Romanov Nikolay (II)

Romanov Nikolay (II)

Diaries

Emperor Nicholas II*

Diaries

* Romanov-Koshkin-Zakharyin Nikolai Alexandrovich

Content

Started in Tsarskoe Selo

Got up early. Left dear Alix for half a day, leaving for the city at 93/4. Mom was getting dressed in Winter in our bedroom. At 11 o'clock the exit began. After mass the diplomats worked and returned to Malachite at 11/2. We had breakfast with the family as always. After that, Mom favored the ladies’ hand. At 3 o'clock I left back.

Alix didn’t get up, although she felt fine. They responded to a lot of telegrams. Had dinner in the bedroom and went to bed early.

A lot of snow fell and a thaw began. After the usual reports, I received 6 people. deputations from the troops of the Odessa district who arrived at the funeral of A. I. Musin-Pushkin. Orlov had breakfast (dec.). Accepted Plehve's report. At 71/4 we went to the city for lunch at the village of Alexey. Returned to Tsarskoye at 103/4 with Boris. Alix didn’t get up all day; she had a headache and a headache. was still elevated.

Alix lay in bed all day again.

Had three regular reports. Uncle Sergei arrived for breakfast. After a long conversation with him I went for a walk. It was melting and the weather was pleasant. We drank tea together in the bedroom and had dinner at 8 o'clock. In the evening he went back to Moscow. I read a lot.

It was a clear, good day.

At 11 o'clock went to mass with Olga and Tatiana. Then I had breakfast with them. I walked for a long time and enjoyed the air. I read a lot. Uncle Vladimir drank tea with me. Nikolasha dined with me. Alix got up in the evening and went to the couch for a few hours. He sat with us until 111/2 an hour.

Only Uncle Alexey was there with a report. At 111/2 I went with Olga to mass with the blessing of water. He and Kotya Obolensky (dec.) had breakfast. I walked for a long time. Read. At 6 o'clock. accepted Abaza. Alix got up in the evening. Had lunch with Obolensky in the “mauve room” while Alix was lying on the couch. In the evening I continued our old reading “The Fracture” aloud.

It was a festive sunny day. At 93/4 I went to the city. Mom was getting dressed in our bedroom. At 103/4 he began to walk around the troops in the halls. At exactly 11 o'clock the exit began. The bishop's service did not last long. It was absolutely pleasant in Jordan. We sat down to breakfast at one.

After changing clothes, I accepted Lamsdorf’s report. Returned to Tsarskoye at 41/2. Alix was already up; Thank God she felt better. We had lunch together. In the evening I read it out loud to her.

There was a thaw again, there was fog all day. I had a great reception. Obolensky had breakfast (december). I also received Zhelobovsky and Protasov with a report. Went out for a walk after 4 o'clock. I read a lot. The two of us dined for real, that is, Alix also sat at the table. I read it aloud to her.

We got up late. I read the reports before. Had breakfast: Olga and Petya (dezh.). Alix went for a sleigh ride this morning. In the afternoon I took a walk. At 7 o'clock I went into town and went to the theater for the first time. They gave "Gutter dammerung" remarkably well; Litvin and Ershov sang. Mom, Misha and Olga also arrived. Everyone enjoyed it together. Returned to Tsarskoye at 121/4.

Nice sunny day. After reading the papers I had time to take a short walk. Before breakfast I had a small reception. We ate alone with the children.

Alix’s health, thank God, is getting better! In the afternoon I received Sturmer (1) with his interesting report on Tver zemstvo affairs.

I worked a lot. After lunch Alix read aloud.

In the morning I read for a long time and walked a little. The reports ended on time. After breakfast I took gr. A. P. Ignatieva.

It was melting, it was quite warm.

Alix rode in the sleigh twice today. After lunch I read aloud to her.

It was a wonderful sunny day at 4°C. The two of us went to mass at 10 o'clock. Then he returned and quickly changed into a hunting dress and went to the station. All the participants with whom we went to Gatchina were already waiting there. We had breakfast on the way. The raid took place in a pheasant farm near Remiz.

Deeply enjoyed the gorgeous weather and spring day. The hunt was very successful - a total of 879 were killed. By me: 115 - 21 partridges, 91 pheasants, hare and 2 rabbits.

Returned to Tsarskoe at 5 o'clock. After lunch I read aloud. We started packing for Peter.

The weather is as warm as yesterday. On the morning of her name day, Tatyana received gifts. I had two regular reports and several governors. Villagers Alexey and Kirill (dec.) had breakfast. Then he accepted Wit-te in the case of a trade agreement with Germany (2). I took a long walk without the dogs, as they had already been moved to the city. I worked out a lot in the evening and went to bed. Alix read it aloud.

I was very sleepy and couldn’t wake up before 91/4. Having tidied everything up and put away what was needed, I went for a walk in the nice park for the last time. There were only two reports. We had breakfast with the children. At 3 o'clock we left Tsarskoye Selo. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, we went to Anichkov to see Mama. At 41/2 we arrived at our place. Now they started to sort it out and very soon brought the rooms into a habitable state. After tea I read. We had lunch together. Reading aloud in the evening.

We got up early. I read a lot in the morning; I ran around the garden twice with the children. After the reports, he received 10 senators. He put on a Prussian uniform and walked with Alix and Misha to breakfast with the German embassy on the occasion of Wilhelm’s birthday. At 3 o'clock I received two Don Kalmyks - officer Ulanov and Lama Ulyanov, who were leaving for Tibet (3).

We visited Comrade Sani, saw Kostya and Mavra. We went to the fortress and on the way home we stopped at the village of Vladimir and Comrade Mikhen. He and Comrade Evgenia drank tea with us. Dined Drenteln (d.). Before 9 o'clock. Let's go to "Gotter dammerung". We returned home at 113/4.

We got up early, thanks to which we read a lot and had time to take a walk. There were all three reports. Tienchen and Boris (decision) had breakfast. The weather is surprisingly warm, there is some snow left in the garden and the streets are full of caravanning all winter long. Strange winter!

We had lunch at about 8 o'clock and then went to the Alexandria Theater. There was a new rather meaningless play "An Ordinary Woman". We returned disappointed at 121/4.

Quite a busy day. After the reports, I received 21 people. Solova had breakfast (dec.). I also received Skrydlov, who came from Sevastopol. I took a walk, the weather was windy. At 5 o'clock. Let's go to Mama's for tea. I studied for a long time. We had lunch at 8 o'clock. and spent the evening quietly at home reading aloud.

From 10 o'clock took it in the morning; first there was Hesse, then Sakharov and all the other reports. After breakfast I also received Richter and engineer Yugovich, the builder of the Manchurian railway. roads. I took a walk in the garden, it was freezing. We visited Comrade Evgenia and Alec and drank tea with them. We had lunch at 71/2 with Sergey Dolgoruky (department). Let's go to France. theater. They performed an interesting play "La Rabouilleuse".

We went to mass at 10 o'clock. After her, Misha and I went to the railway station. dor. and with the rest of the hunters to Ropsha, where they arrived at about one o'clock in the afternoon. The hunt took place in the same pheasant field and was very successful. Total killed: 489. By me: 96 - 81 pheasants and 14 partridges and hare. The weather was excellent, quiet and warm. Hunting teams were chasing. At 61/4 I returned home very happy with the day.

We dined in the family style at Mama's with music. We listened to a 10-year-old boy playing the violin. We sat with Mom and returned home to 101/2.

It was a busy morning and a generally tiring day. Received the report and various presentations until 4 o'clock. The walk cleared my head. I studied until 7 o'clock. Andrey (day) had lunch. At 91/2 the big ball began. There were more people than ever. There was plenty of room for everyone for dinner. He walked around the tables throughout the halls. Fortunately, dear Alix had a great time at the ball. Returning to our place at 11/4 and undressing, we had a light bite at my place in the old way.

We got up late. From 10 o'clock hosted Abaza; then there were the usual reports. Dmitry Sh(eremetev) (department) had breakfast. Received Kulomzin. The whole day there was some kind of yellow darkness. I didn't walk for long. I read a lot. After lunch we went for the first time to Petya and Olga. They had an amateur performance in which both of them and Misha took part. They played very well and very friendly. Then downstairs in Petit’s office we had dinner with everyone who played in both plays and returned home at one o’clock.

Woke up at 9 o'clock. The weather was dark but frosty. Before breakfast I received 56 people. military and sailors in the Rotunda. Uncle Alexey was present and then had breakfast with us and Engalychev (dezh.). From 3 to 41/2 he accepted 21 more people. We only managed to walk for half an hour. After tea, Lamzdorf visited me according to the Japanese agreement. We had lunch together. I went to the theater. "Sleeping Beauty" was on - great, haven't seen it for a long time. Was at home at 113/4.

Finally in the morning the sun came out for a few hours. There were three reports. After breakfast we went to Kamenny Island. to Tienchen, but she was lying; so we took a ride around the islands and returned home by 4 o'clock. I was walking in the garden. I read a lot. At 8 o'clock we went to dinner at Mom's and spent the whole evening with her. It was snowing.

Sunny frosty day. I read a lot this morning. Had reports from Lobko and Romanov. Received 43 people introducing themselves. Sergey (dezh.) had breakfast. Having accepted Abaza, he went for a walk. Stana arrived from France with letters and good news from “our friend”(*1).

About 9 o'clock. the whole family gathered in the Romanov Gallery. There was a very successful performance in the Hermitage. They gave the prologue and the 4th act of "Mephistopheles", in cat. Medea, Chaliapin and Sobinov sang. Dinner is over...

Emperor Nicholas II*

Diaries

* Romanov-Koshkin-Zakharyin Nikolai Alexandrovich

Content

Started in Tsarskoe Selo

Got up early. Left dear Alix for half a day, leaving for the city at 93/4. Mom was getting dressed in Winter in our bedroom. At 11 o'clock the exit began. After mass the diplomats worked and returned to Malachite at 11/2. We had breakfast with the family as always. After that, Mom favored the ladies’ hand. At 3 o'clock I left back.

Alix didn’t get up, although she felt fine. They responded to a lot of telegrams. Had dinner in the bedroom and went to bed early.

A lot of snow fell and a thaw began. After the usual reports, I received 6 people. deputations from the troops of the Odessa district who arrived at the funeral of A. I. Musin-Pushkin. Orlov had breakfast (dec.). Accepted Plehve's report. At 71/4 we went to the city for lunch at the village of Alexey. Returned to Tsarskoye at 103/4 with Boris. Alix didn’t get up all day; she had a headache and a headache. was still elevated.

Alix lay in bed all day again.

Had three regular reports. Uncle Sergei arrived for breakfast. After a long conversation with him I went for a walk. It was melting and the weather was pleasant. We drank tea together in the bedroom and had dinner at 8 o'clock. In the evening he went back to Moscow. I read a lot.

It was a clear, good day.

At 11 o'clock went to mass with Olga and Tatiana. Then I had breakfast with them. I walked for a long time and enjoyed the air. I read a lot. Uncle Vladimir drank tea with me. Nikolasha dined with me. Alix got up in the evening and went to the couch for a few hours. He sat with us until 111/2 an hour.

Only Uncle Alexey was there with a report. At 111/2 I went with Olga to mass with the blessing of water. He and Kotya Obolensky (dec.) had breakfast. I walked for a long time. Read. At 6 o'clock. accepted Abaza. Alix got up in the evening. Had lunch with Obolensky in the “mauve room” while Alix was lying on the couch. In the evening I continued our old reading “The Fracture” aloud.

It was a festive sunny day. At 93/4 I went to the city. Mom was getting dressed in our bedroom. At 103/4 he began to walk around the troops in the halls. At exactly 11 o'clock the exit began. The bishop's service did not last long. It was absolutely pleasant in Jordan. We sat down to breakfast at one.

After changing clothes, I accepted Lamsdorf’s report. Returned to Tsarskoye at 41/2. Alix was already up; Thank God she felt better. We had lunch together. In the evening I read it out loud to her.

There was a thaw again, there was fog all day. I had a great reception. Obolensky had breakfast (december). I also received Zhelobovsky and Protasov with a report. Went out for a walk after 4 o'clock. I read a lot. The two of us dined for real, that is, Alix also sat at the table. I read it aloud to her.

We got up late. I read the reports before. Had breakfast: Olga and Petya (dezh.). Alix went for a sleigh ride this morning. In the afternoon I took a walk. At 7 o'clock I went into town and went to the theater for the first time. They gave "Gutter dammerung" remarkably well; Litvin and Ershov sang. Mom, Misha and Olga also arrived. Everyone enjoyed it together. Returned to Tsarskoye at 121/4.

Nice sunny day. After reading the papers I had time to take a short walk. Before breakfast I had a small reception. We ate alone with the children.

Alix’s health, thank God, is getting better! In the afternoon I received Sturmer (1) with his interesting report on Tver zemstvo affairs.

I worked a lot. After lunch Alix read aloud.

In the morning I read for a long time and walked a little. The reports ended on time. After breakfast I took gr. A. P. Ignatieva.

It was melting, it was quite warm.

Alix rode in the sleigh twice today. After lunch I read aloud to her.

It was a wonderful sunny day at 4°C. The two of us went to mass at 10 o'clock. Then he returned and quickly changed into a hunting dress and went to the station. All the participants with whom we went to Gatchina were already waiting there. We had breakfast on the way. The raid took place in a pheasant farm near Remiz.

Deeply enjoyed the gorgeous weather and spring day. The hunt was very successful - a total of 879 were killed. By me: 115 - 21 partridges, 91 pheasants, hare and 2 rabbits.

Returned to Tsarskoe at 5 o'clock. After lunch I read aloud. We started packing for Peter.

The weather is as warm as yesterday. On the morning of her name day, Tatyana received gifts. I had two regular reports and several governors. Villagers Alexey and Kirill (dec.) had breakfast. Then he accepted Wit-te in the case of a trade agreement with Germany (2). I took a long walk without the dogs, as they had already been moved to the city. I worked out a lot in the evening and went to bed. Alix read it aloud.

I was very sleepy and couldn’t wake up before 91/4. Having tidied everything up and put away what was needed, I went for a walk in the nice park for the last time. There were only two reports. We had breakfast with the children. At 3 o'clock we left Tsarskoye Selo. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, we went to Anichkov to see Mama. At 41/2 we arrived at our place. Now they started to sort it out and very soon brought the rooms into a habitable state. After tea I read. We had lunch together. Reading aloud in the evening.

We got up early. I read a lot in the morning; I ran around the garden twice with the children. After the reports, he received 10 senators. He put on a Prussian uniform and walked with Alix and Misha to breakfast with the German embassy on the occasion of Wilhelm’s birthday. At 3 o'clock I received two Don Kalmyks - officer Ulanov and Lama Ulyanov, who were leaving for Tibet (3).

We visited Comrade Sani, saw Kostya and Mavra. We went to the fortress and on the way home we stopped at the village of Vladimir and Comrade Mikhen. He and Comrade Evgenia drank tea with us. Dined Drenteln (d.). Before 9 o'clock. Let's go to "Gotter dammerung". We returned home at 113/4.

We got up early, thanks to which we read a lot and had time to take a walk. There were all three reports. Tienchen and Boris (decision) had breakfast. The weather is surprisingly warm, there is some snow left in the garden and the streets are full of caravanning all winter long. Strange winter!

We had lunch at about 8 o'clock and then went to the Alexandria Theater. There was a new rather meaningless play "An Ordinary Woman". We returned disappointed at 121/4.

Quite a busy day. After the reports, I received 21 people. Solova had breakfast (dec.). I also received Skrydlov, who came from Sevastopol. I took a walk, the weather was windy. At 5 o'clock. Let's go to Mama's for tea. I studied for a long time. We had lunch at 8 o'clock. and spent the evening quietly at home reading aloud.

As we have already said, throughout his life Nicholas II kept a diary, and he did it with unique pedantry; for several decades there was not a day that he did not describe consistently and in detail. He carefully recorded all the events of his life, both sad and joyful: from the death of his father to his abdication of the throne in favor of his brother, from his engagement to his marriage to his beloved Alix. Of course, much more attention was paid to what is connected with family life than to political and social issues, although nothing significant was missed there either.

In the era of Nicholas II, keeping a diary was considered a mandatory activity, part the right image life, and the emperor willingly submitted to this tradition, as did many of his contemporaries. He made notes in the evening, before going to bed, most of all they resembled a listing of the things done during the day, since each of them was allocated only a few lines. His language is compressed and dry, his style is laconic and dispassionate.

And only in his youth did Nicholas II allow himself to show emotions or make a funny observation. Later, when he is burdened with numerous government affairs, the diary will turn into a dry statement of facts, into a constant alternation of episodes from public and private life.

So, these were short notes in which the emperor managed to outline all the events of the day (he, however, never analyzed them); so as not to miss anything, the facts were listed in chronological order, one after the other, as if they were of the same plane or had the same meaning. Nicholas II did not become tsar of his own free will: for him, a visit to the ministry, a family dinner, or the arrival of “mother” were episodes of the same life, destined for him by fate.

These notes were not written for publication as memoirs; Nicholas II made notes exclusively for himself, never stooping to lie. And yet, some episodes should be omitted, since it was this diary that became the main incriminating document against the king.

Many passages concerning the events of 1917 and 1918 were published in the Red Archive after the death of the sovereign; the telegraphic style of his notes was regarded as a manifestation of narrow-mindedness, and the emperor himself was considered a fool, unable to draw the line between everyday life and history. The courtiers always knew about the existence of the diary and, when Nicholas II was still tsar, they secretly took out individual sheets of paper to later use them, if necessary, as evidence against the sovereign.

And yet it is possible to appreciate this enormous mass of material - fifty-one notebooks - both from a purely literary point of view and as an important historical document. If we read these entries in a row, in chronological order, they will reveal themselves to us as an inexhaustible source of knowledge of the human personality: they will reveal the depth of the nature of Nicholas II, the significance of the education he received and his attitude to the world.

Particularly beautiful are the pages that are dedicated to the young years of the emperor and his peers (almost all of them faced a painful death). The future king was an unusually gentle and warm-hearted person, a typical young man from a good family, with a “happy childhood”: he was simply brought up that way and could not change, even when, by the will of fate, he found himself on the throne prematurely.

For his diary, the then young heir to the throne chose a style characteristic not of a writer, but of a military man, since that is exactly what he considered himself to be. He wrote only about the most important things or about his favorite activities: about a walk, about conversations at the dinner table, about meetings with family. On the other hand, Nicholas II can be regarded as an extremely modern writer, and his diary as a wonderful work. After all, these notebooks use an artistic method used many years later by Hemingway: the apparent absence of an author, the “untold story,” a narrative that speaks for itself, without unnecessary additions.

The published text of the diary is a very strange document

The diary of Nicholas II is revered among neo-Soviet publicists as the most convincing proof of the emperor’s insignificance. Extensive passages from the text are abundantly quoted on all sorts of “red” sites, with certainly mocking comments. And indeed, there is something to fill the Tsar with deep contempt and disgust. On the most important days for Russia, Nikolai describes in detail how many crows he shot, how he played dominoes, drank tea and read some books out loud.

Nicholas II. Photo from wikimedia.org

One will inevitably wonder if this ruler was even sane? Well, of course, the entries in the diary lead the modern reader to the ironclad conclusion: yes, such a monarch inevitably had to lose power, and the monarchical principle itself is worthless if such empty people get to the throne.

But here's what's interesting. In addition to the stupid diary, a sea of ​​state documents remained from Nicholas II. This is a gigantic number of analytical notes that the country's top officials compiled for him, draft laws, transcripts of Military Councils, diplomatic telegrams and much more. On these papers are the king's resolutions, which contrast sharply with the crazy entries in the diary.

Strictly speaking, if we evaluate a statesman, then it is logical to study him from state documents, and not from home notes. And here is the picture changes dramatically.

It is clearly clear from Nikolai’s resolutions that he is well versed in the most complex issues of economics, politics, defense and social problems of Russia. The emperor's comments made on the documents show that he carefully studies the submitted reports of the ministers and is well versed in what they tell him. Moreover, Nikolai persistently strives to make the decision that he considers optimal. This also diverges from the image of a weak-willed emperor, subject to all sorts of external influences and Rasputin’s mystical revelations.

For example, during negotiations in Portsmouth, Witte repeatedly asked the tsar for permission to give up all of Sakhalin and pay an indemnity to the Japanese. The Tsar unswervingly answered in style: not a penny of money, not an inch of land.

“His Imperial Majesty did not deign to agree to the proposals made by Japan”, - Witte lamented.

We know that half of Sakhalin still had to be ceded, but this did not happen at the request of Witte, but under the pressure of the unfolding terrorist war, better known as the “revolution of 1905.”

As for the tsar’s actions during the war, Nicholas was intensively engaged in public administration, constantly received generals and ministers who covered in detail the events at the fronts.

In addition, the emperor is always also a PR figure. So, Nikolai traveled all over Russia to personally address parting words to the military units before they were sent to Manchuria. Nikolai also visited shipbuilding factories that were preparing the fleet for a campaign in the Far East.

Financial issues and foreign policy were under the special control of Nicholas, and here, too, there are many documents showing how carefully, delving into all the important subtleties, the tsar studied the emerging problems. The reports of the finance ministers and Nicholas' comments to them are well known to historians. They have nothing in common with the image of a fool on the throne.

It is clear that in Soviet times an objective study of the activities of Nicholas II was impossible. All articles and books obviously had to have an “accusatory bias”, sometimes reaching the point of shameful barking. However, now previously inaccessible documents have entered scientific circulation, and experts have noticed a literally striking discrepancy between two completely different personalities. The one that develops after reading the diary, and the one that wrote resolutions on documents.

Gradually, versions began to emerge that could at least somehow explain the obvious contradiction. For example, it was suggested that the king viewed the diary precisely as a way of relaxation.

Indeed, many people engaged in intense intellectual work deliberately turn their attention to nonsense. They read one-day detective stories, watch light films, play computer games, and so on. Sometimes an outside observer is perplexed: how can an intelligent and deep person engage in such ridiculous nonsense? And the answer is simple. That is why he studies, to temporarily escape from the heavy thoughts and complex issues in which he is immersed every day.

I personally know people of science who spend their whole lives doing puzzling calculations, and then solving crossword puzzles at the level of “it doesn’t lay an egg, but it’s born from an egg.” If you evaluate such people by only one aspect of their life, then you really get the impression that this is the level of a child.

There is another, at first glance, completely unrealistic version. The diary is partly a falsification, fabricated precisely to discredit Nikolai.

Despite the seeming absurdity of this assumption, it has strong evidence. Oddly enough, one of such evidence was provided by the Marxist historian, member of the RSDLP, an ardent enemy of the tsar, who later became the Deputy People's Commissar of Education of the RSFSR - Mikhail Pokrovsky. So the Bolsheviks instructed him to sort out the tsar’s papers already in 1918. He assessed the information Pokrovsky found from the diary as follows:

“What I managed to read, diaries during the revolution, is interesting beyond all measure and cruelly denounces not Nicholas (this man knew how to remain silent!), but Kerensky.

If a moral justification for the October Revolution was needed, it would be enough to print this, which, however, will not be done today or tomorrow.”

Please note that Pokrovsky is beyond interested in the diary. But what's interesting there? Is Pokrovsky also a great fan of crow hunting and playing dominoes? Hardly. And what does Kerensky have to do with it then?

The published “diary of Nicholas II” amazes not only with the regularly repeated stories about shooting crows, the number of birds shot and misses, and not only with the description of the game of dominoes, the mention of reading books to his wife. The problem is not only that there is a lot of obviously unnecessary detail in the diary, the problem is that there is nothing else there. The Tsar's diary is incredibly empty. Terror, a war with Japan, a bitter struggle with Duma loudmouths, and so on, are unfolding in the country, and all these events pass by the head of state. It is clear that from this fact people draw conclusions about Nikolai’s complete professional incompetence. And indeed, if we proceed from common sense, then only a mentally disabled person could write this.

Let us note one more important point. Excerpts from the diary first appeared in the Pravda newspaper after the murder of Nikolai. He could neither confirm nor deny what was printed, even physically. There is also no handwriting examination so far, or at least, this has simply not been openly announced, and accordingly no one has provided the public with either the examination methodology or their results, indicating the organization and persons who carried out the examination.

At the same time, a log of events at the king’s court is now available. This is the so-called Chamber-Fourier journal, which simply recorded those who came to the emperor for a report, the time of the audience, the names of the regiments with which Nicholas met, and the like.

So, it has long been noticed that the text of the diary and the text of the Chamber-Fourier journal coincide at the copy-paste level. The impression is that someone literally took excerpts from the camera-fourier’s recordings and inserted them into Nikolai’s diary. Did the emperor himself do this? Just at the end of the working day, he called a clerk with a journal and carefully, down to the comma and letter, copied the registration entries into his diary?

Look at the fantastic accuracy with which Nikolai describes the events of 1904-1905 in his diary:

“I woke up at 9 o’clock. The weather was dark but frosty. Before breakfast I received 56 people. military and sailors in the Rotunda. Uncle Alexey was present and then had breakfast with us and Engalychev (dezh.). From 3 to 4½ he accepted 21 more people. We only managed to walk for half an hour. After tea, Lamzdorf visited me according to the Japanese agreement. We had lunch together. I went to the theater. “Sleeping Beauty” was on - great, haven’t seen it for a long time. Was home at 11¾.”

56 people accepted. Not 57, not 55, but precisely 56. Did you count it personally? Or was the king told “there are 56 people with you,” but he remembered and with painful accuracy entered this empty figure into his diary?

Further more. I received 21 people, and I didn’t forget the exact time of the reception. And this goes on constantly in the diary: I received 43 people, then I received 11 people, “Before breakfast I received 13 who introduced themselves, and at 2½ another 42 officers,” “After the report I received 33 people,” “After the report I received 19 who introduced themselves.”

And like this, day after day, year after year, all my life. This apparent oddity is usually explained by the phenomenal memory of the emperor, who paid great attention to detail. But it’s completely unclear why duplicate the logbook? It is kept precisely so that there is always an opportunity to look at the records, and not to remember them, and especially not to copy them into personal papers. The secretarial service, the office, is needed in order to make life easier for the boss, and not for the exact opposite.

It is also interesting to analyze how the tsar behaves from May 22 to July 31, 1916, that is, during the Brusilov breakthrough. The Tsar, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, very uniquely reflects the course of this grandiose, unprecedented battle, in which millions of armies were involved, and which led to the greatest success of Russia, and therefore the most severe defeat of the enemy.

We look at the diary for the corresponding days and make sure that the king is not just a schoolboy keeping a diary of observations. It is not enough for him to accurately record the air temperature, wind direction, etc. The Tsar is not only a killer of crows, maniacally recording crow trophies in his diary. The Tsar is also a master of military reports. That is, he, as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, found himself “ interesting work”, accurately copy current military messages into your diary.

See:

May 23rd. Monday
“Yesterday in many areas of the South-West. front after heavy shelling of enemy positions, their lines were broken through and a total of 13,000 people, 15 guns and 30 machine guns were captured. God bless our valiant troops with further success! The weather was hot and windy. In the afternoon I drove with Alexey along the Gomel highway and walked to the Dnieper. Came back around 7 o'clock. Received Tatishchev and Sandro. I studied for a long time in the evening.”

Well, let’s say, 13 thousand prisoners, this is a fairly large figure that should be under the authority of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, but 15 guns and 30 machine guns, what’s that for? How will the High Command use such “valuable information”?

May 24th. Tuesday
“Today the news from the Southwestern Front is also comforting. Over both days, our troops captured up to 480 officers and more than 25,000 lower. rank 27 guns and more than 50 machine guns were captured. The day was hot. At 3 o'clock I inspected the car half-battery of the Dept. baht for the defense of Headquarters and a machine gun platoon with it. The units have just returned from near Dvinsk. I went with Alexey and others by motor down the Dnieper to the oak forest, where I got out and walked back along the shore, just like last fall. We returned to Mogilev at 7 o'clock. Received Senator Krivtsov. In the evening I learned that Lord Kitchener, who left England for Arkhangelsk, died with the cruiser from a mine!

Again I wrote down that 27 guns were captured.

“Dear Alix’s birthday - it was sad to spend away from her. But he was illuminated by our major successes in the South-West. front. By yesterday the number of prisoners had increased - officers to 900 people. and lower rank more than 40,000 people 77 guns, 134 machine guns and 49 bomb launchers and a lot of other property were captured. After the mass and prayer service there was a report.”

In the afternoon I took a walk with Alex[ey] and others along the highway outside Headquarters. We walked around and examined the trenches. Two trains passed by on their way south. We got caught in good rain. After tea I read and wrote to Mama in the evening.”

Again 77 guns, 49 bomb launchers. Hmmm.

“During the report, I learned that 58 officers and 11,000 lower soldiers were captured in battle yesterday. ranks, therefore almost 1000 of. and for N51,000. h. In the morning there was a little rain and then the weather turned wonderful. Gr. Fredericks left for Petrograd. We did the usual walk from the big [bridge] to “Evpatoria”. Received Shakhovsky before lunch - min. Bargain. and Promysh. I studied in the evening.”

58 officers were taken. He writes everything down and adds numbers. Typical behavior minor statistician at headquarters.

“The total number of prisoners is growing - yesterday 185 officers and 13,700 n. were taken. h. - so now the total is 1143 officers and more than 64,700 people. lower rank After breakfast, I received a deputation with Alexey to the 12th volost. elders from the Kherson province, who donated 600 thousand rubles from the peasants. for the needs of the war. Touching. I went down the Dnieper on a two-wheeler, Alexey and others on a moto. boat, he ran in the water, and we roasted on the shore in the sun. I drank tea at 6 o'clock. I accepted Shuvaev, then Sazonov.”

The insanity grew stronger. The Tsar-statistician continues to calculate the “cumulative total.” This disgrace continues throughout the entire Brusilov breakthrough.

“A more accurate count provided a trace. number of prisoners and trophies taken: 1 general, 3 regiment commanders, 2467 officers, 5 doctors and up to 150,000 lower. rank., 163 guns, 266 machine guns, 131 bomb launchers and 32 mortars. How many Austrians lost killed and wounded? The weather remained warm with three heavy showers. In the afternoon I made a good trip up the Dnieper to the bishop's chapel on a two-wheeler, and down on a Desna motor. I studied quietly and wrote after lunch.”

As expected, the stats are being clarified. data." Well, definitely a petty clerk.
Maybe Nikolai, at least on the eve of his overthrow, “came to his senses”? This is what the “tsar” writes literally on the eve of the February Revolution:

“At 10 o'clock. went to mass. The report ended on time. There were a lot of people having breakfast and all the cash was foreigners. I wrote to Alix and drove along Beaver. [Uysky] highway to the chapel, where I took a walk. The weather was clear and frosty. After tea I read and took sen. Tregubova until lunch. “I played dominoes in the evening.”

Suspicions of falsification intensify when you study the period of January-early February 1917. The fact is that from January 19 to February 7, 1917, an Entente conference was held in Petrograd with the participation of delegations from Russia, Great Britain, France and Italy. This is one of the key events in the history of the 20th century, since it was there that the most important issues of the First World War were resolved.

On January 18, Nikolai personally received representatives of the delegations, and there were reports about this in the then press. How does the king reflect this extremely important moment in “his diary”? And like this:

January 18th. Wednesday
Sunny day, 14° below zero and fresh S-W. I didn't walk for long. At 11 o'clock he received the members of the assembled conference - from England, France and Italy, 37 people in total. I talked with them for about an hour. At 12 o'clock I saw Sazonov, who had been appointed ambassador to England. Alexey's tonsils hurt and he lay there all day. I walked around the entire park. At 6 o'clock. received Taneyev. Read.

***
All! Nothing more. I received a delegation, no less than three key allies, and just like that, between a morning walk and a walk in the park, I also talked with Sazonov. But this is before the opening of the conference, this is a prologue, so to speak. And what does the tsar write the next day, when the real work began?

January 19th. Thursday
“The frost increased, the day was bright. After the walk, I received Mamantov, General. Frolov, Piltz and the Penza governor Evreinov. After breakfast I sat with Alexei - he was better and had almost no fever. Had a nice walk with Tatiana. Before tea I received A.S. Botkin, after Dobrovolsky. I studied in the evening and then sat at Anya’s with Denami, Groten and N.P.”

Not a word about the conference on its opening day. And the king is not a king, but a junior school student who keeps a diary of weather observations. Do you remember how we all lived like this in the USSR as children?

“This morning I saw Kirill upon returning from a trip to Murman in the city of Romanov. After the walk he received Barka and at 12 o'clock. — Lord Milner. He, V. Dolgorukov and N.P. (dec.) had breakfast. I took a walk with Tatyana. The frost was hefty - by night it reached 23°. At 7 o'clock I received Protopopov. N.P. dined. Read a little.”

Found at least one word about the conference? So I didn’t find it.

“Frosty clear day. Received Belyaev, Kulchitsky and Fredericks, who was having breakfast, as well as Mordvinov (department). At 2 o'clock he received Doumergue and spoke with him until 3½ o'clock. I walked for half an hour and received Raev. After tea I had Gurko and then Prince. Golitsyn. At 8 o'clock. There was a big dinner for all members of the union conference. The conversations ended at 10½ o'clock."

Oh, I remembered! Right next door to me, delegations from the superpowers are conferring. We need to eat with them. And not a word more.

“Sunny frosty day. At 10 o'clock received the Italian minister from the conference members - Shaloya. At 10½ we went with our daughters to mass. Had breakfast: Mordvinov and Serdyukov (dec.). I sat with Alexey and then walked with Tatyana. I read and wrote until 8 o’clock. After dinner we spent the evening on the other side with Denami, Anya, N.P., Soltanov and Chistyakov.”

It’s like “Nikolai at work.” Received one minister. But three days of the conference have passed. At 10 o’clock he had a conversation with the minister, and half an hour later he went to mass with his daughters, then he sat, walked, read, peed, and had lunch. The fate of the First World War, and with it the country, is being decided. The king does nothing. Even as a protocol figure, he is not present at the conference and does not discuss any military, political or diplomatic issues with anyone.

January 23rd. Monday
“In the morning I had Groten and Grabbe with the new officer of the 1st Grebensky Regiment, Vertepov. After the walk, I received Grigorovich and the commander of the Baltic Fleet in [ice] - Admiral [Admiral] Nepenin. Then the French [Uzbek] General Castelnau, who had breakfast with us. From 2½ to 4½ hours they received officers who had completed an accelerated course at the military academy, numbering 227 people; a huge number of them are wounded and shell-shocked. I ran out into the garden for half an hour. At 6 o'clock. received Bulygin. Read. We had lunch - Anya and Eristov (decision). I read it out loud in the evening.”

Everything is in the same spirit. He received one foreign general, then dealt with the wounded and shell-shocked, carefully recording their number: 227. How about that? The remaining days of the conference are reflected in the same way, or even worse. But perhaps at the closing of such an important event for Russia, the tsar will somehow show himself? What does the diary say?

"Freezing day. From 10½ I received: Gurko, Belyaev, the new Japanese - Ambassador Ushida with the embassy and Pokrovsky. Svechin (dec.) had breakfast. I walked alone. At 6 o'clock. D. Pavel was there with a report. I read and wrote. We spent the evening together."

Not a word about how the conference closed! Where are the results? Where is at least a characteristic at the level of personal impressions, satisfied or dissatisfied, whether they achieved their goal or not. But they discussed the decisive offensive of the Entente on all fronts.

Yes, it looks like this is a fake, black PR. The alleged falsifier armed himself with a Chamber-Fourier magazine, official press reports, and weather reports. For the sake of “soulfulness,” I added references to family matters, and in such a sparse formulation that they are applicable to any person. Who among us has not drank tea with our children and wife? Who hasn't read a newspaper or a book in the evening?
It is possible that some remarks from the real diary ended up in the fake diary. This is for credibility. But overall, the document still turned out to be more than strange. So the version of the tsar’s diaries being falsified is quite evidential and weighty.

Of course, only an objective, independent examination can dot all the i's and give a final answer. And it’s very strange that no one took up this work.

What was Nicholas II, Emperor of All Rus' like? Why did the seemingly unshakable autocratic power fall under him? Why did he abdicate the throne without resistance?

This was indeed a “bloody” monarch, so named for Khodynka, on January 9, 1905, for failures in the Russo-Japanese War; a weak-willed puppet in the hands of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna and the “elder” Grigory Rasputin, or a holy martyr with a crown of thorns on his head?

It would seem that the answers to these questions should have been given by his authentic, handwritten diaries, which he kept day after day in the Winter Palace, and in Tsarskoe Selo, and during the war at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and in Tobolsk, and in Yekaterinburg.

However, the diaries of Nicholas II are distinguished by extreme restraint. They describe actions and have almost no emotions at all. Day after day he writes about what he did, and almost never what he felt. Even in the most tragic, fateful years (1916-1918). Dry, protocol, he describes the scene of renunciation. Then there is only concern for the family.

Reading the diaries after the overthrow, you see the king at home - a good family man, caring and loving father. Work in the morning and afternoon, reading in the evenings - sometimes aloud for everyone in the household. They read classics - Russian, French, English. They try not to talk about the future. After the transfer to Yekaterinburg, anxiety grows. Something is cooking and they can feel it. For the first time, gaps in the diary begin. Sometimes they sleep without undressing. And then... the end.

To understand the whole point, I will list some of the events that were reflected in the diary of the last emperor.

Event. The sacred coronation ceremony of the new Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his wife takes place on May 27 (14), 1896 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The Khodynskoye Field, a training ground for troops, becomes the site of public festivities with the distribution of gifts on the occasion of the coronation. Due to gross mistakes in organizing the holiday, it all ends in a huge stampede in which up to one and a half thousand people die.

Diary. “Until now everything was going, thank God, like clockwork, but today a great sin happened. The crowd, who had spent the night on the Khodynka field, in anticipation of the start of the distribution of lunch and mugs* pressed against the buildings, and then there was a terrible stampede, and, terribly to add, about 1,300 people were trampled!! I found out about this at 10 1/2 o'clock before Vannovsky's report; This news left a disgusting impression. At 12 1/2 we had breakfast, and then Alix and I went to Khodynka to attend this sad “folk holiday”. Actually, there was nothing there; They looked from the pavilion at the huge crowd surrounding the stage, on which the music was constantly playing the anthem and “Glory”. We moved to Petrovsky, where they received several deputations at the gate and then entered the courtyard. Here lunch was served under four tents for all the volost elders. I had to make a speech to them, and then to the assembled leaders of the nobility. After going around the tables, we left for the Kremlin...”

Event. The Japanese fleet, without declaring war, attacks the ships of the First Russian Pacific Squadron in Port Arthur. As a result, the two most powerful Russian battleships are disabled, the Japanese gain a serious advantage, and the position of the Russian fleet immediately becomes extremely difficult.

Diary. “January 26, Monday. In the morning I had a meeting on the Japanese question; It was decided not to start on our own.

Had breakfast: Olga and Petya (dezh.). He received governors for a long time. We were in high spirits all day! At 8 o'clock. let's go to the theater; “Rusalka” went very well. Returning home, I received a telegram from Alekseev with the news that that night Japanese destroyers attacked the Tsesarevich, Retvizan and Pallada stationed in the outer roadstead and caused holes in them. This is without declaring war. Lord, may he help us!”

“In the morning another telegram arrived with news of the bombardment of Port Arthur by Japanese ships and of the battle with our squadron. Poltava, Diana, Askold and Novik received minor damage. Losses are insignificant. At 4 o'clock there was an exit to the Cathedral through the crowded halls for the prayer service. On the way back there were deafening shouts of “hurray”! In general, from everywhere there are touching manifestations of unanimous uplifting spirit and indignation against the insolence of the Japanese. Mom stayed with us to drink tea. After lunch, Nikolasha and Stana came to us...”

Event. The flagship of the Russian fleet, the battleship Petropavlovsk, with Admiral Stepan Makarov on board, explodes due to mines. Makarov had been appointed commander of the fleet shortly before - the main hopes for the fight against the Japanese were pinned on his energy and talents. The Japanese admirals themselves consider Makarov to be perhaps the main danger from the Russians. After the explosion, Makarov dies along with most of the Petropavlovsk sailors.

Diary. “In the morning, heavy and inexpressibly sad news came that upon the return of our squadron to P. Arthur, armored. "Petropavlovsk" came across a mine, exploded and sank, and they died - adm. Makarov, most of the officers and crew. Kirill, slightly wounded, Yakovlev - the commander, several officers and sailors - all wounded - were rescued.

The whole day I could not come to my senses from this terrible misfortune. After breakfast Alix went to bed due to a cold. At 2 1/2 I went to the memorial service for Countess A. A. Tolstoy, who died this morning. Then he visited Comrade Mikhen and D. Vladimir. I ate lunch alone and studied. Let God’s will be done in everything, but we must ask for the Lord’s mercy for us sinners.”

Event. After several days of strikes, workers from almost all factories in St. Petersburg gather in a peaceful procession to the Emperor's Winter Palace. Without hoping for improvements from the owners of the enterprises, the workers want to present their wishes to the Tsar personally. Peaceful processions are heading from the outskirts of the city to the center. Festively dressed people walk with portraits of the king and prayers. At the same time, they drive out the revolutionary agitators, emphasizing that they are going to their sovereign. All approaches to the city center are blocked by troops - in several places at once the troops refuse to let unarmed workers through, try to disperse them and eventually open fire on them. There is no king in the city. “Bloody Sunday” finally changes the mood of ordinary workers. Previously, they considered the king a defender of their rights and hoped that he would help them improve their lives. After the shooting of demonstrations, workers en masse are inclined towards revolution.

Diary. “January 9th. Sunday. Hard day! Serious riots occurred in St. Petersburg due to the desire of the workers to reach Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different places of the city, there were many killed and wounded. Lord, how painful and difficult! Mom came to us from the city right in time for mass. We had breakfast with everyone. I was walking with Misha. Mom stayed with us for the night.”

Event. On March 12 (February 27), after protracted strikes in Petrograd and Moscow, armed uprisings began. The garrison troops go over to the side of the protesters, while some of the troops at the front and the police in the cities remain loyal to the tsar. The Empress writes to the Tsar that there are only “boys and girls... running around the city screaming that they have no bread” and assures that everything will pass and calm down. In fact, in Petrograd there is a serious lack of food and complete distrust of the authorities. The rebels seize buildings. In fact, a civil war begins in the country.

Diary. “February 27th. Monday. Riots began in Petrograd a few days ago; Unfortunately, troops also began to take part in them. It's a disgusting feeling to be so far away and receive fragmentary bad news! Was at the report for a short time. In the afternoon I took a walk along the highway to Orsha. The weather was sunny. After lunch, I decided to go to Tsarskoe Selo as quickly as possible and at one in the morning I got on the train.

February 28th. Tuesday. I went to bed at 3 o'clock because I had a long talk with N.I. Ivanov, whom I am sending to Petrograd with troops to restore order. Slept until 10 o'clock. We left Mogilev at 5 o'clock. morning. The weather was frosty and sunny. During the day we drove through Vyazma, Rzhev, and Likhoslavl at 9 o'clock.

March 1st. Wednesday. At night we turned back from M. Vishera, because Lyuban and Tosno were occupied by the rebels. We went to Valdai, Dno and Pskov, where we stopped for the night. I saw Ruzsky. He, Danilov and Savvich were having lunch. Gatchina and Luga also turned out to be busy. Shame and shame! It was not possible to get to Tsarskoe. And thoughts and feelings are there all the time! How painful it must be for poor Alix to go through all these events alone! Lord help us!”

Event. Petrograd and surrounding cities are controlled by revolutionaries. There is an acute food shortage in the city. The troops mutiny en masse, go over to the side of the rebels and kill officers. Most of the population of the capital expresses hatred of the authorities and the royal family, and often hatred of the empress is even stronger than of the tsar. The train carrying the emperor cannot travel to Petrograd. A group of generals in an attempt to stop the outbreak civil war and to save the dynasty, they persuade Nicholas to abdicate the throne in favor of his son. The regent under the crown prince was to be the emperor's younger brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. But he also abdicates the throne and calls for submission to the formed Provisional Government.

“In the morning Ruzsky came and read his long conversation on the phone with Rodzianko. According to him, the situation in Petrograd is such that now the ministry from the Duma is seemingly powerless to do anything, since the Social Democratic Party, represented by the working committee, is fighting it. My renunciation is needed. Ruzsky conveyed this conversation to headquarters, and Alekseev to all commanders in chief. By 2 1/2 o'clock responses came from everyone.

The point is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front calm, you need to decide to take this step. I agreed.

Headquarters sent a draft manifesto. In the evening, Guchkov and Shulgin arrived from Petrograd, with whom I spoke and gave them the signed and revised manifesto. At one o'clock in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy feeling of what I had experienced. There is treason and cowardice and deceit all around!

I slept long and soundly. I woke up far beyond Dvinsk. The day was sunny and frosty. I talked to my people about yesterday. I read a lot about Julius Caesar. At 8:20 I arrived in Mogilev. All the ranks of the headquarters were on the platform. Received Alekseev in the carriage. At 9 1/2 he moved into the house. Alekseev came with the latest news from Rodzianko. It turns out that Misha renounced. His manifesto ends with the quadrilateral for elections in 6 months of the Constituent Assembly.

God knows who convinced him to sign such disgusting stuff!

The unrest in Petrograd stopped - as long as it continued like this."

¤ ¤ ¤

The last diary, in a dark black cover, was written by the emperor already in prison in Yekaterinburg, in the spring and summer of 1918, a terrible year for his family. The last entry in this black diary is dated June 30, 1918 - 17 days before his death, the emperor for some reason stopped writing. But the empress wrote until the last day - July 16. And she even prepared a place for the next entry, writing “July 17” above the blank page...

“The weather has been wonderful the last few days, but very hot; It was very stuffy in our rooms. Especially at night. At Botkin's written request, we were allowed one and a half hour walks. Today during tea, 6 people came in, probably from the Regional Council, to see which windows to open? Resolution of this issue takes about two weeks! Various subjects often came and silently looked at the windows in front of us.

The aroma from all the gardens in the city is amazing.

It was marked by various events: one window was opened in our morning, Eug. Serg. fell ill with kidneys and suffered greatly, at 11½ the real mass and vespers were served, and at the end of the day Alix and Alexey had dinner with us in the dining room. Besides, we walked for two hours! It was a magnificent day. It turns out that yesterday's visitors were commissars from Petrograd. The air in the room became clean, and in the evening it was even cooler.

Our dear Maria is 19 years old. The weather was the same tropical, 26° in the shade, and 24° in the rooms, it’s even hard to stand it! We spent an anxious night and stayed awake dressed...

All this happened because the other day we received two letters, one after the other, in which we were informed that we should prepare to be kidnapped by some loyal people! But the days passed and nothing happened, and the waiting and uncertainty were very painful.

Today there was a change of commandants - during lunch Beloborodov and others came and announced that instead of Avdeev, the one we took for a doctor - Yurovsky - was being appointed. In the afternoon before tea, he and his assistant made an inventory of the gold things - ours and the children's; They took most of them (rings, bracelets, etc.) with them. They explained that an unpleasant incident had happened in our house and mentioned that our items were missing. So the belief I wrote about on May 28 was confirmed. It’s a pity for Avdeev, but he is to blame for not keeping his people from stealing from the chests in the barn.

Yesterday Commandant Yurovsky brought a box with all the taken jewelry, asked to check the contents and sealed it in front of us, leaving it with us for safekeeping. The weather became cooler, and it was easier to breathe in the bedroom. Yurovsky and his assistant are beginning to understand what kind of people surrounded and protected us, robbing us.

Not to mention property - they even kept most of the supplies brought from the nunnery. Only now, after a new break, did we find out about this, because all the provisions began to end up in the kitchen.

All these days, as usual, I read a lot.

Today I started Volume VII of Saltykov. I really like his stories, stories and articles.

It was a rainy day, we walked for an hour and a half and returned home dry.

In the morning at about 10 ½ o'clock, three workers approached the open window, lifted a heavy grill and attached it to the outside of the frame - without warning from Yu[rovsky]. We like this guy less and less!

Alexey took his first bath since Tobolsk; his knee is getting better, but he cannot straighten it completely. The weather is warm and pleasant. We have no news from outside.

FROM Alexandra Fedorovna's DIARY

Thursday....Suddenly, workers appeared outside and began to erect an iron fence in front of our only open window! Always afraid that someone will climb over or come into contact with the guard...

Tuesday. Everyone went out for a walk in the morning for ½ hour. Olga and I prepared our medicines. Tatyana read me Spiritual reading. They went out for a walk, Tatyana stayed with me, and we read: The Book of the Prophet Amos and the Prophet Obadiah. Weaving lace. Every morning the commandant comes to our rooms, and finally, after a week, he brought eggs for Baby. (as the Empress called Tsarevich Alexei)

8 ocloc'k. Dinner.

Quite unexpectedly, Lika Sednev * was sent to visit his uncle, and he ran away - I would like to know if this is true and whether we will ever see this boy!

Played bezique with Nikolai.

10 ½ hours. She went to bed. +15 degrees...

* The commandant of the Ipatiev House, Ya. M. Yurovsky, on February 1, 1934, at a meeting of the old Bolsheviks in the city of Sverdlovsk, spoke about the execution of the royal family, where he mentioned: “On the 16th in the morning I sent, under the pretext of a meeting with someone who had arrived in Sverdlovsk (as in the document, correctly - “to Ekaterinburg” .) uncle of the cook boy Sednev. This caused concern among those arrested. The constant mediator Botkin, and then one of the daughters inquired where and why, took Sednev away for a long time. Alexey misses him. Having received an explanation, they left as if reassured.”

The protocol of the interrogation of the guard of the Ipatiev house P. S. Medvedev by investigator N. A. Sokolov dated February 21, 1919 stated: “I must tell you that the cook boy who was in the house in the morning, by order of Yurovsky, was transferred to the team’s premises (in Popov’s house)” (Transcript of interrogations... P. 209). In Yurovsky’s memoirs, written in April - May 1922, there is a clarification: “On July 16, 1918, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Comrade Philip Goloshchekin came to my house and conveyed the resolution of the Executive Committee to execute Nikolai, and it was indicated that the boy Sednev needs to be removed” (Yurovsky Ya. M. Op. op. p. 111).

The last word

...The king did not have time to understand anything. Yurovsky calculated everything correctly. We can already hear gun salvos and shooting in the city at night. The royal family went to bed. In the middle of the night they were woken up and told that the situation was dire and they needed to transport everyone to a safe place. They ordered us to gather downstairs. We gathered together as best we could. When Yurovsky announced to the Tsar about the decision of the Urals Council to sentence everyone to death, Nikolai only had time to say: “What?”... Shots rang out...

Quotes from Nicholas II

I go crazy when I think about the prospects for Russia, we will become the greatest people, the greatest state, everything in the world will be done with our permission.

I was not saving autocratic power, but Russia. I am not convinced that a change in the form of government will give peace and happiness to the people.

The greatness of the Russian Tsar does not lie in wars and victories, not in wealth and glory. It consisted of serving Christ and Russia. Russia not only today, earthly and material, but also spiritual, universal Russia, Russia of the future century.

They'll mess it up - and it's up to me to answer.

From the author: I read the emperor’s diaries with curiosity and greed; unfortunately, I could not publish everything here. My eyes have been opened to many things, and the upbringing and romanticism of Nicholas II amazes me. Whether we will find out the final truth about the fate of the royal family - time will tell. For everyone who is interested, I will send you by e-mail the book that I read when compiling the article.