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.

For more than 200 years, Russia was ruled by the descendants of the Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (with the exception of the purebred German Catherine II). Since the time of Peter I, the residence of monarchs has been St. Petersburg. Except for Peter II (who died at the age of 14) and Ivan VI Antonovich (overthrown in infancy), all the emperors found themselves at the pinnacle of power while already of age.

Height and age of the Romanovs during the imperial era

What was common and what was different between these people in appearance? And what kind of health did fate reward the almighty rulers of a huge power?

The rise of Russian monarchs

Peter I - 203 cm.
Alexander III - 190 cm.
Anna Ioannovna - 189 cm.
Nicholas I - 189 cm.
Alexander II - 185 cm.
Elizaveta Petrovna - 179 cm.
Alexander I - 178 cm.
Nicholas II - 170 cm.
Peter III - 170 cm.
Paul I - 166 cm.
Catherine II - 157 cm.
Catherine I - 155 cm.

Age of Russian monarchs

67 years old - Catherine II
63 years old - Alexander II
59 years old - Nicholas I
53 years old - Peter I
53 years old - Elizaveta Petrovna
50 years - Nicholas II
49 years old - Alexander III
48 years old - Alexander I
47 years old - Paul I
47 years old - Anna Ioannovna
43 years old - Catherine I
34 years old - Peter III

Bogatyr

A man with amazing strength and a powerful figure, Alexander III seemed to his contemporaries to be an exceptionally healthy person. However, after the train crash, when he allegedly supported the roof of his carriage on his shoulders, everything changed. It was after this event that the emperor began to complain of lower back pain. Then Alexander was diagnosed with kidney disease. Excessive “treatment” with strong alcohol clearly played an important role in his failing health. The Tsar-Bogatyr did not live to be 50 years old

Long-lived

The crowned Romanovs were not particularly distinguished by their longevity. In the male line, the age of Alexander II became a record. He turned out to be the only one who managed to “hold out until retirement.” And, perhaps, a person who freed his people from slavery would have lived in health and mind for many more decades. But the madness of Russian terrorists, who declared a real hunt for the Tsar, ended his life after a terrible explosion on the embankment of the Catherine Canal in 1881

The tallest and heaviest

The niece of Peter the Great seemed simply huge to her contemporaries. Evil tongues claimed that Anna Ioannovna weighed almost 150 kilograms. In fact, the empress was not overzealous with gluttony, much less with drinking. However, by the age of 40, she had already accumulated a whole tangle of diseases. And being overweight has never prolonged anyone’s life.

In his prime

The unexpected death of the relatively young Alexander I, who did not have any special health problems, gave rise to a lot of legends about the wandering king. As if the emperor, tired of the burden of power, went to wander around Mother Russia under the guise of a simple peasant.

Long-lived

Catherine II ruled the longest and lived the longest. This German princess accidentally ended up in Russia. And her main participation in the fate of the Romanov dynasty was the murder of her own husband at the hands of her favorites. But in the memory of descendants, it was her reign that is considered the “golden age.”

Last of the dynasty

The future Emperor Nicholas II grew up such a frail little fellow that his father, Alexander III, often (and publicly) shouted at his wife Maria Feodorovna: “ She ruined the Romanov breed!" The last monarch of Russia really took after his mother. But she, despite her fragile physique, was distinguished by good health and lived to be 80 years old. Thus, Nicholas II, if the disaster of “1917” had not happened, could have ruled Russia until 1948...

Nicholas I Romanov
Years of life: 1796–1855
Russian Emperor (1825–1855). Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland.

From the Romanov dynasty.

In 1816 he made a three-month journey across European
Russia, and from October 1816. until May 1817 he traveled and lived in England.

In 1817 Nikolai Pavlovich Romanov married the eldest daughter of the Prussian King Frederick William II, Princess Charlotte Frederica-Louise, who took the name Alexandra Feodorovna in Orthodoxy.

In 1819, his brother Emperor Alexander I announced that the heir to the throne, the Grand Duke, 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.

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

However, he refused to proclaim himself emperor until the final expression of the will of his elder brother. Refused to recognize Alexander's will, and on November 27 the entire population was sworn in to Constantine, and Nikolai 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.

Emperor Nicholas I

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.

By this day, the conspiratorial officers, who later began to be called “Decembrists,” ordered a mutiny with the aim of seizing power, allegedly protecting the interests of Konstantin Pavlovich. They decided that the troops would block the Senate, in which the senators were preparing to take the oath, and a revolutionary delegation consisting of Pushchin and Ryleev would burst into the Senate premises with a demand not to take the oath and to declare the tsarist government overthrown and to issue a revolutionary manifesto to the Russian people.

The Decembrist uprising greatly amazed the emperor and instilled in him fear of any manifestations of free-thinking. The uprising was brutally suppressed, and 5 of its leaders were hanged (1826).

After suppressing the rebellion and large-scale repression, the emperor centralized the administrative system, strengthened the military-bureaucratic apparatus, established a political police (Third Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery) and also established strict censorship.

In 1826, a censorship statute was issued, nicknamed “cast iron”; according to it, it was forbidden to print almost anything that had a political background.

Autocracy of Nikolai Romanov

Some authors nicknamed him “the knight of autocracy.” He firmly and fiercely defended the foundations of the autocratic state and fiercely suppressed attempts to change the existing system. During the reign, persecution of the Old Believers resumed again.

On May 24, 1829, Nicholas the First Pavlovich was crowned in Warsaw as the king (tsar) of Poland. Under him, the Polish uprising of 1830-1831 was suppressed, during which he was declared dethroned by the rebels (Decree on the dethronement of Nicholas I). After the suppression of the uprising by the Kingdom of Poland, independence was lost, and the Sejm and the army were divided into provinces.

Meetings of commissions were held that were designed to alleviate the situation of serfs; a ban was introduced on killing and exiling peasants, selling them individually and without land, and assigning them to newly opened factories. Peasants received the right to own private property, as well as to redeem from the estates being sold.

A reform of state village management was carried out and a “decree on obligated peasants” was signed, which became the foundation for the abolition of serfdom. But these measures were belated and during the tsar’s lifetime the liberation of the peasants did not occur.

The first railways appeared in Russia (since 1837). From some sources it is known that the emperor became acquainted with steam locomotives at the age of 19 during a trip to England in 1816. He became the first Russian fireman and the first Russian to ride on a steam locomotive.

Property trusteeship over state-owned peasants and the status of obligated peasants was introduced (laws of 1837–1841 and 1842), codified Russian laws (1833), stabilized the ruble (1839), and new schools were founded under him - technical, military and general education.

In September 1826, the emperor received Pushkin, who had been released from Mikhailovsky exile, and listened to his confession that on December 14, Alexander Sergeevich was with the conspirators. Then he dealt with him like this: he freed the poet from general censorship (he decided to personally censor his works), instructed Pushkin to prepare a note “On Public Education,” and called him after the meeting “the smartest man in Russia.”

However, the tsar never trusted the poet, seeing him as a dangerous “leader of the liberals”; the great poet was under police surveillance. In 1834, Pushkin was appointed chamberlain of his court, and the role played by Nikolai in the conflict between Pushkin and Dantes is assessed by historians as quite contradictory. There are versions that the tsar sympathized with Pushkin’s wife and set up the fatal duel. After the death of A.S. Pushkin was assigned a pension to his widow and children, but the tsar tried in every possible way to limit the memory of him.

He also doomed Polezhaev, who was arrested for his free poetry, to years of soldiery, and twice ordered M. Lermontov to be exiled to the Caucasus. By his order, the magazines “Telescope”, “European”, “Moscow Telegraph” were closed.

Significantly expanded Russian territory after the wars with Persia (1826–
1828) and Turkey (1828–1829), although the attempt to make the Black Sea an internal Russian sea met active resistance from the great powers, led by Great Britain. According to the Unkar-Iskelesi Treaty of 1833, Turkey was obliged to close the Black Sea straits (Bosporus and Dardanelles) to foreign military vessels at the request of Russia (the treaty was canceled in 1841). Russia's military successes caused a negative reaction in the West because world powers were not interested in Russia's strengthening.

The Tsar wanted to intervene in the internal affairs of France and Belgium after the revolutions of 1830, but the Polish uprising prevented the implementation of his plans. After the suppression of the Polish uprising, many provisions of the Polish Constitution of 1815 were repealed.

He took part in the defeat of the Hungarian revolution of 1848–1849. An attempt by Russia, ousted from the markets of the Middle East by France and England, to restore its position in this region led to a clash of powers in the Middle East, which resulted in the Crimean War (1853–1856). In 1854, England and France entered the war on the side of Turkey. The Russian army suffered a series of defeats from its former allies and was unable to provide assistance to the besieged fortress city of Sevastopol. At the beginning of 1856, following the results of the Crimean War, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed; the most difficult condition for Russia was the neutralization of the Black Sea, i.e. prohibition to have naval forces, arsenals and fortresses here. Russia became vulnerable from the sea and lost the opportunity to conduct an active foreign policy in this region.

During his reign, Russia participated 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.

The Tsar received the popular 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".

Death of Tsar Nicholas 1

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 the king 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.

He was married once in 1817 to Princess Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Frederick William III, who received the name Alexandra Feodorovna after converting to Orthodoxy. They had children:

• Alexander II (1818-1881)
• Maria (08/06/1819-02/09/1876), was married to the Duke of Leuchtenberg and Count Stroganov.
• Olga (08/30/1822 - 10/18/1892), was married to the King of Württemberg.
• Alexandra (06/12/1825 - 07/29/1844), married to the Prince of Hesse-Kassel
• Konstantin (1827-1892)
• Nicholas (1831-1891)
• Mikhail (1832-1909)

Personal qualities of Nikolai Romanov

He led an ascetic and healthy lifestyle. Was an Orthodox believer a 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, her favorite phrase was: “I work like a slave in the galleys.”

The king's love for justice and order was well known. I personally visited military formations, inspected fortifications, educational institutions, and government institutions. He always gave specific advice to correct the situation.

He had a pronounced ability to form a team of talented, creatively gifted people. The employees of Nicholas I Pavlovich were the Minister of Public Education Count S. S. Uvarov, the commander Field Marshal His Serene Highness Prince I. F. Paskevich, the Minister of Finance Count E. F. Kankrin, the Minister of State Property Count P. D. Kiselev and others.

The king's height was 205 cm.

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

Therefore, he could not count on the throne, which determined the direction of his upbringing and education. From an early age he was interested in military affairs, especially its external side, and was preparing for a military career.

In 1817, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich married the daughter of the Prussian king, who in Orthodoxy received the name Alexandra Fedorovna. They had 7 children, the eldest of whom was the future Emperor Alexander II.

In 1819, Emperor Alexander I informed Nicholas of the intention of their brother Konstantin Pavlovich to renounce his right of succession to the throne, and accordingly, power would have to pass to Nicholas. In 1823, Alexander I issued a Manifesto proclaiming Nikolai Pavlovich heir to the throne. The manifesto was a family secret and was not published. Therefore, after the sudden death of Alexander I in 1825, confusion arose with the accession to the throne of a new monarch.

The oath to the new Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich was scheduled for December 14, 1825. On the same day, the “Decembrists” planned an uprising with the goal of overthrowing autocracy and demanding the signing of the “Manifesto to the Russian People,” which proclaimed civil liberties. Informed, Nicholas postponed the oath to December 13, and the uprising was suppressed.

Domestic policy of Nicholas I

From the very beginning of his reign, Nicholas I declared the need for reforms and created a “committee on December 6, 1826” to prepare changes. “His Majesty’s Own Office” began to play a major role in the state, which was constantly expanded by creating many branches.

Nicholas I instructed a special commission led by M.M. Speransky to develop a new Code of Laws of the Russian Empire. By 1833, two editions had been printed: “The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire,” starting from the Council Code of 1649 and until the last decree of Alexander I, and “The Code of Current Laws of the Russian Empire.” The codification of laws carried out under Nicholas I streamlined Russian legislation, facilitated legal practice, but did not bring changes to the political and social structure of Russia.

Emperor Nicholas I was an autocrat in spirit and an ardent opponent of the introduction of a constitution and liberal reforms in the country. In his opinion, society should live and act like a good army, regulated and by laws. The militarization of the state apparatus under the auspices of the monarch is a characteristic feature of the political regime of Nicholas I.

He was extremely suspicious of public opinion; literature, art, and education came under censorship, and measures were taken to limit the periodical press. Official propaganda began to extol unanimity in Russia as a national virtue. The idea “The people and the Tsar are one” was dominant in the education system in Russia under Nicholas I.

According to the “theory of official nationality” developed by S.S. Uvarov, Russia has its own path of development, does not need the influence of the West and should be isolated from the world community. The Russian Empire under Nicholas I received the name “gendarme of Europe” for protecting peace in European countries from revolutionary uprisings.

In social policy, Nicholas I focused on strengthening the class system. In order to protect the nobility from “clogging,” the “December 6 Committee” proposed establishing a procedure according to which nobility was acquired only by right of inheritance. And for service people to create new classes - “officials”, “eminent”, “honorary” citizens. In 1845, the emperor issued a “Decree on Majorates” (indivisibility of noble estates during inheritance).

Serfdom under Nicholas I enjoyed the support of the state, and the tsar signed a manifesto in which he stated that there would be no changes in the situation of serfs. But Nicholas I was not a supporter of serfdom and secretly prepared materials on the peasant issue in order to make matters easier for his followers.

Foreign policy of Nicholas I

The most important aspects of foreign policy during the reign of Nicholas I were the return to the principles of the Holy Alliance (Russia's struggle against revolutionary movements in Europe) and the Eastern Question. Russia under Nicholas I participated in the Caucasian War (1817-1864), the Russian-Persian War (1826-1828), the Russian-Turkish War (1828-1829), as a result of which Russia annexed the eastern part of Armenia , the entire Caucasus, received the eastern shore of the Black Sea.

During the reign of Nicholas I, the most memorable was the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Russia was forced to fight against Turkey, England, and France. During the siege of Sevastopol, Nicholas I was defeated in the war and lost the right to have a naval base on the Black Sea.

The unsuccessful war showed Russia's backwardness from advanced European countries and how unviable the conservative modernization of the empire turned out to be.

Nicholas I died on February 18, 1855. Summing up the reign of Nicholas I, historians call his era the most unfavorable in the history of Russia, starting with the Time of Troubles.

It became interesting whether there is a relationship between the growth of the leader of Russia and his deeds and successes.

I decided to start with the Tsar-Emperors of Russia. He did not consider wives or other empresses.

The height of Ivan the Terrible (1547-1584) is 178 cm. The first king of all Rus'. This sovereign was distinguished by his formidable disposition, the cause and capture of Kazan. Astrakhan campaigns. Livonian War. Since 1578, Tsar Ivan the Terrible stopped executing people, and in his will of 1579 he repented of his deeds.
The height of Peter I (the Great (1682-1725)) was 201 cm. He ruled for quite a long time by tsarist standards. He distinguished himself in many positive ways, brought Russia development and integration into Europe, successfully beat the Swedes. All subsequent sovereigns from the Romanov family were of different heights.

Peter II (1727-1730) his height is unknown, he ruled for a short time and was invisible.

The height of Peter III (1761-1762) is 170 cm. He didn't rule for long.

Ivan VI (1740-1741) Height unknown, reigned briefly.

The height of Paul I (1796-1801) is 166 cm. Ruled for 5 years. He is short in stature, has a quarrelsome and arrogant character. He loved to play toy soldiers. He was strangled with a scarf.

The height of Alexander I (1801-1825) is 178 cm. Above average height. Enlightened liberal. During his reign the war with Napoleon Bonoparte was won. In addition, the wars with Turkey, Persia, and Sweden were successful. During the reign of Alexander, the territory of the Russian Empire expanded significantly: Eastern and Western Georgia, Mingrelia, Imereti, Guria, Finland, Bessarabia, and most of Poland (which formed the Kingdom of Poland) came under Russian citizenship. He died of brain inflammation.

The height of Nicholas I (1825-1855) is 205 cm. A tall ruler. Ascetic, did not drink or smoke. Soldier. The defeat of the noble December revolt. The politics of reactionary anti-liberalism. The first railways. Stabilization and strengthening of the ruble. The defeat of the Polish uprising. Participation in the defeat of the Hungarian uprising. The unsuccessful Crimean War and the loss of the Russian fleet on the Black Sea coast. Caucasian War. Persian War. He died of pneumonia.

The height of Alexander II (1855-1881) is 185 cm. Abolition of serfdom. Strengthening the role of the army and police. During this period, Central Asia, the North Caucasus, the Far East, Bessarabia, and Batumi were annexed to Russia. Victory in the Caucasian War. Growing public discontent. Several assassination attempts. Died as a result of a terrorist attack organized by the People's Will party.

The height of Alexander III (1881-1894) is 179 cm. The laws of the empire regarding Jews prohibited them from living anywhere except in special “places of settlement.” The era of stagnation. He practically never fought wars. In Central Asia, after the annexation of Kazakhstan, the Kokand Khanate, the Bukhara Emirate, and the Khiva Khanate, the annexation of Turkmen tribes continued. During the reign of Alexander III, the territory of the Russian Empire increased by 430 thousand square meters. km. This was the end of the expansion of the borders of the Russian Empire. Died of kidney disease.

The height of Nicholas II (1904-1917) is 168 cm. He was indecisive and weak-willed, dependent on his German wife and Grigory Rasputin (193 cm). Russia miserably lost the war against island Japan under him, and Nikolai did not have time to end the imperialist war with the Germans. He was shot by the Bolsheviks along with his family.

Then the Autocracy ended and power passed into the hands of the Provisional Government. The height of Alexander Kerensky (1917-1918) is unknown, he ruled for a very short time, and did not leave a noticeable mark. Except that he removed the crown from the royal eagles. Typical temporary worker. He fled from Russia.

In 1918, the Bolsheviks took power in Russia, and another, Soviet countdown began.
The height of V.I. Lenin, the first leader of the Soviet state, was 164-165 cm. He did not rule for long (1918-1924), but was distinguished by his enormous energy and built the foundations of the USSR and party policy. He died from a serious illness caused by a gunshot wound during an assassination attempt by the Socialist Revolutionary Kaplan.

Joseph Stalin's height was 163-164 cm (according to some sources, 175 cm). Ruled the USSR from 1924 until his death (1953). He was distinguished by his stern character, vindictiveness, and tenacity. He continued Lenin's work, but with some amendments. Under him, the country began to massively increase industrialization, and technical and industrial growth appeared. Quite quickly dealt with political opponents (Trotsky-Zinoviev bloc: Trotsky - 168 cm, Bukharin - 155 cm), (which Lenin could not afford) and just in case with their families and their sympathizers ( height of People's Commissar of the OGPU Gendrikh Yagoda is 146 cm). Numerous repressions weakened the Workers' and Peasants' Army, which gave rise to an attack on the USSR by Hitler's Germany ( Hitler's height is 175 cm). An indicative example of that time is that Stalin refused to exchange his son Yakov for Field Marshal Paulus. Cult of personality. He died after a long illness.

Nikita Khrushchev's height was 166 cm. Ruled the country from 1953 to 1966. He debunked Stalin's personality cult. The Soviet army takes part in the suppression of the Hungarian events of 1956. He loved to sow corn, inspired by the American example, and sowed it even where it could not grow for physiological reasons. The first launch of a satellite and a person into space. Execution of Novocherkassk workers. Execution "case of currency traders". Under Khrushchev, the country began to massively build the first multi-story housing, inexpensive and very economical. He was removed from his post by a group of disgruntled colleagues.

Brezhnev's height (1966-1982) was 176 cm. The defeat of the Czechoslovak rebellion. An era of stability and stagnation. Persecution of dissidents. Under Brezhnev, the Soviet administrative and economic apparatus, together with the party apparatus, reached the limit of corruption. He had many awards and loved to award them. Development of space programs. War in Afghanistan. The first New Year's television address to the Soviet people. Olympics-80. Soviet aid to developing countries. Under Brezhnev, the country's economic growth reached its peak and gradually faded away. He died after a long illness (from old age).

Yuri Andropov's height was 182 cm (1983-1984). Chekist. I set my sights on fighting corruption. Mass production of records and televisions. A fighter against nationalism, opposition and other activities related to undermining the foundations of the USSR. Strengthening party discipline. He didn't rule for long. He died of kidney disease, which developed after an unsuccessful assassination attempt.

The height of Konstantin Chernenko (1984-1985) was 178 cm. He didn't rule for long. Died of old age.

Mikhail Gorbachev's height (1985-1991) is 175 cm. The first and last President of the USSR. Anti-alcohol policy. Perestroika. Curtailment of the arms race. Democratization and openness. Dissolution of the USSR.

Boris Yeltsin's height (1991-2000) is 187 cm. The first President of Russia. The first high-ranking official of the USSR who voluntarily left the CPSU, leaving all leadership positions. Dispersal of the State Emergency Committee. Development of democracy and civil liberties. 1st and 2nd war in Chechnya. Dispersal of the Russian parliament. Alcohol addiction. Dependence on the daughter and the clan of oligarchs. He resigned from the presidency due to old age, launching Operation Successor.

Vladimir Putin's height (2000-2008) 168-170 cm. Second President of Russia. Chekist. The defeat of the clan of oligarchs. Closure of independent media. Second war in Chechnya. Guided democracy. Enrichment of close friends and relatives. Kadyrovshchina. He resigned as President after 2 terms in office, launching Operation Tandem.

Dmitry Medvedev's height (2008 average) is 162 cm. Third President of Russia. The smallest leader in historical Russia. Lawyer. Victorious war in Georgia. Revolutionary and non-working amendments to the legislation of the Russian Federation. Relaxation of legislation in relation to bribe-takers. We depend on the Prime Minister Putin. A supporter of nano-technologies, a lover of everything new, iPods and iPhones.

And everyone knows what size person will be the next ruler of Russia. Is not it?

A diagram of the study of the growth of leaders in centimeters showed the following general civilizational trend - after a period of decline, a period of rise begins.

This means that after the dominance of political kids and dwarfs, some ruler of Russia will definitely be tall. And who will it be - HZ, i.e. history is still silent))))))