Nicholas II of Russia
On 1 March 1881, following the assassination of his grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, Nicholas became heir apparent upon his father's ascension as Alexander III. Nicholas and his other family members bore witness to Alexander II's death, having been present at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, where he was brought after the attack. For security reasons, the new tsar and his family relocated their primary residence to the Gatchina Palace outside the city, only entering the capital for various ceremonial functions. On such occasions, Alexander III and his family occupied the nearby Anichkov Palace.
Alexander Abaza
Alexander Ageevich Abaza (Александр Агеевич Абаза 1821–1895) was one of the most liberal of the advisors of Alexander II of Russia. He served as minister of finance from October 27, 1880 to May 6, 1881, and unsuccessfully urged the tsar to transform Imperial Russia into a constitutional monarchy. After Alexander II's assassination and the accession of Alexander III, reformers like Abaza were removed from power. In his career he also served as State Comptroller (1871–1874) and as chairman of State Council's Department of the State Economy (1874–1880 and 1884–1892). He was a recipient of the Order of the White Eagle, the Order of Saint Vladimir, the Order of Saint Anna and the Order of Saint Stanislaus.