Aleksey Belevsky-Zhukovsky


Count Alexei Alexeevich Belevsky-Zhukovsky was the son of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia and Alexandra Vasilievna, Baroness Seggiano. He was also, being the son of Grand Duke Alexei, a grandson of Alexander II of Russia.

Birth

Alexei Alexeevich was born to Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia, the son of Czar Alexander II of Russia, and Alexandra Vasilievna Zhukovskaya, daughter of famous Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky.

Controversy

It is still rumoured that Alexei's parents married, however that has never been proven. But even if they were married, the marriage was morganatic, because Alexandra was born a "commoner," and not of a royal or formerly sovereign family. When Alexei was born in Salzburg, he was known by his mother's family name. While his father tried to get a Russian title for his son, the Emperor Alexander II refused. However he managed to get a title for mother and son from the Republic of San Marino: on 24. March 1875 they were granted the title Baron Seggiano. Alexandra married the same year the Baron Christian-Henrich von Wohrmann. This might be taken as an indication that there was no marriage to the Grand Duke as she could have done so only after a divorce. No records exist of such a divorce.
Only after Alexander II had been murdered and Alexander III had become Emperor, the Grand Duke succeed to have his son created a Count. The title granted was on 21. March 1884 was Count Belevsky. The name was chosen from the village of Belyov in the province of Toula where his grandfather poet was born. In 1913 he was granted the right to add his grandfather's family name to his title just becoming Count Belevsky-Zhukovsky.

Marriage

Count Alexei married, on 29 August 1894 in, Princess Maria Petrovna Troubetskaya, the daughter of Prince Petr Troubetskoy. As Ilyinskoye was the property of his uncle the Grand Duke Serge, Governor of Moscow, it can be taken as a sign that he was quite accepted in Imperial circles.
The marriage did not last and Alexis remarried. His second wife was Baronne Natalia von Schoeppingk.

Children

Count Alexei and Princess Maria had four children:
Count Alexei was killed by the Soviets in the Caucasus sometime in 1930, 1931 or 1932.

Ancestry