Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker (1845–1894) was a wonderful family man, a deeply religious person, a statesman with a strong sense of responsibility, and the father of six children. Under him, a series of epoch-making political and economic reforms were carried out: the phased abolition of the poll tax, mandatory land buyouts, and the reduction of buyout payments. But the main feature of his reign was the complete absence of wars. For his well-thought-out foreign policy, he was nicknamed the Peacemaker.
However, those closest to Alexander III—K. P. Pobedonostsev, S. Yu. Witte, M. N. Katkov—left rather contradictory memories about the emperor.
Henri Troyat offers readers his help so they can form their own opinion about this extraordinary person and ruler.