We are all already tired of the noise around the not yet released film "Matilda". Before preparing for the Crusade against Alexei Uchitel, it is worth understanding the historical background a bit. The love story of the last emperor and the ballerina is just childish talk compared to the adventures of other rulers of Russia. And even despite the fact that Nicholas II was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, he was, first of all, a man with human desires and needs. How it all began? Why did such morals settle in a patriarchal country? Who violated the imperial code and paid for it with their lives? We tell in this article.

The Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia for more than three hundred years, was considered one of the most powerful and loving in Europe. Moreover, both men and women were famous for their amorous deeds. The authority of the royal person should not have been questioned - it was one of the main pillars supporting the dynasty. Among the monarchs there was an unspoken set of rules of conduct with their favorites. Such connections, as a rule, were diligently concealed, the by-products were given up for education in noble families, and the “spoiled” young ladies were married. It was customary to encourage their favorites with gifts and often change, but in no case should they enter into unequal (morganatic) marriages so as not to sully the royal name and noble blood. Basically, all the rulers adhered to this code.

Women of Peter I

Peter I is not only a great reformer, the first Russian emperor, a talented strategist and just a good carpenter. It was he who made the first sexual revolution in Russia. Having inhaled the free European air on his travels, Peter did not want to return to the dark and cramped Moscow towers of his God-fearing ancestors. The young and energetic emperor hated the old capital so much that he decided to take radical measures. This is how Petersburg grew up, and together with it European customs and customs came to us.

Peter reformed not only the patriarchal country, but also his own personal life. He imprisoned an unloved wife in a monastery, killed a disobedient prince in a fortress, and enthroned a commoner of easy temper. The Great Emperor had a huge number of mistresses, to whom he quickly cooled down, and many illegitimate children. The last love of Peter is considered to be Princess Maria Cantemir, who was supposed to give birth to a child to the emperor. The official wife of the emperor - in the future Empress Catherine I, fearing that her husband might leave her for the sake of a new mistress, bribed the doctor to terminate Maria's pregnancy. According to another version, a boy was born to the princess, but did not live long. Be that as it may, the prudent Catherine and her entourage must have had a hand in the breakup of Peter and Mary.

Catherine I is perhaps one of the most unique women in Russian history. She went through a difficult path from a servant and mistress to the empress. It was she who became the standard for future rulers. Catherine achieved a lot, but it was Peter who created her.

Maria Cantemir

Age of Empresses

The 18th century is the first and last century in Russian history when women ruled the country. Both Catherines, Elizabeth and Anna, in the routine of state affairs, found time for numerous lovers who, thanks to close friendship with the rulers, built brilliant careers in the army and at court.

Being indebted to the mercy of Peter, Catherine I, having a windy nature, was not going to be faithful to him. Her relationship with Willim Mons, the chamberlain of the imperial court, is known for certain. Peter, having learned about the infidelity of his wife, decided to cruelly teach her a lesson. Mons was executed, and his alcoholized head was ordered to be taken to the chambers of the empress.

Peter did not stand on ceremony with women. He married his niece Anna Ioannovna almost by force to consolidate his conquests during the Northern War. Two months after the wedding, her husband died unexpectedly, and Anna was left a seventeen-year-old widow, alone in the wild for her Courland land. For many years, her only lover was Pyotr Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who not only was almost 30 years older, but also mercilessly cheated on her. After his departure, the Courland nobleman Ernst Johann Biron appears in her life, whom she later took with her to St. Petersburg as an unofficial spouse. And yet, against the background of other empresses, Anna looks quite modest.

Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter I and Catherine 1, made a coup in 1741, returning the throne to the direct line of her father. Her life was like a continuous carnival, consisting of balls, masquerades and young lovers. Sophia Augusta Frederick, who arrived at her court as the bride of the future heir, Sophia Augusta Frederick, the future Empress Catherine II, learned a lot from Peter's daughter and in many ways overtook her predecessor.

Catherine II was the only one of the four empresses who had political talent and great capacity for work. However, state affairs did not prevent the Great Empress from having a good time. More than twenty official favorites managed to visit her chambers. Catherine had several illegitimate children, who immediately after birth were transferred to be raised in noble families.

The secret of the origin of the only legitimate son of Catherine, Emperor Paul I, is still controversial. According to some reports, his real father was not Emperor Peter III, Catherine's legal but unloved husband, but her first favorite Sergei Saltykov. If this is true, then the Romanov dynasty ended in the middle of the 18th century.

How did it happen that in a patriarchal country women led such an uninhibited lifestyle? Paradoxically, the fair sex owed its rights to a man! Peter I liberated the Russian woman. He allowed her to attend men's meetings, loosened the grip of the church, taught her to use Parisian toilets, and encouraged women's education in every possible way. The ladies took full advantage of their freedom. The four empresses were not only an example for others, but also acted as a kind of guarantor of women's rights.

The 19th century again pushed the fair sex into the background. By his decree on succession to the throne, Paul I ruled out all the possibilities of transferring power to a woman.

Catherine II

Unhappy marriage of Alexander I

The beginning of the 19th century was marked by the last palace coup in the history of Russia. In March 1801, the conspirators dealt with Paul I and elevated his eldest son Alexander to the throne, whose era of rule is considered one of the most controversial in the history of Russia. The personal life of the monarch also raises many questions.

The relationship between Emperor Alexander I and Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna (Louise Maria Augusta of Baden) has always been far from ideal. They got married in 1793 during the lifetime of Alexander's grandmother Catherine the Great. The short period of love quickly ended when young people realized that their characters and views were incompatible. Alexander quickly lost interest in his once beloved wife. Elizabeth, struck by the splendor of the Russian court, had a hard time getting used to her new life. Her husband was her only support. When he began to move away, she was left all alone. Soon, Alexander Pavlovich, no longer embarrassed, began to have an affair on the side.

Being romantic by nature, Elizabeth soon became friends with Alexander's friend Adam Czartoryski. And, by some miracle, five years later, a daughter, Maria, was born in a childless family of the heir. At court, they immediately understood what was happening. Czartoryski was immediately expelled from Petersburg.

Elizabeth withdrew and focused on the child, who, by the evil will of fate, lived only a year. At that time, it was no secret to anyone in St. Petersburg that Alexander was in connection with Maria Naryshkina. This relationship ended in 1813, when the emperor was finally tired of the endless betrayals of his mistress. It is still unknown if they had children together. Some historians claim that Naryshkina's daughter Sophia was the tsar's child. Alexander I loved the girl very much, and when she died at the age of sixteen, he could not recover for a long time.

The relationship of the spouses resembled a bad decoration, and Elizabeth was not very sorry. The courtiers despised her for not trying to regain her husband's favor, and the Dowager Empress wove intrigues against her. Soon, a new love appeared in the life of Elizabeth: the staff captain Alexei Okhotnikov became her chosen one. The trembling and passionate relationship of lovers lasted several years and ended tragically. In 1806 Okhotnikov died of tuberculosis. In the same year, Elizabeth gave birth to a girl, and this child also did not live long.

After all the love failures and tragic vicissitudes of life, Alexander and Elizabeth became close again, and the last years of their lives surrounded each other with attention and friendly support. Alexander died on November 19, 1825. Elizabeth died less than a year after his death.

Elizaveta Alekseevna

The fatal passion of Alexander II

Alexander II is the only emperor who violated the rules of the unspoken code and did not take into account the interests of the dynasty. He brought his mistress out of the shadows and thereby incurred the wrath of the family and the noble nobility, which, according to some historians, led to his tragic death.

Members of the imperial family from an early age noted the extraordinary amorousness of the future emperor. Nicholas I was extremely dissatisfied with the endless hobbies of his son and repeatedly reprimanded him. When the time came to choose a bride, Alexander and his retinue went to Europe. In the small German city of Darmstadt, he met his future wife, later Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The desire of the heir to marry the princess of Darmstadt was accepted by the parents without enthusiasm - in the highest circles there were rumors about the ignoble origin of the girl.

The excitement of the crowned parents did not end there. In England, the Tsarevich began an affair with the young Queen Victoria. The current situation was received with alarm both in London and in St. Petersburg. The lovers had to leave under the pressure of state interests. The frightened Nicholas had to agree to the marriage of his son with a princess from Darmstadt.

Being a married man, Alexander Nikolayevich was also often fond of. Unlike her predecessor, Maria Alexandrovna could not calmly look at her husband's constant betrayals, but she could not reproach him - this was not accepted. However, then no one could have imagined that one of the emperor's fleeting intrigues would develop into a deep feeling.

The love story of Alexander II and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgoruky is a good basis for writing a love story. At first, the impregnable girl refused her persistent suitor, who was also 29 years older than her, but the emperor got his way. In 1866, Catherine acquired the status of the only mistress of Alexander II, and for the next fourteen years the emperor led a double life. Having a legal wife, in letters he called Dolgoruky his "little wife", she accompanied him on all his travels. Soon children began to appear. The emperor settled his mistress with children in the Winter Palace next to his family. The courtiers sympathized with the unfortunate empress and were increasingly hostile to the frivolous Alexander. The official marriage of the emperor became a pure formality.

On May 22, 1880, the Empress died. After waiting a year of mourning, Alexander decided to enter into a legal marriage with his mistress. It was a real blow to the family and the dynasty. But less than a year later, the emperor fell victim to terrorists. Some historians are convinced that the assassination attempt was successful due to a deliberate oversight on the part of the police. It sounds quite plausible, given that the authority of Alexander II after his marriage to Dolgoruky fell completely.

Ekaterina Mikhailovna survived him for 41 years, saw the fall of the dynasty and the collapse of the Russian Empire. For the rest of her life, she carefully kept the things of the emperor in a miniature home museum, wrote memoirs and lived exclusively in the past. It is difficult to reproach her for the insincerity and lust for power that society once attributed to her.

Ekaterina Dolgorukova

Alexander III - emperor involuntarily

Alexander III was the second oldest son of Alexander II and was not prepared for the throne. And he had no inclinations for such a role: he was clumsy, lazy, indifferent to the sciences, and unlike other Romanovs, he did not stay in the saddle well. The heir was the eldest - Nikolai or Nix, as he was called at home. Alexander loved his elder brother very much and always looked at him with enthusiastic eyes. Nikolai was handsome, talented and comprehensively developed. He already had a bride - the Danish princess Dagmar. Sasha probably secretly dreamed about the life of his brother. And who would have thought that he would get it.

In his youth, Alexander experienced a tragic love story. He fell madly in love with his mother's maid of honor, Maria Meshcherskaya. The lovers wrote letters to each other, secretly met in the park. Alexander repeatedly begged his father to let him marry Meshcherskaya, but the emperor was adamant. He had his own plans for his son's marriage, even if he was not the heir.

At the age of 21, the beloved Nix passed away after a serious illness. Alexander Alexandrovich was appointed heir, contrary to the fears of members of the imperial family. Even relatives did not believe in him, but they did not dare to break the law of succession to the throne. Grief brought him closer to Princess Dagmar, although he continued to think about Meshcherskaya. The emperor made it clear to his son that he had no choice. Soon the engagement of the heir and the Danish princess was announced. This marriage was a happy one for both.

Meshcherskaya's life was cut short in the prime of life. She married the millionaire Pavel Demidov, who adored her and bathed her in luxury. At the age of 24, Maria died in childbirth. A few days before her death, she confessed to her friend that she had never loved anyone except Sasha.

Maria Meshcherskaya

Nicholas and Matilda

Nicholas II took after his father. He was an exemplary family man, a loving husband and a wonderful father. Unfortunately, he did not take place only as a ruler.

His relationship with Matilda Kshesinskaya was initiated by Alexander III, who was worried that the modest and shy Niki still couldn’t learn how to properly treat women. The ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Matilda Kshesinskaya was chosen for the heir not by chance. The Mariinsky Theater in the 19th century was called a brothel at the palace. Many grand dukes and even the emperors themselves had affairs with theater dancers.

Judging by the memories left, Nikolai's courtship of Matilda was labored and indecisive. He never had particularly deep feelings for her, their relationship was more like a friendship. Everyone at court, including the parents of the heir, knew that Nicholas was in love with Princess Alice of Hesse and dreamed of marrying her. The emperor was against this union, despite the constant requests of his son.

In 1894, the health of Alexander III deteriorated. Anticipating his imminent death, the emperor allowed Nicholas to marry Alice, named Alexandra Feodorovna in Orthodoxy. The lovers could not believe their luck.

Nikolai went to great lengths for the sake of his wife and children. For the sake of his sick son, he endured the presence of Rasputin, whose activities directly affected the fall of the authority of the imperial couple among the people. For the safety of his family, he signed the abdication. Even in Siberian exile, he hoped to the last that he could protect them.

Matilda Kshesinskaya did not grieve after Nikolai's marriage. Her lovers were Grand Dukes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. In 1921 in France she married the latter. Matilda died in 1971 at the age of 99, leaving behind a book of memoirs. Apparently, her memoirs will soon become a bestseller.

Alexandra Fedorovna

Matilda Kshesinskaya is an outstanding ballerina whose unique style is due to the impeccability of the Italian and the lyricism of the Russian ballet schools. Her name is still associated with an entire era, a great time for Russian ballet. This unique woman lived a very long and eventful life, only a few months before the century.

Matilda Kshesinskaya was born on August 31, 1872 in St. Petersburg in the family of a ballet dancer Felix Kshesinsky, whom Nicholas I himself invited from Poland in 1851. Her mother, Yulia Deminskaya, was a corps de ballet soloist. Matilda's grandfather Jan was a famous violinist and opera singer - he performed at the Warsaw Opera. The ballerina herself studied at the Imperial Theater School in St. Petersburg, and successfully graduated as an external student on 03/23/1890. On this day, Alexander III traditionally sat in the examination committee, accompanied by his son and heir to the throne, Nicholas II. The seventeen-year-old ballerina showed herself remarkably, and the emperor himself predicted that she would soon become an ornament and pride of Russian ballet.

Immediately after school, Matilda was invited to the Mariinsky Theater. Her older sister Yulia already worked there, so Matilda was called “Kshesinskaya second” for a long time. The young ballerina was distinguished by her incredible capacity for work: she could practice at the barre for hours, overcoming pain in her legs.

In 1898, the girl began to take lessons from the outstanding Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti, and after 6 years the ballerina became a prima. Her repertoire included Odette, Paquita, Esmeralda, Aurora and Princess Aspicia. Russian and foreign critics noted her impeccable technique and "perfect lightness".

Matilda Kshesinskaya is the first Russian ballerina to successfully perform 32 fouettes in a row. Before her, only the Italian Pierina Legnani succeeded, the rivalry with which lasted for many years.

Revolution and moving Kshesinskaya

After the 1917 revolution, the Bolsheviks occupied the Kshesinskaya mansion, and Matilda and her son were forced to leave Russia. In Paris, Kshesinskaya opened her own ballet school. Meanwhile, the family of Nicholas II was shot.

In 1921, Matilda Kshesinskaya married Andrei Vladimirovich. The couple lived together the rest of their lives.

Her husband died in 1956, and her son died in 1974. Matilda wrote memoirs - they were published in 1960. The great ballerina passed away in 1971. She was buried in the suburbs of Paris in the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.

Matilda Kshesinskaya and Nicholas II, briefly facts about their relationship.

The relationship between the ballerina and the Tsarevich, who at that time was 22 years old, began immediately after the final exam at a dinner party. The heir to the throne was seriously carried away by the air ballerina. Empress Maria Feodorovna reacted with approval to her son's hobby, since she was seriously worried that before meeting with Matilda, her son did not show interest in the fair sex.

For a long time, lovers were content with chance meetings. Matilda looked out the window for a long time before each performance, hoping to see her lover climbing the stairs, and when she noticed his presence, she danced with even greater enthusiasm.

In the spring of 1891, after a long trip to Japan, the heir first went to Matilda.

Since January 1892, their candy-bouquet period ended and the relationship moved into the next phase - Nicholas II began to stay overnight in the ballerina's apartment. Soon the Tsarevich gave the ballerina a mansion. Their relationship lasted two years, but the young emperor understood that he would have to enter into an "equal marriage" and part with the beautiful ballerina.

Before his marriage, the Tsarevich instructed his cousin, Prince Sergei Mikhailovich, who was at that time the president of the Russian Theater Society, to take care of Matilda. The young emperor at that time still had feelings for his former lover. In 1890, he presented a beautiful diamond brooch with a sapphire and two large diamonds to a reception in honor of her benefit performance.

According to rumors, Kshesinskaya became the prima of the Mariinsky in 1886 thanks to the patronage of Nicholas II.

Romance break between Nicholas II and Kshesinskaya

The romance of the prima ballerina with the emperor lasted until 1894 and ended after the engagement of Nicholas to Princess Alice of Darmstadt, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Matilda was very worried about the breakup, but did not condemn Nicholas II, because she understood that the crowned lady would not be able to connect her life with a ballerina. Matilda was ready for such an outcome - she reservedly said goodbye to Nikolai, holding herself with the dignity of a queen, but not at all with the longing of an abandoned mistress.

The relationship was completely broken, but Matilda continued to soar enthusiastically over the stage, especially when she saw her former crowned lover in the royal box. Nicholas II, having put on the crown, completely immersed himself in state concerns and in the maelstrom of family life with the former princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt.

After her ten-year benefit performance, Matilda was introduced to another cousin of the emperor, Prince Andrei Vladimirovich. Looking at the beauty, the prince accidentally knocked over a glass of wine on her chic French dress. But Matilda decided that this was a lucky sign. Indeed, this romance soon ended in marriage, and in 1902 the ballerina gave birth to a son, Vladimir.

Matilda Kshesinskaya is not just an outstanding ballerina, whose technique significantly exceeded the abilities of her domestic contemporaries. She is one of the most influential persons of the late XIX - early XX century. An example of its meaning is the words of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich. During the First World War, when the army of the Russian Empire suffered greatly from a shortage of shells, he claimed that he was powerless to do anything with the artillery department, since the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya influences artillery affairs and participates in the distribution of orders between various organizations.

Matilda Kshesinskaya was born on August 31, 1872 in a creative family. Father - Russian Pole Felix Kshesinsky, discharged from Poland as the best performer of his favorite mazurka, mother - Yulia Dominskaya, a wealthy widow of ballet dancer Lede. Matilda's sister is a ballerina Yulia Kshesinskaya (called "Kshesinskaya 1st", married Zeddeler), her brother is a dancer and choreographer Joseph Kshesinsky.

The girl entered the Imperial Theater School and graduated from it in 1890. The entire royal family was present at the graduation party, and at the gala dinner Kshesinskaya sat next to the heir to the throne, Nikolai. Then Alexander III, enthusiastically following the movements of Matilda, utters the fateful words:

"Mademoiselle! Be the adornment and glory of our ballet!

Matilda is accepted into the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, on the imperial stage of which Kshesinskaya 2nd (the 1st was officially called her sister Julia) danced for 27 years.

Career at the Mariinsky Theater

Matilda Kshesinskaya danced in the ballets of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov (who was one of her teachers at the school). The first performances of Kshesinskaya were the Dragee fairy in The Nutcracker, Paquita in the ballet of the same name, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Nikiya in La Bayadère.

After leaving for Italy, Carlotta Brianza took over the role of Princess Aurora in the ballet Sleeping Beauty.

After 6 years of work in the theater, Kshesinskaya was awarded the status of "prima ballerina of the imperial theaters", despite the objections of the chief choreographer Petipa. According to some reports, it was the connections at the court that helped to quickly move to the very top of the ballet hierarchy.

For her sake, only a few ballets were staged, which subsequently were not included in the list of ballet heritage. For example, in 1894, on the occasion of the marriage of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, the ballet Awakening the Flora was presented with the main part of Kshesinskaya.

Despite a stable position in the theater, Matilda Kshesinskaya constantly improved her technique, attending private lessons from the famous teacher Enrico Cecchetti since 1898. She became the first Russian ballerina to perform 32 fouettes in a row on stage.

In 1904, Matilda Kshesinskaya voluntarily resigned from the Mariinsky Theater and, after the benefit performance, switched to performances on a contract basis. She earned 500 rubles for each appearance on the stage, and subsequently the payment increased to 750 rubles.

The ballerina has repeatedly said that academically trained artists can dance anything, it was no coincidence that Mikhail Fokin invited her to his performances: Evnika (1907), Butterflies (1912), Eros (1915).

intrigue

Matilda Kshesinskaya strongly opposed the invitation to the troupe of foreign ballerinas. She tried by all means to prove that Russian ballerinas are worthy of the main roles, while most of them were given to foreign artists.

The subject of intrigue often became the Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani, who, despite the mood of Kshesinskaya, worked at the Mariinsky Theater for eight years. But the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky himself, could not stand the influence of Matilda, who left the theater after refusing to restore the old ballet Katarina, the Robber's Daughter. The influential ballerina herself called the figs of the costume for the Russian dance from the Camargo ballet the stumbling block.

In 1899, her long-standing dream came true - Marius Petipa gives her the part of Esmeralda, and since then she has been the sole owner of this role, which causes dissatisfaction with her colleagues. Before Matilda, this part was performed exclusively by Italians.

In addition to foreign ballerinas, Sergey Diaghilev, the organizer of the Russian Seasons, considered Kshesinskaya his “worst enemy”. He invited her to perform in London, which attracted Matilda much more than Paris. For this, the ballerina had to take advantage of her connections and “break through” for Diaghilev the opportunity to perform with her entreprise in St. Petersburg and receive a deferral of military service for Nijinsky, who became liable for military service. “Swan Lake” was chosen for Kshesinskaya’s performance, and not by chance - in this way Diaghilev got access to the scenery that belonged to her.

The attempt was unsuccessful. Moreover, Diaghilev was so angry because of the futility of the petition that his servant Vasily seriously suggested that he poison the ballerina.

Personal life

The personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya is even more full of intrigue than the professional activities of a ballerina. Her fate is closely intertwined with representatives of the Romanov dynasty.

It is believed that from 1892 to 1894 she was the mistress of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich. After meeting, he regularly attends her performances, their relationship develops rapidly, although everyone is aware that the novel does not have a happy ending. In order to maintain decency, a mansion was bought for Kshesinskaya on the English Embankment, where they met without any interference.

“I fell in love with the Heir from our first meeting. After the summer season in Krasnoye Selo, when I could meet and talk with him, my feeling filled my whole soul, and I could only think about him ... ”, writes the enthusiastic Matilda Kshesinskaya in her diary.

The reason for the collapse of relations with the future was his engagement to the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt in April 1894.

The direct participation of the ballerina in the life of the royal family did not end there - Matilda Kshesinskaya was in close relations with the Grand Dukes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. On October 15, 1911, by the Highest Decree, the patronymic "Sergeevich" was given to her son Vladimir, who was born on June 18, 1902 in Strelna. In the family he was simply called "Vova", and he received the surname "Krasinsky".

On January 17 (30), 1921, in Cannes, in the Archangel Michael Church, Matilda Kshesinskaya entered into a morganatic marriage with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who adopted her son and gave his patronymic. In 1925, Matilda Feliksovna converted from Catholicism to Orthodoxy with the name Maria.

On November 30, 1926, the cousin of Nicholas II, Kirill Vladimirovich, awarded her and her descendants the title and surname of the princes Krasinsky, and on July 28, 1935, the most serene princes Romanovsky-Krasinsky.

In exile

In February 1917, Kshesinskaya, together with her son, was forced to wander around other people's apartments, having lost luxurious real estate - a mansion that turned into the "headquarters of the Leninists" and a summer house. She decides to go to Kislovodsk to Prince Andrei Vladimirovich in the hope of returning home soon.

“In my soul, a feeling of joy to see Andrei again and a feeling of remorse fought that I was leaving Sergei alone in the capital, where he was in constant danger. In addition, it was hard for me to take Vova away from him, in which he did not have a soul, ”says Kshesinskaya in her memoirs.

At the beginning of 1918, “a wave of Bolshevism came to Kislovodsk”, and Kshesinskaya and Vova went to Anapa as refugees by the decision of Andrei’s mother, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. The year 1919 was spent in a relatively calm Kislovodsk, from where the refugees left for Novorossiysk in a train of 2 cars. Interestingly, Maria Pavlovna and her entourage traveled first class, while Matilda and Vova were awarded third.

Living conditions continued to deteriorate - for 6 weeks, high society lived right in the cars, while typhus was taking people around. Then they sail from Novorossiysk and receive French visas. On March 12 (25), 1920, the family arrived in Cap d'Ail, where the ballerina's villa was located.

In 1929 Matilda Kshesinskaya opened her own ballet studio in Paris. The teacher Kshesinskaya was distinguished by a calm disposition - she never raised her voice to her wards.

Movies and books

The biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya, rich in events and famous people, is a subject often covered in art. So, in the novel "Coronation, or the Last of the Novels" from the series "The Adventures of Erast Fandorin" tells about the preparations for the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. One of the characters is Isabella Felitsianovna Snezhnevskaya, whose prototype is Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya herself.

In another work, Matilda Kshesinskaya is a key character. On October 26, 2017, a new painting "Matilda" is presented, which caused a public outcry even before its premiere. The plot of the film is in the relationship of Kshesinskaya with Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the future Emperor Nicholas II.

The scandal arose after the release of the first official trailer containing scenes of an erotic nature with the participation of the leading actors and.

The public movement "Royal Cross" accused the creators of the picture of "distortion of historical events" and "anti-Russian and anti-religious provocation in the field of culture." This prompted, known for her veneration of Nicholas II, to contact the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to check the material.

The audit did not reveal violations, but launched a series of mutual appeals and accusations of public figures, politicians and filmmakers.

Death

At the age of 86, 13 years before her death, Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya had a dream - she heard the ringing of bells, church singing and saw the figure of Alexander III in front of her, uttering a fatal phrase about the decoration and glory of Russian ballet. That morning, she decided to write a memoir that lifted the veil of the secrets of the personal life of the legendary Kshesinskaya.

The memoirs of Matilda Kshesinskaya were published in 1960 in Paris in French. The work was published in Russian only in 1992.

The outstanding ballerina lived a long life - she passed away at the age of 99 a few months before her centenary, on December 5, 1971.

Her body was buried in the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois in the suburbs of Paris in the same grave with her husband and son. An epitaph was inscribed on the monument: "The Most Serene Princess Maria Feliksovna Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya, Honored Artist of the Imperial Theaters Kshesinskaya."

In 1890, 18-year-old Matilda Kshesinskaya, still unknown to anyone, but a more promising girl, graduated from the Imperial Theater School. According to custom, after the graduation demonstration performance, Matilda and other graduates are presented to the crowned family. Alexander III shows special favor to the young talent, who enthusiastically follows the pirouettes and arabesques of the dancer. True, Matilda was a visiting pupil of the school, and such people were not supposed to be present at the festive banquet with members of the royal family. However, Alexander, who noticed the absence of a fragile dark-haired girl, ordered to immediately bring her into the hall, where they uttered the fateful words: “Mademoiselle! Be the adornment and glory of our ballet!”

At the table, Matilda was seated next to Tsarevich Nikolai, who, despite his position and young age (he was then 22 years old), had not been seen by that time in any amorous story where he could demonstrate his ardor and temperament. Fervor and temperament - no, but devotion and tenderness - very much so.

Dreams of marriage

In January 1889, at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, arrived in St. Petersburg. The girl who stopped at the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace was introduced to Tsarevich Nikolai (Alexander III was the princess's godfather). In the six weeks that the future Empress of Russia arrived in St. Petersburg, she managed to win the meek heart of the future emperor and arouse in him a frantic desire to bind himself to her by marriage. But when rumors reached that Nikolai wanted to marry Alice, he ordered his son to forget about this desire. The fact is that Alexander and his wife Maria Feodorovna hoped to marry their son to the daughter of the pretender to the throne of France, Louis Philippe, Louise Henriette, whom The Washington Post even called "the embodiment of female health and beauty, an elegant athlete and a charming polyglot."

By the time he met Kshesinskaya, Nikolai already intended to marry Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

It was only later, in 1894, when the emperor’s health began to deteriorate sharply, and Nikolai, with unusual vehemence, continued to insist on his own, the attitude changed - fortunately, Alice’s sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, contributed not only to the rapprochement of the heir to the throne and the princess, helping in the correspondence of lovers, but also by hidden methods influenced Alexander. Due to all these reasons, in the spring of 1894, a manifesto appeared in which the engagement of the Tsarevich and Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt was announced. But that was after.

"Baby" Kshesinskaya and Nikki

And in 1890, when Nikolai could only correspond with his Alice, he was suddenly introduced to Matilda Kshesinskaya - according to some historians, the cunning Alexander decided that Nikolai needed to be distracted from his love and channel his energy in a different direction. The emperor’s project was a success: already in the summer, the crown prince writes in his diary: “Baby Kshesinskaya positively occupies me ...” - and regularly attends her performances.

Matilda Kshesinskaya fell in love with the future emperor at first sight. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

“Baby” Kshesinskaya perfectly understood what game she was entering into, but she could hardly realize how far she would advance in relations with members of the royal family. When there was a shift in communication with Nikolai, Matilda announced to her father, a well-known Polish dancer who performed on the Mariinsky stage, that she had become Nikolai's lover. The father listened to his daughter and asked only one question: does she realize that the affair with the future emperor will not end in anything? To this question, which she asked herself, Matilda replied that she wanted to drink the cup of love to the bottom.

The romance of the temperamental and bright ballerina and the future emperor of Russia, who was not accustomed to demonstrating his feelings, lasted exactly two years. Kshesinskaya had really strong feelings for Nikolai and even considered her relationship with him a sign of fate: both he and she were “marked” with the number two: he was supposed to become Nicholas II, and she was called Kshesinskaya-2 on stage: the eldest also worked in the theater Matilda's sister Julia. When their relationship had just begun, Kshesinskaya enthusiastically wrote in her diary: “I fell in love with the Heir from our first meeting. After the summer season in Krasnoye Selo, when I could meet and talk with him, my feeling filled my whole soul, and I could only think about him ... "

Lovers met most often in the house of the Kshesinsky family and did not particularly hide: no secrets were possible at court, and the emperor himself covered his eyes to his son’s novel. There was even a case when the mayor rushed into the house, in a hurry to inform that the sovereign was hastily demanding his son to his Anichkov Palace. However, in order to maintain decency, a mansion was bought for Kshesinskaya on the English Embankment, where lovers could see each other without any interference.

End of story

The relationship ended in 1894. Matilda, ready from the very beginning for such an outcome, did not fight in hysterics, did not cry: when saying goodbye to Nicholas with restraint, she behaves with dignity befitting a queen, but not an abandoned mistress.

The ballerina took the news of the breakup calmly. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org It is impossible to say that this was a deliberate calculation, but Kshesinskaya’s behavior led to a positive result: Nikolai always remembered his girlfriend with warmth, and in parting asked her to always address him as “you”, to continue to call him the home nickname “Nikki” and in in case of trouble always turn to him. Later, Nikolai Kshesinskaya would indeed resort to the help, but only for professional purposes related to behind-the-scenes theatrical intrigues.

At this point, their relationship was finally broken. Matilda continued to dance and hovered over the stage with special inspiration when she saw her former lover in the royal box. And Nicholas, who put on the crown, completely immersed himself in the state concerns that fell on him after the death of Alexander III, and in the quiet whirlpool of family life with the desired Alix, as he affectionately called the former princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt.

When the engagement had just taken place, Nikolai honestly spoke about his connection with the ballerina, to which she replied: “What has passed has passed and will never return. All of us in this world are surrounded by temptations, and when we are young, we cannot always fight to resist the temptation… I love you even more since you told me this story. Your trust touches me so deeply… Can I be worthy of it…?”

P.S.

A few years later, terrible upheavals and a terrible end awaited Nikolai: the Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, a series of murders of high-ranking officials, the First World War, popular discontent that grew into a revolution, the humiliating exile of him and his entire family, and, finally, the execution in the basement of Ipatiev Houses.

Matilda Kshesinskaya with her son. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Kshesinskaya, on the other hand, had a different fate - the glory of one of the richest women in the Empire, a love affair with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, from whom she would give birth to a son, emigration to Europe, an affair with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, who would give the child his middle name, and the glory of one of the best ballerina of her time and one of the most attractive women of the era, who turned the head of Emperor Nicholas himself.