Travel to Crimea!

Yevpatoria was visited by many well-known people. The most noble person was tsar Alexander I who went down in a history as the winner in war of 1812-1814 with the dictator Napoleon. It was the first Russian monarch who arrived to Yevpatoria. His visit has been arranged modestly enough. There was neither the magnificent carriage, nor uncountable retinue, neither verbose greetings, nor the joyful townspeople in streets. It seemed, Russian tsar has made everything to not involve excessive attention to his arrival. <more/>

Emperor Alexander I visited Karaite Kenasi, in fact it was he who allowed to allocate Kenasi in Yevpatoria. Having become interested in some Karaite’s dogmas, the monarch talked  for a long time to the  Gazan (Karaite’s priest) Joseph – Solomon Lutskim. Then Russian Tsar accepted Hadzi-Aga Babovich’s offer (city head), he went to his manor of «Ghana – Yafa», Karaite’s street, 53. After the meal tsar mentioned a theme for the sake of which he has probably arrived to Yevpatoria. He was looking for baroness Julia Krudner who had lived last years in Yevpatoria. In 1812 when Napoleon attacked Russia, the baroness predicted his falling.

In the evening the honoured guest left Yevpatoria in a direction Taganrog. We never find out about Alexander’s health. Whether he was ill?

The matter is that in 19 days after visiting Yevpatoria Alexander I died in Taganrog. However on memoirs of participants he perfectly felt himself and joked, moreover didn’t complain of health. Apparently in Taganrog Russian tsar… . died.

This great riddle hasn’t been solved till now. The Alexander I dreamed for a long time  to get rid of duties of Russian emperor. In 1817 in Kiev he told completely seditious idea on those times, that sovereign should operate the country not the whole life.

In the spring of 1825 emperor Alexander I started again talking about his desire to abdicate. « I shall move soon to Crimea », – he threw a mysterious phrase «I shall live like the private person». Then metropolitan Agafangel was appointed by Alexnder I  to Georgievski monastery in Balaklava. Russian tsar completely trusted him, and that is why he was directed to the monastery cut off from all world.

On September of 1825 monarch, alone, at night, visited Alexander-Neva Church before his departure to Taganrog. Having entered, Russian tsar ordered to lock the gate tightly. Metropolitan Serafim served requiem instead of moleben at the request of the Alexander I. Russian Emperor  said such kind of goodbye to a former life.

Then during a month there were strange preparations. Emperor travelled to Crimea, he visited Sevastopol, Gurzuf, Nikitskij garden,  Oreanda, Alupka, Balaklava.

Then he returned to Taganrog and died, at the age of 48 years. His bodyguards who saw Russian sovereign in a coffin, they paid attention that deceased is not similar to himself. When in Petersburg empress Maria Fedorovna saw her husband, she exclaimed: « It’s not HE! » and Russian empress fainted.

The rumors about another man instead of Russian tsar in the coffin were spread in the  country , everyone talked that the sovereign had run away. In 1921, almost 100 years later, when Bolsheviks were looking for imperial gold, they opened sarcophagus of Alexander I, and  it was empty.

In the autumn of 1836, 11 years later, after mysterious death of Alexander I, the old man without any document has appeared in the Perm province. His name was Feodor Kuzmich and his appearance look like Russian emperor. The witnesses asserted that Feodor Kuzmich had Alexander’s wedding papers by him. This paper wasn’t a copy but the original with wet stamps.

Before Feodor Kuzmich’s death, his host asked «Tell me the truth, are you emperor Alexander I, as people say.» Feodor Kuzmich sighed «My God, Your Affairs are wonderful. There’s no secret which cannot be revealed. Though you know who I am, but don’t praise me, just bury me as simple person». At this place where Feodor Kuzmich was buried, now is Chapel.

P.S.

1. The writer the Lev Tolstoi supported the idea, that Russian tsar Alexander I didn’t die in Taganrog and that the mysterious old man – the missed Russian emperor. He  even wrote the story « Posthumous notes of old Feodor Kuzmich ».

2. In 1851 Karaite’s community immortalized memory of Alexander’s I visit. The was opened a monument made from a white marble with bronze two-headed eagle. The monument is situated on the territory of Crimean Kenasi in Yevpatoria. The monument is in the empire style and decorated with inscriptions in Russian and Karaite languages. The monument was kept up to now.