Year of three emperors (January-March, 1888).
Christ the King, Russia]
On January 3, at the Congress of Poland, Tsar Alexander III inaugurates the Monument of Christ the King (Russian, Памятник Христу Царю, Pamyatnik Khristu Tsaryu. Polish, Pomnik Chrystusa Króla) in Warsaw, the largest statue of Christ in the world ( in his time) with about 36 meters high (118 feet), counting a crown that adds 3 meters to the statue (33 meters proper, symbolizing the traditionally accepted age of death of Jesus).
52 meters (172 feet) if we count the pedestal / mound where the statue is located.
The statue being the largest in the world soon becomes a notable tourist attraction for Christians from all over the world, and also a symbol of Christianity and the city of Warsaw in general.
Pilgrims and other religious (generally Catholic) were the majority of tourists entering Russian Poland, so Tsar Alexander III had taken advantage of that to score points with religious from all over Russia (without favoring Orthodoxy or Catholicism) , tourism and other international icon.
This allows the Russian state to continue changing the Polish economy, transforming it from a primary-secondary economy (agricultural-industry, at the time one of the largest in Russia) to a primary-tertiary economy (agricultural and services).
This transformation of the Polish economy makes them more dependent on industrial production and resources from other parts of Russia while the Gongreso of Poland is now mainly dedicated to agriculture-livestock and services (restaurants, tourism, hotels, culture, entertainment, etc. ).
In addition, the brain drain from the Congress of Poland to other parts of Russia continues, and the migration of more docile Poles to Russia simply continues to support the weakening of the political-economic power of Russian Poland in other parts of the Empire, and strengthens the rest of the Russia to continue to keep the Poles down.
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[Funeral: Germany]
On March 9, Kaiser Wilhelm I dies after a brief illness, the event no doubt soon becomes news across Europe as other monarchs must gather to bid farewell to Kaiser Wilhelm and greet the new Kaiser Frederick IV (although Bismarck He tried, Frederick decided to take the title as a continuation of the Holy Roman Empire, and not the German Empire as a new entity or the title Frederick III that would come to him as King of Prussia).
Among other European monarchs, Heinrich I of the Netherlands, Alexander III of Russia, Rudolf I of Austria-Hungary, Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Leopold II of Belgium, etc.
The new Kaiser arrived in Berlin on the 11th for the funeral and to meet with the rest of the European monarchs. However, Frederick IV was so ill that he could not even attend the funeral procession, having to settle for being represented by his son, Crown Prince Wilhelm.
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* Perspective, Rudolf I / Alexander III.
".... Frederick is too ill from what Edward VII has told me, the next in line to the throne is Wilhelm ... I am quite pessimistic about the future." Kaiser Rudolf I mentions Tsar Alexander III, in the distance Tsesarevich Nicholas (who had to travel from Manchuria to Berlin) was with his cousin, Crown Prince Wilhelm.
"Is there a problem with Wilhelm?" Tsar Alexander III questions.
"I believe that , yes, with his reign, the future of Austria-Hungary is ... difficult, neither does his behavior help, Bismarck is becoming ineffective and at some point he will leave the government, then Wilhelm will have the helm." Rudolf I exclaims.
"Wilhelm is not that stupid, I don't think he will throw Europe into a war ... for now." Alexander III mentions responds.
"Yes, but I doubt his judgment to respond to a crisis as Wilhelm I or Bismarck would have responded." Rudolf insists.
"... Maybe that's more of an opportunity than a future problem, Rudolf." Alexander III thinks out loud.
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[Gypsies]
The history of the Romani (also called Roma) or also called Gypsies (an exonym) in Russia is curious, the gypsies in general are a nomadic people who speak Romani, frowned upon in various parts of the world.
The Russian gypsies, or also called Ruska Roma (Руска́ Рома́) originate from gypsy populations from foreign territories (Poland) who moved to Russia in the 18th century, originally they were called Khaladytka Roma (Gypsies of the army, or gypsy soldiers).
The dialect of these populations in Russia takes terms from German, Polish and Russian, with Russian prefixes and suffixes. Inhabiting regions of all Russia, mainly in the heart of European Russia and White Russia.
Gypsies have been a loyal group, contributing to Russian folk music (and Gypsy culture in Russia) among other activities. For example, the gypsies during Napoleon's invasion offered donations of money and horses for the Russian army, with many joining the Russian army itself.
Engaging generally in horse breeding, singing (including choral music, some Russian nobles married gypsy choristers), dancing, divination, and now commercial activities, many gypsy families in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had now become sedentary bourgeois or merchants.
There are also famous personalities of gypsy origin in Russia, such as the guitarist and singer Nikolai Shishkin (1845-1911) from Kursk.
Among other historical cultural developments, on March 20, 1888 Tsar Alexander III officially created the "Romen Theater" or Moscow Theater of Music and Drama "Romen" (Московский музыкально-драматический театр "Ромэн") in Moscow, where the gypsies they presented the first gypsy-language operetta, Children of the Forests.
The performance was a success, and the Romen Theater would be an icon of the development of Russian and Gypsy culture in the Russian Empire from 1888 onwards.
The artistic participation of the gypsies, the economic success of Russia and the possibility of social advancement was undoubtedly an attraction for the gypsy migration to Russia. Especially due to the extreme racism of different parts of the world towards gypsies.
Generally in the nineteenth century Russia, a gypsy could not ascend to the nobility (although there were some exceptions) but one could ascend to high society and economic success in the Empire.
International]
From January 12 onwards huge snowfalls continue in the United States. At the beginning of January in Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas they leave more than 200 dead, many of them children going to school. By January 12 the event became known as Schoolchildren's Blizzard.
On March 11, on the other hand, the great blizzard of 1888 began on the east coast of the United States, which severely slowed down trade in the region and left more than 400 dead.
Considerable livestock deaths also continue.
January 13, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington D.C.
February 27, the American Thomas Edison meets the English Eadweard Muybridge.
Muybridge on his part proposes a scheme for a sound film.
March 9, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany dies. Asciede Frederick IV of Germany.
March 15, the English launch an expedition to the north of Sikkim, to expel the Tibetans from the region and win it for the British Raj.
The expedition will be a success.
Sadly the British are still not so lucky in the Anglo-Sudanese war against Mahdist Sudan, now led by Abdallahi ibn Muhammad (one of Muhammad Ahmad's main followers).
March 16, continuing nationalist actions, with the foundation stone of the National Library of Greece being laid in Athens, the Greeks stage an anti-English demonstration remembering the massacre of 20,000 Greeks.
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[Lomonosov Medal]
On March 26, 1888, Tsar Alexander III creates the Lomonosov Gold Medal (Большая золотая медаль имени М. В. Ломоносова Bol'shaya zolotaya medal 'imeni M. V. Lomonosov), or simply. Lomonosov Medal.
The medal aims to reward advances in scientific fields, with an award in Moscow for scientific and humanistic fields, such as medicine, biology, engineering, chemistry, literature, etc.
Some of the early winners include Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaysky, Fyodor Blinov and Nicholas Kibalchich, Stepan Makarov, etc.
And some count Alfred Nobel (Swedish-Russian) as among the first "Russians", awarded, some count him as one of the first foreigners.
Obviously Russia recognizes and awards mainly its national scientists, but also recognizes important advances by foreign scientists.
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[Socotra]
* Perspective of Zain el-Fahs and Haamid al-Salim.
Socotra Reserve, Russian Empire, a kind of governorate or particular territory, the Russian Empire had effectively bought the island from the natives and English to establish a particular nature reserve, with also some places for people to visit (although due to monsoons and remoteness these trips were still limited).
Mostly mainland Russia left the island alone but sent supplies and some useful resources, instead the population remained mostly loyal and calm in managing itself.
Recently the young Zain observed how some Christians, administrators and teachers had come to move to the island, the priests finding the few remaining local Christians.
The Muslim boy cared little about that to be honest, but the Christians and administrators brought some news from the Tsar of Russia (to whom the former local Sultan had given authority), there was a new secular school and some laws for Socotra.
"Hey Zain, look." The young's friend, Haamid, exclaims watching a reptile scamper on the ground.
"You know, one of the texts that the Russians bring says that almost all reptiles here are unique to the island. And that is why it is forbidden to bring goats or other animals from abroad." Zain explains with interest.
"'What does it have to do with?". Haamid asks with curiosity.
"I asked the professor, it seems it has something to do with the ecosystem that is not adapted to foreign animals or something." Zain mentions.
"Hmm. So can we name any reptiles if we discover them?" Haamid asks again.
"I guess. Let's explore!" Zain exclaims and the two children are soon running to play around the island.
Socotra was a peaceful and still quite isolated haven.
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[Manchurian project]
Before the death of Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, the Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov was busy administering Inner Manchuria, with his various activities, the Tsesarevich had little to lose in tourist activities.
However, during his administration, protections were made for the achievements and ancient cultural heritages of the region, for example the new sections of the Great Wall of China under Russia, temples, palaces, etc.
If some object had ended up under the administration of the Tsesarevich, it was usually returned, and what had been preserved was protected from looting by bandits.
This earned the Tsesarevich points with the local people (upper or lower class), especially since many of the local traditions and beliefs still remained.
He also allowed to attract local public figures who were more in favor of Russia, and therefore allowed to continue to control the non-Russian or Christian population.
The permanence of the local cultural heritage was also important, as Tsesarevich Nicholas and Tsar Alexander III had the idea of a "cultural renaissance" of the locals.
Various of the Qing codes were no longer enforced, there were plans to preserve and re-popularize the Manchu language (without attacking the Han of course), restore objects or places in decline, some protected sites, etc.
Of course there was still a lot of work to be done, but it was nice to have a future goal to start with.