The Romanovs. The History of the Russian Dynasty - Episode 6. Documentary Film. Babich-Design

November 1796 brand Duke Paul Petrovic strode through the corridors of the Winter Palace as his mother Catherine the Great they dying he was looking for Catherine's secret will one piece of paper that stood between him and the throne unless it was destroyed the throne would pass directly to his son Alexander as Catherine had wished unlike his father Alexander seemed born to rule he had every natural gift job intellect and wit the only thing he lacked was the desire to rule Catherines will never saw the light of day moment Paul had been waiting for for 34 years had arrived at last he was Emperor but in little more than four years Alexander would stand over his father's bloodied body and Catherine would at last have her way all's birth had been a joyous event as the great-grandson of Peter the Great his destiny had always been to continue the Romanov line and one day rule Russia but all his early years had been lived in the shadow of his mother Catherine the Great the eternal prince became lonely and secretive retreating into an imaginary world of his own creation many thought he was mad and christened him the Russian Hamlet chapter one all the first Petrovic immediately after Paul's birth he was taken from his mother by Empress Elisabeth who raised him at her own his mother Katherine was granted almost no access to her son his father the future Peter the third also saw little of the boy it were rumors at court that Paul's real father was not Peter but a courteous sergei sati Goff Catherine herself encouraged these rumors which undermined the husband she later deposed stories about Paul's uncertain parentage delighted courtiers but as the prince grew up the resemblance to Peter the third was plain to see both physically and in his strange mannerisms like his father Paul liked to march around his palaces as though on military parade he frequently baffled courtiers and ambassadors with his inane remarks leaving his wife the German Princess Maria Fedorovna to cover up his strange behavior as best she could just as catherine had to do for Emperor Peter nevertheless Empress Elisabeth adored her great-nephew Paul she began to consider making him her successor and by passing his father Peter who she and many others believed was insane to prepare Paul for whom she found him the best tutors in Russia all studied five languages history literature mathematics science craftsmanship and architecture as well as riding fencing dance carpentry and chess Paul himself insisted on studying the military sciences helped with navigation lessons his entire table was painted blue and marked up to look like a huge naval chart the Empress Elizabeth died when Paul was seven followed six months later by his father Peter the third was likely murdered by his mother's supporters his mother Catherine became Empress some believed she'd hand over power to her son when he came of age in 14 years time instead he'd have to wait 34 years as a teenager Paul was prone to depression he was deeply ashamed of his mother's licensures behavior and terrified of her lover's but his tutors noted his intelligence and interest in science art and mystical philosophy from his reading he developed a particular obsession with the Knights of Malta and dreamed of one day joining their ranks becoming Emperor was a daunting prospect for Paul his only happiness came from his friendship with a young count Andre razumovsky all wrote to him your friendship has worked a miracle I'm no longer plagued by all my old fears no Malka Mira's away black thoughts when Paul turned 19 his mother found him a bride the 18 year old Wilhelmina Louisa Princess of hesse-darmstadt all fell in love almost immediately after converting to Russian orthodoxy Wilhelmina took the name Natalya alexeyevna but after four years of marriage Natalya died giving birth to a stillborn son all went almost mad with grief his mother chose to console him by revealing letters between Natalya and razumovsky proving his wife had been having an affair with his best friend Paul never recovered from this blow lesson he drew was never to trust anyone again his mother quickly found Paul another German princess to marry six months later he was engaged to Sofia Dorotea overton Berg who took the Russian name Maria Feodorovna all second marriage was a happy one and in the course of 25 years she gave birth to ten royal children these children would carry on the Romanov dynasty for the next 150 years the sons included the Emperor's Alexander the first and Nicholas the first a grandson was Alexander the second a great-grandson Alexander the third and her great-great grandson Nicholas the second all surviving representatives of the house of Romanov are also her descendants couple honeymooned in Europe traveling incognito under the names count and count s7 eke Russian for of the north few of their hosts were fooled and across Europe Paul was welcomed with a degree of respect he'd never received at home in Vienna the couple went to the Court Theatre to see a performance of Hamlet but when the lead found out who was in the audience it was said he refused to go onstage declaring I cannot play the part of a prince who seeks revenge for his murdered father with the real thing watching from the Royal Box Empress Catherine never let Paul interfere in affairs of State she didn't even trust him to raise his own sons Alexander and Constantin to keep him out of the way she bought him the palace of Gatchina 25 miles outside sim Petersburg for 20 years all devoted himself to creating his own miniature Kingdom at Cucina he had the buildings renovated to imitate the latest European styles and made his guards wear Prussian style uniforms and powdered wigs Catherine's courtiers ridiculed Paul 1 wrote you can't observe the Grand Dukes behavior without disgust he thinks himself the King of Prussia every Wednesday he conducts maneuvers the mm god minh of the Kachina garrison never saw action but instead became the plaything of grand duke paul like his father he was obsessed with soldiering and was determined to make his troops the best drilled in Russia they rehearsed volley fire bayonet drill amphibious landings and assaults and trained with artillery by 1796 they were the most disciplined and polished troops in the Russian army Kachina drill went down in Russian military folklore for appearing on duty each soldier was screwed into a special contraption to straighten his head and his back and keep them perfectly still their tight white breeches were pulled on wet and dried on the body so there wasn't a single crease officers made the men practice marching with a glass of water on their head they spilled any water they weren't keeping their head still enough even minor misdemeanours were punished with beatings changing the guard became an elaborate drill that lasted hours and all soldiers marched with the famous high-stepping parade march still used by russian guard regiments Catherine ridiculed her son's military pretensions she didn't like to have her son around court but she lavished attention on her grandson Alexander in fact she behaved exactly as her predecessor Elizabeth had done towards her own husband Peter which she'd so resented at the time as soon as Alexander turned 16 Catherine arranged for him to marry a German princess and began to talk openly of bypassing her son and leaving the throne to her grandson instead this was when Paul began to fear for his life on the night of November 6th 1796 Paul and his wife had the same dream an unseen force raised them up and carried them through the darkness they woke up in terror just as a messenger arrived from some Petersburg he announced that Catherine the Great was dying within hours Paul was emperor of Russia and he was soon passing laws at a dizzying rate as though he didn't believe he had much time the course of his four and a half year reign Paul passed seven thousand eight hundred and sixty-five acts of legislation twice as many as Peter the Great had passed in his 43 year reign and one and a half times as many as Catherine the Great in her 34 year reign he also found time to issue fourteen thousand two hundred and seven orders concerning the army the emperor rose at 4 a.m. worked in his office until 9:00 where he received visitors and reports and he rode out usually accompanied by Grand Duke Alexander to visit some state establishment the changing of the guard was held at 11:00 then after an hour's walking through some petersburg streets the Emperor returned to the parade ground to inspect the guard he even measured the length of the soldiers pigtails and checked the amount of powder in their hair officers were punished severely for the smallest faults in just the first three days of Paul's reign the Emperor dismissed sixteen leftenant generals 57 major generals and three full generals over four years 2594 officers resigned including 333 generals the Emperor's behavior created an atmosphere of permanent anxiety the wife of his military adjutant remembered his victims formed an endless procession to the fortress often their only fault was hair that was too long or a jacket that was too short wearing of vests was strictly forbidden if the emperor spotted anyone wearing a vest the unfortunate owner was sent straight to the guardhouse even ladies sometimes ended up there they saw the Emperor and didn't jump out of their carriage quickly enough to make the proper curtsy this is why the streets he used to walk along in some petersburg quickly became deserted everyone trembled before the Emperor all imagined himself as a perfect chivalric night become emperor and he had not forgotten his childhood dream of joining the Knights of Malta when Napoleon conquered their home island in 1798 all offered the Knights a new home in Russia and became their Grand Master even though he was Orthodox and it was a Catholic order all became the first Russian Emperor to meet the Pope Pius the sixth even inviting him to move to Russia when Rome was also occupied by Napoleon in Paul's eyes Napoleon represented a world evil that had to be defeated the Allied Russia with the coalition of powers fighting against him and sent an army under the brilliant few marshal sewer off to Europe in 1799 in northern Italy Suvarov won three battles in just four months it was then forced to execute a dramatic but brilliant strategic retreat across the Swiss Alps in winter the Emperor resented super offer opposing his military reforms but even he confessed his admiration for this latest achievement telling Suvarov the only victory you had yet to win was over nature itself even there you now have the upper hand all set out to undo all his mother's reforms which meant his next target was Russia's own nobility who had thrived under Catherine's rule he ended their exemption from taxes and corporal punishment turning them into powerful enemies all try to watch everything and everyone stacks of unread reports began to pile up on his desk because of a mass purging of the civil service it weren't enough staff left to run the offices of State British ambassador Sir Charles Whitworth who was watching the Emperor carefully wrote troubling reports to London the emperor has gone mad since the moment he ascended the throne his physical state has worsened the Emperor's behavior became more and more strange he no longer went for walks along the embankment because he feared the strong wind might blow his head away like a soap bubble he suffered from insomnia so his loyal wife Maria walked with him all night so he wouldn't pester the guards with nonsensical questions a conspiracy against him was now formed it included count Palen governor of st. Petersburg Vice Chancellor Nikita panin Catherine's favorite Platon Zubov general Bennigsen general over off and many others perhaps as many as 300 people grand duke alexander didn't join the conspirators but nor did he stop them he only insisted they did not harm a hair on his father's head the conspirators swore to it he wanted Paul to abdicate and retire to Mikhailovsky castle where as a last resort he would lock him up Mikhailovsky castle was Paul's newest palace his fantasy made real the designs had taken years but their realisation had had to wait until catherine the great's death as soon as Paul was emperor construction began and was finished in just three and a half years all ordered the court to move here while the interiors were still unfinished it's dark stairways and eerie corridors created a strange unsettling atmosphere but Paul felt at home the Emperor's behavior was becoming even more unpredictable he sat for hours in deep thought he began to suspect his wife and sons plotting against him he wrote a secret letter and hid it in a chest with a note reading to be opened by our descendant 100 years after my death it was known that it concerned the fate of the dynasty and that Paul had written it after speaking with a prisoner from the Peter and Paul Fortress named Abel Abel was a monk born Vasily Vasily F in 1757 who took his monastic vows at the island monastery of the Lamb he was later said to have gained the gift of prophecy wrote many of his visions down in a pork it's claimed he accurately predicted many events some of which took place during his lifetime such as the death of Catherine the Great the death of Paul Napoleon's invasion of Russia the Decembrist revolt as well as more distant events including the first world war Russian Revolution murder of the last Tsar civil war repression and war with Hitler evil had been locked up for prophesying the death of the last Empress but he was summoned from his prison cell to speak with Paul when asked what future he saw for the Emperor Abel replied your reign will be short you will be strangled in your bed chamber by scoundrels who even now you hold in your warm embrace he even named the day March 11th on the evening of the 11th all dined with his family at one point he looked into a mirror and joked what a funny mirror I can see myself in it with a broken neck at that moment the conspirators were holding their final meeting at Camp Allen's house when someone asked what they should do with the Emperor resisted Allen answered omelets are not made without breaking eggs after dinner the Emperor suddenly said what will be will be went to his bedchamber he checked the doors and windows and wondered why the crows in the summer garden were making such a fuss his assassins were passing through the summer garden on their way to the palace when they arrived guards led them in all heard heavy footsteps in the corridor and knew they'd come for him the conspirators included ex army officers many of whom were drunk they burst into the Emperor's bedroom and found him hiding behind a screen they tried to make him sign his abdication but he refused n Platon Zubov struck him on the temple with a golden snuffbox like a pair of brass knuckle dusters Emperor fell to the ground or fought bravely one against a dozen they beat him senseless and then throttled him with his own scarf Russian people were told Emperor Paul the first had died from an apoplectic stroke indeed inside his joked stroke of a snuffbox to the head French artist Elizabeth vision Lebrun witnessed the reaction to the Emperor's death city went wild with delight people were singing dancing and kissing in the streets the people I knew would run up to my carriage shake my hand and exclaim now we are free many households even hung had lights the death of this unhappy Emperor caused Universal joy within hours of Paul's death his son the new Emperor Alexander issued a declaration promising to ruled in the spirit of his grandmother Catherine the Great but he did not share in the general sense of jubilation he was sickened by the events of the previous night he had only wanted what was best for Russia but his good intentions had paved the way to hell his own personal hell that would remain with him for the rest of his life chapter 2 Alexander the first Pavlovic it was Catherine the Great who chose the name Alexander for Paul's first son officially he was named in honor of the Russian hero Alexander Nevsky in reality after the great Conqueror Alexander the Great the empress showered all the motherly affection she had denied to her son Paul on this boy her first grandson Catherine wrote about the little prince with pride she described a boy who was courteous cheerful and obedient and who made an effort to be liked everyone expected great things from Alexander he was watched all the time was like being always on stage and in time he developed a mask for every occasion politician Baron Korff noted the emperor could penetrate minds and see to the bottom of people's souls without ever revealing his own thoughts and feelings Alexander knew his grandmother wanted to leave the throne to him instead of his father but he did not relish the prospect he only person he trusted was his Swiss shooter Frederick la Harpe a Republican and an idealist the harp was appointed by Catherine to instill her own enlightened humanist values in the young prince Alexander was not yet 15 when the Empress arranged for him to meet two sisters princesses of Baden thirteen-year-old Louise and eleven-year-old Dorotea Alexander was to choose one of them to marry he chose the elder Louise who converted to orthodoxy and took the name Elizabeth who were married the following year gotee is nicknamed the newlyweds Cupid and Psyche Alexander's charming beautiful bride inspired many artists and poets Fyodor Glinka wrote of her gentle Queen glory of the Tsar's your divine faces worthy of altars Elizabeth would go on to become renowned as a Russian Patriot during the Napoleonic Wars she founded a society to support the sick and wounded and pay for their hospital treatment she founded orphanages and schools for the children of officers killed in the war as well as other charitable institutions Elizabeth was considered the great beauty of her age guards officers formed clubs inspired by their love for her for all of Russian society she became an emblem of love beauty and virtue but when Elizabeth first arrived at the Russian Court during the reign of Alexander's father Paul she founded a place of anxiety and gloominess the Emperor constantly found fault with everyone even Elizabeth and as the young couple grew up their different temperaments became more obvious Alexander was passionate Elizabeth cool he drifted apart and in time you'll gather lovers the sixth year of marriage Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter Maria but she died within the year with each passing year Alexander realized he didn't want to become Emperor he dreamt of leaving everything behind going to live with Elizabeth by the river rhine in romantic seclusion in a letter to a trusted friend he confessed I realized that I wasn't born for the title I bear now and even less for the one destined for me I've sworn to myself to refuse it in one way or another the certainties of the Gatchina parade-ground became almost a place of psychological relief during training a cannon went off next to Alexander leaving him deaf in his left ear his deafness led to a paranoid fear that people were always laughing at him behind his back on one occasion he passed three officers sharing a joke laughing amongst themselves he ordered one of them to his office as the officer arrived Alexander was examining himself in the mirror what's funny about me he asked why did you laugh at me it was impossible to persuade the grand youth that they've been laughing at something else when Alexander became Emperor his first acts were to revoke all the unpopular decrees of his father Paul he closed the secret Chancellery allowed Nobles to travel abroad once more restored their other rights and privileges everyone had their own plan to reform the Empire in the name of progress and enlightenment so Alexander assembled a group of friends and advisors all young liberals like himself educated in the European style who decide the way forward within two years Alexander's Privy Committee had created new government ministries to replace the old khaleja and put in place progressive education reforms universities were open to everyone censorship laws were relaxed and five new universities were founded the first step was taken towards reforming Russia's serf laws a new decree allowed serfs to buy their freedom if their owners agreed they would have form a new class of free Plowman reforms moved slowly and faced significant opposition Alexander was dismayed everyone seemed to think only about their own interests no one seemed to share his concern for the common good then he found a man who seemed to understand and share his dream for Russia perfectly extraordinary intelligent and hardworking his name was Mikhail Speransky he became first the secretary to the privy committee and later the Emperor's right-hand man the Emperor himself took on responsibility for foreign policy the great threat remained Napoleon Bonaparte who had now crowned himself Emperor of the French he threatened to overthrow the established order of Europe and war loomed once more in 1805 at Austerlitz in today's czech republic they met in the Battle of the three emperors Alexander of Russia and Frances ii of austria against napoleon the old veteran general Kutuzov commanded the Russian army but Alexander jealous of Napoleon's martial glory took charge himself Alexander saw his army crushed and routed and was forced to flee to save his own life those close to him saw the Emperor trembling and weeping a Cossack brought him some wine eventually calmed down fell asleep on a bed of straw inside a shed after the disaster at Austerlitz Alexander never again interfered in military strategy he kept to his own forte diplomacy even his great adversary Napoleon recognized his charm Russian Emperor is intelligent pleasant and well educated but he cannot be trusted he is insincere he is a subtle deceiver devious fellow two more years of war followed then in 1807 the two Emperor's agreed to meet to negotiate peace their armies were separated by the river Nima so they met on a specially constructed raft in the middle of the river near the town of Tilsit Alexander and Napoleon sat under a grand canopy one-on-one without generals or attendants and talked for two hours at tills it they signed a peace treaty which committed Russia to join the pole Ian's Continental blockade against Britain it caused Russian exports to fall by 20% with serious consequences for the economy French exports fell by a similar amount but soon Russia was preparing for another war against France Alexander was in no doubt that further conflict was unavoidable in anticipation Alexander almost doubled spending on the army from sixty three point four million rubles to one hundred and eighteen and a half million On June 12 1812 Napoleon's Grande armée of 450,000 men began to cross the river Neiman Alexander had no more than 200,000 men with which to face him on the first day of the war Alexander went to Moscow to address his people from the ancient capital during an open air service he was profoundly moved when a peasant shouted out to him feed us dear father we will die all of us but we will win next day Alexander issued an imperial decree stating I will not lay down my arms while a single enemy soldier remains in my realm hot-headed generals like Bhagwati on wanted to meet Napoleon in one great decisive battle but Alexander instead approved a policy of strategic retreat put forward by Barclay de Tolly Napoleon was forced to advance further and further into Russia hoping to trap the Russian army and inflict a crushing defeat that would force Alexander to give in as the people of st. Petersburg prepared to flee fearing Napoleon would soon reach the capital Alexander was haunted by visions of his murdered father he was certain he was to blame for his father's death and the invasion was God's punishment for his unforgivable sin shared his fears with his close friend Prince Golitsyn let's in turn to the Bible for guidance let a page fall open at random it was a verse from Psalm 91 my refuge and my fortress my god in whom I trust Alexander who'd never shown much interest in religion before was greatly affected he wrote to a friend describing his revelation I devoured the Bible finding its words poured into me and you bringing a peace to my heart that I'd never known before the Emperor stepped aside from military affairs and handed supreme command to the 67 year old Kutuzov two's off a veteran of four wars decided it was time to fight the great battle everyone had been waiting for near a village called Borodino 70 miles from Moscow when news arrived of the outcome it was clear that both sides had suffered heavy losses whether Napoleon had not been stopped Alexander then received news that Kutuzov intended to abandon Moscow the Emperor's nerves were close to breaking he paced around his office for an entire night when he emerged in the morning he was berated by his brother Konstantin while his mother the Dowager Empress became hysterical only his wife noticed the emperor had turned half gray overnight September 2nd Napoleon entered the Kremlin and settled in Alexander's state apartments very same day Moscow began to burn from fires lit across the city four days later Napoleon sent his first letter to Alexander offering to negotiate a peace it was no answer Napoleon sent two more letters Alexander remained silent the Emperor shared his thoughts in letters to his beloved sister Catherine I'd rather cease to exist and make peace with that monster brings misery to all I trust in God for the incredible spirit of my people and for the resoluteness with which I decided not to bow down beneath the yoke in October Napoleon's army began its long retreat from Moscow harassed by Cossacks and decimated by the cold it became one of the great catastrophes of military history November just a few thousand frozen hungry and demoralized soldiers recross the Niemen River pitiful remnants of Napoleon's army Russia's first patriotic war was over Russian dead totaled 200,000 soldiers civilian death toll was even higher dalek Xander had no intention of ending the war russian army went on the offensive determined to defeat Napoleon once and for all Alexander the 1st and his allies fought their way across Europe dethroning the upstart monarchs created by Napoleon and restoring the old order on March 19 1814 Alexander entered Paris at the head of the Allied troops all Europe stood in awe loved him in London he was made godparent to a future Queen of Great Britain named after him Alexandrina Victoria in Berlin the main square was named Alexanderplatz in his honour in Paris the Russian Emperor made a great impression with his talk of constitutions and Liberty he was adored by the public who treated him like a modern celebrity struggling to get a glimpse of him this was his favorite role the Belvoir the great sovereign from Paris he went to Vienna where a Congress was held to decide the future of Europe Russian Emperor entered an arena populated by the shrewdest minds and most cunning diplomats of the age but he played his part masterfully never revealing his true feelings or intentions people came to call him the mysterious Russian Sphinx congress of vienna awarded alexander yet more titles and more land he was now ruler of all the Russia's king of Poland Grand Duke of Finland fifty-five titles in total and for his victory over Napoleon he was solemnly named the blessed when Alexander returned to Russia he was not the same hot-headed handsome boy that had dreamt of liberty and the common good not yet 40 he had already been hailed as the savior of Europe Piron seas were always important to Alexander everything had to be symmetrical faultless precise his uniforms were always immaculate and fitted him exactly no one had ever seen the Emperor dressed casually even at home but now he became a true parent documents had to be the exact same size and placed on his desk in neat piles furniture was arranged according to a plan and nobody was permitted to move a chair or vars if only it were possible to impose the same order on Russia it was not the enlightened reformer Speransky who was now Alexander's closest companion but the old soldier count Alexei Eric jf an artillery expert who had served the Emperor's father a Kachina his closeness to the Emperor aroused considerable resentment amongst other courtiers who behind his back called him a brute and a gorilla incredible stories were told about the count it was said he got so furious that he tore soldiers moustaches off and once even bitter soldiers ear off but he was honest able and devoted to the Emperor he had Alexander's absolute trust Alexander put Eric Jeff in charge of his new project inspired by the ideas of a Welsh utopian socialist Robert Owen Alexander wanted to create military settlements where soldiers lived with their families and combined their military service with farming eric jf tried to talk alexander out of the idea even begged him on bended knee but he had received an order and would carry it out with all his ability the Emperor believed everyone would benefit from the settlements soldiers could live with their families the army would feed itself it would be good order everywhere but conditions in the settlements instead quickly led to rioting life in the settlements was strictly regulated down to the tiniest detail everything was identical from houses to pots and pans every day was ordered around a strict timetable children were enlisted in the army at the age of seven and from then on came under the authority of their officers not their parents opposition and plots against him now caused Alexander to radically change his views he turned his back on his former ideals of tolerance and liberalism instead censorship was tightened so-called free thinkers were placed under surveillance or sent into exile in reports on secret societies kept seeing the same familiar names through bets coin Moravia Brothers Alcon ski pestle but he stayed his hand I cannot judge them too severely he said I once shared their ideals Alexander began to increasingly question his own purpose in a letter to the french diplomat ago stash Wasel goofier he wrote one needs to stand in my shoes to know what I feel when I reflect that I will have to answer to God for the life of each one of my soldiers now throne is not my calling if I could with honor change the circumstances of my life I'd do it with pleasure I confess that sometimes I feel like beating my head against the wall his father's murder which had brought him to power deaths of thousands of Russian soldiers pursuit of glory that now seemed worthless in his Bible he underlined the words I have seen everything that is done under the Sun and behold or his vanity love of his youth Empress Elizabeth came to his rescue many years they'd lived separately as strangers but now he recognized in her loyal friend with whom he could talk about anything when Elizabeth was diagnosed with tuberculosis Alexander decided they must leave some Petersburg and it's damp climate as soon as possible he wrote to his old friend Prince Sookie soon we'll move to Crimea and live as private subjects served 25 years after that soldiers are entitled to retire they did not go to crimea to the southern city of Taganrog instead the emperor had visited it once and liked it hurried preparations were made for the arrival of the royal couple alexander left first to prepare everything for his wife's arrival he moved into a single storage stone mansion on grecheskaya street he swept the garden paths himself he helped to hang engravings on the wall move the furniture into place and when Elizabeth arrived they enjoyed a quiet peaceful life they went for walks greeting those they knew they read their favorite books to each other they prayed together Alexander seemed rejuvenated as if he had been given a second chance at life but all the while he remained Emperor Alexander's strange carefree behavior would come at a price it was soon to become the pretext for a tragic and bloody revolt but Alexander did not live to see it his southern adil lasted only two months November the 19th after a short illness he died the Empress Elizabeth died six months later the emperor's sudden death through many into confusion there were rumors that Alexander had faked his death and gone into hiding somewhere ten years later reports emerged of a mysterious old man named Fyodor kuzmich who lived in a village near Tomsk in Siberia he was well educated spoke several foreign languages was extremely pious he refused ever to discuss his earlier life the old man was tall broad-shouldered and like Alexander deaf in one ear who's Mitch died in 1864 and was buried in the grounds of the Tom's monastery his headstone reads this is the grave of the great blessed elder Fyodor Kuzmich the rumors that Kuzmich was in fact Alexander remained to this day neither proved nor disproved two years before his death Alexander had talked to his younger brother Grand Duke Nicholas of his intention to abdicate in his favor Nicholas his wife wrote in her diary speaking to us about his abdication the Emperor said how I will rejoice when I see you driving past me I'll mingle in the crowd with the rest of them shout rah Oh

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Keywords: An Imperial Family, historical, romanovs the imperial family, documentary, russia documentary, imperial dynasty, tv shows, Russian Empire, nat geo, history, new movies, reenactment, HD, world history, secrets of the romanovs, free movies online, Russia, russian version, romanov family documentary, 罗曼诺夫王朝, online tv, discovery channel, bbc documentary, mystery of the romanovs, history channel, youtube film, TV series, russian imperial family, The Romanovs, documentaries, movie

Id: HooDdn_cuZs

Length: 51min 35sec (3095 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 19 2014