Alexei anecdotes

[Pravoslavnaya]

    I am very happy to have acquired a copy of the commemorative book published in time for St. Alexei's 100th Birthday celebrations at Peterhof.  May God bless the person who made it available on eBay!

From it I would be delighted to share two anecdotes, loosely translated:


1.  The Tsarevich was said to have dearly loved bliny - Russian crepes - and his mother the Empress made them often for him herself.   On one occasion when she wasn't feeling her best, she told Alexei Nikolaevich that she planned to make them for him the next morning.   In compassionate distress the boy replied,

  'Mama, you are ill; why make me bliny?  I couldn't possibly eat them.  Please don't,  it's the thought that counts.'

2.  All but young children, the frail elderly, and the sick are supposed to fast on the evening before taking Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church.   One might expect Alexei Nikolaevich to have been given a dispensation from this - at least when he was suffering from his attacks.  But on one occasion as he lay in bed, in considerable pain, he asked to be given only water because he was receiving the Sacrament the next day -- after all, he remarked, he was nearly twelve!

[Sunny]

Pravoslavnaya, thank you so much.

Sunny

[Pravoslavnaya]

Thank you for sharing these  . Does the book name the source of these stories?

Alex and Sunny -- it's been my great pleasure.  To answer your query -- the book, 'Tsesarevich', reprinted the text from a booklet printed by the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY -- the title is 'Svetliy Otrok'  (which translates to 'A Bright Lad - memories of the Martyred Tsarevich Alexei and his family'.)  The little stories come from that book and I could see if they are attributed to someone else.  

[JaneEyre5381]

A little belated "thank you" for the Aleksey stories Elizabeth.  

[aleksandra]

About our cute little sunbeam,like his little solders & the yatch standust.
Any thing else Am I missing.

[clockworkgirl21]

I'm not sure how old he was, but he got into some sort of alcohol, and had a hangover later. I understand it really ticked off Aleksandra. lol

[RissiaSunbeam1918]

I read that too....I think him and a buddy of his found two almost-full glasses of vodka (? :-/)and Gillard  found them acting quite silly so he sent Alexei to his room or something...out of the public eye.

I'll try to find where I read this, and post the quote if you want.

[etonexile]

I read that too....I think him and a buddy of his found two almost-full glasses of vodka and Gillard (?...I'm not positive) found them acting quite silly so he sent Alexei to his room or something...out of the public eye.

I'll try to find where I read this, and post the quote if you want.

Yes...I think I recall that story as well...AN and friend had found nearly full glasses of some sort of wine or spirits left from luncheon(it's hard to imagine an inexperienced drinker being able to drink a glass of voddy....Teddy can bearly manage at times)...swigged them down...and became quite jolly....kids !!!

[Condecontessa]

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

[Joyann1]

haha omg so funny

[Maria_Pavlovna]

Naughty child, at times I can't believe his a saint now. lol

[nena]

hahaha, evil Aleksei! 
P.S. I don't thnik really!

[Damie]

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

That is too funny!!    And a wicked idea for an awesome prank--which only a few years ago would have made me a danger to have at family picnics had I known about it then! Hehehe   

[mr_harrison75]

Yes, Aleksei was the prankster joker! 

It's nice to see that he didn't let his sickness damper his joie de vivre!

[Condecontessa]

Hiya everybody!!! I have another anecdote I would love to share. It's from the book titled "Born to rule" by Julia P. Gelardi. It's a very nice read. This particular anecdote happened during one of the charity bazaars of the Empress at Yalta.

p.191.  Well here goes:

Rarely had Tsarina Alexandra come face to face with so many adoring Russians. Excitement reached fever pitch when the tsarevich joined his mother at these bazaars. During one held at Yalta, the tsarevich's impishness made a strong impression on another little boy. Decades later, as an old man of eighty-nine, Dmitri Likhachev delighted in retelling his encounter with Alexei. With a glint in his eye, Likhachev recounted:

There were round white marquess with stalls and literally two steps away from me was the heir. He turned out to be a very jolly boy, a very mischievous boy. He was pulling presents out of large sacks.....and presenting them to the winners.

"Oh, I can't find anything, I can't find anything,"(said Alexei) searching for a gift. But of course, they(the sacks) were filled with gifts. And then he said, "Oh this one is heavy, so heavy. I can't lift it." He wanted to tease an elderly gentleman standing there. And then he pulled out a bottle of champagne!

This rare firsthand account from an outsider is a powerful reminder of the joy the tsarevitch must have brought his mother,father and sisters.

Hope you like it.

Condecontessa