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Early life
Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke with three of his brothers (from left to right): Alexander, Alexei, Vladimir and Nicolas
Tsarevich Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov, Grand Duke of Russia was born in St. Petersburg 14th January 1850 (January 4, OS). He was the son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. He was a younger brother of Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Alexander III of Russia, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, and he was an older brother of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich and.
Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke was destined for a career in the Navy since his childhood. At the age of 7 he was given the rank of ensign. The following year, Konstantin Nikolayevich Posyet was appointed his guardian. Although the winters were devoted to theoretical studies during the summer, he was trained on the warships of the Russian Baltic Fleet in St. Petersburg port. The training was hard, but gave him the opportunity to sail different
In 1860, [disambiguation needed] the yacht on a cruise to Shtandart Petergof Livada
18,611,863 Zábava yacht flying the flag of Admiral Posyet- cons in the Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Bothnia,
1864, the frigate Svetlana in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic
In 1866, when the frigate Oslyabya a campaign of extensive training for Azore Islands.
Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke in his youth
The 18th September 1866, Grand Duke Alexei was promoted to lieutenant. He continued his career as a naval officer aboard the frigate Alexander Nevsky on a cruise across the Mediterranean to Piraeus, where he attended the wedding of his cousin Olga Konstantinovna.
In 1868, he would make a trip to southern Russia by train from St. Petersburg to Nikolaevsk [disambiguation needed], and training by boat to the Volga to Astrakhan. He then embarked on a military ship for a cruise on the Caspian Sea to Baku, [Petrowski (now Makhachkala), then to Iran. He crossed the Caucasus and reached Poti, where Alexander Nevsky was made. From there he went to Constantinople, Athens and Azore Islands embarked on the return trip, the frigate was involved in a shipwreck off the coast of Jutland during a storm in the North Sea. Even if the ship was lost, was the crew, including Alexei Alexandrovich free and can safely reach the shore.
Alexei Alexandrovich In January 1870, the age of majority under Russian law. a military and the oath of allegiance of the Grand Dukes of the Imperial House of Russia: The event was marked by two oaths. In June 1870, Alexei Alexandrovich began the last part of his training. This includes a section on inland waterways with a steam engine on the way to St. Petersburg in the system and the Northern Dvina Canal Mariinsk Arkhangelsk. After visiting schools and industrial plants Arkhangelsk, he began his training in navigation in the Arctic on board the corvette Variags. His speed took him to Solovki Islands, on the White Sea and Barents Sea to Novaya Zemlya. The road in the Kola Bay and the city of Murmansk, the northern ports of Norway and Iceland. He returned to Kronstadt at the end of September.
love affair with Alexandra Alexandra Zhukovskaya Zhukovskaya

In 1869/1870 Alexei had an affair with Alexandra Zhukovskaya, daughter of the poet Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky, who was eight years older than him. They were parents of a son, Alexis was born, 26 November 1871st Tsar Alexander II was strongly against this relationship.
Some historians claim that they were morganatic married and the marriage was of the Russian Orthodox Church declared void as to the "fundamental laws of the imperial house, the marriage was illegal. However, the articles 183 and 188, the marriage bans without your express consent of the emperor, in the basic laws mentioned that the revision in 1887, under Tsar Alexander III. The rules in force in 1870 does not prohibit marriages mornaganatic but simply by their descendants ruled from the throne. There is no evidence either marriage or divorce. There is also no evidence that the Grand Duke has asked to marry even allowed. When Alexandra Zhukovskaya was not an aristocrat, and that is the daughter of an illegitimate son of a Russian landowner and a Turkish slave, such a marriage would have been unthinkable.
From Shocked At his son, Alexander II had even refused to grant a Zhukovskaya Alexandra, officially recognized paternity of the Grand Duke, even if illegitimate. Other European courts have also refused to give him a title. As a last resort, March 25th, 1875 Alexandra able to use the title Baroness Seggiano the Republic of San Marino was get born with the right to own property to his son and his first male heir Alexei happen. Only in 1883, Alexander III, the elder brother of the Grand Duke granted the title of Count Baron Belevsky Seggiano, and must be approved in 1893 blason.Tour />
On board the frigate SvetlanaVoyage />
After the official visit to St. Petersburg, an American squadron under the command of Admiral David Farragut in 1867, a high-level visit Russian Navy of the Russian government viewed. After lengthy negotiations, decided that would be the Russian delegation of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich passed. The official announcement of the visit was June 29, 1871 by Nikolai Karlovich Krabbe, Minister of the Imperial Russian Navy.
The Russian squadron under the command of Admiral Konstantin Nikolayevich Posyet the frigate Svetlana Bogalye were the frigates and General-Admiral, the commander abrek Ignatiev and the gunboat. The Grand Duke served as a lieutenant on board the Svetlana. Before arriving in the United States, was the Russian squadron to reach from the frigate Vsadnik the Russian Pacific Fleet. While all ships were equipped with steam engines, the squadron of the trip was to sail to America in the first place to avoid the port on the route of coal deliveries. With the exception of the Grand Duke staff personnel, including 200 officers and 3,000 sailors crew. The squadron sailed from Kronstadt, August 20, 1871.
The first squadron in Copenhagen, where the Grand Duke paid a visit to King Christian IX of Denmark arrested. In the channel, were the Russians by a squadron of the Royal Navy welcomed and escorted to Plymouth, where the Grand Duke by the Duke of Edinburgh Alfred of Saxe-Coburg was welcomed. A visit to Balmoral Castle was planned, but had stopped because the Prince of Wales was very sick, and Queen Victoria are very concerned. The Russian squadron sailed from Plymouth on 26 September. and on the way to New York, for a few days in Funchal (Madeira) stopped, so that on 9 October.
The Russian fleet was by an American squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Stephen Clegg welcomed Admiral Rowan Port of New York hoist their flag on the frigate Congress . Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee, the commander visited the North Atlantic Squadron's own flagship, the Severn. Other ships of the squadron were the Iroquois and Kansas, attended by several tugs had.
A welcoming committee created in New York, under the chairmanship William Henry Aspinwall. Among the members of the committee were Moses H. Grinnell, General Irwin McDowell, Theodore Roosevelt, the father of Admiral disadvantages SW Godon, John Taylor Johnston, Albert Bierstadt, Lloyd Aspinwall, and others. After a short delay due to weather, the Russian fleet in the port of New York 21 November 1871, when the Grand Duke of General John Adams Dix was welcomed anchored. A military parade was in the city instead. The Grand Duke then attended a service of thanksgiving in the chapel of Russia.
reception .
by President Grant on November 22, the Grand Duke went to Washington by special train provided by the railroad in New Jersey and Transportation Company The train had three cars: the Commissioner, "with all the improvements of a modern hotel, including the storage rooms and cellars, "Ruby", the dining car space to accommodate 28 persons, is used with a kitchen, cooler, and a sort of wine cellar, and "Kearsarge" as in sitting and reading room.
On 23 November, were the Grand Duke of President Ulysses S. Grant President Grant and his wife Julia Grant's daughter Nellie was also attended most Cabinet members present at the meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, Columbus Delano United States Minister Amos Tappan Akerman with his wife, U.S. Attorney General and his wife, George S. Boutwell U.S. Treasury Secretary, George Maxwell Robeson United States Secretary of the Navy, General Frederick Dent Tracy (the brother the President on legal and military secretary), John Creswell Post Secretary of U.S. generals and Horace Porter and Orville E. Babcock.
The Grand Duke came in 13 hours with Katakazi Minister, Admiral Posyet and other members of his entourage. The President and Cabinet members received them in the blue room, where presentations were. The President then accompanied the Grand Duke in the Red Room, where he was introduced to the ladies. The interview lasted only fifteen minutes left after the Grand Duke.
The visit to Washington was reminiscent of President Grant dissatisfaction of the Russian government's refusal Konstantin Katacazi, envoy of the Russian Federation to the United States caused overshadowed. The whole visit to Washington did n 'one day. No notice to Washington, where entertainment for the Grand Duke, but instead for all other visits by members of the royal family to the White House state dinner. These dinners were place was when President John Tyler François d'Orléans, Prince de Joinville, where Abraham Lincoln, the Prince Napoleon, Joseph Bonaparte, and even when Ulysses Grant was Kamehameha V, King of the Sandwich Islands. The evening of the visit was the White House, the Grand Duke and his entourage dined at the residence Katakazi Minister, the only U.S. officials to General Porter. When he left, the Grand Duke was asked if he should return to Washington. Although he expressed interest in returning to a difficult session of Congress, of diplomatic relations, as Minister Katakazi prevented this happening. There were also expectations that a treaty of military alliance between the U.S. and Russia will be signed during the meeting, but this was not the case.
The next day, the Grand Duke left the train to Annapolis, where he attended the Naval Academy After returning to New York.
Farragut in the shrouds of the Hartford at the Battle of Mobile Bayr Print> after painting by William Page, presented Grand Duke Alexei as a gift to Tsar Alexander II

East Coast in New York visited the Grand Duke the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Fort Wadsworth and the fortifications on Governors Iceland. He is the fire in Tompkins Square also reviewed. A highlight was traveling by steamboat on the Hudson to visit the United States Military Academy, West Point.
Several balls were held in his honor, with most of the large balls in the yard of Marine and the Academy of Music. Alexei also attended the opera Faust and Mignon in the Academy of Music. He also went on to stop shopping spree at the AT Stewart and Tiffany stores where he bought jewelry and bronze statues.
The 2nd December 1871, a ceremony was at the National Academy of Design, where the Grand Duke of Samuel FB Morse, William Stoddard, William was received kept Page, Albert Bierstadt and other artists. The painting Farragut in the shrouds of the Hartford at the Battle of Mobile Bay by William Page was awarded the Grand Duke Alexei as a gift from the citizens of New York for the Tsar Alexander II. General John Adams Dix presented to support the image and scrolling, with a short speech in which he expressed the hope that it would further cement the Union, between the U.S. and Russia were. Paint was on board the flagship of Russia for transportation to Russia.
placed on 3 December 1871 left the Grand Duke Alexei of Philadelphia, where he was received by General George Meade and Admiral Turner. He attended Girard College, Baird Locomotive Works and the Navy Yard. He was particularly in the horticultural trade Methodist Hall, where the ladies presented him with an Afghan dog ..
From 7th interested December - 14 December was the Grand Duke Alexis in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was at the home of Paul Revere. The stroller, which President Lincoln during his visit to Boston was riding was arrested, prepared for the Grand Duke. He was officially welcomed at the Town Hall and the State House. During his stay visited the Grand Duke and Harvard University on the outskirts of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and various public schools in the Boston area, are taught much about the American school system. Other highlights were the battle of Bunker Hill and a visit to the shipyard of Charlestown, Massachusetts.
The Grand Duke also visited a music festival, where 1,200 students from the large choir. During the festival, a warm welcome was composed in March, designed by Julius Eichberg and Imperial Highness dedicated
A dance presented in honor of the Grand Duke was at the theater in Boston. The audit of expenditure shows that the cost of the ball .678,58 (equivalent to 0,000 today) was that .916,29 be covered by ticket sales and other revenue Detour

Canada 17th December, the Grand Duke of the train in Canada. It was first in Montreal, where he was arrested breakfast with the mayor of the city, and then went to Lachine, Quebec, it then goes through Ottawa and Toronto, and finally to Clifton Hill (Niagara Falls), 22 December 1871 by the Great Western Railway. On its way the train stopped at Hamilton, Ontario, where he received a telegram from Queen Victoria, the message that he had the Prince of Wales recovered from his illness. In Clifton Hill party left the carriage for a visit to Niagara Falls. Having dressed costume of oil on the skin for fishermen at sea, the party also went under the waterfall. The Grand Duke then crossed the Niagara River on the new suspension bridge, then visited some of the U.S. case.
newspaper cartoon hunting bison Grand DucVisitez

Midwest on 23 December left the Grand Duke Alexei by train to Buffalo, New York, where he spent Christmas. On Christmas Day, he went to the opera to the British PAREP Rosa Opera Company to see. After the show, he sent soprano Euphrosyne PAREP pink bracelet with turquoise and diamonds. On 26 December Grand Duke came to Cleveland, where he visited factories, iron and other plants in Newburgh Heights, Ohio. He is the Cleveland Fire Department reviewed and visited the inventor of the national exhibition. He then 30th in Detroit on his way to Chicago, where he arrived December was arrested in the city of the great fire recovered Medwill Joseph, Mayor of Chicago, wrote to Grand Duke ..
"We have little to exihibit but the ruins of a city and DBRIS big and beautiful and a people struggling with adversity intrepid alleviate their overwhelming suffering."
The Grand Duke visited the destroyed part of the city and was impressed by the pace of reconstruction. He gave 000 USD (equivalent to 0.000 today) in gold for the Homeless Chicago, Illinois. How ironic, the same day, the Grand Duke Alexei arrival in Chicago, a special grand jury indicted thirteen members of the [disambiguation needed] City Common Council accused of corruption. Grand Duke Alexis visited the storage bins and a pork processing plant.
The Tremont House hotel had burned to the ground was the Grand Duke at the Tremont House New, welcomed the opening on Michigan Avenue, where he led the “Freedom of the City.” The New Year’s Day General Philip Sheridan, he was in the American tradition, introduced the New Year invites the ladies. ” From January 2 to January 4, Grand Duke Alexei visited Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 5 January he was in St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained for over a week.
In St. Louis, Grand Duke Alexis visited Buebeard a burlesque show in which Lydia Thompson, an actress of 36 years, sang a song “If I ever cease to love.” It is claimed that the Grand Duke was fascinated by both the actress and the song. Apparently also the home number had been singing for the Duke for an appointment. Lydia Thompson was not the only woman to win the attention of the Duke, while in St. Louis, was named Alexei especially by a love of her dance partner, a lady Sallie Shannon Lawrence, Kansas.
Finally, on 12 January he was in Omaha, Nebraska />
color by Louis Maurer (1895) Travel
for hunting grounds
The preparations for the hunt were large and were under the commanded by General Joel Palmer performed. Two companies of infantry in wagons, two companies of the cavalry regiment of the cavalry band, biting, shepherds in the night, messengers, cooks have been mobilized for the event.
The Grand Duke in the company of General Philip Sheridan General Edward Ord, and General George Armstrong Custer, the last having been chosen Grand Marshal of the chase, 13 Fort McPherson January 1872, came from a private train, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. They were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd, led by William Frederick Cody (Buffalo Bill knows that). After the speeches, the party of the Duke went to the hunting grounds.
The Duke and General Sheridan in a carriage is mounted by four horses. William Frederick Cody managed the game with five ambulances, a light cart for luggage, three cars of the Royal Champagne and Spirits’ and fifteen to twenty extra saddle horses. A relay of horses was in Medicine Creek, about half way through the camp, where the party introduced stopped for lunch. The journey then continued they called “Camp Alex” on the Red Willow Creek. The 2d Cavalry Group was heard and, “Hail to the Chief” was played during the Grand Duke arrived. The entire trip covered about 50 miles and took about eight hours.
The camp of two tents in the hospital (a tent used as a dining room), wall tents was ten tents for staff and soldiers. Three tents were floored wall and the Grand Duke was covered with oriental carpets, carpet. Box Sibley stoves and ovens have been available for tents.
Cody had to shoot with Spotted Tail, the Lakota chief Brul, which agrees that “great leaders of all water that it came back to attend to the discussion had to visit him.” Approximately 600 soldiers from various Sioux tribes from Spotted Tail, War Bonnet, Black Hat, Red Leaf, Whistler and Pawnee Killer led gathered to greet the grand duke to hunting camp. They were made available with ten thousand rations of flour, sugar, coffee, and 1,000 pounds of tobacco of their sentences – 25 cars in all
At the beginning of the game, Spotted Tail, dressed in a suit, it did not form, with. Army band on his head and looking extremely difficult it was introduced, the Grand Duke. Then extended the Indian leader’s hand and welcomed the Grand Duke with the usual “how”.
maintenance of Alexei Indians held exercises of horsemanship, line-throwing and bow-shot. Then there was fighting a model that shows how to dance Indian War and ended with a big war. There. noted that the Grand Duke Alexei considerable attention devoted to a beautiful Indian woman fears that her mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, has received reports about his flirting, he wrote from St. Louis: “With for my success with American women, as much in the newspapers is written, I can honestly say that it is utter nonsense. She looked at me from the beginning as they were in wild animals like looking stupid crocodile or other unusual ..
However, a conflict broke out when General Custer , probably after drinking too much champagne, made overtures crude Spotted Tail’s daughter is 16, pretty. Alexei battle with donations of blankets was red and green, quiet, handled ivory-hunting knife and a big bag of silver dollars. An official of the Council in dozens held Sheridan and a peace pipe was passed around. Spotted Tail took the opportunity to its demand for the right to hunt freely south of the Platte River Press, and also a shop where the trade.
Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke killing a buffalo, a Pistol January 15, 1872

bison hunting big game on the 22th anniversary of Grand Duke, held January 14 in 1872. For the hunt of the Duke wore a jacket and trousers of heavy gray cloth, with green buttons with the Russian imperial Wappen trimmed. It boots wore out his trousers to the EU, which was unusual for his American hosts. Alexei was a hunting knife Russian and an American gun, with Coat of Arms of the United States and Russia on the handle, which he had recently received as a gift. The hunting party approached bison herd several miles on the Red Willow Creek. Grand Duke William Cody Buffalo celebrated rode Buckskin Joe “, who had been trained to ride at full gallop with a lens, while giving the best shots are taken. If a herd of buffalo was over two years old seen miles away, Alexei wanted to make a charge, but was hampered by William Cody. The evening was the wind gradually approached the flock. In a hundred yards of the buffalo on the run, the Grand Duke, not the usual shooting from a horse in full gallop, fired, but missed. Cody came close to Alexei, he was his own .48 caliber rifle famous, “Lucretia,” the one certain to have the he allegedly killed 4200 buffaloes and advised him not to shoot until he is on the side of the buffalo. If Alexei tried again, he brought his game, the skin of the dead buffalo was carefully removed and dress and the Grand Duke took home a souvenir of his hunting on the western plains. Twenty to thirty animals were killed on the first day of hunting. The party was returned early in camp, where it provided a liberal supply of champagne and other beverages available, and spent the evening in style border.
The next morning he asked the next two hunting Lance Spotted Tail, chief of the tribe of Nakota Sioux, so that a demonstration of how the Indian hunting. Coming to a herd of buffalo, demonstrated his skills Two Lance by killing a large animal with an arrow to see the entire run through the body of the buffalo passed. The arrow has been preserved and passed to Alexei. The Grand Duke killed two buffalo, one of them at 100 steps with a pistol.
At the end of the hunt, when returning to Fort McPherson, General Sheridan suggested that William Cody to take the reins and show the old style of Alexei step down in the plane with the horses at a gallop. The ambulance rushed the heavy rough grassland, while the occupants hardly keep their seats. Grand Duke Alexis was happy with his hunting trip. When he and Cody separated at Fort McPherson, he presented Cody with a fur coat and expensive cuff links.
Alexei Alexandrovich Grand Duke and General George Armstrong Custer in Topeka, at the end of the buffalo hunt
From there take a train to Denver, where the Grand Duke on 17 January arrived. While in Denver, he attended a ball in honor of the Pioneer Club sponsored and visited some mines. Alexei apparently loved the new sport he had learned to hunt bison and again in the near Colorado Springs, on his trip back to Denver, Kansas to St. Louis. However, horses were used for hunting in the eastern Colorado used cavalry mounts and unfamiliar Buffalo, and several hunters were injured during the resulting confusion. Alexei was unhurt and was able to kill as many as 25 buffalo. He took a little train on its way through western Kansas to Topeka, on 22 January was completed. It is claimed that was when they were exhausted in St. Louis, the supply of part of the caviar and champagne.
General Custer reached one of the best friends of Duke. He accompanied the Duke and his entourage through Kansas, St. Louis, New Orleans and eventually to Florida. They correspond to each other continued until the death of Custer.
In the U.S., hunting is known as “The Great Royal Buffalo Hunt”. From the year 2000, the Hayes Center, Nebraska hosted the annual “Grand Duke Alexis Rendezvous” with a reconstruction of the buffalo hunt. Grand Duke Alexei
received a gift of Chief Spotted Tail Wigman an Indian and a bow and arrows. The Grand Duke has returned to St. Petersburg. Currently they are held in the museum in Tver. In memory of his adventures in America, organized by the Grand Duke of each year a special animation. The players were in a tent city in the old cars pulled by heavy horses. The Lake Palace, it was “Indian” canoe. Men with swords and tomahawks with women dressed in long skirts dancing old. The performance is a picture of the presence of the old American West.

States South While giving in St. Louis, the Grand Duke a short visit to Cincinnati, Ohio, made on 26 On 28 January January, he went by train to Louisville, Kentucky, where he visited the Mammoth Cave, he continued his journey by ship, arriving second February 1872 in Memphis Tennessee on board the Grand Republic. After visiting the city he was on board 8th February James Howard and after a stop in Vicksburg, he came to New Orleans
Poster Rex Parade in 1872

visit New Orleans in New Orleans to visit the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich celebrate Carnival in 1872, where he was Guest of Honour at the Inaugural Parade magazine Rex.
many legends surrounding the visit of the Grand Duke in New Orleans connected. Although it has been said that the leaders of the local company had planned the first parade of the day in honor of the Grand Duke, but it was not true. New Orleans was hard to recover from the aftermath of civil war. At the same time, city leaders saw the need to bring the chaotic streets of Mardi Gras parades. They had planned all along the parade and took the opportunity to capitalize on the visit of the Grand Duke. A remarkable new fraternity was formed, called the School of Design and its leader should Rex (the organization now known as “Rex Organization). The group of young men who founded the organization Rex hopes to talk not only to the Grand Duke but also a parade of the day, be interesting and create fun for the citizens of the city and their guests would. They chose one of its members, Lewis J., Solomon Organization Fundraiser for the first Rex, the King of Carnival. Before could begin his reign he had a crown, scepter to borrow, and the costume of Lawrence Barrett, a distinguished Shakespearean actor who was on Richard