What was Russia

What was Russia to the First World War and the Revolution:

A well-known French economist Edmond Teri predicted: "If the great European peoples things go the same way between 1912 and 1950 as they were between 1910 and 1912, by the middle of this century, Russia will dominate in Europe, both politically and economically and financially. http://www.pravaya.ru/govern/391/507

"Well, science in Russia was at the global level, the literature blossomed. Flourished. Yes, sir." Then we take the music. Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin ... all in bloom, all singing and playing. As regards game. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, create a new theater, singing Sobinov, Nezhdanova sings, sings Obukhov, Chaliapin sings, finally. Where did they take it? were given effect to the genetic resources of the people. The people went out into the world scene, people took to the stage of their
flowering. Terms and conditions - climate. Social climate. Enthusiasts will organize private opera, private museums, publishing dozens of magazines, books, putting together a unique library ... Tretyakov Gallery was founded and assembled the merchant. Rumyantsev Museum, now the Lenin Library. Got not only books, but the name. Rumyantsev collected, Rumyantsev created, and the name of Lenin - why? Another merchant, in Ivanovo-Voznesensk Burylin, creates his own money and gives a unique museum of its city Tenisheva near Smolensk, creates a school for teaching folk art. In Abramtsevo grows Center
Russian folk art. Architects enthusiasts are building on their own initiative beautiful buildings and churches, artists, enthusiasts to paint, decorate with mosaics ... At the same time there are such artists as Surikov, Repin, Serov, Vrubel, Roerich, Kustodiev, Ryabushkin, Kuindzhi, Ge, Vereshchagin, Savrasov, Benua, Korovin, Polenov ...
At the same time explorers Przewalski, Semenov-Tian-Shansky, Arseniev are actively exploring the outskirts of Russia.

Fast forward from the art and science in the low-lying areas. Products. Eighteen thousand fairs a year with a turnover of 2 billion rubles. Who are they selling, and who is buying? And in all cities in Russia almost every day the markets, every week, anyway. And in these markets - everything from firewood to oats, from skin to wheat, from corrugated iron to the finished log house, but that list - everything, everything that was required demand. And the food? From bovine offal to the abundance of black caviar from beef tongue to the sturgeon. Vobla cost ruble per sack. Piled under a shed, not even locked. The men went to the post in the city and brought bags of frozen perch. Stalls throughout the empire overwhelmed products, restaurants are full of food.

in the country turning gold coins . is paid out in gold . This is your generation knew or not? So keep in mind that gold can turn freely only in the economically prosperous country with a strong, stable balance .

And were not sold for a song such as dealers Hummer 5000 unique paintings from the Hermitage and has not yet been blown up in Moscow alone, 427 churches (and the country 92%), and had not yet been thrown across the country, bells, and rustled in the country annual fairs: the Intercession, at St. Peter's Day, the Assumption Day at Trinity ...

That image of a Russian peasant Nekrasov (this poet can not be suspected of embellishment of reality. But it's his words: "Oh, chock-full of crate, there are chintz and brocade" ):

It clearly and firmly consciousness
With all of their salvation in work.
And her work is the reward -
The family is not struggling in poverty.
Always they have a warm hut
Bread baked, tasty kvasok,
Healthy and hungry guys
At the feast there is an extra piece.
There is this woman to the Mass.
Prev whole family to come.
He sits as a chair, two
A child on her breast.
A row of six sons
Dressed queen is ...
And in my heart this picture
To all those who love Russian people.

When we want to prove that the peasantry in Russia in poverty, that Russia was a poor country, it wants to say: where did the six million affluent households for the liquidation of the kulaks? If a country rich in 6.000.000 farms, can we call it a poor?
Now let me ask, if all blossomed: science, music, literature, theater, singing voice, ballet, painting, architecture, rapidly developing industry, treading on the heels of the most advanced countries, a Russian bread and bacon piled with world markets, village feasts, dances and Songs, Carnival rides, shops are full of products, cheap, accessible - and that's where it all blossomed, then what is rotten? "
Soloukhin Vladimir, "The last stage» http://books.prometey.org/read/l4/page31/1840.html


It is important to know that in tsarist Russia acted in fact very mild and humane laws. Russia was the only country where the death penalty was abolished altogether (since the Empress Elizabeth), for all crimes are tried by general courts. It remained only in military courts and for high crimes against the state.
In XIX-th century the number of executions was not a hundred people for a hundred years. During the reign of Alexander III, except for members of regicide March 1, executions were only a few people who had attempted to kill the Emperor (one of them was Alexander Ulyanov - Lenin's brother). "From the book of prof. Sergei Oldenburg's" The Reign of Emperor Nicholas II »(p. 22).
Expelled for anti-government propaganda, which had no equity is issued treasury manual to life.
 

"The tragedy of the life of Nicholas II was in an insoluble contradiction between his deepest belief store basis, and traditions of Russia and nihilistic attempts to much of the educated strata of the country to destroy them. And it was not only the preservation of traditional forms of governance, and the salvation of the Russian national culture ".

"Faith in God and their duty of serving the Tsar - writes historian S. Oldenburg - were the basis for all the views of Emperor Nicholas II. He believed that the responsibility for the fate of Russia lies on him, that he is responsible for them before the Throne of God. Others may advise, others can stop him, but the answer for Russia before God is there. It follows from this and related to the limitation of power - which he considered a transcription of the responsibility on others, not intended, and to individual ministers, claiming, in his opinion, on too much influence in the state. "They make a mess of things - and answer me".

Describing the personality of Nicholas II, the diplomat Count Rex considered the king of a man spiritually gifted, noble way of thinking, prudent and tactful. "His manners - wrote a diplomat - he is so modest and so few external determination shows that it is easy to conclude that it lacks a strong will, but the people surrounding it, assured that he is very determined will, he knows how to conduct in the life of the most calm manner. "

Here are his words:
"If I was an obstacle Fortunately Russia and me standing now at the head of the social forces are asked to leave the throne and pass it to his son and his brother, and I am ready to do it, is even ready to give his life for his country ", - Emperor said General Dubno.

In his diary, Nicholas II was recorded immediately after his abdication: "Around treason and cowardice and deceit!"

Here are the words of Churchill (Winston Churchil), the former at the time of the Revolution the British minister of war (from his book "The world crisis. 1916 - 18." Volume I. London. 1927. P. 223-225): "... In March The king was on the throne, the Russian Empire and the Russian army stayed, front was secured and the victory is indisputable .
The despair and betrayal seized power when the task was already done. The long retreat ended; slug hunger defeated; arms flowed a broad stream, stronger, more numerous, better equipped army was guarding a huge front, rear assembly points were crowded with people. Alekseev led the army and Kolchak - Fleet. No tough action is no longer needed: to remain in office, a heavy load to push wide stretching Germanic line; hold without showing special activity, weakening the enemy on its front, in other words - hold on, that's all that stands between Russia and the fruits of our common victory .
According to the surface mode of our time, the Imperial system adopted interpreted as a blind, rotten, no matter what is not capable of tyranny. But an analysis of thirty months of war with Germany and Austria should have corrected these lightweight performance.
The force of the Russian Empire, we can measure the impact of which she suffered by disaster, she suffered from the inexhaustible forces that had developed, and to restore the force to which she was able to .
Why refuse to Nicholas II in this ordeal? The burden of recent decisions lay upon him. At the top, where events exceed human intelligence, where all the unknown, had to answer him. The compass needle was he. To fight or not fight? Attack or retreat? Go right or left? Agree to democratize or remain firm? To leave or resist? Here - the battlefields of Nicholas II. Why not give him for this honor? selfless impulse Russian armies, who saved Paris in 1914 ; overcoming painful bessnaryadnogo retreat; slow recovery of strength; Brusilovsky victory, the accession of Russia to the 1917 campaign undefeated, stronger than ever, perhaps in all of this was not his share? to a system which was incarnated in him, which he led, to whom his personal qualities he gave a spark of life - this time won the war for Russia .
That's it now at once. Interferes with a dark hand, first clothed madness. The king descends from the stage. Him and all His loving devotees to suffering and death. His efforts diminish; His actions condemned; His memory is tarnished ... stop and say: but who else was suitable? As talented and courageous people, people of proud and ambitious spirit, brave and power - there was no shortage. But no one was able to answer those few questions, on which depended the life and glory of Russia. Holding the victory already in hand, she fell to the ground, alive , as of old Herod, eats worms ".


" The Provisional Government appointed a commission to investigate the activities of Nicholas II, but despite all efforts to find something about an affront to the king, did not find anything - King was not guilty. When his innocence was proved, and it became evident that for him there is no crime, the Provisional Government, instead of the release of the Emperor and his wife decided to remove the prisoners from Tsarskoe Selo in Tobolsk.
Realizing that the country is rapidly moving towards death, the Emperor regretted his abdication. "He took this decision only in the hope that those who wish to remove it will be able to still continue to honor the war and not destroy the cause of saving Russia. He was afraid then, to his refusal to sign the abdication not led to civil war in sight of the enemy. King did not want to because he had spilled a drop of Russian blood ... The Emperor was painful to see now the futility of his victim and realize that, having in mind then only benefit of the homeland, he brought her harm her renunciation ", - recalled the witness, Pierre Gilliard, tutor of Tsarevich Alexei (y Cesarevitch somehow escaped the phrase: "If they kill, but would not be tortured" ) - ... The Emperor and the Empress believed that die martyrs for their country, they died as martyrs for mankind. Their true greatness does not stem from their royal dignity, but from the astonishing moral heights to which they have gradually risen. They make the perfect power. And, indeed, his humility, they were striking manifestation of the remarkable clarity of the soul, which are powerless against all violence and all that fury and triumph in his death ".

On Nicholas II, the imprisoned in July 1918, Meyer wrote this: "... He did not contradict a single word. He was a mystery to me. His beautiful eyes glowed softly, looking forward ..."


Dr. Evgeny Botkin went to death for the King, though the revolutionaries asked him to leave the house Ipatief.
From the memoirs of former Austrian POW IL Meyer, "as were the royal family, the magazine" 7 TAGE ", 1956:" ... This Botkin was a giant. On its face framed by a beard, shining from behind thick glasses glasses piercing eyes. He always wore a form, which he granted the Emperor. But at the time, as the King allowed himself to remove the straps, Botkin opposed it. It seemed that he was unwilling to accept a prisoner.

He was taken to the office of the revolutionary headquarters, where sat Moebius, Maklavansky and Dr. Milutin. "Listen, doctor - began Maklavansky - Revolutionary Headquarters has decided to release you. You are a doctor and want to help suffering people. To do this, you have got enough opportunity. You can take control in Moscow hospital, or open their own practice. We will even give advice, so that nobody can have anything against you ".
Dr. Botkin said nothing. He looked at the people sitting in front of him with disbelief, waiting for the trap. Maklavansky continued convincingly: "Do not get us, please correct. Romanov future looks somewhat grim".

It seemed that the doctor began to slowly understand. His gaze shifted from one to another. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he decided to answer: "I think I understand you correctly, gentlemen. But you see, I gave my word of honor the King to remain with him until as long as he was alive. For a man of my position can not be does not contain such words. I also can not leave a single heir. How can I reconcile this with his conscience. You still have to understand it ".

"What you donate is to ... well, shall we say, for a lost cause?"

"The lost cause? - Botkin said slowly. His eyes glistened. - Well, if Russia is dying, and I can die. But in any case I will not leave the King!"

Mobius looked intently at the doctor. Dr. Botkin was sitting a few minutes in silence. His gaze was fixed on the floor. The Commissioners have considered that he might change his mind. But suddenly the face of doctors has changed. He got up and said: "I am pleased that there are people who worry about my personal fate. I must thank you for what you told me going to a meeting. But help this unfortunate family! You do a good job. There, in the that house the great flowering of the soul of Russia, which are flooded with mud politicians. I thank you, gentlemen, but I'm staying with the King! " - Botkin said, and stood up. His height is greater than all.


The last words of Nicholas II, addressed to all his supporters: "Do not avenge me, for no evil conquer evil, but only love".