Alexei anecdotes

[Beautiful_Anastasia]

Alexei often made appearances at the dinner table. Once, he plunged beneath the table, stole the slipper of one of the maids-of-honour, and carried it proudly as a trophy to his father. Nicholas ordered him to put it back, and that he did so. Suddenly the lady screamed. Before putting it back on her, Alexei had inserted into its toe an enormous ripe strawberry. He was not allowed at the dinner table for weeks afterwards.
-Courtesy of 'Nicholas and Alexandra' by Robert.K.Massie.
Emily x

[Grandduchess Valeria]

What a little devil Thanks for this anecdote!

[Beautiful_Anastasia]

You're welcome, Grand Duchess Valeria!
Emily x

[rosieposie]

I would like to share an excerpt from the book: NIcholas Romanov-Life and Death,

p.92

Alexis's taste for mischief was still there at a later age as is shown by the memoirs of Father Georgy Shavelsky, the Proto-Presbyter of the Russian Army, who saw him in 1915 and 1916 at Stavka: "There was a dinner with a large number of guests-it was some festival or other. I sat next to Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. The Tsesarevich ran into the dining room several times and ran out again. But then he ran in once again, with his hands behind him, and stood behind Sergei Mikhailovich's chair. The latter continued to eat, not suspecting the danger threatening him. Suddenly the Tsesarevich lifted his hands; he turned out to be holding half a watermelon without the flesh and quickly plopped that vessel on the Grand Duke's head. The liquid left in the watermelon ran down his face and its sides stuck so tightly to his head that the Grand Duke had trouble ridding himself of his unwanted hat. Try as they might, many of those present could not help laughing. The Emperor could barely contain himself. The guilty party rapidly disappeared from the dining room......"

Condecontessa

This one always gets me smiling.

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

LOL That's a new one on me! I cracked up! That really brightened my day.

[Gorseheart]

From "The Romanovs & Mr. Gibbs"

"Though he had made such a delightful first impression upon Gibbes, the young Tsarevitch also proved a troublesome pupil. Gibbes began teaching the nine-year-old pupil in 1913. At first the boy seemed to be in thrall of his tutor. 'Was most observant of ME, and my clothes, and my actions,' he wrote wryly in his diary. Unfortunately, Alexis' fascination did not last; he was soon in search for fresh stimuli. 'In the middle of the hour he asked permission to ring for Derevenko (his sailor servant) whom he asked for sweets,' Gibbes wrote. 'The sailor returned bringing chocolate in a glass which the infant ate with relish. The habit has begun and ought to be stopped. It is piggish to eat like that in company.'
          Despite the course of child psychology he had attended at Cambridge, Gibbes had great difficulty controlling Alexis. At one point they made paper hats together. This proved to be such a success that Alexis couldn't be prevented from making more and more hats. Another time the Tsarevitch brought in wire and he and Gibbes made telephones. The idea was to hold the wire to the ear and between the teeth. This project also disintegrated into a skirmish as the Tsarevitch struggled to fasten wire to Gibbes' teeth against his wishes"

          "The Tsar insisted that Gibbes and Alexis sit in his 'cabinet' while he worked. 'Once', Gibbes recalled, 'he overheard the Tsarevitch telling me that...he was going to take the big cut-glass ball that hung on the electric chandelier. "Alexei!" the Emperor shouted out. "That isn't ours."' After the Tsarevitch had gone to bed, the Tsar would come and say his prayers with him. 'While we were waiting for his coming, we would read or talk or sometimes amuse ourselves with the cat.'"

          "There were several battles involving scissors. 'I had a rather bad quarter' Gibbes wrote in dismay. 'He wanted to cut my hair off and he was rather disconcerted when I told him he had made a bald place...he would insist on cutting or pretending to cut everything. The more I tried to prevent him, the more he shrieked with delight' Gibbes noted, with disapproval, a change in the Tsarevitch's appearance during these outbursts. 'He doesn't look handsome then: a most curious expression.' At the time Gibbes had no idea the Tsarevitch was a hemophiliac. Had he known, he would have been considerably more disturbed by the boy's antics."

          "The Tsar used to joke that he trembled with fear for Russia under 'Alexei the Terrible'. Gibbes later recalled arguments as he tried to persuade the boy to wear a thick coat; eventually the Tsar himself would be obliged to set an example by putting on his own thick coat.: 'Naturally he could not to follow when Papa led."




He sounds like a delight.

[Dust_of_History]

"There were several battles involving scissors. 'I had a rather bad quarter' Gibbes wrote in dismay. 'He wanted to cut my hair off and he was rather disconcerted when I told him he had made a bald place...

Well actually Alexei hid behind a curtain and cut his own hair. Gibbes said that Alexei cut himself a bald place.

[Gorseheart]

"There were several battles involving scissors. 'I had a rather bad quarter' Gibbes wrote in dismay. 'He wanted to cut my hair off and he was rather disconcerted when I told him he had made a bald place...

Well actually Alexei hid behind a curtain and cut his own hair. Gibbes said that Alexei cut himself a bald place.

Well, I do suppose the book would be wrong. ^^; I have read several Biographies (Some not on IF, but other historical refences) and some information was added and some removed. P.S. There's alot of really rude comments here. Seems like other members don't like commenters to have correct information. THEY have to be wrong. I don't understand it. ^^;

[Sarushka]

"There were several battles involving scissors. 'I had a rather bad quarter' Gibbes wrote in dismay. 'He wanted to cut my hair off and he was rather disconcerted when I told him he had made a bald place...

Well actually Alexei hid behind a curtain and cut his own hair. Gibbes said that Alexei cut himself a bald place.

Well, I do suppose the book would be wrong. ^^; I have read several Biographies (Some not on IF, but other historical refences) and some information was added and some removed. P.S. There's alot of really rude comments here. Seems like other members don't like commenters to have correct information. THEY have to be wrong. I don't understand it. ^^;

I have that book as well, and in fact you're the one who's removed some information. The text in italics was omitted from your post:

"There were several battles involving scissors. 'I had rather a bad quarter,' Gibbes wrote in dismay. 'He wanted to cut my hair, and afterwards his own, and when I tried to prevent him, he went behind the curtain and held it round him. When I opened it he had actually cut some hair off and was rather disconcerted when I told him he had made a bald place... he would insist on cutting or pretending to cut everything."

(The Romanovs and Mr. Gibbes, pg 42.)

This is precisely why members here are apt to request sources for unfamiliar information. In light of this misquote, I'm afraid your comments about rudeness aren't likely to garner much sympathy.

[Gorseheart]

I got it from a website that included page and book info. Please don't be sore, I thought we were getting along?

[Sarushka]

We are getting along now -- that post is three months old.

[Gorseheart]

From Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie (just received!:) ) Don't shoot the messenger, as in similar posts, I just want to enjoy and share funny stories of the Heir:

Part 2, chapter 11, page 140:
    "Once, at seven, he appeared in the middle of a review of the palace guard, riding a secretly borrowed bicycle across the parade ground. The astonished Tsar promptly halted the review and ordered every man to pursue, surround and capture the wobbling vehicle and it's delighted novice rider."

Same page/Part 2, chapter 11, page 140:
    "At a children's party at which movies have been shown, Alexis suddenly led the children on top of the tables and began leaping wildly from table to table. When Derevenko and others tried to calm him, he shouted gaily, "All the grown-ups have to go," and tried to push them out the door."

Part 3, chapter 21, page 302:
    "After lunch, the games often continued in the garden: "He dragged some of us off after lunch in the tent to a round fountain in the garden which had porpoise heads all round it, with two holes in each to represent the eyes. The game is to plug up these holes with one's fingers, then turn on the fountain full split and suddenly let go. The result was that I nearly drowned the Emperor and his son and they returned the compliment, and we all had to go back and change, laughing till we nearly cried." Nicholas, expecting that the Empress might disapprove of such rough games, wrote an explanatory note: "I am writing...having come in from the garden with wet sleeves and boots as Alexei has sprayed us at the fountain. It is his favorite game... peals of laughter ring out. I keep an eye in order to see that things do not go to far.""

Part 3, chapter 21, page 303:
      "Once on a when the train stopped outside a town, "Alexei's cat ran away and hid under a big pile of board. We put on our great coats and went to look for her. Nagorny found her at once with a flashlight, but it took a long time to make the wretch come out. She would not listen to Alexei. At last, he caught her by one of her hind legs and dragged her through the narrow chink.""

Part 3, chapter 21, page 307:
     ""He is very proud of his stripes and more mischievous than ever," reported Hanbury-Williams. "At lunch the Tsarevich pushed all the cups, bread, toast, menus, etc. which he could get hold of across to me and then call the attention of his father to count all the pieces I had.""

There is one where some soldier's take his gun away, but I can't find it. I'll post it when I do.

We are getting along now -- that post is three months old.

Thankies!

[nena]

There is one where some soldier's take his gun away, but I can't find it. I'll post it when I do.

I think that happened at Tsarskoe Selo, during their captivity, in June of 1917. Monsieur Gilliard described it in his memories 'Thirteen Years At the Russian Court'. The gun was brought back to him, and he played with it only inside the Palace. The reason of talking his gun away was that the soldier thought it was a real shotgun. That soldier made him cry -- such an unfair and sad treat.

[Gorseheart]

Yes! I found it in the Captivity chapter. Didn't some man, a superior  (His name skips my mind) yell at the soldiers and returned the gun piece by piece under his coat?

[nena]

I think no. Gilliard was the one who requested the gun to be brought back to the Heir (However, that was the shotgun-toy Nicholas played in his childhood). From what I have understood, the toy was given back as whole piece. In fact, Commandant Kobilinsky was the one who requested from the soldiers that the gun should have been given back to Aleksei. Kobilinsky had just replaced the old Palace Commandant Korovichenko.