NICHOLAS I (NIKOLAI PAVLOVICH) 1796-1855 EMPEROR OF ALL RUSSIA 1825-1855
Nicholas I was born on May 25, 1796, in Gatchina near St. Petersburg, the third son of Emperor Paul I. Not considered likely to succeed to the throne, he received an education in military engineering. In the 1820s, he held the post of inspector general of the army's engineers. He also became Commander of the First Guards Division. Nicholas I came to throne after the death of his older brother Alexander I and the refusal of the second brother, Grand Duke Constantine, to accept sovereignty. His first measure as Emperor was the execution of the participants in the uprising of December 14, 1825. He was crowned on August 22, 1826, in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. His reign saw the flourishing of absolute monarchy in military and civil areas. He strengthened and centralized bureaucratic structures to an unprecedented degree. Harsh and despotic by nature, he had little time for abstract ideas. Any sign of liberalism in Russia was brutally suppressed. The principal issue in foreign policy was the "Eastern Question," maintaining pro-Russian regimes in the Black Sea Straits. Nicholas attempted to resolve this by the partition of the Ottoman Empire. The result was the Crimean War of 1853-56, in which Russia suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of a coalition of Western European states and Turkey. He married Frederica Louisa Charlotta Wilhelmina (Alexandra Feodorovna), daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, and had seven children. Nicholas died on February 18, 1855. Many researchers believe he poisoned himself after receiving news of the defeat of Russian forces at Evpatoria. He was buried in the Cathedral of the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

ALEXANDER I (ALEXANDER PAVLOVICH) 1777-1825 EMPEROR OF ALL RUSSIA 1801-1825
Eldest son of Emperor Paul I, Alexander was born in St. Petersburg on December 12, 1777. From childhood, he was greatly influenced by Catherine the Great, who brought him up and considered him her successor. He came to the throne after the murder of his father, Paul I, on March 12, 1801, and was crowned in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on September 15. The young Emperor was extremely popular among all levels of society. The first half of his reign was marked by a liberal internal policy: His various reforms included a restructuring of the country and an attempt to codify Russian legislation. Later, however, he reversed many of these changes. Alexander died on November 19, 1825, in Taganrog and was buried in the Cathedral of the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. There is a story that he secretly abdicated and lived as a monk.

PUBLISHED DATE	1884 PARIS
ARTIST	DE LA CHARLERIE
ENGRAVED BY	PANNEMAKER
PUBLISHER	THOMAS DE LAMOTTE SAINTE-MARTIN
PAGE SIZE: approx	14 3/4 INCHES x 10 1/2 INCHES
IMAGE SIZE: approx	7 1/2 X 7 INCHES
CONDITION	INTEXT ENGRAVING with TEXT on the back . Excellent condition. Heavier paper.Suitable ageing. The image is clean, clear and sharp with beautiful depth and detail.