alexandra feodorovna, as the wife of the emperor, was expected to be the mother of an heir to the throne of russia. and even here long years of enduring pain and travail were before her, for four girls were born before a son came to them. when the first child was born, in november, 1895, there was disappointment throughout the empire. but the tsar said a splendid thing at that time: “i am glad,” said the royal father, “that our child is a girl. had it been a boy he would have belonged to the people, being a girl she belongs to us.”
one year and a half after the birth of the grand duchess olga the second daughter was born, and she was named tatiana. marie followed in another two years, and anastasie exactly two years later. more than three years then elapsed before alexis, the son and heir, made his appearance. during these three years the aid of all kinds of soothsayers and charlatans was invoked to influence the sex of the child. an old priest of the interior who had been dead seventy years was canonised in the hope that the miracle of a boy might be worked! this is a story by itself, however, and it would be premature to tell it now.{135}
it is wellnigh impossible for people in america to understand the disappointment and vexation of the court when girl after girl was born—four of them—before the long wanted son. the tsaritsa fell more and more into disfavour, and the aristocracy—especially those who were the friends and followers of the dowager—took advantage of the simple, superstitious peasants to point out to them that the empress was not beloved in heaven or she would have borne a son.
when finally a son was born many people loudly asserted that the boy was a substitution and not the tsaritsa’s child at all. this was a very malicious thing to say and was, of course, entirely untrue. the rumour persisted, however, and received certain credence until it was pointed out that the dowager empress was far too watchful, and too much at enmity with the empress to allow any such imposition to be perpetrated.
until the birth of the son the tsaritsa took little part in public activity. indeed, it was not until the war year of 1904 (which was also the year of the birth of a son) that she undertook to participate to any extent in work for the nation.
at the breaking out of the war between russia and japan the tsaritsa undertook to assist the work of the red cross society. i have seen several of the rooms in the winter palace which were turned over to the work of preparing bandages and warm clothing for the wounded soldiers in the hospitals{136} at the front. in connection with this work the tsaritsa was conspicuous before the people for the first time since her coronation as empress in an undertaking properly belonging to the nation. she gathered together hundreds of young ladies of the court, organised working parties, and before long among the women of aristocratic circles it was distinctly the thing to do to belong to one of the empress’s working groups, to prepare warm caps, and mufflers, and stockings and bandages for the army. the empress herself worked indefatigably. and so did the two older grand duchesses, olga and tatiana. they both sewed and knit till their little fingers were stiff and sore.
the earnest spirit of patriotic pride and sacrifice exhibited by the empress at this time was inspiration to thousands of young women in st. petersburg and moscow, and on the big estates of rich noblemen throughout the empire. one group of fashionable st. petersburg girls presented themselves in a body to the empress with the request that they be sent to the front to serve as volunteer nurses. but the empress replied: “you are not experienced enough for that work, nor strong enough to endure the hardships of life in manchuria. what you may do is to serve in the hospitals of st. petersburg, thus enabling the regular trained nurses to go to the front.” almost without exception these young ladies acted upon this suggestion, and many of them did most excellent service, eventually becoming as useful as nurses who
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the five children of the tsaritsa.
{137}
had undergone the usual training in preparation for such work.
some idea of the extent of this work may be gathered from the single fact that in the year 1904 the depot at kharbin alone received from the winter palace headquarters, over which the empress presided in person, no fewer than eleven million eight hundred articles. in addition to these things more than a million dollars in money was collected and forwarded for the purchase of surgical instruments and such other things as were sorely needed by the badly equipped russian forces. some seventy ambulance trains were organised, and a number of chapels and libraries.
in thanking the corps of women who had assisted her in this work the empress said: “i am happy to know that through the efforts of the workers in my depot my most ardent desire to give relief to our dear troops has been satisfied.” and in a telegram to one of the generals commanding at the front she said: “inform the troops in the far east that i rejoice that it has been given me to lighten even to a slight extent the lot of the unhappy victims of a cruel war, who have so self-sacrificingly shed their blood for the honour of the throne of russia. united in prayer with you all i lift up to the highest my ardent petition that he may comfort all who have suffered on the field of battle and continue to keep alive in the hearts of the valiant and heroic russian warriors, the feeling of devotion to their duty, their oath and their love to the fatherland.{138}”
the empress also organised the famous “dog detachment,” by which, with the help of dogs especially trained in germany, the overlooked wounded were sought out after the tides of battle had swept the manchurian plains and hills. unfortunately this detachment was never given proper opportunity for activity, as the fields of battle almost invariably remained in the hands of the enemy.
besides the red cross work, the most important public undertaking of the tsaritsa has been the establishment of labour aid institutions. this is really an incipient charity enterprise and is being gradually extended to different parts of the empire.
viewed as the charity organisation of a great nation the whole scheme is a ridiculous farce, but viewed as the work of an individual its proportions seem substantial. a complete list of these institutions practically means a complete list of the charities of the empire, and includes temporary nurseries for babies, homes and asylums for children, lodging-houses for workless men, old people’s homes, lying-in hospitals, institutions for the insane, libraries and reading-rooms and various depots where simple work is provided for those who are able.
i visited a number of these institutions and satisfied myself that, however satisfactory a catalogue of this work might be, that the work itself had small value. it is the crudest and most careless organisation of charity i have seen anywhere in{139} the world, and carried on on such a trifling scale as to be practically valueless. if the time ever comes when the russian government can take up the work thus begun it will be given a value—the value that ultimately accrues to all pioneer work.
there are more starving peasants in russia every year than in any country of the western world. the numbers annually mount up into the millions—in 1906 there were twenty-seven millions in the famine belt. the beggars and workless, the maimed and the crippled victims of the war fill the streets of all the large cities. a lodging-house for fifty or a hundred men in a city where fifty thousand are in want is the merest drop in the bucket. the schools for girls are better equipped and better endowed than any of the other institutions embraced in this work, and this is owing to the personal interest of the empress in girls.
this interest of the tsaritsa’s in girls is doubtless owing to the fact that she has so many daughters of her own. many of the schools which she has helped to start and to support have been named after her own little girls. the “olga children’s homes” in st. petersburg and moscow were first inaugurated in 1898 and now are on a firm foundation.
in russia, the labour aid institutions are treated lightly. even friends of the empress speak of them as trivial. judged by their present capacities they are trivial. they are badly managed. they offer rich opportunities for what is{140} variously called “protection,” “patronage” and “graft”—opportunities which are fully taken advantage of, as i saw for myself in several of the places which i visited. there were elaborate offices, luxuriously fitted with selected furnishings, and small regiments of young aristocrats and noblemen (like all public servants of rank in russia, called “chinovniks”) serving as clerks and directors. positions of absolute sinecure carrying rich emoluments. not one of these institutions—outside of the orphanages—would stand the test of scientific charity or philanthropy. for all this i am inclined to give the work a higher value than do the russian people for, after all, russia will one day be a modern nation in forms and institutions, and then all of this work will needs be developed. it will then be good to have this little experiment scattered about the country. it may prove the foundation for a work of worthy proportions. and i am glad that the empress may claim credit for most of what has been done. there are schools and institutions of one sort or another named after each of the children, as well as after the empress herself, and to all of these the empress contributes annually from her private purse.
in no sense can any, or all of these enterprises be considered a great work, but they are all characteristic of the tsaritsa. it is indicative of simple, human sympathies, it is quiet and unostentatious—almost timidly so—but the idea underlying it all is real.{141}
the court of nicholas ii does not entertain nearly so frequently nor so lavishly as the preceding courts of the last hundred years. this is partly owing to the temperament of the present tsar, and the retiring characteristic of the tsaritsa, and also because of the troubled and distraught condition of the empire during the last several years. several court balls each winter are required, however, and on these occasions the tsaritsa is always a conspicuous figure. her own enjoyment at these royal functions may well be questioned. in the first place, there are certain aged ministers, ambassadors and potentates with whom she must dance. doubtless these eminent worthies are frequently endowed with great dignity, but statesmanship and imposing presence do not make up for grace and ease in tripping figures to light music. and if, perchance, the tsaritsa would waltz with a brilliant young officer, or charming courtier, all the other dancers must at once stop and clear the floor for the empress and her favoured partner. to be thus the observed of all observers cannot be otherwise than trying to one of so modest and retiring a nature.
years before, when the tsaritsa was still only princess alix of hesse, she had visited st. petersburg as the guest of her sister elizabeth, who had married the grand duke sergius. during one of the dances at a certain ball given during this visit, princess alix slipped on the polished floor and fell. her partner, as well as a number of young officers,{142} sprang toward her to assist her to her feet, but the grand duke chanced to be near and he, too, sprang to her assistance. instantly the embarrassed partner and other officers stepped back. the privilege of assisting the confused and blushing princess was the prerogative of the grand duke because of his exalted position!
when the tsaritsa does participate in a public function she does it with a stateliness and grace that commands respect, whatever of coldness her manner may suggest.
i had the privilege of being near to her on one of these occasions. it was the 10th day of may, 1906, in the throne room of the winter palace in st. petersburg.
the emperor had called together the first duma and the members of this extraordinary body, together with the council of empire and the entire court, were assembled to hear the speech from the throne. it was the first time in sixteen months that the royal family had visited the capital. these sixteen months had been characterised by almost continuous revolutionary activity, successive mutinies in the army and navy, general strikes and disturbances of every description. there was wide speculation as to the probable outcome of this meeting between the tsar and the representatives of the people. “to us,” remarked one of the ladies of honour attached to the empress, “to us, it is like letting the revolution into the palace”—this reception of the elected deputies of the people!{143} members of the court were fearful lest the tsar would never return from the throne room. many, if not most of the nobles present, went in fear and trembling, and went because they had been commanded by the emperor and for no other reason.
i met one well known prince the morning of that day and he immediately bade me congratulate him, as he had been excused from appearing at the function.
when the music of the national anthem was heard, announcing the approach of the royal party the atmosphere of the throne room became so tense that it was painful. not one person in the room dared think what the next minute might bring forth! when the tsar and the grand dukes and the empress and the dowager empress and the grand duchesses were all assembled before the richly attired metropolitans and high priests for the interminable preliminary blessings, the slightest sound echoed throughout the room, so still and strained was every human being in the room. the nervousness of the tsar was apparent to all. the agitation of the grand dukes was laughable, especially the manifestations of their fear in their repeated and excited crossing of themselves. even correspondents, schooled and trained to recklessness in all kinds of danger and calm to the point of being blase in the face of any situation, breathed hard and showed the terrible strain and tension of the minutes.{144}
the empresses alone appeared in full command of every nerve and muscle. i looked upon the tsaritsa in silent admiration. the picture of her strong, immovable figure is imaged forever upon my memory. the fluttering of a glove or a handkerchief from the balcony to the floor would surely have upset the entire assemblage in spite of its magnificent show of military symbols, buttons, medals and gold and silver trappings. the thought came to me there, and i have recalled it many times since, had such an untoward incident occurred the tsaritsa alone, or at least, the empresses alone, would have stood stolid. the exquisite poise and complete possession of the tsaritsa commanded absolute admiration. cold and indifferent she may be toward the people of her court, but on an occasion like this she certainly acquits herself with rare credit. at all times a magnificent woman to look upon, tall, statuesque, imposing, imperial, she never appeared to better advantage than on this occasion.
with her, somewhat back in the procession were the four older children of the tsar and tsaritsa—olga, tatiana, marie and anastasie. these little girls bear the title of grand duchess, and in them has the life of the tsaritsa long been centred. presently i shall have a number of stories to tell of their nursery days. as we go on we shall learn how completely the life and time of the tsaritsa have been taken up with her children and their home and family life.
easter is one of the greatest fêtes of the year in{145} russia. the long lenten fast is usually kept rigorously by all classes over whom the church maintains dominion, and even by many who have ceased to reverence orthodoxy, but in whom the instinct of traditional observance remains.
on easter eve there is a tremendously solemn service in all of the churches in the land. at the stroke of midnight priests and choir burst forth in loud hallelujahs and all the people shout “christ is risen!” “christ is risen!” and greet one another with a holy kiss. everybody kisses everybody else in sight regardless of previous acquaintance. i remember standing bolt upright in a fearful press in st. isaac’s cathedral one easter eve for two mortal hours in the middle of the night, the atmosphere hot and fetid till even men swooned and all wearied unspeakably.
on easter morning presents are exchanged and masters and mistresses greet all the servants of their households with the holy kiss. the tsar and tsaritsa observe this custom as religiously as the humblest of their subjects, and every palace maid and stable boy is greeted in this way. long before the hour when the emperor and empress are to receive the household, there is great excitement below stairs where all the servants busily scrub their honest faces with soap and water till they shine like great apples in preparation for the kiss of their imperial master and mistress. the tsar kisses every man in the palace, even to the soldiers on duty, and{146} the empress every maid servant. on one occasion the tsaritsa remarked that she “sometimes thought the emperor had rather the better of it because of the new leather that the soldiers wear on that day, and which smells so nice!”
in view of the fact that court observance would naturally expect the tsaritsa to play the r?le of empress, rather than of mother and wife as her life work, it is the more extraordinary that this mighty queen (in point of power and opportunity) has chosen the quieter life of the home.
in addition to the private fortune of the tsar, an immense income accrues from the gold and precious stone mines of siberia which are worked by convicts for the private purse of the emperor and from the vast timber holdings that he controls; besides all this, the government officially grants him a “salary” of nearly five million dollars a year, which is paid to him in monthly instalments of four hundred thousand dollars each.
the tsaritsa, as head of the royal household, is mistress of nearly thirty thousand servants, scattered in many palaces and residences throughout the empire. it is not likely that this vast retinue is any particular care to her, for the army of servants, just like the army of soldiers, is divided into groups and officered by various functionaries. in fact, it is likely that the two armies are not dissimilar in the minds of the tsar and tsaritsa. every wish of the tsar’s is a command to the army and has only to be uttered to an aide to be executed.{147} so the word of the tsaritsa spoken to a lady-in-waiting is all sufficient to be carried out by any or all of her servant host.
there are fifty thousand head of cattle in the royal pastures, and five thousand horses in the royal stables. over all these the tsaritsa is supreme—as the wife and consort of the tsar,—and one hundred and forty million subjects besides!
the point of her whole life as empress is that when princess alix married nicholas she gave herself and all of her activity to nicholas—not to the russian nation.
every act of hers has been one of personal devotion. if princess alix had been ambitious as many women in court circles are, or if she had never loved so intensely and so blindly, the world looking back upon her career as it does to-day, might have deemed her a better empress. as it happened, circumstances throughout her life have all driven her back from the public role and more into the circle of the family. thus it comes about that the chronicler of her life must pass lightly over her life as empress and dwell at length upon those sides of her character which the words wife and mother indicate. in other words, her entire life has been one long romance. a life of devotion to her husband and to her children, and this at the expense of her duties as empress.
as the years have passed the disposition of the child once called “sunny” has altered and changed, and the lines of wistful pathos which have settled{148} round her still lovely face are doubtless indications of the drops of gall that have tainted her cup of life’s happiness. for all these mellowing lines the tsaritsa wears an expression that in many lights is of that unusual other-worldly beauty, so seldom seen in the great world of to-day, but common to so many of the women whose portraits have been left us by the world artists of the middle ages. it is an expression that appears and ripens only under soul development, and as we see it in the tsaritsa we do not find it difficult to understand and trace, for a considerable part of her life has been given over to religious thought and contemplation, and not to the study of theological doctrines and controversies only, but to the deeper truths of spiritualism and mysticism, truths whose elusiveness holds them for ever remote to all save the few, and whose realities are measured only by the standards of the eternal verities. this brings us to one of the most extraordinary, and at the same time one of the fascinating sides of the life of the tsaritsa.
