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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
I N September, 1920, after staying three years in Siberia, I was able to return to Europe. My mind was still full of the poignant drama with which I had been closely associated, but I was also still deeply impressed by the wonderful serenity and flaming faith of those who had been its victims. Cut off from communication with the rest of the world for many months, I was unfamiliar with recent publications on the subject of the Czar Nicholas II. and his family. I was not slow to discover that thou
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CHAPTER I MY FIRST LESSONS AT THE COURT (AUTUMN, 1905)
CHAPTER I MY FIRST LESSONS AT THE COURT (AUTUMN, 1905)
I N the autumn of 1904 I accepted a proposal which had been made to me to go to Duke Sergius of Leuchtenberg as French professor. My pupil’s father, Duke George of Leuchtenberg, was the grandson of Eugène de Beauharnais; through his mother, the Grand-Duchess Marie Nicolaïevna, daughter of Nicholas I., he was a cousin of the Czar Nicholas II. At the time the family were at the small estate they possessed on the shores of the Black Sea. They spent the whole winter there. It was there that we were
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CHAPTER II ALEXIS NICOLAÏEVITCH—VISITS TO THE CRIMEA (AUTUMN, 1911, AND SPRING, 1912) SPALA (AUTUMN, 1912)
CHAPTER II ALEXIS NICOLAÏEVITCH—VISITS TO THE CRIMEA (AUTUMN, 1911, AND SPRING, 1912) SPALA (AUTUMN, 1912)
T HE Imperial family used regularly to spend the winter at Tsarskoïe-Selo, a pretty little country town some thirteen miles south of Petrograd. It stands on a hill at the top of which is the Great Palace, a favourite residence of Catherine II. Not far away is a much more modest building, the Alexander Palace, half hidden in trees of a park studded with little artificial lakes. The Czar Nicholas II. had made it one of his regular residences ever since the tragic events of January, 1905. The C
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CHAPTER III I BEGIN MY DUTIES AS TUTOR—THE CZAREVITCH’S ILLNESS (AUTUMN, 1913)
CHAPTER III I BEGIN MY DUTIES AS TUTOR—THE CZAREVITCH’S ILLNESS (AUTUMN, 1913)
I RETURNED to St. Petersburg at the end of August. The Imperial family was in the Crimea. I called on the Controller of Her Majesty’s Household for my instructions and left for Livadia, which I reached on September 3rd. I found Alexis Nicolaïevitch pale and thin. He still suffered very much, and was undergoing a course of high-temperature mud-baths, which the doctors had ordered as a cure for the last traces of his accident but which he found extremely trying. Naturally I waited to be summoned b
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CHAPTER IV THE CZARINA, ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA
CHAPTER IV THE CZARINA, ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA
T HE Czarina, Alexandra Feodorovna, formerly Alice of Hesse, and fourth child of the Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse and Alice of England, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, was born at Darmstadt on June 6th, 1872. She lost her mother early in life, and was largely brought up at the English Court, where she soon became the favourite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who bestowed on the blonde “Alix” all the tender affection she had had for her mother. [8] At the age of seventeen the young prince
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CHAPTER V RASPUTIN
CHAPTER V RASPUTIN
I N the preceding chapter I thought I ought to dwell on events some of which took place before I took up my duties, because they alone could explain the fundamental reasons why Rasputin was ever able to appear on the scene and obtain so great an influence over the Czarina. I should have preferred to confine my book to events in which I have taken a direct part and give personal evidence only. But if I did so my story could not be clear. In the present chapter I am compelled once more to depa
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CHAPTER VI LIFE AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO—MY PUPILS (THE WINTER OF 1913-14)
CHAPTER VI LIFE AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO—MY PUPILS (THE WINTER OF 1913-14)
T O Rasputin was once more attributed the improvement in Alexis Nicolaïevitch’s health a few days after the terrible attack to which I have referred. It will be remembered that the attack had occurred shortly after that change in the Czarevitch’s manner of life I had thought it my duty to advocate. I thus felt partially responsible. I was in a very great difficulty. When I decided as I did, I had, of course, realised the great dangers involved and thought myself strong enough to face them. B
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CHAPTER VII THE INFLUENCE OF RASPUTIN—MADAME WYROUBOVA—MY TUTORIAL TROUBLES
CHAPTER VII THE INFLUENCE OF RASPUTIN—MADAME WYROUBOVA—MY TUTORIAL TROUBLES
(WINTER OF 1913) W HILE the illness of Alexis Nicolaïevitch threw such a gloom over the Imperial family, and the influence of Rasputin, a product of their very distress, continued to grow, life at Tsarskoïe-Selo seemed to flow along as smoothly as ever, at any rate to outward appearance. At that time I still knew very little about the staretz , and I was searching everywhere for material on which to base my judgment, for his personality interested me decidedly. But it was anything but easy. The
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CHAPTER VIII JOURNEYS TO THE CRIMEA AND RUMANIA—PRESIDENT POINCARÉ’S VISIT—DECLARATION OF WAR BY GERMANY(APRIL-JULY, 1914)
CHAPTER VIII JOURNEYS TO THE CRIMEA AND RUMANIA—PRESIDENT POINCARÉ’S VISIT—DECLARATION OF WAR BY GERMANY(APRIL-JULY, 1914)
I N the spring of 1914 the Imperial family went to the Crimea, as in preceding years. We arrived at Livadia on April 13th, a bright, sunny day. In fact, we were almost dazzled by the sunshine, which bathed the high, steep cliffs, the little Tartar villages half buried in the bare sides of the mountains, and the staring white mosques which stood out sharply against the old cypresses in the cemeteries. The contrast with the landscapes we had just left was so striking that, although this new co
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CHAPTER IX THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR—OUR JOURNEY TO MOSCOW (AUGUST, 1914)
CHAPTER IX THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR—OUR JOURNEY TO MOSCOW (AUGUST, 1914)
A T the moment when this historic scene was taking place in the Foreign Minister’s room at St. Petersburg, the Czar, the Czarina, and their daughters were attending evensong in the little Alexandria church. I had met the Czar a few hours before, and been much struck by the air of weary exhaustion he wore. The pouches which always appeared under his eyes when he was tired seemed to be markedly larger. He was now praying with all the fervour of his nature that God would avert the war which he
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CHAPTER X THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE WAR
CHAPTER X THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE WAR
O N August 22nd we returned to Tsarskoïe-Selo, where the Czar was to be obliged to spend some time before he could get away to General Headquarters. Decisions of the utmost importance required his presence near the capital. Notwithstanding the terrible weight of responsibility on his shoulders, the Czar never showed such firmness, resolution, and conscious energy as during this period at the beginning of the war. His personal influence had never been exerted with more authority. It seemed as
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CHAPTER XI THE RETREAT OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY—THE CZAR PLACES HIMSELF AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY—THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF THE CZARINA(FEBRUARY-SEPTEMBER, 1915)
CHAPTER XI THE RETREAT OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY—THE CZAR PLACES HIMSELF AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY—THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF THE CZARINA(FEBRUARY-SEPTEMBER, 1915)
I N spite of the successes gained by the Russians in Galicia in the autumn, the situation was very uncertain in the spring of 1915. On both sides preparations were being made for a fierce renewal of the struggle to which the fighting of January and February was only the prelude. On the Russian side it looked as if everything possible had been done to strengthen the army’s fighting power and assure the normal flow of supplies. The Czar, at any rate, believed that it was so, on the faith of th
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CHAPTER XII NICHOLAS II. AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF—THE ARRIVAL OF THE CZAREVITCH AT G.H.Q.—VISITS TO THE FRONT
CHAPTER XII NICHOLAS II. AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF—THE ARRIVAL OF THE CZAREVITCH AT G.H.Q.—VISITS TO THE FRONT
(SEPTEMBER—DECEMBER, 1915) T HE Grand-Duke Nicholas left G.H.Q. on September 7th, two days after the arrival of the Czar. He left for the Caucasus, taking with him General Yanushkevitch, who had been replaced as First Quartermaster-General of the Russian armies by General Alexeieff a short time before. This appointment had been very well received by military circles, who had high hopes of Alexeieff. He it was who had drawn up the plan of campaign in Galicia in the autumn of 1914, and as Commande
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CHAPTER XIII THE CZAR AT THE DUMA—THE CAMPAIGN IN GALICIA—OUR LIFE AT G.H.Q.—GROWING DISAFFECTION IN THE REAR(1916)
CHAPTER XIII THE CZAR AT THE DUMA—THE CAMPAIGN IN GALICIA—OUR LIFE AT G.H.Q.—GROWING DISAFFECTION IN THE REAR(1916)
T HE Czar had returned to G.H.Q. alone on December 25th, and three days later he reviewed on the Galician frontier the divisions of the Guard which had been concentrated in view of an imminent offensive. The absence of Alexis Nicolaïevitch was a real sorrow to him, as he had been looking forward eagerly to presenting him to his Guard. He had then returned to Mohileff. Towards the end of the year 1915 the military situation of the Russians had greatly improved. The army had taken advantage of
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CHAPTER XIV POLITICAL TENSION—THE DEATH OF RASPUTIN
CHAPTER XIV POLITICAL TENSION—THE DEATH OF RASPUTIN
(DECEMBER, 1916) T HE political atmosphere became more and more heavy, and we could feel the approach of the storm. Discontent had become so general that in spite of the censorship the Press began to speak about it. Party feeling ran ever higher, and there was only one point on which opinion was unanimous—the necessity of putting an end to the omnipotence of Rasputin. Everyone regarded him as the evil counsellor of the Court and held him responsible for all the disasters from which the country w
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CHAPTER XV THE REVOLUTION—THE ABDICATION OF NICHOLAS II.
CHAPTER XV THE REVOLUTION—THE ABDICATION OF NICHOLAS II.
(MARCH, 1917) R ASPUTIN was no more and the nation was avenged. A few brave men had taken upon themselves to secure the disappearance of the man who was execrated by one and all. [51] It might be hoped that after this explosion of wrath faction would die down. Unfortunately it was not so. On the contrary, the struggle between the Czar and the Duma became more bitter than ever. The Czar was convinced that in existing circumstances all concessions on his part would be regarded as a sign of weaknes
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CHAPTER XVI THE CZAR NICHOLAS II.
CHAPTER XVI THE CZAR NICHOLAS II.
N ICHOLAS II., desiring to say farewell to his troops, left Pskoff on March 16th and returned to G.H.Q. He stayed there until the 21st, living in the Governor’s house as before and receiving General Alexeieff’s report every day. The Dowager Empress, Marie Feodorovna, had come from Kieff to join the Czar, and she remained with him until the day he left for Tsarskoïe-Selo. On the 21st the Commissioners sent by the Provisional Government and the Duma arrived at Mohileff. They instructed General
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CHAPTER XVII THE REVOLUTION SEEN FROM THE ALEXANDER PALACE—THE CZAR’S RETURN TO TSARSKOÏE-SELO
CHAPTER XVII THE REVOLUTION SEEN FROM THE ALEXANDER PALACE—THE CZAR’S RETURN TO TSARSKOÏE-SELO
W HILE the dramatic events I have described in the preceding chapters were in progress at Pskoff and Mohileff the Czarina and her children, who had remained behind at the Alexander Palace, were passing through days of the most poignant anguish. As we have seen, it was only after long hesitation that the Czar, in his anxiety, had decided on March 8th, 1917, to leave Tsarskoïe-Selo and go to G.H.Q. His departure was a great blow to the Czarina, for to the fears aroused in her breast by the pol
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CHAPTER XVIII FIVE MONTHS’ CAPTIVITY AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO (MARCH—AUGUST, 1917)
CHAPTER XVIII FIVE MONTHS’ CAPTIVITY AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO (MARCH—AUGUST, 1917)
T HE Imperial family remained at Tsarskoïe-Selo until the month of August, 1917. During the five months of this internment with them I kept a diary of our life together. It will be understood that delicacy of feeling prevents me from reproducing it in its entirety. I wish to avoid as much as possible bringing in people who are still alive. I shall, however, break through this reserve when it is a question of dealing with incidents which throw light on the character of the Czar and his family
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CHAPTER XIX OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK(AUGUST-DECEMBER, 1917)
CHAPTER XIX OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK(AUGUST-DECEMBER, 1917)
W HAT reasons had the Council of Ministers for transporting the Imperial family to Tobolsk? It is difficult to say definitely. When Kerensky told the Czar of the proposed transfer he explained the necessity by saying that the Provisional Government had resolved to take energetic measures against the Bolsheviks; this would result in a period of disturbance and armed conflict of which the Imperial family might be the first victims; it was therefore his duty to put them out of danger. It has be
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CHAPTER XX END OF OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK (JANUARY-MAY, 1918)
CHAPTER XX END OF OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK (JANUARY-MAY, 1918)
O N January 1st/14th, 1914, I resumed the diary I had given up when we were transferred to Tobolsk. I shall give a few extracts from it as I did when describing our captivity at Tsarskoïe-Selo. Monday, January 14th (January 1st O.S.).—This morning we went to church, where the new priest officiated for the first time. Father Vassilief (the cause of the incident mentioned in the preceding chapter) has been transferred by Archbishop Hermogenes to the monastery of Abalatsky. Tuesday, January 15t
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CHAPTER XXI EKATERINBURGTHE MURDER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY DURING THE NIGHT OF JULY 16-17th, 1918
CHAPTER XXI EKATERINBURGTHE MURDER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY DURING THE NIGHT OF JULY 16-17th, 1918
O N our arrival at Tioumen on May 22nd we were at once taken, under a strong escort, to the special train that was to take us to Ekaterinburg. Just as I was getting into the train with my pupil I was separated from him and put in a fourth-class carriage, guarded by sentries like the others. We reached Ekaterinburg in the night, the train being stopped at some distance from the station. About nine o’clock the next morning several carriages were drawn up alongside our train, and I saw four men
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CHAPTER XXII THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CRIME ESTABLISHED BY THE ENQUIRY
CHAPTER XXII THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CRIME ESTABLISHED BY THE ENQUIRY
I N the following pages I shall describe the circumstances of the murder of the Imperial family as they appear from the depositions of the witnesses and evidence examined by the enquiry. From the six thick manuscript volumes in which it is contained I have extracted the essential facts of this drama about which, alas! there can be no longer any doubt. The impression left by reading these documents is that of a ghastly nightmare, but I do not feel justified in dwelling on the horror. About th
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EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
T HE summer of 1919 was marked by the great reverses which were to bring, a few months later, the downfall of Admiral Koltchak’s government. The Bolshevik troops had retaken Perm and were threatening Ekaterinburg. The work undertaken in the clearing at Koptiaki had to be abandoned before its completion. On July 12th, N. Sokolof, heart-broken, decided to leave for Omsk. There he spent the month of August, and then, seeing that the situation was growing still worse, he went on to Tchita, whilst I
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