The political question is now merging with the military question
There has been a revolution, but a revolution that has turned everything on its head. Everything is upside down. The day comes, and this is the picture that greets us: everything is upside down. And they tell us this is how we must live. See more
Nobody knows anything. Cut off from the world. There is no battle. Silence, once in a while one can see the blue sky. Telephones for private conversations are off. There is rumour of a railway strike. See more
As before, I have been getting up late, but every morning, I am visited by my dear children and grandchildren. Later I went out onto my balcony again. The weather is beautiful, but nothing brings me joy anymore. I suddenly felt ill and for some reason I was sick. See more
The last two days have passed without disturbance, and yesterday it was generally believed that Kerensky's troops would be here by now and that the situation would be liquidated. See more
By the morning we should have been in Petrograd, but we had only gotten as far as Tsarskoye Selo. That same day an anti-Bolshevik revolt broke out in the capital. At four in the afternoon I was called to the telephone. See more
We strolled toward the Imperial Palaces, along the edge of the vast, dark gardens, their fantastic pavilions and ornamental bridges looming uncertainly in the night, and soft water splashing from the fountains. See more
We ought to endeavour to gain and keep the control of the war to which our strength entitles us, using that strength to sustain our Allies without allowing them to lose their self-reliance. We should be careful not to dissipate our strength or melt it down to the average level of exhausted nations. See more
We got up at 7 o'clock when it was still completely dark and at 8 o'clock we went to Mass. After the second tea we took a walk. The weather was mild and overcast, I wrote to Olga [Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, sister of Nicholas]. I began the tenth volume of Leskov. Today we repaired a collection of things donated by the people for use of the army on the front.