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« on: December 26, 2008, 04:39:39 AM »
I am starting a thread on Prince Ioann Konstantinovitch, eldest son of GD Konstantin K., famous KR. One can say there’s no need in creating one more “Konstantinovitch” topic as the whole thread on all the Konstantinovitchi exists but it’s too large now and contains mainly photos.
The reason here for me is like that:
Recently I’ve came across the correspondence between GD Konstantin K. and his firstborn son Prince Ioann. The letters are of 1903-1914 period and a very interesting source on Prince Ioann and his relations with the parents. In some of those letters Prince Ioann corresponded to both parents but the large part of the epistolary were letters to his father and they were the most confidential and honest.
The letters were published in 2007 year in Russian, they had been preserved at the stock of GD Konstantin K., his spouse GD Elizaveta and Prince Ioann, at the Russian State Archives.
I’m under strong impression of that rare source of info on Prince Ioann and that’s why: Ioann is not a well-known person for modern readers of the Romanov family history. Even in the very good “Gilded Prism” I’ve not found much on the firstborn child of GD Konstantin.
Only those few letters bring a part of Ioann’s character to the light as actually the common opinion on him is that he was a deeply religious man with the bad health (as many of the Konstantinovitchi) and inclination to be a monk. He was plain and somewhat ugly, discreet person with quiet and shy manners, so many people didn’t know what’s on his heart and in his head throughout his boyhood, teens and youthful years.
He adored his parents and siblings, was deeply attached to home and friends and at the same time he was a lone figure saying sadly that everybody imagines him like “a little idiot” because of his shyness and religiosity. Ioann was a great fiend with his brother Gavriil, they shared a nursery, then a schoolroom and lone years in Livadia in 1903-1905 where they were sent to strengthen their health. They lived there far away from home and the large family, and Prince Ioann continuously begged his parents to visit them more often but Pa and Ma always were too busy (and had time to go to some relatives in Germany though). Ioann and Gavriil were really close but very different in characters: Gavriil ended as a society person and later kept a company of “fast” people including Mathilda Kschesinskaya (his 1st wife Antonina was Mathilda’s friend).
Ioann was quite the opposite person.
The letters can be sorted as 2 periods: 1903-1908 and 1909-1913.
Ioann’s letters of 1903-1908 years sound like reports of a teenager to his strict father: Prince tells about his lessons, teachers, he promises to study better and never to pain his parents and admits his laziness and inability to learn foreign languages (for some years Ioann was struggling with his bad French and German). GD Konstantin K., in his turn, as a careful father instructs Ioann to study better, behave presentably and so on and such like – all in all we can see that he speaks to his firstborn and 1st heir expecting much from him and never indulging. And obedient Ioann never forgets about the duty of the heir even signing his letters to parents as “Your firstborn, Ioannchik”. He tries to be equal to their expectations and repeats almost every time that he is very grateful to them for the upbringing and education (and sometimes he bitterly admits that he don’t know much about real life, the life out of the Romanov gilded cage).
In 1909-1910 years the tune of the Prince’s letters changed. Ioann has became a young man, he wants to speak to his father as an adult and equal, he repeatedly writes: “you know that I am like you, I am similar to you, you must understand me”. Those frank letters are just a cry of a lonely man whom the parents had never indulged, never showed extra tenderness, who was used to a company of tutors, teachers, books and the deep faith in God.
As early as in 1904 Ioann for the 1st time wrote to father his thoughts about possible marriage and described in detail how he saw his marital life, talked about the rooms of his own future family in the Marble palace and in Pavlovsk. Of course GD Konstantin answered that all the plans were too early as the marriage in 18 years old was out of question. Till 1910 Prince Ioann from time to time returns to the marital discussions (and every time about marriage to some commoner) and GD Konstantin turns his son down. Seems Ioann had an amorous disposition or was too naïve and a soft mark who languished for love and tenderness. One of his 1st loves/crushes was GDss Olga Nikolayevna (eldest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II) who caught his imagination after Tsesarevitch Alexei’s christening in 1904 (Olga was 9 years then, and Ioann was 18). Other crushes of Prince were commoners and sometimes married women.
All his feelings Ioann confides to father and GD always admonishes his son not to be in a hurry, to think twice and never forget that Ioann is a Prince and the Romanov offspring…After all in 1910 GD Konstantin received a carefully worded letter and in fact a disconsolate cry and confession from Ioann. Some lines from it: “I really need a sweet women’s little heart to warm me”, “Uncle is a monk is his soul and will never understand me” [Uncle is GD Dmitriy K. who loved his nieces and nephews as if they were his children]. In the end Ioann declared that he had kissed women, brought them to his place and then discoursed with them and persuaded to live in high morality. He pointed out that he never had sex and had made vow to do such things only with his wife…
So, while GDsses Olga and Tatiana, daughters of Nicholas II, were giggling at Ioann’s engagement to Elena of Serbia and wondering how would he kiss, Prince Ioann itself was a really happy guy who finally find a proper bride (with the help of his mother though).
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