Sources:
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/letterstsaritsa/september14.html
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/letters/september14.html
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/letters/september14.html
The letter:
My very own beloved One,
What joy to receive your 2 dear telegrams — thank God for the good, such a comfort to receive it upon your arrival. God bless your presence there. Do so wonder, hope and trust that you will see the troops. —
What joy to receive your 2 dear telegrams — thank God for the good, such a comfort to receive it upon your arrival. God bless your presence there. Do so wonder, hope and trust that you will see the troops. —
Baby had a rather restless night but no real pain. I went up to kiss him before Church, at 11. Lunched with the girlies on my sopha. Bekker* arrived. Then lay near Alexei's bed for over an hour and then off to the train — not very many wounded. Two officers of one regiment and rota died on the journey and one soldier. Their lungs are much attacked after the rain and having gone through the Nieman in the water — no acquaintances army regiments — one soldier remembered seeing us at Moscou this summer at the Khodynka. Paretzky got worse from his ill heart and overstrain, looks very bad, sunken in face, staring eyes, grey beard, painful impression, poor dear — not wounded. —
Then we 5 went to Ania and took tea early there. At 3 went to our little hospital to put on our chalat and off to the big hospital, where we worked hard. At 5½ I had to return with M. and A. as received an otriad with Masha Vassitichikov's brother at the head. Then back to the little hospital, where children were working and I did 3 new officers — then showed Karangosov and Zhdanov how to really play domino.
After dinner and prayers with Baby, went to Ania where the 4 girls already were and saw N. P. who had dined with her. He felt comforted to see us, as very lonely and feels himself so useless. Princess Ged. came to see Ania's leg wh. I then bandaged, and we gave her a cup of tea. Dropped N. A. in the motor near the station. Bright moon, cold night. Baby is sleeping fast. All the little family kiss you ever so tenderly.
Miss my Angel quite horribly, and at night whenever woke up tried to be silent not to wake you up. So sad in Church without you near me. Goodbye Sweetheart — my prayers and thoughts follow you everywhere. Bless and kiss you without end, every dearly beloved place.
Your own old
Wify.
Wify.
N. Gr. Orlova is going off tomorrow to Baranovitchi see her husband 2 days. Ania heard from Saschka — and 2 letters from her brother. —
Nicholas' replies:
The telegram:
Stavka. 22 September 1914.
Hearty thanks for sweet letter. General Rouszky was presented to me to-day. He told me much of interest about his famous battles in Galicia. I have appointed him Adjutant-General. Here it is quiet and calm. Embrace all closely.
Nicky.
The letter:
Stavka. 22 September 1914.
MY BELOVED DARLING WIFY,
Sincerest thanks for dear letter which you gave to my messenger — I read it before going to sleep.
How terrible it was parting from you and the dear children, though I knew that it was not for long. The first night I slept badly, because the engines jerked the train roughly — at each station. I arrived here the next day at 5.30; it was cold and raining hard. Nicolasha met me at the station at Baranovitchi, and then we were led to a charming wood in the neighbourhood, not far (5 minutes' walk) from his own train. The pine forest reminds me strongly of the wood in Spala; the ground is sandy and not at all damp.
On my arrival at the Stavka I went to a large wooden church belonging to the Railway Brigade to a short thanksgiving Te Deum, at which Shavelsky officiated. Here I saw Petiusha, Kyrill, and the whole of Nicolasha's Staff. Some of these gentlemen dined with me, and in the evening Yanoushkevitch made a long and interesting report to me in their train, where, as I expected, the heat was terrible! I thought of you — how lucky that you are not here I insisted on their changing the sort of life they lead here, at least before me.
To-day at 10 o'clock I was present at the usual morning report, which N. receives in a little house beside his train, from his two chief assistants, Yanoushkevitch and Danilov.
They both report very clearly and concisely. They read through the reports of the preceding day which have come in from the Army Commanders and ask for orders and instructions from N. for the next operations. We bent over enormous maps covered with blue and red lines, numbers, dates and such like. On my return home I shall give you a short summary of all this. Just before lunch General Rouszky arrived, a pale, thin man, with two new Orders of St. George on his breast. I have appointed him Adjutant-General for our last victory on the Prussian frontier — the first since his appointment. After lunch we had our photographs taken in a group with the whole of N.'s Staff. In the morning, after the report, I went for a walk round the whole of our Staff quarters and passed through the ring of sentries, then came on the outposts of the Cossack Life-Guards, set out far into the forest. They spend the nights in mud huts, quite warmly and comfortably. Their duty is to keep a look-out for aeroplanes. Excellent, smiling fellows, with tufts of hair sticking out from under their caps. The whole regiment is quartered very near the church, in the little wooden houses of the Railway Brigade.
Gen. Ivanov has gone to Warsaw and will return to Kholm on Wednesday, so that I shall stay here for another 24 hours, not changing my programme in other respects.
I am leaving here to-morrow night, and shall arrive in Rovno on Wednesday morning; shall stay there till I o'clock, and then start for Kholm, where I shall arrive about 6 o'clock in the evening. On Thursday morning I shall be in Bielostok, and, if it proves possible, shall look in without previous warning at Osovetz. I am not sure about Grodno — that is, I do not know whether I shall stop there — I am afraid all the troops have set out for the frontier.
I had a delightful walk with Drenteln in the wood, and on my return found the thick package with your letter and six books.
Warmest thanks, my dear, for your precious lines. How interesting is that part of Victoria's letter which you have so kindly copied for me!
I had heard from Benckendorf some time ago about the friction between the English and the French at the beginning of the war. Both of the foreign attachés here have gone to Warsaw for a few days, so that I shall not see them this time.
It is difficult to believe that a great war is raging not far from this place; everything seems so peaceful and quiet. The life here reminds me more of those old days when we stayed here during manoeuvres, with the single exception that there are no troops whatsoever in the neighbourhood.
Beloved mine, I kiss you again and again, because just at present I am quite free and have time to think of my Wify and my family. It is strange, but it is so.
I hope that you are not suffering from that abominable pain in your jaw and are not over-tiring yourself. God grant that my Little One may be quite well on my return!
Always your old hubby
Give my regards to Ania.
Nicky.
Nicholas' replies:
The telegram:
Stavka. 22 September 1914.
Hearty thanks for sweet letter. General Rouszky was presented to me to-day. He told me much of interest about his famous battles in Galicia. I have appointed him Adjutant-General. Here it is quiet and calm. Embrace all closely.
Nicky.
The letter:
Stavka. 22 September 1914.
MY BELOVED DARLING WIFY,
Sincerest thanks for dear letter which you gave to my messenger — I read it before going to sleep.
How terrible it was parting from you and the dear children, though I knew that it was not for long. The first night I slept badly, because the engines jerked the train roughly — at each station. I arrived here the next day at 5.30; it was cold and raining hard. Nicolasha met me at the station at Baranovitchi, and then we were led to a charming wood in the neighbourhood, not far (5 minutes' walk) from his own train. The pine forest reminds me strongly of the wood in Spala; the ground is sandy and not at all damp.
On my arrival at the Stavka I went to a large wooden church belonging to the Railway Brigade to a short thanksgiving Te Deum, at which Shavelsky officiated. Here I saw Petiusha, Kyrill, and the whole of Nicolasha's Staff. Some of these gentlemen dined with me, and in the evening Yanoushkevitch made a long and interesting report to me in their train, where, as I expected, the heat was terrible! I thought of you — how lucky that you are not here I insisted on their changing the sort of life they lead here, at least before me.
To-day at 10 o'clock I was present at the usual morning report, which N. receives in a little house beside his train, from his two chief assistants, Yanoushkevitch and Danilov.
They both report very clearly and concisely. They read through the reports of the preceding day which have come in from the Army Commanders and ask for orders and instructions from N. for the next operations. We bent over enormous maps covered with blue and red lines, numbers, dates and such like. On my return home I shall give you a short summary of all this. Just before lunch General Rouszky arrived, a pale, thin man, with two new Orders of St. George on his breast. I have appointed him Adjutant-General for our last victory on the Prussian frontier — the first since his appointment. After lunch we had our photographs taken in a group with the whole of N.'s Staff. In the morning, after the report, I went for a walk round the whole of our Staff quarters and passed through the ring of sentries, then came on the outposts of the Cossack Life-Guards, set out far into the forest. They spend the nights in mud huts, quite warmly and comfortably. Their duty is to keep a look-out for aeroplanes. Excellent, smiling fellows, with tufts of hair sticking out from under their caps. The whole regiment is quartered very near the church, in the little wooden houses of the Railway Brigade.
Gen. Ivanov has gone to Warsaw and will return to Kholm on Wednesday, so that I shall stay here for another 24 hours, not changing my programme in other respects.
I am leaving here to-morrow night, and shall arrive in Rovno on Wednesday morning; shall stay there till I o'clock, and then start for Kholm, where I shall arrive about 6 o'clock in the evening. On Thursday morning I shall be in Bielostok, and, if it proves possible, shall look in without previous warning at Osovetz. I am not sure about Grodno — that is, I do not know whether I shall stop there — I am afraid all the troops have set out for the frontier.
I had a delightful walk with Drenteln in the wood, and on my return found the thick package with your letter and six books.
Warmest thanks, my dear, for your precious lines. How interesting is that part of Victoria's letter which you have so kindly copied for me!
I had heard from Benckendorf some time ago about the friction between the English and the French at the beginning of the war. Both of the foreign attachés here have gone to Warsaw for a few days, so that I shall not see them this time.
It is difficult to believe that a great war is raging not far from this place; everything seems so peaceful and quiet. The life here reminds me more of those old days when we stayed here during manoeuvres, with the single exception that there are no troops whatsoever in the neighbourhood.
Beloved mine, I kiss you again and again, because just at present I am quite free and have time to think of my Wify and my family. It is strange, but it is so.
I hope that you are not suffering from that abominable pain in your jaw and are not over-tiring yourself. God grant that my Little One may be quite well on my return!
Always your old hubby
Give my regards to Ania.
Nicky.
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.
Above: Alexandra with Alexei.
Above: Alexandra with Anna Vyrubova. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev on Flickr.
Note: "Madame Bekker" (sometimes spelled Becker) was a euphemism used by Alexandra and her daughters to refer to their menstrual periods.
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