Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich: short biography

The beginning of the 20th century was one of the most controversial and busy periods in Russian history. Memories and documentary evidence of that era are mostly subjective, and in the years of Soviet power they were subject to adjustment and often even falsified. Especially valuable are the few remaining written descriptions of events left by those who were "on the other side of the front." In particular, the diaries, which for many decades were led by Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov, nicknamed during his lifetime as the archivist of Augustus, make it possible to comprehend how the February Revolution, the First World War and the October Revolution influenced the private lives of Russian aristocrats, That they experienced in the first years of emigration.

A family

Andrei Vladimirovich (Grand Duke) was born in Tsarskoe Selo on May 2, 1879. His father was the third son of Emperor Alexander II, who showed himself to be a brave military leader during the war with Turkey and for many years served as commander of the St. Petersburg Military District. As for the mother of the Grand Duke, she was the daughter of the Grand Duke of McLenburg-Schwerinsky and occupied a special position at the Russian court, she was known as a great intriguer and sometimes even Empress Alexandra Feodorovna overshadowed herself.

In addition to Andrei Vladimirovich, there were four other children in the family:

• Alexander, who died in infancy.
• Cyril, who proclaimed himself in 1924 as the All-Russian Emperor, but not recognized by other Grand Dukes and Empress Maria Feodorovna.
• Boris, Major-General, ataman of all Cossack troops.
• Elena, who married the Greek prince Nicholas.

Childhood and youth

Like many other offspring of the royal family, Andrei Vladimirovich (Grand Duke), whose biography is presented below, he received general education at home. He was raised by his mother, who invited the best teachers of St. Petersburg to study with her sons.

At the age of 16 the young man was enrolled in the service, and after a while he entered the Mikhailovsky Artillery School and graduated in 1902.

After completing his studies, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was appointed second lieutenant in the fifth battery of the Guards Cavalry Artillery Brigade, but decided to continue his education.

To this end, he became a listener of the Alexandrov Military-Law Academy and, having graduated from the first category, was enlisted in the military-judicial department. Since Andrei Romanov masterfully mastered several European languages, from 1905 to 1906 he was seconded to his home university for translations of military-criminal charters of other countries.

Further career

In August 1910, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was appointed commander of the Fifth Battery of the horse and artillery brigade of the Life Guards, and a few months later received the Don Cossack artillery battery. Around the same period, he was a senator, without the need for presence in departments.

When the First World War began, Andrei Vladimirovich (Prince, whose biography is known to the smallest detail) was ordered to remain at the General Staff. However, at the end of the spring of the following year he was appointed commander of the Horse Artillery of the Life Guards, and on August 15 was promoted to Major-General.

After the October Revolution

April 3, 1917, even before the beginning of revolutionary events, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich filed a petition for dismissal with his uniform.

After the October events, he moved to Kislovodsk with his mother and elder brother Boris. In August 1918, both Grand Dukes were arrested and transported to Pyatigorsk. By a lucky chance the commander of the escorts turned out to be a former artist, whom Andrei Vladimirovich once saved in Paris from poverty. He dismissed the brothers under house arrest, and together with his adjutant, Colonel F. F. Kuba, fled to Kabarda, where they hid in the mountains until the end of September.

To be able to leave the country in the event of a negative development of the situation, the Grand Dukes moved with their mother to the port city of Anapa. At the end of 1918, General Poole, the chief of the English base in Russia, also arrived there. He gave the official proposal of the Government of the United Kingdom to Maria Pavlovna to go abroad under the protection of her military.

The Grand Duchess refused to leave her homeland and noted that she would do it only if there was no other way out. In response, General Poole inquired whether Andrei Vladimirovich intended to join the volunteer army, to which Maria Pavlovna stated that the members of the Romanov dynasty had never accepted and would not take part in the Civil War.

Escape

In March 1919, Boris Vladimirovich, accompanied by his future wife, Zinaida Rashevskaya, left Anapa. Soon the British sent a second ship to Maria Pavlovna, and Admiral Seymour invited her and her son to go to Constantinople, if the Bolsheviks approached the city.

The Grand Duchess again refused and moved to Kislovodsk, where she lived with her son until December 1919.

When it became clear that the white movement had lost hope, the representatives of the royal family moved to Novorossiysk, where they lived for about a month in wagons, until on February 19 they left Russia on the steamship "Semiramis". Arriving in Constantinople, the mother and son received French visas and went to Europe.

Marriage

In March 1920, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich arrived in the city of Cap d'Ail on the Riviera (France), at the villa of the famous ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya. In different years, this woman was the mistress of the future Tsar Nicholas, as well as Grand Duke Sergey Mikhailovich. However, the real love of the ballerina was Andrei Vladimirovich, from whom she gave birth to a boy who received the name Krasinsky.

After the revolution, Kshesinskaya together with her child followed the Grand Duke and lived next door to him in Kislovodsk, Anapa and Novorossiysk, since Maria Pavlovna was categorically against her son's relationship with a woman who was immoral.

In 1921, after the death of his mother, Andrei Vladimirovich finally married Matilda Feliksovna, and also adopted Vladimir Krasinsky, who received Andreevich's patronymic.

Life in exile

After the death of the royal family, one of the likely candidates for the Russian throne was Grand Duke Cyril. The younger brother fully supported him, despite the opposition of the other members of the royal family.

Moreover, he assumed the duties of the most august representative of the Emperor-Emperor Cyril I in France. It is also known that he spoke in favor of Anna Anderson, who posed as Grand Duchess Anastasia - the daughter of Emperor Nicholas II, but under pressure from the imperial family subsequently refused his confession.

During the Second World War

During the fascist occupation of France, Vladimir Krasinsky was arrested by the Gestapo as a member of the Molodossi Union, which adheres to pro-Soviet views. When Andrei Vladimirovich found out that the young man was imprisoned in a concentration camp, he was almost mad with grief. He rushed about Paris and sought help from representatives of Russian emigration, but nowhere has he received any support. Only after 4 months of imprisonment, Vladimir Krasinsky was released, removing him from accusations of "harmful" activities against Germany.

In the post-war period

After the liberation of France, Andrei Vladimirovich actively participated in the life of emigrant organizations. In particular, since 1947 he headed the Russian Guards Association. Then the health of Andrei Vladimirovich deteriorated sharply, and he was ill for a long time. In addition, the funds of the Grand Duke and Matilda Feliksovna were exhausted, and they coped only thanks to the help of Vladimir Kirillovich's nephew and former students of his wife.

Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich: awards

For the years of his service in the army, A. Romanov was repeatedly awarded with the rewards of the command. In particular, in the pre-revolutionary period he became a Knight of the Orders:

• St. Andrew the First-Called.
• St. Alexander Nevsky.
• St. Anne I st.
• The White Eagle
• St. Stanislaus I st.
• St. Vladimir and others.

In addition, he was repeatedly awarded orders and medals by the monarchs of Bulgaria, Serbia, Prussia and so on.

Now you know who Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov (Grand Duke) was. The history of his life could have been quite different if he had not been born in the era of great changes that changed the destinies of millions of people around the world.