Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Letter to Alexandra from Alexei, dated September 28, 1916

Source:

Letters and writings of Nicholas II and his family on Facebook


The letter:

Mogilev, September 28, 1916
My own, old Mama.
This morning we were circling around Mogilev the whole time. We were in such streets where there is no thoroughfare, no passage. Sig has now gone to the hospital for bandaging. Our weather is bad. Yesterday S. P. lanced a carbuncle on Sig's left arm!!!!!

Yesterday there was a cinema. The pictures from the English front on the river Saima were interesting. It felt like you were there in person!

Uncle George (Zhorzhik) arrived yesterday. P. V. P., Zh. and Sig are very, very grateful for the obeisances. D. and K. also bow. Papa came from headquarters, and we're off to scoff down some lenten fare.
Soon, I'll see you soon,
I hate all of you,
Come quickly
It will be more fun for us to live
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be healthy. God bless you +!
I don't kiss you, but kiss
Meeeeeeeeee.
A. Romanov.


Above: Alexandra. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev at lastromanovs on VK.


Above: Alexei.

Letter to Alexandra from Alexei, dated September 6, 1916

Source:

Letters and writings of Nicholas II and his family on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=217272553350466&id=108838347527221

The letter:

Mogilev September 6, 1916
My dear charming Mama, Noble Lady!
Yesterday we went to the forest by a new road. On our way back we ran over a beautiful dog. It's very sad. I am writing to you by myself, so there will be mistakes. They removed the small tents (but not Aunt Mavra's) from the garden, I can no longer play. It is very cold here. I feel good and my 'stern' does too. Kisses to all.
God bless you.
Your devoted slave
A. Romanov


Above: Alexandra. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev at lastromanovs on VK.


Above: Alexei with members of the suite at Mogilev.

Friday, December 25, 2020

Alexandra's Nativity prayer for Charles Sydney Gibbes, year 1917

Source:

https://orthodoxlife.org/prayers-and-services/christmas-prayer-empress-alexandra/

Alexandra wrote this Nativity prayer for her children's English tutor Charles Sydney Gibbes during captivity at Tobolsk at Christmas 1917 — the last Christmas she would ever see.

The prayer:

I pray
That Christ the Xmas King may stoop to bless,
And guide you day by day to holiness,
Your Friend in joy, your Comfort in distress;

I pray
That every cloud may lead you to the light,
And He may raise you up from height to height,
Himself the Day-Star of your darkest night;

I pray
That Christ, before whose Crib you bend the knee,
May fill your longing soul abundantly,
With grace to follow Him more perfectly.

1917
Tobolsk

Alexandra


Above: Alexandra.


Above: Charles Sydney Gibbes.

Christmas poem to Nicholas and Alexandra written/copied by Maria, year 1906

Source:

http://statearchive.ru/657&searched=%C0%EB%E5%EA%F1%E0%ED%E4%F0%FB+%D4%E5%E4%EE%F0%EE%E2%ED%FB&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1+ajaxSearch_highlight2



The poem:

To my dear Mamma and Papa.

Tsarskoe Selo.

Christmas 1906.

Waken, little children,
Up, and let us sing.
With glad voice the praises
Of our new-born King.

In a manger lowly,
Sleeps the Heavenly Child,
O'er Him fondly bendeth
Mary, mother mild.

Far above that stable,
Up in heaven so high.
One bright star outshineth,
Watching silently

Haste we then to welcome,
With a joyous lay,
Christ the King of Glory,
Born for us to day.


Above: Alexandra.


Above: Nicholas.


Above: Maria.

Olga's copy of a Christmas poem for Alexandra, year 1906

Source:

http://statearchive.ru/469&searched=%C0%EB%E5%EA%F1%E0%ED%E4%F0%FB+%D4%E5%E4%EE%F0%EE%E2%ED%FB&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1+ajaxSearch_highlight2



The poem:

For my dear Mamma.

Christmas.

Tsarskoe-Selo 1906.

Christmas Greetings.
W. Manning.

There is kindness in the very name of Christmas,
There is joy in every clang of merry bells;
There is peace on every hand, on sea, and over land,
And good-will in every wish of "glad Noels"
There is little in the words that I am saying.
But the wish that they convey is most sincere
May your Christmas Day be bright, and your troubles ever light,
And joy attend you through the coming Year.
Olga.


Above: Alexandra.


Above: Olga.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Mauve Boudoir then and now, desk references, sneak peek at standalone shelf

Source:

GMZ Tsarskoe Selo







"The Mauve or Lilac Room, a.k.a. the Mauve Boudoir of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna in the Alexander Palace, was a favourite place of relaxation for the imperial family and their guests. Alexandra, often together with Nicholas II, came there to read books, play music, do needlework on a couch and drink tea at a round table. The room's winter decorations were fragrant bouquets of white lilacs from the imperial greenhouses nearby.

Part of Alexandra's private rooms, the Mauve Boudoir was finished just two and a half months after the conditions for its design were posted in the newspaper St Petersburg Vedomosti on 24 June 1895.

After the highest approval of the design drawings, the factory F. Melzer & Co. produced a set of furniture, which consisted of built-in and stand-alone pieces, two plateaus (jardinieres) for plants, and carved panels for a Y. Becker piano.

Since almost all of the furniture items were destroyed during WWII, our Museum's research staff did a lot of work looking for archival documents and photographs, which are now used for the re-creation of the Mauve Room furniture. Some photographs come from our collection and others from the State Archive of the Russian Federation in Moscow, allowing for our experts to view the furniture pieces from different angles and to produce exact and detailed replicas.

'The colour of the wall panels, doors and furniture required a separate study', says Anna Tarkhanova, our senior researcher who has been actively working on the reconstruction of the interior. 'The colour scheme of the panels had two shades, as we see in old photographs and in archival estimates from makers. In the archive, we also found a 'recipe' with painting materials and their proportions, which helped our restorers find a modern analogue and apply it when painting the furniture in two tones.'

Also very helpful was the only surviving original item from the Mauve Room: the empress's desk added the Museum's collection in 1999. Not evacuated during the war, it was later found in a deplorable state in the Alexander Park by Anatoly M. Kuchumov, the former Alexander Palace curator. After the desk's paint layer tests in 2018, restorers determined the initial colour of its finish and thus made a decision on the colour scheme of the wall panels, built-in furniture and doors of the Mauve Room. Based on photographs and archival descriptions, the Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop (director Boris Igdalov) restored the desk and re-created its lost details in 2020. The Workshop also re-created the upholstered and cabinet furniture of the Mauve Room in accordance with the design developed in 2019-2020 by St. Petersburg's Studio 44 architectural bureau.

The cords, fringes, tassels and fabrics for the upholstery of the furniture  were re-created from historical samples in the collections of Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk. The fabrics were made to the design developed by the Museum and the Renaissance restoration workshop in St Petersburg and based on similar historical samples and photographic materials. The analysis of the old fabrics – their fibers, thread types, colours and weaving styles – and the fabrication of new ones was carried out by specialists of the famous Italian Rubelli manufactory. The trims were made by the British Tassel & Trim and the Polish Re Kon Art. The order, manufacture and delivery process was personally supervised by Mr Janusz Szymanyak, director of Renaissance."

Maple Room plaster and leaded-glass details

Source:

Anastasia Timina



Saturday, December 5, 2020

Alexandra's letter to M. M. Syroboyarskaya, dated October 17, 1917

Source:

http://docs.historyrussia.org/ru/nodes/31599-pismo-aleksandry-fedorovny-m-m-syroboyarskoy-tobolsk-17-oktyabrya-1917-g

The letter:

Тобольск.
17 октября 1917 г.
Мои мысли Вас много окружают. Столько месяцев ничего о Вас не знала, и Вы мои 7 писем не получили. Только 2. Письмо последний раз в конце июля. Перестала почти писать, только изредка. Боюсь другим повредить. Выдумают опять какую-нибудь глупость.

Никто никому не верит, все следят друг за другом. Во всем видят что-то ужасное и опасное. О, люди, люди! Мелкие тряпки. Без характера, без любви к Родине, к Богу. Оттого Он и страну наказывает.

Но не хочу и не буду верить, что Он ей даст погибнуть. Как родители наказывают своих непослушных детей, так и Он поступает с Россией. Она грешила и грешит перед Ним и не достойна Его любви. Но Он всемогущий — все может. Услышит наконец молитвы страдающих, простит и спасет, когда кажется, что конец уже всего.

Кто свою Родину больше всего любит, тот не должен веру потерять в то, что она спасется от гибели, хотя все идет хуже. Надо непоколебимо верить. Грустно, что рука его не поправилась, что не придется вернуться на старое место — но это лучше. Невыносимо тяжело и не по силам было бы. Будьте бодрой. Оба не падайте духом. Что же делать, придется страдать, и чем больше здесь, тем лучше там. После дождя — солнце, надо только терпеть и верить. Бог милостив, своих не оставит. И Вы увидите еще лучшие дни. Александр Владим. молод — много впереди. Надо перенести смертельную болезнь, потом организм окрепнет и легче живется и светлее. Молюсь всем сердцем, нежно обнимаю.
Сестра А.

English translation (my own):

Tobolsk
17 October 1917.
My thoughts surround You so much. For so many months I knew nothing of you, and you did not receive my 7 letters. Only 2. The last letter is at the end of July. I almost stopped writing, only occasionally. I am afraid of hurting others. Will come up with some nonsense again.

No one trusts anyone, everyone is watching each other. They see something terrible and dangerous in everything. Oh people, people! Little milksops. Without character, without love for the Motherland, for God. That is why He punishes the country too.

But I do not want to and will not believe that He will let her perish. As parents punish their disobedient children, so He does Russia. She has sinned and is sinning before Him and is not worthy of His love. But He is almighty — He can do everything. He will finally hear the prayers of the suffering, forgive and save when it seems that it is already the end of everything.

Whoever loves his Motherland most of all should not lose faith in the fact that it will be saved from death, although everything is getting worse. One must believe unwaveringly. It is sad that his hand did not get better, that he would not have to return to the old place — but it is better. It would be unbearably hard and he would not be able to go on. Be cheerful. Do not both be discouraged. What to do, you have to suffer, and the more here [on Earth], the better there [in Heaven]. After rain comes sun, one must only endure and believe. God is merciful, He will not leave His own. And You will see even better days. Alexander Vladim[ir] is young — there is a lot ahead of him. It is necessary to endure a fatal illness, then the body will get stronger and live easier and brighter. I pray with all my heart, embrace You tenderly.
Sister A.


Above: Alexandra.

Alexandra's letter to M. M. Syroboyarskaya, dated May 29, 1917

Source:

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/alexandraexile.html

The letter:

29-го мая 17 г. (Царское Село)
Милая моя, сердечное Вам спасибо за длинное письмо от 22-го, которое вчера получили. Все глубоко Меня трогает — Ваша любовь и вера. Спасибо, что Меня не забываете. Ваши письма для Меня большая радость. Как Господь милостив, что дал нам познакомиться, теперь особенно ценна такая дружба. Имею известия от сына, не был здоров, простудился, лежал, но теперь, слава Богу, ему лучше. Бывал у общих знакомых, скоро будет у Вас. Поздравляю Вас с его новым чином, наконец получил, год спустя. Все получаешь в свое время. Но теперь ему надо хорошее здоровье. Я утешала, что мы в переписке, он будет этому рад. Не бойтесь, что он веру потеряет, Бог услышит ваши молитвы и тех других, которых он стал верным другом. Тучи черные, гроза, туман покрывают будущее, это бывает трудно без ропота выносить. Но и это пройдет. Солнце опять заблестит, а там впереди яркое солнце, там все будет нам ясно, там награда за все тяжелые переживания. Земная школа суровая, и впереди экзамен нас ждет, надо к этому каждому готовиться, трудные сложные уроки изучить. Все и везде и во всем борьба, но внутри должна быть тишина и мир, тогда все переносить можно и почувствуешь Его близость. Не надо вспоминать огорчения — их столько, а принять их, как полезное испытание для души, а если начнешь роптать, то теряешь почву под ногами и становишься таким мелким, самолюбивым. Есть самолюбие, которое надо иметь, но есть и другое, которое надо топтать под ногами — это ложное. Что это я Вам все это говорю, Вы лучше меня знаете. Но надо во всем хорошее и полезное искать. Ведь в нашу пользу Он нас укоряет или попускает беды для испытания и укрепления души. Зло великое в нашем мире царствует теперь, но Господь выше этого, надо только терпеливо вынести тяжелое и не позволить худому брать верх в наших душах. Пускай зло помучает, потревожит, но душу ему не отдадим. Верим, глубоко верим, что награда там будет и, может быть, еще здесь... Видеть, знать о страданиях дорогих сердцу людей — вот это мука великая, и ее перенести спокойно ужасно трудно. Передаешь их мысленно в Его милосердные руки и знаешь, что души их не погибнут. Растут они, как цветы открываются, если умеют верить и молиться. Сам Спаситель перед глазами. Они с Ним крест несут... Боже, помоги им, умилосердствуй, спаси, тешь их. Сердце ноет, помочь нельзя... Вы спрашиваете. Не утомляют ли меня уроки. Нет, милая. Хотя голова иногда побаливает, когда подряд три урока Закона Божия, но это ничего, так рада с Детьми заниматься. И это Мне помогает. Потом бывает чтение и диктовка на других языках, но время оттого летит. До 12 лежу, и они около постели занимаются, а потом в классной или у Алексея. Вы хотели знать, как сплю — последнее время опять плохо, но это все равно. Когда жарко, то сердце шалит по-прежнему. Опять лежу в саду, или на кресле Меня катают. Это лучше. Иногда цветы собираю, но сгибаться для сердца нехорошо и больно. Но пока не могу жаловаться.

Нежно Вас целую, родная, перекрещаю. Господь с Вами. Молитвенно и мысленно с Вами.
Сестра.

English translation (my own):

29th May, 1917 (Tsarskoe Selo)
My dear, sincere thanks to You for the long letter of the 22nd, which we received yesterday. Everything deeply touches me — Your love and faith. Thank You for not forgetting me. Your letters are a great joy to me. As the Lord is merciful that He let us meet, now such friendship is especially valuable. I have news of Your son, he was not healthy, caught a cold, was lying down, but now, thank God, he is better. Visited mutual acquaintances, will soon be with You. I congratulate You on his new rank, I finally received it, a year later. You shall receive everything in due time. But now he needs good health. I consoled that we were in correspondence, he would be happy about that. Do not be afraid that he will lose faith, God will hear Your prayers and those of others with whom he has become a faithful friend. Black clouds, thunderstorm, fog cover the future, it can be difficult to endure without a murmur. But this too shall pass. The sun will shine again, and there is a bright sun ahead, everything will be clear to us, there is a reward for all difficult experiences. The earthly school is harsh, and a test awaits us ahead, all must prepare for this, learn difficult, difficult lessons. Everything and everywhere and in everything is a struggle, but there must be quiet and peace inside, then one can endure everything and one will feel His closeness. There is no need to remember grievances — there are so many of them, but to accept them as a useful test for the soul, and if one begins to grumble, one loses the ground under one's feet and becomes so petty, proud. There is pride that one must have, but there is another one that must be trampled underfoot — this is false. That I am telling You all this, You know better than me. But we must look for good and useful things in everything. Indeed, in our favour, He reproaches us or allows troubles to test and strengthen the soul. Great evil reigns in our world now, but the Lord is higher than this, we must only patiently endure the heavy and not allow the bad to prevail in our souls. Let evil torment, disturb, but we will not give up our soul. We believe, deeply believe that the reward will be there [in Heaven], and perhaps even here... To see, to know about the suffering of people dear to our hearts — this is a great torment, and it is terribly difficult to bear it calmly. One transfers them mentally into His merciful hands and one knows that their souls will not perish. They grow like flowers, if they know how to believe and pray. The Saviour Himself is before our eyes. They bear the Cross with Him... God help them, have mercy, save them, comfort them. My heart aches, one cannot help... You ask if the lessons tire me. No, darling. Although my head sometimes aches when there are three lessons of the Law of God in a row, but this is nothing, I am so glad to study with the Children. And it helps me. Then there is reading and dictation in other languages, but that is why time flies. Until 12 I lie, and they study by the bed, and then in the classroom or with Alexei. You wanted to know how I sleep — lately it has been bad again, but it's all the same. When it is hot, the heart is still bad. Again I lie in the garden, or they roll me on an armchair. This is better. Sometimes I pick flowers, but bending for the heart is not good and painful. But I cannot complain yet.

I kiss You tenderly, dear, I [make the] cross [over You]. The Lord is with You. Am with You in prayers and thoughts.
Sister.


Above: Alexandra.

Alexandra's second letter to Nicholas of March 2, 1915 and Nicholas's telegrams, dated March 4, 1915

Sources:


http://www.alexanderpalace.org/letters/march15.html

The letter:

No. 49
Tsarskoje Selo, March 2-nd 1915
My own sweet one,
I am beginning my letter this evening, as I want to talk to you. Wify feels hideously sad! My poor wounded friend has gone! God has taken him quietly & peacefully to Himself. I was as usual with him in the morning & more than an hour in the afternoon. He talked a lot — in a wisper always — all about his service in the Caucasus — awfully interesting & so bright, with his big shiny eyes. I rested before dinner & was haunted with the feeling that he might suddenly get very bad in the night & one would not call me & so on — so that when the eldest nurse called one of the girls to the telephone — I told them that I knew what had happened & flew myself to hear the sad news. After M. & A. had gone off to Ania, (to see Ania's sister in law & Olga Voronov) Olga & I went to the big palace to see him. He lay there so peacefully, covered under my flowers I daily brought him, with his lovely peaceful smile — the forehead yet quite warm. I cant get quiet — so sent Olga to them & came home with my tears. The elder sister cannot either realise it — he was quite calm, cheery, said felt a wee bit not comfy, & when the sister, 10 m. after she had gone away, came in, found him with staring eyes, quite blue, breathed twice — & all was over — peaceful to the end. Never did he complain, never asked for anything, sweetness itself as she says — all loved him — & that shining smile. — You, Lovy mine, can understand what that is, when daily one has been there, thinking only of giving him pleasure — & suddenly — finished. And after our Friend spoke of him, do you remember, & that "he will not soon leave you" I was sure he would recover, tho' very slowly. And he longed to get back to his regiment — was presented for golden sword & St. G. Cross & higher rank. — Forgive my writing so much about him, but going there, & all that, had been a help with you away & I felt God let me bring him a little sunshine in his loneliness. Such is life! Another brave soul left this world to be added to to the shining stars above. — And how much sorrow all around — thank God that we have the possibility of at least making some comfortable in their suffering & can give them a feeling of homeliness in their loneliness. One longs to warm & help them, brave creatures & to replace their dear ones who cant come. — It must not make you sad what I wrote, only I could not bear it any longer — I had to speak myself out.

Benkendorf has asked to accompany us to town to-morrow, so I had say yes, tho' I had only thought of taking Ressin. & Isa. — Baby dear's leg is better — he sledged to Pavlovsk to-day, Nagorny & the man of the donkey sledge worked alone at the hill. —

If by any chance you ever happen to be near one of my stores tram wh. I have 5 in all directions), it wld. be very dear if you could peep or see the com. of the train & thank him for his work — they honestly are splendid workers & constantly have been under fire — I am writing to you now in bed, I am lying since an hour already, but cant get to sleep, nor nor calm myself, so it does me good talking to you. I have blessed & kissed your dear cushion as always. — One says Struve is going to be buried in his country place. —

To-morrow we receive 6 officers going back to the war, two of my Siberians, Vykrestov & the Dr. Menschutkin — & Kratt for the second time, God grant he may not be wounded again. First time the right arm — the next time left arm & through the lungs the Crimea did him no end of good. — The Nijegorodtzy are wondering whether their division wont be sent back again, as they have nothing to do now. — Shulman thinks of his Ossovets with anguish & longing — this time the shots are bigger & have done more harm — all the officers houses are already quite ruined. — One does so long for detailed news.

I heard Amilachvari is wounded, but slightly only. —

Igor has gone to the regiment, tho' the Drs. found him not well enough to leave. Now I must try and sleep, as to-morrow will be a tiring day — but I don't feel like it. You sleep well my treasure, I kiss & bless you.

March 3-rd. We have just returned from town — were in M. & A.'s hospital in the new building of the Institute of Racklov's. Zeidler showed us over all the wards 180 men & in another building 30 officers.

Karangozov's operation went off well — he had a rotten appendicitis & the operation was done just in time.

At 12½ we went to the funeral service in the little hospital Church below, where the poor officer's coffin stands — so sad no relations there — so lonely somehow. — Its snowing hard. — Must end. God bless & protect you — kisses without end, my treasure. Ever yr. very own
Wify.

Messages to N. P.

Nicholas's telegrams:

Telegram. Stavka. 4 March, 1915.
I have finished my notepaper. Could you not send me my paper — in the blue box on the shelf opposite the first window? I have very stupidly forgotten it. All is well. The weather is nasty, a snowstorm. I kiss you tenderly.
Nicky.

--

Telegram. Stavka. 4 March, 1915.
Warm thanks for letter and two telegrams. I am in despair at your being worn out. I am very grieved about your poor wounded officer; I quite understand you...


Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.