Mikhail Mikhailovich

Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich (family nickname “Mish-Mish”) was born on October 4 (16), 1861 and was the second son in the family of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich and Grand Duchess Olga Fedorovna. His childhood passed in Tiflis , where his father was the governor. Mikhail Mikhailovich enlisted in the Guards Regiment. A sweet and pleasant person, he quickly won the sympathy of his colleagues and St. Petersburg society. “He adored military service and felt excellent in the ranks of the Life Guards of the Jaeger Regiment,” recalled his brother Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich . “His disposable appearance, noble heart and abilities of the dancer made him a favorite of St. Petersburg’s big world ...” He was an honorary member of the Orthodox Church of St. Prince Vladimir of Berlin under the auspices of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich .

In 1891, he married abroad ( organically ) with Sofya Nikolaevna , the eldest daughter of Prince Nikolai Wilhelm of Nassau and Countess Natalia von Merenberg ( Pushkin's daughter). Sophia Nikolaevna's father was the cousin of Mikhail Mikhailovich. The couple led a common pedigree from the Duke of Württemberg, Frederick Eugene . Accurate information on the date and place of marriage is not available. The most frequently indicated is San Remo , February 14 (26), 1891 . Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church in San Remo has not yet been built, and Orthodox marriages do not crown on Thursdays. In addition, a half-month delay with the appearance of news of the wedding was completely unclear. Some sources indicate the date in a different style - February 26 ( March 10 ), 1891 ^[2] . The Gothic almanac originally gave the date March 25 ( April 6 ) 1891 , correcting it on February 14 (26), 1891 only from the next edition. It is possible that April 6 is the date of widespread news:

“Berlin, 6. April. "Das Wolffsche Bureau meldet aus Cannes: Der Großfürst Michael Michailovitsch von Rußland hat sich mit Der ältesten Tochter Des Prinzen Nikolaus von Nassau, Gräfin Sophie Merenberg, vermählt."

- Wiener Abendpost 1891. - Nr. 77. Montag, 6. April

.

This marriage was painfully received by Alexander III . In a telegram addressed to the father of the bride, Prince Nicholas Wilhelm of Nassau, the emperor wrote:

"La lettre de Votre Altesse m'est parvenue. Je ne puis y répondre qu'en lui annonçant que le mariage du Grand Duc Michel Mihaïlovitch, ayant été accompli sans mon autorisation et sans l'aveu et bénédiction de ses parents ne pourra jamais être reconnu légal et doit être considr avenu. Alexandre. "

Translation: I have received a letter from Your Highness. I can only answer him with a message that the marriage of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, concluded without my permission and without the consent and blessing of his parents, can never be recognized as lawful and should be considered void and invalid. Alexander.

- RGIA

The following text was followed by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg Adolf:

“Le Prince Nicolas de Nassau m'ayant informé que sa fille venait d'épouser le Grand Duc Michel Mihaïlovitch, j'ai le regret de devoir prévenir Votre Altesse Royale que cette union, contracté sans mon autorisation et sans le consentement des Parents du fiancé , ne pourra jamais être considérée comme légale. Alexandre. "

Translation: Prince Nikolai Nassausky informed me that his daughter had just married with Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, I regret to have to warn Your Royal Highness that this union, concluded without my permission and without the consent of the groom’s parents, can never be considered legal . Alexander.

- RGIA

On April 26, 1891, Mih-Mih was fired from service with the deprivation of the rank of chief of the 49th Brest Infantry Regiment and a reduction in monetary allowances. He was forbidden to enter Russia. Over the palace in St. Petersburg, located at Admiralteyskaya Naberezhnaya, 8, June 11, the same year, guardianship was established, transferred to his father and brothers ^[3] .

He lived in Cannes (France). April 18, 1899 was reinstated in the rank of headquarters captain. Further in 1900 promoted to captain. By the highest decree of Nicholas of August 17, 1901, marriage was recognized as legal. Mikhail retained the rights of a private person with the preservation of the title, but without the privileges of a member of the imperial house. Appointed lieutenant colonel (1905) and later colonel (1910). On May 6, 1910, he was reappointed as the adjutant outhouse with admission to the Emperor’s retinue. Despite the fact that Mikhail was returned the title of chief of the 49th Brest regiment, he did not return to Russia. Since 1910 he lived in the UK , renting Kenwood House in the aristocratic district of London Hampstead. In 1908, Mikhail Mikhailovich published the novel “Cheer Up”, dedicated to his wife. The novel touched on the topic of class inequality in marriage. The book was banned in Russia. When the First World War began , Mikhail Mikhailovich wrote a letter to Emperor Nicholas II in which he asked for permission to return to his homeland, but received no answer ^[4] . Then Mikhail Mikhailovich entered the service as secretary to the military agent of Russia in England N.S. Ermolov ^[5] . He was chairman of the English-Russian committee from 1914 to 1917. In the 1920s he was listed as a member of the state conference under the Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich. Died in London. He was buried there at the Hampstead Cemetery.

• Anastasia (1892-1977),
• Hope (1896-1963),
• Michael (1898-1959).

Buried at Hampstead Cemetery.

• Warrant Officer (10/4/1868)
• Second Lieutenant (04/20/1880)
• Adjutant Wing (11/23/1881 - 03/26/1891)
• Lieutenant (08.30.1882)
• Headquarters Captain (04.24.1888)
  • out of service 03/26/1891 - 04/18/1899
• Captain (05/06/1904; seniority 05/06/1900)
• Lieutenant Colonel (02.26.1905)
• Colonel (05/06/1910)
• Adjutant Outhouse (05/06/1910)

• Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1861)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1861)
• Order of St. Anne 1 tbsp. (1861)
• Order of the White Eagle (1861)
• Order of St. Stanislav 1 tbsp. (1861)
• Order of St. Vladimir 4 tbsp. (05/05/1884)
• Order of St. Vladimir 3 tbsp. (06.05.
• dark bronze medal in memory of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878
• medal in memory of the Holy Coronation of Emperor Alexander III (1883)
• badge of the Russian Red Cross Society
• sign of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society 1 tbsp.

foreign:

• Austrian Order of St. Stephen , the Great Cross (1884)
• Baden Order of Loyalty
• Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander
• Württemberg Order of the Württemberg Crown 1 tbsp.
• Hesse-Darmstadt Order of Ludwig 1 tbsp.
• Greek Order of the Savior 1 tbsp.
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin Order of the Vendian Crown
• Persian Order of Leo and the Sun 1 tbsp.
• Prussian Order of the Black Eagle
• Saxe-Altenburg Order of the Ernestine House
• Turkish Ottoman Order 1 tbsp.

• House of the Romanovs. Compiled by P. H. Grebelsky and A. B. Mirvis. - SPb. : LIO Editor, 1992. - S. 280. - ISBN 5-7058-0160-2