Николай Николаевич Романов (1831 - 1891)

Born 8 Aug 1831 in Tsarskoe Selo, St. Petersburg, Russia

Ancestors

Husband of Alexandra Friederike Wilhelmine (Oldenburg) Romanov — married 5 Feb 1856 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Descendants

Died 25 Apr 1891 at age 59 in Alupka, Russia

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Николай Николаевич Романов was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Biography

Nikolai Nikolaievich Romanov (Russian: Великий князь Николай Николаевич) , Grand Duke of Russia was born 8 August 1831 [27 July 1831 O.S.] at Tsarskoie Selo, Russia.

He was the son of Nikolai I Pavlovich Romanov (Tsar Nicholas I of Russia) and Princess Friederike Luise Charlotte Wilhelmine of Prussia.

Nicholai was the third son and sixth child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Alexandra Feodorovna.

He was the brother of Tsar Alexander II, and uncle to Tsar Alexander III.

Nikolai Nikolaevich is sometimes referred to as "Nicholas Nicolaievich the Elder" to tell him apart from his son, Nikolai Nikolaevich the Younger.

MARRIAGE

He married Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg on 5 February 1856 (25 Jan 1856 O.S.) at St. Petersburg, Russia. His wife's full name was Alexandra Friederike Wilhelmine von Holstein-Gottorp, She was the daughter of HH Duke Constantine Friedrich Peter von Holstein-Gottorp, Duke of Oldenburg and Therese Prinzessin von Nassau-Weilburg.

By they had two children:

1) Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia the Younger (1856–1929)

2) Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (1864–1931)

AFFAIR WITH CHISLOVA AND FIVE NIKOLAYEV CHILDREN

According to Wikipedia: "The marriage was in trouble from the start and four years later [in 1860] Nicholas developed a permanent relationship with Catherine Chislova, a dancer from the Krasnoye Selo Theater. Their affair was quite open and Grand Duke Nikolai had five children by Chislova:

1) Olga Nikolaevna Nikolaeva (1868–1950)

2) Vladimir Nikolaevich Nikolaev (1873–1942)

3) Catherine Nikolaevna Nikolaeva (1874–1940)

4) Nicholas Nikolaevich Nikolaev (1875–1902) and

5) Galina Nikolaevna Nikolaeva (1877–1878)

"The Grand Duke arranged a change of class into the gentry for his mistress and the couple’s illegitimate children took the surname Nikolayev. Tsar Alexander II ignored his brother's affair but advised him to be discreet."

MILITARY CAREER

Trained for the military, as a Field Marshal, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich commanded the Russian army of the Danube in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878.

From Wikipedia:

"His father arranged for Nicholas Nikolaevich a career in the army. On the day he was born, he was appointed honorary colonel in the Life Guard Lancers and enlisted into the Life Guard Sappers battalion.

A soldier most of his life, he first saw active service in the Crimean War, when he was in his early twenties, taking part in the battle of Inkerman (1854).

Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich showed a special interest in military engineering. In 1856, he was appointed as general Inspector of engineers and in 1864, he became commander of the Imperial Guard.

In 1873, he accompanied his brother, Alexander II, to Berlin at the meeting of the three emperors: Russia, Germany and Austria.

The epitome of his career was the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878, when Nicholas Nicolaievich was appointed Commander-in- Chief of the Russian armies of the Danube, although his reputation as a strategist was very low.

The Grand Duke had no particular distinction in early successes in the conflict and these were followed by terrible reverses of the armies under his orders. After the expulsion of the Russian troops from Rumelia and unsuccessful attacks at Plevna, Nicholas Nicolaievich was removed from actual command, although in theory he remained in his post.

The victory of his subordinates allowed him to participate in the success at Adrianople and the Treaty of San Stefano, but after the war ended, he was criticized for not seizing Constantinople when his headquarters were already established in Adrianople.

The Grand Duke also suffered the acute embarrassment of being charged with financial irregularities, of receiving bribes and embezzling money from the government.

His brother, Alexander II promoted Nicholas Nicolaievich's career and named him Commander of the St. Petersburg military region. Eventually he received the ranks of Field Marshal-General, Inspector General of Cavalry and Inspector General of the Russian engineering forces.

Nicholas Nicholaievich was an influential military figure; he also served on the State Council.

He died on 25 April 1891 at age 59 at Tsarskoie Selo, Russia.

Sources

• C. Arnold McNaughton, The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy, in 3 volumes (London, U.K.: Garnstone Press, 1973), volume 1, page 317
• "Nikolai Nikolaievich Romanov, Grand Duke of Russia" Peerage.com
• Wikipedia "Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich"
• Wikipedia "Николай Николаевич Старший" Russian
• Wikidata: Item Q163863