These
words the exhausted mother breathed as she was told of her delivery.
Finally, after ten years of marriage, four girls, seven pregnancies,
endless prayers and constant worries, His Imperial Highness Alexei
Nicolaievich, Sovereign Heir and Tsesarevich, Grand Duke of Russia
was born. It was a hot, but happy day in Peterhof when Alexandra
fulfilled her one true duty to her husband and country. The Imperial
Line was safeguarded for a further generation.
It was custom to name the eldest son after
his Grandfather, but Alexanders and Nicholases had ruled Russia
for over a century. This was a chain that Nicholas wished to break.
He chose the name of the second Romanov Tsar, most known for his
placidity. The name did meet some opposition, for it was Tsar Peter
the Great who murdered his son and heir, Alexei Petrovich. Nicky
was warned that the name was a bad omen, but Tsar Alexei the Mild
was a great role model for him, and his son kept his name.
From the start Alexei was a high-spirited, joyful
baby. His father never missed an opportunity to show him off. Beaming
as he held up his son, Nicky would ask, "Don't you think he's
a beauty?" The members of the court replied all too happily
that he was indeed a beautiful, wonderful boy.
Alix was always highly protective of him. She
rarely left her son's side even when the wet nurse was feeding him.
She had a hard time being parted from her Sunbeam even if only for
a few moments, so she bathed and dressed the baby herself.
In August, when Alexei was reaching his first
month, there was a great gathering in Peterhof for his Christening.
His godparents were the German Kaiser, the English King, the Grand
Duke of Hesse, and of course, the Russian Dowager Empress. Alexei
was paraded to the baptismal front by the Mistress of the Robes,
Princess Golitsyn. According to Orthodox custom the parents were
not present for the service, and could hardly wait for it to be
over so they could once again be assured that their son was all
right.
How beautiful he was, how healthy,
how normal, with his golden hair, his shining blue eyes, and his
expression of intelligence so rare for so young a child.
~Anya Vyrubova's Memoirs~
Alexei, or Alyosha, first met Pierre Gilliard
when he was only 18 months old, from the arms of his mother. It
took some convincing for Alexei to reach out his tiny hand to Gilliard.
I
could see she was tranfused by the delerious joy of a mother who
had at last seen her dearest wish fulfilled. She was proud and happy
in the beauty of her child. The Tsarevich certainly was one of the
handomest babies one could imagine, with lovely fair curls, great
grey-blue eyes under the fringe of long, curling lashes and the
fresh pink colour of a healthy child. When he smiled, there were
two little dimples in his chubby cheeks.
~Gilliard's Memoirs~
When they were allowed the four Grand Duchesses
crept into their baby brother's room. The littlest would rise on
their toes and the girls would all peer over the edge of his brass
crib to stare down at his rosy cheeks and thick blond curls. Alyosha
soon recognised the four beautiful adolescents and responded with
a delighted smile at the attention they showered on him.
Alexei was the center of this united family,
the focus of all its hopes and affections.... His sisters worshipped
him. He was his parents' pride and joy.
~Gilliard's Memoirs~
Since his birth the Heir was the object of Russia's
affection. In the spring of 1905 Alix started taking her son out
on carriage rides. Her faith and trust in the Russian People was
restored as her subjects bowed to their tiny Heir. Once Alexei,
still a tiny baby, accompanied his father on a review of the Preobrajensky
Regiment. The regiment cheered out "Hurrah!" and the delighted
Heir laughed.
Alexei was a naturally rambunctious child. He
was most interested in sailors, soldiers, and trains. He loved his
naval uniform so he could romp around in comfort. His playmates
were appointed by his mother; usually they were the sons of doctors,
sailors, or servants. Alexei's well being was placed under the care
of his nurses when he was a baby, but as he branched out in his
activities he was watched by two sailors from his father's yacht.
However mostly he was alone or with his sisters.
He was quite good with the girls, obediant, like his rank meant
nothing to him when with family. This did not stop him from showing
off his rank where others could take notice, though. He always knew
he was the one who sat beside the Tsar at State Functions. Alexei
full well knew he was the important one, and milked it for all it
was worth. He would halt his lessons to order a snack. One of his
favourite games was running in on his sisters' lessons. The girls
delighted at the distraction, but the Nursery Staff and the tutors
were not so amused. Alexei would be carried, kicking and wailing,
from the room.
My mother when leaving the palace after her
first presentation to the Empress, met at the entrance the little
Alexei who was then a tot of four years. She bowed to him according
to all the rules, and said: "How do you do, Your Imperial Highness?"
But to my mother's dismay the Imperial Highness, instead of acknowledging
her greeting, frowned angrily and turned away his head. When my
mother returned home and told of this incident to my father, he
began to laugh and said: "Of course the Heir was angry with
you. You should have bowed to him in silence, for you have no right
to say anything before he himself has started to talk to you.
~Gleb Botkin's Memoirs~
One of the things that is most charming about
Alexei and his sisters is that for Imperial Children they were so
closely bonded, especially the two littlest. Alyosha delighted in
Anastasia's company. She was like a breath of fresh air, always
teaching him new pranks that were running through her wild brain.
Nothing brought Alexei more pride than to be treated just like any
ordinary brother.
His
father was the only one Alexei would listen to. Once when Alexei
was seven he managed to get on a bike during one of the Tsar's reviews
of the Palace Guard. He rode right across the parade ground on which
the review was being held. Astonished, Nicky suddenly brought the
review to a standstill, and ordered that everyone go after Alexei
to get him off the bike!
Lessons on manners and behaviour were taught
since Alexei was even too young to fully understand what he was
being told. He started attending State Dinners when he was still
young. One time, he disappeared under the table and returned with
the shoe of a Maid-of Honour. Proudly, he presented his trophy to
his father. Nicky sternly told him to put it back where it belonged.
Alexei once again disappeared under the table. He had grabbed a
rather large strawberry, shoved it into the toe of the woman's shoe,
and replaced the shoe back on it's owner's foot. Alexei sat innocently
in his chair as the woman screamed...
...and for that little stunt he wasn't allowed
back at the dinner table for a few weeks.
