Gun salutes rolled out all over Russia, from Kronstadt in the Baltic, from St. Petersburg and from Peterhof - in royal residence a child was born. four times for last decade shots of these guns were heard - at intervals of two years, four daughters were born to Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. And finally, on August 12, 1904, 300 shots of a gun salute announced to Russia that the newborn was a boy.

In the summer of 1903, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna were present at the Sarov celebrations, but they behaved like simple pilgrims, fervently praying to St. Seraphim about giving them a son. Their prayer merged with the fiery prayer of the people. Exactly one year later, on August 12, 1904, Tsarevich Alexei was born and became the favorite of the whole family. The child was born strong, healthy, "with thick golden hair and large blue eyes."

However, the joy was soon overshadowed by the news that the Tsarevich had incurable disease- hemophilia, which constantly threatened his life. Even when it was possible to control external bleeding and save the boy from the slightest scratches, which could be fatal, nothing could be done about internal hemorrhages - they caused excruciating pain in the bones and joints.

This required from the family a huge strain of mental and physical strength, boundless faith and humility. During an exacerbation of the disease in 1912, the doctors pronounced a hopeless sentence on the boy, but the Sovereign humbly answered questions about the health of the Tsarevich: “We hope in God.”

The heir was an unusually handsome and intelligent child with an open soul, traces of physical suffering were visible on his thin face. The empress taught her son to pray: at exactly 9 o'clock in the evening he went up to his room with his mother, read prayers aloud and went to bed, overshadowed by her banner of the cross.

Those who knew the Royal Family closely noted the nobility of the Tsarevich's character, his kindness and responsiveness. “There is not a single vicious trait in the soul of this child,” said one of his teachers.

The only son of Emperor Nicholas II, given by God in response to a long, zealous parental prayer, probably, without exaggeration, can be called the most attractive and most unsolved child figure in Russian history. “During the baptism, a wonderful incident occurred with the baby, which attracted the attention of all those present,” wrote Abbot Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “When the newborn crown prince was anointed with holy myrrh, he raised his hand and extended his fingers, as if blessing those present.” What could this boy be if he lived to adulthood? One can only assume that Russia was implored great king. But history does not know the turn “if only”. And although we understand that the figure of the young Tsarevich Alexei is too bright and unusual, we nevertheless turn to his bright image, wanting to find an example for teaching and imitation in the relationship of this boy with the outside world.

Attitude towards women The best way test the nobility of a man. He must treat every woman with respect, regardless of whether she is rich or poor, high or low in public position, and show her all kinds of signs of respect,” Empress Alexandra Feodorovna wrote in her diary. She could write such words with confidence: an example of male nobility, a chivalrous attitude towards a woman was always before her eyes - her husband, Emperor Nicholas.

It is very important that the little Tsarevich Alexei from childhood could see a respectful attitude towards women on the part of a man whose authority was indisputable for him. The sovereign did not disregard even the smallest things, thanks to which it was possible to teach his son a lesson.

Klavdia Mikhailovna Bitner, who gave lessons to the heir in Tobolsk, recalled him: he combined the features of his father and mother. From his father he inherited his simplicity. There was no self-satisfaction, arrogance, arrogance in him at all. He was simple. But he had a great will and would never submit to outside influence. Here is the sovereign, if he again took power, I am sure he would forget and forgive the actions of those soldiers who were known in this regard. Alexei Nikolaevich, if he had received power, he would never have forgotten or forgiven them, and would have drawn the appropriate conclusions.

He understood a lot and understood people. But he was reserved and reserved. He was terribly patient, very careful, disciplined and demanding of himself and others. He was kind, like his father, in the sense that he did not have the ability in his heart to do evil in vain. At the same time, he was frugal. One day he was sick, he was served a dish that he shared with the whole family, which he did not eat because he did not like this dish. I was outraged. How can they not cook a separate meal for a child when he is sick. I said something. He answered me: "Well, here's another one. You don't have to spend money because of me alone."

Anna Taneeva: “The life of Alexei Nikolaevich was one of the most tragic in the history of the royal children. He was a charming, affectionate boy, the most beautiful of all children. Parents and his nanny Maria Vishnyakova spoiled him very much in early childhood. And this is understandable, since it was very difficult to see the constant suffering of the little one; whether he hit his head or hand on the furniture, a huge blue swelling immediately appeared, indicating an internal hemorrhage, which caused him severe suffering. When he began to grow up, his parents explained his illness to him, asking him to be careful. But the heir was very lively, loved the games and amusements of the boys, and it was often impossible to keep him. “Give me a bicycle,” he asked his mother. “Alexei, you know that you can’t!” - "I want to learn to play tennis like sisters!" "You know you don't dare to play." Sometimes Alexey Nikolaevich cried, repeating: “Why am I not like all the boys?”.

He needed to be surrounded by special care and concern. That is why, on the orders of doctors, two sailors from the imperial yacht were assigned to him as bodyguards: boatswain Derevenko and his assistant Nagorny. His teacher and mentor Pierre Gilliard recalls:

“Aleksei Nikolaevich had great vivacity of mind and judgment and a lot of thoughtfulness. He sometimes struck me with questions above his age, which testified to a delicate and sensitive soul. In the little capricious being, as he seemed at first, I discovered a child with a heart naturally loving and sensitive to suffering, because he himself had already suffered a lot.

The upbringing of any boy as the future head of the family should consist in the upbringing of responsibility, independence, the ability to make a decision in the right situation, without looking back at anyone. At the same time, it is necessary to cultivate compassion and sensitivity and an important property - the ability to listen to the opinions of Other people. The boy needs to be prepared for the role of husband, father and master of the house. For Tsarevich Alexei, the whole of Russia was such a home.

“The queen inspired her son that everyone is equal before God and should not be proud of their position, but they must be able to behave nobly without humiliating their position” (Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov). “Orthodox Martyr Tsar”). If the mother had not put any effort into this, then the position of the educator of the heir, which was already difficult, would become even more difficult.

“I understood more clearly than ever how much the conditions of the environment interfered with the success of my efforts. I had to contend with the subservience of the servants and the ridiculous admiration of some of those around me. And I was even very surprised, seeing how the natural simplicity of Alexei Nikolayevich withstood these immoderate praises.

I remember how a deputation of peasants from one of the central provinces of Russia once came to bring gifts to the heir to the Tsarevich. The three men of which she consisted, by order given in a whisper by the boatswain Derevenko, knelt before Alexei Nikolaevich to hand him their offerings. I noticed the embarrassment of the child, who blushed crimson. As soon as we were alone, I asked him if he was pleased to see these people in front of him on their knees. "Ah, no! But Derevenko says that's how it's supposed to be!"

I then spoke with the boatswain, and the child was delighted that he was freed from what was a real nuisance for him.

I. Stepanov recalls: “In the last days of January 1917, I was in the Tsar's Alexander Palace with the tutor of the heir Gilliard, and together with him we went to the Tsarevich. Aleksey Nikolaevich and some cadet were playing a lively game near a large toy fortress. They deployed soldiers, fired cannons, and all their lively conversation was full of modern military terms: a machine gun, an airplane, heavy artillery, trenches, and so on. However, the game soon ended, and the heir and the cadet began to examine some books. Then the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna entered ... All this furnishings of the children's two rooms of the heir were simple and did not at all give an idea that the future Russian Tsar lives and receives initial upbringing and education. Maps hung on the walls, there were bookcases, there were several tables and chairs, but all this was simple, modest to the extreme.

“Aleksey was a very affectionate boy. Nature endowed him with a penetrating mind. He was sensitive to the suffering of others because he himself suffered so much. But constant surveillance irritated and humiliated him. Fearing that the boy would begin to cheat and deceive in order to elude the constant supervision of the guardian, I asked for more freedom for Alexei to develop internal discipline and self-control in the boy.

The maid of honor of the Empress A. A. Vyrubova noted that “frequent suffering and involuntary self-sacrifice developed in the character of Alexei Nikolayevich pity for everyone who was sick, as well as amazing respect for the Mother and all elders.” The heir had a deep affection and reverence for his sovereign Father and considered the days spent under Nicholas II at headquarters in Mogilev the happiest time.

He was alien to arrogance and pride, he easily played with the children of his sailor uncle, while Alexei learned early that he was the future Tsar and, being in the company of noble people close to the Sovereign, he had a consciousness of his royalty.

Once, when he was playing with the Grand Duchesses, he was informed that the officers of his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and asked permission to see the Tsarevich. The six-year-old Heir, leaving the fuss with the sisters, said with a serious look: “Girls, go away, the Heir will have a reception.”

It happened that even in the days of illness, the Heir had to be present at official ceremonies, and then at a brilliant parade, among strong and healthy people, the Tsarevich was carried past the ranks of troops in his arms by the tallest and most powerful Cossack.

Teacher Pierre Gilliard described the behavior of the 13-year-old Heir at the news of the fall of the monarchy: “But who will be the Emperor? - "I don't know, now - no one"... Not a single word about myself, not a single hint of my rights as the Heir. He blushed deeply and was worried. After a few minutes of silence, he says: "If there is no more Emperor, who will govern Russia?" Once again, I am amazed at the modesty and generosity of this child.

Alexey Nikolaevich, speaking to me, recalled our conversation with him when he was on a train with the sovereign in the fall of 1915 in southern Russia: “Remember, you told me that in Novorossia Catherine the Great, Potemkin and Suvorov tied Russian influence and Turkish the sultan lost his importance forever in the Crimea and the southern steppes. I liked this expression, and at the same time I told my dad about it. I always tell him what I like. "

In the summer of 1911, Pierre Gilliard became Alexei's French teacher and mentor. This is how Gilliard spoke about his pupil: “Aleksy Nikolayevich was then nine and a half years old, for his age he was quite tall. He had an oblong face with regular, soft features, brown hair with a reddish tinge, and large gray-blue eyes, like his mother. He sincerely enjoyed life - when she allowed him to - and was cheerful and playful ... He was very resourceful, and he had a penetrating, sharp mind. Sometimes I was simply amazed at his age-old serious questions - they testified to subtle intuition. It was not difficult for me to understand that everyone around, those who did not need to force him to change his habits and accustom him to discipline, constantly experienced his charm and were simply fascinated by him .... I found a child with a nature of good nature, sympathetic to the suffering of others precisely because he himself experienced terrible suffering ... "

We think that these sufferings of his were, in essence, suffering for Russia. The boy wanted to be strong and courageous in order to become a real king in his beloved country. According to the memoirs of S. Ofrosimova, “often an exclamation escaped from him: "When I am king, there will be no poor and unfortunate, I want everyone to be happy".

Ready to fool around and during the church service, he was very religious. In the spring of 1915, the empress wrote to Nikolai during Alexei's illness that he was most worried about whether he could be in the service on Maundy Thursday. Everyone who witnessed the difficult minutes (and sometimes difficult hours) of the disease noted the great patience of the prince.

It was especially pronounced that the boy cared a lot about Russia, but little about himself, in the episode told by Gilliard. However, the modesty of the little prince did not at all interfere with his awareness of himself as the heir to the throne. The episode, about which S. Ya. Ofrosimova told, is quite well known: “The Tsarevich was not a proud child, although the thought that he was the future king filled his whole being with the consciousness of his highest destiny. When he was in the company of noble people and persons close to the sovereign, he had a consciousness of his royalty.

Once the crown prince entered the office of the sovereign, who at that time was talking with the minister. At the entrance of the heir, the interlocutor of the sovereign did not find it necessary to get up, but only, rising from his chair, gave the prince a hand. The heir, offended, stopped in front of him and silently put his hands behind his back; this gesture did not give him an arrogant look, but only a regal, expectant pose. The Minister involuntarily stood up and drew himself up to his full height in front of the Tsarevich. To this the Tsarevich responded with a polite shake of the hand. Having told the emperor something about his walk, he slowly left the office, the emperor looked after him for a long time and finally said with sadness and pride: “Yes. It will not be so easy for you to deal with him as with me.”

According to the memoirs of Yulia Den, Alexei, while still a very young boy, was already aware that he was the heir:

“Her Majesty insisted that the Tsarevich, like his sisters, be brought up quite naturally. IN Everyday life heir, everything happened casually, without any ceremony, he was the son of his parents and the brother of his sisters, although sometimes it was funny to watch him pretend to be an adult. Once, when he was playing with the Grand Duchesses, he was informed that the officers of his sponsored regiment had come to the palace and were asking for permission to see the Tsarevich. A six-year-old child, immediately leaving the fuss with his sisters, important view said: “Girls, go away, the heir will have a reception.”

Claudia Mikhailovna Bitner said: “I don’t know if he thought about power. I had a conversation with him about this. I said to him: "And if you reign?" He answered me: "No, it's over forever." I said to him: "Well, what if it happens again, if you reign?" He answered me: "Then it is necessary to arrange so that I know more about what is happening around." I once asked him what he would do with me then. He said that he would build a large hospital, appoint me to manage it, but he himself would come and "interrogate" about everything, whether everything is in order. I'm sure he'd be in order."

Yes, it can be assumed that under the sovereign Alexei Nikolaevich there would have been order. This tsar could be very popular among the people, since the will, discipline and awareness of his own high position were combined in the nature of the son of Nicholas II with kindness and love for people.

A. A. Taneeva: “The heir took an ardent part if some grief struck the servants. His Majesty was also compassionate, but he did not actively express it, while Alexei Nikolaevich did not calm down until he immediately helped. I remember a case with a cook who for some reason was denied a position. Aleksey Nikolaevich somehow found out about this and pestered his parents all day until they ordered the cook to be taken back. He defended and stood up like a mountain for all his people.

On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia and, despite the fact that Kaiser Wilhelm and the Emperor of Russia exchanged telegrams, on the evening of August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. Alexei was aware that war was a horror, but his own life became much more interesting: the sailors changed to a soldier's uniform, and he was presented with a rifle model.

At the end of October, the tsar, Alexei and his retinue departed for Headquarters in Mogilev. Alexandra Feodorovna, like Nicholas II, believed: if the soldiers could personally see the Heir, this would raise their morale. The sovereign hoped that such a trip would broaden the horizons of the Tsesarevich, and in the future he would understand what this war had cost Russia. At the review of the troops in Rezhitsa, Gilliard watched Alexei, who did not leave his father and listened attentively to the stories of the soldiers ... “The presence of the Heir next to the tsar greatly excited the soldiers ... equal to any young man who was on military service”, writes Gilliard in his diary.

S. Ya. Ofrosimova: “The heir to the Tsarevich had a very soft and kind heart. He was passionately attached not only to those close to him, but also to the simple employees around him. None of them saw from him arrogance and harsh treatment. He especially quickly and ardently became attached to ordinary people. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, hot and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was to play with the uncle's children and be among ordinary soldiers. With interest and deep attention he peered into life ordinary people, and often he exclaimed: "When I am king, there will be no poor and unfortunate, I want everyone to be happy."

The Tsarevich's favorite food was "shchi and porridge and black bread, which all my soldiers eat," as he always said. Every day they brought him samples of cabbage soup and porridge from the soldiers' kitchen of the Consolidated Regiment; the crown prince ate everything and licked the spoon. Beaming with pleasure, he said: "This is delicious - not like our dinner." Sometimes, eating almost nothing at the royal table, he quietly made his way with his dog to the buildings of the royal kitchen and, knocking on the glass of the windows, asked the cooks for a slice of black bread and secretly shared it with his curly favorite.

P. Gilliard: “We left immediately after breakfast, often stopping at the exit of oncoming villages to watch how the peasants work. Alexei Nikolayevich liked to question them; they answered him with the good nature and simplicity characteristic of a Russian peasant, completely unaware of who they were talking to.

Sovereign Emperor Nicholas himself did a lot to educate in his son attention and compassion for people. Gilliard recalled the time when the Tsarevich was with the sovereign at Headquarters: “On the way back, having learned from General Ivanov that there was an advanced dressing station nearby, the sovereign decided to go straight there.

We drove into a dense forest and soon noticed a small building, dimly lit by the red light of torches. The sovereign, accompanied by Alexei Nikolaevich, entered the house, approached all the wounded and talked with them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line caused astonishment to be expressed on all faces. One of the soldiers, who had just been put back to bed after bandaging, looked intently at the sovereign, and when the latter bent over him, he raised his only healthy hand to touch his clothes and make sure that he really was the king, and not vision. Alexei Nikolayevich stood a little behind his father. He was deeply shocked by the groans that he heard and the suffering that he guessed around him.

The heir adored his father, and the sovereign in his “happy days” dreamed of raising his son himself. But for a number of reasons this was impossible, and Mr. Gibbs and Monsieur Gilliard became the first mentors of Alexei Nikolayevich. Subsequently, when circumstances changed, the sovereign managed to fulfill his desire.

He gave lessons to the Tsarevich in a gloomy house in Tobolsk. The lessons continued in the poverty and squalor of Yekaterinburg imprisonment. But perhaps the most important lesson that the heir and the rest of the family learned was the lesson of faith. It was faith in God that supported them and gave them strength at the time when they lost their treasures, when their friends left them, when they turned out to be betrayed by that very country, nothing more important to them in the world.

Tsarevich Alexei was not destined to become Tsar and glorify the greatness of the Russian State, which he loved so dearly. However, throughout his short and unusually bright and mournful life until his last breath, he was able to glorify the greatness and beauty of the Christian soul, from a young age ascending to God along the way of the cross, and, having accepted the crown of martyrdom, now prays for us at the Throne of God in the host of the Orthodox New Martyrs Churches.

Holy Martyr Tsarevich Alexei, pray to God for us!

Oddly enough, we know about hemophilia, a severe hereditary disease that Tsarevich Alexei suffered, much better than contemporaries of the imperial family at the beginning of the 20th century. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna tried with all her might to hide the illness of her long-awaited and beloved son from society. And as a result, people simply did not understand the motives of her actions ...

In 1912, Russia widely and solemnly celebrated the centenary of the Battle of Borodino and the victory in the War of 1812. At the end of the celebrations, Nicholas II, together with his wife and children, went to secluded western estates - first to Belovezh, and then to the Polish Spala. After death Alexander III his relatives almost never came here, too heavy associations gave birth to places where his father spent the last months of his life. But this time, the imperial family lingered in the hunting grounds much longer than originally planned - before the onset of winter ...
The people around were surprised why the sovereign suddenly decided to seek solitude, but the matter was explained simply - Tsarevich Alexei's serious hereditary illness worsened, and Alexandra and Nikolai, as usual, tried to hide the boy's deteriorating health from wide public circles. In the capital or on the busy Black Sea coast, it would be difficult to hide the illness of the heir, and the case would receive wide publicity, and in the forest "hunting lodge" only a narrow circle of people knew what was happening in the royal family.

Pierre Gilliard with his pupil

This drew the attention of the tutor of the royal children, Pierre Gilliard. In mid-September, he began to study with Alexei French, which the eight-year-old crown prince practically did not speak. The boy immediately seemed to his teacher "ill". Soon Alexey fell ill, and Gilliard was struck by an unhealthy " the child's pallor, and being carried about as if he were unable to walk. This means that the ailment he suffered had undoubtedly intensified... A few days later they began to say in a whisper that his condition inspires the liveliest concern and that professors Raukhfus and Fedorov had been summoned from Petersburg. Life, however, went on as before; one hunt followed another, and there were more invitees than ever…»
As it turned out, in Belovezh, while riding a boat, the Tsarevich fell and hit his left side hard. The blow caused a profuse internal hemorrhage, and the boy developed a large hematoma in the groin, which threatened to cause blood poisoning ...

Alex in the boat

The situation was more than serious. In these circumstances, the tutor could not understand the behavior of the royal couple. On one of the days of the illness of the heir, the Empress for some reason arranged a soiree, at which the Grand Duchesses Maria and Anastasia played for the invited guests costumed scenes from Molière's comedy "The Philistine in the Nobility". Alexandra Feodorovna was sitting in the front row of the audience, trying to appear lively, smiling, talking to those around her ...
The son, who was in a serious condition, was in his room. The boy was in terrible pain. Soon he developed a fever.
« When the performance ended, I went out through the inner door into the corridor in front of Alexei Nikolaevich's room.- recalled Gilliard. - His groans reached my ears clearly. Suddenly, I saw the Empress in front of me, who was approaching at a run, holding in a hurry with both hands a long dress that was in her way. I leaned against the wall and she walked beside me without noticing me. Her face was agitated and expressed acute anxiety. I returned to the hall; animation reigned there, footmen in livery carried dishes with refreshing treats; everyone was laughing, joking, the evening was in full swing. A few minutes later the Empress returned; she put on her mask again and tried to smile at those who crowded in front of her. But I noticed that the Sovereign, continuing to talk, took a place from where he could watch the door, and I caught on the fly the desperate look that the Empress threw him on the threshold. An hour later, I returned to my room, still deeply moved by this scene, which suddenly revealed to me the drama of this double existence.
(...) Finally, the next day, when the temperature reached 39.6 degrees and the heart became very weak, Count Fredericks asked the Sovereign's permission to publish health bulletins: the first bulletin was sent to St. Petersburg that same evening. This means that the intervention of the Minister of the Court was required in order to decide to openly admit the seriousness of the Tsarevich's position.
Why did the Emperor and Empress subject themselves to such terrible coercion? Why, since they had only one desire - to be near their sick child, did they force themselves to show themselves, with a smile on their lips, among their guests? The fact is that they did not want it to become known what disease he was suffering from. Grand Duke Heir. I realized that this disease in their eyes had the meaning of a state secret.».

Nicholas II with his son

Alexandra Fedorovna with her son in Spala

Anna Vyrubova, who was in Spala with the imperial family, recalled: “ All this time, the empress did not undress, did not lie down and hardly rested, she sat for hours at the bed of her little sick son, who lay on his side with his leg raised ... The tiny wax face with a pointed nose looked like the face of a dead man, the look of huge eyes was senseless and sad . One day, entering the room and hearing his desperate moans, the sovereign ran out of the room and, locking himself in his office, burst into tears.».
Alexei himself resigned himself to the thought that he would die soon, and even asked with hope:
- When I die, I won't hurt anymore, right, Mom?
The empress, in desperation, resorted to the last resort - she asked for help from Rasputin, who was at that time far in Siberia, in his native village. A telegram was sent to the “Starets” with a request to pray for Alexei ... A few hours later, an answer came from Siberia: “ God looked at your tears. Do not worry. Your son will live. Don't let the doctors torture him».
When Alexandra Feodorovna, with a beaming face, entered the room where the sad, depressed courtiers, doctors and servants were sitting, longingly awaiting the terrible news of the death of the Tsarevich, and announced that now everything was in order and Alexei would live, as the "Friend" sent him salvation, some of those present thought that the empress had gone mad from grief.
But Alexey calmed down and for the first time in many days he fell asleep peacefully.

Of course, it is difficult to assert that it was Rasputin's prayers that caused a fracture in the sick boy's condition - scientific confirmation of this fact cannot be found. But to say that after the desperate mother turned to Rasputin, her son did not feel better, it means to contradict the obvious ...
The Rasputin phenomenon could not be explained even by the most qualified physicians who treated the Tsarevich. Professor Fedorov, the attending physician of Alexei Nikolaevich, said: “ See for yourself. It used to happen that Rasputin would come in, approach the patient, look at him, and spit. And the bleeding immediately stops. How could the Empress distrust Rasputin after that?»
And who could now convince Alexandra Feodorovna, who had almost lost her mind at the bedside of a dying child, that Grigory was not a saint and that he did not bring the grace of God with him? The Empress finally believed in Rasputin's intercession before God.
« I am writing to you, and my heart is full of gratitude to the Lord for his mercy., - Nikolai wrote to his mother when it became clear that the boy would live. - He gave us grace. Alexis is on the mend...(Out of delicacy, Nikolai Alexandrovich does not tell his mother about turning to Rasputin for help, realizing how this will upset Maria Feodorovna. - E.Kh.) Alix endured this ordeal more courageously than I did when Alexei was completely ill, but now that, thank God, the danger has passed, her own health is undermined: her poor heart aches from the terrible stress she has experienced. Therefore, she tries to conserve her strength and lies on the couch in Alexei's room during the day. All our servants, Cossacks, sailors and all the people around us sympathize with us so touchingly. (...) Polish peasants came in droves, they sobbed during the service. What a huge number of icons, telegrams, letters with wishes to our dear boy for a speedy recovery, we received!»

The Tsarevich is learning to reap...

Well, as soon as the imperial couple stopped hiding from others, people began to sincerely sympathize - the grief of a mother in whose arms a sick child dies leaves no one indifferent.
But Alexandra Feodorovna still preferred to experience pain in solitude, not allowing any outsiders to her bitter secrets and giving endless reasons for misunderstanding and speculation. She relied on the help of one the only person- Grigory Rasputin, but almost no one, even close relatives, could understand what connects the Empress and the Siberian peasant ... Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna spoke to Prime Minister V.N. Kokovtsov: " My unfortunate daughter-in-law does not understand that she is ruining both the dynasty and herself. She sincerely believes in the holiness of some rogue, and we are all powerless to avert misfortune».

Case history of Alexei Romanov

The most infamous hemophiliac of the 20th century, the unfortunate crown prince, the sad boy, the heir to the throne of Moscow tsars… How would the story have turned out if he had been born healthy? What is the use of hysterical subjunctive exclamations, everything was as it was ...

July 30 (August 12 n.s.), 1904 in the family of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Feodorovna), the long-awaited (after 4 daughters) heir, Tsarevich Alexei, was born. No one knows how many hours the royal couple spent, begging for their long-awaited son, but the joy was great - three hundred artillery salvos met the Tsarevich (and "saw off" rifle and revolver!). The first “bell” sounded immediately after birth - the blood from the umbilical cord did not clot longer than usual (for three days!), But then everything seemed to normalize ... The Tsarevich began to crawl, began to get up and, naturally, fell. But unlike ordinary children, these banal episodes began to turn into a problem, bruises: “Within a few hours ... they increased in size, turning into bluish tumors. The blood under the skin did not coagulate. The terrible guess of the parents was confirmed. The child turned out to have hemophilia,” writes the biographer. From that moment on, the disease constantly reminded of itself - at the age of three and a half years, Alexei hit his face (slightly!), But the resulting hematoma closed both eyes. The illness of the Tsarevich was considered a state secret, but rumors about it, nevertheless, were widespread.

Where did this misfortune fall on the family of the last Russian “anointed one”, already offended by God? The fact is that the family of Queen Victoria, whose granddaughter was Alice of Hesse, became the "supplier" of this terrible disease to the royal families of Spain, England and Russia. Victoria's son, Leopold, Duke of Albany, died of hemophilia at the age of 31. His daughter, of course, was the conductor of the disease, and his grandson, Ruprecht, Prince of Athlone, is ill. Victoria's daughter, Princess Beatrice, was the carrier of the gene, and her sons Leopold and Moritz, Princes of Battenberg, had hemophilia. Another daughter of Victoria, Princess Eugenia, was a carrier, her sons Alfonso, Juan and Gonzalez, Spanish Infantes, are sick. The third daughter of Victoria, Princess Alice is a conductor, her son Friedrich died of hemophilia at the age of three, her daughter Irena was a carrier, her sons: Prince Heinrich died at the age of four from hemophilia, Prince Voldemar "lasted" up to 56 years, but died of hemophilia, daughter Alice (Hesse) - the conductor, married our Tsar Nikolasha, their son, by definition, was doomed to get sick. Total in the Victorian dynasty - 6 female carriers and 11 male hemophiliacs. The pedigree of the Victoria family has been traced for hundreds of years and no hemophilia has been noted. Where did it come from? Spontaneous mutation on the X chromosome in Victoria's father or herself? Or (seditious thought) Victoria's mother sinned with a hemophiliac... Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm avoided such a fate by refusing to marry Victoria's granddaughter, Ella. "Queen Victoria, through her progeny, has declared biological war of annihilation on the royal families of Europe", - sounds a witty and evil aphorism! Nowhere did she hit the mark, except for the already frail Russian dynasty ... It is curious that in the fifth generation of the descendants of Victoria, to which Elizabeth also belongs II, there are no more hemophiliacs! Did Alice know about evil fate? She was twelve when Uncle Leopold died, she knew about the torment of Prince Friedrich, her older brother, she knew that the children of her older sister, Princess Irene of Prussia, were hemophilic. Doctors then already knew about hemophilia. The famous German doctor K. Nasse wrote back in 1820: “The disease is transmitted by a carrier woman who does not herself suffer from it.” TO late XIX centuries, doctors no longer recommended women from bleeding families to marry or not have children. Did Nicholas II know about the danger that lay in wait for his family? Some believe that he could assume, but hoped for the help of John of Kronstadt or one of the church fathers. None of the doctors, no matter how authoritative and respected he was, could not verbally or through the press warn the autocrat about the undesirability of his marriage to Alice! “Kings are carefully protected from unwanted reality… The Tsarevich’s hemophilia was a manifestation of the gap between royal life and reality,”- writes the biographer, and you can not argue with that.

The Tsarevich grew up, surrounded by completely exclusive attention. His fate is somewhat similar to the fate of the son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dimitri, who was ill with epilepsy. But they didn’t save him, and Alexei was guarded from all sides. It is understandable: in the case of hemophilia, the only guarantee against external and internal bleeding is to protect the child from injury. The Spanish Infantes, great-grandchildren of Victoria, were taken out for a walk, dressed in wadded suits, and even the trees in the garden were carefully wrapped in wadding!” The Tsarevich grew up, but the disease did not go away, and could not go away ... During his stay royal family in Spala (Belovezhskaya Pushcha), while riding a boat, the Tsarevich stumbled and hit the upper third of his thigh on an oarlock. On examination, E.S. Botkin found a slight swelling below the inguinal fold. After a week of bed rest, the swelling subsided, his condition improved, and Botkin decided that the danger was over. The Tsarevich is taken for a car ride through the terrible Russian roads, which and healthy person do not transfer. Immediately upon return, there was a sharp deterioration: “Internal hemorrhage in the iliac and lumbar regions. Temperature 39.4 0, pulse 144 beats / min. One of the most insidious features of hemophilia is precisely the remoteness of the moment of bleeding from the injury itself. The state of the Tsarevich was critical, the hematoma squeezed the neurovascular bundle, and he screamed in pain day and night. For twenty days, the crown prince was on the verge of life and death, and the life physician S.P. Fedorov warned the emperor that a lethal outcome was very possible. In the churches they prayed for the health of the Tsarevich, and G.E. Rasputin sent a reassuring telegram to the Empress, assuring that everything would work out! And it worked! In this regard, it should be said about the role of Rasputin in the "treatment" of the Tsarevich.

At that time, doctors were powerless over hemophilia, and everything often depended on elementary luck. In the first third of the last century, hardly 20% of patients survived to adulthood. S.P. Fedorov believed that the heir would not live to be 18 years old ... With the impotence of official medicine, the appearance of a “miraculous” healer was a foregone conclusion ... E.S. Botkin said that if Rasputin did not exist, he would still be invented from someone. Under conditions of emotional stress, a hemophilic bleeds much more strongly, this is very well known to doctors. Bleeding has a depressing effect on any person, and when a person knows that life is leaving him with every drop of blood, this fear is much stronger for him. In the hysterical Alexandra Feodorovna, every bleeding of her son caused a generalized panic attack, which she could not hide from him. The decisive, unshakable behavior of Rasputin in the most critical situations, his play on the public had a calming effect on the empress, who had plunged into medieval superstitions and mysticism (she was a doctor of philosophy at Oxford!). She ceased to irritate Alexei, who, according to many testimonies, behaved quite courageously. He calmed down, and in many cases local thromboplastic factors had an effect, or the hematoma itself squeezed the bleeding vessels and the bleeding stopped. V. Pikul, in one of his delusional inventions, reports (the novel "Unclean Power") that the Tibetan doctor, Pyotr Badmaev, gave a powder that increased bleeding to the heir (Vyrubova mixed it into food), the bleeding increased, Rasputin appeared with another, "hemostatic" powder in his pocket, they poured it again on the heir, and the bleeding stopped supposedly through the elder's prayer! Pikul's only excuse is that he has a bad idea of ​​hemophilia. Chinese or Tibetan doctors were just as helpless before her as European doctors! Well, okay, that's how it was. But what about after 1917, when there was neither Rasputin nor Vyrubova, but the Tsarevich continued to bleed? Tales, fairy tales!

The famous Russian doctors treated the crown prince: professors S.P. Fedorov, E.S. Botkin, K.A. Raukhfus, doctors V.P. Derevenko and I.P. Korovin. What could the then medicine offer the child? It was recommended to raise the limb from which bleeding occurred, a pressure bandage with gelatin, a tourniquet or a ligature to the afferent artery. Subcutaneous injections of a 2% gelatin solution, oral preparations of ergot, iron, adrenal glands, infusion of sterile saline into the veins. Joint rest, plaster bandage, bandaging, massage, active and passive movements. W. Osler recommended the introduction of fresh blood serum or citrated blood in 20-30 ml ( Factor VIII is found in fresh blood, although in small quantities). But that was seven years after the death of the Tsarevich. By the way, the doctors of the Tsarevich treated him correctly: for hemarthrosis, they used temporary immobilization and warming of the joint, but by no means cooling! The Tsarevich had undeniable hemophilia A, and without the use of coagulation factors, he would not have become a long-liver. So E. Radzinsky's fantasies about his miraculous salvation under the guise of F. Semenov are perfect fantasy, and unscientific at that! Be that as it may, the brutal reprisal of the Bolsheviks over a defenseless family does not become less terrible from this ...

Nikolay Larinsky, 1996-2012

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was born on August 12, 1904 in Peterhof and shot on July 17, 1918 in Yekaterinburg. He was the fifth oldest child, the only male heir of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna.

About character

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich became a real gift for his parents, because they were waiting for him for a really long time. Before that, four daughters had already been born, and the king needed a male heir.

The couple called on the Lord. Through their prayers, Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov was born. He was baptized in the Grand Palace of Peterhof in 1904. Outwardly, the young man was very good-looking and handsome, even handsome. Despite all the hardships, he had a clean and open face. However, due to illness, excessive thinness was manifested.

By nature, the boy was complaisant, loved his loved ones. They always found common ground, especially with Princess Mary. In his studies, he achieved success, languages ​​were well given. The young man showed a lively mind and observation, knew how to be affectionate and enjoy life no matter what. His mother loved him and surrounded him with care.

The heir was more inclined towards strict military behavior than court etiquette, he mastered the folk dialect. He was not a spender and even saved up various, at first glance unnecessary, things such as nails or ropes in order to later adapt them for something.

The army attracted him. He did not go overboard in food, he could eat ordinary cabbage soup, porridge and black bread - soldier's food. He even became a taster of soldier's cuisine. So it can be said that ordinary soldiers in Russian Empire they ate in the same way as the prince, to whom all this was quite to his taste.

Impressions of Moscow

For eight years, Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov did not leave St. Petersburg. He first visited Moscow in 1912, when he went there with his parents to the opening of his grandfather.

The Tsarevich was met in the Kremlin with an icon of the Mother of God, painted especially for his arrival. All the Moscow nobility rejoiced at this meeting, as they saw their future tsar, as was then believed. The boy was also pleased with the trip, as it was his first official appearance in the rank of heir to the throne.

Military service

When the First was in full swing World War, the prince served as chief of some regiments and chieftain of the troops of all Cossacks. Together with their father, they visited the army, where they gave out awards to fighters who distinguished themselves on the battlefield.

For achievements in service, he was awarded the St. George silver medal of the 4th degree. However, about further development career had to be forgotten. On March 2, 1917, his father abdicated for himself and for his son. The throne was taken by Mikhail Alexandrovich, Nikolai's younger brother.

This decision was made by the emperor, after consulting with the surgeon, who said that it was possible to live with the disease that plagued Alexei. However, in order to avoid any threat to health, it is better to refuse royal affairs.

Disease

All the children of Nicholas II, except for Alexei Nikolayevich, were absolutely healthy. However, the boy inherited hemophilia from his mother. The same disease was found in many European rulers.

Doctors noticed a negative trend already in the autumn of 1904. Then the baby suffered from bleeding that began from the navel. Any bruise or wound turned out to be a real punishment of the Lord, since the tears did not heal, the damaged tissues did not grow together. Sometimes even hematomas the size of an apple were formed.

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich suffered from the fact that his skin did not stretch properly, blood circulation was disturbed due to pressure. The problem was constantly forming blood clots. The nannies of Tsarevich Alexei were forced to watch the boy and treat him very carefully. Small scratches were covered with tight bandages that tightened the vessels. However, there were times when this was not enough. One day, nosebleeds almost ended in death for the prince. He didn't feel pain.

physical suffering

Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov was subject to not only external, but also internal bleeding. They mainly affected the joints. Thus, a very young boy became disabled, because the blood accumulated and could not come out, pressing on the nerve. Tissues, bones and tendons were destroyed. He could not move his limbs freely.

The biography of Tsarevich Alexei is really full of sorrows and trials from a very young age. He did the exercises, they gave him a massage, but it was never possible to insure against a new trouble.

It would seem that destructive morphine remained the only salvation, but the parents decided not to corrupt their son with it. So he could avoid pain only by losing consciousness. Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich lay in bed for weeks, chained in orthopedic devices that straighten his limbs, and also constantly took baths from healing mud.

New injury

A typical trip to the hunting ground ended horribly in 1912. When the boy got into the boat, he injured his leg, a hematoma appeared, which did not go away for a long time. The doctors feared the worst.

An official announcement was issued about this, in which, however, they did not mention what disease the young man was suffering from. The fate of Tsarevich Alexei is full of darkness and suffering, and not simple childhood joys. He couldn't even walk on his own for a while. He was carried in the arms of a person specially appointed to this position.

The disease became especially aggravated when the royal family was exiled to Tobolsk in 1918. The children of Nicholas II endured the move well. However, the prince again received an internal injury. Suffering from hemorrhage in the joints began. But the boy just wanted to play. Somehow he jumped and ran, as a result of which he hurt himself. He could not repeat such a fun game anymore, since he remained an invalid until his death.

Investigation

The prince's life was cut short when he and his entire family were shot in Yekaterinburg. This happened in the Ipatiev House on the night of July 17, 1918. One of the participants in this operation confirmed that the young man did not die immediately, it took a second shot to kill him.

The canonization was carried out in 1981, but it was done by the foreign Orthodox community. The Moscow Patriarchate joined it only in 2000.

It is also worth mentioning another interesting fact.

In 1991, the remains of the royal family were examined. They did not identify the flesh and bones of the young man. This state of affairs is explained by the fact that he and the body of one of the sisters were burned.

In the summer of 2007, on the outskirts of the Piglet Log, near the main grave, charred remains were found, which, according to investigators, belong to the children of the king. In 2008, they conducted an examination, on which E. Rogaev worked together with specialists from the United States. Confirmation was received that these relics belonged to the bodies of the king's heirs. Until now, they have not been interred, since the Russian Orthodox Church has not recognized them. Starting from 2011, the charred bodies were stored in the main archive of the state, and in 2015 they were transported to the men's

Unwritten history

Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov was canonized quite deservedly. He is revered as a martyr. Memorial Day is July 4, according to the Julian calendar. In the summer of 2015, President D. Medvedev issued a decree on the reburial of Alexei and his sister Maria.

The church has many more questions regarding these remains. The story of Tsarevich Alexei can hardly be called joyful. Short life, but how much pain in it! Moreover, reading about the character of the young man, we can conclude that he aroused the sympathy of not only the courtiers, but also ordinary people. Perhaps a wonderful king would have come out of him, if not for illness and execution.

Private bussiness

Alexey Nikolaevich Romanov (1904-1918) was born in Peterhof, was the fifth and most long-awaited child in the family of Emperor Nicholas II. Prior to this, four daughters were born to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna one after another. Almost desperate to wait for their son, the royal couple attended the glorification of Seraphim of Sarov in July 1903 in Sarov, where the emperor and empress prayed for the granting of an heir.

However, the joy of the parents after the birth of their son was very soon overshadowed by horror - through his mother, Alexei inherited hemophilia, a rare hereditary disease associated with a violation of the blood coagulation process.

The disease with hemophilia became apparent in the Tsarevich already in September 1904, when a baby who had not yet reached the age of two months began to bleed heavily from the navel.

The illness of the heir manifested itself in the fact that every bruise, as a result of which there was a rupture of even the tiniest internal blood vessel (which ordinary person would end in a simple bruise), caused internal, unstoppable bleeding. Slowly, but non-stop, the blood penetrated into the surrounding muscles and other tissues, a hematoma was formed the size of a large apple, the skin lost its elasticity and could no longer be stretched, the pressure slowed down the blood circulation, as a result of which a blood clot began to form. After that, the hematoma gradually dissipated and the dark purple bruise turned into a mottled yellowish green. Minor external cuts or scratches anywhere on the surface of the body were not dangerous - they were immediately healed, and then a tight bandage was applied to them, which squeezed the blood vessel and allowed the damage to gradually heal. The exception was bleeding from the mouth or nose, since in such places it was impossible to apply a bandage to the source of bleeding. One day, the prince almost died from a nosebleed, although he did not experience any pain.

The disease caused constant hemorrhages in the joints, which caused Alexei unbearable pain and turned him into an invalid. Blood, accumulating in the space of the joint of the elbow, knee or ankle, pressed on the nerve, resulting in severe pain. In addition, the blood that got into the joint destroyed the tendons and tissues, as a result of which the limbs froze in a bent position. Sometimes the cause of the hemorrhage was known, sometimes not. Sometimes, the crown prince simply announced: “Mom, I can’t walk today,” or: “Mom, today I can’t bend my elbow.” The best way to get out of this state was constant exercise and massage, but there was always a danger that the bleeding would start again. Morphine was not given to the heir to relieve pain symptoms because of its destructive properties, so he stopped feeling pain only when he lost consciousness. Each case of illness meant weeks of bed rest, and the treatment included hot mud baths and the use of a whole list of heavy iron orthopedic devices that were designed to straighten the limbs.

In the autumn of 1912, during the traditional stay of the royal family in the hunting ground of Spala in Eastern Poland, the Tsarevich unsuccessfully jumped into the boat and severely bruised the inner side of the thigh in the groin area: the hematoma that arose did not resolve for a long time, the child’s health was very difficult, there was a real threat of death. These days, for the first and only time, a government bulletin was published about the grave condition of the heir. In it, however, the disease of the Tsarevich was not named.

“The unfortunate little one suffered terribly,” Nikolai wrote to his mother, “the pain seized him with spasms and repeated almost every quarter of an hour. From the high temperature he was delirious day and night, he sat up in bed, and pain immediately began from movement. He almost could not sleep, cry too, he only groaned and said: “Lord, have mercy.”

Due to hemorrhages in the joints, the heir often could not walk, and in all necessary cases he was carried in his arms by a specially allocated "uncle" - the conductor of the Guards crew A.E. Derevenko assigned to him from the age of two. His love for Uncle Derevenko was tender, hot and touching. One of his greatest pleasures was to play with the uncle's children and be among ordinary soldiers.

Despite the illness, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, Alexey was handsome boy, with a clean, open face, though too thin.

The character of the Tsarevich was complaisant, he was very fond of his parents and sisters, who, in turn, doted on him, especially the Grand Duchess Maria. Aleksey was capable in his studies, making progress in learning languages.

During the First World War, Alexei, who was the chief of several regiments and chieftain of all Cossack troops, visited with his father active army, awarded distinguished fighters, etc. He was awarded the silver St. George medal of the 4th degree for the courage shown when visiting a military hospital in a shelled zone.

In March 1917, Nicholas II signed for himself and for his son the abdication of the throne in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

In August 1917, Alexei and his family were sent from Tsarskoye Selo to exile in Tobolsk, and later to Yekaterinburg. The last exacerbation of hemophilia occurred in Tobolsk at the beginning of 1918. T. Melnik described the onset of the disease as follows: “Alexey Nikolaevich suddenly fell ill. This was a great misfortune for everyone, since he again suffered greatly, he had the same internal hemorrhage from a bruise that had already tormented him so much in Spala. Terribly lively and cheerful, he constantly jumped, galloped and arranged very violent games. One of them is riding down the stairs in a wooden boat on skids, the other is some kind of impromptu swing made of logs. I don’t know during which of them, but Aleksey Nikolayevich hurt himself and again fell ill.” The crown prince did not begin to move normally until his death.

“Alexei took the first bath after Tobolsk; his knee is recovering, but he cannot straighten it completely. The weather is warm and pleasant. We have no news from the outside, ”says the last entry in the diary of Nicholas II, dated July 13, 1918.

A few days later - on the night of July 16-17 - Alexei was shot along with his parents and sisters in the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg.

According to the testimony of Medvedev, one of the participants in the execution, it took several shots to kill the Tsarevich.

In 1991, in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg, the remains of the executed royal family were found - Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their daughters - Olga, Tatyana, Anastasia and four people from the royal retinue. After long examinations, it turned out that the remains of Tsarevich Alexei and Princess Maria were not among them.

In August 2007, in the Piglet Log near Yekaterinburg, not far from a large burial, charred remains were discovered, presumably identified as the remains of Alexei and Maria. In 2008, genetic analysis confirmed that the remains belong to the children of Nicholas II. However, the ROC did not recognize the results and the remains of Tsarevich Alexei were never interred. Since 2011 they have been stored in State Archive Russian Federation

In September 2015, the investigation was resumed in a criminal case on the remains of members of the royal family - Grand Duchess Maria and the heir to the throne Alexei. In December 2015, the remains of Alexei and Maria were transferred for temporary storage to the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow.

His Imperial Highness, Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov.

What is famous

Heir Tsesarevich and Grand Duke, the fifth child and only son of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, who lived only 14 years and his entire life. short life struggling with a serious illness.

With the ability of Grigory Rasputin to alleviate the suffering of Alexei, historians associate the rise of the elder and his great influence on the royal family (primarily on Alexandra Fedorovna) and the political life of Russia in the early twentieth century. Even the warnings of the sister of Empress Elizabeth Feodorovna that the dissatisfaction with Rasputin among the people is transferred to the royal family, in no way affected the attitude of the Tsarevich's mother towards the "elder".

According to some researchers, many Negative influence Rasputin and led the country to revolution.

In 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Nicholas II, his wife and children, including Tsarevich Alexei, as the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

What you need to know

For a number of years after the execution of the royal family, the Soviet authorities stubbornly defended official version that only Nicholas II was shot in the Ipatiev House, and his wife and son were transported to a “safe place” (the fate of their daughters was silent). This misinformation fueled rumors that some family members managed to escape and escape. In addition, the body of the Tsarevich was not found in the general burial of the royal family, which still gives rise to numerous speculations. The number of "Alekseev", in different time posing as the son of the last Russian emperor who escaped, has already exceeded eight dozen.

The latest "sensation" that received a wide response on the network was the information that in fact the Tsarevich was not shot, but he was saved, grew up and became the Soviet People's Commissar, and then the Prime Minister of the USSR Alexei Kosygin.

The primary source of the replicated sensation is the article “The Royal Family: real life after imaginary execution"Sergey Zhelenkov, called the historian of the royal family, in the newspaper" President ". According to this article, the execution in the Ipatiev House on the night of July 16-17, 1918 was allegedly staged, and the sovereign and his household managed to escape through a secret passage. Personally patronized by Stalin, according to Zhelenkov, Tsarevich Alexei eventually became Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin.

Direct speech

N. A. Sokolov about Tsarevich Alexei (from the book "The Murder of the Royal Family"):“The heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was a boy of 14 years old, smart, observant, receptive, affectionate, cheerful. He was lazy and did not particularly like books. He combined the features of his father and mother: he inherited the simplicity of his father, was alien to arrogance, arrogance, but had his own will and obeyed only his father. His mother wanted to, but could not be strict with him. His teacher Bitner says of him: "He had a great will and would never submit to any woman." He was very disciplined, withdrawn and very patient. Undoubtedly, the disease left its mark on him and developed these traits in him. He did not like court etiquette, he liked to be with the soldiers and learned their language, using in his diary purely folk expressions he had overheard. His stinginess reminded him of his mother: he did not like to spend his money and collected various abandoned things: nails, lead paper, ropes, etc.