Nicholas I
tsar of Russia
Also known as: Nikolay Pavlovich
Nicholas I (born July 6 [June 25, Old Style], 1796, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russia—died February 18 [March 2, New Style], 1855, St. Petersburg) was a Russian emperor (1825–55), often considered the personification of classic autocracy. For his reactionary policies, he has been called the emperor who froze Russia for 30 years. Nicholas was the son of Grand Duke Paul and Grand Duchess Maria. Some three and a half months after his...