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| Nicholas I | |||||
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| Emperor of Russia | |||||
| Reign | 1 December 1825 – 2 March 1855 | ||||
| Coronation | 3 September 1826 | ||||
| Predecessor | Alexander I | ||||
| Successor | Alexander II | ||||
| Born | (1796-07-06)6 July 1796 Gatchina Palace, Gatchina, Russian Empire |
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| Died | 2 March 1855(1855-03-02) (aged 58) Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
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| Burial | Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||||
| Consort |
Charlotte of Prussia (m. 1817)
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| House | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | ||||
| Father | Paul I of Russia | ||||
| Mother | Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg | ||||
| Religion | Russian Orthodox | ||||
Nicholas I (Russian: Николай I Павлович, tr. Nikolay I Pavlovich; 6 July [O.S. 25 June] 1796 – 2 March [O.S. 18 February] 1855) reigned as Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855. He was also the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland.
He has become best known as a political conservative whose reign was marked by geographical expansion, repression of dissent, economic stagnation, poor administrative policies, a corrupt bureaucracy, and frequent wars that culminated in Russia's defeat in the Crimean War of 1853–56.
Nicholas had a happy marriage that produced a large family; seven children survived childhood.
His biographer Nicholas V. Riasanovsky says that Nicholas displayed determination, singleness of purpose, and an iron will, along with a powerful sense of duty and a dedication to very hard work. He saw himself as a soldier—a junior officer totally consumed by spit and polish. A handsome man, he was highly nervous and aggressive. Trained as an engineer, he was a stickler for minute detail.
Nicholas inherited his brother's throne despite the failed Decembrist revolt against him and went on to become the most reactionary of all Russian leaders.
Nicholas I was instrumental in helping to create an independent Greek state, and was also successful against Russia's neighbouring southern rivals as he seized the last territories in the Caucasus held by Persia (comprising modern day Armenia and Azerbaijan) by successfully ending the Russo-Persian War (1826–28). By now, Russia had gained what is now Dagestan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia from Persia, and had therefore at last gained the clear upper hand in the Caucasus, both geopolitically as well as territorially. He ended the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829) successfully as well. Later on, however, he led Russia into the Crimean War (1853–1856), with disastrous results.
Historians emphasize that his micromanagement of the armies hindered his generals, as did his misguided strategy. Fuller notes that historians have frequently concluded that "the reign of Nicholas I was a catastrophic failure in both domestic and foreign policy."
On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its geographical zenith, spanning over 20 million square kilometers (7.7 million square miles), but had a desperate need for reform.
Tsar Nicholas I Pavlovich as a boy, circa 1808
Imperial Monogram
Nicholas I "Family Ruble" (1836) depicting the Tsar on the obverse and his family on the reverse: Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna (center) surrounded by Alexander II as Tsarevich, Maria, Olga, Nicholas, Michael, Konstantin, and Alexandra
Nicholas I with Alexander II in Bogdan Willewalde's studio in Saint Petersburg in 1854, oil on canvas, State Russian Museum.
Monument to Nicholas I on St. Isaac's Square
The Russian-American Company's capital at New Archangel (present-day Sitka, Alaska) in 1837
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Emperor Nicholas I in equestrian portrait
The Battle of Navarino, on October 1827, marked the effective end of Ottoman rule in Greece.
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Capture of Erivan fortress by Russian troops under leadership of Ivan Paskevich in 1827 during the Russo-Persian War
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Nicholas I on his deathbed (1855)
Portrait by Franz Krüger
