"Alexis was the center of this united family, the focus of all its hopes and affections. His sisters worshipped him. He was his parents' pride and joy. When he was well, the palace was transformed. Everyone and everything in it seemed to be bathed in sunshine."
-Pierre Gilliard
Alexei Nicolaievich Romanov was a beautiful, happy baby. Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra loved to show him off. Once, when the Czar and Czarina met the director of the Court Chancellery, A.A. Mosolov, outside the nursery, Nicholas took him in to see Alexei. Mosolov remembered:
"We went in. The baby was being given his daily bath. He was lustily kicking out in the water...The Czar took the child out of his bath towels and put his little feet in the hollow of his hand, supporting him with the other arm. There he was, naked, chubby, rosy - a wonderful boy!"
From the time when Alexei was six months old, the evidence of hemophilia showed when the baby bled from his navel. When learning to crawl, his falls caused large, dark bruises on his little arms and legs. Once, he bumped his head, and face swelled so that he couldn't open his eyes.
Hemophilia is a rare, debilitating genetic disorder which is found only in males. As it is an x-linked disorder, it is passed from mothers to sons. Hemophilia is a condition in which a specific coagulate in the blood is absent; commonly, hemophiliacs are called "free bleeders" because their blood does not clot normally. Because of the implications of such a disease, strict rules had to be placed upon Alexei as to his activities. A small external cut or scratch wasn't as dangerous to Alexei as a bruise could be. When bruised, the internal bleeding would cause his joints and muscles to stiffen with crippling effects. Since most small external injuries could be bandaged, they weren't as much of a problem. However, on one occasion, Alexei almost died from a nosebleed.
When the Czarevich was bruised and bleeding into the joints occurred, it put pressure on the nerves and caused excruciating pain. Some mornings, he would awaken and call, "Mama, I can't walk today," or, "Mama, I can't bend my elbow." Even though Morphine was available at the time, it was never given to Alexei because of it's addictive quality. Therefore, his only way out was to faint.
Despite his disease, Alexei was as mischevious as Anastasia - a very fun-loving, free spirit. At dinner parties when he was little, he would make his way around the table, chatting with the guests and shaking their hands. He would break into his sisters' classroom and disturb their lessons. The child was also known to rebel at times, saddened by the limits put on him because of his disease. He would often come very close to being seriously injured, riding a borrowed bicycle or jumping on tables and the like. He would ask his mother, "Can't I have my own bicycle?" Her reply would be, "Alexei, you know you can't." He would then ask, "May I please play tennis?" She would respond, "Dear, you know you musn't." Then, he would cry and ask, "Why can other boys have everything and I nothing?"
"He thoroughly enjoyed life - when it let him - and he was a happy, romping boy. He was very simple in his tastes and he entertained no false satisfaction because he was the Heir; there was nothing he thought less about," wrote Pierre Gilliard, the childrens' tutor. Alexei knew that in public he was "the Heir" - the most important member of the family besides his father - but at home, he was just the little brother, who liked to play with his sisters and cause all kinds of mischeif. He also had an ear for music. He learned to play the balalaika instead of the piano, which his sisters played. He also had many pets, his favorite being his spaniel, Joy.
On one occasion, when he was ten years old, Olga asked Alexei what he was doing so quietly. "I like to think and wonder," was his reply. Olga asked, "What about?" Alexei answered, "Oh, so many things. I enjoy the sun and the beauty of summer as long as I can. Who knows whether one of these days I shall not be prevented from doing it?"
