Last Emperor Russian Tsar Nicholas II was customary in the official Soviet historiography called "bloody".The main reason for this was two.Firstly, the Bloody Sunday of January 1905, when the procession to the Winter Palace to a misunderstanding or provocation was met by rifle volleys.The second reason - Khodynskaya disaster in 1896.This tragedy has remained in people's memory as the conventional wisdom of verbal clichés, but not everyone knows its circumstances."Khodynka" - and today often talk about the incredible and the crowd stampede.
Coronation
Khodynskaya accident occurred during the celebrations dedicated to the coronation of Nicholas Romanov.The ceremony took place on May 14 and was accompanied by some ominous sign.The place of action was the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.The autocrat was young, but the service and it was very tiring.The day was hot, the temple was stuffy and apparel made in such cases are different from the daily special splendor.In general, according to the memoirs of Abbot Serafim, 28-year-old monarch was simply wrong, he stumbled and nearly fell, even briefly lost consciousness.This can happen with each, but in this context the fact of this, then are compared with the circumstances of his reign, was seen klikusheski.
spend the night after a grueling ritual coronation crowned the couple went to Ilinskoe to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife Elizabeth Feodorovna, and waking up, the couple was glad that all the ceremonies were over, and now we can live in peace, engaged in public affairs.The celebrations were to be held for a long time, until May 26, but to participate in them directly to the king, it was not necessary.However, the joy was premature: only three days there was a disaster at Khodynka.
plan celebrations
Nikolai sincerely wanted to become a popular king, from the beginning of his reign, he wanted to make life easier for ordinary people and improve their well-being.Beginning his reign it is traditionally preceded by a manifesto outlining the principles of domestic and foreign policy.People promised (and while it was tantamount to execution) reduce the tax burden, the forgiveness of arrears and other favorable economic events.In particular, due to the budget to pay debts subjects hundred billion rubles.Given the then the purchasing power of the Russian currency, you can see that it was a lot of money, comparable to the amount of the annual national product of a large developed country.Yes, and on my own behalf Romanov added to the general needs a lot - five digits in gold rubles.
fatal knot
Large-scale tax reform, which led to further accelerate the growth of the empire, and did not rule out the simple joys."Dessert" was planned to give four hundred thousand beautiful gift nodules, which were invested in gingerbread, candies, nuts, sausage, Arctic cod and beautiful mug made with the latest technology of that time.It was an iron (and hence unbreakable, eternal) and is covered by tempered enamel, decorated with double-headed eagle and the royal monogram.
Who could have predicted that because of this pleasant in all respects gift set, which today would be no one refused, there will be a real tragedy, Khodynskaya disaster?
Preparing for the holiday and a violation of the plan
Later, analyzing the causes of deaths, many historians have argued that the celebrations were poorly prepared and organized.In a sense, this is true, because the sad outcome speaks for itself.Khodynskaya catastrophe has led to the fact that just a quarter of an hour in the crowd were crushed and trampled to death in 1389 people received injuries of varying severity even 2690. But there were also circumstances mitigating the organizers.They can not convict to a complete standstill, and the transience of the tragedy precluded intervention.To limit the movement of people had installed fences and dug trenches in advance, to oversee the order in the city were enough police.Troops, however, was not.The experience of such events that took place thirteen years ago (then crowned Alexander III), did not point to any particular hazards, then everything went quiet and peaceful, people stood in queues, received gifts and parted.
Khodynskaya disaster in 1896 is due to an absurd coincidence.One of the managers of one of the one hundred and fifty distributing tents began to distribute sets of his friends, without waiting for the specified hour, and even a few in one hand.People (some of them stayed drunk), gathered at the Khodynka the evening before, noticed it and rebelled.Then delinquent tried to correct the mistake and began to issue sets ahead of time.The order was violated, the crush began.
Consequences
Khodynskaya disaster novokoronovannogo monarch plunged into confusion.The situation was aggravated by the fact that just on this day has been designated an important foreign policy meeting with the French ambassador, she was preparing in advance and cancel it could cause diplomatic complications.King and his wife had to go to Montebello and attend the ball after a reception.In the future, the liberal press has inflated this as a manifestation of a "fun" the royal couple in the hour of popular grief.No, Nicholas II did not forget about the people, but to put Russia's interests above personal emotions.Of course, Khodynskaya disaster was seen by him as a personal tragedy, and immediately after the execution of the diplomatic protocol, he went to understand her circumstances.The trial was just and swift.Here are the results:
- The police chief removed from office, the responsible persons brought to justice.Circumstances were unforeseen, but should provide everything.
- Families of victims were a thousand rubles.
- Burial in individual graves are produced at public expense.
- Orphaned children are placed in the king's shelter.
- All the circumstances of the case made public.
deserve special word of surviving victims themselves.None of them did not blame the government for what happened.Penalty only on themselves and their greed.
