Dr Wladimir Derevenko and his son Kolya (Nikolai)

[LisaDavidson]

My opinion only, but I don't think that the Botkins were involved with a scam. I would imagine their grief at losing their father ran very deep. To think that perhaps one of the grand duchesses survived may have made his death seem less senseless than it really was. So, I believe their grief caused them to be mistaken about AA.

I'm a bit confused about the Kolya seeing Sednev in the Ipatiev House statement. There were two Sednevs. Ivan Sednev was the grand duchess' footman, and he was removed from the house with Nagorny, and like him was murdered. Ivan's nephew, Leshka, was removed from the Ipatiev House only hours before the murders. He left Ekaterinburg fairly soon after that, because I don't think he saw Kolya again, but I may be mistaken.

As to Leshka, he died, allegedly of typhus, in 1928, so he was very young when he died. I have always thought that Stalin had him murdered, but this is my opinion. To my knowledge, he left neither a statement nor descendants.

[helenazar]

I'm not sure if it was Gleb who pointed out Dr. Derevenko's supposed disloyalty to the imperial family.

It wasn't Dr Derevenko who was supposedly disloyal to the IF, but the sailor Derevenko. No relation, just the same last name. And this was alleged by Anna Vyrubova, not Gleb Botkin. It still remains an assertion and has not been proven.

[Condecontessa]

Alexander IV, thank you for posting the link. It's great to see Kolya not only in black and white pics of him when he was small. I wish I can understand Russian but I can't. Can you please post what he was talking about in the interview?

Condecontessa

[Alexander_IV]

I could if I understood any Russian at all :p
Unfortunately, like you, I don't

Nena translated part of it somewhere though I think. I'll see if I can find it

Edit: Here it is: http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php/topic,9716.msg273644.html#msg273644
And this is the entire interview in Russian: http://www.oscar-film.ru/
I've tried translating it with online translators but surprise, surprise, that didn't work out quite well :p

[nena]

Thanks for giving credit, Alexander IV!
Yes, Kolia and one quard (I think Madvedev) really SAW Leonid Sednev in that kitchen, he was crying(so aloud, as Kolia descibes), that is true 100%
Near was Joy, Aleksei's dog!
Colud you imagine that sad scene, please??

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Greg,  there does exist a short interview with "Kolya" Derevenko by Edward Radzinsky that is available on line.  It alleges that it was done in 2003, but I believe that this is past the death of Kolya, thus I cannot explain the discrepency.  The interview is interspersed with clips of actors protraying the Romanovs, et al. at play, the night of the execution, etc. , as well as authentic period film snippets.  It is in Russian. This presentation, however is accompanied by :"Warning: that it is a very emotional video."  Please let me have your email and I will give to you the location for review and comment.  I think that posting it here in a wholesale fashion would be upsetting to be viewed by the more impressionable (younger) members who overly-identify with particulatly the Heir.

[aleksandr pavlovich]

To: Greg King   Addendum:  I am not totally familiar with the navigation of messages here, but I am learning!  I have just learned how to contact you off-line and thus will attempt do so about my previous post on Kolya Derevenko. 

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Relative to the above 2 previous posts:  In doing a bit of research several minutes ago on various threads of this forum, I find that this subject matter has been addressed sufficiently already, thus I apologize for the duplication and diversion of your attention.

[TsarAlexeiII]

There are two old threads in which parts of the interview were posted, on websites that are now inactive, so I have decided to post it here. The audio and video quality is mediocre, but it will do. Kolya died in 1999, and this interview was taken sometime in the 1990s, and was apparently featured as a promotional interview for the Romanovy: Ventsenosnaya Sem'ya, which was released in 2003.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DsS5EVu0-c

Nena generously translated a part of the interview:

I was a little boy, just 12 years old. I didn't know anything about people's evil. We lived in Popov house, very close to Ipatiev house. In the middle of summer 1918, I was afraid, and I was preoccupied about Alexei. I wanted to see him. And, I am sure, he wanted to see me. Until that sad day July 17, 1918. My father, Gilliard, Gibbes and others knew everything, but I knew nothing. Something terrible was going to happen, but I didn't know what....In the last week of July 1918, I , my father, Gilliard, Gibbes, etc. entered Ipatiev house. Terrible scene....House was in complete chaos; diaries, letters, albums, and other items were all around in house. 'But where is Leskela?' I asked my father, but I he didn't answer me. Leskela's diary was found by a White guard, I think his name was Nemetkin, I don't know. But Leonid Sednev....I saw him. He cried. His cried so aloud, so aloud!!!!!
I was confused. 'Papa, where is my Leskela?'-I asked.
'They killed him'. I then start to cry.
'But how?'
'They killed Tsar, Tsaritsa, and GDs also. All are dead."-said my father.
"I don't understand','where...where are bones'
'We don't know, maybe we'll never discover them'
I then perceive, life is brutal....I found Leskela's last letter written to me.Especially one sentence in that letter-'I hug you warmly'-made me so cry..I thought 'And I hug you warmly,too, my dear friend, my tsar...'
I was in shock. In latter years, I think just about him. 'Why did they killed you? In USSR, there is no space for my Leskela..We'l be forever friends, my  dear tsesarevich....I want to see you just ONE more time, and I can die in peace...

In letters, Alexei and Kolya would sign their names backwards, hence Ieskela.

[blessOTMA]

This is incredibly touching, thanks for posting ! I  had no idea he lived that long



Alexei and Kolya

[aleksandr pavlovich]

   Having known of this interview for some time, I have always been of the opinion that the interviewer is Edvard Radzinsky.

   As to the quote about how "loud" was the grief of the so-called "Kitchen Boy," I have referred earlier to it in my posting # 149 (June 17, 2010) on the thread "Leonid Sednev."                  
                                                                     Regards,  AP.

[bestfriendsgirl]

Very touching and informative - thank you!

[TsarAlexeiII]

This is incredibly touching, thanks for posting ! I  had no idea he lived that long



Alexei and Kolya

You're welcome! He was born in either 1905 or 1906 and lived to 93. That is 81 years dwelling on Leskela's absence.

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Goodness, that is incredibly touching.   It inspired me to write a story or a poem based on it. Thank you for posting!

EDIT:
All right, here's the poem!

The scattered books,
Remains from what the Bolsheviks took.
The diary of a dead prince,
Found by a soldier who came too late.
The tears of the doctor’s son,
The sobs of the kitchen boy,
The day no longer golden.
The last letter,
Will not make things any better.
“Life is brutal”, indeed it ‘tis,
The shock that shakes him,
He can not comprehend.
To see his dearest friend,
Just one more time, before he dies,
It would mean the world, and so much more.

[blessOTMA]

 GrandDuchessAndrea , amazingly fabulous! Love it