Alexander II of Russia

Alexander II (Russian: Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, tr. Aleksandr II Nikolaevich; IPA: [ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ]; 29 April [O.S. 17 April] 1818 - 13 March [O.S. 1 March] 1881) was the Emperor of Russia from 2 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881, and also the King of Poland and the Grand Prince of Finland.

It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for it to abolish itself from below.

Quotes

• It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for it to abolish itself from below.
  • Speech (30 March 1856), as quoted in A Concise History of Russia (1972) by Ronald Hingley\. p. 122.

Quotes about Alexander II

• The loneliness of despotism, or the fear of violent death.
  • The interpretation of Benjamin Disraeli of Alexander II's sad face in a letter written in 1880 to Lady Chesterfield, as quoted in Stanley Weintraub, ''Victoria. Biography of a queen'' (1987), p. 413.

• Ah! that was a fine Emperor.
  • William Ewart Gladstone, remarks to Edward Russell (28 March 1896), quoted in Edward Russell, That Reminds Me— (1900), p. 119

External links

• "The Assassination of Tsar Alexander II" episode of In Our Time (BBC Radio 4)