The abduction of Mikhail Georgievich Romanov. Unequal marriage: because of whom Mikhail Romanov abdicated

Exactly one hundred years have passed since the night of June, when two carriages with Bolsheviks drove up to the Perm hotel "Royal Rooms" on Sibirskaya Street and took away the 39-year-old Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Romanov and his secretary Nikolai Johnson. They were shot in the forest in Motovilikha on the night of June 13, 1918. This murder marked the beginning of the reprisals against the royal family.

The exact place of death of the Grand Duke is still unknown. The search for his grave has been going on for 20 years. At first, Perm journalists and local historians tried to find the burial place. For the eighth year in a row, an international search expedition has come to Perm. Foreign and Russian experts are jointly trying to solve the mystery of the death of Mikhail Romanov.

The last emperor of Russia?

The words are often heard: the last emperor of Russia was shot in Perm. Was Mikhail Romanov an emperor? And how did he even end up in Perm?

The son of Alexander III, the younger brother of Emperor Nicholas II, Mikhail was a brilliant officer, commander of the cavalry regiment, and also the hero of a scandalous novel that stirred up all of Europe.

In 1907, at a ball in the officers' assembly, Mikhail met the wife of one of the officers, Natalia Wulfert. The high-society romance grew into a serious passion. In 1910, Mikhail and Natalia had a son, and two years later the Grand Duke secretly married his beloved in Vienna. Due to a morganatic marriage with a twice-divorced woman (Natalya was already married before Wulfert), the emperor deprived his brother of all state titles and inheritance rights, the grand duke's huge estates were transferred under state guardianship, and Mikhail himself was forbidden to return to Russia.

If this decree had continued to operate, the fate of Mikhail Alexandrovich would probably have been happier. But the First World War began. And the Grand Duke turned to his brother with a request to send him to the front. In March 1915, Mikhail Alexandrovich was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree and the St. George weapon for his bravery in battle.

The year 1917 has come. February Revolution. On March 2, Nicholas II signs his abdication.

“Forgive me for not warning about my intention: there was no time. I will forever remain your devoted brother. I pray to God to help you and our country. Yours Nicky," the text of this telegram, sent by Nicholas II to his brother the day after his abdication in favor of Mikhail, is quoted in his book "On the Tsar's Trail" by the Perm local historian and journalist Vladimir Gladyshev, who has been solving the fate of the "Perm captive" for many years - Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov.

But Mikhail, in his manifesto of March 3, refused to accept the throne - in his opinion, who would govern Russia should have been decided by the Constituent Assembly, elected by the people. So Mikhail Alexandrovich was the head of the Russian Empire for only one day. And whether he was the last emperor at the same time - historians still argue about this.

Having renounced the throne, Mikhail Alexandrovich lived in the suburbs of St. Petersburg as a private person. But after the October Revolution, he was arrested and in March 1918, together with his personal secretary, he was exiled to Perm.

Three months later, in May, his wife Natalya, having sent her son to Denmark, comes to her husband in Perm. The couple spent 10 days together, after which Natalya left for Moscow in the hope of obtaining permission for both to travel abroad. After the death of Mikhail, his wife managed to leave the country. She did not believe in the death of her husband for a long time ...

In search of the Grand Duke

When I shared my plans for a pilgrimage trip to Perm with my relatives, I heard: “Ah, you are going to the city where the great Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich? ”, - said a direct descendant of the imperial dynasty of the Romanovs, great-great-grandson of Alexander III Pavel Kulikovsky-Romanov. - The most difficult thing for me is that the remains of Mikhail Alexandrovich and his secretary have not yet been found. This bloody chapter in the history of Russia cannot be closed until the last representative of the imperial family is found and buried in a Christian way.

The search for the remains has been going on for many years, but so far to no avail.

The fact is that the participants in the murder of Mikhail Romanov and Nikolai Johnson, although they left memories, should not be completely trusted. According to the local historian, the party commission, which compiled the collection "For the Power of the Soviets", carefully corrected the semi-literate memoirs of the regicides.

It looks like they immediately agreed not to give indications of a specific burial place, so as not to create a place of worship,” continues Vladimir Gladyshev.

Today there are 5 versions where the body of Mikhail Romanov is buried in Perm.

Version one: buried in a cemetery

“We passed a kerosene warehouse (former Nobel), which is six kilometers from Motovilikha. Nobody got on the road. Having driven another mile from the kerosene warehouse, they turned sharply to the right along the road into the forest, ”one of the murderers of Mikhail Romanov and his secretary wrote in his memoirs. - It was impossible for us to bury, because it was getting light quickly and not far from the road. We just dragged them together, away from the road, covered them up with rods and left for Motovilikha. Comrade went to bury the next night. Zhuzhgov with one reliable policeman.

The regicides agreed to indicate one direction, where they left and later buried the bodies - the Solikamsk tract, the fifth verst, - says local historian Vladimir Gladyshev. - This is on the banks of the Kama, between Balmoshna and Yazovaya. Old photos show the large bins of the Nobel warehouses and in the background the St. Nicholas Church, which was blown up in the 1930s.

According to the murderers of Mikhail Romanov, they buried the bodies 20 meters from the place of execution in the forest.

But when local historians began searching for the body of Mikhail Romanov in the 90s, the old-timers of Motovilikha shared with them a secret that was passed down, as they say, by inheritance. The fact that supposedly in fact, when the killers arrived the next night to bury the corpses, the bodies were no longer there. Local residents discovered them during the day and buried them at the Zaprudsky cemetery.

Reference:

The Zaprudskoye cemetery, located in the Zaprud microdistrict, arose at the beginning of the last century as a spontaneous one. Residents of nearby houses were buried here. In 2005 the cemetery was officially closed.

If we agree with this version, it turns out that the two murderers, who were sent the next day to bury the corpses thrown with branches, simply did not find them, - says Vladimir Gladyshev. - After that, their mutually agreed upon "improvisation" about burial in the forest near the Nobel kerosene warehouses began.

But the story about the brave Motovilikha residents who secretly buried the bodies of the executed in the cemetery could not withstand the collision with reality.

Forgiving this version were members of the international search expedition.

We were told a story that the locals heard the shots, one boy ran into the forest and saw two corpses under the bushes, - says Petr Sarandinaki, founder of the international S.E.A.R.C.H. Foundation, which searches for the remains of members of the Russian royal family killed during the revolution and the Civil War. - He called his father, and they, along with other residents, buried the bodies in the cemetery, marking the place with letters carved on trees. On one - the letter M, and on the other - A. The letters meant "Mikhail Alexandrovich". We were shown trees where these letters were carved at a height of four meters. This got us interested. But then the forensic botanist Chris, whom I brought to the site, told me that the tree does not grow the trunk itself, but its top, and the inscription, carved many decades ago, will remain at the same level.

The search continues.

To be continued.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was Russian Emperor from only 10 am to 6 pm on March 3, 1917. They didn’t even have time to give him a number, and so, by all the rules, he should have been considered Michael II. Paradoxically, the reign of the House of Romanov began with Mikhail Fedorovich, Mikhail Alexandrovich and ended. Mikhail was born in 1878 and, as is usually the case with younger children, enjoyed great love in the family. His father called him Mishkin and paid him a lot of attention. From childhood, his closest friend was his sister Olga, who called him in English Darling floppy (lop-eared cutie).

Although Mikhail was the son of the tsar, no allowances were made for this in education - from the age of 7, daily lessons in various subjects, and later service in the guard. He simply idolized his father, but his relationship with his mother was more complicated. Maria Fedorovna did not forget that she was a queen even in the children's room. She was mainly engaged in the secular education of children. And she considered English to be the best school for such education - no lisping, no musi-pusi, but only impeccable obedience, simplicity in everyday life, unpretentiousness in food ("oatmeal, sir!"), gymnastics and invariable water procedures.

The father took his son with him for fishing, to the menagerie, they burned fires, baked potatoes in ashes, removed snow, sawed trees. He taught Mikhail to read animal tracks, to control a boat, and other important sciences that a boy should know. The death of his father in 1894 shocked Mikhail.

Mikhail grew up as a physically strong person - he received incredible physical strength from his father and sometimes amused himself by tearing a deck of cards jokingly. Once, during exercises in Gatchina, he swung his saber so much that the blade flew off. He was a kind hearted and cheerful guy. He was distinguished by excellent courage, which he showed during the First World War. He was easy to deal with people. From his mother, he received incredible charm, was very fond of music and played several musical instruments, was interested in history, famously drove a car and enjoyed tremendous success with women. He did not make enemies, did no harm to anyone and did not start intrigues. In the army, he was adored for his prowess and courage, for his sense of humor and ability to support any company.

Michael was very truthful. For the people of his circle, this was rather a disadvantage, and he was frankly burdened by court life with obligatory receptions, receptions, soirees, solemn “exits” and official “presences”. Mikhail felt out of place and, in order to get rid of this burden, he preferred to disappear in the army. One contemporary commented about Grand Duke Mikhail: “I have never met a person like him, so unspoiled and noble by nature ... He resembled an adult child who was taught to act only well and decently.” No one really took this nice guy seriously.

Mikhail was already 21 years old when fate presented him with a turn. As we have already said, he had two older brothers - Nikolai and George, the latter was considered the heir to the throne (until Nikolai had his own son). In 1899, brother George died of consumption, and now Michael became the heir to the throne. This event fundamentally changed the position of the Grand Duke. Although Nicholas II already had three children by this time, they were girls. The crown could only pass to a male heir. The closest to the monarch in terms of kinship was Michael. For five whole years he had to play the role of the Tsarevich, which he got quite by accident. And this means that it was necessary to get into state affairs and engage in politics. He did not think that it would be for long, and he was going to help his brother only temporarily. True, this assistance was limited mainly to representative functions.

Nicholas II himself had no illusions about the state abilities of his younger brother. When in 1900 in the Crimea he fell ill with a severe form of typhoid fever and his health inspired great concern, the courtiers suggested that he invite Mikhail "to replace His Majesty during the illness." To which the king replied: “No, no. Misha will only mess things up. He's so gullible." However, there were people who did not share this point of view. The all-powerful Minister of Finance S. Yu. Witte, by the way, who taught Mikhail Aleksandrovich a course in economics, on the contrary, spoke extremely highly of his abilities. The German Kaiser Wilhelm II had about the same opinion about him. After Mikhail visited him in Berlin in 1902, the emperor wrote an enthusiastic letter to Maria Feodorovna, in which he admired her son. The mother herself shared the point of view of Nicholas II, considering Michael gullible and frivolous. This impression intensified in her after Mikhail's trip to England for the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901, which he managed to miss, carried away by a walk around London.

Finally, in 1904, Nicholas II had a son, Alexei, who instead of Mikhail became the heir to the Russian throne. Now, as they said in high society, "Mikhail Alexandrovich was resigned."

He himself not only was not sad about this, but, on the contrary, rejoiced. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich on this occasion made the following entry in his diary on August 2, 1904: “At five o’clock, my wife and I went to visit the Dowager Empress and drank tea with her ... There was also a retired heir Misha; he shines with happiness that he is no longer the heir.

He had something to shine on. Mikhail turned into an ordinary grand duke, although he remained a possible contender for the throne (but only after Alexei). And so he received the title of "conditional regent" with his nephew. But these thoughts he pushed out of his head, and they no longer occupied him. His interests were now located in a different plane - after he resigned from the powers of the crown prince, he decided to marry. The laws said that the heir should marry only the princess, and he was ready to follow this rule; and now he has decided to marry for love.

On the path of life of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, the daughter of a lawyer, Natalya Sheremetevskaya, met. She was born in 1880 in the village of Perovo, in 1902 she married a representative of a well-known merchant family, Sergei Mamontov, and gave birth to a daughter, Natalia. This marriage was not successful, and in 1905 the couple divorced. In the same year, Natalya Mamontova married Lieutenant Vladimir Wulfert, who served in St. Petersburg in the Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment.

Michael also served in the cavalry. At one of the Gatchina receptions, he fell in love with Madame Wulfert at first sight. Their romance developed rapidly. Communication with a married woman, moreover, already divorced in the past, naturally, did not please the royal family. But it was mutual, ardent and sincere love.

In July 1910, Natalya gave birth to a son named George. Nicholas II entered the position of a brother - he allowed the boy to wear the patronymic Mikhailovich; he was raised to the nobility. Also, he and his mother were given the surname Brasov - by the name of the estate in the Oryol province, which belonged to Mikhail.

In 1911, information appeared that Mikhail expressed a desire to marry Natalya. Knowing the impulsive nature of his brother, Nicholas II ordered to establish police surveillance on him. Gendarme General A. Gerasimov was instructed to warn all Russian Orthodox spiritual missions abroad so that their priests would not marry Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich with Natalya. However, the lovers left for Vienna and got married there in the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava.

There was no way to hide the fact of Mikhail's marriage from the public. I had to impose on him the usual penalty that is due in such cases - Mikhail was deprived of all dynastic rights, banned from entering Russia, dismissed from service, deprived of his rank (he was a squadron commander at that time) and established guardianship over his property. But Michael was only too happy about it. Initially, he settled with his family in the south of France, then moved to England, where he rented a large estate.

The air already smelled of war, and it broke out in August 1914. All the disgraced Romanovs received the forgiveness of their sins and were going home. Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich did not stand aside either. The cordial relations between the brothers were restored. His marriage was officially recognized. Natasha and her son also returned to Petrograd, and in March 1915 the emperor granted George the title of Count Brasov, but she herself was never accepted at court. In Russia, Mikhail's family lived mainly in Gatchina.

Michael went to the front. He received the rank of lieutenant general and took command of the Caucasian native cavalry division, which received the name "Wild Division" in the army. It was formed exclusively from Muslim highlanders, in it only officers were Russian, it consisted of six regiments (Circassian, Ingush, Kabardian, Dagestan, Chechen, Tatar), the Ossetian foot brigade and the 8th Don Cossack artillery battalion. General A. I. Denikin later recalled that the purpose of forming such a unique formation was "the desire to remove the most restless elements from the territory of the Caucasus." In other words, the Savage Division was fought mainly by abreks. In battles, the division was distinguished by unprecedented courage and toughness, "bordering on primitive morals and Batu's savagery."

The highlanders did not take anyone prisoner, but treated the enemy in the same way as recently in Chechnya: they cut off their heads alive, ripped open their stomachs, and the like. The Germans and Austrians immediately fled from the battlefield as soon as they learned that the Wild Division was on the offensive. Agree that only a person of very strong will could manage these abreks, which was the Grand Duke Mikhail. Thanks to the commander's care, the salary in the Wild Division was the highest in the Russian army - an ordinary received 25 rubles a month (a second lieutenant in other parts received 35 rubles). The highlanders respected their commander very much, were boundlessly devoted to him and even turned to "you". They were very impressed by the fact that the brother of the king himself leads them into battle. Michael, on the battlefields, showed himself to be a brave and courageous commander. In February 1916, he received a promotion - he became the commander of the 2nd cavalry corps, and then the inspector general of the cavalry.

The military career of the Grand Duke developed successfully, but severe trials lay ahead of him. The February events of 1917 found him in Gatchina. On February 27, 1917, Chairman of the State Duma M. Rodzianko summoned Mikhail to Petrograd. He asked him to contact Nicholas II, who was at Headquarters, and persuade his brother to form a "government of people's trust." However, his conversation with the tsar did not give any result, and Mikhail Alexandrovich went to the Winter Palace, but since it was dangerous to spend the night there, he moved to the apartment of Prince P. Putyatin.

Events developed rapidly. On March 1, a messenger from his uncle, Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, came to him and brought for signature the Manifesto, in which the Grand Dukes Pavel Alexandrovich and Kirill Vladimirovich, on behalf of the emperor, instructed the Duma to form such a government. Mikhail hesitated for a long time, but nevertheless put his signature. The next day, March 2, 1917, he learned that Nicholas II had abdicated for himself and his son in his favor.

Formally, because of his scandalous marriage, Mikhail did not have the right to the throne, but these subtleties no longer bothered anyone. The brother's denial made a depressing impression on Mikhail. Attorney at Law N. Ivanov recalled: “Unwillingness to take supreme power, I can testify, was his main desire. He said that he never wanted the throne and was not ready for it. He will accept the power of the king if everyone tells him that by refusing he takes on a heavy responsibility, that otherwise the country is going to ruin ... He experienced strong hesitation and excitement. Went from one room to another ... He haggard for these hours. His thoughts raced…”

Finally, he came to the conclusion that he alone could not do anything, since he needed to consult with the deputies of the Duma. On the morning of March 3, 1917, members of the Duma rushed to the apartment of Prince Putyatin and began to persuade Mikhail to renounce the throne as well. Under their strong pressure, at 6 p.m., he drew up a Manifesto in which he asked the citizens of Russia to trust the Provisional Government until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, which was to decide on the method of governing Russia: a republic or a monarchy? As is known, in January 1918, the Bolsheviks dispersed the Constituent Assembly, which did not have time to adopt any resolution on this matter.

Having signed the renunciation, Mikhail left for Gatchina to live with his family. He quietly lived there with his wife and two children (Mikhail also considered his daughter from Natalya's first marriage to be his child). His lifestyle was diversified only by rides in a Rolls-Royce and occasional outdoor picnics with friends. On July 31, 1917, he was allowed a meeting with his brother Nicholas II, who was being held under arrest in Tsarskoye Selo. The meeting for 10 minutes was arranged by Kerensky, who was present during the conversation. Mikhail was not even allowed to see his nephews. This was the last meeting of the brothers - Mikhail left after it with tears in his eyes, and the next morning he found out that his brother and his family had been taken to Siberia. They never saw each other again.

Even more difficult trials awaited Mikhail Alexandrovich ahead. At the end of August 1917, he and his wife were placed under house arrest. He was very surprised at this turn of events, but complied. All the same, he gave power to the Provisional Government, and they treated him so shamelessly. During the October events, the Grand Duke was not kept for long in Smolny, but then they were released to Gatchina. In November 1917, he himself appeared there to the manager of the Bolshevik government, V. Bonch Bruevich, and asked to "legitimize" his position. Here he was given a certificate on official letterhead stating that he could "reside freely" as a citizen of the Republic.

Despite this, on March 7, 1918, the Gatchina Soviet arrested Mikhail Romanov. At the suggestion of M. Uritsky (Chairman of the Petrograd Cheka), the Council of People's Commissars decided to send him to Perm.

In Perm, Mikhail Alexandrovich was settled in the so-called Royal Rooms - a hotel built by the merchant Korolev. In the yard of the hotel there was a garage in which Mikhail's Rolls-Royce stood. There was no guard near the rooms. Mikhail Alexandrovich could freely drive around the city in his limousine, walk along the embankments, ride a boat along the Kama, meet with local residents, go to visit them, visit the theater (where the audience gave him a standing ovation) and the church. Mikhail Aleksandrovich led the life of a free man, with only one exception - from the first months of his stay in Perm, he had to report daily - first to the police, and from May 1918 to Gubchek. By this time, he fell ill, and Natalia Brasova went to Moscow at the end of May to apply for him (it was about going abroad for treatment). Prior to that, she repeatedly visited the children who remained in Petrograd. On one of these visits, she managed to get false documents and send her son to Denmark.

In Moscow, she met with Lenin, but her efforts turned out to be fruitless, and she already wanted to return to her husband when she received the news that Mikhail had been "abducted by unknown people." Natalya Sergeevna did not believe this, since the exiles lived under constant control. In a state of extreme irritation, she broke through to Moses Uritsky and demanded an explanation from him. She accused him of killing "native Misha." In response, he accused Brasova herself that it was, they say, she organized her husband's "escape"! She was immediately arrested and sent to prison, where she spent almost ten months.

In fact, on the night of July 12-13, local Bolsheviks took Mikhail Alexandrovich, together with his British secretary Johnson, out of town and shot him, staging it as a kidnapping. The Perm Cheka even sent a telegram to Moscow: “Tonight Mikhail Romanov and Johnson were abducted by unidentified men in soldier's uniform. Searches have not yet yielded results, the most energetic measures have been taken. This was disinformation - the action to destroy the Romanovs was conceived in Moscow; a few days later, on the night of July 16-17, 1918, Nicholas II was shot with his entire family, and on the afternoon of July 17, the execution of the Romanovs in Alapaevsk followed. Mikhail Alexandrovich was only 39 years old. His grave has not been found to this day.

So, Natalia is in prison. After 10 months, she, feigning a severe cold, achieved a transfer to the prison hospital. One day her daughter visited her, and on the same night she managed to disappear unnoticed from the hospital. With the help of false documents, under the guise of a sister of mercy, she and her daughter were able to get to Kyiv. From Kyiv they moved to Odessa, and then on a British ship they left Russia forever.

In exile, Natalya Brasova first lived in England, then moved to France. She had a hard time abroad. She hoped for the help of powerful relatives, because the English king George V was a cousin of Mikhail Alexandrovich. But very soon she realized that there was nothing and no one to count on. None of her husband's European relatives were going to help her; They didn't even want to meet her. Natalia also avoided her husband's Russian relatives - those who managed to escape from Russia. Even Empress Maria Fedorovna, Mikhail's mother, could not overcome her antipathy towards her and never met her daughter-in-law and grandson.

The first years Natalia did not experience any special financial difficulties. She kept some bank accounts, some of the jewelry she was able to take out into exile. Their sale became the widow's main source of income. However, everything comes to an end. Diamonds with pearls are over. There came a time of poverty, and then complete poverty. But even more crippled her son's death - he died in a car accident in the summer of 1931.

This branch of the Romanovs, the heirs of tsarist power in Russia, was cut short forever...

Edition Roll Call

Hello dear!
I think it's time for you and me to finish our work on the character of Boris Akunin's book, which was started here: and continued here: _
It's time to talk about the grand-ducal family, or the "green house" according to the color of the livery, to which Afanasy Zyukin serves.
The head of this branch and the character of the book is Romanov Georgy Alexandrovich Grand Duke, uncle of Nicholas II. Admiral General of the Russian Fleet, but at the same time he was at sea only 1 time. " In the imperial family, he is known as a liberal"- as Akunin says. A great sybarite and a lover of male joys - somehow cognacs and women. His wife is Ekaterina Ioanovna, from whom he has 7 children - the eldest Pavel (also the hero of the book), the middle ones Alexei, Sergey, Dmitry and Konstantin, who fell ill with measles and remained in Moscow, the youngest is Mikhail, and the only daughter Ksenia.
It seems to be enough material for analysis, but it turns out that this whole family is a sort of prefabricated material from all the Romanovs.

Aleksey Aleksandrovich

But judge for yourself - Georgy Alexandrovich himself seems to be quite easy to read - the last Admiral General in Russia, and since 1888 just an admiral - this is the 4th son of Emperor Alexander II Alexei, but not everything is clear :-) He did not pull on the admiral , but he went to sea more than once - he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, visited China and Japan. Commanded the Guards crew. During the period described by the book, he was the Chief Commander of the Fleet and the Naval Department. But the competence was not enough.
Here is what his cousin, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, writes about him:
"A secular man from head to toe, "le Beau Brummell", who was spoiled by women, Alexey Alexandrovich traveled a lot. The mere thought of spending a year away from Paris would have forced him to resign. But he was in the civil service and held the position of no more no less than the admiral of the Russian Imperial Fleet. It was hard to imagine the more modest knowledge that this admiral of a powerful state had in maritime affairs. The mere mention of modern transformations in the navy caused a painful grimace on his handsome face.<…>This carefree existence was overshadowed, however, by tragedy: despite all the signs of the approaching war with Japan, the Admiral General continued his festivities and, waking up one fine morning, found out that our fleet had suffered a shameful defeat in the battle with modern Mikado dreadnoughts. After that, the Grand Duke resigned and soon died."
It happened in November 1908 in Paris.

A.V. Zhukovskaya

He was married to the maid of honor Alexandra Vasilievna Zhukovskaya, daughter of the poet V. A. Zhukovsky, and this marriage was not officially recognized. He had only one son - Count Alexei Alekseevich Zhukovsky-Belevsky (he was shot in 1932 in Tbilisi).

Konstantin Nikolaevich

Most likely, in his work, the author brought Georgy Alexandrovich as a symbiosis not only of Alexei Alexandrovich, but also of another well-known general-admiral, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the second son of Emperor Nicholas I. He was married to Alexandra Iosifovna, nee Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg, and they had 6 children.
In 1896, Konstantin Nikolaevich was no longer alive, and therefore it was necessary to make such a mixture.
Isabella Felitsianovna Snezhnevskaya acts as a lover and wise in the book of Georgy Alexandrovich, in which Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya (about her later) is easily read, who had 2 sons from the Grand Duke .. However, the official lover of the real Alexei Alekseevich was not Kseshinskaya at all, but another famous lady - Zinaida Dmitrievna Skobeleva, Countess of Beauharnais, Duchess of Leuchtenberg. This is the sister of the "White General" Mikhail Skobelev, and Erast Petrovich Fandorin, and together with him we could get to know this outstanding woman better in another book by Akunin - "The Death of Achilles". Interesting intersection, isn't it? :-)

Their relationship lasted a little less than 20 years, until her death in 1899 from throat cancer .. The Grand Duke named his yacht “Zina” in her honor. The legal husband, Duke Eugene of Leuchtenberg knew everything, but could not do anything. In society, this trinity was called "ménage royal à trois" (royal love triangle).
The children were from a mistress and our other prototype, Konstantin Nikolayevich, had a lot. From the ballerina (!) of the Mariinsky Theater Anna Vasilievna Kuznetsova, he had as many as 5 children. This is to 6 legal from the spouse :-) Here is such a prolific person.

Vyacheslav Konstantinovich

I never found the prototype of the unfortunate Mika (Mikhail Georgievich). None of the Grand Dukes in these years died at such a tender age. Although questions about his death are open - and I would not be surprised if he appears in one of the following books. Of the boys in this century, only 16-year-old Vyacheslav Konstantinovich, the son of Konstantin Nikolayevich, died early. But he died of meningitis.
Pavel Georgievich. Also, the character is prefabricated and not fully understood. Emperor Alexander II had a son, Pavel, who was thus also the uncle of Nicholas II, but he had nothing to do with the fleet, and was already an adult at the time of the events - 36 years old.

Kirill Vladimirovich

Therefore, most likely, the figure of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, the future self-proclaimed Emperor Cyril I, whose descendants are now frequent in Russia, is taken as a basis. He was a sailor, cousin of Nicholas II, the age is suitable, and besides, the character is similar. So, most likely, he was bred under the name of Pavel Georgievich.
Even more difficult with the figure of Xenia Georgievna. There was a Grand Duchess with that name. BUT .... she was born only 6 years after the events described. Therefore, most likely, this refers to Xenia Alexandrovna, the sister of Emperor Nicholas II. Approximately suitable for age. Although she was not married to any Prince Olaf - from childhood she was in love with Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (who was called Sandro in the family) and married him.
I was able to survive the Revolution and go to immigration.

Xenia Alexandrovna

And finally, a couple of lines should be said about Isabella Felitsianovna Snezhnevskaya, that is, Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya. Although a book could be written about this woman. She lived for almost 100 years and it was an interesting time for her. This fragile polka became a real diamond in the Romanov family. With the blessing of Emperor Alexander III, Matechka became an intimate friend of the heir to the throne Nicholas (the future Emperor Nicholas II) and was able to dispel his hypochondriacal view of the female sex. After that, she became the unmarried wife of the Inspector General of Artillery, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and even gave birth to his son Vladimir, and after the revolution she married another Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. Here is such a fate.

Matilda Ksishinskaya

On this, perhaps, everything. I hope I didn't get tired.
Have a nice day!

"Angel Alexander"

The second child of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna was Alexander. Unfortunately, he died in infancy from meningitis. The death of the "angel Alexander" after a transient illness was hard experienced by the parents, judging by their diaries. For Maria Feodorovna, the death of her son was the first loss of relatives in her life. Meanwhile, fate had prepared for her to outlive all her sons.

Alexander Alexandrovich. The only (posthumous) photograph

Handsome George

For some time, the heir of Nicholas II was his younger brother George

As a child, George was healthier and stronger than his older brother Nikolai. He grew up a tall, handsome, cheerful child. Despite the fact that George was his mother's favorite, he, like other brothers, was brought up in Spartan conditions. The children slept on army beds, got up at 6 o'clock and took a cold bath. For breakfast, they were usually served porridge and black bread; for lunch, lamb cutlets and roast beef with peas and baked potatoes. The children had at their disposal a living room, a dining room, a playroom and a bedroom furnished with the simplest furniture. Only the icon, adorned with precious stones and pearls, was rich. The family lived mainly in the Gatchina Palace.

Family of Emperor Alexander III (1892). From right to left: George, Xenia, Olga, Alexander III, Nikolai, Maria Feodorovna, Mikhail

George was predicted to have a career in the navy, but then the Grand Duke fell ill with tuberculosis. Since the 1890s, George, who became Tsarevich in 1894 (Nikolai did not yet have an heir), lives in the Caucasus, in Georgia. Doctors even forbade him to go to St. Petersburg for his father's funeral (although he was present at his father's death in Livadia). George's only joy was his mother's visits. In 1895 they traveled together to visit relatives in Denmark. There he had another seizure. George was bedridden for a long time, until he finally felt better and returned to Abastumani.

Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich at his desk. Abastumani. 1890s

In the summer of 1899, George was riding a motorcycle from the Zekar Pass to Abastumani. Suddenly he started bleeding from his throat, he stopped and fell to the ground. On June 28, 1899, Georgy Alexandrovich died. The section revealed: extreme malnutrition, chronic tuberculous process in the period of cavernous decay, cor pulmonale (right ventricular hypertrophy), interstitial nephritis. The news of the death of George was a heavy blow for the entire imperial family, and especially for Maria Feodorovna.

Xenia Alexandrovna

Ksenia was her mother's favorite, and outwardly she looked like her. Her first and only love was the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro), who was friends with her brothers and often visited Gatchina. Ksenia Alexandrovna was "crazy" for a tall, slender brunette, believing that he was the best in the world. She kept her love a secret, telling about it only to her older brother, the future Emperor Nicholas II, a friend of Sandro. Alexander Mikhailovich Ksenia was a cousin-niece. They married on July 25, 1894, and she bore him a daughter and six sons in the first 13 years of their marriage.

Alexander Mikhailovich and Xenia Alexandrovna, 1894

When traveling with her husband abroad, Xenia visited with him all those places that could be considered “not quite decent” for the royal daughter, she even tried her luck at the gaming table in Monte Carlo. However, the married life of the Grand Duchess did not work out. My husband has new hobbies. Despite seven children, the marriage actually fell apart. But Xenia Alexandrovna did not agree to a divorce from the Grand Duke. Despite everything, she managed to keep her love for the father of her children until the end of her days, sincerely experienced his death in 1933.

It is curious that after the revolution in Russia, George V allowed a relative to settle in a cottage not far from Windsor Castle, while Xenia Alexandrovna's husband was forbidden to appear there due to betrayal. Among other interesting facts - her daughter, Irina, married Felix Yusupov, the murderer of Rasputin, a scandalous and outrageous personality.

Possible Michael II

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was perhaps the most significant for all of Russia, except for Nicholas II, the son of Alexander III. Before the First World War, after marrying Natalya Sergeevna Brasova, Mikhail Alexandrovich lived in Europe. The marriage was unequal, moreover, by the time of its conclusion, Natalya Sergeevna was married. The lovers had to get married in the Serbian Orthodox Church in Vienna. Because of this, all the estates of Mikhail Alexandrovich were taken under control by the emperor.

Mikhail Alexandrovich

Some monarchists called Mikhail Alexandrovich Mikhail II

With the outbreak of the First World War, Nikolai's brother asked to go to Russia to fight. As a result, he headed the Native Division in the Caucasus. Wartime was marked by many conspiracies being prepared against Nicholas II, but Mikhail did not participate in any, being faithful to his brother. However, it was the name of Mikhail Alexandrovich that was increasingly mentioned in various political combinations drawn up in the court and political circles of Petrograd, and Mikhail Alexandrovich himself did not take part in the preparation of these plans. A number of contemporaries pointed to the role of the wife of the Grand Duke, who became the center of the "Brasova salon", which preached liberalism and nominated Mikhail Alexandrovich for the role of head of the royal house.

Alexander Alexandrovich with his wife (1867)

The February revolution found Mikhail Alexandrovich in Gatchina. Documents show that during the days of the February Revolution, he tried to save the monarchy, but not because of the desire to take the throne himself. On the morning of February 27 (March 12), 1917, he was called to Petrograd by the chairman of the State Duma, M. V. Rodzianko. Arriving in the capital, Mikhail Alexandrovich met with the Provisional Committee of the Duma. They urged him to essentially legitimize the coup d'etat: become a dictator, dismiss the government and ask his brother to create a responsible ministry. By the end of the day, Mikhail Alexandrovich was persuaded to take power as a last resort. Subsequent events will reveal the indecision and inability of brother Nicholas II to engage in serious politics in an emergency.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich with his morganatic wife N. M. Brasova. Paris. 1913

It is appropriate to recall the characterization given to Mikhail Alexandrovich by General Mosolov: "He was distinguished by exceptional kindness and gullibility." According to the memoirs of Colonel Mordvinov, Mikhail Alexandrovich was “of a soft character, although quick-tempered. He is inclined to succumb to the influence of others ... But in actions that affect issues of moral duty, he always shows perseverance!

Last Grand Duchess

Olga Alexandrovna lived to be 78 years old and died on November 24, 1960. She survived her older sister Xenia by seven months.

In 1901 she married the Duke of Oldenburg. The marriage was unsuccessful and ended in divorce. Subsequently, Olga Alexandrovna married Nikolai Kulikovsky. After the fall of the Romanov dynasty, she left for the Crimea with her mother, husband and children, where they lived in conditions close to house arrest.

Olga Alexandrovna as an honorary commander of the 12th Akhtyrsky Hussars

She is one of the few Romanovs who survived the October Revolution. She lived in Denmark, then in Canada, survived all the other grandchildren (granddaughters) of Emperor Alexander II. Like her father, Olga Alexandrovna preferred a simple life. During her life she painted more than 2,000 paintings, the proceeds from the sale of which allowed her to support her family and do charity work.

Protopresbyter Georgy Shavelsky recalled her this way:

“Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, among all the persons of the imperial family, was distinguished by her extraordinary simplicity, accessibility, and democracy. In his estate of the Voronezh province. she completely undressed herself: she walked around village huts, nursed peasant children, etc. In St. Petersburg, she often walked, drove simple cabs, and she loved to talk with the latter very much.

Imperial couple in the circle of close associates (summer 1889)

General Alexei Nikolaevich Kuropatkin:

“My next date with led. Princess Olga Alexandrovna was on November 12, 1918 in the Crimea, where she lived with her second husband, captain of the hussar regiment Kulikovsky. Here she is even more relaxed. It would be difficult for someone who did not know her to believe that this was the Grand Duchess. They occupied a small, very poorly furnished house. The Grand Duchess herself nursed her baby, cooked and even washed clothes. I found her in the garden, where she carried her child in a stroller. She immediately invited me into the house and there she treated me to tea and her own products: jam and biscuits. The simplicity of the setting, bordering on squalor, made it even more sweet and attractive.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich (1878, St. Petersburg - June 12, 1918, near Perm) - the fourth son of Alexander III, the younger brother of Nicholas II; Russian military leader, lieutenant general, adjutant general, German admiral (July 24, 1905); member of the State Council.

In 1899, after the death of Georgy Alexandrovich, he became the heir, but ceased to be heir in 1904, when Emperor Nicholas had a son, Alexei.

During the First World War, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was the commander of the native Wild Division at the front in Galicia.

Some historians consider him the last Russian emperor due to the fact that Nicholas II abdicated in his favor.

In 1907, he met, and on October 16, 1912 in Vienna, he married Natalya Sergeevna (nee Sheremetyevskaya), the wife of Vladimir Vladimirovich Wulfert, a lieutenant of the Gatchina regiment, over whom Mikhail patronized, before that, the ex-wife of Sergei Ivanovich Mamontov.

He had a son, George, who bore the title of Count Brasov from March 26, 1915 (died in a car accident in Belgium in 1931).

Due to the morganatic marriage that Mikhail Alexandrovich entered into, Nikolai by decree in December 1912 (published in the official gazette on January 3, 1913) canceled the provision according to which Mikhail, in the event of the death of Nikolai before Alexei was 18 years old, would become the ruler state (regent). The estates of the Grand Duke were under sequestration (state guardianship) until the start of the World War, when Nicholas II did not officially forgive his brother.

From birth he was called the Sovereign Grand Duke with the title of Imperial Highness.

With the approval in 1886 of a new edition of the Institution of the Imperial Family, it was decided that the ancient title "Sovereign" would henceforth be applied only to emperors and empresses. All Grand Dukes, Grand Duchesses and Grand Duchesses have lost this addition to their titles.

The next day after the baptism of the third child of Nicholas II - the third daughter in a row, the Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke George Alexandrovich suddenly died of a pulmonary hemorrhage. The sad manifesto said: “the closest right of succession to the All-Russian Throne, on the exact basis of the Basic State Law on Succession, belongs to Our Dearest Brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich,” with the proviso “until the Lord is pleased to bless Us with the birth of a Son.”

No new title was granted, because it was decided that the award in 1894 was erroneous, and that the title of crown prince should belong only to the direct heir, and not to the intended one. And in fact, all the crown princes before George Alexandrovich were direct heirs, with the exception of Konstantin Pavlovich, whose award was considered an award not an example for the future. On the other hand, all heirs to the Throne since 1762, direct and alleged, bore the title of Tsarevich. Therefore, to grant or not to grant this title to Mikhail Alexandrovich was a matter of choice. It is possible that the last word belonged to the Empress, who still hoped to give Russia a direct heir.

Meanwhile, although Mikhail Alexandrovich was proclaimed heir, he was not granted this title. However, by mistake the title of heir began to be used in church prayers, and the dowager empress obtained an additional decree granting the title of heir to her son when the confusion began to take on a scandalous character. To mitigate the blow, Mikhail Alexandrovich was simultaneously granted the revived title of sovereign and was called His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir and Grand Duke. The manifesto was given on July 7 (19), 1899.

On the birthday of his son, Nicholas II ordered to return to the previous title of his brother.

On March 1, 1917, he signed the “Manifesto of the Grand Dukes”: the manifesto, drawn up on behalf of the emperor, said that a constitutional monarchy was being introduced in Russia, that “the sessions of the State Council and the State Duma interrupted by our Decree” were resumed; it was planned to transfer the manifesto to Nicholas II and convince him to publish this manifesto.

On March 2, Nicholas II, under pressure from the generals and others from his entourage, abdicated in his favor. The renunciation manifesto ended as follows: “... in agreement with the State Duma, We recognized it as a blessing to abdicate the Throne of the Russian State and lay down the supreme power from Ourself. Not wanting to part with Our beloved Son, We pass on Our heritage to Our Brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and bless Him to ascend the Throne of the Russian State…”.

Mikhail Alexandrovich did not agree with the abdication of Nicholas II and did not accept power. The next day, March 3, in his response to the abdication manifesto of Nicholas II, he wrote that he would accept supreme power only if the people expressed their will to that, through a popular vote at the Constituent Assembly.

Recognized the power of the Provisional Government and the transfer of all power to it for a time until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly.

The Bolsheviks did not allow the Constituent Assembly to be held, dispersed thousands of demonstrations in support of the Constituent Assembly and issued a decree dissolving it. Subsequently, the Bolsheviks executed 13 of the 32 members of the Romanov dynasty in the male line, including Mikhail Alexandrovich, and no one was left with direct rights to the Russian throne. After that, the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks in Russia can be considered final.

Some historians consider it the last emperor of Russia, who reigned only for a day (his brother addressed him in a telegram as "Emperor of All Russia Michael the Second", that is, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was considered Michael I).

On the night of June 12-13, 1918, he was abducted from the Royal Rooms hotel in Perm and shot by the Bolsheviks near the town of Malaya Yazovaya.

The lack of official publications about the execution (unlike his brother) gave rise to rumors about the fate of Mikhail. There were impostors who pretended to be him (one of them is mentioned by Solzhenitsyn). Some authors, speaking on behalf of the Catacomb Church, defend the version that identifies Michael with Bishop Seraphim (Pozdeev) of the True Orthodox Church (May 16, 1971).

In June 2009, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation explained: it was established that since November 1917 Romanov Mikhail Alexandrovich - the younger brother of Emperor Nicholas II - was in Gatchina under house arrest in accordance with the decision of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee; The Gatchina Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies Mikhail Aleksandrovich Romanov and his secretary, British citizen Nikolai Nikolaevich Johnson (Brian), were arrested on March 7, 1918 and taken to Petrograd to the Committee of Revolutionary Defense to decide on their future fate; by decision of the Council of People's Commissars, two days later they were sent to the Perm province until further notice; were taken under escort to Perm, where on March 20, 1918, the Perm Executive Committee of the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was placed under arrest in solitary confinement in a prison hospital, and after 5 days they were released under the supervision of the Perm Emergency Committee for Combating Counter-Revolution, Profiteering and Sabotage ( Cheka); shot in Perm on June 13, 1918.