Chapter I: Front Matter

MEMORIES OF
THE RUSSIAN COURT

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS
ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO

MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED
LONDON BOMBAY CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD.
TORONTO

MEMORIES OF
THE RUSSIAN COURT

BY
ANNA VIROUBOVA

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN’S STREET, LONDON
1923

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO MY EMPRESS,
WITH LOVE AND FIDELITY ETERNAL

“When you are reproached--bless; when persecuted--be patient; when calumniated--comfort yourself; when slandered--rejoice; this is your road and mine.” Words of St. Seraphine.

ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA, from _Tobolsk_,

March 20, 1918

_Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall not fear. Thy rod and Thy staff shall comfort me._

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA IN HER HAPPY DAYS _Frontispiece_

Facing Page

THE EMPRESS DRIVING HER PONY CHAISE 8

THE EMPRESS WITH GRAND DUCHESS TATIANA IN HER BEDROOM, TSARSKOE SELO 8

ALEXANDER SERGIEVITCH TANIEFF 9

THE WINTER PALACE, PETROGRAD 20

MILITARY REVIEW, TSARSKOE SELO 21

THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS IN A QUIET HOUR ON BOARD THE IMPERIAL YACHT 32

THE EMPRESS DISTRIBUTING PRESENTS TO SAILORS AT THE END OF A CRUISE 33

LIVADIA, THE NEW PALACE OF THE TSARS IN THE CRIMEA 38

A CORNER OF THE COURT OF THE PALACE OF LIVADIA 39

THE IMPERIAL CHILDREN BATHING IN THE BLACK SEA AT LIVADIA 39

THE IMPERIAL YACHT ARRIVES AT LIVADIA, THE CRIMEA 50

THE TSAR, GRAND DUCHESSES OLGA AND TATIANA AND MME. VIROUBOVA AT HOMBURG 51

THE EMPRESS GIVING ALEXEI A LESSON ON THE TERRACE 74

ALEXEI PLAYING IN THE SNOW AT TSARSKOE SELO 74

THE EMPRESS IN BED WITH CONVALESCENT TSAREVITCH 75

GRAND DUCHESSES OLGA AND TATIANA ON BOARD THE “STANDERT” 78

THE TSAREVITCH WITH HIS COUSINS, CHILDREN OF GRAND DUKE ERNEST OF HESSE 79

NICHOLAS II AND THE TSAREVITCH ON BOARD THE IMPERIAL YACHT “STANDERT” 80

THE TSAREVITCH WITH HIS SAILOR, DEREVANKO 81

THE TSAR, TSARINA, AND ALEXEI IN THE GARDENS AT TSARSKOE SELO 81

THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS IN OLD SLAVONIC DRESS, JUBILEE OF 1913 98

THE INVALID EMPRESS ON THE BALCONY AT PETERHOF 99

THE GUEST ROOM IN RASPUTINE’S HOUSE IN SIBERIA 169

THE THREE CHILDREN OF RASPUTINE BEFORE THEIR HOUSE IN SIBERIA 169

THE EMPRESS AND YOUNG GRAND DUKE DMITRI, AFTERWARDS ONE OF RASPUTINE’S ASSASSINS 184

MINISTER OF COURT COUNT FREDERICKS, THE EMPRESS AND TATIANA TAKING TEA IN FINNISH WOODS 185

GRAND DUCHESSES OLGA, TATIANA, ANASTASIE, AND MARIE, PRISONERS AT TSARSKOE SELO, 1917 266

ANNA VIROUBOVA SHORTLY AFTER HER RELEASE FROM THE FORTRESS OF PETER AND PAUL 267

LETTERS FROM NICHOLAS II TO ANNA VIROUBOVA, FROM TOBOLSK, 1917 306

LETTERS FROM ALEXEI, TATIANA, AND MARIE, SMUGGLED FROM SIBERIA IN 1917 307

ONE OF THE EMPRESS’S LAST LETTERS TO MME. VIROUBOVA, WRITTEN IN OLD SLAVONIC, 1918 320

SMUGGLED LETTER FROM THE EMPRESS ON BIRCHBARK AFTER PAPER GAVE OUT 321

THE EX-EMPEROR AND ALEXEI FEEDING TURKEYS IN THE BARNYARD, TOBOLSK, 1918 342

THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN OF THE EMPRESS AND HER DAUGHTERS, OLGA AND TATIANA, SHORTLY BEFORE THE MURDER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN SIBERIA 343

Note: With very few exceptions all these photographs were taken by
members of the Imperial Family and by Mme. Viroubova, all of whom
were experts with the camera.

MEMORIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT

MEMORIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT