July 30, 2014

Tsarevich Alexei and the Worst 10th Birthday Ever


Tsarevich Alexei and the Worst 10th Birthday Ever

July 30 (old style; August 12, new style) marks the birth of the last heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, son of Nicholas II. This year, Alexei would have been 110; in 1914, as he turned 10, a political assassination had just escalated into the First World War.

If it hadn’t been for the Russian Revolution, the Romanovs could have had one more tsar – Alexei Nikolaevich, most likely to be remembered as Alexei II (Peter the Great’s father, Alexei Mikhailovich, being the first). But as he was only 13 when the monarchy collapsed, Alexei never got to rule: ever the tsarevich, never the tsar.

Among Alexei’s most famous traits was having hemophilia, like so many of his distant royal relatives. As a result, Alexei was routinely on the brink of death, as even minor bruises could result in unstoppable blood loss and hemmoraging. Saving the only heir to the throne from fatal internal bleeding was an important task, but doctors at the time had little to offer.  Enter Grigori Rasputin, a religious figure who combined the traits of wise man, holy fool, and healer, all in one.

Did Rasputin actually alleviate Alexei’s suffering? It certainly appeared so. Even a letter sent from miles away saying “he will not die” somehow coincided with an improvement in the tsarevich’s health. But what was more important was that Alexei’s mother, Empress Alexandra, saw Rasputin as not just a successful healer, but as the child's only hope. As mothers do, she was open to almost anything when it came to saving her son (who also happened to be the future of the Romanov dynasty).

The Russian public, however, disagreed.

A contemporary caricature depicting Rasputin's influence on the royal family

Alexei’s disease was a state secret, so how were the discontents to know why Rasputin was so welcome in the imperial family? From the outside, it looked like an uneducated peasant was influencing imperial decisions through the empress, with rumors of an affair fueled by an unfriendly press. How much influence Rasputin actually had on the emperor is beside the point – just the perception of his importance significantly discredited an already wobbly Russian monarchy.

Meanwhile, trouble was brewing elsewhere. A month before Alexei’s tenth birthday, on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. The "July Crisis" ensued, and we all know what happened next. The end result was, one hundred years ago, a nasty sequence of events:

  • July 28 - Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
  • July 29 - Russia ordered partial mobilization in support of Serbia.
  • July 30 - Germany fully mobilized, and demanded Russia demobilize within 12 hours or face war. Russia said it was willing to negotiate terms of a demobilization. Germany refused to negotiate.
  • August 1 - Germany declared war on Russia.
  • August 2 - Germany attacked Luxemburg.
  • August 3 - Germany declared war on France.
  • August 4 - Belgium, vowing neutrality, refuses to allow German troops to pass through Belgium en route to France. Germany declares war on Belgium. Britain declares war on Germany. 

Not the best environment for a birthday party. And the icing on the birthday cake: August 12, on Alexei’s actual birthday, the world presented him with the start of the Serbian campaign, as Austria-Hungary crossed the Dvina into Serbia.

It was all downhill from there.

The last known photograph of Alexei and his sister Olga, en route to Yekaterinburg

 

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955