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Birthday anniversary of Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich
29 April (11 May) 1857 in Tsarskoe Selo in a family of Russian Emperor Alexander II was born the fourth son, Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich, Russian statesman and public figure.
Sergey Alexandrovich received an excellent education. Legal scholar, Actual Privy Councilor K. P. Pobedonostsev read encyclopaedia of law to him; lawyer and statesman N. S. Tagantsev introduced to him state law, economist and author V. P. Bezobrazov delivered him lectures on political economy; history was taught to him by the rector of the Moscow University, historian S. M. Soloviev; Russian literature - Professor O. F. Miller. Together with history professor K. N. Bestuzhev-Rumin, Sergey Alexandrovich toured the north of Russia to explore historical monuments and shrines.
In 1877, the Grand Duke went to the army in the Balkans, where at that time there was a Russian-Turkish war. For the displayed courage Sergey Alexandrovich was awarded the Order of St. Grand Martyr and the Triumphant George of IV degree. In 1882 he was appointed commander of the 1st Battalion of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment.
Soon after his return to St. Petersburg Sergey Alexandrovich assumed the duties of the chairman of the Orthodox Palestine Society, which collected, developed and spread throughout Russia information about the holy places in the Orient, and assisted the Russian pilgrims. The Grand Duke initiated and funded the excavations in Jerusalem, at the site of which there was built a temple in the name of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, in memory of the Tsar-Liberator Alexander II.
Sergey Aleksandrovich was the honorary chairman of the Moscow Society charity, education and training of blind children, the Society for patronage of homeless and released from juvenile detention, the Moscow department of the Russian society for protection of public health; a patron of Almshouses of Crown Prince Nicholas, the Moscow Society of the mutual promotion of handicraft, Auxiliary cash printers, the Charitable society for older artists; the patron of all parish schools of the Moscow diocese, shelter of Sergievsky community in St. Petersburg, Pskov real school; president of the Society care about the children of persons exiled by judicial sentence to Siberia and other public organizations. The Grand Duke also was the patron and honorary chairman of many scientific institutions - the Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Society of Artists of historical painting, Moscow and St. Petersburg Universities, Moscow Archaeological Society, the Society of Agriculture, the Society of Natural Sciences, the Russian Musical Society, the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul and Historical Museum in Moscow and the Moscow Theological Academy, the Orthodox Missionary Society, Division of distribution of spiritual and moral books.
In 1891, the Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich was appointed Governor-General of Moscow, in December 1894 he became a member of the State Council, and after a year and a half - the commander of the Moscow Military District. During his governor-generalship Grand Duke took an active part in the beautification of the capital. Sergey Aleksandrovich supported pro-government labor organizations and was adamant to the rebels and revolutionaries, believing that it was necessary to take tougher action against terrorists. The Government had not supported the Grand Duke and in January 1905 he voluntarily relinquished the post of governor-general.
4 (17) February 1905 about 3 p. m., Sergey Alexandrovich was assassinated by a bomb, thrown by terrorist Ivan Kalyaev.
Lit.: Авчинников А. Г. Великий князь Сергей Александрович: Иллюстрированный биографический очерк, 1905-1915 гг. Екатеринослав, 1915; Атапин С. С. Великий князь Александр Александрович: Сб. документов. М., 2002; Великий князь Сергей Александрович и его супруга великая княгиня Елизавета Фёдоровна [Электронный ресурс] // Императорское Православное Палестинское Общество. URL: https://www.ippo.ru/historyippo/; Великий князь Сергей Александрович Романов: биографические материалы. М., 2006; Великий князь Сергей Александрович Романов на посту Председателя Императорского Православного Палестинского общества: исторический очерк. М., 2006; Гришин Д. Б. Трагическая судьба великого князя. М., 2008; Трутовский В. К. Памяти великого князя Сергея Александровича. Б. м., 1906.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: