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Alexander III of Russia

Anichkov Palace, 10 Mar 1845 – Livadia Palace, 1 Nov 1894

16 facts3 sources

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About Alexander III

Alexander III of Russia: Conservative Emperor and Head of the Romanov House

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Alexander III’s probable birth in 1845 at Anichkov Palace and his probable death in 1894 at Livadia Palace. He was the son of Alexander II of Russia and Maria Alexandrovna, and his union was with Maria Feodorovna, also identified as Dagmar of Denmark. 12345

Alexander III held the title Emperor of all the Russias from 1881 to 1894. The collection also identifies him as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland, while his coronation took place in 1883. He was additionally recorded as head of the House of Romanov. 678910

The collection characterizes Alexander III’s domestic government as strongly reactionary. It reports that he reversed some of the liberal reforms introduced by his father, Alexander II, describing this policy as a program of “counter-reforms.” 11

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born10 Mar 1845, Anichkov Palacenot verified1 source
  • MarriedMaria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)not verified1 source
  • TitleGrand Duke of Finlandor Emperor of all the Russias, 1881–1894 · King of Poland · member of the State Council of the Russian Empire · Head of the House of Romanovnot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Polandor Emperor of all the Russias, 1881–1894 · Grand Duke of Finland · member of the State Council of the Russian Empire · Head of the House of Romanovnot verified1 source
  • Titlemember of the State Council of the Russian Empireor Emperor of all the Russias, 1881–1894 · Grand Duke of Finland · King of Poland · Head of the House of Romanovnot verified1 source
  • TitleHead of the House of Romanovor Emperor of all the Russias, 1881–1894 · Grand Duke of Finland · King of Poland · member of the State Council of the Russian Empirenot verified1 source
  • TitleEmperor of all the Russias, 1881–1894or Grand Duke of Finland · King of Poland · member of the State Council of the Russian Empire · Head of the House of Romanovnot verified1 source
  • EventTenth Russo-Turkish Waror coronation, 1883not verified1 source
  • EventCoronation, 1883or Tenth Russo-Turkish Warnot verified1 source
  • Died1 Nov 1894, Livadia Palacenot verified1 source
  • MotherMaria Alexandrovna of Russia (Marie of Hesse)not verified1 source
  • FatherAlexander II of Russianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 10 Mar 1845

    Born in Anichkov Palace

  2. 1868–1882

    6 children are born

  3. 1881–1894

    Emperor of all the Russias

  4. 1883

    Coronation

  5. 1 Nov 1894

    Dies in Livadia Palace, aged 49

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Anichkov Palace.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1840s · Alexander III is born in Anichkov Palace

In the news1848

Cholera and Crop Failures in 1848

In 1848, a major cholera epidemic, coupled with a bad harvest and dry weather that caused widespread town fires, severely disrupted the lives of the agrarian population.

Getting around

Four-day coach journeys between capitals

Traveling between St. Petersburg and Moscow by stagecoach took four days of constant travel before the railway was completed.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Daily life

Peasant cooking methods and meat consumption

In the first half of the 19th century, food was prepared in the Russian oven using clay pots, and occasionally metal cast iron pots, to preserve heat. Peasants typically ate meat only on rare occasions like Christmas or Easter due to poverty and religious fasts.

What people wore

A single lifetime festive outfit

Peasants often prepared one high-quality outfit in their youth that was kept for their entire lives to be worn only on the most important feast days.

Music

Traditional khorovod dances and reed instruments

In the Kursk region, women performed traditional round dances called khorovod or karagod while singing and playing kuvichki, a set of pan-flute pipes made of reeds of varying lengths.

At the table

Staple Foods of Ordinary Russian Families

Ordinary families primarily ate rye bread and various porridges, with cabbage soup known as shchi being a staple dish served year-round. Meat was a rare luxury for the poor, typically reserved for major holidays like Christmas and Easter, while fish and vegetables were more accessible.