Alexander III

[Marc]

Are there any more pictures of her?

[Svetabel]

Yes, Marc, there is one more pic of Maria Elimovna  .
Here she is in a fancy-dress (sphinx or an Egyptian Princess ? ).

[Marc]

Thank you Svetabel,she really was beautiful!Does anybody know was her marriage to Demidov's aranged or not?

[Svetabel]

The marriage was arranged by Maria's grandmother.

[Hellfire]

Hello,

I was reading a book(can't remember right now) but it said that Alex III was much close to Sergei than all of his brothers.  But sergei was more close to Pavel.  what happened to Vladimir and Alexei were they close and why was Alexx III more close to Sergei when obviously different in character.  as well what did the other brothers say.  

Thanks

[Caleb]

I've read that also Alexander III was closest to his brother Nicholas.

[grandduchessella]

Hello,

what happened to Vladimir and Alexei were they close and why was Alexx III more close to Sergei when obviously different in character.

I think I read in either The Romanovs or Romanov Autumn that strains began between AIII and Vladimir a) because Vladimir had come very close to the throne and b) their wives didn't like each other at all.

When Nixa died, AIII was next in line. However, he was in love with (I can't spell her name) and contemplated renouncing his rights in order to marry her. This would've made Vladimir Czar after their father. (This had been done with Nicholas I's older brother Constantine who stepped aside). Apparently the thought of how close to power he'd come gnawed at Vladimir.

Minny and Miechen were very different personalities and both had their own cliques within St Petersburg society. This further alienated the brothers.

Also the decision by AIII to limit the title of Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to children & grandchildren of the Tsar didn't sit well with Vladimir. It meant that his grandchildren (who otherwise would've been 'Grands') would be 'just' Princes and Princesses. This loss of prestige would also be accompanied by loss of income that was due to Grand Dukes/Duchesses. While some accepted this well, the Vladimirs didn't.

Had they lived to see it, I doubt the irony of Cyril elevating his children (born Princesses and Prince) to the higher ranks, would've been lost on any of them.

[Svetabel]

Alexander was very close to his brother Nikolay, who died young, and actually Alexander never was so close to other brothers.  He felt sorry for Sergey's childlessness and problems with health but the same time considered him a snob and not very wise person as a politician ("don't play the Tsar" wrote once AIII to Sergey...)

[ilyala]

it's interesting that alexander considered giving up his throne for a woman... i understand he and minnie had a very good marriage despite the fact that they weren't meant to marry in the first place

[Hellfire]

Thanks everybody for your comments they are real interesting i also read in "Camera and the Tsars" that Vladimir aspired to the throne but because AIII still kept it he became angry; that and the fact that both wives were at war well just added more fuel to the fire.  There was story i read about Meichen always giving parties when MF was not around in the Maryinsky (i could be wrong) and one time MF left and when Meichen was preparing for the party when MF without warning arrived soon from TS and ordered that her place as well be put when Meichen entered and saw 2 sets ready she was astonished.  (Plz can someone elaborate more on this).  What really happened? and what did Meichen do when she saw MF place set as well?  

Back to AIII and Sergei that is new info for me being that he only was sympathetic to Sergei because of his childlessness and illness (by the way hearing that for the 1st time i did not know he was sickly) and especially that piece where he said "don't play the Tsar"  plz can anyone post the entire letter.  Do letters still exsit where he wrote to Sergei if yes plz can anyone post them or send them to my address here in the forum i would be most grateful.  

Another question would be if MF was close to Ella or did they have an amicable relationship?  Are there picture's of them together or at family functions or with the brothers?  I have seen pitures of AIII with Sergei and Ella but none of Ella and MF or MF with Sergei.  Come to think about it i have not seen any picture of MF with any of her brother-in-laws or sister-in-laws.

Thanks

[Svetabel]

Alexander really sympathized with Sergey's childlessness - quite a natural feeling. Sergey had problems with his spine - he had to wear an orthopedic corset and that's why he looked unflexible  arrogant person.

I think  that words "don't play the Tsar" are not from a letter but a telegram once sent to Sergey when he had been appointed Governor-General of Moscow.

I think MF and Ella was never close, they just had good relations.

Actually I've never seen a photo of MF and Sergey  together (only in some group photos ). There is a photo of AIII, Sergey,Ella and Mikhail, youngest son of AIII, it had been posted on some thread (I think somewhere on "Ella"s threads).

[Jim_Wilhelm]

All:

Some accounts of the cause of AIII's death have attributed it to some kind of kidney condition. I've read "nephritis" which simply means inflammation of the kidney(s). For this to lead to a person's death, today that would be called ESRD or End Stage Renal Disease (the thing you have dialysis for). Some accounts have it that the condition was caused by the time when AIII and his family were in some sort of train wreck and AIII literally lifted the roof of a wrecked train car off himself and his family. No small feat indeed but not the kind of thing that injures the kidneys or leads to ESRD. There's no way that particular one-time exertion could have caused kidney damage that eventually would kill him. Damage to other areas of the body, certainly, but not likely to the kidneys. Does anyone have any other more plausible information as to the cause of death of AIII? Maybe it was ESRD but not caused by a one-time heavy lift. Please advise. Thank you. :-/

Jim Wilhelm
Albuquerque, NM USA

[Svetabel]

All:

Some accounts of the cause of AIII's death have attributed it to some kind of kidney condition. I've read "nephritis" which simply means inflammation of the kidney(s). For this to lead to a person's death, today that would be called ESRD or End Stage Renal Disease (the thing you have dialysis for). Some accounts have it that the condition was caused by the time when AIII and his family were in some sort of train wreck and AIII literally lifted the roof of a wrecked train car off himself and his family. No small feat indeed but not the kind of thing that injures the kidneys or leads to ESRD. There's no way that particular one-time exertion could have caused kidney damage that eventually would kill him. Damage to other areas of the body, certainly, but not likely to the kidneys. Does anyone have any other more plausible information as to the cause of death of AIII? Maybe it was ESRD but not caused by a one-time heavy lift. Please advise.

I am a great admirer of Alexander III and have many books on him and his family. And you know I always think that the train wreck as the reason of the kidneys desease sounds strange. The Soviet historians accused Alexander as a heavy drunkard and considered that he died becouse of too much drinking during his life. This myth had been debunk in the 1990s. After that the russian historians jumped at the idea of the train wreck as the reason of Alexander's bad health and early death. :-/ He really died becouse of the problems with the kidneys  but what was the real reason...I wish we knew...

[Belochka]

The Soviet historians accused Alexander as a heavy drunkard and considered that he died becouse of too much drinking during his life. This myth had been debunk in the 1990s.

You are correct Svetabel, Alexander III was not an alcoholic that soviet and Western authors have painted him out to be. It was soviet disinformation, which captivated the imagination of many.

The autopsy report did not identify hepatic disease as would have been expected from an individual who consumed alcohol as was alleged.

[Tania]

[size=10]Jim,
As I have shared in the AP Forum of public notices, I have ESRD, also known as End Stage Renal Disease. But, ESRD is not caused by alcohol excesses only. It is caused by many issues. One of these medical issues are those who drink heavily. [Alcholism is also known as a disease] But other issues are caused by added diseases, cancer, etc., diabetis. But if one really wishes to find extensive understanding, one can go to google, and put in ESRD in the search area, and it will give a number of understandings in depth. In my case it was caused by physicians not paying close attention to the drugs they gave me, and thus my ending up for a bit over three years on dialysis. Usually nowdays, there are only two ways off of dialysis. One, staying on dialysis till life terminates, or a transplant, if blood and tissues are a match. Other than that nobody leaves dialysis. Hope this helps a little.
Tatiana+[/size]

All:

Some accounts of the cause of AIII's death have attributed it to some kind of kidney condition. I've read "nephritis" which simply means inflammation of the kidney(s). For this to lead to a person's death, today that would be called ESRD or End Stage Renal Disease (the thing you have dialysis for). Some accounts have it that the condition was caused by the time when AIII and his family were in some sort of train wreck and AIII literally lifted the roof of a wrecked train car off himself and his family. No small feat indeed but not the kind of thing that injures the kidneys or leads to ESRD. There's no way that particular one-time exertion could have caused kidney damage that eventually would kill him. Damage to other areas of the body, certainly, but not likely to the kidneys. Does anyone have any other more plausible information as to the cause of death of AIII? Maybe it was ESRD but not caused by a one-time heavy lift. Please advise. Thank you. :-/

Jim Wilhelm
Albuquerque, NM USA