Publishing house "Tsentrpoligraf" released "Memoirs" of the famous ballerina. Despite the fact that this book of memoirs was written jointly with her husband, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, in it Matilda Feliksovna quite frankly talks about her romance with the Heir, the future emperor, relations with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich and other fans, many of whom offered the stage star not only their love, but also the marriage union. publishes excerpts from these memoirs.
As a fourteen-year-old girl, I flirted with the young Englishman MacPherson. I was not fond of him, but I liked to flirt with a young and elegant young man. On my birthday, he came with his fiancee, it hurt me, and I decided to take revenge. I could not miss this affront for nothing. Having chosen the time when we were all together and his fiancee was sitting next to him, I inadvertently said that I like to go for mushrooms in the morning before coffee. He kindly asked me if he could come with me. This was all I needed - it means it pecked. I replied in the presence of the bride that if she gave him permission, then I had nothing against it. Since this was said in the presence of all the guests, she had no choice but to give the required consent. The next morning we went with McPherson to the forest for mushrooms. He gave me here a lovely ivory purse with forget-me-nots - a gift quite suitable for a young lady of my age. We picked mushrooms poorly, and by the end of the walk it seemed to me that he had completely forgotten about his bride. After this walk in the forest, he began to write me love letters, sent me flowers, but I soon got tired of this, since I was not fond of him. It ended with the fact that his wedding did not take place. It was the first sin on my conscience.
(after graduation performance)
The emperor sat at the head of one of the long tables, to his right sat a pupil who was supposed to read a prayer before dinner, and another was supposed to sit on the left, but he pushed her away and turned to me:
And you sit next to me.
He pointed out to the heir a place nearby and, smiling, said to us:
Just don't flirt too much.
In front of each device was a plain white mug. The heir looked at her and, turning to me, asked:
You probably don’t drink from such mugs at home?
This simple question, so trifling, remained in my memory. Thus began my conversation with the Heir. I don't remember what we talked about, but I immediately fell in love with the Heir. Like now, I see his blue eyes with such a kind expression. I stopped looking at him only as the Heir, I forgot about it, everything was like a dream. Regarding this evening, in the Diary of Emperor Nicholas II, under the date March 23, 1890, it was written: “Let's go to a performance at the Theater School. There was a small play and a ballet. Very good. Dinner with pupils. So I learned many years later about his impression of our first meeting.
We were more and more attracted to each other, and I increasingly began to think about getting my own corner. Meeting with parents became simply unthinkable. Although the Heir, with his usual delicacy, never openly spoke about it, I felt that our desires coincided. But how do you tell your parents? I knew that I would cause them great grief when I said that I was leaving my parents' house, and this tormented me endlessly, because I adored my parents, from whom I saw only care, affection and love. Mother, I told myself, would still understand me as a woman, I was even sure of this, and I was not mistaken, but how can I tell my father? He had been brought up with strict principles, and I knew that I was dealing him a terrible blow, given the circumstances under which I left the family. I was aware that I was doing something that I had no right to do because of my parents. But... I adored Nicky, I only thought about him, about my happiness, even if it was brief...
I found a small, charming mansion at No. 18 Angliisky Prospekt, which belonged to Rimsky-Korsakov. It was built by the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich for the ballerina Kuznetsova, with whom he lived. It was said that the Grand Duke was afraid of assassination attempts, and therefore there were iron shutters in his study on the first floor, and a fireproof cabinet for jewelry and papers was built into the wall.
The heir often began to bring me gifts, which at first I refused to accept, but, seeing how it upset him, I accepted them. The gifts were good, but not large. His first gift was a gold bracelet with a large sapphire and two large diamonds. I engraved on it two especially dear and memorable dates to me - our first meeting at the school and his first visit to me: 1890-1892.
I hosted a housewarming party to celebrate my move and the start of my independent life. All the guests brought me housewarming gifts, and the Heir presented eight gold, jeweled vodka cups.
After the move, the Heir gave me his photograph with the inscription: “My dear lady,” as he always called me.
In the summer I wanted to live in Krasnoye Selo or near it, in order to be able to see the Heir more often, who could not leave the camp to meet with me. I even found myself a pretty dacha on the shores of Lake Duderhof, very convenient in every respect. The Heir did not object to this plan, but I was given to understand that it might cause unnecessary and undesirable talk if I settled so close to the Heir. Then I decided to rent a dacha in Koerovo, it was a large house built in the era of Empress Catherine II and had a rather original triangle shape.
On April 7, 1894, the engagement of the Heir to the Tsesarevich with Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt was announced. Although I knew for a long time that it was inevitable that sooner or later the Heir would have to marry some foreign princess, nevertheless, my grief knew no bounds.
After his return from Coburg, the Heir did not visit me again, but we continued to write to each other. My last request to him was to allow him to write to him as before on "you" and to address him in case of need. The Heir replied to this letter with remarkably touching lines, which I remember so well: “Whatever happens to me in my life, meeting with you will forever remain the brightest memory of my youth.”
In my grief and despair, I was not alone. Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, with whom I became friends from the day when the Heir first brought him to me, stayed with me and supported me. I never had a feeling for him that could be compared with my feeling for Nicky, but with all his attitude he won my heart, and I sincerely fell in love with him. That faithful friend, as he showed himself these days, he remained for life, and in happy years, and in days of revolution and trials. Much later, I learned that Nicky asked Sergey to watch over me, protect me and always turn to him when I need his help and support.
The touching attention on the part of the Heir was his expressed desire that I stay to live in the house that I rented, where he visited me so often, where we were both so happy. He bought and gave me this house.
It was clear to me that the Heir did not have what it took to reign. It cannot be said that he was spineless. No, he had character, but he didn't have something to make others bend to his will. His first impulse was almost always correct, but he did not know how to insist on his own and very often yielded. I told him more than once that he was not made for kingship, nor for the role that, by the will of fate, he would have to play. But never, of course, did I convince him to renounce the Throne. Such a thought never crossed my mind.
The coronation celebrations scheduled for May 1896 were approaching. Everywhere there was a feverish preparation. At the Imperial Theater, the roles for the upcoming parade performance in Moscow were distributed. Both troupes had to be united for this exceptional occasion. Although Moscow had its own ballet troupe, artists from the St. Petersburg troupe were sent there in addition, and I was one of them. I was supposed to dance the ballet "Flora Awakening" there in ordinary performances. However, I was not given a role in the grand performance, for which they staged a new ballet, The Pearl, to the music of Drigo. Rehearsals for this ballet have already begun, the main role was given to Legnani, and the rest of the roles are distributed among other artists. Thus, it turned out that I was not supposed to participate in the ceremonial performance, although I already had the title of a ballerina and carried a responsible repertoire. I considered this an insult to myself in front of the whole troupe, which, of course, I could not endure. In complete desperation, I rushed to the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich for help, since I did not see anyone around me to whom I could turn, and he always treated me cordially. I felt that only he alone would be able to intercede for me and understand how undeservedly and deeply offended I was by this exclusion from the ceremonial performance. How and what, in fact, the Grand Duke did, I do not know, but the result was quick. The Directorate of the Imperial Theaters received an order from above that I take part in the ceremonial performance at the coronation in Moscow. My honor was restored, and I was happy, because I knew that Nicky had done this for me personally, without his knowledge and consent, the Directorate would not have changed its previous decision.
By the time the order was received from the Court, the ballet "Pearl" was fully rehearsed and all the roles were distributed. In order to include me in this ballet, Drigo had to write additional music, and M.I. Petipa put on a special pas de deux for me, in which I was called the "yellow pearl": since there were already white, black and pink pearls.
In the previous season, the stage did not captivate me, I almost did not work and did not dance as well as I should have, but now I decided to pull myself together and began to study hard in order to be able, if the Sovereign came to the theater, to please him with my dancing. During this season, 1896/97, the Tsar and the Empress attended the ballet almost every Sunday, but the Directorate always arranged for me to dance on Wednesdays when the Tsar was not at the theater. At first I thought it was happening by accident, but then I noticed that it was done on purpose. It seemed to me unfair and extremely insulting. Several Sundays passed like this. Finally, the Directorate gave me a Sunday performance; I was supposed to dance Sleeping Beauty. I was quite sure that the Sovereign would be at my performance, but I found out - and everything is recognized very quickly in the theater - that the Director of Theaters persuaded the Sovereign to go to the Mikhailovsky Theater that Sunday to see a French play, which he had not seen on the previous Saturday. It was perfectly clear to me that the Director had deliberately done everything possible to prevent the Sovereign from seeing me, and for this purpose persuaded him to go to another theater. Then I could not stand it and for the first time used the permission of the Sovereign given to me to directly address him. I wrote to him about what was happening in the theatre, and added that it was becoming completely impossible for me under such conditions to continue to serve on the Imperial stage. The letter was handed over personally to the Sovereign by Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich.
This season, four Grand Dukes: Mikhail Nikolaevich, Vladimir Alexandrovich, Alexei and Pavel Alexandrovich showed me touching attention and presented me with a brooch in the form of a ring studded with diamonds, with four large sapphires, and a plaque with their names engraved on it was attached to the case.
In the summer of the same year, when I was living at my dacha in Strelna, Niki, through Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, told me that on such and such a day and hour he would ride with the Empress past my dacha, and asked me to be sure to come to this time in your garden. I chose a spot in the garden on a bench where Nicky could see me clearly from the road he was supposed to be taking. Exactly on the appointed day and hour, Nicky drove with the Empress past my dacha and, of course, saw me perfectly. They drove slowly past the house, I stood up and made a deep bow and received an affectionate response. This incident proved that Nicky did not hide his past attitude towards me at all, but, on the contrary, openly showed me sweet attention in a delicate way. I did not cease to love him, and the fact that he did not forget me was a tremendous consolation to me.
The tenth anniversary of my service on the Imperial stage was approaching. Usually, artists were given a benefit for twenty years of service or a farewell when the artist left the stage. I decided to ask for a benefit performance for ten years of service, but this required special permission, and I turned with this request not to the Director of the Imperial Theaters, but personally to the Minister of the Imperial Court, Baron Fredericks, a sweet and sympathetic man who always treated kindly and favored to me. When I had an appointment with the Minister, I thought very carefully about my dress in order to make the best possible impression on the Minister. I was young and, as they wrote in the newspapers at that time, slender and graceful. I chose a light gray woolen dress that hugged my figure, and a three-cornered hat of the same color. Although it may seem impudent on my part, I liked myself when I looked in the mirror - pleased with myself, I went to the Minister.
He greeted me very nicely and complimented me about my toilet, which he really liked. It gave me great pleasure that he appreciated my dress, and then I boldly turned to him with my request. He immediately kindly agreed to report it to the Sovereign, since the issue of appointing a benefit outside the general rules depended solely on the Sovereign. Seeing that the Minister was in no hurry to let me go, I told him that it was only thanks to him that I was doing well 32 fouettes. He looked at me in surprise and inquiringly, wondering how he could help me with this. I explained to him that in order to do a fouette without moving from one place, it is necessary to have a clearly visible point in front of you at every turn, and since he is sitting in the very center of the stalls, in the front row, even in a dimly lit room on his chest there is a bright stand out for their brilliance of the order. The Minister liked my explanation very much, and with a charming smile he accompanied me to the door, once again promising to report my request to the Sovereign and letting me know that, of course, there would be no refusal. I left the Minister caressed and very happy. Of course, I received a benefit performance, and again my unforgettable Nicky did it for me. For my benefit performance, I chose Sunday, February 13, 1900. This number has always brought me happiness.
Artists usually received on the day of their benefit performances from the Cabinet of His Majesty the so-called Royal Gift, mostly a patterned gold or silver thing, sometimes decorated with colored stones, depending on the category of the gift, but always with the Imperial eagle or crown. Men usually received gold watches. These gifts did not differ in special grace. I was very afraid that I would receive such an ornament that would be unpleasant to wear, and I asked through Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich to do everything possible so that I would not be rewarded with such a gift. Indeed, on the day of the benefit performance, the Director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky, came to my dressing room and handed me a Tsar's gift: a lovely brooch in the form of a diamond snake coiled into a ring and in the middle a large cabochon sapphire. Then the Sovereign asked Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich to tell me that he chose this brooch together with the Empress and that the snake is a symbol of wisdom...
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich immediately made a huge impression on me that first evening that I met him: he was amazingly handsome and very shy, which did not spoil him at all, on the contrary. During dinner, he accidentally touched a glass of red wine with his sleeve, which tipped over in my direction and spilled over my dress. I was not upset that the wonderful dress was lost, I immediately saw in this an omen that this would bring me a lot of happiness in life. I ran upstairs to my room and quickly changed into a new dress. The whole evening went surprisingly well, and we danced a lot. From that day on, a feeling crept into my heart that I had not experienced for a long time; it was no longer an empty flirtation...
During the summer, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich began to come more and more often to rehearsals at the Krasnoselsky Theater. Our beautiful dramatic actress Maria Alexandrovna Pototskaya, who was a great friend of mine, teased me, saying: “Since when did you start getting into boys?” He was actually six years younger than me. And then he began to come to me all the time in Strelna, where we spent such a wonderful and nice time. I remember those unforgettable evenings that I spent in anticipation of his arrival, walking in the park in the moonlight. But sometimes he was late and arrived when the sun was already beginning to rise and the fields were fragrant with the smell of cut hay, which I loved so much. I remember the day of July 22, the day of the angel of the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, his mother. On her name day, a picnic with music and gypsies was always arranged in Ropsha. He could not come to me in Strelna early, but he promised to come anyway, unless they stayed there too late, returning to his place back in Krasnoye Selo. With excitement, I was waiting for him, and when he appeared, my happiness knew no bounds, especially since I had no confidence that he would be able to call on me. The night was wonderful. We sat on the balcony for long hours, now talking about something, now listening to the singing of waking birds, now the rustle of leaves. We felt like in paradise. This night, this day we never forgot, and every year we celebrated our anniversary.
Upon arrival in Paris, I felt unwell, invited a doctor who, after examining me, said that I was in the very first period of pregnancy, about a month in total, by his definition. On the one hand, this news was a great joy for me, and on the other hand, I was at a loss as to what I should do when I returned to St. Petersburg. Then I remembered the bite of a monkey in Genoa, whether this bite would affect the appearance of my child, as they said that a strong impression is reflected in the child. After spending a few days in Paris, I returned home, I had to go through a lot of joyful things, but also a lot of hard ones ... In addition, I had a difficult season ahead, and I did not know how I would endure it in such a state.
Before Lent, they gave a pretty little ballet "Mr. Dupre's Disciples", in two scenes, staged by Petipa to music. I danced the role of Camargo, and in the first act I had a charming soubrette costume, and in the second - tunics. The stage was close to the chairs in the first row, where the Sovereign with the Empress and members of the Imperial family were sitting, and I had to think very carefully about all my turns so that my changed figure would not catch my eye, which could be seen only in profile. This show ended the season. I could no longer dance, it was the sixth month. Then I decided to transfer my ballet "La Bayadère". I was on the best terms with her, she was constantly at my house, she had a lot of fun and was fond of the Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, who called her an “angel”. From the day she left the school (1899), the public and ballet critics immediately drew attention to her and appreciated her. I saw in her the beginnings of a major talent and foresaw her brilliant future.
My son was born, it was early in the morning of June 18, at two o'clock. I fell ill with a high temperature for a long time, but since I was strong and healthy by nature, I began to recover relatively soon. When I was somewhat stronger after childbirth and my strength was restored a little, I had a difficult conversation with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. He knew perfectly well that he was not the father of my child, but he loved me so much and was so attached to me that he forgave me and decided, in spite of everything, to stay with me and protect me as a good friend. He feared for my future, for what might await me. I felt guilty before him, because the previous winter, when he was courting a young and beautiful Grand Duchess and there were rumors about a possible wedding, I, having learned about this, asked him to stop courtship and thereby put an end to unpleasant conversations for me. I adored Andrei so much that I did not realize how guilty I was before the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich.
A difficult question confronted me, what name to give my son. At first I wanted to call him Nikolai, but I couldn’t, and didn’t have the right to do this, for many reasons. Then I decided to name him Vladimir, in honor of Father Andrei, who always treated me so cordially. I was sure that he would have nothing against it. He gave his consent. The christening took place in Strelna, in a close family circle, on July 23 of the same year. The godparents were my sister and our great friend, Colonel, who served in Her Majesty's Life Guards Lancers Regiment. According to custom, I, as a mother, did not attend the christening. On this day, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich presented Vova with a wonderful cross made of dark green Ural stone with a platinum chain. Alas, this precious gift remained in my house in St. Petersburg. In the summer, when I was already up, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich visited me. I was still very weak and took him lying on the couch and holding my baby in my arms in swaddling clothes. The Grand Duke knelt before me, touchingly consoled me, stroked my head and caressed me... He knew, he felt and understood what was going on in my soul and how difficult it was for me. For me, his visit was a huge moral support, it gave me a lot of strength and peace of mind.
In my home life, I was very happy: I had a son whom I adored, I loved Andrei, and he loved me, the two of them were my whole life. Sergey behaved infinitely touchingly, he treated the child as his own and continued to spoil me very much. He was always ready to protect me, as he had more opportunities than anyone else, and through him I could always turn to Niki.
At Christmas, I arranged a Christmas tree for Vova and invited Rockefeller's little granddaughter, who lived in our hotel and often played with Vova, digging in the sand on the seashore. This little Rockefeller gave Vova knitted shoes. Unfortunately, we did not meet her anywhere else and completely lost sight of her.
All my life I have loved building. Of course, my house in St. Petersburg was the largest and most interesting building in my life, but there were also less significant ones. So, in Strelna, at the dacha, I built a lovely house for my power station with an apartment for an electrical engineer and his family. At that time there was no electricity anywhere in Strelna, not even in the palace, and my dacha was the first and only one with electric lighting. Everyone around me envied me, some asked to give them part of the current, but I barely had enough station for myself. Electricity was then a novelty and gave a lot of charm and comfort to my dacha. Then I built another house in Strelna, in 1911, about which it is worth saying a few words. My son, when he was twelve years old, often complained that he did not see me much at home because of my long rehearsals. As a consolation, I promised him that all the money raised during this season would be used to build him a small house in the country, in the garden. And so it was done; with the money I earned, I built a children's house for him with two rooms, a salon and a dining room, with dishes, silver and linen. Vova was wildly delighted when he examined the house, surrounded by a wooden fence with a gate. But I noticed that, going around the rooms and the whole house, he was preoccupied with something, as if looking for something. Then he asked me where the restroom was. I told him that the cottage is so close that he can run there, but if he really wants to, then I will dance a little more, so that it is enough to build a latrine. This plan did not come true - war broke out.
At that time, my dear admirer was almost a boy. His sister, the beautiful Irina, later Countess Vorontsova-Dashkova, drove everyone crazy. My acquaintance with Volodya Lazarev, as we all called him, was amusing. It happened at a masquerade at the Maly Theater, where I was invited to sell champagne. I had a very beautiful dress that evening: a black satin tight skirt, a bodice of white chiffon that covered the shoulders and waist with a scarf, a large neckline, and a huge bright green bow at the back. This dress was from Paris, from Burr. On the head - a Venetian net of artificial pearls, falling on the forehead with a bunch of white "paradis" feathers attached at the back. I put on my emerald necklace, and on my bodice a huge diamond brooch with diamond threads hanging down like rain and attached in the middle a large emerald and egg-shaped diamond; I had a chance to please the public.
At the party, I first appeared in a black domino, under a mask with thick lace, so that they would not recognize me. The only thing that was visible through the veil was my teeth and the way I smiled, and I knew how to smile. I chose Volodya Lazarev as the subject of my intrigue, who struck me with his almost childlike appearance and cheerfulness. Knowing more or less who he was, I began to arouse his curiosity, and when I saw that he was really intrigued, I disappeared into the crowd and, quietly leaving the hall, went to change into evening clothes. Then I returned to the ball and went straight to my table to sell champagne, pretending that I had just arrived. Volodya Lazarev came up to my table without knowing me. Of course he didn't recognize me. But the trouble was that when I was under the mask, he drew attention to my teeth, which were visible through the veil, and kept repeating: "What teeth ... what teeth ..." I, of course, was afraid to smile now , serving him wine, but no matter how hard I tried to restrain myself and make a serious face, I still smiled, and then he instantly recognized me: “What teeth!” he shouted with joy and laughed heartily. Since then, we have become great friends, had fun together, survived the revolution together, fled Russia together and met again in exile as old friends.
In 1911, I was celebrating my twentieth anniversary of service on the Imperial stage, and I was given a benefit performance on this occasion.
During the first intermission, the Director of the Imperial Theaters, Telyakovsky, presented me with a Tsar's gift on the occasion of my anniversary. It was an oblong diamond eagle of Nikolaev times in a platinum frame and on the same chain to wear around the neck. On the reverse side there was no visible nest of stones, as is usually done, but everything was completely sealed with a platinum plate in the shape of an eagle, and on it was engraved the outline of an eagle and its feathers of remarkably fine and original work. Below the eagle hung a pink sapphire set in diamonds. Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich also came at the first intermission and told me that the Emperor had told him that he was interested in whether or not I would wear his present on stage. Of course, after that I immediately put it on and danced the pas de deux in Paquita in it. In the second intermission, that is, after Paquita, with an open curtain, I was honored with a deputation from the artists of all the Imperial Theaters, that is, ballet, opera, drama and the French Theater.
A long table was placed across the entire width of the stage, on which gifts were displayed in an absolutely incredible amount, and flower offerings were arranged behind the table, forming a whole flower garden. I now remember all the gifts, let alone count them, except for two or three of the most memorable ones. In addition to the Tsar's gift, I received:
From Andrei - a marvelous diamond headband with six large sapphires according to the design of the headdress made by Prince Shervashidze for my costume in the ballet "The Pharaoh's Daughter".
Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich gave me a very valuable thing, namely, a Faberge mahogany box in a gold frame, in which a whole collection of yellow diamonds, wrapped in paper, was packed, ranging from the smallest to the very largest. This was done so that I could order a thing for myself according to my taste - I ordered a “plakka” from Faberge to wear on my head, which turned out remarkably beautiful.
In addition, also from the public, a diamond watch in the form of a ball, on a chain of platinum and diamonds. Since more money was collected by subscription than these items were worth, gold cups were bought at the very last minute with the surplus, as the money came in, and quite a lot of them accumulated.
From Muscovites I received the "surte de table", a mirror in a silver frame in the style of Louis XV with a silver vase for flowers on it. The names of all the persons who took part in the gift were engraved under the vase, and it was possible to read all the names in the mirror without lifting the vase.
It seems to me that on that day I also received from Yu.N. A gray crystal sugar bowl in a silver frame by Faberge. After the coup, this sugar bowl remained in my house in St. Petersburg, and I accidentally found it in Kislovodsk in a silver shop. She was, apparently, stolen from me and sold, and so, passing from hand to hand, reached Kislovodsk. When I proved to the police that this was my thing, they returned it to me, and I still have it here in Paris.
Shortly after my birthday, August 27, Andrei left for Kyiv to attend large maneuvers in which the regiment of which he was chief took part. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers P.A. arrived in Kyiv on this occasion. Stolypin, Minister of Finance Count V.N. Kokovtsov and a significant part of the Sovereign's retinue. In the early days, there were maneuvers in the vicinity of the city and a tour of the historical places of Kyiv. On September 3, a parade performance was scheduled at the city theater. In the morning, alarming information was received from the police that terrorists had arrived in Kyiv and there was a danger of assassination if they could not be arrested in time. All police searches were in vain, and anxiety intensified among the Sovereign's guards. The police considered the passage of the Sovereign from the palace to the theater to be the most dangerous moment, since the path was known to everyone, but everyone arrived safely. During the second intermission, tea was served to the Sovereign in the antechamber. The Empress did not come to the theater, only the senior Grand Duchesses were there. At that moment, a terrible crack was heard from the auditorium, and then frantic screams. Not knowing what was the matter, the Sovereign said: “Is it really the bed that failed?” - the noise and crackling were incomprehensible. But when everyone rushed back, they saw that P.A. Stolypin, holding his hand to his chest, from which blood flowed through his fingers. Seeing the Sovereign, Stolypin raised his hand, making a gesture for the Sovereign to leave the box, and began to baptize him. Stolypin was surrounded by nearby people to support him, as he began to weaken rapidly, his face turned deathly pale, and he fell unconscious on an armchair. Further, according to Andrei, it was difficult to make out what was happening. Everyone was shouting, some were running somewhere, officers with swords unsheathed pursued someone and in the aisle, almost at the exit from the hall, they caught and wanted to stab.
It turned out later that the murderer of Stolypin Bogrov was caught and badly beaten in the passage. It was he who let the police know about the arrival of terrorists in Kyiv, since he had previously served as an informer in the police, was removed and again received just before the Kyiv celebrations. The police searched in vain all day for the terrorist, not knowing that he was in front of them. He asked to be allowed into the theater on the pretext that he knew the terrorists by sight, and if one of them penetrated the theater, he would point him out to security agents. The police let him through as their agent into the theater hall, where no one paid any attention to him, and he approached Stolypin completely unhindered and calmly and fired at him point-blank and just as calmly began to move away when he was seized.
P.A. Stolypin was immediately taken to a private clinic, where, after examining the wound, the doctors expressed fear that he would not survive, as the liver was affected. For five days Stolypin struggled with his almost hopeless condition, and on September 8 (21) he died.
The news of the assassination attempt on Stolypin reached us in St. Petersburg the next morning, and I involuntarily thought about how tragically unlucky my poor Nicky was. He suffered blow after blow: he lost his father so early, got married on such sad, mourning days, the coronation was overshadowed by the Khodynka disaster, he lost his best Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Lobanov-Rostovsky, who died shortly after his appointment, and now he is losing his best his Minister, who suppressed the revolutionary outbreak of 1905.
At that time we could not even imagine what awaited him in the future and how terribly his fate would end. When the 1917 revolution broke out, many thought that if Stolypin had lived, he might have been able to stop it.
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 then 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 Nicholas, 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.
MOSCOW, August 31 - RIA Novosti. The famous ballerina and socialite Matilda Kshesinskaya was born 145 years ago. Her life is full of rumors and legends: they tell, for example, about the countless treasures that Matilda seems to have hidden somewhere, leaving Petersburg in 1917. A bright dancer and star of the Imperial Theatre, she is remembered primarily for her numerous novels.
Kshesinskaya herself wrote in her memoirs that she had been a coquette since childhood. Communication with the three Grand Dukes, including the future Emperor Nicholas II, is only a small fraction of the stories about which she herself openly wrote in her memoirs.
However, photographs of Kshesinskaya to some extent confirm the rumors about her incredible femininity and charm. RIA Novosti publishes archival portraits of the dancer.
Pole Kshesinskaya was from a creative family. Grandfather is a violinist and singer, father Felix Kshesinsky is a dancer. She claimed that her father performed the mazurka so exemplarily that thanks to him this dance was included in the mandatory program of all balls in Russia.
Matilda herself was the third joint child of her parents. Her older sister Julia and brother Yuzya also danced. It was Yulia who was called the first Kshesinskaya in the theater, while Matilda was the second Kshesinskaya.
Matilda graduated from the Imperial Choreographic School. In her memoirs, she emphasized that teachers singled her out from childhood. In the theater, the glory of a self-willed woman was entrenched in her. For example, once she changed her costume for a performance, supposedly uncomfortable, to her own, after which she was fined.
However, the famous ballerina was distinguished not only by her obstinate character, but also by hard work. During the season, she could dance in 40 performances (ballet and opera). Matilda did not stop working later, already in exile: she created a ballet school in which up to 150 people could study at the same time.
Matilda also had weaknesses - throughout her life she played roulette. They say that allegedly, having sat down at the gaming table for the first time, she bet on 17. This brought her a win. Since then, she has played only roulette and bet on one number, for which she received the nickname Madame Seventeen.
Having fled from St. Petersburg in 1917, Matilda first moved to Kislovodsk, where she spent almost a year. There she hoped to wait out the troubled times, but later it became clear that she would be safer in France.
Life in exile was obviously quieter and more peaceful than in the pre-revolutionary Russian capital. Kshesinskaya officially registered her marriage to Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich (grandson of Alexander II), from whom she already had a son.
She did a lot to spread the traditions of Russian academic dance. Matilda created her own school, patronized the Federation of Russian Classical Ballet, which proclaimed the idea of continuing the traditions of Russian ballet in English dance schools. Kshesinskaya lived a long life - she died at the age of 99 (in 1971) in Paris and was buried next to her husband in the Russian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois in the suburbs of the French capital.
Matilda Kshesinskaya: biography, personal life, life story
For the most part, we add contemporary celebrities to our portal. But there are also iconic personalities who have already left this world, but their biography and personal life are so interesting that we cannot ignore their stories. Well, meet - a personal page about the life of Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya.
Biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya
Family of Matilda Kseshinskaya
Matilda was born on August 19 (31), 1872. This significant event took place in a family of theatergoers in Ligovo. Her father was Felix Kshesinsky, a Russian Pole. This was the second marriage for Matilda's mother - Yulia Dominskaya (that was the name of the mother of our heroine) left 5 more children from her marriage with the dancer Lede.
Matilda's sister Julia became a ballerina. Brother Joseph also became a dancer, but did not survive the siege of Leningrad.
Matilda herself was called Malechka inside the family.
Matilda's childhood
Malechka entered the ballet school at the age of 8. In 1890, she graduated from the Imperial Theater School, where she received an excellent education under the strict guidance of Lev Ivanov, Katerina Vazem and Christian Ioganson. After graduation, she was called to the Mariinsky Theater, where her older sister also danced.
Matilda performed on this stage until 1917.
1986 is significant in the biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya in that she was given the title of prima of the imperial theaters. Note that the general choreographer was against her candidacy for this role, but Matilda was able to achieve recognition as her main dancer.
Since 1898, she studied personally with the famous Italian coach Enrico Cecchetti, in order to add to the basis of Russian ballet the graceful footwork adopted by the Italians.
An interesting fact of the biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya: she was the first in Russia to be able to perform 32 fouettes without stopping.
It even got to the point that Marius Petipa adapted the main choreographic parts of the ballets to the outstanding skills of our heroine!
Despite her academic skills, Matilda willingly took part in bold, innovative productions.
1904 was a turning point in the biography of Matilda Feliksovna - she left the theater, after which she collaborated with him only on a one-time basis. In addition to talent and skills, the dancer was remembered for the fact that she knew how to build a line of her development and always defend her interests. She was an ardent opponent of inviting dancers from abroad.
In 1917, Matilda left Petrograd, going first to Kislovodsk, from where she moved to Novorossiysk, and from there on February 19 (March 3) she emigrated abroad. This was due to political events in the country - our heroine and her son had to wander around the country and live for 6 weeks in a class 3 train car, hiding from the persecution of the Bolsheviks. As a result, the dancer managed to get French visas in Constantinople, after which they went to Cap d'Ail, where the celebrity had his own villa.
In 1929, the ballet school of Kshesinskaya appeared in Paris. As a teacher, she was always reserved, preferring not to yell at her students.
In 1960, the memoirs of Matilda Feliksovna, written by her during the time of emigration, were published in the capital of France. In Russia, they were published only in 1992 ...
The biography of Matilda Kshesinskaya ends on December 5, 1971 - only a few months were not enough for the famous dancer before her 100th birthday. She was buried near Paris, along with her husband and son.
Personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya
History knows that in the period 1892-1894. Matilda was in a relationship with Nicholas Alexandrovich, who would become known as Nicholas II.
Nicholas 2 and Matilda Kshesinskaya historical facts
They met in March 1890, at the final exam. These relations were blessed by the emperor, who organized the first meeting of graduates.
After the exam, the young couple attended a dinner, where communication began and mutual sympathy arose.
An interesting fact: Matilda called Nikolai in her own way - “Niki”.
The couple broke up in 1894, when the Tsarevich announced his engagement to Alice of Hesse. This news broke Kshesinskaya's heart, which she later herself told about ...
Prima ballerina of the Imperial Theater Matilda Kshesinskaya was not only one of the brightest stars of Russian ballet, but also one of the most scandalous and controversial figures in the history of the twentieth century. She was the mistress of Emperor Nicholas II and two Grand Dukes, and later became the wife of Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov. Such women are called fatal - she used men to achieve her goals, weaved intrigues, abused personal connections for career purposes. She is called a courtesan and seductress, although no one disputes her talent and skill.
Maria-Matilda Krzezinska was born in 1872 in St. Petersburg in a family of ballet dancers who came from the family of the ruined Polish counts Krasinski. From childhood, the girl, who grew up in an artistic environment, dreamed of ballet.
At the age of 8, she was sent to the Imperial Theater School, from which she graduated with honors. The imperial family attended her graduation performance on March 23, 1890. It was then that the future Emperor Nicholas II saw her for the first time. Later, the ballerina admitted in her memoirs: “When I said goodbye to the Heir, a feeling of attraction to each other had already crept into his soul, as well as into mine.”
After graduating from college, Matilda Kshesinskaya was enrolled in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater and in her first season took part in 22 ballets and 21 operas. On a gold bracelet with diamonds and sapphires - a gift from the Tsarevich - she engraved two dates, 1890 and 1892. It was the year they met and the year the relationship began. However, their romance did not last long - in 1894, the engagement of the heir to the throne with the princess of Hesse was announced, after which he broke up with Matilda.
Kshesinskaya became a prima ballerina, and the entire repertoire was selected specifically for her. The director of the imperial theaters, Vladimir Telyakovsky, without denying the outstanding abilities of the dancer, said: “It would seem that a ballerina, serving in the directorate, should belong to the repertoire, but here it turned out that the repertoire belongs to M. Kshesinskaya. She considered the ballets her property and could give or not let others dance them.
Prima weaved intrigues and did not allow many ballerinas to go on stage. Even when foreign dancers came on tour, she did not allow them to perform in "their" ballets. She herself chose the time for her performances, performed only at the height of the season, allowed herself long breaks, during which she stopped classes and indulged in entertainment. At the same time, Kshesinskaya was the first of the Russian dancers to be recognized as a world star. She impressed foreign audiences with her skill and 32 fouettes in a row.
Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich took care of Kshesinskaya and indulged all her whims. She went on stage wearing insanely expensive Faberge jewelry. In 1900, on the stage of the Imperial Theater, Kshesinskaya celebrated the 10th anniversary of her creative activity (although before her ballerinas gave benefit performances only after 20 years on stage). At dinner after the performance, she met Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, with whom she began a stormy romance. At the same time, the ballerina continued to officially live with Sergei Mikhailovich.
In 1902, a son was born to Kshesinskaya. Paternity was attributed to Andrei Vladimirovich. Telyakovsky did not choose expressions: “Is this really a theater, and am I really in charge of this? Everyone is happy, everyone is happy and glorifies the extraordinary, technically strong, morally impudent, cynical, impudent ballerina, who lives simultaneously with the two Grand Dukes and not only does not hide this, but, on the contrary, weaves this art into her stinking cynical wreath of human carrion and debauchery ".
After the revolution and the death of Sergei Mikhailovich, Kshesinskaya and her son fled to Constantinople, and from there to France. In 1921, she married Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, receiving the title of Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya. In 1929, she opened her own ballet studio in Paris, which was a success thanks to her big name.
She died at the age of 99, outliving all her eminent patrons. The debate about her role in the history of ballet continues to this day. And out of her entire long life, only one episode is usually mentioned:
