Figure 1.--Here we see the royal family in a rather formal portrait. We would guess the portrait was taken about 1892. We are not sure who the man with a dog is, perhaps the Tsar's brother. Notice Nicholas' cossack costume and Michael's sailor suit. The portrait was taken at Lividia.

Unlike many royal marriages, the one of Dagmar and Alexander was a happy one. It was said of Alexander that the two things that he never wished to break was the peace of Europe and the Seventh Commanment. He was not only faithful to his wife, but he was devoted to domestic life, both Dagmar and the children. [Battiscombe, p. 158.] He had a wonderful way with children despite his massive appaearnce and absolutely doted upon his daughters. The Tsar was warm and loving with his wife and children, if rather over powering. The formality here is more a photographic style thann reflective of family relationships (figure 1). The portrait herewas taken at Lividia. This was a summer residence located in the Crimea. After Nivcholas became Tsar he built a more grandiose palace here. (This was the palace where Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt met during World War II for the Yalta Conference during 1945.) Family life was affected by the measures against terrorism. He did not live in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Instead the family lived in Gatchina, the palace of his great-grandfather, Paul I. Gatchina was more secure. In fact, it was built like a medieval fortress surrounded by ditches and watchtowers. While the Tsar and his family were safe there, it meant that he and the royal family were virtually totaly isolated from the Russian people. Even in this large palace, the royal family lived simply. They lived in the renovated servants area.

Sources

Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).

Created: 5:37 AM 9/7/2004
Last updated: 5:37 AM 9/7/2004