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Alexander II of Russia

Also known as Alexander the Liberator (epithet)

Small Nicholas Palace, 29 Apr 1818 – Winter Palace, 13 Mar 1881

16 facts3 sources

Animated by AI

About Alexander II

Alexander II of Russia: The Liberator

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Alexander II’s probable birth in 1818 at the Small Nicholas Palace and his probable death in 1881 at the Winter Palace. He was the son of Nicholas I of Russia and Alexandra Feodorovna. He became Emperor of all the Russias and ruled from 1855 until 1881. 12345

Alexander II is remembered as “Alexander the Liberator” because his Edict of Emancipation officially abolished serfdom in Russia in 1861. He succeeded his father Nicholas I and held the office of member of the State Council of the Russian Empire. 637

An assassination attempt targeted Alexander II in 1867. The collection’s summary records his assassination in 1881 and his succession by his son Alexander III. 896

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

  • Born29 Apr 1818, Small Nicholas Palacenot verified1 source
  • Titlemember of the State Council of the Russian Empireor Emperor of all the Russias, 1855–1881not verified1 source
  • TitleEmperor of all the Russias, 1855–1881or member of the State Council of the Russian Empirenot verified1 source
  • EventAssassination attempt on Alexander II on May 25, 1867or Decembrist revolt · Crimean War · assassination of Alexander II of Russia · Tenth Russo-Turkish Warnot verified1 source
  • EventAssassination of Alexander II of Russiaor Decembrist revolt · Crimean War · Tenth Russo-Turkish War · assassination attempt on Alexander II on May 25, 1867not verified1 source
  • EventDecembrist revoltor Crimean War · assassination of Alexander II of Russia · Tenth Russo-Turkish War · assassination attempt on Alexander II on May 25, 1867not verified1 source
  • EventCrimean Waror Decembrist revolt · assassination of Alexander II of Russia · Tenth Russo-Turkish War · assassination attempt on Alexander II on May 25, 1867not verified1 source
  • EventTenth Russo-Turkish Waror Decembrist revolt · Crimean War · assassination of Alexander II of Russia · assassination attempt on Alexander II on May 25, 1867not verified1 source
  • Died13 Mar 1881, Winter Palacenot verified1 source
  • MotherAlexandra Feodorovnanot verified1 source
  • FatherNicholas I of Russianot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 29 Apr 1818

    Born in Small Nicholas Palace

  2. 1842–1878

    14 children are born

  3. 1855–1881

    Emperor of all the Russias

  4. 13 Mar 1881

    Dies in Winter Palace, aged 62

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 15

During his lifetime

He lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Small Nicholas Palace.

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

The 1810s · Alexander II is born in Small Nicholas Palace

In the news1810

Military Colonies Established in 1810

Military colonies were created in 1810, aiming to combine army life with agricultural labor, which essentially turned the peasants' daily existence into a structured, barracks-like routine.

Getting around

Travel by horse-drawn relay transport

Between 1800 and 1824, ordinary people traveled between towns primarily using horse-drawn carriages, wagons, or sledges, often relying on the state-run relay system to secure fresh horses at designated postal stations. Travelers were required to carry an official permit called a podorozhnaya to document their route and status at these stations.

At the table

Rye bread and cabbage soup staple

Ordinary families relied heavily on rye bread and shchi, a cabbage soup that was a dietary staple and was often made with sour, fermented grey cabbage.

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.In Europe · 1803–1815

The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s armies redrew the map of Europe from Spain to Moscow; his invasion of Portugal sent its court to Rio de Janeiro.

Ruedi33a · CC BY-SA 4.0

What people wore

Protective patches in peasant shirts

Peasant women stitched scarlet calico patches into the armpits of their linen shirts, serving as both decoration and an amulet to protect the body from unclean forces.

Music

Improvised percussion for fast folk dances

During fast-paced dances known as pliaska, performers often used improvised percussion instruments, including wooden spoons, metal pots, or even farm scythes to keep the rhythm.

Daily life

Children's home education

Many merchant and commoner children were educated at home by local sextons or clerks, with the Psalter and Book of Hours serving as their primary textbooks. Formal schooling remained rare for these groups, as even many noble children relied on varied levels of home instruction.