Empress Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova ... Her personality in Russian history is very ambiguous. On the one hand, a loving wife, mother, and on the other, a princess categorically not accepted by Russian society. A lot of mysteries and secrets are associated with Alexandra Fedorovna: her passion for mysticism is on the one hand and her deep faith is on the other. Researchers attribute to her the responsibility for the tragic fate of the imperial house. What mysteries does the biography of Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova store? What is its role in the fate of the country? We will answer in the article.
Childhood
Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova was born on June 7, 1872. The parents of the future Russian empress were the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig and the English Princess Alice. The girl was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and this relationship will play an important role in the formation of the character of Alexandra.
Her full name is Victoria Alix Elena Louise Beatrice (in honor of aunts). In addition to Alix (as the relatives called the girl), the duke's family had seven children.
Alexandra (Romanova later) received a classical English education, she was brought up in the strict traditions of the Victorian era. Modesty was in everything: in everyday life, food, clothing. Even the children slept in soldiers' beds. Already at this time, shyness is traced in the girl, all her life she will struggle with natural stewing in an unfamiliar society. Alix was not recognizable at home: nimble, smiling, she earned herself a second name - “sun”.
But childhood was not so cloudless: first, a brother dies as a result of an accident, then the younger sister May and Princess Alice, mother Alix, die from diphtheria. This served as an impetus for the fact that the six-year-old girl became isolated in herself, became alienated.
Youth
After the death of her mother, according to Alexandra herself, a dark cloud hung over her and overshadowed her sunny childhood. She is sent to England to her grandmother - the ruling Queen Victoria. Naturally, state affairs were taken away from the latter all the time, so the upbringing of the children was entrusted to the governess. Later, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna will not forget the lessons she received in her youth.
Margaret Jackson - that was the name of her teacher and teacher - moved away from the stiff Victorian mores, she taught the girl to think, reflect, form and voice her opinion. Classical education did not provide for versatile development, but by the age of fifteen, the future empress Alexandra Romanova was versed in politics, history, played music beautifully and knew several foreign languages.
It was in his youth, at the age of twelve, that Alix first met his future husband Nikolai. This happened at the wedding of her sister and Grand Duke Sergey. Three years later, at the invitation of the latter, she again comes to Russia. Nikolai was subdued by the girl.
Wedding with Nicholas II
Nikolai's parents were not enthusiastic about the union of young people - in their opinion, the wedding with the daughter of the French count Louis-Philippe was more profitable for him. For lovers begin a long five years of separation, but this circumstance rallied them even more and taught them to appreciate the feeling.
In no way does Nikolai want to accept his father’s will, he continues to insist on marriage with his beloved. The current emperor Alexander III has to give in: he feels an approaching disease, and the heir must have a party. But here, Alix, who received the name of Alexandra Fyodorovna Romanova after the coronation, faced a serious test: she had to convert to Orthodoxy and abandon Lutheranism. She studied the basics for two years, after which she was converted to the Russian faith. It should be said that Alexander entered Orthodoxy with an open heart and pure thoughts.
The marriage of the young took place on November 27, 1894, it, again, was conducted by John of Kronstad. A sacrament took place in the church of the Winter Palace. Everything happens against the backdrop of mourning, because 3 days after the arrival of Alix in Russia, Alexander III dies (many then said that she “came for the coffin”). Alexandra notes in a letter to her sister the striking contrast between sorrow and great triumph - this rallied the spouses even more. Everyone, even the haters of the imperial family, subsequently noticed the strength of the union and the fortitude of Alexandra Fedorovna and Nicholas II.
The blessing of the young couple on the reign (coronation) took place on May 27, 1896 in the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow. Since that time, Alix, “the sun,” gained the title Empress Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova. Later, she noted in the diary that this was the second wedding - with Russia.
Place at court and in political life
From the very first day of the reign, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna - support and support for her husband in his difficult state affairs.
In public life, a young woman tried to encourage people to charity, because she absorbed it from her parents in childhood. Unfortunately, at the court her ideas were not accepted, moreover, the empress was hated. In all her sentences and even facial expressions, the courtiers perceived falsehood and unnaturalness. But in fact, they simply got used to idleness and did not want to change anything.
Of course, like any woman and wife, Alexandra Romanova had an effect on the state activities of her husband.
Many prominent politicians of the time noted that she negatively influenced Nicholas. Such was the opinion, for example, S. Witte. And General A. Mosolov and Senator V. Gurko regretfully note its rejection by Russian society. And the latter does not blame the capricious nature and some nervousness of the current empress, but the widow of Alexander III, Maria Fedorovna, who did not fully accept her daughter-in-law.
Nevertheless, her subjects obeyed, and not out of fear, but out of respect. Yes, she was strict, but she was the same in relation to herself. Alix never forgot her requests and directions, each of them was clearly thought out and balanced. Sincerely loved by those who were close to the Empress, she knew her not by rumors, but deeply personally. For the rest, the empress remained a "dark horse" and the subject of gossip.
There were also very warm reviews about Alexander. So, the ballerina M. Kshesinskaya (by the way, she was Nikolai’s mistress until the latter married Alix) mentions her as a woman of high morality and a wide soul.
Children: Grand Duchesses
The first Grand Duchess Olga was born in 1895. The people's dislike of the empress grew even more, because everyone was waiting for the boy, the heir. Alexandra, not finding the response and support of her endeavors from her subjects, delves deeply into family life, she even feeds her daughter on her own, not using the services of anyone that was atypical even for noble families, not like the empress.
Later Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia are born. Nikolai Alexandrovich and Alexandra Fedorovna raised children in simplicity and purity of mind. It was an ordinary family, devoid of any arrogance.
The tsarina Alexandra Romanova herself was engaged in upbringing. The only exception was items with a narrow focus. Much attention was paid to outdoor sports, sincerity. Mother was that person whom girls could address at any moment and with any request. They lived in an atmosphere of love and absolute trust. It was an absolutely happy, sincere family.
Girls grew up in an atmosphere of modesty and goodwill. Mother independently ordered them dresses to protect them from excessive wastefulness and to cultivate meekness and chastity. They very rarely attended social events. Their access to society was limited only by the requirements of palace etiquette. Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Nicholas 2, was afraid that the spoiled daughters of the nobility would adversely affect the girls.
Alexandra Fedorovna coped brilliantly with the function of her mother. The Grand Duchesses grew unusually pure, sincere young people. In general, an extraordinary spirit of Christian grandeur reigned in the family. This was noted in their diaries and Nicholas II, and Alexander Romanov. The quotes below only confirm the above information:
“Our love and our life are one whole ... Nothing can separate us or reduce our love” (Alexandra Fedorovna).
“With rare family happiness, the Lord blessed us” (Emperor Nicholas II).
Birth of an heir
The only thing that overshadowed the life of the spouses was the absence of an heir. Alexandra Romanova was very worried about this. On such days, she became especially nervous. Trying to understand the reason and solve the problem, the empress begins to get involved in mysticism and even more strikes in religion. This is reflected in her husband, Nicholas II, because he feels the mental torment of his beloved woman.
It was decided to attract the best doctors. Unfortunately, among them I got a real charlatan, Philip. Arriving from France, he so impressed the Empress about pregnancy that she really believed that she was the heir. Alexandra Fedorovna developed a very rare disease - "false pregnancy." When it turned out that the belly of the Russian queen was growing under the influence of a psycho-emotional state, I had to make an official announcement that there would be no heir. Philip in disgrace expelled from the country.
A little later, Alix still conceived and gives birth on August 12, 1904 to a boy - Tsarevich Alexei.
But she did not receive the long-awaited happiness of Alexander Romanov. Her biography says that the life of the empress from this moment becomes tragic. The fact is that the boy has a rare disease - hemophilia. This is a hereditary disease carried by a woman. Its essence is that blood does not clot. The person is overcome by constant pains and attacks. The most famous bearer of the hemophilia gene was Queen Victoria, nicknamed the grandmother of Europe. For this reason, this disease received the following names: "Victorian disease" and "royal disease." With the best possible care, the heir could live up to a maximum of 30 years, on average, patients rarely ever crossed the age barrier of 16 years.
Rasputin in the life of the Empress
In some sources you can find information that only one person could help Tsarevich Alexei - Grigory Rasputin. Although this disease is considered chronic and incurable, there is quite a bit of evidence that the “man of God” supposedly could stop the suffering of the unfortunate child with his prayers. How this is explained is difficult to say. It should be noted that the Tsesarevich’s disease was a state secret. From this we can conclude how much the imperial family trusted this uncouth Tobolsk peasant.
Much has been written about the relationship between Rasputin and the Empress: some attribute to him exclusively the role of the savior of the heir, others ascribe a love affair to Alexandra Fedorovna. Recent speculation is not unfounded - in the empress’s adultery the then society was sure that rumors circulated around the betrayal of Tsarina Nicholas II and Gregory. After all, the old man himself talked about this, but then he was in a fair amount of drinking, so he could easily give out his wish for the reality. And for the birth of gossip a lot is not necessary. According to the close circle, who did not hate the august couple, the main reason for the close relationship between Rasputin and the imperial family was exclusively the attacks of hemophilia Alexei.
And how did Nikolai Alexandrovich feel about rumors discrediting the pure name of his wife? He considered all this to be nothing more than fiction and inappropriate interference with the private life of the family. The emperor considered Rasputin himself “a simple Russian man, very religious and believing.”
One thing is known for certain: the imperial family had a deep sympathy for Gregory. They were one of the few who sincerely grieved after the murder of the elder.
Romanova during the war
The First World War forced Nicholas II to leave St. Petersburg at Headquarters. Alexandra Fedorovna Romanova took over the state concerns. Empress pays special attention to charity. She perceived the war as her personal tragedy: she sincerely grieved, escorting soldiers to the front, and mourned for the dead. She read prayers over each new grave of a fallen warrior, as if he were her relative. We can safely say that the title "Holy" of Alexander Romanov received during his lifetime. This is the time when Alix is becoming increasingly attached to Orthodoxy.
It would seem that rumors should subside: the country is suffering from war. By no means, they have become even more cruel. For example, she was accused of fascination with spiritualism. This could not be true, because even then the Empress was a deeply religious person, rejecting everything beyond.
Prayers help the country during the war was not limited. Together with her daughters, Alexandra mastered the skills of nurses: they began to work at the hospital, helping surgeons (assisted in operations), and carried out all kinds of care for the wounded.
Every day at half past ten in the morning their service began: along with other sisters of mercy, the empress cleaned up amputated limbs, dirty clothes, bandaged severe wounds, including gangrenous ones. This was alien to the representatives of the upper nobility: they collected donations for the front, visited hospitals, and opened medical institutions. But not one worked in the operating rooms, as the empress did. And all this despite the fact that she was tormented by problems with her own health, undermined by nervous experiences and frequent childbirth.
The royal palaces were converted into hospitals, Alexandra Fyodorovna personally formed ambulance trains and drug stores. She vowed that while the war was going on, neither she nor the great princesses could sew a single dress for herself. And she remained faithful to her word to the end.
The spiritual appearance of Alexandra Romanova
Was Alexander Romanov really deeply believing? Photos and portraits of the empress, preserved to this day, always show the sad eyes of this woman, they have some kind of grief. Even in her youth, she fully converted to the Orthodox faith, abandoning Lutheranism, on the truths of which she was brought up from childhood.
The upheavals of life make her closer to God, she often retires for prayers when she is trying to conceive a boy, then when she finds out about her son’s fatal illness. And during the war, she fervently prays for the soldiers, wounded and dead for their homeland. Every day before her ministry in the hospital, Alexandra Fedorovna sets aside a certain time for prayers. For these purposes, the Tsarskoye Selo Palace is even given a special prayer room.
However, her service to God was not only in fervent prayers: the empress was unfolding a truly large-scale charity. She organized an orphanage, a home for the disabled, and numerous hospitals. She found time for her maid of honor, who had lost the ability to walk: talked with her about God, spiritually instructed and supported every day.
Alexandra Fedorovna never showed off her faith, most often while traveling around the country she visited churches and hospitals incognito. She could easily merge with the crowd of believers, because her actions were natural, they came from the heart. Religion was a purely personal affair for Alexandra Fedorovna. Many at court tried to find notes of hypocrisy in the queen, but they did not succeed.
So was her husband, Nicholas II. They loved God and Russia with all their heart, could not imagine another life outside of Russia. They did not distinguish between people, did not draw a line between titled persons and ordinary people. Most likely, that is why the usual Tobolsk man, Grigory Rasputin, at one time “took root” in the imperial family.
Arrest, exile and martyrdom
Alexandra Fyodorovna ends her life, having suffered a martyrdom in the Ipatiev house, where the emperor’s family was exiled after the 1917 revolution. Even in the face of impending death, being at gunpoint, she overshadowed herself with a sign of the cross.
The “Russian Calvary” was predicted by the imperial family more than once, they lived with this all their lives, knowing that for them everything would end very sadly. They obeyed the will of God and thus defeated the forces of evil. The tsar’s couple was buried only in 1998.