The eldest son of Alexander III and Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, Nikolay Aleksandrovich, took from his father simplicity in communication and liveliness of character; kindness and sympathy.
He liked games and outdoor activities, and this desire to always be on the move, to stay in good physical shape, stayed with Emperor Nicholas II for life and passed it on to his children.
Baroness Baroness Sophie Buxdoeveden recalled:
"The emperor was very hardy; only on the coldest days did he put on a coat, he used to go out in a military jacket, which he always wore; he did not like warm clothes and only wore a cardigan under his jacket."
At the same time, Nikolay showed refinement, poetry and inner grace, desire for beauty and love for all living beings, since he was a child his dreamy-pensive look attracted attention as well as his beauty, with his clear eyes, he seemed amazing when he looked to the birds flying high in the sky. That same sweetness and personality later began to be noticed with his son Alexey.
He was concerned about the pain of every living creature-and prayed for a sparrow that had fallen from the nest. He was fascinated by the sound of poetic lines, and had poetry read aloud to him when he himself could not read. From the earliest childhood, a sincere and emotional religiosity lived in the soul of this child, manifesting itself even in small things; all these qualities of the future emperor were perfectly developed in the natural family environment supported by his father and under the watchful eye of his mother.
The children of Tsar Alexander III were educated in love, in joy, in the light of the teachings of Christ, in simplicity and selflessness. Nikolay was a truly holy man, he showed Holy Russia the highest Christian qualities of his: care, mercy and love.
Emperor Nicholas was a father not only to his five children, but also to millions of his subjects. "Not everyone can be satisfied with family happiness alone," commented to the adjutant of the wing A. Mordvinov.
"Another extended family is his homeland, which the sovereign tried to serve not only because fate and birth put him at the head of the country, but simply as a Russian, he occupied his thoughts and provoked hidden and deeply painful experiences .
This love for his country was not passive: it manifested itself chiefly in the emperor's amazing efficiency.
Nicholas II, having no secretary, did all the work himself, even putting state stamps on the envelopes before handing them over for his mailing. Not a single piece of paper was left on his desk: he always read and returned everything without delay, he was always ready to solve any problem no matter how small, his will was a duty, because he lived to efficiently fulfill his work as Tsar of all the Russias.
Another of Nicholas II's personality traits was mercy, a desire to do good, which comes from the heart, away from any hypocrisy and sustained by his orthodox faith.
"He was generous and helped a lot, donating his personal income in retirement," Baroness Sophie Buxdoeveden wrote.
Nicholas II was characterized by extraordinary endurance and willpower, qualities that are spoken of by all who knew the Sovereign more or less closely.
"Nicholas II was reproached for being weak-willed, but people were far from the truth," said his wife, Empress Alexandra. Nicholas II was badly spoken and slandered a lot, but all those disqualifications were from envious people and later from the stories and versions of the Bolsheviks; the same ones who invented the "Ipatiev House execution".
The historian Oldenburg noted:
"The sovereign had a velvet glove on his iron hand. His will was not like lightning. It did not manifest itself with explosions and violent clashes."
Moderation was his second natural quality. His demeanor was so calm, his reserved expression; his personality was not weak as many claimed, his enemies, moderation was not well seen, but it was a characteristic of his education.
"Once S. D. Sazonov, the Foreign Minister, expressed his surprise at the calm reaction of the Emperor to a morally unattractive person, the absence of personal irritation towards him. And this is what the Emperor told him:
"I've already succeeded in this series of personal irritation for a long time to force myself to be completely silent. Irritation won't help anything, and besides, a harsh word from me would sound more offensive than someone else's."
By Oleg Platonov. "Emperor Nicholas II in a Secret Correspondence".
Nikolay showed restraint in relationships with other people and also with his family. He did not allow himself a single irritable word, not a single sullen or angry look; he applied rigor to the children as needed, but an authoritative word, and sometimes a stern look from a father, was enough to calm the children, especially Alexey Nikolaevich who was mischievous and spoiled by all.
The inner strength inherent in the Emperor, the awareness of his power, was combined in his nature with a form of modesty, kindness, and responsiveness.
"He was extremely delicate, to the point of refinement" according to A. Mordvinov.
He was completely incapable of harming someone personally.
The attitude of the Sovereign towards the peasants was clear, they loved him and loved Russia in him; Nicholas II loved the country people, in the Army, he was the unification of the Tsar God, and so the peasants believed. The unity of years of history, customs and orthodoxy that made up Holy Russia, an Empire that was destroyed by pettiness alien to this spiritual unity, alien to Russia; past and present united by love for God and the Tsar.
