The tragic fate of Elizabeth Feodorovna: from the most beautiful princess of Europe to the sister of mercy, who suffered martyrdom. Elizaveta Romanova: little princess Ella of Hesse

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“Among the thousands of strong, talented, and courageous people who were killed by the so-called Soviet government in Bolshevik Russia, an unforgettable figure stands apart. This is a woman, a woman of courage and magnanimity, whose life began in the splendor of imperial splendor and ended in the black depths of the Siberian< уральской- ред.> mines, where the executioners dumped her after cruel torment.
Dazzlingly beautiful, She appeared at the balls, sparkling with diamonds; but a vocation was already imprinted on Her calm brow — perhaps less clearly than on the face of Her sister, the Empress: even in the most prosperous times, Toy did not fade the mournful folds near her mouth, giving Her beauty a tragic expression.

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I turn to my compatriots: they remember a wonderful vision - a woman in a modest light gray or blue dress and a small white hat; a friendly smile illuminates the face with the right features; here she comes, rejoicing at the sight of hundreds of women workers united by a common goal - to alleviate as much as possible the suffering of those who are now there, in the Far East, fighting under the bullets of the Japanese.
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It was a wonderful ceremony, it should never be forgotten by those who took part in it. The Grand Duchess left the world in which she occupied a brilliant position to go, as She herself said, "into a larger world, a world of the poor and wretched." Bishop Tryphon (formerly Prince Turkestanov in the world), handing Her the white apostle, said prophetic words: "This veil will hide you from the world, and the world will be hidden from you, but will witness your good deeds that will shine before God and glorify Him."

And so it happened. Through her gray sisterly veil, her deeds shone with divine light and led Her to a martyrdom.
If one of the patients gave cause for concern, She would sit near his bed and sit like this until the morning, trying to relieve the exhausting night hours of the sufferer. Owing to the exceptional intuition of her mind and heart, She managed to find words of comfort, and the patients assured that Her very presence alleviated the pain, they felt that healing power emanating from Her, giving patience and peace in suffering; fearful boldly went to the operation, reinforced by Her comforting word.

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It is impossible to imagine that you will no longer see this creature, so different from the others, so towering above everyone, such captivating beauty and charm, such irresistible kindness; she had the gift without any effort to attract people who felt that She was above them and affectionately helps to rise to Her. She never sought to show her superiority, on the contrary, without false humility revealed the best qualities of friends.
It may turn out that at the time of our grandchildren the Church glorify Her as a saint, ”Countess A. Olsufieva.

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“Rare beauty, wonderful mind, subtle humor, angelic patience, noble heart - these were the virtues of this amazing woman”,- VK. Alexander Mikhailovich.

“She is so feminine; I do not admire her beauty. Her eyes are wonderfully beautifully outlined and look so calm and soft. In her, in spite of all her meekness and shyness, a certain self-confidence, a consciousness of her strength, is felt. Under such a beautiful appearance, there must certainly be such a beautiful soul, ”- from the diary of V.K. Konstantin Konstantinovich.

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Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna / Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

“I know you keep deep in your heart Her fragrant memory. She now, of course, prays for you. God has sent you a lovely wife who, I think, would be after her heart; many see in her and I see, too, as if a reflection of the graceful image of the deceased Empress, "- from a letter to K. Pobedonostsev V.K.Sergei Aleksandrovich September 14, 1884.

“She fascinated with her beauty, underlined by a lovely toilet. What is even more powerful than her beauty is the charm of modesty, simplicity that emanates from her, her brooding look and enchanting look, which she plunges into your eyes when she speaks to you or listens to your answer. There is something in her that reminds her of the late Empress (Maria Alexandrovna) ”,- from a letter by A.F. Tyutcheva.

“She impressed with her appearance, expression: it was modesty itself, unusually natural - without realizing it, it was exceptional. Deeply thoughtful, always calm, even ”,- Countess Maria Belevskaya-Zhukovskaya.

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“She just got married then; Her beauty struck me as a wonderful revelation. Her charm is called an angelic type. Eyes, mouth, smile, hands, gaze, manner of speaking were inexpressible, almost elegant to tears. Looking at Her, I wanted to exclaim with Heine:

As a color, You are pure and beautiful;
Tender like a flower in spring.
I'll look at you and anxiety
Sneaking in my heart to me.
And it seems as if I were hands
He put it on your brow
Praying that God will tender you
Beautiful and clean kept.

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Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig (brother of Elizabeth)

Most of all I admired Uncle Serge and Aunt Ella. Then they just got married, and Her beauty and charm seemed fabulous .... Ella was very charm and feminine charm. Being pretty older, She was our cousin, like the daughter of my father’s sister, the late Grand Duchess of Hesse Alice. Through marriage, she became our aunt, and since at a young age several years make a big difference, we treated Her with respect to the aunt. Having married a very young girl, he treated her partly as a school teacher. I can’t forget the charming blush that filled her cheeks when he reprimanded her, which often happened no matter where and with whom they were. “But Serge!” She exclaimed, and her expression was like that of a schoolgirl taken by surprise. Until now, I only need to remember her and my heart skips a beat. She had wonderful jewelry and Uncle Serge, who idolized her, in spite of his notations, invented all kinds of excuses and occasions, to bring her amazing gifts. In the way she dressed, a special talent slipped; although, of course, everything went with her growth, harmony, incredible grace, and not a single rosy rose could compete with the color of her face. She resembled a lily, so perfect was her purity. It was impossible to take his eyes off, and parting in the evening, you again waited for the hour when you can see her again, ”- Queen of Romania Maria.

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"... Aunt Ella was<…> one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life. She was a tall and fragile blonde with very regular and delicate features. She had gray-blue eyes, one of which had a brown speck, and this produced an extraordinary effect. "- V.K. Maria Pavlovna Jr.

“Elizaveta Feodorovna is charming, sensible, simple ... I decided to say that there is only one voice from everywhere, that her name is also blessed in the army. She accepted it simply - and I was thrilled to say that it was real “truth”! ... The conversation ceased, and I left under a bewitching impression, "- Count S.D.Sheremetev.

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“At the beginning of January 1904 there was a ball in the governor-general’s house. Elizaveta Feodorovna received guests, standing with the Grand Duke at the end of the hall. She was marvelously good in a pale pink dress with a diadem and a necklace of large rubies. The Grand Duke knew a lot about precious stones and loved to give them to his wife. We all looked with admiration at Elizaveta Feodorovna and were delighted with her amazing complexion, white skin and elegant toilet, the drawing of which she personally sketched for a dressmaker .... At the next ball, she was even more beautiful; she had a white toilet with diamond stars scattered over the dress and with the same diamond stars on her hair. She was like a fairytale princess, "- N.S. Balueva-Arsenyev.

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Vel.Kn. Elizaveta Fedorovna, Vel.Kn. Sergei Aleksandrovich, Vel.Kn.Pavel Alexandrovich, Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark, Vel.Kn. Marya Pavlovna (on hand).

“Everyone who knew her admired the beauty of her face, as well as the charm of the soul. The Grand Duchess was tall and slim. The eyes are bright, the eyes are deep and soft, the facial features are clean and tender. Add a rare mind and a noble heart to a beautiful appearance ... In the war of the 14th year, she further expanded her charitable activities, establishing collection points for helping the wounded and setting up new charitable centers. She was aware of all the events, but was not involved in politics, because she devoted herself to work and did not think about anything else. Her popularity grew day by day. When the Grand Duchess came out, the people knelt. People overshadowed themselves with a sign of the cross or kissed her hands and the edge of the dress, going up to her carriage ...

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One of our archbishops said that, while traveling in Jerusalem, he stood in prayer at her grave. Suddenly the door opened and a woman in a white blanket entered. She went deeper and stopped at the icon of the Holy Archangel Michael. When she, pointing to the icon, looked around, he recognized her. Then the vision disappeared.
The only thing left to me in memory of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was a few beads from a rosary and a sliver from her coffin. A sliver sometimes smells sweet of flowers. The people called her a saint. I have no doubt that one day the church will recognize this, ”F. Yusupov.

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“The bazaar usually lasted three days, but, of course, the first day was the busiest. One of these days, an old peasant, who, looking at me, said coolly, fell upon me:
- Here, they say, the princess herself. Show me which one.
Just at that time, the Grand Duchess went into a small drawing room to drink tea and sit for at least a quarter of an hour, since she could not do this at her table. I told the old man:
“Wait with me, grandfather, when she returns, I will show you.”
He began to tell me that he had gone over a hundred and twenty miles to look at the princess and get something out of her hands.
- I heard a lot about her, I wanted to see what she was like.
Then he leaned towards me and mysteriously asked:
“Is she really so kind and loves people as they say?”
I said that all this is true.
- And what is she like?
- But you’ll see it yourself now.
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I must say that all the trade at our table was conducted exclusively by the Grand Duchess, since everyone wanted to personally buy from her and pay her money. Prices were cheap, and almost all added to the purchase price, for which the Grand Duchess thanked everyone ... Her patience knew no bounds, she showed everything herself, looked for suitable things, although people often themselves did not know what they essentially wanted to buy.

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But the Grand Duchess returned. She had a tired face, she barely moved her legs, which she swelled badly. I pointed him to her. He still could not understand which of them, since he probably expected to see her in the crown. Finally got angry and said:
- Show me plainly where she is.
I reassured him.
“Wait, grandfather, I’ll talk to her, and when she answers me, you will see where the Grand Duchess is.”
I told her in English about an old man who wants to buy something from his hands and look at her. She smiled her angelic smile. There was no tired look. Leaving the table, she went to the old man. I whispered to him:
- Here she is.
He looked at her for a long time, she looked at him, then crossed himself and said:
- Glory to you, Lord, that I am honored to see you, Princess.
The Grand Duchess leaned towards him and asked:
“What do you want to buy, grandfather?”
“I can’t buy anything, mother.” Give me something yourself, I don’t have any money at all.
The Grand Duchess searched on the table and finally took a good cup holder with a glass, a very simple job, with a spoon, and asked:
- Granddad. Do you want this glass? You like him?
“I really like it, Princess.”
She ordered wrapping it up for him.
- Goodbye. Grandfather, ”she said, and put ten rubles in his hand.

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He did not notice the money, thinking that she held out her hand. He grabbed him in indescribable joy and kissed her several times, as the icons were kissed. She saw ten ruble lying on the floor, and said:
- Raise the money.
He asked who dropped them.
- This is your money, I gave it to you on the road.
He did not want to take them for a long time, but she said:
- No, take it, grandfather, on the road and goodbye. Now I have to go, others are waiting for me.
He stood beside me on the other hand, all looked at her and told me:
“The people were right when they praised her, and what a beauty she was.” When she smiles, she looks like an angel, who is written on images.
Then, turning to me, he bowed:
“Thank you, dear.” That showed me her.
To my question, is he satisfied that he has seen her. He replied:
- I will not forget to death. How she received me. I'll be back home, I'll tell everyone.

The following year the same story was repeated, but with an old woman who came from a different area, almost a hundred and fifty miles. The Grand Duchess gave her a towel embroidered by her. The old woman even wept with emotion. I involuntarily watched both the old man and the old woman. When they left.
And he and the other, upon reaching the door, turned and, crossing themselves widely, bowed to the waist, looking at Elizabeth Feodorovna. They were not interested in this bazaar in anything but Elizabeth Feodorovna, ”Countess V.V. Kleinmichel.

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V.K. Elizaveta Feodorovna, V.K. Sergia Alexandrovich, V.K.P-avel Alexandrovich

“Once, running with the Knicks through the garden, crawling out from under the bushes. Both of us were dumbfounded, because before our eyes appeared an unearthly beauty creature in a white airy dress and white hat, with two very tall handsome officers. Probably our view was ridiculous, we were disheveled, messy ... "Who are you?" - Strangers asked us. We answered: "Kleinmicheli." “That's how lucky. We are looking for your mother and got lost, ”they said, continuing to laugh, looking at us. An unearthly creature took Nyx's hand, and I went alongside ...
Nyx did not take his enthusiastic eyes from the Grand Duchess and kept looking and following her until she disappeared into the pavilion ... Suddenly, with horror I heard the voice of the Empress (Maria Feodorovna): “Farewell, Nyx, look at me.” And Nyx was still looking after Elizabeth Feodorovna. She turned his head, taking his chin and smiling at him, because he did not notice her hand, which she extended to him, she kissed him on his curly head and asked where he was looking and what was happening to him today. We answered in unison: "To Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Your Majesty." She laughed and said: “Then I understand, I will tell her. Goodbye, children”,- Countess V.V. Kleinmichel.

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“Vel.kn. Elizaveta Feodorovna was charming, delightfully charming, full of tact and grace, fogged away by some cloud of moral light, as always, gracious with all, and not developed courtesy, but an expression of a kind, condescending human feeling, ”- A. Polovtsov.

“I see her like that .... High, strict, with bright, deep and naive eyes, with a gentle mouth, soft features, a straight and thin nose, with harmonious and clean outlines, with a bewitching rhythm of gait and movements. In her conversation, a charming female mind was guessed - natural, serious and full of hidden kindness.
Her face, framed by a long veil of white woolen cloth, amazes with its spirituality. The delicacy of features, the pallor of the skin, the deep and distant life of the eyes, the faint sound of a voice, the glow of some radiance on her forehead - everything is revealed in her by a creature that has a constant connection with the indescribable and divine "- M. Paleolog.

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“It was a rare combination of exalted Christian mood, moral nobility, an enlightened mind, a tender heart, and elegant taste. She possessed an extremely subtle and multifaceted mental organization. Her very outward appearance reflected the beauty and grandeur of Her spirit: on Her forehead lay the seal of an inborn high dignity that set her apart from the environment. In vain She sometimes tried to hide under the cover of modesty from human gaze: She could not be mixed with others. Wherever She appeared, one could always ask about her: “Who is this, watching dawn, light as the sun?” (Pesn. 6.10). Everywhere she brought with her the pure fragrance of a lily; perhaps that is why She loved white color so much: it was a reflection of Her heart. All the qualities of Her soul were strictly proportionate to one another, without creating anywhere the impression of one-sidedness. Femininity was combined in her with the courage of character; kindness did not turn into weakness and blind, unconscious trust in people; the gift of reasoning, which is so highly placed by Christian ascetics, was inherent in Her in everything, even in the best heartbeats.

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Hiding her exploits, She appeared before people always with a bright smiling face. Only when She remained alone or in a circle of close people did a mysterious sadness appear on her face, especially in her eyes - the seal of high souls languishing in this world. Having renounced herself from almost everything earthly, She shone the brighter the inner light emanating from Her, and especially with her love and affection. No one was more delicate than Her could make something pleasant for others - to each according to his needs or spiritual appearance. She was able not only to cry with those who were crying, but also to rejoice with those who were happy, which is usually more difficult than the first.
She sensitively responded to all requests, except those that were political in color ...
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When then a revolutionary storm broke out, She met her with remarkable composure and calm. It seemed that She stood on a high unshakable rock and from there without fear looked at the waves raging around Her, fixing her spiritual gaze into eternal distances. She did not have a trace of bitterness against the frenzy of the excited crowd. “The people are a child, they are not guilty of what is happening,” she said meekly, “he is misled by the enemies of Russia.”
How a wonderful vision She passed through the earth, leaving behind a radiant trail. Together with all the other sufferers for the Russian land, it was at the same time both the redemption of the former Russia and the foundation of the future ... Such images are of lasting importance: their destiny is eternal memory both on earth and in heaven, ”- Archbishop Anastasius.

Two sisters. Ella (Elizabeth Fedorovna) and Alix (Alexandra Fedorovna)

Empress Alexandra Fedorovna and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Elizaveta Fedorovna (at the birth of Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice Hessen-Darmstadt, German: Elisabeth Alexandra Luise Alice von Hessen-Darmstadt und bei Rhein, her family name was Ella, officially in Russia - Elizaveta Feodorovna)
(November 1, 1864, Darmstadt - July 18, 1918, Perm province) - Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt

P.P. Trubetskoy. pastel 1890s
Elizaveta Fedorovna

Alexandra Fedorovna

The second daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig IV and Princess Alice, the granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria.

In 1878, the whole family, except for Ella (as she was called in the family), fell ill with diphtheria, from which Ella's younger sister, four-year-old Maria and mother, the Grand Duchess Alice, soon died.

Portrait of the family of the Grand Duke Ludwig IV, painted for Queen Victoria in 1879 by the artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli.

Father Ludwig IV, after the death of his wife, entered into an organic marriage with Alexandrina Gutten-Chapskaya, while Ella and Alix were brought up mainly by their grandmother, Queen Victoria, in Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

An important role in the spiritual life of Ella was played by the image of St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, in whose honor Ella was named: this saint, the ancestor of the Dukes of Hesse, became famous for her deeds of mercy.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1885

On June 3 (15), 1884, in the Court Cathedral of the Winter Palace, she married the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, brother of the Russian Emperor Alexander III.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Alexandra Fedorovna (Feodorovna, nee Princess Victoria Alisa Elena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt, German Victoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice von Hessen und bei Rhein, Nicholas II also called her Alix - a derivative of Alice and Alexander)
(June 6, 1872, Darmstadt - July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg)

Jószef Arpád Koppay
1900
Alexandra Fedorovna

The fourth daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine Ludwig IV and Duchess Alice, daughter of the English Queen Victoria.
Nameplate (in Orthodoxy) - April 23 according to the Julian calendar, in memory of the martyr Alexandra.

Portrait of the family of Prince Ludwig of Hesse, 1871, August Noack.

Born in the city of Darmstadt (German Empire) in 1872. She was baptized on July 1, 1872 according to the Lutheran rite. The name given to her consisted of the name of her mother (Alice) and the four names of her aunts. The godparents were: Eduard, Prince of Wales (future king Edward VII), Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future emperor Alexander III) with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Fedorovna, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice, Augusta of Hesse-Kasselskaya, Duchess of Cambridge and Maria Anna Princess of Prussia.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

Alice inherited the hemophilia gene from Queen Victoria.
Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny ("The Sun").

Heinrich von Angeli
Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, nee Princess Alice of Hesse.
The portrait was painted for Queen Victoria United Kingdom.
1896/97

In June 1884, 12 years old, Alice first visited Russia when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna) married with Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

She arrived in Russia a second time in January 1889 at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Having been in the Sergiev Palace (Petersburg) for six weeks, the princess met and attracted the special attention of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

Alix of hesse
1894

On November 14 (26), 1894, the wedding of Alexandra and Nicholas II took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace.

Friedrich august von kaulbach
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Albert von keller
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Zone, Carl Rudolph
Portrait of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna

S.F. Alexandrovsky
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna, 1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

F.I. Rerberg. until 1905
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant
Empress Alexandra Fedorovna

Alexander Vladimirovich Makovsky

1914

Friedrich August von Kaulbach.
Alexandra Fedorovna

The portrait - a copy from the painting of the same name by F.A. von Kaulbach (1903) - was executed at the request of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna for a gift to the Educational Society of Noble Maidens for the 150th anniversary of the Smolny Institute (1914).

Alexandra Fedorovna

N.K. Bodarevsky
Canvas, oil. 1907 year
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna

A.P. Sokolov
1901
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Empress Alexandra Fedorovna and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

P.P. Trubetskoy. pastel 1890s
Elizaveta Fedorovna

Alexandra Fedorovna

The second daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig IV and Princess Alice, the granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria.

Portrait of the family of the Grand Duke Ludwig IV, painted for Queen Victoria in 1879 by the artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1885

On June 3 (15), 1884, in the Court Cathedral of the Winter Palace, she married the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, brother of the Russian Emperor Alexander III.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Jószef Arpád Koppay
1900
Alexandra Fedorovna

Portrait of the family of Prince Ludwig of Hesse, 1871, August Noack.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

Alice inherited the hemophilia gene from Queen Victoria.
Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny ("The Sun").

Heinrich von Angeli
Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, nee Princess Alice of Hesse.
The portrait was painted for Queen Victoria United Kingdom.
1896/97

In June 1884, 12 years old, Alice first visited Russia when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna) married with Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

Alix of hesse
1894

On November 14 (26), 1894, the wedding of Alexandra and Nicholas II took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace.

Friedrich august von kaulbach
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Albert von keller
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Zone, Carl Rudolph
Portrait of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna

S.F. Alexandrovsky
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna, 1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

F.I. Rerberg. until 1905
Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant
Empress Alexandra Fedorovna

Alexander Vladimirovich Makovsky

1914

Friedrich August von Kaulbach.
Alexandra Fedorovna

Alexandra Fedorovna

N.K. Bodarevsky
Canvas, oil. 1907 year
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Fedorovna

A.P. Sokolov
1901
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Message Series

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice; her family was called Ella; in Russia, Elizabeth Feodorovna) (11/01/1864-18.07.1918) - Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of the Romanov dynasty.

She was counted among the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992.

Elizaveta Fedorovna Romanova (Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice) - Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of the Romanov dynasty. She was the second child of seven children in the family of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt Ludwig IV and Princess Alice, daughter of the English Queen Victoria. Another daughter of this couple - Alice - subsequently became the last Russian Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.

When Ella (as she was called at home) was 14 years old, her mother died. The grief of the family was immeasurable, but the children were warmed in their home by their grandmother, Queen Victoria of England.

From childhood, Ella was religiously inclined, participated in charity affairs with her mother, the Grand Duchess Alice. An important role in the spiritual life of the family was played by the image of St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, in whose honor she was named: this saint, the ancestor of the Dukes of Hesse, became famous for her deeds of mercy.

I look at you, admire hourly:

You are so ineffably good!

Oh, right under such a beautiful appearance

The same beautiful soul!

Some meekness and sadness hidden

There is depth in your eyes;

As an angel, you are quiet, pure and perfect;

As a woman, bashful and gentle.

May there be nothing on earth amid the wickedness and sorrow of many

Thy purity will not stain yours. K.R.

Young Ella was considered one of the most beautiful brides in Europe, and many tried to achieve her location. Then they said that in all of Europe there were only two real beauties: Elizabeth of Austria, the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, and Elizabeth Feodorovna. However, few people knew that Elizabeth Feodorovna made a vow of virginity before God. The reason for this, as far as one can assume, was the death of her mother and younger sister May from diphtheria, as well as the death of her little brother Frederick, who crashed to death in an accidental fall from the balcony. The sight of death and the realization that human life could break off at once and destroy all the happiness that seemed so lasting and all the hopes of people close to each other made an indelible impression on Elizaveta Feodorovna. A century of man on earth is short - and so much needs to be done, comforting the crying and alleviating the suffering of the mourners ... And the suitors were refused. However, to Sergei Alexandrovich she had long been nourished. They had a frank conversation, from which Elizabeth Feodorovna learned that the Grand Duke also made a secret vow of abstinence. Only after that her consent followed and it was decided that after the wedding they would live like a brother and sister. The children of their younger brother Sergey Alexandrovich, Pavel Alexandrovich, removed from Russia by Nicholas II for the mezalliance, Maria and Dmitry, who later took part in the murder of Rasputin, were brought up in their house.

After the wedding, the newlyweds lived for some time in the estate of the Grand Duke Ilyinsky near Moscow. This village was famous. There at different times were writers S.T. Aksakov, I.I. Lazhechnikov, poet N.M. Yazykov and writer P.V. Kireyevsky. Subsequently, the village became the property of Emperor Alexander II and his wife Maria Alexandrovna. Then the right to own it passed to the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.
The spouses often visited the estate of the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, a family friend, a person of high spiritual culture, versatile talents and a talented thin poet. He devoted lines to Elizabeth Feodorovna, which can rightfully be considered at the level of Pushkin’s lyrics in terms of imagery and deep insight into the essence of Christian women and the secrets of her extraordinary beauty as a consequence of her inner purity and spirituality.
She perfectly mastered the Russian language, spoke it with almost no accent. While still professing Protestantism, she attended Orthodox services. In 1888, together with her husband, she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 1891, she adopted Orthodoxy, writing before this to her father: “I thought and read and prayed to God all the time — to show me the right way — and came to the conclusion that only in this religion can I find real and strong faith in God that a person should to have to be a good Christian. ”

The brilliant social life of young Elizabeth Feodorovna is partially described in the memoirs of N.S. Balueva-Arsenieva. To complete the perception of the image of the Grand Duchess, I quote the following passage from these memoirs: “My first meeting with the Grand Duchess was at the end of December 1903, when I went to Neskuchnoye to introduce myself to Elizabeth Feodorovna among other debutants. In early January 1904 was the first ball in the governor-general's house. Elizaveta Feodorovna received guests, standing with the Grand Duke at the end of the hall. She was marvelously good in a pale pink dress with a diadem and a necklace of large rubies.

The Grand Duke knew a lot about precious stones and loved to give them to his wife. We all looked with admiration at Elizaveta Feodorovna and admired her amazing complexion, the whiteness of her skin and the elegant toilet, the sketch of which she herself had sketched for a dressmaker. At this ball, I had to dance a square dance vis-a-vis with the Grand Duchess.
At the next ball, she was even more beautiful; she had a white toilet with diamond stars scattered over the dress and with the same diamond stars on her hair. She was like a fairy princess. The third ball was supposed to be in Neskuchny. We were all preparing hard for him, new toilets were being made; dances were dismantled in advance by our gentlemen. Eight or nine were supposed to be one quadrille. ”Ella loved beautiful clothes“ not out of vanity, but out of joy to create beauty. ”But:
Archbishop Anastasius wrote: "A mysterious sadness appeared on her face, especially in her eyes - the seal of high souls languishing in this world."

Official receptions and balls at Neskuchny Palace and the governor general replaced each other.

In January 1903, a costume ball was held at the Winter Palace, almost four hundred participants of which were ordered to appear in clothes on the model of the era of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. This was the last big court ball in the history of the Russian Empire.

Charity

Following tradition and the call of the heart, Elizaveta Feodorovna never left

good to do

As the wife of the new Moscow governor-general, Elizaveta Feodorovna organized in 1892 the Elizabethan charity, whose activity was aimed at "to mourn the legitimate babies of the poorest mothers, who were placed until now, although without any right, in the Moscow educational house, under the guise of illegal" . The activities of the company initially took place in Moscow, and then swept the Moscow province.

The Elizabethan committees were formed at all Moscow church parishes, as well as in all district cities of the Moscow province. Elizabethan society existed only on charitable means. The largest donations were made by the Grand Duchess herself. Over the 25 years of operation, the Company took part in the fate of more than nine thousand children and paid 13 thousand benefits to the widowed mothers for a total of 120 thousand rubles. Over the years of its existence, society spent over a million rubles on the maintenance of nurseries and shelters. The activities of the Company were highly appreciated by the Russian public. In the materials on the activities of the Society, published in the newspaper "Moscow Church Gazette", it was rightly called "the decoration of Moscow", "the color of Christian mercy and enlightenment."

And suddenly, like thunder from a clear sky - a war with Japan! All balls and receptions have been canceled. “Hospitals for the wounded were hastily arranged, and workshops were opened for sewing linen and preparing bandages.”

With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Elizaveta Feodorovna organized active assistance to the front. All the halls of the Kremlin Palace, except the Throne, were occupied by it under the workshops for the needs of soldiers. Thousands of women worked there - at sewing machines and work desks. Continuous donations came from Moscow and the provinces to the Kremlin.

From here, consignments with food, uniforms, medicines and gifts for soldiers were sent to the front. The Grand Duchess sent marching churches to the front with icons and everything necessary for worship.

At her own expense, she filled and sent several ambulance trains to the war. In Moscow, Elizaveta Feodorovna opened a hospital for the wounded, created committees to assist the widows and orphans of those killed at the front. On the Black Sea coast near Novorossiysk, in a picturesque place, Grand Duchess Elizabeth created a sanatorium for the wounded. “This sanatorium was equipped with everything necessary for the treatment and rest of the wounded: comfortable special beds, new furniture with desks, carpets, prints on the walls, and for seriously ill patients - wheelchairs. The sanatorium was served by experienced medical staff. Below, at the sanatorium building, a beautiful sea spread. All thought out Elizabeth Feodorovna, to the smallest detail. The sanatorium was solemnly consecrated in October 1904. ”

In addition, Elizaveta Feodorovna headed the Ladies Committee of the Red Cross, and after the death of her husband, she became chairman of the Moscow Office of the Red Cross. Visits to hospitals for the poor, almshouses, orphanages for street children became an integral part of the life of the young Grand Duchess. On her initiative, there was a regular distribution of food, clothing and money for those in need.

Elizaveta Feodorovna was the honorary chairman of the Ladies' Prison Committee, who took care of the children whose mothers were serving their sentences. She organized sewing workshops for women released from custody, where they received a salary and could provide clothes for themselves and their children. The Ladies Committee also organized a shelter for women released from prisons.

On February 4, 1905, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by terrorist Ivan Kalyaev, who threw a hand bomb at him. The Grand Duchess at the time of the attack was in the warehouse of the Red Cross in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Hearing the explosion, she shouted: “This is with Sergey! They killed Sergey! ”- ran out in one dress to the square and rushed to the scene of the disaster. On the run, the adjutant threw a fur coat over her shoulders. Elizaveta Fedorovna began to collect the remains of her husband on a stretcher with her own hands, driving away the curious. On the third day after the death of Sergei Alexandrovich, she visited the killer in prison: she gave him forgiveness on behalf of Sergei Alexandrovich, left him the gospel. Moreover, she petitioned Emperor Nicholas II to pardon the terrorist, but she was not satisfied. . The sisters and brother persuaded her to leave Russia, but she considered it her duty to be near the grave of her husband. Often she came to the place of his burial at night and stood in prayer on her knees until the morning. The Greek queen Olga Konstantinovna, the cousin of the murdered Sergey Alexandrovich, wrote: “This is a wonderful, holy woman - she is evidently worthy of a heavy cross that lifts her higher and higher!” ! ". But then no one had yet guessed to what height her godmother would ascend.

. Elizaveta Fedorovna sold all her jewelry, a collection of works of art and rarities that Sergey Alexandrovich collected for many years, part of the proceeds went to the treasury, part to relatives, the rest sent to charity. She had no children, so she decided to devote herself to the poor and sick. In 1907, she acquired a manor on the street. Bolshaya Ordynka in Moscow for the device of the Martha-Mariinsky monastery of sisters of mercy. For the high society, this was an unprecedented matter: the empress’s sister, elegant, educated, always with a white lily in her hands, wore the dress of the sister of mercy and walks to churches every day, goes to monasteries, visits almshouses, sings on the choir, strokes and hugs some dirty rags!
Grand Duchess Elizabeth "Ella" Feodorovna Romanova
Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine

Original taken from eho_2013 in Mother Elizabeth. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna. Part 1

In 1884, the brother of the Russian tsar, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich married the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Elizabeth Alexander Louise Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, or simply Ella of Hesse. Princess Ella, as they called her in the family, was the second daughter of the German Duke Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt and the Duchess of Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria.
By the time of the wedding of Ella and Sergey, the mother of the bride, the Duchess of Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, had long been dead.
Life made Princess Elizabeth grow up early. Ella was a teenager when an epidemic of diphtheria broke out in Darmstadt in 1878, which also affected the duke's family in full.

Ella in childhood

Ella's older sister Victoria was the first to feel symptoms of malaise. E her throat and head ached, and the girls got a strict upbringing and had no habit of complaining about nothing. Having decided that her illness was just those little things — a mild cold, Victoria continued to fulfill her duties as an older sister — in the evenings, she had to read fairy tales aloud to the kids. Having set her brother and sisters in a circle next to her, the princess opened the book.
When the Duchess Alice realized that her daughter was sick and called the doctor, the worst diagnosis was confirmed - Victoria had diphtheria, a disease that could not be cured in those years, which claimed many children's lives ... The doctor insisted on the immediate isolation of the sick princess, but his recommendations were somewhat late - other children managed to get infected from an older sister. Everything except Ella, whom her mother sent to her relatives in a panic. Then the duke himself fell ill.
Maddened with horror, the duchess rushed between the children's rooms and her husband’s bedroom, trying to do everything possible to stretch loved ones from the embrace of death.
The first died four-year-old May - Princess Mary. Little Ernie, learning that his beloved sister is no longer there, wept with a cry rushed to his mother's neck and began to kiss her. Perhaps the mother understood that the sick child was giving her her illness at that moment, but couldn’t find the strength to push him away ... The Duchess, who had been standing for a long time, also fell down after direct contact with her son. The disease was severe. On her last day Alice raved, it seemed to her that all the deceased loved ones, led by tiny May, were calling her to her ...
The famous politician Disraeli, learning about the tragedy in the family of Duke Ludwig, called the fatal kiss of Ernie "the kiss of death." And the young prince himself soon recovered, as if he had given his illness to his mother. The inconsolable duke erected a monument on his wife’s grave depicting Alice, clutching the dead May ...

Duchess Alice with little Ella

And for Ella, on the day of her mother’s death, childhood ended. Doctors were afraid that the girl would develop a nervous illness from the shock. She could be silent in the middle of a conversation, half a word, and, staring at her interlocutor with tearful eyes, would plunge into her own thoughts for a long time. She began to develop a stutter.
But the fourteen-year-old Ella managed to pull herself together. It was necessary to support the father and the kids, to do everything to at least partially replace his mother. Elder sister Victoria, claiming leadership in the house, was sarcastic and harsh.
Ernie, the future Duke of Ernst Ludwig of Hesse, recalled: " Girl she(Princess Victoria) She considered it unworthy to show kindness and therefore often remained incomprehensible, which she easily reacted with harshness, as sharpness helped her to give biting answers ..."
In Ella there was much more kindness, affection and surprising self-denial for a teenager.
Even if she was offered something very valuable in children's eyes - a toy, sweets, new paints for drawing, she usually answered: "I don’t need anything, better give it to the kids" ...
Ernie spoke about her quite differently than about the other sisters: “Of all the sisters, Ella was closest to me. We almost always understood each other in everything, she felt me \u200b\u200bso subtly, as it rarely happens with sisters. She was one of the rare beauties, just perfection itself. Once in Venice, I saw in the market how many people threw their goods and followed her in admiration. She was musical, she had a pleasant voice. But especially she loved to draw. And she loved to dress beautifully. Not at all out of vanity, no, out of a love of beauty in everything. She had a strong sense of humor, she could inimitably comedic talk about different incidents. How often we laughed with her, forgetting about everything. Her stories were a real pleasure» .

Ella in her youth

Queen Victoria was shocked by the death of her daughter, the Duchess of Alice. This is probably why the orphaned children of Alice were closer to the queen than the other grandchildren ...
« I’ll try, along with your other grandmother, to become your mother by the will of God, - Queen Victoria wrote to them after the tragedy in the ducal family. - Your loving and unhappy grandmother. ”...
Ella, like her sisters and brother, grew up in Windsor Castle and considered Britain her native country, and English as her native, and until the death of the Queen of the British Empire, she maintained a tender and trusting relationship with her grandmother.

Queen Victoria with orphaned granddaughters; Ella stands on the right, next to her little Alix, the future Russian Empress

Even in her family, among pretty young princesses, Ella stood out for her beauty and grace. But she was not only unusually beautiful, but also smart, tactful; held with dignity, but without unnecessary claims. She had many fans and very enviable suitors. The German prince Willy, the heir to the Prussian crown, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II, was passionately in love with Ella.
He often visited Darmstadt, tried to awkwardly look after the beautiful princess, and finally dared to make an offer of his hand, heart and the imperial crown awaiting him. But Ella stayed cold and wrote to her grandmother in Windsor: " Willy is unbearable". Victoria, who saw in her dreams the beloved granddaughter of the Empress of the Berlin court, tried to reason with her: the princess should remember her state and its interests, and passionate love is not always the basis for a successful marriage. Ella replied that in addition to human calculations, there is God and it is better to rely on to his will.
“He may have many other important matters besides the structure of your fate,” my grandmother smiled.
“Nothing, I will wait until he is free,” the legible princess answered, realizing that the formidable queen-grandmother was not angry.
Married to Ella and Friedrich of Baden, and other European princes. But she needed only one man - Grand Duke Sergey, the brother of the Russian Tsar ...
Sergei often visited Darmstadt while his mother was still alive - Empress Maria Alexandrovna was from a family of Hesse-Darmstadt (the Grand Duke Ludwig, Ella's father, brought the nephew of the late Empress) and, of course, could not help but fall in love with the beautiful Ella, who reciprocated completely.

Sergey and Ella

Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt did not find any objections to Grand Duke Sergei. The Romanov family also welcomed this union. The Duchess Maria of Edinburgh wrote to Alexander III about Ella as a sister: " Sergey will be just a fool if he does not marry her. He will never find a prettier and nicer princess».
But the bride’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, whose opinion was of particular importance in the conclusion of dynastic unions, did not immediately decide to agree to the marriage of Ella with the brother of the Russian emperor. (Grandmother personally dealt with the fate of orphaned princesses, for marriage is a serious matter, and the Duke of Hesse, like all men, showed complete frivolity here).
The queen did not really favor the Russian imperial family, although the children and grandchildren made her intermarry with the ruling house of the Romanovs. The marriage of Ella with the Grand Duke doomed the young beauty, brought up in European traditions, to live in a distant, cold and, according to the Queen, absolutely wild Russia.
But Ella, in love with Sergey, managed to insist on her own. Victoria thought, thought, collected information about the groom ... and agreed. After all, she had a weakness for love marriages - her own long and happy marriage was just that!

Ella and Sergey

Not all contemporaries left benevolent memories of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. A man with restrained manners, a little dry (which, in the eyes of Ella, who received the English "Victorian" upbringing, was rather a virtue), is deeply religious. Many were annoyed by Sergei’s manner of keeping his back “forcefully straight,” looking down a little and turning to his interlocutor with his whole body. In such manners, arrogance and challenge were perceived.
Few knew that from childhood, due to a spinal illness, Sergey suffered from back pain and had to wear a tight corset, which deprived him of flexibility. At the same time, he tried to lead a life by no means an invalid, but an ordinary person - he preferred a military career, went in for horse riding, sports, and danced (all this overcoming constant pain and not wanting to admit it to anyone). And restrained manners were explained only by shyness caused by physical disability ...
Now they rarely remember that Sergei Alexandrovich, like his older brother Alexander III, was a hero of the Turkish war. As well as the scientific activities of the Grand Duke. But he defended his doctoral dissertation in economics, was a famous scientist, organizer of scientific expeditions and a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Grand Duke Sergei patronized two archaeological institutes - in St. Petersburg and Constantinople, and provided his own funds for the organization of archaeological excavations.
In addition, Sergey Alexandrovich was considered a connoisseur, connoisseur and patron of art. He collected beautiful collections of Italian and Russian paintings of the eighteenth century, antiques, a rich library, an archive of historical documents. For example, he managed to find many scattered letters of the wife of Alexander I Empress Elizabeth - the Grand Duke was going to write a book about her life. Professor I. Tsvetaev, who put his life to the construction of the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin (originally the Alexander III Museum of Fine Arts) recalled that the Grand Dukes Sergei Alexandrovich and Pavel Alexandrovich were the first major donors to organize the museum. The Parthenon Hall, one of the most magnificent and expensive museum halls, was built entirely at the expense of the Grand Dukes.
The Orthodox Church still highly respects the religious merits of the Grand Duke to the fatherland. The organizer and leader of the Imperial Palestinian Society, he did a lot to strengthen the position of Russian Orthodoxy in the East, for the activities of Russian churches and monasteries in Palestine, for the development of Russian charity in eastern countries and for the organization of a pilgrimage from Russia to the Holy Land. Despite all the political changes, the terrible wars, the change in world order in the twentieth century, Orthodox organizations created with the help of Sergey Alexandrovich in the Holy Land are still operating.
Even a cursory glance at what was done by Grand Duke Sergei for his short life shows that all attempts to present him as a dumb soldier, a retrograde, a person with a low level of intelligence, to put it mildly, are far from objective.

Speaking of Grand Duke Sergey and his marriage with Ella, one can not get around another topic, complex and ambiguous. This is the alleged unconventional sexual orientation of the Grand Duke.
Mention of his homosexuality has become a "common place" in the works of modern authors, and even quite respected researchers have not escaped such allegations. But you involuntarily notice that almost none of them cites any facts confirming this version. Letters, diary entries, denunciations of the highest name, police reports or similar documents are not cited anywhere, in the worst case, there are links to some gossip received from third parties and basically transmitting meaningless events. The authorship of gossip belongs most often to Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, Sandro, the younger cousin of Alexander III and Sergey Alexandrovich.
Sandro, for some reason, especially did not like his cousin Sergey. He even ventured to assert that Sergey married only Ella Gessenskaya " in order to further emphasize his unpleasant personality"And in fact, allegedly because of his vicious inclinations, he didn’t need a wife at all.
Of course, for the 21st century this is no longer such a serious accusation as for the end of the 19th century when, according to the Penal Code, sodomy was equated with bestiality and strictly punishable by law, and the honor of a suspected person suffered immeasurably. And yet, if we accept on faith the allegations of the secret weakness of the Grand Duke, it is difficult to find answers to a number of important questions.
The first one. It is known that Queen Victoria, before giving consent to the marriage of Ella’s granddaughter in love with the prince through the informants of the English crown, collected a real dossier on the alleged bridegroom. English diplomats and spies are responsible people, and when preparing information for Her Majesty, they would hardly have lost sight of something well-known that characterizes the personality of the future husband. Could the English queen, known for her strict moral principles, agree to marry her beloved granddaughter with a man of "blue" orientation?

Ella (second from right) with sisters

The second one. Ella, having moved with her husband to distant Russia, wrote to her grandmother frequent and detailed letters about her life. Everything was described in them - from important family events and religious impressions that shook her soul, to trifles like a wasp sting, a party with dancing or a dress like that seen in the picture in a fashionable French magazine. And neither a word, nor a hint of failure in family life, of neglect on the part of her husband, of the fact that hopes for happiness failed.
Suppose, Ella, who received a strict upbringing, simply did not consider it possible to complain, considered it unworthy. But frank lies would be just as unworthy. She could have “eloquently” been silent about her troubles, often such silence speaks much more than words. But the letters of Ella are the letters of a happy young woman enjoying a harmonious marriage, and there is no doubt about it. A prosperous life full of joy, and endless references to “my dear Sergey,” with whom she does not want to leave for even a minute ... Together on the estate, together in the capital, together on regimental teachings, on a trip to holy places, on a visit to overseas relatives. " All I can always repeat is that I'm quite happy..."
And this is written by a young beauty who married a man who does not need and are not interested in women?

Queen Victoria

The third. Sergei Alexandrovich was, by all accounts, a true believer. Even in his early youth, he made pilgrimages to holy places, headed large Christian organizations, donated to Orthodox churches and participated in their consecration. His faith was not ostentatious, but internal, breathtaking. He discovered the beauty of Orthodoxy for his young wife, so that Elizabeth, brought up in the traditions of Protestantism, was imbued with love for the Russian church and, contrary to the orders of her father and grandmother, converted to Orthodoxy. Nobody demanded this from her, she herself, under the influence of her husband, decided to share his religious beliefs.
But, being Orthodox, Sergey had to regularly confess to the priest in his sins, telling about everything without hiding. And the attitude of the church towards "Sodom sin" is known. Could the grand duke combine Christian ideas of morality and similar passions while remaining spiritually pure before God?
Fourth. Alexander III, the elder brother of Sergei, could not help but know the whole story about such a close relative. He himself was a man not only absolutely heterosexual, but also an exemplary family man, who did not allow even innocent romantic hobbies outside of marriage, and he would hardly begin to relate to the "non-traditional hobbies" of relatives. Nevertheless, he had friendly relations with Sergey, not overshadowed by any disagreements, Alexander even appointed his brother to the post of Moscow Governor General. This is an indicative purpose in every sense. The second city in Russia after the capital (and, according to Muscovites, just the first!), Moscow was distinguished by patriarchal customs, and people in it, as in a large village, were in sight, especially representatives of high society. The whole Mother of the Mother See discussed who got married to someone, who walked from his wife, who bought the girl's name beyond his means, and who got confused in card debts. It was not possible to conceal practically nothing! And the Governor General, the first person in the Moscow hierarchy, was even more so for the townspeople as if under a magnifying glass. The level of tolerance in Moscow at that time, and later did not rise to sky-high heights, life was supposed to be "like everyone else." The rumor that the governor was from the “blue ones”, corroborated by facts, would instantly deprive Sergey Alexandrovich of any authority and turn him into a common laughing stock.
So would Alexander III have thoughtlessly decided on such a compromise of the august family?

Fifth. Ella, who in her youth was striking in beauty, literally blossomed in marriage. She was full of charm, feminine sensual charms, looked unusually young, almost younger than in the years of her mournful orphan youth ... Men admired her like the sun, but from afar - Sergey Alexandrovich was terribly jealous! And his jealousy was visible to everyone. The French Ambassador Maurice Paleolog left such a memory:
« The good-natured giant, Alexander the Third ... wasted to her(Grand Duchess Elizabeth. - E.Kh.) first the most kind attention; but soon had to abstain, noting that excites his brother’s jealousy».
Is this just the decoration of a failed marriage? No matter how you pretend, no matter how you play, but troubles impose an indelible stamp on a woman.
But the day when the fate of the hand of the revolutionary extremist Kalyaev, who threw a bomb into the stroller of Grand Duke Sergei, took her husband and marital happiness, became a fateful day in the life of Elizabeth. There was no replacement for her dead husband and could not be. She remained faithful to his memory until her death. Having visited the terrorist killer in prison and after hearing his lengthy explanations that he didn’t want extra blood, and although he could have dealt with her husband for a long time, he spared usually being near the Grand Duke Elizaveta Fedorovna, not wanting to kill her too, she quietly uttered :
“You did not realize that they killed me with him!”
It is possible to cite various facts for a long time and ask questions that are difficult to find an answer ... But, when asking if Elizaveta Fedorovna was happy and loved in marriage, she involuntarily has to answer with just one word - yes! " Sergey told me about his wife, admired her, praised her- recalled the Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov. - He thanks God hourly for his happiness"...
So what gave rise to such long-circulating rumors about Sergei Romanov's belonging to sexual minorities?
Being a strict and not too flexible (in the figurative sense of the word more than literally) person, Sergey Alexandrovich made some enemies in the rapidly expanding Romanov family. Shares in the "family pie" were not enough for everyone, and the struggle began for a place closer to the throne.

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and his wife Ksenia Alexandrovna, sister of Nicholas II

Sergei, who did nothing to strengthen his position, nevertheless, aroused the envy of many Romanovs. The grandson, son, brother and uncle of the reigning emperors, he was in the very inner circle of the tsar’s entourage, and many representatives of the “side branches” of the Romanesque tree wished to press him out with all their might.
The Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich always and without any special reason claimed to have a special role in the empire, and woe to those who dare not to acknowledge this state of affairs. His mother, Grand Duchess Olga Fedorovna (girlhood Princess Cecilia of Baden), not without reason considered as the "first gossip of the empire," with great pleasure spreading unfriendly rumors about everyone in whom she saw competitors for her sons. It was she who was suspected of authorship of gossip about the "sodomite hobbies" of Grand Duke Sergei. Why did she need this? It’s so simple: she didn’t like Prince Sergey, and his beloved son very much prevented him from strengthening his position at court.
“I know that Ella and I are slandered- wrote Sergey Alexandrovich to Grand Duke Konstantin. - But what do all these undeveloped people know?»

Elizaveta Fedorovna

If you look at a person with an unfriendly look, you usually manage to find flaws in it sooner or later. So Alexander Mikhailovich, set up to search for shortcomings in an unloved relative, only tried to notice them. " He flaunted his flaws, as if challenging everyone- he wrote, recalling Grand Duke Sergey, - and thus giving the enemy rich food for slander and slander".
Slander and slander! Alexander Mikhailovich seems to have spoken out, using these very words, being himself one of Sergei’s main ill-wishers.
(By the way, this strict moralist and prude, who saw hidden obscenity in the most ordinary acts of Prince Sergey, will in time pass his own daughter for Prince Felix Yusupov, a man of more than ambiguous reputation. All of Petersburg knew about Felix’s unusual erotic amusements hiding, appearing in theaters and restaurants in a women's dress and surrounded by "gentlemen", but ... the Yusupovs were so rich, much richer than the Romanov family, especially its lateral, deprived branches! And Felix after the death of his elder brother about seemed the only possible heir to the uncounted millions ...)

Be that as it may, the marriage of Sergei Alexandrovich and Ella of Hesse was consecrated with great love. And she wanted to see her husband’s surroundings embellished, consisting of kind and nice people. " Everyone who knows him loves him and says that he has a true and noble character ..."- she wrote to her grandmother-queen about her husband.

Ella and Tsarevich Nikolay

This marriage, as it turned out later, albeit indirectly, but determined the fate of the heir to the Russian throne. The future wife of Nikolai, Alexandra Fyodorovna, Alix, was the sister of Ella of Hesse, and the mutual passion of the little princess and the Russian prince found strong patrons in the person of Sergei and Ella, who managed, despite all obstacles, to bring the matter to reunite the lovers.

To be continued.