Semyon Semyonovich Fabritskii: "The Most Precious Memories of My Life..."
Part 2: Continued Annotated excerpts from "Memoirs of the Fligel-Adjutant to Nicholas II"
Part II
On May 13, 1898 Fabritskii was serving aboard the armored cruiser Admiral Nahkimov (1) when another Imperial review took place at Kronstadt. He recalled:
“The Imperial review took place on the same day for all four ships that returned from a foreign voyage, and passed in the usual manner. The Sovereign with the Empress stayed with us for more than an hour, examining the ship to the smallest detail, and watching as we carried out a whole series of exercises. After countless reviews, the Highest Review seemed the easiest, and the Sovereign and Empress were, as always, infinitely merciful and affectionate, thanking the personnel for their service and long voyage abroad.”
In 1899 Fabritskii was transferred to the armored frigate training ship Prince Pozharsky when he encountered another member of the Imperial Family:
“Our entire detachment was anchored at the Baltic port Libau when Svetlana, the yacht of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, who was Chief Commander of the Fleet, arrived completely unexpectedly from the sea, flying the braided pennant of the Grand Duke.(2) Indeed, after about a half-hour the yacht anchored not far from the detachment and the head of the detachment, who was also the director of the Naval Corps, Rear Admiral Krieger (3), departed for the yacht with a combat report.
“A few minutes later, a signal was raised on the yacht: Prince Pozharsky should expect an immediate visit from the General-Admiral, after which a steamboat with the Grand Duke and his retinue left the yacht. Entering the deck, accepting the report, and greeting the personnel, the Grand Duke ordered the line of officers to be disbanded and the cadets to conduct a sailing exercise....I did not take a direct part in the exercise...during which literally everything that a sailor could envision in a nightmare happened....After the exercise, the cadets again lined up on deck, but instead of the usual congratulations given on such occasions, the Grand Duke said, 'Disgusting! It couldn't be worse!' Turning then to the head of the detachment, Rear Admiral Krieger, the Grand Duke asked, 'Can’t they be whipped?' To Krieger's negative answer, the Grand Duke said, 'It's a pity, a pity.'”
Fabritskii left his ship to train as a mine officer when he was informed of an unexpected development:
“Quite independently of me, His Majesty's Flag-Captain, Adjutant General Vice-Admiral Lomen (4), categorically demanded that the position of a mine officer on the Imperial yacht Alexandria be established, specifically to supervise the motor boats of the Sovereign and the Grand Dukes.
“It turned out that the three boats located in Peterhof, the summer residence of the Sovereign, were not in order and almost every voyage on them ended in some kind of incident. The Ministry refused to approve such a position; there was an endless argument, and then summer came, and the boats had to be ready.... Quite by accident, the choice of the authorities fell on me, and I ended up at Peterhof for the whole summer, living directly across the highway from the Emperor's own palace.
“At the same time, boats were entrusted to me. The work was not difficult, and the boats, brought in a few days in full order, began to sail flawlessly. By the nature of my service...I had to constantly watch the sea near the palace and beyond the coastline.
“Involuntarily, I had to partially observe the life of the entire Imperial Family, who spent part of their time on the shore near the palace. The Sovereign almost daily went to sea in a kayak and made quite long boat trips. Then we had to call a patrol boat on duty from the harbor and have the ship's boat ready.
“The Sovereign masterfully controlled the capricious little boat, often neglecting the rather impertinent weather. Often His Majesty came very close to our boat and greeted the crew and the officers. Almost every day the Emperor swam and approached the bathhouse, set quite far along the shore from the palace, in a kayak, putting his beloved dog on it. The return to the palace was done in the same way.
“Once the Sovereign rode out in a large kayak, placing Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (5) and a dog in it. Before reaching the bathhouse, the Grand Duke, having undressed in the kayak, jumped into the water, followed by the dog. The Sovereign, having tied the kayak to the pier, also began to swim, and I personally watched the bathing of the two Most August Brothers through binoculars, marveling at their dexterity and dashing. They dived and tumbled, fought and splashed.
“On the same day, in the evening after duty, I was at a concert. A well-known officer of the regiment, who had been guarding Peterhof that summer, approached me, and in the midst of a conversation about various ordinary secular trifles, he reported, among other things, in great secrecy, sensational court news, which consisted in the fact that the Sovereign had finally quarreled with his brother, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, on the basis, as it were, of his announcement as the Heir to the Throne. When I involuntarily doubted the correctness of this news, I was told that one could be surprised at my disbelief, since this news was told to him by a very influential person who was close to the court. Then I had to tell him what I saw personally that day as they were swimming. My news was received very dryly, rather with great displeasure, as clearly refuting such an interesting thing.
“Having described this incident, I cannot keep silent about the rumors in general about the Sovereign Emperor, the Empress and even the August Children. Everyone knows how stubbornly the rumor about the Emperor’s drunkenness persisted, but they also talked about his love affairs, and they did not spare the Empress, calling her lovers by name; they also did not spare the Grand Duchesses, charming and modest girls, attributing unbelievable things to them.
“Personally, I can testify to the falsity and maliciousness of such stories, since the Emperor sometimes drank one or two glasses of vodka before dinner and a glass of his favorite port wine while eating, or one glass of champagne at ceremonial dinners. There can be no question of the love affairs of the Sovereign, since it is difficult to find a better family man and husband and a person who loved his wife so deeply. In those few cases when the Sovereign had to speak with the ladies, it was always felt that he was embarrassed and burdened by the conversation.
“As for the Empress and her relationship to her spouse, we can safely say that it was difficult to imagine a more ideal relationship with her husband. The Empress not only deeply loved the Sovereign, but also deeply respected him, worried about him during his various trips, suffered for him, knowing his worries and troubles, and only lived for him and for her children. Everything else was duty, the fulfillment of the duties of the Empress, and the Sovereign and the Family were the happiness of her life.
“Here, by the way, we can recall the dirty slander, launched into the public, about the relationship of the Empress to the General of His Majesty's retinue Alexander Afinogenovich Orlov.(6) The Sovereign Emperor became intimately acquainted with Orlov during his service in the Life Hussars of His Majesty's Regiment, where the latter commanded a squadron and then was already regarded for his particularly brilliant knowledge and his dashing looks. Since then, the relationship of the Sovereign to Orlov had never changed, and it can be argued that this was the only real friend of the Sovereign, with whom His Majesty very often spoke in private, expressing his thoughts and assumptions. It is known that the Sovereign asked General Orlov to always live somewhere near his residence, so that he could be invited to the palace at any random free minute.
“It is quite understandable and natural that the Empress, being the first friend of her August Spouse, knew about these relations and could not but respect such a person as A. A. Orlov. Along with physical beauty, the Lord combined in him the beauty of the soul, rare morality, tremendous willpower, rare military talents, tact, and discretion. The Sovereign could be assured that no one would ever learn anything from his conversations with Orlov. These secrets went to the grave, since General Orlov died at the age of forty from consumption in the prime of his career and, unfortunately, without completing what he was called to from birth, commanding large military formations.
“And so, in society and in Russia in general, such a person was considered close to the Empress, not even taking into account the fact that Her Majesty was already completely ill and only by force of will forced herself to bear the duties of a wife and mother. And there were persistent rumors that Her Majesty made appointments to meet him at the house of Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova (7), based on the fact that Her Majesty, in order to avoid the etiquette inevitable at court, sometimes instructed her friend Anna Alexandrovna to invite several people in the evening so that the Empress could meet them pleasantly, not realizing that this caused unwanted conversations in society, especially in higher society, where people who fell into a small circle of close people to the Court were so jealous.
“Personally, I have repeatedly heard from both the Sovereign and the Empress the same phrase, always uttered with anguish: 'We know well that if we bring someone closer to us who we like in one way or another, they will start nasty rumors about this person.'
“I will not say anything about the famous Gregory Rasputin (8), who made so much noise all over the world, since I set out to write only about what I myself witnessed. I will limit myself to only one mention, and I think that this will be enough for an impartial reader. I confirm that from 1905 to 1914, during the years of my great closeness to the Court, as the reader will be convinced from my further description, I never heard the name of Rasputin from the lips of the Sovereign and his family, and never saw him at the Court, despite the fact that all of Russia was talking about his special closeness to the Highest Persons. When, struck by these persistent rumors and endless stories in society, I asked Fligel-Adjutant Colonel A. A. Drenteln (9), who was in the field office of His Majesty and accompanied the Sovereign everywhere by the nature of his service, 'Who is Rasputin and what is his role at the Court?' Drenteln answered me that he was some mysterious person, very suspicious, something like a wanderer or holy fool, to whom, unfortunately, the Empress was introduced by Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova. Apparently, this man made a strong impression on the Empress, after which the Sovereign wished to see him. The meeting also took place at Vyrubova's. Soon the Sovereign wished to see him a second time, apparently not understanding him for the first meeting, but after the second, the Sovereign had a negative impression of Rasputin and never spoke about him or remembered him again. The Empress occasionally continues to see him at Vyrubova's.(10)
“I repeat that this is all that I personally knew about Rasputin's position at the Court, and visiting there often, I never in my life saw this dark personality put forward by malevolent persons, apparently, solely with the aim of having influence through him on Empress, and, consequently, the Sovereign.
“Rumors about the drunkenness of the Sovereign Emperor arose shortly after his visits to the so-called monthly dinners in some regiments of the guard. Such dinners were traditionally arranged by the regiments approximately once a month to give the former officers of the regiment...an opportunity to get acquainted with the current composition. Respectable old men who held responsible positions and were retired came to these dinners with joy to spend time in a long-familiar environment, where everything was memorable from their previous service in the regiment in their youth.
“The regiments of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison, in which His Majesty was listed, asked the Sovereign to make them happy by attending such dinners, to which the Sovereign gave his consent. Thus, occasionally the Sovereign, a few minutes before 8 o’clock in the evening, left the palace for one of the regiments to dine among the military companies he so loved and with the old, experienced generals of whom he had found memories from his former service in the regiments.
“At first, such dinners did not last long, and at the end of them, the Sovereign, after talking a little with various people, departed for the palace. Gradually, somehow imperceptibly, under the pretext that the Sovereign needs to be a little amused, since, they said his life was too monotonous and almost monastic, artists and actresses began to be invited to such dinners; after dinners they performed. Of course, none of them took part in the dinner itself. Often such performances dragged on long after midnight, and it is necessary to do justice to the fact that they greatly entertained the Sovereign, who always led such a modest lifestyle and was always overwhelmed with urgent work.
“Once, having entered my duty under His Majesty, at the first morning meeting with the Sovereign, I had to hear from him regret and recognition that he was very ashamed that he had returned at 7 o’clock in the morning today after attending a monthly regimental dinner. 'They might have thought that I was drunk,' added the Sovereign.
“Spending time at such dinners, the Sovereign did not change his habit of almost never drinking. Whole evenings passed with one or two glasses of champagne.... Unfortunately, the young men of these regiments, innocently telling their relatives about such dinners, perhaps involuntarily exaggerated and claimed that the Emperor had been drinking all night. I consider it my duty to add that such dinners...took place perhaps five or ten times a year, since it is necessary to cross out the time of Their Majesties' stay in the Crimea, their summers and Great Lent, when Their Majesties fasted three times and when there was, of course, no question of any entertainment.
“In the summer of 1902, as seconded to the Guards crew, I sailed on the Imperial yacht Alexandria, which served for the Sovereign's trips to St. Petersburg and Kronstadt and always anchored in Peterhof in a specially built small harbor. The yacht was wheeled and had served since the reign of Emperor Nicholas I. This year she celebrated fifty-four years of service to the Emperors. At the same time, I was in charge of electric boats, which were relatively new at the time. Prior to my appointment, the boats were simply run by non-commissioned officers, who were replaced almost annually. Hence, there were frequent shortcomings in the proper operation of the boats, since non-commissioned officers, with their little experience and development, often neglected the exact performance of caring for batteries and engines.
“At the end of the summer, on one of the passages of the yacht with the Sovereign to Petersburg, His Majesty personally made me happy with gracious words, 'Since you have been in charge of the boats, I have been using them quite calmly. Thanks to you.' It was His Majesty's first expression of gratitude to me.
“During the summer, the yacht had to carry its Sovereign Master to St. Petersburg and Kronstadt eleven or twelve times. Sometimes the Emperor was accompanied by the Empress. We were all sincerely amazed by and admired the simplicity and courtesy of Their Majesties. The demeanor of the retinue was not as amiable: they held themselves in much importance.
“As a rare example of the Sovereign's exceptional kindness and condescension, I will cite the following case. The yacht Alexandria was traveling from Peterhof to St. Petersburg. Less than a half-hour had passed since we left the Peterhof harbor when I, standing on watch, smelled a strong odor of something burning. Looking around, I saw smoke coming from the casing of the left wheel, which I immediately reported to the commander and informed the senior mechanic. When the door of the casing was opened, smoke poured out of it.... It became clear that the left thrust bearing had caught fire. I had to stop the boat, after which the combustion ended. The bearing was oiled, and the yacht started again. It was clear that, in preparation for the voyage, they simply forgot to oil the bearing, which is why it caught fire.
“The sovereign was present at the opening of the doors of the casing and perfectly understood the cause of the fire. When an elderly officer, a senior mechanic of the yacht and pale as a tablecloth, reported to the Sovereign about the cause of the fire was probably some debris that had probably accidentally got in, the Sovereign affectionately said that anything could happen and, thank God, that it ended in nothing.
“By an inexplicable curiosity, back in the reign of Emperor Alexander II, the fleet, in the form of a special favor, asked for permission to complete the yacht Tsarevna (11) with crews from the fleet, as if the Guards crew was not the same fleet. And at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, on the same basis, a new large sea yacht Standart was staffed.(12)
“This year [1903], for the first time, I was at the Imperial Procession at the Winter Palace, that is, at a big ball, which was attended by several thousand guests. All the invitees had to gather in a certain hall of the palace at the specified time, after which the door from the chambers of Their Majesties opened and a large procession began through the rooms, which was repeated three times on a circuit. For the first passage, the Sovereign walked with the Dowager Empress, followed by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich as the next pair, and then all the Grand Dukes, according to their seniority, paired with the Grand Duchesses. The Sovereign, the Empresses and the Highest Persons, after making a circle around the hall, bowed to the guests, who greeted the procession with low bows. The second and third processions were made in the same order. After that, the musicians began to play waltzes and counter-dances according to the program. It was mainly the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses and the highest society who danced, and the Empresses and Grand Duchesses themselves chose their gentlemen, sending masters of ceremonies with invitations. Her Majesty danced only counter-dances.
“After dancing, the guests were invited to dinner, served in several halls. The places were not indicated, and it was possible to sit down in small groups, which made the dinner even more interesting, as it was held among familiar people.
“During the ball, the Sovereign never danced, spending time in conversations with the highest ranks of the Empire or with the ranks of the diplomatic corps, and at dinner he went around the halls all the time, making sure that his guests were all properly served. After dinner, the Sovereign said goodbye to those close to him, and the rest made a general bow, and all the Highest Persons again went to the chambers of Their Majesties.
“I still cannot forget how, at one of these balls, the Emperor entered the hall where I dined among the chief officers. Of course, we all stood up at the entrance of the Sovereign, and suddenly His Majesty's radiant eyes rested on me. It is difficult to say how long the eyes of the Sovereign were attracted to me for some reason, but I had the impression that it dragged on for a very long time, and I experienced some special feeling, not something of joy, not something of foreboding.
“In the summer of 1903, I again sailed on the yacht Alexandria. It was the year of visiting foreign kings. The Emperor of Germany (13) and the President of the French Republic (14) came by sea, and the Kings of Italy (15), Serbia (16), and Bulgaria came by land.(17)
“In the fall, I was appointed temporarily mine officer of the squadron battleship Emperor Alexander III (18), enrolled as a mine officer of the Guards crew, and in December I was appointed to the same position on the Imperial yacht Polar Star (19), which, as it were, was for life at the disposal of the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna. The sovereign's sea yacht was Standart.
“The yacht Polar Star was built to replace the old, wheeled yacht Derzhava (20) during the reign of Emperor Alexander III. It is said that the works was first given the task of building a yacht so that in case of war it could easily be turned into a fast cruiser, and that therefore the yacht did not have good sea qualities. In any case, the yacht was strongly built, possessed excellent boilers and machines, giving freely until the last day 18 knots under steam. The yacht was decorated very beautifully, albeit simply, according to the tastes of Her Sovereign Master. The dining room was especially beautiful and, if necessary, the tables could be separated by pieces so that eighty people could be seated.”
In 1905, Fabritskii was with the Emperor for a momentous meeting:
“In the middle of summer, finally, we accompanied the Sovereign to Björko (21), where he had a sensational summit with Emperor Wilhelm.(22) I personally was lucky, because I had to carry both Emperors along the water on a steam boat from the Polar Star for two days, either to inspect the German ships, or for lunch or breakfast. The Sovereign Emperor, as always, was very gracious and sometimes asked me questions. The German Emperor awarded me the Order of the Red Eagle.(23) Being present on duty at this historic meeting, the significance of which was unknown to us, I only remember well that the Emperor laughed all the time during the encounters.”
In the autumn of 1905, Fabritskii was aboard Polar Star for another interesting voyage.
“The voyage lasted only two weeks, during which time we again visited Björko and the Finnish skerries.(24) On board were the Sovereign; the Empress; the Grand Duchesses; the Heir Tsesarevich; Minister of the Court Baron Freedericksz (25); Hofmarshal Count Benckendorff (26); Minister of the Imperial Navy Admiral Birilev (27); Flag Captain of His Majesty's Retinue Rear Admiral Nilov (28); Fligel-Adjutant Count Heiden (29); Chagin (30); Drenteln, and the Empress's ladies-in-waiting.
“Upon the arrival of the Highest Persons, it was ordered to appoint dyadkas (31) to all of the Imperial children from among the non-commissioned officers. Their duties were to monitor the children and protect them from accidents on deck. At that time, the then sailor Derevenko (32) was appointed dyadka to the Heir, and he remained with His Highness until the revolution.
“Their Majesties, during the voyage in the skerries, rested after the past two difficult years, awaiting the arrival of Chairman of the Council of Ministers Witte.(33) He had just come from America after completing peace talks with the Japanese. Before his arrival the days passed monotonously, with walks on deserted islands, boat rides, and small hunts. It could be seen that the Highest Persons all sincerely enjoyed the wonderful sea air and the simplicity of life on the yacht, where there was no rigid court etiquette, and this voyage left pleasant memories.
“By the end of the second week, when the yacht moved again to Björko, Witte arrived. A steamboat was immediately sent for him, on which he came to the yacht to report to the Sovereign. After the report, Witte was invited to the Imperial Dinner, during which champagne was served and the Sovereign raised a glass to the health of Sergei Yulievich. Moving to the upper cabin after dinner, the Sovereign thanked Witte for the successful conclusion of peace and congratulated him by making him a count.
“We were all struck then by the manner of Sergei Witte with His Majesty. There was too much unnecessary obsequiousness in him. It was strange to see the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, former Minister of Communications and Finance, member of the State Council, keep his hands at his sides, bow low all the time, answer questions abruptly with phrases like, “Exactly so” and “Not at all,” and always address His Majesty using his full title, which was done only by those unfamiliar with the Court and certainly not by people with such positions.”
Annotated Notes to Part Two
1. Later sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905.
2. Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich (1850-1908), fourth son of Alexander II and Empress Marie Feodorovna, Admiral, served as Chief Commander of the Imperial Navy 1880-1905.
3. Alexander Krieger, 1848-1917.
4. Nicholas Lomen (1843-1909), graduated from the Naval College, commanded the frigate Pamiat Azova which took the future Nicholas II on his Far Eastern Tour in 1890-91; appointed adjutant to Alexander III 1893; Flag-Captain since 1893; 1901 named Vice-Admiral and appointed Adjutant-General to the Suite of Nicholas II; served as captain of the Imperial yachts Polar Star and Standart; dismissed from his posts in late 1905.
5. Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (1878-1918), youngest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Marie Feodorovna; heir to the throne from 1894 until the birth of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaievich in 1904. The Grand Duke contracted a morganatic marriage with a twice divorced commoner, Natalia Sheremetievskaya, in 1912, who in 1910 had already given birth to his illegitimate son George. Exiled from Russia, he returned just before the outbreak of the First World War, and served with distinction as commander of the Caucasian Wild Cavalry Division. In 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother, but Michael refused to accept the crown unless called upon to do so by an announced constituent assembly, thereby ending the rule of the Romanov Dynasty. He was later arrested and sent to Siberia by the Bolsheviks and was shot in Perm on the night of June 12-13, 1918.
6. Alexander Orlov, (1865-1908), Major-General in Nicholas II's Suite, Commander of Her Majesty's Uhlans Life Guards Regiment 1902; commander of Her Majesty's Lancers Life Guards Regiment, 1905. There were widespread rumors about the Empress's supposed attachment to Orlov.
7. Anna Taneyeva Vyrubova (1884-1964), daughter of composer Alexander Taneyev; maid of honor to Empress Alexandra 1904; married Lieutenant Alexander Vyrubov in 1907; divorced Vyrubov claiming mental cruelty and charging him with impotence; became Empress Alexandra's closest confidant and, as one of Rasputin's most ardent supporters, frequently arranged meetings between the peasant and the Imperial couple; assumed a political role with Rasputin during World War I, interviewing potential ministers and other officials; arrested by the Provisional Government after the Revolution, she was incarcerated in the Fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul, where medical examination showed that she was a virgin. During her interrogation by the Provisional Government, she claimed complete ignorance of any political involvement while at the same time depicting the former Emperor and Empress in a highly negative light. She left Russia in 1920 and later became an Orthodox nun, living in Finland until her death in 1964.
8. Gregory Rasputin (1869-1916, Siberian peasant; first met Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra on November 1, 1905, and secured their trust by apparently alleviating the worst symptoms of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaievich's attacks of hemophilia. His sexual misadventures and drinking, along with boasting of his relationship with the Imperial couple, did immense damage to the prestige of the Imperial throne. Assumed a political role during World War I, frequently meeting and recommending potential ministers to Empress Alexandra. Assassinated December 17/30 1916 by a group of conspirators led by Prince Felix Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich.
9. Alexander von Drenteln (1868-1925), Fligel-Adjutant to Nicholas II from 1903, Chief of the Emperor's Military Camp Office 1906, commander of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment from 1916, Major-general of the Imperial Suite.
10. Fabritskii was clearly in error on a number of counts in his version of Rasputin's relationship with Nicholas and Alexandra. The Imperial couple did not first meet him at Anna Vyrubova's house, nor did the Emperor find the peasant so unpleasant that he saw him only twice. It is understandable that Fabritskii was ill-informed on the issue, considering the pains the Imperial couple went to to hide the relationship.
11. The Imperial Yacht Tsarevna was built in 1874 in England and used mainly for short voyages in the Gulf of Finland and occasional holidays in Finland. Tsarevna was scrapped after the revolution.
12. The Imperial Yacht Standart was commissioned by Alexander III and built at the Burmeister and Wein Shipyard in Denmark. She entered service in 1896. At 420 feet she was larger than Polar Star and equipped with the latest technology. She was used exclusively by Nicholas II and his family. After the revolution, Standart was converted to a minesweeper and continued service in the Soviet Navy as Marti until she was deliberately sunk during artillery practice in 1963.
13. Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941), reigned as German Emperor 1888-1918, when he went into exile in Holland. As one of Queen Victoria's grandchildren, he was a first cousin to Empress Alexandra.
14. Émile François Loubet (1838-1929), President of France 1899-1906.
15. King Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947), reigned 1900-1946 when the Italian monarchy was overthrown.
16. King Peter I (1844-1921), reigned 1903-1918, took over the Serbian Throne as head of the Karađorđević dynasty after the assassination of King Alexander I of the Obrenović Dynasty in 1903.
17. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948), reigned as Prince 1887-1908 and then as Tsar from 1908 until his abdication in 1918.
18. Emperor Alexander III, a battleship that entered service in 1903 and was sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905.
19. The Imperial Yacht Polar Star was commissioned by Alexander III in 1888 and was, like her successor Standart, constructed in Denmark. She served as a Soviet naval vessel until she was scrapped in 1961. In Nicholas II's reign she was primarily reserved for Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna.
20. The Imperial Yacht Derzhava, a paddle-wheeled steamer, was commissioned in 1866 and served until 1898, when she was turned over to the Imperial Navy for use as the training ship Dvina.
21. Björko is a strait off the Gulf of Finland.
22. The meeting between Nicholas II and Wilhelm II at Björko took place between July 10/23-11-24, 1905. During the meeting the Kaiser presented Nicholas II with a treaty establishing a mutual defense between Russia and Germany, something which violated the existing Franco-Russian alliance signed by Alexander III. When Nicholas II's ministers learned of this treaty, they objected and Nicholas II, who should have known he could not sign such a pact with violating Russia's existing treaties, was forced to withdraw his agreement. The entire fiasco only served to reinforce the beliefs of many officials who questioned Nicholas II's political knowledge and judgment.
23. The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia usually awarded in recognition of leadership and service.
24. The term “skerries” refers to the small islands and inlets scattered along the Finnish coast.
25. Baron Vladimir de Freedericksz (1838-1927), served as Minister of the Imperial Court 1897-1917. The most powerful figure at Court, he was also one of those closest to Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra. He died in exile in Finland.
26. Count Paul von Benckendorff (1853-1921), served as Grand Marshal of the Imperial Court until the Revolution.
27. Alexei Birilev (1844-1916), Admiral (1907), Minister of the Imperial Navy 1905-1907.
28. Konstantin Nilov (1856–1919), Flag Captain (1905-1907), Adjutant-General (from 1908), Admiral (from 1912). Shot by the Bolsheviks in 1919.
29. Count Alexander Heiden (1859–1919), appointed Fligel-Adjutant to Nicholas II 1904, Rear-Admiral in the Imperial Suite from 1908.
30. Ivan Chagin (1860–1912), Captain, Fligel-Adjutant from 1903, Rear-Admiral in the Imperial Suite. In 1912 he shot himself, apparently over a rumor involving his relationship with a suspected revolutionary. Although Orthodox burial was usually forbidden to suicides, Nicholas II ordered that Chagin be given a military funeral with full honors before his interment in the cemetery at St. Petersburg's Alexander Nevsky Monastery.
31. The Russian term dyadka translates literally as “uncle,” and was used to describe the sailors charged with protecting the Imperial children.
32. Andrei Derevenko (1878-1921), dyadka to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaievich until the Revolution. After the revolution his position was taken by sailor Clementy Nagorny, who followed the Imperial Family into their Siberian exile and was imprisoned and shot by the Bolsheviks in Ekaterinburg sometime in June 1918.
33. Sergei Witte (1849-1915), Minister of Railways and of Finance under Alexander III, Minister of Finance under Nicholas II (1902-03), Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1903-1906), Prime Minister 1906. One of late Imperial Russia's most important and influential figures, Witte was ennobled by Nicholas II in 1905 in recognition for his service in negotiating the peace treaty and terms that ended the Russo-Japanese War.