Emperor Pavel - life and tragic end

[lori_c]

Agreed.  All the "reforms" simply were simply unpopular w/the wrong people.  But, I think Paul misses out on being credited on all those points you cited.  Especially describing him as "enlightened".  Which you don't often see ascribed w/him but imo it is true.  How much Russia would have benefited had he been allowed to reign in his entiretly, do you feel?

[Robert_Hall]

Well now, Paul  did have an awful lot of opposition did he not?  How far could he have gone? He was also rather erratic so would he have been consistent in his endeavors? Although he did have a small coterie of loyalists, would they have been enough to inspire the resistance to Napoleon?  Would he have been a dependable ally ? His affinity with Rome would certainly have alienated the Russian church...
Who knows ?

[lori_c]

True enough.  Although his erratic behaviour perhaps would have become more consistent had he felt secure in his position.  As a dependable ally, IMO he was a loyal man.  The problem is who would he have allied himself with?  Would it have been Prussia, as Peter III did?  I suppose in a way it was better w/Alexander I in power as far as Napoleon goes.  It worked out better for Russia, certainly. 

[Romanov_fan]

I don't doubt some of his policies were good, but they don't really get mentioned in books. They ought to. Maybe one of the reasons that Paul is mentioned badly in books about his mother is because it doesn't usually focus on his own reign but rather on personal qualities that maybe are exaggerated.His policies were unpopular, and if they had not been, he would have survived longer. I think his military policy had much to do with Prussian style military reforms which were silly, and that harked back to Peter III. They were not important reforms, they just made him look silly and they were not very popular. Also, venerating Peter III's memory as he did wasn't in good taste, etc.

[Romanov_fan]

I recently read the biography on Tsar Paul I by Roderick McGrew, I really enjoyed reading the life of this obscure Tsar. It was interesting to learn about the life of Catherine the Greats son, her bad relationship with him, his upbringing, passion for the military, marriage, love affairs, harsh short reign and then his ultimate cruel demise.

Its hard to find books on him though, I was lucky enough to find the McGrew biography in a booksale.

Now that I remember, this is the one I read as well. I don't think it's rare, but I don't know if many have heard of it. I thought it was interesting because it was a biography of him, but that it was a largely factual one, that just told you the facts. After reading it, I think someone should write a more up to date biography of him, because this one isn't well known, and there really needs to be a better source than biographies of his mother that only tell you the bad side of him. After reading that book, my one thought was that there was much about his life that was not widely known. Has anyone else read this book, and if so, what do you think?

[ALEXEI_P]

Has anyone seen the film (2003) Russian film  "Bedny, bedny Pavel" ("Poor,poor Paul") with Viktor Sukhorov?.  It's availible with Russian audio and English subtitles.  I just saw it and can reccomend it. 

It was beautifully shot on locations in and around St. Petersburg, including Gatchina, Pavlovsk, the Great Catherine palaces and the Mikhailovsky Castle.  Worth seeing in my opinion.

Alexei

[Svetabel]

Has anyone seen the film (2003) Russian film  "Bedny, bedny Pavel" ("Poor,poor Paul") with Viktor Sukhorov?.  It's availible with Russian audio and English subtitles.  I just saw it and can reccomend it. 

It was beautifully shot on locations in and around St. Petersburg, including Gatchina, Pavlovsk, the Great Catherine palaces and the Mikhailovsky Castle.  Worth seeing in my opinion.

Alexei

One of the very good movies on a Russian Emperor. Viktor Suhorukov did his best.

[Robert_Hall]

I agree wholeheartedly.  The building of his "castle" alone is worth the watch.

[Geglov2-3]

http://pushkin-history.info/fotoalbom-old-1-/4280.html

Ìîíóìåíò Ï� âë�  I âî äâîðå Èíæåíåðíîãî ç� ìê�  â ÑÏá.
Monument of Paul I in a court yard of the Engineering lock in SPb.

[Geglov2-3]

Ê� êèå ñò� òóè ñòîÿò í�  Ê� ìåðîíîâîé ã� ëåðåè? Ìîæåò èõ ñíÿëè âî âðåìåí�  Èìïåð� òîð�  Ï� âë�  I, �  ó í� ñ óæå 2-å êîïèè?
What statues cost on Kameronovoy galleries? Can them have removed in days of Emperor of Paul I, and at us already 2 copies?

http://pushkin-history.info/fotoalbom-old-1-/4285.html

[ivanushka]

I'm sure I've heard this quote attributed to Tsar Paul too, though I can't remember where.

[Vasaborg]

The last words of Paul I were "Gentlemen, in heaven's name spare me........... Give me time to say my prayers".

[Alixz]

Actually it sounds more like something that Nicholas I would have said.

I, also, have heard it, but can't remember who said it.

Or even Franz Joseph of Austria.

I've been doing so much "over reading" (where the royal households meet and cross paths) that I have a lot of stuff floating around me, but I'll try to pin it down.

[Romanov_Fan19]

How did his murder come to pass    like give me the run up the key players Reasons basically a Timetable   if that isntto much trouble.
Thanks in Advance

[LisaDavidson]

Please refer to the Alexander Palace Time Machine. I wrote a biography of Paul that is still posted there under "Palace Biographies". Sorry, we don't take orders here on the Forum. There is a great deal of material on Paul and a reasonable amount on his assassination in print, both in books and on the web.

Briefly, Paul was killed by a conspiracy of the nobility and with some complicity of members of the Imperial Family. He was known to be mentally unstable.