In 1907, Rudnev was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun - in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors, becoming one of the first Russians (and Europeans in general) to receive this order.
Biography
Family
Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was born on August 19 (31), 1855 into a family of nobles of the Tula province. The place of his birth was the fortified city of Dynamunde (now Daugavgriva, a microdistrict of the city of Riga in Latvia), in which his father served as commander of the Riga fire guard.
Since 1616, his ancestors owned a small estate near the village of Yatskaya, Yasenets camp, Venevsky district (now Novomoskovsky district, Tula region). The ancestor of Vsevolod Fedorovich was an ordinary sailor Semyon Rudnev, who distinguished himself in the battle near Azov and received an officer rank by decree of Peter the Great for his bravery.
Vsevolod Fedorovich's father Fyodor Nikolaevich Rudnev was a hero of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829, participated in battles on the Black, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, in the blockade of the Dardanelles and Constantinople. In 1857, he retired with the rank of captain 1st rank and lived in retirement with his family in the village of Yatskaya, Tula province, in a small outbuilding.
Vsevolod Fedorovich’s mother, Alexandra Petrovna, after the death of her husband in 1864, moved with her children to the city of Lyuban, St. Petersburg province, where she enrolled her son in the local gymnasium.
Study and service
On September 15, 1872, having successfully passed the exams, V.F. Rudnev entered the Naval School in St. Petersburg, the only educational institution in Russia at that time that trained officers of the Navy. By order of the head of the Naval Ministry, Vsevolod Rudnev, in honor of the military merits of his father, the late captain 1st rank F.N. Rudnev, was accepted into government support.
On May 1, 1873, V. F. Rudnev was enlisted in active service. In 1873-1875, during the summer months, he went on training voyages in the Baltic Sea. On May 1, 1876, he was promoted to senior non-commissioned officer. Having brilliantly passed the final exams and received the Nakhimov Prize, V.F. Rudnev was promoted to midshipman on May 1, 1876. The young sailor was assigned to the training frigate "Petropavlovsk", and from May 18, 1876 to August 25, 1877 was on a training voyage abroad. This was the first long-distance voyage, during which it was necessary to perform the duties of an ordinary sailor, carry out an officer's watch, and master maritime affairs in practice.
The commander of "Petropavlovsk" eventually gives the midshipman an excellent certification, and on August 30, 1877, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev received the first officer rank of midshipman, and in September he was appointed to a one-year course in a naval rifle company, where the best young officers were sent.
On April 16, 1880, by order of the chief commander of the Kronstadt port, midshipman Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev set off on a new voyage abroad. He is assigned to the cruiser "Africa", heading to the Far East and then circumnavigating the world.
On October 6, 1880, Vsevolod Fedorovich became commander of the 7th company of the cruiser’s crew, and then was appointed senior artillery officer of the ship, with promotion to lieutenant on January 1, 1882. Upon returning from the voyage, he was thanked and awarded the order. Vsevolod Fedorovich later spoke about this instructive and difficult voyage in his book “The Around the World Voyage of the Cruiser “Africa” in 1880-1883.” (St. Petersburg, 1909).
In 1884 and 1885, V.F. Rudnev was on voyages in the Baltic Sea, in 1886 - on voyages abroad, and in 1887 - again in the Baltic. In 1888, the Russian fleet received the first steam military transport, the Peter the Great. Rudnev was entrusted with bringing it from France, where it was built for Russia, to Kronstadt.
In the same year, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev married Maria Nikolaevna Shwan, the daughter of the hero of the defense of Sevastopol, captain 1st rank N.K. Shwan.
On August 1, 1889, he again set off on a foreign voyage on the cruiser "Admiral Kornilov", in January 1890 he participated in the maneuvers of the Pacific Fleet, became the senior officer of the ship and on December 4, 1890 returned to Kronstadt. In 1891, V.F. Rudnev commanded the destroyer Kotlin, the port steamer Rabotnik, and then was appointed senior officer of the battleship Gap-gut.
On March 28, 1893, V. F. Rudnev received the rank of captain of the 2nd rank, and in December he was appointed senior officer of the squadron battleship "Emperor Nicholas I", which was heading to join a detachment of Russian ships in Greece. On the battleship "Emperor Nicholas I" Rear Admiral S. O. Makarov, who commanded the Mediterranean squadron, held his flag. After a year in the waters of Greece, the battleship sets off on a circumnavigation of the world (from January 1 to December 9, 1895). At the end of his circumnavigation, V.F. Rudnev arrives in Kronstadt, where he is appointed commander of the coastal defense battleship Admiral Greig, and later of the destroyer Vyborg.
In December 1897, V.F. Rudnev was appointed commander of the gunboat "Gremyashchy", which on March 1, 1898 went on a circumnavigation of the world, which lasted until May 15, 1899. This was Rudnev's first independent voyage around the world on a relatively small ship, and he carried it out successfully. On August 31, 1899, V. F. Rudnev was appointed commander of the coastal defense battleship "Enchantress". At the beginning of June 1900, he received the destroyer Skat, built for Russia, in the city of Elbipge (Germany) and, despite bad weather and a faulty compass, brought it safely to Kronstadt.
In 1900, V.F. Rudnev became senior assistant to the port commander in Port Arthur, where the base of the 1st Pacific Squadron, which formed the main forces of the Russian Fleet in the Far East, was located. And although Rudnev did not like the appointment, he energetically got involved in the work. With his participation, the dry dock in Port Arthur was rebuilt and expanded, dredging work was carried out in the internal roadstead, the port was fully electrified, and coastal defense was strengthened. In December 1901, V.F. Rudnev was promoted to captain of the 1st rank.
In the spring of 1902, during the cholera epidemic, Rudnev, as a member of the city sanitary commission and sanitary trustee of the maritime department, took energetic measures, as a result of which the epidemic was quickly eliminated. Since July 1902, Rudnev has been concurrently acting as assistant director of the sailing directions and lighthouses of the Yellow Sea and has been actively involved in hydrographic research, as a result of which amendments were made to the sailing directions and maps.
Commander of the cruiser "Varyag"
In December 1902, by order of the Naval Ministry, V.F. Rudnev was appointed commander of the cruiser "Varyag". By this time, he had acquired extensive experience in naval service, serving on a total of seventeen ships, of which he commanded nine, and had been on voyages around the world and long voyages.
The cruiser "Varyag" at that time was considered one of the best ships of the Russian fleet. At the same time, the cruiser "Varyag" had a number of serious shortcomings. Essentially, it was an experimental ship with a number of untested technical innovations. Built at the American plant of the company "W. Kramp and Co." in Philadelphia by order of the Russian Admiralty, it was launched in 1899, entered service with the Russian fleet in 1901 and arrived in Kronstadt.
On February 25, 1902, "Varyag" became part of the Port Arthur squadron. V. F. Rudnev took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903.
In December 1903, the cruiser "Varyag", by order of the Tsar's governor in the Far East, Admiral General E.I. Alekseev, was sent from the Russian fleet base in Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to guard the Russian diplomatic mission in the Korean capital of Seoul and carry out duties of a senior stationary on the roadstead. Another Russian ship, the gunboat Koreets, also came under the command of V.F. Rudnev.
The last battle of "Varyag"
On January 26, 1904, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers approached Chemulpo Bay and stopped in the outer roadstead. In the internal roadstead at that time there were Russian ships - the cruiser "Varyag", the seaworthy gunboat "Koreets" and the cargo and passenger steamer "Sungari", as well as foreign warships - the English cruiser Talbot, the French Pascal, the Italian Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg .
Early in the morning of January 27 (February 9), 1904, on the first day of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets” were blocked by a Japanese squadron in a neutral roadstead in the port of Chemulpo.
Rear Admiral Uriu sent messages to the commanders of warships of neutral countries located in Chemulpo with a request to leave the raid in connection with possible actions against the Varyag and the Korean. V.F. Rudnev decides to break out of the bay. He announced to the crew that Japan had begun military action against Russia: “Of course,” he said, “we are going for a breakthrough and will engage in battle with the squadron, no matter how strong it is. There can be no question of surrender. We will not surrender either our ships or ourselves and will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood. Perform your duties accurately, calmly, without haste, especially gunners, remembering that every shell must harm the enemy..." In response, a friendly triple “Hurray!” thundered, everyone took their fighting positions.
In an unequal battle on the Chemulpo roadstead with superior enemy forces, the commander of the Varyag acted decisively and inspired the crew of the cruiser by personal example. Under hurricane fire from the enemy, sailors and officers, showing miracles of courage, fired at the enemy, applied plaster, sealed holes, and put out fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle.
Russian sailors managed to sink a Japanese destroyer and damage three cruisers. "Varyag", having received a number of holes, returned to the anchorage in Chemulpo to make the necessary repairs and again go for a breakthrough. But assessing the overwhelming superiority of the enemy and the damage received by the cruiser, V.F. Rudnev gives the order to scuttle the Varyag and blow up the Koreets so that they do not fall to the enemy. The commander of the Varyag, V.F. Rudnev, was the last to leave his ship.
The sailors of the “Varyag” and “Koreyets” returned to their homeland in several echelons through neutral ports. They were given a decent welcome at home. The ship's commander and officers were awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree, lower ranks - St. George's crosses of the 4th degree. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev, in addition to the order, received the rank of aide-de-camp.
End of service and last years of life
On June 10, 1904, V.F. Rudnev was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the squadron battleship "Andrei Pervozvanny" being built in St. Petersburg.
In November 1905, Rudnev refused to take disciplinary measures against the revolutionary-minded sailors of his crew. The consequence of this was his dismissal and promotion to rear admiral.
In 1907, the Japanese Emperor Mutsuhito, in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors, sent V.F. Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun, II degree. Rudnev, although he accepted the order, never wore it.
In recent years, Vsevolod Fedorovich lived in the Tula province on his estate in the village of Myshenki, Aleksinsky district (now Zaoksky district).
On July 7 (20), 1913, V. F. Rudnev died (at the age of 57 years). He was buried near the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in the neighboring village of Savino, Zaoksky district, Tula region.
The further fate of the Rudnev family
The Rudnevs raised three sons - Nikolai, Georgy and Panteleimon. In 1916, Maria Nikolaevna, the widow of Vsevolod Fedorovich, sold the estate and moved to Tula along with her two youngest children. In 1917, their eldest son and his wife came to live with them in Tula. Later they moved to relatives in Sevastopol. When the civil war began to come to an end, Maria Nikolaevna and her sons emigrated to Yugoslavia. Later they moved to France.
After the end of World War II in 1958, the eldest son Nikolai Vsevolodovich returned with his family to his homeland, where he lived until his death in 1963. The middle son, George, emigrated to Venezuela. The younger one stayed to live in France.
Nikolai Vsevolodovich donated a significant part of his father’s personal belongings to the regional museum of local lore, which were then transferred to the V. F. Rudnev Museum in the village of Savino.
Rudnev and philately
Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was a major philatelist. He took up philately back in the 1870s in St. Petersburg. Setting off on a trip around the world on the cruiser Africa in 1880, he used every opportunity to purchase stamps. V. F. Rudnev collected a significant collection, containing many rarities, including the “Blue Mauritius”. Unfortunately, the further fate of his collection is unknown. According to one version, she died in 1904, when the Varyag was sunk; according to another, part of her was bequeathed to the Sevastopol Naval Museum. There are facts that the son of Admiral N.V. Rudnev, himself a philatelist, inherited his father’s collection.
The following philatelic materials were published in the Soviet Union and Russia in memory of the famous rear admiral and the warship he commanded:
On March 25, 1958, a postage stamp was issued in the USSR (TsFA (ITC "Mark") No. 2135), dedicated to V.F. Rudnev (artist - I. Dubasov).
On November 22, 1972, the USSR issued a series of postage stamps dedicated to the history of the Russian fleet. On the stamp with a face value of 3 kopecks, the artist V. Zavyalov placed an image of the cruiser “Varyag” (DFA (ITC “Marka”) No. 4182).
On February 7, 2002, an artistic marked envelope from the “Russian Fleet” series with the image of the cruiser “Varyag” was released in Russia.
Memory of Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev and the cruiser "Varyag"
50 years after the feat at Chemulpo, the surviving sailors of the Varyag were convened by order of the government of the Soviet Union in Moscow for celebrations on this occasion. N. G. Kuznetsov, Commander-in-Chief, Admiral of the Fleet, presented fifteen heroes with medals “For Courage.” Later, the government awarded another 139 veterans from the Varyag and Koreyets with orders and medals.
On September 30, 1956, a monument to the commander of the legendary cruiser “Varyag” V.F. Rudnev was unveiled in Tula.
On February 9, 2000, in the village of Rusyatino, Zaoksky district, Tula region, the museum of Rear Admiral V.F. Rudnev was opened, created by researchers from the Tula Regional Museum of Local Lore with the assistance of the Central Naval Museum, as well as officers of the regional military registration and enlistment office.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the feat of the cruiser “Varyag”, on February 9, 2004, in the village of Savino, in a specially built building, a new museum of V. F. Rudnev, a branch of the State Institution of Culture “Association “Tula Regional Historical, Architectural and Literary Museums”” was opened.
February 23, 2012 By Decree of the Governor of the Tula Region dated February 23, 2012 No. 12, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was awarded the honorary title “Honorary Citizen of the Tula Region” (posthumously) for outstanding services to the country, heroism and dedication.
In Moscow there is Admiral Rudnev Street.
In Lipetsk there is Rudneva Lane.
In Novomoskovsk, Tula region on the street. Komsomolskaya is a monument to Rudnev. On Navy Day, flowers are laid.
In Vladivostok there is Rudneva Street.
In Khabarovsk there is Rudneva Street.
In the Sea of Japan in Peter the Great Bay there is Rudneva Bay and the village of the same name on its shore.
Image in art and media (books, movies, TV series, music, games, etc.)
The feat of the crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" inspired the creators of several songs. But only two became famous. The first is “Varyag” (“Cold waves are splashing...”; music by F. Bogorodsky, poetry by Y. Repninsky). The second - the most popular - “Our proud “Varyag” does not surrender to the enemy” (“Up, you, comrades, everyone is in place ...”; music by A. S. Turishchev, poems by Rudolf Greinz translated from German by Evgenia Studenskaya).
In 1946, the film “Cruiser “Varyag”” was shot in the USSR.
Literature and sources
Works of V. F. Rudnev
Rudnev V.F. Battle of the “Varyag” at Chemulpo on January 27, 1904. - SPb.: type. T-va I. N. Kushnerev and K, 1907. - 24 s + 2 on. l. ill. Same: Rep. playback ed. 1907 - Tula: Grif and K, 2003. - 24 p. (Memoirs are written in the third person and are supported by excerpts from various combat reports.)
Rudnev V.F. Circumnavigation of the cruiser “Africa” in 1880-1883. - SPb.: type. T-va p.f. “Electric type. N. Ya. Stoykova", 1909 [in the region. 1912]. - 169 p.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Rudnev Vsevolod Fedorovich // Sov. ist. encycl. - M, 1969. - T.12. - Stb. 243-244.
Rudnev Vsevolod Fedorovich // TSB.- 3rd ed. - M., 1977. - T.22. - pp. 349-350.
Rudnev Vsevolod Fedorovich // Sov. military encycl. - M., 1979. - T.7. - P. 156.
Rudnev Vsevolod Fedorovich // Tula biogr. words - Tula, 1996. - T.2. - pp. 145-146. - Bibliography at the end of Art.
Other sources
Bot V.I. Commander of the legendary cruiser: Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev (1855-1913) // Pride of the Tula land. - Tula, 1982. - T. 1. - P. 221-228.
Bot V.I. Our fellow countryman V.F. Rudnev // Under the canopy of Music. - 1995. - No. 8. - P. 3.
Bot V.I. The heroic feat of the cruiser “Varyag” // Tula Diocesan Gazette. - 2004. - No. 1. - P. 2.
Nadezhdin S. Commander of the legendary cruiser // Zaoksky Bulletin - 2000. - July 18, 21, 25; 4, 8, 15, 18, 22 Aug.
Rudnev N.V. Commander of the legendary cruiser: [Historical-biography. essay about the life and work of Rear Admiral V.F. Rudnev, commander of the cruiser "Varyag"]. - Tula: Book. publishing house, 1960. - 247 pp.: ill.
Chernov Yu. I. Captain 1st Rank V. F. Rudnev and the battle of the cruiser “Varyag” on January 27, 1904 // Shield of the Fatherland: Collection. materials interregion. military history conf. "Armed forces of Russia and Tula." - Tula, 1996. - pp. 23-26. - Bibliography in note
Chernov Yu. I. V. F. Rudnev and the feat of the cruiser “Varyag”: (according to the recollection of a participant in the battle D. Ya. Belousov) // Russian Navy and Tula Territory: Collection. scientific materials conf. - Tula, 1997. - pp. 37-43.
Shikman A.P. Rudnev Vsevolod Fedorovich // Figures of national history: Biogr. word-reference / A.P. Shikman - M, 1997. - Book. 2. - pp. 231-232.
Ivanov V.V. To the 100th anniversary of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Military awards of Russian heroes of the war of 1904-1905.
Publications dedicated to perpetuating the memory of “Varyag”
100 years of the “Varyag” feat: Sensational finds of the underwater expedition of the Rossiya TV channel // Military History. magazine - 2004. - No. 4. - P. 44.
Immortal "Varyag" / Prepared by. S. Makin // Science and religion. - 2004. - No. 3. - P. 26-30: ill.
Bolshakov V. Our proud “Varyag” does not give up // Tul. news. - 2001. - February 3. (About the search work to restore the history of the Rudnev family; about V.F. Rudnev, about the monument to him in the village of Yatskoy, Novomoskovsk district, where the Rudnev family estate was located.)
Uklein V.N. At the grave of the legendary commander // From Tula to Polenov: About architecture and architects / V.N. Uklein. - Tula, 1981. - P.78-80.
Bibliography
130 years since the birth (1855-1913) of V. F. Rudneva // Tula region. Memorable dates for 1985: Decree. lit. - Tula, 1985. - P. 22. - Bibliography: 7 titles.
Bot V.I. 135th anniversary of the birth (1855) of V.F. Rudneva // Tula region. Memorable dates for 1990: Decree. lit. - Tula, 1989. - Bibliography: p. 33-34.
Bot V.I. 100 years (1904) of the heroic feat of the cruiser “Varyag” // Tula region. Memorable dates for 2004. - Tula, 2003. - P.73-78. - Bibliography: 34 titles.
Popovich V. A. The boiling sea below us: To the 100th anniversary of the heroic death of the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets”. // Soviet Russia. - 2004. - January 15. - pp. 12-15
V. F. Rudnev - rear admiral, commander of the legendary cruiser "Varyag": (On the 110th anniversary of his birth) // Calendar of significant and memorable dates in the Tula region for 1965. - Tula, 1965. - P.48-49, photo. - Bibliography: 7 titles.
It was clear that he was going to take revenge on someone. I've noticed this kind of behavior in him before. Angrily, he kept repeating: “I can handle him, I’ll prove it to him.” He was in some special state and was completely immersed in himself. This state lasted the whole day. In the evening, he went, accompanied by a security police agent, to the bathhouse and returned home at 10 o'clock. He looked very tired and was silent. I was familiar with this state, and I did not bother him with conversations and even gave orders not to receive anyone that evening. Silently, without looking at anyone, Rasputin went into his work room, wrote something on a note, folded it and headed to his bedroom. Here he put the note under the pillow and lay down. As I already said, I had previously observed this kind of behavior in Rasputin, reminiscent of witchcraft. Since he did not want to be disturbed on such occasions, I did not disturb him in the bedroom. Rasputin immediately fell asleep and slept without interruption all night. Once I asked Rasputin what kind of notes he puts under his pillow. He replied that he writes down his wishes on notes, which come true during his sleep. He told me this quite seriously: apparently, he believed in the miraculous effect of the notes, and this faith is indeed very contagious. Rasputin said that at a time when he did not yet know how to write, he had to mark his wishes by making cuts on a stick, and in this way he prevented many misfortunes. After he learned to write, he no longer needed a stick, but resorted to notes. The next day he was still sleeping when I came to him. He came out only some time later, and I immediately noticed that his appearance was completely different than the day before. He was lively, friendly and amiable. In his hands was a note that had been lying under his pillow at night. He rubbed this note with his fingers, and when it turned into small pieces, he threw it away. At the same time, he told me with a kind smile: “Simanovitch, you can rejoice, my strength has won.” “I don’t understand you,” I replied. “Well, you'll see what happens in 5 or 6 days. I’ll go to dad and tell him the whole truth.” “And your truth should defeat dad?” - I asked. “My power and truth will be known to the Tsar in three days,” Rasputin answered proudly. “I only have to predict the future for him.” He asked me to put him on the phone with Tsarskoe Selo. The connection was given immediately, since the telephone exchange had orders from Rasputin to always connect to the Tsar immediately. The same order was given to the telegraph department, so that Rasputin's telegrams were always transmitted first. “What is dad doing?” - asked Rasputin. “He is busy with his ministers,” came the answer. “Tell him that I have a divine message for him.” Rasputin was united with the Tsar. "Can I come?" - "Please. I want to talk to you too." Rasputin went to Tsarskoe Selo and was immediately received. As he later told me, the following scene played out. Rasputin hugged the Tsar and pressed his cheek three times to his, as he was accustomed to doing with people who were attractive and pleasant to him. Then he told the king that at night he had a divine appearance. This phenomenon conveyed to him that after three days the king would receive a telegram from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, in which it would be said that the army was provided with food for only three days. Rasputin sat down at the table, filled two glasses with Madeira and ordered the Tsar to drink from his glass, while he himself drank from the Tsar’s. Then he mixed the remaining wine from both glasses into the king's glass and ordered him to drink this wine. When the Tsar was sufficiently prepared with these mystical preparations, Rasputin announced that he should not believe the Grand Duke’s telegram, which would arrive in three days. The army has enough food, Nikolai Nikolaevich only wants to cause panic and unrest in the army and in his homeland, then, under the pretext of a lack of food, launch an offensive and finally occupy St. Petersburg, force the tsar to abdicate the throne. Nikolai was stunned, as he believed Rasputin's predictions. "What should I do?" - he asked cautiously. “He wants to send me to Siberia, but I will send him to the Caucasus,” replied Rasputin. The king took the hint. One can imagine his shock when three days later a telegram arrived from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, informing him that the army was supplied with bread for only three days.”
Dmitry Pavlovich- Grand Duke, cousin of Nicholas II, lover of Felix Yusupov.
Evreinov Nikolay Nikolaevich- theater figure, writer.
Elizaveta Fedorovna (Ella)- Grand Duchess, elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Zhevakhov Nikolay Davidovich- prince, chamber cadet, acting Comrade Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod.
Iliodor- see Trufanov.
John of Kronstadt (Sergeev Ioann Ilyich)- rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt, church preacher and writer.
Kovalevsky P.- publicist.
Kovyl-Bobyl Ivan- publicist.
Kokovtsov Vladimir Nikolaevich- count, minister of finance, after the assassination of P. A. Stolypin was appointed prime minister (until 1914).
Lakhtina Olga Vladimirovna- the wife of an actual state councilor, a fan of Rasputin.
Maria Feodorovna- wife of Alexander III, mother of Nicholas II, dowager empress.
Militsa Nikolaevna- Grand Duchess, daughter of the Montenegrin Prince Njegosh, wife of Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich.
Nikolai Nikolaevich- Grand Duke, uncle of Nicholas II.
Palaiologist Maurice- Ambassador of France to Russia.
Protopopov Alexander Dmitrievich- the last Minister of Internal Affairs of Tsarist Russia.
Purishkevich Vladimir Mitrofanovich- large landowner, deputy of the II, III and IV State Dumas, founder of the Union of the Russian People and the “Chamber of the Archangel Michael”.
Rodzyanko Mikhail Vladimirovich- large landowner, chairman of the III and IV State Dumas. He was one of those who explained to Nicholas II the need to grant a constitution in the name of preserving the monarchy.
Rudnev Vladimir Mikhailovich- Comrade Prosecutor of the Yekaterinoslav District Court, in March 1917 included in the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry with the instruction to “investigate the source of irresponsible influence at court.”
Simanovich Aron Semenovich- merchant of the first guild, jeweler, personal secretary of Rasputin.
Trufanov Sergey Mikhailovich(hieromonk Iliodor) - began as a promising preacher and zealot of the faith. In 1912 he publicly renounced “God, Faith and Church.”
Feofan (Vasily Bystrov)- bishop, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and at one time confessor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Philip- French adventurer.
Yusupov-Sumarokov-Elston Felix Feliksovich- Prince, heir to the richest fortune in Russia, husband of Irina Alexandrovna, daughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, niece of Nicholas II.
Any irregularities in the writing of the author's names, surnames and positions in the text are not discussed.
Matryona Rasputina
Rasputin. Why?
I am the daughter of Grigory Efimovich Rasputin.
Baptized by Matryona, my family called me Maria.
Father - Marochka.
Now I am 48 years old.
Almost the same age as my father was when he was taken away from home by a terrible man - Felix Yusupov.
I remember everything and never tried to forget anything that happened to me or my family (no matter how my enemies might count on it).
I do not cling to memories, as those who tend to savor their misfortunes do.
I just live by them.
I love my father very much.
Just as much as others hate him.
I can't make others love him.
I don’t strive for this, just as my father did not strive.
Like him, I just want understanding.
But, I'm afraid - and this is excessive when it comes to Rasputin.
Once I already began to write about my father, believing, quite sincerely, that this was my duty to his memory and even to my conscience.
Unfortunately, at that time I had not yet completely distanced myself from what had happened to my family in order to resist the desires of the advisers who suddenly appeared next to me. The notes that have long been published under my name are least of all similar to those that I would like to write. Then someone else's tone was taken. And now, if I’m not ashamed, then I’m sad about it.
And still, I never wanted to take on the doomed work of writing new notes.
But whoever says in advance how things will turn out will probably be wrong.
My father said (and this has often echoed in my life): “There is no vain.”
Fourteen years ago, a Russian lady came to my house (on recommendation). True, in relation to her it would be necessary to say - one former Soviet lady. Then you could often meet Russian-Soviet displaced persons. Essentially, refugees like me. She came to look at Rasputin's daughter. And she did not hide her curiosity, which someone else in my place would have taken for indecency.
I have never made a secret of the circumstances of my private life. Everyone knows, for example, that in order to feed myself after the death of my husband, I was a dancer for some time. In short, it’s hard to embarrass me.
The woman who came was not unpleasant to me, and I willingly answered questions. My God, what a mess she had in her head!
So this evening would have remained ordinary in its own way, if at the end of its guest had not handed me a thin book without a cover, which looked like it had been read.
I accepted the gift without expecting any catch. And what did I see - “The Tale of Our Days about Elder Gregory and Russian History,” the opening lines of which were: “We will tell this tale about both Grishka and Sashka.”
I almost suffocated from indignation. In my house - and this! I was about to point to the door, but the guest beat me to it with words that turned everything upside down:
Is this all you want left of your father? - The lady looked expressively at the book.
I immediately, of course, burst into tears, realizing how right she was to judge me this way, and realizing my powerlessness to change anything.
So it seemed to me at that moment.
Having somehow seen off the guest, I went to bed. One phrase was spinning in my head: “I don’t want to!” This happens when, half-forgotten, you try to grab onto a fragment of some meaning that has slipped away before. What - “I don’t want”? So that what remains of my father’s life is a lampoon, or do I not want to make sure that it is not only him who remains?
Unable to sleep, I got up. I understood what I wanted.
To begin with, I read to the end the book brought to me with such obvious intent.
I will cite only one, not the most vile passage.
Meanwhile, venerable Grisha
Climbed higher, higher,
He was a little guy with strong rules,
Made me respect myself
There was no end to the girls
And he was pleased with himself.
The hierarchs are arguing with Grishka,
Talking about the monarch
And Gioconda speaks
From the capital's elite:
“Vous savez, simple man,
And such a pleasant face.”
Recently, Channel One TV aired a series directed by Andrei Malyukov about Grigory Rasputin. The script, which the late Eduard Volodarsky began to work on, is based on the reports of a real investigator - V. M. Rudnev, who, after the arrest of the Royal Family, on behalf of the Provisional Government, was investigating materials on the foreign and domestic policies of the Tsarist government. Naturally, with the goal of finding at least some incriminating evidence. He knew what was expected of him, and he himself was initially opposed to Ts.S.
Rudnev examined and analyzed the archives of the Winter Palace, Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof palaces, personal correspondence of the Sovereign, Empress, some Grand Dukes and other high-ranking officials. This honest man went down in history because, as a result of the investigation, he was not afraid to say about the Emperor: “Pure as crystal,” and about the Empress: “Pure as crystal.”
In addition, the investigator’s special attention was paid to the relationship of the Royal Family with G. E. Rasputin and A. A. Vyrubova. Having heard a lot about Vyrubova’s influence at court and her relationship with Rasputin, before the interrogation Rudnev was hostile towards her. When the 33-year-old cripple Vyrubova entered under the escort of two soldiers, he was “immediately struck by the special expression in her eyes: the expression was full of unearthly meekness.” After conversations, this impression was confirmed...
The screenwriter of the film used the reports of this particular investigator. It was he who became the prototype of the fictional character introduced into the film - investigator Heinrich Switten, who, on Kerensky's instructions, is conducting an investigation into the Rasputin case. Of course, in order to confirm the already created and “promoted” demonic image of Grishka Rasputin.
After watching the first episodes, my impression of the film was the most favorable. An intelligent and conscientious investigator uses Kerensky's instructions to honestly understand the personality and behavior of the recently murdered odious Rasputin. He goes to Siberia, to his homeland, calmly, impartially checks the cliché versions about Grishka the horse thief, the murderer, the Khlysty sectarian... But it turns out that not a single version has been proven, everything is very contradictory. The viewer gets the impression that Rasputin was rather slandered and slandered. Which in fact was the case. The logic of the investigation of the first episodes was so thorough and convincing, the life of pre-revolutionary prosperous Siberia was so organic, that there was hope that the entire film would continue on this note. The cast announced in these episodes is impeccable. Investigator Sweeten (Andrey Smolyakov) immediately captivates with his intelligence, honesty and even some special vision of the person with whom he is talking. So, during interrogation, he draws his interlocutor. A wonderful directorial move. The Siberian district police officer (excellent performance by K. Vorobyov), who faithfully and truthfully served the Tsar and the Fatherland with all his intelligence, is also in no hurry to slander Grishka... Finally, Vladimir Mashkov in the role of Rasputin is not just a 100% hit. Mashkov, already in the process of playing, not only lives, but constantly gets used to it and comprehends, comprehends this image. As an actor who fulfilled the idea of the film's authors, V. Mashkov deserves an A+ for this role. The problem is with seeing the real image... But with the appropriate scenario, V. Mashkov would have done more.
Bull by the horns
On the eve of his departure to St. Petersburg, Rasputin - this move is called “the bull by the horns” - is shown to us as a seer and miracle worker. Moreover, he works miracles constantly and somehow concentrated. There is even an overkill, that is, the authors attribute to him insights of which he is said to be innocent. In particular, with Anna Vyrubova (more on this below). And from here it went, went, went... That is, with the arrival of Rasputin in Petrograd. CINEMA began, the creation of images and images. Even the impeccable investigator Sweeten somehow faded. But V. Mashkov is still so convincing that an unprepared viewer is sure: this is how he was, this is how it happened!
The author of a work of art, including one on a historical theme, has the right to fiction, to conjecture, that is, some artistic construction. But the problem is that the Royal theme in our history is a very special, hidden matter, still far from being comprehended. The Bolsheviks and various kinds of “anti” before them slandered, distorted, slandered everything that was possible and not possible here. The black was carefully pasted over with white. The white one is densely studded with black needles. Therefore, an honest, patriotic author, firstly, should give up his right to artistic fiction and try, as far as possible, to follow the historical truth. Including in the little things. Otherwise, there is a danger of repeating old legends. Which, alas, is exactly what happened.
So, what is the essence of the most common legend? Rasputin and Vyrubova infiltrated the Royal Family and completely subjugated it. The politics of the Russian state were decided by the intriguer Vyrubova, who subjugated the empress, and the dark sorcerer and libertine Grishka Rasputin. Orgies were held in the palace with the participation of Vyrubova, the Empress and Rasputin. Even the Heir was born from Rasputin. That is, the dark force subjugated and absorbed the unfortunate weak and worthless Royal Family. Of course, Ts.S. is a victim, but due to her weakness she is worthy of it. And there is nothing to regret.
If you carefully watch the film, you have to conclude that this Bolshevik legend has been largely preserved. The only difference is that the main characters - Anna Vyrubova and Grigory Rasputin - are presented this time as white and fluffy. They are whitewashed, cleaned and ennobled as much as possible. Even contrary to historical truth. These are not just sincere loyal subjects, but people who have put their whole lives into serving, helping, preserving... But again - the weak, worthless and weak-willed Ts.S. Accordingly, the Emperor, Empress, and the entire Ts.S. are humiliated even more. Well, completely useless... It’s one thing, Ts.S. fell into the network of “dark forces”, which, with their spell, deprived them of their own will. In this case, they and the correspondingly lost Russia can be pitied. Another thing is that these were not dark forces at all, but loving, intelligent, subtle people, soulfully sacrificing themselves, trying to teach at least a little sense to this (still) worthless Ts.S.
Most of all, the image of Anna Vyrubova works for this legend. (Ekaterina Klimova here declared herself as an actress capable of playing the role of an aristocrat, which has become a rarity in our cinema. She fulfilled the script idea perfectly). In the film, she meets Rasputin somewhere in Siberia, while she is married (and she was married for only a year - from 1907 to 1908). Upon arrival in Pb. Anna settles Rasputin in her apartment and immediately brings him to the Empress, who, at the very first moment of the meeting, “falls” for him and immediately decides: “Tomorrow we will introduce him to Niki...”. The next day “with Niki” everything will be even easier. Vyrubova explains (!) to the Tsar WHAT kind of person he is. And “this man” immediately begins to lecture the Tsar. That is, before us is an intelligent, beautiful, enterprising woman, leading both the Empress and (together with her) the Sovereign and the situation in general. All the data is in order to present the very “intrigue” who, together with Rasputin, runs Ts.S. and, as a result, government policy.
In fact... Rasputin was introduced to the royal couple in 1905 by V.K. Militsa Nikolaevna. Only a year later, when Anna (then still a girl Taneyeva) was going to marry Lieutenant Vyrubov, the same V.K. Militsa Nick. introduced her to Rasputin. Having previously seriously prepared the 22-year-old girl “through reading French. occult literature." Anna practically asked for his blessing for the marriage. But Rasputin did not warn that she was going to marry an impotent pervert. He only said (this is in Vyrubova’s memoirs) that “the path of life is not strewn with roses, but the soul is improved through suffering.” That is, he diplomatically and streamlinedly avoided answering. In the film, as we see, Anna meets Rasputin in Siberia, already being married. And here we hear the prophecy of the “old man” invented by the authors: he calls Anna a “maiden” and advises her to quickly leave her husband before he beats her to death. Anna actually left her husband after such beatings. But this is a “prophecy,” as they say, “after the fact.”
When investigator V.M. Rudnev met Vyrubova, who was in the Peter and Paul Fortress, during interrogations and inquiries, he made the following conclusion
Due to her individual qualities, she could not have absolutely no influence not only on the foreign, but also on the internal policy of the State (purely feminine attitude towards all political events; talkativeness and even talkativeness, complete inability to keep secrets. Even to her own detriment.).
Having studied in detail the life of the Royal Family and having understood the appearance of the Empress, Rudnev notes: “Vyrubova’s shallow mind and the purely philosophical mindset of the Empress...” And further: There could be no influence of Vyrubova on the Empress: the preponderance of the mental and volitional data of the Empress over the mentally limited one was too great. but a selflessly devoted and passionately loving first lady-in-waiting, then a friend and family member of Vyrubova. This is the relationship between mother and daughter - nothing more. Anna was nine years younger than the Empress. A strong connecting link is the religious feeling that led them to the tragic worship of the personality of Rasputin.
These words are taken from Rudnev’s conclusion. In the film, we see precisely the preponderance of mental and strong-willed qualities of Vyrubova (Klimova) over the relaxed and somewhat prostrated Empress (I. Dapkunaite).
At the same time, Dr. Manukhin, who examined Anna, concluded that she was a virgin. And accordingly, the slander against her, and most importantly through her against Ts.S., appeared before him in all its monstrosity...
So, Vyrubova is a sincerely devoted Ts.S., passionately loving, who endured beatings from her inferior husband for a year, a woman of small intelligence slandered beyond all measure, as they would say now - a simpleton...
In the film, Anna, a 22-year-old married woman, brings Rasputin to Petersburg and boldly settles in her apartment (where her husband is at this time is unclear). Repeatedly, the director shows Anna and Rasputin in such close proximity that there is no doubt about the Bolshevik legend. In general, Anna boldly and confidently manages the situation. She wanted - she began to live with the “elder” in the same apartment, she wanted - she went with him on the same train to his homeland... and then proudly instructs Rasputin’s wife that she is the Empress’s maid of honor, and the attitude towards her here is inappropriate! And proudly he leaves. Everything here is a lie - from facts to psychology, from psychology to facts.
In fact, Anna, being like Ts.S.’s household member in reverent submission to the Empress, would never have dared to do this. She was in the village. Pokrovskoe twice with society ladies on behalf of the Empress. She was tasked with seeing everything with her own eyes and checking rumors about Rasputin's life. The last time in 1915, Anna, already crippled, traveled accompanied not only by “ladies”, but by her orderly. This information is for those Internet reviewers who hope and are even sure that they have finally seen the truth from the screen...
The point is not even that it is more difficult to love the simple-minded, kind, ingeniously devoted crippled Vyrubova from the screen than the smart and beautiful Klimova, gracefully and even coquettishly leaning on a stick... To accept such a Vyrubova, you need to build a different priority row. ..
It’s even more difficult to talk about the image of Rasputin.
The brilliant performance of Vladimir Mashkov is, alas, of no help here. Mashkov plays what he sings, a man who does not belong to himself, constantly, every minute, led by God, helping everyone, knowing everything... And not even realizing this. A heavenly angel, who, of necessity, sometimes touches the earth. As soon as Anna introduces him to the Empress, he immediately - in an inspired mission as a savior - approaches the Empress, takes her face in his hands (!). And his whole appearance says: “That’s it. That's it, guys! A good uncle has come... Now I will do everything. The bad is gone. Now everything will be fine. Just listen!” And the Empress, smiling blissfully, falls into prostration: “He...”. Well, why not add an argument to the Bolshevik legend?
Rasputin really helped the Heir - both directly and even by telephone. But while praying, he never even touched the child, as there is a lot of evidence of this.
Next we see Rasputin, for whom the doors of the Tsar's Palace are always wide open. Consider his spectacular remark: “I’m going to the palace!” In other words: it’s time, it’s time to do something to them, they don’t understand anything... And all this against the backdrop of his constant benefits to the suffering and miracles, miracles, miracles... Man of God!
The real Anna Vyrubova, who spent her entire life in the service of Ts.S., in her memoirs calls for at least listening to the facts.
...All the books talk about Rasputin’s influence on state affairs, they claim that Rasputin was always with Their Majesties. To this I will only say that every step of Rasputin (from the time of his acquaintance with Their Majesties until his murder in Yusupov’s house) was recorded by the police.
Their Majesties had three types of security: the palace police, the convoy and the consolidated regiment. The palace commandant was in charge of all this. The last one until 1917 was General Voeikov. No one could be received by Their Majesties or even approach the Palace without the knowledge of the Palace Police. The soldiers of the Consolidated Regiment at the main posts kept an accurate record of the persons passing and passing by. Then, they informed the duty officer of the combined regiment by telephone about each person who entered the Palace. Every step of Their Majesties was recorded.
If the Empress ordered a carriage at a certain hour, the valet reported this to the stable. This was immediately reported to the Palace Commandant, who conveyed the order to all the police - to be on alert, which the crew ordered by 2 o'clock.
As soon as the Empress stopped somewhere or talked with friends, the police immediately surrounded these unfortunate people, asking for the name and reason for the conversation with the Empress. She hated this “security”, called it “espionage”, but was powerless to change the once established order.
If I say, “Rasputin came to the Palace 2 or 3 times a year, recently 4 or 5 times a year,” this can be verified by the records of the police books. In 1916, the Emperor saw Rasputin 2 times. It was a mistake that they made Rasputin's reception a secret. Rasputin was escorted “by a side passage along a small staircase,” but still through 40 police posts with relevant records. This hour-long conversation caused a stir among the courtiers for a year. There were no secrets at the Palace. They received him in the evening, but not because of the secret, but because the Emperor was free at that time.
Alexey Nikolaevich came before bed in a blue robe to sit with his parents and see Grigory Efimovich. All of them, according to Russian custom, kissed 3 times and sat down to talk. He told them about Siberia, about the needs of the peasants, about his wanderings. They are about the health of the Heir and what is important at that moment. He left Their Majesties calm and joyful.
Their Majesties were brought all these newspaper articles about Rasputin, the answer was one: “They hate him because we love him.”
And after that, let’s once again listen to the phrase effectively spoken by Mashkov-Rasputin: “I’m going to the palace!”...
Why, let’s ask a naive question, shouldn’t the Tsar’s couple have this completely innocent passion – evening conversations with a mystical-minded peasant? Who has the right to make such a reproach to the Tsar? It is known that his ancestor Alexander I loved to conduct mystical conversations with a famous fortuneteller... And it never occurred to anyone to make such a reproach to the Tsar. Because it’s not about Rasputin, but about Rasputin’s skillfully played card.
There is even a hint of Rasputin's holiness in the film. When investigator Genrikh Ivanovich Switten is perplexed as to how the predictor failed to foresee and therefore avoid the fatal assassination attempt, we hear the words of Rasputin’s wife: “Everyone knows who killed the Son of God, but no one knows why he did it himself...”.
The logic of revealing the image of Rasputin in the film, this has already been discussed above, is as follows: all unproven and controversial situations are interpreted in his favor. Presumption of innocence. All this is more than acceptable, but as long as such a position does not cast a clear shadow on others. I'm not talking about Ts.S., the Heir, even whose external images are distorted and belittled to the point of caricature. It hurts too much. Let us take the image of Stolypin, our incomparable prime minister, about whom even Kaiser Wilhelm said that he was undoubtedly superior to Bismarck. V.V. Rozanov said about him in a posthumous article: “There was not a single dirty spot on Stolypin: a terribly rare thing and difficult for a political person.”
So, this is the “dirty stain” that the authors of the film put on Stolypin’s personality. They stained him with black ingratitude towards Rasputin. The latter allegedly raised Stolypin’s 15-year-old daughter Natasha to her feet (after the explosion on Aptekarsky Island), and the prime minister expels him from Petrograd with hatred...
Let's give the facts. Just the facts.
It is known that after the explosion of the dacha and at the same time the prime minister’s office on Aptekarsky Island in August 1906, Stolypin, at the request of Emperor Nicholas II, received the “elder” in the Winter Palace, where he then lived with his family. The surviving letter from the Sovereign allows us to see the circumstances under which this happened.
“Peter Arkadyevich! The other day I received a peasant from the Tobolsk province, Grigory Rasputin, who presented me with an icon. He made a remarkably strong impression on Her Majesty and me, so that instead of five minutes, the conversation with him lasted more than an hour. He will soon leave for his homeland. He has a strong desire to see you and bless your sick daughter with an icon (emphasis added - S.K.). I really hope you take a moment to take it this week.
As the son of the reformer Arkady Petrovich Stolypin wrote, Rasputin was received by the prime minister in the Winter Palace, where his family then lived. I stayed only a few minutes, didn’t make an impression and wasn’t invited again.” The prime minister’s grandson, Dmitry Arkadyevich Stolypin, writes about it this way: “At the request of the Sovereign and Empress, Natalya (the prime minister’s wounded daughter) was visited by Rasputin, to which my grandfather very reluctantly agreed. His next visit, this time to my father, did not take place. “My grandfather probably managed to avoid this visit with great diplomacy.”
In this situation, the only evidence is that Rasputin sought to get into the circle of the famous prime minister. The information that “Rasputin visited Stolypin’s sick daughter” is somewhat commonplace in our journalistic literature... Only. We hear for the first time that Rasputin raised the girl with his prayers.
But for his obvious and unequivocal rejection of the “elder”, Prime Minister Stolypin was awarded by the authors of the film - this very “dirty stain” of ingratitude and a very unpleasant external image.
In general, we have to admit that the above-mentioned film by Andrei Malyukov is a new reading of the old Bolshevik legend.
In conclusion, a few words about the Royal couple, whom the authors of the film reduced to the utmost worthlessness... Which, however, is also consistent with the legend.
Of course we don't know Them. We don't know Their lives. But the pain for Their tragic sacrificial death, which lies like a black spot on our conscience, could give birth to other images. Once on the Tsar's Days in Yekaterinburg, it seems in 2005, I had to see some kind of theatrical performance. The life of the Royal Family, like some kind of action, took place behind a transparent white curtain, muslin. That is, hidden from us. And you don’t understand: is this life, or a dream about life? Or maybe a dream?
Everything happened as if in a slow motion movie. Children are swinging on a high swing, Parents are sitting in chairs, smiling at each other and at children's games... The girls throw a ball to each other, but it flies somehow slowly... Laughter is echoed... Distant sounds of music. Everyone is dressed in white... A little further away, on the veranda with openwork carvings, they are setting a table... And the entire space there, behind the curtain, is permeated with some kind of extraordinary light... We, sitting in the darkness of the auditorium, are intensely and vainly peering into this Mystery, trying to comprehend the hidden from us Life in the Light.
The strongest impression. In addition, a true and honest directorial move: we do not know Their lives, we only know that, unlike our lives, it is in the Light. When Anna Vyrubova asked Rasputin to pray that she would serve Their Majesties all her life, she even then discerned the Light emanating from their lives. She really wanted to be closer to this Light. Until her death at 80, she wore a black ribbon in her hair, the sign of a lady-in-waiting to the Empress.
Question:
Now it is obvious to me how false and illiterate the Soviet-era works about Tsar Nicholas II and his family are (the novel by V. Pikul, the book by M.K. Kasvinov, the film “Agony” by E. Klimov, etc.). False stereotypes have become ingrained in our consciousness. How to get rid of them?
Arkady
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
As the number of archival publications and memoirs of people who knew Tsar Nicholas II and his family grows, one is amazed at the purity that they preserved amid the moral troubles of a society in which clear signs of an approaching catastrophe had already appeared.
The royal family suffered a special cross - to endure sophisticated and malicious slander for years. Everyone who harbored hatred for the Church, Orthodoxy and Christian statehood participated in its spread. If we remember that the Greek word “devil” (diabolos) is translated as “slanderer, hater,” then the underlying reasons for this struggle will become clear. Therefore, the word of God classifies slander as a grave sin (Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:3). Lies, due to their demonic nature, have a sophisticated paradoxical logic. She most often tries to be active precisely in the area where a person is most impeccable. The purity and chastity of the life of this unusually friendly family is clearly and fully revealed to us by their letters, documents and memories of people who communicated with them every day. We will never be able to fully know how much moral torment the family endured, about which all the revolutionaries, liberals and generally everyone infected with hatred of Christianity and traditional values claimed that the Court was a nest of debauchery, “the queen lives with Rasputin, Vyrubova lives with Rasputin and at the same time the Tsar’s mistress.” I apologize for touching on this dirty fabrication, but without this it is impossible to show the “technology of lies.”
Already in March 1917, the Provisional Government established a special commission of inquiry to study the life of the imperial court. It included Vladimir Mikhailovich Rudnev. He himself writes in a note the following: “Being a Comrade Prosecutor of the Yekaterinoslav District Court, on March 11, 1917, by order of the Minister of Justice Kerensky, I was sent to Petrograd, and the Extraordinary Investigative Commission to investigate the abuses of former Ministers, Chief Managers and other senior officials persons In Petrograd, working in this Commission, I received a special assignment to examine the source of “irresponsible” influences at the Court, and this department of the Commission was given the name: “Investigation of the activities of dark forces.” The Commission's activities continued until the last days of August 1917, when I submitted a report on expulsion due to attempts by the Chairman of the Commission, Pris. pov Muravyov to induce me to take clearly biased actions. I, as a person sent with the rights of a Judicial Investigator, was given the opportunity to carry out seizures, inspections, interrogate witnesses, etc. In order to comprehensively and impartially cover the activities of all persons regarding whom the periodical press and society had an idea as people who had exceptional influence on the direction of domestic and foreign policy, I dismantled and examined the archives of the Winter Palace, Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof Palaces, as well as personal correspondence of the Sovereign, Empress, some Grand Dukes, as well as correspondence taken during a search from Bishop Varnava, Countess S . S. Ignatieva, Doctor Badmaev, V. I. Voeikov and other high-ranking officials. During the investigation, special attention was paid to the personality and nature of the activities of G. E. Rasputin and A. A. Vyrubova, as well as to the attitude of the Royal Family to the German Imperial Family.”
What did the investigation show? Anna Vyrubova was a virgin. During her marriage, due to her husband’s illness, she lived in abstinence from carnal relations. In the report of V. M. Rudnev we read: “During the further investigation, these explanations of Mrs. Taneyeva about the illness of her daughter’s husband [A. Vyrubova] were fully confirmed in the data of the medical examination of Mrs. Vyrubova, carried out in May 1917 by order of the Extraordinary Investigative Commission: these data established with complete certainty that Mrs. Vyrubova is a virgin.” This is confirmed by other sources. General A.I. Spiridovich wrote: “It was widely believed that they were in a close intimate relationship. That's what they said all around. And I was even more amazed when life surgeon Fedorov told me that while doing a medical examination of Mrs. Vyrubova with another professor due to a hip fracture, they unexpectedly became convinced that she was a virgin. The patient confirmed this to them and gave some explanations regarding her married life with Vyrubov, from whom she was divorced” (A.I. Spiridovich. The Great War and the February Revolution. Book I, Chapter 16). The worst thing is that the slander defaming the royal family and Vyrubova was accepted by almost all layers of society. This can be seen from the note of V. M. Rudnev: “My assumptions about the moral qualities of Mrs. Vyrubova, drawn from long conversations with her in the Peter and Paul Fortress, in the arrest room, and, finally, in the Winter Palace, where she appeared on my calls, were fully confirmed by her manifestation of purely Christian forgiveness towards those from whom she had to endure a lot within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress. And here it is necessary to note that I learned about these abuses of Ms. Vyrubova by the serf guards not from her, but from Ms. Taneyeva; Only after this did Mrs. Vyrubova confirm everything her mother had said, with amazing calmness and gentleness, declaring, “they are not to blame, they don’t know what they are doing.” In truth, these sad episodes of abuse of Vyrubova’s personality by prison guards, expressed in the form of spitting in the face, removing her clothes and underwear, accompanied by beating in the face and other parts of the body of a sick woman who could barely move on crutches, and threats to take her life “ concubine of the Sovereign and Gregory,” prompted the Investigative Commission to transfer Ms. Vyrubova to a detention facility at the former Provincial Gendarmerie Directorate.” Commission investigator V.M. Rudnev also came to the conclusion that gossip about G.’s intimate adventures was completely untenable. Rasputin in the palace.
It's hard to get rid of false stereotypes. Mountains of lies will be raked slowly. This will take many more decades. In recent years, wonderful diaries and letters of the martyr queen have been published. They exude the fragrance of true purity. In our time, when the family has been literally crushed by the vices of our sick society, it is very edifying and useful to read and re-read these documents.
From the Empress's notes:
– The meaning of marriage is to bring joy. It is understood that married life is the happiest, fullest, purest, richest life. This is the Lord's decree of perfection.
“The Divine plan, therefore, is for marriage to bring happiness, so that it makes the life of both husband and wife more complete, so that neither of them loses, but both win. If, nevertheless, marriage does not become happiness and does not make life richer and fuller, then the fault is not in the marriage bonds themselves; the fault lies in the people who are connected by them.
– After marriage, the first and most important duties of the husband are towards his wife, and the wife’s are towards her husband. The two of them must live for each other, give their lives for each other. Before, everyone was imperfect. Marriage is the joining of two halves into a single whole. Two lives are bound together in such a close union that they are no longer two lives, but one. Each person has a sacred responsibility for the happiness and highest good of the other until the end of his life.
– Wedding day should always be remembered and highlighted especially among other important dates in life. This is a day whose light will illuminate all other days for the rest of your life. The joy of marriage is not stormy, but deep and calm. Over the wedding altar, when hands are joined and holy vows are pronounced, angels bow and quietly sing their songs, and then they overshadow the happy couple with their wings when their journey together in life begins.
– Great art is to live together, loving each other tenderly. This must start with the parents themselves. Each house is similar to its creators. A refined nature makes a house refined, a rude person makes a house rude.
– There cannot be deep and sincere love where selfishness rules. Perfect love is perfect self-denial.
– The first requirement for a wife is fidelity, fidelity in the broadest sense. Her husband's heart must be trusted to her without fear. Absolute trust is the basis of true love. A shadow of doubt destroys the harmony of family life. A faithful wife, by her character and behavior, proves that she is worthy of her husband’s trust. He is confident in her love, he knows that her heart is invariably devoted to him. He knows she has his best interests at heart. It is very important that a husband can trust his faithful wife to handle all household chores, knowing that everything will be in order. The extravagance and extravagance of wives have destroyed the happiness of many married couples.
“It is necessary that the husband’s hands, inspired by love, be able to do everything.” Every loving husband must have a big heart. Many suffering people must find help in a real family. Every husband of a Christian wife should unite with her in the love of Christ. Out of love for her, he will go through tests of faith. Sharing her life, filled with faith and prayers, he will connect his life with Heaven. United on earth by a common faith in Christ, refining their mutual love into love for God, they will be eternally united in Heaven.
Exactly 90 years ago, Empress Alexandra and the entire Royal Family were sent a great test, which they met with holy Christian humility. Her pure maternal heart foresaw this. While still a queen, she wrote in her diary: “Oh, may God help every mother to understand the greatness and glory of the work ahead of her, when she holds at her breast a baby whom she needs to nurse and raise. As for children, the duty of parents is to prepare them for life, for any trials that God sends them.”
