Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [92]
He was hoping that the measles would put a damper on her temperament and she would cease getting so fired up about affairs and putting such steady pressure on him.
“… You write I should be a firm master—that is quite true. Rest assured I have not forgotten, but it is not at all necessary to snap at people right and left each minute. Often a calm, sharp comment or reply is quite enough to show whoever it is his place.”
She: “Feb. 24th. Strikes now in Petrograd—80,000 workers have struck, lines of the hungry have formed outside the bakeries. Not enough bread in town.”
He: “Headquarters. 24 February.… I am sending you and Alexei Orders from the King and Queen of the Belgians in memory of the war.… He will be so pleased with a new little cross!”
She: “Feb. 24nd. My precious one.… There were riots yesterday, on Vasilievsky Island and Nevsky Prospect because some poor people stoned a bakery, tearing Filippov’s bakery to pieces & the Cossacks were called in. I learned all unofficially.… At 10 went to see Ania (she probably has measles too).… Am going from room to room, from sick bed to sick bed.… Went out for a minute to light candles for everyone.”
He: “Headquarters. 24 February.… And so we have now three children and Anya ill with measles!… Moreover, the rooms in Tsarskoe must be disinfected, and most likely you will not want to go to Peterhof—where can we live then? We shall think this out in peace on my return home, which I hope will be soon! My brain is resting here—no Ministers, no troublesome questions demanding thought, I consider that this is good for me, but only for my brain. My heart is suffering from the separation.”
In Petrograd, on the morning of February 25, 1917, Duma Chairman Rodzianko went to see Prime Minister Golitsyn and demand his resignation. The offended Golitsyn showed him the decree disbanding the Duma, which the tsar had signed beforehand. Golitsyn could use it at any time.
Both Golitsyn and Rodzianko realized, however, that the Duma would not obey, for the government’s power no longer existed.
On Znamenskaya Square crowds had already gathered, shouting, “Long live the republic.” Cossacks had driven out the police. The crowd was fraternizing with the troops.
She: “Feb. 25th. My precious, beloved treasure, The city’s strikes and riots are more than provoking … its a movement of hooligans, boys and girls running around shouting about no bread—just to stir up excitement—as are the workers preventing others from working. If the days were very cold, they would probably all be sitting home, but all this will pass & calm down, if only the Duma behaves.… I had a feeling when you were leaving things would go badly.… Write me a greeting for Ania—it would be nice for her.… Forgive this gloomy letter, but all round are so many tiresome requests.”
Only on the evening of the twenty-fifth did Nicholas learn about the riots that had been going on in the city for three days.
On the twenty-sixth he received a telegram from the war minister: the soldiers were refusing to fire on the rioters and were going over to the insurrectionists.
Nicholas sent a telegram to Khabalov, commander of the Petersburg Military District, ordering him to put an immediate halt to the riots.
Nicholas’s diary:
“26 February. Sunday.… Mass at 10. Report ended promptly.… Wrote Alix and walked down the Bobruisky Road to the chapel. The day was clear and frosty.… In the evening played dominoes.”
Everyone remarked on his strange indifference at that terrible time.
She: “Febr. 26th.… What joy to receive your letter, covered it with kisses and will kiss it often.… Much talk about the riots in town (I think more than 200,000 people …), but I already wrote this yesterday, forgive me, I am silly. A coupon simply must be brought in for bread (as it is now in every country; after