Nikolai Alexandrowitsch Romanow (1843–1865)
Nicholas Alexandrovich ( Russian Николай Александрович ., Scientific transliteration Nikolai Aleksandrovich , born September 8 jul. / 20th September 1843 greg. In Tsarskoye Selo , Pushkin today; † April 12 jul. / 24. April 1865 greg. In Nice ) was a Russian tsarevich .
Life
In the late summer of 1843, Grand Duke Nikolaus was born as the second child of Grand Duke Alexander and Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt in Tsarskoe Selo . Within the family, Nikolai was known as Nixa . In his affable manner he resembled his mother. His teachers, who prepared him for his future role as Tsar of Russia, continued to describe him as intelligent and human and saw in him the ideal man to head the Russian Empire.
With the death of his grandfather Tsar Nikolaus I. Pavlovich and his father's accession to the throne, Nikolaus became the new heir to the throne on March 2, 1855 as his eldest son. In order to bring him closer to the people, but also motivated by his own hard training, Alexander II sent his 17-year-old son on several journeys through the whole empire. These trips and the harsh climate made the Tsarevich very difficult. He increasingly complained of back pain. The doctors couldn't agree. Some said he injured his spine when he fell off his horse. The others in turn suspected a rheumatic disease. Without having made a precise diagnosis, he was advised to stay in the Dutch seaside resort of Scheveningen . Despite medication and massages , the pain worsened from day to day, so that Nikolaus could no longer stand upright. The doctors sent him to Nice for further treatment . When he got there in November 1863, he was only skin and bones and could hardly move. They were also diagnosed with tuberculosis .
Despite everything, it was hoped that his condition would improve soon. In the summer of 1864, his parents arranged to be engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark , daughter of the Danish King Christian IX. However, there was no longer a wedding. On his deathbed, Nicholas expressed the wish that Dagmar should marry his younger brother and soon-to-be Tsarevich Alexander . She later became Tsarina of Russia at his side under the name Maria Feodorovna .
Nikolaus stayed in Nice for treatment, where his mother now also settled. Desperate, she watched her favorite child's further course of illness. On the night of April 23rd to 24th, 1865, Nicholas suddenly died of meningitis . From Nice, his body was driven to Villefranche , from where it was brought to Saint Petersburg on board the Russian ship Alexander Newski and buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral .
The Tsar had a memorial set up at the place of death of the heir to the throne, Nicholas. From 1903 to 1913 a Russian Orthodox church was built nearby, which soon became a cathedral. The church is in a small park on the Boulevard du Tzarévitch .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Romanov, Nikolai Alexandrovich |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Николай Александрович (Russian); Nikolaj Aleksandrovič (scientific transliteration) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Tsarevich |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 20, 1843 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tsarskoye Selo |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 24, 1865 |
| Place of death | Nice |