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.
He went to a separate room. What struggle must have taken place in the soul of the former chamber page of Emperor Alexander II, former horse guardsman, the chamberlain of His Majesty’s Court…
Exiting the study and taking the chair, Rodzianko announced that “he agrees.” The Interim Committee declares itself in power. Rodzianko demands full subordination. The revolutionary government has begun to act.
Today is one of the greatest and most joyous days for Russia. What a day!
The world has gone mad and is dying before our very eyes.
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!
-9°C. I had lunch upstairs with Lily. Horrible things are happening in St Petersburg. Revolution.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
All the women in Naples are beautiful. Everything is very easy here.
The next day it was clear that the abscess was not going to burst, and that it would be foolish to count on any lull. The situation was growing worse from hour to hour. See more