Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [82]
A charming lady-in-waiting, Nastenka Gendrikova was devoted to the empress. Only a few months later, when they were deciding who was to accompany the family into exile, Nastenka would be among the first to answer the call.
He: “9 September, 1916. Headquarters.… It seems to me that this Protopopov is a good man.… Rodzianko has for a long time suggested him for the post of Minister of Trade.… I must consider the question, as it has taken me completely by surprise. Our Friend’s opinions of people are sometimes very strange, as you know yourself—therefore one must be careful, especially with appointments to high offices.… This must be thought out very carefully.… All these changes make my head go round. In my opinion, they are too frequent. In any case, they are not good for the internal situation of the country, as each new man brings with him alterations in the administration. I am very sorry that my letter has turned out to be so dull.”
This ministerial leapfrog continued throughout 1916—until the empire’s collapse. Goremykin, Sturmer, Trepov, and Golitsyn succeeded one another at the head of the government.
He was looking for a figure who could reconcile him and the Duma. He did not want to admit that finding such a figure was impossible. What he actually needed was not a new figure but a new principle: a ministry responsible to the Duma. That was what the Duma demanded, but he could not accede. It seemed like a return to the terrible year 1905. Alix was fervently opposed, as was their Friend (who ably echoed his mistress’s opinion, as always).
The figure of Alexander Protopopov seemed felicitous to Nicholas. Only recently Protopopov had emerged at the head of the Duma delegation and had enjoyed great success abroad, and Mikhail Rodzianko, Duma chairman, approved of him. It seemed a name had been found that would reconcile him and the Duma. But once the Duma found out that the tsaritsa and Rasputin approved of him, Protopopov’s fate was decided. He became detested by all.
Nicholas’s fury knew no bounds: he even banged his fist on the table: “Until I appointed him he was fine for them; now he is not because I appointed him.”
She: “Sept. 22nd 1916.… I scarcely slept at all this night—saw every hour, ½ hour … on the watch (don’t know why, as had spent a lovely, soothing evening).… We spoke [with Protopopov] for 1½ hour … very clever, coaxing, beautiful manners, speaks also very good French & English.… I spoke very frankly to him, how yr. orders are constantly not fulfilled, put aside, how difficult to believe people.… I am no longer the slightest bit shy or afraid of the ministers and speak like a waterfall in Russia!!! And they kindly don’t laugh at my faults. They see I am energetic & tell all to you I hear & see & that I am yr. wall in the rear … eyes & ears….
“Sept. 26th.… There—you will say—a big sheet, means she is going to chatter a lot again!—Well, Protopopov dined with A[nya]—she knows him already a year or two.… Protopopov has asked to see—wont you tell him to let Sukhomlinov out.… Protopopov quite agrees with the way our Fr[iend] looks upon this question. He will tell of Justice, write this down to remember when you see him and also speak to him about Rubinstein to have him quietly sent to Siberia.… Prot[opopov] thinks it was Guchkov, who must have egged on the military to catch the man, hoping to find evidences against our Friend. Certainly he had ugly money affairs—but not he alone.”
In October 1916, Protopopov was called before a meeting of influential Duma members. A stenographic record was made of the meeting:
“ ‘We do not want to talk with you, a man who received his appointment through Rasputin and freed the traitor Sukhomlinov.’
“ ‘I am the personal candidate of the sovereign, whom I now have come to know better and to love,’ Protopopov responded, exaltedly. ‘All of you have titles, good positions, connections, but I began my career as a modest student giving lessons for fifty kopeks, I have nothing besides the personal support of