Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-22
DIARY OF CzAR|NA
TELLS Of LAST DAYS
UNDER OLD ORDER
Weather, Chi|dren's Health,
House Duties Mingled With
Deeper Happenings.
BY ISAAC DON LEVINE.
ARTICLE 1.

=
imperial family IN exile and prison
was set down in Its pages by the
former empress: 1t is a history open
ing in Tuboish. Siberia, on January
T. 1918 tJanuary IA, according to the
Grcgorian caiendar) and closing
abruptly In IGkaterinhurg on July 18
Of the same year:
examined this diary of the czarina
in the government archives IN MOS
COW. With feeling of awe ana |
reaca the entry of July 16 in the
little book. 1t Is not much different
from those preceding it. but follow
ing il are blank pages. For 1t was
on July II that the eaarina went to
her death together with the ear
and their five children.
Like her letters to her husband.
the diary Of the czalina was written
in English, which was practically her
mother tongue. For the csafina was
a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
her mother having been Princess Alice
Of England. sister of King Edward
VII. Her father was the Grand Duke
of Hesse. Her childhood days were
Spent mostly ut The British court.
The carina made entries into her
diary several times day. usually
scribblnE. them in pencil. She never
missed noting tho particular day
saint. Tho Bible lessons which abe
gave to her children were always
infinitely recorded. So were the exact
hours Of meals. There is much de-
tail of a similar nature in the diary.
but here and there are scattered
through it illuminating pages.
Children Have Measles.
Her first entry. made on January /,
1918, according to the Russian. or
Julian, calendar, in Tobolsk, gives a
minute record of the days activities.
-h., 70, n -
esSes. down with measles, are record
cd several times. The entry begins
as follows:
"7:15 got up. At went to church.
Algo in bed. Tatiana, too. German
measles Tatiana has a strong rash
shot. Alexis alright again. Sat with
the girls sewing. L lunched with
them in their bedroom at y.
Beautiful sunny weather, sat on the
balcony for thirty-five minutes and then
with the girls till tea time.
played bezique with N. (Nicholas
the ex-czar). Then he read to us and
l Knitted
The day of the Romanoffs in Tobolsk
was not so empty in the early weeks of
1918. At that time their intimate friends
and servants. who voluntarily followed
them into exile, We're still with them
There were Gen. Tatischev. Prince Dol
gorukov, DIR. Derevenko. DIR. Botllin and
the foreign tutors Gilliard and Gibbs
Occasionally there were others, for the
regime at Tobolsk was at first not one
of a prison. but of exile.
On Tuesday, January 2, the day of St
Serephim, the czarina records her sitting
with the children and lunching and din
ing with Olga and Tatiana. "Olga s
rash now strong" she remarks. TIA
tiana coughs and sneezes" The day. as
| usual. is wound up with the ex-czar
reading. We learn that Nicholas Ro-
manoff, in exile at least. was fond OF
fine literature. IN. finished reading
The Noblemens Nest" Turgeneff's IA
nous ella ssic.
Officers Lose EpauIets.
Under the date of JanuaryS there i.
to be found the first passage rela ting
to the tremendous events going on ir
Russia. After setting down this
/ temperatures of the sick children ant
| recording the following, "LuncheG
with Olga. Tatiana and Baby
/ showed slightly. went out for half ar
| hour" the czarina entered this sen
tence and underscored it: Officer.
and soldiers have been obliged t.
take off their epaulets and stripes
One senses stifled Indignation here
| Marie has got the German measles
| too are the opening words of the
entry for January A. The days record
closes with the almost regular entry
N. read to us. l worked as usual
On January 5 the czarina writes: :.
went out for half an hour into the
kitchen garden, talked to the soldier:
(4th regiment" At $3.50 of the same
day she enters: New priest-blessec
the rooms" The following day she
went at to church with Nicholas
Tatiana. Anastasia and Alexis"
Lovely bright sunny day. Painted
and worked. Olga and Marie are up
Apparently reading was the chic
pastime of the eXiled Roman offs. ant
the ex-czar read aloud to his family
for hours daily. Thus on January
after luncheon. the czarna records
that IN. read to us story of Les
kov.' In the evening, after dinner
she observes: IN. read to us, finished
'Bretteur' and began Three Por.
traits by Turgenieff."
Notes Queen Victoria's Death.
Strong wind" is the concluding
phrase of the entry on January I
'SnoWstorm, terrible wind,' is the
opening of the entry of January S
The following morning the czarina in.
serted at the right of the date a eros!
and the words "Grandmamma 1901 in
dicating the anniversary of the death o
Queen Victoria of England, who died OF
January p (January 9, according to thu
old style).
On January 10, the day of st. Greg
| Dry, the czarina wrote letters
painted. lunched downstairs an,
rested because of headache. On tn
18th she made the following entr,
| among others: "Olga helped me look
| ing through my money. Lunchet
| downstairs, painted. Saw the oc
culist for new glasses"
Later in the evening she tells o
| the removal of a member of her suit
| from the place in which they were al
! housed. formerly belonging to on
| korniiov. "One sends Isa out of TIL
i Kornilov house today" the czarin;
| writes. she has taken rooms will
| Miss NIather and her maid in littl
house"
! on January 10 the following wa
entered: launched downstairs. Wen
out for three quarters of an hour
twelve degrees, calm. warm sun
Tatiana read to me explanations o
half past T. the czarina entered. Din
ner with Baby" meaning Alexis. TIL
ex-heir apparent to the cars throne
| Cxnr in Comedy Role.
One of the occasional diversions In tn
routine of the Romanoffs In exile was al
amateur show staged with the aid of tn
| foreigners. On January IA, for instance
French comedy in one act. called lie
Deux Timides." was given under the di
rection of r. Gilliard. Tho cx-czar play
ed the part of Thibandier. The othe
participants were Dolgorukov and tn
| Grand Duchesses Anastasla and Tatiana
Gen, Tatistehev was the prompter. Th
czarina's criticism. as put down in he
| diary, is ms follows'
played very well and amusing. Elk
cept the suite and doctors and Koli
and Mr., Gibbs. only our maids locke,
| on Lasted 80 minutes