The coronation of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was the last coronation during the Russian Empire. It took place on Tuesday, 14 May (O.S., 26 May N.S.) 1896, in Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Nicholas II, known in Russian as Nikolai II Aleksandrovich, was the last emperor of Russia.
Preparations
On 1 January (O.S., 13 January N.S.) 1896, the manifesto "On the upcoming Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties" was published, according to which the coronation ceremony was to be held in May, and inviting the Government Senate in Moscow, and other representatives of the Russian Empire, to attend. Responsibility for organizing the ceremony was assigned to the Ministry of the Imperial Court, on the basis of which the Coronation Commission and the Coronation Office were organized.
The official coronation period was from 6 May to 26 May 1896, with 25 May being the birthday of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. On 26 May, a manifesto was published that expressed the gratitude of the monarch to the inhabitants of Moscow.
It was proposed that all persons participating in the 9 May ceremonial entrance of the imperial couple to Moscow arrive in Moscow no later than 5 May. The ceremonial entry was to be from the Petrovsky Palace on Petersburg Highway and further along Tverskaya-Yamskaya and Tverskaya streets.
Preparations for the celebrations were the responsibility of the Minister of the Imperial Court Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov. The High Marshal was Count K. I. Palen; the supreme master of ceremonies was Prince A. S. Dolgorukov. The duties of the herald were performed by E. K. Pribylsky, an official of the Senate. A coronation unit was formed from 82 battalions, 36 squadrons, 9 companies, and 28 batteries, under the command of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, under whom was a special headquarters with the rights of the General Staff led by Lieutenant General N.I. Bobrikov. Vladimir Alexandrovich arrived in Moscow and took command on 3 May 1896.
In April 1896, more than 8,000 pounds of table settings were brought from St. Petersburg to Moscow, with gold and silver sets alone weighing up to 1,500 pounds. The Kremlin arranged 150 special telegraph wires to connect all the embassies.
Pre-coronation festivities
On Sparrow Hills—where the Vorobyov Palace used to be, and where, starting in 1817, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour designed by Aleksandr Vitberg was constructed—a special "royal pavilion" was erected for the newly crowned couple.
On 6 May, the birthday of Nicholas II, the emperor and empress arrived at the Smolensky railway station in Moscow, where they were met by members of the imperial family, dignitaries, imperial officials, and crowds of people. The Governor-General of Moscow—uncle to the emperor and husband of the empress's sister Elizabeth Feodorovna—Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich arrived with the couple, having met the emperor and empress at Wedge station. From the station the imperial couple proceeded in a closed carriage to Petrovsky Palace.
The scale and pomp of the preparations significantly exceeded previous coronations.
On 7 May, the imperial couple held an audience for the Emir of Bukhara Mohammed Alim Khan and his heir, as well as the Khan of Khiva Muhammad Rahim Khan II, in the Petrovsky Palace.
On 8 May, Maria Feodorovna, the Empress Dowager, arrived at Smolensky Railway Station, and was met by a large crowd of people.
That same evening, outside Petrovsky Palace, the imperial couple were serenaded by 1,200 people, which included the choir of the Imperial Russian Opera, conservatory students, members of the Russian Choral Society.
On 9 May, the solemn entry into the city took place. A police escort came first, with a platoon of gendarmes, next came the imperial convoy, a string of carriages with dignitaries, followed by the horse guards, imperial personal convoy, one hundred of the Life-Cossacks, His Majesty's regiment, six in a row, and so on.
Coronation ceremony
On 14 May, the day of the Coronation, in all the churches in St. Petersburg, the liturgy was read and prayers of thanksgiving recited. The metropolitan cathedrals could not accommodate all the worshippers, in view of which prayers were also recited in the squares near a number of cathedrals and some churches, as well as in the Horse Guards.
The coronation ceremony began at 10 am, with the emperor, his mother, and his wife seated on thrones on a special raised platform installed in the middle of the cathedral. The emperor sat on the throne of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, Empress Maria Feodorovna on the throne of Tsar Alexy Mikhailovich Tishayshy, and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna on the throne of Grand Prince Ivan III of Russia.
The ceremony was presided over by Metropolitan Palladius, of St. Petersburg, the preeminent member of the Most Holy Synod (the Synod at the time of the coronation having been transferred to Moscow). During the liturgy, the metropolitan con-celebrated with the metropolitans of Kiev, Ioanikiy (Rudnev), and of Moscow, Sergius (Lyapidevsky). At the end of the liturgy the emperor and empress were anointed and then took communion of the Holy Mysteries at the altar. In the ministry of the liturgy, among others, John of Kronstadt also took part.
The Belgian journalist Camille Cerf shot the only documentary movie footage of the coronation.
Royal and foreign guests
- The Empress Dowager of Russia, the Emperor's mother
- Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, the Emperor's sister and brother-in-law (also paternal first cousin once removed)
- Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, the Emperor's sister
- Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna of Russia, the Emperor's paternal uncle and aunt
- Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin
- Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin
- Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin
- Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin
- Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal uncle
- Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna of Russia, the Emperor's paternal uncle and aunt (also the Empress' brother-in-law and sister)
- Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal uncle
- Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia, the Emperor's paternal grandaunt by marriage
- Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna of Russia, the groom's paternal first cousin once removed and his wife
- Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed
- Duchess Vera of Württemberg, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed
- Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin
- Duchess Olga of Württemberg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin
- Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed
- Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Militza Nikolaevna of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed and his wife
- Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed
- The Crown Prince of Denmark, the Emperor's maternal uncle (representing the King of Denmark)
- The Queen of the Hellenes, the Emperor's maternal aunt by marriage and paternal first cousin once removed (representing the King of the Hellenes)
- The Duke of Sparta, the Emperor's maternal first cousin
- Prince George of Greece and Denmark, the Emperor's maternal first cousin
- Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, the Emperor's maternal first cousin
- The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Emperor and Empress' mutual uncle and aunt
- The Crown Princess and Crown Prince of Romania, the Emperor and Empress' mutual first cousin and the Empress' maternal third cousin (representing the King of the Romanians)
- The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke of Hesse, the Emperor and Empress' mutual first cousin and the Empress' brother
- Princess and Prince Louis of Battenberg, the Empress' sister and brother-in-law (also the Emperor and Empress' mutual first cousin once removed)
- The Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn, the Empress' maternal uncle and aunt (representing the Queen of the United Kingdom)
- Prince Henry of Prussia, the Empress' brother-in-law and maternal first cousin (representing the German Emperor)
- The Duke of Leuchtenberg, the Emperor's paternal first cousin once removed
- The Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the Emperor's paternal first cousin twice removed
- The Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the Emperor's paternal third cousin
- The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Emperor's maternal second cousin (representing the Grand Duke of Luxembourg)
- Duke Alexander of Oldenburg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed
- Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin
- Duke Constantine Petrovich of Oldenburg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed
- The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed and paternal first cousin once removed
- Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed
- The Prince of Bulgaria, the Empress' maternal second cousin once removed
- Prince Albert of Belgium, the Empress' maternal second cousin once removed (representing the King of the Belgians)
- Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed
- Duke Karl Michael of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed
- The Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden, the Emperor's second cousin once removed (representing the Grand Duke of Baden)
- Prince and Princess Albert of Saxe-Altenburg, the Emperor and Empress' mutual third cousin once removed and the Emperor's paternal second cousin once removed (representing the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)
- The Hereditary Prince of Monaco, the Emperor and Empress' mutual third cousin (representing the Prince of Monaco)
- Duke Albrecht of Württemberg, the Empress' maternal third cousin (representing the King of Württemberg)
- The Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg, the Emperor's paternal third cousin once removed (representing the Grand Duke of Oldenburg)
- The Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway, the Emperor's fourth cousin (representing the King of Sweden and Norway)
- The Emir of Bukhara
- The Crown Prince of Bukhara
- The Khan of Khiva
- The Crown Prince of Khiva
- The Prince of Montenegro
- The Crown Prince of Montenegro
- Prince Mirko of Montenegro
- Prince George of Saxony (representing the King of Saxony)
- The Prince of Naples (representing the King of Italy)
- Prince Fushimi Sadanaru (representing the Emperor of Japan)
- Prince Chirapravati Voradej (representing the King of Siam)
- Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (representing the Prince Regent of Bavaria)
- Archduke Eugen of Austria (representing the Emperor of Austria-Hungary)
- Yusuf Ziya Pasha (representing the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire)
- Dragutin Franasović (representing the King of Serbia)
- The Marquis Suy (representing the Emperor of China)
- Min Young-hwan (representing the King of Korea)
- Prince Abbas Mirza Molk-Ara Qajar (representing the Shah of Persia)
- Prince Haji Amanullah Mirza Qajar
- Prince Mohammad Mirza Amir Touman
- Prince Franz of Liechtenstein (brother of the Prince of Liechtenstein)
- Bishop Antonio Agliardi (representing the Pope)
- Raoul Le Mouton de Boisdeffre (representing the President of France)
- Don Manuel Iturbe (representing the President of Mexico)
- The Duke and Duchess of Najera (representing the Queen Regent of Spain)
- The Count of Ficalho (representing the King of Portugal)
- Ambassador Wittewaal-van-Stoetwegan (representing the Queen Regent of the Netherlands)
- Friedrich von Maltzan (representing the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz)
- Clifton R. Breckinridge (representing the President of the United States)