The reign of Nicholas 1 lasted from December 14, 1825 to February 1855. This emperor has an amazing fate, but it is noteworthy that the beginning and end of his reign are characterized by important political events in the country. Thus, Nicholas’s rise to power was marked by the Decembrist uprising, and the death of the emperor occurred during the days of the defense of Sevastopol.

Beginning of reign

Speaking about the personality of Nicholas 1, it is important to understand that initially no one prepared this man for the role of Emperor of Russia. This was the third son of Paul 1 (Alexander - the eldest, Konstantin - the middle and Nikolai - the youngest). Alexander the First died on December 1, 1825, leaving no heir. Therefore, according to the laws of that time, power came to the middle son of Paul 1 - Constantine. And on December 1, the Russian government swore allegiance to him. Nicholas himself also took the oath of allegiance. The problem was that Constantine was married to a woman of no noble family, lived in Poland and did not aspire to the throne. Therefore, he transferred authority to manage to Nicholas the First. Nevertheless, 2 weeks passed between these events, during which Russia was virtually without power.

It is necessary to note the main features of the reign of Nicholas 1, which were characteristic of his character traits:

• Military education. It is known that Nikolai poorly mastered any science except military science. His teachers were military men and almost everyone around him were former military personnel. It is in this that one must look for the origins of the fact that Nicholas 1 said “In Russia everyone must serve,” as well as his love for the uniform, which he forced everyone, without exception, in the country to wear.
• Decembrist revolt. The first day of power of the new emperor was marked by a major uprising. This showed the main threat that liberal ideas posed to Russia. Therefore, the main task of his reign was precisely the fight against the revolution.
• Lack of communication with Western countries. If we consider the history of Russia, starting from the era of Peter the Great, then foreign languages ​​were always spoken at court: Dutch, English, French, German. Nicholas 1 stopped this. Now all conversations were conducted exclusively in Russian, people wore traditional Russian clothes, and traditional Russian values ​​and traditions were promoted.

Many history textbooks say that the Nicholas era was characterized by reactionary rule. Nevertheless, governing the country in those conditions was very difficult, since all of Europe was literally mired in revolutions, the focus of which could shift towards Russia. And this had to be fought. The second important point is the need to resolve the peasant issue, where the emperor himself advocated the abolition of serfdom.

Changes within the country

Nicholas 1 was a military man, so his reign was associated with attempts to transfer army orders and customs to everyday life and government of the country.

There is clear order and subordination in the army. The laws apply here and there are no contradictions. Everything here is clear and understandable: some command, others obey. And all this to achieve a single goal. This is why I feel so comfortable among these people.

Nicholas the First

This phrase best emphasizes what the emperor saw in order. And it was precisely this order that he sought to introduce into all government bodies. First of all, in the Nicholas era there was a strengthening of police and bureaucratic power. According to the emperor, this was necessary to fight the revolution.

On July 3, 1826, the III Department was created, which performed the functions of the highest police. In fact, this body kept order in the country. This fact is interesting because it significantly expands the powers of ordinary police officers, giving them almost unlimited power. The third department consisted of about 6,000 people, which was a huge number at that time. They studied the public mood, observed foreign citizens and organizations in Russia, collected statistics, checked all private letters, and so on. During the second stage of the emperor's reign, Section 3 further expanded its powers, creating a network of agents to work abroad.

Systematization of laws

Even in the era of Alexander, attempts to systematize laws began in Russia. This was extremely necessary, since there were a huge number of laws, many of them contradicted each other, many were only in a handwritten version in the archive, and the laws had been in force since 1649. Therefore, before the Nicholas era, judges were no longer guided by the letter of the law, but rather by general orders and worldview. To solve this problem, Nicholas 1 decided to turn to Speransky, who was given the authority to systematize the laws of the Russian Empire.

Speransky proposed carrying out all the work in three stages:

1. Collect in chronological order all the laws issued from 1649 until the end of the reign of Alexander 1.
2. Publish a set of laws currently in force in the empire. This is not about changes in laws, but about considering which of the old laws can be repealed and which cannot.
3. The creation of a new “Code”, which was supposed to amend the current legislation in accordance with the current needs of the state.

Nicholas 1 was a terrible opponent of innovation (the only exception was the army). Therefore, he allowed the first two stages to take place and categorically prohibited the third.

The work of the commission began in 1828, and in 1832 the 15-volume Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was published. It was the codification of laws during the reign of Nicholas 1st that played a huge role in the formation of Russian absolutism. In fact, the country has not changed radically, but has received real structures for quality management.

Policy regarding education and enlightenment

Nicholas believed that the events of December 14, 1825 were connected with the educational system that was built under Alexander. Therefore, one of the first orders of the emperor in his post happened on August 18, 1827, in which Nicholas demanded that the charters of all educational institutions in the country be revised. As a result of this revision, any peasants were prohibited from entering higher educational institutions, philosophy as a science was abolished, and supervision of private educational institutions was strengthened. This work was supervised by Shishkov, who holds the position of Minister of Public Education. Nicholas 1 absolutely trusted this man, since their basic views converged. At the same time, it is enough to consider just one phrase from Shishkov to understand what the essence was behind the education system of that time.

Sciences are like salt. They are useful and can only be enjoyed if given in moderation. People should be taught only the kind of literacy that corresponds to their position in society. Educating all people without exception will undoubtedly do more harm than good.

A.S. Shishkov

The result of this stage of government is the creation of 3 types of educational institutions:

1. For the lower classes, single-class education was introduced, based on parish schools. People were taught only 4 operations of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), reading, writing, and the laws of God.
2. For the middle classes (merchants, townspeople, and so on) three-year education. Additional subjects included geometry, geography and history.
3. For the upper classes, seven-year education was introduced, the receipt of which guaranteed the right to enter universities.

The solution to the peasant question

Nicholas 1 often said that the main task of his reign was the abolition of serfdom. However, he was unable to directly solve this problem. It is important to understand here that the emperor was faced with his own elite, who were categorically against this. The issue of the abolition of serfdom was extremely complex and extremely acute. One only has to look at the peasant uprisings of the 19th century to understand that they occurred literally every decade, and their strength increased each time. Here, for example, is what the head of the third department said.

Serfdom is a powder charge under the building of the Russian Empire.

OH. Benckendorf

Nicholas the First himself also understood the significance of this problem.

It is better to start changes on your own, gradually, carefully. We need to start at least with something, because otherwise, we will wait for changes to come from the people themselves.

Nikolay 1

A secret committee was created to solve peasant problems. In total, in the Nicholas era, 9 secret committees met on this issue. The greatest changes affected exclusively the state peasants, and these changes were superficial and insignificant. The main problem of giving peasants their own land and the right to work for themselves has not been resolved. In total, during the reign and work of 9 secret committees, the following problems of the peasants were resolved:

• Peasants were forbidden to sell
• It was forbidden to separate families
• Peasants were allowed to buy real estate
• It was forbidden to send old people to Siberia

In total, during the reign of Nicholas 1, about 100 decrees were adopted that related to the solution of the peasant issue. It is here that one must look for the basis that led to the events of 1861 and the abolition of serfdom.

Relations with other countries

Emperor Nicholas 1 sacredly honored the “Holy Alliance,” an agreement signed by Alexander 1 on Russian assistance to countries where uprisings began. Russia was the European gendarme. In essence, the implementation of the “Holy Alliance” did not give Russia anything. The Russians solved the problems of the Europeans and returned home with nothing. In July 1830, the Russian army was preparing to march to France, where the revolution took place, but events in Poland disrupted this campaign. A major uprising broke out in Poland, led by Czartoryski. Nicholas 1 appointed Count Paskevich as commander of the army for the campaign against Poland, who defeated the Polish troops in September 1831. The uprising was suppressed, and the autonomy of Poland itself became almost formal.

In the period from 1826 – 1828. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia was drawn into a war with Iran. Her reasons were that Iran was dissatisfied with the peace of 1813 when they lost part of their territory. Therefore, Iran decided to take advantage of the uprising in Russia to regain what it had lost. The war began suddenly for Russia, however, by the end of 1826, Russian troops completely expelled the Iranians from their territory, and in 1827 the Russian army went on the offensive. Iran was defeated, the existence of the country was under threat. The Russian army cleared its way to Tehran. In 1828, Iran offered peace. Russia received the khanates of Nakhichevan and Yerevan. Iran also pledged to pay Russia 20 million rubles. The war was successful for Russia; access to the Caspian Sea was won.

As soon as the war with Iran ended, the war with Turkey began. The Ottoman Empire, like Iran, wanted to take advantage of the visible weakness of Russia and regain some of the previously lost lands. As a result, the Russian-Turkish War began in 1828. It lasted until September 2, 1829, when the Treaty of Adrianople was signed. The Turks suffered a brutal defeat that cost them their position in the Balkans. In fact, with this war, Emperor Nicholas 1 achieved diplomatic submission to the Ottoman Empire.

In 1849, Europe was in revolutionary flames. Emperor Nicholas 1, fulfilling the allied dog, in 1849 sent an army to Hungary, where within a few weeks the Russian army unconditionally defeated the revolutionary forces of Hungary and Austria.

Emperor Nicholas 1 paid great attention to the fight against revolutionaries, keeping in mind the events of 1825. For this purpose, he created a special office, which was subordinate only to the emperor and conducted only activities against revolutionaries. Despite all the efforts of the emperor, revolutionary circles in Russia were actively developing.

The reign of Nicholas 1 ended in 1855, when Russia was drawn into a new war, the Crimean War, which ended sadly for our state. This war ended after the death of Nicholas, when the country was ruled by his son, Alexander 2.

Exactly 200 years have passed since the moment when Russian Emperor Alexander I and Prussian King Wilhelm III officially announced the engagement of Charlotte Lotchen and Tsarevich Nikolai Pavlovich in Berlin.

Their marriage has withstood many trials. In order to save the family, the daughter of the Prussian king Charlotte, named Alexandra Feodorovna upon accepting Orthodoxy, had to come to terms with the role of the empress, the harshness of her husband and his regular betrayals.

German beauty

Charlotte was born into the family of William III and Queen Louise in 1798. The mother of the future Russian empress was one of the first beauties of her time, who received attention from Napoleon and the Russian Tsar Alexander.

Nicholas I. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The grown-up Charlotte was married to the brother of the Russian Emperor, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, which was solemnly announced in early November 1815. The couple was considered by that time one of the most beautiful in Europe. Their relations from the very beginning were very warm, despite the fact that this alliance was aimed primarily at strengthening Russian-German friendship. At the same time, the future spouses did not count on the crown, since Constantine was considered Alexander’s heir.

A magnificent wedding took place in 1816. Charlotte of Prussia converted to Orthodoxy and became Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna. The wife of the future Tsar Nicholas I was well received at court; even the widowed mother-in-law Maria Fedorovna, known for her difficult disposition, warmly received her daughter-in-law.

Alexandra Feodorovna was taught Russian by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, with whom the future empress struck up a strong friendship. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was also fascinated by her special character. The poet captured Alexandra Feodorovna, nicknamed Lalla-Ruk at court, in the following lines:

...into a silent close circle,

Like a winged lily,

Hesitating, Lalla-Ruk enters,

And above the drooping crowd

Shines with a royal head

And quietly curls and glides

A harita star among haritas.

Nervous tic

The first-born appeared in the royal family in 1818. Alexandra Fedorovna went from St. Petersburg to Moscow to give birth to her son. There the future Emperor Alexander II was born, who was destined to finish his father’s work and abolish serfdom.

A difficult moment in the life of the family occurred after the death of Emperor Alexander I. He bequeathed that after his departure his brother, Nicholas, should ascend to the throne. To do this, Constantine had to abdicate the throne, who was pathologically afraid of becoming a king and being strangled, like his father. The eldest heir refused to return to St. Petersburg from Warsaw, and in the meantime, “turmoil” occurred in the country. The interregnum led to the Decembrist uprising on Senate Square on December 14, 1825. For Nikolai and Alexandra Feodorovna, this day became one of the most terrible. They understood that not only the imperial crown, but also their lives could be cut short. After the shock, the future empress began to suffer from a nervous tic. After this uprising, Nicholas’s character became stubborn and cruel, which subsequently alienated him from his wife.

According to historians, Alexandra Feodorovna asked her husband to pardon the Decembrists, but he flatly refused, reminding her that these people wanted to kill their children.

Love on the side

Celebrating the Empress's birthday has become a family tradition. In the summer of 1828, Nikolai and Alexandra Fedorovna visited Berlin. The queen's 30th birthday was celebrated here. Europe remembered the grandiose holiday under the name of the White Rose - this is how the empress was poetically called. Nicholas I himself left for Russia, where he prepared a gift for his wife - a cottage in Peterhof. The palace was decorated in a pseudo-Gothic style, and the emblem was a white rose - the Empress’s favorite flower.

Emperor Nicholas I on Senate Square on December 14, 1825. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In the 1830s, public masquerades became fashionable. Here the upper classes could feel more at ease and start love affairs. Meanwhile, the flourishing of masquerades at that time is also associated with a significant variable in the intimate life of the august couple. Alexandra Fedorovna's frequent births undermined her health. By 1832, doctors completely forbade her to have an intimate life, which is why Nicholas I had to come to terms with the need to abstain from intimacy with his wife. At masquerades, the king began to have one mistress after another. He did not tell his wife about this, but he carefully monitored Alexandra Fedorovna’s fidelity. He even personally began to approve the list of those who would dance with the empress at official events. The same surname was not repeated on this list more than once a year. The empress's slight infatuation with Prince Alexander Trubetskoy was harshly suppressed by the emperor - the suitor was quickly sent abroad.

Nicholas I, who showed signs of attention to a large number of court ladies, eventually became inflamed with a strong feeling for Varvara Nelidova, who was also the niece of his father’s favorite. The Tsar's new mistress was Alexandra Feodorovna's maid of honor. The queen, who could not help but notice the change in her wife, staged a riot. In 1845, she went to Italy and took Varvara Nelidova with her. Two weeks later, Nicholas I could not stand it and went after the travelers. They managed to discuss the extremely sensitive situation in Naples and remove all questions. The three of them returned to St. Petersburg.

Alone by the bed

In 1853, the Crimean War broke out. Sevastopol fell, the landing of an Anglo-French assault force in the vicinity of St. Petersburg was actively discussed. The betrayal of his former allies greatly undermined the king. Nicholas I eventually caught a bad cold and burned out from the disease on March 2, 1855. Alexandra Fedorovna was at his bedside in his last hours. The tsar, observing decency, did not allow Varvara Nelidova, who was very close to the door of his bedroom at the time of the tragedy, to go to his bed.

The emperor left his mistress 200 thousand rubles. Nelidova decided to give everything to charity and was left without a livelihood. Surprisingly, Alexandra Feodorovna forgave her rival and gave her a court position. The memory of Nicholas I made them best friends until the end of their lives.

The Empress spent the rest of her life in foreign resorts - the damp climate of St. Petersburg greatly affected her health. Alexandra Fedorovna died on October 20, 1860. Varvara Nelidova survived her by 37 years, managing to witness the coronation of her friend’s great-grandson, who became the last Russian emperor.

The personality of Emperor Nicholas I is very controversial. Thirty years of rule are a series of paradoxical phenomena:

• unprecedented cultural flourishing and manic censorship;
• total political control and prosperity of corruption;
• the rise of industrial production and economic backwardness from European countries;
• control over the army and its powerlessness.

The statements of contemporaries and real historical facts also cause a lot of contradictions, so it is difficult to objectively assess

Childhood of Nicholas I

Nikolai Pavlovich was born on June 25, 1796 and became the third son of the imperial Romanov couple. Very little Nikolai was raised by Baroness Charlotte Karlovna von Lieven, to whom he became very attached and adopted from her some character traits, such as strength of character, perseverance, heroism, and openness. It was then that his passion for military affairs already manifested itself. Nikolai loved watching military parades, divorces, and playing with military toys. And already at the age of three he put on his first military uniform of the Life Guards Horse Regiment.

He suffered his very first shock at the age of four, when his father, Emperor Pavel Petrovich, died. Since then, the responsibility of raising the heirs fell on the shoulders of the widow Maria Feodorovna.

Mentor of Nikolai Pavlovich

Lieutenant General Matvey Ivanovich Lamzdorf, the former director of the gentry (first) cadet corps under Emperor Paul, was appointed Nikolai's mentor from 1801 and over the next seventeen years. Lamzdorf did not have the slightest idea about the methods of educating royalty - future rulers - and about any educational activities in general. His appointment was justified by the desire of Empress Maria Feodorovna to protect her sons from getting carried away with military affairs, and this was Lamzdorf’s main goal. But instead of interesting the princes in other activities, he went against all their wishes. For example, accompanying the young princes on their trip to France in 1814, where they were eager to participate in military operations against Napoleon, Lamzdorf deliberately drove them very slowly, and the princes arrived in Paris when the battle was already over. Due to incorrectly chosen tactics, Lamzdorf’s educational activities did not achieve their goal. When Nicholas I got married, Lamzdorf was relieved of his duties as a mentor.

Hobbies

The Grand Duke diligently and passionately studied all the intricacies of military science. In 1812, he was eager to go to war with Napoleon, but his mother did not let him. In addition, the future emperor was interested in engineering, fortification, and architecture. But Nikolai did not like the humanities and was careless about their study. Subsequently, he greatly regretted this and even tried to fill in the gaps in his training. But he never managed to do this.

Nikolai Pavlovich was fond of painting, played the flute, and loved opera and ballet. He had good artistic taste.

The future emperor had a beautiful appearance. Nicholas 1 is 205 cm tall, thin, broad-shouldered. The face is slightly elongated, the eyes are blue, and there is always a stern look. Nikolai had excellent physical fitness and good health.

Marriage

The elder brother Alexander I, having visited Silesia in 1813, chose a bride for Nicholas - the daughter of the King of Prussia, Charlotte. This marriage was supposed to strengthen Russian-Prussian relations in the fight against Napoleon, but unexpectedly for everyone, the young people sincerely fell in love with each other. On July 1, 1817 they got married. Charlotte of Prussia in Orthodoxy became Alexandra Feodorovna. The marriage turned out to be happy and had many children. The Empress bore Nicholas seven children.

After the wedding, Nicholas 1, whose biography and interesting facts are presented to your attention in the article, began to command a guards division, and also took up the duties of inspector general for engineering.

While doing what he loved, the Grand Duke took his responsibilities very seriously. He opened company and battalion schools under the engineering troops. In 1819, the Main Engineering School (now the Nikolaev Engineering Academy) was founded. Thanks to his excellent memory for faces, which allows him to remember even ordinary soldiers, Nikolai won respect in the army.

Death of Alexander 1

In 1820, Alexander announced to Nicholas and his wife that Konstantin Pavlovich, the next heir to the throne, intended to renounce his right due to childlessness, divorce and remarriage, and Nicholas should become the next emperor. In this regard, Alexander signed a manifesto approving the abdication of Konstantin Pavlovich and the appointment of Nikolai Pavlovich as heir to the throne. Alexander, as if sensing his imminent death, bequeathed the document to be read out immediately after his death. On November 19, 1825, Alexander I died. Nicholas, despite the manifesto, was the first to swear allegiance to Prince Constantine. It was a very noble and honest act. After some period of uncertainty, when Constantine did not officially abdicate the throne, but also refused to take the oath. The growth of Nicholas 1 was rapid. He decided to become the next emperor.

Bloody start to reign

On December 14, on the day of the oath of Nicholas I, an uprising (called the Decembrist uprising) was organized, aimed at overthrowing the autocracy. The uprising was suppressed, the surviving participants were sent into exile, and five were executed. The emperor's first impulse was to pardon everyone, but the fear of a palace coup forced him to organize a trial to the fullest extent of the law. And yet Nikolai acted generously with those who wanted to kill him and his entire family. There are even confirmed facts that the wives of the Decembrists received monetary compensation, and children born in Siberia could study in the best educational institutions at the expense of the state.

This event influenced the course of the further reign of Nicholas 1. All his activities were aimed at preserving autocracy.

Domestic policy

The reign of Nicholas 1 began when he was 29 years old. Accuracy and exactingness, responsibility, struggle for justice, combined with high efficiency were the striking qualities of the emperor. His character was influenced by his years in the army. He led a rather ascetic lifestyle: he slept on a hard bed, covered with an overcoat, observed moderation in food, did not drink alcohol and did not smoke. Nikolai worked 18 hours a day. He was very demanding, first of all, of himself. He considered the preservation of autocracy his duty, and all his political activities served this goal.

Russia under Nicholas 1 underwent the following changes:

1. Centralization of power and creation of a bureaucratic management apparatus. The emperor only wanted order, control and accountability, but essentially it turned out that the number of official posts increased significantly and along with them the number and size of bribes increased. Nikolai himself understood this and told his eldest son that in Russia only the two of them did not steal.
2. The solution to the issue of serfs. Thanks to a series of reforms, the number of serfs decreased significantly (from 58% to 35% over approximately 45 years), and they acquired rights, the protection of which was controlled by the state. The complete abolition of serfdom did not happen, but the reform served as a starting point in this matter. Also at this time, an education system for peasants began to take shape.
3. The emperor paid special attention to order in the army. Contemporaries criticized him for paying too close attention to the troops, while he was of little interest to the morale of the army. Frequent checks, inspections, and punishments for the slightest mistakes distracted soldiers from their main tasks and made them weak. But was it really so? During the reign of Emperor Nicholas 1, Russia fought with Persia and Turkey in 1826-1829, and in Crimea in 1853-1856. Russia won the wars with Persia and Turkey. The Crimean War led to Russia's loss of influence in the Balkans. But historians cite the reason for the defeat of the Russians as the economic backwardness of Russia compared to the enemy, including the existence of serfdom. But a comparison of human losses in the Crimean War with other similar wars shows that they are less. This proves that the army under the leadership of Nicholas I was powerful and highly organized.

Economic development

Emperor Nicholas 1 inherited a Russia deprived of industry. All production items were imported. By the end of the reign of Nicholas 1, economic growth was noticeable. Many types of production necessary for the country already existed in Russia. Under his leadership, the construction of paved roads and railways began. In connection with the development of railway transport, the machine-building industry, including car-building, began to develop. An interesting fact is that Nicholas I decided to build wider railways (1524 mm) than in European countries (1435 mm) in order to make it difficult for the enemy to move around the country in case of war. And it was very wise. It was this trick that prevented the Germans from supplying full ammunition during their attack on Moscow in 1941.

In connection with growing industrialization, intensive urban growth began. During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, the urban population more than doubled. Thanks to the engineering education received in his youth, Nikolai 1 Romanov oversaw the construction of all major facilities in St. Petersburg. His idea was not to exceed the height of the Winter Palace cornice for all buildings in the city. As a result, St. Petersburg became one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Under Nicholas 1, growth in the educational sphere was also noticeable. Many educational institutions were opened. These include the famous Kiev University and St. Petersburg Institute of Technology, military and naval academies, a number of schools, etc.

The rise of culture

The 19th century was a real flowering of literary creativity. Pushkin and Lermontov, Tyutchev, Ostrovsky, Turgenev, Derzhavin and other writers and poets of this era were incredibly talented. At the same time, Nicholas 1 Romanov introduced the most severe censorship, reaching the point of absurdity. Therefore, literary geniuses periodically experienced persecution.

Foreign policy

Foreign policy during the reign of Nicholas I included two main directions:

1. Return to the principles of the Holy Alliance, suppression of revolutions and any revolutionary ideas in Europe.
2. Strengthening influence in the Balkans for free navigation in and Bosporus.

These factors became the cause of the Russian-Turkish, Russian-Persian and Crimean wars. The defeat in the Crimean War led to the loss of all previously won positions in the Black Sea and the Balkans and provoked an industrial crisis in Russia.

Death of the Emperor

Nicholas 1 died on March 2, 1855 (58 years old) from pneumonia. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

And finally...

The reign of Nicholas I undoubtedly left a tangible mark on both the economy and cultural life of Russia, however, it did not lead to any epochal changes in the country. The following factors forced the emperor to slow down progress and follow the conservative principles of autocracy:

• moral unpreparedness to govern the country;
• lack of education;
• fear of overthrow due to the events of December 14;
• a feeling of loneliness (conspiracies against father Paul, brother Alexander, abdication of the throne by brother Constantine).

Therefore, none of the subjects regretted the death of the emperor. Contemporaries more often condemned the personal characteristics of Nicholas 1, he was criticized as a politician and as a person, but historical facts speak of the emperor as a noble man who completely devoted himself to serving Russia.

The third son of Paul I, brother of Alexander I, Nicholas (1796-1855) ascended the throne in 1825 and ruled Russia for three decades. His time was the apogee of autocracy in Russia.

In 1796, in the last year of the reign of Catherine II, her third grandson was born, who was named Nicholas. He grew up as a healthy and strong child, standing out among his peers for his tall stature. He lost his father at the age of four. He did not have close relationships with his older brothers. He spent his childhood in endless war games with his younger brother. Looking at Nicholas, Alexander I thought with longing that this frowning, angular teenager would probably take his throne over time.

Nikolai studied unevenly. Social sciences seemed boring to him. However, he was drawn to the exact and natural sciences, and was truly interested in military engineering. One day he was assigned an essay on the topic that military service is not the only occupation of a nobleman, that there are other occupations, honorable and useful. Nikolai did not write anything, and the teachers had to write this essay themselves and then dictate it to their student.

Unlike Alexander I, Nicholas I was always alien to the ideas of constitutionalism and liberalism. . In everyday life he was very unpretentious. He remained stern even among his family. Once, when he was already an emperor, he talked with the governor in the Caucasus. At the end of the conversation, as usual, he asked about his wife’s health. The viceroy complained about her frayed nerves. “Nerves?” asked Nicholas. “The empress also had nerves. But I said that there should be no nerves, and they were gone.”

Having visited England, Nikolai expressed the wish that all these talkers who make noise at rallies and clubs would be rendered speechless. But in Berlin, at the court of his father-in-law, the Prussian king, he felt at home. The German officers were surprised at how well he knew the Prussian military regulations.

In 1819, his brother Emperor Alexander I announced that the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, wanted to renounce his right of succession to the throne, so Nicholas would become the heir as the next senior brother. Formally, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich renounced his rights to the throne in 1823, since he had no children in a legal marriage and was married in a morganatic marriage to the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya.

KONSTANTIN PAVLOVICH ROMANOV
On August 16, 1823, Alexander I signed a manifesto appointing his brother Nikolai Pavlovich as heir to the throne.

However, Nicholas the First Pavlovich refused to proclaim himself emperor until the final expression of the will of his elder brother. Nicholas refused to recognize Alexander's will, and on November 27 the entire population was sworn in to Constantine, and Nicholas Pavlovich himself swore allegiance to Constantine I as emperor. But Konstantin Pavlovich did not accept the throne, and at the same time did not want to formally renounce it as emperor, to whom the oath had already been taken. An ambiguous and very tense interregnum was created, which lasted twenty-five days, until December 14.

After the death of Emperor Alexander I and the abdication of the throne by Grand Duke Constantine, Nicholas was nevertheless proclaimed emperor on December 2 (14), 1825.

During the reign of Nicholas I Pavlovich, Russia took part in wars: the Caucasian War of 1817-1864, the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828, the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-29, the Crimean War of 1853-56.

Among the people, Nicholas I received the nickname “Nikolai Palkin” because as a child he beat his comrades with a stick. In historiography, this nickname was established after the story of L.N. Tolstoy "After the Ball".

Nicholas I Pavlovich died suddenly on February 18 (March 2), 1855 at the height of the Crimean War; According to the most common version, it was from transient pneumonia (he caught a cold shortly before his death while attending a military parade in a light uniform) or influenza. The emperor forbade performing an autopsy on himself and embalming his body.

There is a version that Nicholas the First committed suicide by drinking poison due to defeats in the Crimean War. After his death, the Russian throne was inherited by his son, Alexander II.

Nicholas led an ascetic and healthy lifestyle. Nicholas I Pavlovich’s height was 205 cm. He was a believing Orthodox Christian, he did not smoke and did not like smokers, did not drink strong drinks, walked a lot and did drill exercises with weapons. He was distinguished by his remarkable memory and great capacity for work. Archbishop Innocent wrote about him: “He was... such a crown-bearer, for whom the royal throne served not as a head to rest, but as an incentive to incessant work.” According to the memoirs of Her Imperial Majesty’s maid of honor, Mrs. Anna Tyutcheva, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich’s favorite phrase was: “I work like a slave in the galleys.”

All historians agree on one thing: Nicholas the First Pavlovich was undoubtedly a prominent figure among the rulers-emperors of Russia.

Monument to Nicholas I on St. Isaac's Square

The monument to another royal person - Tsar Nicholas I - was unveiled on July 25, 1859, shortly after the death of the sovereign, on St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg. The author of the sculpture project is Auguste Montferrand, Pyotr Klodt worked on the horse project, the pedestal was made by architects N. Efimov and A. Poirot, sculptors R. Zaleman and N. Ramazanov.

The monument to Nicholas I is unique from the point of view of an engineering find: a massive sculpture more than 16 meters high has only two points of support - the hind legs of a horse. The casting technology used here is the same as for the casting of the Bronze Horseman. The sculptural portrait depicts the emperor in the dress uniform of the Cavalry Regiment. The monument is surrounded on four sides by very beautifully made lanterns.
The pedestal of the monument is also a work of sculpture art. It is decorated with allegorical figures of Wisdom, Strength, Faith and Justice in the form of female images. According to legend, Nicholas’s wife and his three daughters posed for these figures. Also on the pedestal are high reliefs depicting the main events of the reign of Nicholas I: the Decembrist uprising in 1825, the suppression of the cholera riot on Sennaya Square in 1831, the awarding of Speransky for drawing up the first set of laws in 1832, the opening of the Verebyinsky bridge on the St. Petersburg railway -Moscow in 1851. The facing of the pedestal consists of several types of marble, red Shoksha porphyry, red Finnish and dark gray Serdobol granite

Russian emperors: appearance, character and personal characteristics

Appearance plays an important role in the life of any person. For Russian monarchs, appearance had a number of important components, which, as a rule, are not so important in the life of ordinary people. In Russia, with its traditions of personifying power, the dignified appearance of the monarch served as an important factor in strengthening the autocracy.

The appearance of the monarchs had quite a lot of components: from the actual external, physical characteristics, to demeanor, hairstyle and clothing preferences. We will focus on these parameters.

Emperor Alexander I

Alexander Pavlovich was the first son of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich and the first grandson of Empress Catherine II. However, to his grandmother he was more than a grandson. The Empress, whose children were taken away after their birth, “brought down” all her unspent motherhood on her first grandson. She took him from his parents and raised him herself. The boy, who grew up between two courts, the Imperial Court and the Court of the Tsarevich, at first unconsciously maneuvered between them, and then these “maneuvers” became quite conscious. Of course, this crippled the young man’s character, and his grandmother and father were not distinguished by easy characters.

Having become emperor, Alexander I pursued an independent and clear policy. Some memoirists have argued that

Alexander I was “weak,” but others noted that the tsar had “an inflexible will and tenacity bordering on obstinacy.” The latter feature is supported by the fact that at the end of 1812, Alexander I personally visited typhus hospitals and was not afraid of being under fire during battles. After 1815, Alexander I stubbornly neglected all security measures, remembering that his father and grandfather were killed as a result of coups. One of the ladies-in-waiting wrote: “Around the royal dwelling (meaning the Kamennoostrovsky Palace. - I. 3.) no guards were visible, and the attacker had to climb several steps, decorated with flowers, to enter the small rooms of the sovereign and his wife” 3. Alexander I traveled everywhere unaccompanied. He preferred open carriages, although in winter this risked frostbite. In December 1812, he spent five days in an open sleigh, but this was not a whim of the emperor, but a habit-tradition absorbed from his youth. The fact is that during the time of Paul I, officers were generally forbidden to travel in closed carriages. They could only ride on horseback, in open sleighs or droshky 4. In addition, the factor of publicity of the “profession” of the Russian emperors was also taken into account: the autocrats believed that their subjects should see them. Nicholas I adhered to the same rule.

Speaking about the character traits of Alexander I, it is worth mentioning such a hereditary trait of the Romanovs, which was constantly reproduced right up to Nicholas II, as “paradomania”. Indeed, Alexander I, like his father Paul I and his grandfather Peter III, was throughout his life fascinated by the external side of military life, the endless changing of guards, brilliant parades and changes in military uniforms. At the same time, the priority for the monarch was not the combat training of the army, which was very far from the art of pulling one’s toes and holding the line, but rather the external, ceremonial side of army life. The ability to move huge masses of people with a wave of the hand or a short order was a visible symbol and embodiment of the power of the Russian autocrats.

Evidence of this character trait is varied, sometimes unexpected. It is known that on May 15, 1821, for 1800 francs, a special “pedometer” was purchased for Alexander I from the famous Swiss watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet 5 .

Emperor Alexander I. T. Lawrence. 1818

The name of the watchmaker Breguet gave the name to the famous watches - “Breguet”. This master repeatedly carried out piecework and, of course, very expensive orders received from European monarchs. Thus, he made watches for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, for the Prince Regent of Great Britain and for the Russian Emperor Alexander I.

Breguet watch No. 3825 with marching tempo meter. 1821

It is noteworthy that for the Russian monarch the famous watchmaker made not a watch, but a marching tempo meter. A total of 5 copies of this device were produced. On the silver dial there was a scale with numbers from 60 to 125. The hand counted the corresponding number of vibrations per minute. Such a device was very convenient during parades, when the monarch could personally control the pace of marching military units by counting steps per minute. And the Romanovs traditionally attached great importance to parades.

If we mention the appearance of the emperor, then women of the era of Alexander I recognized the monarch as handsome. Indeed, in his younger years, Alexander Pavlovich, who always carefully monitored his appearance, was very good. The monarch's facial features more closely resembled his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna (Princess of Württemberg), than his father. Many people paid attention to the monarch’s characteristic round chin.

Of course, with age, “problems” accumulated, Alexander I began to have a bald spot. Although in his youth, during his grandmother’s reign, he wore wigs, in adulthood he abandoned them and did not hide his baldness. In addition, his vision deteriorated early and he became deaf. This, of course, could not but affect the character of the monarch.

As for the emperor’s clothes, all his life he wore uniforms with a modest order block. The cut of the uniforms could change, but the block of awards that had developed towards the end of the wars with Napoleonic remained unchanged until 1825. This block of the order, depicted in many portraits, included: the Cross of St. George, IV degree (awarded on December 13, 1805); “Medal in memory of the Patriotic War of 1812”; Austrian military order of Maria Theresa (awarded in 1815); Prussian Order of the Iron Cross (awarded in 1813); Swedish Military Order of the Sword (awarded in 1815); Austrian cross “In memory of the war of 1813–1814” (awarded in 1815); the Prussian medal “In memory of the war of 1813–1814” (awarded in 1815) and the star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, to which was attached, blade up, a miniature sword from the Swedish military Order of the Sword 6.

Emperor Nicholas I

The main characteristics of the Romanov “breed” were “laid down” by Paul I and his wife, Empress Maria Fedorovna. Outwardly, the sons of Paul I are very different. Most of all, his second son, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, resembled Paul I.

The most representative of the sons of Paul I was his third son, Emperor Nicholas I. In appearance, he did not at all resemble his small, snub-nosed father with a choleric temperament. One of the memoirists described the appearance of 29-year-old Nikolai Pavlovich as follows: “Tall, lean, had a wide chest, somewhat long arms, an oblong, clean face, an open forehead, a Roman nose, a moderate mouth... The freshness of his face and everything in him showed iron health and served as proof that youth was not pampered and life was accompanied by sobriety and moderation” 7.

This description is quite objective. The king really had an athletic figure. It should be noted that corsets were widely used in men's and women's fashion of that time.

Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich. O. Kiprensky. 1816

Thus, in A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” Skalozub is characterized as a “wheezer”, “strangled”, “bassoon”. These definitions indicate not only character, but also a tight waist. A. S. Pushkin used a phrase that was certainly understandable to his contemporaries - “protracted guardsmen.” In addition, cotton wool was also used in men's clothing to give the figure the required shape.

It should be noted that Nikolai Pavlovich treated his appearance with irony. In 1833, the emperor wrote to his “father-commander” I.F. To Paskevich: “I would like to be inseparable with you; Because this is impossible, I ask you to accept and wear the likeness of my hari as a replacement for the original” 8 . By “my hare,” Nicholas I meant one of the highest imperial distinctions - a miniature portrait of the emperor, studded with diamonds.

Contemporaries carefully recorded the slightest changes in the emperor's appearance. During an official visit to England in 1844, the British assessed Nicholas I based on external “parameters.” One of Queen Victoria’s dignitaries noted that the Russian Tsar “had gained weight and that the hair on his head had thinned somewhat, but still he remained the same noble, majestic man, a Tsar from head to toe. His face was distinguished by an open expression, and although his eyes were very mobile, they were more likely to express restless observation than suspicion” 9.

At the turn of the 1830-1840s. Nicholas I began to wear a wig. He made no secret of this. Meeting with the American envoy in 1837, he admitted without any complexes that “I don’t have much hair, and even those are gray. “But this is my wig,” he explained, running his hand over his head.”10 It should be noted that at that time the attitude towards men's wigs was completely different than today. From the time of Peter I until the end of the 18th century. wigs were a mandatory part of the everyday appearance of Russian aristocratic men. And although at the beginning of the 19th century. wigs gradually fell out of use; there was nothing unusual about wearing them.

Speaking about the emperor's hairstyle and wigs, it should be noted that Nikolai Pavlovich's first wigs appeared in January 1812, when the 16-year-old Grand Duke began to take part in adult masquerades 11.

Both professionals and “amateurs” served Nicholas I as a hairdresser. For example, in April 1833, he was cut twice by Mundschenk’s assistant Fedorov (25 rubles per haircut), in June by retired non-commissioned officer Maksimov and footman Vostrikov, in September by valet Safonov, in October, November and December again by Mundschenk’s assistant Fedorov 12 . It seems that already at that time the emperor was wearing a wig, so “amateurs” only cut short the hair that had grown under the wig.

Along with the “amateurs,” the emperor also had a professional hairdresser. His services were paid every six months. In May 1833, the hairdresser Etienne was paid 245 rubles for his services. It was he who made overlays for the king to hide his emerging baldness. In April 1834, a hairdresser received “230 rubles for cutting hair and extensions.” 13 . As a rule, Etienne prepared two head coverings for the king per year. From the second half of the 1830s. A variety of craftsmen began to make hairpieces for Nikolai Pavlovich: hairdresser Khemot (the cost of one hairpiece is 135 rubles), hairdresser Feleo (the cost of a hairpiece is 75 rubles 71 kopecks), hairdresser Etien (for a hairpiece - 58 rubles 87 kopecks) .

In addition, Nicholas I, who carefully monitored his appearance, used not only hair pomade, which was supplied to him by the same hairdresser Etienne, but also a special ointment for his mustache. During a series of January and February balls, the brutal Nikolai Pavlovich, following the fashion, had a curl (the hairdresser Khemot received 69 rubles 30 kopecks for a perm in January and February 1845).

Careful care for his appearance cost Nicholas I a decent amount. For example, in 1837, the hairdresser Etienne earned 966 rubles. This amount included the cost of haircuts, extensions and lipstick for Nicholas I.

Chief hairdresser of Nicholas I from the early 1830s. and until 1843 Etienne remained. However, later his place was taken by other hairdressers (Shemio, Helio, Hemot, Geshot, Person). It should be noted that, as the king's hair thinned, the fees of the court hairdressers were reduced.

Clothes of Emperor Nicholas I

In Russia, emperors wore only military uniforms. This was an “iron” rule, since they considered themselves officers on the throne. Baron M.A. Korf mentioned that Nicholas I always considered military officers “his own.” At one of the private balls, where there were more civilian than military youth, the baron heard the emperor ask one general: “Why are there so few of us here?” 14 Only when leaving the territory of the Russian Empire could the Russian emperor afford to wear a private dress. The sewing of new uniforms for Nicholas I was financed from his “Wardrobe Sum”. The costs of maintaining a wide variety of uniforms in decent condition, as well as sewing new ones, amounted to very significant sums for the king.

From the same “Wardrobe sum” Nicholas I paid for the first military uniforms of his children and grandchildren. The Grand Dukes wore their first military uniforms in early childhood.

Emperor Nicholas I. EAT. Botman. 1856

The first soldier's uniform in the form of the Izmailovsky Regiment, costing 10 rubles, for Grand Duke Nicholas (the future Nicholas I) was sewn in 1801, when he was only 5 years old. Nicholas got his first general’s uniform (worth 35 rubles) at the age of 14, in 1810. 15 There was a tradition according to which boys from the Romanov house wore soldier’s uniforms from 5 to 7 years old, and headquarters and chief officers from 7 to 16 years old. -officers' uniforms, and after 16 years - general's uniforms.

Since 1817, the expense item “for uniforms” has become the largest in the “Wardrobe sum” of the Grand Duke. If you indicate the names of all the individuals and companies that worked on the appearance of Emperor Nicholas I, the list will be quite extensive.

First of all, we should list the emperor's tailors. The circle of tailors who constantly “dressed” the king developed gradually. Among them were general tailors who “sewed everything.” There were regimental tailors, no one could sew the uniform of “their regiment” better than them. The “leading” tailor of Nicholas I was Akulov (sometimes in documents – Okulov), whose name appears in historical sources for two decades, from the early 1830s to the late 1840s.

In total, from the beginning of 1833 to 1853, eight names of tailors are mentioned in documents: Akulov - “for sewing a new uniform and altering old ones - 745 rubles”; Malinovsky - “for a uniform for Prince Albert of Prussia - 400 rubles”; Ivanov – “for a Cossack uniform – 450 rubles”; Efimov - “for Circassian attire - 909 rubles. 50 kopecks"; Freyde - “for alterations of uniforms and a sewn grenadier uniform - 373 rubles. 50 kopecks"; Markevich – “for chikchir – 120 rubles”; Mazokevich - “for a hussar uniform - 1850 rubles.” and Belyntein.

Of these names, the name of the tailor A. Freide, who was “the tailor of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich,” should be mentioned. It is noteworthy that Freud already in the 1830s. used the coat of arms of the Russian Empire on his letterhead, effectively having the status of a supplier to the Imperial Court. However, only from 1856 did the imperial coat of arms become the official calling card of suppliers to the Imperial Household.

For sewn or altered uniforms, various accessories were required; they were ordered from the Court Epaulet Factory E.D. Bitner, which was located “near the Anichkin Bridge, in Troitskaya Street No. 10.” The accounts of this factory in the “Wardrobe Sum” were regular and very substantial, quite comparable to the cost of new uniforms. For example, epaulettes and a tashka cost Nicholas I 220 rubles. 50 kopecks; a pair of gold infantry artillery adjutant general epaulettes with chased gold cannons and the same thick silver monograms cost 135 rubles. A gold shaped aiguillette, with special fittings on the tips, cost 70 rubles.

It is noteworthy that Nicholas I, when appointing foreign crown-bearers as chiefs of Russian regiments, traditionally gave them the full uniform of the sponsored regiments. For example, for His Royal Highness Prince Henry of the Netherlands, the epaulette factory ordered gold rear admiral's epaulettes with embroidered eagles (73 rubles), gold epaulettes with embroidered eagles in the form of "No. 12 Crew" (75 rubles) and a naval shako with a gilded coat of arms of the 12th Crew (10 rubles). For decades, uniform buttons were bought from the “button maker” Bukh.

General's uniforms in the Nicholas era were lavishly decorated with gold embroidery. For the Tsar, the uniforms were embroidered by gold seamstresses from Zaleman's workshop. Mostly the collars and cuffs of generals' uniforms were embroidered. Thus, gold embroidery of just one collar for the uniform of the Grodno iycaps cost 75 rubles.

Orders were an integral part of military uniforms. Nicholas I ordered them only from the goldsmith Kemmerer 16, and order ribbons were purchased from the manufacturer Loktev.

Over time, Nikolai Pavlovich began to pay for the “gift” uniforms of his sons. Therefore, the great princes received their first uniforms as a gift from their father. It was from this moment that their real introduction to military service began. By order of Nicholas I, tailor Akulov sewed the first general's uniform for Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, which cost 516 rubles. In 1845, the tsar paid tailor Akulov for two uniforms for his second son, Konstantin Nikolaevich.

In October 1838, “equipment of the Life Guards of the Uhlan Regiment” was sewn for the emperor’s third son, seven-year-old Nikolai Nikolaevich 17 . And at the end of July 1838, Nicholas I wrote in a letter to his son: “So seven years have passed, and at the same time, according to the custom in our family, you received a saber!!! A great day for you and for us" 18.

In 1839, the fourth son of the Tsar, Mikhail Nikolaevich, when he was seven years old, received his first officer's uniform, sewn by the tailor Freide.

Since boys from the royal family wore a soldier’s uniform from 5 to 7 years old, in September 1848, five-year-old Nikolai Maximilianovich, the son of the Duke of Leuchtenberg and the daughter of Nicholas I, was given a soldier’s uniform by his grandfather “from the cutter Ostogov” for 100 rubles. In 1849, the grandfather gave a six-year-old boy a gun and a saber (65 rubles). A soldier's uniform for the first grandson of Nicholas I, five-year-old Nikolai Alexandrovich (Nixa), cost 80 rubles in 1848.

Before official visits abroad, the emperor updated the uniforms of the foreign regiments that were supposed to be visited during the visit. These uniforms, as a rule, were issued from abroad. In 1824 in Prussia, the tailor Clay “for one uniform and some leggings made for His Highness” was paid “56 thalers in Prussian coins” 19 .

Finishing the story about uniforms, it is impossible not to mention one more important quality of Nikolai Pavlovich. The fact is that this formidable monarch loved children. And not only our own. Nicholas I gave new impetus to the development of the cadet corps system, closely monitoring them and visiting them regularly. These visits resulted in serious “uniform losses” for the king.

Artist A.P. Bogolyubov, who spent his childhood in the Alexander Cadet Corps of Tsarskoye Selo, recalled: “Nicholas loved children, for not two weeks passed without one of the highest persons visiting the Corps, and therefore they kept us clean, fed us well and took care of our health.

It happened that the Emperor entered a hall where up to 400 of us were swarming with children and there was a roar, like in a huge poultry house, where different breeds cackled and chirped in their own way in every way. “Great, kids!” - he said in a voice that you will never forget, and suddenly dead silence reigned in the hall. "To me!" - and again an explosion of noise and such a mint around him, like in an anthill. Often he would lie down on the floor. “Well, lift me up,” and then they stuck around him, unscrewing the buttons as a souvenir, etc. The sultan of the hat suffered the most, for all the feathers were taken apart, like the buttons, and in the form of a memory they were glued into albums. Having played enough, he beat us to the punch.” 20

It should be noted that the tradition of “unscrewing buttons” was characteristic not only of the cadet corps, but also of the institutes for noble maidens, and the monarchs, knowing about this tradition, quite consciously made these “uniform losses.”

Since the men from the House of Romanovs wore military uniforms from the age of 5 and literally until the grave (all the Romanovs lying in the tomb of the Peter and Paul Cathedral were buried in military uniforms), it was the military uniform that was the most comfortable and natural clothing for them. The daughter of Nicholas I recalled that her father’s favorite home clothes were “a military uniform without epaulettes, worn at the elbows from working at his desk” 21 .

Glover F. Frenzel worked for the emperor for a long time. The expense item on gloves was quite large, since white gloves quickly got dirty. These gloves were given to Frenzel for cleaning and “washing”. For example, “washing” four pairs of gloves cost only 1 ruble. 50 kopecks, and the production of 16 pairs of new gloves cost 128 rubles, i.e. 8 rubles each. for a couple.

Frenzel sewed Nicholas I not only new gloves, but also trousers. He also provided the king with suspenders. The trousers were different. The documents mention “elk” trousers (128 rubles 40 kopecks), “colored”, “strong” (175 rubles) and “simple” (125 rubles). The reader can imagine what “moose trousers” are and how they sat on the officers from the portrait of Evgraf Davydov by O. Kiprensky in the Russian Museum. How these trousers were dressed and worn must be described separately. For the winter, trousers were made from thin woolen tights, which were bought from the merchant Melnikov. Cleaning pantaloons cost 6 rubles.

The lackeys and valets who were assigned to the “Own Wardrobe” also did not miss the opportunity to make money “from the Tsar.” However, these were “one-time actions”, apparently associated with some unforeseen circumstances. For example, wardrobe assistant Ivanov received 36 rubles “for sewing trousers for His Majesty.” and for sewing dressing gowns - 30 rubles. Valet Grimm was paid 36 rubles for attaching cockades to caps. 12 kopecks Wardrobe assistant Spitzbart even took on the task of “remaking the uniform,” earning 35 rubles. The castellan Ostrich “for altering 10 pairs of His Majesty’s silk stockings” received 16 rubles.

The furrier Mikhelson looked after the king’s winter outer clothing. His orders were different. “For alteration of a fur coat” they paid only 45 rubles, but they also received an order for two beaver collars for 750 rubles.

“To order” hats for Nicholas I were provided by the hatter Zimmerman (“for a round hat – 55 rubles”) and the hatmaker Mozhaisky (“for altering 17 caps – 25 rubles 50 kopecks”). In Surguchev’s store of officer’s things, they bought ready-made caps, helmets and hats for the Tsar. They also took all the necessary accessories (cockades, plumes, etc.). Weapons were also purchased in the same officer’s store (“for a Circassian saber and other repairs for the sultans - 232 rubles. 75 kopecks.”).

Shoes for the king, as a rule, were made to order. For a quarter of a century, shoes for Nicholas I were made by master Pemo. The cost of his work, compared to the prices of tailors, was quite low: new heels cost 1 ruble; 6 pairs of straps for pantaloons – 1 rub. 20 kopecks; adjustment of boots - 85 kopecks; new patent leather boots cost 13 rubles; spurs for boots - 2 rubles. 50 kopecks Since the boots had to fit “like a glove,” they were sewn to fit the legs, and for easy dressing, the shoemaker sold soap powder for 30 kopecks. per bag. Warm, winter boots were much more expensive, but, judging by the accounts, Nikolai Pavlovich ordered them only once, in January 1835, from the shoemaker Heide at a price of 150 rubles. for a couple.

In order to preserve the shoes, they used boot varnish from the Babst store and polish, which was bought from the manufacturer Bykov. Also, the only time in the list of invoices for the “Wardrobe amount” is a mention of the purchase of ready-made shoes at Bruno’s shoe store (42 rubles 90 kopecks).

In addition to large items, any wardrobe includes many small items. The daughter of Nicholas I mentioned in her notes that Nikolai Pavlovich preferred to wear silk socks. It is noteworthy that they were bought directly “from the manufacturer” and in bulk. In November 1848, 6 dozen silk stockings were purchased from Moscow manufacturer Andrei Kokolkin for 360 rubles.

The merchant Erenberg supplied the royal wardrobe with cambric scarves (two dozen cost 160 rubles). He also purchased Dutch linen from which Nikolai Pavlovich's shirts were made. The linen was bought in bulk. The fabric for “6 dozen shirts for His Majesty” cost 2,450 rubles, and the fabric for the towels was also “purchased” there. Shirts and everything necessary for the Tsar were sewn by the seamstress Grinberg.

Other small items include ties (merchant Babst) and black silk scarves (Engbut's shop). They bought shirtfronts, collars and scarves at the Dilla and Co. store.

Over time, Nikolai Pavlovich began to gain weight, and in November 1836, when he was 40 years old, a bandage was ordered for the first time, which was used to “tighten” the stomach under the uniform, while the chest became more convex. This order was fulfilled by the “bandage master” Osterlov.

In addition to clothes, various everyday little things were bought: mignonette, almond and rose oil “for His Majesty’s toilet,” towels, hair brushes. An English store purchased 8 dozen pink hand soap (54 rubles). For 12 dozen almond butter delivered from London, they paid 178 rubles. At the same time, all required customs duties for imported goods were immediately sent to St. Petersburg customs.

Tailors, suppliers to the Imperial Court, earned very good money in preparation for the highest visits to Europe. One of the very characteristic features of such visits was that Russian emperors could wear “particular dress” during unofficial trips.

Even Nicholas I, who had literally become one with the military uniform, did not refuse this opportunity. In 1833, he ordered a civilian dress from tailor Rutch for 875 rubles. In 1838, the same tailor Rutch received 988 rubles “for a special dress for foreign lands.” While in Dresden in 1845, Nicholas I visited the famous gallery incognito. During this visit, he was wearing “a blue short frock coat open at the front, a dark brown silk vest with flowers embroidered on it, and gray trousers; He had a top hat on his head, which increased his height. In his right hand the stranger held a thin cane with a silver knob, and his left hand, dressed in a glove, clutched the one he had taken from his right hand” 22. Unfortunately, images of the formidable emperor in a “vest with flowers” ​​have not reached us; they apparently never existed, but we can say with confidence that Nikolai Pavlovich dressed in the latest European fashion.

Body type

As already mentioned, Nicholas I was distinguished by his excellent bearing and had an athletic figure until the end of his life. In 1849, he was examined by the doctor of the Horse Guards regiment F.Ya. Carell. The young doctor was amazed by the emperor’s physique. With a natural sense of his own importance, the young doctor told his acquaintances “various details from the inner palace life.” One of these details is given by Baron M.A. Korf in his notes: “Carell could not quite express his surprise at the athletic, unusual build of his body. Seeing him until then, like everyone else, only in a uniform and frock coat, I always imagined that this highly protruding chest was the work of cotton wool. Nothing happened. Now that I had to subject it to percussion and ascultation, I became convinced that it was all my own, native; it is impossible to imagine more graceful forms and more Apollonian-Hercules designs!” 23

Memoirists have preserved extremely rare information about the emperor’s height. One of the memoirists cites a dialogue between Nikolai Pavlovich and actor Vasily Karatygin, which took place in November 1838 after the end of a performance based on the play by N.A. Polevoy “Grandfather of the Russian Navy”: “Nikolai Pavlovich approached Vasily Karatygin, who played the role of Peter I, with friendly words. “You are the perfect Peter the Great!” - he said, admiring it. - “No, sir, he was taller than me: 2 arshins 14 vershoks.” - "And in you?" - "Twelve". The Emperor measured himself against him. “You are all taller than me: I am 10.5”” 24. It is not difficult to calculate that, translated into the modern metric system, the emperor’s height was 189 cm (Peter I’s height was 203.5 cm). It should be noted that all the Romanovs were, by the standards of that time, very tall. They owe this (at least according to the official version) to their mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Memoirists have written a lot about the emperor's eyes. His big blue eyes were very different. Thus, political opponents turned Nikolai Palkin’s “tin eyes” into a stamp. Many wrote about the eyes of the “basilisk,” which literally turned his subjects into stone, especially if the emperor deigned to be angry. At the same time, the most quick-witted even fainted.

One way or another, for a quarter of a century, Nicholas I fully complied with the canons of male beauty of his era. Tall, of an athletic build, a beautiful cavalryman with a “waist,” on whose face pale blue eyes sparkled, he was also endowed with the charm of power that women at all times value so much. Numerous official portraits confirm the memoirists' descriptions. One can only regret that not a single photograph of Nikolai Pavlovich has survived, although it is known that in the second half of the 1840s. he was holding in his hands a “camera” that he had transferred to the Academy of Sciences.

Character

Nicholas I was secretive and distrustful. At the same time, he had a high sense of responsibility, which forced him to “close” the management of the empire to himself, working 18 hours a day. High demands on himself forced him to demand the same from his subordinates. In his activities, he relied on the military, being sincerely confident that an intelligent combat general was able to establish the smooth work of both the Medical Department and the Ministry of Public Education. The calm confidence in his power inherent in Nicholas I and the charisma of the emperor awed even his closest associates.

Sometimes he could be ruthless and merciless, but only in those cases when he understood that the negative precedent that had arisen would entail serious consequences for the entire state. At the same time, the emperor was guided not by momentary personal impulses, as happened with his father, the choleric Paul I, but by state expediency.

Nicholas I could flare up in public, although the habit of hiding his feelings and thoughts had been hammered into him since childhood. However, in “his” officer environment, he could afford to “let go of the brakes.” But even these infrequent emotional outbursts could be used by the emperor to his advantage, not only due to his “professional” habit of calculating the consequences of his actions, but also due to his truly noble character. One of the memoirists describes how, at maneuvers in Krasnoe Selo, Nicholas I “at all costs, without mincing words,” cursed General Penkerzhevsky. “The next morning, the sovereign invites all the generals and, going out to them, says with his characteristic nobility: “Gentlemen, yesterday I completely forgot myself in front of General P. When I command the troops, I just can’t restrain myself and not lose my temper. I am already forty years old, and I still have not succeeded in curbing my own temper. So, gentlemen, I ask you not to take my words spoken in anger or irritation to heart in the future. You P., please forgive me; I didn’t want to offend you, we’ll be friends.” And he heartily hugged the general" 25.

Nikolai Pavlovich was a loving husband and father, a good teacher and a subtle psychologist. When Nikolai Pavlovich sent his second son, Konstantin Nikolaevich, on the Hungarian campaign in 1849, he drew up instructions for him with 17 points. If we were to reduce it to individual points, it would look like this: keep a low profile, be extremely correct, without familiarity, listen, write down, analyze, but do not publicly give any assessments, do not accept honors like the Grand Duke.

For many decades, through the efforts of liberal Soviet historiography, the personality of Nicholas I was presented exclusively in the image of a rude martinet with pewter eyes. This is wrong. Of course, Nicholas I was not ideal; he has many sins on his conscience, like any politician. But he was a strong, decent man, a Russian officer with a high sense of responsibility for the country.

Emperor Alexander II

Numerous portraits captured the appearance of Alexander Nikolaevich throughout his life. In addition, numerous photographs have reached us, both official and family. Therefore, changes in his appearance throughout his reign can be traced in detail.

In his youth, he was a typical “Prince Charming” from German fairy tales. The heir to a huge empire, the owner of countless treasures, a charming and well-mannered young man. The heir was tall, given the standards of the mid-19th century. His height was 186 cm. It should be noted that Alexander II always paid very close attention to his appearance. Collections of his numerous uniforms have been preserved in various museum collections. Having become emperor in 1855, he immediately began to “disguise” the military, court and bureaucratic elite.

Alexander II was distinguished by good physical development from childhood. He had a proportionate figure, tall stature and regular facial features. He was impeccably brought up. Alexander II was accustomed to wearing a military uniform from childhood; it fit him “like a glove.” He knew about this and sincerely loved the military uniform, knowing how to wear it. He treated military uniform in all its manifestations with love. Thus, in his reception room in the Zubovsky wing of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, he kept part of the “military uniform” collection of Nicholas I. Its walls were decorated with paintings depicting uniforms, “under glass covers there were dolls depicting orderlies” 26, in the form of various Russian regiments army.

Contemporaries unanimously noted that “the uniform fit him somehow especially dapper, his chest stood out, his waist was slenderly drawn in Nikolaev style” 27 . Until the reform of military uniforms during the reign of Alexander III, this “Nicholas” style was considered the highest chic in wearing an officer’s uniform.

Minister of War D.A. Milyutin, who tried to modernize the army according to modern standards of that time, more than once encountered the unbreakable stubbornness of Alexander II in matters relating to the slightest changes in military uniform. He wrote: “The Emperor generally attached great importance to the uniform and the smallest details of the uniform. He himself put on the uniform of this or that regiment on certain days, according to the memories associated with them or for other reasons, sometimes reaching such subtlety that it was not easy to guess them the first time. So, for example, on the anniversary of a battle, he put on the uniform of a regiment that especially distinguished itself in this battle; honoring a ball with his visit, the Tsar came in the uniform of the regiment in which the owner or the hostess’s father had once served, etc. The Tsar also demanded the same sophisticated considerations in choosing the appropriate uniform for each occasion from members of his family... for those who did not have sufficient shrewdness in this regard, the Emperor made comments" 28 .

Periodically, the Minister of War fell into despair at the endless “ideas” of Alexander II, associated with the no less endless “improvement” of military uniforms: “Regardless of the large number of current affairs, a lot of time was spent talking about the changes in uniforms planned by the Emperor himself (in the colors of shoulder straps and collars)…. Any other great government reform can be carried out more easily than some change in the color of a shoulder strap or the abolition of a drummer’s cleaver” 29 .

When traveling abroad, Alexander II dressed in civilian dress and enjoyed “freedom.” Of course, his “freedom” was relative, since the Tsar was constantly accompanied by employees of the III Department of His Imperial Majesty’s Own (S.E.I.V.) Chancellery, and nevertheless, in 1867 in Paris, “The Sovereign and both Grand Dukes changed their clothes in civilian dress and went to the Russian church, where a prayer service was served. That evening they were at the Theater des Varietes, at a performance of Offenbach’s operetta “Duchess Gerolyntein”; During intermissions we walked along the boulevard, enjoying our incognito, like schoolchildren released for vacation.

Emperor Alexander II. EAT. Botman. 1856

The next day, Sunday, the Tsar and the Grand Dukes, again in civilian dress, were at mass in the Russian church, where many Russians had gathered, after breakfast they attended the Longchamp races, and then went to Saint-Cloud to look at the young crown prince. prince... the sovereign and the grand dukes took advantage of their free hours and provided themselves with entertainment by visiting Parisian theaters and public festivities in strict incognito. These rare entertainments of private life gave them, of course, more pleasure than the luxurious and brilliant balls that were given in honor of the royal guests...” 30.

As for Alexander P’s hairstyle, as a young man he wore a small, dandy mustache with his temples combed, according to the fashion of that time. In 1840, sideburns appeared on his face, which were not yet connected with a mustache. In the portraits of the “absolutely fashionable painter” F. Kruger, these nuances of the tsar’s appearance are carefully recorded. It was with this hairstyle - hair, mustache and sideburns combed to the right side - that Alexander II was crowned in 1856.

Over time, this hairstyle received further development. It was Alexander II who introduced in the 1860s. a new standard of hairstyles, which included a complex structure of a well-groomed mustache with beards and luxurious sideburns. This whole “design” on the face was organically combined with carefully styled hair. At the same time, Alexander II never wore a beard.

Naturally, the entire elite of the Russian Empire immediately, with greater or lesser success, reproduced this complex “construction” on their faces. Even the crown prince, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, in the second half of the 1870s. let go of his long sideburns for a while.

It should be noted that since the famous “cutting of beards” by Peter I in December 1699, the form of facial hair on men has acquired clear political connotations. Moreover, this was regulated by law. The list of laws regulating men's hairstyles is quite impressive.

Clothes of Alexander II. a, b - uniforms of the Field Marshal General of the Life Guards of the Pavlovsk and Lithuanian regiments; V - uniform of the general of the Life Guards Hussars Grodno Regiment; G - civilian frock coat

This list began in January 1705, when Peter I signed a decree “On shaving the beards and mustaches of all ranks of people, except priests and deacons, on collecting duties from those who do not want to comply with this, and on issuing badges to those who paid the duty.” » 31. Legislative persecution of bearded men was carried out with enviable consistency. Thus, in March 1837, Nicholas I signed a decree “On the prohibition of persons with court ranks from wearing mustaches and beards.” The decree noted that “many of those holding the rank of chamberlains and chamber cadets allow themselves to wear mustaches, which are assigned only to the military, and beards in the form of Jews,” therefore the emperor “deigned to command: it is strictly forbidden, so that no one with court ranks dared to wear neither a mustache nor a beard” 32. In addition, when at the end of the 1840s. When the famous discourse between Westerners and Slavophiles began, the latter’s “Russian” beard became a kind of political banner, which caused persecution by the authorities. Only in 1874 did Alexander II allow the wearing of a beard in all troops and navy, except for the guards, grenadiers and the imperial retinue 33. Moreover, by a separate decree in 1875, the military was prohibited from manufacturing beards and mustaches 34 . It is noteworthy that Alexander II himself did not tolerate bearded men, so there were none in his circle. However, some people from the king’s retinue had such overgrown sideburns that their shaved chins were literally lost among them, and they looked from the outside like real bearded men, while observing the “letter” of the laws.

Over time, deep bald patches appeared on Alexander II's head, but he never changed his hairstyle, keeping his hair combed to the right side, and never wore a wig. It can be noted that with age, the size of his mustache has increased slightly. In the official portraits of the end of the emperor’s life, one can see some “untidiness” of his hairstyle - an overgrown mustache with beards and not very neatly styled hair.

The appearance of the Russian emperors was closely related to their charisma. Many contemporaries of Alexander II noted the cosmopolitan nature and some lethargy of the tsar’s character. Assessing the character of Alexander II, maid of honor A.F. Tyutcheva noted that. in her opinion, “he was not a popular sovereign in the true sense of the word; the people did not feel attracted to him, because he himself completely lacked a national and popular string... Human nature is such that it values ​​people more for themselves than for their deeds” 35. This was partly true. In terms of upbringing, manners and behavior, Alexander II was more of a European monarch, completely lacking the “national specificity” so characteristic of his son, Alexander III.

A.F. Tyutcheva, who observed Alexander II for a decade and a half and tried to be objective in her attitude towards him, wrote that at the age of 35 (1853), the Tsarevich “was a handsome man, but suffered from a certain plumpness, which he later lost. His facial features were regular, but sluggish and insufficiently distinct; the eyes are large blue, but the look is not very spiritual; in a word, his face was inexpressive, and there was even something unpleasant in it in those cases when in public he considered himself obliged to assume a solemn and majestic appearance” 36.

Contemporaries also noticed minor features in the behavior of Alexander II that did not suit him well. However, such features can be found in almost everyone if desired. Count S.D. Sheremetev, childhood friend of Alexander III. recalled: “It happened that the sovereign would get very excited, worried as he spoke, his eyes would become completely round, his voice, already burry, would become irritable and noisy. It was very unpleasant to see him at such moments; one felt something weak in this irritation, which grew more and more over the years. He did not always adhere to measures, and many had to listen to inappropriate words from him” 37. Outspoken ill-wishers, of whom there are always many among public politicians, called the tsar “cheerful,” and the writer D.V. Grigorovich (in a circle of close people) directly mocked him, “hilariously imitating his bass voice and burr” 38 .

Speaking about the character traits of Alexander II, it should be noted his sense of duty and responsibility, which was characteristic of all the Romanovs in the 19th century. Thus, while present at the theater of military operations, Alexander II performed mainly inspector-representative tasks, visiting, among others, numerous hospitals, while the tsar “went into the wards of typhoid and fever patients” 39 .

But even contemporaries who sympathized with the emperor, while giving him his due, considered him weak. A weak man and a weak, influenced autocrat. The amplitude of fluctuations in his domestic political course was significant, from the liberal reforms of the 1860s. before the "tightening of the screws" in the 1870s. This is also a reflection of his character. At the same time, Alexander II was very jealous of power. He introduced his eldest sons to power, following tradition and common sense, but did this with some caution. Count S.D. Sheremetev noted: “At the heart of the sovereign’s character lay a petty feeling, and that was jealousy. It manifested itself in him more than once in relation to the people closest to him. He felt this way towards the Empress and even towards Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich” 40.

This feeling of a certain “jealousy” also manifested itself in relationships with his comrades. Fluctuations in the internal political course and changes in ministers allowed Prince P.A. It is fair for Kropotkin to note that “neither in matters of politics nor in personal sympathies was he a person who could be relied upon, and, in addition, he was distinguished by his vindictiveness. I doubt that he was sincerely attached to anyone." 41

It is noteworthy that at the beginning of his reign, Alexander II pursued a personnel policy that had its roots in the 18th century. In the 1860s. F.I.’s caustic remark circulated around St. Petersburg. Tyutchev, associated with the appointment of General S.A. to the post of Comrade Minister of Finance. Greig, who served first in the Horse Guards Regiment and then in the Naval Ministry: “It’s a strange thing, a Horse Guards officer is entrusted with finances; the audience, of course, is surprised, but moderately, not particularly strongly; try to make Reitern commander of the Horse Guards Regiment, everyone will go crazy, such a cry will rise as if Russia was shaken in its foundations” 42.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna

Empress Maria Alexandrovna lived in Russia for almost 40 years. Arriving in the country as a young girl, she became truly Russian. The second half of her life in Russia is full of drama. A wife who bore nine children to her husband, the emperor, she tragically lost her eldest beloved son, the crown prince, on the eve of his wedding and at the same time actually lost her husband.

Paintings, watercolors and photographs conveyed her appearance to us. Beautiful and sophisticated, in her youth Maria Alexandrovna had excellent taste. In 1841, the crown princess wore a light cambric or jaconette dress with a white embroidered collar, a straw hat with straw-colored ribbons, a brown veil, a brown umbrella, Swedish gloves and a checkered coat 43 as her morning dress.

The paintings of the English artist Christina Robertson, considered a recognized master of female portraiture and invited to Russia by Nicholas I, depict a young woman in palace interiors. In one of the paintings of 1849, painted in the genre of a ceremonial portrait, Tsarevna Maria Alexandrovna appears before the viewer standing, in a luxurious brocade dress, her neck and arms are decorated with large pearls. The crown princess has an open tome with bookmarks at hand. At your feet is your favorite Italian greyhound. The hairstyle of the future empress is noteworthy. Her beautiful thick hair is parted in the middle. This hairstyle remained virtually unchanged until the last days of Maria Alexandrovna’s life.

In the second portrait, also by Christina Robertson, Tsarevna Maria Alexandrovna is sitting at a table in front of an open book. An elegant jug on the table emphasizes the grace of the princess. Of course, all the details of these ceremonial portraits were carefully thought out and coordinated.

Freilina A.F. Tyutcheva, who first saw Maria Alexandrovna in 1853, noted that the 28-year-old crown princess looked very young.

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. K. Robertson. 1850

Despite her tall stature and slenderness, she was distinguished by her thinness and fragility, but this resulted in a very special grace, “which can be found in old German paintings.” The memoirist noted that the crown princess was not a classic beauty of the Nicholas era, since “her features were not correct.” But at the same time, the crown princess has beautiful hair, a delicate complexion, large blue (slightly bulging) eyes, “looking meekly and soulfully. Her profile was not beautiful, since her nose was not regular, and her chin receded somewhat back. The mouth was thin, with compressed lips... and a barely noticeable ironic smile presented a strange contrast to the expression of her eyes” 44.

A miniature made by A.G. has reached us. Rokshtulem 45 and dated 1855. It depicts Maria Alexandrovna in a luxurious ball gown, with a blue moiré ribbon over her shoulder and a miniature crown on her head. The only jewelry she loves are pearls: in her hair, on her neck and in her ears.

One of the most famous ceremonial portraits of Empress Maria Alexandrovna was the canvas of the artist F.K. Winterhalter, completed in 1857. In this official portrait, painted shortly after the coronation of Alexander II, we see the woman still in all the splendor of her mature beauty. The hair, arms and neck are studded with large pearls. The lush formal dress is richly decorated with lace. In gracefully folded hands there is a finely made bone fan. The young empress seemed to have just left the ballroom.

On the empress’s left hand, along with massive gold bracelets, there are two gold rings on her ring finger.

F.K.Winterhalter. 1857

Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Photo from the 1860s.

It was about them that the chamberlain-jungfer of the Empress A.I. wrote. Yakovleva: “On her left hand she wore a very thick wedding ring and another, equally thick, with patterned chasing, the diameter of the same thickness was attached with a large ruby. This is a family ring, given by the sovereign to all members of the royal family” 46. Unfortunately, the empress’s right hand is not fully visible in the painting, but the chamberlain-jungfer mentions that “on her right hand, on the fourth finger, the Grand Duchess wore many rings; these were the memories of her childhood, youth, there were her mother’s rings; all were not expensive and did not even have any special outward dignity” 47.

In photographs from 1865–1866, taken after a personal tragedy experienced due to the death of her eldest son, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich, who died in April 1865, we see an aged woman, broken by grief. For the rest of her life, she wore dresses in dark colors in memory of her deceased firstborn. It is noteworthy that, being with her dying son, “she was very firm” and cried the least 48. She needed all her strength of character in the 1870s, when she was struggling with her illness and when her husband Alexander II settled his long-term mistress with their children above Maria Alexandrovna’s chambers in the Winter Palace.

Maria Alexandrovna was an empress and knew very well that jealousy displayed on display was bad form. Therefore, she never showed that she was deeply hurt by her husband’s numerous hobbies, which she, in a narrow circle, not without irony, called “my husband’s affections” 49. What this irony cost her, only she herself knew.

Alexander III

The future Alexander III, the second son in the family of Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna, was not considered until 1865 as a possible candidate for the Russian throne. The parents were so confident in their Nix, who was to become Nicholas II, that they did not allow the thought of any misfortune with him. Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich himself was calm about his “second” position and was preparing for a career as a Guards general. At the same time, very warm relations remained between the brothers.

Since childhood, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was distinguished by some heaviness, earning the nickname Bulldog. He was not as graceful and intelligent as his older brother, and this suited his parents, who did not want to see him as a competitor to their eldest son.

When Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich died in Nice in April 1865, his younger brother was next to him, and then he was present when washing the body, helping to dress the deceased in clean linen 50.

The future Alexander III, after the death of his elder brother Nicholas in April 1865, inherited from him not only the title of Tsarevich, but also his bride, the Danish princess Dagmar.

The marriage between the crown prince and the princess was concluded without much love. Alexander, by order of his father-emperor, was forced to abandon his first love, his maid of honor Meshcherskaya. In May 1866 he went to Denmark to get married. It was then that the future Alexander III first put on civilian dress.

Alexander Alexandrovich, who began to put on weight early, was tall and strong, and apparently felt awkward in a civilian suit. However, etiquette required that the Russian crown prince, wooing the Danish princess, be dressed in a private dress. Photographs from this period have survived.

Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich and Dagmar. Photo from 1866

One of them shows a young crown prince in a dark, double-breasted frock coat and a white shirt with a turn-down collar. In this staged photograph (and at that time there were only such ones), the Tsarevich leans on the back of a Viennese chair, holding with his hands a dark bowler hat and gloves, the color of his frock coat. The colorful tie is slightly visible.

This tie is clearly visible in another photograph, less formal, from the same wedding series. This photograph is no longer so static. Dressed in civilian clothes, the Tsarevich can afford a free pose (he sits at ease on a chair with his leg bent), which was completely unacceptable in a military uniform. An unbuttoned frock coat reveals the obligatory vest and Breguet watch chain. The bowler hat is already light, but, apparently, the frock coat, shirt and tie are the same as in the other photograph.

Of course, the Tsarevich had a rich wardrobe, due to his status. However, contemporaries unanimously noted that Alexander III had a hard time getting used to new things. And if he “worn out” something from his wardrobe, he wore this thing until it literally fell apart. This is especially noticeable in the “civilian” things of the Tsarevich. He did not have much skill in wearing frock coats and jackets, but he apparently felt good in some of them. Moreover, this led to the costumes catastrophically losing their appearance, despite all the efforts of the valets. In addition, Emperor Alexander III was gaining weight, and some of the usual but rarely worn frock coats and jackets were becoming small, but the emperor stubbornly refused to wear a new suit. Not out of stinginess, but because I got used to the old things.

Emperor Alexander III. Photo from the 1890s.

The photographs clearly show that the jacket is small when all the buttons are buttoned up, that the pockets are pulled back and that it is “decorated” by numerous folds. It is curious that one of the photographs has multiple reproduction options. Apparently, photographs of the Russian monarch “in civilian life” were such a rarity that photographers actively used retouching when preparing them for reproduction. In the original photograph, Alexander III, dressed in civilian clothes, is held by the arm of his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. In subsequent photographs, Maria Feodorovna was “removed” through the efforts of retouchers, and the emperor stands alone.

As a rule, Alexander III allowed himself to wear suits during his visits to Denmark, his wife’s homeland. These trips had an almost family character. In Denmark, the Russian emperor felt free and allowed himself to appear in public in clothes in which he felt comfortable.

Nevertheless, the emperor had situations when he had to look impeccable. Thus, during a visit to England in 1873, the Russian Tsarevich was impeccable in terms of appearance. This is evidenced by several photographs taken by English photographers during the visit.

Following European fashion trends, the Russian Tsarevich in England could afford to wear a light, fashionable three-piece suit with a fairly large check. It is noteworthy that in the photograph taken in the mid-1870s, we see two loving sisters (Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna, nee Princess Dagmar of Denmark, and Princess Alexandra of Wales, the elder sister of the Russian crown princess) in identical dresses. As a rule, these “paired” dresses were ordered from the famous Parisian tailor Charles Worth. In this way, the sisters demonstrated to everyone their closeness that had persisted since childhood.

Danish royal and Russian imperial families in Denmark.

Photo from the 1890s.

The closest circle of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, knowing the reverent attitude of the mother towards her eldest son, was emphatically critical of Tsarevich Alexander. Count S.D. Sheremetev mentions that, while visiting the Empress’s confidante, maid of honor A.N. Maltsova, he often heard a “weak opinion” about the new Tsarevich 51.

Changes in the character of the future Alexander III were ripening unnoticed even by those who were constantly near him. The point that largely completed the formation of his character was the tragic death of Alexander II. Many of those who saw Alexander III in the March days of 1881 noted for themselves these completely incomprehensible and unexpected changes. Freilina A.F. Tyutcheva wrote down her impressions in her diary on March 25, 1881: “There was something vague, uncertain in his gaze, in his voice and movements, and I noticed this very few years ago. Now, looking at him, I asked myself in amazement how this complete change took place that struck me in him; where did he get this calm and majestic appearance, this complete self-control in movements, in voice and in looks, this firmness and clarity in words, short and distinct - in a word, this free and natural grandeur, combined with an expression of honesty and simplicity , which have always been his distinctive features" 52.

Dress made of patterned velvet and silk. Company "Ch. Worth." Paris. 1880s

Subsequently, these personality traits of Alexander III developed and intensified. Memoirists noted a certain contrast between the king’s retinue and himself. A contrast generated by a calm consciousness of its exclusivity. The artist, critic and art critic A.N. wrote very well about this in his memoirs. Benoit, who accidentally saw the Tsar among his retinue in the theater: “The composition of this dense mass, pushing in different directions, was not distinguished by either beauty, elegance, majesty, or any kind of “thoroughbred.” Most of those present consisted of dignitaries bent under the burden of years and of mostly small, plump, and partly of skinny and comically tall old ladies... The doors of the box swung open, the masters of ceremonies ran out with long canes, and behind them the sovereign appeared, leading the newlywed by the arm... Me

We were struck by its “cumbersomeness,” its heaviness and, after all, its greatness... The sovereign’s face was striking in its significance. I was especially struck by the look of his light (gray? blue?) eyes... This cold, steely gaze, in which there was something menacing and alarming, gave the impression of a blow. The look of a person who stands above everyone else, but who bears a monstrous burden and who every second must fear for his life and the lives of those closest to him!” 53

It should be emphasized that the “specialness” of the king was not an artificial pose generated by the exclusivity of his position, no. This was a special charisma of power that is so rare and so valued by people, perceived on a subconscious level. A.N. Benoit wrote: “I was struck by his extreme simplicity, absolute ease, the absolute absence of any “pose” (the pose of a ruler), which could not be said about either his brother Vladimir, or (especially) about the inaccessible, arrogant leader. book Sergei Alexandrovich" 54.

With a calm awareness of the strength of his power, Alexander III considered himself entitled to periodically “show character.” Contemporaries noted that he knew how to hold and restrain. Despite all the evenness of his character, the tsar could allow himself, partly theatrically, to “be angry”, hitting “his fist on the table, and the blow was serious” 55.

His resolutions are full of harsh and impartial statements and characterizations. He could call a careless subject a harsh word right to his face. As people close to the tsar recalled: “Strong words 56 were inherent in his nature, and this is again a Russian trait, but there was no bitterness in the words. This was the need to vent and sometimes scold from the shoulder, without betraying his good nature. Sometimes at the table and in front of witnesses he spoke without hesitation, straight out, and when his words became very awkward, “she” (Empress Maria Feodorovna. - I. 3.) Half-jokingly, she would turn to me and say: “Quickly tell me something” or “I haven’t heard anything, haven’t I, we haven’t heard anything?”, but, in essence, she was not at all embarrassed by this and always sympathized with him . And this was especially attractive" 57. But at the same time, Alexander III “never said ‘you’ to anyone.” The Nicholas generation saw something patriarchal and paternal in this, but in fact it was not always justified and only confused the concepts... The Tsarevich never allowed himself a shadow of “familiarity” 58 .

Emperor Alexander III (with sideburns)

As a Grand Duke, Tsarevich, and then Emperor, Alexander III emphasized his “Russianness” in every possible way. And there was no affectation, posturing or xenophobia in this. This was an organically inherent feature of him, which was expressed in the use of the Russian language in secular society, and in his clothing, artistic sympathies, and in his appearance itself. Therefore, his ability to “scold, sometimes from the shoulder” and speak “straight to the point” is part of his sincere Russian soul. At the same time, Alexander III knew his ancestry very well and was not mistaken about his “Russianness” “by right of blood.” His mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were German, and many researchers calculated the shares of Russian (minuscule) and German blood in his veins.

However, when he read the “Notes” of Catherine II, from which it can be concluded that the father of Paul I is one of the Russian nobles, and not Peter III, he was sincerely happy, since this increased the share of his Russian blood. Moreover, he did not sympathize with the Slavophiles at all, considering them “mummers” both in spirit and in appearance. Thus, maids of honor A.F., close to the Slavophiles. Tyutchev and A.D. He couldn’t stand Bludov equally, because “he was too Russian a man to be a Slavophile” 59 .

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878. A beard appears on the face of the heir-Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich. This was completely out of the traditions of the reign of Alexander II, but, apparently, responded to some internal impulses of the Tsarevich.

Grand Dukes Vladimir (unknown artist, late 19th century) and Alexey Alexandrovich ( A.I. Korzunin, 1889)

Let us note that the appearance of the crown prince’s beard was not a confrontation with his father, although the relationship between them was very complicated. The fact is that for the duration of hostilities, Alexander II officially allowed officers to wear beards. As you know, the “forbidden fruit” is sweet, and in the army almost all officers began to grow beards. Even the 20-year-old Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich began to grow a beard, writing in his diary on June 9, 1877: “The Emperor allowed beards to be worn during the campaign, and we allow ourselves, and so do I.” 60 However, when the emperor returned to St. Petersburg (December 10, 1877), within a week he demanded that his inner circle put themselves in order. On December 19, Sergei Alexandrovich wrote to the Tsarevich: “My wonderful beard had to be shaved, it was very sad and unpleasant, but the Pope, apparently, does not want people to wear beards” 61.

However, judging by the photographs, the Tsarevich and his younger brothers Vladimir and Alexei never shaved their beards. The beard suited the Tsarevich. Large in body and face, without the “grace” of the nobles of previous reigns, he looked very natural with a beard. As a result, Alexander III became the first “bearded” Russian emperor, resuming in appearance the tradition of the Orthodox Moscow kings of pre-Petrine Rus'.

Emperor Alexander III. I.N. Kramskoy

After the accession of Alexander III, the fashion for beards immediately embraced the entire male half of high society.

Contemporaries, comparing Alexander III with his predecessors, noted his similarity in attitude towards Russia with Nicholas I. It was Nicholas I who was the first of the Russian emperors to loudly and clearly declare his love for Russia and took the first steps towards the “Russification” of high society, and the “relay race” "perceived by Alexander III. Count S.D. Sheremetev, comparing Nicholas I and Alexander III, wrote: “He (Nicholas I. - I. 3.) he himself wanted to be Russian and in his own way, as far as he could, he wanted to be one, although in the clothes of a medieval knight, and not just in the same clothes. But he knew with his own mind that you can rule Russia only by being Russian or by showing that you want to be one. This note did not sound sufficiently in Alexander II, whose feeling was clearly German, inspired by the sentimentalism of his youth. The Russian incarnation of the Tsar in the 19th century took place in Alexander III! That is why it is impossible to reign after without this incarnation...” 62

It should be noted that Alexander III instinctively distinguished a pose from a true feeling. Or at least he was very definite in his likes and dislikes. So, Count S.D. Sheremetev mentions that, having seen a book of Tyutchev’s poems on his table, Alexander III declared that “he does not like Tyutchev at all, both as a poet and as a person” 63 .

It is noteworthy that when Alexander II visited the Anichkov Palace, where the heir lived with his family, everyone felt a certain alienation between father and son. Count S.D. Sheremetev mentions that the presence of Alexander II “somewhat embarrassed everyone, even the owners. The characters and tastes were very different. The sovereign sat down next to the crown princess, started talking to her with a slightly burr, and only occasionally addressed the crown prince... I was struck by this difference between son and father: different techniques, different speeches, different upbringing” 64 .

Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich was not picky about clothes. He, of course, had all the necessary uniforms and frock coats “for his position.” But, unlike his father, he did not have a collection of uniforms. Memoirists claim that Alexander III, as a rule, wore familiar things, completely wearing them out. S.Yu. Witte mentions the emperor's darned trousers and the wedges sewn into his trousers. At home, from a young age, he was accustomed to wearing a jacket 65. Alexander III did not wear jewelry either. Of the rings, he only had a wedding one, and that “towards the end it cracked, so it was dangerous to wear it” 66. The modesty of Russian emperors regarding jewelry was also traditional. Memoirists mention that Alexander I did not wear “any jewelry, not a single ring, and did not even wear a watch” 67.

Speaking about Alexander III, it is worth mentioning such a detail as the tsar’s manner of addressing his comrades and subjects. Memoirists claim that Alexander III became the first tsar to address his subjects as “you.” This is not entirely true. The first monarch who introduced the address “you” to his subjects was Alexander I. However, the imperial court at the beginning of the 19th century. was French-speaking, so the Russian “you” of the emperor did not take root.

Nicholas I, who began the “Russification” of the Imperial Court, addressed his subjects only as “you,” and this habit was adopted by his brothers and sons. At the same time, in his correspondence Nikolai Pavlovich, as a rule, used the address “you”. At the court of Alexander II, the address “you” was preserved. At the same time, Alexander II sometimes used the address “you” to show his reluctance towards his interlocutor, so the royal “you” was very feared. However, times have changed, and the sons of Alexander II gradually acquired the habit of addressing loved ones and subjects only as “you”. Therefore, Alexander III used this appeal.

Emperor Nicholas II

The traditional and familiar appearance of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II developed quite early. While still an heir, in the early 1890s. A small, dandy mustache appeared on the face of young Nikolai Alexandrovich.

Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich during a trip to Japan. Photo 1891

In 1891 photographs of the Tsar during his trip to the East, we see a shaved chin, a short crew cut and a small mustache. Judging by the surviving photographs, the beard on the face of Nicholas II appeared in 1892–1893. In a series of photographs associated with his engagement in April 1894, there is a new image that Nicholas II did not change until the end of his life: a short haircut, parted on the right side, a fairly large, well-groomed mustache and a small, rounded beard. Over time, the mustache became shorter and “merged” with the beard. Small bald patches appeared on my head, and my hair thinned slightly.

The appearance of the king throughout his life is described by many memoirists. They all noted the king’s athleticism and his good physical shape and good health. For example, General Headquarters Yu.N. Danilov described the “late”, 46-year-old Tsar as follows: “The Tsar was of short stature, densely built, with a somewhat disproportionately developed upper half of the body. His rather full neck gave him a not quite agile appearance, and his whole figure leaned forward in a peculiar way when he moved.

Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and Princess Alice of Hesse after their engagement. Photo 1894

Emperor Nicholas II wore a small light oval beard, cast in a reddish color, and had calm gray-green eyes, distinguished by some special impenetrability, which internally always separated him from his interlocutor” 68 .

Nicholas II was very careful about his appearance. This is evidenced by the accounts of hairdressers who visited the king 2–3 times a month. Nicholas II, by virtue of his position, had a fairly extensive wardrobe. The most significant part of it were various military uniforms. Being the chief of many regiments of the Russian army, the emperor put on these uniforms depending on the situation and taking into account many reasons: regimental holidays of the unit that was on guard in the palace, various regimental anniversaries, etc. This collection also included uniforms of regiments of European armies, worn during official visits. The wardrobe also included a civilian dress, which Nicholas II, as a rule, could only afford to wear abroad.

The first series of photographs of Nicholas II in civilian dress dates back to his trip “to the East” in 1890–1891, when he was still a crown prince. In these photographs, the young 22-year-old Tsarevich is dressed in a light “tropical uniform”, and only during official visits did he wear an officer’s uniform.

First family photograph of Coburg. April 1894

During excursions, the Tsarevich, as a rule, dressed in a fashionable light European suit. In the photograph taken in 1891 in Japan, the crown prince is wearing a felt bowler hat. It was this bowler hat that a samurai policeman cut with two strokes of his saber during the assassination attempt on the Tsarevich in May 1891. The State Hermitage still keeps a white shirt with the monograms of Tsarevich Nicholas on it; there are traces of blood on it after the assassination attempt.

Around the same years, the young Tsarevich acquired a hunting suit “made from English matting.” All subsequent years, the style of this hunting suit was invariably preserved. This suit was preserved, and it was from this sweaty suit that experts were able to take genetic material during an examination to identify the remains of Nicholas II in the 1990s.

In 1893, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich visited England. During the visit, it was discovered that the cousins ​​- heirs of the Russian (future Nicholas II) and English (future George V) crowns - were unusually similar. They are so similar that it became the reason for a series of photographs.

The next series of photographs in civil dress was taken during the matchmaking of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich in April 1894. According to tradition, the Russian Tsarevich arrived in Darmstadt in civil suit. In these staged photographs, the Tsarevich is quite constrained and somewhat preoccupied. This is understandable, since the circumstances of the matchmaking with Alice of Hesse turned out to be quite complicated.

Since 1895, Swiss citizen Henry Vollenweider, owner of the Henry company, has been included in the “List” of suppliers of the Supreme Court. In his store, located in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya, 18, he sold naval uniforms and civilian clothing. Its inclusion in the “List” apparently took place by the Supreme decision, since the supply of marine and civilian clothing to the Court by this company began precisely in 1895.

The Henry company supplied civilian clothes to Nicholas II. For example, from April to August 1903, Henry Vollenweider sold 16 items to Nicholas II on account for the amount of 1,043 rubles. The list of these items is very indicative: a frock coat, vest and trousers (worth 150 rubles); tuxedo (150 rub.); three suits (115 rubles each); white tennis suit (RUB 110); autumn coat (140 rub.); frock coat “Fantasy” (30 rubles); three white vests for tailcoats (20 rubles each); cycling pants (RUB 28); vest for a suit (25 rubles); silk tennis belt for 5 rubles.

In the same store, the tailcoats of Nicholas II were cleaned and repaired, and the royal vests were also washed. The store also provided related services: for example, purchased ready-made clothes were adjusted to the customer’s figure.

It should be emphasized once again that Nicholas II appeared in civilian dress very rarely, and even the emperor’s inner circle, who were constantly next to him, saw the Tsar in civilian dress and perceived this as an incongruity.

Emperor Nicholas II during a visit to Germany. Photo 1910

At the same time, as follows from the accounting accounts, the tsar’s wardrobe had all the necessary civilian items, and they were carefully monitored. In 1897, during a trip to his wife’s homeland in Darmstadt, Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna made an incognito trip to Frankfurt am Main. They were dressed in the usual private costumes of wealthy bourgeois. Those around the young emperor immediately noted that Nicholas II was not in the habit of wearing civilian dress, and the top hat he was wearing was of poor quality 69 .

Quite a few photographs of Nicholas II, dressed in civilian clothes, remained after visiting Germany in the fall of 1910. The main purpose of the trip was the treatment of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in her homeland in Darmstadt. The family of Nicholas II stayed abroad for about three months. The visit was of a family, private nature, and Nicholas II for the most part dressed in civilian dress, and a very varied one at that. At first this was surprising. For example, the Empress’s friend A.A. Vyrubova, when she first saw Nicholas II dressed “in civilian clothes” in 1910, noted this fact in her memoirs: “The Emperor came in civilian dress. Out of habit, it was somehow strange to see him like that, although at the same time it was very amusing." 7 "

After 1910, Nicholas II made several more trips abroad, during which he had the opportunity to wear civilian dress. One of the last foreign visits took place in May 1913. In August 1914, Russia entered the First World War, since that time Nicholas II never wore civilian dress. Dressed in a soldier's tunic, he met death in July 1918.

Tailors of Nicholas II

As already noted, Russian emperors wore only military uniforms in their homeland. As a rule, it was sewn by tailors who specialized in the production of military uniforms. A tailored military uniform required many more elements, from hats, shoulder straps, aiguillettes and boots. All this was purchased in the so-called officers' stores. The owners of these stores eventually found themselves among the suppliers of the Imperial Court.

The owner of the officer's clothing store, manufacturer I. Skosyrev, was considered the oldest supplier. The family business existed since 1812. The store was located in St. Petersburg at 4 Vladimirsky Prospekt. Using the “List” of imperial suppliers, one can reconstruct three generations of the Skosyrev family, who successively received the high title of supplier of the Supreme Court: the manufacturer I. Skosyrev received the title of supplier of the Supreme Court even in 1857, then the title was confirmed by his son Vasily Skosyrev, supplier since 1863. Alexander Skosyrev, supplier since 1895, completed the merchant dynasty.

In the military store M.I. Skosyrev, who sold uniforms for officers, purchased goods worth 1,234 rubles for Emperor Nicholas II in 1903. 90 kopecks These are mainly small things: two scarves, seven caps of various regiments, uniform belts, cap badges, saber buckles, epaulettes, etc.

Since the Russian emperors were chiefs of various foreign regiments, the suppliers included German ones (I. Eisner, Berlin, from 1862; Theodor von Linker, Darmstadt, from 1896; Felix Collani and Oscar Curde, owners of the company L.H. Berger Collani ", Berlin, since 1903) and Danish (A.N. Herlin, since 1910) tailors.

One of the outstanding St. Petersburg military tailors of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. was Nikolai Ivanovich Nordenstrem, supplier to the Imperial Court since 1895. Firm "Nordenstrem N." was one of the oldest companies in the capital, specializing in the manufacture of military uniforms. It was founded by Nikolai Ivanovich Nordenstrem, who came to St. Petersburg from Sweden in 1821. In 1841, the workshop passed to his nephew Andrei Ivanovich, in 1852 - to Nikolai Ivanovich and in 1856 - to Karl Ivanovich Nordenstrem. The company had an atelier and a store at 46 Nevsky Prospekt. In the early 1900s. K.N. became the head of the company. Nordenström. The company's tailors and cutters carried out very important orders - they sewed uniforms for Alexander III, his younger brothers, Grand Dukes Alexei, Sergei and Pavel Alexandrovich.

Accounts N.I. Nordenström for the military uniform supplied for Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich from 1884 to 1895 amounted to 14,500 rubles. His first deliveries to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich date back to 1877. From December 1902 to December 1903, Nordenström’s store supplied 15 items and 2 sets of military uniforms worth 1,572 rubles. This list includes: Horse Guards tunic (225 rubles); winter dolman (250 rub.); ceremonial cuirass (55 rub.); jacket (100 rub.); jacket of the Moscow regiment (100 rubles); jacket of the Preobrazhensky regiment (100 rubles); naval jacket (110 rub.); vest (15 rub.); three pairs of trousers (38 rubles each); double-breasted jacket of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (90 rubles); trousers for naval uniform (38 RUR); trousers for infantry uniform (40 rubles); ceremonial infantry uniform (145 rubles); ceremonial uniform of the Consolidated Regiment (135 rubles). The same tailor accepted the royal uniforms for cleaning and repair. Some of the uniforms, vests and trousers were arranged by the tailor, as in 1903 the Tsar began to put on weight.

In the atelier of a famous tailor, uniforms were sewn for the Grand Dukes Konstantin and Dmitry Konstantinovich; Grand Dukes Nicholas and Peter Nikolaevich; Grand Dukes George and Alexander Mikhailovich; Grand Dukes Kirill, Boris and Andrei Vladimirovich, as well as for Alexander and Konstantin Petrovich of Oldenburg, for Prince Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, Duke Eugene Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg 71. Any officer of the Imperial Guard considered it obligatory for himself to have his uniform sewn from “old man Nordenström.” Through the workshop of N.I. Almost all wealthy guards officers who “built” their uniforms passed through Nordenström, the supplier of the Imperial Court.

Coronation dress of Alexandra Feodorovna and uniform of Nicholas II

"Blue" (identified by the color of the uniform) cuirassier B.C. Trubetskoy wrote in his memoirs: “Every day after the exercises I went to St. Petersburg, where my first duty was to visit the venerable Nordenström, the famous St. Petersburg military tailor... there I endlessly tried on the officer’s jacket, frock coats, uniforms, tunics, coats, the Nikolaev overcoat, short and long leggings and chakhchirs with stripes for the parade, for living rooms and for everyday life” 72.

For the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896, a special uniform was sewn; it is currently kept in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin in the collection of coronation clothes of Russian monarchs. Since the coronation ceremony included the very significant sacrament of anointing, special holes were made on the uniform and boots for performing the sacrament. The uniform had a flap on the chest; by folding it back, one could anoint the emperor’s naked chest with myrrh. As the valet who dressed Nicholas II before the coronation recalled: “The uniform and soles of the sovereign’s boots had pre-made holes through which the sacrament of anointing was performed. Having changed clothes, the sovereign ordered to remove the uniform and boots, which were to be kept as a shrine and as a historical relic" 73 .

Russian emperors, like ordinary people, got used to certain clothes and had difficulty parting with them. The same thing happened with Nicholas II. He wore the same things for years, preferring patched and darned, but familiar details of the toilet. This, of course, made life difficult for his valets. Like all Romanovs, he passionately loved military uniforms. Hundreds of military uniforms were stored in his wardrobes, some of them can now be seen in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. By 1917, up to 1,500 of the emperor’s uniforms were stored in ash cabinets in Nicholas II’s dressing room in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. In fact, he was supposed to have a complete set of uniforms for all regiments of the Russian army. During ceremonial exits, he put on the uniform of the regiment that was on guard duty at the imperial residence at that time. Nevertheless, Nicholas II preferred the uniform of the Preobrazhensky and Life Hussars 74. With pleasure, Nicholas II wore the crimson blouse of the Guards Riflemen.

There were other, incomparably smaller expenses for clothing, but they show how wide the circle of people involved in the personal service of the emperor was. So, in 1902, the Cossack of the Own Convoy, Platon Monastyrsky, “corrected” the Tsar’s Circassian coat and beshmet in the uniform of his Own Convoy and received 10 rubles for the work.

Character and behavior

Many traits in the behavior of Nicholas II are due to his childhood. Several episodes from childhood and adolescence played a significant role in the formation of the king’s personality. Nicholas II remembered them many years later. Thus, little Nicholas was deeply impressed by the episode with ball lightning that flew into the palace church during the service. He saw that Emperor Alexander II remained completely calm during this incident, and the desire to imitate his grandfather forced him to consciously develop extraordinary self-control 75. On March 1, 1881, the 12-year-old future Nicholas II looked at his dying grandfather, covered in blood, Alexander II, fading away in his office on the second floor of the Winter Palace. He was certainly shocked, and this sight was also deposited in the deep layers of his personality. In October 1888, the 19-year-old Tsarevich almost died during a train accident near the Borki station near Kharkov. In May 1891, an attempt was made on Nikolai Alexandrovich’s life in Japan, which left a “notch” on his head.

Emperor Nicholas II. E.K.Litart. 1900

Nicholas II did not immediately acquire the skill and habit of countless public appearances and appearing in public as the first person of the state. At first, this caused him real stress. However, over time, the skill was acquired, but, nevertheless, despite his outward calmness and “impenetrability,” he, like any person, was nervous, and “outwardly the embarrassment of the sovereign was expressed, for example, in the well-known constant stroking of his mustache and scratching left eye" 76. This persistent internal uncertainty of the tsar, despite the outward “impenetrable” calm, was noted by many attentive memoirists, especially those who could observe the tsar for a long time in his daily life. Thus, one of the General Headquarters recalled that “these features of the sovereign were revealed externally by nervous twitching of the shoulders, rubbing of the hands and excessively frequent coughing, which was then accompanied by the unconscious smoothing of the beard and mustache with the hand” 77 .

Gradually, Nicholas II developed a certain “defensive” manner of behavior, which became part of his business style: “All gestures and movements of Emperor Nicholas II were very measured, even slow. This feature was inherent in him, and people who knew him closely said that the sovereign was never in a hurry, but he was never late” 78.

Since every word of the emperor was carefully listened to, Nicholas II realized early on that the consequences of the most, in his opinion, harmless remarks could turn out to be very serious. Therefore, he was very rarely frank with his interlocutors; he preferred to listen, keeping his opinions to himself. He did not want to argue, to prove what seemed completely obvious to him. Many people mistakenly took the emperor’s silence for agreement with their opinion and then experienced severe disappointment when the emperor acted as he considered necessary. Then conversations immediately began about the king's duplicity. People who knew the tsar closely unanimously noted his “ability to control himself and hide his inner experiences. In the most dramatic moments of his life, external calm did not leave him” 79.

The king's calmness and restraint in stressful situations remained a mystery to his contemporaries and gave rise to a wide variety of rumors. Restraint in behavior and assessments, in imitation of his grandfather, was formed by him consciously from childhood, and then became a mask, so fused with himself that it was difficult to separate the developed fatalism of his nature and consciously hidden emotions. Aide-de-camp A. Mordvinov (his father-in-law was the Englishman K.I. Heath, the tutor and teacher of the young Tsarevich) also emphasized that “even as a boy he almost never got excited or lost his composure” 80 .

Government activity is inevitably associated with resolving complex, conflict situations. It is common knowledge that the king tried to avoid them. This is explained in different ways. Some write about his upbringing, which prevented him from saying unpleasant things to his dignitaries, others see in this a manifestation of a kind of double-mindedness and Jesuitism. For example, S.Yu. Witte, who did not have any special sympathy for the tsar, noted that “the sovereign is by nature an indifferent optimist. Such persons feel a feeling of fear only when a thunderstorm is in front of their eyes, and as soon as it moves behind the nearest door, it instantly passes” 81. Minister of Public Education A.N. Schwartz wrote that “he never seemed to be angry. I myself have never seen his anger, and I have never heard about its manifestations from others” 82. Minister of War A. Roediger believed that “despite the difficult days that befell him, he never lost his composure, always remained even-tempered and friendly, an equally diligent worker. He told me that he is an optimist." 83

The king’s behavior in stressful situations is especially noteworthy. During his reign, quite a few of them arose. But wars are events that shake any power to its foundations. On the day the Russo-Japanese War began, Minister of War A.N. Kuropatkin wrote in his diary: “January 28, 1904. At the report on the 27th, the sovereign was pale, but calm” 84. The Ambassador of the German Empire, Count Pourtales, who informed the Tsar about the declaration of war in 1914, also noted this extraordinary self-control; it even gave him the impression of some kind of mental anomaly: “On July 31, 1914, the Tsar calmly listened to me, without betraying the slightest movement of a muscle, what’s going on in his soul….I got the impression that my tall interlocutor was either gifted with self-control in an extraordinary manner, or had not yet had time, despite my very serious statements, to comprehend the full gravity of the situation that had arisen” 85.

The king's behavior during the abdication caused a lot of talk. The most frequently quoted phrase is from the official historiographer of General Headquarters, General D.N. Dubensky, said during interrogation in August 1917: “He is such a fatalist that I cannot imagine... he abandoned the Russian throne, just as he surrendered the squadron” 86. This ostentatious calm deeply offended many and, in turn, forced them to take a calm view of the death of the Tsar himself and his family in the summer of 1918. But at the same time, the general, who had encountered the Tsar only since 1914, considered it necessary to add: “I think , many psychologists will write about this, and it will be difficult for them to find out; but to conclude that this is an indifferent person would be incorrect.”

The impression of the tsar’s excessive calm deeply struck A.I., who accepted the text of the renunciation. Guchkova. During interrogation at the Extraordinary Investigative Commission established by the Provisional Government, on August 2, 1917, he shared his observations: “In general, I must say that this whole scene made a very difficult impression in one respect, ... that it immediately occurred to me: yes, we have Are we dealing with a normal person? I've always had doubts about this before, but this scene; she convinced me even more deeply that this man simply, until the last moment, was not fully aware of the situation, the act that he was committing... it seemed to me that these people should have understood that they were dealing with a person , which cannot be considered normal in all respects” 87.

Not everyone shared this opinion. Those who knew the tsar well for many years wrote that this “unbreakable” calm was just a mask. They emphasized that in order to maintain this familiar mask, the king sometimes needed serious volitional efforts. Baroness S.K., who knew him well. Buxhoeveden recalled that “restraint was second nature to him. Many asked: was he fully aware of the tragedy of some events? – his attitude was so calm, his expression was so secretive. In fact, it was a mask." 88 A. Blok quotes the words of General D.N. Dubensky: “When he talked to Fredericks about Alexei Nikolaevich, one on one, I know he still cried” 89.

The king allowed only his closest people to see his real experiences. The Tsar’s younger sister Ksenia wrote in her diary that after a reception in the Winter Palace in April 1906 on the occasion of the opening of the sessions of the First State Duma: “Many cried! Mom and Alyx cried, and poor Nicky stood in tears, his self-control finally left him, and he could not stop himself from crying! A very characteristic remark from the sister is “finally.” Apparently, the sovereign’s excessive calm oppressed even the people closest to him 90 . Anna Vyrubova mentions in her memoirs that when the Tsar returned to Tsarskoye Selo after his abdication on March 9, 1917, he “cryed like a child in front of his wife” 91 . She also conveys the words of the king: “You see, all this excited me very much, so that for all the following days I could not even write my diary” 92. One of the tsar’s biographers, E.E. Alferyev, in the very title of his book, expressed the idea of ​​his extraordinary will. He wrote that “through constant hard work on himself, he developed superhuman self-control and never expressed his experiences in any obvious way. By his nature, the Sovereign was very closed... Ignorance gave rise to misunderstanding” 93 .

This external and emotional “closedness” of the tsar also had objective reasons: too many people in conversations with him were looking for the slightest manifestations of any emotions, on the basis of which they could judge Nicholas II’s attitude to their words. The Tsar wanted to maintain complete privacy of his thoughts and sentiments regarding the views and arguments of his next interlocutor, in order to avoid any gossip and retain a certain freedom of maneuver. And for this purpose the mask of impenetrable calm was unusually well suited. In general, such behavior was atypical for Russian monarchs, because due to their position they could not afford to restrain their emotions, and “royal anger” was generally an integral part of their “royal profession.” Therefore, P.A. Stolypin and burst out one day: “Be angry for once, Your Majesty!”

Soviet historians of the 1920s who dealt with this issue agreed that this calmness was the result of the tsar’s special psycho-emotional make-up. For example, P.E. Shchegolev stated: “Nikolai’s sensitivity was extremely reduced, it was below the level required for a normal person” 94.

It seems to us that there is no reason to talk about any mental anomaly. Such restrained behavior is the result of many years of volitional efforts that have become a habit and become the second person. In addition, the tsar’s religiosity, bordering on fatalism, also contributed to a certain detached view of the events taking place, and the image of a calm, self-controlled tsar impressed those around him. But he was impressed only in conditions of stability. In a situation of impending collapse, clearly felt by many contemporaries, this excessive calm was perceived as lack of will, as a mental anomaly, which in turn undermined the prestige of imperial power.

Protopresbyter of the Russian Army and Navy G.P. writes about the pathological impression of the “impenetrable” calm of the Tsar. Shavelsky. In his memoirs, he cites a very interesting phrase of Nicholas II, uttered in July 1916 in a conversation with Foreign Minister S.D. Sazonov: “I, Sergei Dmitrievich, try not to think about anything and find that this is the only way to rule Russia. Otherwise I would have been in a coffin long ago” 95.

The degree of influence of the monarch on his closest employees is very important. It is common knowledge that Nicholas I and Alexander III possessed a distinct charisma of power. This charisma was based both on their character and on their “professional-official” ability to subjugate. As for Nicholas II, he had an inner conviction in the divinity of his power, but the intelligent tsar considered it unnecessary to convince anyone of this. Therefore, he responded to all attempts to argue with him with silence, and then, after a while, “removed” the arguer from the political arena. Those who worked directly with the Tsar were convinced that the Tsar was “weak.” According to V.I. Gurko, on the one hand, Nicholas II “did not know how to instill his will in his employees,” but on the other, “his employees were not able to convince the tsar of anything and impose their way of thinking on him” 96 . What was tragic for the fate of Russia was that at the head of a huge empire “at the turning point” was a man who did not have “that inner power that conquers people, forcing them to obey unquestioningly” 97 .

Concluding the conversation about the characteristics of the king’s character, I would like to cite one little-known fact, which again raises difficult questions. Nicholas II, like his grandfather and father, was a passionate hunter. According to the procedure adopted by the Ministry of the Court, at the end of each hunting season a final list of royal hunting trophies was compiled. Thus, in this list of Nicholas II, along with traditional bears, bison, deer, and wolves, crows, stray cats and dogs were constantly present. And in huge quantities. Thus, according to the author’s calculations, in just six years (1896, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1908, 1911) the tsar shot 3,786 “stray” dogs, 6,176 “stray” cats and 20,547 crows 98 . It is difficult to understand why the king needed these unfortunate dogs and cats, where and how he shot them. Was this not a kind of outlet for the deeply hidden aggressiveness of the outwardly meek king?

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was not loved in Russia. And by 1917 they already hated him. This attitude towards the empress was also evident in descriptions of her appearance: “It cannot be said that the external impression made by her was favorable. Despite her wonderful hair, which lay like a heavy crown on her head, and her large dark blue eyes under long eyelashes, there was something cold and even repulsive in her appearance. The proud pose was replaced by an awkward bending of the legs, similar to a curtsey when greeting or saying goodbye. When talking or tired, the face became covered with red spots, the hands were fleshy and red” 99. At the same time, no one was interested in the fact that the empress had sore legs, and the “awkward bending of her legs” was connected precisely with this. However, her character really was, as they say, complex.

The Empress, like any woman “of position and opportunity,” paid great attention to her appearance. At the same time, there were nuances. Thus, the empress practically did not use cosmetics and did not curl her beautiful hair. Only on the eve of big palace appearances did the hairdresser, with her permission, use curling irons. The Empress did not get her nails done, “because His Majesty could not stand manicured nails” 100. Of the perfumes, the Empress preferred “White Rose” from the Atkinson perfume company. They, according to her, are transparent, without any impurity and infinitely fragrant. She used Verbena 101 as eau de toilette.

The grand duchesses also developed their own perfume preferences when they grew up. The girls, as befits their age, experimented, but over time they settled on the perfumes of the French company Coty. At the same time, Tatyana preferred “Jasmin de Corse” (“Corsican Jasmine”), Olga preferred “Rose Tee” (“Tea Rose”), Maria changed perfumes every now and then, but ultimately settled on “Lilac”, and constant Anastasia’s perfume was “Violet” 102.

The reign of Nicholas II, which began in October 1894, immediately replenished the List of suppliers of the Imperial Court with new tailors. Of the foreigners, only two newcomers appeared: the firm of Davis and Son (since 1895, London) and the firm of tailor Redfern (since 1895, Paris). It should be taken into account that all other foreign tailors included in the List since the early 1860s continued to fulfill orders from the Russian Imperial Court.

A feature of this period was the appearance of “own” Lists of suppliers for the dowager and reigning empresses. Thus, in the List of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna by 1915, there were four tailors: Radfern (since 1895, London; apparently, this master had workshops in London and Paris); ladies' tailor Pavel Kitaev (from 1903) and Rene Brisac, as “the successor of the French citizen Albert Brisac” (from 1914, Petrograd).

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. N.K. Bondarevsky. 1907

I would like to emphasize that, speaking about women’s dresses in the context of the everyday life of the Imperial Court, habitually dressed in uniforms, one should keep in mind that even “non-uniform” dresses had the meaning of the “Table of Ranks”. In other words, even the “ordinary” dress of a Grand Duchess or Empress should clearly demonstrate her status. And primacy in the “Table…” remained with the empresses. If this rule was violated, then those around them one way or another put the violator in her place. A similar incident was described by a memoirist in November 1887. After a gala dinner, Empress Maria Feodorovna “expressed her intention to change her elegant and cut-out dress to a more modest suit, and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna announced that she would not change her outfit and would go to the theater (the first performance was to take place there Verdi's opera Otello. I. 3.) in the same cut-out dress and diamond tiara. The Emperor approached Maria Pavlovna and half-jokingly, half-seriously ordered her to dress in the same attire as the Empress in terms of elegance” 103.

It should be noted that male memoirists not only very carefully monitored the level of women's ceremonial attire, but also skillfully described them: “... The empress had a white satin dress, in front it split in two and revealed a silver glazed, silver embroidered triangular field, the same on the sides there were slits in which one could see bunches of satin made, crumpled, arranged in several rows; on the sleeves below the shoulders there were very artistically executed bandages. The whole dress was trimmed with small silk balls that resembled pearls. On the Empress's neck was an excellent necklace made of large pearls in one row. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna also wore a white satin dress, also with the front part embroidered in silver. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna is wearing pink, trimmed with sable fur, having a shape that at the end of the last century was called the “Polish style” 104.

Five tailors are mentioned in the List of the reigning Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Alexandra Feodorovna’s first “own” St. Petersburg dressmaker was a certain Morin-Blosier in 1902. In 1907, the ladies' tailor Mikhailov joined the Empress's personal list. It is noteworthy that the two empresses had some of the same tailors. Thus, Pavel Kitaev, who “automatically” 105 inherited the title of court supplier from his teacher Ilya Krylov (supplier since 1878), was simultaneously included in the Lists of both empresses in 1903. His workshop was located at Nevsky Prospekt, 68/40, near Anichkov bridge.

In May 1896, the coronation of Nicholas II took place in Moscow. In the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, three thrones were installed on the platform. Two of them were intended for the dowager and acting empresses. For them, an important part of preparing the celebrations was sewing ceremonial dresses for the coronation ceremony. The entourage of the empresses jealously monitored the preparation of the ceremonial robes of the empresses.

The dress of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna cost 4,040 rubles. This amount included the purchase of material from the “silver edge”, manufactured at the weaving factory of the suppliers of the Sapozhnikov Imperial Court (855 rubles). The main amount was paid for the artistic embroidery of this fabric, made in Mme Zaleman’s workshop (3000 rubles). Sewing the dress itself became the cheapest item in the total cost of dresses (185 rubles). The dress was made by “craftswoman Ivanova.”

The coronation dress of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna cost 5,857 rubles. It is noteworthy that the sketches of the coronation dress for the Empress were prepared by both recognized fashion designers and amateurs. The maid of honor M.N. was responsible for this “section of work.” Ermolov, she presented Alexandra Fedorovna with four dress designs to choose from. Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna chose the design of the maid of honor Ermolova herself, based on themes gleaned from the ancient sacristy of the Novospassky Moscow Monastery. The amateur maid of honor was paid 300 rubles for a successful sketch. The final drawing of the sketch, sewing on paper and fabric was done by Mrs. Teichart (200 rubles). The material was purchased at the Moscow Sapozhnikov factory (747 rubles). Traditionally, the fabric had a “silver edge” and was very heavy. Taking into account the fact that the coronation ceremony was very long in the crowded Assumption Cathedral, and Alexandra Feodorovna’s legs hurt, the Sapozhnikov manufacturers were given the task of producing a special “lightweight” fabric. They successfully completed the task, but it cost the customers money. The embroidery of the fabric was done by the nuns of the Ivanovo Monastery in Moscow (4,000 rubles). The dress was sewn by the most famous craftswoman who specialized in formal dresses, Mrs. Bulbenkova (M-me Olga company). Sewing cost 610 rubles. 106 After the coronation, the uniform of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna’s dress were handed over to the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.

Over time, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna developed a circle of fashion designers who sewed for her. Of these, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna preferred things “from Brizak.” The fashion house, founded by the French citizen Brisac, was also included in the Lists of both empresses. In 1914, the Trading House was headed by Rene Brisac, confirming the title of court supplier.

The name of Albert Brisac, or, as he was called in Russia, August Lazarevich, was widely known at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. In his memoirs, the last owner of the company, Rene Brisac, mentions that he was born in 1885 in St. Petersburg. A few years earlier, his “grandfather and grandmother founded a large fashion house in this city.” By 1885, Rene’s parents, Albert Brisac and his wife, were already at the helm of the company. Already in the 1880s. Among the clients of the Albert Brisac Trading House were “Her Imperial Majesty Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Alexander III, and the entire imperial family. Later, Her Imperial Majesty Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, as well as their four daughters, the Grand Duchesses: Maria, Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia, became a client of the House... All clothes, from sailor suits worn by the little Grand Duchesses, to dresses and the coats they wore as young girls were produced by the House of A. Brisac" 107 .

It should be noted that not only Albert Brisac performed the duties of the company's chief fashion designer. Judging by the memoirs of A.A. Vyrubova, his wife also actively worked in the family company. Moreover, Vyrubova directly mentioned that the female half of the family of Nicholas II had “M-me Brizaak” as a dressmaker. A talented female fashion designer created styles that later gave memoirists reason to mention that the female half of Nicholas II’s family dressed simply, but tastefully 108 . Rene Brisac also writes that “the Empress loved my mother very much, she treated her with great confidence and often consulted with her regarding her children” 109.

It really was like that. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna closely monitored the appearance of her daughters, and their costumes were made by the same tailors as the Empress herself. As a rule, suits were ordered in the same cut for all four daughters. Or two paired suits for the “seniors” - Olga and Tatyana and two identical ones for the “younger” - Maria and Anastasia. The girls had different attitudes to the endless fittings. For example, Grand Duchess Tatiana was very fond of outfits, and any dress, even the simplest one, looked great on her 110.

If you look at the Empress’s accounts for only one year (1914), then according to the accounts of “V. Brisac,” who sewed “for girls,” paid very decent sums 111.

Madame Brisac sewed, in addition to empresses, a significant part of the wealthy ladies of St. Petersburg. So, in 1907, when

Lily Den was introduced to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna for the first time, she was wearing “a simple white dress from Bressac (original spelling. – I. 3.) and a hat decorated with roses.” The Empress liked the young girl's outfit 112.

It must be admitted that Madame Brisac perfectly took into account the peculiarities of the psychology of her customers, exploiting their vanity. Since it was well known that she dressed all the ladies of the Romanov family, she openly “raised” the prices. One of the memoirists cites the following episode, describing Madame Brisac’s working methods: “She was a tall, dark woman. Every time she appeared to supervise the fitting, I pointed out to her the high cost of her services. Brissac first looked at me with an offended expression on her face, then whispered with a conspiratorial look: “I ask Your Imperial Highness not to tell anyone about this in Tsarskoe Selo, but I will make a discount for you.” Aliki later told me about how she complained about the too high prices, to which Madame Brissac replied: “I ask you, Your Imperial Majesty, not to tell anyone about this, but I always make a discount for Your Majesty.” Aliki and I laughed heartily! What an old rascal! She made so much money from us that she could live in grand style in her own mansion in St. Petersburg” 113.

It should be noted that when ordering each new dress, Alexandra Fedorovna was indeed always interested in its price and complained about its high cost. This was not penny-pinching, it was a habit absorbed from a poor childhood and reinforced at the English Puritan court of Queen Victoria. The empress’s closest friend wrote that “raised in a small court, the Empress knew the value of money and therefore was thrifty. Dresses and shoes were passed from the senior grand duchesses to the younger ones” 114. Surprisingly, the royal daughters literally wore out their clothes one after another. This memoir evidence is also confirmed by invoices to the supplier tailors who altered children's clothing.

Store of the Trading House "A. Brizak was included in the unofficial list of “status” stores that relatives of the imperial family could personally visit. However, store owners had to strictly comply with certain requirements related to the fact that their customers were among the protected persons. For example, entrepreneurs had to notify the police in advance about the intention of royal customers to visit the store. In this regard, R. Brizak wrote: “I remember very well the fine that was imposed on my poor father by the police on the day when Grand Duchess Olga, the emperor’s sister, unexpectedly arrived at the store, taking my poor mother by surprise, to look new models that arrived the day before from Paris. My poor father simply forgot to inform the neighborhood police post. And only thanks to the intervention of Grand Duchess Olga this fine was never paid” 115.

In 1901, Rene Brisac, after graduating from school, took up activities far from the family business: he worked as an apprentice at the Central Electric Networks company, and as an industrial designer at the Lessner metallurgical plant, which was one of the first in Russia to produce automobile chassis.

In 1906, grandfather Rene, who laid the foundation of the family business in St. Petersburg, died at Chateau de Vilar in the town of Saint-Marceline in France. By the beginning of 1914, the management of the Trading House had changed. Albert Brisac and his wife handed over the family business to their son René, who was included in the List as a supplier to both empresses in 1914. Then Albert Brisac and his wife left Russia, but when they ended up in Germany, the First World War began. Abandoning all their belongings, they fled from Germany to Switzerland. After the outbreak of the war, French citizen Rene Brisac went to France, where he took part in the hostilities. Rene Brisac, leaving for his homeland in August 1914, left “at the helm” of the Trading House “A. Brizak" his wife. In the autumn of 1914, with great difficulty, the owners of the company - the Brizak couple - returned to Russia through England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The old Brisacs were forced to once again take charge of the family business. At the end of 1914, “Mrs. V. Brizak” donated 400 rubles. to the Warehouse of Things organized by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in the Winter Palace 116.

In December 1916, Rene Brisac received a telegram from his mother in Petrograd that his father, the famous fashion designer Albert Brisac, had died. Rene immediately left France for Russia. It should be noted that the Brizakov family was known not only in Russia, but also in France. So, in 1916, Rene’s cousin Marc Brisac was the head of government and minister of aviation of France. Another cousin, Jules Brisac, ran public charities.

Evening dress. Workshop of A. Brizak. Saint Petersburg. Beginning of the 20th century

Rene Brisac returned to Petrograd in February 1917 and was received by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. She did not receive him as the head of the Fashion House “A. Brisac”, but as a representative of the allied France 117. After Rene Brisac arrived at the palace, he was taken to a small hall on the first floor of the Alexander Palace. On this day, Brisac was the only one received by the Empress. The Empress greeted Rene Brisac very warmly, blessing him and kissing him on the forehead. But the conversation between the interlocutors did not touch on current trends in women's fashion. The concerns were different. After asking about the family, the Empress began asking Brisac about the mood in the French army and asked his opinion about the timing of the end of the war. Apparently, this was one of Alexandra Fedorovna’s last receptions on the eve of the February Revolution of 1917.

After the February Revolution of 1917, the Brizaks began to gradually wind down the family business in Petrograd. They saw no prospects for business development in the new Russia, where three generations of their family had worked for more than 40 years. There are good reasons for such pessimism. In the spring of 1917, the Trading House “A. Brizak" was headed by the representative of the Petrograd Soviet, their best cutter, who had worked in the company since 1899. All the company's accounts were blocked, and R. Brizak could only manage them with the approval of the former cutter. Brizaks were strictly forbidden to transfer money abroad and send their goods there. Thus, already in the spring of 1917, the Brizaks ceased to be the masters of their business. In fact, this was the end of one of the most famous fashion houses in Russia.

In this situation, mother and son Brizaki decided to leave Russia for France. They tried to “recapture” part of their property and achieved their goal! R. Brizak emphasizes that this was only possible thanks to the “benevolent assistance of our former employees, dedicated staff, most of whom have seen me since my birth.” The terms of the deal with the new government were as follows: The Brizaks left to the staff of the Trading House all the real estate acquired by the Brizaks during their 40 years of living in Russia, including all the goods of the Model House. A warehouse with fine furs - chinchillas, sables and ermines - was placed at the disposal of the employees.

There was also an amazing collection of lace, a large number of fabrics, among which were numerous sections of magnificent Lyon brooches, ordered for court visits and for sewing stylish dresses. In addition, the Brizaks were obliged to pay in advance each of the workers and employees of the Trading House, of whom there were about two hundred people in 1917, their full annual salary. Under these conditions, the Brisacs were allowed to take out all their personal jewelry and the sum of ten thousand rubles, or twenty-five thousand gold francs.

In 1923, Rene Brisac, while in Finland, visited Petrograd for the last time. He stayed in the city for only one day, but this gave him a reason to write: “The name Brizak was too famous in Russia, for more than half a century we had the honor of being suppliers to the imperial family, and it is obvious that this could not please the Soviet government” 118. In 1930, Rene Brisac's mother died; for many years she was a colleague of the outstanding fashion designer Albert Brisac. She was buried in Paris at the Montparnasse cemetery.

Along with the Brizaks, all the ladies of the court knew well the name of the fashion designer Olga Nikolaevna Bulbenkova (1835–1918). She became the creator of a fashion workshop that specialized in sewing luxurious court dresses.

It was she who sheathed the empresses Maria Alexandrovna and Maria Fedorovna. Mrs. Olga sewed for Empress Maria Feodorovna after her accession to the throne in 1881. Her workshop in the 1880s. was located at the address: Millionnaya St., Chertkova village, No. 25–27, apt. 13. At the end of March 1881, Maria Fedorovna paid her a bill for 200 rubles: “Mrs. Olga. Dresses, mantillas and court trains: white Fan dress with two bodices (satin 50 RUR; canaus 28 RUR; agramant 49 RUR; lace 21 RUR; flounce 7 RUR; stock 10 RUR; style 35 RUR)" 119.

Since the so-called Russian court dress involved gold embroidery, the width of which depended on the position of the lady in the court hierarchy, gold embroidery work was performed for “Mrs. Olga” in the workshop of I.A. Vasiliev, located on the Catherine Canal. Gold embroidery on court dresses intended for the royal family was performed in the Moscow Novodevichy Convent. At the beginning of the 20th century. affairs of O.N. Bulbenkova was practically led by her niece, Ariadna Konstantinovna Willim (1890–1976).

Alexandra Feodorovna's ceremonial dress. Beginning of the 20th century

It should be noted that women's court dress embroidered in gold as an important element of the palace uniform appeared under Nicholas I, in the early 1830s. November 27, 1833 A.S. Pushkin noted in his diary: “...They condemn very ladies’ uniforms - velvet, embroidered with gold - especially in our time, poor and disastrous” 120. In 1834, the female “court uniform” was regulated in detail in the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire: “For ladies of state and ladies-in-waiting: green velvet outer dress, with gold embroidery on the tail and side, the same as the sewing on the ceremonial uniforms of the Court ranks. The skirt is white, made of whatever material anyone wishes, with the same gold embroidery around and on the front of the skirt. For the mentors of the Grand Duchesses: blue velvet outer dress; white skirt; gold embroidery of the same pattern. For Her Majesty's maids of honor: crimson velvet outer dress; white skirt; sewing too, as mentioned above. For the maids of honor of the Grand Duchess: dress and skirt, like those of Her Majesty's maids of honor, but with silver Court embroidery. For the maids of honor of the Grand Duchesses: light blue velvet dress; white skirt; gold embroidery, of the same pattern. For the ladies-in-waiting, the maid of honor: a crimson velvet outer dress; white skirt; gold embroidery City Ladies coming to the Court are given dresses of various colors; with various sewing, except, however, the sewing pattern assigned to the ladies of the court. As for the cut of the dresses, they should all have the same pattern, as shown in the figure.

In general, all Ladies, both Courtiers and those visiting the Court, should have a warrior or kokoshnik of an arbitrary color, with a white veil, and the Maidens should have a headband, equally of an arbitrary color, and also with a veil” 121.

The niche associated with the production of gold-embroidered court dresses was occupied by fashion designer Olga Bulbenkova.

Along with the Brizaks and Bulbenkova, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna trusted the taste of fashion designer Nadezhda Lamanova. It was in her workshop that most of the costumes commissioned by the Russian Imperial Court and aristocracy were made.

Nadezhda Petrovna Lamanova (1861–1941) was born on December 14, 1861 in the Russian province, in the village of Shutilovo, Nizhny Novgorod province. Father - Pyotr Mikhailovich Lamanov, a hereditary nobleman from an impoverished family. The family was on the verge of ruin when twenty-year-old Nadya, after graduating from a local gymnasium, left her parents’ home for Moscow to earn her own living. After studying for two years at the cutting school of O. Suvorova, Nadya in 1879 began working independently as a cutter in the famous Voitkevich workshop.

In 1885 N.P. Lamanova opens her own business in Moscow, and after 2-3 years her workshop becomes widely known among painters, actors, and directors. After opening her own workshop and the first recognition of her talent, Nadezhda Petrovna continued to study - now in Paris - with famous fashion designers, famous in Europe. Later, I met the outstanding French fashion designer Paul Poiret, which then turned into a long-term creative friendship.

During this period, Nadezhda Petrovna created a series of brilliant court toilets, true masterpieces of art. These things eloquently indicate that their creator is an artist of the highest class, who also has an original Russian handwriting.

In 1901 K.S. Stanislavsky invites Lamanova to the Moscow Art Theater. Here she worked in a costume workshop for 40 years - until the last day of her life. Under the leadership of Nadezhda Petrovna, costumes were “worked” for all the theater’s performances. By this time, the artist’s circle of friends had expanded. Among the people close to her were V.I. Mukhina, M. Gorky, M.F. Andreeva, V.A. Serov. The latter painted a portrait of Nadezhda Petrovna, painted in 1911.

Speaking about the main fashion trends of the late 19th century, it should be borne in mind that after the World Exhibition in Paris, “historicism” was replaced by the Art Nouveau style. Ball dresses of the early 20th century. are one of the many facets of this elegant style. Their silhouette was determined by a specially designed corset that gave the figure an S-shaped curve, emphasized by a slouchy bodice and a skirt that fit tightly around the hips and fanned out to the floor. This silhouette expressed the aesthetic ideal of the Art Nouveau style with its attraction to wavy shapes and flowing lines. These dresses were sewn from soft, plastic, flowing fabrics in light pastel colors: smoky, silver-gray, fawn, etc. The principle of multi-layering was often used: chiffon, gauze and tulle, laid on satin or brocade, muffled the shine of these fabrics, causing them to shimmer them depending on the lighting, creating a special decorative effect. The decor of the costumes is a true embodiment of the style. It is diverse in design: embroidery with sequins, beads and chenille with the characteristic Art Nouveau use of stylized plant motifs in the ornament. Lace 122 was widely used.

In the first decade of the 20th century. further transformations occur in the costume, but at the same time the stylistic dominants of modernity are preserved. So, the silhouette becomes more slender, the corset, which strongly tightened the figure, disappears. One of the features of fashion is the combination of heavy fabrics (velvet, brocade, satin) with translucent airy gauze, chiffon and tulle. The decor of elegant toilets reaches its apogee. Often, a dress made of thin, airy fabrics was decorated with heavy embroidery with glass beads, metal thread, and fur.

The dresses of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna that have come down to us provide an opportunity to get an idea of ​​the empress’s taste preferences. Memoirists close to the empress emphasized that “she dressed very well, but not extravagantly. She matched her outfits to her type of appearance and hated the extremes of fashion" 123. At home, the Empress loved to wear blouses with a skirt. This “female view” of the empress is probably more accurate than the “male view”, which asserted that “female vanity was absolutely alien to her; for example, she was not at all interested in outfits” 124. As for the attitude towards extravagance in clothing, it is known that the empress categorically did not accept the “latest cry of fashion” - tight skirts.

The Empress's favorite colors were blue, lilac, lilac, white, gray and light pink 125. Alexandra Feodorovna preferred long dresses, flowing in wide folds, in which she looked very attractive 126 . Most of these dresses were sewn in the atelier of Albert Brisac, Olga Bulbenkova and Nadezhda Lamanova.

The Empress also had preferences in shoes. She loved shoes with long, pointed toes. Alexandra Feodorovna usually wore golden or white suede shoes. I have never worn satin shoes 127.

As for jewelry, the Empress, like any woman “with opportunities,” highly valued it and had a great understanding of the quality of jewelry. According to the memoirist, “she really loved rings and bracelets and always wore a ring with a large pearl, as well as a cross studded with precious stones” 128.

In accordance with the program for the next day, Alexandra Fedorovna herself made a list of things that she planned to wear the next day. The so-called room girls of Alexandra Fedorovna carefully prepared their clothes, laying them out in the dressing room.

Business dress. Workshop of N. Lamanova. Moscow. Second half of the 1890s.

The servants had electric irons and ironing boards at their disposal, and the list of suppliers included specialists in cleaning and dyeing clothes. In addition, all the clothes of the imperial family were washed only in the mechanical laundry of the Anichkov Palace. The Empress dressed herself, without outside help.

The closest attention was paid to the storage of clothes and linen in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo, which from 1905 to 1917 was the permanent residential residence of the Russian Emperor. On the ground floor of the palace, in the “royal half”, there was the room of the wardrobe attendant on duty, Alexandra Feodorovna (room No. 60), and nearby was the dressing room of Nicholas II (room No. 66). In these rooms, the daily belongings of the imperial couple were stored in oak cabinets.

On the second floor, in the corridor, next to the rooms of Tsarevich Alexei, military uniforms and caps of the Tsarevich were stored in ash cabinets. On the same floor, along the corridor of the Grand Duchesses, the costumes of the wet nurses of the children of Nicholas II were stored in ash cabinets (closet No. 1); “Russian” 129 dresses of princesses (No. 2); coats and furs (No. 3); dresses, hats and gloves of princesses (No. 4); hats, scarves, umbrellas and canes (No. 5); pillows and other offerings to the princesses (No. 6); sachets, handkerchiefs, collars, towels, capes, Russian handicraft lace (No. 7), etc. Even ribbons were stored (!!! – I. 3.) from the bouquets being offered, they occupied an entire closet (No. 8). Wardrobe No. 10 contained Japanese costumes given to the princesses. No. 11 contained blankets and capes of the princesses, children's costumes, hats, canes, belts and other things of the heir Alexei. In the same corridor (near the wall, on the right) there were chests for transporting the princesses’ belongings during travel. Wardrobes for storing clothes were also located in the rooms of the Grand Duchesses. For example, in the dressing room of the Grand Duchesses (room No. 9), “Russian” masquerade costumes (hawthorns and coachmen), traditional masquerade costumes (marquises and pierrots) and “national” costumes were stored in the cabinets. In the same closet were the costumes of the sisters of mercy; girls almost constantly wore them since the fall of 1914. A memorial item was also kept there - a military frock coat from the time of Alexander I 130.

Alexander Palace. Basement, ground and mezzanine floor plans

The rooms on the mezzanine floor, located between the first and second floors, contained the main “strategic” reserves of royal clothing. In Alexandra Fedorovna's dressing room (room No. 1), dresses sewn in the workshops of A. Brizak and N. Lamanova were stored in oak cabinets. In the ash cabinets on the landing of the wooden staircase are umbrellas, fans and hats of Alexandra Feodorovna, including those made in the workshop of the supplier of the Supreme Court, Bertrand. In the dressing room of Nicholas II (room No. 2), in addition to the usual oak wardrobes for storing clothes, there were also metal suitcases, which were used to store the tsar’s clothes during foreign voyages. In room No. 3 of the mezzanine there were Alexandra Feodorovna’s fur clothes. There was a dressmaker on duty in the same room in case of any urgent alterations.

Since Nicholas II had a huge number of uniforms of various regiments of the Russian and foreign armies, another room (room No. 4) was allocated for their storage; the Tsar’s valet lived in it. There, in front of the room, the emperor's suits, uniforms and underwear were stored in ash cabinets. The cloakroom attendant's room (No. 5) also had cabinets with military uniforms. Linen was kept in the chests. It is noteworthy that in the wardrobe room there was a male mannequin “with the figure” of the king, which, apparently, was constantly used by tailors in order to free the king from fittings. One can also add that after in the early 1920s. In 1922, when an exhibition dedicated to the daily life of the royal family was opened in the Alexander Palace, sets of clothes for the palace servants were sent from the wardrobes of the Winter Palace to Tsarskoye Selo. In black and white photographs from the 1920s. mannequins of araps, footmen and walkers dressed in luxurious uniforms are clearly visible.

Unfortunately, much less is known about other tailor suppliers. From Russian tailors of the reign

Nicholas II can be mentioned Ivan Vagin (supplier since 1895), Evdokia Ivanova (since 1898), Alexandra Trofimova (since 1898).

Among the personnel who served the Russian emperors, there are also very narrow specialists. Thus, since 1881, two Russian emperors – Alexander III and Nicholas II – had their shirts washed and “repaired” by a certain Clara G. Coiffevre. She embroidered monograms on shirts and washed the royal socks. On occasion, the venerable Clara also took care of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s nightgowns. The royal family was truly economical, since not only the collars, but also the sleeves were “repaired” on their shirts.

It should be noted that the prices for these works were very high. So, only in May 1903, a laundress earned 104 rubles “on her socks.” 40 kopecks 131 In June everything was more modest: the sleeves of 8 shirts (8 rubles) were altered; 4 shirts were mended (6 rubles); 8 pairs of shirt sleeves were remade (RUB 8); 8 shirts (2 rubles 80 kopecks) and 4 pairs of black suspenders (7 rubles) were washed; transportation of shirts to Peterhof (3 rubles).

Hats and gloves were also purchased from suppliers of the Imperial Court. Throughout 1903, gloves were ordered several times for Nicholas II from Morrison for a total of 222 rubles. 30 kopecks (53 rubles 35 kopecks; 111 rubles 75 kopecks; 107 rubles 20 kopecks). A supplier to the Imperial Court since 1872, Fabrizio Bruno (the Bruno Brothers company) earned only 36 rubles from royal orders in 1903, selling a silk cylinder for 16 rubles. and a soft hat for 12 rubles, taking 8 rubles. for delivery.