When you wear a beard, attention is focused on your face and a very specific impression is created. If you want to wear a beard, first you need to decide what image you want to create for yourself with a beard.
A male beard is a great way to express your own personality and create your own style, so remember that you have many options to choose from.
The first type of beard you can create is a full thick beard and for men who can grow their facial hair, this is a bold statement.
A full beard suggests the presence of hair on the cheekbones and continuously growing down the jawline. Although people get excited about the sight of such a full ford looking untidy, the truth is that if it is trimmed very carefully around the edges, it will look very dignified.
Take time to be sure you have defined the bottom line of the beard correctly and allow the hair on the top line along the cheeks to grow naturally.
Men's beards - Your different styles
A goatee with a mustache allows you to look full and look like a full beard without the need for cheek hair. This style involves having hair in the area around the mouth, preventing it from growing on the cheeks.
This beard style is also known as the round beard and Van Dyke style, and if you keep your hair neatly trimmed, it creates a dashing look. If you decide to grow your facial hair, let it grow a little more than you see fit. Then you will be able to carefully cut them off if necessary. In this case, you can create your own unique style.
A variant of the goatee and mustache is the Balbo style, where the beard and mustache are separated by a thin strip of bare skin. Try to create this style and you will see that it is very attractive and you can turn the top line of the goatee into a straight line or into a wave. The Balbo style combines many styles, but rest assured that it will help anyone stand out from the crowd.
Beard style and design
A striped beard is a great beard style for those with a narrow face. This style involves a small strip of hair that grows right under the center of the lower lip. This strip should not extend below the chin, but it should not be too short either.
The look of the chin and face creates great opportunities for experimentation, especially since we are talking about such a small amount of facial hair. You can grow your hair out in a very short time, but you can spend much more time creating your own style and look.
On the other hand, you can try growing your hair all the way to the end of your chin, which is also known as a "chin strap" beard style. This style involves the presence of a beard in the form of a fringe along the lower line of the chin across the entire width of the face in the absence of a mustache.
When the beard is trimmed regularly, this style is the so-called urban, bohemian style. The best way to get a beard like this is to grow a full beard and then shave as you see fit.
If you're looking for a style that's historically recommended, opt for sideburns that are narrow at the top and flare at the bottom. These sideburns can be achieved by growing short sideburns until they meet at the outer corners of the lips.
Types of male beards, styles and designs.
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*Hulihee - from the Hawaiian means - "Run, flee."
While this style is standard, give your sideburns a twist with a mustache that connects to the ends of the sideburns and the corners of the lips...
Of course, when you read about the different styles of beards, there is a chance that you will be wondering which style would suit you best. While a certain beard style can hide the chin, making it appear softer, or add length to a face that looks too round, you will suddenly find that the best way to find your personal beard style is to simply grow it out!
Growing a beard.
Let your facial hair grow for at least two weeks! Although some begin to trim the beard in the style of a goatee or along the edge of the chin after a few days. Consider that it would be better to choose a beard style for yourself if you have enough material for this, i.e. facial hair! Remind yourself of this every day, standing in front of a mirror. Fight the urge to style your beard immediately until it has grown enough.
If you lasted two weeks without shaving your beard, congratulations! You did the first and most difficult step! Now take a good look at your face in the mirror. Determine in which part of the face the hair grows thicker, where less often, whether you need to hide your cheekbones, or you need to slightly lengthen your face. Step by step, define your individual beard style.
Of course, depending on which style you choose for yourself, you may or may not need to style and trim your beard on a daily basis. But that shouldn't scare you! Remember, you create your own individual style! If you find that you need more hair to create your beard, let it grow for another week or two. You will be rewarded! You will notice that the hair grows thicker!
You can safely use your beard to create your own unique image. You will be able to draw people to you by this. Make sure that you do not waste your time, but create your originality!
wearing mustaches in the 19th century by civilians and got the best answer
Answer from And you don't know... how?)[guru]
“Here you will find a wonderful mustache, indescribable with no pen, no brush, a mustache to which the better half of life is dedicated, an object of long vigils during the day and night, a mustache on which the most delicious perfumes and aromas have poured out and which have smeared all the most precious and rare varieties of lipsticks, mustaches that are wrapped at night with thin vellum paper, mustaches ... which are envied by those passing by.
N. V. Gogol "Nevsky Prospekt".
Peter I introduced a special tax on beards, thereby banishing the signs of Russian conservatism from public consciousness.
The Eastern Church declared the shaving of beards a pagan custom. In 1551, at a meeting of the church council, the Russian clergy declared that "without a beard one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
During the time of Elizabeth Petrovna, there was a dictate of Paris in the field of fashion. The Empress, giving preference to everything French, continued to collect taxes for wearing a beard.
Only Catherine II, having ascended the throne in 1762, abolished the duty, but with a caveat: government officials, military and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot”.
In the 19th century Russian emperors repeatedly addressed the topic of the beard.
As before, the nobility, officials and students had to shave their beards. Only officers of some military branches were allowed to let go of their mustaches. During the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813-1814. many military men acquired this decoration, although since 1812 only hussars and uhlans had the right to wear them. A mustache at that time was considered a non-statutory element, but the authorities looked at it through their fingers, only soldiers, even retired ones, were required to shave their beards.
In the 19th century , following the European fashion, sideburns became popular in Russia, they were called with us: side ears, burds, cheek-bards.
In the reign of Nicholas I, the state again returned to polling beards and mustaches.
With enthusiasm for Byron's work, young people began to appear in high-society salons with some carelessness in clothes, "an unkempt beard that grew as if by itself, due to the forgetfulness of a grieving martyr" adorned their faces. At this time, the beard is perceived as a challenge to society, disagreement with the desire of the authorities to cut everyone with the same brush. The introduction of rules of court behavior, new uniforms, and even the facial hair of a man, everything was regulated by relevant orders, determined by ministries and departments.
Under Nicholas I, wearing a mustache was the privilege of some military men, while persons of other classes were, of course, forbidden; wearing a beard was allowed only to peasants and persons of free fortunes who had reached a more or less respectable age, and among the young it was recognized as a sign of freethinking. Such elders always looked askance. Officials of all civil departments were required to shave their entire faces smoothly; only those of them who had already risen somewhat in the hierarchical ladder could afford to wear short sideburns near their ears (favoris), and then only with the favorable indulgence of their superiors. (N. P. Vishnyakov)
Nicholas I, and his son Alexander II, wore sideburns and mustaches.
For representatives of the taxable estates, beards and mustaches were a matter of taste. So, a merchant and a peasant on the street could always be recognized by a bushy beard.
In the 1880-1890s. the fashion for beards and mustaches returns, most men, including government officials, along with sideburns also wear a beard, the attitude towards which has become more loyal.
The question of the beard since the 18th century. was constantly the subject of state decrees, Emperor Nicholas II completed this list, by personal example, like his father, Alexander III, who proved that a beard and mustache are a tribute to Russian traditions and customs.
In 1901, Junkers were allowed to wear beards.
We can say that the beard and mustache are the main accessory of people with non-standard thinking, real personalities who have always stood out from the crowd. The mustache and beard of Nicholas 2, Lenin and other famous personalities will forever remain in history.
The beard has long been considered a symbol of courage and male power. Perhaps that is why almost every great personality, prominent politicians, revolutionaries had beards or mustaches. Let's take a closer look at which famous bearded men left a serious mark on world history (in our opinion).
Albert Einstein
The great scientist, the founder of modern theoretical physics, no doubt a well-read and intelligent man, also preferred a mustache to a smooth-shaven face. It’s probably hard to imagine now what Einstein would have looked like without his mustache, which complemented his lush gray hair.
Freddie Mercury
Without a doubt, the great singer, who left behind many hits, had remarkable charisma. Fire was felt in every song, and his manner of performance brings goosebumps even today. A black thick mustache flaunted over Mercury's upper lip when he was already mega popular and became his signature feature.
Clark Gable
This great actor, the sex symbol of the cinema of the 30s and 40s, is rarely remembered by moviegoers. But his spectacular pencil mustache and slight squinting of his eyes are impossible to forget. The ideal style of the "King of Hollywood", a real womanizer man, was assigned to the name of Clark Gable for a long time. A narrow thin strip of hair above the upper lip was always neatly cut and complemented the image of a real "macho" conqueror of women's hearts.
Joseph Stalin
The great dictator, who was feared by everyone during his reign, left a bloody trail in the history of mankind. Thousands of dead, millions of people exiled to camps and "enemies of the people", constant repressions and high-profile reprisals. This great ruler became famous for such feats. One thing can be said that his oriental blood and magnificent mustache dreamed in terrible dreams for many people.
Salvador Dali
Historians claimed that this man was strange and not far from insanity, so his mustache was also far from standard. With such a long protruding mustache, it was hardly possible to get a job as a teacher or a financier in a decent cantor. Such non-standard vegetation on the face of the great artist simply obliged him to paint surrealistic paintings that were on the verge of human understanding.
Nikita Mikhalkov
For reference! Great Soviet and Russian actor, director and producer. He starred in cult films, and his mustache conquered many women's hearts.
And today in Russia, it is Mikhalkov who is considered a role model among actors who listen to his opinion and consider him a wise and important person in cinema. His images have always been courageous and strong, and the mustache was an integral part of them.
Che Guevara
It was this noble revolutionary and underground worker who also had a stern appearance and a bearded face. Naturally, under the conditions of the revolution, he had no time to turn around in front of a mirror and shave his cheeks smoothly every day. Only severity, only revolution!
Vasily Chapaev
Today, any fashionista would envy the full magnificent mustache of the head of the division Chapaev. Not every man, leading a healthy lifestyle and properly caring for facial hair, can boast the same results. Chapaev's mustache is a trend! Naturally, genes play a big role, and Chapaev apparently couldn’t take away testosterone!
Semyon Budyonny
This great military leader left a big mark on Soviet military history. He showed himself as a fearless, brave and intelligent warrior. At the same time, he loved to wear a magnificent mustache. His appearance cannot be confused with anyone, and Budyonny's mustache is his calling card. Perhaps such lush facial hair added to the military courage and desire for victory.
Nicholas II
Important! Russian Emperor Nicholas II was smart and calm, he became the first global peacemaker. He adored port wine and dreamed of moving the capital to Yalta.
These historical facts are not known to everyone; they did not write about this in history books. The sovereign's thick, full beard looked royal. Although in youthful photos Nikolai is depicted with a thin small mustache. There are many facts about the strength, courage of this ruler and his great mind. He did a lot for Russia and this cannot be denied.
Lenin
The great revolutionary did not wear a beard or mustache until 1917. Lenin's beard appeared closer to the time of the mass uprisings, at which time the leader looked like he is depicted in all the portraits. The great historical figure was able to lead the people to a revolution and a coup, which is not so easy, therefore it is impossible to deny his strength and influence on people. There are many opinions, but there is no need to argue about fortitude, intelligence and a beautiful beard.
All these great people with a beard or mustache left an important mark on the history of revolutions, culture, cinema, music. All of them possessed charisma, masculinity and fortitude. Sometimes it’s even hard to imagine how much they carried on their shoulders and how they coped with everything on their own. Perhaps the beard and mustache did not play a big role in history, but they definitely influenced the character of men!
In different human cultures that existed in different eras of the development of civilization, there were and are different traditions regarding the wearing of a beard. These traditions may be associated with the religious or social beliefs of mankind.
No matter how varied the reasons for growing a beard may be, it has always been believed that if a man has grown a beard, then he has matured at least in order to openly express his beliefs. Growing a beard is hard, it takes patience. Even more patience requires caring for her. A beard is a subject of male pride.
Since ancient times, the beard has been a sign of masculinity, wisdom, strength and power. For a man whose beard was shaved, this was a disgrace. The beard was worn by the prophets, kings, apostles, patriarchs and even Jesus Christ himself.
The beard as a symbol has always been given great importance, history from antiquity to the present day has unfolded not around the economy, as Marx said, but around the beard. Ecumenical councils passed decrees on barbering, taxes were taken for wearing beards. There were times when it was dangerous for a man to walk around with a beard, and they could be executed for it. At other times, a similar effect was caused by the appearance of people without a beard.
ANCIENT WORLD
Initially, intended by nature for warming especially sensitive areas of the skin of the cheeks and chin, in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. the beard has become a means of adornment of the male face.
Among nomads, the beard has always been held in equal esteem. In Mesopotamia, a millennium BC, the Assyrians wore luxurious beards and used curling irons to create layered models.
The entire Ancient East, from the foothills of the Pamirs to the Sahara, was seized with a passion for wearing beards of impressive size. The length of the beard corresponded to the rank of the official. Ordinary Persian soldiers who opposed the phalanxes of Alexander the Great had beards up to the collarbone, high-ranking dignitaries covered their entire chest with hair. A similar fashion previously existed in Greece. The Spartans respected the beard so much that shaving it off was a punishment for the worst sin - cowardice.
ANCIENT EGYPT
In ancient Egypt, only the pharaoh had the right to wear a beard (as a sign of his ownership of the land), but his beard was artificial. All other men of Ancient Egypt were required to shave their beards.
The Egyptian pharaohs were considered the earthly incarnation of the god Horus and could only be men, so the female pharaoh Hatshepsut had to wear men's clothing and a false beard during official ceremonies.
A false beard, like a wig, was made of wool or cut hair intertwined with gold threads and tied to the chin with a cord. This ceremonial beard could be shaped in different forms, but the most common was a pigtail, turned up at the end, similar to a cat's tail.
ANCIENT GREECE
In ancient Greece, a beard testified to a love of wisdom and philosophy. In ancient times, the Greeks had the shape of a beard as a sign of belonging to one or another philosophical school.
barbering
And suddenly people began to shave. It also happened in Ancient Greece. According to the legends, she did not grow up with the great conqueror Alexander the Great.
Alexander the Great
Without a beard, Alexander the Great ordered his soldiers to cut their beards, so that opponents could not grab onto it in battle. What tricks the great commander did not go to to hide his natural feature. Thus, thanks to Alexander the Great, the fashion for eternally young “youthful faces” spread in the ancient world. In ancient Greek society, growing a beard meant putting an end to the state in which a boy could legally become the object of sexual claims from elders. The presence of a beard was a criterion for dividing the participants in the Games into junior and senior. Only scientists and philosophers were allowed to wear a beard in Athens.
ANCIENT ROME
From Greece, the fashion for a “barefoot” face migrated to Ancient Rome. The first to organize a haircut was the Roman Emperor Nero.
Roman Emperor Nero
Youth, energy, liveliness, will, and not at all the burden of years, were valued by the citizens of these first republics in the history of Western European civilization. In the Roman Empire, a shaved face and a short haircut were among the signs of civilization and distinguished the Roman from the "wild" peoples. The ancient Romans generally considered bearded men to be barbarians.
ANCIENT ISRAEL
In ancient Israel, the question of whether or not to wear a beard at all was not even raised. It was believed that shaving a beard was unnatural. The fact is that in ancient times, in biblical times, Israel was surrounded by pagans, among whom all sorts of perversions were common - homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, human sacrifice, and other abominations. These peoples gradually degenerated and disappeared.
Therefore, the law of Moses provided for the death penalty for homosexuals, and a strict prohibition for men to wear women's clothes and shave their beards. Just like women wear men's.
Jews generally wore short hair (1 Cor. 11:14; Ezek. 44:20); the exception was Nazirites those who did not cut their hair according to a vow (Num. 6:5,9; Acts 18-18), or some individuals, such as Absalom (2 Sam. 14:26). The Nazarite vow included three important aspects - not to cut hair, not to drink wine, not to touch the dead.
The Bible also tells of Samson, who did not cut his hair and was strong and invincible until his hair was cut off (Book of Judges, chapter 17, verses 17-19).
BYZANTIUM
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the fashion for shaved faces also passed. The end of this tradition was put in the 2nd century by the Roman emperor Hadrian (76-138 AD), who used a beard to hide the flaws of his face.
Roman Emperor Hadrian
At the beginning of the 4th century, the attitude towards the beard changed again. Emperor Constantine the Great, who made Christianity equal among other religions of the Roman Empire, made barbering a duty. The Christians followed the imperial decree. The absence of a beard began to distinguish them from the bearded pagans and Jews.
Emperor Constantine the Great
But after the iconoclastic disputes of the 7th-9th centuries, the tradition of wearing beards reasserted itself.
From Byzantium, the fashion for beards came to Eastern Europe along with the adoption of Christianity. She was conceived as a reflection in the human face of God's face.
EUROPE
It is known that in the West, in Europe, many representatives of the Germanic tribes wore a beard. The Franks, on the other hand, were shaved. The rulers of the Carolingian dynasty, including Charlemagne, did not wear beards either. (on the miniatures of the 9th century, men constantly depict mustaches with a clean-shaven chin).
In France and central Europe, a wide beard came into fashion only at the turn of the millennium. According to written sources, it was easy to recognize a layman from a church clergyman by his clothes, beard and other signs of worldly life.
Christian Europe of the Middle Ages wore beards, although in their wearing, haircuts and hairstyles, the whims of fickle fashion were observed. At the beginning of the 11th century, all emperors are depicted with a beard, although of different lengths. So the German king Henry III was depicted on his gospels with a long full beard, on seals - with a short beard, and on some miniatures only with a mustache. An interesting fact is that Bishop Le Puy encouraged the Crusader soldiers besieging Antioch to shave their beards, fearing that in battle they could be confused with the enemy. And another bishop, Serlon of Seez, complained to the king that the laity did not shave their beards "for fear that their short stubble would prick their mistresses during kisses."
In the 12th century, in France and England, shaving of the beard, but leaving the mustache, spread at the court. According to the coronation rite, "emperors must be shaved" when the Pope kisses the emperor on the forehead, cheek and mouth. Why the custom of shaving the beard spread precisely in the 12th century is not exactly known. Perhaps this was due to the increased opposition to the Eastern Church, where there was a tradition of wearing a beard.
Shaving of beards and mustaches is introduced in civilized Europe simultaneously with the revival of classicism - in the Renaissance, i.e. The "bearded" Middle Ages was replaced by the "shaving" Renaissance, with its bare Protestantism.
In the following period, most of the men again had rich beards and long mustaches.
With the advent of the Baroque era, the beard fell out of fashion, from about 1680 the mustache also disappeared, and until the middle of the 19th century, the model of a clean-shaven male face completely prevailed.
After the revolution of 1848 in Europe, mustaches and beards again became a mass phenomenon.
From the second quarter of the 20th century, the opposite process took place: shaved faces became dominant in the appearance of men.
The alternation of periods of shaving and hairiness of male faces as a mass phenomenon of male fashion and male preferences can be considered in connection with a change in the male ideal prevailing in a given historical period. In an era dominated by the ideal of a masculine man, mustaches and beards are in fashion, since they are always perceived as the natural and most striking signs and symbols of masculinity.
Arrival of King Francis I in Italy in 1526
On the contrary, with the beginning of the transition of public consciousness to the feminine ideal of a man, the faces of men become shaved, male secondary sexual characteristics in the form of facial hair are removed. The prevailing trends are always typical of the general population, regardless of profession or social status. But there are always social strata that preserve the independence and continuity of the tradition of their appearance.
Among famous Europeans, beards were worn by: Francis I, Henry VIII, Charles IX, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Victor Hugo, Charles Darwin, Claude Monet, Giuseppe Verdi, Jules Verne and others.
ANCIENT RUSSIA
Northern Slavs wore and honored beards from time immemorial, long before the adoption of Christianity. In Russia, it was believed that every man should have a beard, because. she was a sign of masculinity, wisdom and strength. They gave her a lot of attention, protected her, looked after her. It got to the point that if a person had an ugly tattered beard, then he was considered an inferior person. There was no worse insult than a spit in the beard.
True, some experts believe that South Slavic, pagan Rus (including Kievan Rus) was beardless, and its representatives were named "Khokhlov" (pointing to the difference between Ukrainians, Little Russians and Great Russians), and the Slavs of northern Russia always grew their beards and were "katsapami"(corrupted word: yak tsap, i.e. goat)- To a shaved Ukrainian, a bearded Russian seemed like a goat. Scientists explain this difference between shaved Slavs and bearded simply by the climatic conditions of our country - in the north it is traditionally cold and the beard protects the face, and in the south it is hot.
The custom of wearing a beard did not have a religious cult among us until the 10th century. The beard was worn and honored without the participation of church authority. But since the tenth century, Russia has been baptized. Following the example of the Byzantine clergy, in Russia they accept the apology of the beard, pointing to the ancient biblical prophets and Christ with the apostles. Those. it so happened that the Orthodox Church further approved the folk tradition of wearing a beard and sanctified this custom, as a result of which the beard becomes a symbol of both the Russian faith and Russian nationality.
Like a real shrine, the beard was protected by the state. So, Yaroslav the Wise established a fine for damaging a beard. The old Russian princes, wanting to offend the ambassador, ordered him to shave his beard.
Even Ivan the Terrible used to say that shaving a beard is a sin that will not wash away the blood of all great martyrs. Previously, priests in Russia refused to bless the beardless. And Patriarch Adrian said this: "God created man with a beard: only cats and dogs do not have it."
In Russkaya Pravda, for “sweeping” a beard or mustache, in other words, for causing damage to them, a particularly high fine was imposed - 12 hryvnia - only three times less than the fine for killing a person.
The reason for cases of shaving the beard was often Sodomy or simply fornication, so shaving was expressly forbidden. The condemnation of shaving a beard and mustache was caused, in addition to adherence to antiquity, also by the fact that shaving beards and mustaches was associated with the vice of sodomy, the desire to give one's face a feminine appearance.
During the Time of Troubles and in the 17th century, shaving the beard was considered a Western custom and was associated with Catholicism. For example, False Dmitry I shaved. His lack of a beard was seen as a betrayal of the Orthodox faith and proof of imposture. When, during the time of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the tendency to shave increased among the Russian boyars, the patriarch said in response to this: “Barbering is not only ugliness and dishonor, but a mortal sin.” By the way, in the Middle Ages, the belief was entrenched that if you meet a beardless man, then he is a rogue and a deceiver.
Peter's reforms
Peter I
Permanent wearing of a beard in Russia was canceled only by Peter I. As you know, Tsar Peter decided to make Russia look like Holland or Germany in everything. Russian clothes and a beard were not to his liking. Returning in 1698 from a trip abroad to Moscow, the next day, at the solemn reception of the boyars in Preobrazhensky, Peter began to cut boyar beards and shorten long caftans. Barbering and wearing German dress were made compulsory.
Peter I issued a decree according to which he ordered everyone to shave (!) beards and wear (!) German dresses. On the chopping block, the tsar personally chopped the beards of the boyars with an ax.
Shaving a beard went against traditional Orthodox ideas about male beauty and an image worthy of a person, so the innovation caused massive disapproval and protests. Peter I arranged the persecution of dissenters and up to the death penalty for disobedience to shave his beard. Our ancestors had to fight not for life, but to the death. Uprisings were raised throughout Siberia, which were subsequently suppressed by the troops. For rebellions and disobedience to the king, people were hanged, quartered, wheeled, burned at the stake and impaled.
As a result, seeing such resistance among the people, Peter I in 1705 replaced his law with another one “On shaving beards and mustaches of all ranks to people, except for priests and deacons, on taking duties from those who do not want to fulfill it, and on extradition to those who paid duty of signs ”, according to which a special fee was levied from men wearing a beard, and those who paid it were given a specially minted bond - a beard sign.
Only Catherine II canceled the fee with a caveat: government officials, military and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot”.
In 1863, Alexander II abolished the "beard" bans.
Post-Petrine period
The question of the beard has been constantly the subject of state decrees since the 18th century. Emperor Alexander III put an end to this issue, by personal example, like his son Nicholas II, who proved that a beard and mustache are a tribute to Russian traditions and customs.
Since the time of Peter I, who planted customs alien to Orthodoxy in Russia, barbering has become so ingrained in Russia that today wearing a beard causes misunderstanding and disapproval. Often a person who maintains a Christian image may not be hired, requiring that he first shave. Given this sad circumstance, the spiritual fathers instruct Christians not to follow the whims of this world, but to be afraid of angering the Lord.
We offer you to get acquainted with the most important on the topic: "Nikolai 2 without a mustache and beard" with a full description and recommendations.
Nicholas II ascended the throne on November 2, 1894. What do we all remember about this king? Basically, school clichés stuck in my head: Nicholas is bloody, weak, was under the strong influence of his wife, is to blame for Khodynka, established the Duma, dispersed the Duma, was shot near Yekaterinburg ... Oh yes, he also conducted the first census of the population of Russia, writing himself “the owner of the Russian land” . Moreover, Rasputin looms on the side with his dubious role in history. In general, the image is such that any student is sure: Nicholas II is almost the most shameful Russian tsar of all eras. And this despite the fact that most of the documents, photographs, letters and diaries remained from Nikolai and his family. There is even a recording of his voice, rather low. His life has been thoroughly studied, and at the same time, it is almost unknown to the general public outside of textbook clichés. Do you know, for example, that:
1) Nicholas took the throne in the Crimea. There, in Livadia, the royal estate near Yalta, his father Alexander III died. Confused, literally crying from the responsibility that had fallen on him, the young man - this is how the future king then looked. Mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, did not want to swear allegiance to this son of hers! The younger, Michael - that's who she saw on the throne.
Tsesarevich. 1889 In a few years, Nikolai will grow a beard and will wear it for the rest of his life.
2) And since we are talking about the Crimea, it was to Yalta that he dreamed of moving the capital from his unloved St. Petersburg. The sea, the fleet, trade, the proximity of European borders ... But he did not dare, of course.
In autumn and spring, the royal family often lived in the Crimea, in the hot months they went to rest in Finland. The girls in the boat are the eldest daughters
3) Nicholas II almost handed over the throne to his eldest daughter Olga. In 1900, he fell ill with typhus (again, in Yalta, well, just a fateful city for the family of the last Russian emperor). The king was dying. Since the time of Paul I, the law prescribed: the throne is inherited only through the male line. However, bypassing this order, we started talking about Olga, who was then 5 years old. The king, however, got out, recovered. But the idea of arranging a coup in favor of Olga, and then marrying her off to a suitable candidate who would govern the country instead of the unpopular Nikolai - this thought stirred up the royal relatives for a long time and pushed them to intrigues.
4) It is rarely said that Nicholas II became the first global peacemaker. In 1898, at his suggestion, a note on the general limitation of armaments was published and a program for an international peace conference was developed. It was held in May next year in The Hague. 20 European states, 4 Asian, 2 American participated. In the minds of the then progressive intelligentsia of Russia, this act of the tsar simply did not fit. How so, because he is a militarist and an imperialist?! Yes, the idea of a prototype of the UN, of conferences on disarmament, originated in Nikolai's head. And long before World War II.
As heir, Nikolai made a 9-month trip to the Far East - through Austria-Hungary, Greece, Egypt, India and China, reached Japan, and then returned through Siberia. In Japan, he was attacked by a policeman - he managed to inflict several wounds with a sword.
5) It was Nikolai who completed the Siberian railway. It is still the main artery connecting the country, but for some reason it is not customary to put it in the merit of this king. Meanwhile, he ranked the Siberian railway among his main tasks. Nikolai generally foresaw many of the challenges that Russia then had to deal with in the 20th century. He said, for example, that the population of China is growing astronomically, and this is a reason to strengthen and develop Siberian cities. (And this at a time when China was called sleeping).
The reforms of Nicholas (monetary, judicial, wine monopoly, law on the working day) are also rarely mentioned. It is believed that since the reforms were launched in previous reigns, then the merits of Nicholas II seem to be not special. The tsar “only” pulled this strap and complained that he “works like a convict”. “Only” brought the country to that peak, 1913, according to which the economy will be reconciled for a long time to come. He only approved two of the most famous reformers in office - Witte and Stolypin. So, 1913: the strongest gold ruble, the income from the export of Vologda oil is higher than from the export of gold, Russia is the world leader in the grain trade.
A rare case: the king married for love and kept it all his life. With his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
6) Nicholas was like two drops of water similar to his cousin, the future English King George V. Their mothers are sisters. “Nicky” and “Georgie” were confused even by relatives.
"Nicky" and "Georgie". It looks like even relatives confused them
7) Raised an adopted son and daughter. More precisely, the children of his uncle Pavel Alexandrovich - Dmitry and Maria. Their mother died in childbirth, the father soon entered into a new marriage (unequal), and as a result, Nikolai personally raised the two little grand dukes, they called him “dad”, the empress - “mother”. He loved Dmitry like his own son. (This is the same Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, who later, together with Felix Yusupov, will kill Rasputin, for which he will be exiled, survive during the revolution, escape to Europe and even have time to have an affair with Coco Chanel there).
Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, who was raised by Nicholas II from 1905. In fact, the adopted son
8) I tested the soldier's ammunition on myself. Checking army suppliers - whether they slipped rotten cloth - put on an overcoat and full equipment of a private and walked 14 kilometers in this form in the heat.
Testing the form of a private, Nicholas II walked 14 kilometers in the heat in full uniform. Satisfied
9) Of all the wines, he loved the Crimean port wine the most, but knew when to stop. Although not without pleasure, he recorded in his diary: “I tried 6 varieties of port wine and spluttered a little, which is why I slept well” (August 1906). The tsar also smoked like a steam locomotive - one after another.
On the hunt in Belovezha with the empress wife
10) He could not stand women's singing. He ran away when his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, or one of her daughters or ladies-in-waiting, sat down at the piano and started romances. The courtiers recall that at such moments the king complained: “Well, howled ...”
11) I read a lot, especially contemporaries, subscribed to a lot of magazines. Most of all loved Averchenko.
The traditional and well-known appearance of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II took shape quite early. While still heir, in the early 1890s. a small, smart mustache appeared on the face of young Nikolai Alexandrovich.
Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich during a trip to Japan. Photo 1891
In the photographs of 1891, depicting the king during his trip to the East, we see a shaved chin, a short crew cut and a small mustache. Judging by the surviving photographs, the beard on the face of Nicholas II appeared in 1892-1893. In a series of photographs associated with his engagement in April 1894, there is already a new image that Nicholas II did not change until the end of his life: a short haircut, parted on the right side, a fairly large, well-groomed mustache and a small, rounded beard. Over time, the mustache became shorter and "merged" with the beard. Small bald patches appeared on the head, and the hair thinned slightly.
The appearance of the king throughout his life is described by many memoirists. All of them noted the sportiness of the king and his good physical shape with good health. For example, General Headquarters Yu.N. Danilov described the “late”, 46-year-old tsar as follows: “The sovereign was short in stature, with a dense build, with a somewhat disproportionately developed upper half of the body. A fairly full neck gave him a not quite agile appearance, and his whole figure moved in a peculiar way, with his right shoulder forward.
Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and Princess Alice of Hesse after their engagement. Photo 1894
Emperor Nicholas II wore a small light oval beard, shimmering with a reddish color, and had calm gray-green eyes, distinguished by some special impenetrability, which always internally separated him from his interlocutor.
Nicholas II followed his appearance very carefully. This is evidenced by the accounts of hairdressers who visited the king 2-3 times a month. Nicholas II, by virtue of his position, had a fairly extensive wardrobe. Its most significant part was various military uniforms. Being the chief of many regiments of the Russian army, the emperor put on these uniforms depending on the situation and taking into account many reasons: regimental holidays of the part that carried the guard in the palace, various regimental anniversaries, etc. This collection also included uniforms of regiments of European armies, worn during official visits. The wardrobe also included a civilian dress, which Nicholas II, as a rule, could only afford to wear abroad.
The first series of photographs of Nicholas II in civilian clothes refers to his trip "to the East" in 1890-1891, when he was still a crown prince. In these photographs, the young 22-year-old crown prince is dressed in a light "tropical uniform", and only during official visits did he put on an officer's uniform.
First family photograph of Coburg. April 1894
During excursions, the crown prince, as a rule, dressed in a fashionable light European suit. In a photograph taken in 1891 in Japan, the crown prince is wearing a felt bowler hat. It was this bowler hat that a samurai policeman cut with two blows of his saber during an assassination attempt on the Tsarevich in May 1891. To this day, a white shirt with the monograms of Tsarevich Nicholas is kept in the State Hermitage Museum, traces of blood remained on it after the assassination attempt.
Approximately in the same years, the young Tsarevich acquired a hunting suit “made of English matting”. All subsequent years, the style of this hunting suit was invariably preserved. This suit has been preserved, and it was from this sweat-stained suit that the experts managed to take genetic material during an examination to identify the remains of Nicholas II in the 1990s.
In 1893, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich visited England. During the visit, it turned out that the cousins - the heirs of the Russian (future Nicholas II) and English (future George V) crowns - are unusually similar. So similar that it became the reason for a series of photographs.
The next series of photographs in civilian dress was taken during the courtship of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich in April 1894. According to tradition, the Russian Tsarevich arrived in Darmstadt in a civilian suit. In these staged photographs, the Tsarevich is rather constrained and somewhat preoccupied. This is understandable, since the circumstances of the matchmaking for Alice of Hesse turned out to be rather complicated.
Since 1895, the Swiss citizen Henry Vollenweider, the owner of the Henry company, has been included in the "List" of suppliers of the Imperial Court. In his store, located in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya, 18, he sold marine uniforms and civilian clothes. His inclusion in the "List", apparently, took place by the Highest decision, since the supply of this company of marine and civilian clothing to the Court began precisely in 1895.
Firm "Henry" supplied Nicholas II with civilian clothes. For example, from April to August 1903, Henry Vollenweider sold 16 items to Nicholas II on invoices in the amount of 1043 rubles. The list of these items is very indicative: a frock coat, waistcoat and trousers (for 150 rubles); tuxedo (150 rubles); three suits (115 rubles each); white tennis suit (110 rubles); autumn coat (140 rubles); frock coat "Fantasy" (30 rubles); three white vests for a tailcoat (20 rubles each); cycling pants (28 rubles); vest for the suit (25 rubles); silk tennis belt for 5 rubles.
In the same shop, the tailcoats of Nicholas II were cleaned and repaired, and the royal vests were washed. The store also provided related services: for example, purchased ready-made clothes were customized according to the figure of the customer.
It should be emphasized once again that Nicholas II appeared in civilian clothes very rarely, and even the emperor's inner circle, who were constantly next to him, seeing the king in a particular dress, perceived this as incongruity.
Emperor Nicholas II during a visit to Germany. Photo 1910
At the same time, as follows from the accounts, the tsar's wardrobe had all the necessary civilian items, and they were carefully monitored. In 1897, during a trip to his wife's homeland in Darmstadt, Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna made an incognito trip to Frankfurt am Main. They were dressed in the usual particular costumes of wealthy bourgeois. The young emperor's entourage immediately noted that Nicholas II was not in the habit of wearing civilian clothes, and his top hat was of poor quality69.
Quite a few photographs of Nicholas II, dressed in civilian clothes, remained after visiting Germany in the autumn of 1910. The main purpose of the trip was the treatment of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in her homeland in Darmstadt. The family of Nicholas II stayed abroad for about three months. The visit was of a kindred, private nature, and Nicholas II, for the most part, dressed in civilian clothes, and very diverse ones. At first, this was surprising. For example, a friend of the Empress A.A. Vyrubova, seeing for the first time in 1910 Nicholas II dressed “in civilian clothes”, noted this fact in her memoirs: “The sovereign came in civilian clothes. Out of habit, it was somehow strange to see him like that, although at the same time it was very amusing.
After 1910, Nicholas II made several more trips abroad, during which he had the opportunity to wear civilian clothes. One of the last foreign visits took place in May 1913. In August 1914, Russia entered the First World War, from that time Nicholas II never wore a civilian dress. Dressed in a soldier's tunic, he met death in July 1918.
Tailors of Nicholas II
As already noted, the Russian emperors in their homeland wore only military uniforms. As a rule, it was sewn by tailors who specialized in the production of military uniforms. For a sewn military uniform, many more elements were required, from headgear, shoulder straps, aiguillettes and boots. All this was purchased in the so-called officer's things stores. The owners of these stores eventually turned out to be among the suppliers of the Supreme Court.
The owner of the officer's clothing store, manufacturer I. Skosyrev, was considered the oldest supplier. The family business has existed since 1812. The store was located in St. Petersburg at 4 Vladimirsky Prospekt. According to the "List" of imperial suppliers, it is possible to restore three generations of the Skosyrev family, who consistently received the high title of supplier of the Highest Court: manufacturer I. Skosyrev received the title of supplier of the Highest Court in 1857, then the title was confirmed by his son Vasily Skosyrev, a supplier since 1863. Alexander Skosyrev, a supplier since 1895, completed the merchant dynasty.
In the military store M.I. Skosyrev, who sold uniforms for officers, in 1903, goods worth 1234 rubles were purchased for Emperor Nicholas II. 90 kop. Basically, these are trifles: two scarves, seven caps of various regiments, uniform belts, cockades for caps, saber buckles, epaulettes, etc.
Since the Russian emperors were the chiefs of various foreign regiments, German ones were among the suppliers (I. Eisner, Berlin, from 1862; Theodor von Linker, Darmstadt, from 1896; Felix Collani and Oscar Kurde, owners of the LH Berger Collani company ”, Berlin, since 1903) and Danish (A.N. Herlin, since 1910) tailors.
One of the outstanding St. Petersburg military tailors of the late XIX - early XX centuries. was Nikolai Ivanovich Nordenshtrem, supplier of the Imperial Court since 1895. Firm "Nordenstrem N." was one of the oldest metropolitan firms, specializing in the manufacture of military uniforms. It was founded by Nikolai Ivanovich Nordenshtrem, who came to St. Petersburg from Sweden in 1821. In 1841 the workshop passed to his nephew Andrei Ivanovich, in 1852 to Nikolai Ivanovich and in 1856 to Karl Ivanovich Nordenshtrem. The company had an atelier and a shop at 46 Nevsky Prospekt. In the early 1900s. K.N. became the head of the company. Nordenstrem. Tailors and cutters of the company carried out very important orders - they sewed uniforms for Alexander III, his younger brothers, Grand Dukes Alexei, Sergei and Pavel Alexandrovich.
Accounts N.I. Nordenshtrem for a military uniform supplied for Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich from 1884 to 1895 amounted to 14,500 rubles. Its first deliveries to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich date back to 1877. From December 1902 to December 1903, the Nordenshtrem store supplied 15 items and 2 sets of military uniforms worth 1,572 rubles. This list includes: Horse Guards tunic (225 rubles); winter dolman (250 rubles); parade cuirass (55 rubles); jacket (100 rubles); jacket of the Moscow regiment (100 rubles); tunic of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (100 rubles); sea tunic (110 rubles); vest (15 rubles); three pairs of trousers (38 rubles each); double-breasted tunic of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (90 rubles); pants for a marine uniform (38 rubles); trousers for infantry uniforms (40 rubles); ceremonial infantry uniform (145 rubles); parade uniform of the Consolidated Regiment (135 rubles). The same tailor took the royal uniforms for cleaning and repair. Some of the uniforms, waistcoats, and trousers were arranged by tailors, as in 1903 the Tsar began to put on weight.
In the studio of a famous tailor, uniforms were sewn for the Grand Dukes Konstantin and Dmitry Konstantinovich; Grand Dukes Nicholas and Peter Nikolaevich; Grand Dukes George and Alexander Mikhailovich; Grand Dukes Kirill, Boris and Andrei Vladimirovich, as well as for Alexander and Konstantin Petrovich of Oldenburg, for Prince Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, Duke Eugene Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg71. Any officer of the Imperial Guard considered it obligatory for himself to sew a uniform from the “old man Nordenstrem”. Through the workshop of N.I. Nordenstrem, the supplier of the Imperial Court, was passed by almost all wealthy guards officers who “built” their uniforms.
Coronation dress of Alexandra Feodorovna and uniform of Nicholas II
"Blue" (definition by the color of the uniform) cuirassier B.C. Trubetskoy wrote in his memoirs: “Every day after the exercises I went to St. Petersburg, where my first duty was to visit the venerable Nordenstrem, the famous St. Chakhchirs with stripes for the parade, for living rooms and for everyday life”72.
For the coronation of 1896, Nicholas II was given a special uniform, which is currently kept in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin in the collection of coronation clothes of Russian monarchs. Since the coronation ceremony included a very significant sacrament of chrismation, special holes were made on the uniform and boots for performing the sacrament rite. On the uniform there is a valve on the chest, having thrown it back, it was possible to anoint the Emperor's bare chest with chrism. As the valet who dressed Nicholas II before the coronation recalled: “The sovereign’s uniform and the soles of the sovereign’s boots had holes made in advance, through which the sacrament of chrismation was performed. Having changed clothes, the emperor ordered to remove the uniform and boots, which were to be kept as a shrine and as a historical relic”73.
Russian emperors, like ordinary people, got used to certain clothes and parted with them with difficulty. The same was with Nicholas II. He wore the same things for years, preferring patched and darned, but familiar details of the toilet. This, of course, made life difficult for his valets. Like all Romanovs, he passionately loved military uniforms. Hundreds of military uniforms were stored in his wardrobes, some of them can now be seen in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. By 1917, up to 1500 uniforms of the emperor were stored in ash cabinets in the dressing room of Nicholas II in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. In fact, he was supposed to have a complete set of uniforms for all regiments of the Russian army. During ceremonial exits, he put on the uniform of the regiment that at that time was guarding the imperial residence. Nevertheless, Nicholas II preferred the uniform of the Preobrazhenians and Life Hussars74. With pleasure, Nicholas II wore the crimson blouse of the Guards Riflemen.
There were other, incomparably smaller expenses for clothing, but they show how extensive was the circle of people involved in the personal service of the emperor. So, in 1902, the Cossack of the Own escort, Platon Monastyrsky, “corrected” the Circassian coat and beshmet of the king of the form of the Own escort and received 10 rubles for the work.
Character and demeanor
Many features in the behavior of Nicholas II are due to his childhood. Several episodes from childhood and adolescence played a significant role in shaping the personality of the king. Nicholas II remembered them many years later. So, the episode with ball lightning, which flew into the palace church during the service, made the deepest impression on little Nikolai. He saw that Emperor Alexander II remained completely calm during this incident, and the desire to imitate his grandfather forced him to consciously develop extraordinary self-control75. On March 1, 1881, the 12-year-old future Nicholas II looked at his dying, blood-drenched grandfather, Alexander II, fading away in his office on the second floor of the Winter Palace. He was certainly shocked, and this sight was also deposited in the deep layers of his personality. In October 1888, the 19-year-old crown prince almost died during a railway accident near the Borki station near Kharkov. In May 1891, an assassination attempt was made on Nikolai Alexandrovich in Japan, which left a “notch” on his head.
Emperor Nicholas II. E.K. Litart. 1900
Nicholas II did not immediately acquire the skill and habit of countless public appearances and appearing in public as the first person of the state. At first, this made him feel really stressed. However, over time, the skill was acquired, but, nevertheless, despite his outward calmness and "strength", he, like any person, was nervous, and "outwardly, the embarrassment of the sovereign was expressed, for example, in the so-famous constant stroking of his mustache and scratching left eye." This continued internal uncertainty of the king, with an external "impenetrable" calmness, was noted by many attentive memoirists, especially those who could observe the king for a long time in his daily life. Thus, one of the Generals of the Headquarters recalled that “these traits of the sovereign were also revealed outwardly by nervous twitching of the shoulders, rubbing of the hands and excessively frequent coughing, which was then accompanied by the unconscious smoothing of the beard and mustache with the hand”77.
Gradually, Nicholas II developed a certain “protective” demeanor, which became part of his business style: “All the gestures and movements of Emperor Nicholas II were very measured, even slow. This feature was inherent in him, and people who knew him closely said that the sovereign was never in a hurry, but he was never late for anything.
Since every word of the emperor was carefully listened to, Nicholas II realized early on that the consequences of the most, in his opinion, harmless remarks could be very serious. Therefore, he was very rarely frank with his interlocutors, he preferred to listen, keeping his opinion to himself. He did not want to argue, to prove what seemed completely obvious to him. The silence of the emperor was mistaken by many for agreement with their opinion, and after that they experienced severe disappointment when the emperor acted as he considered necessary. Then immediately began talking about the duplicity of the king. People who knew the king closely unanimously noted his “ability to control himself and hide his inner feelings. In the most dramatic moments of his life, outward calm did not leave him.
The calmness and restraint of the king in stressful situations remained a mystery to his contemporaries and gave rise to a wide variety of rumors. Restraint in behavior and assessments, in imitation of his grandfather, was consciously formed by him from childhood, and then already became a mask, so fused with himself that it was difficult to separate the developed fatalism of his nature and consciously concealed emotions. Aide-de-camp A. Mordvinov (his father-in-law was the Englishman K.I. His, the educator and teacher of the young Tsarevich) also emphasized that “even as a boy, he almost never got excited and did not lose his composure”80.
State activity is inevitably connected with the solution of complex, conflict situations. It is common knowledge that the king tried to avoid them. They explain it in different ways. Some write about his upbringing, which prevented him from saying unpleasant things to his dignitaries, while others see this as a manifestation of some kind of double-mindedness and Jesuitism. For example, S.Yu. Witte, who did not have much sympathy for the tsar, noted that “the sovereign is by nature an indifferent optimist. Such faces feel a sense of fear only when a thunderstorm is in front of their eyes, and as soon as she moves away from the nearest door, it passes in an instant. Minister of Public Education A.N. Schwartz wrote that “he never got angry. I myself have never seen his anger, and I have never heard of its manifestations from others. Minister of War A. Rediger believed that, “despite the hard days that fell to his lot, he never lost his composure, he always remained an even and affable, equally diligent worker. He told me that he was an optimist.
The behavior of the king in stressful situations is especially remarkable. During his reign, they arose quite enough. But wars are events that shake any power to its foundations. On the day the Russo-Japanese War began, Minister of War A.N. Kuropatkin wrote in his diary: “January 28, 1904. At the report on the 27th, the sovereign was pale, but calm”84. The ambassador of the German Empire, Count Pourtales, who informed the tsar about the declaration of war in 1914, also noted this extraordinary self-control, it even gave him the impression of some kind of mental anomaly: what is happening in his soul .... I got the impression that my high interlocutor is either gifted with self-control in an unusual manner, or has not yet had time, despite my very serious statements, to comprehend the entire menacing situation that has arisen”85.
Especially a lot of talk was caused by the behavior of the king during the abdication. The phrase of the official historiographer of the General Headquarters, General D.N. Dubensky, uttered during interrogation in August 1917: “He is such a fatalist that I can’t imagine ... he renounced the Russian throne, as the squadron surrendered”86. This ostentatious calmness deeply offended many and, in turn, forced them to take the death of the tsar himself and his family in the summer of 1918 calmly. , many psychologists will write about it, and it will be difficult for them to find out; and to deduce that this is an indifferent person would be wrong.”
The impression of the king's excessive calmness deeply struck A.I. Guchkov. During interrogation at the Extraordinary Investigation Commission established by the Provisional Government, on August 2, 1917, he shared his observations: “In general, I must say that this whole scene made a very difficult impression in one respect ... that it directly occurred to me: yes, we have Are we dealing with a normal person? I've always had doubts about this before, but this scene; she convinced me even more deeply that this person simply, until the last moment, was not fully aware of the situation, in the act that he performed, ... it seemed to me that these people should have understood that they were dealing with a person which cannot be considered normal in all respects.
Not everyone shared this opinion. The fact that this "impenetrable" calmness is only a mask was written by those who knew the king well for many years. They emphasized that in order to preserve this habitual mask, the king sometimes needed serious volitional efforts. Baroness S.K., who knew him well. Buxhowden recalled that “restraint was second nature to him. Many asked: did he fully realize the tragedy of some events? - so calm was his attitude, so secretive was the expression on his face. Actually it was a mask. A. Blok quotes the words of General D.N. Dubensky: “When he spoke with Fredericks about Alexei Nikolayevich, one on one, I know he did cry.”89
The tsar allowed only the closest people to see his real experiences. The younger sister of the Tsar Xenia wrote in her diary that after the reception at the Winter Palace in April 1906 on the occasion of the opening of the meetings of the First State Duma: “Many cried! Mom and Alyx were crying, and poor Nicky was in tears, his self-control finally left him, and he could not help crying! A very characteristic remark of the sister - "finally." Apparently, the sovereign's excessive calmness oppressed even those closest to him90. Anna Vyrubova mentions in her memoirs that when the tsar returned to Tsarskoye Selo after his abdication on March 9, 1917, he “wept like a child in front of his wife”91. She also conveys the king’s words: “You see, all this excited me very much, so that all the following days I could not even keep my diary”92. One of the king's biographers, E.E. Alferyev, in the very title of his book, expressed the idea of his extraordinary will. He wrote that “by constant hard work on himself, he developed superhuman self-control and never expressed his feelings in any obvious way. By his nature, the Sovereign was very reserved… Ignorance gave birth to misunderstanding”93.
Such external and emotional "closedness" of the tsar also had objective reasons: too many people in conversations with him were looking for the slightest manifestations of any emotions, on the basis of which they could judge the attitude of Nicholas II to their words. The tsar, on the other hand, wanted to maintain complete privacy of his thoughts and moods regarding the views and arguments of the next interlocutor, in order to avoid any rumors and retain a certain freedom of maneuver. And for this, a mask of impenetrable calm was unusually well suited. In general, such behavior was not typical for Russian monarchs, because, due to their position, they could afford not to restrain their emotions, and “royal wrath” is generally an integral part of their “royal profession”. Therefore, P.A. Stolypin and burst out once: “Yes, get angry at least once, Your Majesty!”
Soviet historians of the 1920s, who dealt with this issue, agreed that this calmness is the result of a special psycho-emotional temperament of the tsar. For example, P.E. Shchegolev stated: "Nikolai's sensitivity was extremely reduced, it was below the level required for a normal person"94.
It seems to us that there is no reason to speak of any kind of mental anomaly. Such restrained behavior is the result of many years of strong-willed efforts that have become a habit, which have become a second person. In addition, the religiosity of the king, bordering on fatalism, also contributed to a certain detached view of the events, and the image of a calm, self-controlled king impressed those around him. But he impressed only in conditions of stability. In a situation of impending collapse, clearly felt by many contemporaries, this excessive calmness was perceived as lack of will, as a mental anomaly, which in turn undermined the prestige of imperial power.
Protopresbyter of the Russian army and navy G.P. Shavelsky. In his memoirs, he cites a very curious phrase of Nicholas II, uttered in July 1916 in a conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs S.D. Sazonov: “I, Sergei Dmitrievich, try not to think about anything and find that this is the only way to rule Russia. Otherwise, I would have been in a coffin long ago.”95
Very important is the degree of influence of the monarch on the nearest employees. The fact that Nicholas I and Alexander III had a distinctly pronounced charisma of power is well known. This charisma was based both on their character and on their "professional-official" ability to subdue. As for Nicholas II, he had an inner conviction in the divinity of his power, but the intelligent tsar considered it superfluous to convince anyone of this. Therefore, he answered all attempts to argue with him with silence, and then, after a while, “removed” the disputant from the political arena. Those who worked directly with the king were convinced that the king was "weak." According to V.I. Gurko, on the one hand, Nicholas II “did not know how to inspire his will to the employees”, but on the other hand, “his employees were not able to convince the tsar of anything and impose their way of thinking on him”96. It was tragic for the fate of Russia that at the head of a huge empire “at the turning point” was a man who did not have “that inner power that conquers people, forcing them to obey unquestioningly”97.
Finishing the conversation about the features of the character of the king, I would like to cite one little-known fact that again gives rise to difficult questions. Nicholas II, like his grandfather and father, was a passionate hunter. According to the procedure adopted in the Ministry of the Court, at the end of each hunting season, a final list of royal hunting trophies was compiled. So, in this list of Nicholas II, along with traditional bears, bison, deer, wolves, crows, stray cats and dogs were constantly present. And in huge quantities. Thus, according to the author's calculations, in just six years (1896, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1908, 1911) the tsar shot 3,786 "stray" dogs, 6,176 "stray" cats, and 20,547 crows98. It is difficult to understand why the king needed these unfortunate dogs and cats, where and how he shot them. Was this not a kind of outlet for the deeply hidden aggressiveness of the outwardly mild-mannered king?
We are examining “lambersexual” portraits of the 19th century together with Sofia Bagdasarova.
Lambersexual (from the English lumberjack - "lumberjack") - a brutal man with a beard. Nowadays, a beard is a symbol of masculinity, a way to emphasize one's own individuality, to stand out from the crowd. In the middle and in the second half of the 19th century in Russia, a beard was also worn in order to show the difference between its owner and those around him.
At that time, only completely “free” people could afford not to shave - those who were not in the service of the state. (Yes, even representatives of simple classes - the clergy, merchants, peasants and Old Believers.)
For others, there were special laws and rescripts. Under Nicholas I, only officers could wear mustaches, and officials were required to shave their entire faces smoothly. Only by going on promotion, they could afford short sideburns - and then only if the authorities were supportive.
“At the same time, His Majesty deigned to command: not to allow any oddities in both mustaches and sideburns, observing that the former were not lower than the mouth, and the latter, if not reduced to the mustache, then also not lower than the mouth, shaving them on the cheeks against it."
The vegetation on the face of a metropolitan resident was considered a sign of freethinking and was not approved by the authorities. By the second half of the 19th century, intellectuals, representatives of the liberal public, began to intensively grow beards. As the famous memoirist Elizaveta Nikolaevna Vodovozova writes, “they did not want to look like, as they put it then, like “officials” or “chinodrals”, they did not want to wear an official stamp.” Growing a beard was a clear challenge to total state control.
After retiring, clean-shaven artillery lieutenant Leo Tolstoy grows a beard - one of the most recognizable in Russian art. Petrashevets Aleksey Pleshcheev, exiled as a simple soldier to the Orenburg battalion, upon returning from exile, soon starts magnificent vegetation on his face. A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps, Vasily Vereshchagin, having gone into civilian life and completely surrendering to painting, happily joins the ranks of the bearded men. There are countless examples. A beard meant belonging to a "free" profession - a writer, journalist, artist, architect; "barefoot" face - the presence of a demanding boss with stupid rules.
In the same era, Slavophilism spread: among thinking people, this meant in fashion a return to the "old Russian traditions." They recalled that before the law of Peter the Great of 1705 “On shaving beards and mustaches of all ranks to people, except for priests and deacons, on taking a fee from those who do not want to fulfill it, and on issuing signs to those who paid the fee”, a beard was an obligatory sign of a real Russian person .
This was in line with a common European fashion trend: mustaches, sideburns and beards became a popular accessory for the Victorian man in the 1850s. It is believed that the long residence of the British among the mustachioed Indians, as well as the Crimean War and the mass return of overgrown veterans, contributed to this. Prior to this, in Europe, facial hair was also considered a symbol of the revolutionary spirit and political provocation.
The position of the state regarding beards softened in the Russian Empire only from the era of Alexander III, who himself preferred the “official nationality” and wore a beard. In 1874, an order was issued "On the permission of civil officials to wear a beard and mustache, with the exception of employees in certain institutions ...". In 1881, vegetation was officially permitted to naval officers. Nicholas II followed the example of his father - however, he failed to grow such a luxurious beard.
In the 21st century, bearded men are back in trend.
