The beginning of the 20th century was one of the most controversial and eventful periods in Russian history. Memoirs and documentary evidence of that era are mostly subjective, and during the years of Soviet power they were subject to adjustment and often even falsified. All the more valuable are the few surviving written descriptions of events left by those who were "on the other side of the front." In particular, the diaries that the great Prince Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov kept for many decades, nicknamed during his lifetime as the most august archivist, provide an idea of how the February Revolution, World War I and the October Revolution influenced the private life of Russian aristocrats, as well as find out what they survived in the first years of emigration.
A family
Andrei Vladimirovich (Grand Duke) was born in Tsarskoye Selo on May 2, 1879. His father was the third son of Emperor Alexander II, who proved himself to be a brave commander during the war with Turkey and for many years served as commander of the St. Petersburg Military District. As for the mother of the Grand Duke, she was the daughter of the Grand Duke of Macklenburg-Schwerinsky and held a special position at the Russian court, was known as a big intriguer and sometimes overshadowed even the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna herself.
In addition to Andrei Vladimirovich, the family had four more children:
- Alexander, who died in infancy.
- Cyril, who proclaimed himself in 1924 the All-Russian Emperor, but not recognized by the other great princes and Empress Maria Fedorovna.
- Boris, major general, chieftain of all Cossack troops.
- Elena, who married the Greek Prince Nicholas.
Childhood and youth
Like many other offspring of the royal family, Andrei Vladimirovich (Grand Duke), whose biography is presented below, received a general education at home. He was brought up by his mother, who invited the best teachers of St. Petersburg to study with her sons.
At 16, the young man was enlisted in the service, and after some time he entered the Mikhailovsky Artillery School and graduated from it in 1902.
After completing his studies, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was appointed second lieutenant to the fifth battery of the guards horse-artillery brigade, but decided to continue his education.
To do this, he became a student of the Alexander Military Law Academy and, having graduated from it in the first category, was enlisted in the staff of the military court. Since Andrei Romanov was fluent in several European languages, from 1905 to 1906 he was seconded to his own university to translate military criminal charters of other countries.
Further career
In August 1910, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich was appointed commander of the Fifth Battery of the Life Guards Horse and Artillery Brigade, and a few months later he adopted the Don Cossack Artillery Battery. Around the same period, he was a senator, without the need for a presence in departments.
When the First World War began, Andrei Vladimirovich (the prince, whose biography is known down to the smallest detail) received an order to remain at the General Staff. However, already at the end of the spring of next year he was appointed commander of the horse artillery of the Life Guards, and on August 15 he was promoted to major general.
After the October revolution
On April 3, 1917, even before the start of revolutionary events, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich filed a letter of resignation with a uniform.
After the October events, he moved to Kislovodsk with his mother and older brother Boris. In August 1918, both Grand Dukes were arrested and transported to Pyatigorsk. By a lucky coincidence, the escort commander turned out to be a former artist whom Andrei Vladimirovich once saved from poverty in Paris. He released the brothers under house arrest, and they, together with their adjutant, Colonel F.F. Kube, fled to Kabarda, where they hid in the mountains until the end of September.
In order to be able to leave the country in the event of a negative development of the situation, the Grand Dukes moved with their mother to the port city of Anapa. At the end of 1918, General Poole, the chief of the English base in Russia, also arrived there. He handed Maria Pavlovna an official proposal by the UK government to go abroad under the protection of his military.
The Grand Duchess refused to leave her homeland and noted that she would do this only if there was no other way out. In response, General Poole asked whether Andrei Vladimirovich intended to join the volunteer army, to which Maria Pavlovna stated that members of the Romanov dynasty had never taken and would not take part in the Civil War.
Escape
In March 1919, Boris Vladimirovich left Anapa, who was accompanied by his future wife Zinaida Rashevskaya. Soon the British sent a ship for Maria Pavlovna again, and Admiral Seymour invited her and her son to go to Constantinople if the Bolsheviks approached the city.
The Grand Duchess again refused and moved to Kislovodsk, where she lived with her son until December 1919.
When it became clear that the white movement lost hopelessly, representatives of the royal family moved to Novorossiysk, where they lived in cars for about a month, until on February 19 they left Russia on the steamer Semiramida. Arriving in Constantinople, mother and son received French visas and went to Europe.
Marriage
In March 1920, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich arrived in the city of Cap d'Ail on the Riviera (France), in the villa of the famous ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya. In different years, this woman was the mistress of the future Tsar Nicholas, as well as the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. However, the real love of the ballerina was Andrei Vladimirovich, from whom she gave birth to a boy who received the name Krasinsky.
After the revolution, Kshesinskaya followed the Grand Duke with her child and lived next door to him in Kislovodsk, Anapa and Novorossiysk, since Maria Pavlovna was categorically against the relationship of her son with a woman who was characterized by immoral behavior.
In 1921, after the death of his mother, Andrei Vladimirovich finally married Matilda Feliksovna, and also adopted Vladimir Krasinsky, who received the patronymic of Andreevich.
Life in exile
After the death of the imperial family, Grand Duke Cyril became one of the likely contenders for the Russian throne. The younger brother fully supported him, despite the opposition of the other members of the royal family.
Moreover, he took over the duties of the august representative of the Emperor Cyril I in France. It is also known that he spoke out in favor of Anna Anderson, who posed as Grand Duchess Anastasia - the daughter of Emperor Nicholas II, but later, under pressure from the imperial family, refused his recognition.
During the Second World War
During the fascist occupation of France, Vladimir Krasinsky was arrested by the Gestapo as a member of the Union of Young Russians, adhering to pro-Soviet views. When Andrei Vladimirovich found out that the young man was imprisoned in a concentration camp, he was almost distraught with grief. He rushed around Paris and sought help from representatives of the Russian emigration, but did not receive support anywhere. Only after 4 months of imprisonment, Vladimir Krasinsky was released, having withdrawn from him charges of “harmful” activities against Germany.
In the postwar period
After the liberation of France, Andrei Vladimirovich actively participated in the life of emigrant organizations. In particular, since 1947 he headed the Russian Guards Association. Then the health of Andrei Vladimirovich deteriorated sharply, and he was ill for a long time. In addition, the financial resources of the Grand Duke and Matilda Feliksovna were greatly depleted, and they managed only with the help of the nephew of Vladimir Kirillovich and former students of his wife.
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich: awards
Over the years of his service in the army, A. Romanov repeatedly received rewards from the command. In particular, in the pre-revolutionary period, he became a holder of orders:
- St. Andrew the First-Called.
- St. Alexander Nevsky.
- St. Anne I Art.
- White eagle
- St. Stanislav I Art.
- St. Vladimir and others
In addition, he was repeatedly awarded orders and medals by the monarchs of Bulgaria, Serbia, Prussia and so on.
Now you know who Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov (Grand Duke) was. His life story could have been completely different if he had not been born in an era of great change that changed the fate of millions of people around the world.