Sources:
Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923
The letter:
No. 127.
Tsarskoje Selo, Sept. 19-th 1915
My own sweet Darling,
To-day its four weeks you left us, it was a Saturday evening — Aug. 22-nd. Thank God we may hope to see you soon back again, in our midst — oh what a joy that will be!
Grey & rainy again. —
Thanks for having at once answered me about Yussupov, I directly telegraphed it on to Ella, it will quieten her. —
I am glad Vorontzov's escorts were so nice. How will it all be there now — that nest collecting again together — & Stana has taken there Krupensky's wife as her lady — her husband did the most harm in the talking set at the old Headquarters — & is not a good man. One must have an eye on their behaviour the whole time, they are a dangerous foe now — & as not being good people, our Friend ends your telegr.: "In the Caucasus there is little sunshine". — It hurts one that he should have changed so, but those women turn their husbands round their fingers. —
I see Ducky has been to Minsk to visit hospitals & refugees! Boris is coming to tea. — I placed my candles at Znamenia & prayed so earnestly for my Love. Then I went to our hospital & sat knitting in the different wards — I take my work so as to keep from being in the dressing station, wh. always draws me there. I only did one officer. — In the morning I finished Rost. papers, wh. I could not get done with before, tho' I read till 2 in the night in bed. —
I saw Dr. Pantiukhin fr. Livadia & we spoke about all the hospitals, sanatoriums wh. he hopes can begin their work in Jan., it will be a great boon when they are ready. —
We drove to Pavlovsk, mild, fr. time to time rained. —
Boris told me about his new nomination, wh. has overjoyed him I think, as he will have a lot to do — then I had Isa with papers. At 7 I shall go to Church with Baby. Grabbe wrote to his wife that the ministers' sitting had been stormy & that they wont do as you bid, but that you had been very energetic, a real Tsar — & I was so proud when Ania told me this — ah Lovy, do you feel yr. own strength & wisdom now, that you are yr. own master & will be energetic, decisive & not let yourself be imposed upon by others. — I liked the way Boris spoke of you & the great change in the Headquarters, & how one always gets news there now from all sides, & how cheerful you are.
God be blessed — our Friend was right. — I had a wire fr. my Vesselovsky, that he is ill & had to go from the regiment to look after his health. — Perhaps you are in Church at the same time as we are, that will be a nice feeling. — My supply train No. 1 is at Rovno & fr. there goes out & with a motor column, wh. a Prince Abamelek (fr. Odessa) formed & gave me (he is with it) they take things linnen etc. along the whole front — & they continued without harm under heavy firing — I am so glad Mekk wired fr. Vinnitsa where my big store is. — Varnava has left for Tobolsk, our Friend said we were to send him back. The old man said he was no more to show himself at the Synod. One anounces Samarin's return fr. th. Headquarters & that he at once began the work about Varnava & that he must be dismissed. Please forbid this if it is true & should reach you. — I must end now & dress for Church. Every evening fr. 9-9½ Marie, Baby, I and either Mr. Gilliard or Vladimir Nikolaievitch play "Tishe Yedesh, Dalshe Budesh." — Dinner is very cosy in the middle of the playroom. — Goodnight my beloved One, God bless and protect you guard & guide you & I cover you with kisses
Ever, Nicky, mine yr. very own loving
Wify.
I see the French people Monday at 4½, as they lunch at Elagin. Its such scandle — no flower to be had in town nor here — people stand in long files in the streets before the shops.
Abominably organised, Obolensky is an idiot — one must foresee the things — not wait till they happen. —
Nicholas's telegram:
Telegram. Stavka. 18 September, 1915.
I have immediately ordered the old man to find out about old Felix. I think it is a misunderstanding. The French General D'Amade and two officers are here, sent by Joffre. Tomorrow they are leaving for town. They will ask to be received by you; please see them. Good-night. I kiss You fondly.
NICKY.
Nicholas's letter:
Mogilev. 18 September, 1915.
PRECIOUS BELOVED SUNNY,
Your dear letters move me so deeply that I am quite in despair at being unable to answer in the same manner. I give you, perhaps, only a tenth part of what you give to me by your loving lines.
I find that, the longer our separation lasts, the deeper and firmer become the ties which bind us. A month is much. It is strange how accurately our Friend foresaw the length of time during which I was to be absent: "Thou wilt spend a month there, and then wilt thou return." Now when I leave, our Cossacks (the escort) will, of course, remain here; the other half is stationed at Tsarskoe; so Grabbe has asked me to put the barracks at your disposal — the new ones — for your wounded, till the end of the war. He came and asked me to write to you about it, knowing that this will give you pleasure.
I have just received your last dear letter of the 17th, in which you speak of the good impression which young Khvostov made on you. I was sure of it, knowing him of old, when he was Governor of Vologda, and later in Nijni. And in order not to lose time, I shall see him immediately on the day of my return, at 6 o'clock. Perhaps the elder Khvostov will do for S.'s place.
The day after our conference he asked permission to see me, and came in trembling with indignation against the others. He wanted to know whether I wished to keep him. I naturally said that I wished to do so — but now he will occupy another post. I did not tell him this, as I did not know it myself then.
19 September
It is true that the old man mentioned Kryjanov, but I rejected him. Krasheninnikov is an excellent, energetic man, and will be all right in the capacity of Minister of Justice. These are the chief questions, which I consequently hasten to answer. And now I must finish. God bless you, my precious, beloved little Birdie! Passionately and tenderly I kiss you and the children! Thank A. for her letter.
Always your old hubby
NICKY.
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev on Flickr.
Above: Ella.
Above: Alexei.
Above: Grigori Rasputin.
Above: Maria.
Notes: Alexandra almost always referred to Grigori Rasputin as "our Friend".
Tishe Yedesh, Dalshe Budesh (Тише Едешь, Дальше Будеш) = The quieter you go, the further you'll be.
No comments:
Post a Comment