Alexei anecdotes

[Dust_of_History]

Yes, thanks for the information about Voeikov and for the links, nena. I wish there were an English version of this book as my ability to speak and understand Russian is quite limited.

@AP:
Oh yes, I remember the Mad Hatter. :-) Sometimes I also feel like Humty Dumpty, the egg that always fears to fall down the wall. ;-)

[Tsarya]

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

I read this last night, it's in the book of R.K Massie, in a letter Nicholas is writing to his mother:

"Alexis got hold of a glass of champagne and drank it unnoticed after which he became rather gay and began entertaining the ladies to our great surprise. When we returned to the train, he kept telling us about his conversations at the party and also that he heard his tummy rumbling."

[Dust_of_History]

Yes, that is a well-known ancedote. I really like that one. :-) I'd like to know the original source.

[RomanovMartyrs]

   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!

Has anyone ever seen these two saintly anecdotes confirmed by another source? They smack of hagiography to me...

I can't account for number 2, but number one is definitely true. You can find it in a letter by the Empress to the Tsar, dated Tsarskoe Selo, February 3rd 1916.

The EXACT excerpt is however this:

"...Baby was sweet, when I told him yesterday that there would be blinis for him for luncheon as he loves them- [He said] "How, when you have  got pain you order me blinis, I wont eat them on purpose- it's not necessary." But I [the Empress] said it would just please me and it seems he ate a lot. -We played durachki before he went to bed."

So the translation is a bit different and it sounds as thought the Empress didn't make the bliniy herself but rather ordered them, but all in all it seems plausible.

[clockworkgirl21]

Here's a cute one from Lili Dehn's memoirs:

The Tsarevitch had various playmates-all sorts and conditions of boys shared his games : there were the two sons of his sailor-servant, two peasant boys with whom he was on friendly and affectionate terms, and my "Titi," who ran about with him, upsetting everything, and thoroughly enjoying himself. The Heir to the Throne was as courteous as his sisters. One day the Empress and I were sitting in the mauve boudoir, when we heard the excited voices of the Tsarevitch and Titi in the next room.
"I believe they're quarrelling," said the Empress, and she went to the door and listened to what the children were saying. Then she turned to me laughing. " Why they're not quarrelling, Lili. Alexis is insisting that Titi shall come into the mauve room first, and the good Titi won't hear of it ! "

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

Was just browsing the forums, and I wonder if anyone can post some anecdotes regarding Aleksei and his guards in captivity? Was just curious.

[Gorseheart]

Was just browsing the forums, and I wonder if anyone can post some anecdotes regarding Aleksei and his guards in captivity? Was just curious.

OK! Great way to return to the forum! Lot's of testing done! But finally some Alexei Anecdotes! Hurrah!

As an add on to the last comments that were made about a toy gun, and a reply, however not helpful it may be (my apologies if you knew this already Vive_HIH_Aleksey).

From Massey's Nicholas and Alexandra, Pg. 456, Part four: Chapter thirty: Citizen Romanov.

                     "In June, Alexis was playing outside with the toy rifle which he had played with in the garden at Stavka. Suddenly, the soldiers spotted the gun and began to shout to each other, "They are armed." Alexis, hearing the hubbub, went to his mother, who was sitting on the grass. A minute later, the soldiers arrived and demanded "the weapon." Gilliard tried to intervene and explain that the gun was a toy, but the soldiers insisted and walked off with the gun. Alexei, in tears, looked from the Empress to the tutor; both were helpless. The gun was turned over to Colonel Kobylinsky, who was furious that his men had bothered the child. Carefully, he took the gun apart and, carrying it under his coat, returned it piece by piece to the Tsarevich. Thereafter, Alexis played with his rifle only behind the door of his room."  

And as Nena and I discussed earlier, I guess the gun was whole:

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.

 

All in all it's pretty cute, but it shows how high-strung they were there. Hope that helped some!

[Olga Maria]

Many, many thanks to Sunny for posting the link to Sofia Tyutcheva’s Memoirs in “Olga’s Anecdotes” thread where I found this very cute anecdote which I roughly translated with the help of  Google Translator:

At the 20th day of April, the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna married the Prince William of Sweden. Many dignitaries came to St. Petersburg for this event, including the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, a cousin of the Emperor. She brought her two daughters – Olga and Elizabeth – along with her. At tea time, 5 year old Elizabeth sat next to the Heir. He kept his eyes on her, and then he told her something which she did not understand as she spoke only Greek and English. He shouted in her ear thinking that she would understand it better – “Elizabeth, I love you”, in Russian. She didn’t say anything. Then I* translated it into English. The girl smiled sweetly and said, “I also love little Alexis”.

*Sofia
In the footnotes in Sofia’s memoirs, there is said that ‘when she eats, she doesn’t talk’ – clearly that explains why she said nothing when Alexei bravely confessed to her, hahaha xD 
Am I the only one here who wishes that had they been alive, Alexei would marry Elizabeth? Elizabeth is soo pretty; they would make a perfect couple!!

[Sunny]

Many, many thanks to Sunny for posting the link to Sofia Tyutcheva’s Memoirs in “Olga’s Anecdotes” thread where I found this very cute anecdote which I roughly translated with the help of  Google Translator:

At the 20th day of April, the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna married the Prince William of Sweden. Many dignitaries came to St. Petersburg for this event, including the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, a cousin of the Emperor. She brought her two daughters – Olga and Elizabeth – along with her. At tea time, 5 year old Elizabeth sat next to the Heir. He kept his eyes on her, and then he told her something which she did not understand as she spoke only Greek and English. He shouted in her ear thinking that she would understand it better – “Elizabeth, I love you”, in Russian. She didn’t say anything. Then I* translated it into English. The girl smiled sweetly and said, “I also love little Alexis”.

*Sofia
In the footnotes in Sofia’s memoirs, there is said that ‘when she eats, she doesn’t talk’ – clearly that explains why she said nothing when Alexei bravely confessed to her, hahaha xD 
Am I the only one here who wishes that had they been alive, Alexei would marry Elizabeth? Elizabeth is soo pretty; they would make a perfect couple!!

Don't thank me it was BlessOTMA who found the link :)I just added my Russian knwoledge!
This anecdote is really tender   If i remember well MP the younger married in 1908, so Alexei wasn't even 4 (since his birthday was in August). A smart little boy, LOL!!

[Olga Maria]

Still Dearie Sunny, I thank you for posting the link and for translating that precious anecdote about our beloved Olga in her forum section, and for clarifying who is the angel behind finding Tyutcheva’s memoirs! ; D
Oh, Thank you very much to BlessOTMA (Dearie Annie) for finding and sharing  it!! : D

Btw, I must correct the age of Princess Elisabeth in that anecdote. You’re right, that happened in April 1908, and Elisabeth’s birthday is on May 24 so she was also 3 years old that time.
Hahaha, it would be so lovely to see a photo of both of them in this event ^♥^ How could have OTMA reacted to this? I wish Sophie wrote it, too!
 Have you seen Elisabeth already? She’s very pretty in all her lifetime, like her sisters (Queen Olga of Yugoslavia and Marina, Duchess of Kent). Aside from their stunning beauty, they also are kind-hearted, perfect for a Tsarina! I also like Ileana of Romania but sorry to her, I now prefer Alexei and Elisabeth together! When you see her, you’d agree with me, kkkk ^o^

[blessOTMA]

He shouted in her ear thinking that she would understand it better – “Elizabeth, I love you”, in Russian. She didn’t say anything. Then I* translated it into English. The girl smiled sweetly and said, “I also love little Alexis”.

omg that's so adorable!

You are welcome....finding and translating, it's all a joint effort and how Romanov fans on AP help each other  =)

[Olga Maria]

Absolutely!! : D   Alexei already knows how to crush on someone at that very young age, hahahaha!

Oh how I wish we could find more memoirs and translate them all together for all of us to enjoy ^o^  

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

I thought I'd post about this because it ties into my request for anecdotes about interactions with the revolutionaries... I was really surprised to read this in Romanov Autumn. Apparently, Aleksei made friends/acquaintances of the revolutionary guards at the Alexander Palace and continued to try doing so in Tobolsk. He regularly went to the guard room to play a game called "Draughts." I'm not sure what exactly that is? ABut I found it interesting that also the guards he made friends with in Tobolsk, the 1st and 4th Regiment, still considered him the Heir.

There wasn't anything in the book that concerned his interactions with the guards in Ekaterinburg though; I'm still very curious about that... but I wouldn't be surprised if there's really nothing known about that.

[blessOTMA]

The thing about Ekaterinburg was he was  probably too ill to  be as social as he had up till then . But anyway  imo any friendly  gestures  on his part would not have been nearly as welcomed. But before Ekaterinburg I can easily see him making friends among the guards . I believe those Regiments were friendly to the family...at least civil...wasn't the 4th the ones they waved good bye from the ice hill at Tobolsk.? The children though out their  lives  made friends with the guards that surrounded them...he was perhaps too young to make enough of a distinction...at least enough of one to keep him from the guard house...there's a photo of a guard teaching Alexis archery at Tobolsk.  Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg were like diffrent planets in a way .

[Sunny]

The thing about Ekaterinburg was he was  probably too ill to  be as social as he had up till then . But anyway  imo any friendly  gestures  on his part would not have been nearly as welcomed. But before Ekaterinburg I can easily see him making friends among the guards . I believe those Regiments were friendly to the family...at least civil...wasn't the 4th the ones they waved good bye from the ice hill at Tobolsk.? The children though out their  lives  made friends with the guards that surrounded them...he was perhaps too young to make enough of a distinction...at least enough of one to keep him from the guard house...there's a photo of a guard teaching Alexis archery at Tobolsk.  Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg were like diffrent planets in a way .

Not only. The guards in Ekaterinburg were forbidden to talk to the prisoners. It's true that they did it anyway, with the girls - but it wasn't like in Tobolsk at all.
But most of all, Vive, please remember that In Ekaterinburg Aleksej seldom went out, and just on the stairs that led from the door in the garden - and the guards were not allowed inside the IF's rooms, but the Commander and his adjutant. Aleksej indeed did not MEET the guards much.