Mikhail Nikolaevich was a Grand Duke, the fourth son of Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
According to Romanov family tradition, the he was prepared for a military career from an early age.
At the age of thirteen he received his first officer rank of second lieutenant, and two years later, entered active military service.
By the start of the Crimean War, he had risen to the rank of major general.
The Grand Duke received his baptism of fire at Inkerman (October 24, 1856).
For his distinction in battle, Mikhail Nikolaevich was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th Class.
On December 6, 1862, the Grand Duke was appointed Tsar’s Viceroy in the Caucasus.
Through his personal participation in the campaigns against Adler and Sochi (May 1864), the Grand Duke succeeded in bringing the Caucasian War to an end.
After the war Mikhail Nikolaevich began work on the Caucasian Collection — a nine-volume compilation on the history of the Caucasian War.
The first volume of the compilation was published in 1876 in Tiflis.