Although tsarevich Alexis was too young to serve as an officer in the Army (during the war he “served” as a private and was later “promoted” to the rank of corporal) he nevertheless was named chief of many regiments and other military units and establishments (with the lowest officer’s rank of sub-lieutenant). The russian word is ‘‘shef ’’. Honorary colonel or colonel-in-chief would be a more appropriate translation than commander-in-chief (used for a whole Army).
On the day he was born, he was named Ataman, or hetman, of all Cossack Troops (ataman is a title for a Cossack military chief ). In the tsarevich’s case it was an honorary post which had been held by every Heir to the Throne since Nicholas I had created it for his eldest son Alexander (future Alexander II).
On the same day (07-30-1904 Old Style) Nicholas II also named his son Chief (colonel-in-chief) of the following regiments:
- Atamansky (Cossack Cavalry) Guards Regiment of His Imperial Highness the Heir Tsesarevich (by tradition, as Ataman of all Cossacks, the Heir to the Throne was always named chief of this regiment which he only kept until he became emperor);
- Finlandsky (Infantry) Guards Regiment;
- 51st Litovsky Infantry Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (not to be mistaken for the Litovsky Guards Regiment);
- 12th Siberian Rifle Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich.
At the same time he was enrolled in all regiments of which his father, mother and grand-mother were Colonel-in-Chief at the time.
As he grew up, his father the Emperor named him chief of more military units and establishments. The last official list, published by His Majesty’s Military Chancellery for 1917, names the following (listed by dates of regimental/school holiday). Sadly enough, that year, the February Revolution broke out and the Tsarevich was deprived of his title of Chief of regiments before any of them would celebrate their holiday.
When I could find them, I added the dates (old style) on which he was named chief:
- Konstantinovsky Artillery School;
- 1st Nerchinsky Trans-Baikal Cossack Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (during the War);
- 1st Trans-Baikal Cossack (Artillery) Battery of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (on 05-06-1910, his father’s birthday);
- 12th Siberian Rifle Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (07-30-1904);
- 1st Orenburgsky Cossack Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (during the War I think);
- 14th Gruzinsky Grenadier Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (somewhere between 1910-1914);
- 89th Belomorsky Infantry Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (during the War);
- Horse-Grenadier Guards Regiment (06-13-1910);
- 5th Kievsky Grenadier Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (somewhere between 1910-1914);
- 43rd (later16th ) Tversky Dragoon Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (on his 3rd birthday: 07-30-1907);
- 1st Volgsky Terek Cossack Regiment of H.I. H. the Heir Tsesarevich (06-1916);
- 2nd Don Cossack Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (during the War I think);
- Tashkent Cadet Corps of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (on 10-05-1904, his namesday);
- 3rd Kuban Plastun (Cossack Infantry) Batalion of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (04-19-1915);
- Alexis Military School (02-02-1906) formerly known as the Moscow Military School;
- Naval (Cadet) Corps (Morskoi Korpus) of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (11-08-1914);
- Moskovsky (Infantry) Guards Regiment (on 11-08-1910, the regimental holiday);
- 206th Saliansky Infantry Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (also for his 3rd birthday);
- Novocherkassk Cossack Military School;
- Atamansky (Cossack Cavalry) Guards Regiment of H. I. H. the Heir Tsesarevich (07-30-1904);
- 4th Guards Horse Artillery Battery of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (01-25-1906);
- 51st Litovsky Infantry Regiment of H.I.H. the Heir Tsesarevich (07-30-1904);
- Finlandsky (Infantry) Guards Regiment (07-30-1904).
I might add that during the war a military hospital was opened in the Winter Palace and named after him.
Only the regiments and units known as His Imperial Highness’ Own (which I have indicated according to their official Russian name as “of H. I. H. the Heir Tsesarevich”) or named after him were entitled to wear his monogram on their epaulettes and shoulder boards. Oddly enough the Atamansky Regiment didn’t wear his monogram, perhaps because it was obvious it was “his”.
Tsarevich Alexis was also "2nd Chief" of the 2nd Pavlogradsky Leib-Hussar Regiment and he was enrolled in at least 36 other regiments or military units along with 4 military and cadet schools (most of which had his father, mother, or grand-mother as Chief). This entitled him to wear these regiments’ uniforms, which he sometimes did (or at least was photographed in). Although being “shef” was purely a honorary position, he took his duties quite seriously, learning about the regimental histories, receiving delegations from his regiments, usually on his birthday and regimental holidays, and attending military functions from a very young age. (For instance, as a painting by Boris Kustodiev shows, on December 12, 1905, still only a baby, he was presented to “his” Finlandsky Infantry Guards Regiment and reviewed it in the arms of his father. Later, many (if not all) these regiments had miniature uniforms made and presented to him. Some survived and can be seen in museums and exhibitions. He wore them at military parades and on special occasions.
