Video: The Mystery of the Last Empress: Why did Russia dislike the wife of Nicholas II
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
June 6 marks the 147th anniversary of the birth of the last Russian empress, wife of Nicholas II Alexandra Feodorovna, nee Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt. Despite the fact that there were sincere feelings between the spouses, the people disliked her from the moment she appeared in Russia and called her "a hated German woman." And although she made every effort to win sympathy in society, the attitude towards her has not changed. Was it deserved?
She first visited Russia in 1884, when her older sister was married to Nikolai's uncle, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. The second time she came to St. Petersburg in early 1889. From the moment of this visit, sympathy arose between 20-year-old Nikolam Romanov and 16-year-old Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt (or Alix, as Nikolai called her). Parents did not approve of his choice - they did not consider the girl a suitable party for the future emperor, but Nicholas firmly stood his ground. In 1892 he wrote in his diary: "".
Due to the fact that the health of Alexander III deteriorated greatly, the family had to come to terms with the choice of Nicholas. Alice began to study the Russian language and the foundations of Orthodoxy, because she had to renounce Lutheranism and adopt a new religion. In the fall of 1894, Alice arrived in Crimea, where she converted to Orthodoxy with the name Alexandra Feodorovna and spent several weeks with the royal family until the death of Emperor Alexander III. After that, mourning was declared, and the wedding ceremony should have been postponed for a year, but Nikolai was not ready to wait that long.
It was decided to appoint a wedding for the birthday of the dowager empress, which allowed the royal family to temporarily interrupt the mourning. On November 26, 1894, the wedding ceremony of Nikolai Romanov and Alexandra Feodorovna took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace. Later, the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich recalled: "".
Since the appearance of the German princess in Russia, many have disliked her both in the inner circle of the royal family and among the people. She seemed too cold, arrogant, withdrawn and alienated, and only loved ones knew the real reason for this behavior - natural shyness. Russian statesman and publicist Vladimir Gurko wrote about her: "". According to a contemporary, she was reproached for "".
Few believed in sincere love, mutual respect and devotion to each other. Some representatives of the high society were sure that Alexandra Feodorovna completely subjugated her husband, suppressing his will. Vladimir Gurko wrote: "".
The reasons for the hostile attitude towards Alexandra Feodorovna among the people were different. At first, public discontent was caused by the fact that the wedding with Nicholas took place almost immediately after the death of his father. And during the coronation of the royal family in May 1896, a terrible tragedy happened, which led to the death of hundreds of people. On the day of the festivities on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II, a terrible crush occurred on the Khodynskoye field, during which more than 1,300 people were trampled, but the imperial couple did not cancel the planned celebrations.
There were rumors among the people that the German princess was defending the interests of Germany even after her marriage, that she was preparing a coup in order to become regent with her young son, and that the “German party” rallied around her. On this occasion, the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich wrote: "". And one of her contemporaries said: "".
Alexandra Feodorovna felt an unfriendly attitude towards herself among the people and made every effort to change the situation. She was involved in charitable activities, was a trustee of 33 charities, communities of nurses and shelters, organized schools for nurses, clinics for children, schools of folk art. During the First World War, she financed several ambulance trains, established and looked after hospitals, herself received nursing training, did dressings and assisted in operations. And she did it at the call of her heart. However, despite all efforts, the empress did not deserve sympathy. And the next reason for her dislike for her was her attachment to the odious Grigory Rasputin, who had a huge influence on her.
When the empress had a son with hemophilia, she was carried away by religious and mystical teachings, often turning for help and advice to Rasputin, who helped Tsarevich Alexei fight the disease, before which official medicine was powerless. They said that Alexandra Feodorovna trusted him completely, while Rasputin's reputation was very ambiguous - later he was called a symbol of the moral degradation of power under the last Russian emperor. Many believed that Rasputin subdued the very religious and exalted empress to his will, and she, in turn, influenced Nicholas II. According to another version, the ill-wishers deliberately spread rumors among the people about the close relationship of Alexandra Fedorovna with Rasputin in order to blacken her image in society, and in fact he was her spiritual mentor.
In July 1918, members of the imperial family were shot. Who was the last Russian empress really - a fiend of hell, an innocent victim or a hostage of circumstances? Her own words, which she said shortly before her death in a letter to her confidant Anna Vyrubova, speak volumes: “”.
Such a tender attitude of spouses to each other in ruling families was very rare: Letters from Alexandra Feodorovna to Nicholas II.
Recommended:
Why did people dislike the wives of 5 Soviet celebrities who were adored by stellar husbands
Initially, few believed in the marriage of these celebrities. And the point is not even that they did not love each other or did not look together. The situation in this case was interesting: these eminent Soviet actors simply adored their wives, but those around them refused to accept the latter to the last, believing that they were not worthy of such men. In some cases, the marriages of the stars really turned out to be short, in others - love overcame all obstacles
Why did Catherine II want to legalize polygamy in Russia, and why she did not succeed
The contribution of Catherine II to the cultural development of Russia is quite large. The Empress was fond of literature, collected masterpieces of painting and corresponded with French enlighteners. This woman was incredibly energetic, and directed her energies to governing the country. Thanks to her, polygamy was almost introduced in Russia. Read in the material for what reasons the ruler wanted to legitimize this and why her attempt failed
What Russian dishes do foreigners dislike, and which foreign ones did not take root in Russia
The culinary delights that foreigners see on the festive tables of Russians sometimes drive them into a stupor. However, not all traditional European dishes were able to take root in Russia. So, what products and dishes of domestic cuisine do foreigners consider strange and even disgusting, and what foreign cuisine will not all Russians dare to try?
Disappointed Wanderer: Why did Dostoevsky dislike Europe and what country he simply hated
Literary critics often say that Fyodor Dostoevsky knew more about Russia than anyone else. Meanwhile, he hardly saw his native country. The writer made only one forced "trip" to Siberia. His exile lasted 5 years. But Dostoevsky knew a lot about Europe firsthand. He visited 10 countries. For several years he moved from city to city, each of which greatly disappointed him
Why did the ex-model shoot her lover, or Why the prim British did not condemn the last woman executed in England
In the spring of 1955, the British public was shocked by a high-profile crime in the style of American gangster action. The bright blonde on the street took a revolver out of her purse and coolly released the clip at her lover. At the trial, the former fashion model behaved so worthily that she managed to win the hearts of even the most prim supporters of law. Ruth became the last woman to be executed in Great Britain, and her case is still considered one of the most significant for the 20th century