200th Anniversary of the Birthday of Emperor Alexander II

Alexander II (17 [29] April 1818, Moscow – 1 [13] March 1881, St.
Petersburg) – the Russian emperor from the Romanov dynasty, the eldest
son of Nicholas I and Alexandra
Feodorovna, entered the national history as a reformer, and as a
king-liberator. Awarded a special epithet in pre-revolutionary historiography
"The Liberator" (for the abolition of serfdom). He died as a result
of a terrorist act organized by the secret revolutionary organization "Narodnaya
Volya" ("The People's Will").

The emperor was awarded more than seventy awards of the Russian Empire and other states.
The portrait of Alexander II is presented in uniform with an agile bouquet, blue moire ribbon and the star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the star of the Order of St. Vladimir of the I degree with a large cross on the ribbon, the sign of the Order of St. George IV degree, medal "In memory of the war 1853–1854–1855–1856" and the insignia "For XX years of service in officer ranks", the Order of Military Merit (Württemberg), commemorative medal "For the suppression of Hungary and Transylvania in 1848–1849" (Prussia), cross "For 25 years of service in officers' ranks "(Prussia).

Egor (Georgе) Botman (1821(?)–1891) – portrait painter. A considerable number of works performed by him, including portraits of members of the imperial court, are known. They all correspond to the high style of the "grand portrait". But information about his life and work is practically absent. It is known that the artist of German origin, a native of the city of Lübeck.
In 1853, Botman received the title of academician from the Imperial Academy of Arts for the portrait of Emperor Nicholas I.

Awards displayed:

Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
Order of St. Vladimir of the I degree with a large cross on the ribbon
Order of St. George I degree with a cross on the tape
Order of St. George IV degree with a cross on the ribbon
Cross "For Service in the Caucasus"
Medal "February 19, 1861" (was awarded only to Alexander II)
Medal "In memory of the war of 1853–1854–1855–1856"
Medal "For conquest of the Western Caucasus" (reverse)
Badge of distinction "For XX years of service in officer ranks"
Order of "Military Merit" with the crown (Württemberg) (reverse)
Order "Pour le Merite" (Prussia)
Golden oak leaves to the order "Pour le Merite" (Prussia)
Commemorative medal "For the suppression of Hungary and Transylvania in 1848–1849" (Prussia)
Cross "For 25 years of service in officer ranks" (Prussia)

Alexander II and Maria Alexandrovna have been married for almost 40 years, and for many years this marriage was happy. The couple had 8 children.

Children:
Alexandra (1842–1849)
Nikolay (1843–1865)
Alexander III (1845–1894)
Vladimir (1847–1909)
Alexey (1850–1908)
Maria (1853–1920)
Sergei (1857–1905)
Paul (1860–1919)

Maria Alexandrovna is depicted in a Russian court dress, the standard of which was approved by Nicholas I in 1834. Up until 1917, this outfit remained virtually unchanged. Headdress was also strictly regulated. Married women were instructed to wear "a povoinik or kokoshnik of any color, with a white veil, and for girls, a bandage of any color with a veil".
Many contemporaries called the Russian court dress "French sundress".

Kokoshnik on the head of Maria Alexandrovna is close in form to kokoshniks of Arkhangelsk province. Dropping on both sides of the face of pearls is typical for Old Russian grand duke’s headdresses.

The large necklace on the neck consists of diamond cabochons. Pendants are pear-shaped diamonds.

Gold bracelet with a portrait of Alexander II is depicted on her right hand.

It is known that Maria Alexandrovna had a gold bracelet with a portrait of her husband in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky regiment and the inscription "1840 – April 4, 1850", which was bequeathed to his son Sergei Alexandrovich with other personal things.

Ivan Makarov (1822–1897) – painter, graphic artist.
Son of Makarov K. At first he studied with his father, who founded the drawing and icon painting school in Saransk, then in Penza and the Imperial Academy of Arts (at Markov A.). He was a pensioner in Italy. Upon his return he received the title of Academician (1855). He painted icons, participated in the painting of the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior (under the leadership).

The Empress Maria Alexandrovna liked pearls, whose threads were woven into her hair and used in the form of beads, pendants, bracelets, etc. But the Empress was wearing pearls only during various palace ceremonies. Outside of this, she wore only massive gold bracelets on her left arm and rings.

Usually, on the left arm of the Empress, along with massive gold bracelets, two gold rings were worn on the ring finger. The chamber-yungfer of Empress Yakovleva A. wrote about them: "On her left arm she wore a very thick wedding ring and another, the same thick, with patterned hammering, a diameter of the same thickness was attached with a large ruby. This is a family ring, given to all members of the royal family by the Tsar".

Father of Alexander II - Emperor Nicholas I

Franz Kruger (1797–1857) – German artist, portrait painter, worked at the Royal Court of Prussia, at the Russian Imperial Court. He painted many portraits of the royal and noble persons among whom the members of the family of Emperor Nicholas I, Prince Baryatinsky A. and others.

Mother of Alexander II - Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Robertson Christina (1796–1854) – Scottish artist.
Honorary Member of the Scottish Academy of Arts (first woman).
She worked in Scotland, France, England, Russia.
She painted portraits of family members of Emperor Nicholas I, Baryatinsky family and representatives of other noble families.