Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia - Early Life

Early Life

Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was born at Peterhof Palace outside St. Petersburg on 16 October 1861, the third child and second son of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecile of Baden). Known in the family as "Miche-Miche”, he was a year old when, in 1862, the family moved to Tiflis, Georgia on the occasion of his father's being named Viceroy of the Caucasus. Grand Duke Michael spent his early years and his youth in the Caucasus, where his family lived for twenty years. He had a spartan upbringing that included sleeping in army cots and taking cold baths. He was educated at home by private tutors. The relationship with his parents was troublesome. His father, occupied in military and governmental endeavors, remained a distant figure. His demanding mother was a strict disciplinarian who did not show affection towards her children. He was a disappointment to his mother, who compared him unfavorably with his more intelligent eldest brother, Grand Duke Nicholas. Michael was considered the least gifted of the seven children and his mother referred to him as “stupid.”

During the years in the Caucasus, the Grand Duke excelled at horsemanship and started his military career. As a young man, he served in the Russo-Turkish War and became a Colonel. He loved the military life and served in the Egersky (Chasseur) Regiment of the guards. In 1882, when Grand Duke Michael was twenty years old, he returned with his family to St. Petersburg when his father was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. Michael was shallow and not particularly bright, but he was tall and handsome. He became popular on the social circuit in the capital, spending a great deal of his time on endless parties, dancing and gambling. Tsar Alexander III referred to him as a ‘fool’.