Russian Emperor Alexander I Pavlovich was born on December 25 (12 according to the old style), 1777. He was the firstborn of Emperor Paul I (1754-1801) and Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828).
Immediately after the birth, Alexander was taken from his parents by his grandmother, Empress Catherine II, who intended to raise the baby as an ideal sovereign. On the recommendation of the philosopher Denis Diderot, a Swiss, Frederic Lagarpe, a republican by conviction, was invited as educators.
Grand Duke Alexander grew up with faith in the ideals of the Enlightenment, sympathized with the Great French Revolution and critically assessed the system of Russian autocracy.
Alexander's critical attitude to the policy of Paul I contributed to his involvement in a conspiracy against his father, but on the condition that the conspirators would save the life of the tsar and would only seek his abdication. The violent death of Paul on March 23 (11 old style) March 1801 seriously affected Alexander - he felt guilt for the death of his father until the end of his days.
In the first days after accession to the throne in March 1801, Alexander I created the Indispensable Council - a legislative body under the sovereign, which had the right to challenge the actions and decrees of the tsar. But due to controversy between members, none of his projects were made public.
Alexander I carried out a number of reforms: merchants, bourgeois and state (related to the state) villagers were given the right to buy uninhabited land (1801), ministries and a cabinet of ministers were established (1802), a decree on free farmers was issued (1803), which created the category personally free peasants.
In 1822, Alexander Masonic lodges and other secret societies.
Emperor Alexander I died on December 2 (November 19, old style) of 1825 from typhoid fever in Taganrog, where he accompanied his wife, Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, for treatment.
The emperor often spoke to his loved ones about his intention to abdicate the throne and "retire from the world", which gave rise to the legend of the elder Fyodor Kuzmich, according to which Alexander's double died and was buried in Taganrog, while the tsar lived as an old hermit in Siberia and died in 1864.
Alexander I was married to the German princess Louise-Maria-August of Baden-Baden (1779-1826), who adopted the name Elizaveta Alekseevna during her conversion to Orthodoxy. This marriage gave birth to two daughters who died in infancy.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
And recently, a monument to the emperor appeared in the garden of the same name. In the very heart of Moscow, which during the reign of Alexander was both "burned by fire" and "given to the Frenchman." These events in the minds of a modern Russian person are embedded in the plot about the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, but then they were perceived as an unheard of defeat, which still did not break the emperor.
For a short time, foreigners ruled in Belokamennaya. The victorious time has come - and the Russian army entered Paris. The emperor was not considered and was not an outstanding commander, but he did not yield to Bonaparte.
Probably, it is high time to emphasize in this way our respect for the monarch, who is one of the architects of modern Europe. The emperor himself did not pursue loud glory; he considered modesty the most advantageous tactic. It is no coincidence that for a long time the only monument to the winner of Napoleon was the Pillar of Alexandria in St. Petersburg, erected during the reign of his stern brother. But there, on the pillar, is a sculpture of an angel with a cross, and not a figure of a sovereign.
The legend of the emperor's departure is also memorable: even some historians of the imperial family believed that Alexander did not die, but left to wander in the form of the humble pilgrim Fyodor Kuzmich. The story of the elder Theodore of Tomsk is a special chapter in the history of Tsar Alexander. Mystic. Legend.
The character of the king, who had been looking for peace for many years, was looking for a way to the Heavenly City, disposed to the appearance of such a legend.
Immediately I remember how Pushkin "branded" him: "The ruler is weak and crafty." And those who are in a hurry to recklessly idealize the winner of Napoleon should remember these lines. Pushkin also formulated the ceremonial version of the emperor's story: "He took Paris, he founded the Lyceum." The army and the Enlightenment are indeed the main directions of the policy of Alexander Pavlovich.
He was considered an outstanding diplomat. They talked about cold hypocrisy, about the indifferent duplicity of the pupil of Catherine the Great. Many were fascinated by his coldness, and many were scared away. That's really who knew how to hide thoughts and intentions, not to mention emotions. This is exactly what he was before he left for the faith. The main task of the diplomat is unchanged - to sell his concessions at a higher price and to buy at a lower price the concessions of his partners.
Alexander did not always identify his policy with the interests of Russia. In his younger years, he completely underestimated the Fatherland: we have never had a second such Westernizer on the throne. The horizons of his ambition stretched wider than his native aspens. He absorbed the idea of Catherine's Greek project. He made plans on a universal scale - and, surprisingly, brought a lot to mind. Here it is enough to say two words: "Sacred Union"!
The clothes were given to us to cover up shame, and the tongue was given to distract our interlocutors from the unsightly truth. The grandson of the great Catherine strictly followed this rule, having received court lessons from childhood. After all, he had to rush between two courtyards. On the one hand, there is the powerful empress, who was tearing him away from his parents, on the other, the Russian Hamlet, the Gatchina exile, Pavel Petrovich. And everywhere he was loved: he skillfully made a favorable impression. Cynicism faded away gradually.
The Russian Empire at that time was not in political isolation. In Europe, since the Elizabethan times, since the time of Bestuzhev, not a single major political enterprise could do without the participation of the northern empire. The Europeans did not recognize Russian culture, they looked down on Orthodoxy - we see traces of these prejudices in Diderot's Encyclopedia. Only two manifestations of Russia were respected: the army and diplomacy.
Pyotr and Kurakin, Bestuzhev and Rumyantsev, Bezborodko and Suvorov "forced themselves to respect." But even in the Alexander years, Denis Davydov started talking about "russophobia" (then this word was written that way). And the duplicity of the allies in the fight against Napoleon exceeded the bounds of tolerance.
The defeated France weakened after the revolutionary wars. England did not have sufficient ground forces. Russia after 1815 under Alexander did not fight in Europe, but the military domination of St. Petersburg was felt. Alexander's allies were worried about this already in 1814. They were not limited to newspaper caricatures of Russian barbarians. The European chancellors moved quickly to secret negotiations. Perhaps Alexander knew about these maneuvers. International espionage in Russia since the time of Potemkin has been excellently developed, agents of St. Petersburg worked in all European capitals.
The powers established a secret anti-Russian military alliance hastily. Alexander did not pay attention to these maneuvers. I did not allow myself to be offended. Why? There may be several explanations. He feared Napoleon more than all the allied monarchs put together. And Talleyrand and Metternich knew the price. Talleyrand - literally. After all, the French diplomat was a paid agent of the Russian tsar for several years ...
He believed in the Sacred Union with unexpected sincerity. He was no longer a young skeptic, but a Christian inclined to mysticism and even to exaltation. “The fire of Moscow lit up my soul” - this legendary confession explains a lot in Alexander's politics.
The fuse, as you know, did not last long: by the 1850s, there were more contradictions than scrap. And the Parisian treatise of 1855 destroyed the world of the Holy Union, excluded Russia (as it turned out, for a while) from the club of the arbiters of the destinies of Europe. And the club itself has lost its meaning.
During the time of Alexander, the Russian Empire finally settled on the banks of the Vistula. And the emperor's generous liberal gifts could neither satisfy the gentry, nor moderate the anxiety of London, Vienna and Paris. But what does he, the winner, care about all this fuss! He knew what the triumph of Agamemnon, Caesar and Augustus was.
The spirit of the emperor soars in the Moscow Alexander Garden, and in the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, which was also called the Alexander Garden. And in Paris. Spring of 1814… The history of Russia did not know such spectacular victories. The Russian emperor rode into Paris on a gray horse that Napoleon once gave him.
Some Parisian shouted: "We have been waiting for the arrival of Your Majesty for a long time!" Alexander replied with a smile: "I would have come to you earlier, but the courage of your troops delayed me." He read Plutarch and knew the value of the catchphrases that embody the hero's strength and generosity. This answer flattered the French, they repeated it with enthusiasm. Alexander in Paris collected a collection of such small victories.
Derzhavin then greeted the tsar with a cheerful soldier's song:
Have fun, blessed king,
Alexander the Blessed!
The Russian land is strong:
She cares about you
She didn’t spare my life:
Give us a cup of wine!
The first fifteen years of his reign ended in epics, in an aura of victory and worldwide influence. And then fatigue rolled over - and the companions stopped recognizing the sovereign. He began to eschew politics with its lies and blood. I was looking for the truth in conversations with monks, in the Gospel. A strong reason for remorse is indirect involvement in the murder of his father. Much reminded him of this atrocity. He prayed, he destroyed the monarch's ambition in himself. So he left.
Considering the era from an academic distance, historians did not elevate it. For example, Sergei Melgunov, known to many for the sensational book The Red Terror in Russia, did not regret the caustic irony when he wrote about Alexander and his time. Soviet historians did not like him either. And then interest arose in "the most mysterious emperor", in the "royal mystic." And now - official recognition in the form of a monument at the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Happy birthday, emperor! 237 years is no joke.
Emperor Alexander I.
Portrait by V.L. Borovikovsky from the original by E. Vigee-Lebrun. 1802.
Alexander I Pavlovich Romanov (Blessed) (1777-1825) - Russian emperor from March 12 (24), 1801 - after the murder by conspirators from the aristocratic circles of the emperor Paul I
.
At the beginning of his reign, his domestic politics showed a desire for moderate liberalism. The necessary changes were discussed by members of the Secret Committee - the "young friends" of the emperor. Ministerial (1802), Senate (1802), university and school (1802-1804) reforms were carried out, the State Council was created (1810), a decree on free farmers was issued (1803), etc. to conservatism (see Arakcheevshchina, military settlements).
He went down in history as a skillful politician and diplomat. He strove to create multilateral European alliances (see Holy Alliance), made extensive use of negotiations with politicians and monarchs of Europe at congresses and in personal meetings (see Tilsit treaties of 1807).
His foreign policy was mainly dominated by the European direction. In the first years of his reign, he tried to maintain peaceful relations with the powers that fought for hegemony in Europe (France and England), but after the aggressive tendencies in the policy of Napoleon I intensified, Russia became an active participant in the Third and Fourth anti-Napoleonic coalitions. As a result of the victory in the Russian-Swedish War of 1808-1809. the Grand Duchy of Finland was annexed to Russia. The defeat of Napoleon during the Patriotic War of 1812 and the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813-1814. strengthened the international prestige of Russia and personally Alexander I - by decision of the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815, in which the Russian tsar was an active participant, most of the Polish lands (Kingdom of Poland) were annexed to Russia.
Foreign policy in the eastern direction - the solution of the eastern issue - was expressed in support of national movements in the Balkans, the desire to annex the Danube principalities and gain a foothold in the Transcaucasus (see the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812, the Bucharest peace treaty of 1812, the Gulistan peace treaty of 1813 G.).
The exchange of envoys in 1809 marked the beginning of Russian-American diplomatic relations.
Since 1815, a conservative tendency in the foreign policy of Alexander I intensified: with his consent, the Austrian troops suppressed the revolutions in Naples and Piedmont, and the French in Spain; he took an evasive position in relation to the Greek uprising of 1821, which he saw as an act of his subjects against the legitimate monarch (sultan).
Orlov A.S., Georgieva N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical Dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 11-12.
Dolgorukov Petr Petrovich(1777-1806), prince, peer and close friend of Alexander I.
Elizaveta Alekseevna(1779-1826), Empress, wife of Emperor Alexander I.
Mordvinov Nikolay Semenovich(1754-1845), Count, Admiral.
Novosiltsev Nikolay Nikolaevich(1761-1836), personal friend of Alexander I.
Platov Matvey Ivanovich(1751 - 1818), general of the cavalry. Ataman.
Rostopchin Fedor Vasilievich(1763-1826), Russian statesman.
Speransky Mikhail Mikhailovich(1772-1839), a prominent statesman.
Emperor Alexander at the Reverend Seraphim of Sarov.
Salavat Shcherbakov. Moscow, Alexandrovsky Garden.
Bezhin L. "LG-dossier" N 2, 1992.
Bogdanovich M. H., History of the reign of Alexander I and Russia in his time, t. 1-6, St. Petersburg, 1869-1871;
Vallotton A. Alexander I. M. 1991.
Documents for the history of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Western European powers, from the conclusion of a general peace in 1814 to the Congress in Verona in 1822 St. Petersburg. 1823.Vol. 1.Ch. 1.T. 2.1825 .--
Kizevetter A. A., Emperor Alexander I and Arakcheev, in the book: Historical sketches, M., 1912;
Lenin, V.I. T. IV. P. 337 .--
Marx, K. and Engels, F. Works. T. IX. S. 371-372, 504-505. T. XVI. Part II. S. 17, 21, 23, 24.-
Martens, F. F. Collection of treatises and conventions concluded by Russia with foreign powers. T. 2, 3, 4. Part 1.6, 7, 11, 13, 14. SPb. 1875-1905. -
Martens, F. F. Russia and England at the beginning of the 19th century. "Bulletin of Europe". 1894. Book. 10.S. 653-695. Book. 11, pp. 186-223. -
Materials for the history of the Eastern question in 1808-1813 -
Modern international politics in treaties, notes and declarations. Part 1. From the French Revolution to the imperialist war. M. 1925.S. 61-136. -
Merezhkovsky D.S. Alexander the First M. "Armada", 1998.
Mironenko S. V. Autocracy and Reforms: Political Struggle in Russia at the Beginning of the 19th Century. M., 1989.
Nikolay Mikhailovich, chief prince. Emperor Alexander I. Experience of historical research. T. 1-2-SPb. 1912.-
Picheta, V.I. International policy of Russia at the beginning of the reign of Alexander I (until 1807). In the book. "Patriotic War and Russian Society". T. 1.M. S. 152-174.-
Picheta, V.I., Russia's international policy after Tilsit. In the book. "Patriotic War and Russian Society". T. 2.M. S. 1-32. -
Pokrovsky M. H., Alexander I, in the book: History of Russia of the XIX century., Ed. Pomegranate, vol. 1, St. Petersburg, b. G.;
Popov, A.N. The Patriotic War of 1812. Historical research. T. 1. Relations between Russia and foreign powers before the war of 1812. M. 1905. VI, 492 p. -
Presnyakov A.E., Alexander I, P., 1924;
Predtechensky A.V., Essays on socio-political. history of Russia in the first quarter. XIX century, M.-L., 1957.
Okun S. B., Essays on the history of the USSR. The end of the 18th century - the first quarter of the 19th century, L., 1956;
Safonov M.M. The problem of reforms in the government policy of Russia at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. L., 1988.
Sakharov A. N. Alexander I // Russian autocrats (1801-1917). M., 1993.
Collection of the Russian Historical Society. T. 21, 70, 77, 82, 83, 88, 89, 112, 119, 121, 127. SPb. 1877-1908. -
Soloviev S. M., Emperor Alexander I. Politics - diplomacy, St. Petersburg, 1877;
Solovyov, S. M. Emperor Alexander I. Politics-diplomacy. Collected Works. SPb. ... S. 249-758 (there is a separate edition: St. Petersburg. 1877.560 s). - Nadler, VK Emperor Alexander I and the idea of the Holy Alliance. T. 1-5. [Kharkov]. 1886-1892. -
Stalin, I. V. About Engels' article "Foreign policy of Russian tsarism". "Bolshevik". M. 1941. No. 9. S. 1-5.-
Suvorov N. On the history of the city of Vologda: On the stay in Vologda of royal persons and other remarkable historical persons // EEC. 1867. No. 9. S. 348-357.
Troitsky N.A.Alexander I and Napoleon. M., 1994.
Fedorov V.A. Alexander I // Questions of history. 1990. No. 1;
Schilder, N.K. Emperor Alexander the First. His life and reign. Ed. 2.T. 1-4. SPb. 1904-1905.-
Czartoryski, A. Mémoires du prince Adam Czartoryski et correspondance avec l empereur Alexandre I-er. Préf. de M. Ch. De Mazade. T. 1-2. Paris. 1887. (Czartorizhsky, A. Memoirs of Prince Adam Czartorizhsky and his correspondence with Emperor Alexander I. T. 1-2. M .. 1912). -
Vandal, A. Napoléon et Alexandre I-er. L alliance russe sous le premier empire. 6-me éd. T. 1-3. Paris. ... (Vandal, A. Napoleon and Alexander I. Franco-Russian alliance during the first empire. T. 1-3. St. Petersburg. 1910-1913). -
See also the literature for the article The Congress of Vienna 1814 - 1815.
Funeral procession scroll
during the funeral of Emperor Alexander I (detail).
Name: Alexander I (Alexander Pavlovich Romanov)
Age: 47 years
Activity: Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia
Family status: was married
Emperor Alexander I Pavlovich, sometimes mistakenly referred to as Tsar Alexander I, ascended the throne in 1801 and ruled for almost a quarter of a century. Russia under Alexander I waged successful wars against Turkey, Persia and Sweden, and later became involved in the war of 1812, when Napoleon attacked the country. During the reign of Alexander I, the territory expanded due to the annexation of Eastern Georgia, Finland, Bessarabia and part of Poland. For all the transformations introduced by Alexander I, he was called Alexander the Blessed.
Power today The biography of Alexander I was originally supposed to be outstanding. Not only was he the eldest son of the emperor and his wife Maria Fyodorovna, so the grandmother did not look for the soul in her grandson. It was she who gave the boy a sonorous name in honor and, in the hope that Alexander will create history following the example of the legendary namesakes. It is worth noting that the name itself was unusual for the Romanovs, and only after the reign of Alexander I it firmly entered the family namebook.
Arguments and Facts The personality of Alexander I was formed under the tireless supervision of Catherine the Great. The fact is that the empress initially considered the son of Paul I incapable of taking the throne and wanted to crown her grandson "over the head" of his father. The grandmother tried so that the boy hardly communicated with his parents, nevertheless, Pavel had an influence on his son and he took over from him his love for military science. The young heir grew up affectionate, smart, easily assimilated new knowledge, but at the same time he was very lazy and proud, which is why Alexander I did not manage to learn to focus on painstaking and long-term work.
Wikiwand Alexander I's contemporaries noted that he had a very lively mind, incredible insight and was easily carried away by everything new. But since he was actively influenced from childhood by two opposite natures, grandmother and father, the child was forced to learn to please absolutely everyone, which became the main characteristic of Alexander I. Even Napoleon called him an "actor" in a good sense, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin wrote about Emperor Alexander "in the face and life of a harlequin."
Runivers Carried away by military affairs, the future Emperor Alexander I did active service in the Gatchina troops, which were personally formed by his father. The result of the service was left ear deafness, but this did not prevent Paul I from promoting his son to colonel of the guard when he was only 19 years old. A year later, the son of the ruler became the military governor of St. Petersburg and headed the Semyonovsky Guards regiment, then Alexander I briefly chaired the military parliament, after which he began to sit in the Senate.
Emperor Alexander I ascended the throne immediately after the violent death of his father. A number of facts confirm that he was aware of the plans of the conspirators to overthrow Paul I, although he may not have suspected regicide. It was the new head of the Russian Empire who announced the "apoplectic stroke" that struck down his father, and literally a few minutes after his death. In September 1801, Alexander I was crowned.
Ascension of Emperor Alexander to the throne | Runivers The very first decrees of Alexander I showed that he intends to eradicate judicial arbitrariness in the state and introduce strict legality. Today it seems incredible, but there were practically no strict fundamental laws in Russia at that time. Together with his closest associates, the emperor formed an unspoken committee, with which he discussed all plans for state reform. This community was named the Committee of Public Safety, and is also known under the name of the Public Movement of Alexander I.
Immediately after Alexander I came to power, the transformations became visible to the naked eye. It is customary to divide his reign into two parts: at first, the reforms of Alexander I occupied all his time and thoughts, but after 1815 the emperor became disillusioned with them and began a reactionary movement, that is, on the contrary, he clamped people in a vice. One of the most important reforms was the creation of the "Indispensable Council", which was later transformed into a State Council with several departments. The next step is the creation of ministries. If earlier decisions on any issues were made by a majority vote, now a separate minister was responsible for each industry, who regularly reported to the head of state.
Reformer Alexander I | Russian history The reforms of Alexander I also touched upon the peasant question, at least on paper. The emperor thought about the abolition of serfdom, but he wanted to do it gradually, but he could not determine the steps for such a slow liberation. As a result, the decrees of Alexander I on "free farmers" and the ban on the sale of peasants without the land on which they live turned out to be a drop in the ocean. But Alexander's transformations in the field of education became more significant. By his order, a clear gradation of educational institutions was created according to the level of the educational program: parish and district schools, provincial schools and gymnasiums, universities. Thanks to the activities of Alexander I, the Academy of Sciences was restored in St. Petersburg, the famous Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was created and five new universities were founded.
Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum founded by Emperor Alexander I | All-Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin But the naive plans of the sovereign for the rapid transformation of the country faced opposition from the nobles. He could not quickly implement his reforms because of the fear of a palace coup, plus they occupied the attention of Alexander 1 of the war. Therefore, despite good intentions and a desire to carry out reforms, the emperor was unable to realize all his desires. In fact, in addition to educational and state reform, only the constitution of Poland is of interest, which the ruler's associates regarded as a prototype for the future Constitution of the entire Russian Empire. But the turn of the domestic policy of Alexander I towards reaction buried all the hopes of the liberal nobility.
The starting point for a change in opinion about the need for reform was the war with Napoleon. The emperor realized that in the conditions that he wanted to create, rapid mobilization of the army was impossible. Therefore, Emperor Alexander 1 shifts politics from liberal ideas to the interests of state security. A new reform is being worked out, which has proved to be the most stuck: military transformation.
Portrait of Alexander I | Runivers With the help of the Minister of War, a project is being created for a completely new type of life - a military settlement, which represented a new class. Without much burdening the country's budget, it was supposed to maintain and equip a standing army of wartime strength. The growth in the number of such military districts continued throughout the years of the reign of Alexander I. Moreover, they survived under the successor of Nicholas I and were abolished only by the emperor.
In fact, the foreign policy of Alexander I was reduced to a series of constant wars, thanks to which the territory of the country increased significantly. After the end of the war with Persia, Russia of Alexander I gained military control of the Caspian Sea, and also expanded its possessions through the annexation of Georgia. After the Russian-Turkish war, Bessarabia and all the states of Transcaucasia replenished the possessions of the Empire, and after the conflict with Sweden - Finland. In addition, Alexander I fought with England, Austria and began the Caucasian War, which did not end during his lifetime.
The main military adversary of Russia under Emperor Alexander I was France. Their first armed conflict took place back in 1805, which, despite periodic peace agreements, constantly flared up again. Finally, inspired by his fantastic victories, Napoleon Bonaparte sent troops into the territory of Russia. The Patriotic War of 1812 began. After the victory, Alexander I entered into an alliance with England, Prussia and Austria and made a number of foreign campaigns, during which he defeated Napoleon's army and forced him to abdicate the throne. After that, the Kingdom of Poland also ceded to Russia.
When the French army ended up on the territory of the Russian Empire, Alexander I declared himself commander-in-chief and forbade peace negotiations until at least one enemy soldier remained on Russian soil. But the numerical advantage of Napoleon's army was so great that Russian troops constantly retreated inland. Soon, the emperor agrees that his presence interferes with the military leaders, and leaves for St. Petersburg. Mikhail Kutuzov, who was greatly respected by the soldiers and officers, became the commander-in-chief, but the main thing was that this man had already shown himself to be an excellent strategist.
Painting "Kutuzov at Borodino Field", 1952. Artist S. Gerasimov | Mind mapping And in the Patriotic War of 1812, Kutuzov again showed his sharp mind as a military tactician. He outlined a decisive battle near the village of Borodino and positioned the army so well that it was covered by natural relief from both flanks, and the commander-in-chief placed artillery in the center. The battle was desperate and bloody, with huge losses on both sides. The Battle of Borodino is considered a historical paradox: both armies declared their victory in the battle.
Painting "Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow", 1851. Artist Adolph Nortern | Chrontime To keep his troops on alert, Mikhail Kutuzov decides to leave Moscow. The result was the burning of the former capital and its occupation by the French, but Napoleon's victory in this case turned out to be Pirova. To feed his army, he was forced to move to Kaluga, where Kutuzov had already concentrated his forces and did not let the enemy go further. Moreover, partisan detachments inflicted effective strikes on the invaders. Deprived of food and not ready for the Russian winter, the French began to retreat. The final battle near the Berezina river put an end to the defeat, and Alexander I issued a Manifesto on the victorious end of the Patriotic War.
In his youth, Alexander was very friendly with his sister Ekaterina Pavlovna. Some sources even hinted at a relationship that is closer than just brotherly and sisterly. But these speculations are very unlikely, since Catherine was 11 years younger, and at the age of 16, Alexander I had already linked his personal life with his wife. He married a German woman, Louise Maria Augusta, who, after adopting Orthodoxy, became Elizaveta Alekseevna. They had two daughters, Maria and Elizabeth, but both died at the age of one, so the heir to the throne was not the children of Alexander I, but his younger brother Nicholas I.
TVNZ Due to the fact that his wife could not give him a son, the relationship between the emperor and his wife became very cold. He practically did not hide his love relationship on the side. At first, Alexander I cohabited for almost 15 years with Maria Naryshkina, the wife of Chief Jägermeister Dmitry Naryshkin, whom all the courtiers called him "an exemplary cuckold" in the eyes. Maria gave birth to six children, and it is customary to attribute the paternity of five of them to Alexander. However, most of these children died in infancy. Also, Alexander I had an affair with the daughter of the court banker Sophie Velho and with Sophia Vsevolozhskaya, who gave birth to his illegitimate son, Nikolai Lukash, a general and war hero.
Wikipedia In 1812, Alexander I became interested in reading the Bible, although before that he was basically indifferent to religion. But he, like his best friend Alexander Golitsyn, was not satisfied with the framework of Orthodoxy alone. The emperor was in correspondence with Protestant preachers, studied mysticism and various currents of the Christian faith, and sought to unite all confessions in the name of "universal truth." Russia under Alexander I became more tolerant than ever before. The official church was outraged by such a turn and began a secret behind-the-scenes struggle against the emperor's like-minded people, including Golitsyn. The victory remained with the church, which did not want to lose power over the people.
Emperor Alexander I died in early December 1825 in Taganrog, during another trip, which he loved very much. The official cause of death of Alexander I was called fever and brain inflammation. The sudden death of the ruler caused a wave of rumors, spurred on by the fact that shortly before that, Emperor Alexander had drawn up a manifesto in which he transferred the right of succession to his younger brother Nikolai Pavlovich.
Death of Emperor Alexander I | Russian Historical Library The people began to say that the emperor faked his death and became the hermit Fyodor Kuzmich. Such a legend was very popular even during the life of this truly existing old man, and in the 19th century it received additional argumentation. The fact is that we managed to compare the handwriting of Alexander I and Fyodor Kuzmich, which turned out to be almost identical. Moreover, to date, genetic scientists have a real project to compare the DNA of these two people, but so far this examination has not been carried out.
