* Written by Justin A.R. Rose *
Alexei Nicholaievich Romanov was born on August 12, 1904 to Nicholas and Alexandra, the Tsar and Tsaritsa of Russia in Peterhof. Tsar Nicholas noted in his diary, "An unforgettable, great day for us on which so clearly the mercy of God has visited us. At 1:15 in the afternoon, Alix gave birth to a son who was in prayer named Alexei. Everything has happened remarkably soon - for me at least. In the morning, as usual, I visited Mama, then I received a report from Kokovtsov and the artillery officer Kleptov wounded at Wafangou and I went to Alix to have lunch. She was already upstairs, and half an hour later this happy event came about. I have no words worthy enough to be able to thank God for the consolation granted by Him in this year of hard trials. Darling Alix felt quite well. Mama came at 2 and sat long by my side before her first meeting with her new grandchild. At five I went to church service together with the children where the whole family had gathered. Wrote a mass of telegrams." The whole country was overjoyed at the birth of an heir after waiting nearly 10 years for one. Nicholas and Alexandra were even more happy. Alexandra's main wish, her ultimate desire, was to have a son. Now her duty had been done after the births of Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia, a whole line of beautiful girls, yet this factor made the Russian people upset.
The christening was a stunning display of the wealth and power of the Romanovs. On August 23, 1904 the heir was baptised. Marie Pavlovna (daughter of Grand Duke Pavel, but was raised by her uncle Serge and his wife Elizabeth) noted, "We accompanied my uncle and aunt to Peterhof to attend the little Tsarevich's baptism. A gilded coach followed by a cavalary troop bore the newly born son to the church. He was accompanied by his nurse and the Mistress of Robes. Since dawn regiments had been drawn up along the route the cortege would take, with it's numerous gala carriages drawn by horses gay with plumes. At eleven o' clock in the morning the Imperial family and the court were ready, the men in their full-dress uniforms, the ladies adorned with jewels in gowns of gold and silver cloth with long trains. The Emperor, the Grand Dukes and Duchesses, the ambassadors, and the high dignitaries formed in procession; they reached the palace church by crossing halls filled with guests. The little Tsarevich was carried at the head of the procession on a cushion of silver cloth by the Mistress of Robes. The church glistened with light. At the entrance numerous members of the clergy, presided over by the Archbishop of St. Petersburg, greeted the Emperor. The religious service ended, the child was brought back to the house with the same ceremonial. Felicitations and a banquet brought the day to an end. In honor of the Army, then fighting on the distant plains of Manchuria, all the combatants were inscribed as godfathers to the young prince." Then, to the horror of his parents, he started bleeding from the navel. But there would not be another occurance for years. For once, the palace was bathed in a radiant sunlight. Pierre Gilliard wrote of his first meeting with the Tsarevich when he was with the Imperial family in Tsarskoe Selo: "It was there that I saw the Tsarevich, Alexei Nicholaievich, then a baby of eighteen months old, for the first time, and under the following circumstances. As usual, I had gone that day to the Alexander Palace, where my duties called me several times a week. I was just finishing my lesson with Olga Nikolaievna when the Tsaritsa entered the room, carrying the son and heir. She came towards us, and evidently wished to show the one member of the family I did not yet know. I could see she was transfused by the delirious joy of a mother who at last has seen her dearest wish fulfilled. She was proud and happy in the beauty of her child. The Tsarevich was certainly one of the handsomest babies one could imagine, with his lovely fair curls and his great blue-grey eyes under their fringe of long curling lashes. He had the fresh pink colour of a healthy child, and when he smiled there were two little dimples in his chubby cheeks. When I went near him a solemn, frightened look came into his eyes, and it took a good deal to induce him to hold out a tiny hand. At that first meeting I saw the Tsaritsa press the little boy to her with the convulsive movement of a mother who always seems in fear of her child's life. Yet with her the caress and the look which accompanied it revealed a secret apprehension so marked and poignant that I was struck at once."
Alexei and his sisters got along beautifully and the sisters adored him. In fact everyone that know him, loved him. He was mischievious and daring and would always want to be treated like other boys. His 2 loves were soldiers and trains. He did okay in school, but his tutors thought we would have been brilliant, had he tried. He grew up to be handsome and tall. He and Anastasia got along the best together. He was spoiled, but he was deeply caring and wanted to help the suffering. Alexei once told some soldiers to march out to sea on foot. His father said later that he trembled for Russia under "Alexei the terrible". The young tsarevich loved going to reviews with his father. He had no true friends, the only ones being his sisters and some servant children. When the War started, he went with his father to the front. There he enjoyed a military life until he got a nosebleed amd was sent home. Like his father, he couldn't be happier being out with the soldiers.
However, the Russians were losing the war. The tsar was being blamed and was forced to sign his abdication. At the same time, the children all had the measles. Alexandra was fervently tending to them. Alexei took the news of him not being tsar very nicely. Even though he wanted to be one very bad. Very soon, the family was under house arrest. For his 13th birthday, which would be his last, Alexei got a few homemade gifts and the next day they would leave Tsarskoe Selo forever. In Tobolsk, they got less privacy. Alexei was usually bored and would yearn for better things. Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Alexei stayed at Tobolsk until May 23, although Nicholas, Alexandra, and Marie had been taken to Ekaterinburg already. Alexei had hurt himself and was unable to leave yet. At Ekaterinburg, they were treated horribly, and whitewash was painted over the sealed windows. Some days they had food which guards had spit in, or scraps, and sometimes nothing at all. They only lived for 25 days more. On July 17, 1918, the whole Imperial family was allegedly shot in the cellar. Alexei was allegedly quieted with 3 shots to the head. He was only 13.
* Much thanks to Justin Rose for writing this biography! *
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