Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia

Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich
Alexei Alexandrovich, c. 1880-90s
Born	(1850-01-14)14 January 1850 Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Died	14 November 1908(1908-11-14) (aged 58) Paris, France
Burial	Grand Ducal Mausoleum
Spouse	Alexandra Zhukovskaya
Issue	Alexei Alexeevich
House	Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
Father	Alexander II of Russia
Mother	Marie of Hesse and by Rhine

Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia (Алексе́й Алекса́ндрович; 14 January [O.S. 2 January] 1850 in St. Petersburg – 14 November 1908 in Paris) was the fifth child and the fourth son of Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. Chosen for a naval career, Alexei Alexandrovich started his military training at the age of seven. By the age of 20 he had been appointed lieutenant of the Imperial Russian Navy and had visited all Russia's European military ports. In 1871, he was sent as a goodwill ambassador to the United States and Japan.

In 1883 he was appointed general-admiral. He had a significant contribution in the equipment of the Russian navy with new ships and in modernizing the naval ports. However, after the Russian defeat in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, and viewed as an incompetent and corrupt dilettante, he was relieved of his command. He died in Paris in 1908.