Tsar Alexander III (1866).

The last months of 1865 were not a big deal for Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, who continued his economic projects.

Internally, Emperor Alexander II expanded the Zemstvos to the provinces of Voronezh, Kazan, Kaluga, Kostroma, Kursk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Poltava, Pskov, Ryazan, Samara, Saint Petersburg, Tambovskaya, Tverskaya, Tula, Kharkiv , Khersov, Chernigov and Yaroslavl.

And the Petrovskaya Academy of Agronomy and Forestry (ancestor of Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy) was opened in Moscow. Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich was particularly moved by this.

Like the opening of The Library of the Moscow Public Museum, Alexander Alexandrovich was there in Moscow to commemorate the event and distribute bread.

But also the Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov was there to render certain technical services, having personnel, certain knowledge and modern agricultural machinery that would serve the Academy.

The Petrovskaya Academy accepted and became one of the most advanced agronomy academies in the Russian Empire at the time.

The Tsesarevich could continue to buy more equipment and experts after his earnings, and on his land in Malorossiya there were already a small number of commoners trained in the use of agricultural machinery.

Historically the Russians attempted to form a line of communication between the east coast of the United States and Alaska through British Columbia, and through this the line would expand to the Russian Far East.

But it didn't work.

In investments, the Tsesarevich invested in the Finnish company Nokia, it is a bit surprising that the company was founded in 1865 ...

Internationally, King Leopold I of Belgium died, succeeded by Leopold II.

Maximilian I of Mexico continues his war against the Republicans.

And in the United States slavery was definitively abolished by the thirteenth amendment to the constitution.

*******

January-April, 1866.

The first months of 1866 seemed good, the Russian royal family was still discussing Tsesarevich Alexander's engagement with Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

At the international level, the Maronite-Lebanese Youssef Bey Karam defeated the Ottomans in a battle continuing his revolt against them.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is discussed in the United States, President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill on March 27, and Congress overrides the veto on April 9.

However on April 4 (16), the tragedy quickly returned to shake the Russian Empire.

*******

Dmitry Vladimirovich Karakozov had arrived in the city of Saint Petersburg in the spring, as soon as he arrived he secretly publishes a handwritten manifesto "Друзьям-рабочим" ("To Friends-Workers").

Karakozov is a minor member of the nobility of the Saratov province.

He graduated from Penza gymnasium in 1860. In 1861 he entered the law school of Kazan University, in October he was expelled for participating in student riots and exiled to his homeland.

In September 1863 he was again admitted to the University of Kazan.

In 1864 he transferred to the University of Moscow (in 1865 he was expelled for non-payment). At one point he lived in the village with his relatives and also worked as a clerk at the Serdobsky district magistrate

In 1865-1866 he joined the Ishutin Society / The Ishutinsky Circle, founded by his cousin Nikolai Andreyevich Ishutin in Moscow in 1863.

Among the Ishutin Society, Karakozov is part of the revolutionary area, which he believes is necessary terror to embolden the population against the "Evil King", "Evil Tsar" or "Villain King".

"I have long been tormented by the thought and given no rest by my doubts why my beloved simple Russian people has to suffer so much! ... Why next to the eternal simple peasant and labourer in his factory and workshop are there people who do nothing - idle nobles, a horde of officials and other wealthy people, all living in shining houses? I have looked for the reason for all this in books, and I have found it. The man really responsible is the Tsar. ... the Tsar is the first of the nobles. He never holds out his hand to the people because he is himself the people's worst enemy. "

- Karakozov, manifesto addressed to "Friends-Workers"

*******

Ossip Ivanovich Komissarov was one of the witnesses, a student maker (and in charge of sewing) of caps and hats, among the crowd of people in the Summer Garden, Dmitry Karakozov was advancing rapidly.

For a few moments Komissarov followed Karakozov, but the appearance of Emperor Alexander II had distracted Komissarov. Then Karakozov fired point-blank at Emperor Alexander II.

When the emperor's guards tried to attend to him and arrested Karakozov, Tsar Alexander II, the liberator, was already on the verge of death.

He died in the next two hours from the gunshot wound, the doctors tried to do everything they could, but it was not enough.

Commoners were in panic at the shooting, Karakozov was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

The churches were filled with people praying for the sovereign when the news of his speedy death had not yet been given.

*******

The Tsesarevich, now de facto Tsar, Alexander III had isolated himself after receiving the news from his father, he had then started to have a fit of anger.

He was supposed to have more time.

Some papers flew, some furniture broke, the Tsar had the build of a bear, big and strong. His first fit of anger was devastating in an office.

*******

Foreign dignitaries promptly sent their condolences to Tsar Alexander III. Russia mourned, two knights announced the death of Alexander II (a black knight with his sword down) and the rise of Alexander III (a knight in gold-looking armor with his sword up).

Ten days after the death of the emperor, he was buried (on April 26 in New Style).

The body of the emperor was exposed for relatives and members of the government, Orthodox and state symbols accompanied the room where the coffin was.

The city of Saint Petersburg was decorated in mourning, accompanied by regiments and artillery fire.

The Tsar was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg

Representation of the funeral of Peter I of Russia by an unknown artist. The mice burying the cat.

The coronation of the Tsars is quite an event, it is not only a symbolic event, it is a practical event in the Russian mentality, a spiritual union between the emperor and his people, a successful reign of a Tsar must have a coronation, it guarantees many years and a prosperous reign.

Or so they say.

Tsar Alexander III chose to be crowned relatively early, his procession on horseback to Moscow began on April 29, 1866.

Multiple squadrons of cavalry and bells accompanied him, as the rite declares, the Tsar stopped at the Chapel of Our Lady of Iveron, to revere the icon of the Blessed Virgin of Iveron.

After this Tsar Alexander III and his company had to rest until the next day, April 30.

Meanwhile heralds in medieval clothes read proclamations for "the good people of Our first capital." Fines were issued, prisoners were pardoned and three days of holiday were proclaimed.

Foreign dignitaries were received in Moscow (crowned monarchs were forbidden to observe the coronation), the Banner of State was consecrated and the imperial royalty was brought to the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin.

On the day of his coronation, Tsar Alexander III met on the Red Porch of the Moscow Kremlin Palace, accompanied by a total of 32 Russian generals and other agents. Accompanied by insignia (the Sword of State, the Banner of State, the State Seal, the Purple Robe for the Tsar, the Orb, the Scepter, the Small Imperial Crown and the Great Imperial Crown, all arranged in a strict order), the Tsar advanced towards the Cathedral of the Dormition.

Aides-de-camp to the Tsar, generals of the Suite and the Horse Guards troop lined up along the route, from the Red Porch to the cathedral. The Hof-Marshal, the Hof-Marshal in Chief and the Supreme Marshal, each with a mace joined the procession, which also boasted the War Minister, the Commander of the Imperial Residence, the Adjutant General of the Day, the orderly Major General of the Suite and the Commander of the Horse Guards regiment, among others.

At the gate the Tsar was received by the Orthodox prelates, among them the Metropolitan Bishop of Moscow. While being sprinkled with holy water the Tsar had to kiss a cross offered to him.

Once in the cathedral the Tsar worshiped the icons three times, to then go to the platform of the cathedral, with two thrones (the throne of Michael I and Ivan III).

Psalm 101 was sung, the Tsar recites the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed according to Eastern Orthodox usage, without the Filioque clause. Then the Tsar was given a book containing a prayer for him to read, following which the prelate pronounced a blessing upon him.

Hymns were recited and the scriptures from Isaiah 49: 13–19, Romans 13: 1–7 and Matthew 22: 15–22 were read.

The tsar was dressed in purple by the metropolitans of Saint Petersburg and Kiev, to be blessed twice by the person in charge of the ceremony.

Tsar Alexander III ordered the metropolitan to bring him the Imperial Crown, and thus he crowned himself. The Holy Trinity was invoked once for this, and it was invoked again when the Metropolitan presented Alexander III with the Scepter and the Orb.

There was no empress yet, so there was only a symbolic representation.

It was sung for a long and prosperous reign, with a 101-gun salute. Many choirs and prayers later, those present were praying for the Tsar.

The tsar was anointed on his forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, and both sides of each hand, then stepped aside to his right and stood in front of the icon of Christ.

Then the oath is taken, Alexander III vowed to preserve the autocracy, and to rule with justice and equity.

After the liturgy the emperor and his companions returned to the Moscow Kremlin, but not before the emperor bowed 3 times on the Red Stairs before the assembled people, like Nicholas I.

In the palace, representatives of the Muslims and other non-Christians of the empire were received by the emperor.

In Granovitaya Palata a banquet was held in the evening, only one foreign ambassador could enter at a time to toast with Tsar Alexander III.

Representing foreign monarchs, in the upper gallery or Tainik, were foreign princes. Only Russians could participate in the banquet according to tradition.

In the Kremlin after the banquet there were operas, fireworks and dances.

On May 1, Tsar Alexander III organized a special celebration for the people of Moscow, as many times before (as Grand Duke and Tsesarevich) Tsar Alexander III distributed food.

And this time he also gave out cheap souvenirs.

International]

The Mexican Empire wins (a slight victory, it was a difficult battle for both sides) against the Republicans in Chihuahua in March.

This has allowed the French and the Second Mexican Empire to expand steadily in the republican north (Mexico is divided into three, republican north and south, and an imperial center from sea to sea).

Imperial French-Mexicans have been able to hold onto Sonora and Baja California, sharply dividing the Imperial south against the Republicans.