author
Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova
1884–1964
A close companion of Empress Alexandra, she became one of the most talked-about women at the last Russian imperial court. Her memoirs offer a firsthand view of the Romanovs, shaped by loyalty, scandal, exile, and survival.
1 Audiobook
Memories of the Russian Court
by Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova
About the author
Born Anna Alexandrovna Taneyeva in 1884, she came from a well-connected Russian family and later became known as Anna Vyrubova after her marriage. She served as a lady-in-waiting and grew especially close to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, which placed her near the center of the Romanov court during its final years.
Because of that position, she became deeply entangled in the politics, rumors, and suspicions surrounding the imperial family, especially in connection with Grigori Rasputin. After the Russian Revolution, she was arrested, later made her way into exile, and eventually lived in Finland.
Vyrubova is remembered above all for her memoirs about the last imperial court. Whatever readers make of her perspective, her writing remains valuable as a personal witness to the atmosphere, loyalties, and collapse of the Romanov world.