Mother of Nicholas 2. Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III

The book is dedicated to the life and work of Empress Maria Feodorovna Romanova, born Princess Dagmar of Denmark (1847–1928), wife of Emperor Alexander III, mother of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, whose name has been forgotten in our country for more than 80 years. Meanwhile, she was an extraordinary person. Contemporaries noted her intelligence and determination, diplomatic abilities and political intuition, and all these qualities of a strong personality were harmoniously combined with charming manners, fragility and charm of a charming woman. She was an impeccable wife and mother, a faithful friend and adviser to both her husband and son, she did a lot to improve education and develop culture in Russia. Her huge social and charitable activities commanded respect in secular circles, among the creative intelligentsia, and among the common people. A distinctive feature of her personality was a passionate desire to serve the good of Russia, which she fell in love with all her soul at once and forever.

Yu. V. Kudrina

Maria Fedorovna

"LOVE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE TRUE GLORY OF THE STATE..."

The entry of the Danish Princess Dagmar into the Russian Imperial House began with a drama - her fiancé died suddenly (1865) - the eldest son of Alexander II, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. It fell to her to witness the collapse of this House and the death of its head - her son Nicholas II and his entire family. Her youngest son Mikhail was also killed by the Bolsheviks. Two of her other sons had previously died: Alexander (1870) and George (1899). Father-in-law - Alexander II - died before her eyes in the Winter Palace as a result of an assassination attempt by terrorists (1881), one of her husband's brothers - Sergei Alexandrovich also became a victim of terrorists (1905). In 1913, the brother of Maria Feodorovna, Prince Wilhelm, the Greek King George I, was also killed.

Russia, the Russian public received the Danish princess with great sympathy. “Her (Dagmar. -

long waited, looked forward to and knew the people, because it was preceded by a poetic legend, connected with the memory of the deceased crown prince, and the day of her entry was like a poem, re-sung and sung by all the people, ”wrote a member of the State Council, Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev.

Years passed. From a young princess of a small European state, Dagmar turned into the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna, who enjoyed great respect and love from her subjects.

Poets F. I. Tyutchev, A. N. Maikov, K. K. Romanov dedicated their poems to her, composer P. I. Tchaikovsky - twelve of his best romances. In 1898, the composer M. A. Balakirev created a hymn in honor of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Her portraits were painted by the best Russian artists: I. N. Kramskoy, V. E. and K. E. Makovsky, A. P. Sokolov, N. E. Sverchkov, I. S. Galkin, V. A. Bodrov, N. S. Samokish and others. A peak in the Pamirs (now Engels Peak) and the city of Novomariinsk (now Anadyr in Chukotka) were named in her honor.

The marriage of Maria Feodorovna and Alexander III was extremely successful and happy. Maria Fedorovna gave birth to six children: Nikolai (1868), Alexander (1869, died in infancy), George (1871, died in 1899), Xenia (1875), Mikhail (1878), Olga (1882). She accompanied her husband not only at balls and receptions, trips to the theater and concerts, on trips to holy places, hunting, but also at military parades. The memoirs of contemporaries have been preserved, telling about the first Russian test of a submarine by engineer Dzhevitsky on Silver Lake in Gatchina, which was attended by the august couple.

Part one

EMPRESS MARIA FYODOROVNA AND EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH

Chapter first

DANISH PRINCESS DAGMAR AND TSESAREVICH NIKOLAI ALEKSANDROVICH

Dagmar (full name Maria Sophia Frederica Dagmar) was the fourth child in the family. Her father, Christian IX (1818–1906), born Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Glücksburg, ascended the throne in 1853 after the childless King Frederick VII (1808–1863) and Crown Prince Ferdinand, who also left no heirs. His accession to the throne was preceded by complex and lengthy negotiations in the context of a powerful national-liberal movement unfolding in Denmark for the inclusion of Schleswig in the Kingdom of Denmark. Christian IX was a supporter of the preservation of state integrity, advocated that the duchy and the kingdom have equal independent statuses under a single command. Under pressure from the National Liberals, Christian IX had to abandon his idea and sign a constitution common to Schleswig and the Kingdom of Denmark. The Danish-Prussian war that broke out soon led to the fact that Christian IX lost the status of the ruling duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg, since these duchies came under the rule of Prussia and were then annexed to it.

Maria Feodorovna's mother, Queen Louise of Denmark (1817–1898), born Princess of Hesse-Kassel, niece of King Christian VIII, was a highly gifted person. She loved music and painting, she played the piano beautifully and drew well. Remaining in the background, Queen Louise, who was interested in politics, had a certain influence on her husband and maintained contacts with influential politicians and public figures both in Denmark itself and abroad. She also had a great influence on her children, especially in their choice of future spouses. In the monarchical circles of Europe, the Danish royal couple was called "European father-in-law and mother-in-law." The family had six children. Eldest son Frederick VIII (1843–1912) was married to Princess Louise of Sweden; the middle son Wilhelm (1845-1913) was married to Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna (1851-1926), cousin of Alexander III, and occupied the Greek throne under the name of George I; younger son Valdemar (1859–1939) married the French princess Marie d'Orléans (1865–1909).

The eldest daughter Alexander (1833–1925) - her father called her "Beautiful" - in 1863 married the Prince of Wales, the future King of Great Britain Edward VII (1841–1910); Thür's (1853–1933) youngest daughter - "Kind" - was married to Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland (1845–1923). King Christian IX called his middle daughter Dagmar "Clever".

In the middle of the 19th century, Copenhagen was a typical medieval city surrounded by a defensive rampart, with crooked narrow streets and lanes. At the end of the century, during the reign of Christian IX, a lot has changed: the defensive fortifications were demolished, the city was quickly built up with new beautiful houses, wide boulevards and squares appeared.

Chapter Two

DANISH PRINCESS DAGMAR AND GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER ALEKSANDROVICH

After the death of Nikolai Alexandrovich, Dagmar returned to Denmark, but very soon the Danish royal couple received a letter from the Russian emperor and empress in which they invited Dagmar to Russia.

Alexander's desire to marry his brother's bride, the Danish princess Dagmar, arose shortly after Nyxa's death. “Since I have been in Peterhof, I have been thinking more about Dagmar, praying to God every day to arrange this business, which will be happiness for my whole life. I feel the need to have a wife more and more, to love her and be loved by her. I would like to arrange this matter as soon as possible, and I do not lose heart and trust in God. Until now, there is no news from Denmark after the return of Freddy (Danish Prince Frederik. -

Mama wrote to the Queen about her desire to come here with Dagmar if possible, but I'm afraid that the queen will not agree."

Soon, however, the answer came from Denmark. On May 30, 1865, the Tsarevich wrote in his diary: “At ¼ 11 I went to Mama. Papa read a letter from the Queen of Denmark, who writes that now she would not like to send Dagmar to us, because now she needs peace and she must swim in the sea, that in winter she will continue to study the Russian language and, perhaps, the Law of God. Papa explains that the Queen does not want to send Dagmar now, because the Queen is afraid that they will not think that she certainly wants to give her daughter away soon, so as not to pretend as if she is afraid to lose the chance. It seems that Dagmar herself wants to marry me. As for me, I only think about this and pray to God that he arrange this matter and bless it.

Alexander Alexandrovich bore little resemblance to his older brother. Nikolai was smiling, tall, slender, educated; Alexander is huge, a little clumsy, very naive, but he amazed everyone with his heroic strength and incredible charm. Count S. D. Sheremetev, a historian, chronicler of his era, who in 1868–1880 served with Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, and since 1881 with Emperor Alexander III as an aide-de-camp, noted in his memoirs: “He (Alexander III. -

CHAPTER THREE TSESAREVICH AND TSESAREVNA

After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in the Anichkov Palace, which quickly began to change its appearance. Life has taken its toll. The time of the Tsarevich and Tsesarevna was filled with regular classes. “On Mondays and Saturdays,” K. Pobedonostsev wrote to A. Aksakov, “I visit the princess, she is very kind and simple by nature. I read and speak Russian with her.”

From the diaries of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich: “At ½ 10, Pobedonostsev came to me and, finally, began his studies again. I was already beginning to get bored with idleness, although up to now, really, I had little free time, such a stupid and senseless life was in these weeks. Almost all the time passed between the stupidest balls, parades and divorces ... My wife and I start classes at 10 and until ½ 1. At 1 o'clock we had breakfast, then someone always comes. At 2 o'clock I am not at home. We are going to ride or play, but we need to catch the time when Mama comes home. We dine around ½ 5, sometimes there are guests, they stay at home until 8 ... "

Protopresbyter Ivan (John) Leontyevich Yanyshev continued Dagmar's acquaintance with the norms of Orthodoxy, begun in Denmark. She already wrote well in Russian, copied and memorized prayers. The archives have preserved educational notebooks on history, literature and the Russian language, in which the hand of young Dagmar wrote excerpts from poems and poems of the favorite poets and writers of the Tsarevich and Tsesarevna: Pushkin and Lermontov, Zhukovsky, Koltsov, Fet, Maikov; Gogol, Leskov, Turgenev, Nikitin and others.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna helped Dagmar to master the basics of Orthodox rituals, taught Russian prayers with her and prayed together in front of the icons in a small house church. Dagmar was not easy in a new, still little familiar environment. Count S. D. Sheremetev wrote that Empress Maria Alexandrovna treated Dagmar with restraint, as if emphasizing the betrayal of her favorite, she cooled the impulses of her courtesy. “Stay where you are. You are not yet an empress,” she often said.

Chapter Four

DEATH OF EMPRESS MARIA ALEXANDROVNA AND EMPEROR ALEXANDER II

1879-1880 - the years of the "hunt for the king." The first attempt was made on April 4, 1866: when the emperor, accompanied by his nephew, Duke N. M. of Leuchtenberg and his niece, Princess M. M. of Baden, was leaving the Summer Garden, Dmitry Karakozov shot at him. The peasant Osip Komissarov, who was in the crowd, saved the emperor from death, who saw how Karakozov was aiming at the sovereign, and hit the assassin on the arm just at the very moment when he pulled the trigger.

All of Russia was horrified by this shot. F. I. Dostoevsky ran to the poet A. N. Maikov with a crazy cry: “They shot at the tsar!” - "Killed!" Mike shouted in some inhuman wild voice. “No… rescued… safely… but they fired, fired, fired!” Maikov responded to this act with the poem "April 4, 1866":

In all theaters, the audience demanded the performance of the hymn "God Save the Tsar." At the Alexandrinsky Theater the anthem was performed nine times, at the Mikhailovsky and Mariinsky - up to six times. On April 6, in St. Petersburg, Alexander II was forced to schedule a parade in his presence. On May 1, 1866, Herzen in "The Bell" commented on what happened: "We are amazed at the thought of the responsibility that this fanatic has taken upon himself ... Only among savage and decrepit peoples history breaks through with murders."

Chapter Five

EMPEROR ALEXANDER III AND EMPRESS MARIA FYODOROVNA

The discussion in the Council of Ministers of the draft constitution of Loris-Melikov appointed by Alexander II was postponed in connection with the tragic events to March 8.

Two days before the meeting, on March 6, Pobedonostsev sent a letter to the tsar, which decided the fate of both the Minister of the Interior and his supporters. It said:

During the meeting, various directly opposite points of view were expressed. From the speech of Count Stroganov: “This measure is harmful because, with the adoption of it, power will pass from the hands of an autocratic monarch, which is certainly necessary for Russia, into the hands of various fools who think not about the common good, but only about their own personal benefit ... This path leads directly to a constitution, which I do not want for you or for Russia.”

Part two

EMPEROR NICHOLAS II AND HIS AUGUST MOTHER

Chapter first

WEDDING OF EMPEROR NICHOLAS II AND THE GERMAN PRINCESS ALICE OF HESSEN

On November 14 (26), 1894, the birthday of Empress Maria Feodorovna, 25 days after the death of Emperor Alexander III, the wedding ceremony of Nicholas II and the German princess Alice, who was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, took place in the Church of the Savior of the Holy Image of the Winter Palace.

According to tradition, in the Malachite Hall of the Winter Palace, in front of the golden dressing set of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, where the royal and grand-princely brides were combed before the wedding, Alice was dressed in a silver brocade dress with a neckline and a large train. Empress Maria Feodorovna personally placed a crown adorned with diamonds on her head. The princess was also wearing a diamond diadem and a veil of antique lace, and around her neck was a necklace of large diamonds. A crimson robe trimmed with ermine fur is thrown over the shoulders over the dress.

When all the preparations were completed, the solemn procession moved through the halls of the palace to the church. Marshal of the Court Prince Trubetskoy walked in front. In his hand was a golden wand surmounted by a diamond crown. Lord Carrington, sent by the English Queen Victoria to St. Petersburg, in a letter to the queen on November 14, 1894, described the entire wedding ceremony in great detail: “The palace was already crowded - in most of the halls there were so many people that it was difficult to pass. All the ladies are in Russian dresses, some have amazing diamonds…

It was said that 8,000 or even 10,000 people attended. It is quite possible, since the halls are huge, and there is no end to them ...<…>ladies and gentlemen were led into different rooms and they stood there until the end of the ceremony. The path or passage along which the reigning persons were led was very narrow and 2 chamberlains assigned to each room, probably with great difficulty held back the onslaught of those invited: generals, admirals, officers of the army and navy, all the ladies presented to the court, dignitaries of the first four classes, the mayors of St. Petersburg and other big cities, and many big businessmen...

At 12.30 the doors opened and the King of Denmark opened the imperial procession, leading the Empress Maria. She was in white, looked pale and sad, but very calm and collected and showed no signs of excitement. During all this terrible time, the courage of the Empress was truly amazing, and it can be hoped that she will have the strength not to break under the weight of grief when everything takes its usual course. They were followed by the august bride with the young emperor, who was dressed in a life hussar uniform.

Chapter Two

CORONATION OF EMPEROR NICHOLAS II

The coronation of Nicholas II took place on May 14 (26), 1896 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. Many foreign guests were present, among whom were the Emir of Bukhara, Queen Olga Konstantinovna of Greece, twelve crown princes, including Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Prince Nikolai of Montenegro, Prince Henry of Prussia - the brother of William II, the English Duke Arthur of Connaught, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha , son of the King of Siam, brother of the Persian Shah, Japanese prince, papal nuncio and many others. There were also Chinese and Japanese delegations.

On the days of the coronation, the weather was fine in May. It was warm and quiet. “The sun shone joyfully, as if at the same time with the Muscovites wishing to meet the Sovereign, who entered his capital city,” Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich wrote in his diary.

There were a lot of people, the stands were completely filled with spectators, the air was filled with the hum of bells. Holiday decorations throughout the city. The walls of the houses are draped with carpets and bright fabrics. On the balconies - among the green garlands - a myriad of electric bulbs that were supposed to light up with the onset of darkness.

From the diary of Nicholas II: “At 2.30 exactly the procession started. I rode Norma. Mom was sitting in the first golden carriage. Alix - in the second - also alone. There is nothing to say about the meeting, it was cordial and solemn, which only can be in Moscow!

The first shot of the salute announced that the tsar had left the Petrovsky Palace. There was general jubilation all around. Many in the crowd prayed, many baptized the sovereign after him. The procession reached the Spassky Gate. Behind the gendarmes - His Majesty's own convoy, then life Cossacks, behind them the royal hunt, the court musical choir and golden carriages. In the first carriage is the Empress Mother. In the second carriage is a young queen. She was dressed in a coronation dress made of silver brocade, the work of craftswomen of the Ivanovo Monastery, on her shoulders - a golden mantle trimmed with ermine cords. The weight of the coronation robe was high - 23 kilograms. But the queen was courageous and calm. Nicholas II in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Chapter Three

DEATH OF GRAND DUKE GEORGY ALEXANDROVICH

In 1898, four years after the death of Alexander III, Maria Feodorovna buried her mother, Queen Louise. Numerous relatives representing the royal houses of Europe, as well as members of the Russian imperial family, gathered in Copenhagen for a solemn funeral. Later, in 1918, on the day of her mother's death, Maria Fedorovna would write in her diary: “Thank God that she did not have a chance to live in this terrible time, when everything around is burning and blazing with bright flames, brother goes to brother! What she had so often warned about had happened. True, we hoped that this cup would pass us by, but, unfortunately, all this fell to our lot!

But a new problem was on the threshold. The disease of the son of George - pulmonary tuberculosis - progressed.

In the autumn of 1895, while in Denmark, the Empress received a telegram about another bleeding from the Grand Duke and immediately sent a letter to her daughter Xenia, who, with her husband, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, was then in Abastuman: “I just received a telegram from Chelaev (label physician of the Grand Duke.

who reports that George was bleeding again! What a horror, I'm just shocked with despair and fear! Although I understand that this does not mean anything, it gives poor Georges trouble, and I feel terribly sorry for him. Why did all this happen? Because he climbed mountains too much? You didn't tell me in the telegram that he rode on horseback to St. George's platform, where you drank tea. Maybe he moves too much? As you can see, I can't calm down. Luckily, you're by his side now, which gives me some comfort. It's terrible that I'm so far away now, if only Georges behaved more carefully - that's what matters most. Kiss him from me and tell him that all this does not matter, try to cheer him up and distract him as much as possible from the black thoughts that can come to him alone. All this is pretty depressing to me. Poor Georges, how I wish I were right next to him!”

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich recalled: “In the autumn of 1894, Xenia and I were with Georges in Abastuman. He has changed a lot over the past year: he has lost weight, turned pale and gloomy. The disease has clearly progressed. We were uncomfortable being cheerful around him, talking about our happiness and making plans for the future. We left with a heavy heart...

Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, who visited George Alexandrovich in 1896, in a letter to Nicholas II reported that his condition had changed for the worse:

Chapter Four

EMPRESS MOTHER

After the accession to the throne of Nicholas II, the Russian imperial house for some time continued to live in accordance with established traditions. According to the figurative expression of the famous diplomat A.P. Izvolsky, "The Russian Empire continued to be controlled literally by the shadow of the deceased emperor." The Grand Dukes, for their part, tried to put pressure on the young emperor and influence him in resolving various issues of state administration.

Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov wrote: “They chatter that the uncles of the Sovereigns are trying to have influence on the tsar, they don’t leave them without advice, but I think that envy speaks in these rumors and that these are empty gossip. But I know for sure that Vladimir is very annoying to the Dowager Empress Sovereign with various reminders and suggestions, for example, he strongly insisted, although unsuccessfully, to take the bride down the aisle in a gilded carriage so that various diamonds were handed over to her as the future empress. Minnie is very weary of all this.

After the death of her husband and the accession to the throne of her son, a new period of life began for Maria Feodorovna. A smart, powerful woman with deep political intuition, she learned a lot from Alexander III. Hence her constant desire to direct her son in his affairs, to protect him from the harmful influence of others, to surround him with the right people. The Empress Mother understood that Nikolai, who ascended the throne at the age of 27 (10 years earlier than his father), certainly needed support, and first of all, her help.

In the early years of his reign, his mother tried to help him. “The young sovereign treats his mother extremely tenderly. The day begins with the fact that he comes to her dressing room and, showing her all the letters he received, confers about everything that is coming to him that day, ”wrote State Secretary A. A. Polovtsov in his diary. The chairman of the Archaeological Commission, the head of the orphanage institutions of the Office of Empress Maria A. A. Bobrinsky recalled: “They say that more than once he (Nicholas II. -

So, on December 7, 1896, turning to his grandfather Christian IX with a request to “release” the Russian ambassador to Denmark, Count Muravyov, to St. Petersburg in connection with his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicholas II dropped: “But I spoke with Mama, and she sees no obstacles to this. In February 1898, the French ambassador to Copenhagen, Paul Cambon, wrote about the influence of “women’s politics” in St. Petersburg (the influence of Maria Feodorovna was implied) in connection with the nomination by the Athenian government in 1897 to the post of Governor-General of Crete, Prince George (son of the Greek King George, brother of Mary Fedorovna). In the first years of his reign, Nicholas II was influenced not only by his mother, but also by the grand dukes and the tsar's mentor K.P. Pobedonostsev. After the death of Alexander III, notes and reports from the governors on the state of affairs in the provinces, on student unrest in higher educational institutions of Russia in 1899–1901, continued to be regularly received in the name of Maria Feodorovna. All of them are kept in Russian archives.

Chapter Five

SUSPENSION OF TROUBLE

Soon after the accession of Nicholas II to the throne, Maria Feodorovna, in her letters to relatives in Denmark, increasingly began to add the word “stakkels” to the name Nika (translated from Danish - “poor”, “poor fellow”). What the mother invested in this definition was clear only to her, but it seems that she already well understood then: the burden of governing the state is too heavy for her son. He, the emperor of Russia, the owner of a sixth part of the Earth, often ended his letters to his mother with the words: “You are praying for your poor Nicky, Christ is with you.”

Later, Maria Feodorovna constantly complained that he was surrounded by people who were not devoted to either him or the state. In the diary of A. A. Polovtsov, a connoisseur of palace intrigues, we read the following: “Whose voice is heard around the Sovereign? Exclusively ministerial; meanwhile, it is quite understandable that the Sovereign wants to hear a voice, to check what the ministers are buzzing in a constant concert of self-praise. He turns to the nonentities rubbing against him, thinking to hear an independent voice. All this is very sad and, let's say more: dangerous.

“My poor son, how little luck he has in people ... My poor son has so few people whom he trusts, and you always told him what you think,” she repeatedly told Finance Minister V. N. Kokovtsov. “All the rest (except P. Svyatopolk-Mirsky. -

they don’t tell the Sovereign the truth ... ”she declared to E. Svyatopolk-Mirskoy. During the reception of A. Obolensky, as Polovtsov testifies, the empress reproached him for the fact that “he could present the Sovereign affairs in their present form, while D. Sipyagin, due to the extreme limitations of his mind, is not able to do this ... Obolensky is in vain he proved to her that, due to his position as a “comrade”, he did not have access to the sovereign ... ” The Empress concluded by saying: “Go, go to my son, tell him the truth” (“Allez, allez chez mon fils el dites lui toute la vérité”).

Many contemporaries highly appreciated the abilities of the young emperor. S. Yu. Witte wrote: “I must say that when the heir became chairman of the committee, after a few meetings it was noticeable that he had seized the position of chairman, which, however, is not at all surprising, since Emperor Nicholas II is a man, no doubt , very quick mind and quick abilities; in general, he grasps everything quickly and understands everything quickly. Such qualities of the king as kindness and responsiveness were noted by many of his contemporaries. Conveying an opinion about Tsar L. N. Tolstoy, Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, a historian, the uncle of the Tsar, wrote: “Tolstoy began to talk about the current sovereign Nicholas II. He feels sorry for him very much, I would like to help him so much, he is apparently a kind, sympathetic and well-meaning person, but the people around him - that's where the trouble is!

When, at the end of 1902, Nikolai suddenly fell ill with typhoid fever and the question arose of a possible transfer of power to Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, a conversation took place between the Empress Dowager and S. Yu. Witte. In his memoirs, the latter cites its content: “Do you want to say that the Sovereign does not have the character of an emperor? “That’s true,” answers Maria Fedorovna, “but in which case Misha should replace him, and he has even less will and character.” During the illness of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna refused Maria Feodorovna the opportunity to care for the sick, saying that she could handle everything herself. Maria Feodorovna never came to them.

Part three

RUSSIA IS AT A BREAK. WAR AND REVOLUTION IN THE EYES OF EMPRESS DOWAVE MARIA FYODOROVNA

Chapter first

“Oh, THIS DAMNED AND HISTORY WAR. SO MANY LOSSES AND MISSIONS EVERYWHERE!”

The First World War caught Maria Feodorovna in England. On July 17, 1914, the Dowager Empress wrote to her eldest daughter Xenia: “It seems that everyone has gone crazy; I can't believe that all this could have happened so soon. I am completely depressed. Everything that happened is so terrible and so scary that there are no words. My God, what else awaits us and how will it all end?

From England, Maria Fedorovna moved to Denmark. According to the recollections of Prince Yusupov, who happened to be in Copenhagen with her and his wife Irina in those days, many trains were placed at the disposal of the Russians, who were unable to return to their homeland. When trying to return to Russia through Germany, Maria Fedorovna was subjected to rude bullying in Berlin.

On July 20 (August 2), she made the following entry in her diary: “In France, we were greeted everywhere with exclamations of “Long live Russia!”. Mobilization was in full swing. In Germany, nothing was visible until we arrived on the outskirts of Berlin, where the faces of passers-by breathed hatred. When we entered Berlin, a disgusting place, Sverbeev appeared (Russian ambassador to Germany. -

and announced the declaration of war. I couldn't drive further to the border. Sverbeev was like a madman; it was evident that he had lost his head and was no longer an ambassador. He told me that little Irina was with the Yusupov family and that they were all under arrest. Has anything like that been heard... Then the Germans appeared, and one official said that I should go back through England, Holland or Sweden, or maybe I would prefer Denmark. I protested and asked what happened, to which I received the answer: “Russia has declared war.” I replied that it was a lie."

Maria Fedorovna was forced to return to Copenhagen. When she returned to Russia through Sweden and Finland, the Finns, who were especially disposed towards the Dowager Empress, greeted her with applause at the stations. Thousands of people sang national anthems in her honor. The Empress sincerely loved Finland and, according to State Secretary A. A. Polovtsov, she always “passionately defended her from the onslaught of the Russian bureaucracy.”

Chapter Two

“SUCH A HORRIBLE DISASTER WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FOREGO…”

On February 26, 1917, the meetings of the State Duma were interrupted. The tsar's decree stated: "The studies of the State Duma should be interrupted from February 26 of this year and set a deadline for their resumption no later than April 1917, depending on emergency circumstances."

On February 27 (March 12) the so-called Private Meeting of the members of the Duma took place. Of the nineteen deputies who spoke, only six spoke in favor of the Duma taking power. As a result of pressure from the Cadets, the Duma did not dare to resume its meetings, but the Provisional Committee of the State Duma was created.

On February 28 (March 13), in connection with the unrest and the growing strike movement in Petrograd, Nicholas II ordered the military command to "immediately restore order." On February 28, 1917, the troops began to openly rebel. As sources confirm, among the soldiers and officer corps, agitators who were part of the organizations of the conspirators openly worked. The seizure of government buildings began. On February 27, a virtual dual power was established in the capital - the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, headed by M. A. Rodzianko, and the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, headed by N. S. Chkheidze and A. F. Kerensky.

In 1910, in his speech delivered in the State Duma, P. A. Stolypin said: “If there were a madman who at the present time would realize the political freedoms of Russia with one stroke of the pen, then tomorrow the Council of Workers’ Deputies would meet in St. Petersburg, which after six months of its existence, it would have plunged Russia into fiery hell. The words of P. A. Stolypin turned out to be prophetic.

Chapter Three

CRIMEAN CONFIGURATION

At the end of March 1917, Maria Feodorovna, with her daughter Olga, her husband, Colonel N. A. Kulikovsky, the husband of the second daughter of Xenia, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, moved to the Crimea. Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, with her three eldest sons, arrived there from Petrograd along with the Yusupov family a little later. The Dowager Empress stayed in the Crimea for two and a half years, until April 1919 - first in Ai-Todor, then in Dyulber and Kharaks. This stay became for her almost house arrest, full of constant deprivation and humiliation.

Together with Maria Feodorovna, some members of the former imperial family and people close to them were in the Crimea. Her daughters lived in the Ai-Todor estate: the eldest Ksenia Alexandrovna with her husband and their six children - Andrey, Nikita, Rostislav, Fedor, Dmitry, Vasily; the youngest daughter Olga Alexandrovna with her second husband, retired colonel N. A. Kulikovsky and little son Tikhon (born in Ai-Todor on August 13, 1917), as well as Countess Mengden, maid of honor Evreinova, General Vogel and others.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich and his wife Anastasia Nikolaevna, Prince S. G. Romanovsky, Count S. V. Tyshkevich and his wife, Prince V. N. Orlov, Dr. Malama and General Boldyrev lived in the estate of Chair. Grand Duke Pyotr Nikolayevich and his wife Militsa Nikolaevna, their children Roman and Marina, General A.I. Stal with their daughters Elena and Maria settled in the Dulber estate, and Xenia's daughter Irina and her husband F.F. Yusupov settled in Koreiz.

At first, the Empress Dowager was allowed to take walks throughout Ai-Todor, but when two warships arrived in Yalta at the end of April, carrying 250 sailors and commanders of the Black Sea division, the situation changed dramatically. In April 1917, a search was carried out on the estates where members of the royal family lived. A letter has been preserved, written by the Dowager Empress to Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna shortly after this event. In it, Maria Fedorovna described in detail the humiliations to which she then underwent:

Chapter Four

“JUST STOP THIS HORRIBLE CIVIL WAR…” THE MERCY YEAR 1918

The summer of 1918 turned out to be very hot in the Crimea. The sun is 34 degrees, in the shade - 22. For Maria Feodorovna, staying here became more painful and depressing every month. The mother's heart foresaw the impending disaster, and thoughts about her sons Nicholas and Mikhail and other members of the imperial family who had disappeared in Siberia haunted her. From the end of 1917, nothing was known about the fate of Mikhail’s son, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, although, however, in her letter to Nikolai in Siberia dated November 21, Maria Fedorovna reported that Misha had written to her about the last meeting of the two brothers “in the presence of witnesses” (Kerensky and others -

before the departure of the Nikolai family to Siberia.

On June 16 (29), 1918, Madame Goujon visited the Empress in Dulber and reported that "Misha is in Omsk." This news gave a flash of hope and even calmed the empress for a while. Hope faded as quickly as it flared up: “It’s terrible, but I don’t have any news from him (Michael. -

not from Nicky.

In fact, on June 16 (29), Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was no longer alive. He was the first of the royal family to die from the Bolshevik regime, which was not accidental.

A forty-year-old brilliant officer, lieutenant general, commander of the Caucasian Native Wild Division, Knight of St. George, Mikhail Alexandrovich enjoyed love and well-deserved authority in the army. “The spiritual attention of the Grand Duke, his charming simplicity and delicacy forever attracted the hearts of those who had to meet him,” wrote Colonel B.V. Nikitin, who led the Russian counterintelligence in March-July 1917, “we were happy close to him and betrayed immeasurably."

The future Empress Maria Alexandrovna was born in 1824 in Darmstadt, the capital of Hesse. The baby was named Maximilian Wilhemina Augusta Sophia Maria.

Origin

Her father was the German Ludwig II (1777-1848) - the Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine. He came to power after the July Revolution.

The girl's mother was Wilhelmina of Baden (1788-1836). She was from the Baden house of Zähringen. There were rumors at court that her younger children, including Maximilian, were born from a relationship with one of the local barons. Ludwig II - the official husband - recognized her as his daughter in order to avoid a shameful scandal. Nevertheless, the girl with her brother Alexander began to live separately from her father and his residence in Darmstadt. This place of "exile" was Heiligenberg, which was the property of Wilhelmina's mother.

Meeting with Alexander II

Dynastic marriages with German princesses were popular among the Romanovs. For example, Maria's predecessor, Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas I), was the daughter of the Prussian king. And the wife of the last Russian emperor was also from the Hessian house. So against this background, the decision of Alexander II to marry a German from a small principality does not seem strange.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna met her future husband in March 1839, when she was 14 years old and he was 18. At this time, Alexander, as heir to the throne, made a traditional European tour to get acquainted with the local ruling houses. He met the daughter of the Duke of Hesse at the play Vestal.

How was the marriage arranged?

After they met, Alexander began to persuade his parents in letters to give permission to marry a German woman. However, the mother was against such a connection of the crown prince. She was embarrassed by rumors about the illegal origin of the girl. Emperor Nicholas, on the contrary, decided not to chop off his shoulder, but to consider the issue more carefully.

The fact is that his son Alexander already had a bad experience in his personal life. He fell in love with the maid of honor of the court. Parents were sharply against such a relationship for two fundamental reasons. First, this girl was of simple origin. Secondly, she was also a Catholic. So Alexander was forcibly separated from her and sent to Europe, just so that he could find a suitable match for himself.

So Nikolai decided not to take risks and not break his son's heart again. Instead, he began to ask in detail about the girl of the trustee Alexander Kavelin and the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, who accompanied the heir on his journey. When the emperor received positive reviews, an order immediately followed throughout the court that it was no longer allowed to spread any rumors about the Hessian princess.

Even Empress Alexandra Feodorovna had to obey this command. Then she decided to go to Darmstadt herself in order to get to know her daughter-in-law in advance. It was an unheard of event - nothing like it had ever happened in Russian history.

Appearance and interests

The future Empress Maria Alexandrovna made an excellent impression on her predecessor. After a face-to-face meeting, consent to marriage was obtained.

What so attracted others in this German girl? The most detailed description of her appearance was left in her memoirs by her maid of honor Anna Tyutcheva (daughter of the famous poet). According to her, Empress Maria Alexandrovna had a delicate complexion, wonderful hair and a meek gaze of large blue eyes. Against this background, her thin lips looked a little strange, which often depicted an ironic smile.

The girl had a deep knowledge of music and European literature. Her education and breadth of interests impressed everyone around her, and many people later left their rave reviews in the form of memoirs. For example, the writer Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy said that the Empress, with her knowledge, not only stands out from the rest of the women, but even noticeably beats many men.

Appearance at court and wedding

The wedding took place shortly after all the formalities were settled. The bride arrived in St. Petersburg in 1840 and was most of all shocked by the splendor and beauty of the Russian capital. In December, she converted to Orthodoxy and was baptized with the name Maria Alexandrovna. The very next day there was an engagement between her and the heir to the throne. The wedding took place a year later, in 1841. It was held in the Cathedral Church, located in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Now it is one of the premises of the Hermitage, where regular exhibitions are held.

It was hard for the girl to wedge herself into a new life because of her lack of knowledge of the language and the fear of not being liked by her father-in-law and mother-in-law. As she herself later admitted, every day Maria spent on pins and needles, she felt like a “volunteer”, ready to rush anywhere on a sudden command, for example, to an unexpected reception. in general was a burden for the princess, and then the empress. First of all, she was attached to her husband and children, she tried only to help them, and not waste time on formalities.

The coronation of the spouses took place in 1856 after the death of Nicholas I. Thirty-year-old Maria Alexandrovna received a new status that frightened her all the time that she was the daughter-in-law of the emperor.

Character

Contemporaries noted the numerous virtues possessed by the Empress Maria Alexandrovna. This is kindness, attention to people, sincerity in words and deeds. But the most important and noticeable was the sense of duty with which she stayed at court and carried the title throughout her life. Each of her actions corresponded to the imperial status.

She always observed religious dogmas and was extremely pious. This feature stood out so strongly in the character of the empress that it was much easier to imagine her as a nun than a reigning person. For example, Louis II (King of Bavaria) noted that Maria Alexandrovna was surrounded by the halo of a saint. Such behavior in many respects did not agree with her status, since in many state (even formal) affairs her presence was required, despite her behavior removed from worldly fuss.

Charity

Most of all, Empress Maria Alexandrovna - the wife of Alexander 2 - was known for her wide charity. Throughout the country, at her expense, hospitals, shelters and gymnasiums were opened, which received the epithet "Mariinsky". In total, she opened and monitored 5 hospitals, 36 shelters, 12 almshouses, 5 charitable societies. The Empress did not deprive the Empress of her attention to the sphere of education: 2 institutes, four dozen gymnasiums, hundreds of small schools for artisans and workers, etc. were built. Maria Alexandrovna spent both state and own funds on this (she was given 50 thousand silver rubles a year for personal expenses).

Health care has become a special area of ​​activity, which Empress Maria Alexandrovna was engaged in. The Red Cross appeared in Russia precisely on her initiative. Its volunteers helped wounded soldiers during the war in Bulgaria against Turkey in 1877-1878.

Death of daughter and son

A great tragedy for the royal family was the death of the heir to the throne. Empress Maria Alexandrovna - the wife of Alexander 2 - gave her husband eight children. The eldest son Nikolai was born in 1843, two years after the wedding, when his namesake grandfather was still the king.

The child was distinguished by a sharp mind and a pleasant character, for which he was loved by all family members. He was already engaged and educated when he injured his back in an accident. There are several versions of what happened. Either Nikolai fell off his horse, or hit a marble table during a comic struggle with his comrade. At first, the injury was invisible, but over time, the heir became increasingly pale and felt worse. In addition, doctors treated him incorrectly - they prescribed medicines for rheumatism, which did not bring any benefit, because the true cause of the disease was not identified. Soon Nikolai was chained to a wheelchair. This became a terrible stress that Empress Maria Alexandrovna endured. The son's illness followed the death of Alexandra's first daughter, who died of meningitis. His mother was constantly with Nicholas, even when it was decided to send him to Nice for treatment for spinal tuberculosis, where he died at the age of 22.

Cooling relationship with her husband

Both Alexander and Maria, in their own way, struggled with this loss. The emperor blamed himself for forcing his son to do a lot of physical training, partly because of which the accident occurred. One way or another, but the tragedy alienated the spouses from each other.

The trouble was that all their further life together consisted of the same rituals. In the mornings it was a kiss on duty and ordinary conversations about dynastic affairs. In the afternoon, the couple met another parade. The empress spent the evening with the children, and her husband constantly disappeared on public affairs. He loved his family, but his time was simply not enough for relatives, which Maria Alexandrovna could not help but notice. The empress tried to help Alexander in business, especially in the early years.

Then (at the beginning of his reign) the king gladly consulted with his wife about many decisions. She was always up to date with the latest ministerial reports. Most often, her advice concerned the education system. This was largely due to the charitable activities that Empress Maria Alexandrovna was engaged in. And the development of education in these years received a natural impetus forward. Schools were opened, access to them appeared among the peasants, who, among other things, were also freed from serfdom under Alexander.

The empress herself had the most liberal opinion on this matter, which she shared, for example, with Kavelin, telling him that she ardently supported her husband in his desire to give freedom to the largest estate in Russia.

However, with the advent of the Manifesto (1861), the Empress was less and less concerned with state affairs due to some cooling of relations with her husband. This was also due to the wayward character of Romanov. The king was increasingly overtaken by whispers in the palace that he too often looks back at the opinion of his wife, that is, he is under her heel. This annoyed the freedom-loving Alexander. In addition, the very title of autocrat obliged him to make decisions only by his own will, without advice from anyone. This concerned the very nature of power in Russia, which, it was believed, was given by God to a single anointed one. But the real gap between the spouses was yet to come.

Ekaterina Dolgorukova

In 1859, Alexander II carried out maneuvers in the southern part of the empire (the territory of present-day Ukraine) - the 150th anniversary of the battle of Poltava was celebrated. The sovereign stopped for a visit to the estate of the famous Dolgorukovs' house. This family was a branch from the Rurik princes. That is, its representatives were distant relatives of the Romanovs. But in the middle of the 19th century, there was a well-born family, and its head, Prince Mikhail, had only one estate left - Teplovka.

The emperor stepped in and helped Dolgorukov, in particular, he got his sons into the guards, and sent his daughters to the Smolny Institute, promising to pay the expenses from the royal purse. Then he met a thirteen-year-old girl who surprised him with her curiosity and love of life.

In 1865, according to tradition, the autocrat paid a visit to the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. Then, after a long break, he again saw Catherine, who was already 18 years old. The girl was amazingly beautiful.

The emperor, who had an amorous disposition, began to send her gifts through his assistants. He even began to visit the institute incognito, but it was decided that this was too much, and the girl was expelled under the pretext of poor health. Now she lived in Petersburg and saw the tsar in the Summer Garden. She was even made a maid of honor to the hostess of the Winter Palace, who was Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The wife of Alexander II was very upset by the rumors swarming around the young girl. Finally, Catherine left for Italy so as not to cause a scandal.

But Alexander was serious. He even promised the favorite that he would marry her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. In the summer of 1867 he arrived in Paris at the invitation of Napoleon III. Dolgorukova went there from Italy.

In the end, the emperor tried to explain himself to his family, wishing that Maria Alexandrovna would hear him first. The Empress, wife of Alexander II and mistress of the Winter Palace, tried to keep up appearances and did not allow the conflict to go beyond the residence. However, her eldest son and heir to the throne rebelled. This was not surprising. The future was distinguished by a sharp disposition, even at a very young age. He scolded his father, and he, in turn, became furious.

As a result, Catherine nevertheless moved to the Winter Palace and gave birth to four children from the king, who later received princely titles and were legalized. This happened after the death of Alexander's legal wife. The funeral of Empress Maria Alexandrovna made it possible for the Tsar to marry Catherine. She received the title of the Most Serene Princess and the surname Yuryevskaya (like her children). However, the emperor was not happy in this marriage for long.

Illness and death

Maria Alexandrovna's health was undermined for many reasons. These are frequent childbirth, the betrayal of her husband, the death of her son, as well as the damp climate of St. Petersburg, for which the native German woman was not ready in the first years of the move. Because of this, she developed consumption, as well as nervous exhaustion. According to the recommendation of a personal doctor, every summer the woman went south to the Crimea, whose climate was supposed to help her overcome illnesses. Over time, the woman almost retired. One of the last episodes of her participation in public life was visiting military councils during the confrontation with Turkey in 1878.

During these years, assassination attempts were constantly made on Alexander II by revolutionaries and bombers. Once an explosion occurred in the dining room of the Winter Palace, but the empress was so sick that she did not even notice it, lying in her chambers. And her husband survived only because he lingered in his office, contrary to his habit of having lunch at a set time. Constant fear for the life of her beloved husband ate the remnants of health, which Maria Alexandrovna still owned. The Empress, whose photos at that time show a clear change in her appearance, became extremely thin and looked more like her shadow than a person in the body.

In the spring of 1880, she finally fell ill, while her husband moved to Tsarskoye Selo with Dolgorukova. He paid his wife short visits, but could not do anything to somehow improve her well-being. Tuberculosis was the reason why Empress Maria Alexandrovna died. The biography of this woman says that her life was cut short in the same year, on June 3, according to the new style.

According to dynastic tradition, the wife of Alexander II found her last refuge in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The funeral of Empress Maria Alexandrovna became a mourning event for the whole country, which sincerely loved her.

Alexander briefly survived his first wife. In 1881, he died after being wounded by a bomb thrown at his feet by a terrorist. The emperor was buried next to Maria Alexandrovna.

Maria Fedorovna Romanova, born Princess of Denmark

Maria-Dagmar Romanova, who went down in history as the wife of Emperor Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II, passed away 89 years ago. She was the bride of Tsarevich Nicholas, and became the wife of his brother, was the mother of the Russian emperor, and became an exile who lost her son and grandchildren and ended her days alone. There were so many sharp turns and difficult trials in her fate that it could break the will of even a strong-willed person, but she steadfastly endured all the difficulties.

Portrait of Maria-Sophia-Frederica-Dagmar. Unknown lithographer, 1866

Danish princess with her fiancé, Tsarevich Nicholas

The fate of the Danish princess Maria-Sophia-Frederiki-Dagmar was predetermined from birth. Her parents were called the father-in-law and mother-in-law of all of Europe - their daughters were enviable brides for many royal houses. They married their eldest daughter Alexandra to the English King Edward VII, and Dagmar was betrothed to the heir to the Russian throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov. The young treated each other with great tenderness, it was going to the wedding, but then Nikolai fell ill with meningitis and died suddenly. The bride spent her last days in Nice next to him. Together with her, his younger brother Alexander looked after the heir. The common grief brought them closer, and after the death of Nicholas, Alexander took his place not only in the succession to the throne, but also next to Dagmar.


Danish Princess Marie-Sophia-Frederika-Dagmar

Maria Fedorovna with her sister Alexandra and husband

According to legend, the dying Nicholas himself blessed his brother and bride for this union. The political benefits of such a marriage were obvious, the family pushed Alexander to this decision, and he himself felt sympathy for the Danish princess. And a year later, after the end of mourning, Dagmar agreed to his proposal. In 1866, she went to Russia, where she was greeted with jubilation by several tens of thousands of people. Later, she will be able to justify people's love with sincere devotion to her new homeland and her deeds.


Empress Maria Feodorovna in a Russian dress with a diadem and a necklace of 51 diamonds, 1883

Maria Fedorovna in Livadia, 1880s

The wedding took place in October 1866. Dagmar adopted the Orthodox faith and became known as Maria Fedorovna. In this marriage, six children were born, and the first-born was named after the deceased Tsarevich Nicholas. It was he who was destined to become the last Russian emperor. During the reign of Alexander III, Maria-Dagmar (or Dagmar, Dagmaria, as her husband called her) did not interfere in state affairs, but was actively involved in social activities: she headed the Russian Red Cross Society and many educational and charitable institutions, opened shelters for children and the poor, took patronage of the Cavalier Guard and Cuirassier regiments, together with the emperor participated in the creation of the funds of the Russian Museum.


Empress Maria Feodorovna

Maria Feodorovna with her son Nika and with all the children

After the death of Alexander III in 1894, Maria Feodorovna bore the title of Empress Dowager. The illness and death of her husband was a heavy blow for her. She wrote: “I still can’t get used to this terrible reality that dear and beloved is no longer on this earth. It's just a nightmare. Everywhere without him is a killing emptiness. Wherever I go, everywhere I miss him terribly. I can't even think about my life without him. This is no longer life, but a constant test that we must try to endure, without lamenting, surrendering to the grace of God and asking him to help us carry this heavy cross!


Penultimate Russian Empress

Emperor Alexander III with his wife and children

Maria Feodorovna did not approve of her son's choice; the German princess seemed to her not a strong enough support for Nicholas, too soft and delicate for the sovereign. Their relationship with her son deteriorated, she often expressed her dissatisfaction, for which she earned the nickname "angry empress" in court circles. According to the memoirs of E. Svyatopolk-Mirskaya, Maria Fedorovna complained more than once that “it’s terrible for her to see that her son is ruining everything, to understand this and not be able to do anything.”


Maria Feodorovna with her husband

The revolution caught her in Kyiv, and from there she later moved to the Crimea, where she lived for about two years. The Empress for a long time did not want to believe the rumors about the death of her son and his entire family. After the White Guards and the English squadron came to the Crimea, Maria Fedorovna succumbed to the persuasion of her relatives and agreed to leave Russia. Then it seemed to her that this was temporary, and after the revolutionary events subsided, she would be able to return. But she never saw her second home again.


Emperor Nicholas II with his mother. Kyiv, September 1916

At first, the empress lived in England, and then returned to Denmark, where she spent the last years of her life, which were very lonely and restless - her nephew, the Danish king, did not like her aunt. October 13, 1928 Maria-Dagmar Romanova died. Her last wish was to rest beside her husband, but her will was fulfilled only in 2006, when her ashes were transferred to Russia. In St. Petersburg, she was solemnly buried next to Alexander III, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the tomb of Russian emperors.


Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna aboard the British battleship Marlborough April 11, 1919. Yalta in the background

Penultimate Russian Empress

Passed away 89 years ago Maria-Dagmar Romanova, who went down in history as the wife of Emperor Alexander III and the mother of Nicholas II. She was the bride of Tsarevich Nicholas, and became the wife of his brother, was the mother of the Russian emperor, and became an exile who lost her son and grandchildren and ended her days alone. There were so many sharp turns and difficult trials in her fate that it could break the will of even a strong-willed person, but she steadfastly endured all the difficulties.

The fate of the Danish princess Maria-Sophia-Frederiki-Dagmar was predetermined from birth. Her parents were called the father-in-law and mother-in-law of all of Europe - their daughters were enviable brides for many royal houses. They married their eldest daughter Alexandra to the English King Edward VII, and Dagmar was betrothed to the heir to the Russian throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov. The young treated each other with great tenderness, it was going to the wedding, but then Nikolai fell ill with meningitis and died suddenly. The bride spent her last days in Nice next to him. Together with her, his younger brother Alexander looked after the heir. The common grief brought them closer, and after the death of Nicholas, Alexander took his place not only in the succession to the throne, but also next to Dagmar.

According to legend, the dying Nicholas himself blessed his brother and bride for this union. The political benefits of such a marriage were obvious, the family pushed Alexander to this decision, and he himself felt sympathy for the Danish princess. And a year later, after the end of mourning, Dagmar agreed to his proposal. In 1866, she went to Russia, where she was greeted with jubilation by several tens of thousands of people. Later, she will be able to justify people's love with sincere devotion to her new homeland and her deeds.

The wedding took place in October 1866. Dagmar adopted the Orthodox faith and became known as Maria Fedorovna. In this marriage, six children were born, and the first-born was named after the deceased Tsarevich Nicholas. It was he who was destined to become the last Russian emperor. During the reign of Alexander III, Maria-Dagmar (or Dagmar, Dagmaria, as her husband called her) did not interfere in state affairs, but was actively involved in social activities: she headed the Russian Red Cross Society and many educational and charitable institutions, opened shelters for children and the poor, took patronage of the Cavalier Guard and Cuirassier regiments, together with the emperor participated in the creation of the funds of the Russian Museum.

After the death of Alexander III in 1894, Maria Feodorovna bore the title of Empress Dowager. The illness and death of her husband was a heavy blow for her. She wrote: " I still cannot get used to this terrible reality that dear and beloved is no longer on this earth. It's just a nightmare. Everywhere without him is a killing emptiness. Wherever I go, everywhere I miss him terribly. I can't even think about my life without him. This is no longer life, but a constant test that we must try to endure, without lamenting, surrendering to the grace of God and asking him to help us carry this heavy cross!».

Maria Feodorovna did not approve of her son's choice; the German princess seemed to her not a strong enough support for Nicholas, too soft and delicate for the sovereign. Their relationship with her son deteriorated, she often expressed her dissatisfaction, for which she earned the nickname "angry empress" in court circles. According to the memoirs of E. Svyatopolk-Mirskaya, Maria Fedorovna complained more than once that “ it is terrible for her to see that her son is ruining everything, to understand this and not be able to do anything».

The revolution caught her in Kyiv, and from there she later moved to the Crimea, where she lived for about two years. The Empress for a long time did not want to believe the rumors about the death of her son and his entire family. After the White Guards and the English squadron came to the Crimea, Maria Fedorovna succumbed to the persuasion of her relatives and agreed to leave Russia. Then it seemed to her that this was temporary, and after the revolutionary events subsided, she would be able to return. But she never saw her second home again.

At first, the empress lived in England, and then returned to Denmark, where she spent the last years of her life, which were very lonely and restless - her nephew, the Danish king, did not like her aunt. October 13, 1928 Maria-Dagmar Romanova died. Her last wish was to rest beside her husband, but her will was fulfilled only in 2006, when her ashes were transferred to Russia. In St. Petersburg, she was solemnly buried next to Alexander III, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the tomb of Russian emperors.

The sister of Nicholas II also had to leave Russia forever: .

The death of the groom, a difficult relationship with the daughter-in-law and the evacuation from the Russian Empire in 1919. As the mother of the last Russian emperor lived in exile. The mother of the last Russian emperor until the last did not believe in the death of Nicholas II. To a telegram of condolences received from her nephew, the Danish king Christian X, the ruler replied that all this was nothing more than a rumor.

She outlived her son by 10 years and all the time she was waiting for Nicky to arrive now. On October 13, 1928, Maria Feodorovna died. Who was this woman, how did she get to Russia and how could she escape from it after 50 years.

Andersen's Tales:
Princess Minnie - that was the name of the future Empress Maria Feodorovna in childhood - was born in 1847 in Copenhagen in the family of the future King Christian IX. There were six children in the family - three sons and three daughters. Father loved to characterize each princess in one word. So, he called his daughters "the most beautiful", "the smartest" and "the kindest" (Alexandra, Maria and Tyra).
Education Dagmar, her sisters and brothers received at home. The main subject that all children had to know was foreign languages, primarily French and English. In addition, the boys were taught military affairs, and the girls were taught how to run a household. For example, the future Russian Empress knew how to sew at the age of 13.
She spent her childhood and youth in the "yellow castle", where the famous writer Hans Christian Andersen was admitted. The fact that we have his fairy tales, we partly owe to Minnie.

Marry in Russia:
Initially, Maria was supposed to marry another son of Alexander II - Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich.
At the urging of his own father, the 20-year-old young man came to Denmark to meet his own potential bride in the summer of 1864. The 17-year-old girl made such a strong impression on the young man that he almost immediately wrote to his mother.
- If you knew how happy I am: I fell in love with Dagmar. Do not be afraid that it is so soon, I remember your advice and cannot decide soon. But how can I not be happy when my heart tells me that I love her, I love her passionately. She is so pretty, simple, smart, cheerful and shy at the same time,” Nikolai wrote.
The heir to the Russian throne went to Darmstadt, where by that time his parents were. They decided to transport the bride to Russia in the near future, and play the wedding as soon as she turns 18 years old.
After that, he again went to Denmark. Historians point out that young people made horse rides, rode a boat and talked a lot. The Danish court exhaled, and the Russian one too: there was a need to connect countries in this way, and it’s nice when children marry for love. Young people announced their engagement. By the way, the residents of St. Petersburg learned that the heir was going to get married, after 101 salutes.
As it turned out, it was too early to rejoice. From the bride's house, the young man set off on a journey to Nice in the autumn of 1864. Here, the heir to the Russian throne began to have back pain, but he did not attach any importance to them, attributing everything to fatigue.
“God willing, I will rest and strengthen myself in the winter in Italy (where I was going to go), then a wedding, and then a new life - a family hearth, service and work,” he said.
However, the plans of the prince were not destined to come true. In the spring of 1865, the Danish court received an alarming message from Nice. The prince got worse. By the time the bride arrived, the young man's condition was so bad that the doctors said: it's time to say goodbye.
On April 24, 1865, the Tsarevich died. His body was sent to St. Petersburg on the Alexander Nevsky frigate. The most common reason why an heir died is considered to be an incorrect diagnosis. He had cerebrospinal tuberculous meningitis, and was being treated for both the common cold and rheumatism.

"Sasha":
Shortly thereafter, the princess began a correspondence with Alexander II. The emperor insists on her coming to Russia and marrying another son, the future sovereign Alexander III.
- I am very pleased to hear that you repeat about your desire to leave me near you. But my loss is so recent that now I'm just afraid to show my non-devotion to her. On the other hand, I would like to hear from Sasha himself whether he really wants to be with me, she writes in response.
As it turned out, Alexander had long been in love with Mary.
“I wanted to propose to Dagmar, but I did not dare, although we were together,” he later wrote in his diary.
In the spring of 1866, he proposes marriage to the princess; in June, the engagement took place. Already in October she moves to Russia. On October 13, she was baptized under the name of Maria Feodorovna, and on October 28 the wedding took place. On the occasion of the celebration, all faulty debtors were written off their debts, and an amnesty was announced for a number of prisoners.
Despite the fact that noisy St. Petersburg was radically different from quiet and calm Copenhagen, Maria quickly understood how to act. She actively learned dances that were popular at court, studied all the turns of the Russian language that many foreigners would not understand. Historians indicate that she knew how to charm people and quickly won over most of the courtiers. And at receptions, she devoted several minutes to almost every guest.

Nicholas II and other children:
The birth of the heir to the throne was not only a joy for Maria Feodorovna, but also a completely logical way to gain a foothold on the throne. About a year of painful waiting - and in 1867, doctors say that she is expecting a baby.
The boy was born on May 6, 1868. Named Nicholas. According to one version, the name was given in honor of the great-grandfather, Nicholas I. The more common one says that the child received the name in honor of the deceased uncle. Rumors instantly spread among the people that an unfortunate fate awaited the boy: it was believed that naming the same as a suddenly deceased relative was a bad omen.
Later, five more children were born in the family. The second son, named after his grandfather Alexander, did not live even two years. The third son - Georges (George), born in 1871, at the age of 19 fell ill with pulmonary tuberculosis. By that time, the world did not know how to fully cope with a terrible disease. Doctors advised to send the boy away from the bustling Petersburg, in special climatic conditions. The royal couple ordered to build a castle for him in the mountains near the village of Abastumani (now Georgia), where he lived until his death in 1899.
In 1875, the first daughter, Xenia, was born to the royal couple. The princess migrated with her mother in 1919, and after the death of Maria Feodorovna, she left for Great Britain. Xenia lived 85 years. The youngest daughter of the royal couple, Olga, also migrated from Russia. But unlike her older sister, after the death of her mother, she chose to stay in Denmark. She was forced to flee to Canada only in 1948, fearing persecution by the Soviet Union, where she was considered an enemy of the people.

Neshal Empress:
Maria Feodorovna was able to maintain good relations with her father-in-law (Alexander II) and not quarrel with her husband when a huge scandal broke out between the emperor and his son. The fact is that a few years before his death, the tsar-liberator finally stopped hiding his relationship with his mistress Ekaterina Dolgorukova. The son repeatedly quarreled with his father about this, but this did not change anything.
After the death of his wife in 1880, Alexander II married altogether. The couple had four children. True, this marriage lasted only a year: in 1881, the liberator king was killed.
Alexander III inherits the throne, Mary becomes Empress. As historians point out, she was the sovereign's wife in the very "canonical" concept: she was engaged in charity work, devoted a lot of time to her family. Her husband did not allow her to any political affairs, and she did not aspire.
About once a year they went to the homeland of the Empress - to Denmark. As General Nikolai Yepanchin wrote, the emperor liked the modest (relative to St. Petersburg) life of the Danes, and especially of the royal family. Alexander III walked a lot on foot, went to shops, examined the surroundings.
In October 1888, a terrible accident occurred: the tsar's train coming from the south crashed near the Borki station, 50 kilometers from Kharkov. No one from the imperial family was hurt. At the carriage where Alexander III, his wife and children were, the roof collapsed, and the emperor was forced to hold it on his shoulders for several hours until help arrived.
After that, he began to complain of back pain. As it turned out, during the crash, the emperor fell and hit hard, but was able to quickly get up. However, this was enough, according to the doctors, to start developing kidney disease.
The emperor increasingly felt unwell. His complexion became earthy, his appetite disappeared, and his heart began to ache. After a hunt in 1894, the condition worsened even more. As it turned out, the king has nephritis - an acute kidney disease. It was decided to transport him to Livadia (Crimea). The emperor lost a lot of weight in a month, became haggard and practically could not talk. He hardly slept because of the terrible pain. On October 20, 1894, he died sitting in a chair. Maria Fedorovna, who had been nearby all this time, fainted.
Nicholas II became Russian emperor. As it turned out a few years later, the last.

Nicky the king and the scandal with his daughter-in-law:
Contemporaries wrote about Maria Feodorovna as a loving mother, always ready to support her children in almost any endeavor. However, with the daughter-in-law - the wife of Tsar Nicholas II - the relationship somehow did not work out right away. You can read more about how the relationship between Alix and Nicky developed here.
Contemporaries of the Empress indicate that the mother of Nicholas II disliked her daughter-in-law because she thought for too long whether to agree to marry Nicky. The fact is that it was almost the only royal marriage in the entire Russian history that was not based on mutually beneficial relations between the two countries. Nicholas really married for love. But Alix was frightened by the transition to another faith, which was mandatory.
A very trusting relationship developed between Nicholas II and his mother, so the son said that he was worried. But the reaction was unexpected.
“After all, this is the most idiotic story that one could imagine,” the ruler wrote to her son George what she thinks about the relationship between Alix and Nike.
Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt was baptized the day after the death of Alexander III under the name of Alexandra Feodorovna. Beloved wanted to marry on the day when Nicholas II ascended the throne. The fact is that this date was the day after the death of his father. As a result, relatives and courtiers dissuaded the young people from "marrying when the coffin is nearby," postponing the wedding for three weeks.
The strained relationship between the dowager mother-empress and her daughter-in-law drew attention at court in the early days of Alexandra Feodorovna in Russia. Soon after the funeral of Alexander III, another reception was held in the palace. By tradition, Maria Fedorovna approached many people and talked for 2-3 minutes. With her daughter-in-law, she exchanged a couple of phrases.
In addition, in the palace, the empress demanded to leave the daily routine that was under Alexander III. And the new emperor did not dare to argue with his mother, which infuriated his wife.
Grigory Rasputin, in whose "healing gift" Alice was sure, the Empress simply hated. She was sure that the "hypnotist" would destroy Nikolai. Historians are still arguing whether Maria Feodorovna was aware of the preparations for the murder of Rasputin, because one of those who dealt with him is her relative.

The execution of the royal family:
The last months before the February Revolution, Maria Fedorovna spent in Kyiv, supervised the repair of the hospital and was engaged in charity work. It was whispered at court that she had specially “escaped” from St. Petersburg, since in the dispute for the attention of Nikolai and influence on him, she began to finally lose to her daughter-in-law after the murder of Rasputin.
Here, on March 2, 1917, she was caught by the news of her son's abdication from the throne. She rushes to Mogilev, where the headquarters of the Supreme Commander is located. Here the woman sees her eldest son for the last time.
Ksenia and Olga Romanov later recalled that their mother blamed Alix for everything.
Maria Feodorovna, together with her daughters Xenia and Olga and their husbands, then moved to the Crimea. Until the spring of 1918, she notes in her diary that she sent letters to her son and daughter-in-law and even received replies. However, by March, there are no more such records.
Staying in the Crimea for her was actually an arrest. Denmark, Britain and Germany discussed with St. Petersburg the possibility of saving that part of the Romanov family that remained alive.
Then, in the spring, the situation in the Crimea sharply escalated. The Yalta council demanded the immediate execution of all the Romanovs, and the Sevastopol council was waiting for an order from Petrograd, since the hostages could be taken there for public execution. On behalf of the Sevastopol Council, the Romanovs were moved to a safer palace so that they would not become victims of the "Yalta".
The fate of everyone who was in the Crimea hung in the balance. By the beginning of summer, Yalta was occupied by the Germans, who began the occupation of the Crimea. For Maria Feodorovna, this turned out to be a salvation. Meanwhile, she begins to receive conflicting information from relatives from abroad. Some claim that Nicholas was killed with his entire family, others talk about their salvation, others report that only the former emperor was killed.
- Terrible rumors are spreading about the fate of our beloved Nicky. I can’t and don’t want to believe them, but I just can’t imagine how I can endure such stress, ”Maria Fedorovna wrote in her diary at the end of July 1918 (Nicholas II and members of the royal family were shot on the night of July 18-19).
Since the empress dowager was sure that her son was alive, she did not flee to Denmark in September 1918, when a ship was sent for her, on which there was a nurse, "specially to examine the empress." She also did not believe Princess Lydia Vasilchikova, who managed to escape from Petrograd.
When Pavel Bulygin, an officer of the Russian Imperial Army, arrived in Crimea at the end of September 1918 and reported that Nikolai was indeed dead, Maria Fedorovna hesitated. Bulygin became the head of the guards of the surviving members of the royal family. In January 1919, Maria Fedorovna comes to terms with the idea that her beloved Nicky could have been killed.

Evacuation:
The Danish king Christian X several times appeals to England on the issue of evacuating the royal prisoners from the Crimea. On April 7, 1919, the commander of the British naval forces in Sevastopol, Admiral Kalsorp, visits the family. He conveys information that the English King George V, Maria Feodorovna's nephew, puts the Marlboro ship at her disposal for departure, but it is necessary to leave immediately.
The Empress asked the British to evacuate everyone whose lives are in danger due to the new government. Already on April 11, English ships entered the port of Yalta to pick up refugees.
Through Constantinople and Malta, Maria Feodorovna arrived in England, where she stayed all summer. In August, she boards the ship "Fionia" and departs with her daughters for Denmark, in Copenhagen.
Maria Feodorovna was financially supported by the English royal house. At the direction of George V, the Empress Dowager received an annual pension of ten thousand pounds sterling.
And his own nephew, the king of Denmark, was not very hospitable to his relatives. For example, once a servant from Christian X came to the Romanovs and asked them to turn off some of the lamps in order to save money. In addition, the nephew repeatedly offered Maria Feodorovna to sell or pawn the jewelry brought from Russia. But she kept them in a box under her bed until her death.
She still forbade serving memorial services for Nicholas. At the sight of the ships passing by, she was sure that Nicky was on each of them. Well, at worst Alix.
Maria Fedorovna died on October 13, 1928 in Wider near Copenhagen. Hundreds of Russian emigrants from Paris, London, Stockholm, and Brussels saw her off on her last journey.
“Most of the newspapers wrote about the funeral, shedding tears of tenderness, that this was the funeral of old Russia,” wrote the plenipotentiary representative of the Land of Soviets in Denmark, Milail Kobetsky.
@ Alena Shapovalova