1/Kopek/EM // Russian Imperial eagle, date (1835) below. Ekaterinburg mint. 24mm, 5.17 grams. C#138.1; Numista 37518.

Nicholas I of Russia (reigned 1825–1855) was a conservative and autocratic Tsar whose reign was marked by political repression, militarism, and expansionism. He came to power after the Decembrist Revolt, a failed liberal uprising that deeply influenced his hardline policies. Nicholas centralized authority, expanded the secret police, and imposed strict censorship, earning a reputation as the "gendarme of Europe." Domestically, he promoted Orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationalism as pillars of the Russian state. His foreign policy was aggressive, involving wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and most notably the Crimean War (1853–1856), which exposed the weaknesses of the Russian military and administration. Nicholas died before the war ended, leaving behind a vast but strained empire in need of reform.