Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov: a short biography

Life and a tragic death forever bound the family of the last Russian emperor and a very solid and faithful, as if carved from one lump, such a man as the Grand Duke Sergey Mikhailovich. The House of Romanovs, which exists for four hundred years, perceives power as a heavy burden and serving people's unity and is ready to work for the good of the Motherland.

Childhood of the Grand Duke

The father of Sergei Mikhailovich was the son of Emperor Nicholas I Mikhail Nikolaevich. He was appreciated as a great military leader and very capable administrator. For 22 years he was the governor of the Caucasus. This post was both responsible and dangerous. But Mikhail Nikolaevich managed to conquer Chechnya, Dagestan, the Western Caucasus and end an endless war. Mother, Olga Fedorovna, princess of Baden, was the niece of Elizabeth I Alekseevna, who herself grew up in Spartan conditions. The family had 7 children. On the photo Olga Fedorovna with her son Sergei. She raised her children in absolute devotion to her father. Grand Duke Sergey Mikhailovich was born in the Borzhom estate in 1869 and was baptized in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Father and mother strictly treated children, educating them able to endure hardships that could meet in the military service, to which they were trained since childhood. For the sample was clearly taken by their grandfather Nicholas I, who was sleeping on a soldier's bed and hiding himself with his greatcoat. The sons had narrow iron beds, instead of spring mattresses - boards, on which fit a symbolic thinnest mattress. The ascent was at six in the morning. Delay was not allowed. Then reading the prayers, kneeling, and a cold bath. Breakfast was the simplest - tea, bread, butter.

Study

Initially the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, like his brothers, received home education for eight years. He studied the Law of God, the history of Orthodoxy and other confessions, the history of Russia, Western European countries, America and Asia. Mathematics, geography, languages and music were required. Because of an error in a foreign word, punishment followed - deprivation of sweet, in mathematics - hourly standing in a corner on the knees. In addition, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich mastered the treatment of firearms, fencing and even bayonet attacks. Horse riding was an integral part of training. From seven to fifteen years, Sergei Mikhailovich and his brothers lived under Strelna in five rooms of the Grand Prince's Palace on the high bank of the Gulf of Finland. Such education and study determined the future direction of Sergei Mikhailovich - military service. Able to mathematics, fond of accuracy from the earliest years, he chose the Mikhailovsky Artillery School in 1885. This he was very happy father, who himself had the education of an artilleryman.

Journey

In 1890-1891, when Sergei Mikhailovich was little more than twenty years old, he, together with his brother Alexander Mikhailovich, a naval officer, made a trip on the yacht "Tamara" to the Indian Ocean, visited Batavia and Bombay. It was in India that Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich learned about the sudden death of his mother from a heart attack. Another young woman could not bear the morganatic marriage of her son Mikhail with Countess Merenberg, Pushkin's granddaughter.

Service

In 1889 SM Romanov graduated from the artillery school in the rank of second lieutenant. The service quickly and successfully grew. Almost every three years he was promoted to the rank for his zeal. In 1904, Major General Sergei Mikhailovich before us already. At the same time, the Grand Duke was enlisted in the retinue of His Majesty. Sergei Mikhailovich made many efforts to create modern artillery, to update it in the Russian army, to study young artillerymen, both lower and higher ranks. The quality of training Gunners under him has increased dramatically.

Participation in coronation events

In May 1896, on a fine day, Sergey Mikhailovich took part in coronation events in Moscow. On the occasion of the beautiful weather, the Grand Duke proceeded to Khodynka Field in an open carriage with the Grand Duchess. Among the military ranks, he greeted at the entrance to the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh members of the imperial family.

The fiery passion

Prima-ballerina of the Imperial Mariinsky Theater MF Kshesinskaya was an extremely determined and strong-willed woman. Coquette to the bone, she made a bet on sexuality. Manipulation by men, driving them insane succeeded with ease. In his youth Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov fell in love with her. Grand Duke in 1894 gave a twenty-two-year-old beauty for his birthday at the dacha in Strelna, not far from his family estate Mikhailovskoe. At this dacha, Sergei Mikhailovich spent five years with his Maleka, living in a family way. But life with a notorious coquette was not easy. At the same time, she had an affair with the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. She distributed the roles in such a way that Sergei Mikhailovich paid all her bills and defended her interests before the theater's superiors. If Matilda Feliksovna wished to perform in diamonds and sapphires, although such decorations were not suitable for the role, it was still done the way an incomparable ballerina wanted. She needed Vladimir Aleksandrovich to ensure a stable position in society.

The birth of a son

In 1902, she gave birth to a son who was named Vladimir in baptism, he received his patronymic Sergeevich, and the name Krasinsky and the title of hereditary nobleman were granted him by the emperor himself. Sergei Mikhailovich wanted to adopt a boy, although the child was not like him at all. However, Matilda Feliksovna was thinking. She had other plans. Meanwhile, Sergei Mikhailovich gladly engaged in the education of the boy and did not complain about fate, although Matilda Feliksovna had already practically excommunicated him, carried away by the young prince Andrey. Meanwhile, Sergei Mikhailovich forbade me to look at other women, but I allowed myself to make presents. The Grand Duke changed his character, he became withdrawn and did not attend social events. Twenty-five years of unlimited love and forgiveness is not the true feeling that came to Sergei Mikhailovich. Volodya, whom he considered his son, on the day of his sixteenth birthday, already being imprisoned in Alapaevsk, he sent a congratulatory telegram. And the young man sincerely loved him, as his own.

After the abdication of the emperor

In the summer of 1917 Kshesinskaya, escaping, went away from revolutionary Petrograd to Kislovodsk. SM Romanov remained in it to settle the affairs of his beloved woman. He wanted to equip in her mansion a hiding place for the treasure. Too delayed in a revolutionary city, trying to smuggle jewelry through the British embassy and put them in Vladimir's name, which he failed, the Grand Duke was arrested in the spring of 1918.

The martyr's death

First Romanov Sergey Mikhailovich, along with other great princes, was exiled to Vyatka. Then in a month they are sent to Ekaterinburg. Judging by the responses, he was very democratic about the new government. This was reported by VP Anichkov, the bank manager who played with him in the evenings in preference. At the end of May 1918, all the grand dukes were transferred to Alapaevsk. At first they were allowed to walk around the city, and the residents communicated with love with love. But a month later, over all was established a tight control, put the guards. The number of products decreased, and Sergei Mikhailovich protested against such treatment. But secretly on the night of July 18 they were loaded onto a train under the pretext that they would transport everyone to a safe place. However, they were brought to the mines. Sergei Mikhailovich, feeling the atrocity, began to resist and was killed. His last thought was about the beloved Male, whose gold medallion he held in his hand. The rest were dumped alive in the mines where they died, like true martyrs.

So, tragically, as a result of the bloody terror, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov ended his life. Biography, which began with severe trials in childhood, continued with a half-divided love for a windy coquette, broke off at forty-eight years. He was too young to die, but life disposed differently.