Alexander II, 1818-81, the Liberator, was an enlightened reformer by Russian standards of the time and he freed the serfs in 1861 (hence his nickname). His Government, however, was severe in repressing revolutionary movements, especially the Nihilists. After several attempts on his life, he was assassinated by bomb-throwing fanatics in St. Petersburg. He was succeeded by his son, Alexander III, a man cast in a very different mould.