Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia
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Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: Великий князь Никола́й Миха́йлович), 26 April 1859 – 28 January 1919 was the eldest son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
and a first cousin of Alexander III
.
A scholar and an eminent historian, he made many valuable contributions to the study of Russian history in the reign of Tsar Alexander I
. His works, published in Russian and French, include: diplomatic documents of Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon; a life of Tsar Alexander's close friend, Paul Strogonov and biographical studies of Alexander I
and his wife Elizabeth Alexeievna.
A political liberal, he veered towards what he called ‘authoritarian republicanism’. He fought tirelessly for reform from within the system. His reformist views made him an odd ball within his own family, and contemporary recognition of his accomplishments came more from abroad than at home. He was a member of the French Academy
, Honorary Doctor of History and Philosophy from the University of Berlin
and Honorary Doctor of History from Moscow University
, President of the Imperial Russian Historical Society
, the Society of Pomology and the Russian Geographic Society.
He fell from favour during the last part of the reign of Nicholas II
, as Empress Alexandra disliked him for his liberal views. As the political situation in Russia worsened, he urged the Tsar to implement reforms, and he even participated in discussions of a palace coup. After the fall of the monarchy, he was exiled to Vologda
. He was later imprisoned by the Bolshevik
s in Petrograd and shot outside the St Peter and St Paul Fortress
along with his brother Grand Duke George Michaelovich
and his cousins Grand Duke Dimitri Constantinovich and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich
.
Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich was born on 26 April 1859 at Tsarskoye Selo
, the eldest child of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
and his wife Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna, born Princess Cecily of Baden. Known in the family as "Bimbo", he was three years old when in 1862 the family moved to Tiflis when his father was named Viceroy of the Caucasus
. Nicholas spent his childhood and youth in Georgia
, where his family lived for twenty years. He received a Spartan upbringing. His father occupied in military and governmental endeavors remained a distant figure. His mother was a strict disciplinarian and the dominating figure in the family. Nicholas was his mother's favorite son; they had a close relationship as reflected in their surviving letters, which have Oedipal overtones. Olga Feodorovna was a demanding strict mother, but Nicholas was always eager to please her. Growing up in the Caucasus, the Mikahailovichi, the junior branch of the Romanov
dynasty, were raised in an atmosphere far removed from their cousins in the Imperial capital, and would later be regarded as more progressive and liberal minded than the other Romanovs.
The sons of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich were educated by private tutors and Nicholas, a gifted student, made up much of their teachings. From his youth he was interested in art, literature, architecture and scientific matters. However, as with all male members of his family, Nicholas was expected to follow a military career. In Tiflis, he commanded a battalion of the Caucasian Archers in 1877, and fought alongside them in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
. This experience was traumatic and made him a pacifist for the rest of his life. When his father was named as President of the Council of the Empire in 1882, the whole family returned to St. Petersburg. Nicholas was assigned to Marie Feodrovna's Horse Guards Regiment.
In 1879, when he was twenty years old, he visited the court of his maternal uncle, Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden
, and fell in love with his cousin, Princess Victoria of Baden
. "She is charming and pleases one immediately", he wrote, adding, "She kisses you and makes you say a thousand things". The Russian Orthodox Church, which prohibited first cousins to marry, would not permit any thought of marriage. Nicholas nevertheless asked his uncle Alexander II
to allow the wedding, threatening that if he were not allowed to marry Victoria of Baden, he would never marry. Princess Victoria eventually became Queen of Sweden. Nicholas tried to find a royal bride for a second time in the 1880s. He was interested in Princess Amélie of Orléans, the eldest daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris
. Nicholas described her as "beautiful and large of stature, beautiful eyes, but not very pretty all the while a beautiful person". He asked his parents' permission to marry her, but not only did the Romanovs look down on the Orléans, but she was also Catholic and her family was unwilling to allow her to convert
. Nicholas Mikhailovich never came close to marriage again, instead having many affairs. It was generally believed in the Imperial family that he had fathered several illegitimate children. He mentions in a letter of 1910 that he had fallen in love again, "imagine that, in love at fifty one". His great love was Princess Elena (Nelly) Mikhailovna Bariatinskaya. She was older than he was and they were devoted lovers for years.
Nicholas Mikhailovich had no real military talent or inclination towards army life. He loved education and begged his father to allow him to enter the University, but Grand Duke Michael Nicholaievich was firmly opposed. To please his father Nicholas entered the Academy of the General Staff (War College) where he excelled in his studies. Military life was not for him as he much preferred studying butterflies and historical research. Entering the military, as all Romanovs did, the grand duke eventually became hostile towards it and was in fact the only family member ever to formally leave military service.
From his youth in the Caucasus
, Nicholas developed an interest in botany. He also gathered a highly regarded collection of rare butterflies, which he later gave to the Academy of Sciences, and at that same time published a ten-volume work entitled Discussions on the Lepidopterae. Other natural scientific interest drew his attention, pomology
in particular. He was named President of the Russian Society of Pomology and developed a seedless tangerine. During World War I, Nicholas Mikhailovich also published a book on hunting, which demonstrates his scientific interest in geese and ducks.
Soon he became more interested in historical research. His first book, "The Princes Dolgoruki, Collaborators to Emperor Alexander I", appeared in 1890. Many other books would follow, including five volumes of Russian portraits from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It consist of portraits of figures from the reigns of Catherine the Great, Paul I
, and Alexander I. This monumental work of original photographs from palaces, museums and galleries is an important source of information as many of the originals have been destroyed by war and revolution.
In 1905, Nicholas left the military and pursued his research interests full time. Nicholas II
happily granted him unlimited access to the Romanov Family Archives and Library. The grand duke soon published multi-volume works (over fifteen in all), in both Russian and French, on the reign of Tsar Alexander I. This important work brought him international recognition across Europe. His works include: diplomatic documents of Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon; a life of Tsar Alexander's close friend, Paul Strogonov and biographical studies of Alexander I
and his wife Elizabeth Alexeievna.
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While Nicholas Mikhailovich's scholarly works were admired by professional historians and French literary figures, he did not find the same reception among the Great Russian historians of his day, such a Vasily Klyuchevsky
. However, even the Soviet scholars valued his works: he is the only one of three non-ruling members of the Imperial family to receive an entry in the great Soviet Encyclopedia. His historical works were never far from his mind no matter what he was doing. His letters, especially those to the French historian Frédéric Masson
are mainly reports of his historical endeavors, which were never ending. During the war, he finished a seven volume study of Relation Diplomatiques 1808–1812 as well as the second Russian edition of Alexander I in two volumes in 1915. He had an almost childlike energy about his research and new discoveries, and his enthusiasm knew no bounds. Because his education was not the most conventional, his first work in history was dilettantish. He dabbled in topics, but he improved considerably with time. When the Imperial Historical society called him to write several articles for their bibliographic dictionary, he developed a passion for writing.
His position in the ruling family gave him access to archival materials that were inaccessible to the public, and he had the privilege of having these items delivered from the state archives to his home where he could work on them in the comfort of his own study. He also accumulated an extensive library, both in his St Petersburg palace and in his rural estate, Borjomi, where he liked to work undisturbed. His great wealth enabled him to have a number of research assistants, a luxury seldom available to most historians. His most valuable helper with his historical work was Constantine Brummer, his aide-de-camp
since the earliest years of his military career who was his loyal friend until the end.
In 1892 when the presidency of the Geographic Society fell vacant, Nicholas Mikhailovich became its president. He never published any scholarly works in this discipline. In 1909, he became president of the Historical Society; by then, he was already a well-regarded historian. He took this post seriously and his involvement was extensive even during the war years. In 1916, he was occupied with the jubilee of the society and was planning the centennial celebration of the birth of Tsar Alexander II
, which was going to take place in April 1918. In May 1914, Grand Duke Nicholas created an Archival Commission to coordinate and give assistance to local historical archives; but World War I intervened, and archival reorganization had to await Soviet efforts.
Nicholas Mikhailovich gathered an important collection of historical artifacts, mainly pictures and miniatures of prominent figures. He also collected French objets d'art and took a special interest in the works of Jacques Louis David. He acquired, among others, one of David's portraits of Napoleon, which remained with him until after the revolution. He first hid it in the basement wall of his palace and then smuggled it out of Russia from Finland to the West. The grand duke also planned art shows like one he organized in 1905 in the famous Tauride Palace
, with pieces never before displayed.
Nicholas Mikhailovich was tall at 6' 3", and a beefy frame, with dark eyes and a short dark triangular beard. He became bald early in life and, in later years, heavy set. He loved children, and although he never married, according to his niece, Princess Nina
, he fathered several illegitimate children. Moody and eccentric, he had an acerbic and cynical nature. He also had a sharp wit and a keen, sometimes childish, sense of humor. His pranks and jokes endeared him to his family. He considered himself as a socialist, holding liberal political views. His behavior, along with his stubborn insisting on always speaking his mind, did not endear him to the Imperial family, and it was his charm and humor which often alleviated their anger toward his beliefs. This label of "liberal" was only further supported by his open and easy nature. The grand duke considered the men in his regiment to always be his equals, and addressed them as "my friends". He was uneasy about class pretensions and especially the idea of being "above" the men, yet his soldiers loved him deeply and praised him loudly. He would receive intellectuals from across the political spectrum and have long engaging discussions and correspondence with them.
His passion for Russian history and butterflies, his genuine scholarship, along with his love and respect for France and its political systems made him an atypical Romanov. His liberalism did not prevent him from writing to Leo Tolstoy
to protest a pamphlet the famous writer was distributing containing what the grand duke considered an unfair and inaccurate criticism of his grandfather Nicholas I
. Widely considered an eccentric, he was well regarded by many family members including Empress Maria, who valued his opinions. Nicholas traveled extensively; he often visited Paris and the south of France where he reunited with his brother Michael and sister Anastasia
. Nicholas was fond of gambling and lost large amounts at the casino in Monte Carlo
. He was famous for his indiscretions, disclosing confidential information about politics in Russia to his friends or in conversation at reunions. These got him into trouble more than once. An ardent Francophile
, he offended Germany during a visit to Paris when he expressed his anti-German political views, which caused a diplomatic protest. Upon his return to Russia, Alexander III
exiled him for some months to Borjomi, his family's rural state.
Very outspoken about his ideas, he begged Nicholas II to cancel the coronation ball at the French embassy in Moscow following the Khodynka Tragedy
, warning him that holding it would create a perception of monarchical indifference such as had made Marie Antoinette
unpopular. When it was held nevertheless, he arrived with his brothers, then departed soon after in protest. His manner could turn caustic. The Imperial family always said he had a mean and critical tongue. He loathed Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
and her family, the Vladimirovichi. A vehement critic of most of his male cousins, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikholaievich in particular, Nicholas Mikhailovich was a divisive figure among the Romanovs.
At the death of his father in 1909, he became the head of the Mikhailovichi branch of the Romanov family and inherited great wealth. He received all of the lands and houses of his father: Borjomi, his large rural esstate in Georgia
where he enjoyed living and preferred to work; Mikhailovskoe outside St Petersburg; an enormous palace on the Neva in St Petersburg, and the great estate Grushevka in southern Ukraine
. His primary residence was the palace on the Neva, which was so large that his brother Grand Duke Sergei
, who lived with him, used a bicycle to go from one side to the other. Between his two residences in the capital region, he employed more than 400 servants.
Nicholas Mikhailovich was initially on good terms with Nicholas II, both when he was heir to the crown and later as an emperor. However, the Grand Duke's liberal political views placed him at odds with Empress Alexandra, who regarded him as her personal enemy. A pessimistic man, Grand Duke Nicholas became increasingly worried about the political situation, especially after the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War
in 1905 and the subsequent unrest. He wrote to Tolstoy
, with whom he had carried on a friendly correspondence, on 1 October 1905: "I suffer all the more from my silence because every one of the government's flaws is so blindingly clear to me and I see no remedy except in a radical change from everything that now exists. But my aged father is still alive and, out of respect for him, I must be careful not to offend him by my views or my behavior."
At the outbreak of World War I, Nicholas Mikhailovich joined the war effort with the formal title of aide-de-camp general, which was an honorific post. He had not been in active service for a decade and was not given a field command. Instead, he was sent to the southwest front facing the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Stationed in Kiev
in August 1914, he moved later to Rovno. He did not interfere with military matters but was assigned to make visits to hospitals. Within just a few days, at the end of August 1914, 6,000 wounded soldiers passed through Rovno alone. Nicholas was horrified by the slaughter "I have seen such suffering, such abnegation, he wrote, " that my heart has stopped, suffocated by the horrible spectacle of human suffering". His work with the army had a profound impact. " The suffering of the injured tears my heart," he wrote. Daily he visited the hospitals and "the masses of wounded". He remained in this position until his hospital visits became less necessary in 1915. However, this experience left him embittered: "there is every reason to become socialist after these massacres", he said. After the terrible Russian defeat in eastern Prussia in the Battle of Tannenberg
, the Grande Duke prophetically wrote "in all Russian military disasters comes a gigantic uprising, which would bring to an end many monarchies and the triumph of international socialism".
During the war, his opinions in military matters were in the antipodes of his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich, who was commander in chief of the Russian armies between 1914 and 1915. Nicholas Mikhailovich disliked his cousin from their youth when they were rivals in their military careers. He was a pacifist and was against the war in a time of uppermost patriotism. He criticized his cousin's strategy and tactics, particularly the sacrificing of the Imperial guard and a large part of the regular army in the ill-fated advance on Eastern Prussia. He foresaw that Russia would not win the war with only half-trained reservists and draftees.
Worried with what was happening in the Russian government, the grand duke sent a letter to Nicholas II begging him to deprive Empress Alexandra of power and a sixteen-page tract on the misdeeds of the prime minister, Stürme
. Horrified by the actions of the Government at this time, he publicly lambasted their actions. So much so that by the end of 1916 Nicholas II finally lost his patience with him and exiled Nicholas Mikhailovich to his rural estates. The grand duke did not return to Petrograd until he freed himself from exile after the fall of the monarchy. He had little faith in the provisional government, feeling that nothing short of a miracle could save Russia. After the October Revolution
he was initially undisturbed by the Bolsheviks. He remained in Petrograd thinking, as many did at the time, that they would not last in power. He hesitated about escaping from Finland to Denmark, where his niece
was queen. This would ultimately cost him his life. In January 1918, the Bolsheviks occupied his palace. He was initially allowed to continue living in his own apartments at the palace, but soon after he was expelled.
, the Soviet secret police. It was then decided that they would be sent to internal Russian exile. Nicholas Mikhailovich was sent to Vologda
. On 30 March 1918, the grand duke departed by train to his destiny in the company of his personal cook and his close friend and assistant Brummer, who had insisted on going with him in spite of the Grand Duke's protestations. The following day they arrived at Vologda. Nicholas Mikhailovich and Brummer were lodged with a young couple in a two room house.
Initially he could move freely around town. His brother George and his cousin Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich had also been exiled to Vologda and they visited each other frequently. Allowed to do as he pleased so long as he remained within the city limits, the grand duke occupied his time reading.
On the morning of 14 July, two days before the murder of Nicholas II
and his family, a car with four heavily armed men arrived and collected the Grand Dukes from their lodgings. They were arrested and interned in a small, walled village prison where they could be more easily guarded. Brummer was not allowed to accompany them.
Nicholas Mikhailovich's cell was a large room with windows that looked out onto the courtyard. He had a camp bed that he had brought with him. He was treated well by his jailors. The French government tried to intercede on his behalf as a member of the French Academy. Brummer, his faithful assistant, tried also to gain the grand duke's release, but he could only visit him in prison. On 20 July, Brummer informed the prisoners of Nicholas II's assassination. This seemed to indicate the worst. The following day, 21 July, all of the exiled grand dukes in Vologda where transferred back to Petrograd. In the former Imperial capital, the men were quickly imprisoned with six other detainees in a cell at Cheka Headquarters.
Upon arrival, the grand dukes were questioned at length by Moisei Uritsky
, the Chairman of the Petrograd Cheka. The prisoners were photographed and then moved to the Kresty prison. Shortly thereafter, they were transferred to Spalernaia prison, where they would remain for most of their incarceration. Here each had his own private cell, if only seven feet long and three feet wide. Their only furniture was a hard iron bed. The grand dukes were permitted to exercise a half hour to forty-five minutes twice a day, although the personal contact allowed in Vologda was denied them here at first. Their wardens, all of whom were soldiers, treated them well. After several days, the prisoners were allowed to gather in the courtyard and were permitted some provisions from the outside such as fresh linens and cigarettes. Their day began at 7:00 am when they were awakened by the steps in the hall of their jailors and the clank of their keys in the door. Lunch was served at noon, which consisted of dirty hot water with a few fish bones in it and black bread
. The lights were turned on in the cells at 7:00 pm, although as the winter approached the prisoners had to sit in darkness until that time. The meetings of the Grand Dukes during exercise gave them opportunity to exchange a few words.
Brummer, Nicholas’ faithful adjutant, followed Nicholas Mikhailovich to Petrograd and visited him at Spalernaia prison. The secretary of the French embassy was also concerned with Nicholas’ well being. Some of the grand dukes' relatives made frantic efforts to obtain their release through Maxim Gorky
who was sympathetic and asked Lenin to set them free. Gorky ultimately obtained Lenin's signature for the grand duke's release. He rushed to return to Petrograd to have them freed. On the platform however, he picked up a newspaper whose headline rang out, "Romanovs Shot!". Brummer, who had heard rumors that the grand dukes had been condemned to death, only learned the tale of the grand duke's murder years later. In exile in Paris, he encountered the grand duke's bailiff who told him what had happened.
At 11:30 pm on the night of 27–28 January 1919, guards awoke Nicholas Mikhailovich, his brother George and his cousin Dimitri in their cells at Spalernaia prison, telling them they were to be moved and had to pack their belongings. They initially assumed that they were going to be transported to Moscow. Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich even thought that they might be set free, but his brother assumed that they were heading to another place to be shot. They had an ominous hint of what was going to happen to them when at the time of departure they were told to leave their luggage.
The grand dukes were taken outside and loaded into a truck that already held four common criminals and six Red Guardsmen. At 1:20 am on 28 January, they left the prison. They drove towards the river by the Field of Mars
, where the truck stalled. While the driver was trying to restart it, one of the convicts tried to run and was shot in the back as he fled. The truck eventually began running again, and they drove to the Peter and Paul Fortress
. The prisoners were roughly pushed from the truck into the Trubetskoy bastion. They were told to remove their shirts and coats, despite the fact that it was almost -20°C. By then they had no doubt about what was about to occur and the grand dukes embraced each other for the last time.
Different soldiers appeared carrying another person, whom the grand dukes finally recognized as their cousin Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich
. They were then each escorted arm in arm with a soldier on each side towards a trench that had been dug in the courtyard. As they passed the cathedral of St Peter and St Paul where their ancestors were buried, the grand dukes crossed themselves. The prisoners were lined up before the ditch, in which there were already thirteen bodies. Nicholas Mikhailovich, who had been carrying his cat, handed it to a soldier, asking him to look after it. All of the grand dukes faced death with the greatest courage. George and Dimitri prayed quietly. Grand Duke Paul, who was very sick, was shot on a stretcher. Grand Dukes Nicholas, George and Dimitri were killed by the same blast. The fusillade of shots sent them reeling into the ditch.
Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia was the fourth son and seventh child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia...
and a first cousin of Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
.
A scholar and an eminent historian, he made many valuable contributions to the study of Russian history in the reign of Tsar Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. His works, published in Russian and French, include: diplomatic documents of Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon; a life of Tsar Alexander's close friend, Paul Strogonov and biographical studies of Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
and his wife Elizabeth Alexeievna.
A political liberal, he veered towards what he called ‘authoritarian republicanism’. He fought tirelessly for reform from within the system. His reformist views made him an odd ball within his own family, and contemporary recognition of his accomplishments came more from abroad than at home. He was a member of the French Academy
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
, Honorary Doctor of History and Philosophy from the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
and Honorary Doctor of History from Moscow University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
, President of the Imperial Russian Historical Society
Imperial Russian Historical Society
The Imperial Russian Historical Society was a public organization of Imperial Russia. It was subject to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Education. It was founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1917. It published studies on Russian history and historical documents connected with the Imperial...
, the Society of Pomology and the Russian Geographic Society.
He fell from favour during the last part of the reign of Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
, as Empress Alexandra disliked him for his liberal views. As the political situation in Russia worsened, he urged the Tsar to implement reforms, and he even participated in discussions of a palace coup. After the fall of the monarchy, he was exiled to Vologda
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
. He was later imprisoned by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s in Petrograd and shot outside the St Peter and St Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.-History:...
along with his brother Grand Duke George Michaelovich
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863-1919)
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Emperor Alexander III. He was a General in the Russian army in World War I...
and his cousins Grand Duke Dimitri Constantinovich and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia was the eighth child of Tsar Alexander II of Russia by his first wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna. His birth was commemorated by the naming of the city of Pavlodar in Kazakhstan...
.
Early life
Tsarskoye Selo
Tsarskoye Selo is the town containing a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of St. Petersburg. It is now part of the town of Pushkin and of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.-History:In...
, the eldest child of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia was the fourth son and seventh child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia...
and his wife Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna, born Princess Cecily of Baden. Known in the family as "Bimbo", he was three years old when in 1862 the family moved to Tiflis when his father was named Viceroy of the Caucasus
Viceroyalty of the Caucasus
The Viceroyalty of the Caucasus is a term used to denote the Imperial Russian administrative and political authority in the Caucasus region exercised through the offices of glavnoupravlyayushchiy and namestnik...
. Nicholas spent his childhood and youth in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, where his family lived for twenty years. He received a Spartan upbringing. His father occupied in military and governmental endeavors remained a distant figure. His mother was a strict disciplinarian and the dominating figure in the family. Nicholas was his mother's favorite son; they had a close relationship as reflected in their surviving letters, which have Oedipal overtones. Olga Feodorovna was a demanding strict mother, but Nicholas was always eager to please her. Growing up in the Caucasus, the Mikahailovichi, the junior branch of the Romanov
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
dynasty, were raised in an atmosphere far removed from their cousins in the Imperial capital, and would later be regarded as more progressive and liberal minded than the other Romanovs.
The sons of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich were educated by private tutors and Nicholas, a gifted student, made up much of their teachings. From his youth he was interested in art, literature, architecture and scientific matters. However, as with all male members of his family, Nicholas was expected to follow a military career. In Tiflis, he commanded a battalion of the Caucasian Archers in 1877, and fought alongside them in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of numerous Balkan...
. This experience was traumatic and made him a pacifist for the rest of his life. When his father was named as President of the Council of the Empire in 1882, the whole family returned to St. Petersburg. Nicholas was assigned to Marie Feodrovna's Horse Guards Regiment.
In 1879, when he was twenty years old, he visited the court of his maternal uncle, Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden
Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden
Frederick I was the sixth Grand Duke of Baden from 1856 to 1907.Frederick was born in Karlsruhe, on September 9, 1826...
, and fell in love with his cousin, Princess Victoria of Baden
Victoria of Baden
Victoria of Baden was a Queen consort of Sweden by her marriage to King Gustaf V of Sweden. She was politically active in a conservative fashion during the development of democracy and known as a pro-German during the First World War.-Birth:Princess Viktoria was born on 7 August 1862 at the castle...
. "She is charming and pleases one immediately", he wrote, adding, "She kisses you and makes you say a thousand things". The Russian Orthodox Church, which prohibited first cousins to marry, would not permit any thought of marriage. Nicholas nevertheless asked his uncle Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
to allow the wedding, threatening that if he were not allowed to marry Victoria of Baden, he would never marry. Princess Victoria eventually became Queen of Sweden. Nicholas tried to find a royal bride for a second time in the 1880s. He was interested in Princess Amélie of Orléans, the eldest daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris
Philippe, Comte de Paris
Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris was the grandson of Louis Philippe I, King of the French. He was a claimant to the French throne from 1848 until his death.-Early life:...
. Nicholas described her as "beautiful and large of stature, beautiful eyes, but not very pretty all the while a beautiful person". He asked his parents' permission to marry her, but not only did the Romanovs look down on the Orléans, but she was also Catholic and her family was unwilling to allow her to convert
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
. Nicholas Mikhailovich never came close to marriage again, instead having many affairs. It was generally believed in the Imperial family that he had fathered several illegitimate children. He mentions in a letter of 1910 that he had fallen in love again, "imagine that, in love at fifty one". His great love was Princess Elena (Nelly) Mikhailovna Bariatinskaya. She was older than he was and they were devoted lovers for years.
Imperial scholar
From his youth in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, Nicholas developed an interest in botany. He also gathered a highly regarded collection of rare butterflies, which he later gave to the Academy of Sciences, and at that same time published a ten-volume work entitled Discussions on the Lepidopterae. Other natural scientific interest drew his attention, pomology
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
in particular. He was named President of the Russian Society of Pomology and developed a seedless tangerine. During World War I, Nicholas Mikhailovich also published a book on hunting, which demonstrates his scientific interest in geese and ducks.
Soon he became more interested in historical research. His first book, "The Princes Dolgoruki, Collaborators to Emperor Alexander I", appeared in 1890. Many other books would follow, including five volumes of Russian portraits from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It consist of portraits of figures from the reigns of Catherine the Great, Paul I
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
, and Alexander I. This monumental work of original photographs from palaces, museums and galleries is an important source of information as many of the originals have been destroyed by war and revolution.
In 1905, Nicholas left the military and pursued his research interests full time. Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
happily granted him unlimited access to the Romanov Family Archives and Library. The grand duke soon published multi-volume works (over fifteen in all), in both Russian and French, on the reign of Tsar Alexander I. This important work brought him international recognition across Europe. His works include: diplomatic documents of Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon; a life of Tsar Alexander's close friend, Paul Strogonov and biographical studies of Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
and his wife Elizabeth Alexeievna.
Vasily Klyuchevsky
Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky dominated Russian historiography at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He is still regarded as one of three most reputable Russian historians, alongside Nikolay Karamzin and Sergey Solovyov.-Early life:...
. However, even the Soviet scholars valued his works: he is the only one of three non-ruling members of the Imperial family to receive an entry in the great Soviet Encyclopedia. His historical works were never far from his mind no matter what he was doing. His letters, especially those to the French historian Frédéric Masson
Frédéric Masson
Louis Claude Frédéric Masson was a French historian, born in Paris.-Biography:His father, Francis Masson, a solicitor, was killed on 23 June 1848, when major in the garde nationale...
are mainly reports of his historical endeavors, which were never ending. During the war, he finished a seven volume study of Relation Diplomatiques 1808–1812 as well as the second Russian edition of Alexander I in two volumes in 1915. He had an almost childlike energy about his research and new discoveries, and his enthusiasm knew no bounds. Because his education was not the most conventional, his first work in history was dilettantish. He dabbled in topics, but he improved considerably with time. When the Imperial Historical society called him to write several articles for their bibliographic dictionary, he developed a passion for writing.
His position in the ruling family gave him access to archival materials that were inaccessible to the public, and he had the privilege of having these items delivered from the state archives to his home where he could work on them in the comfort of his own study. He also accumulated an extensive library, both in his St Petersburg palace and in his rural estate, Borjomi, where he liked to work undisturbed. His great wealth enabled him to have a number of research assistants, a luxury seldom available to most historians. His most valuable helper with his historical work was Constantine Brummer, his aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
since the earliest years of his military career who was his loyal friend until the end.
In 1892 when the presidency of the Geographic Society fell vacant, Nicholas Mikhailovich became its president. He never published any scholarly works in this discipline. In 1909, he became president of the Historical Society; by then, he was already a well-regarded historian. He took this post seriously and his involvement was extensive even during the war years. In 1916, he was occupied with the jubilee of the society and was planning the centennial celebration of the birth of Tsar Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
, which was going to take place in April 1918. In May 1914, Grand Duke Nicholas created an Archival Commission to coordinate and give assistance to local historical archives; but World War I intervened, and archival reorganization had to await Soviet efforts.
Nicholas Mikhailovich gathered an important collection of historical artifacts, mainly pictures and miniatures of prominent figures. He also collected French objets d'art and took a special interest in the works of Jacques Louis David. He acquired, among others, one of David's portraits of Napoleon, which remained with him until after the revolution. He first hid it in the basement wall of his palace and then smuggled it out of Russia from Finland to the West. The grand duke also planned art shows like one he organized in 1905 in the famous Tauride Palace
Tauride Palace
Tauride Palace is one of the largest and most historic palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia.- Potemkin :...
, with pieces never before displayed.
Russian Grand Duke
Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia
Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia, , was the eldest daughter of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia. A great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, she left her native country in 1914, before World War I...
, he fathered several illegitimate children. Moody and eccentric, he had an acerbic and cynical nature. He also had a sharp wit and a keen, sometimes childish, sense of humor. His pranks and jokes endeared him to his family. He considered himself as a socialist, holding liberal political views. His behavior, along with his stubborn insisting on always speaking his mind, did not endear him to the Imperial family, and it was his charm and humor which often alleviated their anger toward his beliefs. This label of "liberal" was only further supported by his open and easy nature. The grand duke considered the men in his regiment to always be his equals, and addressed them as "my friends". He was uneasy about class pretensions and especially the idea of being "above" the men, yet his soldiers loved him deeply and praised him loudly. He would receive intellectuals from across the political spectrum and have long engaging discussions and correspondence with them.
His passion for Russian history and butterflies, his genuine scholarship, along with his love and respect for France and its political systems made him an atypical Romanov. His liberalism did not prevent him from writing to Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
to protest a pamphlet the famous writer was distributing containing what the grand duke considered an unfair and inaccurate criticism of his grandfather Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. Widely considered an eccentric, he was well regarded by many family members including Empress Maria, who valued his opinions. Nicholas traveled extensively; he often visited Paris and the south of France where he reunited with his brother Michael and sister Anastasia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was a daughter of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia; she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
. Nicholas was fond of gambling and lost large amounts at the casino in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
. He was famous for his indiscretions, disclosing confidential information about politics in Russia to his friends or in conversation at reunions. These got him into trouble more than once. An ardent Francophile
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
, he offended Germany during a visit to Paris when he expressed his anti-German political views, which caused a diplomatic protest. Upon his return to Russia, Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
exiled him for some months to Borjomi, his family's rural state.
Very outspoken about his ideas, he begged Nicholas II to cancel the coronation ball at the French embassy in Moscow following the Khodynka Tragedy
Khodynka Tragedy
The Khodynka Tragedy was a mass panic that occurred on , on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities following the coronation of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, which resulted in the deaths of 1,389 people.- The events :...
, warning him that holding it would create a perception of monarchical indifference such as had made Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
unpopular. When it was held nevertheless, he arrived with his brothers, then departed soon after in protest. His manner could turn caustic. The Imperial family always said he had a mean and critical tongue. He loathed Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Maria Pavlovna of Russia)
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
and her family, the Vladimirovichi. A vehement critic of most of his male cousins, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikholaievich in particular, Nicholas Mikhailovich was a divisive figure among the Romanovs.
At the death of his father in 1909, he became the head of the Mikhailovichi branch of the Romanov family and inherited great wealth. He received all of the lands and houses of his father: Borjomi, his large rural esstate in Georgia
Georgia within the Russian Empire
Between 1801 and 1918 the country of Georgia was part of the Russian Empire. For centuries, the Muslim Ottoman and Persian empires had fought over various fragmented Georgian kingdoms and principalities but by the 18th century, a third imperial power, Russia, had emerged in the region. Since Russia...
where he enjoyed living and preferred to work; Mikhailovskoe outside St Petersburg; an enormous palace on the Neva in St Petersburg, and the great estate Grushevka in southern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. His primary residence was the palace on the Neva, which was so large that his brother Grand Duke Sergei
Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia was the fifth son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia. He followed a military career and served as General Inspector of the Artillery with the rank of Adjutant General during World War I...
, who lived with him, used a bicycle to go from one side to the other. Between his two residences in the capital region, he employed more than 400 servants.
Nicholas Mikhailovich was initially on good terms with Nicholas II, both when he was heir to the crown and later as an emperor. However, the Grand Duke's liberal political views placed him at odds with Empress Alexandra, who regarded him as her personal enemy. A pessimistic man, Grand Duke Nicholas became increasingly worried about the political situation, especially after the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
in 1905 and the subsequent unrest. He wrote to Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, with whom he had carried on a friendly correspondence, on 1 October 1905: "I suffer all the more from my silence because every one of the government's flaws is so blindingly clear to me and I see no remedy except in a radical change from everything that now exists. But my aged father is still alive and, out of respect for him, I must be careful not to offend him by my views or my behavior."
War and revolution
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in August 1914, he moved later to Rovno. He did not interfere with military matters but was assigned to make visits to hospitals. Within just a few days, at the end of August 1914, 6,000 wounded soldiers passed through Rovno alone. Nicholas was horrified by the slaughter "I have seen such suffering, such abnegation, he wrote, " that my heart has stopped, suffocated by the horrible spectacle of human suffering". His work with the army had a profound impact. " The suffering of the injured tears my heart," he wrote. Daily he visited the hospitals and "the masses of wounded". He remained in this position until his hospital visits became less necessary in 1915. However, this experience left him embittered: "there is every reason to become socialist after these massacres", he said. After the terrible Russian defeat in eastern Prussia in the Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I. It was fought by the Russian First and Second Armies against the German Eighth Army between 23 August and 30 August 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete...
, the Grande Duke prophetically wrote "in all Russian military disasters comes a gigantic uprising, which would bring to an end many monarchies and the triumph of international socialism".
During the war, his opinions in military matters were in the antipodes of his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaievich, who was commander in chief of the Russian armies between 1914 and 1915. Nicholas Mikhailovich disliked his cousin from their youth when they were rivals in their military careers. He was a pacifist and was against the war in a time of uppermost patriotism. He criticized his cousin's strategy and tactics, particularly the sacrificing of the Imperial guard and a large part of the regular army in the ill-fated advance on Eastern Prussia. He foresaw that Russia would not win the war with only half-trained reservists and draftees.
Worried with what was happening in the Russian government, the grand duke sent a letter to Nicholas II begging him to deprive Empress Alexandra of power and a sixteen-page tract on the misdeeds of the prime minister, Stürme
Boris Stürmer
Baron Boris Vladimirovich Stürmer was a Russian statesman. He served as Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Interior Minister of the Russian Empire for several months during 1916.- Biography :...
. Horrified by the actions of the Government at this time, he publicly lambasted their actions. So much so that by the end of 1916 Nicholas II finally lost his patience with him and exiled Nicholas Mikhailovich to his rural estates. The grand duke did not return to Petrograd until he freed himself from exile after the fall of the monarchy. He had little faith in the provisional government, feeling that nothing short of a miracle could save Russia. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
he was initially undisturbed by the Bolsheviks. He remained in Petrograd thinking, as many did at the time, that they would not last in power. He hesitated about escaping from Finland to Denmark, where his niece
Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Alexandrine Auguste of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the queen consort of King Christian X of Denmark.-Family:She was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin...
was queen. This would ultimately cost him his life. In January 1918, the Bolsheviks occupied his palace. He was initially allowed to continue living in his own apartments at the palace, but soon after he was expelled.
Captivity
The following month all members of the Romanov family still living in Petrograd were ordered to register with the dreaded ChekaCheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
, the Soviet secret police. It was then decided that they would be sent to internal Russian exile. Nicholas Mikhailovich was sent to Vologda
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
. On 30 March 1918, the grand duke departed by train to his destiny in the company of his personal cook and his close friend and assistant Brummer, who had insisted on going with him in spite of the Grand Duke's protestations. The following day they arrived at Vologda. Nicholas Mikhailovich and Brummer were lodged with a young couple in a two room house.
Initially he could move freely around town. His brother George and his cousin Grand Duke Dimitri Konstantinovich had also been exiled to Vologda and they visited each other frequently. Allowed to do as he pleased so long as he remained within the city limits, the grand duke occupied his time reading.
On the morning of 14 July, two days before the murder of Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and his family, a car with four heavily armed men arrived and collected the Grand Dukes from their lodgings. They were arrested and interned in a small, walled village prison where they could be more easily guarded. Brummer was not allowed to accompany them.
Nicholas Mikhailovich's cell was a large room with windows that looked out onto the courtyard. He had a camp bed that he had brought with him. He was treated well by his jailors. The French government tried to intercede on his behalf as a member of the French Academy. Brummer, his faithful assistant, tried also to gain the grand duke's release, but he could only visit him in prison. On 20 July, Brummer informed the prisoners of Nicholas II's assassination. This seemed to indicate the worst. The following day, 21 July, all of the exiled grand dukes in Vologda where transferred back to Petrograd. In the former Imperial capital, the men were quickly imprisoned with six other detainees in a cell at Cheka Headquarters.
Upon arrival, the grand dukes were questioned at length by Moisei Uritsky
Moisei Uritsky
Moisei Solomonovich Uritsky was a Bolshevik revolutionary leader in Russia.He was born in the city of Cherkasy, Kiev Governorate, to a Jewish family. His father, a merchant, died when Moisei was little and his mother raised her son by herself.Moisei studied law at the University of Kiev...
, the Chairman of the Petrograd Cheka. The prisoners were photographed and then moved to the Kresty prison. Shortly thereafter, they were transferred to Spalernaia prison, where they would remain for most of their incarceration. Here each had his own private cell, if only seven feet long and three feet wide. Their only furniture was a hard iron bed. The grand dukes were permitted to exercise a half hour to forty-five minutes twice a day, although the personal contact allowed in Vologda was denied them here at first. Their wardens, all of whom were soldiers, treated them well. After several days, the prisoners were allowed to gather in the courtyard and were permitted some provisions from the outside such as fresh linens and cigarettes. Their day began at 7:00 am when they were awakened by the steps in the hall of their jailors and the clank of their keys in the door. Lunch was served at noon, which consisted of dirty hot water with a few fish bones in it and black bread
Black Bread
Black Bread is a 2010 Catalan-language Catalan drama film written and directed by Agustí Villaronga. The screenplay is based on the homonymous novel by Emili Teixidor, with elements of two other works by him, Retrat d'un assassí d'ocells and Sic transit Gloria Swanson.The film won nine Goya...
. The lights were turned on in the cells at 7:00 pm, although as the winter approached the prisoners had to sit in darkness until that time. The meetings of the Grand Dukes during exercise gave them opportunity to exchange a few words.
Brummer, Nicholas’ faithful adjutant, followed Nicholas Mikhailovich to Petrograd and visited him at Spalernaia prison. The secretary of the French embassy was also concerned with Nicholas’ well being. Some of the grand dukes' relatives made frantic efforts to obtain their release through Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
who was sympathetic and asked Lenin to set them free. Gorky ultimately obtained Lenin's signature for the grand duke's release. He rushed to return to Petrograd to have them freed. On the platform however, he picked up a newspaper whose headline rang out, "Romanovs Shot!". Brummer, who had heard rumors that the grand dukes had been condemned to death, only learned the tale of the grand duke's murder years later. In exile in Paris, he encountered the grand duke's bailiff who told him what had happened.
Murder
The grand dukes were taken outside and loaded into a truck that already held four common criminals and six Red Guardsmen. At 1:20 am on 28 January, they left the prison. They drove towards the river by the Field of Mars
Field of Mars (Saint Petersburg)
The Field of Mars or Marsovo Polye is a large park named after the Mars - Roman god of war situated in the center of Saint-Petersburg, with an area of about 9 hectares. Bordering the Field of Mars to the north are the Marble Palace, Suvorova Square and Betskoi’s and Saltykov’s houses. To the west...
, where the truck stalled. While the driver was trying to restart it, one of the convicts tried to run and was shot in the back as he fled. The truck eventually began running again, and they drove to the Peter and Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.-History:...
. The prisoners were roughly pushed from the truck into the Trubetskoy bastion. They were told to remove their shirts and coats, despite the fact that it was almost -20°C. By then they had no doubt about what was about to occur and the grand dukes embraced each other for the last time.
Different soldiers appeared carrying another person, whom the grand dukes finally recognized as their cousin Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia was the eighth child of Tsar Alexander II of Russia by his first wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna. His birth was commemorated by the naming of the city of Pavlodar in Kazakhstan...
. They were then each escorted arm in arm with a soldier on each side towards a trench that had been dug in the courtyard. As they passed the cathedral of St Peter and St Paul where their ancestors were buried, the grand dukes crossed themselves. The prisoners were lined up before the ditch, in which there were already thirteen bodies. Nicholas Mikhailovich, who had been carrying his cat, handed it to a soldier, asking him to look after it. All of the grand dukes faced death with the greatest courage. George and Dimitri prayed quietly. Grand Duke Paul, who was very sick, was shot on a stretcher. Grand Dukes Nicholas, George and Dimitri were killed by the same blast. The fusillade of shots sent them reeling into the ditch.