THE TRAGIC LOVE We shall start
off with an amazing story. A 75-year woman, known as the Russian Princess
of Yuryev, born Yekaterina Dolgorukaya, was dying at her villa “Georges”
in Nice in the winter of 1922. Although her mind was going blank, she still
retained vivid memories of two episodes in her life. The first one was
the date she had in a park near St. Petersburg on July 1st, 1866 with her
beloved Sasha, the Russian Emperor Alexander II. She was 19 then and she
was so frightened she almost fainted when declaring her love to him. The
second episode occurred 15 years later when she, grief-dazed, walked up
the stairs of a catafalque and fell down before the body of her innocently
assassinated husband. Yekaterina covered the disfigured face in long kisses.
At night she again came to the coffin to place a wreath she had woven from
her own hair into the hands of the deceased, her last donation to her spouse.
All that happened between those two episodes was her life, the beginning
and the end of it. Right after the funeral she went abroad to live her
last years there.
Yekaterina first met the Czar by accident. He was on his way to some maneuvers and decided to stay as a guest at the country home of the family of Prince Dolgoruky. Although she was only 10, she remembered very well the big stately man with fluffy moustaches and a gentle look. Alexander was struck dumb by her innate gracefulness, lovely manners and the big eyes of a startled gazelle. Since then Katya often saw the Czar and heard everyone say that he was favourably disposed towards her family. Eight years later Katya and Alexander had the date we spoke of at the start of this program. The 47-year-old Emperor was madly in love with her, as if he were a young boy. From then on they often met in the park until autumn came and they had to return to St. Petersburg. But this did in no way affect their relationship. Three or four times a week Yekaterina secretly came to the Winter Palace, used her own key to open a small door and ascend the secret stairs to the Czar’s rooms on the first floor and then find herself in the arms of her royal lover. The fact that he was dating her did not go unnoticed by the courtiers, but the latter limited themselves to brief comment they made in a very low voice, for it was really dangerous to gossip about the Monarch’s private life. But the day came when Yekaterina realized she was pregnant. Alexander II seemed stunned by the news, he feared their love affair might cause backbiting. But he was no less apprehensive about Katya’s likely death in labour. But everything went well, and Katya gave birth to a son. The news spread in no time, and the Royal Family and the Czar’s next of kin were shocked. They feared the Czar’s favourite might ascend the throne in due course. The fears were enhanced by the birth of another child, a girl.
During the sweet time of their all-consuming love Alexander II was head
over heels in happiness, and he even thought of abdicating and leaving
Russia. He dreamt about becoming an ordinary person, so he could settle
somewhere in France, in Nice, for instance, and live the rest of his life
quietly and happily together with his wife. After his death Yekaterina
fulfilled his wish and settled in Nice. There she lived for more than 30
years, almost forgotten by the Russian Royal Family and the courtiers.
All the years in Nice Yekaterina prayed for the soul of the servant of
God Alexander. Hardly a day went by without her recalling him and saying
she was looking forward to the day when she would be able to join him in
Heaven. So that was the tragic fate of a Russian monarch and his faithful
sweetheart.
Illustrations: Lucile Decaux, “Katia, the Blue Demon
of Czar Alexander”, Moscow, Cogelet, 2001
14/06/2004
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The Russian-Turkish
war that broke out at the time separated the sweethearts. The Czar was
with his troops fighting the enemy. He was dying to be together with Katya,
but it was not before the peace treaty was signed that he, the happiest
man on earth, was able to embrace his beloved. As long as his lawful spouse,
Empress Maria, was alive, their position was uncertain. But when Maria
died in 1880, Alexander was able to secretly marry Yekaterina. She was
32 at the time, while he was 62. By then they had already had three children,
and their fourth child died in infancy. On the day of wedding Alexander
signed a decree to bestow the title of “Princess of Yuryev” on Yekaterina.
From then on she and her children got the surname Yuryevsky. Alexander
II asked his son by his first wife, the future Emperor Alexander III, to
take care of his wife and children if he died. Alexander II often thought
of death, and with good reason. The clandestine terrorist organization
“Popular Will”, which existed and was quite active in Russia at that time,
planned his assassination. Alexander II had already survived several attempts
on his life. The one he failed to escape came about on March 1st, 1881.
The attacker hurled a bomb at his carriage, and a powerful explosion tore
through the neighbourhood. Alexander was lying on the snow, lethally wounded.
His face was all blood and his clothes torn to shreds. His right leg was
torn off the body, his left leg crushed and almost torn away, too. The
Czar was rushed to the Winter Palace, but no sooner had he arrived than
he died. It was the woman whom he loved so much that closed his eyes for
good.
