Most Russian autocrats had the core of their reign - their own Russian idea. Ivan the Terrible was obsessed with the task of centralizing power, seizing and conquering all the lands and tribes surrounding the Moscow kingdom. Alexei Mikhailovich, not for nothing nicknamed the Quietest, tried to calm domestic and foreign political challenges: he provoked and pacified the schism of the Church, enslaved the peasants, annexed Ukraine, and suppressed the Razin uprising. Peter I Europeanized Russia using Asian methods. Catherine the Great tried to turn the country into a majestic world power. Paul the First, with regrettable extravagance, tried to instill discipline and justice in the country... The Emperor of All-Russia Nicholas I (1796-1855) also had his own Russian idea, by the grace of God. There is an apocryphal quote - the words, which he allegedly once wrote in the margins of a geography textbook: “Russia is not an agricultural, industrial or commercial power, Russia is a military power and its purpose is to be a threat to the rest of the world.” The entire reign of Nicholas I became the embodiment of these words. He sought - and achieved it. And like anyone who bet everything on one card, he lost in the end. For a man of one idea becomes a man of one goal - and ultimately dooms himself to loneliness. There are timeless lessons from history. After the Crimean War, reforms began that led to the abolition of serfdom. Has Russia become weaker after Nicholas I? No. This was proven by the final conquest of the Caucasus, the annexation of Central Asia, and Skobelev’s victories in the Balkans. And who knows, perhaps Nikolai would not be disappointed in such Russia: strong not only militarily, but also in agriculture, industry, and trade. All-Russian Emperor Nicholas I is one of the key figures in Russian history, a tsar who did no less for the greatness and power of the Russian Empire than his great predecessors – Peter I and Catherine II. He became the embodiment of a ruler of a new type and a new - in every sense of the iron - XIX century. The modern reader will see the entire dramatic but surprisingly consistent path of power of this extraordinary ruler unfold: from a young man, not yet quite confident, but already forced to make fateful decisions, who by chance received the reins of royal rule, to a mature statesman with a confident and iron hand holding the reins huge country. Electronic publication includes the full text of the paper book and a selected part of illustrative documentary material. And for true connoisseurs of gift editions, we offer a classic book. Like all publications in the “Great Rulers” series, the book is equipped with detailed historical and biographical comments. The book contains an excellent selection of illustrative material: the text is accompanied by more than 250 rare illustrations from domestic and foreign sources, many of which the modern reader will become familiar with for the first time. Elegant design, beautiful printing, and the best offset paper make this series a wonderful gift and decoration for the library of the most discerning reader.