120 years ago, on May 26, the last Emperor of Russia Nicolas II and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna were crowned. RBTH gathered rare photos of the solemn entry of the royal couple.
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The scale and the splendor of the celebrations greatly surpassed previous coronations. / Palace employees carrying thrones to the Cathedral of the Dormition during the preparations for the coronation.
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Although St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia, the Imperial couple and guests went to Moscow on May 9, because all the coronations traditionally were held in the Cathedral of the Dormition. / Hussar Regiment on Ivanov Square inside the Kremlin.
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May 6 - 26 was declared the official coronation period. / Emperor Nicholas II (riding a white horse) with his entourage during the solemn entry.
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All guests invited to attend the solemn entry of the royal couple on May 9 were asked to come to Moscow not later than 5 May. / Coronation chariot of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna passing in front of the tribune near the Kremlin walls.
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In accordance with royal etiquette, the Emperor and high-ranking guests made their solemn entry from Petrovsky Palace on the Petersburg highway, and continued along Tverskaya-Yamskaya and Tverskaya streets. / Coronation chariot of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna.
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The official ceremony of the coronation was held in the Cathedral of the Dormition inside the Moscow Kremlin. / Procession of participants in the coronation.
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Nicholas II gave the order to arrange mass celebrations on 30 May. Pavilions and temporary theatres were put up, along with places for handing out gifts to people (a cup, bread, sausage and sweets). / Procession of participants in the coronation.
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People started to gather a few days in advance. The crowd moved fast when the dispensing points opened, thousands of people were crushed. Official information says 1389 people died as a result; other sources put the figure at about 4000 victims. This deeply regrettable incident was called ‘Khodynka’, after the name of the area where it happened. / Emperor Nicholas II (riding a white horse) with his entourage during the solemn entry.
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Emperor Nicolas II was informed of the incident, and he quickly dispatched an official telegram with condolences. However, the celebrations continued according to plan. That very same evening, May 30, Nicolas II attended a ball at the residence of the French ambassador, which many citizens perceived as disrespectful. / Emperor Nicholas II (riding a white horse) with his entourage during the solemn entry.
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Nicholas II ruled from 1 November 1894, two years before his official coronation after the death of his father Alexander III, until his enforced abdication on 2 March 1917. Nikolai II's reign was marked by economic development and a rise in Russia’s socio-political antagonisms. The nascent revolutionary movement ignited the 1905-1907 and 1917 uprisings. / Emperor Nicholas II (riding a white horse) with his entourage during the solemn entry.
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The last Russian Emperor of the Romanov dynasty, Nicholas II with his family: his wife Alexandra, daughters Maria, Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia, and son Alexei were killed by the Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg on the night of July 16-17, 1918. / Emperor Nicolas II and Empresses Alexandra Fyodorovna and widowed Maria Fyodorovna going to the chapel; Prince Sergei Alexandrovich is standing behind Nicolas II.
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View of the throne in Andreevsky Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace.
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View of the central area of the coronation in the Cathedral of the Dormition.
