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The princes▓ Yusupov book fund of the St.Petersburg archives

The Princes▓ Yusupov book fund is located in Moscow and St.Petersburg archives. More than 80 thousand objects connected with this famous family is kept in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (Moscow). In St.Petersburg, such documents can be found in the Central Historical Archive, in the the Russian National Library and in the ⌠Pushkin House■.

It is not so convenient for us to undertake business trips to Moscow very frequently today, so we pay much more attention to studying the archives of St.Petersburg. It looked that we had seen through the Russian National Library funds thoroughly enough. However, in August 2006, we managed to spot two rather interesting documents there in course of a regular survey of the fund. Here we must explain the nature of the Princes▓ Yusupov book fund of the Russian National Library. First of all, it is compiled by the items dispersed over the other funds of the Library (Kraevsky▓s, Polovtsev▓s, V.F. Odoevsky▓s, Pekarsky▓s, etc.). Secondly, this is a small Yusupov▓s fund itself. It is namely in this fund, where the important documents were spotted.

Photo from the Prince F.F. Yusupov, the Senior's, album [zoom (49k)]

The first item is an album from the possession of Prince F.F. Yusupov, the Senior, with pasted in photos and following sign on the cover: ⌠The jubilee celebration of Her Majesty▓s Empress Maria Fiodorovna Own Chevaliers Guard Regiment in Peterhof on Sunday, September 5th, 1904. Photos by Alexander Nasvetevich■. The album contains 20 previously unpublished photographs featuring the Chevaliers Guard Regiment officers, officer wives, officials and ministers attending the festivity.

Three photos feature a Regiment▓s commander, Prince F.F. Yusupov, the Senior, two identical photographs in the album are named (presumably by the photographer himself): ⌠The first report of Chevaliers Guard Regiment Commander, Prince Yusupov, the Senior, to the Imperial Chief on September 5th, 1904■. We know that Dowager Empress Maria Fiodorovna was the Chief of the Regiment. The album contains also the photograph of the Dowager Empress herself. Maria Fiodorovna is sitting aloof, looking mentally distanced from the ongoing festivities. Also, an unknown image of Yusupov▓s Palace on the bank of the River Moika was discovered in this album.

The second important document spotted this summer in the Russian National Library is the so-called ⌠Journal■ of Grand Prince Alexey Alexandrovich. The ⌠Journal■ comprises a massive (131 sheets) daybook in a chocolate colored binding with a gilded monogram, ⌠АА■, on the cover and a gilded fastening.

The ⌠Journal■ is a daybook of the Grand Prince, which he maintained through nearly forty years, from 1862 to 1907. It means that he started writing in his daybook, at the age of 12 and finished a year before his death (1850√1908).

Alexey Alexandrovich was a son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and hence, the younger brother of two Emperor▓s heirs ≈ Nikolay Alexandrovich and Alexander Alexandrovich. The story of the marriage and married life of the Danish Princess, the future Russian Empress Maria Fiodorovna, unfolded before his eyes.

It is peculiar that the language of the daybook is Russian and not French. Writing in the daybook he started on 1 February 1862 after the example of his elder brother (⌠Nicola▓s example■ according to the words of the author). We find here some touching details of the private life of the Emperor▓s family: children▓s games, studies and falling in love for the first time. We get to know, who and how brought up the children of Emperor Alexander II. The author describes the love story of his brother Alexander and a maid of honor, Mari Meshcherskaya.

Here is a passage shedding some light on the issue of bringing up the young Grand Princes. See the record of 31 March 1865 (Shrove Sunday): ⌠In the evening, after the compline, I asked Papa for forgiveness, as also all my brothers did. Papa told me that it is so shameful that I studied so badly recently, that it is so sad, because, in case of me keeping this order of things also in the future, I will be of no good. We could compensate the fact of our birth as Grand Princes only by our thorough study and service■. The family events and, in particular, the events connected with our object of interest, i.e. death of an elder brother, acquaintance with Princess Dagmar, etc. are, of course, presented on the level of comprehension of a child.

On 16 September 1864, Alexey Alexandrovich wrote: ⌠Nixa▓s betrothal to Dagmar, the Princess of Denmark, has been announced. I am glad for him, as well as for Papa and Mama■. Further in the text we read: ⌠Dagmar▓s photos are sold in the city■, also, ⌠I have purchased some photos of Dagmar■. On the page dated 1 November 1864, a sheet is pasted with verses named as follows: ⌠To the day of betrothal of His Imperial Highness Grand Prince Heir of the Emperor Nikolay Alexandrovich and Dagmar, the Princess of Denmark■. However, the verses are not by the Grand Prince himself, but by some I.I. Laguzin.

Alexey Alexandrovich described his personal contact with the Princess, which took place in Paris in 1864, as follows: ⌠We passed the border safely. On the highway leading to Berlin, we were met by the King of Prussia. Also, we met the aunt Sunnie and Olga (her daughter). In Paris, I got acquainted with Napoleon. In 7 hours in the evening, I got acquainted with the Queen of Denmark and with Dagmar, who is very nice and is much better than in all of her portraits■.

At the end of 1864, the health of the Emperor▓s heir, Nikolay Alexandrovich, turned to worse. He fell ill with tuberculosis. In April 1865, Princess Dagmar together with her mother and brother leaved for Nice in order to visit her dying groom.

Emperor's Heir, Grand Prince Alexander Alexandrovich with his bride the Princess of Denmark [zoom (34k)]

On 3 April 1865, Alexey Alexandrovich wrote in his daybook: ⌠Doctors are afraid of the Nixa▓s brain inflammation possibility■.

He describes in detail Nikolay▓s death: ⌠In spite of Nixa being so weak that his death was expected at any moment, he recognized almost everyone, often smiled to his Mama and Papa, and when his poor bride came up to his bed, he held out his hand and said ⌠My dear■. He gave me his hand and told ⌠Farewell■. Turning to Papa, he said about Sashka: ⌠Nice and good person■. Everybody left his room, except Papa and Mama and Dagmar, who stood on her knees by his bed.

The priest started prayers. My brother lost consciousness and his breath became heavy┘ We all stood in horrified waiting on our knees by his bed. In 12 and a half, our nice Nixa▓s innocent soul passed to God■.

Then he describes the Dagmar▓s arrival at Jugenheim in spring 1866: ⌠Today, Dagmar came to Jugenheim and will stand here for about four days. It looks that Sasha likes her very much, and I would be very glad, if it will lead to establishing closer relations between them, and may be, if God will permit, they will be happy together in a marriage■.

It is impossible to tell about all the content of the Grand Prince▓s daybook in one short article. I only shortly name the events described by Alexey Alexandrovich.

First of all, there is a story of the marriage proposal made by the Emperor▓s heir, Alexander, to the Princess of Denmark in May 1866, and the description of their wedding that took place on 28 October 1866.

In late 1867, the Grand Prince wrote as follows: ⌠Minnie was sick all the time, but now, thanks to God, she is well. She is pregnant, and it looks like she is going to give birth in spring■. The first pregnancy of Maria Fiodorovna resulted in a premature birth, in spite of all the Imperial family waiting for a heir, and, as we got to know now, even the 17-year old Alexey Alexandrovich was not an exception. In May 1868, he wrote: ⌠This spring, God granted to Sanya and Minnie a son, Nikolay■.
Three records finish the daybook.

It is 1872. Alexey Alexandrovich is already 23, and, on rereading his childhood writings, he wrights bitterly: ⌠I spent too little time together with parents, never had a friend ┘I can not entrust the content of my soul to anybody, and can not reveal my deepest thoughts and feelings ┘ Now I am nearly 23 and I lived through many things■. After this record, starting from page 131, sheets are cut out of the daybook, and there is a related sign in Grand Prince▓s handwriting: ⌠I have burned the pages, they were dear to me, but for the side persons they are of no interest■.

In 1899, only one record, dated to June 4th, is present: ⌠God save any man from the things that I lived through in the recent days, I would not wish it even to my enemy■. Then a line from the verses of Petrarca in Italian and a translation: ⌠The world has not get to know her, when she was in it. Only I got to know her, and stayed here, mourning■.

The last record of 1907 is following: ⌠Although not a monk yet, however an old man, Alexey. I met my 57th birthday; soon it will be enough for me. It is so, because I see too much grief, evil and sorrow around■. The Grand Prince underlines following words in this phrase: monk, Alexey and enough.

This extraordinary document reminds us one more time that one must not draw the premature conclusions like the author of the book ⌠Romanovs■, Staffan Scott. However, the same author informs that today the Alexey Alexandrovich▓s descendants insist that he was not a bad man. Getting acquainted with the content of the newly found Grand Prince▓s daybook easily convinces us in this idea.