Alexandra's letter to Nicholas, dated April 18, 1915, and Nicholas's telegram and short letter, dated April 19, 1915

Sources:

Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000011396573&view=1up&seq=128&skin=2021

https://www.alexanderpalace.org/letters/april15.html

The letter:

No. 70.

Tsarskoje Selo, April 18-th 1915

My own sweet precious One,

A grey, cold, damp morning — the barometer must have fallen, feel such a pressure on my chest. — Yesterday evening Hagentorn took off Ania's gypsum from round her stomach, so that she is enchanted, can sit straight, & back no longer aches. Then she managed to lift her left foot, for the first time since 3 months, wh. shows that the bone is growing together. The flebitis in the other leg is very strong — so massage cannot be done on either leg, wh. is a pitty. She lies on the sopha & looks less of an invalid; she comes to me, as I remain at home on account of my heart. —

This morning I receive Mekk — he will, entre autre, tell me about Lvov, where he saw you in Church. My little flying stores trains have hard & useful work in the Carpathans, & our mules carry the things in the mountains — hard fighting, ones heart aches, — & in the North too again. — There, the kind sun is peeping out. Yr. little plant stands on the piano & I like looking at it — reminds me of the Rosenau 21 years ago!!

Our Friend says if it gets more known that that catastrophy happened from an attempt to set fire, the hatred towards Germany will be great. —

(Hang those aeroplans in the Carpathans now too?) I am going to send money to the poorest families & Images to the wounded. —

Olga wrote you the details; & I suppose others do officially, so I wont say any more. —

My temp. rose to 37.3 in the evening & this morning 37; heart just now not enlarged. — Shall finish this in the afternoon, Xenia & Irina lunch with us, — & perhaps I may find something more interesting to tell you by then.

Well, now they have gone. Irina looked pretty, only much too thin. — It seems there was a fire in Ania's house, the little blind woman's candle fell down & things took fire, so the floor in the back room burned a little & two boxes with books, Ania got a nice fright — bad luck always. —

Now goodbye & God bless you — soon, soon I shall have you back, what joy!! 1000 fond kisses.

Ever yr. old

Wify.

Nicholas's telegram:

Telegram. Likhachevo South. 19 April, 1915.

Sincerest thanks for letter No. 301. I thank also all the children. Divine weather. Yesterday I went half-way to Yalta; saw the big landslide. It is much cooler there. The old man is well, sends his thanks. We stopped in Borki. I embrace you tenderly. How is her leg?

Nicky.

Nicholas's letter:

Sajnoe. 19 April, 1915.

MY LOVIE,

These photographs were taken in Sevastopol, when I was playing about with my plastouni. You will return them to me, will you not? when I come back. The heat in the train is terrible — 22 degrees.

I love you immensely and kiss you.

Your Nicky.

Above: Nicholas and Alexandra. Photo courtesy of Ilya Chishko at lastromanovs on VK.

Above: Anna Vyrubova.

Above: Grigori Rasputin.

Above: Olga Alexandrovna.

Above: Xenia.

Above: Irina.

Note: entre autre = among others.

Alexandra always referred to Grigori Rasputin as "our Friend".