Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [152]
They were led across the paved courtyard to the house. In the entry, a carved wooden staircase ascended to the second floor.
Standing by the stairs, Beloborodov made a formal announcement: “By decision of the Central Executive Committee, the former tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family are transferred to the conduct of the Ural Soviet and shall henceforth be located in Ekaterinburg with the status of prisoners. Until their trial. Comrade Avdeyev has been appointed house commandant, and all requests and complaints shall be made to the Ural Executive Committee through the commandant.”
After which both Ural leaders, Goloshchekin and Beloborodov, went off in a car and the family was invited to tour their new quarters in the company of the commandant and Ditkovsky.
Nicholas’s diary:
“Little by little our people arrived, as well as our things, but they would not let Valya in.”
Yes, their things arrived, and along with them Botkin and their people.
But not Dolgorukov. Poor Valya was taken away somewhere directly from the station. Somewhere….
Subsequently a rumor spread that two guns and many thousands in cash had been found on Prince Dolgorukov. This was reported in Tobolsk by the returning riflemen of the old guard. Why would Dolgorukov have had two guns? One way or another, Nicholas would not see Valya again; the prince had disappeared for good.
M. Medvedev (the son of a Chekist who participated in the execution of the tsar’s family) told the story to me:
“Dolgorukov was shot by the young Chekist Grigory Nikulin. Nikulin said so himself. I don’t remember the details anymore, I remember he took Dolgorukov out with his suitcases into a field.”
“You mean this was immediately after the train? If there were suitcases?”
“I just don’t remember. I only remember there was snow, and after the execution Nikulin himself had to carry Dolgorukov’s suitcases across a snowy field. The snow was deep and he cursed all the way.”
Thus perished this charmer, the gallant cavalier at the brilliant Winter Palace balls.
Nicholas’s diary:
“The house is fine, clean. We have been assigned 4 rooms: a corner bedroom, a lavatory, next door a dining room with windows onto a little garden and a view of a low-lying part of town, and finally, a spacious hall with arches in place of doors.
“We arranged ourselves in the following manner: Alix, Marie, and I together in the bedroom. A shared lavatory. Demidova in the dining room, and in the hall—Botkin, Chemodurov, and Sednev. In order to get to the washroom and water closet one must go past the sentry. A very high wooden fence has been built around the house 2 sazhens [14 feet] from the windows: a chain of sentries has been posted there and in the little garden too.”
Here the drama’s last act would unfold. The dynasty’s finale.
THE FINALE SET
The tsar and tsaritsa would be staying in the spacious corner room with four windows. Two windows looked out on Ascension Avenue, but the high fence two sazhens from the windows closed off the view. Only the cross over the bell tower was visible from the rooms. The two other windows looked out onto Ascension Lane, which was a dead end. The room was very light, with pale yellow wallpaper covered by a free-form frieze of faded flowers.
A rug on the floor, a baize-covered table, a bronze lamp with a handmade lamp shade, a small card table, a bookcase between the windows where she would put her books. Two beds (Alexei would sleep on one of them when he was brought from Tobolsk), and a couch.
Her vanity and mirror with two electric lamps on the sides, on the table a jar of cold cream with the inscription “Court Pharmacy to His Excellency.”
How strange that inscription sounded already.
A washbasin on a cracked marble counter and an armoire, which now held all the clothing of the former tsar and tsaritsa.
Next to their room, with windows on Ascension Lane, was a large empty room. In it were a table, chairs, and a large pier glass. The four daughters would live in this room. They would come, in May, and until their camp beds were brought they would sleep on mattresses