Did Alexandra Allow The Girls to Drink Alcohol?

[Lady Macduff]

I know they smoke, but have never come across any reference to them drinking. Can anyone enlighten me on this? I know Russians love their vodka.

[matushka]

Depends on what you mean. Drinking vodka until they lost their mind, certainly not (!!!). Drinking a glas of wine, a little glas of malaga during a state dinner, young ladies like Olga or Tatiana in 1915-16 probably did. Though I never read about it.

[Kalafrana]

Olga and Tatiana were young adults by 1914, so I would expect them to be allowed wine with meals when their parents were having it.

Ann

[Jen_94]

I agree, it is likely the Big Pair drank a little wine during meals, but I wouldn't they would be allowed to get drunk/drink until they are out of it. The Little Pair, a definite no, imo.

[edubs31]

How much access did they have to alcohol while in captivity? I assume it wasn't an issue while in TS, but I know they were kept on pretty strict food rations during their latter period at Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg, yes? Hard to believe that would have included alcohol. I'm guessing if anything was sent to them from the outside (gifts from nuns, townspeople, etc) that the guards would have confiscated the wine/booze immediately for their own use.

On the other hand if I was allowed to drink freely under those conditions I'd probably keep a permanent buzz throughout the day :-) Not out of any premonition having to do with my fate, but simply out of sheer boredom.

[Sarushka]

From Volkov's memoirs:
The Emperor only would take a small glass of wine at both luncheon and dinner. During the War, the Imperial Family's table was more sober and wine was never served at all, except for meals when they were joined by invited guests. The children only sometimes took St. Raphael wine as prescribed by their doctors.

And an anecdote from Gibbes's papers in which he describes the last dinner in the governor's house before OTAA were transferred to Ekaterinburg (as quoted in House of Special Purpose, by John Trewin):
It was only on this last evening that we called for the two remaining bottles of wine. It was impossible to take them away, and it was agreed that the next best thing to do was to drink them. While we were doing so the new Commandant was heard sneaking down the corridor. We had only just time to hide the bottles and our glasses under the table, concealed by a long trailing cloth, when in he walked. He stood by the door, giving a quizzical look all round, and immediately we felt like little schoolboys caught doing something naughty at school. The situation was so ludicrous that as our eyes met we could contain ourselves no longer, but burst into a wild yell of uncontrollable laughter.

The children would certainly have been present at this meal, but it's difficult to tell for sure from Gibbes's description whether OTAA were drinking the wine along with the adults.

[clockworkgirl21]

That passage always sounded like everyone at the table was drinking to me, but you're right, it doesn't specify.

[Kalafrana]

Bear in mind that by then Marie was 18, and Anastasia approaching 17, so they may have shared in the wine, but two bottles would anyway not go very far between several people. How many were dining that night? Are we talking about the final night they were all together in Tobolsk, or the night before everybody except Nicholas, Alexandra and Marie left? If the former, I would assume Nicholas, Alexandra, the four girls (Alexei was presumably in bed), the two tutors, Prince Vassili Dolgoruky, General Tatischev and Dr. Botkin, which makes nine definite drinkers (unless someone was teetotal), plus Marie and Anastasia. So only enough for one glass each. If we subtract the five in the first group going to Ekaterinburg, we are left with four or six drinkers, so hardly a major boozing session!

In Britain, it is entirely normal for two people going for an evening meal in a restaurant to have one bottle between them (which equates to two decent-sized glasses apiece), but you don't drive home, as that amount will put most of us over the limit.

Ann

[Sarushka]

Are we talking about the final night they were all together in Tobolsk, or the night before everybody except Nicholas, Alexandra and Marie left?

The night before OTAA were transferred to Ekaterinburg -- 6/19 May 1918.

[blessOTMA]

Posted  by: Sarushka And an anecdote from Gibbes's papers in which he describes the last dinner in the governor's house before OTAA were transferred to Ekaterinburg (as quoted in House of Special Purpose, by John Trewin): It was only on this last evening that we called for the two remaining bottles of wine

I love that wine drinking event. Family and suite laughing  uproariously when the bottles were hid...quite a release generally.  I can't see OTA not taking a drink. It was more than wine, it was rebellion. If one of the girls did not join in,
 I believe Gibbs would have made note of it and said why. Youth was not a factor at this time imo

[Forum Admin]

Volkov Ch. 16: "Along with the other personal effects Makarov had sent out from Tsarskoe Selo, some St. Raphael wine had come as it was prescribed by the doctors as necessary for the children. When Nikolski learned about the wine, at first he permitted the bottles in the house, then he had them reloaded onto a cart, taken down to the river and there smashed them all with an axe."

[edubs31]

Volkov Ch. 16: "Along with the other personal effects Makarov had sent out from Tsarskoe Selo, some St. Raphael wine had come as it was prescribed by the doctors as necessary for the children. When Nikolski learned about the wine, at first he permitted the bottles in the house, then he had them reloaded onto a cart, taken down to the river and there smashed them all with an axe."

Two examples of unconscionable alcohol abuse. First, prescribing it as necessary medical treatment (especially to under aged Anastasia and/or Alexei). Second, smashing perfectly good bottles of wine!

Not to shift the focus but did all of the daughters take up smoking while in captivity...periodically at least? I know we have photos of a couple of them doing it. Anastasia I'm sure of an at least one other I remember seeing.

[Sarushka]

Not to shift the focus but did all of the daughters take up smoking while in captivity...periodically at least? I know we have photos of a couple of them doing it. Anastasia I'm sure of an at least one other I remember seeing.

They smoked prior to captivity. There are photos of Olga smoking around 1914, as well as wartime letters from OTMA to the tsar in which they thank him for sending them cigarettes.

[Kalafrana]

'I believe Gibbs would have made note of it and said why. Youth was not a factor at this time imo.'

I don't know about upper crust families in pre-Revolutionary Russia, but in France it was and is perfectly normal for children in the ordinary sense of the word (pre-teens), to be allowed a small glass of wine with meals. I can also clearly remember two of my cousins, who seemed immensely mature and sophisticated when I was five, having red wine along with the adults when aged 13 and not quite 12. Admittedly, their father was rather a tippler, so this may not have been typical of their age group, but I had my first taste of wine when I was nine (didn't like it and didn't try again for years) and was joining my parents in a glass of sherry before lunch on Sundays when I was 16-17.

Ann 

[edubs31]

Sarushka, yes I remember reading about that now in those wartime correspondences.