Memories of the Russian Court

In this vivid memoir, a court insider recounts her lifelong friendship with Empress Alexandra, wife of Nicholas II, and offers an intimate portrait of the Romanov household before the storm of revolution. The narrator, born into a line of court officials, guides listeners through glittering ceremonies, private family moments, and the daily rhythms of palace life, richly illustrated by photographs taken by the family themselves. Her reflections blend personal affection with a keen sense of the era’s looming tensions.

She begins by clarifying her own lineage, dispelling myths that have clouded her background, and then moves to recollections of early years at Tsarskoye Selo, the Imperial yacht, and the Crimea’s Livadia palace. Listeners will hear anecdotes of holiday picnics, private lessons with the young tsarevich, and the tender exchanges that reveal a softer side of the imperial family. As the narrative approaches the February upheaval, the memoir captures the growing unease that would soon shatter a world of ceremony and loyalty.