Portrait of Adjutant General Nikolai Nikolayevich Obruchev (1830–1904)
Artist: Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)
Adjutant General Nikolai Nikolayevich Obruchev (1830–1904), tutor to Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, reflects on the future Emperor Nicholas II
“Tsar Nicholas II was of average height – 5 feet and 7 inches (about 170 cm). His slender figure was impeccable in proportion to his build, shone with the exceptional elegance of his innate grace, which, combined with a military bearing, athletic perfection, and the gentle smoothness of the Sovereign’s movements, was the outward appearance of his Imperial majesty and Royal simplicity …
“The Tsar’s hair was golden-reddish in colour; somewhat darker than his always carefully trimmed, well-groomed beard. The features of his beautiful elongated face, which often shone with a charming smile, were his blue eyes. All who had the honour of ever seeing the Emperor up close, were struck by the bottomless depth of these wonderful eyes, in which, as in a mirror, his beautiful soul was reflected. His physical appearance was a worthy frame for his bright soul …
“I was always impressed with the mind and the wonderful spiritual qualities of my student and the ability of the Heir Tsesarevich to quickly grasp the essence of the subject being presented and his phenomenal memory. His English tutor said about his student: “He was very curious and diligent, causing even good-natured ridicule from others, and was overly keen on reading, spending most of his free time reading a book.” At the end of his education, the Heir Tsesarevich retained an interest in books throughout his life and continued to improve his knowledge by reading and talking with competent and outstanding people of his time and amazed them with his extensive knowledge on various subjects …”
The portrait of General N. N. Obruchev was painted in 1897 by the Russian artist of Ukrainian origin Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)
After the revolution, the portrait of General Obruchev ended up in the collection of the Pavlovsk Palace Museum. In 1966, it was transferred to the N. A. Yaroshenko Memorial Museum-Estate in Kislovodsk.
© Paul Gilbert. 7 May 2024
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Nicholas II 
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