Alexander I | |||||
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Portrait of Emperor Alexander I
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Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias | |||||
Reign | 23 March 1801 – 1 December 1825 | ||||
Coronation | 15 September 1801 | ||||
Predecessor | Paul I | ||||
Successor | Nicholas I | ||||
Born |
Saint Petersburg |
23 December 1777||||
Died | 1 December 1825 Taganrog |
(aged 47)||||
Burial | Peter and Paul Cathedral | ||||
Consort | Princess Louise of Baden | ||||
Issue | Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alexandrovna |
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House | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | ||||
Father | Paul I | ||||
Mother | Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg | ||||
Religion | Russian Orthodox | ||||
Signature |
Full name | |
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Alexander Pavlovich Romanov |
Alexander I (Russian: Александр Павлович, Aleksandr Pavlovich; 23 December [O.S. 12 December] 1777 – 1 December [O.S. 19 November] 1825) reigned as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825. He was the son of Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Alexander was the first Russian King of Poland, reigning from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland. He was sometimes called Alexander the Blessed.
He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later Emperor Paul I, and succeeded to the throne after his father was murdered. He ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleonic Wars. As prince and emperor, Alexander often used liberal rhetoric, but continued Russia's absolutist policies in practice. In the first years of his reign, he initiated some minor social reforms and (in 1803–04) major, liberal educational reforms, such as building more universities. He promised constitutional reforms and a desperately needed reform of serfdom in Russia but made no concrete proposals. Alexander appointed Mikhail Speransky, the son of a village priest, as one of his closest advisors. The Collegia was abolished and replaced by the The State Council, which was created to improve legislation. Plans were also made to set up a parliament and sign a constitution.