sign in sign up
<<
Home , Nicholas and Alexandra, Tsar, Tsarevich

or three long months, Nicholas Romanov and his entourage had been imprisoned in a villa in , , just east of the Urals. In the early hours of July 17, 1918, a Bolshevik official roused Nicholas from his bed and led the ex- down to the cellar. In their wake trudged Nicholas’s wife Alexandra, a son, four daughters, the family physician, and three servants. After the commandant had his unsuspecting charges huddle in front of a dank wall, as if to pose for a group photograph, he obligingly provided two chairs for the mother and son because both were too sickly to remain standing. He then pulled out a scrap of paper from his pocket and read aloud a brief execution warrant. Before the condemned could even fully fathom their fate, a dozen soldiers stepped forward and opened fire. Minutes later, when the smoke had cleared, the commandant himself fired two more bullets to silence the faint moans of young Alexei, the would-be heir to the Russian . Under the cover of darkness, the killers brought the 11 corpses to a nearby forest and buried them in shallow graves that would remain undiscovered for decades. The tragic tale of that glamorous but doomed royal couple has long captivated the public. The classic film Nicholas and Alexandra, released in 1971, depicted their stunning trajectory, starting with the rich and dashing Russian bachelor’s courtship of the lovely German-born . The film captured the genuine love that they had for each other (it was a rare royal romance) and for the beautiful children that would be born in rapid succession. When at last a son and heir to the throne was born, after four daughters who were ineligible to rule on account of their gender, the parents were devastated to learn that he was stricken with hemophilia, a rare and often fatal blood disorder. In the film, Nicholas comes across as a devoted family man, and Alexandra as a pious and protective matron. But the film also exposes their bizarre reliance on the devious mystic , and Nicholas’s disastrous leadership characterized by a callous indifference to the plight of the Russian masses, who are mired in abject poverty. The seemingly inevitable outcome is the fall of the and the rise of and communism.

Alexei Nikolaevich, of Russia, wasn’t permitted to ride a bike on his own as he suffered from hemophilia and a crash could kill him. Before he was allowed Story by V. Herlihy a tricycle of his own (pictured on the cover), he was a passenger on a bike pedaled by a royal attendant so he could join his family in their love of bicycles.

10 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2019 WORLD HISTORY ARCHIVE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 11 The recent centennial of the brutal Romanov murders has alliance with his French counterpart, visited the Russian renewed the public’s fascination not only with Russia’s last pavilion at the Universal Exhibition, feasted at banquets, and queen, but also with the entire Romanov dynasty. carried on with his mistress, and dodged the bullet of a For just over 300 years, a succession of and , would-be assassin. Somehow he still found time to purchase including such notable personalities as founder Peter the one of those slender, gravity-defying vehicles that had just Great and the incomparable , ruled begun to rattle about Paris. over nearly one-sixth of the earth’s land. They gradually Or so legend has it. Andrey Myatiev, a Russian bicycle transformed a predominantly agricultural country into a collector and historian, has been unable to trace the original major world power. source of that 1867 claim, which only seems to have gained One minor — yet intriguing — aspect to the last half currency years after the purported fact. Moreover, the century of Romanov rule is the family’s affinity for cycling. velocipede held by the Imperial Bicycle Museum, said to be To be sure, since the introduction of the first human- that vehicle, is in fact a latter model made in 1869 or 1870 by powered vehicles (or “velocipedes” as they were generally the Compagnie Parisienne. called), European royals had occasionally lent makers their Still it is entirely possible that II did indeed encouragement. In 1858, for example, Edward, of spot the first-generation bicycle while he was in Paris. Wales (the eldest son of Queen Victoria, who happened to Widely considered the most Western-leaning and liberal of be Alexandra’s grandmother), patronized Willard Sawyer, the modern tsars (he freed Russian serfs two years before a maker of quadricycles. In 1868, the 12-year-old son of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation), he might Napoleon III gleefully rode his newfangled bicycle in well have taken a shine to the curious contraption that public, helping to spark “velocipede mania.” And by the aspired to become the “people’s nag.” time Nicholas was crowned tsar in 1894, scores of And the tsar might well have snapped one up then and across Europe were eagerly partaking in the and there, as did a number of other foreigners in Paris at bicycle boom. that time (notably one C. G. Wheeler of Chicago, who was Among royal families, the Romanovs can easily claim reportedly America’s second cyclist, after the patentee the strongest connection to the bicycle. Clinching their case Pierre Lallement). Even if the middle-aged autocrat had no is the Imperial Bicycle Museum at Peterhof, formerly the intention of riding the thing himself, he may have wanted Romanovs’ grand seaside summer resort, some 15 miles west one to give to his five rambunctious sons, whose ages at the of . There reside a dozen cycles that once time ranged from seven to 22. belonged to various Romanovs. In any case, several of the tsar’s sons were definitely Indeed, the family’s involvement with bicycles began cycling within a decade — though perhaps not in the manner practically with the bicycle itself. In June 1867, shortly after that their father had intended. In late 1876, the tsar’s second- selling Alaska to the U.S., the tsar Alexander II (Nicholas’s youngest son Sergei — aged 19 — described in his diary grandfather) headed to Paris. There he negotiated a strategic a reckless romp through the , the family’s

12 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2019 primary residence in Saint Petersburg (the imperial capital elitist and purely recreational in spirit. By the early 1890s, city) that now houses the Hermitage Museum. Wrote Sergei most cyclists, including Alexander’s wife, the Empress Maria under the tagline December 9 (as translated from Russian): Feodorovna, were happily cruising about on the third- generation bicycle, the remarkably tame safety. It is unclear Here is a frost! -25°! Mom [the whether the himself ever made the transition. But Empress Marie of Hesse] ordered even if he did, a report published in an American cycling sbiten [a hot and spicy Russian journal in 1892 stressed that he was still riding exclusively as tea], scarves, mittens, and felt a thrill seeker: boots to be handed out to our cab drivers in front of the palace. The mighty and bewhiskered tsar of Russia has several times Then I rode with my brothers on a been reported as coasting down the Ural Mountains before velocipede through all the halls of breakfast as a means of stimulating his appetite, and finding the Winter Palace. I was on a four- unlimited enjoyment in the hair-raising performance. wheeled one. I was very amused and we rolled everywhere, even in front Two years later, at age 49, Alexander III died suddenly of the guards who didn’t intervene. from kidney failure. His eldest surviving son, 26-year-old Nicholas, immediately took over the reins of government. By Apparently, Sergei rode a quadricycle whereas his all accounts, he was totally unprepared for the job. He tried brothers had a mix of machines, including perhaps a to buckle down — hastily marrying his fiancée, Alexandra tricycle or even a bicycle. A two-wheeler at that time would — and he did his utmost to follow in his father’s reactionary presumably have been a “high wheeler” of the sort that footsteps. But he quickly proved utterly unfit to rule the vast had become popular in Britain (though it had yet to gain a Russian . foothold in the U.S.). In 1905, after a decade of tenuous reign, Nicholas was In 1881, Sergei’s father, Alexander II, finally fell victim to nearly relieved of his duties. His oppressed people had an assassin. A young revolutionary managed to land a bomb had enough. That year, his army had mowed down scores at the feet of the tsar, who was traversing Saint Petersburg in of peaceful protesters who were demanding better living his bulletproof carriage. Mortally wounded, he suffered an conditions. An ill-advised war against Japan proved both agonizing death with his grandson Nicholas at his bedside. bloody and futile. Only by reluctantly agreeing to cede Alexander’s oldest son and namesake (Nicholas’s father) some power to the Duma, an elected assembly, did Nicholas thus became Alexander III. He was a powerful, hulking manage to salvage his teetering regime. man with a gruff temperament. Infused with a desire for Although the new tsar was widely denounced in the revenge, he quickly gained a reputation for being ruthless foreign press as “Bloody Nicholas,” he was in fact a gentle and regressive. soul who had little interest in amassing riches or wielding For all his flaws, he was nevertheless the first certifiable great power. He much preferred relaxing with his family cyclist to be crowned tsar. He had probably ridden the and taking photos with the new Kodak camera, as well as boneshaker as a youth and almost certainly the high wheeler engaging in vigorous outdoor activities such as gardening, in the 1870s. And shortly after assuming the throne, he hiking, kayaking, playing tennis, and — of course — cycling. acquired (possibly as gifts) two British-made high wheelers, In his youth, Nicholas likely rode the high wheeler, just now on display at the Imperial Bicycle Museum. like his father, but he came to power as an ardent devotee Just as the boneshaker had apparently appealed to of the safety. In 1896, a humorous story about his passion his progressive father, so did the high wheeler speak to circulated in the press. One day, while visiting relatives in Alexander III’s large and over-the-top personality. The Denmark (his mother was Danish), Nicholas set off for a imposing second-generation machine was unapologetically spirited ride through the wooded countryside. When he

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 13 realized that he was lost, he asked a passerby for directions. apparent (since Nicholas had no son at this point) was The man responded in perfect Russian. Nicholas was suffering from tuberculosis and convalescing at a spa stunned. Then it dawned on him: his secret service men, in the province of when he decided to go for realizing that they could not possibly keep up with him on a joyride in the countryside. Hours later, a horrified his wheel, had fanned out before his departure to patrol the peasant woman discovered the unconscious grand territory where he was likely to pass. lying on the road in a pool of blood, his tricycle at his Like many cyclists at the time, Nicholas was also keenly side. He died on the spot a short time later, his wounded interested in the latest motorized cycles (automobiles were head cradled in her arms. still rare and largely experimental). In late 1898, a French According to Russian officials, George had suffered newspaper reported: some sort of medical emergency that compelled him to descend from his motorcycle and ultimately caused him to It is well known that the young tsar collapse to the ground. Some historians, however, refuse Nicholas II rides a bicycle perfectly. to rule out foul play. Perhaps the most convincing theory In the past few days a factory has sent — but not necessarily one that the regime cared to affirm from Puteaux [an industrial Parisian — is that George somehow lost control of his vehicle, suburb] to Saint Petersburg a superb either because of a mechanical mishap or reckless driving. petroleum-powered tricycle with a In any case, his untimely death delivered a terrible blow trailer. It is destined for the tsar’s to Nicholas, one that left him feeling guilt-ridden as the two brothers. One of them, provider of that deadly machine. the Michael, is strong Somewhat surprisingly, neither George’s tragic death, and robust. He will drive around the nor the fading of the bicycle boom, nor his mounting duties, tsarevich [the , Grand would keep Nicholas off his bicycle. Surviving records affirm Duke George] whose weak state only that he continued for years to buy and service bicycles. And allows for passive participation [while his diaries show that he often went for short rides on the seated in the trailer]. estates surrounding his various palaces, notably Peterhof and Livadia in the where the family generally spent Six months later, however, it was George alone who springs and falls (and where the famous Yalta Conference rode that tricycle (or something similar). The heir would take place following World War II). Nicholas did most of his riding, however, in Tsarskoye Selo (meaning “the tsar’s village”), a sleepy town some 30 miles south of Saint Petersburg. Indeed, by the time the new tsarevich came along in 1904, the family had settled there, ensconced in the neoclassical Alexander Palace, which was surrounded by acres of pristine parkland. There the family felt safely removed from the rabble in Saint Petersburg and could more easily guard the dark secret of Alexei’s fragile health from the enemies of the regime. Consequently, the tsar made only occasional visits to the capital city, becoming ever more detached from his suffering subjects. Nicholas frequently cycled on the estate. He was, however, by no means the only cyclist in the family. True, Alexandra did not ride, for she was constantly bedridden as she coped with an endless barrage of illnesses, both real and imagined. But all of the daughters — Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia — learned to ride at a young age, and all continued to cycle through adolescence into young adulthood, often with their father.

14 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2019 Alexei too longed to bicycle, but his mother forbade him for suffered millions of casualties with no relief in sight. And fear that he might fall off, cut himself, and possibly bleed to living conditions in Russia had gone from horrible to death. That was a painful prohibition for the restless lad who unbearable. Under intense pressure from centrists and longed to pedal alongside his father, his sisters, and his many revolutionaries alike, Nicholas was forced to abdicate. cycling cousins. On at least one occasion, he defiantly grabbed Initially he floated the preposterous proposal that Alexei an idle bicycle and took off, forcing his frantic guardians to take his place, before tapping his brother Michael, who chase after him. At last, his mother agreed to let him ride on a promptly renounced any claim to the throne. bicycle, seated in a velvet seat suspended over its front wheel. A provisional government emerged in Saint Petersburg, When he turned seven in 1911, he was even allowed to pedal a committed to abolishing the altogether. It ordered tricycle, custom made for him in a factory in . the Romanovs to stay put in Alexander Palace, under house Even after Russia entered the Great War, in the summer arrest, until it could make arrangements for permanent exile of 1914, the Romanov children continued to cycle whenever abroad. Nicholas’s cousin, King , initially invited the and wherever they could. The so-called “Big Pair,” Olga family to relocate to Great Britain, but he quickly rescinded and Tatiana, however, had little downtime as they dutifully the offer after his subjects voiced strenuous objections. nursed the wounded soldiers who were arriving by the Still, the close-knit clan clung to the hope that they would truckload to the palace’s makeshift hospital ward. The eventually find a safe haven. In the meantime, they resolved “Little Pair,” too young to be exposed to such horrors, to continue living in Alexander Palace as normally as possible. found creative ways to amuse themselves. In September After all, in some respects their lifestyles had not changed all 1916, Anastasia described how she and Maria unwittingly that much. They still had a large staff at their disposal. And re-created a scene similar to the one their great-uncles had even under the watchful eyes of hostile guards, they managed staged in the Winter Palace some 50 years earlier: to keep to their daily routines, which included sitting down together for meals, attending church services in their private No matter how many promises I make to chapel, playing card games, reading books, and knitting. myself, I keep forgetting to write in this diary. There was even an upside to their ordeal: Papa was no Maybe forgetting is not the right word. It longer absent for long spells to strategize with his generals. He seems that everything I have to put down is was home now and in good spirits, ever available to his adoring either discouraging (Romania has declared children. He especially enjoyed exercising with them outdoors war on Germany, and Papa is very worried) — gardening, chopping wood, going for walks, sledding, or, in or boring (lessons) or just silly. Maybe today fine weather, riding bicycles around the palace grounds. I’ll write about something silly, such as That spring, Nicholas pedaled as much as he ever had, the new game we’ve made up: riding our often with one or more of his children. As late as May 10, bicycles at breakneck speed through the he was still paying a local mechanic to service his bicycle. palace halls. By “we” I mean Mashka [her Not every outing went smoothly, though. One day, just as older sister Maria] and me. Tatiana is too Nicholas pushed off, a spiteful guard stuck his bayonet into sensible to indulge in such foolishness, a wheel, only to howl with delight when the ex-tsar and his and Olga is always too busy reading some bicycle tumbled to the ground. Nicholas calmly stood up, book or other. So far we’ve had several brushed himself off, picked up his bike, and resumed his ride spectacular crashes but amazingly have as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. not yet broken a single thing. Perhaps Nicholas, as he pedaled around his , pictured himself on a rural road in England, a country In March 1917, Nicholas’s tumultuous 22-year reign famed for its culture of cycle touring. He may even have came to an abrupt and humiliating end. The Russian army, fantasized, like his contemporary Woodrow Wilson, that woefully undertrained and poorly equipped, had already CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 15 Marketplace CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 harsher restrictions. HERLIHY: TSARS Lenin himself likely ordered the he would one day roam the French slaughter of the Romanov family and countryside on a bicycle, unmolested. the loyal retinue that had steadfastly One thing is certain: those outdoor refused to abandon them in their hour cycling jaunts he made with his of need. Lenin took pains to leave no children at his side in the early paper trail that would link him to the summer of 1917 were among the last deed. Indeed, until the Soviet Union truly happy moments that they would itself collapsed on Christmas Day 1991, ever spend together. the entire episode remained shrouded Late that July, the family received in a torrent of official denials, half an urgent order to pack their bags truths, contradictions, and outright immediately with only the most lies about the fate of the Romanovs. essential items (needless to say, no Ironically enough, the two Russian bicycles). But they would not be archrivals shared a passion. Lenin too heading to Britain or even abroad had been an avid cyclist. During his — at least not yet. They would be long exile, between 1909 and 1912, he taken discreetly in a night train to an lived in Paris. There he acquired a undisclosed location somewhere deep bicycle and rode it daily between his in Russia. And they would stay there apartment on the Rive Gauche and the until authorities were ready to decide French National Library, then located their fate. in the center of the city. He became so That place turned out to be , enamored with cycling that he began the capital of , almost 2,000 to go on long weekend rides in the miles east of Saint Petersburg. The French countryside. official who made the arrangements Sadly, that common thread of to house the family in what was humanity was not enough to induce formerly the governor’s palace would Lenin to spare the lives of Nicholas later insist that he chose that remote and Alexandra, or even those of their location for the family’s safety. It may children and the other innocent be no coincidence, however, that the victims who perished on that dark Romanovs wound up in the same night the world will never forget. rugged region where generations of tsars had sent their worst enemies to David V. Herlihy is the author of The Lost Cyclist, languish, if not perish. and Bicycle: The History. The author dedicates this By November 1917, the article to his late mother Patrica Herlihy, a Russian scholar. Special thanks to Natalia Grishina, Andrey had seized control of the government. Myatiev, and Helen Azar for their assistance. The fate of the Romanovs was now squarely in Vladimir Lenin’s hands. He had never met Nicholas, but he despised CONTINUED FROM PAGE 05 the man and all that he stood for. His READER LETTERS grudge went beyond politics — it was deeply personal. Nicholas’s father the group was overwhelming. I greatly had executed Lenin’s older brother appreciated their laid-back attitude and Alexander in 1887 when the radical that there were no cue sheets. ’t get student was just 21 years old. And me wrong — the planning that John Nicholas himself had forced Lenin to put into the trip was well thought out. spend a decade abroad living in exile. It wasn’t about elevation gain, average In May 1918, the Bolsheviks speed, or watts, but rather sharing a relocated the Romanovs once again, love of the outdoors, local history, and this time in Yekaterinburg, roughly cycling. I believe I have found my tribe. halfway between Tobolsk and Saint Thank you, Adventure Cycling, for Petersburg. Lenin probably wanted the promoting bike touring of all types and ex-tsar closer to Moscow, the new seat creating a forum for those who take the of power, should he decide to publicly path less traveled. And especially for prosecute him. In the meantime, the connecting me with a group of amazing guards tightened their security around people (and cyclists) three states away. the Romanovs and imposed ever Mary Jane Watson | Cincinnati, Ohio

48 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2019