Sources:
Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923
The letter:
No. 117.
Tsarskoje Selo, Sept. 9-th 1915
My very own Sweet One,
At last a sunny morning & "of course we go to town", as Olga says; but I must go to hospitals, there is nothing to be done. Yesterday we went to the Invalid-hospital, I spoke to 120 men 1½, & the rest en gros as they stood in one room, — why I told you all this yesterday, I am quite foolish. Thank God the news is a bit better, I find, to the north, i. e. Vilna-Dvinsk, You said we left Vilna the other night, but they have not yet entered, have they? Am eagerly awaiting your promised letter to-day, such a joy always. —
There! I have got your precious letter & I thank you for it from the depths of my heart, I hold it in my left hand & kiss it, Sweetheart. Wont Mme Plautin be mad with joy to have news that her sons are safe, thanks so much for enquiring. What a lovely telegr. from our Friend. —
Thats good you use Kirill now after Georgie, so that each goes in turn, only don't send Dmitri, he is too young & it makes him conceited — wish you would send him off! — Only don't say its I who ask this. — Well, you have a lot to do. You had a better impression of Stcherbatov, but he is not good, I fear at all, so weak and wont work properly with the old man. Well look what they spoke about at Moscou, again those questions, wh. they had come to the conclusion to drop, & asking for an answerable minister wh. is quite impossible, even Kulomzin sees this clearly — did they really have the impertinence of sending you the intended telegram? How they all need to feel an iron will & hand — it has been a reign of gentleness & now must be the one of power & firmness — you are the Lord & Master in Russia & God Almighty placed you there & they shall bow down before your wisdom & firmness, enough of kindness, wh. they were not worthy of & thought they could hoist you round their finger. What they said at Moscow was printed yesterday — I saw poor Varnava to-day my dear, its abominable how Samarin behaved to him in the hotel & then in the Synod — such cross-examination as is unheard of & spoke so meanly about Gregory using vile words in speaking of Him. He makes the Gov. watch all their telegrams & send them to him — vicious about the salutation that you have no right to allow such a thing — upon wh. Varnava answered him soundly & said that you were the chief protector of the Church, & Samarin impertinently said you were its servant. Colossal insolence & more than ungentlemanlike — lolling back in his chair with crossed legs crossexamining a Bishop about our Friend. When Peter the Great of his own accord also ordered a "salutation", it was at once done, in the place & round about. After the salutation, the funeral services cease (as when we were at Sarov, the salutation & glorification, were done together) — & they have reordered funeral services & said they would not heed what you said. Lovy, you must be firm & give the strict order to the Synod that you insist upon your order being fulfilled & the salutation is to continue — more than ever one needs those prayers now. They ought to know that you are most displeased with them. And please do not allow Varnava to be sent away, he stood up splendidly for us & Gregory & showed them how they on purpose go against us in all this. Old Goremykin was more than hurt & horrified & beyond words shocked, wenn he heard that the Gov. (whom Dzhunkovsky had made change his opinion & instigated) said to Varnava that I was a crazy woman & Ania a nasty woman etc. — how can he remain after that? You cannot allow such things. These are the devil's last trials to make a mess everywhere & he shant succeed. Samarin said highest praise of Feofan & Hermogen, & wants to put the latter in Varnava's place. You see the rotten game of theirs. Some while ago I begged you to change the Gov. he spies upon them, every step Varnava took at Pokrosvk and what our Fr. does & what telegrams are written, thats Dzhunkovsky's work & Samarin's excited on through Nikolasha by the black women. — Agafangel spoke so badly (fr. Yaroslavl) — he ought to be sent away on the retiring list & replaced by Sergei F. who must leave & get out of the Synod — Nikon ought to be cleaned out of the Council of the Empire, where he is a member & also out of the Synod, he has besides the sin of Mt. Athos on his soul. This Suslik rightly all said, so as to give the Synod a good lesson & strong reprimand for their behaviour, therefore quickly change Samarin. Every day he remains, he is dangerous & does mischief, old man is of the same opinion, it is not woman's stupidity — therefore I cried so awfully when I heard they had forced you to name him at the Headquarters & I wrote to you in my misery, knowing Nikolasha proposed him because he was my enemy & Gregory's & through that yours. —
In conversation Metropolitan Vladimir said (they have made him mad too), when Varnava said that Samarin was breaking his neck by behaving thus, & that he is not Over-Procurator yet. "The Emperor is no boy and ought to know what he is doing" & "that you earnestly begged Samarin to accept" (I told Goremykin then that it was wrong) — well let them see & feel that you are not a boy & who calumniates people you respect & insults them — insults you, that they dare not call a Bishop to account for knowing Gregory — I cant repeat to you all the names they gave our Friend. Pardon my boring you again with all this, but its to show you, that you must quickly change Samarin. — I shall have to suffer for it if he remains, as I shall get it onto my head, you heard what the Governor said, & here one is not kindly intentioned towards me in some sets & its not the time to drag ones Sovereign or his wife down. Only be firm (he begged not to remain long, you remember) & don't put him into the Council of the Empire as a bonbons after he behaved & spoke openly like that about whom we receive & such a tone about you & yr. wishes — that cannot be borne, you have not the right to overlook it. These are the last fights for yr. internal Victory, show them yr. mastery.
Remember, in 6 days he kicked out old Damansky (because of Gregory) & gave 60.000 for his successor to arrange the appartments — hideous actions.
I invented to-day the aid to the new one — Prince Zhivakha you remember him, quite young, knows all about the Church questions, most loyal & religious (Bari-Bielgorod) don't you agree?
Clean out all, give Goremykin new ministers to work with & God will bless you & their work.
Please Lovebird, and quickly, I wrote to him to give a list, as you asked but he begged you to think of Sazonov's successor & Stcherbatov he is far too weak, tho' you liked him better this time. I am sure Voyeikov (his bosom friend) told him how to be — dont listen to Voyeikov, he has been wrong all this heavy time & a bad adviser. — it will pass, he is conceited & got a fright for his own skin. — Oh dear, humanity!
My Image of yesterday, of 1911 with the bell has indeed helped me to "feel" the people — at first I did not pay enough attention, did not trust to my opinion, but now I see the Image & our Friend have helped me grasp people quickly. And the bell would ring if they came with bad intentions & wld. keep them fr. approaching me — there, Orlov, Dshunkovsky, Drenteln who have that "strange" fright of me are those to have a special eye upon.
And you my love, try to heed what I say, its not my wisdom, but a certain instinct given by God beyond myself so as to be your help. —
Precious one, I send you the paper one of our wounded wrote by my request, as I was afraid of giving over the wish wrongly — It wld. be good if the regiment could get that bit of ground for building a mausoleum for their fallen officers. —
Perhaps you would tell Fred. to give the order from you to Stcherbatov you have not the time for doing all yourself. — The little Image is fr. Ania she went to the Chapel today whilst we were visiting hospitals, both under my protection. The one for 60 officers on the Horse. Guards Boulevard, very nice indeed & then to the Vyborg suburb between the prisons (a new hospital for the prisoners) wh. was now at once used for 130 men. — so nice & clean — several Semenovtsi fr. Kholm & rifles etc. & one who had been for a year in Germany. The pavement was atrocious. You see I choose the smart & quite poor places to turn up in — they shall see that I don't care what one says & shall go about as always. Now that I am feeling better, I can do it. — Such sunny weather. From Znamenia I went in my Droshki round the Boulevard to the hospital to get good air in the morning. — Is there a chance of your coming now? — I was thinking about Novgorod (don't tell Voyeikov) & Ressin is making inquiries. By boat, or motor even fr. the broad railway too far, 60 Verst — so one must get into the narrow gauged waggon. Sleeping here in the train — reaching there in the morning, lunching there etc. back by 10½ in the evening — because must look at the Cathedral. The new soldiers are there & that makes me doubt whether I ought not rather await yr. return. If so, wire to me, "wait about Novgorod" & I shall then. — Our Friend wants me to go about more, but where to? —
Did you copy out his telegr. for yourself on the extra sheet? If not, here it is again:
"Sept. 7, 1915. Do not fall when in trouble God will glorify by his appearance." — Olga has a committee this evening. — Alexei's train (Schulenburg) sticks at Opukliki since 4 days, was stopped there until called to Polotzk; he asked the Comm. of Polotzk by wire, but received no answer yet — are we cut off from there? —
My train returned, said there were lots of sanitaries waiting out there without being able to move, I hope it means that our troops are being brought up there? Then masses of women were brought to work near the lakes, but not told for how long, so that they had no time to take warm clothes, got wages per day for the journey, 30 Kopeeks & the journey lasted 5 days — are the Governors mad. Never any order here, it drives me to distraction — that lesson we ought to learn fr. the Germans.
Sister Olga's train is bringing many wounded officers & men & 90 refugees. I told them always to pick them up on the way. —
Dear me, what a lot one might do — I long to poke my nose into everything (Ella does it with success) — to wake up people, put order into all & unite all forces. All goes by fits & starts — so irregular — so very little energy (my despair, as have enough, no matter if I feel ill even, wh. thank God I don't just now) — am wise & don't do too much. — Now the endless letter must be finished. Do I write too much? Courage — energy — firmness will be rewarded by success, you remember what He said, that the glory of yr. reign is coming & we shall fight for it together, as it means the glory of Russia — you & Russia are one. —
Beloved one, yes, my bed is much softer than yr. camp-bed — how I wish you were here to share it. Only when you are away I dream. 2 weeks & ½ since you left. I bless you & cover you with kisses, my Angel, & press you to my heart. God be with you.
For ever yr. very own old
Sunny.
Nicholas's telegram:
Telegram. Stavka. 9 September, 1915.
I thank you heartily, my love, Tatiana and the Little One. I hope that you are not tiring yourself out. Misha has asked for permission to come here. I shall be very glad to see him in the near future. The news is a trifle better. God grant that in a few days it may be really comforting. The weather is cold, clearer. ...
Nicholas's letter:
Mogilev. 9 September, 1915.
MY OWN DEAR, BELOVED SUNNY,
I thank you, I thank you for your dear, long letters, which now come more regularly — about 9.30 in the evening. You write just as you speak. The behaviour of some of the Ministers continues to amaze me! After all that I told them at that famous evening sitting, I thought they understood both me and the fact that I was seriously explaining precisely what I thought. What matter? — so much the worse for them! They were afraid to close the Duma — it was done! I came away here and replaced N., in spite of their advice; the people accepted this move as a natural thing and understood it, as we did. The proof-numbers of telegrams which I receive from all sides, with the most touching expressions. All this shows me clearly one thing: that the Ministers, always living in town, know terribly little of what is happening in the country as a whole. Here I can judge correctly the real mood among the various classes of the people: everything must be done to bring the war to a victorious ending, and no doubts are expressed on that score. I was told this officially by all the deputations which I received some days ago, and so it is all over Russia. Petrograd and Moscow constitute the only exceptions — two minute points on the map of the fatherland!
MY OWN DEAR, BELOVED SUNNY,
I thank you, I thank you for your dear, long letters, which now come more regularly — about 9.30 in the evening. You write just as you speak. The behaviour of some of the Ministers continues to amaze me! After all that I told them at that famous evening sitting, I thought they understood both me and the fact that I was seriously explaining precisely what I thought. What matter? — so much the worse for them! They were afraid to close the Duma — it was done! I came away here and replaced N., in spite of their advice; the people accepted this move as a natural thing and understood it, as we did. The proof-numbers of telegrams which I receive from all sides, with the most touching expressions. All this shows me clearly one thing: that the Ministers, always living in town, know terribly little of what is happening in the country as a whole. Here I can judge correctly the real mood among the various classes of the people: everything must be done to bring the war to a victorious ending, and no doubts are expressed on that score. I was told this officially by all the deputations which I received some days ago, and so it is all over Russia. Petrograd and Moscow constitute the only exceptions — two minute points on the map of the fatherland!
The charming Shavelsky has returned from his journey to the 2nd Corps at Dvinsk and from the 3rd behind Riga. He communicated a great many consoling things to me — naturally sad ones too — but a brave spirit pervades all. I hear the same thing from George, Mordvinov and the fat Kakhovsky, who accompanied him. They are still waiting here for the first opportunity of going to other troops in the North. Misha inquired by telegraph whether he might come towards the end of the week; I shall be very glad to see him here.
Well, my precious little bird, I must finish. God bless you and the children! I love you so much and pray for you fervently every day. I am sending our Friend's telegram — his son is taken, then. I bless and kiss you ardently.
Always your
NICKY.
Above: Alexandra. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev at lastromanovs on VK.
Above: Nicholas. Photo courtesy of Ilya Grigoryev at lastromanovs on VK.
Above: Grigori Rasputin.
Note: Nicholas and Alexandra often referred to Grigori Rasputin as "our Friend".
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