The Splendour and Misery of the Last Tsarinas

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Chief residence of the Romanovs, the Russian dynasty of the Tsars. The most powerful men in the world ruled from here, as did their wives. Since Catherine the Great, nearly all Tsarinas have been German, like the young Prussian princess Charlotte. Charlotte von Preusen was the daughter of the legendary Queen Louise of Prussia. She grew up in Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and was engaged to Russian Grand Duke Nicholas when she was 17. Two years later, in 1817, she set off to St. Petersburg. The wedding was announced. 200 years after Charlotte, another Prussian makes her way to St. Petersburg. Maria Louisa von Preusen. Great-great-great-granddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II and a direct descendant of Princess Charlotte. She wants to find out what life was like for her ancestor, what destiny awaited her at the Russian court, and what it means for a young woman to be married off into a far and distant kingdom. And why always Prussian princesses? Maria von Preusen carries her ancestor's writings with her. Excerpts from her letters and diaries. I confess that everything was so new to me and that I found myself at this new location. My soul was more occupied than my eyes. Everything was quite confusing for me. It is 1,500 kilometers from Berlin to St. Petersburg. With a horse-drawn carriage, Princess Charlotte's journey takes 17 arduous days. An important stopover is Memel, the last German town before the border to the Tsarist Empire. What was formerly Memel is now part of Lithuania and has reverted to its original Lithuanian name, Klaipėda. This is where Charlotte is to meet the Grand Duke in 1817 and continue her journey to St. Petersburg, accompanied by her future husband. The Prussian border town had already played an important role in Charlotte's life. When she was eight years old, she and her family had to flee Napoleon's victorious army to the furthest eastern corner of the Prussian kingdom. It was uncertain whether the royal family would ever be able to return to the capital Berlin. But the intervention of Russian Tsar Alexander I, a friend and ally of the royal family, prevented Prussia's ultimate defeat by Napoleonic France. Nicholas, a younger brother of the Tsar, was also present at the peace negotiations. Ever since the days of Peter the Great, the Russian court had regarded the German principalities, Prussia, Württemberg, and many of the others, as a sort of dating agency. And, you know, whenever a Tsar wanted to find a wife, he was sent off on a tour of Hesse, Württemberg, Berlin, Prussia, and so on, to find an appropriate wife, because they were mainly Protestants. And therefore, unlike Catholics, they would be happy to convert to orthodoxy. And at the same time, Russia would gain access and influence in Germany, which was the centre, the fulcrum of Europe. And as Russia wanted to be a great European power, German presence was always useful. The young Prussian princess and the Russian Grand Duke did truly fall in love with each other. The location where Charlotte finally leaves her own family and country behind in 1817 has great symbolic value. Nimmersat, the former border town on the Baltic coast, lies a few kilometres to the east of Memel. This is where the borders of the Prussian and Russian Kingdom meet, and where Charlotte's future husband is waiting for her. The royally privileged Berlin newspaper is also there, as the Russian princess bids her farewell. Thus she stepped, while the military honours were made, and the mustered cries of hurrah slowly along the ranks, greeting the soldiers and often drying her eyes. At the barrier, she turned back one more time, with tears in her eyes, to glance back to her homeland, while the Grand Duke welcomed her first steps onto Russian land with a hearty embrace. And it was then that the present Russian military let out a loud cry of joy. Today, there is little trace of this once so important border between the two great powers. One can barely imagine that this was once one of the most significant borders in Europe. One could say that this is where Western civilisation ended and Eastern civilisation began. Here in this picture, we can see two obelisks that denote the border between Russia and Prussia. On the one side was the Russian Empire, and here the Kingdom of Prussia. Nicholas's presence made the crossing of the border easier, which I did by foot so I could say farewell to the troops. I was bid farewell by Prussian cries and welcomed by the cries of the Russians. It was a moment where I nearly lost control of my senses. I do not know from where I got the strength to stand and not fall down. The thought that from now on I would only have unknown faces around me caused me to shed many tears. The German princesses arrived in a country that was a bundle of contradictions. On one hand, the aristocracy in St Petersburg lived in astonishing splendour. Sumptuous palaces, thousands of servants, hundreds of thousands of serfs working in their country estates. Men there, for example, wore diamonds on their buttons in a way that no-one else did in Europe. But on the other hand, behind this facade of extraordinary glamour and wealth was a very poor, rural country. 80% of the people were serfs living in absolute poverty. And so the German princesses arrived at a court that was a huge mixture, a golden facade set with diamonds. Behind it, a seething popular discontent and poverty. At this time, St Petersburg was the capital of Russia. Built from a swamp in one great violent act by Peter the Great in 1703, it was to open Russia to the West and gain military access to the Baltic Sea. When the Russian princess comes here in the summer of 1817, the city is blossoming. Ballet schools, theatre and engineering schools are of top European standards. Authors and composers from all over Europe are guests of the city, and its hundreds of palaces, each grander than the next, impress the new arrivals. There were foreigners, Italians, many Germans came. The German quarter was established. The Europeans built St Petersburg, really. And when you think of the young German women who came to the court at St Petersburg, what image did the princesses have? The German princesses had a very good image, that they were very good wives, very good mothers, that they were well-educated and well-suited to the Russian czars as women. What were the most hardest moments in their lives? The hardest moment was probably converting to the Orthodox Church, and when she got her new name, a Russian name, Alexandra Fyodorovna. No longer Charlotte, but Alexandra. Yes, in my opinion, perhaps that was the hardest, hardest moment, this change of name and in the heart, also later on. And perhaps also the moment when she saw her new husband, at the meeting, just when they arrived. Perhaps that was also the best moment. Maria von Preusen is on the way to the Winter Palace, the Romanov's residence for one and a half centuries. When the German princesses arrived at Russian court, they did so with considerable trepidation and fear. It was a terrifying prospect to set off from your comfortable German town into vast, dangerous, deadly Russia. They knew, the German princesses, that czars were regularly, horribly murdered, killed, that politics in the Russian court was a deadly and often fatal pastime. And so, leaving their family behind, they set off with considerable trepidation into a land with a different religion, a different language, and a brutal way of doing business. And so the Palace of the Czars was a place steeped in destiny for the German princesses from Hesse, Württemberg, Baden, as well as from the Kingdom of Prussia. Here is where they gained their first impressions of the expanse of power and wealth that the Romanov dynasty held. For 18-year-old Charlotte, the gravity of her new role already becomes clear on her fourth day, when she has to convert to the Russian Orthodox Church. Priest Mazovsky, who taught me the dogmas of the Russian Church and who prepared me for my first communion, was a courageous man, but could not speak German very well. He was not the man I would have needed to give me the peace of mind and calm my heart in such a moment. But in prayer, I found what only peace can give. I read holy scriptures and no longer thought of earthly things and only filled with the joyous thought of receiving my first communion, I betook myself, led by the Tsar, to the church. From Charlotte's writings, we know that she described feeling like a sacrificial lamb during the ceremony. It was indeed a sacrifice. Charlotte made a large sacrifice by renouncing her beliefs. She gave up her entire past. She no longer belonged to herself, but fulfilled a requirement for the future, for her husband, for Russia, for the people. Whether they liked it or not, the German princesses became servants of their husbands, the people, and the entire kingdom. The ceremony, which went on for hours in the incense-filled palace church, was made additionally hard to bear for Charlotte. The ceremonial gown crushes her and the heat in the overcrowded church is stifling. But then it is done. The Protestant Princess Charlotte becomes the Orthodox Grand Duchess, Alexandra Fyodorovna. Now, in the summer of 1817, the wedding can finally take place. With what a disposition I woke on the morning of July 13th. I do not want to speak too much of my own feelings here, but it is impossible to silence them on such a day. One placed the crown upon my head and laid a countless amount of crown jewels upon me, under whose weight I thought I would die. I was filled with joy when our hands came together. I was placing my life into the hands of Nicholas in complete trust, and he has never forsaken this trust. The story of Nicholas and Charlotte, who became Alexandra, was always a love story. It was always a love story. It was one of the most successful marriages, perhaps the most successful marriage in the whole history of the Romanov dynasty. And they were incredibly well-suited. They adored each other. They understood the same culture. She accepted that Nicholas was a militarist, obsessed with marching bands and parades, uniforms, and who regarded himself first and foremost as a soldier. And her whole family was like that in the Prussian court. So they were perfect. Charlotte, now Alexandra, is a grand duchess, married to Nicholas, the brother of the Tsar, Alexander I. Alexander I is also married to a German. His wife, Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeyevna, was born Princess Louise Marie Augusta of Baden. She was brought to the court at St. Petersburg when she was 13, and they were married a year later. Both her daughters died before they reached adulthood. The mother of Nicholas and Alexandra, Maria Fyodorovna, is a princess of Württemberg by birth. She went down in history thanks to her social and charitable engagement. The most powerful German on the Tsarist throne was Princess Sophie Friederike Augusta von Einhalbzerbst, better known as Catherine the Great. She is the only princess who went on to rule herself after the death of her husband. It is thanks to her that marriage politics ensured it was German princesses who were henceforth chosen for the heirs to the throne. Alongside the proper upbringing, the almost impeccable family tree and the Protestant beliefs, it is the insignificance of the German principalities that makes the German princesses such sought-after wedding candidates. A marriage with a princess from Hesse, Baden or even Prussia would not jeopardize the balance of power in Europe. The time after the wedding Alexandra will remember as the most carefree in her life. Her husband Nicholas has a strong interest in the military and all things technical and is given the family-friendly position of Inspector General of the Engineering Corps by his brother Tsar Alexander. Whilst the freshly-wed couple enjoys their marital bliss, a political development is brewing that will have a decisive impact on their lives. After debilitating years in power, Nicholas's brother Alexander I has made the unexpected decision to abdicate and to retire from political life entirely. His intention is for Nicholas to be his successor. When he saw that we were close to tears, he tried to console us by saying that it would not happen immediately and that years would go by before he put his decision into action and he left us alone. One can imagine in what kind of state. We never dreamt of such an idea. We felt like we had been hit by lightning. It was a memorable moment in our lives. Nicholas is not prepared for his brother's decision as it was his older brother Konstantin who was to be successor to the throne. But Konstantin had long since rejected the role. Aside from a few select people, no one in the great Russian empire knew that Nicholas was the chosen successor. Something that proved to be a grave error. But for now, it is still Alexander who sits upon the throne. And Alexandra is still a grand duchess and not a Serena. Slowly but surely, she gets used to her new surroundings and her open and carefree demeanor quickly makes her the darling of St. Petersburg high society. Now Maria von Preusen will get her own impression of what it must have been like at a tsarist ball. Nika Demchenko, who works for the Hermitage, has invited her to a historical salon evening with the appropriate dress code, of course. A hundred years after the Russian revolutionaries seized power from the nobility, festive balls are once again being held in St. Petersburg. They are an expression of the new generation of Russian aristocracy searching for their roots. The revolution and Soviet rule closed off most of the connections their families held to their history. The attendance of a real Prussian princess is of course the highlight of the season, especially an unmarried Prussian princess. Maria's great-great-great-grand-aunt Alexandra was a passionate dancer. Her beauty was renowned far and wide and the high society celebrations would last until the early hours of the next morning. Six months after the birth of her first child in October 1818, she hosted the opening ball of the season for the first time. It was such a great event for our palace, for it was the first time that the well-to-do from St. Petersburg were welcomed here. One was full of praise for our ball, our meal, our politeness. It was very encouraging and made us want to welcome and entertain the high society here more often. When one is young and beautiful and likes to dance, one is easily pleased without much ado. Alexandra's life is court and her family. She shows little interest in anything else. She was a flibbertigibbit. She was frivolous. She wanted to live in her little world, her little gilded world, like a beautiful, rather nervous, rather pretty bird. And she didn't worry herself about politics at all. She regarded her role as to worship her husband, the Tsar, Nicholas I. And that was an easy thing to do because Nicholas I was almost like Jupiter on earth. He was six foot three, dazzlingly handsome, often described as the most handsome and beautiful man in Europe, with the majesty and the stature to play the emperor. And, of course, the sexual energy and vigour to match it. And she was the perfect, submissive, worshipful wife. Eight years after the wedding, things took a dramatic turn. Before Tsar Alexander can realise his wish of abdicating and handing the Tsarist crown over to his brother Nicholas, he dies. Now come the repercussions, that barely a soul knew about the new intended heir to the throne. The aristocracy and the high-ranking officers in particular swear their allegiance to Constantine, who is more reluctant than ever to take on the crown. Revolutionary forces within the military try to make use of the power vacuum to stage a coup. In December 1825, things come to a head in St. Petersburg with the so-called Decembrist uprising of Senate Square. For Nicholas, the new Tsar, it is all or nothing. This is where the royal residence is, and suddenly there is a revolt in the centre of town. There were a total of 3,000 soldiers that were against the Tsar. They wanted to use the opportunity before the new oath was sworn in the Senate. How did such a result even happen? What were the causes? The real cause was the Enlightenment, I would say, and the French Revolution. All these aristocrats, all these officers, were well-educated in the spirit of the Enlightenment. And furthermore, just imagine, they were all in the war in France. They saw a totally different life there. And that was a shock for everyone, for soldiers, for officers, for the aristocracy. They saw a different life and thought, why do people elsewhere live much better than we do? And they searched for reasons. And it became clear to all, the reasons were the aristocracy and the serfdom in Russia. You have to understand, it was not a revolution of the proletariat. It was a revolution of the aristocracy. From her chambers in the nearby Winter Palace, Alexandra watches the events unfold. Messengers keep her constantly updated. She knows what happened to the ruling family in the French Revolution. All the eyewitnesses of the event thought the ruler was too patient, that he should resort to cannons. But I understood so well what was happening in the heart of my Nicholas. Everyone was amazed at his calm and his cold-bloodedness, his mildness. But one wanted him to act quickly and decisively. Nicholas orders heavy cannons to be brought to the square, but still hopes for a peaceful resolution. But by evening, the situation escalates when the rebels shoot the negotiator, a war hero from the Napoleonic Wars. Nicholas gives the order to fire. Altogether, 1,700 people were shot here. One fled to the Neva, and the Neva was covered in blood. The revolt ends on the same night. Nicholas I is, and will remain, Tsar of Russia. But at what a cost. Russian blood was shed by Russians. The ruler seems to be nearing the palace. We saw people from the window, amongst whom he was probably on horseback. Soon he rode into the palace courtyard and came up the small stairs. We threw ourselves towards him. Oh, God. When I heard how he was giving out orders, my heart began pounding at the sound of his voice. I had a completely changed man in front of me. Nicholas had already been an ultra-conservative believer in orthodoxy and autocracy before the Decembrists, but afterwards it confirmed in him his belief that he was chosen by God to keep sacred autocracy in Russia, and that was what would make Russia great forever. And so the Decembrists really achieved exactly the opposite of their aims. They reinforced autocracy in Russia. And Nicholas was actually quite a talented statesman. He was the Tsar who was most like none other than President Putin. And in fact, Nicholas I and Putin almost share the same slogan, autocracy, orthodoxy, was the heart of both of their policies. To get away from the intrigues at court and power battles, Nicholas and Alexandra retreat to Peterhof Palace more and more often, particularly in summer. It is the royal's summer residence and 30 kilometers outside St. Petersburg. Peter the Great ordered the estate to be built shortly after he founded the capital. He had just worn down the Swedish military and secured Russian access to the Baltic Sea. He then demonstratively erects a magnificent palace right by the Finnish Gulf, a symbol of the new, modern and mighty Russia. Peterhof Palace is too splendid for Alexandra and their allocated wing too large and impersonal. She wants a sanctuary for her and her family, far away from her duties as Tsarina and mother of the nation. Her husband, whose love for her is genuine, understands her needs. Throughout his entire life, he takes great joy in surprising her. We set off to Peterhof. Nicholas allowed me to take the lower path from Strelna. I couldn't stop my little cries of joy when I saw the sea, the old trees so close to the shore and the fountain in the garden. In one word, I was delighted. At the edges of the large estate, Nicholas builds a cottage. Its particular style is representative of the zeitgeist, especially the German one. The neo-Gothic forms are an expression of the romantic soul that yearns back to the times of the knights in the Middle Ages. A time when the world seemed intact for its rulers and no revolution had upset the aristocracy's claim for power. The cottage becomes the family's favourite retreat. Far from the stiff ceremony of court and the intrigues in the palaces, the family enjoys summer months here that almost resemble a normal life. What were the happiest moments for Alexandra? Alexandra Fyodorova spent the happiest years of her life here with her husband and her beloved children. There were seven of them. Four sons and three daughters. Yes, the years she spent here at the cottage with her family were the happiest of her life. And what were the saddest moments in the cottage? When Alexandra came to Russia for the first time, everything was new for her. Her surroundings, the people, the language. She was homesick for her Prussia. She wrote letters to her friends and family constantly, especially to her brother Wilhelm. And that made the loneliness a little easier. Here is where the Romanovs, one of the most powerful and richest families in the world, live out their private family idyll. Nicholas, coming from a strong military tradition and who likes nothing more than spending the night on his field bed, tends lovingly to his children. Alexandra can recover from her many pregnancies that sap her strength. Their peace is only interrupted once a year when the nobility and commoners are invited to a large party. The highlight? The royal family steps into the public eye. From an appropriate distance, one can observe them taking their afternoon tea. Maria returns to St. Petersburg by car. As soon as one leaves the Russian metropole, an impression of the vastness of the kingdom that had to be ruled becomes clear. The country is enormous. In the 19th century, the Tsars of Russia ruled over one-sixth of the earth, most of it endless land, which, along with its farmers, belonged entirely to the aristocracy. The serf labor force ensures the lavish lifestyle of the ruling classes. They are treated with varying degrees of kindness by their owners. As landowners, the Tsars had a good reputation. So most of the farmers and villagers that became property of the Romanovs were at an advantage. They owned the most land in the kingdom. Essentially, the kingdom of the Romanovs is like a private business in which the Germans played an important role from the very beginning. Back in St. Petersburg, Maria von Preusen is on the search for the spirit of the city. It is once again an international focal point whose strong cultural ties to Europe can be felt everywhere, not least due to thousands of foreign students who live and study here. In the 19th century, St. Petersburg is also multilingual. 50,000 Germans make up the community that centers around the Protestant St. Petri Church. The Germans were everywhere. German aristocracy served at court, in the military, in the financial sector, and the economy. And many of these people live on in legends. And why did these people come to Russia? To try and make their fortune? It was simple, really. To earn money and make their career. They all came from small German towns and this was their chance to achieve something. It was almost the same for German princesses. It was a great advantage for Russia. They brought meaning to all of it, that one was to serve and make the most of it. That's why in all of Russian literature, for example, by Leskov and Gogol, there's always a German character. One that is industrious and always at work and thrifty and earns money and makes something of it, which is the exact opposite of the Russian mentality. Russians cannot build up anything, which is why they always wait for good fortune. But not to build something for themselves. That's why the Germans were so important for St. Petersburg, to establish. So Charlotte actually came to quite a German place and was not so lonely in a foreign place. Not at all, don't worry. She was not alone. Firstly, her mother-in-law was here, the mother of Nicholas I. She was German, a princess from Württemberg. And she was overjoyed to see a proper German princess here. Or the ladies-in-waiting. I don't know the numbers, but I'd estimate that roughly half of them were German. Alexandra introduces a very German custom to Russia, the Christmas tree. Her family increasingly becomes the main focus of Alexandra's life. She gives birth to seven children, but also suffers miscarriages. The doctors urgently recommend abstinence, not an option for the Tsar. Finally, Alexandra must endure the fate of many Tsarinas, who must stand back and dutifully accept their husbands' mistresses. Alexandra, who used to adore the balls in the Winter Palace, must now retain her regal composure, as Nicholas enjoys himself with young aristocrats and even ladies-in-waiting, openly, for all to see. An Austrian diplomat's wife noted... It seems the Tsar wanted to throw off the veil once and for all that had shrouded his relationship to Duchess Russova. This time, he made no attempt to hide it. It was so obvious to all that I felt for the Tsarina. Her sensitive heart had no doubt recognised the core of their relationship long ago. But the outer appearance remained and her pride and self-love remained intact. That is over now. In fact, from the very beginning, Nicholas was highly sexed and had a succession of mistresses at the court, but he was very discreet. Many of them were charlottes, ladies-in-waiting, big aristocrats' wives. Everything was kept extremely quiet. There were no public mistresses. And she accepted that. That was the way a Romanov emperor would behave. And that was the way an aristocrat of the 19th century behaved as well. So she was very used to this. Adultery and betrayal are a common thread throughout the Romanov's 300-year history. Alexandra's daughter-in-law, Princess Marie of Hesse, is particularly affected. Throughout her entire life, she had to defend herself that she was not born out of wedlock. Due to the rumors, Alexandra herself tried to prevent the marriage. But her son Alexander defied his mother and took the young Hessian princess as his wife. The marital bliss he has fought so hard for is short-lived. Their firstborn son dies and Alexander becomes a notorious adulterer. Marie, now Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna, maintains the appearance of a happy family. Whilst her husband Alexander II continuously betrays her and sires a multitude of illegitimate children. When Marie contracts tuberculosis and her life of infirmity begins, she must tolerate her husband's mistresses moving into their own quarters in the palace. Such behavior must be tolerated as a Tsarina. Yet one still has charity work and the patronage of the arts for distraction and purpose. Something Alexandra had as well. For the construction of the Isaac Cathedral, Nicholas I calls back the mosaic school he founded in Rome. The Tsarist couple are regular visitors. Today, it is primarily restoration work and decorating the metro stations that make up the commissions for the once royal mosaic workshop of the Arts Academy. Ensuring the traditional craft is kept alive. Would you like to try it? That's the hammer with which it is broken into very small pieces. That's already pretty good, but always watch your fingers. You have to practice for a long time. As it was important for the arts to be on a par with the top European standards, the Academy of the Arts is under the direct patronage of the royal family. Alexandra Fyodorovna also commissioned portraits for herself, for her own family, and close relatives. There were no photos back then, so you had to sit and model. Because Alexandra was homesick for Prussia, she tried to create a connection to her home with the portraits, to her father, her mother, and her other relatives. Alexandra never quite gets over her homesickness. Letters between Berlin and St. Petersburg are exchanged on a daily basis. The families visit each other whenever they can. At the end of December, my brother Wilhelm left. It was a terrible moment, but once it was over, I became even closer to my Nicholas. I felt I had only him to lean against for support in my new home, and his wonderful tenderness made up for everything which I had lost. The family is, and remains, the main support for almost all of the Tsarinas. None other than Catherine the Great, the only Tsarina to rule, have distinguished themselves politically. The unhappy marriage of Maria Alexandrovna is followed by the German princess Dagmar of Denmark. She is engaged to Nikolaus, heir to the throne, when he suddenly dies. Over one year later, after a brief period of grieving, she marries his younger brother Alexander. When his father is killed by a bomb attack, she ascends the throne as Maria Fyodorovna, the wife of Alexander III. The last German princess on the Tsarist throne is Alix von Hessen-Darmstadt. She is also given the name Alexandra Fyodorovna when she marries Nicholas II, the grandson of her namesake, Princess Charlotte of Prussia. Her reign is ill-fated. There is a mass panic at the coronation, and thousands of people are trampled to death. Her son is a haemophiliac, and she becomes more and more reclusive, finally trusting only the dubious mystic Rasputin. As a German, the outbreak of World War I sparks growing hostility towards her, and the Russian Revolution seals the fate of the Romanovs. In Yekaterinburg, she is shot by revolutionaries, together with her husband and all their children. A dreadful price to pay for their refusal to acquiesce to the social shifts that were taking place in Europe. It was a tragedy for Russia and the Romanov dynasty that the Tsar who faced the greatest and most complicated problems and challenges of all the Romanov dynasty of 300 years was the most rigid, the narrowest, the most narrow-minded Nicholas II, and that he was assisted and ruled with the stupidest, the stupidest, the most limited, the most arrogant, the most vindictive, and the most willful of all the German princesses, Alexandra. And so they misunderstood the changing world, and their follies, their arrogance, directly led to the catastrophe of the Russian Revolution. Today, the Russian epoch of vizars is associated with a glorious past and a longing for a time of great power and wealth. This can be found in a school Maria visits in the heart of St. Petersburg. Thank you so much for having me. The former girls' school was founded by Alexandra Fyodorovna, the luckless last Tsarina, just before the First World War. It is one of the few things left behind that are testimony to the German princess in Russia. The school is a symbol of how the Tsarist epoch is now viewed in Russia. It's not just the body politic that's reawakening the glamour and power of the Tsardom and Church. Large parts of the population see hope for the future in a return to traditional values. Today, 110 young boys and girls are being taught at the school. The final exam is internationally recognized and alongside the usual subjects, mass and playing the chimes are on the syllabus. Why was this school founded? It was the first and only school that was founded by Alexandra Fyodorovna. She always helped the ordinary people and she said we have to give back to the people what we have relegated to the museums. We have to teach it to the people again for that is the foundation of each nation. That's why girls from all over Russia came here to learn the old traditions like weaving, needlework or lacemaking. So it is not all forgotten. Once their training was over they were sent to the Russian villages as teachers. What is the aim of this school? What role does it play in today's society? Developing an awareness for our traditions for our children is the priority. Without that Russia would not exist. That is the goal of this school. The Russian character is clearly defined here. The rituals and customs from the time of the tsars. God-fearing and conscious of tradition. Values that were upheld by the school's founder, the last German princess to ascend the tsar's throne until she and her entire family was swept away by the Russian revolution. Six of the final 12 Russian rulers were killed or assassinated. A fate that was not shared by the husband of Princess Charlotte of Prussia, Nicholas I. He is killed by a flu epidemic that rampages through Saint Petersburg in 1885 and dies within several days. For his wife the death of her beloved Nicholas is the tragedy of her life. He was everything to her. He had been the central thought of my heart for 38 years and for the 38 years I was the happiest of women and now all the more inconsolable. I feel there is no use for me on this earth anymore and would so much like to die. Now the Tsarina stands alone in a country that still remains foreign to her after 40 years. She spends more and more time in Berlin, goes on extended holidays to the Côte d'Azur and finally dies five years after the unbearably painful death of her husband. Niki, Niki, je viens, Niki, Niki, I'm coming are her last words. As differently as the lives of the German princesses on the Russian throne played out, this is where their pathways meet. In the Peter and Paul Cathedral they are buried alongside their family. Shall we go a little closer to Alexandra? Here in the northern part of the cathedral Nicholas I was laid to rest and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna survived her husband for five years. She died in 1860. The space next to him was kept for her after his death. And what kind of a woman lies buried here? Was she an unhappy or happy woman? She had a happy life. It was not a marriage of appearance but a love marriage. Her husband called her my little bird and all admired her light and airy gait. And if you look at the portraits you look very similar to your ancestors. What remains of Alexandra? She was certainly a child of her age, the Romantic period. In private, she was insightful, loving and a supporter of the arts. Politically, she was clueless without any grasp of the social changes and precipices of the 19th century. Her husband was an absolute ruler who missed a historic opportunity for change. But even if Alexandra and her husband are of little significance for historians, they, along with the other German-Russian royal couples, established the special relationship between the two countries. The history of Alexandra and Nicholas is, above all, the story of a great love.