Alexandra - the Abdication and the Family's Downfall

[Forum Admin]

That refers to the New Study, but Alexandra didn't have the staircase built so she could sit up there and listen in on Nicholas' conversations. Nicholas rarely used the New Study for business or meetings anyway. Most important business was discussed in the Working Study.

[HerrKaiser]

Nicholas also would never have permitted Alexandra to have done this.

While I will accept the point that the claim of her listening in is not true, why do you think Nicholas would have never allowed it? He seemed like the type of person, in addition to his view of his wife's opinion, who would have tried to include her, up front or on the sly.

[Forum Admin]

Prior to the War in 1914 Alexandra was almost never consulted on matters of State or Nicholas' business.  It was only during the War when he was forced to be away for long periods of time that he asked Alexandra's assistance or opinion.

[Annie]

I don't believe her Russian was good enough to successfully eavesdrop on two or more Russians speaking at once.

[Sarushka]

I don't believe her Russian was good enough to successfully eavesdrop on two or more Russians speaking at once.

I'm very skeptical about that. Accounts of Alexandra's "poor" spoken Russian vary greatly and seemt to be tied to propaganda. After 20 years in the country, I give her the benefit of the doubt.

[Forum Admin]

Most of the accounts I have read seem to indicate that Alexandra spoke Russian rather well, though with a pronounced foreign accent.  She spent her first years there in 1894-5 being tutored daily in the language, don't forget.  She was adamant to learn the language of her new country.

[Annie]

I know she did, but still I have read so many tales of her Russian being weak, until maybe about WWII, and even having to have been helped with it by Anna V. and that her lack of Russian skills was one reason people didn't like her.She certainly didn't speak it if she didn't have to. While she may have had no problem speaking with one person, I find it hard to believe she could follow a rapid, overlapping, heated conversation between several people.

And even if she did listen in, who cares, you'd have to expect she'd be interested.

[pandora]

I, too, have read about Alexandra listening in on conversations but I've dismissed this as a bit of propaganda. She may have caught bits & pieces of conversations Nicholas had with people but I've never given much weight to the comment. I can't imagine her crossing this line and Nicholas really allowing her to eavesdrop.

[RealAnastasia]

I don't buy this, as I wouldn't buy some too bad anti-Alexandra propaganda. She could be interested in political affairs, but this is just too much, it sounds as wild fantasy to me.

As for her Russian..I don't know. I suppose she would speak it pretty well, but some people that speaks a language very well and can understand it reading it, is unnable to understand quick conversations. I know a guy who was learning French along with me, that could speak French exceellently, and write and read it...but when he went to see French movies or television, he barely could catch a word...

RealAnastasia.

[Valéria]

I would like to know, if Alix met Lenin or just heard about him?

[anna11]

Nicholas and Alexandra never met Lenin. He only came to power in Novemebr 1917, after they were already in captivity in Tobolsk, and Lenin never visited them there.

[lulururu]

The imperial family was in captivity and never really knew what was happening in the country because nobody informed them. In fact, they probably didn't hear anything about Lenin, not even his name ! Note that I'm not 100% sure of what I'm writing.

[Halinka]

The imperial family was in captivity and never really knew what was happening in the country because nobody informed them. In fact, they probably didn't hear anything about Lenin, not even his name ! Note that I'm not 100% sure of what I'm writing.

They knew he was in power, that he was making the new decisions for the new goverment. Nicholas said he wish he didn't abdicate because of the new goverment lennin had created.

[historyfan]

When I consider all she had to go up against, almost from Day One, I can't say I would have been able to do anything differently than she did.  Particularly if I were faced with a critically ill child, as she was.  She really wasn't given much of a chance and people (of the Court) found fault with anything she tried to do. 

And then, to add insult to significant injury, when push came to shove, they forgot all the good she did do, such as her hospital work.

[rusmila]

I think she didnt know Lenin and she didnt meat him.But I think she heard about him in Ekaterinenburg(Sverdlovsk) of keepers.