prayer of the elder! Pikul's only excuse is that he has a poor understanding of hemophilia. Chinese or Tibetan doctors were as helpless in front of her as European doctors! Well, okay, that's how it was. But what about after 1917, when there was neither Rasputin nor Vyrubova, but the Tsarevich continued to bleed? Fairy tales, fairy tales!

The Tsarevich was treated by the most famous Russian doctors: professors S.P. Fedorov, E.S. Botkin, K.A. Rauchfus, doctors V.P. Derevenko and I.P. Korovin. What could the medicine of that time offer to a child? It was recommended to elevate the limb from which bleeding was occurring, a pressure bandage with gelatin, a tourniquet or ligature on the adductor artery. Subcutaneous injections of a 2% gelatin solution, oral preparations of ergot, iron, adrenal glands, infusion of sterile saline into the veins. Rest of joints, plaster cast, bandaging, massage, active and passive movements. W. Osler recommended the introduction of fresh blood serum or citrated blood 20-30 ml ( Factor VIII is found in fresh blood, although in small quantities). But this was seven years after the death of the Tsarevich. By the way, the Tsarevich’s doctors treated him correctly: for hemarthrosis, they used temporary immobilization and warming of the joint, but in no case cooling! The Tsarevich had undeniable hemophilia A and without the use of coagulation factors he would not have become a long-liver. So E. Radzinsky’s fantasies on the topic of his miraculous salvation under the guise of F. Semenov are complete fantasy, and unscientific at that! Be that as it may, the brutal reprisal of the Bolsheviks against a defenseless family does not become any less terrible...

Nikolay Larinsky, 1996-2012

On July 30 (August 12, new style), 1904, the only son of the last Russian Sovereign Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, heir to the throne of the Russian Empire, Tsarevich Alexei, was born in Peterhof. He was the fifth and very long-awaited child of the royal couple, for whom they prayed a lot and fervently, including during celebrations dedicated to the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sarov July 17-19, 1903

On September 3, 1904, in the church of the Great Peterhof Palace, the sacrament of Baptism of the Tsarevich was performed with the name in honor of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. According to a number of researchers, the heir received the name Alexey in memory of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676). The successors of the porphyritic baby were the English and Danish kings, the German emperor, as well as the Russian Grand Dukes. Since Russia was at war with Japan during this period, all officers and soldiers of the Russian army and navy were proclaimed honorary godparents of the heir. According to tradition, in connection with the birth of an heir, charitable organizations were established: a military hospital train named after the heir-cresarevich, the Alekseevsky Committee for providing assistance to children who lost their fathers in the Russian-Japanese War.

The educator and teacher of the royal children, Pierre Gilliard, in his memoirs recalls how he first saw the Tsarevich, who was then one and a half years old, in February 1906: “... I was already preparing to finish my lesson with Olga Nikolaevna, when the Empress entered with the Grand Duke Heir in her arms . She came to us with the obvious intention of showing me her son, whom I did not yet know. The joy of her mother shone on her face, having finally seen her most cherished dream come true. It was felt that she was proud and happy with the beauty of her child.

And in fact, the Tsarevich was at that time the most marvelous child one could dream of, with his wonderful blond curls and large gray-blue eyes, shaded by long, curled eyelashes. He had the fresh and rosy complexion of a healthy child, and when he smiled, two dimples appeared on his round cheeks. When I approached him, he looked at me seriously and shyly, and only with great difficulty did he decide to extend his small hand to me.

During this first meeting, I saw several times how the Empress hugged the Tsarevich to her with the tender gesture of a mother who always seems to tremble for the life of her child; but this caress and the look that accompanied it revealed so clearly and so strongly hidden anxiety that I was already amazed by it. It was only a long time later that I came to understand its meaning.”

Terrible disease

On his mother's side, Alexey inherited hemophilia, the carriers of which were some of the daughters and granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901). The disease became evident already in the fall of 1904, when a two-month-old baby began to bleed heavily. Any scratch could lead to the death of the child; the lining of his arteries and veins was so weak that any bruise, increased movement or tension could cause rupture of blood vessels and lead to a fatal end: a fall, a nosebleed, a simple cut - everything that would be a trifle for an ordinary child could be fatal for Alexey. From the very first years of his life, the Tsarevich required special care and constant vigilance, as a result of which, on doctors’ orders, two sailors from the imperial yacht were assigned to him as bodyguards: the boatswain Derevenko and his assistant Nagorny.

The Empress's maid of honor Anna Taneyeva wrote: “The life of Alexei Nikolaevich was one of the most tragic in the history of the Tsar’s children. He was a charming, affectionate boy, the most beautiful of all children. In early childhood, his parents and nanny Maria Vishnyakova spoiled him greatly, fulfilling his slightest whims. And this is understandable, since it was very difficult to see the constant suffering of the little one; Whether he hit his head or his hand on the furniture, a huge blue tumor would immediately appear, indicating an internal hemorrhage that was causing him great suffering. At the age of five or six he passed into the hands of men, to uncle Derevenko. This one used to be less pampering, although he was very loyal and had great patience. I hear Alexei Nikolaevich’s voice during his illnesses: “Raise my hand,” or: “Turn my leg,” or: “Warm my hands,” and often Derevenko calmed him down. When he began to grow up, his parents explained his illness to Alexei Nikolaevich, asking him to be careful. But the heir was very lively, loved the games and fun of boys, and it was often impossible to restrain him. “Give me a bicycle,” he asked his mother. “Alexey, you know you can’t!” - “I want to learn to play tennis like my sisters!” - “You know that you don’t dare play.” Sometimes Alexey Nikolaevich cried, repeating: “Why am I not like all the boys?”

Alexey understood perfectly well that he might not live to reach adulthood. When he was ten years old, his older sister Olga found him lying on his back and looking at the clouds. She asked what he was doing. “I like to think, reflect,” Alexey answered. Olga asked what he liked to think about. “Oh, a lot of things,” the boy replied, “I enjoy the sun and the beauty of summer while I can. Who knows, maybe one of these days I won’t be able to do this anymore.”

Life in Tsarskoe Selo

Outwardly, Alexei resembled the Empress and Grand Duchess Tatiana: he had the same delicate facial features and large blue eyes. P. Gilliard describes him as follows: “Alexey Nikolaevich was then nine and a half years old. He was quite large for his age, had a thin, elongated oval face with delicate features, wonderful light brown hair with bronze tints, large blue-gray eyes, reminiscent of his mother's eyes.

He thoroughly enjoyed life when he could, like a playful and cheerful boy. His tastes were very modest. He was not at all proud of the fact that he was the heir to the throne; this was the last thing he thought about. His greatest happiness was playing with the two sons of the sailor Derevenko, who were both somewhat younger than him. He had great quickness of mind and judgment and a lot of thoughtfulness. He sometimes amazed me with questions above his age, which testified to a delicate and sensitive soul.

I easily understood that those who, like me, did not have to instill discipline in him, could easily succumb to his charm without a second thought. In the little capricious creature that he seemed at first, I discovered a child with a heart that was naturally loving and sensitive to suffering, because he himself had already suffered a lot.”

Resident of Tsarskoye Selo S.Ya. Ofrosimova shares the following impressions: “The heir Tsarevich had a very soft and kind heart. He was passionately attached not only to those close to him, but also to the ordinary employees around him. None of them saw arrogance or harsh behavior from him. He especially quickly and passionately became attached to ordinary people. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, hot and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was playing with his uncle's children and being among ordinary soldiers. With interest and deep attention, he peered into the lives of ordinary people, and often an exclamation escaped him: “When I am king, there will be no poor and unhappy! I want everyone to be happy."

A.A. Taneyeva recalled: “The heir took an ardent part if the servants experienced any grief. His Majesty was also compassionate, but did not actively express it, while Alexey Nikolaevich did not calm down until he immediately helped. I remember the case of a cook who for some reason was denied a position. Alexey Nikolaevich somehow found out about this and pestered his parents all day until they ordered the cook to be taken back again. He defended and stood up for all his people.”

At the age of seven, Alexey began to study. The classes were led by the Empress, who herself chose the teachers: the spiritual teacher of the imperial family, Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev, became the teacher of the law, and Privy Councilor P.V. became the teacher of the Russian language. Petrov, arithmetic teacher - State Councilor E.P. Tsytovich, French teacher and tutor - P. Gilliard, English was taught by C. Gibbs and Alexandra Fedorovna herself.

Life in Tsarskoe Selo was of a close family nature: the retinue, with the exception of the ladies-in-waiting on duty and the commander of the consolidated guards regiment, did not live in the palace, and the Royal family, except when visiting relatives, gathered at the table without strangers and quite easily. The Tsarevich's lessons began at nine o'clock with a break between eleven and noon, during which the heir and his teacher went for a walk in a carriage, sleigh or car. Then classes resumed until lunch, after which Alexey always spent two hours outdoors. The Grand Duchesses and the Emperor, when he was free, joined him. In winter, Alexey had fun with his sisters, descending from an icy mountain built on the shore of a small artificial lake.

Just like his sisters, the Tsarevich adored animals. P. Gilliard recalls: “He loved to play with his donkey Vanka, who was harnessed to a small sleigh, or with his dog Joy, a dark brown lapdog on low legs, with long silky ears falling almost to the floor. Vanka was an incomparable, smart and funny animal. When they wanted to give Alexey Nikolaevich a donkey, they turned to all the dealers in St. Petersburg for a long time, but to no avail; then the Ciniselli circus agreed to give up the old donkey, which, due to its decrepitude, was no longer suitable for performances. And this is how Vanka appeared at the Court, apparently fully appreciating the palace stables. He amused us very much, as he knew many of the most incredible tricks. With great dexterity, he turned out his pockets in the hope of finding sweets in them. He found a special charm in old rubber balls, which he casually chewed with one eye closed, like an old Yankee. These two animals played a big role in the life of Alexei Nikolaevich, who had very little entertainment. He suffered mainly from the lack of comrades. Fortunately, his sisters, as I said, loved to play with him; they brought fun and youth into his life, without which it would have been very difficult for him. During his daytime walks, the Emperor, who loved to walk a lot, usually walked around the park with one of his daughters, but he also happened to join us, and with his help we once built a huge snow tower, which took on the appearance of an impressive fortress and occupied us for several weeks.” . At four o'clock in the afternoon, lessons resumed until dinner, which was served at seven o'clock for Alexei and at eight for the rest of the family. The day ended with reading aloud some book the Tsarevich loved. All of Alexei’s relatives noted his religiosity. Letters from the Tsarevich have been preserved, in which he congratulates his relatives on the holidays, and his poem “Christ is Risen!”, sent by him to his grandmother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. From the memoirs of S.Ya. Ofrosimova: “A festive service is underway... The temple is flooded with the radiance of countless candles. The Tsarevich stands on the Tsar's Elevation. He has almost grown to the level of the Emperor standing next to him. The glow of quietly burning lamps pours onto his pale, beautiful face and gives him an unearthly, almost ghostly expression. His large, long eyes look with a serious, mournful gaze that is not childish... He is motionlessly turned towards the altar, where the solemn service is being performed... I look at him, and it seems to me that somewhere I saw this pale face, these long, mournful eyes."

In 1910, Patriarch Damian of Jerusalem, knowing about the piety of the heir, gave him for Easter an icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” with particles of stones from the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha.

According to P. Gilliard, Alexey was the center of the closely knit Royal family; all affections and hopes were focused on him. “His sisters adored him and he was the joy of his parents. When he was healthy, the whole palace seemed transformed; it was a ray of sunshine that illuminated both things and those around them. Happily gifted by nature, he would have developed quite correctly and evenly if his illness had not prevented this.” S.Ya. Ofrosimova recalls: “His liveliness could not be tempered by his illness, and as soon as he felt better, as soon as his suffering subsided, he began to play pranks uncontrollably, he buried himself in pillows, crawled under the bed to scare the doctors with an imaginary disappearance... When the Princesses came, especially Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, terrible fuss and pranks began. Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna was a desperate naughty girl and a faithful friend in all the Tsarevich’s pranks, but she was strong and healthy, and the Tsarevich was forbidden from these hours of childhood pranks that were dangerous for Him.”

Raising an heir to the throne

In 1912, while on vacation in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Tsarevich unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely bruised his thigh: the resulting hematoma did not resolve for a long time, the child’s health condition was very serious, and bulletins were officially published about him. There was a real threat of death. “The Empress sat at her son’s bedside from the beginning of the illness,” writes P. Gilliard, “bent over to him, caressed him, surrounded him with her love, trying with a thousand small concerns to alleviate his suffering. The Emperor also came as soon as he had a free minute.

He tried to cheer up the child, entertain him, but the pain was stronger than the mother's caresses and father's stories, and the interrupted moans were resumed. From time to time the door opened, and one of the Grand Duchesses tiptoed into the room, kissed her little brother and seemed to bring with her a stream of freshness and health. The child opened his large eyes, already deeply outlined by illness, for a minute, and immediately closed them again.

One morning I found a mother at the head of her son... The Tsarevich, lying in his crib, moaned pitifully, pressing his head against his mother’s hand, and his thin, bloodless face was unrecognizable. Occasionally he interrupted his groans to whisper only one word, “mother,” in which he expressed all his suffering, all his despair. And his mother kissed his hair, his forehead, his eyes, as if with this caress she could ease his suffering, breathe into him a little of the life that was leaving him. How to convey the torture of this mother, helplessly present at the torment of her child during long hours of mortal anxiety..."

According to the opinion of many people surrounding Tsarevich Alexei, he had a strong will, which was not just an inherited quality, but developed and strengthened due to the frequent physical suffering caused to the child by a terrible illness. The disease became a kind of teacher of the little martyr. According to Anna Taneyeva, “frequent suffering and involuntary self-sacrifice developed in the character of Alexei Nikolaevich pity and compassion for everyone who was sick, as well as amazing respect for his mother and all elders.”

However, for all his kindness and compassion, the boy did not tolerate it when he, as the heir to the throne, was treated with insufficient respect. S.Ya. Ofrosimova recounts the following episode: “The Tsarevich was not a proud child, although the thought that he was a future king filled his entire being with the consciousness of his highest destiny. When he was in the company of noble people and people close to the Emperor, he became aware of his royalty.

One day, the Tsarevich entered the office of the Tsar, who at that time was talking with the minister. When the heir entered, the Tsar’s interlocutor did not find it necessary to stand up, but only, rising from his chair, offered his hand to the Tsarevich. The heir, offended, stopped in front of him and silently put his hands behind his back; this gesture did not give him an arrogant appearance, but only a regal, expectant pose. The minister involuntarily stood up and straightened up to his full height in front of the Tsarevich. The Tsarevich responded to this with a polite handshake. Having told the Emperor something about his walk, he slowly left the office. The Emperor looked after him for a long time and finally said with sadness and pride: “Yes, it will not be as easy for you to cope with him as with me.”

According to the memoirs of Yulia Den, maid of honor and friend of the Empress, while still a very small boy, Alexei already realized that he was the heir: “Once, when he was playing with the Grand Duchesses, he was informed that officers of his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and asked permission to see Tsesarevich. The six-year-old child, immediately leaving the fuss with his sisters, said with an important look: “Girls, go away, the heir will have a reception.”

Claudia Mikhailovna Bitner, who gave lessons to the heir in Tobolsk, recalled the Tsarevich this way: “I loved Alexei Nikolaevich most of all. He was a sweet, good boy. He was smart, observant, receptive, very affectionate, cheerful and cheerful, despite his often severe painful condition...

He was used to being disciplined, but did not like the former court etiquette. He could not stand lies and would not have tolerated them around him if he had ever taken power. He combined the features of his father and mother. From his father he inherited his simplicity. There was no complacency, arrogance or arrogance in him at all. He was simple.

But he had a great will and would never submit to outside influence. Now, the Emperor, if he took power again, I’m sure he would forget and forgive the actions of those soldiers who were known in this regard. Alexey Nikolaevich, if he received power, would never forget or forgive them for this and would draw the appropriate conclusions.

He understood a lot and understood people. But he was closed and reserved. He was terribly patient, very careful, disciplined and demanding of himself and others. He was kind, like his father, in the sense that he did not have the ability in his heart to cause unnecessary harm.

At the same time, he was thrifty. One day he was sick, he was served a dish that was shared with the whole family, which he did not eat because he did not like this dish. I was indignant. How can they not prepare a separate meal for a child when he is sick? I said something. He answered me: “Well, here’s another one!” There’s no need to waste money just because of me.”

Favorite Bet. Introduction to military life

According to tradition, grand dukes became chiefs or officers of guard regiments on their birthday. Alexey became the chief of the 12th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, and later other military units and the ataman of all Cossack troops. The sovereign introduced him to Russian military history, the structure of the army and the peculiarities of its life, organized a detachment of the sons of lower ranks under the leadership of the “uncle” Tsarevich Derevenko and managed to instill in the heir a love of military affairs. Alexey was often present when receiving deputations and at troop reviews, and during the First World War he visited the active army with his father, awarded distinguished soldiers, and was himself awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree.

On July 20, 1914, the President of the French Republic R. Poincaré presented the heir with the ribbon of the Order of the Legion of Honor. In Petrograd, in the Winter Palace, there were two institutions named after Alexei - a hospital and the Committee of One-Time Benefits for Sick and Wounded Soldiers, and many military hospitals also bore his name.

The Tsarevich spent almost the entire 1916 with his father at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Mogilev. According to A.A. Mordvinov, the aide-de-camp of Nicholas II, the heir “promised to be not only a good, but also an outstanding monarch.” P. Gilliard recalls: “After the review, the Emperor approached the soldiers and entered into a simple conversation with some of them, asking them about the fierce battles in which they had participated.

Alexey Nikolaevich followed his father step by step, listening with passionate interest to the stories of these people who had seen the proximity of death so many times. His usually expressive and moving face was full of tension from the effort he made not to miss a single word of what they were saying.

The presence of the heir next to the Sovereign aroused the interest of the soldiers, and when he walked away, they could be heard exchanging impressions in a whisper about his age, height, facial expression, etc. But what struck them most was that the Tsarevich was in a simple soldier’s uniform, no different from the one worn by the team of soldiers’ children.”

The English General Hanbury-Williams, with whom the Tsarevich became friends at Headquarters, published after the revolution his memoirs “Emperor Nicholas II as I Knew Him.” About his acquaintance with Alexei, he writes: “When I first saw Alexei Nikolaevich in 1915, he was about eleven years old. Having heard stories about him, I expected to see a very weak and not very bright boy. He was indeed of a frail build, as he was stricken with illness. However, during those periods when the heir was healthy, he was cheerful and mischievous, like any boy of his age...

The Tsarevich wore a protective uniform and high Russian boots, proud of the fact that he looked like a real soldier. He had excellent manners and spoke several languages ​​fluently. Over time, his shyness disappeared, and he began to treat us like old friends.

Every time, greeting, the Tsarevich came up with some joke for each of us. When he approached me, he used to check that all the buttons on my jacket were fastened. Naturally, I tried to leave one or two buttons undone. In this case, the Tsarevich stopped and noticed to me that I was “sloppy again.” Sighing heavily at the sight of such sloppiness on my part, he buttoned up my buttons to restore order.”

After visiting Headquarters, the Tsarevich’s favorite food became “cabbage soup and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat,” as he always said. Every day they brought him sampler of cabbage soup and porridge from the soldiers’ kitchen of the Consolidated Regiment. According to the recollections of those around him, the Tsarevich ate everything and still licked the spoon, beaming with pleasure and saying: “This is delicious - not like our lunch.” Sometimes, without touching anything at the table, he would quietly make his way to the royal kitchen buildings, ask the cooks for a hunk of black bread and secretly share it with his dog.

From Headquarters, the Tsarevich brought an ugly, sand-colored kitten with white spots, which he named Zubrovka and, as a sign of special affection, put a collar with a bell on it. Julia Den writes about the Tsarevich’s new favorite: “Zubrovka was not a particular admirer of palaces. Every now and then he fought with Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna’s bulldog, whose name was Artipo, and knocked over all the family photographs in Her Majesty’s boudoir to the floor. But Zubrovka enjoyed the privileges of his position. What happened to him when the Imperial Family was sent to Tobolsk is unknown.”

The newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin” dated November 7, 1915 published an article entitled “Our Hope”, dedicated to the heir’s stay at Headquarters. It described the days of Alexei: “...After mass, the Emperor, along with the heir and retinue, went home on foot. The smile, look, gait of the young heir, his habit of waving his left hand - all this was reminiscent of the manners of the Emperor, from whom the child adopted them. Despite wartime and frequent trips with his sovereign parent to the fronts, the Tsarevich continued to study...

There is a friendly atmosphere in the classroom where classes with mentors take place. Teachers forgive the child for his habit of leaving his dog, Joy, and cat for lessons. “Kitty” - that’s his name - is present at all his master’s lessons. After class, play burners with friends. He doesn't choose them based on their origin. As a rule, these are the children of commoners. Having learned that their parents need something, the heir often says to the tutor: “I’ll ask dad to help them.” The father and heir go to and from the temple together. In religion, a child finds clarity of views and simplicity in relationships with all people.”

The Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II himself did a lot to instill in his son attention and compassion for people. P. Gilliard describes the following incident: “On the way back, having learned from General Ivanov that there was a forward dressing station nearby, the Emperor decided to go straight there. We drove into a dense forest and soon noticed a small building, dimly lit by the red light of torches. The Emperor, accompanied by Alexei Nikolaevich, entered the house, approached all the wounded and talked to them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line caused amazement to be expressed on all faces.

One of the soldiers, who had just been put back to bed after bandaging, looked intently at the Tsar, and when the latter bent over him, he raised his only good hand to touch his clothes and make sure that it was really the Tsar in front of him, and not vision. Alexey Nikolaevich stood slightly behind his father. He was deeply shocked by the groans he heard and the suffering he sensed around him.”

On March 2 (15th Art.), 1917, news was received of the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne for himself and for his son in favor of Mikhail Alexandrovich, the Sovereign’s younger brother. P. Gilliard recalls: “... It was noticeable how she [the Empress] suffered at the thought of how she would have to worry the sick Grand Duchesses by announcing to them the abdication of their father, especially since this excitement could worsen their health. I went to Alexei Nikolaevich and told him that the Emperor was returning tomorrow from Mogilev and would not return there again.

Because your father doesn't want to be commander in chief anymore!

You know, Alexey Nikolaevich, your father doesn’t want to be Emperor anymore.

He looked at me in surprise, trying to read on my face what had happened.

For what? Why?

Because he is very tired and has suffered a lot lately.

Oh yes! Mom told me that when he wanted to go here, his train was delayed. But will dad be Emperor again later?

I explained to him then that the Emperor had abdicated the throne in favor of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, who in turn declined.

But then who will be the Emperor?

I don't know, no one yet!..

Not a word about himself, not a hint of his rights as an heir. He blushed deeply and was excited. After several minutes of silence he said:

If there is no longer a Tsar, who will rule Russia?

I explained to him that a Provisional Government had been formed, which would deal with State affairs until the convening of the Constituent Assembly, and that then, perhaps, his uncle Mikhail would ascend the throne. I was once again amazed at the modesty of this child.”

The last lessons of the Sovereign Father

From March 8, 1917, the Royal Family was under arrest in Tsarskoye Selo, and on August 1 they were sent into exile to Tobolsk, where they were imprisoned in the governor’s house. Here the Emperor managed to fulfill his dream of raising his son himself. He gave lessons to the Tsarevich in a gloomy house in Tobolsk. The lessons continued in the poverty and squalor of the Yekaterinburg confinement, where the imperial family was transported in the spring of 1918.

Life of the Royal Family in the house of engineer N.K. Ipatieva was subject to a strict prison regime: isolation from the outside world, meager food rations, an hour-long walk, searches, hostility from the guards. While still in Tobolsk, Alexey fell down the stairs and received severe bruises, after which he could not walk for a long time, and in Yekaterinburg his illness worsened greatly.

In a tragic time, the family was united by common prayer, faith, hope and patience. Alexei was always present at the service, sitting in a chair; at the head of his bed hung many icons on a gold chain, which was later stolen by the guards. Being surrounded by enemies, the prisoners turned to spiritual literature and strengthened themselves with the examples of the Savior and St. martyrs, prepared for martyrdom.

Tsarevich Alexei did not live to see his fourteenth birthday for several weeks. On the night of July 17, 1918, he was killed along with his parents and sisters in the basement of the Ipatiev House.

In 1996, the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints, chaired by Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov) of Krutitsy and Kolomna, found “it possible to raise the question of canonizing... Tsarevich Alexy.” Canonization of St. passion-bearer Tsarevich Alexy took place at the Council of Bishops in August 2000.

On a frosty day on December 16, 1614 in Moscow, at the Serpukhov Gate, the execution of a state criminal took place. The Time of Troubles, going down in history, ended with reprisals against its most active participants, who did not want to recognize the restoration of legality in Russia.

But this execution had little to do with the triumph of the law. The man sentenced to death was not even four years old. Nevertheless, the executioner threw a noose around his small head and hanged the unfortunate man.

However, the noose and the gallows were designed for an adult, and not for the puny body of a child. As a result, the unfortunate child died for more than three hours, choking, crying and calling for his mother. Perhaps in the end the boy died not even from suffocation, but from cold.

During the years of the Time of Troubles, Russia became accustomed to atrocities, but the execution carried out on December 16 was out of the ordinary.

Was executed Ivan Voronok, sentenced to death "for his evil deeds."

In fact, the three-year-old boy, whose massacre ended the Time of Troubles, was the son of False Dmitry II and Marina Mnishek. In the eyes of his parents' supporters, the boy was Tsarevich Ivan Dmitrievich, the legal heir to the Russian throne.

Of course, in fact, the boy had no rights to power. However, supporters of the new Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov believed that the little “prince” could become a “banner” for opponents of the new dynasty.

“We can’t leave them the banner,” the Romanov supporters decided and sent the three-year-old child to the gallows.

Could any of them then have thought that three centuries later the reign of the Romanovs would end the same way it began?

Heir at any cost

The monarchs from the House of Romanov, taught by bitter experience, feared dynastic crises like fire. They could only be avoided if the reigning monarch had an heir, or better yet two or three, in order to avoid accidents.

Personal coat of arms of the heir to the Tsarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / B.V. Köhne

Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, aka Nicholas II, ascended the throne in 1894, 26 years old. At that time, the new monarch was not even married, although the marriage with Victoria Alice Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt, in the future known as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, had already been appointed.

The wedding celebrations and “honeymoon” of the newlyweds took place in an atmosphere of funeral services and mourning for the father of Nicholas II, the emperor Alexander III.

But when the grief subsided a little, representatives of the ruling circles of Russia began to closely monitor the empress. The country needed an heir to the throne, and the sooner the better. Alexandra Fedorovna, a woman with a tough and decisive character, was unlikely to be happy with such attention to her person, but nothing can be done - such are the costs of living in royal families.

The wife of Nicholas II became pregnant regularly and regularly gave birth to daughters - Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia... And with each new girl, the mood at the Russian court became more and more pessimistic.

And yet, in the tenth year of the reign of Nicholas II, on July 30 (August 12, new style) 1904, Alexandra Feodorovna gave her husband an heir.

By the way, the very birth of a son, named Alexei, greatly spoiled the relationship between Nikolai and his wife. The fact is that before the birth, the emperor gave an order to doctors: if the life of the mother and baby is threatened, save the baby first. Alexandra, who learned about her husband’s order, could not forgive him for this.

Fatal name

The long-awaited son was named Alexei, in honor of St. Alexei of Moscow. Both the boy’s father and mother were prone to mysticism, so it is not clear why they gave the heir such an unfortunate name.

Before Alexei Nikolaevich, there were already two princes Alexei in Rus'. First, Alexey Alekseevich, son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, died of a sudden illness before his 16th birthday. Second, Alexey Petrovich, son of Peter the Great, was accused by his father of treason and died in prison.

Corporal of the Russian Army Alexey Romanov. 1916. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The fact that a difficult fate awaited the third Alexei also became clear in infancy. He was not even two months old when he suddenly began bleeding from his navel, which was difficult to stop.

Doctors made a terrible diagnosis - hemophilia. Due to a blood clotting disorder, any scratch or blow was dangerous for Alexey. Internal bleeding caused by trivial bruises caused the boy terrible suffering and threatened him with death.

Hemophilia is a hereditary disease; only men who get it from their mothers get it.

For Alexandra Fedorovna, her son’s illness became a personal tragedy. In addition, the attitude towards her in Russia, already quite cold, has become even worse. “A German woman who spoiled Russian blood,” is the popular conclusion about the causes of the prince’s illness.

The prince loved “soldiers’ delicacies”

Apart from a serious illness, Tsarevich Alexei was an ordinary boy. Handsome in appearance, kind, adored his parents and sisters, cheerful, he aroused sympathy among everyone. Even at the guards of the “Ipatiev House”, where he was to spend his last days...

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The prince studied well, although not without laziness, which was especially evident in avoiding reading. The boy really liked everything connected with the army.

He preferred to spend time with soldiers rather than with courtiers, and sometimes he would get into such expressions that his mother would be horrified. However, the boy preferred to share his “verbal discoveries” mostly with his diary.

Alexey loved simple “soldier’s” food - porridge, cabbage soup, black bread, which was brought to him from the kitchen of the palace guard regiment.

In a word, an ordinary child, unlike many Romanovs, devoid of arrogance, narcissism and pathological cruelty.

But the disease increasingly invaded Alexei’s life. Any injury turned him practically into an invalid for several weeks, when he could not even move independently.

Renunciation

One day, at the age of 8, the active prince unsuccessfully jumped into a boat and severely bruised his thigh in the groin area. The consequences were so severe that Alexei’s life was in danger.

Children of Alexandra Feodorovna and Nicholas II in Tsarskoye Selo. Grand Duchesses and Tsarevich: Olga, Alexei, Anastasia and Tatiana. Alexander Park, Tsarskoe Selo. May 1917. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Exhibition “German St. Petersburg”

The suffering of his son turned the souls of both the Tsar and Alexandra Feodorovna. It is not surprising that the Siberian man Grigory Rasputin, who knew how to alleviate Alexei’s suffering, soon became one of the most influential people in Russia. But it was precisely this influence of Rasputin that would finally undermine the authority of Nicholas II in the country.

It is clear that the future fate of his son worried his father. Although Alexei’s age made it possible to postpone making a final decision “until later,” Nicholas II consulted with doctors, asking them the main question: would the heir be able to fully fulfill the duties of a monarch in the future?

Doctors shrugged: patients with hemophilia can live a long and fulfilling life, but any accident threatens them with the most serious consequences.

Fate decided for the emperor. During the February Revolution, Nicholas II abdicated the throne for both himself and his son. He considered that Alexei was too young and sick to ascend the throne of a country that had entered an era of great upheaval.

Strangers among our own

Of the entire family of Nicholas II, Alexei, perhaps, endured more easily than others everything that befell the Romanov family after October 1917. Due to his age and character, he did not feel the threat hanging over them.

The family of the last emperor turned out to be strangers to everyone in their country. Supporters of the monarchy in Russia in 1918 became a real relic of the era - even in the ranks of the White movement they were a minority. But even among this minority, Nicholas II and his wife had no supporters. Perhaps what both Reds and Whites agreed on was their hatred of the deposed imperial couple. They, and not without reason, were considered the culprits of the disasters that befell the country.

Alexey and his sisters were not guilty of anything before Russia, but they became hostages of their origin.

The fate of the Romanov family was largely predetermined when England refused to shelter them. In a country gripped by civil war, when both sides of the conflict are seized by ever-increasing hatred, belonging to the imperial family becomes a death sentence. In this sense, Russia only followed the global trends laid down by the English and French revolutions.

Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Tsarevich Alexei. 1914. Photo: RIA Novosti

“You can’t leave them a banner”

At the beginning of 1918, in Tobolsk, the illness of Tsarevich Alexei again reminded itself. Not paying attention to the depressed state of his elders, he continued to organize fun activities. One of them was riding down the steps of the stairs of the house where the Romanovs were housed, in a wooden boat with runners. During one of the races, Alexey received a new bruise, which led to another exacerbation of the disease.

Alyosha Romanov did not live less than a month before his 14th birthday. When members of the Urals Council decided the fate of the family of Nicholas II, everyone understood perfectly well that the boy, tormented by illness, like his sisters, had nothing to do with the historical drama that had covered Russia.

But... “You can’t leave them a banner...”

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, in the basement of the Ipatiev House, Tsarevich Alexei was shot along with his parents and sisters.

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was born on August 12, 1904 in Peterhof and executed on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg. He was the fifth oldest child, the only male heir of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna.

About character

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich became a real gift for his parents, since they had been waiting for him for a really long time. Before this, four daughters had already been born, and the king needed a male heir.

The couple cried out to the Lord. Through their prayers, Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov was born. He was baptized in the Grand Palace of Peterhof in 1904. Outwardly, the young man was very good-looking and handsome, even handsome. Despite all the hardships, he had a clean and open face. However, due to the disease, excessive thinness appeared.

The boy was flexible in character and loved his loved ones. They always found common ground, especially with Princess Maria. He achieved success in his studies and was good at languages. The young man showed a lively mind and observation, knew how to be affectionate and enjoy life no matter what. His mother loved him and cared for him.

The heir was more inclined to strict military behavior than to the etiquette of the courtiers, and adopted the popular dialect. He was not a spendthrift and even saved various, at first glance, unnecessary things such as nails or ropes with the goal of later using them for something.

The army attracted him. He didn’t go overboard with his food, he could eat ordinary cabbage soup, porridge and black bread - soldier’s food. He even became a taster of soldiers' cuisine. So we can say that ordinary soldiers in the Russian Empire ate the same as the prince, who was quite to his taste.

Impressions from Moscow

For eight years, Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov did not leave St. Petersburg. He first visited Moscow in 1912, when he went there with his parents for an opening for his grandfather.

The Tsarevich was greeted in the Kremlin with an icon of the Mother of God, painted especially for his arrival. All the Moscow nobility rejoiced at this meeting, since they saw their future tsar, as was then believed. The boy was also pleased with the trip, since it was his first official appearance as heir to the throne.

Military service

When the First World War was in full swing, the prince held the position of chief of some regiments and ataman of the troops of all Cossacks. Together with their father, they visited the army, where they gave awards to soldiers who distinguished themselves on the battlefield.

For his achievements in his service, he was awarded the St. George Silver Medal of the 4th degree. However, I had to forget about further career development. On March 2, 1917, his father renounced his rights to the throne for himself and his son. The throne was taken by Mikhail Alexandrovich, Nicholas's younger brother.

This decision was made by the emperor after consulting with a surgeon, who said that the disease that plagued Alexei could be lived with. However, in order to avoid any threat to health, it is better to refuse royal affairs.

Disease

All the children of Nicholas II, except Alexei Nikolaevich, were absolutely healthy. However, the boy inherited hemophilia from his mother. The same disease occurred among many European rulers.

Doctors noticed a negative trend already in the fall of 1904. Then the baby suffered from bleeding that began from the navel. Any bruise or wound turned out to be a real punishment from God, since the tears did not heal and the damaged tissues did not heal. Sometimes even hematomas the size of an apple formed.

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich suffered from the fact that his skin did not stretch properly, and blood circulation was impaired due to pressure. The problem was constantly forming blood clots. The nannies of Tsarevich Alexei were forced to monitor the boy and treat him very carefully. Small scratches were covered with tight bandages that tightened the blood vessels. However, there were cases when this was not enough. One day, a nosebleed almost ended in death for the prince. He felt no pain.

Physical suffering

Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov was subject to not only external, but also internal bleeding. They mainly affected the joints. Thus, a very young boy turned into a disabled person, since the blood accumulated and could not come out, putting pressure on the nerve. Tissue, bones and tendons were destroyed. He could not move his limbs freely.

The biography of Tsarevich Alexei is indeed full of sorrows and trials from a very young age. He did exercises and received massages, but he could never be protected from new troubles.

It would seem that the only salvation was destructive morphine, but the parents decided not to corrupt their son with it. So he could only avoid pain by losing consciousness. Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich lay in bed for weeks, shackled in orthopedic devices that straightened his limbs, and also constantly took baths from healing mud.

New injury

A routine trip to a hunting ground ended horribly in 1912. When the boy got into the boat, he injured his leg and a hematoma appeared that did not go away for a long time. Doctors feared the worst.

An official announcement was issued about this, which, however, did not mention what disease the young man was suffering from. The fate of Tsarevich Alexei is full of darkness and suffering, and not simple childhood joys. He couldn't even walk on his own for a while. It was carried in the arms of a person specially appointed to this position.

The disease became especially acute when the royal family was exiled to Tobolsk in 1918. The children of Nicholas II survived the move well. However, the prince again received an internal injury. I began to suffer from bleeding in my joints. But the boy just wanted to play. One day he was jumping and running and as a result he hurt himself. He was never able to repeat such a fun game again, since he remained disabled until his death.

Investigation

The Tsarevich's life was cut short when he and his entire family were shot in Yekaterinburg. This happened in the Ipatiev House on the night of July 17, 1918. One of the participants in this operation confirmed that the young man did not die immediately; it was necessary to fire a second shot to kill him.

The canonization took place in 1981, but it was done by a foreign Orthodox community. The Moscow Patriarchate joined it only in 2000.

It’s also worth telling about another interesting fact.

In 1991, the remains of the royal family were examined. They did not identify the youth's flesh and bones. This state of affairs is explained by the fact that he and the body of one of the sisters were burned.

In the summer of 2007, on the outskirts of Piglet Log, near the main grave, charred remains were found, which, according to investigators, belong to the tsar’s children. In 2008, an examination was carried out, on which E. Rogaev worked together with specialists from the USA. Confirmation was received that these relics belonged to the bodies of the king's heirs. Until now, they have not been buried because the Russian Orthodox Church has not recognized them. Since 2011, the charred bodies were stored in the main archive of the state, and in 2015 they were transported to the men's

The Unwritten History

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov was canonized quite deservedly. He is revered as a passion-bearer. Memorial Day is July 4th, according to the Julian calendar. In the summer of 2015, President D. Medvedev issued a decree to carry out the reburial of Alexei and his sister Maria.

The church still has many questions regarding these remains. The story of Tsarevich Alexei can hardly be called joyful. Life is short, and how much pain there is in it! Moreover, reading about the character of the young man, we can conclude that he aroused the sympathy of not only the courtiers, but also ordinary people. Perhaps he would have made a wonderful king if not for illness and execution.