Biography
Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov - the last representative of the house of Romanov. On the political scene, he was rarely a key character, while in the shadow of more famous persons. Despite this, Andrei Vladimirovich was an outstanding person who made a brilliant military career.
Great Prince Andrei Vladimirovich was born on May 2, 1879 in the royal village. His father is the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich - the third son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Mary Alexandrovna, the younger brother Alexander III. Mother - Duchess Mecklenburg-Schwerinskaya, after the release of the Russian Great Princess Maria Pavlovna Mecklenburg-Schwerinskaya.
The cousin is Nicholas II Aleksandrovich, grandfather - Alexander II Nikolaevich - All-Russian emperors, kings Polish and great princes of Finland from the Augusta Romanov dynasty.
Andrei consisted of the most warm relationship with representatives of the royal family. Special Love The boy fell to the great prince Mikhail Alexandrovich - the youngest son of Alexander III.
General education and upbringing received under the supervision of light parents. On military service entered in 1895. In 1902, after graduating from the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, in the rank of a podoruk, he entered the service on the fifth battery of the Guards equestrian artillery brigade.
From 1902 to 1905 he studied at the Alexander Military Law Academy, after the end of which was enrolled in a military judicial department. From June 1905 to April 1906, he was a translator of foreign military-criminal charters at the Military Legal Academy.
From August 29, 1910, the Grand Duke Andrei is appointed by the Fifth Battery Commander of the Contino Artillery Brigade, and on July 8, 1911 he was appointed commander of the Don Cossack Artillery Battery.
The First World War began, and Andrei Vladimirovich is sent to consist at the General Staff. From May 7, 1915, he became the commander of the Life Guard equestrian artillery, and from August 15, 1915 was transferred to Majo-General with approval and enrollment in a retinue.
On April 3, 1917, he was dismissed from the service "Starting" with the uniform.
Awards
For the brilliant service, the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was awarded the following Russian orders and medals:- The Order of St. Andrew First Called (1879);
- Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1879);
- The Order of St. Anna 1 Art. (1879);
- The Order of the White Eagle (1879);
- Order of St. Stanislav 1 Art. (1879);
- Order of St. Vladimir 4 Art. (05/28/1905);
- Order of St. Vladimir 3 Art. (1911);
- Silver medal "In memory of the reign of Emperor Alexander III" (1896);
- Medal "In memory of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II" (1896).
- Great Prince Andrei Vladimirovich is distinguished by foreign orders:
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin medal in memory of the Great Duke Friedrich Franz (01/12/1898);
- Oldenburg Order Merit of Duke Peter-Friedrich-Ludwig (1902);
- Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (03.12.1909);
- Bulgarian Order "Saints Cyril and Methodius" (19.01.1912);
- Serbian Order of Star Karageorggy (01/23/1912);
- Austrian Order of St. Stephen Big Cross (01/23/1912);
- Bulgarian Order "Saint Alexander" 1 tbsp.;
- Bukhara Order Corona State Bukhara 1 Art.;
- Hesse Darmstadt Order of Ludwig;
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin Order of the Vendian Crown 1 Art.;
- Romanian Star Order of Romania 1 tbsp.;
- Saxen-Coburg-Gothic Order of the Erniest House.
In emigration
After the revolution with Mother Maria Pavlovna and Brother Boris Vladimirovich lived in Kislovodsk. On August 7, 1918, the Andrei and Boris brothers were arrested and sent to Pyatigorsk, from where they were released for home arrest a day later.
A week later, Andrei Vladimirovich fled to the mountains of the Kabarda, where there was almost two months. General Pokrovsky recommends Mary Mary Pavlovna with children to leave in Anapa. But in May 1919, the family returned back to Kislovodsk, already freed from the Bolsheviks. In Kislovodsk, Tsarist Chet remains until the end of 1919.
"On the most eve of Christmas, very disturbing information on the situation on the theater of hostilities was obtained and we immediately decided to leave Kislovodsk, in order not to get stuck in a mousetrap and go abroad. With pain in the heart of Andrei and his mother were forced to leave Russia, "writes the future wife of Andrei Vladimirovich, Matilda Kshesin's ballerina.
In January 1920, refugees come to Novorossiysk, where they live directly in the train wagons. A month later, the Grand Duke Andrei and his mother and his beloved Woman Matilda Kshesinskaya, who hid together with Romanov after flight from Petrograd, sail on a steamer "Semiramid".
In Constantinople, refugees received visas to France. Their life is moving to a new stage - from February 1920, Romanovs live in the French town of Cap d'Aai on Riviera - there was a villa there, which the prince bought shortly before the revolution for Matilda Kshesin's beloved.
In the emigration, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was awarded the following titles:
- Honorary Chairman of the Union of Izmailovtsev (1925);
- Honorary Chairman of the Union of Mutual Officers of the Officers of the Life Guard Equestrian Artillery;
- Chairman of the Russian Historical and Genealogical Society (Paris);
- Chairman of the Guards Association.
- Monarchist-legitimist Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich actively supported his older brother Kirill Vladimirovich, who in 1924 he accepted the title of Emperor of All-Russian in exile. He was the await representative of the sovereign of Emperor Kirill I in France and the Chairman of the Sovereign Meeting with him.
Personal life
On January 30, 1921, in the Russian church in Cannes, the wedding of the Grand Duke Andrei Romanova and Matilda Felixes of Kshesinskaya, Prima Ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, Honored Artist of His Majesty of Imperial Theaters.
She is known as a favorite Cesarevich Nicholas in 1882-1884. Relations were interrupted after the engagement of the future Emperor Nicholas II with the granddaughter of Queen Victoria Alice Hesse-Darmstadt in April 1894.
After the gap of Matilda Kshesinskaya consisted in love relationships with the great princes Sergey Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. In 1918, Sergey Mikhailovich was shot in Alapaevsk.
The wedding of Kshesinskaya and Romanov took place only after the death of Mother Andrei Vladimirovich in 1920 in Counterapeville. Maria Pavlovna categorically objected to the relationship between Prince and Kshesinsky, so the love relationship was hiding.
June 18, 1902 in Strelna Matilda Kshesinskaya gave birth to Son Vladimir.
Vladimir is the extramarital son of Ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and one of the Russian princes. The young man was adopted by Andrei Vladimirovich in 1921. Since 1935, the "brilliant prince Vladimir Andreevich Romanovsky-Krasinsky" was called, since the beginning of World War II - Vladimir Romanov.
During the German occupation, Vladimir Krasinsky as a member of the "Proviktsky" Union of Minovas, the Gestapo was arrested and got into a concentration camp. After 144 days, Andrei Vladimirovich managed to achieve his liberation.
Andrei Vladimirovich was a fan of arts and an avid theater; He studied legal sciences and fire affairs at the level of the professional, and also loved hunting and fishing. The Grand Duke photographed and known as one of the first Russian car enthusiasts.
Last years and death
In recent years, Great Prince Andrei Vladimirovich continued to support Vladimir Kirillovich and his wife Leonid Georgievna. One of the last joys of his life is the birth of the grandchildren of the Great Princess Mary Vladimirovna (now heading the Russian Imperial House) in 1953 in Spain. Her Great Father became the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich himself.
Died in Paris on October 30, 1956. His grave is located on the Cemetery of St. Geneva de Boua. The cause of the death of the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich is unknown - historians did not recorded, which age was struck by Romanov.
Andrei Vladimirovich at that time was 77 years old - so he put a kind of record record among the great princes of Romanov.
After death in 1943, Brother Boris Vladimirovich Romanova for 13 years Andrei remained the last of the great princes of Romanov's house born until 1917.
Films and books
The name of the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich appears in the literature and cinema dedicated to the life of the Romanov dynasty, in particular, the last years of their reign.
One of the interesting works affecting the biography of the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich is an animated film "Anastasia" (1997). Although the name of the prince and is not mentioned, his viewer is obvious: the main heroine of Anastasia is the youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II, which would have survived after the execution of the royal family in the basement of Ipatiev's house in Yekaterinburg.
According to historical data, Andrei Vladimirovich openly supported the claims of Anna Anderson, recognizing the Great Princess Anastasia, the younger daughter of Nicholas II. The pressure of other members of the royal family forced the Grand Prince to abandon the recognition made.
Another work in which his person appears is the new film Alexey Teacher Matilda, which caused public resonance long before his premiere. The scandalous picture tells about the personal relationships of Cesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, who was destined to become Emperor Nikolai II, with the future wife of the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich Matilda Kshesinsky. Religious and public figures criticized rather frank scenes with the participation of light and ballerina.
The role of Andrei Vladimirovich in the film "Matilda" performed the actor Gregory Dobrygin, famous for the whole country, thanks to the participation in the New Year's blockbuster "Black Lightning" and the psychological thriller "How I spent this summer."
The life and beliefs of the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich are described in his "military diary", covering 1914-1917. The uniqueness of this document is that in addition to "bare facts", the author recorded his own reflections on what is happening, memories, and the facts themselves are set forth as detailed as possible and informative.