The Diary of Olga Romanov (5 page)

Your always loyal and loving daughter—Olga Romanova.

22 September.

My dear golden Papa!

Thank you very very much for your telegram which made us all happy. I am so happy that the darling is with you.
³⁵
And so nice about our victory. Thank God. All the wounded came alive, and the little flags on the maps were moved forward, i.e. to the West. We three are sitting in Mama's lilac
[mauve] room and writing to you, while Mama is already in bed. She has a very bad headache. She regrets awfully that she cannot write to you. She kisses you affectionately and wishes you a good night.

Nastasia and I walked a bit today and went to the warehouse. There were about 6 ladies working [there], and Madame Sapozhnikova, [who is] incredibly fat, and most of the time [she] did everything wrong, so that Trina had to redo everything. At 6 o'clock Tatiana and I went to Anya's. Grigori and Zina were there, not Anya's but the one who comes to him often, very charming, and finally Princess Gedroitz. She decided not to give the lecture since Mama was not there, and [we] went to listen to Grigori. He poured tea for us and told us a lot of interesting things. He said that the strong rains helped us, and other good stuff. The weather is clear, but very cold—only 1 degree of warmth. “The Evening Flyer” [newspaper] just came. It says it came to the active army. Could that be true? A. I don't know why I wrote this letter [“A”].

Well, goodbye, sunny-Papa. Sleep well and dream of many good things. Forgive me for my silly letter. May God keep you. I love you very much and kiss you. I am with you with my entire soul.
Always Your daughter
Elisavetgradetz
³⁶
Big regards [from] A.A.

—

Saturday, September 27th.

Had tea at Irina's
³⁷
then stopped by at Grandma's and Aunt Ksenia's. After 7 o'clock got home—[it is] very cold.

Monday, October 13th.

Breakfast and dinner with Gavril, and later we 2 changed dressings again until 3:30. Thank God, the news is good, a lot of weapons and still advancing.

—

Letter from Olga to Nicholas II:

21 October.

My Golden Papa!

You left and it feels so empty; but we did not stay home a lot. Until 5.30 we were at our infirmary. From 2 o'clock changed the dressings in the Grand House [Catherine Palace infirmary], then sat with our officers. [I] gave your regards to Iedegarov, and he was frightfully happy, and asked me several times how you said this, and was awfully happy. He says that today he is the happiest man on earth. We rode to the lower church of the Grand infirmary (the palace one). On Sunday we will have the good fortune to be present at its consecration. The style is Ancient Byzantium, very pretty and white.

At 6 o'clock 2 officers from the Red Cross and 1 from Krat, 93rd regiment, came to say goodbye to Mama. They are returning to their regiments. After that we went to Marie's and Nastasia's infirmary. They have a lot of seriously wounded, one poor chap died last night, another is dying and is in a coma.

And over there is a brave dragoon of the 16th Tver regiment—he has a broken arm, he is cheerful and tells [stories] charmingly. He himself is a Don Cossack. He was sent somewhere with a report, and he alone encountered 30 of the enemy, he got surrounded of course, but he was so excellent with his rapier that he was able to break through and flee. They chased him of course, but he says that no one can catch up to a Russian horse. So there it is. Right now we are going
to eat dinner, later I will host a fun committee meeting, but for now I will end.

Continuing on the morning of the 22nd. Today it is overcast, but not very cold. I am rushing to finish this as there is someone waiting. We just came back from Petrograd where we collected charity. Reviewed our 2 trains of Madam Sukhmlinova's and…[illegible]…They are set up pretty well. Huge dressings change room. They are leaving in 2 days. Well, goodbye, Papa darling my dear.

May the Lord be with you. I love you so affectionately, a kiss and regards to Nikolai Pavlovich.
³⁸
Your loyal Elizavetgradetz.

—

Wednesday, October 22nd.

Tea, dinner, breakfast with Mama. Overcast. Papa arrived in Minsk. Again with his departure victories began, thank the Lord.

—

Letters from Olga to Nicholas II:

23 October.

Sunny-Papa!

What a great happiness our victories are. All our wounded [patients] came alive, and Your darling Nizhegorodtzi
³⁹
Iedegarov and Chakhava are eager to return. Especially the latter, he does not care where he goes, as long as he can chop someone up. Our trip to Luga was rather successful. We left at 1:30 o'clock during the day and arrived there in 2 hours and 5 minutes. Mama and I sat in the coach with two horses. We rode for a long time and finally ended up in Svetelka.
Tolstaya and V. P. Schneider almost fainted when they saw Mama, and kept cackling with joy…I think I [just] wrote a bunch of silliness but the sisters are annoying me with their endless chatter. And now Aleksei came in, in his blue robe, to say goodbye to Mama. He sat down on the floor and is eating dark crackers, he kisses you. Mama is reading agency telegrams to us, the rest of them are knitting, while I am writing. We are having sunny weather, but cool. Not a lot of snow. Well, goodbye, my golden beloved Papa. May the Lord be with you. I kiss you very very affectionately and please send regards to Nikolai Pavlovich. How is he?
Your loyal Elisavetgradetz.

26 October.

My golden Papa!

I feel so badly that I did not write to you yesterday, but I had absolutely no free time. The church consecration went well. It was very hot and all the relatives were there. Uncle Kostya with his wife Elena, Kostya, Igor and Georgiy, the old Aunt Olga and Uncle Pavel,
⁴⁰
and all of them were standing with us in the little room near the altar. From there we went to see our wounded [patients] for a minute. Almost all of them were in the church too. The weather is overcast today, but warm. Right now we are going with Mama to the Invalid house, or some other infirmary. Your Nizhegorodzti look really appetizing in their blue and mauve pants….

Well, goodbye, my darling Papa. May Christ be with you. I kiss you very affectionately and regards to Nikolai Pavlovich,
Your loyal Elisavetgradetz.

—

Sunday, 26th October.

Rode to the consecration of the cave cathedral of the Palace Infirmary. All the wounded were there. Iedegarov (the Muslim) and K., stopped by their place from there. Breakfast, tea, dinner with Mama. During the day went to Liazonozonovs, the wounded officers, ours too, and to the Red Cross. Snow, warmer in the evening [minus] 2 [degrees] of frost. At 6 o'clock rode with Aleksei to our [people/friends]. Chahava talked a lot. Regrettably, Iedegarov and K. are in the city. [Had] a cold. Papa telegraphed from Brest.

—

Letter from Olga to Nicholas II:

21st November.

On the train between Tsarskoe Selo and Luga.

My golden Papa!

Had no chance at all to write to you earlier. Now going to bed. Nyuta is brushing my hair. Today Iedegarov left us, which is very sad. Next week to the regiment, but for now to the city to see his wife….

Continuing on the 22nd.

At first it was really boring—endless hymns and [they] showed [us] photos on canvas: You, all of us and the allied Royalty. Then the singing. The best were the balalaikas and singers from the railroad regiment. It was all so nice—the audience cheered with delight. There were a lot of wounded and they were cheered…Arrived in Vilna at 10 o'clock 15 minutes in the morning…From there, in a nice closed motorcar driven by a soldier, went to the cathedral to [see] the holy relics of 3 saints…. At the end of this headed to the
infirmary—of the Polish nobility. It was a nice set up, in a huge bright hall, on the pews where the officers sat. From there went to [see] the miracle-working icon above the gates but all was for naught since we did not [get to] kiss the image, and Mama walked up the steep ladder for nothing. Unexpectedly ran into Pavel Nikolaevich in a coach, which was very pleasant.

Then went to a 4 story infirmary, which you have been to too…Took photos there with many nurses and officers…now going to Kovno. The weather is nice, 2 degrees of warmth. I hope that you will be able to read my terrible, shaky handwriting…We were proudly ridden around in a lighted motorcar. In the last one, we went around to see more than 40 prisoners of war and 1 officer. I did not converse with them. With us is Nastenka, since Isa has fever and stomach ache, and she was put to bed for 3 days…Went to
Obednya
today. Now are riding the Loman train.
May Christ be with you, Papa my darling.
I kiss you very very affectionately.
Your loyal
Elisavetgradetz.
Regards to Nikolai Pavlovich.

Continuing on the 23rd in Tsarskoe Selo.

In Landvorovo, where the headquarters of general Renekampf was located, had
moleben
and rounds of medical locations. Among us were the wounded Germans. A very appetizing looking black doctor Ganin…. At one of the stations, after dinner they brought the medical train, in heated cars 11 people each. They are all energetic and very charming. Got ready for bed—talked a lot.

—

Wednesday. 31st December.

Znamenie
, then to the infirmary for dressing changes. Kostya had breakfast, [then we] went to the Red Cross at the Grand Palace. In the evening, 6 [deg. of frost.] Papa received Alexandro-Georgeyevski cross
⁴¹
of the 3rd level. I am so happy. In the evening
moleben.
Lord save us for the new year…and help Papa—Amen.

1
. Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna (1864–1918), formerly Princess Ella of Hesse.

2
. Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich (1877–1943), son of Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder and Nicholas's first cousin. Grand Duke Georgiy Konstantinovich was son of Grand Duke Konstantin.

3
. Here Olga erroneously wrote “August” instead of “February.”

4
. Alexander III (1845–1894), Nicholas's father.

5
. Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna (1847–1928), Nicholas's mother.

6
. Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna (1875–1960), Nicholas's sister.

7
. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866–1933), husband of Grand Duchess Ksenia Aleksandrovna.

8
. Pavel Voronov: One of the officers, Olga's crush.

9
. Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg.

10
. Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress.

11
. Orthodox prayer for the dead.

12
. Tsar Alexander II (1818–1881), Nicholas's grandfather, known as “Tsar-Liberator” because he freed the serfs. Assassinated by a terrorist.

13
. Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824–1880), Nicholas's grandmother, first wife of Alexander II.

14
. Romanian royal family.

15
. Imperial palace in St. Petersburg, currently the Hermitage.

16
. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882–1960), Nicholas II's younger sister.

17
. Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the Elder (1854–1920), Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich's wife.

18
. Presumably refers to the Russian Museum, founded in 1895 by the new emperor Nicholas II to commemorate his father, Alexander III.

19
. Orthodox Easter service.

20
. Anna Vyrubova (1884–1964), close friend of Empress Alexandra.

21
. Grand Duchess Elisaveta Mavrikevna, née Princess of Saxen-Altenburg, wife of Konstantin Konstantinovich (KR).

22
. Supplicatory prayer service used within the Orthodox Church in honor of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, a feast, or a particular saint or martyr.

23
. Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich (1876–1938), Nicholas II's cousin.

24
. Grand Duchess Victoria Melita, Kyril Vladimirovich's wife, first cousin of Empress Alexandra.

25
. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich (1862–1919), first cousin to Nicholas II's father, Alexander III.

26
. Kronstadt, located on Kotlin Island, nineteen miles west of St. Petersburg, near the head of the Gulf of Finland, was St. Petersburg's main seaport and naval base.

27
. The British warships HMS
Lion
and HMS
New Zealand
arrived in Russia. Some members of the Russian imperial family, including Olga, came on board as part of this visit.

28
. Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich (1891–1941), son of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, first cousin to Nicholas II, was involved in Rasputin's murder.

29
. Prince Ioann Konstantonovich (1886–1918), son of Konstantin Konstantinovich (KR).

30
. Princess Victoria of Battenburg, Alexandra's sister.

31
. Chapel in Tsarskoe Selo.

32
. Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (1872–1916), spiritual advisor to the imperial couple. Murdered by Felix Yusupov and others.