Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia's letter to her daughter Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, dated December 30, 1907

Source:

Olga Grigor'eva at lastromanovs on VK

https://vk.com/lastromanovs?w=wall-56510987_31694

Above: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, formerly Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, photographed by Boasson and Eggler.

Above: Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, photographed by Rotary Photographic Co.

Alexandra Feodorovna (born May 25/June 6, 1872, died July 17, 1918) was Empress of Russia from her marriage to Tsar Nicholas II on November 14/26, 1894 until his forced abdication on March 2/15, 1917. Born as Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt or of Hesse and by Rhine, she was given the name and patronymic Alexandra Feodorovna upon her conversion to Russian Orthodoxy and her reception into the Church. She and her immediate family were all killed while in Bolshevik captivity in 1918, during the Russian Revolution. In 1981 and in 2000 the Russian Orthodox Church canonised her as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer and New Martyr.

A favourite granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Alexandra was, like her grandmother, one of the most famous royal carriers of the genetic bleeding disease hemophilia. Her youngest child and only son, the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia, was born with the disease, a fact which, for the rest of her life, plagued Alexandra with extreme guilt and anxiety that was so severe that it negatively affected her physical health and prematurely aged her. Her reputation for encouraging her husband's resistance to the surrender of autocratic authority and her deep devotion to the mystic Grigori Rasputin severely damaged her popularity and reputation and those of the Romanov monarchy in its final years.

The letter:

Dec. 30th 1907. Ц. С.

My darling little Marie,

I hope you will be able to read this letter all alone, tho' it is in English. Many thanks for yr. nice letter.

I am delighted that you are all so much better — God grant I shall soon see you all again. — I am going to have quite a party in my bedroom to luncheon; Papa, Olga & Anastasia; is it not grand?

My headache has quite passed, but the head feels still rather tired. —

Now I must read the Bible & prayers, as I do not go to Church — I hope you & Tatiana do so too. —

Very fondest kisses, my little girly dear, fr. yr. loving old

Mama. —

God bless you. —

German translation (my own):

30. Dezember 1907. Zarskoje Selo.

Meine liebe kleine Marie,

Ich hoffe, Du könnest diesen Brief selbstständig lesen, obwohl er auf Englisch geschrieben ist. Vielen Dank für deinen netten Brief.

Ich freue mich, dass es euch allen so viel besser geht — Gott gewähre, dass ich ihr alle bald wiedersehen werde. — Ich werde zum Mittagessen in meinem Schlafzimmer ziemlich gute Gesellschaft haben; Papa, Olga und Anastasia; ist es nicht großartig?

Meine Kopfschmerzen sind ganz verschwunden, aber der Kopf fühlt sich noch ziemlich müde an.

Jetzt muss ich die Bibel und die Gebete lesen, da ich nicht in die Kirche gehe — ich hoffe, du und Tatiana tun es auch. —

Ganz zarte Küsse, mein kleines liebes Mädchen, von deinem liebenden alten

Mama. —

Gott segne dich. —

Russian translation (by Olga Grigor'eva):

30 Декабря 1907. Ц. С.

Моя дорогая маленькая Мари,

Я надеюсь, что ты сумеешь прочесть это письмо самостоятельно, хотя оно написано по-английски. Благодарю за твое милое письмо.

Я рада, что вам всем намного лучше. Бог даст, я скоро всех вас снова увижу. Я собираюсь устроить обед в спальне с Папа, Ольгой и Анастасией; разве это не грандиозно? Головная боль у меня совсем прошла, но чувствуется еще усталость. Сейчас я должна почитать Библию и молитвы, так как не хожу в Церковь. Я надеюсь, что ты и Татьяна тоже так сделаете.

Очень нежные поцелуи моей маленькой дорогой девочке от любящей старой

Мама.

Храни тебя Бог.