The Crisis at Spala

[violetta]

i remember a letter of nikolay 2 to MF. he was embittered by this marriage. it was not on;y because of the marriage itself but due to the fact that 'misha" did promiss not to get married in secret. he promised to preserve a sort of status quo in his relation with his lady. and he kept reeating that he DID break the promise that he gave

[Grand Duchess Ferah]

As far as I remember, GD Mikhail married Natalya Brasova EXACTLY at the time of the crisis. he managed to run away from the secret police and married at Ortodox church in Vienna. Perhaps, he became scared when he realized that in case of Alexei`s death he would become the heir again.

I believe that is correct. I remember reading somewhere (A lifelong passion?) that he married her when he learned about the crisis, becuase if Alexei had died, he as an heir would never been allowed to marry Natalya Brasova.

Correct, they married in Serbian Orthodox Church at Vienna. There is also Michael's letter to MF about Spala crisis and about him being maybe new Heir.

Welcome!

Here is the letter from Misha to MF,  dated 31 October 1912 :-

"My dear Mama
If only you knew how painful and distressing it is for me to upset you, yet I know my letter will bring you great sorrow, and I ask you in advance to hear me out and forgive me.
I so much want you to believe me, when I say it's more than painful for me to distress you, dear Mama, but I am obliged to inform you that on the 16/29 October, that is two weeks ago, I was married to Natalia Sergeyevna Brassova.
I have suffered greatly over this last period, but was unable through force of circumstances to talk to you of that, which has been the main focus of my life for all these years, moreover you yourself evidently never wished it.
It is already five years since I met Natalia and I love and respect her more each year. But morally it was always very hard on me, and in particular the last year in Petersburg convinced me that the only way out of this painful and false situation was marriage. But I never wanted to distress you, and might never have decided on this step, were it not for little Alexei's illness, and the thought that as Heir I could be separated from Natalia, but now that can no longer happen.
Let me say again, that more than anything I am tortured by the fact of distressing you and Nicky so terribly, but to go on living as before was simply not bearable. And so I beg you, my dear Mama, to forgive and understand me as a mother, whom I love deeply with all my heart,
Your Misha"

[Grand Duchess Ferah]

Misha also wrote a similar letter to Nicholas, dated 1 November 1912 :-

"Dear Nicky
I know that my letter will cause you a lot of sorrow, and I ask you in advance, as your brother, to listen and understand me. I am even more sorry to distress you, when you are already so preoccupied by Alexei's illness, but it was precisely this circumstance, and the thought that I could be separated from Natalia Brassova, that prompted me to marry her.
I have already loved her for five years, and can no longer say that on my side it was only a distraction. On the contrary, with each year I have become more deeply attached to her, and the thought that I could be deprived of her and our child - was simply unbearable.
At first I did not consider the possibility of marrying her, but the last five years, and particularly the past one in Petersburg, changed my intentions. You should know that, even during the two difficult years living apart (when I was in Orel), we were always a family, and I always looked on Natalia as my wife and always honoured her, which is why the humiliations and insults which she inevitably had to bear in Petersburg because of her position, were so terribly painful for me.
I give you my word that I did not act under pressure from anyone. Natalia never talked to me about it or demanded it, I myself came to the conclusion that to live in this way was dishonourable and that I had to escape from a false position. All this prompted me to take the decision and get married to Natalia.
Our wedding took place at the Serbian church of St Savva in Vienna on 16/29 October. I know that punishment awaits me for this act, and am ready to bear it."

i remember a letter of nikolay 2 to MF. he was embittered by this marriage. it was not on;y because of the marriage itself but due to the fact that 'misha" did promiss not to get married in secret. he promised to preserve a sort of status quo in his relation with his lady. and he kept reeating that he DID break the promise that he gave

That letter was dated on 7 November 1912. Here it is : -

"My dear sweet Mama!
I thank you with all my heart for your kind words. I was also going to write to you about this new sorrow, which has befallen our family, but you had already heart the disgusting news.
I enclose the letter I received in the train on the way here. Read it and see for yourself, can he really, after everything he has written, remain in the service and in command of your cavalry?
Yes, dear Mama, I say as you do - may the Lord forgive him! Unfortunately everything is over between him and me now, because he has broken his word.
How many times did he tell me, without my asking, he himself gave his word that he would not marry her. And I believed him implicitly! What upsets me particularly - is that he refers to Alexei's illness as having forced him to rush into this ill-considered step! He doesn't seem concerned with either your distress, or our distress, or the scandal this event will cause in Russia. And at such a time, when everyone is talking of war, and just a few months before the Jubilee of the Romanov dynasty!!! It's shameful and awful!
My first thought was also to keep the news quiet, but on reading his letter two or three times I realized that it's impossible for him to return to Russia now. Sooner or later everyone here will find out, and will be surprised if nothing has happened to him, as the others were dealt with very severely.
About two months ago, Fredericks learnt from Vrangel that Misha had requested a large sum of money from his office, and that apparently he even bought an estate in France.
Now all is clear. I cannot find words to express, dear Mama, how I feel about what you must be suffering. May the Merciful Lord give you strength! What luck that dear Xenia is with you at the moment, to share the torments of your heart.
Alix and I both embrace you tenderly. Alexei sends you a big kiss and thanks you. Thank God he is cheerful and happy. Christ be with you.
Your old Nicky, who loves you with all his heart."

Again, from Andrei Maylunas's and Sergei Mironenko's A Lifelong Passion.

If anyone would like me to post a couple of more letters, please say!!

[Ally Kumari]

Thank you Ferah! That book seems to be great.... It is good to see the different points of view and I can´t decide which one of the two brothers did the right thing, but perhaps I would side with Nicky on this.

[Grand Duchess Ferah]

Thank you Ferah! That book seems to be great.... It is good to see the different points of view and I can´t decide which one of the two brothers did the right thing, but perhaps I would side with Nicky on this.

You 're most welcome! And I definitely agree with you. There are heaps of letters, diary entries and memoirs in that book from not only Nicholas,  Alexandra and their children , but also from the extended Romanov family and friends. I would also probably agree with Nicholas 's perspective from what he explained in the letter..

[violetta]

As far as I remember, GD Mikhail married Natalya Brasova EXACTLY at the time of the crisis. he managed to run away from the secret police and married at Ortodox church in Vienna. Perhaps, he became scared when he realized that in case of Alexei`s death he would become the heir again.

I believe that is correct. I remember reading somewhere (A lifelong passion?) that he married her when he learned about the crisis, becuase if Alexei had died, he as an heir would never been allowed to marry Natalya Brasova.

Correct, they married in Serbian Orthodox Church at Vienna. There is also Michael's letter to MF about Spala crisis and about him being maybe new Heir.

Welcome!

Here is the letter from Misha to MF,  dated 31 October 1912 :-

"My dear Mama
If only you knew how painful and distressing it is for me to upset you, yet I know my letter will bring you great sorrow, and I ask you in advance to hear me out and forgive me.
I so much want you to believe me, when I say it's more than painful for me to distress you, dear Mama, but I am obliged to inform you that on the 16/29 October, that is two weeks ago, I was married to Natalia Sergeyevna Brassova.
I have suffered greatly over this last period, but was unable through force of circumstances to talk to you of that, which has been the main focus of my life for all these years, moreover you yourself evidently never wished it.
It is already five years since I met Natalia and I love and respect her more each year. But morally it was always very hard on me, and in particular the last year in Petersburg convinced me that the only way out of this painful and false situation was marriage. But I never wanted to distress you, and might never have decided on this step, were it not for little Alexei's illness, and the thought that as Heir I could be separated from Natalia, but now that can no longer happen.
Let me say again, that more than anything I am tortured by the fact of distressing you and Nicky so terribly, but to go on living as before was simply not bearable. And so I beg you, my dear Mama, to forgive and understand me as a mother, whom I love deeply with all my heart,
Your Misha"

thank you very muc, Fera, for providing this letter. I`ve also read the book but don`t have it at ome so i couldn`t provise any quotationa

[nena]

A photo from Autumn of 1912:




Известия из России
Государева охота
СПАЛА, Х, 29. (СПА) По улучшению состояния здоровья Наследника Цесаревича
начался 24 октября ряд впредь предположенных охот в княжестве Ловичском и
окрестностях Скерневиц. Государь Император на охоты изволил выезжать на
автомобиле из Спал с министром Императорского двора генерал-адъютантом бароном
Фредерикс и некоторыми высокопоставленными лицами, пребывающими в Спале. После
охоты Его Императорское Величество возвращается в тот же день в Спалу.
("Утро России" 12 ноября (30 октября) 1912 года)

Russian newspaper article.

Moleben/Liturgy service fr Heir from 1912:
Молебны за Наследника Цесаревича

Вчера в университете, как только распространились слухи о болезни Наследника Цесаревича, по инициативе группы студентов, была отправлена к ректору депутация с просьбой молебствия в университетской церкви о здравии Его Высочества. По техническим соображениям, как отсутствие певчих и т.д., молебен отложен на сегодня.

("Новое время" 24 (11) октября 1912 года)

[Grand Duchess Ferah]

You 're most welcome, violetta!

[Sarushka]

In Tsesarevich, there are also diary entries by Derevenko the sailor during the Spala crisis.

[Alyosha_Love]

Massie does write on page 173 of my edition of Nicholas and Alexandra:
"The bleeding could not be stopped and no pain-killers were given."

However, this remark is in reference to the Spala incident, and shouldn't be taken to mean Aleksei was never ever given painkillers.

I believe I've also read in Massie that Aleksei was never given morphine, but I haven't found the reference yet.

I know where that is

"At first as the limb flexed, leaving the largest possible area in the joint socket for the incoming fluid, the pain was small. Then, as this space filled up, it began to hurt. Morphine was availible, but because of its destructive habit-forming quality, the Tsarevich was never given the drug. His only release from pain was fainting." (p. 131 of Massie)

So combining that with the fragment of Olga's diary posted here earlier perhaps what Massie means is that at the time he was never given it because morphine would have been too strong and too addictive to someone so young as Alexei was in this portion (because this is in the OTMA and Alexis chapter so it's before Spala, thus he's not even eight yet when Massie's describing this. So since Olga's diary entry is from much later he'd have been bigger and thus able to cope with small doses of the drug? Just a thought.