by Coryne Hall
At the beginning of March Mathilde took Vova to join Andrei in the Villa Morlat in Cap d’Ail. The Grand Duke had hired a cook, Margot, who proved to be first-class and quickly learnt to prepare the traditional Russian dishes. There was also a young Swiss butler, Arnold, impeccable in a frockcoat, who delighted Mathilde on their first evening by decorating the dinner table with red roses tied into knots of dark blue ribbon. Botin, the gardener, and Antoinette the kitchen maid completed the staff. Arnold gave Mathilde a white pigeon which was so tame that it walked around the table and shared her breakfast. It flew into the garden during the day but always returned to the villa at dusk.
They spent Easter in Cannes, where Andrei and Vova attended services at the Russian Church, returning for supper in Mathilde’s suite at the newly opened Carlton Hotel. Although Mathilde was a Catholic she always took special care to order the traditional pashka, a rich creamy desert made in a pyramid-shaped mould, and kulich, thick round cylindrical Easter bread topped with white icing and the symbol XB – Christ is Risen. The owner of the local confectioner’s was a German but he had learnt to cater for the large Russian community. Also on the table that evening were a set of green crystal glasses, two silver vases and some silverware, Mathilde’s Easter presents from Grand Dukes Andrei and Sergei.
Andrei and Mathilde liked the South of France. The climate agreed with his health, they had many friends in the area, there were invitations to accept and a constant round of entertaining. Andrei took the opportunity to visit his cousin Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, who had taken a whole floor at the lavish Hotel du Parc in Cannes. The Tsar’s only surviving brother had recently been banished from Russia for marrying his mistress Mme Natasha Wulfert (who now took the name Natasha Brasova), a twice-divorced woman by whom he already had a two-year-old son George. Andrei must have reflected that ‘he had everything to lose and nothing to gain’ by marrying Mathilde.28
Mathilde and Andrei found life there so agreeable that when they learnt the Villa Morlat would not be available to lease that autumn they decided to find a home of their own. The agent assured them that it was possible to buy an appropriate property for a very modest sum but the price of the most suitable villa, which had no central heating and needed repairs, was 200,000 francs (over £385,000 in today’s values). Mathilde called in an architect, who told her that the cost of this work would be 20,000 francs. Mathilde therefore offered 180,000 francs, which was rejected. The agent advised her to be patient as the owner had to sell. Sure enough, a few weeks later Andrei was able to buy the villa in Mathilde’s name for 180,000 francs, equivalent to over £346,000 today.
At the beginning of June they returned to Russia. Andrei left for Kostroma to take part in the tercentenary celebrations there, while Mathilde and Vova moved to Strelna.
There were no large parties at Strelna that summer, nor did Mathilde appear at Krasnoe Selo. This disappointed Grand Duke Dimitri who, through the administration of the theatre, made it known that he expected her to be at the next performance even if she would not be dancing. Mathilde spent the evening chatting to Dimitri in her dressing room.
Friends came to the dacha to play poker (Mathilde refused to play bridge). Sometimes she entertained Grand Duke Dimitri and his fellow officers stationed at Peterhof, sending her car to bring them over for supper. Once the party lasted until dawn. Unfortunately Dimitri, as ADC to the Tsar, had to attend a ceremonial parade that morning at which Nicholas’s elder daughters would ride as honorary colonels of their regiments (Olga the Hussars and Tatiana the Uhlans). Mathilde attended the parade with Julie and Ali. With a surge of emotion she saw the Tsar appear and, with a sigh of relief, spotted Dimitri behind him. The Grand Duke had just found time to dash back to St Petersburg, change and return to Peterhof before the parade began.
The white pigeon also returned with her to Strelna. It was now so tame that it perched on Mathilde’s head. The bird’s best friend was Djibi, Mathilde’s fox terrier, and dog and pigeon slept on the ballerina’s bed. In the St Petersburg mansion the bird lived in the Winter Garden, where it could come and go freely.
When Mathilde returned to the south of France that autumn it was to live in her own home. Villa Alam (so called because it was the diminutive of Mathilde in French, ‘Mala’, spelt backwards) was in a wonderful position on the edge of a mountain overlooking the sea. While final repairs were being finished she and Andrei stayed at the Eden Hotel in Cannes, where Mathilde spent the time ordering furniture in Nice for Andrei’s bedroom.
There were celebrations when they finally moved into Villa Alam. Mathilde was overjoyed at living with Andrei in such a delightful setting. However, they quickly discovered that the villa was not large enough and workmen were soon dynamiting the cliff to build a lower house.
After two idyllic months Mathilde returned to St Petersburg while Andrei, whose health was again giving cause for concern, left to spend the winter in St Moritz. They were sad to part and Mathilde wanted to join him for the Catholic Christmas. As Vova had to remain at home to study Mathilde left for Switzerland with Djibi and Misha Alexandrov.
Although the visitors’ list for the area makes no mention of Mathilde’s arrival, it shows that Andrei and his ADC arrived at the Kulm Hotel on 19 November/2 December.29 Mathilde resumed her skating lessons and in the afternoon they went for sleigh rides, towing Misha behind on a toboggan. One day Misha’s toboggan overturned, throwing him into a pit. Unfortunately, Mathilde and Andrei failed to notice – they had fallen asleep. Mathilde’s dog Djibi loved to jump in the deep snow when they walked in the woods. In the evenings they returned to warm themselves beside the fire in their suite, with its magical Christmas tree.
After two lovely weeks together Mathilde returned home for the Russian Christmas on 7 January. She had planned a special party for Vova and his friends. An enormous Christmas tree stood near the Winter Garden, with chairs for the children around it. Dourov, the famous clown, came with his performing animals which this year included an elephant. It was with some difficulty that they smuggled the large animal into the house and hid it in the cloakroom, but the delight on the children’s faces was evident when the elephant appeared, lay on a bed and took up a chamber pot. Afterwards every child received a present from the tree.
Mathilde returned to St Moritz after Christmas to find other Romanovs in residence. ‘H.I.H. the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia and his wife Mme Natalie de Brassov [sic] have an apartment in the Suvretta House [Hotel]’, reported the Alpine Post & Engadine Express on 27 January 1914. While Michael and Andrei went skiing, Mathilde and Natasha contented themselves with forays on to the ice-rink and long sleigh rides swathed in furs. The sight of these two women caused a stir in St Moritz – one the prima ballerina assoluta of the Maryinsky Theatre and mistress of Grand Duke Andrei, the other ‘the most notorious woman in high society’, yet both ‘clearly adored by the two proud Grand Dukes hovering around them’.30
Natasha had married her Grand Duke and the penalty was banishment. Mathilde’s fate would be different.
On 9 February 1914 there was a benefit performance to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Nicolai Legat’s entry into the Imperial Theatres. His friendship with Mathilde had stood the test of time and now that Nijinsky was dancing with Diaghilev’s company Legat was again Mathilde’s regular partner. Sometimes she gave his ‘common-law wife’ Nadine a piece of jewellery if she would allow Mathilde to ‘borrow’ Nicolai to partner her.31
For his benefit performance Legat chose Esmeralda, and that evening one of Mathilde’s dearest wishes was fulfilled. Just before the start of the ballet she learnt that the Tsar would be in the audience with the Dowager Empress and his daughters Olga, Maria and Anastasia. Mathilde always performed Esmeralda with genuine ardour but with Nicholas in the audience she danced as if her own fate was at stake. When she and Legat, as Esmeralda and Gringoire, had to dance before Phoebus and his fiancée she had real tears in her eyes and gave a more powerful performance than at any ti
me before. Nicholas can have been left in no doubt as to the message. Unfortunately, Mathilde never learnt what effect she had on the Tsar. Nicholas usually confided his impressions to Sergei Michaelovich but the Grand Duke was not in the capital that day.
The winter season of 1913/14 was especially splendid, with a series of brilliant balls and parties given by the aristocracy. Mathilde was a regular patron of the Hotel Astoria in St Isaac’s Square, where many wonderful parties were held, both in the elegant public dining-rooms and in the private rooms above. She was a frequent guest at the French restaurant after the ballet, usually accompanied by a party of friends. ‘They would arrive in sleighs, the men in uniform, the women swathed in expensive furs,’ recalled Joseph Vecci, the restaurant’s manager.32
Mathilde turned down an offer to appear in the new production of The Sleeping Beauty, which would be attended by the Tsar. Instead she left for the Riviera to meet Andrei, leaving Nicholas with the memory of Esmeralda.
The consecration of Villa Alam took place on 27 February/12 March 1914, Andrei noted in the villa’s guest book. As well as Mathilde and Andrei, the other signatories were the Archpriest Gregory Ostroounov, who had travelled specially from Cannes, Vova, his tutor George Pflüger, Dr George Maak and Andrei’s ADC Kube.
The new annexe had been completed. On the ground floor was an extensive garage with a flat for the chauffeur, a laundry and the central-heating boiler. Above were four guest rooms with views over the sea, rooms for Kube, Dr Maak and Andrei’s valet Lednev, as well as two maids’ rooms and two lavatories. The roof of this new house was a continuation of the terrace of the original villa.
Margot and Arnold had followed them from Villa Morlat. Vova had two tutors and his personal valet Koulakov, and Mathilde’s dresser Ludmilla Roumiantzeva also joined them.
Sergei Michaelovich and Philippe Ledé arrived in time for Easter and among the guests that spring were Frederick Meltzer, owner of the St Petersburg furniture factory, K. Raguso-Suszezewski (a prominent friend of Mathilde), Misha Alexandrov, Dimitri Guinsberg (the collaborator of Diaghilev), and Nicholas Johnson, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich’s secretary who was later killed with him in Perm. They often went to Nice, Cannes or Monte Carlo for dinner.
They left the Riviera early in May, having bought some additional land on which to build a tennis court and a miniature fort for Vova. Mathilde decided to travel home via Paris, so that she could buy presents and order some new clothes from the couturiers.
As they left Cap d’Ail, planning to come back in the autumn, they little knew under what different circumstances they would return. The timely purchase of Villa Alam would prove of enormous benefit during the difficult years ahead.
Eleven
‘THE BIRD HAS FLOWN!’
As Mathilde arrived at Strelna to prepare the celebrations for Vova’s twelfth birthday, dark clouds were gathering over Europe. The situation was particularly tense in the Balkans, where the Serbs had bitterly resented Austrian rule since the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1908.
On 15/28 June 1914, the old Emperor’s heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his morganatic wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, paid an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. During the morning, after they had survived one failed attempt on their lives, their driver mistakenly took the wrong route. As he stopped to reverse in the narrow streets of the old town two pistol shots rang out. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie slumped forward, mortally wounded. Within fifteen minutes they were both dead.
The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a nineteen-year-old Serbian student. His pistol shots signalled the end of the old European order.
Three days later Vova’s birthday was celebrated at Strelna with a well-rehearsed ritual. In the morning he dressed in military tunic, decorations and sword and rode in his child’s motor car (a present from Grand Duke Sergei) to his little house for breakfast. Then he received his many presents. The favourite that year was Andrei’s gift of a small piglet with a blue bow round its neck, sitting in a basket. Vova called the piglet Masha and soon it accompanied him everywhere.
Joseph took a cine film of Mathilde’s guests during that long hot summer of 1914 as they enjoyed lazy days in the garden and went boating on the lake. During a garden fête three-year-old Celina made a charming curtsey to Nicholas II’s adjutant and then rode in a donkey cart with Vova while the adults waved. Celina loved to visit her aunt, who always gave wonderful presents.1 They were all blissfully unaware that the world they knew was about to end.
Belgrade was swarming with students vowing retribution against Austria and an enquiry soon established that the Archduke’s murder had been planned there with the help of Serbian officials. Austria, determined on revenge, was assured by Germany that it would receive assistance if Russia entered a conflict. By mid-July it seemed war was imminent.
Mathilde went to Krasnoe Selo where President Poincaré of France, who was on a state visit, attended the review on 10 July before returning home. As soon as he had left Russia, Austria presented Serbia with an ultimatum in terms so harsh they would be impossible to accept. Forty-eight hours was allowed for a reply. When Serbia accepted all the points except one, Austria said this was unsatisfactory and declared war. Austrian troops bombarded Belgrade and Serbia appealed to Russia, traditional protector of the Slavs, for help.
It was in this uncertain atmosphere that Vova’s name day was celebrated on 15 July with a mock bullfight, complete with the King of Spain (Vova), Queen of Spain, toreador (the son of Mathilde’s housekeeper) and two of Vova’s friends dressed as a bull.
To add to the uncertainty, Sergei was away. At the end of June he was travelling near Lake Baikal. By 1 July he was in Chita, confined to bed for the previous three days with a high temperature. ‘The doctor says it is “flu”,’ he telegraphed. A few days later he was able to travel but ‘because I am not going to be well yet on my arrival I will be at Mikhailovskoe,’ he said. He reached Moscow on 8 July and was able to telegraph to Mathilde that ‘yesterday was the first day my temperature was normal. I am hoping that this evening if you are not busy you will come to Mikhailovskoe,’ he added.2
The last performance at Krasnoe Selo took place amid enthusiastic demonstrations. As the Emperor entered the auditorium he received a tremendous ovation and ‘God Save the Tsar’ was sung with special fervour. Mathilde performed her Russian dance, little realising it was the last time that Nicholas would see her on the stage. Afterwards she stood at her dressing room window to watch him leave the theatre, as she had done as a young girl. This time Nicholas looked troubled.
The Tsar had already partially mobilised his huge army and, assured of the support of his ally, France, commenced full mobilisation on 18/31 July. Austria, France and Germany then mobilised and on 19 July/1 August Germany declared war on Russia.
On Sunday 20 July/2 August Mathilde was at Peterhof to see the Tsar leave for the capital, where he would issue a formal proclamation of war. It was the last time she would see her beloved Nicky. Soon the hostilities engulfed Europe. Germany declared war on France and marched into Belgium. This violation of Belgian neutrality caused Britain to enter the fray. Austria declared war on Russia and a week later Britain was at war with Austria. Everyone expected the conflict to be over by Christmas. ‘Lunch in Paris, dinner in St Petersburg,’ was how the German Kaiser summed up his expectations.3
Russia was in no state to withstand the strain of a protracted war. Vast distances and incomplete railways made mobilisation difficult, reserves of rifles and ammunition were limited, field guns, heavy artillery and shells were in short supply. Only in manpower was Russia supreme. Over 1,400,000 men were mobilised and there were another 1,300,000 reserves. The Germans knew their hopes of victory rested on crushing France before the ‘Russian steamroller’ could turn on them, and within a month they were only 30 miles south of Paris. As a wave of anti-German hysteria swept over St Petersburg, the Tsar changed the German name St Petersburg to the Slav name of Petrogr
ad.4
Nicholas appointed his tall, imposing cousin Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich (Nicholasha) Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies. There were two main commands, the north-west front against Germany and the south-west against Austria-Hungary. As Cossacks raided East Prussia the Germans panicked and sent Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff to the eastern front with reinforcements. At the Battle of Tannenberg Russia suffered a resounding defeat. The Russian second army ceased to exist and General Samsonov shot himself in despair. Shortly afterwards the Russians were driven back to the frontier.
Andrei left for a relatively safe appointment on General Ruzsky’s staff at the headquarters of the north-west front and Julie’s husband Ali was appointed commandant of six field hospitals. The Tsar’s brother Michael, permitted to return to Russia because of the war, was given command of the ‘Savage Division’ in Galicia and later earned the Cross of St George for bravery. Boris was appointed commander of the Guards Regiment of Ataman Cossacks, which allowed him to travel more or less as he liked and stay well away from any fighting. Grand Duke George Michaelovich went to Kiev to organise the evacuation of the wounded and five of Grand Duke Constantine’s sons served in the Guards. By the end of September the war had claimed the life of the talented young Prince Oleg, who had often joined in Mathilde’s private theatricals.
Mathilde naturally found it hard to say goodbye to the Uhlan officers stationed at Peterhof, who had become her close friends. She blessed each of them with her father’s icon of Our Lady of Czenstokow, for which Fabergé had made a protective silver case. The only officer who did not come for a blessing was killed during the first week of the conflict. Grand Duke Dimitri, unable to go to Strelna, asked Mathilde to come to the capital. There was a poignant moment as the young man knelt before the icon at her mansion to receive the blessing. Dimitri served at the front until the autumn of 1914 but was then transferred to headquarters.
