Strange as it may seem, there have been no Russian people on the Russian throne since the 19th century. There were Germans who most often married German princesses. Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov (1858-1915) was no exception.
Childhood
In the family of Konstantin Nikolaevich and Alexandra Iosifovna (Princess from the city of Altenburg), the second son was born in August 1858, who was named Konstantin. He was immediately awarded high orders and enlisted in various regiments.
Excellent manners didn't need to be taught - they were absorbed by the treatment he received from all sorts of educators, first by nannies of all kinds, and then by teachers who gave him home education. History was taught to him by our best historians, literature - the color of our literature - I. A. Goncharov and F. M. Dostoevsky.
Konstantin Romanov was well versed in music thanks to a brilliant theoretical and practical education in this area. But they prepared him according to family tradition for naval service. He seriously studied under the program of the Naval School.
Youth
Serving from the age of 16midshipman on the frigate "Svetlana", Konstantin Romanov made a two-year voyage in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and then passed the exam and received the rank of midshipman. He also participated in the war of 1877-1878 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire and received an award for his valiant service - the Order of St. George 4th degree. At this time, he had already begun to write poetry. Further, his ranks rose, but later, in 1882, he was transferred to the land department and, having received leave in 1883, he met the sixteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who would become his wife a year later. The poet dedicated lyrical lines to her, in which the moon shone, and the nightingale burst into song, and inspiration came.
The wedding took place in 1884. Being 9 years older, her husband wanted to raise a fan of lyrical poetry and music from a young girl, but Elizaveta Mavrikievna, diligently studying the Russian language and loving her husband, was a woman of the dozen. She did not become spiritually close to her poetic spouse. She was interested in palace news, gossip with him. The young couple lived in Strelna, in the Marble Palace. They had six sons and three daughters, and the young woman found her calling in raising children, without finding common ground with her husband.
Mature years
Spiritually close to the august poet was the wife of his cousin and friend, later the Moscow governor-general. The brother very subtly appreciated the gift of Constantine and supported him in this field. 4 poems are dedicated to Sergei Alexandrovich, and his wife Elizabeth KonstantinRomanov disinterestedly admired, dedicating heartfelt lines to her, in which delight in her perfection sounds.
She was beautiful both mentally and externally. Her fate will end tragically along with the three sons of Constantine. They will die, thrown alive into a mine in Alapaevsk in 1918. But this is all in the distant future, but for now, Prince Romanov writes a gentle lullaby to his eldest son. Despite his poetic gift and the desire to surrender to it in full, Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov served for the glory of the Motherland, wherever he was placed. He was anxious about the debt that fell to his lot. Royal blood flowed in his veins, and he was a darling of fate, as he himself wrote, and faithfully and honestly served the three emperors under whom he lived - Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II.
Poems by Konstantin Romanov
Of course, they cannot be attributed to the heights of our poetry, but the poet possessed a lyrical gift and taste. In thought, he could leaf through the new collections of Fet's poetry lines, and family albums.
On the photo - Konstantin Romanov, taking a break from work. And he began to write poetry early, and when he was 24 years old, his first poems came out of print under the pseudonym K. R. He gave the collection to friends, relatives and acquaintances. It was impossible for a member of the royal house to sign with the full name, but everyone knew who the author of poetry collections with modest initials K. R. Versatile gifted, he wrote critical articles andhistorical drama, made a translation of "Hamlet" with comments, to which he devoted ten years of his life. And his numerous lyrical miniatures served as a source of inspiration for our best composers. Develop a special relationship with P. I. Tchaikovsky, who dedicated the Oprichnik opera and the Second String Quartet to Prince Konstantin. Tchaikovsky's romances - there are four of them - to the words of K. R. are in the repertoire of our best performers. Often meeting with Prince Konstantin, Tchaikovsky described him as a charming person. I appreciated Tchaikovsky and his musical talent, intelligence and modesty. Konstantin Romanov himself wrote romances to the verses of V. Hugo, A. K. Tolstoy, A. Maykov.
Conclusion
As if anticipating the trials that would be sent to him and his family, 15 years before his death, he wrote “When there is no urine to bear the cross …”, hoping that the Lord will have mercy on everyone and give both mercy and love. But the Grand Duke himself died, not having survived the death of his son Oleg on the fields of the World War, at the age of 56. And the family partly died near Yekaterinburg, partly went into exile after 1917.
