12 March 1917. Lili Dehn

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The winter afternoon was fast drawing in, and I found the Empress alone in her boudoir. At the sight of the Empress, so tragically alone, so helpless in the midst of the signs and splendour of temporal power, I could hardly restrain my tears. Controlling myself with an effort, I tried to steady my voice: “Permit me to remain with you, Madame," I entreated.

The Empress looked at me without speaking. Then she took me in her arms and held me close, and kissed me many times, saying as she did so:

“I cannot ask you to do this, Lili."

"But I must, Madame,” I answered "Please, please let me stay. I can't go back to Petrograd and leave you here."

The Empress told me that she had tried to phone the Emperor, and that she had been unable to do so.

“But I have wired him, asking him to return immediately. He'll be here on Wednesday morning."

I spent the evening with the Empress in the mauve boudoir, and she told me how glad she was to have me near her.

“I know the Grand Duchesses want you to be somewhere close to their room, so I’ve decided that the red drawing-room will be the best place for you to sleep. Come with me. Anastasie is waiting for us,” she said.

The red drawing-room was a fine room everything in it was upholstered in scarlet, and scarlet and white chintz covered the easy chairs. A bed had been arranged on one of the couches, and the two Grand Duchesses, with tender solicitude, had seen to the minor details themselves. Anastasie’s nightgown lay outside the coverlet, Marie had put a lamp and an ikon on the table by the bed; and a snapshot of Titi, taken from their collection of photographs, had been hastily framed, and occupied a place next to the holy ikon. How dearly I loved them all... how glad I was that I was privileged to share their danger!

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Leonid Andreyev

1, Moyka embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Today is one of the greatest and most joyous days for Russia. What a day!

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21 Like

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Felix Yusupov

Rakitnoe estate, Kurskaya guberniya, Russain Empire

The world has gone mad and is dying before our very eyes.

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18 Like

2 Comment

Vladimir Mayakovsky

Citizens!
This is the first day of the workers’ deluge.
We come to the aid of the muddled-up world.
Let crowds rock the skies with their stamp and yelling!

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30 Like

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Alexandra Feodorovna

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

-9°C. I had lunch upstairs with Lily. Horrible things are happening in St Petersburg. Revolution.

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8 Like

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Nicholas II

Mogilev, Stavka, Russian Empire

Riots broke out several days ago in Petrograd; regrettably soldiers have begun taking part in them. A vile feeling to be so far away and to receive scraps of bad news.

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13 Like

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Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I went to the war minister and passed on through Nicky’s apparatus those measures that must be taken immediately as to calm the onset of the revolution, namely the resignation of the whole cabinet, and then entrusting Duke Lvov to chose a new cabinet at his discretion. I added that the answer should be given right now, since time does not wait, every hour is important. The answer was: do not make any changes before I arrive.

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Mikhail Rodzianko

32, Kirochnaya street, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich arrived in Petrograd, and we had a meeting with him in the company of the Chairman of the State Duma, his comrade Nekrasov, the secretary of the State Duma Dmitriyukov and member of the Duma Savich. See more

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2 Like

1 Comment

Boris Anrep with Anna Akhmatova

Anrepov's house, Ligovskiy avenue 3/9, Petrograd, Russian Empire

I don’t think much about the revolution. There is only one thought, one wish: to meet Anna Andreevna. I crossed the Neva on foot to avoid the barricades erected around the bridges. I remember a prison escapee, a boy aged about eighteen and seized by panic, who asked me for directions to the Varshavskiy train station. Staggering, I made my way to the house of Szreznevskiy, rung the bell and Anna Andreevna opened the door. “You? On a day like this? Officers are kidnapped on the streets”. – “I removed my epaulettes”. See more

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15 Like

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Olga Paley

Pashkovsky lane, 2, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The ground is truly giving way underneath our feet. The prisons are wide open, and their malcontents have positioned themselves at the heads of political movements. Slowly but surely our regiments are going over to the enemy camp, and rumors abound that the First Infrantry Regiment billeted at Tsarskoye Selo has thrown in its lot with the rebels.

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8 Like

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Alexander Kerensky

Shpalernaya, 47, the Tauride Palace, Petrograd, Russian Empire

The decision to create an Interim council with unlimited powers.

At 1PM the soldiers were still not there, thus, when somebody finally called out to me from the vestibule, announcing the arrival of the soldiers, I rushed to the window, barely believing in such an eventuality. See more

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4 Like

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Vladimir Mayakovsky

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I walked along side the motorcars toward the Duma. I popped into Radzianko's office. I inspected Miliukov. He was silent. But for some reason it seemed to me that he was stuttering. I was bored an hour later. I left.

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12 Like

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Pablo Picasso

Grand - Hotel "Vesuvio" 45, Partenope street, Naples, Italy

All the women in Naples are beautiful. Everything is very easy here.

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10 Like

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Feodor Chaliapin

performs the role of the Miller in A. Dargomyzhsky's opera "The Mermaid"

Big Hall of People's house, Petrograd, Russian Empire

Alexander Spiridovich

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Legitimate power was gone. There is anarchy in the city. There is no other solution. We need to assume power. Rodzianko hesitates. He has already made many revolutionary moves but keeps repeating, “I do not wish to rebel.” Wavered in his conviction by heated arguments, tired, and stressed out, Rodzianko asked to give him “a quarter of an hour” to think it through calmly. See more

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Alexander Kerensky

Petrograd, Russian Empire

We signed a law permitting the publication of a first revolutionary newspaper, “The Duma Report Bulletin,” since all the city publications were on strike and the capital did not have accurate news of what was happening. I remember that, while signing it, I could not stop myself from laughing.

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