Son of Peter I Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Romanov: photo, biography. Children of Alexey Petrovich

Heir to Peter I Alexei Petrovich is one of the most tragic and mysterious figures in the history of the Romanov dynasty. Because of the conflict with his father, he fled abroad, but was returned to his homeland, sentenced to death and died under unclear circumstances in custody.

Unloved son

Alexey Petrovich Romanov was born on February 18, 1690. His mother was Evdokia Lopukhina, on whom the young Peter married for a couple of years before the advent of the heir. However, very soon the monarch had a new passion - the daughter of a foreign master Anna Mons from his favorite German settlement, where the governor spent most of his free time. The autocrat finally broke up with Evdokia Lopukhina in 1694, when his eldest son was very young.

Therefore, Alexei Petrovich Romanov never knew the family idyll. Very quickly, he actually became a burden to his father. The situation worsened when Peter the Great sent Evdokia to the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal. At that time he was formally replacing the divorce procedure. At first Evdokia did not yield to the husband's persuasion. She even asked for intercession with the patriarch Hadrian. The head of the clergy really tried to protect the princess from her husband, which only made Peter more furious. As a result, Evdokia went to the monastery under escort. It happened in 1698, against the backdrop of the opening of the Streltsy rebellion in Moscow.

Education

A disgusting story with the expulsion of his mother could not but affect Alexei Petrovich. After the incident, the boy remained in the care of his aunt, Princess Natalia Alekseevna. My father did little for his son, as he was constantly on the road. The whole life of Peter I was devoted to state affairs, while the family had neither the time nor the desire to spend it.

Alexey had several teachers. The first of them - the deacon Nikifor Vyazemsky - was assigned to a six-year-old prince. He taught the boy the ABC, and then the foreign languages. At some point, Peter even wanted to send his son to study in Dresden, along with leading young people from the nobility, but changed his mind. Instead, the Germans - Martin Neugebauer and Heinrich Güsssen - were discharged to the Transfiguration Palace. Supervision of the monarch instructed his favorite and right hand to Alexander Menshikov.

Heir

Over the years, the relationship between father and his child did not get warmer. On the contrary, there was more and more mutual suspicion in them. Son of Peter 1 Alexei Petrovich was well educated, he knew foreign languages and exact sciences. But his father was upset that he was not interested in military affairs. Sometimes the monarch took the heir to hikes. The first time it happened in 1704, when the domestic troops triumphantly stormed Narva.

Then, when the Swedish army of Charles XII had already invaded Russia, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich was responsible for preparing Moscow for defense in the event of an attack by the enemy. There were letters from his father in which he chastised his son for inactivity and negligence. The wrath of Peter was caused by another circumstance. Shortly before that, Alexei secretly went to the monastery to his exiled mother. The autocrat did his best to limit the contacts of his son and first wife. On the visit of Aleksei Petrovich he learned thanks to the denunciation of his spies. The son was able to propitiate his father through letters to his favorite and future Empress Catherine I.

In Germany

In 1709, the son of Peter the Great, Aleksey Petrovich, nevertheless went to Germany to study. In addition, the father wanted to find there a foreign bride. Before that, the Russian tsars had married exclusively Russian women, and by origin they could have been ignorant. This attitude to marriage was characteristic of the XVII century. The tsar, having made Russia part of Europe, considered dynastic weddings an important diplomatic tool. On the advice of the teacher Aleksei Petrovich, he decided to organize the marriage of his son with Charlotte Wolfenbüttel - daughter of the German duke and sister of the future Empress of Austria.

However, before getting married, the prince had to finish his education. Widely known episode when he returned to Russia, frightened by the test for drafting, shot himself in his hand from a pistol. This act again angered his father. Peter not only beat his son for this, but also forbade him to show up at the court. After a while, the monarch calmed down and reconciled with the child. In such outbursts of rage the whole character of Peter was included. With all his talents and diligence, he was a despot who did not tolerate disobedience. That's why all the approximate autocrats were not independent figures. They were afraid to contradict the tsar. This explains also that lack of will, which distinguished Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. He was largely a victim of his father's stern temper.

Wedding and children

Despite all the family squabbles and vicissitudes, the planned wedding still took place. October 14, 1711 in the town of Torgau, a marriage took place between Alexei and Charlotte Wolfenbuttel. The ceremony was attended by Peter I himself. Very soon it became clear that the union of the newlyweds would have a very difficult fate. Charlotte moved to St. Petersburg, but she remained a stranger to a foreigner. She could not get close to either her husband or her father-in-law.

And although the personal relations of the spouses did not work out, the princess continued her main dynastic function. In 1714, the young couple had a daughter, Natalia, and a year later - the long-awaited son Peter. However, after his birth, the mother felt bad. Her condition worsened, and ten days after the birth of Princess Natalia (as she was called in Russia), she died. The son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich Peter in 12 years became Emperor Peter II.

Continuation of the conflict

Little children of Alexei Petrovich were not the only addition to the royal family. The ruler himself, after his unloved son, got another child. The child was named Peter Petrovich (his mother was the future Catherine I). So suddenly Alexey ceased to be the sole heir of his father (now he had a second son and grandson). The situation put him in an ambiguous position.

In addition, the life of the new St. Petersburg is clearly not fit such a character as Alexei Petrovich. A photo of his portraits shows a man a little morbid and indecisive. He continued to carry out the state assignments of his powerful father, although he did it with obvious reluctance, which again angered the autocrat.

While still studying in Germany, Alexei asked his Moscow friends to send him a new confessor, whom he could frankly confess about everything that bothered the young man. The prince was deeply religious, but at the same time very afraid of his father's spies. However, the new confessor Jacob Ignatiev was not really Peter's proteges. Once Alexey in his heart told him that he was waiting for his father's death. Ignatiev answered that many Moscow friends of the heir want the same. So, quite unexpectedly, Alexei found supporters for himself and took the path that led him to his death.

A difficult decision

In 1715, Peter sent his son a letter in which he put it before the choice - either Alexei corrected (that is, begins to engage in the army and accepts the policy of his father), or sent to a monastery. The heir was at an impasse. He did not like Peter's many undertakings, including his endless military campaigns and the cardinal changes of life in the country. This mood was shared by many aristocrats (mainly from Moscow). In the elite there was really no aversion to hasty reforms, but no one dared to openly protest, as participation in any opposition could end in disgrace or execution.

The autocrat, putting an ultimatum to his son, gave him time to think about his decision. Biography of Alexei Petrovich has a lot of such ambiguous episodes, but this situation has become fatal. After consulting with the people in charge (first of all, with the head of the St. Petersburg Admiralty, Alexander Kikin), he decided to flee Russia.

Escape

In 1716 a delegation from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen headed by Alexei Petrovich. The son of Peter was to see his father in Denmark. However, while in Gdansk, Poland, the prince suddenly changed the route and actually fled to Vienna. There Alexei began to negotiate on political asylum. The Austrians sent him to a secluded Naples.

The plan of the fugitive was to wait for the death of the sick Russian tsar, and then return to his native country to the throne, if necessary, then with a foreign army. Alexey told about it later on the investigation. However, it is impossible to take these words with confidence for the truth, since from the arrested one simply knocked out the necessary testimony. According to the testimony of the Austrians, the Tsarevich was in hysterics. Therefore, it is more likely to be argued that he went to Europe from despair and fear for his future.

In Austria

Peter quickly found out about where his son had fled. The people loyal to the tsar immediately went to Austria. The head of an important mission was appointed an experienced diplomat Peter Tolstoy. He reported to the Austrian Emperor Charles VI that the mere presence of Alexis in the land of the Habsburgs was a slap in the face of Russia. The fugitive chose Vienna because of his kinship with this monarch for his short marriage.

Perhaps, in other circumstances, Charles VI would have protected the exile, but at that time Austria was at war with the Ottoman Empire and was preparing for a conflict with Spain. To receive in such conditions such a powerful enemy as Peter I, the emperor did not want at all. In addition, blurred himself and Alex. He behaved panically and clearly was not sure of himself. As a result, the Austrian authorities made concessions. Peter Tolstoy got the right to see the fugitive.

Conversation

Peter Tolstoy, meeting with Alexei, began to use all possible methods and tricks to bring him back to his homeland. In the course there were sincere assurances that his father would forgive him and allow him to live freely in his own estate.

The messenger did not forget about the clever hints. He persuaded the prince that Charles VI, unwilling to spoil relations with Peter, would not, in any case, shelter him, and then Alexei would be exactly in Russia as a criminal. In the end, the prince agreed to return to his native country.

Court

February 3, 1718 Peter and Alex met in the Moscow Kremlin. The heir wept and begged for forgiveness. The king pretended not to be angry if the son refused the throne and inheritance (which he did).

After this, the court began. At first the fugitive betrayed all his supporters, who "persuaded" him into a reckless act. Arrests followed and regular executions followed. Peter wanted to see his first wife Evdokia Lopukhin and the opposition clergy at the head of the conspiracy. However, the investigation found out that the king was dissatisfied with a much larger number of people.

Death

None of the brief biography of Alexei Petrovich does not contain precise information about the circumstances of his death. Following the investigation, which was conducted by the same Peter Tolstoy, the fugitive was sentenced to death. However, it never happened. Alexey died June 26, 1718 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he was held during the trial. It was officially announced that he had a seizure. Perhaps the prince was killed by Peter's secret order, or maybe he died himself, without suffering the torture experienced in the investigation. For the omnipotent monarch, the execution of his own son would be too shameful event. Therefore, there is reason to believe that he instructed to deal with Alexei in advance. One way or another, but the truth did not recognize the descendants.

After the death of Aleksei Petrovich, a classical point of view emerged about the causes of the drama that happened. It lies in the fact that the heir was influenced by the old conservative Moscow nobility and hostile to the tsar's clergy. However, knowing all the circumstances of the conflict, you can not call the tsarevich a traitor and do not take into account the degree of guilt of Peter the Great himself in the tragedy.