Alexander III. Tsar-Peacemaker

Born on March 10 (February 26, old style) 1845 in St. Petersburg. He was the second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

He received the traditional military engineering education for grand dukes.

In 1865, after the death of his elder brother, Grand Duke Nicholas, he became crown prince, after which he received more fundamental knowledge. Among Alexander's mentors were Sergei Solovyov (history), Yakov Grot (history of literature), Mikhail Dragomirov (military art). The greatest influence on the Tsarevich was the law teacher Konstantin Pobedonostsev.

In his father’s reforms, he saw, first of all, negative aspects - the growth of government bureaucracy, the difficult financial situation of the people, imitation of Western models. The political ideal of Alexander III was based on ideas about patriarchal-paternal autocratic rule, the inculcation of religious values ​​in society, the strengthening of the class structure, and nationally distinctive social development.

On April 29, 1881, Alexander III issued a manifesto “On the Inviolability of Autocracy” and launched a series of reforms that were aimed at partially curtailing the liberal initiatives of his father-reformer.

The tsar's domestic policy was characterized by increased control of the central government over all spheres of state life.

To strengthen the role of the police, local and central administration, the “Regulations on measures to protect state security and public peace” (1881) was adopted. The “Temporary Rules on the Press,” adopted in 1882, clearly outlined the range of topics that could be written about and introduced strict censorship. In addition, a number of “counter-reforms” were carried out, thanks to which it was possible to suppress the revolutionary movement, primarily the activities of the Narodnaya Volya party.

Alexander III took measures to protect the class rights of noble landowners: he established the Noble Land Bank, adopted a Regulation on hiring for agricultural work that was beneficial for landowners, strengthened administrative guardianship over the peasantry, helped strengthen the communalism of peasants, and the formation of the ideal of a large patriarchal family.

At the same time, in the first half of the 1880s, he took a number of measures to alleviate the financial situation of the people and mitigate social tension in society: the introduction of compulsory redemption and the reduction of redemption payments, the establishment of the Peasant Land Bank, the introduction of factory inspection, and the gradual abolition of the poll tax.

The emperor paid serious attention to increasing the social role of the Orthodox Church: he increased the number of parochial schools and tightened repression against Old Believers and sectarians.

During the reign of Alexander III, the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was completed (1883), parishes that had been closed during the previous reign were restored, and many new monasteries and churches were built.

Alexander III made a significant contribution to the restructuring of the system of state and public relations. In 1884 he issued the University Charter, which curtailed the autonomy of universities. In 1887, he issued a “circular about cooks’ children,” which limited the entry into gymnasiums of children from the lower classes.

He strengthened the social role of the local nobility: since 1889, peasant self-government was subordinated to zemstvo chiefs - who united judicial and administrative power in their hands to officials from local landowners.

He carried out reforms in the field of urban government: zemstvo and city regulations (1890, 1892) tightened the administration's control over local government and limited the rights of voters from the lower strata of society.

He limited the scope of the jury trial and restored closed proceedings for political trials.

The economic life of Russia during the reign of Alexander III was characterized by economic growth, which was largely due to the policy of increased patronage of domestic industry. The country rearmed its army and navy and became the world's largest exporter of agricultural products. The government of Alexander III encouraged the growth of large capitalist industry, which achieved notable successes (metallurgical production doubled in 1886-1892, the railway network grew by 47%).

Russian foreign policy under Alexander III was distinguished by pragmatism. The main content was a turn from traditional cooperation with Germany to an alliance with France, which was concluded in 1891-1893. The aggravation of relations with Germany was smoothed out by the “Reinsurance Treaty” (1887).

Alexander III went down in history as the Peacemaker Tsar - during his reign, Russia did not participate in a single serious military-political conflict of that time. The only significant battle - the capture of Kushka - took place in 1885, after which annexation to Russia was completed Central Asia.

Alexander III was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Historical Society and its first chairman. Established the Historical Museum in Moscow.

He simplified court etiquette and ceremony, in particular, abolished genuflection before the king, reduced the staff of the court ministry and introduced strict supervision over the expenditure of money.

The emperor was pious, distinguished by frugality and modesty, and spent his leisure time in a narrow circle of family and friends. He was interested in music, painting, history. He collected an extensive collection of paintings, objects of decorative and applied art, and sculptures, which after his death was transferred to the Russian Museum founded by Emperor Nicholas II in memory of his father.

The personality of Alexander III is associated with the idea of ​​a real hero with iron health. On October 17, 1888, he was injured in a train accident near the Borki station, 50 km from Kharkov. However, saving the lives of loved ones, the emperor held the collapsed roof of the carriage for about half an hour until help arrived. It is believed that as a result of this excessive stress, his kidney disease began to progress.

On November 1 (October 20, old style), 1894, the emperor died in Livadia (Crimea) from the consequences of nephritis. The body was taken to St. Petersburg and buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Alexander III's wife was the Danish princess Louise Sophia Frederica Dagmara (in Orthodoxy - Maria Fedorovna) (1847-1928), whom he married in 1866. The emperor and his wife had five children: Nicholas (later Russian Emperor Nicholas II), George, Ksenia, Mikhail and Olga.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

He was on the throne for thirteen and a half years and died at the age of 49, having earned the title “Tsar Peacemaker” during his lifetime, since during his reign not a drop of Russian blood was shed on the battlefields...

Soon after his death, historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Science will give Emperor Alexander III his rightful place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, it will say that He won a victory in the area where it was most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, conquered the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of good in the moral circulation of humanity, encouraged and raised Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when He was no longer there, did Europe understand 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 on the part of Westerners of all stripes.

However, Alexander III was not a narrow Western-hater, immediately rejecting everything that did not have the generic mark: “made in Russia.” For him, Russian was primary and especially significant, not because it is the best in the world, but because it is native, close, his own. Under Emperor Alexander III, the words “Russia is for Russians” were heard throughout the country for the first time. And although he was well aware of the problems and absurdities in Russian life, he did not doubt for a minute that they should be overcome only by relying on own feeling understanding of duty and responsibility, not paying attention to what some “Princess Marya Aleksevna” says about it.

In almost two hundred years, this was the first ruler who not only did not seek the “love of Europe,” but was not even interested in what they said and wrote about him. However, it was Alexander III who became the ruler under whom, without firing a single weapon, Russia began to gain the moral authority of a great world power. The impressive 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 Rus'.” He did not dream of a crown, but when death took his father away, he showed amazing self-control and humility, accepting what was given only by the will of the Almighty.

With great emotional trepidation, with tears in his eyes, he read his father’s will, the words and instructions of the murdered man. “I am confident that my son, Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, will understand the importance and difficulty of his high calling and will continue to be worthy in all respects of the title of an honest man... May God help him to justify my hopes and complete what I failed to do to improve the prosperity of our dear Fatherland. I implore him not to get carried away by fashionable theories, take care of its constant development, based on the love of God and the law. He must not forget that the power of Russia is based on the unity of the State, and therefore everything that can bend to upheavals of the entire unity and to the separate development of various nationalities, is detrimental for it and should not be allowed. I thank him, for the last time, from the depths of my 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 received a heavy inheritance. He understood perfectly well that improvements in various areas of life and government controlled necessary, they are long overdue, no one argued with that. 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 late 70s, the social situation in the country became so tense that some concluded that a collapse would soon come. Others tried to move away from St. Petersburg: some to the estate, and some abroad.

The bleakness of the social situation was felt everywhere. Finances were upset economic development slowed down in agriculture there was stagnation. Zemstvos did a poor job of local improvement, constantly asking 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 gatherings were organized where attacks on the government were made. And most importantly: murders and attempts on the lives of officials constantly occurred, and the authorities could not cope with the 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 king would “invite him to a conversation.” But the young Emperor knew that these recommendations were often too biased, too disinterested to be trusted without caution. The late father sometimes brought people close to him who were unprincipled, devoid of will and firm monarchical convictions.

Things must be done differently, he had no doubt about that. The first thing to do is not to create 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 Nikolaevich, future Tsar definitely stated that he “does not see the need to impose on Russia all the inconveniences of constitutionalism, which impede good legislation and governance.” Such a statement was immediately interpreted by the liberal public as a manifestation of “reactionary beliefs.”

Alexander III never sought popularity, did not curry favor with entrepreneurs and regulars of St. Petersburg salons, either before he became Tsar or after. A few years after his accession, talking with those close to him, Alexander III said that he would consider “the constitution very peaceful for himself, but very dangerous for Russia.” In fact, he repeated the idea expressed more than once by his father.

Long before his death, Alexander II realized that giving broad public freedoms, as some of his most Europeanized compatriots called on him to do, was unacceptable. In the empire of the double-headed eagle, historical conditions had not yet developed for the establishment of social orders that existed in England or France. He spoke about this more than once 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 was useful for Russia. But I know that if I do this today, and tomorrow Russia will fall into pieces.” . And until his death he did not change his conviction, although later completely unsubstantiated allegations circulated that Alexander II allegedly intended to introduce constitutional rule...

Alexander III fully shared this conviction and was ready to change and improve many things, 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 government agencies, limited only by the dependence of the king of the earth on the King of Heaven.

Talking at the end of March 1881 with the poet’s daughter Anna Fedorovna Tyutcheva, the wife of the famous Slavophile I.S. Aksakov, who published the popular newspaper “Rus” in Moscow, the Tsar said: “I have read all your husband’s articles recently. Tell him that I am pleased with them. In my grief, it was a great relief to hear an honest word. He is an honest and truthful person, and most importantly, he is a real Russian, of which, unfortunately, there are few, and even these few have been eliminated recently, but this will not happen again."

Soon the word of the new Monarch sounded throughout the 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 vigorously in the work of government, trusting in Divine Providence, with faith in the power and truth of Autocratic power, which We are called upon to affirm 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 heart and contribute to “the eradication of the vile sedition that disgraces the Russian land, to the establishment of faith and morality, to the good upbringing of children, to the extermination of untruth and theft, to the establishment of order and truth in the functioning of the institutions given to Russia by its benefactor , beloved Parent."

The manifesto came as a surprise to many. It became clear that the days of liberal smiles were over. The fall of the political projectors?losers was only a matter of time.

Alexander III considered this outcome logical. I wrote to my brother Sergei on June 11, 1881: “Having appointed new people almost everywhere, we set about hard work together 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 with their behavior forced me to fire them from their positions. They wanted to take me into their clutches and enslave me, but they failed... I cannot hide that even now we are still far from being in a normal state and there will still be many disappointments and worries, but we have to be ready to go straight and boldly towards the goal, without deviating to the side, and most importantly, do not despair and hope in God!”

Although no persecution, arrests, or expulsions of unwanted dignitaries occurred (almost all of them were removed with honor and received appointments to the State Council), it seemed to some that an “earthquake had begun” at the pinnacle of power. The bureaucratic ear has always subtly captured 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 not to be trifled with, that the young Emperor was a tough man, even harsh, and his will must be obeyed unquestioningly. Immediately everything started to spin, discussions died down, and the state machine suddenly started working with new strength, although in last years During the reign of Alexander II, it seemed to many that she no longer had any strength.

Alexander III none emergency authorities did not create (in general, during his reign, few new units appeared in the public administration system), did not carry out any “special cleansing” of the bureaucracy, but the atmosphere in the country and in the corridors of power changed.

Salon talkers, who only recently passionately defended freedom-loving principles, suddenly became almost numb and no longer dared to popularize “Liberte”, “Egalite”, “Fraternite” not only at open meetings, but even among “their own”, behind the tightly closed doors of the capital’s living rooms. Gradually, the dignitaries who were reputed to be liberal were replaced by others who were ready to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland unquestioningly, without looking at European crib sheets and without fear of being branded “reactionaries.”

Alexander III boldly and decisively began to fight the enemies of state order. There were arrests of the direct perpetrators of the regicide and some other persons who did not personally participate in the first March atrocity, but were preparing other terrorist acts. In total, about fifty people were arrested, and five regicides were hanged by court order.

The Emperor had no doubt that an irreconcilable struggle must be waged against the enemies of Russia. But not only by police methods, but also by mercy. We must distinguish between true, irreconcilable opponents and lost souls who, through thoughtlessness, allowed themselves to be drawn into anti-government actions. The Emperor himself always monitored the progress of inquiries into political matters. Ultimately, all judicial decisions were left to his discretion, many asked for royal mercy, and he had to know the details. Sometimes he decided not to bring the case to trial.

When a circle of revolutionaries was discovered in Kronstadt in 1884, the tsar, having learned from the testimony of the accused that the midshipman of the naval crew Grigory Skvortsov was shedding tears, repenting and giving sincere testimony, ordered that the midshipman be released and not be prosecuted.

Alexander III always had sympathy for those people who professed traditional values. Conformism, compromise, and apostasy evoked nothing in his soul except disgust. His political principle was simple and consistent with the Russian managerial tradition. Problems 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 specialists, 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, based on tradition and only after discussion in the State Council. This became the rule of state life.

The Tsar more than once told his entourage and ministers that “bureaucracy is a strength in the state if it is kept under strict discipline.” Indeed, under Alexander III, the administrative apparatus of the empire worked in a strict regime: the decisions of the authorities were strictly carried out, and the tsar personally monitored this. He could not tolerate lack of efficiency and neglect of official duties.

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 “work enthusiasm” of the bureaucrats, and red tape became significantly less.

He was especially uncompromising towards those who used their official position for personal gain. There was no leniency towards such people.

The reign of Alexander III was simply distinguished amazing phenomenon: Bribery and corruption, which used to be a sad Russian reality, have almost completely disappeared. Russian history of this period did not reveal a single high-profile case of this kind, and numerous professional “whistleblowers of tsarism” never discovered a single fact of corruption, although they persistently searched for them for many decades...

During the reign of Alexander III in Russia, strict administrative regulation of social life was maintained. Enemies of state power were persecuted, arrested, and expelled. Such facts existed both before and after Alexander III, however, in order to justify the immutable thesis about a certain “course of reaction,” it was the period of his reign that is often characterized as a particularly gloomy and hopeless period of history. Nothing like this was actually 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 (over almost fourteen years). If we take into account that the population of Russia then exceeded 120 million people, then these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the “regime of terror” that allegedly established itself in Russia during the reign of Alexander III.

Judicial and prison "massacres" are only part of that "gloomy picture of Russian life" that is so often painted. Its essential point is the “yoke of censorship,” which supposedly “stifled” all “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 publications appeared, but many old ones continued to be published.

A number of liberal-oriented publications (the most famous are the newspaper "Russian Vedomosti" and the magazine "Bulletin of Europe"), although they did not allow direct attacks on the authorities and their 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-owned ("state-owned"), and the rest belonged to various societies and private 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 range of book products produced also increased every year. In 1894, the list of titles of published books reached almost 11,000 thousand (in 1890 - 8,638). Many thousands of books were imported from abroad. During the entire reign, less than 200 books were not allowed into circulation in Russia. (This number included, for example, the notorious “Capital” by Karl Marx.) Most were prohibited 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 - big, strong, Christ-loving, so understandable, fair, so “one of their own.”
Alexander Bokhanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences

V. Klyuchevsky: “Alexander III raised Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness.”

Education and start of activity

Alexander III (Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov) was born in February 1845. He was the second son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

His older brother Nikolai Alexandrovich was considered the heir to the throne, so the younger Alexander was preparing for a military career. But the premature death of his older brother in 1865 unexpectedly changed the fate of the 20-year-old young man, who faced the need to succeed to the throne. He had to change his mind and start getting more fundamental education. Among Alexander Alexandrovich’s teachers were famous people of that time: historian S. M. Solovyov, J. K. Grot, who taught him the history of literature, M. I. Dragomirov taught him the art of war. But the greatest influence on the future emperor was exerted by the teacher of law K. P. Pobedonostsev, who during the reign of Alexander served as chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod and had great influence on state affairs.

In 1866, Alexander married the Danish princess Dagmara (in Orthodoxy - Maria Fedorovna). Their children: Nicholas (later Russian Emperor Nicholas II), George, Ksenia, Mikhail, Olga. The last family photograph taken in Livadia shows, from left to right: Tsarevich Nicholas, Grand Duke George, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duke Michael, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III.

The last family photo of Alexander III

Before ascending the throne, Alexander Alexandrovich was the appointed ataman of all Cossack troops, and was the commander of the troops of the St. Petersburg Military District and the Guards Corps. Since 1868 he was a member of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers. Participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, commanded the Rushchuk detachment in Bulgaria. After the war, he participated in the creation of the Voluntary Fleet, a joint-stock shipping company (together with Pobedonostsev), which was supposed to promote the government’s foreign economic policy.

Emperor's personality

S.K. Zaryanko "Portrait of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich in a retinue frock coat"

Alexander III was not like his father, neither in appearance, nor in character, nor in habits, nor in his mentality. He was distinguished by his very large height (193 cm) and strength. In his youth, he could bend a coin with his fingers and break a horseshoe. Contemporaries note that he was devoid of external aristocracy: he preferred unpretentiousness in clothing, modesty, was not inclined to comfort, liked to spend his leisure time in a narrow family or friendly circle, was thrifty, and adhered to strict moral rules. S.Yu. Witte described the emperor this way: “He made an impression with his impressiveness, the calmness of his manners and, on the one hand, extreme firmness, and on the other hand, the complacency in his face... in appearance, he looked like a big Russian peasant from the central provinces, he was most approached a suit: short fur coat, jacket and bast shoes; and yet, with his appearance, which reflected his enormous character, beautiful heart, complacency, justice and at the same time firmness, he undoubtedly impressed, and, as I said above, if they had not known that he was an emperor, he would entered the room in any suit, - undoubtedly, everyone would pay attention to him.”

He had a negative attitude towards the reforms of his father, Emperor Alexander II, as he saw their unfavorable consequences: the growth of bureaucracy, the plight of the people, imitation of the West, corruption in the government. He had a dislike for liberalism and the intelligentsia. His political ideal: patriarchal-paternal autocratic rule, religious values, strengthening of the class structure, nationally distinctive social development.

The emperor and his family lived mainly in Gatchina due to the threat of terrorism. But he lived for a long time in both Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo. He didn't really like the Winter Palace.

Alexander III simplified court etiquette and ceremony, reduced the staff of the Ministry of the Court, significantly reduced the number of servants, and introduced strict control over the spending of money. He replaced expensive foreign wines at court with Crimean and Caucasian wines, and limited the number of balls per year to four.

At the same time, the emperor did not spare money to purchase objects of art, which he knew how to appreciate, since in his youth he studied drawing with professor of painting N.I. Tikhobrazov. Later, Alexander Alexandrovich resumed his studies together with his wife Maria Fedorovna under the guidance of academician A.P. Bogolyubov. During his reign, Alexander III, due to his workload, left this occupation, but retained his love for art throughout his life: the emperor collected an extensive collection of paintings, graphics, objects of decorative and applied art, sculptures, which after his death was transferred to the foundation Russian Emperor Nicholas II in memory of his father, Russian Museum.

The emperor was fond of hunting and fishing. Belovezhskaya Pushcha became his favorite hunting spot.

On October 17, 1888, the royal train in which the emperor was traveling crashed near Kharkov. There were casualties among the servants in the seven wrecked carriages, but royal family remained intact. During the crash, the roof of the dining car collapsed; as is known from eyewitness accounts, Alexander held the roof on his shoulders until his children and wife got out of the carriage and help arrived.

But soon after this, the emperor began to feel pain in his lower back - the concussion from the fall damaged his kidneys. The disease gradually developed. The Emperor began to feel unwell more and more often: his appetite disappeared and heart problems began. Doctors diagnosed him with nephritis. In the winter of 1894, he caught a cold, and the disease quickly began to progress. Alexander III was sent for treatment to Crimea (Livadia), where he died on October 20, 1894.

On the day of the emperor’s death and in the previous last days of his life, Archpriest John of Kronstadt was next to him, who laid his hands on the head of the dying man at his request.

The emperor's body was taken to St. Petersburg and buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Domestic policy

Alexander II intended to continue his reforms. The Loris-Melikov project (called the “constitution”) received the highest approval, but on March 1, 1881, the emperor was killed by terrorists, and his successor curtailed the reforms. Alexander III, as mentioned above, did not support the policies of his father; moreover, K. P. Pobedonostsev, who was the leader of the conservative party in the government of the new tsar, had a strong influence on the new emperor.

This is what he wrote to the emperor in the first days after his accession to the throne: “... it’s a terrible hour and time is running out. Either save Russia and yourself now, or never. If they sing the old siren songs to you about how you need to calm down, you need to continue in the liberal direction, you need to give in to so-called public opinion - oh, for God’s sake, don’t believe it, Your Majesty, don’t listen. This will be death, the death of Russia and yours: this is clear to me as day.<…>The insane villains who destroyed your Parent will not be satisfied with any concession and will only become furious. They can be appeased, the evil seed can be torn out only by fighting them to the death and to the stomach, with iron and blood. It is not difficult to win: until now everyone wanted to avoid the fight and deceived the late Emperor, you, themselves, everyone and everything in the world, because they were not people of reason, strength and heart, but flabby eunuchs and magicians.<…>do not leave Count Loris-Melikov. I don't believe him. He is a magician and can also play doubles.<…>The new policy must be announced immediately and decisively. It is necessary to end at once, right now, all talk about freedom of the press, about the willfulness of meetings, about a representative assembly<…>».

After the death of Alexander II, a struggle developed between liberals and conservatives in the government; at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers, the new emperor, after some hesitation, nevertheless accepted the project drawn up by Pobedonostsev, which is known as the Manifesto on the Inviolability of Autocracy. This was a departure from the previous liberal course: liberal-minded ministers and dignitaries (Loris-Melikov, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, Dmitry Milyutin) resigned; Ignatiev (Slavophile) became the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; he issued a circular that read: “... the great and broadly conceived transformations of the past Reign did not bring all the benefits that the Tsar-Liberator had the right to expect from them. The Manifesto of April 29 indicates to us that the Supreme Power has measured the enormity of the evil from which our Fatherland is suffering and has decided to begin to eradicate it...”

The government of Alexander III pursued a policy of counter-reforms that limited the liberal reforms of the 1860s and 70s. A new University Charter was issued in 1884, which abolished autonomy high school. The entry into gymnasiums of children of the lower classes was limited (“circular about cooks’ children,” 1887). Since 1889, peasant self-government began to be subordinate to zemstvo chiefs from local landowners, who combined administrative and judicial power in their hands. Zemstvo (1890) and city (1892) regulations tightened the administration's control over local self-government and limited the rights of voters from the lower strata of the population.

During his coronation in 1883, Alexander III announced to the volost elders: “Follow the advice and guidance of your leaders of the nobility.” This meant the protection of the class rights of the noble landowners (the establishment of the Noble Land Bank, the adoption of the Regulations on Hiring for Agricultural Work, which was beneficial for the landowners), strengthening of administrative guardianship over the peasantry, conservation of the community and the large patriarchal family. Attempts were made to increase the social role of the Orthodox Church (the spread of parochial schools), and repressions against Old Believers and sectarians were intensified. On the outskirts, a policy of Russification was carried out, the rights of foreigners (especially Jews) were limited. A percentage norm was established for Jews in secondary and then higher education. educational institutions(within the Pale of Settlement - 10%, outside the Pale - 5, in capitals - 3%). A policy of Russification was pursued. In the 1880s. Instruction in Russian was introduced in Polish universities (previously, after the uprising of 1862-1863, it was introduced in schools there). In Poland, Finland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine, the Russian language was introduced in institutions railways, on posters, etc.

But the reign of Alexander III was not characterized only by counter-reforms. Redemption payments were lowered, the mandatory redemption of peasant plots was legalized, and a peasant land bank was established to enable peasants to obtain loans to purchase land. In 1886, the poll tax was abolished, and an inheritance and interest tax were introduced. In 1882, restrictions were introduced on factory work by minors, as well as on night work by women and children. At the same time, the police regime and class privileges of the nobility were strengthened. Already in 1882-1884, new rules were issued on the press, libraries and reading rooms, called temporary, but in force until 1905. This was followed by a number of measures expanding the benefits of the landed nobility - the law on escheat of noble property (1883), the organization long-term loan for noble landowners, in the form of the establishment of a noble land bank (1885), instead of the all-class land bank projected by the Minister of Finance.

I. Repin "Reception of volost elders by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace in Moscow"

During the reign of Alexander III, 114 new military vessels were built, including 17 battleships and 10 armored cruisers; The Russian fleet ranked third in the world after England and France. The army and the military department were put in order after their disorganization during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, which was facilitated by the complete trust shown to Minister Vannovsky and the chief of the main staff Obruchev by the emperor, who did not allow outside interference in their activities.

The influence of Orthodoxy in the country increased: the number of church periodicals increased, the circulation of spiritual literature increased; parishes closed during the previous reign were restored, intensive construction of new churches was underway, the number of dioceses within Russia increased from 59 to 64.

During the reign of Alexander III, there was a sharp decrease in protests, in comparison with the second half of the reign of Alexander II, and a decline in the revolutionary movement in the mid-80s. Terrorist activity has also decreased. After the assassination of Alexander II, there was only one successful attempt by Narodnaya Volya (1882) on the Odessa prosecutor Strelnikov and a failed attempt (1887) on Alexander III. After this, there were no more terrorist attacks in the country until the beginning of the 20th century.

Foreign policy

During the reign of Alexander III, Russia did not wage a single war. For this Alexander III received the name Peacemaker.

Main directions foreign policy Alexandra III:

Balkan policy: strengthening Russia's position.

Peaceful relations with all countries.

Search for loyal and reliable allies.

Determination of the southern borders of Central Asia.

Politics in the new territories of the Far East.

After the 5-century Turkish yoke as a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Bulgaria gained its statehood in 1879 and became a constitutional monarchy. Russia expected to find an ally in Bulgaria. At first it was like this: the Bulgarian Prince A. Battenberg pursued a friendly policy towards Russia, but then Austrian influence began to prevail, and in May 18881 a coup d’etat took place in Bulgaria, led by Battenberg himself - he abolished the constitution and became an unlimited ruler, pursuing a pro-Austrian policy. The Bulgarian people did not approve of this and did not support Battenberg; Alexander III demanded the restoration of the constitution. In 1886 A. Battenberg abdicated the throne. In order to prevent Turkish influence on Bulgaria again, Alexander III advocated strict compliance with the Berlin Treaty; invited Bulgaria to solve its own problems in foreign policy, recalled the Russian military without interfering in Bulgarian-Turkish affairs. Although the Russian ambassador in Constantinople announced to the Sultan that Russia would not allow a Turkish invasion. In 1886, diplomatic relations were severed between Russia and Bulgaria.

N. Sverchkov "Portrait of Emperor Alexander III in the uniform of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment"

At the same time, Russia's relations with England are becoming more complicated as a result of clashes of interests in Central Asia, the Balkans and Turkey. At the same time, relations between Germany and France were also becoming complicated, so France and Germany began to look for opportunities for rapprochement with Russia in case of war between themselves - it was provided for in the plans of Chancellor Bismarck. But Emperor Alexander III kept William I from attacking France, using family ties, and in 1891 a Russian-French alliance was concluded for as long as it existed Triple Alliance. The agreement had a high degree of secrecy: Alexander III warned the French government that if the secret was disclosed, the alliance would be dissolved.

In Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Kokand Khanate, the Bukhara Emirate, the Khiva Khanate were annexed, and the annexation of the Turkmen tribes continued. During the reign of Alexander III, the territory of the Russian Empire increased by 430 thousand square meters. km. This was the end of the expansion of the borders of the Russian Empire. Russia avoided war with England. In 1885, an agreement was signed on the creation of Russian-British military commissions to determine the final borders of Russia and Afghanistan.

At the same time, Japan's expansion was intensifying, but it was difficult for Russia to fighting in that area due to the lack of roads and Russia's weak military potential. In 1891, construction of the Great Siberian Railway began in Russia - the Chelyabinsk-Omsk-Irkutsk-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok railway line (approx. 7 thousand km). This could dramatically increase Russia's forces in the Far East.

Results of the board

During the 13 years of the reign of Emperor Alexander III (1881–1894), Russia made a strong economic breakthrough, created industry, rearmed the Russian army and navy, and became the world's largest exporter of agricultural products. It is very important that Russia lived in peace throughout the years of Alexander III’s reign.

The years of the reign of Emperor Alexander III are associated with the flourishing of Russian national culture, art, music, literature and theater. He was a wise philanthropist and collector.

During difficult times for him, P.I. Tchaikovsky repeatedly received financial support from the emperor, which is noted in the composer’s letters.

S. Diaghilev believed that for Russian culture Alexander III was the best of the Russian monarchs. It was under him that Russian literature, painting, music and ballet began to flourish. Great art, which later glorified Russia, began under Emperor Alexander III.

He played an outstanding role in the development of historical knowledge in Russia: under him, the Russian Imperial Historical Society, of which he was chairman, began to actively work. The Emperor was the creator and founder of the Historical Museum in Moscow.

On the initiative of Alexander, a patriotic museum was created in Sevastopol, the main exhibition of which was the Panorama of the Sevastopol Defense.

Under Alexander III, the first university was opened in Siberia (Tomsk), a project was prepared for the creation of the Russian Archaeological Institute in Constantinople, the Russian Imperial Palestine Society began to operate, and Orthodox churches were built in many European cities and in the East.

The greatest works of science, culture, art, literature, from the reign of Alexander III are the great achievements of Russia, of which we are still proud.

“If Emperor Alexander III had been destined to continue reigning for as many years as he reigned, then his reign would have been one of the greatest reigns of the Russian Empire” (S.Yu. Witte).

The family of Alexander III can be called exemplary. Mutual love and respect between husband and wife, parents and children. Family comfort, which was doubly important for the autocrat of a huge empire, reigned in the Gatchina Palace, where they lived. And it was among the members of his family that the emperor found rest and tranquility from his hard work. The family idyll of Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna lasted 28 years and was cut short by the premature death of the emperor.

Below - Mikhail, from right to left - Alexander III, Ksenia, Olga, Maria Fedorovna, Georgy, Nikolai.

In general, Maria Fedorovna (or Dagmara - that was her name before accepting Orthodoxy) was the bride of her elder brother Alexander, heir to the throne Nicholas. They were already engaged, but suddenly Nikolai Alexandrovich became seriously ill and went to Nice for treatment. Both his bride and his most beloved brother Alexander went there. They met at the bedside of their dying brother. Tradition says that before his death, Nicholas himself took the hands of his bride and his brother and joined them together, as if blessing them for marriage. After the death of his brother, Alexander realized that he had fallen in love. He wrote to his father: “ I'm sure we can be so happy together. I earnestly pray to God to bless me and ensure my happiness.” Soon the Danish king, Dagmara's father, agreed to the marriage, and in October 1866 they got married.

It was a happy marriage. Maria Feodorovna loved her husband, and he reciprocated her feelings and was even afraid of his little empress. They felt absolutely happy on vacation when Alexander III caught fish that Maria Fedorovna herself cleaned and fried, or when they sailed on the family yacht with the whole family, or when they vacationed in their beloved Livadia in Crimea. There, the almighty emperor devoted himself completely to his wife and children: he spent time with them, played, had fun, walked, and rested.

The father raised the children in this family in strictness, but never used force on them: his father’s menacing gaze, which all the courtiers feared, was probably enough. But at the same time, Alexander III loved to amuse his children and their friends: he bent pokers in their presence, tore decks of cards in half, and once doused the most mischievous of his sons, Misha, with a garden hose. He also demanded a strict attitude from his children’s teachers, saying: “Teach well, don’t make concessions... If they fight, please. But the informer gets the first whip.”.

Death of Alexander III

On October 17, 1888, the entire royal family almost died. The imperial train, which was traveling at excessive speed from Crimea to St. Petersburg, derailed near Kharkov. The family was sitting in the dining car. At one moment the side walls collapsed, the lackeys in the doors died immediately. The roof, which almost fell with all its weight on the emperor, empress and children, was held by Alexander III. He stood at his full height until the family got out of the carriage.

Although no one was injured, from that moment the tragic decline of Emperor Alexander III began: his health was undermined. He became pale, lost a lot of weight, and complained of pain in the lower back and heart. The doctors couldn’t find anything, so they prescribed me to work harder, which only made the situation worse. In 1894, the emperor's condition became very bad. He went to Germany for treatment, but on the way he became ill, so the king was taken to Livadia. A German doctor was called there, who diagnosed him with nephritis of the kidneys with damage to the heart and lungs. But it was too late for treatment. Alexander III could neither walk, nor eat, nor sleep. On October 20, 1894, he died at the age of 49.

Children of Alexander III

In general, the children and wife of Alexander III had a difficult fate. The first son Nicholas, the heir to the throne and the future Nicholas II, as everyone knows, abdicated the throne and was shot along with his wife, five children and servants in Yekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks. The second son, Alexander, died a year after birth. The third son, George repeated the fate of his uncle, the deceased brother of Alexander III Nicholas. After the death of his father, he was the heir of Nicholas II (before the birth of his son), but died in 1899 at the age of 28 from severe tuberculosis. The fourth son, Mikhail, was a favorite in the Romanov family, in March 1917 he almost became the new emperor, and in June 1918 he was shot by the Bolsheviks in Perm (his grave has not been found).

The daughters of Alexander III were much more fortunate: the eldest Ksenia was unhappy in her marriage, but was able to leave Russia in 1919, which saved her by moving to live in England. The same fate awaited the youngest daughter Olga, who emigrated with her mother to Denmark in 1919, and then to Canada, fleeing persecution by the Soviet government, which declared her an “enemy of the people.”

Maria Feodorovna

A difficult fate awaited Maria Fedorovna after the death of her husband. Living in Gatchina, and then in Kyiv, she tried not to interfere in the personal affairs of children and in government problems. True, she tried to influence the decisions of Nicholas II a couple of times, but she failed. The relationship with his daughter-in-law, the emperor’s wife Alexandra Fedorovna, was difficult. After the revolution, Maria Feodorovna moved to Crimea with her daughters, from where she was able to escape to her native Denmark in 1919. There she would die in 1928, never believing in the death of her sons, shot in Russia. She had to outlive her husband, all her sons and even her grandchildren.

Maria Fedorovna on the deck of the battleship Marlborough in 1919

The 28 years of marriage between Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna were truly happy. And no one, probably, could have suspected that these were the last happy years in the Romanov family, that the mighty emperor was holding back a huge force that his son could not cope with later, which would sweep away himself, and all his relatives, and the great empire.