RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HISTORY (AND OTHER THINGS)

“The birth was prolonged, extremely difficult, and agonizing. When the obstetrician saw that the Grand Duchess's natural strength was failing, he reported this to the Palatine and received His Highness's consent to use tools, with which he delivered the infant, who had lived only a few hours. The doctors instructed me to inform the Grand Duchess of the princess's death. Dressed in sacred vestments, I stood at Her Highness's bedside and, after reciting the prescribed prayers for childbirth, congratulated the Grand Duchess. She replied that the birth had been extremely painful, but that she knew nothing for certain about her daughter's condition. With due reverence, I told her that Her Highness's dearest daughter had passed on to the ranks of angels. The compassionate mother was not struck by this sad news, but with a calm spirit and a firm voice said, "I thank God that my daughter has passed on to the ranks of angels, without ever experiencing the sorrows to which we are subjected here!" Until the last moments before her death, Her Highness gave all the doctors hope for her recovery; she was constantly occupied with the arrangement of the garden, which His Highness the Palatine had given her after the birth. The Grand Duchess often deigned to repeat to me that, as a lover of gardening, I would arrange everything there to her complete satisfaction, which itself later gave me the idea and served as a kind of irrevocable testament, that upon Her Highness's death, a Russian church would be erected in Her Highness's own garden and the tomb would be transferred there, with daily services of the Holy Liturgy and commemorations for six weeks. On the morning of the ninth day after giving birth, the Grand Duchess greatly delighted everyone with her recovery, having been declared by the doctors to be out of any danger. The Palatine at the court, as well as the entire assembly, having learned of this, were very cheerful; but to our greatest sorrow, by midday our joy turned to despair. Her Highness, feeling a strong fever, began to become delirious: in this state and in a fitful slumber, she often repeated that it was too cramped and stuffy for her to live here, and begged her parents to build at least a small house for her in Russia!.. Towards evening the fever and weakness increased; around midnight she grew extremely exhausted and was only just able to order her husband to be summoned to her, whom, she kissed and said: "Do not forget me, my dear Joseph!" Having said this, she lost the power of speech and began to moan. I was called to prayer; having donned the sacred vestments, I stood before Her Highness's altar and, making the sign of the cross over it, raised it to her lips. The faithful daughter of the Orthodox Church quickly turned her tear-filled eyes upon the image of the Crucified Savior, kissed it with all Christian fervor, then pressed it tightly to her bosom. As I knelt beside her bed, reading the prayers, it seemed as if Her Highness, with all possible attention and heartfelt feeling, was assisting those prayers. Thus was this pious and immaculate soul preparing for the heavenly realms. At half past five in the morning, she surrendered her soul to the Creator.”

“Who knows what legends might one day bloom, like flowers, from the unmarked grave of those four innocent young women? Since the time of the early martyrs, the blood of the innocent has possessed the extraordinary power to turn into roses.”

“On June 12 [June 24th New Style], 1825, our beloved sister Adini (Alexandra) was born, our ray of sunshine, which the Lord gave us and whom He was pleased to take back to Himself so soon!”

“April 20 / May 2 1870

I had just begun to fall asleep when I was woken up and asked to come downstairs; it was 4:30 a.m. I dressed quickly and hurried to the little one; his pulse had suddenly grown weaker and his breathing fainter, prompting Hirsch to send for me as well as for Papa and Mama. The little one was lying on Miss Kamp’s lap, completely unconscious—a state that persisted the entire time. Papa, Mama, Vladimir, and Alexei arrived by 5:15 and stayed with us all day. Minnie and I remained downstairs the whole time; around 11 o'clock, we went to my study for a moment to have some coffee, then returned to the little one, who spent the entire time lying on the laps of Minnie, Mama, and Miss Kamp in turn. The doctors came, but there was no longer any hope, as the pressure on the brain had intensified; the little one was completely unresponsive and hardly opened his eyes at all. What torment and anguish it was to see him and wait for the end. Around 1:15, Minnie took our darling Alexander onto her lap for the last time, while I kept applying cold compresses to his head. We were both so exhausted that we kept dozing off and could barely stay upright. His breathing grew increasingly rapid, and his pulse raced so fast it was impossible to count—surely over 200 beats per minute. Then his breathing began to weaken noticeably, and by 3:30, our sweet darling—our little angel—was gone from this world. He died on Minnie’s lap; his face took on such an angelic look, appearing exactly as if he were asleep. What a terrible moment that was—yet even worse was the entire day of emotional suffering, waiting, and profound sorrow. After saying their final goodbyes, Papa, Mama, Marie, and the brothers left, but Minnie and I remained behind for a while; later, I practically insisted that Minnie come to my room so she could catch her breath and have some tea. At 4:30, we went back downstairs and bathed our darling boy; then we dressed him in a short white gown and laid him on his bed in the room next to the bedroom—the very room where he had passed away. He looked so beautiful, with such a happy expression—even a smile—that it was impossible to tear oneself away from him. Minnie and I went to my study to write telegrams, and at 7 o’clock I carried our angel upstairs—with Minnie following behind—and laid him once more in his little bed in the reception room next to Minnie’s study, where the bed and the surrounding area had been arranged and decorated with flowers. The first memorial service took place at 8:30; the whole family gathered—our own relatives and others as well. It was heartbreaking to hear a memorial service for our dear son, yet the prayers and the entire service for an infant were truly lovely. When everyone had left, Minnie and I returned to the dear little body, joined by Vladimir and Alexei. We had asked the artist Kramskoi to come; he immediately began a pencil portrait, and it turned out beautifully—capturing him exactly as he looked in bed, along with his expression. God, what a day You have sent us, and what a trial—one we shall never forget for the rest of our lives. Yet, "Thy Will be done, O Lord," and we humble ourselves before You and Your Will. Lord, grant rest to the soul of our baby, our angel Alexander!”

- from the diary of the future Emperor Alexander III of Russia, on the death of his second son, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich.

My translation from:

“I welcome Elizaveta Mikhailovna with the utmost affection and I hope she will be as sweet as her older sister […] Kiss your wife’s hand for me, and embrace Maria and Elizaveta Mikhailovna on behalf of their long-nosed uncle.”