The Diary of Olga Romanov (11 page)

Tuesday. 26th April.

Massage and to the infirmary. Mama also. Papa arrived yesterday.
⁴
Ate with Mama, tea and dinner on the balcony. Warm, a little windy…. We 4 rode with Nastenka. Had a singing lesson. Helped Aleksei with homework, later rode with him and Vladimir Nikolaevich. In the evening went to our [infirmary] to clean the instruments. Mama has facial pains again and [her] heart [is] not too good.

—

From the memoir of V. I. Chebotareva:

May 1916.

Olga Nikolaevna got seriously attached to Shakh Bagov, but it is so pure, naive and hopeless. Strange, unique girl. [She] does not give away her feelings for anything. It is only revealed by a special affectionate timbre in her voice, with which she gives [him] instructions: “Please hold the pillow higher. Are you not tired? Are you not bored?” When he left, the poor thing sat alone for an hour, with her nose in the sewing machine, and sewed so persistently, determinedly. Evidently she inherited her mother's personality. The empress said that she “fell in love with the emperor at twelve years old…but did everything for this marriage not to take place. There is no happiness on this earth, or else one pays dearly for it.” And she paid, dearly, for her own. Is the same fate in store for Olga? She looked assiduously for the pencil-sharpening blade which Shakh Bagov used on the evening of his departure…looked for it all morning and was so happy when she found it. She also saved the calendar page from 6th June, the day of his departure.

—

Thursday. 19th May.

At 9 1/2 we 4 with Mama to our grotto church. Then to the infirmary. Today is the first anniversary of Mitya's being wounded. Iedigarov had dinner and later…told us a mass of interesting things about his trip to Persia. Papa and Aleksei wrote to Mama.
⁵

Friday. 20th May.

At 10 o'clock to Znamenie with T. and to the infirmary. M. and A.
⁶
gave us a lift. Mama came later. Around 12 o'clock Boris Ravtopulo and Mitya arrived. Both with completely shaved heads. Awfully nice to see them. Stood by the window. Trina had breakfast. During the day we 4 rode with her. Sunny, warmer. Had a long singing lesson. Took photos on the balcony of our infirmary. Papa wrote to Mama. Aleksei too. In the evening Mama sang a little.

Thursday. 26th May.

Ate with Mama on the balcony. After 2 o'cl. went to the Grand palace with her. After that rode around. Overcast. Rain after tea. Gathered forget-me-nots and lilies-of-the-valley with her on the Children's Island. After 10 o'cl. to bed. Papa wrote. The news is [good] thank God.

Saturday. 28th May.

Very warm, even hot. Tea on the balcony. Papa wrote. Went to
vsenoshnaya
. Everything is covered with birch trees, so cozy. Mama is tired. In the evening to the infirmary. Left after 12 o'clock.

Saturday. 4th June.

Viktor Erastovich was wounded, Skvotrsov too, but lightly, and 7 Cossacks. 1 was killed. Shurik is ill with typhus. To
Znamenie
and to the infirmary with Mama. Mitya and Borya came before 1 o'clock. Did all as usual. Raining and cold. Anya and Emma Fredericks with her father had breakfast again. During the day rode with Mama in 2 equipages. [We] were cold and wet. Saw Mitya from the Silayevs' window.
Papa wrote. Went to
vsenoshnaya
. In the evening to the infirmary. After 9 o'cl. Mitya and Boris came over. Cleaned instruments and sewed pillows.

Friday. 10th June.

At 9 1/2 we 4 and Mama—to
obednya
. Uncovering of the relics of holy Ioann of Tobolsk.
⁷
During the day we worked in the warehouse of the Grand palace. Dmitri [Pavlovich] had tea. Mama was very tired. Papa wrote.

—

A. Popov, cornet [officer] of the 8th Hussar-Lubensky regiment, 12 June 1916:

I will remember always how I enjoyed my stay at the infirmary. The days when the Empress and the Grand Duchesses visited the infirmary—the brightest days of my life.

—

Thursday. 16th June.

Ate on the balcony. During the day there again, and warmed up in the sun. After tea, with Mama received 5 nurses who were going to Germany. And 4—to Austria. At 6 o'clock went to the garden. Picked flowers with the Derevenkoes.
⁸
The weather is wonderfully summery. Papa and Aleksei wrote.

Friday. 17th June.

At 12 1/2 went to the church graveyard for the colonel's funeral. Ate on the balcony. During the day rode with Isa. At 4 o'clock, cinematograph at the Manege, a French film. Hot, nice. Papa wrote.

Wednesday. 22nd June.

Today is a year from the time when the Little One
⁹
left us for the first time. At 3 o'clock Mama, Anya and I went for a ride. The weather was wonderful. We gathered flowers in the field behind the woods. In the evening—to the infirmary. Mama—also.

—

From a letter of Second Lieutenant Vlanimirsky, Leib. Guard of Lithuanian Regiment, 1916:

It was such joy to see the Empress and the Grand Duchesses, a pleasure to hear their kind words addressed to us, simple soldiers—this memory will never leave our minds, not in good times, not in bad. A big, simple, Russian “Thank You” to the medical personnel for all their attention and care. I am leaving the Infirmary with sadness, a feeling that here I spent the best, the most peaceful and blissful minutes of my life.

—

Sunday. 26th June.

To
obednya
with Mama. Sandro had breakfast on the balcony. Really hot and nice. Not one cloud all day. Papa wrote. At 2 o'clock we 2 with Isa—to the city for the consecration of her hospital for 250 children of the refugees! It was long and boring. The building is excellent. Returned for tea. Later lay out in the sun. Mama went to the dentist. In the evening to the infirmary. Stayed until almost 1 o'clock. Everyone played croquet, [I] sewed pillowcases.

Thursday. 30th June.

Papa did not write, has no time, but Aleksei did. In the evening to the infirmary without Mama. Got home after 11 o'clock. Mama has a headache.

Thursday. 14th July.

Mama and I received German and Austrian nurses. In the evening went to the infirmary. Mama—later. When the cornet arrived, we went into the sitting room. At first he played the fiddle, and I on the piano in the light of one lamp, then he sang in the dark, since it wasn't that scary.

Monday. 18th July.

There was some news about the battalion—16 killed and 76 wounded.

Wednesday. 20th July.

Stopped by Anya's to pick up Mama and to the infirmary. Wrote a lot, took flowers around and etc. Cold and sunny in the evening. Ate on the balcony. Papa wrote. At 2 hrs 20 min. we 2 with Isa—to the city for the charities and small committee.

Friday. 5th August.

At 10 o'clock to
Znamenie
with Mama and to the infirmary. We have 5 new [patients]. All heavily [wounded]. Zaremba had surgery in the evening due to bleeding. After that rode around with Mama and Anya in 2 carriages. In Pavlovsk, while we were picking flowers, Mama's horse on the right suddenly fell down. Returned all together. In the evening to the infirmary—we 4 without Mama. Shupp and Chizhik said goodbye to Mama. Leaving tomorrow. Very sad. Home at 11.45.