Tsar Alexander II (1818-1881) and Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880)

[TOMMIX]

HIM Alexander II-

 

[morgaine]

Here I have some nice pics of Alexander II and his first Wife Marie of Hessen Darmstadt and their children :

1. 1856 - Alexander II 1818 - 1881 assasinated
2. 1856 - Marie 1824 - 1880
3. 1859 - Tsarevich Nicholas 1843 - 1865
4. 1859 - Alexander III 1845 - 1894
5. 1859 - Wladimir 1847 - 1909
6. 1859 - Alexei 1850 - 1908
7. 1859 - Maria 1853 - 1920
8. 1859 - Sergei 1857 - 1905 assasinated
9. 1861 - Alexander II mit pavel 1860 - 1919 murdered

 

[morgaine]

...and here are some pics of the siblings of Alexander II of Russia :


1. Maria 1819 - 1876
2. Olga 1822 - 1892
3. Nikolaus 1831 - 1891
4. Michael 1832 - 1909 with Family

 

[Layla1971]

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/Layla1971/Cartetsar.jpg

This picture is of Alexander II , and the Empress Marie Alexandrovna, (the daughter of Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine), and their son, the future Emperor Alexander III.

Taken by Livitsky photographers (not sure which one), and part of my family's collection, but I don't know when it was taken.

 

[Marengo]

Alexander II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias (Moscow, 29 April 1818 - St. Petersburg, 13 March 1881); married 1stly in St. Petersburg on 28 April 1841 Princess Marie of Hesse and The Rhine (Darmstadt, 8 August 1824 - St. Petersburg, 3 June 1880); married 2ndly at Tsarskoye Selo on 18 July 1880, Princess Catherina Dolgoruky, 17 Dec 1880 (Moscow, 14 November 1847 - Nice 15 February 1922)

Reign: 1855 - 1881

Predecessor: Emperor Nicholas I of All the Russias

Succeeded by: Emperor Alexander III of All the Russias

Children Alexander & Maria: Grand Duchess Alexandra and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, Emperor Alexander III of all the Russias, Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duke Alexei of Russia, Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Duchess of Edinburgh; Grand Duke Boris, Grand Duke Sergei and Grand Duke Paul of Russia

Children Alexander & Catherina: Prince George Yurievsky; Countess Olga von Merenberg; Prince Boris Yurievsky and Princess Catherina Bariatinsky (later Princess Oblonsky)

Parents Alexander: Emperor Nicholas I of all the Russias and Princess Charlotte of Prussia

Parents Maria: Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and the Rhine and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden

Parents Catherina: Prince Michael Dolgorukov and Vera Vishnevskaya

Siblings Alexander: Duchess Maria of Leuchtenberg; Queen Olga of Württemberg; Landgravine Alexandra of Hesse-Kassel; Grand Duke Constantine, Grand Duke Nicholas and Grand Duke Michael of Russia

Siblings Maria: Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and the Rhine; Prince Karl Wilhelm, Princess Elisabeth and Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt

Siblings Catherina: ?

 

[Marengo]

Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevich (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (Moscow, 29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881 in St. Petersburg) was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881. He was also the Grand Duke of Finland and King of Poland until 1867 when it was annexed into the Russian Empire.

Born in 1818, he was the eldest son of Tsar Nicholas I and Charlotte of Prussia, daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His early life gave little indication of his ultimate potential; until the time of his accession in 1855, few imagined that he would be known to posterity as a leader able to implement the most challenging reforms undertaken in Russia since the reign of Peter the Great. He did not like Peter the Great at all.
In the period of over thirty-six years during which he was heir apparent, the atmosphere of St Petersburg was unfavourable to the development of any intellectual or political innovation. Government was based on principles under which all freedom of thought and all private initiative were, as far as possible, suppressed vigorously. Personal and official censorship was rife; criticism of the authorities was regarded as a serious offence. This was also regarded as one of the reasons which led to his assassination.
Under supervision of the liberal poet Vasily Zhukovsky, Alexander received the education commonly given to young Russians of good family at that time: a smattering of a great many subjects, and exposure to the chief modern European languages. He took little personal interest in military affairs, but did take a personal interest in Vasily Zhukovsky, with whom he embarked on a short and fleeting sexual relationship. To the disappointment of his father, who was passionate about the military, he showed no love of soldiering. Alexander gave evidence of a kind disposition and a tender-heartedness which were considered out of place in one destined to become a military autocrat.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

 

[Marengo]

Princess Maximilienne Wilhelmine Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (8 August 1824 - 8 June 1880) was a princess of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and, as Maria Alexandrovna (in Russian Мария Александровна), Empress consort of Alexander II of Russia. She was born at Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy, and died at Saint Petersburg. The Mariinsky Theatre and the city Mariehamn in Åland is named after her.

Marie was the youngest of seven children born to the Grand Duchess Wihelmine of Hesse (1788 - 1836), the youngest sister of the Russian Empress Elizaveta Alexeievna, the younger four appearing to have been fathered by Baron August von Senarclens de Grancy. To avoid a scandal, Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse acknowledged Alexander and Marie as his own children; the other two had died young. Yet they still lived in a separate establishment in Heiligenberg while the Grand Duke lived in Darmstadt.

Read the entire wikipedia article here.

 

[Marengo]

Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (In Russian Княжна Екатерина Михаиловна Долгорукова), also known as Catherine Dolgorukova, Catherine Dolgoruki, or Catherine Dolgorukaya, (14 November1847 - 15 February1922), was the daughter of Prince Michael Dolgorukov and Vera Vishnevskaya. She was a long-time mistress of TsarAlexander II of Russia and later, as his morganatic wife, was created Princess Yurievskaya (Светлейшая княгиня Юрьевская).
Alexander and Catherine already had three children when they formed a morganatic marriage on July 6, 1880, less than a month after the death of the emperor's wife, Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, on June 8. A fourth child had died in infancy. Catherine became a widow with the assassination of Alexander II on 1 March 1881 by members of Narodnaya Volya.

Catherine first met Alexander when she was twelve and he paid a visit to her father's estate. At the time, he saw her only as a little girl and probably forgot their visit. After the death of her father, who had left his family without resources, Catherine and her sister were sent to the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in St. Petersburg, a school for well-born girls. The Tsar paid for their education and that of their four brothers. Alexander met the sixteen-year-old Catherine there on an official visit to the school in the fall of 1864 and was immediately attracted. One contemporary described the young Catherine as "of medium height, with an elegant figure, silky ivory skin, the eyes of a frightened gazelle, a sensuous mouth, and light chestnut tresses." He visited her at the school and took her for walks and on carriage rides. Catherine had liberal opinions, formed in part by her time at the school, and she discussed them with the Tsar. He later arranged for her to become a lady-in-waiting to his wife, who was suffering from tuberculosis. Catherine liked the Tsar and enjoyed being in his company, but she didn't want to become one of a series of mistresses. Though her mother and the headmistress of the Smolny Institute both urged her to seize the opportunity to better her circumstances and those of her family, Catherine and Alexander did not actually become intimate until July 1866, when she was moved by her pity for the Tsar after the death of his eldest son, Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, and after an attempt to assassinate him. Her own mother had died two months before. That night, she later recalled in her memoirs, the Tsar told her: "Now you are my secret wife. I swear that if I am ever free, I will marry you."

Read the entire wikipeida article here.

 

[pgm1952]

I often wonder what became of the children born to Tsar Alexander II and Princess Katherine Dolgoruky (may have misspelt her name here!), his mistress and later second wife after the tsarina's death. I think one child died in infancy, maybe a little older. Princess Dolgoruky died in the 1920s in exile I believe.

 

[HM Queen Catherine]

I often wonder what became of the children born to Tsar Alexander II and Princess Katherine Dolgoruky (may have misspelt her name here!), his mistress and later second wife after the tsarina's death. I think one child died in infancy, maybe a little older. Princess Dolgoruky died in the 1920s in exile I believe.

Some of the descendants of Tsar Alexander II and HSH Princess Catherine Dolgorukova, Princess Yurievskaya, are still alive.

Boris was the son that only lived a few weeks.. but their other children survived to adulthood. After Alexander died, Catherine eventually moved with her children to Paris, and also bought a home in Nice, where she died in 1922.

The children:

HSH Prince George Alexandrovich Yurievsky (1872-1913) married Countess Alexandra von Zarnekau (1883-1957), and although they were divorced did manage to produce a son, HSH Prince Alexander Yurievsky (1900-1988).

George's grandson is HSH Prince George Yurievsky. He was born in 1961 and was last known to be married.. whether he has any children is not known to me.

HSH Princess Olga Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1873-1925) married Graf Georg von Merenberg (1871-1948), and had three children. Georg von Merenberg was the grandson of Alexander Pushkin. Their eldest son lived less than a year, but Graf Georg Michael and Gräfin Olga both married and had issue.

(The current Marquess of Milford Haven is a descendant of Georg von Merenberg's sister Sophie, who married morganatically Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia. She was created Countess de Torby.)

Olga's granddaughter, Gräfin Clothilde von Merenberg is the last living member of the male line of von Merenberg. She has three sons. Olga's grandson, Count Alexander Loris-Melikov is married with four children born in the early 60's- so he likely has grandchildren by now.

HSH Princess Catherine Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1878-1959) first married Prince Alexander Bariatinsky (1870-1910), with whom she had two sons, Prince Andrei Bariatinsky (1902-1931) and Prince Alexander Bariatinsky (b. 1905).

Although Andrei died relatively young, he was married and had a daughter, Princess Elena Bariatinsky, in 1927. She was twice married but had no known children. She died in 1988.

I have no information on Prince Alexander or whether he had a family.. I feel sure he is probably deceased by now.

HSH Princess Catherine Yurievskaya married Sergei Platonvich Obolensky, Prince Obolensky (1890-1978) after her first husband's death. They had no children, and Sergei left her in 1924 to marry Ava Alice Muriel Astor, the daughter of John Jacob Astor IV.

(and though they had two children, Sergei's second marriage collapsed in 1932. Ava would go on to marry three more times and have two additional children.)

Catherine spent her final years at Hayling Island, England, receiving a small pension from Queen Mary until HM's death in 1953. She died at Hayling in 1959 and is buried in the village of Northney.

One of Tsar Alexander II's other illegitimate children, Antoinette Bayer, was married in 1881 to Richard Flemyng St. Leger, the grandson of the 1st Viscount Doneraile. Her daughter, Joan de St. Leger, married and left three children - Richard Muller (1915-1977), Charles Muller (b. 1919) and Johanna Muller (b. 1920) - who all have issue (and probably grandchildren and great grandchildren). Joan died in 1955 - her mother Antoinette died in 1948.

 

[MAfan]

HSH Princess Olga Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1873-1925) married Graf Georg von Merenberg (1871-1948), and had three children. Georg von Merenberg was the grandson of Alexander Pushkin. Their eldest son lived less than a year, but Graf Georg Michael and Gräfin Olga both married and had issue.

(The current Marquess of Milford Haven is a descendant of Georg von Merenberg's sister Sophie, who married morganatically Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia. She was created Countess de Torby.)

Olga's granddaughter, Gräfin Clothilde von Merenberg is the last living member of the male line of von Merenberg. She has three sons. Olga's grandson, Count Alexander Loris-Melikov is married with four children born in the early 60's- so he likely has grandchildren by now.

The Counts von Merenberg are descendants from the morganatic marriage of Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau and Natalya Alexandrovna Pushkina, who was created Countess von Merenberg by the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.
Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm was the son of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, and his second wife née Princess Pauline of Württemberg; he was also half-brother of Grand-Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg.

 

[vorky]

Alexander II prepared a last reform
aimed at leading Russia into a parliamentary system. But terrorism had the last word, the
emperor was assassinated in March 1881

I read it here.Does anybody know what Alexander II wanted to do?

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Alexander wanted to institute an elected parliament or Duma but his death occurred in the short amount of time preceding the planned announcement. His successor, Alexander III, tore up the plans. It is a shame because Alexander II, if he had lived, may have steered his country towards a constitutional monarchy.

 

[vorky]

thx. Unfortunately he died. As I know Nicholas II instituted Duma in 1905. Right? so cca 20 years later and it was too late...

 

[COUNTESS]

Yes, far too late. And then he tended to ignore it. His father, Alexander III, was quite the autocrat, so no one listening to the people.

 

[vorky]

How was this Duma in 1905 elected? Does anybody have a list of members?

 

[AristoCat]

Basically one of Nicholas' uncles threatened to shoot himself right then and there in the head (in Nicholas' office) if Nicholas refused to grant a constitution.

 

[MAfan]

I didn't know this story; who was this uncle?

 

[Russophile]

I didn't know this story; who was this uncle?

A couple of them threatened. Nicholas Nicholaivitch and who was the other? I think Sandro's father?

 

[vorky]

Basically one of Nicholas' uncles threatened to shoot himself right then and there in the head (in Nicholas' office) if Nicholas refused to grant a constitution.

are there any articles about this on net? russian or english... thx

 

[AristoCat]

Read the Greg King and Richard Massie biographies and you'll see it there.

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Basically one of Nicholas' uncles threatened to shoot himself right then and there in the head (in Nicholas' office) if Nicholas refused to grant a constitution.

I didn't know this story; who was this uncle?

A couple of them threatened. Nicholas Nicholaivitch and who was the other? I think Sandro's father?

I don't know who the other Grand Duke may have been but my dear Russo was correct:

When the time came to make his final decision [about creating a constitution], Nicholas II prevaricated. The tsar's cousin, the tall and imposing Grand Duke Nicholas ("Nikolasha") was so furious about plans to proceed with a military dictatorship that he stormed into Peterhof and exclaimed: "I'm going now to the Czar and I will beg him to sign the manifesto and the Witte program. Either he signs or in his presence I will put a bullet through my head with this revolver."

Gelardi, Born to Rule, pp. 117-118. Her source is Salisbury Black Night, White Snow: Russia's Revolutions, 1905-1917.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Is Nikolasha, Nicholas Nickolaevich? He was one of the men put up to be head of the family after the murders.

 

[MAfan]

Yes, Nikolasha was Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich (the younger; 1856-1929); he had been proclaimed Tsar by the Zemsky Sobor of the Preamursk region in 1922.

 

[Benedict XVI]

Are there any good biographies on him?

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Man I wish there was one on him. He was one of the few characters I like and who seems honorable when reading about the Romanovs. Then again when I read about him it is more about how Alexandra disliked him because he was so loved by the military; Nicholas took his place in command of the army during the late stages of Russia's involvement in the war and it all went downhill from there.

 

[Benedict XVI]

Man I wish there was one on him. He was one of the few characters I like and who seems honorable when reading about the Romanovs. Then again when I read about him it is more about how Alexandra disliked him because he was so loved by the military; Nicholas took his place in command of the army during the late stages of Russia's involvement in the war and it all went downhill from there.

I do find It weird that there aren't books on the great tsar liberator.

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

I do find It weird that there aren't books on the great tsar liberator.

My dear Benedict XVI,

You are confusing your Romanovs, I think. I am not sure what you mean by tsar liberator--the emancipator of the serfs was Nicholas's grandfather, Alexander II. Nikolasha was head of the army for a while during WWI but I never heard him described as the tsar liberator. To whom are you referring?

 

[Erin9]

Alexander wanted to institute an elected parliament or Duma but his death occurred in the short amount of time preceding the planned announcement. His successor, Alexander III, tore up the plans. It is a shame because Alexander II, if he had lived, may have steered his country towards a constitutional monarchy.

I really think Alexander's assassination was one of Russia's great tragedies. He was moving Russia forward--and Russia desperately needed someone to do that. He might well have been the last decent leader Russia has had.

The People's Will, the group that assassinated him, was--imho--quite stupid and lacked the ability to think ahead.

I read a good book on the "Tsar-Liberator" a few years ago.

 

[Benedict XVI]

I really think Alexander's assassination was one of Russia's great tragedies. He was moving Russia forward--and Russia desperately needed someone to do that. He might well have been the last decent leader Russia has had.

The People's Will, the group that assassinated him, was--imho--quite stupid and lacked the ability to think ahead.

I read a good book on the "Tsar-Liberator" a few years ago.

This story is one that makes me mad. It was so close but the assassins released that if he was able to pass this law then many supporters would be lost because the tsar himself wouldn't be as responsible for there issues. And I think that if any of the history of the tsar they would learn that by killing him the tsarist repression would return.

If he only would have stayed in his carriage we wouldn't talk about him.

Norodnaya volya is the name of the group who killed him.

Do you know the name of that book?