Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovitch

[Namarolf]

I've read GD Aleksey Aleksandrovich's only son (perhaps a legitimate one) was shot by the Bolsheviks in 1930-32. Does anyone knows more about his life and death? Even if he was not a GD or a prince, I wonder why he is never counted among the family members killed by the Communists. I also wonder about what happened to his children and grandchildren (he had a few) and where they may be now.

[Thierry]

Dear Namarolf,

In fact there is no legal proof that Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovitch did marry Alexandra Zhukovskya. That is the reason why his son never appeared among the family members killed by the Bolsheviks, unlike Prince Paley.

About his descendance, I must check in my books, but I do not have them at hand now. I will come to you later again.

[Thierry]

OK, I am back.

In his book "Descendances naturelles des souverains et grands-ducs de Russie de 1762 à 1910" (Paris, 1995), Jacques Ferrand says that a matrimonial union is not to be believed. But the boy, named Alexei, who was born from the love between Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovitch and Alexandra Vassilievna (who had been a maid-of-honor to Empress Maria Alexandrovna) was titled on March 21, 1884 (I do not know if it is O.S. or N.S.) by Imperial Ukaze "Count Belewsky-Joukovsky".
He married twice. From his first marriage with Princess Maria Petrovna Troubetzkoy (1872-1954), he got four children :
1. Elisabeth (1896-1975). Married twice, two children, two grand-children.
2. Alexandra (1899-?). Married twice, without children.
3. Maria (1901-1996). Married twice, one daughter.
4. Serge (1904-1953). Married, one daughter, three grand-children, two great-grand-children.

Most seem to live in the USA.

[Almedingen]

I wonder how much notice his father and the rest of the Romanov family took of him.  It is interesting that he was married at Ilinskoye.

[Charles]

Aleksei Alekseevich Belevskii-Zhukovskii is rarely mentioned in the many Romanov memoirs and other contemporary sources.  I have also never seen any photographs with him and other members of the imperial family.  It is a hunch, but I imagine the ties between the Belevskii-Zhukovskiis and the Romanovs were thin.  However, I would be interested in learning more if others know more.

Charles

[Martyn]

In his book "The Romanovs 1818 - 1959" John Van Der Kiste states that Count Alexis Belevsky-Zhukhovsky had been appointed as an aide-de-camp by his uncle Grand Duke Serge, while the latter was Governor-General of Moscow.
Moreover, Serge and Ella were godfather and godmother to Alexis' son and daughter respectively.  John Van Der Kiste also says that on 3/16 Feb 1905 Serge, having received letters that threatened his life, begged Countess Belevsky-Zhukhovsky  to persuade her husband not to come on duty in attendance on him the following day.  Serge was not afraid of what might happen to himself but was not prepared to expose Alexis to danger, as he had a young family.  Sadly, Serge was correct to heed the warnings but paid the ultimate price nevertheless.
It would seem therefore that Alexis Belevsky-Zhukhovsky  and his family were fairly intimate with Serge and Ella; for Serge to attempt to protect Alexis in this fashion would seem to indicate not only the sensitivity of Serge, but also the regard that he felt for Alexis and his family.
I would very much like to know more about Alexis and what befell him after the revolution.  Can anyone help?

[cimbrio]

Just trying to re-surface some posts some of you may find interesting (so we don't create new ones because we're too lazy to search for them or don't know how to search for them )

Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovich, father of Alexis Alexeievich Belevsky-Zhukovsky. Did he ever marry his son's mother?

[Svetabel]

Grand Duke Alexey never married Alexandra Zhukovskaya. He wanted marry her bur the Imperial family (his father and mother) were against such an act.

[YaBB_Jose]

He is the less known of Tsar Alexander II's sons.

I know he made a morganatic marriage to Alexandra Zukovski, the daughter of a poet, when he was just 20.

Was he banished from court ? What did he do ?
Are there any pictures of Alexandra and him ?
Did they have a happy married life ?
I couldn't find any mention to children.

[Sainte-Claire1875]

Hi Jose. I was confused about Alexis Alexandrovich myself, as I had heard of him being one of the brothers of Alexander III, but when I was looking at the family tree a couple weeks ago in one of my books, his name wasn't even on the family tree. In that very book he had been mentioned, but he wasn't even on the family tree. If that is the case, then perhaps he was banished? I have heard of royals being banished and 'wiped from the records' so-to-speak. But I'm afraid that's all the information I can give, and it's really not much help to you, I'm sure. If I find anything to help, I'll be sure to let you know.  

[Linnea]

Here´s a picture of his son, also named Alexis

[Svetabel]

GD Alexey had been discussed on some threads of our Forums. Anyway I can answer your questions.
He really was in love with Alexandra Zhukovskaya (btw, a great friend of Princess Maria Mescherskaya, first deep love of Alexander III) and they had a son Alexey, later known as Count Belevskiy-Zhukovskiy. I've never seen any picture of GD Alexey and Alexandra together - and I am seriously doubt that such photos existed.
GD Alexey was not banished from the court or kicked out from Russia, but Alexander II, his father, gave him a good scolding and sent Alexey to a world cruise (Alexey would become a favourite of high-society women in New York).
As for morganatic marriage between Alexey and Alexandra till now this question has been a subject of discussing...though many historians think that the marriage took place.

[grandduchessella]

He made a very well-publicized trip to Louisiana (being Grand Marshal of the Mardi Gras parade) and the West, posing with Buffalo Bill. He was apparently quite the hit. In the movie Maverick (with Mel Gibson) the Russian Grand Duke shown out in the West is based (loosely) on Alexis.

C. Zeepvatt wrote an article about him (it's also in Romanov Autumn) called 'Fast Women and Slow Ships'. He spent a good deal of time in Paris and had a correspondence with his father's widow Catherine--he seemed to get along with her better than most and acted a bit as a liaison betwen her and Alexander III.

[YaBB_Jose]

I never saw that movie.

But one of Lucky Luke's books is about the visit to the USA of a Russian Grand-Duke  
May be he left such a hard impression that he is still remebered there.

[David_Pritchard]

Paraphrased from Burke's Royal Families of the World, Volume I:

Aleksei Aleksandrovich, born at Saint Petersburg 14 January 1850; died unmarried* at Paris 27 November 1908.

*The Grand Duke Aleksei Aleksandrovich is alleged to have contracted a marriage in Italy in 1870 with Alexandra (born at Dusseldorf 11 November 1842; died 1899), daughter of the celebrated poet Vassili Zhukovsky, by his wife Elisabeth von Reutern. The marriage, if it took place, was never recognised; and is said to have been annulled. There was however, one son of the union, Count Aleksei Aleksandrovich Believskoy-Zhukovsky, who married twice and left descendants.

According to Paul Theroff's Online Gotha the son, Count Believskoy-Zhukovsky was murdered by the Communists like so many of the Romanov descendants. His entry and that of his daughter is as follows:

1h) Ct Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky (Salzburg 26 Nov 1871, k.by Soviets in the Caucasus 1930/2); m.1st Ilyinskoye 29 Aug1894 (div) Pss Maria Troubetskoya (Elezavetino 18 Jun 1872-Paris 20 Mar 1954); m.2d Bss Nathalie Schöpping
 
1i) Css Elisabeth Belevsky-Zhukovsky (Moscow 8 Sep 1896-Princeton, NJ 30 Jul 1975); m.1st Moscow Jan 1917 Peter Perevostchikov (Moscow 8 Mar 1872-Florence 28 Jun 1937); m.2d Jul 1939 Arthur Lourie (St.Petersburg 14 May 1892-Princeton NJ 13 Nov 1966)