He was on the throne for thirteen and a half years and died 49 years old, having earned the title of "Tsar-Peacemaker" during his lifetime, since during his reign not a drop of Russian blood was shed on the battlefields...
Soon after his death, the historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Science will give Emperor Alexander III a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, subjugated the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral circulation of mankind, encouraged and uplifted Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently that only now, when He no longer exists, Europe understood what He was for her."
The venerable professor was wrong in his predictions. For more than a hundred years, the figure of the penultimate Russian Tsar has been the target of the most impartial assessments; his personality is the object of unbridled attacks and tendentious criticism.
The false image of Alexander III is being recreated to this day. Why? The reason is simple: the Emperor did not admire the West, did not worship liberal-egalitarian ideas, believing that the literal imposition of foreign orders would not be good for Russia. Hence - the irreconcilable hatred of this Tsar from the Westerners of all stripes.
However, Alexander III was not a narrow-minded Western-hater, from the threshold rejecting everything that did not have a generic stigma: "made in Russia." For him, Russian was primary and especially significant, not because it was the best in the world, but because it was native, close, and his own. Under Emperor Alexander III, the words "Russia for the Russians" were heard throughout the country for the first time. And although he was well aware of the malfunctions and absurdities in Russian life, he never doubted for a moment that they should be overcome only relying on his own sense of understanding of duty and responsibility, not paying attention to what some "princess Marya Aleksevna" would say about this. ".
For almost two hundred years, this was the first ruler who not only did not covet the "love of Europe", but was not even interested in what they say and write about him there. However, it was Alexander III who became the ruler under whom, without a single gun shot, Russia began to gain the moral authority of a great world power. The imposing bridge over the Seine in the very center of Paris, bearing the name of the Russian Tsar, has forever remained a vivid confirmation of this...
Alexander Alexandrovich ascended the throne at the age of 36 on March 1, 1881. On that day, his father was mortally wounded by a terrorist bomb, who soon died, and Alexander Alexandrovich became the "Autocrat of All Russia." He did not dream of a crown, but when death took away his father, he showed amazing self-control and humility, accepting what was given only by the will of the Almighty.
With great spiritual trepidation, with tears in his eyes, he read his father's testament, the words and instructions of the murdered. “I am sure that my son, Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, will understand the importance and difficulty of his high calling and will continue to be worthy of the title of an honest man in every respect ... May God help him to justify my hopes and complete what I failed to do to improve the well-being of our dear Fatherland. I conjure him not to get carried away by fashionable theories, take care of his constant development, based on love for God and on the law. He must not forget that the power of Russia is based on the unity of the State, and therefore everything that can tend to the upheavals of the entire unity and to the separate development of various nationalities, is detrimental to her and should not be allowed.I thank him, for the last time, from the depths of his tenderly loving heart, for his friendship, for the zeal with which he performed his official duties and helped me in state affairs."
Tsar Alexander III inherited a heavy legacy. He perfectly understood that improvements in various areas of life and public administration were necessary, they were long overdue, no one argued with this. He also knew that the "bold transformations" that were carried out in the 60-70s by Alexander II often gave rise to even more acute problems.
Already from the end of the 70s, the social situation in the country became so tense that some concluded that collapse would soon come. Others tried to move away from Petersburg: some to the estate, and some abroad.
The bleakness of the social situation was felt everywhere. Finances were upset, economic development slowed down, and agriculture stagnated. The zemstvos did not cope well with the affairs of local improvement, all the time they asked for money from the treasury, and some zemstvo meetings turned into centers for public discussions of political issues that did not concern them in any way.
Almost anarchy reigned in the universities: anti-government publications were almost openly distributed, student meetings were held, where attacks on the government were heard. And most importantly: murders and attempts on officials were constantly taking place, and the authorities could not cope with terror. The monarch himself became the object of these villainous intentions and fell at the hands of terrorists!
Alexander III had an extremely difficult time. There were plenty of advisers: every relative and dignitary dreamed that the tsar "invited to the conversation." But the young Emperor knew that these recommendations were often too biased, too self-serving, to be trusted without looking back. The late father sometimes brought unscrupulous people closer to him, devoid of will and firm monarchical convictions.
Things had to be done differently, he was sure of that. First of all, it is not necessary to draw up new laws, but to ensure that existing ones are respected. This conviction matured in him in the spring days of 1881. Even earlier, in January, speaking at a meeting with the main patron of the "constitutionalists" Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the future Tsar clearly stated that "he does not see the need to impose on Russia all the inconveniences of constitutionalism that impede good legislation and governance." Such a statement was immediately interpreted by the liberal public as a manifestation of "reactionary convictions."
Alexander III never sought popularity, did not curry favor with entrepreneurs and regulars in St. Petersburg salons, either before he became Tsar or after. A few years after accession, talking with close associates, Alexander III said that he would consider "the constitution to be very calm for himself, but very dangerous for Russia." As a matter of fact, he repeated the thought expressed more than once by his father.
Long before his death, Alexander II realized that to give broad public freedoms, to which some of the most Europeanized compatriots urged him, was an unacceptable thing. In the empire of the double-headed eagle, the historical conditions for establishing the social order that existed in England or France had not yet taken shape. More than once he spoke about this both in a narrow circle and outside the royal palaces. In September 1865, receiving in Ilyinsky, near Moscow, the Zvenigorod district marshal of the nobility P. D. Golokhvastov, Alexander II outlined his political credo:
"I give you my word that now, on this table, I am ready to sign any constitution, if I were convinced that it is useful for Russia. But I know that if I do it today, tomorrow Russia will fall to pieces" . And until his death, he did not change his conviction, although then completely unsubstantiated assertions circulated that supposedly Alexander II intended to introduce constitutional government ...
Alexander III fully shared this conviction and was ready to change and improve a lot, without breaking or rejecting what seemed reliable and historically justified. The main political value of Russia was autocracy - sovereign rule, independent of written norms and state institutions, limited only by the dependence of the earthly king on the Heavenly King.
Talking at the end of March 1881 with the daughter of the poet Anna Fedorovna Tyutcheva, wife of the famous Slavophile I.S. Aksakov, who published the popular newspaper Rus in Moscow, the Tsar said: “I have read all the articles of your husband lately. Tell him that I happy with them. In my grief, I was very relieved to hear the word of honor. He is an honest and truthful person, and most importantly, he is a real Russian, which, unfortunately, are few, and even these few have been eliminated lately, but this will not happen again " .
Soon the word of the new Monarch sounded to the whole world. On April 29, 1881, the Supreme Manifesto appeared, thundering like the thunder of an alarm bell.
"In the midst of Our great sorrow, the voice of God commands Us to stand up cheerfully for the cause of government, in the hope of Divine Providence, with faith in the strength and truth of the Autocratic power, which We are called to establish and protect for the good of the people from all encroachments."
Further, the new Tsar called on all the faithful sons of the Fatherland to take courage and contribute to "the eradication of vile sedition that dishonors the Russian land, to the establishment of faith and morality, to the good upbringing of children, to the extermination of untruth and theft, to establish order and truth in the operation of institutions granted to Russia by her benefactor beloved Parent."
The manifesto was unexpected for many. It became clear that the days of liberal smiles were over. The fall of political projectors? losers was only a matter of time.
Alexander III considered this outcome to be logical. On June 11, 1881, he wrote to his brother Sergey: “Having appointed new people almost everywhere, we have unanimously set to hard work and, thank God, we are moving forward with difficulty and little by little, and things are going much more successfully than under the previous ministers, who, by their behavior, forced me to fire They wanted to take me into their clutches and enslave me, but they did not succeed... ready to go straight and boldly towards the goal, not deviating to the side, and most importantly - not to despair and hope in God!
Although there were no persecutions, arrests, expulsions of objectionable dignitaries (almost all of them retired with honor, received appointments to the State Council), it seemed to some that an earthquake had begun at the top of power. The bureaucratic ear has always subtly caught the impulses and moods in the highest corridors of power, which determined the behavior and official zeal of officials.
As soon as Alexander III was on the Throne, it quickly became clear that the new government was no joke, that the young Emperor was a tough man, even harsh, and his will must be obeyed implicitly. Immediately everything began to spin, discussions subsided, and the state machine suddenly started working with renewed vigor, although in the last years of the reign of Alexander II it seemed to many that it no longer had the strength.
Alexander III did not create any emergency bodies (in general, during his reign there were few new divisions in the state administration system), he did not carry out any “special purge” of the bureaucracy, but the atmosphere in the country and in the corridors of power changed.
Salon talkers, who had only recently passionately defended freedom-loving principles, suddenly became almost speechless and no longer dared to popularize "Liberte", "Egalite", "Fraternite" not only at open meetings, but even in the circle of "their own", behind the tightly closed doors of the capital's living rooms. Gradually, dignitaries who were known as liberals were replaced by others who were ready to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland unquestioningly, without looking into European cribs and not afraid to be branded as "reactionaries".
Alexander III boldly and decisively began to fight against the enemies of the state order. There were arrests of direct perpetrators of regicide and some other persons who did not personally participate in the March 1 atrocity, but were preparing other terrorist acts. In total, about fifty people were arrested, and five regicides were hanged by the court's verdict.
The Emperor had no doubt that Russia's enemies had to be fought uncompromisingly. But not only by police methods, but also by mercy. It is necessary to distinguish where are the true, irreconcilable opponents, and where are the lost souls, who, through thoughtlessness, allowed themselves to be drawn into anti-government actions. The emperor himself always followed the course of the inquiry on political matters. In the end, all judicial decisions were left to his discretion, many asked for royal favor, and it was up to him to know the details. Sometimes he decided not to bring the case to court.
When in 1884 a circle of revolutionaries was opened in Kronstadt, the tsar, having learned from the testimony of the accused that midshipman of the naval crew Grigory Skvortsov sheds tears, repents and gives frank testimony, ordered: the midshipman be released and not prosecuted.
Alexander III always had sympathy for those people who professed traditional values. Conformism, conciliation, apostasy caused nothing in his soul but disgust. His political principle was simple and consistent with the Russian administrative tradition. Malfunctions in the state must be corrected, proposals must be listened to, but for this it is absolutely not necessary to convene some kind of people's assembly.
It is necessary to invite experts, experts on a particular issue, to listen, discuss, weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision. Everything should be done according to the law, and if it turns out that the law is outdated, then it must be revised, relying on tradition and only after discussion in the State Council. It became the rule of state life.
The tsar repeatedly told his associates and ministers that "officialdom is a force in the state, if it is kept in strict discipline." Indeed, under Alexander III, the administrative apparatus of the empire worked in a strict regime: the decisions of the authorities were strictly implemented, and the tsar personally monitored this. Inefficiency, neglect of official duties, he could not stand.
The emperor introduced an innovation unprecedented in Russia: he demanded that he be presented with a statement of all outstanding orders and decisions, indicating the persons responsible for them. This news greatly increased the "labor enthusiasm" of the bureaucracy, and red tape became much less.
He was especially implacable towards those who used their official position for personal gain. There was no mercy for such people.
The reign of Alexander III was distinguished by a simply amazing phenomenon: bribery and corruption, which used to be a sad Russian reality, almost completely disappeared. Russian history of this period did not reveal a single high-profile case of this kind, and numerous professional "exposers of tsarism" did not find a single corruption fact, although they were persistently searched for for many decades ...
In the era of the reign of Alexander III in Russia, strict administrative regulation of social life was maintained. Enemies of state power were persecuted, arrested, and deported. Such facts existed both before and after Alexander III, however, in order to justify the immutable thesis about a certain "course of reaction", it is precisely the period of his reign that is often characterized as a particularly gloomy and hopeless period of history. Nothing of the sort has actually been observed.
In total, 17 people were executed for political crimes (there was no death penalty for criminal acts in Russia) during the "reaction period". All of them either participated in the regicide, or prepared for it, and not one of them repented. In total, less than 4 thousand people were interrogated and detained for anti-state acts (almost fourteen years). Considering that Russia's population at that time exceeded 120 million people, these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the "terror regime" that was allegedly established in Russia during the reign of Alexander III.
Judicial-prison "reprisals" are only a part of the "gloomy picture of Russian life" that is so often painted. Its essential point is the "oppression of censorship", which allegedly "strangled" any "freedom of thought".
In the 19th century, in Russia, as in all other, even the "most-most" democratic states, censorship existed. In the tsarist empire, it not only protected the moral foundations, religious traditions and beliefs, but also performed the function of protecting state interests.
Under Alexander III, as a result of an administrative ban or for other reasons, mainly of a financial nature, several dozen newspapers and magazines ceased to exist. However, this did not mean that "the voice of the independent press has died out" in the country. Many new editions appeared, but many old ones continued to appear.
A number of liberally oriented publications (the most famous are the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper and the Vestnik Evropy magazine), although they did not allow direct attacks on the government and its representatives, did not get rid of the critical ("skeptical") tone and successfully survived the "era of repression" .
In 1894, the year of the death of Alexander III, 804 periodicals in Russian and other languages were published in Russia. Approximately 15% of them were state ("state"), and the rest belonged to various companies and individuals. There were socio-political, literary, theological, reference, satirical, scientific, educational, sports newspapers and magazines.
During the reign of Alexander III, the number of printing houses grew steadily; The nomenclature of produced book products also increased annually. In 1894, the list of titles of published books reached almost 11,000 thousand (in 1890 - 8638). Many thousands of books were imported from abroad. During the entire reign, less than 200 books were not allowed to circulate in Russia. (This number included, for example, the notorious "Capital" by Karl Marx.) The majority was forbidden not for political, but for spiritual and moral reasons: insulting the feelings of believers, propaganda of obscenity.
Alexander III died early, not yet an old man. His death was mourned by millions of Russian people, not under compulsion, but at the call of their hearts, who honored and loved this crowned ruler - a big, strong, Christ-loving, so understandable, just, such "their own".
Alexander Bokhanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences
The name of Emperor Alexander III, one of the greatest statesmen of Russia, was desecrated and forgotten for many years. And only in recent decades, when it became possible to speak unbiasedly and freely about the past, evaluate the present and think about the future, the public service of Emperor Alexander III is of great interest to everyone who is interested in the history of their country.
Emperor Alexander III was not intended to reign by birth. As the second son of Alexander II, he became heir to the Russian throne only after the untimely death of his elder brother Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich in 1865. Then, on April 12, 1865, the Supreme Manifesto announced to Russia the proclamation of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich as the heir-Tsesarevich, and a year later the Tsarevich married the Danish princess Dagmar, who was married to Maria Feodorovna.
On the anniversary of his brother’s death on April 12, 1866, he wrote in his diary: “I will never forget this day ... the first funeral service over the body of a dear friend ... I thought in those moments that I would not survive my brother, that I would constantly cry just at the mere thought that I no longer have a brother and friend. But God strengthened me and gave me the strength to take on my new assignment. Maybe I often forgot in the eyes of others my purpose, but in my soul there was always this feeling that I should not live for myself, but for others; heavy and difficult duty. But: "Thy will be done, O God". I repeat these words all the time, and they always console and support me, because everything that happens to us is all the will of God, and therefore I am calm and trust in the Lord! Awareness of the gravity of obligations and responsibility for the future of the state, entrusted to him from above, did not leave the new emperor throughout his short life.
The educators of the Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich were Adjutant General, Count V.A. Perovsky, a man of strict moral rules, appointed by his grandfather Emperor Nicholas I. The well-known economist, professor of Moscow University A.I. Chivilev. Academician Ya.K. Grotto taught Alexander history, geography, Russian and German; prominent military theorist M.I. Dragomirov - tactics and military history, S.M. Solovyov - Russian history. The future emperor studied political and legal sciences, as well as Russian legislation, under K.P. Pobedonostsev, who had a particularly great influence on Alexander. After graduation, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich repeatedly traveled around Russia. It was these trips that laid in him not only love and the foundations of a deep interest in the fate of the Motherland, but formed an understanding of the problems facing Russia.
As heir to the throne, the Tsesarevich participated in meetings of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers, was chancellor of the University of Helsingfors, ataman of the Cossack troops, commander of the guards in St. Petersburg. In 1868, when Russia suffered a severe famine, he stood at the head of a commission formed to provide assistance to the victims. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. he commanded the Ruschuk detachment, which played an important and difficult tactical role: he held back the Turks from the east, facilitating the actions of the Russian army, which besieged Plevna. Understanding the need to strengthen the Russian fleet, the Tsesarevich addressed an ardent appeal to the people for donations to the Russian fleet. In a short time the money was raised. Vessels of the Volunteer Fleet were built on them. It was then that the heir to the throne became convinced that Russia had only two friends: its army and navy.
He was interested in music, fine arts and history, was one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Historical Society and its chairman, was engaged in collecting collections of antiquities and restoring historical monuments.
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The government formed with the participation of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod K.P. Pobedonostsev, focused on strengthening the "traditionalist" principles in the politics, economy and culture of the Russian Empire. In the 80s - mid 90s. a series of legislative acts appeared that limited the nature and actions of those reforms of the 60-70s, which, according to the emperor, did not correspond to the historical destiny of Russia. Trying to prevent the destructive power of the opposition movement, the emperor imposed restrictions on zemstvo and city self-government. The elective beginning in the magistrate's court was reduced, in the districts the execution of judicial duties was transferred to the newly established zemstvo chiefs.
At the same time, steps were taken to develop the state's economy, strengthen finances and carry out military reforms, and resolve agrarian-peasant and national-religious issues. The young emperor also paid attention to the development of the material well-being of his subjects: he founded the Ministry of Agriculture to improve agriculture, established noble and peasant land banks, with the assistance of which nobles and peasants could acquire land property, patronized domestic industry (by raising customs duties on foreign goods). ), and the construction of new canals and railways, including through Belarus, contributed to the revival of the economy and trade.
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The state policy in Belarus was dictated, first of all, by the unwillingness of the "violent breaking of the historically established order of life" of the local population, the "violent eradication of languages" and the desire to ensure that "foreigners become modern sons, and not remain the eternal adoptives of the country." It was at this time that the general imperial legislation, the administrative-political administration and the education system finally established themselves in the Belarusian lands. At the same time, the authority of the Orthodox Church rose.
In foreign policy affairs, Alexander III tried to avoid military conflicts, so he went down in history as the "Tsar-Peacemaker". The main direction of the new political course was to ensure Russian interests through the search for reliance on "themselves." Having approached France, with which Russia had no controversial interests, he concluded a peace treaty with her, thus establishing an important balance between the European states. Another extremely important policy direction for Russia was the preservation of stability in Central Asia, which became part of the Russian Empire shortly before the reign of Alexander III. The borders of the Russian Empire pr him advanced to Afghanistan. A railway was laid on this vast expanse, connecting the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with the center of Russian Central Asian possessions - Samarkand and the river. Amu Darya. In general, Alexander III persistently strove for the complete unification of all the outskirts with native Russia. To this end, he abolished the Caucasian governorship, destroyed the privileges of the Baltic Germans and forbade foreigners, including Poles, to acquire land in Western Russia, including Belarus.
The emperor also worked hard to improve military affairs: the Russian army was significantly enlarged and armed with new weapons; several fortresses were built on the western border. The navy under him became one of the strongest in Europe.
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Parochial schools were extremely important in the era of Alexander III. The emperor saw in the parish school one of the forms of cooperation between the State and the Church. The Orthodox Church, in his opinion, from time immemorial has been the educator and teacher of the people. For centuries, schools at churches were the first and only schools in Russia, including Belaya. Until the half of the 60s. In the 19th century, almost exclusively priests and other members of the clergy were mentors in rural schools. On June 13, 1884, the "Rules on parish schools" were approved by the emperor. Approving them, the emperor wrote in his report about them: “I hope that the parish clergy will prove worthy of their high calling in this important matter.” Parish schools began to open in many places in Russia, often in the most remote and remote villages. Often they were the only source of education for the people. At the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander III, there were only about 4,000 parish schools in the Russian Empire. In the year of his death, there were 31,000 of them and over a million boys and girls were studying in them.
Along with the number of schools, their position also strengthened. Initially, these schools were based on church funds, on the funds of church brotherhoods and trustees and individual benefactors. Later, the state treasury came to their aid. To manage all parochial schools, a special school council was formed under the Holy Synod, publishing textbooks and literature necessary for education. Taking care of the parochial school, the emperor realized the importance of combining the foundations of education and upbringing in the public school. This upbringing, protecting the people from the harmful influences of the West, the emperor saw in Orthodoxy. Therefore, Alexander III was especially attentive to the parish clergy. Before him, the parish clergy of only a few dioceses received support from the treasury. Under Alexander III, a vacation was started from the treasury of sums to provide for the clergy. This order laid the foundation for improving the life of the Russian parish priest. When the clergy expressed gratitude for this undertaking, he said: "I will be quite glad when I manage to provide for all the rural clergy."
Emperor Alexander III treated the development of higher and secondary education in Russia with the same care. During his short reign, Tomsk University and a number of industrial schools were opened.
The king's family life was distinguished by impeccability. According to his diary, which he kept daily when he was his heir, one can study the daily life of an Orthodox person no worse than according to Ivan Shmelev's well-known book "The Summer of the Lord." True pleasure was given to Alexander III by church hymns and sacred music, which he put much higher than secular.
Emperor Alexander reigned thirteen years and seven months. Constant worries and intense studies broke his strong nature early: he became more and more unwell. Before the death of Alexander III, he confessed and communed St. John of Kronstadt. Not for a moment did the consciousness leave the king; saying goodbye to his family, he said to his wife: “I feel the end. Be calm. I am completely calm… “About half past 3 he took communion,” the new emperor Nicholas II wrote in his diary on the evening of October 20, 1894, “soon, slight convulsions began, ... and the end came quickly! Father John stood at the head of the bed for more than an hour, holding his head. It was the death of a saint!” Alexander III died in his Livadia Palace (in the Crimea), before reaching his fiftieth birthday.
The personality of the emperor and his significance for the history of Russia are rightly expressed in the following verses:
In the hour of turmoil and struggle, having ascended under the shadow of the throne,
He extended a mighty hand.
And the noisy sedition froze around.
Like a dying fire.
He understood Russia's spirit and believed in its strength,
Loved her space and expanse,
He lived like a Russian Tsar and he went down to the grave
Like a true Russian hero.
During the reign of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, the Russian Empire did not wage a single war. For maintaining the peace, the sovereign began to be called a PEACEKEEPER. He was a truly Russian, simple, honest and witty man, who captured a lot of popular expressions in history.
Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich in the uniform of the Ataman Life Guards Regiment.1867, Painter S. Zaryanko.
The sovereign had amazing strength, he was 193 cm tall and weighed almost 120 kg. He easily bent horseshoes and silver coins, lifted a large horse on his shoulders. At one of the gala dinners, which took place in the northern capital, the Austrian ambassador began to talk about the fact that the Austrian state was ready to form 3 corps of its soldiers against the Russian Empire. The emperor took a fork from the table and, tying it in a knot, threw it in his direction, with the words: “This is how I will do with your cases.” The story with the hulls ended there.
To prevent a new Balkan war from breaking out due to the ill-conceived policy of Bulgaria, which had just been liberated by Russia, Alexander III went for rapprochement with Turkey and calmed the situation in the Balkans. And the conclusion of an alliance between Russia and France prevented a new German-French military clash. The First World War, in fact, was pushed back by more than twenty years. The grateful French built the Alexander III bridge in Paris, which is still a landmark of the French capital.
When the Russian Tsar fishes Europe is waiting. Artist P.V. Ryzhenko.
Alexander III had a strong dislike for liberalism. His words are known: "Our ministers ... would not have wondered about unrealizable fantasies and lousy liberalism." Many more episodes are known when Alexander gave birth to popular expressions. For example, when the minister who headed the foreign policy department of the state came running to the king during his fishing trip. He asked the king to receive the ambassador of one of the Western states on a serious political issue. In response to a request, the emperor blurted out: "When the Russian Tsar is fishing, Europe can wait."
Alexander tried not to get involved in the affairs of foreign powers, but he didn’t allow to climb into his own lands either. A year after he began to rule, the Afghans succumbed to the false words of the British and decided to take away part of the lands that belonged to the empire. The sovereign immediately ordered: “Drive out and teach a lesson properly!”, This was done immediately. There was another historical moment when the British tried to harm Russia's interests in Afghanistan. Having learned about these intentions, Alexander went up to the table, which was made of solid stone, and hit it with such force that it scattered around. Then he said: “The whole treasury for the war!”.
Alexander III had no reverence for Europe. Firm and resolute, he was always ready to take on a challenge, and on every occasion made it clear that he was only interested in the well-being of Russia's 150 million people. European politicians have always given in to the firmness of the Emperor of Russia.
Reception of volost foremen by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace, I. Repin
During his reign, decisive steps were also taken to develop the state's economy, strengthen finances and resolve agrarian-peasant and national-religious issues. The process of unstoppable development of Russia began, which caused horror and wild hysteria of the enemies of our country, who directed all possible efforts to stop it and destroy Russia (the fifth column of liberal and socialist agents became their tool).
The emperor directed his efforts to ensure the material well-being of the people. The Ministry of Agriculture was founded to improve agriculture, the noble and peasant land banks were established, with the assistance of which it was possible to acquire landed property. Domestic industry received support, the domestic market was protected by a well-thought-out system of customs duties on foreign goods, and the construction of new water channels and railways ensured the most active development of the economy and trade.
Alexander III was a deeply believing Orthodox man and tried to do everything he considered necessary and useful for the Orthodox Church. Under him, church life noticeably revived: church brotherhoods began to operate more actively, societies for spiritual and moral readings and discussions arose, as well as for the fight against drunkenness. To strengthen Orthodoxy in the reign of Emperor Alexander III, monasteries were founded again or restored, churches were built, including with numerous and generous imperial donations.
Church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ in St. Petersburg, popularly called "The Savior on Spilled Blood" - the cathedral stands over the site of the mortal wound of the SovereignAlexander II.
During the 13-year reign, 5,000 churches were built with state funds and donated money. Of the churches erected at that time, they are remarkable for their beauty and inner splendor: the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in St. Petersburg on the site of the mortal wound of Emperor Alexander II - the Tsar Martyr, the majestic church in the name of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles in Kyiv, the cathedral in Riga. On the day of the coronation of the emperor, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, who guarded Holy Russia from the impudent conqueror, was solemnly consecrated in Moscow.
Iconostasis of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in St. Petersburg.
Alexander III did not allow any modernization in Orthodox architecture and personally approved the projects of churches under construction. He zealously made sure that the Orthodox churches in Russia looked Russian, so the architecture of his time has pronounced features of a peculiar Russian style. He left this Russian style in churches and buildings as a legacy to the entire Orthodox world.
As S. Yu. Witte wrote,"Emperor Alexander III, having received Russia, at the confluence of the most unfavorable political conditions, deeply raised the international prestige of Russia without shedding a drop of Russian blood."
Even the Marquis of Salisbury, hostile to Russia, admitted:“Alexander III saved Europe many times from the horrors of war. According to his deeds, the sovereigns of Europe should learn how to manage their peoples.
French Foreign Minister Flourance said:“Alexander III was a true Russian Tsar, which Russia had not seen for a long time before him ... Emperor Alexander III wished that Russia was Russia, that it, first of all, be Russian, and he himself set the best examples of this. He showed himself the ideal type of a truly Russian person.
The personality of the emperor and his significance for the history of Russia are rightly expressed in the following verses:
In the hour of turmoil and struggle, having ascended under the shadow of the throne,
He extended a mighty hand.
And the noisy sedition froze around.
Like a dying fire.
He understood the spiritRussiaand believed in her strength,
Loved her space and expanse,
He lived like a Russian Tsar and he went down to the grave
Like a true Russian hero.
Information Service of the Ministry of Natural Resources
Based on the materials of the Internet channel
History of the Russian Empire.
Reprint of the book by Dmitry Nikolaevich Loman “Tsar-Peacemaker. Alexander III. Emperor of All Russia” we dedicate to the blessed memory of Sovereign Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, the founder of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, as well as the celebrations of the 130th anniversary of the founding of the IOPS (1882-2012).
The book tells about Emperor Alexander III. The outstanding scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev was able to appreciate its significance in the history of Russia: “Peacemaker Alexander III foresaw the essence of Russian and world destinies more and further than his contemporaries. The people who lived through his reign were clearly aware that then a certain degree of restrained concentration and gathering of forces had set in, directed from the brilliant, even bright transformations and innovations of the previous glorious reign - to simple everyday inner activity. Peace throughout the world, created by the late emperor as the highest common good, and really strengthened by his good will among the peoples participating in progress. The universal recognition of this will form an unfading wreath on his grave and, we dare to think, will bear good fruit everywhere.”
During the reign of Alexander III, the prestige of Russia in the world rose to a previously unattainable height, and peace and order reigned in the country itself. The most important merit of Alexander III to the Fatherland is that for all the years of his reign, Russia did not wage wars. The historian V.O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “Science will give the Emperor a proper place not only in the history of Russia and all of Europe, but also in Russian historiography, will say that He won in the area where it is most difficult to achieve victory, defeated the prejudice of peoples and thereby contributed to their rapprochement, subjugated the public conscience in the name of peace and truth, increased the amount of goodness in the moral circulation of mankind, sharpened and raised Russian historical thought, Russian national consciousness, and did all this so quietly and silently ... ".
CONTENT
1. Introduction. Dmitry Nikolaevich Loman.
2. Tsar-peacemaker Alexander III. Emperor of All Russia.
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WEDDING TO THE KINGDOM. HOW IT WAS
Exhibition of one exhibit "Coronation Album of Emperor Alexander III"
The exhibition of one exhibit in the Gatchina Palace presents a ceremonial album “Description of the Sacred Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties Sovereign Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna of All Russia. 1883".
The year of publication of the album is 1885, it is constantly kept in the collection of the rare book of the Gatchina Museum-Reserve.
The history of publishing coronation albums in Russia covers a period of more than a dozen and a half centuries.
The first of them was dedicated to the enthronement of Empress Anna Ioannovna. And the last description of the coronation of Russian tsars appeared in 1899. The "Coronation Collection" told about the wedding ceremony for the kingdom of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, about the history and traditions of Russian coronations in general.
Ceremonial albums were created by the highest will of the monarch, had a special status and were called upon to serve the lofty goal of glorifying the imperial power. They were published by government agencies in large format and contained both descriptions of solemn ceremonies and luxurious illustrations made by the best artists and engravers of their time. The books were published in small editions in expensive bindings and did not go on sale, remaining commemorative gift editions for members of the royal family and high-ranking officials.
“A Description of the Sacred Crowning…” is a publisher's crimson leather-bound book with rich gold embossing on the covers, triple gilded trimmings, and white moire endpapers. The album, which consists of eight chapters, provides a thorough, sometimes minute-by-minute description of the enthronement of a new monarch. 26 chromolithographs on separate sheets and drawings in the text illustrate all stages of the coronation, historical places, objects and persons associated with it.
Writer Dmitry Grigorovich supervised the creation of the album. The best painters of their time were invited to Moscow: Alexander Sokolov, Vasily Polenov, Ivan Kramskoy, Vasily Vereshchagin, Nikolai Karamzin, Evgeny Makarov, Vasily Surikov, Konstantin Savitsky, brothers Nikolai and Konstantin Makovsky and others.
The artists made sketches from life of all kinds of coronation events, and the watercolors they created became the basis of the book. Fragments of the design of the menu of ceremonial lunches or dinners, made according to the drawings of Viktor Vasnetsov and Vasily Polenov, were also used to decorate the pages.
The album is presented in the central showcase, and the exposition is complemented by stands with information about the history of the ceremony of crowning the kingdom, about the tradition of publishing coronation albums, about how the coronation of Alexander III took place: how they prepared for this event, how the ceremony looked, what festive events were this dedicated. Here you can also see copies of the menu, concert programs, posters, images with views of Moscow on the days of the coronation, etc.
The exhibition runs until June 5, 2016.
And on the third floor of the Central building there is an exposition “In the favorite royal residences. Gatchina, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof. This exhibition is organized by the Museum-Reserve in collaboration with the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum Reserve and the Peterhof State Museum Reserve. In 13 halls, items from the funds of the Alexander, Great Peterhof and Gatchina palaces are presented: painting, furniture, porcelain, clothing, samples of decorative and applied art.
From the middle of the 18th century, the imperial families preferred to spend part of their time away from the hustle and bustle of the capital Petersburg. Favorite residences for a quiet pastime were Gatchina, Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof. In the vast palaces, rebuilt by famous architects and surrounded by shady parks, emperors and members of their families felt free and at ease.
The exhibition acquaints visitors with the situation in which the private life of the imperial family proceeded during their stay in country palaces. The main types of interiors are reproduced in the halls (living room, study, reception room, billiard room, children's room, dining room), and an attempt is made to recreate the image of the everyday atmosphere of comfort and peace in which the representatives of the upper class lived and worked.
In the introductory hall, paintings with views of the Gatchina park by the artist S.F. Shchedrin, as well as portraits of Paul I, Catherine II, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich and other members of the imperial family, those who lived or often visited country residences.
The main part of the exposition consists of two blocks. The first one is samples of the situation of the so-called male half. This included the main reception room, in which the emperor received deputations from the nobility, foreign ambassadors, ministers, and dignitaries. For visitors of a narrower circle there was a reception room. The place of work of the emperor is an office, and a billiard room, in which one could take a break from public affairs and have fun.
The second part of the exhibition is the "female" half. The main difference between these interiors is the fullness of things common for the late nineteenth century, but creating an atmosphere of special isolation and comfort. This is a living room, where paintings, porcelain and glass of well-known European workshops and numerous inexpensive souvenirs are presented, a porcelain cabinet and a service room, a music room, a living room-study, the interior of which exhibits elegant furniture in the Art Nouveau style.
Also on display is a children's room with games, educational and household items. The last hall, decorated with paintings by European artists from the collection of the State Museum Reserve "Gatchina", is a grand dining room, which could host ceremonial receptions. The table here is set with the famous Hunting Service, one of the masterpieces of the Gatchina Palace collection.
Tatiana MIRONOVA
On November 1, 1894, a man named Alexander died in the Crimea. He was called the Third. But in his deeds he was worthy to be called the First. Or maybe even the only one.
Reception of volost elders by Alexander III in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Palace in Moscow. Painting by I. Repin (1885-1886)
He was on the throne for thirteen and a half years and died 49 years old, having earned the title of "Tsar-Peacemaker" during his lifetime, since during his reign not a drop of Russian blood was shed on the battlefields ... It is about such kings that the current sighs monarchists. Perhaps they are right. Alexander III was truly great. Both human and emperor.
While the Russian Tsar is fishing, Europe can wait
However, some dissidents of that time, including Vladimir Lenin, quite evil joked on the emperor. In particular, they nicknamed him "Pineapple". True, Alexander himself gave a reason for this. In the manifesto "On Our Ascension to the Throne" dated April 29, 1881, it was clearly stated: "And on Us to impose a Sacred Duty." So when the document was read out, the king inevitably turned into an exotic fruit.
In fact, this is unfair and dishonest. Alexander was remarkable for his amazing strength. He could easily break a horseshoe. He could easily bend silver coins in the palm of his hand. I could lift a horse on my shoulders. And even make him sit like a dog - this is recorded in the memoirs of his contemporaries. At a dinner in the Winter Palace, when the Austrian ambassador started a conversation that his country was ready to form three corps of soldiers against Russia, he bent and tied a fork. Threw it towards the ambassador. And he said, "That's what I'll do with your hulls."
Heir Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich with his wife Tsarevich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, St. Petersburg, late 1860s
Height - 193 cm. Weight - more than 120 kg. It is not surprising that a peasant who accidentally saw the emperor at the railway station exclaimed: “This is the king, so the king, damn me!” The wicked peasant was immediately seized for "uttering indecent words in the presence of the sovereign." However, Alexander ordered the foul language to be released. Moreover, he rewarded him with a ruble with his own image: “Here is my portrait for you!”
What about his look? Beard? Crown? Remember the cartoon "Magic Ring"? “Ampirator drink tea. Motherly samovar! Each appliance of sieve bread has three pounds! It's all about him. He really could eat 3 pounds of sieve bread with tea, that is, about 1.5 kg.
At home, he liked to wear a simple Russian shirt. But always with sewing on the sleeves. He tucked his pants into boots, like a soldier. Even at official receptions, he allowed himself to go out in worn trousers, a jacket or a sheepskin coat.
His phrase is often repeated: "While the Russian Tsar is fishing, Europe can wait." In reality, it was like that. Alexander was very correct. But he loved fishing and hunting. Therefore, when the German ambassador demanded an immediate meeting, Alexander said: “Pecking! It pecks at me! Germany can wait. I'll take it tomorrow at noon."
Right in soul
During his reign, conflicts with Great Britain began.
Doctor Watson, the hero of the famous Sherlock Holmes novel, was wounded in Afghanistan. And, apparently, in battle with the Russians. There is a documented episode. The Cossack patrol detained a group of Afghan smugglers. With them were two Englishmen - instructors. The commander of the patrol, Yesaul Pankratov, shot the Afghans. And he ordered the British to be sent outside the Russian Empire. True, he had previously flogged them with whips.
At an audience with the British ambassador, Alexander said:
- I will not allow encroachment on our people and our territory.
The ambassador replied:
- This can cause an armed clash with England!
The king calmly remarked:
- Well, well ... Probably, we can do it.
And mobilized the Baltic Fleet. It was 5 times smaller than the forces that the British had at sea. And yet there was no war. The British calmed down and surrendered their positions in Central Asia.
After that, English Interior Minister Disraeli called Russia "a huge, monstrous, scary bear that hangs over Afghanistan, India. And our interests in the world."
Death of Alexander III in Livadia. Hood. M. Zichy, 1895
In order to list the affairs of Alexander III, we need not a newspaper page, but a scroll 25 meters long. It gave a real exit to the Pacific Ocean - the Trans-Siberian Railway. He gave civil liberties to the Old Believers. He gave real freedom to the peasants - the former serfs under him got the opportunity to take solid loans, redeem their lands and farms. He made it clear that everyone is equal before the supreme power - he deprived some of the grand dukes of their privileges, reduced their payments from the treasury. By the way, each of them was entitled to a "allowance" in the amount of 250 thousand rubles. gold.
Indeed, one can yearn for such a sovereign. Alexander's older brother Nikolay(he died without ascending the throne) said about the future emperor: “Pure, truthful, crystal soul. There's something wrong with the rest of us, fox. Alexander alone is truthful and correct in soul.
In Europe, they spoke about his death in much the same way: "We are losing an arbitrator who has always been guided by the idea of justice."
Acts of Alexander III
The emperor is credited, and, apparently, not without reason, with the invention of a flat flask. And not just flat, but bent, the so-called "boot". Alexander liked to drink, but did not want others to know about his addictions. A flask of this shape is ideal for secret use.
It is he who owns the slogan, for which now you can seriously pay: "Russia is for the Russians." Nevertheless, his nationalism was not aimed at the treatment of national minorities. In any case, the Jew-s-kai deputation, headed by Baron Gunzburg expressed to the emperor "boundless gratitude for the measures taken to protect the Jewish population at this difficult time." 
The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway has begun - until now it is almost the only transport artery that somehow connects all of Russia. The Emperor also instituted the Railwayman's Day. The Soviet authorities did not cancel it either, despite the fact that Alexander set the date of the holiday for the birthday of his grandfather Nicholas I, under which we began to build railways.
Actively fought against corruption. Not in words, but in deeds. The Minister of Railways Krivoshein and the Minister of Finance Abaza were sent to a shameful resignation for bribes. He did not bypass his relatives either - because of corruption, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich were deprived of their posts.
http://www.aif.ru/society/history/car-mirotvorec_aleksandr_iii_stal_obrazcom_pravilnogo_gosudarya
Let's expand on this short list a bit.
The tsar repeatedly told his associates and ministers that "officialdom is a force in the state, if it is kept in strict discipline." Indeed, under Alexander III, the administrative apparatus of the empire worked in a strict regime: the decisions of the authorities were strictly implemented, and the tsar personally monitored this. Inefficiency, neglect of official duties, he could not stand.
The emperor introduced an innovation unprecedented in Russia: he demanded that he be presented with a statement of all outstanding orders and decisions, indicating the persons responsible for them. This news greatly increased the "labor enthusiasm" of the bureaucracy, and red tape became much less. He was especially implacable towards those who used their official position for personal gain. There was no leniency towards such...
A little about the myth about "reaction"
In the era of the reign of Alexander III in Russia, strict administrative regulation of social life was maintained. Open opponents of state power were persecuted, arrested, and deported. Such facts existed both before and after Alexander III, however, in order to justify the immutable thesis about a certain "course of reaction", it is precisely the period of his reign that is often characterized as a particularly gloomy and hopeless period of history. Nothing of the sort has actually been observed.
In total, 17 people were executed for political crimes (there was no death penalty for criminal acts in Russia) during the "reaction period". All of them either participated in the regicide, or prepared for it, and not one of them repented. In total, less than 4 thousand people were interrogated and detained for anti-state acts (almost fourteen years). Considering that the population of Russia then exceeded 120 million people, these data convincingly refute the stereotyped thesis about the "terror regime" that was allegedly established in Russia during the reign of Alexander III...
http://ruskline.ru/monitoring_smi/2007/04/13/aleksandr_iii_car_-mirotvorec
Parish schools began to open in many places in Russia, often in the most remote and remote villages. Often they were the only source of education for the people. At the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander III, there were only about 4,000 parish schools in the Russian Empire. In the year of his death, there were 31,000 of them and more than a million boys and girls studied in them ... Emperor Alexander III treated the development of higher and secondary education in Russia with the same care. During his short reign, Tomsk University and a number of industrial schools were opened ...
Under him, church life noticeably revived: church brotherhoods began to operate more actively, societies for spiritual and moral readings and discussions arose, as well as for the fight against drunkenness. To strengthen Orthodoxy in the reign of Emperor Alexander III, monasteries were founded again or restored, churches were built, including with numerous and generous imperial donations. During his 13-year reign, 5,000 churches were built with state funds and donated money ...
Foreign policy
In foreign policy affairs, Alexander III tried to avoid military conflicts, so he went down in history as the "Tsar-Peacemaker". The main direction of the new political course was to ensure Russian interests through the search for reliance on "themselves." Having approached France, with which Russia had no controversial interests, he concluded a peace treaty with her, thus establishing an important balance between the European states. Another extremely important policy direction for Russia was the preservation of stability in Central Asia, which became part of the Russian Empire shortly before the reign of Alexander III. The borders of the Russian Empire advanced to Afghanistan. On this vast expanse, a railway was laid connecting the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with the center of Russian Central Asian possessions - Samarkand and the river. Amu Darya.
In general, Alexander III persistently strove for the complete unification of all the outskirts with native Russia. To this end, he abolished the Caucasian governorship, destroyed the privileges of the Baltic Germans and forbade foreigners, including Poles, to acquire land in Western Russia, including Belarus ...
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