HIH Alexandra Feodorvna comes into a great deal of criticism from many in the Forum some of it quite harsh and unfair in my view. Like every human being she was not one sided but, understandably given her background and position, was complex and subject to stress both mental and physical. However, she possessed many admirable qualities as well. Griff is currently working on a book on her war time charitable efforts and there are many examples of her steadfast loyalty to friends and her numerous anonymous kindnesses. Had that peculiar confluence of events that characterized late imperial Russia not created a "perfect storm" history may well have viewed her quite differently. It is easy judging someone in hindsight (and often not knowing all the facts) and I am guilty of this as well on occasion but as the saying goes "don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." Given that Lent has just started a precept well worth remembering.
Very well said Petr, thanks for sharing that!
I struggle so much with Alexandra that it gives me a headache! She's just a walking mass of complexities and contradictions. I think a great woman lurked inside of her so in my mind there was clearly sufficient capacity for her to have effected the world in a mostly positive way...but therein lies the frustration so many of us feel for her as well. Ultimately it was her inability to overcome obstacles that proved fatal for herself, her family and her empire. But even this is far too vague an assessment...
As you pointed out we all have multiple sides to our personalities and this is certainly no less the case with Alix. We often fall into a trap of judging one another based on a specific role that in our mind takes precedence over all others.
Ex: That a person is an incredibly kind matters not if they are a lousy coworker...that someone is a terrible parent matters little if they were a great leader, etc. But is Alexandra's perceived "failure" as an Empress a reflection of her failures in other roles as wife, mother, person...or should it be judged separately...a category unto itself that is neither appropriately ignored nor comes close to summing up the woman and her legacy?
It would seem to me that those living in the era, British royalty or otherwise, had both an advantage and were disadvantaged in comparison to the hindsight judgement we cast. There is surely a level of intimate knowledge many of them possessed. This based on personal contact and first hand accounts of a woman they knew (or
thought they knew) that we could never match. On the other hand even those who had contact with her were, with few exceptions, not privy the vast amount of knowledge we now have. Piles of documents, diaries, evidence after the fact, etc. This equips us well in the role of historical jury but knowing how to actually
judge the Empress, mother, wife, person, etc is another matter completely...
