Sources:
Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923
The letter (written in response to the letter below this):
No. 63.
Tsarskoje Selo, April 11-th 1915
My very own Darling,
Your dear telegram yesterday made us all so happy. Thank God, that you have such beautiful impressions — that you could see the Caucas. corps & that summer weather blesses your journey. — In the papers I read Fred: short telegram fr. Lvov, telling about the Cathedral, peasants etc. dinner, and nomination of Bobr. into yr. suite — what great historical moments. Our Friend is delighted and blesses you. — Now I have read in the Novoie Vremia all about you, & feel so touched & proud for my Sweetheart. And your few words on the balkony — just the thing. God bless & unite in the fully deep, historical & religious sense of the word, these Slavonic Countries to their old Mother Russia. All comes in its right time & now we are strong enough to uphold them, before we should not have been able to — nevertheless we must in the "interior" become yet stronger & more united in every way, so as to govern stronger & with more authority. — Wont E. N. I. be glad! He sees his greatgrandson reconquering those provinces of the long bygone — & the revenge for Austria's treachery towards him. And you have personally conquered thousands of hearts. I feel, by your sweet, gentle, humble being & shining, pure eyes — each conquers with what God endows him — each in his way. God bless yr. journey on — I am sure it will revive the strength of our troops — if they need this. I am glad Xenia & Olga saw this great moment! — How nice you went to Olga's hospital — a recompense for her infatigable work! —
This moment got yr. wire fr. Perem. & plans for to-day — & now yr. sweet letter fr. the 8-th, for wh. 1000 of tender thanks; such joy to get a letter from you, love them so!! — Here is Ella's telegram unciphered; I return it, in case you wish to mention anything about it, or find out from the railway officials, whether true. — Had masses of report[s] to read through, & now must get up & finish later on. —
I received an awfully touching telegram from Babys' Georgian regiment. Akhmisury arrived back & told them he had seen you, & gave over our messages — & thanking for my looking after their officers etc. —
Mme Zizi came after luncheon with papers — then my Siberian Geleznoi to say goodbye. Then I lay on the balkony ¾ of an hour, & the eldest sister (Liubusha) of the big Palace, sat with me. Ania came from 12-1 as usual. — My train No: 66 has just been to Brody to fetch wounded — lots of men, over 400, but only two officers. —
Goodbye Lovy mine — I do so wonder when you are going to see Ivanov and Aleksejev & can you get at them this time. — Goodbye & God bless and keep you. Very tenderest kisses fr. yr. very own old
Wify.
The Children all kiss you, & with me send love to the old man & N. P. —
Nicholas's telegram:
Telegram. Brody. 12 April, 1915.
Arrived here already last night; have found two letters. Many thanks. I am leaving now for the South; am carrying away the happiest impressions...
Nicky.
Nicholas's letter:
Imperial Train. Proshourov. 12 April, 1915
MY PRECIOUS DARLING,
First of all, my warmest thanks for your two letters, and the ikon of St. Simeon the Holy, and for Baby's photograph, which I have, alas I dropped out of the box and broken the glass. That happened in Przemysl. Well — how difficult it is to describe rapidly all that I have seen, or, more correctly, lived through, in the last three days!
On the 9th of April I arrived in Brody, after having crossed the old frontier. N. was already there with his Staff. When the reports were over I finished my last letter and papers, had lunch and went out in a motor with N. It was hot and windy. The dust we raised covered us like a white shroud. You cannot imagine what we looked like! We stopped twice and got out of the car to look at our positions and those of the Austrians at the time of the first great battles in August of last year; there are a great number of crosses on the common graves and on the single ones. It is amazing what long marches the army then made every day, in addition to fighting! About half-past five we cleaned up a little — Bobrinsky met us on the hill and we drove straight to Lvov. It is a very handsome town, slightly resembling Warsaw, a great number of gardens and monuments, full of troops and Russians! The first thing I did was to go to an enormous riding school, which has been converted into our church, and can hold 10,000 people; here, in the guard of honour, I saw both my sisters. Then I went to Olga's hospital; there are not many wounded there now; saw Tam. Andr. — and other acquaintances from Rovno, doctors, sisters, and so forth — and just before the sun set drove up to the Governor-General's palace. A squadron of my Life-Guard Cossacks was drawn up in front. Bobrinsky led me to his rooms, ugly and uncomfortable, rather like a big railway station, in the same style, without doors, if you do not count the doors into the bedroom. You may be interested to know that I slept in old Franz Joseph's bed.
10 April. I left Lvov by rail, in Austrian carriages, and arrived at Sambor at 3 o'clock in the afternoon; there I was met by Broussilov and, to my great astonishment, by a guard of honour of my splendid Rifles of the 16th Odessa Regiment. The company was commanded by my friend the Sergeant-Major, as all the officers were wounded and the captain killed. While they were passing, the band played the march which we liked so much at Livadia, and I could not hold back my tears. I went to Broussilov's house; he presented the whole of his Staff to me, and then we had lunch. Later, I returned to my train, and arrived at Khyrov, situated picturesquely in the mountains, at 4 o'clock. Here, on a large field, were drawn up all the troops of the 3rd Caucasian Corps. What magnificent regiments they are! Among them were my Shirvantzi and Alexeiev's Saliantzi. I recognised only one officer and one ensign. They had arrived there only a day or two before from Osovetz, and were very pleased at getting into a warmer climate and being able to see the mountains. I went down three long lines on a ploughed field, and nearly fell several times, because the ground was very uneven, and I had to think of Dmitry. As we had very little time left, I passed along the troops in a car, thanking them for their faithful service. I and N. were frightfully shaken up. I returned to the train quite hoarse, but I am very pleased and happy at having seen them. An hour later we arrived in Przemysl.
It is a small town, with narrow streets and dull grey houses, filled with troops and Orenberg Cossacks. N. and I stayed, with several gentlemen, in a fairly clean house, the owner of which had fled before the fall of the fortress. The little place is surrounded by mountains and looks very picturesque. We dined in the garrison mess, where everything has remained untouched. Slept badly.
11 April. I got up early and went with the whole of our army to look over the defences. They are most interesting, colossal works — terribly fortified. Not an inch of ground remained undefended. Charming views open out from the forts; they are completely covered with grass and fresh flowers. I am sending you a flower which I dug up with Grabbe's dagger. At 12 o'clock I returned to the town, lunched at the mess, and drove by another route to Lvov, via Radymno and Yavorov, again past the fields of the September battles. The weather was beautiful the whole time.
Ksenia and Olga came to me before dinner. I left Lvov at 9.30 by rail and arrived in Brody at 12.30 at night. Here I changed over to our train. To-day I got up late, heard the usual reports and left N. at 2 o'clock.
Forgive me for this short and dry account, but I have no time for more. God bless you, my beloved Sunny, and the children. I kiss you all fondly.
Ever your old hubby
Nicky.
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.
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