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Primary sourceDocument9 February 1916

Signature of Nicholas II in the Golden Book of the Duma

Nicholas II of Russia · 9 February 1916

A printed reproduction of the tsar's handwritten signature and date from his visit to the State Duma in February 1916.

This is Nicholas II's own signature, marking his rare personal visit to the Duma he governed alongside.

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Scan of a printed page showing a handwritten date, '9 февраля 1916 г.' (9 February 1916), above a handwritten signature reading 'Николай' with a long looping flourish and a horizontal underline stroke beneath.
Signature of Nicholas II in the Golden Book of the State Duma, 9 February 1916, as printed in Niva magazine, 1916.

About this source

What it is

This image, published in the magazine Niva in 1916, shows the signature of Nicholas II in the Golden Book of honoured visitors to the State Duma, dated 9 February 1916. It records his presence at the Tauride Palace, seat of Russia's elected parliament.

Why it matters

Nicholas II ruled as an autocrat and was often uneasy with the Duma, the parliamentary body created after the 1905 revolution. A personal visit and signature from the tsar was unusual and was seen as a symbolic gesture toward the institution, even though he remained distrustful of sharing power. The document shows the tension between imperial authority and the growing demand for representative government in the final years of his reign.

Look closer

  • Why might a signature in a visitors' book be considered historically significant?
  • What does the choice to visit the Duma at this moment in 1916 suggest about the political pressures Nicholas faced?
  • What can't a signature alone tell us about what Nicholas actually thought of the Duma?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Tsar Nicholas II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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