Georgi Alexandrovich Romanov

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Georgi Alexandrovich Romanov (1892)

Grand Duke Georgy (Yuri) Alexandrovich ( Russian Георгий Александрович Романов ., Scientific transliteration Georgi Romanov Alexandrovič * April 27 jul. / 9. May  1871 greg. In Tsarskoye Selo , † June 28 jul. / 10. July  1899 greg. In near Abastumani ) was a member of the House of Romanow-Holstein-Gottorp . He was the third son of Tsar Alexander III. and Tsarina Maria Feodorovna .

Childhood and youth

Georgi, sitting on his mother's lap, with his parents and siblings Nikolaus and Xenija (1878)

The Grand Duke was named after his mother's brother, King George I of Greece . Together with his siblings Nikolaus (1868-1918), Xenija (1875-1960), Michail (1878-1918) and Olga (1882-1960) Georgi grew up in a very loving and harmonious environment. Before his father's accession to the throne, the family lived mostly in the Anichkov Palace in Saint Petersburg . The parents attached great importance to a domestic upbringing characterized by simplicity and modesty. The children slept on camp beds and took a cold bath in the morning. Breakfast usually consisted of porridge and black bread, while lunch consisted of mutton chops or roast beef with vegetables. For tea in the evening one ate bread with butter and jam. Sweets and cakes were rare. Georgi and his older brother Nikolaus owned a dining room, playroom and bedroom together. The rooms were very simply furnished. The only splendor were icons set with pearls and precious stones . As a child Georgi was healthier and stronger than his brother Nikolaus. Georgi was a typical Romanov, tall, handsome, with an inclination for fun. His mother had a soft spot for her son all her life.

On March 13, 1881, Georgi's grandfather Tsar Alexander II died in a bomb attack by the left-wing terrorist underground organization Narodnaya Volja . For security reasons, the family moved to the Gatchina Palace in the city of Gatchina , near Saint Petersburg. During this time, the children grew up largely isolated, with little contact with the outside world. The coronation of his parents took place on May 27, 1883 in Moscow's Cathedral of the Assumption . It was an impressive experience in the life of the young Grand Duke.

Education and health

The Tsar's family in 1888. Georgi on the far right in a sailor suit

Georgi was considered the smartest among his siblings. He and his brother Nikolaus were taught by the same teachers, but studied the subject matter in separate rooms. The English teacher Charles Heath, who had already taught her uncles Sergei and Pawel , exerted influence . He also brought them closer to the love of sport, especially fly fishing . Georgi learned to speak English fluently. He also spoke German, French and Danish. The latter because his mother was a native Danish. He suffered from tuberculosis since his youth . In 1890 he began his service in the Russian fleet , but soon had to give up because of the worsening of the disease.

The Tsar and Tsarina decided to send Nikolaus and Georgi on a world tour lasting several months. Georgi should travel as a midshipman and Nikolaus should broaden his horizons. In 1890/91 the brothers, accompanied by their cousin Georg of Greece , set out on a journey on board the armored frigate Pamjat Asowa . Tsarina Maria Feodorovna had never been separated from her children for so long and she missed them very much: “You cannot imagine how sad and difficult it is to be without you, my angel. And how terrible it hurts to think of this long separation. ” Nikolaus telegraphed his parents from Bombay that Georgi was staying on the ship because he had problems with his leg. Although Georgi assured his parents that he was fine, the news suddenly reached them that Georgi had a fever and would be coming home. The Tsarina was worried: “You can't imagine the torments I've been through the last few days. In spite of all the reasons ... I had to take things calmly and tell myself that ... it's just not this terrible malaria that comes with the air change. " Georgi did indeed suffer from acute bronchitis and was sent back to Athens , where he could be examined by the imperial doctors. He was visibly disappointed about the premature termination of the trip and Nikolaus lacked the company of his brother.

Years as heir to the throne

Georgi Alexandrovich Romanov (1889)

Alexander III died in 1894. and Nicholas followed him to the throne. From then on, Georgi was the official heir to the throne and was appointed ataman of all Cossack armies. Due to his health, Georgi stayed almost constantly on his high mountain estate in Abastumani in the Caucasus, where climatic conditions slowed the progression of tuberculosis. There he dealt mainly with astronomical observations. He was so sick that he could not attend his father's funeral. Nikolaus wrote to him: "... constantly pray to God to send you a speedy and complete recovery and to console you because after such a great grief it is much more difficult to be alone." Georgi also missed the baptisms of his nieces Olga and Tatiana . Shortly after the birth of Nikolaus third daughter Maria in June 1899, Georgi wrote to him: “I am terribly sad that I have not yet been able to see your daughters and get to know them, but what can I do! That means it is not my destiny and everything is the will of God. "

His mother often visited him on his estate. In 1895 they traveled to Denmark together. He hadn't seen his relatives in four years. His condition worsened again during the stay. "Yesterday in the garden he spat some blood ... that shocked me more than I can say - the surprise was so shocking because he has been doing so well these past few days. I'm pretty desperate that this had to happen, ” his mother wrote. He was then given strict bed rest until he was strong enough to travel to Abastumani. On his return he wrote to Nikolaus: “Of course it was nice to see the family again after four years, but it wasn't really good for me because I lost five pounds, which gave me difficulties in May and June. I'm also easily out of breath. So these are the results of my trip. Very annoying."

Death and legacy

On July 10, 1899, Georgi went for a walk on his motorcycle. When he did not return a few hours later, the house staff became concerned and began a search. When they found him, it was already too late. A peasant woman had found him lying on the side of the road. Blood oozed from his mouth and he kept collapsing trying to breathe. The farmer's wife held Georgi in her arms until he died.

Georgi (center) with his mother and siblings Michail and Olga in Borjomi , 1896

The news of the death of his brother reached Nikolaus by telegram. He was now entrusted with the difficult task of telling his mother everything. Empress Maria was devastated. She broke down and cried. The early death of the Grand Duke was also a great shock for the rest of the family. Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov , a relative of the Tsar wrote: "Everyone was thunderstruck about this sad and unexpected news." Even Queen Victoria awarded her deepest condolences.

On August 14, 1899, Georgi's body was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. His grave is near his father. Empress Mary did not cry during the service. She stood next to her daughter Xenija. When the coffin was placed in the grave, Maria Xenija looked wide-eyed and shouted: “Let's go home, let's go home! I can not take it anymore!"

Nicholas always remembered his brother and his sense of humor. He wrote Georgi's jokes on a piece of paper and carefully kept it in a box. After Georgi's death, the title of heir to the throne went to his younger brother Mikhail. This wore it until 1904, when Nikolaus' son Alexei was born. In 1910, Mikhail became the father of a son, whom he named after his late brother, Georgi . At the age of 20, he died in a car accident in France in 1931.

Web links

Commons : Georgi Alexandrowitsch Romanow  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia | Grand Duke George Alexandrovich Russia |. In: www.liquisearch.com. Retrieved May 5, 2016 .
  2. ^ Videos of the Palaces of the Romanov Dynasty - Abbas Tuman: Palace of Grand Duke George Alexandrovich. (No longer available online.) In: www.angelfire.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015 ; Retrieved May 5, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.angelfire.com