Sources:
Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923
The letter:
No. 68.
Tsarskoje Selo, April 16-th 1915
My Sweetheart,
I have just been eating up the newspapers with Freder. long telegrams about your journey. You have done & seen a lot, I am delighted — & been to hospitals too. Some of our wounded officers are now at Odessa & will surely have seen you there. But you must be very tired.
Pitty you cannot have one quiet day's rest in the South, to have quietly enjoyed the sunshine & flowers. Life once back here is so awfully tiring & fidgety for you always, my poor treasure. I want the weather to get again warm & nice for yr. return & Baby's foot.
He is very careful with it I think on purpose.
This morning he is out driving with Mr. Gibbs. —
I had hoped to go to our hospital to sit a bit there but the heart is again a little enlarged, so have to remain at home. —
Our Friend was not long at Anias yesterday, but very dear. Asked lots about you. — To-day receive three officers returning to the war, yr. Kobilin too, & then Danini & two others, whom I sent to Evpatoria to choose a sanatorium. We have taken one for a year — the money you gave me covers the expenses. There are mud, sea, sun, sandbaths there, a Zanderroom, electricity, watercures, garden & plage close by — 170 people, & in winter 75 — its splendid.
Duvan, who has built a theatre, streets etc. there, I am going to ask to be the Burser, Kniazhevitch thinks he may help materially then too. — Xenia has returned one says. —
How glad you will be to see your plastuni to-day. —
Well, my treasure, I must say goodbye now. —
God bless & protect you — I kiss you over & over again with tenderness, & remain yr. ever fondly loving old
Wify.
How is Fred. I wonder!
Bow to him & N. P.
Nicholas's telegram:
Telegram. Sevastopol. 17 April, 1915.
Best thanks for dear letter and telegram. This morning I heard of a sad disaster connected with an explosion. The weather to-day is beautiful, but not hot. Drove round the ships and went on board some of them. Visited the hospital ship. Now I am going to inspect my plastouni on the platform in front of the train. To-morrow all the others are to be inspected...
Nicholas's letter:
Sevastopol. 17 April, 1915.
MY BELOVED SUNNY,
I thank you with all my heart for your dear letters, which have brought me such joy and consolation in what is, when all is said, my solitude. Although this time, no matter where I went, I was surrounded by members of the family in Galicia, at Odessa and here. This will probably be my last letter. My trip to Kamenetz-Podolsk has given me immense pleasure. The town is very pretty, and I have simply lost my head over the Trans-Amur men and your delightful Crimeans. The first, who have only recently arrived — from Kharbin, look magnificent. They are well equipped and smart, like Guard regiments. The Tartars have rested, and all smiled broadly as I was passing along them. I was not surprised that they had few officers.
The following day Odessa was full of enthusiasm. Perfect order was observed in the streets. Our splendid fellows of the Gvard. Equip. were more impressive than ever before — the whole lot of them are magnificent men. I had to address a few warm words to them, and to reward about twenty men with decorations. By the side of them stood the new Caucasian Regiment, which I had not seen in Kars — the 9th Caucasian Rifle Regiment; at that time they were fighting the Turks, and lost approximately 600 men and 14 officers. But now their numbers are made up again. In addition to them, the 53rd and 54th Don Regiments were at the inspection. The 53rd was at the Stavka last year. The next day it suddenly became intensely cold in Nikolaievo. It would take too long to describe all that I saw there — it was wonderfully interesting, and fine to see what our nation is capable of — how it approaches matters in a serious spirit: three dreadnoughts, four cruisers, nine destroyers, and a vast number of large submarines, engines, turbines and shells [shrapnels] without number.
I was so pleased yesterday to find the fleet here. After dinner I played about on the quay with my 6th Battalion of Plaskuni, and to-morrow I am arranging to inspect them all in their camp.
I like this place. God bless you, my precious Wify, and the children. I kiss you lovingly.
Ever your hubby
Nicky.
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.
Above: Alexei.
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Above: Grigori Rasputin.
Notes: Alexandra always referred to Grigori Rasputin as "our Friend".
plage = beach.
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