If there were hard evidence in the State Archives in Russia against Serge it did not show up in the attitudes of Alexander 111 or Nicholas 11 towards Serge during the latters lifetime. To the contrary, the grand duke was afforded utmost confidence in his capacity as a principle advisor and as Governor-general of Moscow.
I promised Eric some info on Khodinka. The following account is, in part, from the perspective of Olga Alexandrovich and Marie Pavlovna. It was my impression that neither Romanov had a significant problem with Alexander111 and Serge's political stances so their point of view is of interest.
According to Olga Alexandrovich, her brother Nicholas 11, Alexandra, Empress Marie and Ella were very distraught by events and spent long hours on the day, and in the wake of the disaster, in the hospitals. Olga said her uncle Serge was in "despair". She claimed the government provided thousands of Rubles to provide for the disabled and for widows and orphans.
Concerning the Khodinka (located 7km northwest of Moscow) disaster. Apparently, there had been a dispute, and the management for the coronation festivities had been divided. The Minister of the Court, Vorontzov-Dashkov, was in charge of the general arrangements, Serge was in charge of arrangements in Moscow. While Serge had not directly participated in the planning for Khodinka Field he was--as Governor-general, ultimately responsible--just as it was the Tsar who was ultimately responsible for the decision to cancel coronation events or to dismiss government officials.
On Khodinka there existed a Romanov family devide. There were Romanovs who thought the festivities should have been canceled and those who thought that an historical event, such as a coronation, should not be disrupted or marred by a conspicuous period of mourning. The latter opinion believed that the crowds who came long distances should not be disappointed and the tightly scheduled events for foreign dignitaries not be slighted and should go forward. There was a devide in the Romanov family as to whether Serge should have resigned. Obviously, the Tsar did not support this line. (Serge ultimately did offer to resign, Vorontzov-Dashkov did not.)
The Kkodinka disput was never resolved, but one aspect of this tragedy was not disputed. In the wake of the stampede there was confusion and disunity within the Romanov family ranks and this episode would prove a PR disaster for for Nicholas 11. There were many people who chose to believe (or had a vested interest in believing) that Serge, and even the Tsar, were callously having the time of their lives in ballrooms and did not care that their subjects had been trampled to death during the coronation celebrations.
There is no doubt that Serge was a political hardliner who believed in business as usual. He would take the same hard line when he abruptly resigned in 1905 on the grounds that he would not support the Tsar's security policies of vacilliation and evasions in the wake of civil disorder. According to Marie Pavlovna, "it appeared to my uncle little less than monstrous...he expressed deep sorrow for the state of affairs in Russia, of the necessity for serious measures, and of the criminal weakness of the Tsar's ministers and councillors." Serge duly informed the Tsar that new times, needed new faces.
Fact. Ella loyally supported her husband during Khodinka. Her line was, "Thank God, Serge was not involved." (Christopher Warwick speculated that privately Ella must have been critical of her husband. But he provided no evidence to back this up.)
Olga Alexandrovich was one Romanov squarely in Serge's camp. She severely castigated Serge's "younger" critics within the family and felt they had greatly damaged the monarchy. She singled out the Michailovich branch--especially her brother-in-law, Alexander Michailovich. Conversely, if "Sandro" believed that Serge had "provided the enemies of the regime with inexhaustible material for calumnies and libels, Olga asserted that the Michailovich's vociferous sniping and conspicuous finger pointing vendetta--long standing--against Serge had, "incriminated the entire family when solidarity was essential." Alexis Alexandrovich scornfully opined that the younger Michailovich cabal were, "inclined to play to the radical grand stand" and likened them to Robespierre.
It is certain that Serge did not see himself on display as Moscow's Princess Di. It was not his temperament. He did, however, significantly improve general living conditions during his tenure and was an extremely conscientious Governor-general who took a hands on approach and dilegently sought out and punished corruption and fraud. Marie Pavlovna wrote that her uncle's poiltical position was one of great power and consequence and that,"his devotion and his sense of duty was absolute."
According to Ernest of Hesse (Ella's brother), Serge understood the need for reform but, "the tradedy of Serge's life was that he was too far sighted. He wanted and strived for improvements (which angered conservatives) but blocked revolutionary reforms (which infuriated radicals) because he considered them impractical or thought the time was not ripe for them". Judging to the extent that Russia is still struggling with "reforms" in 2007--90 catastrophic and very bloody years after the 1917 Russian Revolution--perhaps history might concede a pre-1905 Serge that point.
