Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [72]
From the letter of Konstantin Sheboldaev, a pensioner who had worked for the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
“When I arrived in Sverdlovsk I was shown the Ipatiev house. At that time it was already a special attraction, for the select—visit the house where the tsar’s family was shot. By the way, near the fence they showed me the place where he had his trapeze. When he arrived he immediately hung it and began swinging. His feet went high over the fence. At that moment they immediately decided to put up a double fence.”
She: “No. 19.… Nov. 20th 1914. There is a belated gnat flying around my head whilst I am writing to you.… Dearest Beloved—I kiss yr. cushion morn and evening and bless it and long for its treasured master.… It’s quite mild weather. Baby is going in his motor and then Olga … will take him to the big palace to see the officers who are impatient for him. I am too tired to go and we have at 5¼ an amputation … in the big hospital.… My nose is full of hideous smells from those blood-poisoning wounds.”
“HOW CLOSE DEATH IS ALWAYS”
General Samsonov’s army perished in the swamps. The terrible defeats and losses were cooling popular enthusiasm. The wounded, the refugees, the sweat, blood, and dirt. All Europe was heaped in this.
She: “Nov. 24th 1914.… The news from out there make one so anxious—I don’t listen to the gossip of town which makes one otherwise quite serious, but only believe what Nicolasha lets know. Nevertheless I begged A[nya] to wire to our Friend that things are very serious and we beg for his prayers….
“Nov. 25th 1914.… In great haste a few lines. We were occupied all morning—during an operation a soldier died—it was too sad—the first such time it had happened to the Princess … the girlies were brave—they and Ania had never seen a death.… It made us all so sad as you can imagine—how near death always is.”
At that time he was on his way to the Caucasus via the larger Cossack villages.
He: “25 November, 1914, in the train. My beloved, darling Sunny!… We [he had taken with him on his journey Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin, his aide-de-camp and one of the closest members of his retinue] are passing through picturesque country which is new to me, with beautiful high mountains on one side and steppes on the other.… I sat for a long time at the open door of the carriage and breathed in the warm fresh air with delight. At each station the platforms are crowded with people, especially children … they are charming with their tiny papakha [fur caps] on their heads.… The train is jolting terribly, so you must excuse my writing. After the hospitals I looked in for a minute at the Kouban Girls’ Institute and at a large orphanage dating from the last war, all of them Cossack girls.… They look well and unconstrained, here and there a pretty face.… This country of the Cossacks is magnificent and rich; a large number of orchards. They are beginning to be wealthy, above all they have an inconceivably high number of small infants. All future subjects. This all fills me with joy and faith in God’s mercy; I must look forward in peace and confidence to what lies in store for Russia.”
She: “Nov. 28th 1914. My very own precious One! [I am] glad you two sinners had pretty faces to look at—I see more other parts of the body, less ideal ones!!”
Again he returned and left.
She: “Dec. 14th 1914.… Sunbeam [Alexei] has just gone out in the donkey sledge—he kisses you—he can put the foot down.… How horrid it was saying goodbye to you in Moscou, seeing you stand there amongst heaps of people.… I had to bow and look at them too and smile and could not keep my eyes fixed on you as should have wished to….
“Dec. 15th 1914. My beloved Darling,… and now Botkin got the news from the regiment that his son was killed as he could not surrender—a German officer, prisoner told the news; poor man is quite broken down.… My heart is still enlarged and aches, as does my head.… I press you to my heart and kiss you over and over again.”
Evgeny Sergeyevich Botkin was the son of the very famous Sergei Botkin, physician to Alexander II and Alexander