Bat Journal: to each his own and like to like. Romanov Nikolai Alexandrovich "Nicholas II, Emperor"

November 2, 120 years ago, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II ascended the throne. The era of the new tsar began with the tragedy at the Khodynka field, and ended with the fall of the Russian Empire. The 23 years of the reign of Nicholas II were marked by the economic development of Russia and, at the same time, the growth of socio-political contradictions in it. All these years are described in the diaries of Nicholas. AiF.ru collected excerpts from the royal records, noting what the last tsar wrote and thought about at key moments in the history of his country.

May 18, 1896. Coronation. Khodynskaya tragedy

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 Khodynka field, a training ground for the troops, becomes a place for festivities with the distribution of gifts on the occasion of the coronation. Due to the grossest mistakes in organizing the holiday, everything ends with a grand crush, in which up to one and a half thousand people die.

Coronation of Nicholas II. Photo: Public Domain

Diary. “Until now, everything went, thank God, like clockwork, but today a great sin happened. The crowd that had spent the night on Khodynskoe Pole, in anticipation of the start of the distribution of dinner and mugs*, pressed against the buildings, and then there was a terrible crush, and, it is terrible to add, about 1300 people were trampled!! I learned about this at 10 1/2 hours before Vannovsky's report; a disgusting impression left from this news. At 12 1/2 we had breakfast, and then Alix and I went to Khodynka to be present at this sad "folk holiday". Actually, there was nothing there; looked from the pavilion at the huge crowd that surrounded the stage, on which the music played the hymn and "Glory" all the time. We moved to Petrovsky, where we received several deputations at the gate and then entered the courtyard. Here a dinner was laid under four tents for all the volost elders. I had to give them a speech, and then to the assembled leaders of the nobility. Bypassing the tables, we left for the Kremlin. We dined at Mama's at 8 o'clock. We went to the ball at Montebello's. It was very nicely arranged, but the heat was unbearable. After dinner we left at 2:00.

February 8-9 (January 26-27), 1904. Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War

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

Diary. January 26, Monday. In the morning I had a conference on the Japanese question; decided not to start.

Breakfast: Olga and Petya (dej.). He received governors for a long time. We were in high spirits all day long! At 8 o'clock. went to the theatre; "Mermaid" went very well. Returning home, he received a telegram from Alekseev with the news that that night Japanese destroyers attacked the Tsesarevich, Retvizan and Pallada stationed on the outer roadstead and caused holes in them. This is without a declaration of war. Lord, help us!

In the morning another telegram arrived with the news of the bombardment by Japanese ships of Port Arthur 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 to the prayer service. On the way back there were deafening cries of "Hurray"! In general, touching manifestations of a unanimous uplift of spirit and indignation against the audacity of the Japanese are everywhere. Mom stayed with us for tea. After dinner, Nikolasha and Stana came to us .... "

March 31, 1904. Death of Admiral Makarov

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

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

The whole day I could not come to my senses from this terrible misfortune. After breakfast, Alix went to bed because of a cold. At 2 1/2 I went to a memorial service for Countess A. A. Tolstoy who passed away this morning. Then he visited Comrade Mikhen and the village of Vladimir. Dined alone and worked out. In everything, may the will of God be done, but we must ask for the mercy of the Lord to us sinners.

December 20-21, 1904. The fall of Port Arthur

Event. Despite the badly organized supply, total theft supplies for the army at all levels and the catastrophic mistakes of the high command, Russian soldiers with incredible heroism have been defending the key base of the Pacific Fleet, the fortress of Port Arthur, from the Japanese for almost a year. On December 20, filled with sick and wounded, without supplies and hope of salvation, the fortress surrenders.

Diary. “I received amazing news from Stessel at night about the surrender of Port Arthur to the Japanese due to huge losses and soreness among the garrison and the complete exhaustion of shells! It was hard and painful, although it was foreseen, but I wanted to believe that the army would rescue the fortress. The defenders are all heroes and have done more than could be expected. That, then, is the will of God!

At 10 o'clock. drove up to st. Berezina; by railway the 157th infantry were lined up on the tracks. Imeretinsky and 158th infantry. Kutaisi regiment with a machine-gun company. The kind of people was great. From there, the train went to the Bobruisk station, where it watched the 2nd brigade of the 40th division in the same way - the regiments of the 159th Guri and 160th Abkhaz. They presented themselves even better. He received several deputations and at 12 1/2 he set off in the direction of Minsk. The weather was clear, 10° below zero, but with wind. We stopped for the night at Mikhanovichi station. There was a storm in the evening."

9-10 (February 24-25), 1905. Battle of Mukden, retreat

Event. The largest battle of land armies in history before the First World War. Having tactically outplayed the Russian command, the Japanese force the Russian army to retreat and leave the important city of Mukden. At the same time, the Russians inflict such losses on the Japanese that they can no longer continue the war.

Diary. “February 24th. Thursday. In the morning I was busy with reports. The five of us had breakfast. Walked. It was freezing, at night it reached 10 °. Long read. The five of us also dined.

Again, bad news from the Far East: Kuropatkin allowed himself to be bypassed and, already under pressure from the enemy from three sides, was forced to retreat to Telin. God, what a failure. Had a great reception. In the evening, gifts were packed for the officers and soldiers of the Alix ambulance train for Easter.

May 14-15 (27-28), 1905. Battle of Tsushima, death of the squadron

Event. The Second Pacific Squadron engages the Japanese fleet in the area of ​​Tsushima Island. The battle becomes an illustration of the situation in the country as a whole - it is affected by Russia's unpreparedness for war, and the inability to mobilize the resources of the state, and the absence of talented, enterprising commanders in almost all the upper strata of the army and navy. Social tension in the country affects the extremely low morale of soldiers and sailors. Mistakes at all levels - from production to command - lead to disaster at Tsushima. Of the 38 ships, Russia loses 35. More than 5,000 people die, more than 6,000 are captured. Compared to the Russians, the Japanese losses in battle are negligible.

Diary. May 14th. Saturday. The ninth anniversary of this significant event for both of us. At 10 o'clock. go to prayer. Then he had three reports. Breakfast Gr. Heiden (Dej.). I also took Lobko. They walked and rode in the boat. The weather was wonderful, cloudless. After tea, I studied for a long time. We had dinner at 8 o'clock and went for a ride.

The morning was magnificent. Were at mass and had breakfast with everyone. By 2 o'clock Sandro arrived in his motor. At 2 1/4 we got into it and exactly an hour later we arrived at the Finnish house outside Gatchina. Mom came there with others. It was a very good picnic despite the warm rain. By 5 o'clock. the weather has improved. Did a great walk. Dinner was delicious from dishes prepared only by lovers. At 9 3/4 Sandro drove us to the Baltic Station. We got home at 11 o'clock."

January 9 (22), 1905. Bloody Sunday

Event. After several days of strikes, the workers of almost all factories in St. Petersburg gather in a peaceful procession to the Emperor's Winter Palace. Not hoping for improvements from the owners of enterprises, the workers want to hand over their wishes personally to the king. Peaceful processions are sent 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 the troops refuse to let unarmed workers through at once, they try to disperse them and, as a result, 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 to be the protector of their rights and hoped that he would help them improve their lives. After the execution of the demonstrations, the workers are en masse inclined towards the revolution.

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

August 6 (19), 1905. Manifesto on the establishment of the State Duma

Event. The country is engulfed in a revolutionary movement, people demand civil liberties and representation of their interests in the legislature. Absolute monarchy is criticized at almost all levels. The emperor issues a manifesto on the creation of a parliament, which is called the Duma. The tsar's manifestos, adopted under the pressure of the revolutionary-minded masses, are considered the end of unlimited Russian autocracy.

Diary. “August 6th. Saturday. It was wonderful weather. The establishment of the State Duma has been promulgated today. At 12 o'clock. on the platform in front of the palace, a magnificent parade was held for the Preobrazhensky Regiment and the 1st Battery of Mikhail Pavlovich. Gadon presented the regiment admirably. Appointed the commander of my company Obolensky and the regiment. hell. Candle adjutants. We returned home at 3 1/4 and showed little Alexei Gadon and some of the Preobrazhenians. I read until 8 o'clock. I went with Misha (dej.) as a surprise to the Ulansky Manege, dined with the officers and spent very pleasant hours in the regimental family.

October 18 (28) - October 29 (November 11), 1905. Jewish pogroms

Events. Russia is engulfed by the largest Jewish pogroms in its history. They mainly take place in the southern and southwestern regions. More than 800 people were killed (not counting those who died soon after the consequences of the pogroms), most of those killed in Odessa. The "Union of the Russian People" is gaining strength, acting from the standpoint of extreme nationalism and anti-Semitism. It is believed that the organization was tacitly supported by the emperor.

Diary. “October 18th. Tuesday. Today, the state of mind has improved, as the decision has already taken place and experienced. The morning was sunny and joyful, a good omen. I took it all the time before breakfast. The two walked. Read all evening. Received many telegrams. Stana dined with us.

October 28th. Friday. It was a quiet good day, in the evening the sun came out and began to freeze. There were no reports, I received different people. I had breakfast Cha-gin (dej.). The two walked. The evening was spent alone. Birilev returned from the Black Sea and immediately went to Kronstadt. Everything calmed down there after serious unrest among the marine teams and the crepe. artillery on drunken soil.

July 1914. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, beginning of World War I

Event. Serbian student Gavrilo Princip kills in Sarajevo Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne and his wife. By that time, Europe is a powder keg - almost all major states have serious claims against each other and are only looking for a reason to start a large-scale war. The murder becomes such an occasion - in two weeks all the key states of the Old World declare war on each other and start a long-term conflict with a huge number of victims, which changed the whole world.

Diary. “July 15th. Tuesday. Accepted the report of Sukhomlinov and Yanushkevich. Breakfast: Elena and Vera Chernogorskaya. At 2 1/2, I took it to Bolsh. Palace of Representatives of the Congress of Naval Military Clergy from Fr. Shavelsky at the head. Played tennis. At 5 o'clock. we went with our daughters to Strelnitsa to Aunt Olga and drank tea with her and Mitya. At 8 1/2 he received Sazonov, cat. announced that at noon today Austria had declared war on Serbia. Dinner: Olga and Arseniev (dej.). I read and wrote all evening.

July 19th. Saturday.

In the morning there were the usual reports. After breakfast I called Nikolasha and announced to him his appointment as Supreme Commander until my arrival in the army. I went with Alix to the Diveevo monastery. Walked with the children. At 6 1/2 we went to the vigil. Upon returning from there, we learned that Germany had declared war on us. Dinner: Olga Alexandrovna, Dmitry and John (dej.). English arrived in the evening. Ambassador Buchanan with a telegram from Georgie. It took me a long time to write an answer with him. Then I also saw Nikolasha and Frederiks. Drank tea at 12 1/4.

Nicholas II declares war on Germany from the balcony of the Winter Palace. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Austria finally declared war on us today. Now the situation is completely determined. From 11 1/2 I had a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Farm. Alix went to town in the morning and returned with Victoria and Ella. In addition to them, they were having breakfast: Kostya and Mavra, who had just returned from Germany and, like Alec, had hardly crossed the border. It rained all day long. Walked. Victoria and Ella had dinner and then left for the city."

August 23, 1915. Nicholas II - Supreme Commander

Event. A year after the start of the war, a difficult situation developed at the front - Russia lost large territories, the enemy was advancing in many directions. The army is supplied very badly, there is not enough food and ammunition. The industry is also not prepared for war. Supreme Commander Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich(the emperor’s uncle, the tsar calls him “Nikolasha”) has proven himself on the bad side - he is called an ambitious man without talents, in the army he is given the nickname “Cunning”. There is no one to replace the Grand Duke at the head of the army - due to the lack of a talented, but at the same time pleasing commander for the capital, the tsar himself takes command of the troops.

Diary. "Slept well. The morning was rainy: in the afternoon the weather improved and it became quite warm. At 3.30 he arrived at his Headquarters, one verst from the mountains. Mogilev. Nikolasha was waiting for me. After talking with him, he accepted the gene. Alekseev and his first report. Everything went well! After drinking tea, I went to inspect the surrounding area. The train stops in a small dense forest. Dined at 7 1/2. Then I took a walk, the evening was great.

February 1917. "February Revolution"

Event. On March 12 (February 27), after protracted strikes, armed uprisings begin in Petrograd and Moscow. The troops of the garrison go over to the side of the protesters, while the troops at the front and the police in the cities partially remain loyal to the tsar. The empress writes to the tsar that only “young men and girls ... run around the city shouting 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 government. The rebels take over the buildings. In fact, a civil war begins in the country.

Diary. “February 27th. Monday. Troubles broke out in Petrograd a few days ago; unfortunately, the troops began to take part in them. It's a disgusting feeling to be so far away and receive fragmentary bad news! Was not long at the report. In the afternoon I took a walk along the highway to Orsha. The weather was sunny. After dinner I decided to go to Tsarskoe Selo as soon 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 spoke for a long time 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. In the afternoon we passed Vyazma, Rzhev, and Likhoslavl at 9 o'clock.

March 1st. Wednesday. At night, they turned back from M. Vishery, because Lyuban and Tosno turned out to be busy with 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 reach Tsarskoye. Thoughts and feelings are always there! How painful it must be for poor Alix to go through all these events alone! Help us Lord!

2 (15) March 1917. Abdication

Event. Petrograd and the surrounding cities are controlled by the revolutionaries. There is an acute food shortage in the city. The troops riot en masse, go over to the side of the rebels and kill the officers. Most of the population of the capital expresses hatred for the authorities and the royal family, and often the hatred for the empress is even stronger than for the king. The train with the emperor cannot pass to Petrograd. A group of generals, in an attempt to stop the outbreak of a civil war and save the dynasty, persuade Nicholas to abdicate in favor of his son. The younger brother of the emperor, the Grand Duke, was to become regent under the crown prince Mikhail Alexandrovich. But he also abdicates the throne and calls to obey 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 seems to be powerless to do anything, since the Social-Democratic Party represented by the workers' committee is fighting against it. I need my renunciation. Ruzsky passed this conversation on to the headquarters, and Alekseev to all the commanders-in-chief. By 2 1/2 o'clock the answers came from everyone. The bottom line is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front in peace, you need to decide on this step. I agreed. From the rate sent a draft manifesto. In the evening, Guchkov and Shulgin arrived from Petrograd, with whom I had a talk and gave them a signed and revised manifesto. At one o'clock in the morning I left Pskov with a heavy sense of experience. Around treason and cowardice and deceit!

Slept long and hard. I woke up far beyond Dvinsk. The day was sunny and cold. Talked to his about yesterday. I read a lot about Julius Caesar. At 8:20 arrived in Mogilev. All the ranks of the headquarters were on the platform. I 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 a four-east for elections in 6 months of the Constituent Assembly. God knows who advised him to sign such a disgusting thing! In Petrograd, the unrest has ceased – if only it would continue like this.”

subsequent events. After the abdication, the representatives of the Duma suggest that the former emperor consider himself "as if under arrest." On March 9, Nikolai arrives in Tsarskoe Selo as a civilian "Colonel Romanov". Until the end of the summer, he and his family live in Tsarskoye Selo, then they are transported deep into Russia. On the night of July 17, 1918, in Yekaterinburg, the Bolsheviks kill "citizen Romanov" along with his wife, children and servants.

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 would not describe consistently and in detail. He accurately recorded all the events of his life, both sad and joyful: from the death of his father to the abdication of the throne in favor of his brother, from engagement to marriage with his adored Alyx. Of course, much more attention is 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 an obligatory occupation, part of the right way of life, and the emperor willingly obeyed this tradition, as did many of his contemporaries. He took notes in the evening, before going to bed, most of all they resembled a listing of the tasks done during the day, since each of them was given only a few lines. His language is concise and dry, his style 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 state 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 set out 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 became Tsar not 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 a lie. And yet, some episodes should have been omitted, since it was this diary that became the main accusatory document against the king.

Many excerpts relating to 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 a narrow mind, and the emperor himself was considered a fool, unable to draw a 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 separate sheets, so that later they could be used, if necessary, as evidence against the sovereign.

And yet it is possible to appreciate this huge mass of material - fifty-one notebooks - both from a purely literary point of view and as an important historical document. If we read these notes in a row, in chronological order, they will be revealed 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 devoted to the young years of the emperor and his peers (almost all of them faced a painful death). The future tsar 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 prematurely appeared on the throne.

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

Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894–1918): In 2 vols. T. 2: 1905–1918. Ch 1: 1905–1913; Ch 2: 1914–1918/ Rev. ed. S.V. Mironenko; hands training teams text of the diary to the ed.: Z.I. Peregudova (Ch. 1), E.A. Chirkov (Ch. 2); prepared text to the edition: D.A. Andreev, I.N. Zasypkina, Z.I. Peregudova, G.G. Tolstikova, E.A. Chirkova, V.M. Khrustalev. M.: ROSSPEN, 2013. - 824 p. - 1000 copies.

The second final volume of the diary of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II covers the events of 1905–1918. Already the first entry demonstrates the main desires of the memoirist: to end the Russo-Japanese war victoriously, to live “quietly and silently” in the country and in the circle of his family. This made him pay much more attention to state affairs. The emperor established a regular reporting system, actively worked with documents in the morning and evening, and when he was away from his residences, including trips abroad, he used both courier communications and calls from ministers for personal reports.

And yet, the solution of state problems very soon and up to the tragic denouement with the renunciation of the throne becomes more of a ritual than an urgent need. Every year he lived in accordance with his own interests. Political problems in the changing Russian Empire annoyed him, because they did not coincide with the ideals learned in childhood, distracted him from his usual life, and only a more or less honest environment pushed him to weak modernization decisions. The emperor stubbornly resisted change and was, at best, ready to accept the technological advances of modernity, suitable for war and entertainment. Cinematography has now been added to its traditional entertainments (hunting, theater, billiards, cards).

This is the general context of the second volume of the diary of Nicholas II. We will try to analyze the diary entries included in it, the method of their publication, using the experience of the previous analysis of the first volume.

After 1904, until approximately 1914, their typology, which we identified, is preserved, the simplest type prevails - impersonal. This is evidenced, for example, by randomly selected entries for 1905 (“Had three reports”), 1906 (“Had two reports and a reception”), 1913 (“I received two ordinary reports before breakfast”), 1917 ("The report ended on time") (Part 1. S. 16, 18, 114, 728; Part 2. S. 295). Later, more and more often, a second, semi-impersonal type is found, mentioning only the names of visitors to the emperor’s office, which is confirmed, for example, by the records of 1905 (“After tea was Abaza”), 1914 (“After the report, Mamantova received the Japanese ambassador Motono”), 1917 city ​​(“From 10 o’clock [s] he received: Gurko, Belyaev and Pokrovsky”) (Part 2, p. 4, 289).

The third type is partly meaningful, sometimes revealing with just hints the essence of the emperor's conversations with his visitors, is still rare and almost every time needs an explanation. These records clearly reflect the interests and moods of Nicholas II both as a person and as a statesman. For example, “They received Ataman Krasnov, who came from Manchuria; he told us a lot of interesting things about the war. He writes articles about her in “Russian invalid”, “Min had breakfast, promoted to major general with enrollment in the retinue. He told a lot about Moscow and the suppression of the rebellion; he showed us samples of the revolvers and guns taken by the regiment”, “I spent the whole morning fiddling with Petyusha and Rediger [th] about new uniforms”, “At 10 o’clock [s] he received Dzhunkovsky upon his return from a business trip to Moscow on the occasion of riots and pogroms”, “At 10 o’clock [s] I received Markov on Finnish [cases]” (Ch. 1. S. 14, 108, 279; Ch. 2. S. 133, 292).

The named types of records reflect the hierarchy of significance for the emperor of the state affairs being decided, therefore, voluntarily or involuntarily, he demonstrates it. We see that, firstly, we have a person who feels himself the absolute master of what is happening. He is confident in the perfection of the existing system of administration of the empire, which allows him to rely on the opinions and actions of the ministers. This explains the predominantly impersonal fixation of state affairs being resolved in the diary of Nicholas II. True, there is an exception to this rule: during the premiership of P.A. Stolypin, the number of receptions with ministerial reports is clearly declining. It is difficult to say whether this was one of Stolypin's conditions or whether the emperor simply trusted him, but most likely both.

Secondly, Nicholas II almost subconsciously ranks his comrades-in-arms in managing the empire. Calling them exclusively by their last names, the emperor demonstrates his special attitude - constant and even goodwill, alertness and officiality, which can gradually turn into disappointment. To such people, judging by the diary, he is either supportive or dissatisfied with them. Perhaps, with the exception of Stolypin. The emperor clearly relied on him in state affairs, he trusts him, with interest, and not just out of duty, listens to his mostly regular evening reports. With regard to Stolypin, there is no habit of evaluating the reports of subordinates by duration, and not by substance.

Thirdly, Nicholas II, in a number of cases, fixing the essence of the issues he decided, thereby demonstrating not only their state importance, but also his fundamental interest. These records are very important for understanding the personality of the emperor.

Of particular interest to modern readers are just records of a personal nature (they are much rarer than others). The author of the diary is generally strict, restrained in conveying personal feelings. After 1904, we will find practically no traces of outright suffering, for example, about the illness of her son Alexei or the constant ailments of the Empress. The diary in this sense corresponds to the image of a public person dressed in an official uniform. Only two or three times the emperor seems to cry out from the suffering of the heir, for example, writing on July 16, 1913: “Alexey had increased arm movements during the game - in the evening he had a pain in his right elbow, could not sleep for a long time and suffered greatly, poor!” (Part 1. S. 773). Emotions are typical only for notes about G. Rasputin, with whom hopes of getting rid of the disease are connected: “After tea, we went upstairs to the other side and there we had the joy of seeing and talking with Grigory!”, “After dinner, Grigory came to us; sat with him for a long time. It was very good”, “Only in the evening, under the influence of Gregory’s soothing conversation, the soul came into balance!” (Ch. 1. S. 189, 377; Ch. 2. S. 66), and such references in frequency are second only to records of meetings with relatives and ministers, hunting, military parades, reviews and exercises.

In rare records, there is an emotional assessment of events in the state. So, on January 9, 1905, he writes: “A hard day! Serious riots broke out in St. Petersburg as a result of the desire of the workers to reach the Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different parts of the city, there were many killed and wounded. Lord, how painful and hard!”, in 1907: “A memorable day, forever overshadowed by the terrible death of the fleet in the Tsushima battle!”, 1908: “We talked for a long time about the dirty act of Austria, about its capture of Bosnia”, 1914. : “Today an important change took place for me: Kokovtsev was dismissed from his duties, Goremykin was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers, and Bark became the manager of the Ministry of Finance” (Ch. 1. S. 15, 206, 334 ; Ch. 2. S. 8). He clearly does not like the State Duma, overcoming himself, meets with its chairmen and traditionally leaves only dry protocol notes about this. The notes of the last days before the start of the First World War are similar to them. It seems that their author hides feelings and thoughts from himself. But it is not so.

Unlike the diary of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where the emperor did not hide the dependence of his mood on the weather, here the author is more secretive: he has learned to control himself. However, he does not always succeed. On July 18, 1914, the day before the signing of the manifesto declaring war on Germany, as if anticipating the future, Nicholas II wrote: “The day was gray, the inner mood was the same” (Ch. 2, p. 47). And what is significant: until July 21, the diary for the first time in its history does not contain information about the weather.

Comparing the emperor's coverage of the periods of the Russo-Japanese and World War I, one can see that there are much more records of the latter. Of course, by the time of the First World War, the connection had become much better, however, the very scale of events forced Nicholas II to follow them more closely, turning the diary into a kind of chronicle, revealing the peculiarities of personal perception of what was happening. For example, he is present at a review of the people's militia, which takes place in the pouring rain. Noting this moment, the emperor writes: “The warriors have a good cheerful look; only a strange impression is made by the combination of all kinds of shoulder straps and bands of caps in the same part ”(Ch. 2. P. 59). As you can see, he is not worried about the formation of the militia, but only the appearance of the warriors - the diversity of their uniforms irritates him.

With regard to the archeographic side of the publication, we note that in the second volume it has generally improved. The names of the elements of the publication's search engine, which are at the same time part of the comments, correspond to their essence: now they are not "indexes", but "lists" and "lists" of church and religious terms, geographical names, places and structures, ships, etc. However, their role, with the exception of lists of church terms, definitions and abbreviations, is still insignificant, since they do not contain references to pages. A particularly defiant violation of generally accepted norms is such an innovation by the compilers as the replacement of the generally accepted geographic index with the “Annotated List of Geographical Names, Places and Structures”, in which readers are offered impressive short stories about Vyborg, Gatchina, Dnieper, Kiev, Livadia, Orsha, Finland, etc., and at the same time the "pleasure" of an independent search on almost 1300 pages of the publication of their references. Not everything is in order with the name index. Of the 60 names of the authors of books read by the sovereign, less than half are present in it - 23 names. In addition, a random sample shows that G. Rasputin, mentioned in the index to the first part of the publication, is absent (Ch. 1, p. 617, 618, 643, 778, 791). On these pages only the Minister of the Navy of Russia I.K. appears. Grigorovich. Perhaps this is a “computer joke”: with automated sorting, he could not distinguish Grigory from Grigorovich. However, the archaeographer is also obliged to check the results of machine data processing. The absence in the second volume of a number of important elements that were present in the first volume is also inexplicable. It is especially disappointing that there is not at least a list of military structures with which Nicholas II dealt with in one way or another during the First World War. They were the most intense in the life of the emperor and the history of the Russian army.

Much has been done in the publication to improve the quality of the content notes. There are even traces of a double reference to the text for commenting on previously omitted passages that require explanation. Repeated comments are marked in the footnotes with an asterisk so as not to change the numbering of the previous explanations given in special parts of the annual diary entries. Unlike the first volume, interlinear explanations of the content of the source are now found on many pages (only in the first part there are about 120 of them, but in the second there are only three). The attempt of secondary commenting on the content of the source, albeit violating the architectonics of the publication, can only be welcomed, but it should be recognized that, in general, the comments are still far from not only ideal, but also from the possibilities available to the compilers. According to our calculations, about 300 "unidentified gaps" of text remained in the first part of the second volume of the diary, which is a lot for such a documentary source. The second part of the volume is also far from flawless in this sense: the number of unexplained fragments here is much larger.

At the same time, the second volume of the edition, like the first, is remarkable for its real commentary on the contents of the diary, which cannot but amaze with its thoroughness. These commentaries still resemble micro-articles, and sometimes anthologies of documentary sources related to the text, but more restrained than in the first volume, they demonstrate the knowledge of the compilers. In the overwhelming majority, they are now more businesslike and, in essence, have also acquired the necessary bibliographic aspect, which is important.

Nevertheless, the obvious redundancy of comments is also inherent in the second volume of the publication. For example, commenting on the mention in the diary of the Union of the Russian people, the compilers do not limit themselves to its general characterization as “an Orthodox-monarchical, nationalist organization, the largest Black Hundred formation on the territory of Russia”, but continue: “The Emperor supported the Union” and then provide an extensive information about financing of this "Union", Stolypin's attitude towards it, the text of Nicholas II's encouraging telegram to its chairman (Part 1. S. 550-551). And in vain, because even these data still do not give a complete picture of the activities of the "Union", the attitude of Nicholas II and Stolypin towards it. In the publication, almost a page is occupied by a comment about the Russian master of photography S.M. Prokudine-Gorsky (Ch. 1. S. 443–444), but the entry dated March 10, 1914 is not at all cleared up: “In the evening we looked at interesting transparencies, color [color] photographs of views of the Altai District” (Ch. 2. C. 16) .

In any scientific documentary publication, comments should contain not only necessary, but also impartial explanations of the source text. In order to impart objectivity to the comments, this edition uses quoting documents of an official nature and personal origin (diaries, letters, memoirs of people around the emperor). The latter are sometimes factual in nature, but very often contain assessments of the most important historical events. So, for example, the opening of the II State Duma is commented on in the publication with a quote from the work of S.F. Oldenburg "The Reign of Nicholas II" (Ch. 1. S. 259), in contrast to which directly opposite judgments can be made.

As for the sufficiency of comments, it is less amenable to regulation. The shortcomings in this part are largely caused by the model of documentary publication chosen by the compilers, so we consider some of them debatable. However, there are miscalculations that can be entirely attributed to the competence of the responsible editor. They are expressed both in the incompleteness of commenting, and in cases of inexplicable duplication of comments. Let's talk about the last one.

In the first part of the second volume, an entry for 1909 mentions Agvan Dorzhiev, the envoy of the 13th Dalai Lama. A lengthy commentary to it informs about the construction in St. Petersburg at his request of a datsan, and in the Irkutsk province - a temple in the name of the longevity of the heir to the Tsarevich. In the commentary to the entry for 1913, this information is repeated in a somewhat modified edition and with important additions (Part 1, p. 442, 813–814). It is clear that the comments were prepared by different compilers, and the editor did not remove the repetition. Another example of the inattention of the editor-in-chief of the publication is the peculiar lag of comments in terms of content - they are not given at the first mention of objects requiring explanation, but after several entries. So, on December 6, 1907, the emperor writes: “After many years of deliberation, I decided in the end to change the uniform of the army, return the guards to the former Anpapa uniform and restore the old uhlan and hussar regiments. All this is announced in the order today” (Part 1, p. 250), but the commentary on the reform is linked to the entry dated January 19, 1908: “In the morning, Petyusha brought a collection of shakos and 10 lower ranks dressed in different kavals[ erian] forms” (Ibid. 1, p. 275).

In conclusion, let us dwell on reproductions of photographic documents. There are 87 of them here, of which 25 are portraits, 44 are situational, 13 are event-based, and five are species-specific, and pictures of scenes from the private life of the emperor predominate. Only 10–12 photographic documents can be classified as official. In other words, the intention of the compilers of the publication is obvious: the documentary photo series was associated with a predominant display of the personal life of the imperial family and, selectively, with its official activities, for example, the emperor as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. This approach of the compilers to the publication of photographic documents is quite understandable: almost half of the text of this source concerns the personal life of the emperor and his family. And the photographs perfectly demonstrate this to us: snow removal, boat trips on the Shtandart yacht, recreation in the Crimea, playing tennis, driving in a car, swimming, hunting trophies, etc. The photographs complement the text of the diary. For example, they depict the faces of members of the royal family. They are almost always severe, even in children, only in one picture Nicholas II smiles restrainedly, in three - Alexandra Fedorovna allows herself to smile. Whatever the reasons for their grief, it is important for us that the photographs correspond only to the private line of the diary of Nicholas II. Another line, connected with the state activity of the emperor, is reflected in the photographs more than modestly, i.e. actually went unnoticed.

As a result, the archaeographic component of the publication of photographic documents as a whole cannot be considered satisfactory in terms of their selection. There is only a partial accompaniment of the text of the written source by reproductions of photographic documents. Turning to the titles and annotations of the latter (on the basis of a random sample of nine images - No. 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81), we note that only one corresponds to the content. The rest are either sloppy or inaccurate. For example, one photograph is titled as a portrait ("Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolaevna in Alexander Park. Tsarskoye Selo. April 28, 1917"), although it is a situational photograph associated with the arrangement of a vegetable garden by the imperial family. Indeed, in the diary of the emperor on April 28, 1917, it is written: “In the afternoon they walked and started work on arranging a vegetable garden in the garden opposite the windows of Mama” (Part 2, p. 307).

Modern historiographical and archeographical situations are such that they allow ignoring the criticism of any publishing project without consequences for its future fate. Not often, but sometimes we see that the scientific result of this or that documentary publication is determined not so much by the observance of generally accepted norms of archaeographic design, but by the value of the sources included in it - they hide archaeographic flaws and are ready to turn failure into success. Archaeographic miscalculations in the publication of the diary of Nicholas II in the first volume were corrected during the publication of the second volume, but only partially and somehow reluctantly. Therefore, readers who are grateful to the staff of the State Archives of the Russian Federation for introducing the complete and accurate text of the diary of Nicholas II into scientific circulation should know that its archaeographic part could be more fundamental.

V.P. KOZLOV

Kozlov V.P. Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894–1918) [Rec.] // Domestic Archives. 2012. No. 5. P. 114–120.

The terminology proposed by the reviewer is used here. Cm.: Kozlov V.P. Publications of photographic documents in the 1990s–2000s: archeographic analysis // Ibid. 2015. No. 1. P. 46–55.

Emperor Nicholas II *

diaries

* Romanov-Koshkin-Zakharyin Nikolai Alexandrovich

Content

Started in Tsarskoye Selo

Got up early. Left dear Alix for half a day, leaving for the city at 93/4. Mom was dressing in Winter in our bedroom. At 11 o'clock. exit started. After Mass the diplomats worked and returned to Malachitovaya at 11/2. Family breakfast as always. After that, Mama favored the ladies to hand. He left at 3 o'clock.

Alix did not get up, although she felt well. They answered a lot of telegrams. Dined in the bedroom and went to bed early.

A lot of snow fell and the thaw began. After the usual reports received 6 people. deputations from the troops of the Odessa district, who arrived at the funeral of A. I. Musin-Pushkin. Orlov had breakfast (dej.). Accepted Plehve's report. At 71/4 we went to the city for lunch at the village of Alexei. Returned to Tsarskoye at 103/4 with Boris. Alix did not get up all day, her head and pace hurt. was still elevated.

Alix again lay all day.

Had three regular reports. Uncle Sergey came to breakfast. After a long conversation with him went for a walk. It melted, the weather was pleasant. We drank tea together in the bedroom and dined 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 Tatyana. 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 several hours. He stayed with us until 111/2 o'clock.

There was only uncle Alexei with a report. At 111/2 I went with Olga to mass with water blessing. He also had breakfast with Kotya Obolensky (Dej.). Walked for a long time. Read. At 6 o'clock. received Abaza. Alix got up in the evening. Dined with Obolensky in the "mauve room" while Alix lay on the couch. In the evening he continued aloud our old reading of "Fracture".

The day was festive and sunny. In 93/4 I went to the city. Mom was dressing in our bedroom. In 103/4 he began to bypass the troops in the halls. At 11 o'clock exactly the exit began. The episcopal service did not drag on. Jordan was very pleasant. Sat down for breakfast at one.

Having changed clothes, he received Lamzdorf's report. Returned to Tsarskoye at 41/2. Alix was already up; Thank God she felt better. They dined together. In the evening I read aloud to her.

Again the thaw, the whole day was foggy. I had a great welcome. Obolensky (dej.) had breakfast. He also received Zhelobovsky and Protasov with a report. Went out for a walk after 4 o'clock. I read a lot. They had a real dinner together, that is, Alix was also sitting at the table. Read aloud to her.

Got up late. Before reports read. Breakfast: Olga and Petya (dej.). Alix went sleighing in the morning. During the day I took a walk. At 7 o'clock I went to the city and for the first time to the theater. They gave "Gutter dammerung" wonderfully well; Litvin and Ershov sang. Mom, Misha and Olga also arrived. Everyone enjoyed together. He returned to Tsarskoye in 121/4.

Nice sunny day. After reading the papers, I managed to take a short walk. Had a small reception before breakfast. Ate alone with children.

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

Did a lot. After dinner Alix read aloud.

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

It was melting, it was quite warm.

Alix went sleighing twice today. After dinner I read aloud to her.

It was a wonderful sunny day at 4°C. The two of us went to dinner at 10:00. Then, returning and hastily changing into a hunting dress, he went to the station. All the participants with whom they went to Gatchina were already waiting there. We had breakfast on the way. The raid was in a pheasant near Remiz.

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

Returned to Tsarskoe at 5 o'clock. After dinner I read aloud. Started packing for Peter.

Such warm weather as yesterday. In the morning, on the occasion of the name day, Tatiana received gifts. I had two regular reports and several governors. D. Alexey and Kirill had breakfast (dej.). Then he received Witte in the case of a trade agreement with Germany (2). Did a long walk without dogs as they had already been moved into town. I did a lot of work in the evening and fit in. Alix read aloud.

I overslept heavily and could not wake up before 91/4. Having tidied up everything and packed what was necessary, he went for a walk in the pretty park for the last time. There were only two reports. We had breakfast with the children. At 3 o'clock they left Tsarskoye Selo. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, we went to Anichkov to see Mama. At 41/2 they arrived at their place. Now they began to sort it out and very soon brought the rooms into a residential form. Read after tea. They dined together. Reading aloud in the evening.

Got up early. I read a lot in the morning; twice ran around the garden with the children. After the reports received 10 senators. I 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 are going to 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. Drenteln (dej.) dined. Before 9 o'clock. let's go to "Gotter dammerung". We returned home at 113/4.

We got up early, thanks to which I read a lot and managed to take a walk. There were all three reports. Tinchen and Boris (dej.) had breakfast. The weather is surprisingly warm, there is some snow left in the garden, and the streets are ridden all winter long. Strange winter!

We dined at about 8 o'clock and then went to the Alexandrinsky Theatre. There was a new rather meaningless play called "An Ordinary Woman". They returned disappointed at 121/4.

Pretty busy day. After the reports received 21 people. I had breakfast with Solovoy (dej.). He also received Skrydlov, who had come from Sevastopol. Walked, the weather was windy. At 5 o'clock. Let's go to Mama's for tea. Worked for a long time. We dined at 8 o'clock. and spent the evening quietly at home reading aloud.

DIARY OF EMPEROR NICHOLAS II

Volume II

May the Lord bless the coming year, may He grant Russia a victorious end to the war, lasting peace and a quiet and silent life!

Let's go at 11 o'clock. to lunch. Then we had breakfast: ladies, Prince. A. S. Dolgoruky and Dm. Sheremetev (dej.). Accepted Sakharov's report. Walked. Answered telegrams. We dined and spent the evening together. We are very glad to stay for the winter in our native Tsarskoye Selo.

Clear frosty day. We were at mass and had breakfast in the old way in the round hall with everyone. Walked for a long time. At 4½ there was also an officer's Christmas tree. Children were present, even - "treasure"; it behaved very well. They dined together.

The morning was busy, I did not have time to walk. We had breakfast: D. Aleksey and D. Sergey, who arrived today from Moscow on the occasion of his resignation of the governor-general and his appointment as commander-in-chief of the Moscow troops. military env. Took a nice walk with him. After lunch, he left. They took Ataman Krasnov, cat. came from Manchuria; he told us a lot of interesting things about the war. In "Rus. disabled person” he writes articles about her.

The morning was busy again. Leith had breakfast. Roschakovsky, former commander of mines. "Decisive". He accepted Yepanchin and Poretsky, who returned from the last mobilization, - and Prince. Obolensky, Finnish Gen.-lips. Went out for a walk at 4¼. After tea, over Mirsky's report, I had a big conversation with him. I dined with Solovoy (dezh.).

Started taking from 10¼. At 11½ we went to Vespers with the blessing of the water; stood below. Boris had breakfast (dej.). For a long time he received those who presented themselves. Walked.

After tea there was Abaza. I read for a long time in the evening.

Until 9 o'clock. let's go to the city. The day was gray and quiet at -8° below zero. Changed clothes at home in the Winter. At 10½ I went to the halls to greet the troops. Until 11 o'clock. moved to the church. The service lasted an hour and a half. We went out to Jordan in a coat. During the salute, one of the guns of my 1st cavalry battery fired buckshot from Vasiliev [sky] Ostr. and doused it with the area closest to the Jordan and part of the palace. One policeman was wounded. Several bullets were found on the platform; the banner of the Naval Corps was pierced.

After breakfast, the ambassadors and envoys were received in the Golden Room. At 4 o'clock we left for Tsarskoye. Walked. Engaged. We had lunch together and went to bed early.

The weather was calm and sunny with wonderful frost on the trees. In the morning I had a conference with D. Alexei and some ministers on the case of the Argentine and Chilean courts. He had breakfast with us. Hosted nine people.

The two of us went to venerate the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God. I read a lot. The evening was spent together.

Clear frosty day. There were many cases and reports. Fredericks had breakfast. Walked for a long time. Since yesterday, all plants and factories have gone on strike in St. Petersburg. Troops were called in from the surrounding area to reinforce the garrison. The workers have been calm so far. Their number is determined at 120,000 hours. At the head of the workers' union is some kind of priest - the socialist Gapon. Mirsky came in the evening to report on the measures taken.

Hard day! Serious riots broke out in St. Petersburg as a result of the desire of the workers to reach the Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different parts of the city, there were many killed and wounded. Lord, how painful and hard! Mama came to us from the city right in time for Mass. We had breakfast with everyone. Walked with Misha. Mama stayed with us for the night.

Today there were no special incidents in the city. There were reports. Uncle Alexei had breakfast. He accepted a deputation of the Ural Cossacks who came with caviar. Walked. We drank tea at Mama's. To unite actions to stop the unrest in St. Petersburg, he decided to appoint Gen.-m. Trepov as governor-general of the capital and province. In the evening I had a conference on this subject with him, Mirsky and Hesse.

Dabich (dej.) dined.

During the day there were no special disturbances in the city. Had the usual reports. After breakfast, he received Rear Adm. Nebogatov, who was appointed commander of an additional detachment of the Pacific squadron. Walked. It was a cold gray day. Did a lot. We spent the evening together, reading aloud.

The day passed relatively calmly, there were attempts at several factories to get a job. After the report received 20 people. appearing. Later he received Kokovtsov and Linder, the new Minister of Art. Finnish.

Was very busy all morning and after breakfast till 4 o'clock. Walked for a while. The weather was mild, it was snowing. We drank tea at Mama's on the other side. Troubetzkoy (dej.) dined. Read Mama and Alix aloud.

I had both reports, and I received Witte and Kokovtsev on a working question. We had breakfast in the rotunda with the German embassy on the occasion of Wilhelm's birthday. Walked. The weather was grey, pleasant. Misha returned from Gatchina; Olga and Petya from the city. We dined with them and Rudnev (dej.). Had a long conversation with Petya.

The city is completely quiet. Had three reports. Breakfast: Ksenia, Sandro and P. V. Zhukovsky. They received the new Italian ambassador Meregali. Walked. Uncle Vladimir came to tea. Then I had Sergei. He stayed to dine with us.

In the morning I received Fullon, who had been dismissed from his post as mayor. Were at mass and had breakfast with everyone. Walked after the sleigh ride with Alix, Misha and Olga. There was a blizzard. Did a lot. We dined and spent the evening together.

In the morning, as usual, I was at Mama's. Had two reports. Uncle Alexei had breakfast. They received a new Swedish envoy gr. Wrangel. Walked, it was cold and windy. Did a lot. After dinner I received Trepov with a long report.

Had two reports. Lots of work and all the fuss. Walked. We dined: Misha, Ksenia, Olga and Petya. Played eight hands. I read in the evening.

A tiring day.

After the report there was a big reception. Breakfast: George and Minnie. Took three wounded lower. rank., who gave the insignia of the Military. orders. Then he received a deputation of workers from the large factories and factories of St. Petersburg, to whom he said a few words about the latest unrest.

Took Bulygin, cat. assigned min. internal affairs. Walked for a while. Before tea I received Sakharov: later Witte and Gerbel. In the evening I had to read for a long time; From all this, he finally lost his head.

Today was more free. He had Budberg's report and received Manu-hin, the new manager of mines. justice.

We had breakfast: Misha, Olga, Tinchen with her daughter Albert, both brothers of Benckendorff and Prince. Shervashidze. Walked. It was clear and 15° below zero. I read a lot. Dinner: Ksenia, Petya and Olga.

There were two reports and a small reception, including 5 workers of the State procurement expedition. papers, the only institution that continued to work all this time. Breakfast: M-elle de l'Escaille and Prince. Khilkov. Took another Lobko. Walked. The weather was calm and frosty.

We got up earlier. After reading the papers, as always, I went with Alix to Mamá until 11 o'clock. Accepted three reports. Breakfast: Olga, Minnie, Petya (dej.) and gr. Kutuzov. Walked. It was clear and cold. Did a lot. The same and also Xenia, Georgy and Sandro and Misha dined.

We went to mass and had breakfast with everyone. Walked and enjoyed the weather. We drank tea at Mama's. Read with success. Dinner: Misha, Olga, Petya and Drenteln (deb.). We parted early.

Adopted three reports, the last one was Pratasova. Breakfast: d. Alexey, gr. Gendrikov and Mirsky. We visited the hospital with Mama and saw many newly arrived wounded. Returned at 4½. Didn't have time to play. From 6 o'clock he took Trepov until 7 ½. I dined M-elle de l'Escaille. Worked for a long time.

There was a thaw in clear weather. Sakharov did not come to the report, so he managed to take a good walk until 12 o'clock. Breakfast: M-elle de l'Escaille and the Count. Heyden. He also walked and killed three crows. Worked with success. Dined: Misha, Ksenia, Olga, Petya, Yusupovs, Vasilchikovs, Benckendorffs and gr. Totleben (Dej.). The guests stayed with us until 10½.

Accepted the first report of Manukhin, then 21 people. Breakfast: George, Minnie, M-elle de l'Escaille and Skrydlov, who returned from Vladivostok. At 2½, they received 7 soldiers who had lost their legs in battles. Four were awarded St. George's crosses. We walked for a long time, the weather was mild. At 6 o'clock. received Bulygin. Read. Dinner S. Dolgoruky (dej.).