Tsesarevich
On 1 March 1881, following the assassination of his grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, Nicholas became Tsesarevich and his father became Tsar Alexander III. Nicholas and other family members witnessed Alexander II's death because they were staying at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg where he was brought after being attacked. For security reasons, the new Tsar and his family relocated their primary residence to the Gatchina Palace outside the city.
A long trip for educational purposes became an important part of training for the members of the Russian imperial house. In 1890, Tsar Alexander III decided to build the Trans-Siberian Railway. His heir, Tsesarevich Nicholas, took part in the opening ceremony for construction of the eastern portion in Vladivostok, and from there he continued to make a journey around the world, which became known as the Eastern Journey during which he survived an assassination attempt at Otsu, Japan. Although Nicholas attended meetings of the Imperial Council, his obligations were limited until he acceded to the throne, which was not expected for many years, since his father was only 45.
While he was Tsesarevich, Nicholas had an affair with the ballet dancer Mathilde Kschessinska. Against his parents' initial wishes, Nicholas was determined to marry Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, the fourth daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, second eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. His parents intended a more politically beneficial arrangement with Princess Hélène of Orléans, daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, pretender to the French throne, hoping to cement Russia's new alliance with France. As Alexander III's health failed, he later gave his blessing for his son to marry Alix, largely due to the concern it would be considered odd for a single man to be crowned Tsar.
Read more about this topic: Nicholas II Of Russia