How did Alexander III evaluate his son Nicholas as a future emperor? People's king. Alexander III was a bad heir and an excellent sovereign. What happened under Alexander 3

Alexander Alexandrovich was the second son in the imperial family. His elder brother Nicholas was preparing to inherit the throne, and he received an appropriate upbringing.

Childhood, education and upbringing

In May 1883, Alexander III proclaimed a course called “counter-reforms” in historical-materialist literature, and “adjustment of reforms” in liberal-historical literature. He expressed himself as follows.

In 1889, to strengthen supervision over the peasants, the positions of zemstvo chiefs with broad rights were introduced. They were appointed from local noble landowners. Clerks and small traders, as well as other low-income strata of the city, lost their right to vote. Judicial reform has undergone changes. In the new regulations on zemstvos of 1890, class and noble representation was strengthened. In 1882-1884. Many publications were closed, and the autonomy of universities was abolished. Primary schools were transferred to the church department - the Synod.

These events revealed the idea of the “official nationality” of the times of Nicholas I - the slogan “Orthodoxy. Autocracy. The spirit of humility" was in tune with the slogans of a bygone era. New official ideologists K. P. Pobedonostsev (Chief Prosecutor of the Synod), M. N. Katkov (editor of the Moskovskie Vedomosti), Prince V. Meshchersky (publisher of the newspaper Citizen) omitted from the old formula “Orthodoxy, autocracy and the people” the word “people” as “dangerous”; they preached the humility of his spirit before the autocracy and the church. In practice, the new policy resulted in an attempt to strengthen the state by relying on the noble class traditionally loyal to the throne. Administrative measures were supported by economic support for landowners.

On October 20, 1894, in Crimea, 49-year-old Alexander III suddenly died of acute kidney inflammation. Nicholas II ascended the imperial throne.

In January 1895, at the first meeting of representatives of the nobles, the top of zemstvos, cities and Cossack troops with the new Tsar, Nicholas II declared his readiness to “protect the principles of autocracy as firmly and steadily as his father did.” During these years, representatives of the royal family, which by the beginning of the 20th century numbered up to 60 members, often intervened in government administration. Most of the Grand Dukes occupied important administrative and military posts. The Tsar's uncles, the brothers of Alexander III - Grand Dukes Vladimir, Alexei, Sergei and cousins Nikolai Nikolaevich, Alexander Mikhailovich, had a particularly great influence on politics.

Domestic policy

His departure was a real escape. On the day he was supposed to leave, four imperial trains stood ready at four different stations in St. Petersburg, and while they were waiting, the emperor left with a train that was standing on a siding.

Nothing, not even the need for coronation, could force the tsar to leave the Gatchina palace - for two years he ruled uncrowned. Fear of the “People's Will” and hesitation in choosing a political course determined this time for the emperor.

Economic poverty was accompanied by a delay in the mental and legal development of the mass of the population; education under Alexander III was again put under the blinders from which it had escaped after the abolition of serfdom. Alexander III expressed the attitude of tsarism to education in a litter on a report that literacy was very low in the Tobolsk province: “And thank God!”

Alexander III encouraged unprecedented persecution of Jews in the 80s and 90s. They were evicted to the Pale of Settlement (20 thousand Jews were evicted from Moscow alone), a percentage norm was established for them in secondary and then higher educational institutions (within the Pale of Settlement - 10%, outside the Pale - 5, in the capitals - 3%) .

The new period in the history of Russia, which began with the reforms of the 1860s, ended by the end of the 19th century with counter-reforms. For thirteen years, Alexander III, in the words of G.V. Plekhanov, “sowed the wind.” His successor, Nicholas II, had to reap the storm.

For thirteen years Alexander III the wind sowed. Nicholas II will have to prevent the storm broke out. Will he succeed?

Professor S. S. Oldenburg, in his scientific work on the history of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, touching on the internal policies of his father, testified that during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, among others, the following main tendency of power appeared: the desire to give Russia more internal unity by asserting primacy Russian elements of the country.

Foreign policy

The reign of Emperor Alexander III brought serious changes in foreign policy. The closeness with Germany and Prussia, so characteristic of the reigns of Catherine the Great, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, gave way to a noticeable cooling, especially after the resignation of Bismarck, with whom Alexander III signed a special three-year Russian-German treaty on “benevolent neutrality” in in the event of an attack by any third country on Russia or Germany.

N.K. Girs became the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Experienced diplomats of the Gorchakov school remained at the head of many departments of the ministry and in the Russian embassies of the leading countries of the world. The main directions of Alexander III's foreign policy were as follows.

Strengthening influence in the Balkans;
Search for reliable allies;
Supporting peaceful relations with all countries;
Establishing borders in the south of Central Asia;
Consolidation of Russia in new territories of the Far East.

Russian policy in the Balkans. After the Berlin Congress, Austria-Hungary significantly strengthened its influence in the Balkans. Having occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina, it began to seek to extend its influence to other Balkan countries. Austria-Hungary was supported in its aspirations by Germany. Austria-Hungary began to try to weaken Russia's influence in the Balkans. Bulgaria became the center of the struggle between Austria-Hungary and Russia.

By this time, an uprising against Turkish rule had broken out in Eastern Rumelia (Southern Bulgaria within Turkey). Turkish officials were expelled from Eastern Rumelia. The annexation of Eastern Rumelia to Bulgaria was announced.

The unification of Bulgaria caused an acute Balkan crisis. A war between Bulgaria and Turkey with the involvement of Russia and other countries could break out at any moment. Alexander III was angry. The unification of Bulgaria took place without the knowledge of Russia; this led to complications in Russia’s relations with Turkey and Austria-Hungary. Russia suffered heavy human losses in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. and was not ready for a new war. And Alexander III for the first time retreated from the traditions of solidarity with the Balkan peoples: he advocated strict observance of the articles of the Berlin Treaty. Alexander III invited Bulgaria to solve its foreign policy problems on its own, recalled Russian officers and generals, and did not interfere in Bulgarian-Turkish affairs. Nevertheless, the Russian ambassador to Turkey announced to the Sultan that Russia would not allow a Turkish invasion of Eastern Rumelia.

In the Balkans, Russia has turned from Turkey’s adversary into its de facto ally. Russia's position was undermined in Bulgaria, as well as in Serbia and Romania. In 1886, diplomatic relations between Russia and Bulgaria were severed. In the city, Ferdinand I, Prince of Coburg, who had previously been an officer in the Austrian service, became the new Bulgarian prince. The new Bulgarian prince understood that he was the ruler of an Orthodox country. He tried to take into account the deep Russophile sentiments of the broad masses of the people and even chose the Russian Tsar Nicholas II as godfathers to his heir, son Boris, in 1894. But the former Austrian army officer was never able to overcome “a feeling of insurmountable antipathy and a certain fear” towards Russia. Russia's relations with Bulgaria remained strained.

Search for allies. At the same time in the 80s. Russia's relations with England are becoming more complicated. The clash of interests of two European states is taking place in the Balkans, Turkey, and Central Asia. At the same time, relations between Germany and France are becoming more complicated. Both states were on the brink of war with each other. In this situation, both Germany and France began to seek an alliance with Russia in case of war with each other. In the city, German Chancellor O. Bismarck proposed that Russia and Austria-Hungary renew the “Union of Three Emperors” for six years. The essence of this alliance was that the three states pledged to comply with the decisions of the Berlin Congress, not to change the situation in the Balkans without each other’s consent, and to maintain neutrality towards each other in case of war. It should be noted that the effectiveness of this union for Russia was insignificant. At the same time, O. Bismarck, secretly from Russia, concluded the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) against Russia and France, which provided for the participating countries to provide military assistance to each other in the event of hostilities with Russia or France. The conclusion of the Triple Alliance did not remain a secret for Alexander III. The Russian Tsar began to look for other allies.

Far Eastern direction. At the end of the 19th century. Japanese expansion rapidly intensified in the Far East. Japan until the 60s XIX century was a feudal country, but in - gg. a bourgeois revolution took place there, and the Japanese economy began to develop dynamically. With the help of Germany, Japan created a modern army, and with the help of England and the United States, it actively built its fleet. At the same time, Japan pursued an aggressive policy in the Far East.

Private life

The main residence of the emperor (due to the threat of terrorism) became Gatchina. He lived for a long time in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo, and when he came to St. Petersburg, he stayed in the Anichkov Palace. He didn't like winter.

Court etiquette and ceremony became much simpler under Alexander. He greatly reduced the staff of the Ministry of the Court, reduced the number of servants and introduced strict control over the expenditure of money. Expensive foreign wines were replaced by Crimean and Caucasian ones, and the number of balls was limited to four per year.

At the same time, huge amounts of money were spent on purchasing art objects. The emperor was a passionate collector, second only to Catherine II in this regard. Gatchina Castle literally turned into a warehouse of priceless treasures. Alexander's acquisitions - paintings, art objects, carpets and the like - no longer fit in the galleries of the Winter Palace, Anichkov Palace and other palaces. However, in this hobby the emperor did not show either subtle taste or great understanding. Among his acquisitions were many ordinary things, but there were also many masterpieces that later became a true national treasure of Russia.

Unlike all his predecessors on the Russian throne, Alexander adhered to strict family morality. He was an exemplary family man - a loving husband and a good father, he never had mistresses or connections on the side. At the same time, he was also one of the most pious Russian sovereigns. Alexander's simple and direct soul knew neither religious doubts, nor religious pretense, nor the temptations of mysticism. He firmly adhered to the Orthodox canons, always stood through the service to the end, prayed earnestly and enjoyed church singing. The Emperor willingly donated to monasteries, to the construction of new churches and the restoration of ancient ones. Under him, church life noticeably revived.

Alexander's hobbies were also simple and artless. He was passionate about hunting and fishing. Often in the summer the royal family went to the Finnish skerries. Here, among picturesque semi-wild nature, in the labyrinths of numerous islands and canals, freed from palace etiquette, the august family felt like an ordinary and happy family, devoting most of their time to long walks, fishing and boating. The emperor's favorite hunting spot was Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Sometimes the imperial family, instead of relaxing in the skerries, went to Poland to the Principality of Lović, and there they enthusiastically indulged in hunting fun, especially deer hunting, and most often ended their vacation with a trip to Denmark, to Bernstorff Castle - the ancestral castle of the Dagmars, where they often gathered from all over Europe her crowned relatives.

During the summer holidays, ministers could distract the emperor only in emergency cases. True, throughout the rest of the year, Alexander devoted himself entirely to business. He was a very hardworking sovereign. Every morning I got up at 7 o’clock, washed my face with cold water, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down at my desk. Often the working day ended late at night.

Death

Train crash with the royal family

And yet, despite a relatively healthy lifestyle, Alexander died quite young, not reaching the age of 50, completely unexpectedly for both his relatives and his subjects. In October, a royal train coming from the south crashed at Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov. Seven carriages were smashed to pieces, there were many casualties, but the royal family remained intact. At that moment they were eating pudding in the dining car. During the crash, the roof of the carriage collapsed. With incredible efforts, Alexander held her on his shoulders until help arrived.

However, soon after this incident, the emperor began to complain of lower back pain. Professor Trube, who examined Alexander, came to the conclusion that the terrible concussion from the fall marked the beginning of kidney disease. The disease progressed steadily. The Emperor increasingly felt unwell. His complexion became sallow, his appetite disappeared, and his heart was not working well. In winter he caught a cold, and in September, while hunting in Belovezhye, he felt completely unwell. Berlin professor Leiden, who urgently came to Russia on call, found nephritis in the emperor - acute inflammation of the kidneys. At his insistence, Alexander was sent to

On March 10, 1845, a boy was born into a Russian-German family. He was to become an artist's model Vasnetsova, the author of the extremist saying “Russia for the Russians,” and also earned the nickname Peacemaker.

In the meantime, the future emperor Alexander III contented himself with the affectionate pet nickname of bulldog.

He retained this angular grace in his mature years: “He was not handsome, in his manners he was rather shy and embarrassed, he gave the impression of some kind of bearishness.” For a crowned person, such behavior is generally indecent. So, after all, the imperial crown was not intended for him, but for his older brother Nicholas. Little Sasha was not singled out in any way in the royal family: “You could say that he was somewhat in the fold. No special attention was paid to his education or his upbringing,” recalled the Minister of Finance Witte.

Portrait of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich in a retinue frock coat (S. K. Zaryanko, 1867)

"I've always been lazy"

Fans of tsarism like to quote a witty saying: “The good thing about monarchy is that when inheriting the throne, a worthy person may accidentally end up in power.” At first glance, this does not apply to Alexander. His educators and teachers, having learned that their ward became the heir to the throne after the death of his brother, literally clutched their heads. “Despite his perseverance, he studied poorly and was always extremely lazy,” the words of the teacher Grigory Gogel.“He was distinguished by his zeal for combat training, but discovered a complete lack of any military talent,” - strategy teacher General Mikhail Dragomirov. And finally, a resume from the head of general education, Alexander Professor Chivilev: “I am horrified and cannot come to terms with the idea that he will rule Russia.”

And in fact, the heir, and then the emperor, did not give the impression of an intelligent, educated and well-mannered person. He wrote with monstrous errors: such pearls of his in official resolutions are known as “brochures with daring”, “a eight” and the beautiful - “ideot”. However, few were awarded this title. More often the emperor used other words. “A brute or a lunatic” - oh artist Vereshchagin. “Rabble of Bastards” is about the French government. Uncle William, Emperor of Germany, he was just a “brute”, but the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck- already “ober-cattle”.

The picture is bleak. Especially when you consider the circumstances under which Alexander came to power. His father, Alexander II the Liberator, had just been killed in a terrorist attack. There is panic in ruling circles. The new autocrat himself is almost in despair: “A strange feeling has taken possession of us. What do we do?"

Alexander spent more than two years in such thoughts. In fact, he ruled the empire, but he was in no hurry to formalize this matter legally - the coronation was postponed. The mood among the people roughly corresponded to the Sagittarius’s remark from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession”: “They say the Tsar is not real!” Police agents quote speeches that circulated among the lower classes: “What kind of sovereign is he if he has not yet been crowned? If I were a real king, I would be crowned!”

Strength and power

The most interesting thing is that everything according to their word came true. From the moment Alexander was finally crowned, the cowardly, stupid heir disappeared somewhere. And the very king about whom domestic monarchists sigh appeared.

Alexander immediately showed what would happen to Russia in the near future. In the process of being anointed to the kingdom. Now this may seem funny, but at that time, knowledgeable people paid great attention to the coronation menu - the content of the “dining card” exactly corresponded to the political doctrine of the new monarch. Alexander’s choice was stunning: “Barley soup. Borschok. Soup. Jellied from ruffs. Pod peas."

All this is the Russian table. Moreover, common people, peasant, rude. The most notorious beggars then feasted on peas in pods. To serve this at the coronation of the ruler of the largest empire in the world means to give a hefty slap to your aristocracy and mortally insult foreigners.

The new emperor really proclaimed the slogan “Russia for Russians”, made life much easier for the common people and began to pump up his muscles. He abolished the poll tax, introduced an inheritance tax, and the navy, the most knowledge-intensive sector of the armed forces, became third in the world after English and French.

This is not forgiven. And, as soon as it became clear that the unimportant education and upbringing of the monarch had almost no effect on the growing power of Russia, it was decided to approach from the other side. Not yet being heir to the throne, he loved to drink from the bottle. Sometimes it was so bad that he fell into a real binge. Got him out of his drinking bouts Dr. Botkin. But the tendency remained. And although the emperor fought against her, not unsuccessfully, rumors and gossip about his alcoholism fell on prepared ground.

This was especially useful for the revolutionaries, who needed to create the image of a “stupid and drunkard” on the throne in order to show the depth of the fall of the monarchy and the need to overthrow, or even kill, the king. Hence the legends that the king allegedly secretly got drunk, and then lay on the floor, kicked his legs and tried to knock down everyone passing by. It is not true. Evidence of this is the memoirs of his personal doctor Nikolai Velyaminov: “Did he drink vodka with a snack? It seems not, and if he drank, it was no more than one small glass. If he drank at the table, it was his favorite drink - Russian kvass mixed with champagne, and then very moderately. Bad habits include smoking, strong Havana cigars and up to fifty cigarettes a day.”

The best characteristic of both him personally and the results of his reign is the picture Vasnetsova"Bogatyrs". It is known that the artist painted Ilya Muromets, keeping in mind the appearance of Alexander III. Art critics describe the image of Ilya as follows: “Calm strength and power.”

Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Alexander III

Alexander III Aleksandrovich (1845-1894), Russian Emperor since 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the first half of the 80s, in the conditions of growing capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out "counter-reforms". He suppressed the revolutionary democratic and labor movement, strengthened the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. During the reign of Alexander III, the annexation of Central Asia to Russia was basically completed (1885), and the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891-1893).

Nikolay SVERCHKOV. Alexander III

Nikolay DMITRIEV-ORENBURGSKY. Portrait of Emperor Alexander III.

Nikolai SHILDER.Portrait of Alexander III

Zabolotsky P.P. Alexander III

A. Sokolov_Alexander III and his wife Maria-Sofia-Frederica-Dagmara,

in Orthodoxy Maria Feodorovna(1847-1928)

Initially, she was the bride of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the eldest son of Alexander II, who died in 1865. After his death, an attachment arose between Dagmara and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who together looked after the dying Tsarevich. On June 11, 1866, Tsarevich Alexander decided to propose, which he wrote to his father about on the same day. And on October 28 (November 9), 1866, the marriage took place .Maria, cheerful and cheerful in character, was warmly received by court and metropolitan society. Her marriage to Alexander, despite the fact that their relationship began under such sorrowful circumstances, turned out to be successful; During their almost thirty years of marriage, the couple maintained sincere affection for each other.

Coronation.

Vladimir MAKOVSKY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Ivan KRAMSKOY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Maria Fyodorovna_Heinrich von Angeli

Konstantin MAKOVSKY. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna

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

Sermon on the Mount 1889. Alexander III with his family. Ivan Makarov.

“The blessing of the Lord is upon you” The family of Alexander III before Christ. Makarov I.K.

Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna had 6 children:

Nikolai Alexandrovich(1868-1918) future Emperor of Russia.

Alexander Alexandrovich(1869-1870)

Georgy Alexandrovich (1871-1899)

Ksenia Alexandrovna (1875-1960)

Mikhail Alexandrovich (1878-1918)

Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960)

Last family photo. Livadia, Crimea 1893

From left to right: Tsarevich Nicholas, Grand Duke George, Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duke Michael, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III.

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 intentions and start getting a more fundamental education. Among Alexander Alexandrovich’s teachers were the most famous people of that time: the historian S. M. Solovyov, Y. 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 Feodorovna). 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 founded by the 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 the 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 the autonomy of higher education. 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 educational institutions (within the Pale of Settlement - 10%, outside the Pale - 5, in the 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, on 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.

The main directions of the foreign policy of Alexander 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 the Triple Alliance existed. 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 conduct military operations 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).

After the assassination of Alexander 2, his son Emperor Alexander 3 began to rule Russia. This ruler took over the rule of the country at the age of 20. Since childhood, this young man had a passion for military sciences, which he studied more willingly than others.

The death of his father made a strong impression on Alexander 3. He felt the danger revolutionaries could pose. As a result, Emperor Alexander 3 vowed that he would do everything possible to destroy the beginnings of the revolution in Russia. On March 2, 1881, the Russian government swore allegiance to the new emperor. In his speech, the emperor emphasized that he intended to continue his father's course and maintain peace with all countries of the world in order to focus on internal problems.

The abolition of serfdom did not solve all the problems of the peasants. Therefore, the new emperor paid great attention to solving the peasant issue. He believed that, at all costs, it was necessary to preserve peasant communities in Russia, which were supposed to preserve the coexistence of peasants and save them from poverty. Wanting to strengthen this legislatively, Emperor Alexander 3 in 1893 issued a law that extremely limited the possibility of leaving the community.

During the reign of Alexander 3 in Russia, great attention began to be paid to the working conditions of workers. In 1882, a law was passed that prohibited the labor of children under 12 years of age. Therefore, by law, children aged 12 to 15 years were required to work no more than 8 hours a day. In 1885, a law was passed prohibiting night work for children and women. In 1886, a law was passed defining the relationship between the entrepreneur and the worker. Thus, Russia became the first country in Europe to legally control the working conditions of workers in factories and factories.

In determining the foreign policy of the state, Emperor Alexander 3 made the only correct conclusion in the current situation. Russia took a position of neutrality. Alexander 3 did not want to interfere in the bloody European conflicts, which for a century had been stopped only by the Russian army. The Emperor said that Russia has no friends, there are only state interests that must be followed. A similar opinion was expressed much later by the British Prime Minister Churchill, who, speaking about England, noted that England has no permanent friends, only permanent interests. As for Alexander 3, he said that Russia has only 2 friends: its army and its fleet.

An exception to the policy of neutrality was made only for the Balkans, since Emperor Alexander 3 wanted to strengthen Russia's influence in this region, primarily at the expense of Bulgaria, which was grateful to Russia for its independence. But everything happened differently. At the end of 1885, an uprising broke out in eastern Rumelia, which led to the separation of the province from Turkey and its entry into Bulgaria. This contradicted the provisions of the Berlin Treaty and was a pretext for a new war in the Balkans. The Emperor was angry with the Bulgarians, who accepted Rumelia into their fold without consulting Russia. As a result, not wanting to get involved in the war that was about to begin between Bulgaria and Turkey, the Russian emperor recalled all officials from Bulgaria, as well as all Russian officers. Austria took advantage of this and elevated its ruler to the Bulgarian throne.

Subsequently, the ruler of the Russian Empire continued to adhere to a policy of neutrality, as a result of which Russia had no allies, but also no enemies. The reign of Alexander 3 lasted until 1894. On October 20, 1894, Emperor Alexander 3 died.