Results of the reign of Nicholas 2 table. Nicholas II: outstanding achievements and victories

We will analyze the figures and specific historical facts of the reign of Nicholas II. Facts, as we know, are stubborn things. Perhaps they will help understand the situation and dispel false myths.

The Empire of Nicholas II is the best in the world

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Let us present data on the indicators by which the empire of Nicholas II surpassed all other countries in the world.

Submarine fleet

Before Nicholas II, the Russian Empire did not have a submarine fleet. Russia's lag in this indicator was significant. The first combat use of a submarine was carried out by the Americans in 1864, and by the end of the 19th century Russia did not even have prototypes.

Having come to power, Nicholas II decides to eliminate Russia's lag and signs a decree on the creation of a submarine fleet.

Already in 1901, the first series of domestic submarines was tested. In 15 years, Nicholas II managed to create the most powerful submarine fleet in the world from scratch.

1915 Submarines of the Bars project

However, Soviet textbooks will not tell you about this. Read more about the submarine fleet of Nicholas II.

The submarine "Panther" during service in the Red Army, after the Second World War

Aviation

It was only in 1911 that the first experiment in creating an armed aircraft was carried out in Russia, but by the beginning of the First World War (1914), the Imperial Air Force was the largest in the world and consisted of 263 aircraft.

Until 1917, over 20 aircraft factories were opened in the Russian Empire and 5,600 aircraft were produced.

ATTENTION!!! 5,600 aircraft in 6 years, despite the fact that we had never had any aircraft before. Even Stalin’s industrialization did not know such records. Moreover, we were the first not only in quantity, but also in quality.

For example, the Ilya Muromets aircraft, which appeared in 1913, became the world's first bomber. This aircraft set world records for carrying capacity, number of passengers, time and maximum flight altitude.

Airplane "Ilya Muromets"

The chief designer of Ilya Muromets, Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, is also famous for the creation of the four-engine Russian Vityaz bomber.

Airplane Russian Knight

After the revolution, the brilliant designer migrated to the USA, where he organized a helicopter factory. Sikorsky helicopters are still part of the US armed forces.

Modern helicopter CH-53 from Sikorsky US Air Force

Imperial aviation is famous for its ace pilots. During the First World War, numerous cases of skill of Russian pilots are known. Particularly famous are: Captain E.N. Kruten, Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Kazakov, Captain P.V. Argeev, who shot down about 20 enemy aircraft each.

It was the Russian aviation of Nicholas II that laid the foundation for aerobatics.

In 1913, for the first time in the history of aviation, a “loop” was performed. The aerobatic maneuver was performed over the Syretsky field, not far from Kyiv, by staff captain Nesterov.

The brilliant pilot was a combat ace who, for the first time in history, used an aerial ram, shooting down a heavy German fighter. He died at the age of 27, defending his homeland, in an air battle.

Aircraft carriers

Before Nicholas II, the Russian Empire had no aviation, much less aircraft carriers.

Nicholas II paid great attention to advanced military technologies. With it, the first seaplane carriers appeared, as well as “flying boats” - sea-based aircraft capable of taking off and landing both from aircraft carriers and from the water surface.

Between 1913 and 1917, in just 5 years, Nicholas II introduced 12 aircraft carriers into the army, equipped with M-5 and M-9 flying boats.

Naval aviation of Nicholas II was created from scratch, but became the best in the world. However, Soviet history is also silent about this.

First machine

A year before the First World War, a Russian designer, later Lieutenant General Fedorov, invents the world's first machine gun.

Fedorov assault rifle

Unfortunately, it was not possible to realize mass production during the war, but individual military units of the imperial army nevertheless received this advanced weapon at their disposal. In 1916, several regiments of the Romanian Front were equipped with Fedorov assault rifles.

Shortly before the revolution, the Sestroretsk Arms Plant received an order for the mass production of these machine guns. However, the Bolsheviks seized power and the machine gun never entered the imperial troops en masse, but later it was used by the Red Army soldiers and was used, in particular, in the fight against the white movement.

Later, Soviet designers (Degtyarev, Shpitalny) developed a whole family of standardized small arms based on the machine gun, including light and tank machine guns, coaxial and triple aircraft machine gun mounts.

Economic and industrial development

In addition to world-leading military developments, the Russian Empire enjoyed impressive economic growth.

Chart of relative growth in metallurgy development (100% - 1880)

Shares of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange were valued significantly higher than shares of the New York Stock Exchange.

Stock Growth, US Dollars, 1865–1917

The number of international companies grew rapidly.

It is widely known, among other things, that in 1914 we were the absolute world leader in bread exports.

At the beginning of the First World War, Russia's gold reserves were the largest in the world and amounted to 1 billion 695 million rubles (1311 tons of gold, more than 60 billion dollars at the exchange rate of the 2000s).

The best time in Russian history

In addition to the absolute world records of imperial Russia of its time, the empire of Nicholas II also achieved those indicators that we are still not able to exceed.

Railways, contrary to Soviet myths, were not Russia’s misfortune, but its asset. In terms of length of railways, by 1917, we ranked second in the world, second only to the United States. The pace of construction had to close the gap. There has never been such a speed in the construction of railways since the reign of Nicholas II.

Schedule for increasing the length of railways in the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation

The problem of oppressed workers declared by the Bolsheviks, in comparison with today's reality, cannot be taken seriously.

1917 – 1,311 tons
1991 – 290 tons
2010 – 790 tons
2013 - 1,014 tons

Not only economic indicators are changing, but also the lifestyle of the population.

For the first time, the man became an important buyer: kerosene lamps, sewing machines, separators, tin, galoshes, umbrellas, tortoiseshell combs, calico. Ordinary students travel quietly around Europe.
The statistics reflect the state of society quite impressively:

In addition, it is necessary to say about the rapid population growth. During the reign of Nicholas II, the population of the Russian Empire increased by almost 50,000,000 people, that is, by 40%. And natural population growth increased to 3,000,000 people per year.

New territories were being developed. Over the course of several years, 4 million peasants moved from European Russia to Siberia. Altai turned into the most important grain growing region, where oil was also produced for export.

Nicholas II “bloody” or not?

Some opponents of Nicholas II call him “bloody.” The nickname Nikolai “Bloody” apparently came from “Bloody Sunday” in 1905.

Let's analyze this event. In all textbooks it is depicted like this: Ostensibly a peaceful demonstration of workers, led by priest Gapon, wanted to submit a petition to Nicholas II, which contained requests for improved working conditions. People carried icons and royal portraits and the action was peaceful, but on the orders of the St. Petersburg Governor-General, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the troops opened fire. About 4,600 people were killed and wounded, and from then on January 9, 1905 began to be called “Bloody Sunday.” This was supposedly a senseless shooting of a peaceful demonstration.

And according to the documents, it follows that the workers were driven from the factories under threats, on the way they robbed the temple, took away icons, and during the procession the “peaceful demonstration” was closed by armed barrage detachments of revolutionaries. And, by the way, the demonstration, in addition to icons, carried red revolutionary flags.

The provocateurs of the “peaceful” march were the first to open fire. The first killed were members of the police. In response, a company of the 93rd Irkutsk Infantry Regiment opened fire on the armed demonstration. There was basically no other way out for the police. They were doing their duty.

The combination that the revolutionaries pulled off to enlist the support of the people was simple. The civilians allegedly brought a petition to the Tsar, and the Tsar, instead of accepting them, allegedly shot them. Conclusion - the king is a bloody tyrant. However, the people did not know that Nicholas II was not in St. Petersburg at that moment, and he, in principle, could not receive the demonstrators, and not everyone saw who first opened fire.

Here is documentary evidence of the provocative nature of “Bloody Sunday”:

The revolutionaries prepared a bloody massacre for the people and the authorities using Japanese money.

Gapon scheduled a procession to the Winter Palace for Sunday. Gapon proposes to stock up on weapons” (from a letter from the Bolshevik S.I. Gusev to V.I. Lenin).

“I thought it would be good to give the whole demonstration a religious character, and immediately sent the workers to the nearest church for banners and images, but they refused to give us them. Then I sent 100 people to take them by force, and after a few minutes they brought them” (Gapon “The Story of My Life”)

“The police officials tried in vain to persuade us not to go to the city. When all the exhortations did not lead to any results, a squadron of the Cavalry Grenadier Regiment was sent... In response to this, fire was opened. The assistant bailiff, Lieutenant Zholtkevich, was seriously wounded, and the police officer was killed" (from the work "The Beginning of the First Russian Revolution").

Gapon’s vile provocation made Nicholas II “bloody” in the eyes of the people. Revolutionary sentiments intensified.

It must be said that this picture is strikingly different from the Bolshevik myth about the shooting of an unarmed crowd by forced soldiers under the command of officers who hated the common people. But with this myth, communists and democrats shaped the popular consciousness for almost 100 years.

It is also significant that the Bolsheviks called Nicholas II “bloody,” who were responsible for hundreds of thousands of murders and senseless repressions.

The real statistics of repressions in the Russian Empire have nothing to do with Soviet myths or cruelty. The comparative rate of repression in the Russian Empire is much lower than even now.

First World War

The First World War also became a cliché, disgracing the last Tsar. The war, along with its heroes, was forgotten and called “imperialist” by the communists.

At the beginning of the article, we showed the military power of the Russian army, which has no analogues in the world: aircraft carriers, airplanes, flying boats, a submarine fleet, the world's first machine guns, cannon armored vehicles and much more were used by Nicholas 2 in this war.

But, to complete the picture, we will also show statistics of those killed and died during the First World War by country.

Let us remember that we came out of the war after Lenin seized power in the country. After the tragic events, Lenin came to the front and surrendered the country to the almost defeated Germany. (A few months after the surrender, the allies of the empire (England and France) nevertheless defeated Germany, defeated by Nicholas 2).

Instead of the triumph of victory, we received the burden of shame.

It needs to be clearly understood. We did not lose this war. Lenin surrendered his position to the Germans, but this was his personal betrayal, and we defeated Germany, and our allies brought its defeat to the end, although without our soldiers.

It is difficult to even imagine what kind of glory our country would have gained if the Bolsheviks had not surrendered Russia in this war, because the power of the Russian Empire would have been increased significantly.

Influence in Europe in the form of control over Germany (which, by the way, would hardly have attacked Russia again in 1941), access to the Mediterranean, the capture of Istanbul during Operation Bosphorus, control in the Balkans... All this was supposed to be ours . True, there would be no need to even think about any revolution, against the backdrop of the triumphant success of the empire. The image of Russia, the monarchy and Nicholas II personally would become deservedly unprecedented.

As we see, the empire of Nicholas II was progressive, the best in the world in many respects and rapidly developing. The population was happy and contented. There could be no talk of any “bloodiness”. Although our neighbors from the west feared our revival like fire.

The leading French economist Edmond Théry wrote:

“If the affairs of European nations go from 1912 to 1950 in the same way as they went from 1900 to 1912, Russia in the middle of this century will dominate Europe, both politically and economically and financially.”

Below are Western caricatures of Russia from the time of Nicholas II:

Now that there is no more Soviet anti-monarchist propaganda, it is necessary to face the truth:

Nicholas II is the greatest Russian emperor, Nicholas II is the name of Russia, Russia needs a ruler like Nicholas II.

Andrey Borisyuk

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Nicholas II is the last Russian emperor. It was here that the three-hundred-year history of the rule of Russia by the House of Romanov ended. He was the eldest son of the imperial couple Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna Romanov.

After the tragic death of his grandfather, Alexander II, Nikolai Alexandrovich officially became the heir to the Russian throne. Already in childhood he was distinguished by great religiosity. Nicholas's relatives noted that the future emperor had “a soul as pure as crystal, and passionately loving everyone.”

He himself loved to go to church and pray. He really liked to light and place candles in front of the images. The Tsarevich watched the process very carefully and, as the candles burned, he extinguished them and tried to do this so that the cinder smoked as little as possible.

During the service, Nikolai loved to sing along with the church choir, knew a lot of prayers, and had certain musical skills. The future Russian emperor grew up as a thoughtful and shy boy. At the same time, he was always persistent and firm in his views and beliefs.

Despite his childhood, even then Nicholas II was characterized by self-control. It happened that during games with the boys, some misunderstandings arose. In order not to say too much in a fit of anger, Nicholas II simply went to his room and took up his books. Having calmed down, he returned to his friends and to the game, as if nothing had happened before.

He paid a lot of attention to his son's education. Nicholas II studied various sciences for a long time. Particular attention was paid to military affairs. Nikolai Alexandrovich attended military training more than once, then served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Military affairs was a great passion of Nicholas II. Alexander III, as his son grew older, took him to meetings of the State Council and the Cabinet of Ministers. Nikolai felt great responsibility.

A sense of responsibility for the country forced Nikolai to study hard. The future emperor did not part with the book, and also mastered a complex of political-economic, legal and military sciences.

Soon Nikolai Alexandrovich went on a trip around the world. In 1891 he traveled to Japan, where he visited the monk Terakuto. The monk predicted: “Danger hovers over your head, but death will recede, and the cane will be stronger than the sword. And the cane will shine with brilliance..."

After some time, an attempt was made on the life of Nicholas II in Kyoto. A Japanese fanatic hit the heir to the Russian throne on the head with a saber, the blade slipped, and Nicholas escaped with only a cut. Immediately, George (the Greek prince who traveled with Nicholas) hit the Japanese with his cane. The Emperor was saved. Terakuto's prophecy came true, the cane also began to shine. Alexander III asked George to borrow it for a while, and soon returned it to him, but already in a gold frame with diamonds...

In 1891, there was a crop failure in the Russian Empire. Nicholas II headed the committee to collect donations for the hungry. He saw people's grief and worked tirelessly to help his people.

In the spring of 1894, Nicholas II received the blessing of his parents to marry Alice of Hesse - Darmstadt (future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova). Alice's arrival in Russia coincided with the illness of Alexander III. Soon the Emperor died. During his illness, Nikolai never left his father’s side. Alice converted to Orthodoxy and was named Alexandra Fedorovna. Then the wedding ceremony of Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov and Alexandra Fedorovna took place, which took place in the church of the Winter Palace.

Nicholas II was crowned king on May 14, 1896. After the wedding, a tragedy occurred, where thousands of Muscovites came. There was a huge stampede, many people died, many were injured. This event went down in history under the name “Bloody Sunday”.

One of the first things Nicholas II did on the throne was to appeal to all the leading powers of the world. The Russian Tsar proposed reducing armaments and creating an arbitration court in order to avoid major conflicts. A conference was convened in The Hague at which the general principle of resolving international conflicts was adopted.

One day the emperor asked the chief of gendarmes when the revolution would break out. The chief gendarme replied that if 50 thousand executions were carried out, then the revolution could be forgotten. Nikolai Alexandrovich was shocked by this statement and rejected it with horror. This testifies to his humanity, to the fact that in his life he was motivated only by truly Christian motives.

During the reign of Nicholas II, about four thousand people ended up on the chopping block. Criminals who committed especially serious crimes - murders, robberies - were executed. There was no one's blood on his hands. These criminals were punished by the same law that punishes criminals throughout the civilized world.

Nicholas II often applied humanity to revolutionaries. There was a case when the bride of a student sentenced to death because of revolutionary activities submitted a petition to Nikolai Alexandrovich’s adjutant to pardon the groom, due to the fact that he was sick with tuberculosis and would soon die anyway. The execution of the sentence was scheduled for the next day...

The adjutant had to show great courage, asking to call the sovereign from the bedroom. After listening, Nicholas II ordered the sentence to be suspended. The emperor praised the adjutant for his courage and for helping the sovereign do a good deed. Nikolai Alexandrovich not only pardoned the student, but also sent him with his personal money for treatment in Crimea.

I will give another example of the humanity of Nicholas II. One Jewish woman did not have the right to enter the capital of the empire. She had a sick son living in St. Petersburg. Then she turned to the sovereign, and he granted her request. “There cannot be a law that would not allow a mother to come to her sick son,” said Nikolai Alexandrovich.

The last Russian Emperor was a true Christian. He was characterized by meekness, modesty, simplicity, kindness... Many perceived these qualities of his as a weakness of character. Which was far from true.

Under Nicholas II, the Russian Empire developed dynamically. During his reign, several vital reforms were carried out. Witte's monetary reform. promised to delay the revolution for a long time, and was generally very progressive.

Also, under Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov, a State Duma appeared in Russia, although, of course, this measure was forced. The economic and industrial development of the country under Nicholas II occurred by leaps and bounds. He was very scrupulous about state affairs. He himself constantly worked with all the papers, and did not have a secretary. The sovereign even stamped the envelopes with his own hand.

Nikolai Alexandrovich was an exemplary family man - the father of four daughters and one son. Grand Duchesses: Doted on their father. Nicholas II had a special relationship with. The Emperor took him to military parades, and during the First World War, he took him with him to Headquarters.

Nicholas II was born on the day of remembrance of the holy long-suffering Job. Nikolai Alexandrovich himself said more than once that he was destined to suffer all his life, like Job. And so it happened. The Emperor had the opportunity to survive revolutions, the war with Japan, the First World War, the illness of his heir - Tsarevich Alexei, the death of loyal subjects - civil servants at the hands of terrorist revolutionaries.

Nikolai, together with his family, ended his earthly journey in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. The family of Nicholas II was brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918. In post-Soviet times, members of the Imperial Family were canonized as saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It’s no longer a secret that the history of Russia is distorted. This especially applies to the great people of our country. Which are presented to us in the image of tyrants, crazy or weak-willed people. One of the most slandered rulers is Nicholas II.

However, if we look at the numbers, we will be convinced that much of what we know about the last king is a lie.

Nicholas II based his reign on preserving the principles of the political system, strengthening the Church, granting prudent freedoms based on Christian morality, preserving the great power authority of the Empire, increasing the general well-being of the population through broad economic and economic reforms, and increasing the level of education.

Russia was a huge territory, amounting to 19,179,000 square versts or about 8,320,000 sq. miles.

Administratively, it consisted of 97 provinces and regions, divided, in turn, into 816 district units.

N. Obruchev (The True Appearance of the Tsar-Martyr as a Man, a Christian and a Monarch) wrote:

The brilliant Russian scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, who was not only a chemist, but also an economist and statesman, in his remarkable work “Towards the Knowledge of Russia,” published shortly before his death (in 1906), gives a detailed picture of Russian well-being. Based on the statistical data of the All-Russian Population Census of 1897 and on the data of the statistical committee given in its report “ Movement of the population of European Russia in 1897." (in 1900).

Population of Russia:

Mendeleev emphasizes that in 1897 the birth rate was 4.95%, the death rate was 3.14%, and the natural population growth was 1.81%. “I consider it not superfluous,” Mendeleev writes, to draw attention to the fact that such a natural increase as was found for 1897 (1.81%) is still unknown for any country.” Comparing the USA and Argentina, Mendeleev points out that the population growth of these countries is greater because it consists of natural growth increased by immigration of the population from other countries. At the same time, he points to the most prosperous country in this regard, Germany, where the annual population growth is 1.5%. Next, Mendeleev cites statistics from Ireland, where there is a clear population decline, and also points to a number of countries in which the population is gradually dying out. Such a country after the Great Revolution, corrupted by its revolutionary philosophy and the decline of morality, became France, whose population before the First World War systematically decreased. Mendeleev calculates that if, as a precaution, we take 1.5% instead of 1.81% for the population growth in Russia, then in 1950 it will be 282.7 million people. According to Soviet statistics, the total population of the Soviet Union in 1967 was 235 million, whereas, according to Mendeleev's calculations, it should have reached a figure of 360 million, at a minimum. This is a “deficit” in the Russian population, equal to 125 million people! According to Soviet statistics, population growth for 1967 is 1.11%. There is something to think about.

“In Russia every year,” Mendeleev reports, “2,000,000 inhabitants arrive, i.e., at every minute of the day and night, the total number of births in Russia exceeds the number of deaths by 4 people.”

The great Russian scientist draws the attention of the Russian public to the growth of the population, which by the year 2000 should reach 600,000,000 souls. Based on this, Mendeleev comes to the conclusion that in order to ensure and increase the well-being of the population, it is necessary to increase the growth of domestic industry, engage in land management, and increase the productivity of agriculture and labor in general. Based on the results of the census data on population movements, he comes to the firm conclusion that this issue is correctly raised and interpreted by the imperial government, as evidenced by the more rapid growth of the urban population at the expense of the rural population and the growth of peasant land ownership.

Industry

Regarding our industry, Mendeleev points out that the paper spinning industry has conquered all markets in Asia without any competition. He points out that the export of excellent quality and very cheap paper spinning products such as calico, calico, satin, “devil's leather”, etc. completely replaced the same goods of English industry in China and other Asian countries, including India.

Exports abroad of sugar, tobacco, cigarettes, vodka products, caviar, fish and other canned goods reach impressive proportions.

“Every Russian who has traveled abroad,” writes Mendeleev, “knows that in Russia, candy products of all kinds, from simple caramels and jam to premium sweets, are not only better than anywhere else, but also cheaper.”

For my part (writes N. Obruchev, author of the memoirs) I cannot help but point out and I am sure that everyone who lived in Imperial Russia will confirm that the kind of lemonades that were made there, in terms of quality and taste, were not available anywhere abroad and not even now; Especially in this regard, Moscow ones stood out: “Fruit waters” by Lanin and “Citro” and “Cranberry” by Kalinin.

Our Prokhorov canned food, which produced Little Russian borscht, pike perch in mayonnaise, fried partridge and grouse, sweet peas, etc., fruit and fish canned food: sprats, sprat, mackerel were and, even in the past, still remain out of competition, so the same as different types of caviar, cigarettes, tobacco and vodka.

Statistics for the 20 years of the reign of the Martyr Tsar provide the following information: the development of industry in Russia took giant strides - in 1914 in Russia there were 14,000 large factories and factories, which already employed about 2,500,000 workers, producing goods with a total value of about 5 billion .gold rubles. In addition, a handicraft industry was developed, in which several million mainly land-poor peasants took part, engaged in this craft as an aid to agriculture. Handicraftsmen made knives, scissors, shoes, felt boots, pottery, furniture, toys and many artistic products from ivory, silver and wood.

The Vladimir province was famous for icon painting, the Caucasus for weapons and all kinds of decorations, Bukhara, Khiva and Turkestan for carpets, Great Russia and Little Russia for embroidery, Belarus for cloth and the finest linen, Yaroslavl province for felt boots and sheepskin coats, etc. 30,000 fairs were organized in Russia annually , of which the most famous were the international fairs in Nizhny Novgorod.

Peasantry

Nicholas II’s love for the common people was not abstract: he systematically sought to improve their life and well-being; a number of legislations and reforms carried out on their basis testify to this. This was especially evident in his reforms concerning the land management of peasants. He understood well what the theorists of socialism, who put forward the demagogic slogan “All the land for the peasants,” did not understand. The Martyr Tsar was clearly aware that the division of all the land equally was utopian and would inevitably lead to agricultural production. the country's production into a catastrophic state in the coming decades. Only illiterate people and irresponsible demagogues could talk about the division of agricultural land. In 1914, over the entire area of ​​19,179,000 square meters of Russia. versts, there were 182.5 million inhabitants. If we divided the entire area of ​​Russia equally, then on average it would be 10.95 dessiatines per capita. And the total number of these tithes included areas occupied by settlements, railways and other roads, lakes, swamps, mountains and vast expanses of deserts, tundras and forests. The sovereign was well aware of this, but fundamental reforms were actually needed to improve agricultural products. This required the destruction of communal ownership and striping (i.e., the arrangement of land plots of one household in strips interspersed with the plots of others).

The Tsar's conviction about the need for such a reform was shared by the greatest minds of Russia: prof. DI. Mendeleev, Adjutant General N.N. Obruchev, prof. N.H. Bunge, Prof. D.I.Pestrzhetsky, ministers D.S. Sipyagin and P.A. Stolypin, who began to implement this reform.

It is interesting to note what S.Yu. writes about this in his memoirs. Witte: “I must say that, on the one hand, I have not yet fully studied the peasant question regarding the advantages of this or that method of peasant ownership of land, I have not established a final view for myself.” And then we read - “Thus, I did not speak out either for the community or for personal ownership, but found that it would be more prudent until the peasant question in its entirety was clarified, to suspend the effect of the article.”

Providing for land-poor and landless peasants was a subject of special concern to the government. Since 1906, intensive resettlement of peasants to Siberia began. The transportation of settlers was carried out at the expense of the treasury. The Land Management Commission and the Resettlement Administration issued loans and benefits to such peasants for starting a farm. In Asian Russia, land was allocated for the resettlement of peasants that was exclusively suitable for agriculture and in a zone whose climate was the mildest and healthiest.

Russia by 1917 was a completely peasant country to a greater extent than any of the European countries. On the eve of the revolution, peasants owned all the arable land in Asian Russia and 80% of it in European Russia.

Improving agriculture, in other words, improving the life and economic well-being of 75% of the entire population of Russia was the constant concern of the Tsar-Martyr. Simultaneously with the land management reforms, a lot was done to improve agriculture and increase agricultural production. The number of primary, secondary and higher agricultural educational institutions grew rapidly.

Many varieties of fruit trees, vegetables, berries and cereals were bred in Russia. The famous Russian scientist I.V. Michurin achieved especially much in this field. Turkestan and Caucasian peaches, grapes, apricots, pears and plums were the best in the world. Black Sea prunes replaced the famous French prunes in the last years before the revolution. Winemaking grew; Russian Crimean and Caucasian wines, Don champagne, specific “Abrau-Durso”, if not superior, then not inferior in quality to French. New breeds of cattle and horses were bred.

According to the examinations of Prof. DI. Mendeleev's climate in Russia was the least favorable for agriculture among all European countries. Agriculture especially suffered from droughts, when, under the influence of the wind blowing from the southeastern deserts of Asia, the entire crop of the Volga region, southeast and south of Russia was burned on the vine. “Before the revolution,” writes Prof. Pestrzhetsky, - in 46 provinces there were 84 thousand public-peasant grain stores. On January 1, 1917, the stocks of barley, rye and wheat in stores were 190,456,411 poods - and this is only in bread stores, not to mention other bins!

According to statistical information for 1912, the Russian Empire had:

35,300,000 horses - the USA was in second place (23,015,902 horses);

51,900,000 heads of cattle - we were in second place after the USA (613,682,648 heads);

84,500,000 sheep - we took second place in world production after Australia (85,057,402 heads).

Tsarist Russia was the breadbasket of Europe. “On average for 1909−1913,” reports Prof. Pestrzhetsky, - grain production in Russia amounted to 75,114,895 tons per year. In all other countries of the Old and New Worlds, 360,879,000 tons were collected together with rice. Thus, Russia's grain products accounted for 21% of the world's production. Russia exported more grain, flour and seeds than the United States and Argentina combined.”

Science and education

Public education in Russia during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II developed rapidly. The public education budget from 40,000,000 rubles. in 1894 reached 400,000,000 million rubles in 1914. Tuition fees at Russian universities compared to foreign ones were exceptionally low - 50 rubles per year. Students from peasant, working and poor families were exempt from tuition fees and received scholarships. Higher education was not the exclusive privilege of the wealthy class, as it was abroad. Education in primary schools was generally free. Students and students in secondary educational institutions (high school) had the opportunity to earn money through intellectual labor, mainly through lessons.

The former leader of the Trudovik faction of the First State Duma, I. Zhilkin, wrote: “Again, one significant feature emerges more and more prominently - the cause of public education is growing spontaneously.<…>A huge fact is happening: Russia is becoming literate from being illiterate. The entire soil of the vast Russian plain seemed to part and accept the seeds of formation - and immediately the entire space turned green and the young shoots began to rustle.”

In 1906, the State Duma and the State Council adopted a bill introducing universal education in Russia! This reform in the field of public education was supposed to be completed in 1922. In connection with this, 10,000 primary schools were built annually in Russia and 60 secondary educational institutions were opened.

Economy

During the reign of Nicholas II, as in the United States of that time, there was no income tax. Taxation in Russia was the lowest compared to other great powers in Europe.

According to statistical data for 1912:

TAXES IN RUBLES PER CAPITA WERE

Despite this, Russian government revenues increased from 1,410,000,000 gold rubles in 1897 to 3,417,000,000 gold rubles in 1913. The gold reserves of the State Bank from 300,000,000 rubles in 1894 increased to 1,600,000,000 rubles in 1914. The amount of the State Budget from 950,000,000 gold rubles in 1894 increased to 3,500,000,000 gold rubles in 1914. During all this time, the state budget of the Russian Empire did not have a deficit.

The Emperor patronized domestic investment and was an adamant opponent of foreign investment. Despite restrictions on foreign capital, Russia's economic prosperity, and in particular its industry, grew rapidly. Since the end of the 19th century, Russia's industrial development has occurred faster than in any other country. Cooperation was greatly encouraged in Russia, and in this regard Russia, perhaps, also ranked first in the world. In 1914 there were 45,000 cooperative savings banks in Russia and probably about 30,000 shops.

Labor legislation

The interests of workers were protected by special legislation. Mandatory paybooks were introduced, in which hours of work and earnings were entered, work for minors was prohibited, teenagers from 14 to 16 years old could not work more than 8 hours, and an 11-hour working day was established for men. Night work in factories was prohibited for women and adolescents under 17 years of age. On December 12, 1904, state insurance for workers was introduced. Such a law did not exist in the United States for a very long time.

The zemstvos provided the rural and urban population with free medical care and free treatment in hospitals. The first country in the world to establish a public health department was Russia.

Church transformations

The Tsar-Martyr brought a living current into the religious and church life of Russia. During his reign the following glorifications took place: St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, St. Martyr Isidore, Saint Pitirim, Bishop of Tambov and many others. Missionary activity intensified. The construction of temples increased. The number of Orthodox Christians from 15 million under Emperor Peter I increased to 115 million or more by the end of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II. In 1908 there were 51,413 churches in Russia.

Nicholas II accomplished a work of state structure that was grandiose in size. The well-being of Russia during his reign very quickly reached unprecedented heights.

N. Obruchev “The true appearance of the Tsar-Martyr as a man, a Christian and a Monarch”, based on materials from the book “Nicholas II in Memoirs and Testimonies.” - M.: Veche, 2008.

Nicholas 2 - the last emperor of the Russian Empire (May 18, 1868 - July 17, 1918). He received an excellent education, spoke several foreign languages ​​perfectly, and rose to the rank of colonel in the Russian army, as well as admiral of the fleet and field marshal of the British army. He became emperor after the sudden death of his father - the accession to the throne of Nicholas 2, when Nicholas was only 26.

Brief biography of Nicholas 2

From childhood, Nicholas was trained as a future ruler - he was engaged in a deep study of economics, geography, politics and languages. He achieved great success in military affairs, to which he had a penchant. In 1894, just a month after his father’s death, he married the German Princess Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Fedorovna). Two years later (May 26, 1896) the official coronation of Nicholas 2 and his wife took place. The coronation took place in an atmosphere of mourning; in addition, due to the huge number of people wishing to attend the ceremony, many people died in the stampede.

Children of Nicholas 2: daughters Olga (November 3, 1895), Tatyana (May 29, 1897), Maria (June 14, 1899) and Anastasia (June 5, 1901), as well as son Alexey (August 2, 1904 .). Despite the fact that the boy was diagnosed with a serious illness - hemophilia (incoagulability of blood) - he was prepared to rule as the only heir.

Russia under Nicholas 2 was in a stage of economic recovery, despite this, the political situation worsened. Nicholas's failure as a politician led to internal tensions growing in the country. As a result, after a meeting of workers marching to the Tsar was brutally dispersed on January 9, 1905 (the event was called “Bloody Sunday”), the first Russian Revolution of 1905-1907 broke out in the Russian Empire. The result of the revolution was the manifesto “On the Improvement of State Order,” which limited the power of the tsar and gave the people civil liberties. Due to all the events that occurred during his reign, the tsar received the nickname Nicholas 2 the Bloody.

In 1914, the First World War began, which negatively affected the state of the Russian Empire and only aggravated internal political tension. The failures of Nicholas 2 in the war led to an uprising breaking out in Petrograd in 1917, as a result of which the tsar voluntarily abdicated the throne. The date of abdication of Nicholas 2 from the throne is March 2, 1917.

Years of reign of Nicholas 2 - 1896 - 1917.

In March 1917, the entire royal family was arrested and later sent into exile. The execution of Nicholas 2 and his family occurred on the night of July 16-17.

In 1980, members of the royal family were canonized by the foreign church, and then, in 2000, by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Politics of Nicholas 2

Under Nicholas, many reforms were carried out. The main reforms of Nicholas 2:

• Agrarian. Assignment of land not to the community, but to private peasant owners;
• Military. Army reform after defeat in the Russo-Japanese War;
• Management. The State Duma was created, the people received civil rights.

Results of the reign of Nicholas 2

• The growth of agriculture, ridding the country of hunger;
• Growth of economy, industry and culture;
• Growing tension in domestic politics, which led to revolution and a change in the government system.

With the death of Nicholas 2 came the end of the Russian Empire and the monarchy in Russia.

Nicholas 2nd (May 18, 1868 - July 17, 1918) - the last Russian emperor, son of Alexander 3rd. He received an excellent education (he studied history, literature, economics, law, military affairs, mastered three languages ​​perfectly: French, German, English) and ascended to the throne early (at the age of 26) due to the death of his father.

Let's supplement the short biography of Nicholas II with the history of his family. On November 14, 1894, the German princess Alice of Hesse (Alexandra Feodorovna) became the wife of Nicholas 2nd. Soon their first daughter, Olga, was born (November 3, 1895). In total, there were five children in the royal family. Daughters were born one after another: Tatiana (May 29, 1897), Maria (June 14, 1899) and Anastasia (June 5, 1901). Everyone was expecting an heir who was supposed to take the throne after his father. On August 12, 1904, Nikolai’s long-awaited son was born, they named him Alexei. At the age of three, doctors discovered he had a severe hereditary disease - hemophilia (incoagulability of blood). Nevertheless, he was the only heir and was preparing to rule.

On May 26, 1896, the coronation of Nicholas II and his wife took place. During the holidays, a terrible event occurred, called Khodynka, as a result of which 1,282 people died in a stampede.

During the reign of Nicholas II, Russia experienced rapid economic growth. The agricultural sector strengthened - the country became Europe's main exporter of agricultural products, and a stable gold currency was introduced. Industry was actively developing: cities grew, enterprises and railways were built. Nicholas II was a reformer; he introduced a rationed day for workers, provided them with insurance, and carried out reforms in the army and navy. The Emperor supported the development of culture and science in Russia.

But, despite significant improvements, popular unrest occurred in the country. In January 1905, it happened, the stimulus for which was. As a result, it was adopted on October 17, 1905. It talked about civil liberties. A parliament was created, which included the State Duma and the State Council. On June 3 (16), 1907, the Third June Revolution took place, which changed the rules of elections to the Duma.

In 1914, it began, as a result of which the situation within the country worsened. Failures in battles undermined the authority of Tsar Nicholas 2nd. In February 1917, an uprising broke out in Petrograd and reached enormous proportions. On March 2, 1917, fearing mass bloodshed, Nicholas II signed an act of abdication.

On March 9, 1917, the Provisional Government arrested everyone and sent them to Tsarskoye Selo. In August they were transported to Tobolsk, and in April 1918 - to their final destination - Yekaterinburg. On the night of July 16-17, the Romanovs were taken to the basement, the death sentence was read out and they were executed. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that no one from the royal family managed to escape.