The tragic fate of Elizabeth Feodorovna: from the most beautiful princess in Europe to a sister of mercy who accepted martyrdom. Great Mother. How the granddaughter of the Queen of England became a Russian saint Ella of Hesse

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna.1905-1906.

Do you like dry official reports in historical primary sources as much as I do? Do you like reading a certain emotional event in someone’s memoirs, and then suddenly coming across a completely impartial description of the same event - and even in such a form that it becomes clear that the memoirist clearly embellished it, made it up, or simply suffered from a bad memory? And at the same time, the memoirist’s description has been circulating in various books for many years, but several researchers saw the true truth, and either did not convey the truth to the rest of the world, or conveyed it, but not to a wide circle of people...

Many of you know Prince Felix Yusupov and his memoirs. Which, as is clear,
You have to read it with a bucket of salt and skepticism. The prince was an outstanding man, undoubtedly, but he also had enormous imagination and imagination. Much of what he wrote needs to be subjected to comprehensive consideration... just like any memoir.
My mini-investigation will focus on the last meeting of two sisters. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her elder sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. The last meeting is not a huge event, but it is present in almost all biographies of the Grand Duchess and Empress. Why? Because it is connected with the name of Rasputin. At this meeting, the Grand Duchess raised the question of the elder’s disastrous influence on the royal family and the empress in particular. After which, Alexandra Fedorovna became indignant and kicked her sister out...

The Grand Duchess, having become a widow, visited the royal family several times a year. During the First World War, visits became more rare - everyone was busy - the emperor constantly went to the front (to Headquarters), the empress and her daughters worked in hospitals, Elizaveta Feodorovna also worked in her monastery and was involved in charity work... But still, relatives found time for meetings. In 1916, the Grand Duchess saw her sister and her family 3 times - 2 times in the spring and 1 time in December. The December meeting was the last.
It is believed that the Grand Duchess went to her sister with a mission to open her eyes to the state of affairs in the country and what Rasputin’s influence was leading to... At least, that’s what memoirists and biographies of the Grand Duchess tell us. Countess Olsufieva, who served as chamberlain at the court of the Grand Duchess for many years and one of her most devoted people, wrote in her short memoir article:

“...in December 1916, she went to St. Petersburg to ask for a case that, alas, had already been lost: if her advice had been accepted, the dying monarchy could probably have been saved. The Grand Duchess stood for complete unity between the Emperor and the Duma, for strict adherence to the constitutional law proclaimed in October 1905, and for a responsible cabinet of ministers. She also insisted that the fatal Rasputin be sent home to Siberia.
The Empress categorically insisted that her sister not start talking with Nicholas II about the letter, saying that tomorrow the Emperor was leaving for the front and should not be disturbed by political affairs, but she herself was ready to listen to everything. The Grand Duchess raised the difficult question of Rasputin; however, although she told about the scandalous antics that he managed to hide from the gaze of Her Majesty, she was unable to convince the empress, who was confident in his holiness. The Empress was in such deep error about his character that she answered all admonitions with one thing: “We know that they have slandered the saints before.”
The Grand Duchess foresaw the future. “Remember,” she said, “the fate of Louis XVI.” Alas, she was only mistaken in assessing the scale and enormity of the impending catastrophe.”

Here is what Prince Felix Yusupov writes about that meeting:
“...Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, also almost never in Tsarskoe, came to talk with her sister. After that we waited for her at home. We sat on pins and needles, wondering how it would end. She came to us trembling and in tears. “My sister kicked me out like a dog! - she exclaimed. “Poor Niki, poor Russia!”

As they say, feel the difference - Countess Olsufieva’s calm, clear narrative, and Prince Yusupov’s abyss of emotions... But what actually happened? And How? It is clear from the text that the countess does not give details of family dramas and does not mention that the Grand Duchess was abruptly kicked out, and like a dog at that. Of course, Elizaveta Fedorovna might not have told all the emotional moments to her old chamberlain, who was very scrupulous, respected and loved, because she was still not her close friend, but rather a devoted colleague. Another thing is Felix's family. His mother was an old friend of the Grand Duchess; Felix himself deeply respected Elizaveta Fedorovna and she knew many of his secrets. In addition, the Yusupovs became related to the Romanovs - the young prince was married to the Tsar’s niece... The Grand Duchess could tell Yusupov more than the chamberlain. But a long time ago I doubted the prince’s words, because I came across a discrepancy...
Where and to whom did Elizaveta Fedorovna come after meeting her sister? From Tsarskoye Selo, on the evening of December 1, 1916, she went to Moscow. Of course, she could very well have stopped by Petrograd. But at that time there was only Felix in Petrograd! His whole family was vacationing in the south of Russia - his mother and father, his wife and daughter. And none of them were in the capitals (or Tsarskoye Selo) at the beginning of December. And who was sitting on pins and needles with Felix? Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich? Who else? It is unlikely that the prince would have invited strangers or anyone to such a meeting... Or the prince spoke about himself in the plural - memory may have failed... Or the meeting of his own mother in the summer of 1916 with Alexandra Fedorovna, when the empress really turned around, was etched in her memory with her back to Zinaida Yusupova (here Felix hardly embellished) and expressed the hope that they would not see each other again - this is more like “kicked out like a dog.” The prince could have mixed everything up into one ball and, in the end, it turned out to be a family drama...

There was, of course, family drama...But there was also a problem here. We return again to the words “kicked out like a dog.” And here we have wonderful sources with clear facts. First - camera-fourier magazines, which were conducted at court. They recorded in detail all the main events of court life - receptions, balls, dinners, parades, as well as who and when the king and queen received, who introduced themselves to them, when they went out for a walk and where they went, and what they did there. Let me make a reservation right away - these are official magazines. All sorts of minor incidents might not be included there, and sometimes they didn’t include a lot of things - I realized this after reading the second source - police reports. After all, the entire life of the imperial family was under the watchful eye of the Palace Police, including logs of departures and arrivals, which described in detail, for example, what route and at what time high-ranking persons rode around the park. All security posts located throughout the palace park also kept their own logs - who came in and who left. In general, even a mosquito can’t fly past!

And, reading the magazines for November-December 1916, you can see the following. Next is a dry enumeration.

Tsarskoye Selo.
November 30, 1916
15.20 - Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna arrives from Moscow and stays at the Alexander Palace, in the English rooms (ground floor).
20.00 - lunch ( in the modern sense, this is dinner) - the Grand Duchess dines with Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna. No one else from the family is present

December 1, 1916
13.00 - Breakfast ( in the modern sense, this is lunch). Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna has breakfast with the entire royal family - the Emperor, Empress and all their children
14.40 - 15.40 - Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna rides in the park with her sister
17.00 - Tea. It is attended by the Grand Duchess, Emperor and Empress
19.30 - Lunch. Present at it are the Grand Duchess, the Emperor and Empress and all their 4 daughters.
20.30 - The Empress, together with her daughters Olga and Tatiana, took the Grand Duchess to the railway station (Imperial Pavilion) and she left for Moscow.

And the very last lines run counter to the words of Felix Yusupov. If you are kicked out like a dog, then why do they politely escort you to the station?... In one of the versions of those events (by the way, given in the now modern biography of Yusupov), I read that the empress allegedly also called a carriage for her sister so that she could quickly I was leaving the palace! Just a “soap opera”... It’s hard to imagine “bazaar” scenes between two reserved ladies brought up in the English spirit...

A serious conversation between the two sisters most likely took place on December 1st. Probably during a walk or after it. After breakfast, the sisters went for a ride, then there was time until tea (it is not indicated in the journals what the empress did). Tea at 17.00 was held in the company of the emperor, whom Alexandra Feodorovna did not want to bore with political conversations on the eve of leaving for Headquarters. Perhaps Nicholas II left on December 4, without learning all the details of the Grand Duchess’s visit. The entries in his diary do not hint at anything. However, we all know what his diary is like, especially the last years of his life - nothing personal, just the weather and who he saw and received... And after tea, the Grand Duchess sat until lunchtime (at 19.30) with her niece Olga (about This is an entry in Olga Nikolaevna’s diary), because the Empress had visitors. Then - lunch - earlier than usual, as the emperor mentioned in his diary (usually lunch at 20.00), since “Ella had to catch the train.” On previous visits, if the Grand Duchess left in the evening, then at 21.30 she was taken to the station, and sometimes she was not seen off... Here, of course, something has changed. The Grand Duchess was in a hurry, apparently to catch another train. But to Moscow? (this is on the topic of whether she had a conversation with Yusupov on the same day)…
But still? Where is the “kicked out dog” here?.. The sisters talked - probably not without barely restrained emotions - drank tea (keeping their face in front of Nicholas II), the Grand Duchess sat with her niece, then had a decorous dinner with the whole family, and in the end the younger sister, like a polite The hostess, taking her daughters with her (perhaps so as not to be alone with her sister), took her older sister to the station. Politeness observed.

So - no one was kicked out, crews were not called to quickly send them to the train... And as for Yusupov’s story about how “they” were sitting on pins and needles - only police data can help here, but specifically for these days they have not yet been found ( if preserved).

By the way, on December 2, 1916, the next day, the Tsar and Tsarina met with Rasputin again...

Sources and literature

1. RGIA, fund 508, op.3
2. RGIA, fund 516, op. 1
3. August Sisters of Mercy. M., 2008
4. Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1918). In 2 volumes. Volume 2. Part 2 (1914-1917). M., 2014
5. E. Krasnykh. Prince Felix Yusupov. “Thank you for everything...” Biography. M., 2012
6. A.A. Olsufieva. Her Imperial Highness Russian Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna // “Letters of the Reverend Martyr Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna.” M. 2011
7. F. Yusupov Prince Felix Yusupov. Memoirs. M., 2007

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Elizaveta Feodorovna (at birth Elisabeth Alexandra Luise Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, German: Elisabeth Alexandra Luise Alice von Hessen-Darmstadt und bei Rhein, her family name was Ella, officially in Russia - Elisaveta Feodorovna)
(November 1, 1864, Darmstadt - July 18, 1918, Perm province) - Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt

P.P. Trubetskoy. pastel 1890s
Elizaveta Fedorovna

Alexandra Fedorovna

Second daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt and Princess Alice, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England.

In 1878, the entire family, except Ella (as she was called in the family), fell ill with diphtheria, from which Ella’s younger sister, four-year-old Maria, and mother, Grand Duchess Alice, soon died.

Portrait of the family of Grand Duke Ludwig IV, painted for Queen Victoria in 1879 by the artist Baron Heinrich von Angeli.

Father Ludwig IV, after the death of his wife, entered into a morganatic marriage with Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska, and Ella and Alix were raised mainly by their grandmother, Queen Victoria at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

A major role in Ella’s spiritual life was played by the image of Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, in whose honor Ella was named: this saint, the ancestor of the Dukes of Hesse, became famous for her deeds of mercy.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1885

On June 3 (15), 1884, in the Court Cathedral of the Winter Palace, she married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, brother of the Russian Emperor Alexander III.

Elizaveta Fedorovna
1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Alexandra Feodorovna (Feodorovna, nee Princess Victoria Alice Helena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt, German Victoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice von Hessen und bei Rhein, Nicholas II also called her Alix - a derivative of Alice and Alexandra)
(June 6, 1872, Darmstadt - July 17, 1918, Ekaterinburg)

Jószef Arpád Koppay
1900
Alexandra Fedorovna

The fourth daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Rhine, Ludwig IV, and Duchess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria of England.
Name day (in Orthodoxy) - April 23 according to the Julian calendar, memory of the martyr Alexandra.

Portrait of the family of Prince Ludwig of Hesse, 1871, August Noack.

Born in Darmstadt (German Empire) in 1872. She was baptized on July 1, 1872 according to the Lutheran rite. The name given to her consisted of her mother's name (Alice) and four names of her aunts. The godparents were: Edward, Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future Emperor Alexander III) with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter Princess Beatrice, Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge and Maria Anna, Princess of Prussia.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

Alice inherited the hemophilia gene from Queen Victoria.
Alice was considered the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who called her Sunny.

Heinrich von Angeli
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, née Princess Alice of Hesse.
The portrait was painted for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
1896/97

In June 1884, at the age of 12, Alice visited Russia for the first time, when her older sister Ella (in Orthodoxy - Elizaveta Fedorovna) married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.

Princess Alix of Hesse
1894

She arrived in Russia for the second time in January 1889 at the invitation of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. After staying in the Sergius Palace (St. Petersburg) for six weeks, the princess met and attracted the special attention of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.

Alix of Hesse
1894

On November 14 (26), 1894, the wedding of Alexandra and Nicholas II took place in the Great Church of the Winter Palace.

Friedrich August von Kaulbach
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Albert von Keller
1896
Alexandra Fedorovna

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Sohn, Karl Rudolf
Portrait of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna

S.F.Alexandrovsky
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, 1887

Two sisters Ella and Alix

F.I. Rerberg. before 1905
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna

Two sisters Ella and Alix

Elizaveta Fedorovna

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Alexander Vladimirovich Makovsky

1914

Friedrich August von Kaulbach.
Alexandra Fedorovna

The portrait - a copy of the painting of the same name by F. A. von Kaulbach (1903) - was executed at the request of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as a gift to the Educational Society of Noble Maidens for the 150th anniversary of the Smolny Institute (1914).

Alexandra Fedorovna

N.K. Bodarevsky
Canvas, oil. 1907
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

A.P. Sokolov
1901
Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Series of messages "

Elizaveta Fedorovna was called one of the most beautiful women in Europe. It would seem that a high position and a successful marriage should have brought happiness to the princess, but many trials fell to her lot. And at the end of her life, the woman suffered a terrible martyrdom.

Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice was the second daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt and Princess Alice, and the sister of the last Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Ella, as her family called her, was raised in strict Puritan traditions and the Protestant faith. From an early age, the princess could serve herself, light the fireplace and cook something in the kitchen. The girl often sewed warm clothes with her own hands and took them to a shelter for the needy.

As she grew older, Ella blossomed and became prettier. At that time they said that there were only two beauties in Europe - Elizabeth of Austria (Bavarian) and Elizabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt. Meanwhile, Ella turned 20 years old, and she was still not married. It is worth noting that the girl took a vow of chastity at the age of 9, she avoided men, and all potential suitors were refused, except one.

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the fifth son of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, became the princess’s chosen one, and even then, after a whole year of deliberation. It is not known for certain how the young people’s explanation occurred, but they agreed that their union would be without physical intimacy and offspring. This suited the devout Elizabeth quite well, because she could not imagine how a man would take her virginity. And Sergei Alexandrovich, according to rumors, did not prefer women at all. Despite this agreement, in the future they became incredibly attached to each other, which can be called platonic love.

Sergei Alexandrovich's wife was named Princess Elizabeth Fedorovna. According to tradition, all German princesses received this patronymic in honor of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God. After the wedding, the princess remained in her faith, since the law allowed this to be done unless there was a need for accession to the imperial throne.

A few years later, Elizaveta Fedorovna herself decided to convert to Orthodoxy. She said that she fell so in love with the Russian language and culture that she felt an urgent need to convert to another faith. Gathering her strength and knowing the pain she would cause to her family, Elizabeth wrote a letter to her father on January 1, 1891:

“You must have noticed how deep reverence I have for the local religion... I thought and read all the time and prayed to God to show me the right path, and came to the conclusion that only in this religion can I find all the real and strong faith in God that a person must have to be a good Christian. It would be a sin to remain as I am now, to belong to the same church in form and for the outside world, but inside myself to pray and believe like my husband…. You know me well, you must see that I decided to take this step only out of deep faith, and that I feel that I must appear before God with a pure and believing heart. I thought and thought deeply about all this, being in this country for more than 6 years and knowing that religion was “found”. I so strongly wish to receive Holy Communion with my husband on Easter.”

The father did not give his blessing to his daughter, but her decision was unshakable. On the eve of Easter, Elizaveta Fedorovna converted to Orthodoxy.

From that moment on, the princess began to actively help those in need. She spent huge amounts of money on maintaining shelters and hospitals, and personally went to the poorest areas. The people loved the princess very much for her sincerity and kindness.

When the situation in the country began to heat up, and the Social Revolutionaries began their subversive activities, the princess kept receiving notes warning her not to travel with her husband. After this, Elizaveta Feodorovna, on the contrary, tried to accompany her husband everywhere.

But on February 4, 1905, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by a bomb thrown by terrorist Ivan Kalyaev. When the princess arrived at the scene, they tried to prevent her from seeing what was left of her husband. Elizaveta Feodorovna personally collected the scattered pieces of the prince onto a stretcher.

Three days later, the princess went to prison where the revolutionary was being held. Kalyaev told her: “I didn’t want to kill you, I saw him several times while I had the bomb ready, but you were with him and I didn’t dare touch him.”. Elizaveta Fedorovna called on the killer to repent, but to no avail. Even after this, this merciful woman sent a petition to the emperor to pardon Kalyaev, but the revolutionary was executed.

After the death of her husband, Elizabeth put on mourning and decided to devote herself entirely to caring for the disadvantaged. In 1908, the princess built the Martha and Mary Convent and became a monk. The princess said this to the other nuns: “I will leave the brilliant world where I occupied a brilliant position, but together with you all I will ascend into a greater world - the world of the poor and suffering.”.

Ten years later, when the revolution occurred, Elizabeth Feodorovna’s monasteries continued to help with medicines and food. The woman refused the offer to go to Sweden. She knew what a dangerous step she was taking, but she could not abandon her charges.

In May 1918, the princess was arrested and sent to Perm. There were also several other representatives of the imperial dynasty. On the night of July 18, 1918, the Bolsheviks brutally dealt with the prisoners. They threw them alive into the mine and blew up several grenades.

But even after such a fall, not everyone died. According to eyewitnesses, cries for help and prayers were heard from the mine for several days. As it turned out, Elizaveta Fedorovna did not fall to the bottom of the mine, but onto a ledge that saved her from a grenade explosion. But this only prolonged her torment.

In 1921, the remains of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna were taken to the Holy Land and buried in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles.

After the execution of the royal family, many legends were born about the miraculous salvation of some of its members. So,
. The impostor Anna Anderson fooled everyone for a very long time and pretended to be the murdered princess.

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“Among the thousands of strong, talented and courageous people killed by the so-called Soviet government in Bolshevik Russia, an unforgettable figure stands apart. This is a woman, a courageous and generous woman, whose life's journey began in the splendor of imperial splendor and ended in the black depths of the Siberian< уральской- ред.>mines, where the executioners threw her after cruel torture.
Dazzlingly beautiful, She appeared at balls, sparkling with diamonds; but Her calm brow was already imprinted with a calling - only, perhaps, less clearly than on the face of Her sister, the Empress: even in the most prosperous times, the mournful folds near her mouth did not disappear, giving Her beauty a tragic expression.

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I appeal to my compatriots: they remember a wonderful vision - a woman in a modest light gray or blue dress and a small white hat; a friendly smile lights up a face with regular features; Here She goes, rejoicing at the sight of hundreds of working women, united by a common goal - to alleviate as much as possible the suffering of those who are now there, in the Far East, fighting under the bullets of the Japanese.
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It was a wondrous rite that will never be forgotten by those who took part in it. The Grand Duchess left the world in which she occupied a brilliant position in order to go, as She herself said, “to a larger world, a world of the poor and wretched.” Bishop Tryphon (who was Prince Turkestan in the world), handing Her a white apostle, uttered prophetic words: “This veil will hide you from the world, and the world will be hidden from you, but will witness your good deeds, which will shine before God and glorify Him.”

And so it happened. Through the gray sisterly veil, Her deeds shone with divine light and led Her to martyrdom.
If one of the patients gave cause for concern, She sat next to his bed and sat there until the morning, trying to ease the sufferer’s grueling night hours. Thanks to the exceptional intuition of the mind and heart, She was able to find words of consolation, and the sick assured that Her very presence eased the pain, they felt the healing power emanating from Her, giving patience and calmness in suffering; the fearful boldly went to the operation, strengthened by Her comforting word.

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It is impossible to imagine that you will no longer see this creature, so unlike others, so towering above everyone else, such captivating beauty and charm, such irresistible kindness; She had the gift, without any effort, of attracting people to Her who felt that She stood above them and affectionately helped them rise to Her. She never sought to show her superiority; on the contrary, without false humility she brought out the best qualities of her friends.
It may happen that in the time of our grandchildren the Church will glorify Her as a saint,” Countess A. Olsufieva.

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“Rare beauty, wonderful mind, subtle humor, angelic patience, noble heart - these were the virtues of this amazing woman.”,- VC. Alexander Mikhailovich.

“She is so feminine; I can't stop looking at her beauty. Her eyes are amazingly beautifully outlined and look so calm and soft. In her, despite all her meekness and shyness, there is a certain self-confidence and awareness of her strength. Under such a beautiful appearance there must certainly be an equally beautiful soul."- from the diary of V.K. Konstantin Konstantinovich.

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Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna/Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

“I know you keep Her fragrant memory deep in your heart. She is still praying for you, of course. God sent you a sweet wife, who, I think, would be after her heart; many see in her, and I also see, as if a reflection of the graceful image of the deceased Empress,”- from a letter from K. Pobedonostsev to V.K. Sergei Alexandrovich, September 14, 1884.

“She captivated with her beauty, emphasized by her lovely dress. What is even more impactful than her beauty is the charm of modesty, simplicity that emanates from her, her thoughtful look and the enchanting gaze that she plunges into your eyes when she speaks to you or listens to your answer. There is something in her that reminds her of the late Empress (Maria Alexandrovna),”- from a letter from A.F. Tyutcheva.

“She was striking with her appearance, her facial expression: it was modesty itself, unusually natural - without realizing it, she was exceptional. Deeply thoughtful, always calm, even,”- Countess Maria Belevskaya-Zhukovskaya.

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“She had just gotten married then; Her beauty struck me as a wondrous revelation. Her charm is what is called an angelic type. The eyes, mouth, smile, hands, gaze, manner of speaking were inexpressible, elegant almost to the point of tears. Looking at Her, I wanted to exclaim along with Heine:

Like a color, You are pure and beautiful;
Tender as a flower in spring.
I look at you and worry
Will creep into my heart.
And it seems as if my hands
I placed it on your forehead,
Praying that God will tender you,
Kept it beautiful and clean.

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Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig (Elizabeth’s brother)

Most of all I admired Uncle Serge and Aunt Ella. Then they just got married, and Her beauty and charm seemed fabulous... Ella was pure charm and feminine charm. Being quite the eldest, She was our cousin, as the daughter of my father's sister, the late Grand Duchess of Hesse Alice. Through marriage, She became our aunt, and since at a young age a few years make a big difference, we treated Her with the respect due to an aunt. Having married a very young girl, he treated her somewhat like a school teacher. I cannot forget the charming blush that filled her cheeks when he reprimanded her, which happened often no matter where or with whom they were. “But, Serge!” she exclaimed, and the expression on her face was like that of a schoolgirl taken by surprise. To this day, I just have to remember her and my heart skips a beat. She had wonderful jewelry and Uncle Serge, who idolized her, despite his lectures, invented all sorts of pretexts and reasons to bring her amazing gifts. There was a special talent in the way she dressed; although, of course, with her height, slenderness, incredible grace, everything suited her, and not a single ruddy rose could compete with the color of her face. She resembled a lily, so perfect was her purity. It was impossible to look away, and, parting in the evening, you again waited for the hour when you could see her again,” - Queen Maria of Romania.

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“...Aunt Ella was<…>one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life. She was tall and fragile blonde with very regular and delicate features. She had gray-blue eyes, on one of which there was a brown spot, and this produced an extraordinary effect."- V.K. Maria Pavlovna Jr.

“Elizaveta Feodorovna is charming, smart, simple... I decided to say that there is one voice everywhere, that her name is blessed among the troops. She accepted it simply - and I was excited, saying that it was the absolute “truth”! ... The conversation stopped, and I left under the enchanting impression,”- Count S.D. Sheremetev.

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“At the beginning of January 1904 there was a ball at the Governor General’s house. Elizaveta Feodorovna received guests, standing with the Grand Duke at the end of the hall. She looked wonderfully beautiful in a pale pink dress with a tiara and a necklace of large rubies. The Grand Duke knew a lot about precious stones and loved to give them to his wife. We all looked at Elizaveta Feodorovna with admiration and admired her amazing complexion, whiteness of skin and elegant toilet, the design of which she personally sketched for the dressmaker... At the next ball she was even more beautiful; she was wearing a white dress with diamond stars scattered across her dress and with the same diamond stars on her hair. She looked like a fairy-tale princess."- N.S. Balueva-Arsenyeva.

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Grand Prince Elizaveta Fedorovna, Grand Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, Grand Prince Pavel Alexandrovich, Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark, Grand Prince Maria Pavlovna (in arms).

“Everyone who knew her admired the beauty of her face, as well as the charm of her soul. The Grand Duchess was tall and slender. The eyes are light, the gaze is deep and soft, the facial features are clean and gentle. To her beautiful appearance, add a rare mind and a noble heart... During the war of 14, she further expanded her charitable activities, establishing collection points for aid to the wounded and founding new charitable centers. She was aware of all events, but was not involved in politics, because she devoted herself entirely to work and did not think about anything else. Her popularity grew day by day. When the Grand Duchess came out, the people knelt down. People made the sign of the cross or kissed her hands and the hem of her dress as they approached her carriage...

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One of our archbishops said that, while passing through Jerusalem, he stood in prayer at her tomb. Suddenly the door opened and a woman in a white veil entered. She walked deeper and stopped at the icon of the Holy Archangel Michael. When she looked back, pointing at the icon, he recognized her. After which the vision disappeared.
The only thing that remains for me in memory of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna is a few beads from a rosary and a sliver of wood from her coffin. The sliver sometimes smells sweetly of flowers. The people called her a saint. I have no doubt that one day the church will recognize this,” F. Yusupov.

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“The market usually lasted three days, but, of course, the first day was the busiest. One of these days, an old peasant man leaned heavily on me, who, looking at me, said:
- Here, they say, the princess herself. Show me which one.
Just at this time, the Grand Duchess went into the small living room to drink tea and sit for at least a quarter of an hour, since she was unable to do so at her table. I told the old man:
- Stay with me, grandfather, when she returns, I will show her to you.
He began to tell me that he had walked more than one hundred and twenty miles to look at the princess and receive something from her hands.
- I heard a lot about her, I wanted to see what she was like.
Then he leaned towards me and mysteriously asked:
- Is she really as kind and loves people as much as they say?
I said that this is all true.
-What is she like?
- But now you’ll see for yourself.
-
-

It must be said that all trade at our table was conducted exclusively by the Grand Duchess, since everyone wanted to buy from her personally and pay her money. The prices were cheap, and almost everything was added to the purchase price, for which the Grand Duchess thanked everyone... Her patience knew no bounds, she showed everything herself, looked for suitable things, although people themselves often did not know what they actually wanted to buy.

- -

But the Grand Duchess returned. She had a tired face, she could barely move her legs, which were very swollen. I pointed it out to him. He still couldn't figure out which one, since he probably expected to see her wearing a crown. Finally he got angry and said:
- Show me exactly where she is.
I calmed him down.
- Wait, grandfather, I’ll talk to her, and when she starts answering me, you will see where the Grand Duchess is.
I told her in English about an old man who wants to buy something from her hands and look at her. She smiled her angelic smile. There was no tired look. Leaving the table, she approached the old man. I whispered to him:
- Here she is.
He looked at her for a long time, she looked at him, then crossed himself and said:
- Thank you, Lord, that I was honored to see you, princess.
The Grand Duchess leaned towards him and asked:
- What do you want to buy, grandfather?
- I, mother, can’t buy anything. Give me something yourself, I have no money at all.
The Grand Duchess searched on the table and finally took a good glass holder with a glass, very simple workmanship, with a spoon, and asked:
- Grandfather. Do you want this glass? You like him?
- I really like it, princess.
She ordered it to be wrapped for him.
- Goodbye. “Grandfather,” she said and put ten rubles in his hand.

- -

He didn't notice the money, thinking she was extending her hand to him. He grabbed her in indescribable joy and kissed her several times, like icons kiss. She saw that the ten-ruble note was lying on the floor and said:
- Pick up the money.
He asked who dropped them.
- This is your money, I gave it to you for the journey.
For a long time he did not want to take them, but she said:
- No, take it, grandfather, on the road and goodbye. Now I have to go, others are waiting for me.
He stood next to me on the other side, kept looking at her and said to me:
“The people were right when they praised her, and what a beauty she is.” When she smiles, she looks like the Angel that is written on the images.
Then he turned to me and bowed:
- Thank you, my dear. For showing her to me.
When I asked if he was pleased that he had seen her. He replied:
- I won’t forget it until I die. How she received me. When I get home, I'll tell everyone.

The next year the same story repeated itself, but with an old woman who came from another region, almost one and a half hundred miles away. The Grand Duchess gave her a towel she had embroidered. The old woman even cried with emotion. I involuntarily watched both the old man and the old woman. When they left.
Both of them, having reached the door, turned and, crossing themselves widely, bowed to the waist, looking at Elizaveta Feodorovna. They were not interested in anyone or anything except Elizaveta Feodorovna at this bazaar,” Countess V.V. Kleinmichel.

- -
V.k. Elizaveta Feodorovna, V.k. Sergey Alexandrovich, V.k.P- Avel Alexandrovich

“One day, running with Nyx through the garden, crawling out from under the bushes. We were both dumbfounded, as a creature of unearthly beauty appeared before our eyes in a white airy dress and a white hat, with two very tall, handsome officers. We probably looked funny, we were disheveled, dirty... “Who are you?” the strangers asked us. We answered: “Kleinmicheli.” - “That’s how lucky it is. We are looking for your mother and got lost,” they said, continuing to laugh, looking at us. The unearthly creature took Nyx by the hand, and I walked next to him...
Nyx did not take his enthusiastic eyes off the Grand Duchess and kept looking and looking after her until she disappeared into the pavilion... Suddenly, with horror, I heard the voice of the Empress (Maria Feodorovna): “Goodbye, Nyx, look at me.” And my Nyx was still looking after Elizaveta Feodorovna. She turned his head, taking him by the chin and smiling at him, because he did not notice her hand, which she extended to him, she kissed him on his curly head and asked where he was looking and what was wrong with him today. We answered in unison: “To the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, Your Majesty.” She laughed and said: “Then I understand, I’ll tell her. Goodbye, children,”- Countess V.V. Kleinmichel.

- -

"Vel.kn. Elizaveta Feodorovna was charming, delightfully charming, full of tact and grace, clouded by some cloud of moral light, as always, kind to everyone, and not with an elaborate kindness, but with the expression of a kind, condescending human feeling.”- A. Polovtsov.

“I just see her like this... Tall, strict, with light, deep and naive eyes, with a gentle mouth, soft facial features, a straight and thin nose, with harmonious and pure contours of the figure, with a charming rhythm of gait and movements. In her conversation one could discern a charming female mind - natural, serious and full of hidden kindness.
Her face, framed by a long blanket of white woolen material, amazes with its spirituality. The thinness of her features, the pallor of her skin, the deep and distant life of her eyes, the faint sound of her voice, the reflection of some kind of radiance on her forehead - everything reveals in her a being who has a constant connection with the ineffable and divine,”- M. Paleolog.

- -

“It was a rare combination of a sublime Christian mood, moral nobility, an enlightened mind, a tender heart and elegant taste. She had an extremely subtle and multifaceted mental organization. Her very outer appearance reflected the beauty and greatness of Her spirit: on Her brow lay the stamp of innate high dignity, which distinguished Her from her environment. In vain She sometimes tried, under the cover of modesty, to hide from human gaze: She could not be confused with others. Wherever She appeared, one could always ask about Her: “Who is this, the watching dawn, bright as the sun?” (Song. 6:10). She brought with her everywhere the pure fragrance of the lily; perhaps that is why She loved the color white so much: it was a reflection of Her heart. All the qualities of Her soul were strictly proportioned to one another, without creating anywhere the impression of one-sidedness. Femininity was combined in her with courage of character; kindness did not turn into weakness and blind, unaccountable trust in people; the gift of reasoning, which Christian ascetics place so highly, was inherent in everything, even in the best impulses of the heart.

- -

Hiding her exploits, She always appeared before people with a bright, smiling face. Only when She was alone or in a circle of close people, a mysterious sadness appeared on her face, especially in her eyes - the mark of high souls languishing in this world. Having renounced almost everything earthly, She shone all the brighter with the inner light emanating from Her and especially with her love and affection. No one could do something pleasant for others more delicately than She - each according to his needs or spiritual character. She was able not only to cry with those who weep, but also to rejoice with those who rejoice, which is usually more difficult than the first.
She responded sensitively to all requests, except those that were politically charged...
- -

When the revolutionary storm then broke out, She met it with remarkable composure and calm. It seemed that She stood on a high, unshakable rock and from there, without fear, looked at the waves raging around Her, fixing her spiritual gaze into the eternal distances. She did not have a shadow of bitterness against the furies of the excited crowd. “The people are children, they are not to blame for what is happening,” she said meekly, “they are misled by the enemies of Russia
Like a wonderful vision, She walked across the earth, leaving behind a shining trail. Together with all the other sufferers for the Russian land, she was both the redemption of the former Russia and the foundation of the future... Such images have an enduring significance: their destiny is eternal memory both on earth and in heaven,” Archbishop Anastassy.

She, born 150 years ago - November 1, 1864 - was called by her contemporaries the first beauty of Europe. Father Elizabeth was Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt, mother - Princess Alice, daughter Queen Victoria of England.

"I'm happy"

20-year-old Ella was brought to Russia by her agreement to marry Grand Duke Sergei Romanov- brother Emperor Alexander III. The couple were deeply religious. Being a Protestant, Ella voluntarily stood next to Sergei Alexandrovich during many hours of services in Orthodox churches. After the first 6 years in Russia, against the wishes of her father, she converted to Orthodoxy. “How can I lie to everyone, pretending that I am a Protestant, when my soul completely belongs to religion here?!” - she wrote to her father.

By this time, Ella had already begun to speak Russian, understood the beauty of the Church Slavonic language and admired it. Harmony reigned in her family life. “I am happy and very loved” , - she wrote to her grandmother, Queen Victoria of England, and in a letter to her brother Ernst called her husband “a real angel of kindness.” In 1891, the couple moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow - the Grand Duke was appointed Governor-General of the Mother See. This high position made Sergei Alexandrovich a target for revolutionary terrorists. The Governor General was often threatened. It got to the point that the prince, when leaving the house, tried not to take his loved ones with him in order to save their lives in the event of an assassination attempt. Terrorist Kalyaev threw a bomb at the Grand Duke on February 4, 1905 on the territory of the Kremlin. Hearing the explosion, Elizaveta Feodorovna ran out of the palace into the street. With a deathly pale face, she collected pieces of her husband’s torn body. One old woman brought her the prince’s found finger with a wedding ring, one of the murdered man’s hands was found on the other side of the Kremlin wall, and his heart was found on the roof of one of the buildings.

The tragedy in the Kremlin became a prototype of the bloody mess that the revolutionaries would turn Russia into in 12 years. The cross erected by Elizaveta Feodorovna at the site of her husband’s murder in the Kremlin was personally dismantled in 1918 Lenin together with Sverdlov. And after the revolution, Lenin lived for some time on the family estate of Sergei Alexandrovich Ilyinsky, which is 30 km from Moscow. In Ilyinsky, Ella and Sergei spent their honeymoon, during which time they set up a maternity hospital for the peasants and became godparents for many rural children. Local residents were not surprised when the Grand Duchess came to their house with the question: “How can I help you?”

After the death of her husband, Elizaveta Fedorovna sold all her jewelry, including her wedding ring, using this money to purchase a large estate with a garden in Moscow on Ordynka, where she founded. She set up a free hospital here for the poor, where the best doctors treated her. And she herself assisted doctors during complex operations. The monastery had an orphanage, a free canteen, a Sunday school for children and adults, and a library. “Not everyone was able to correctly understand the change that had taken place in her,” her contemporary wrote about Elizaveta Fedorovna Protopresbyter Michael Polsky. “You had to experience a catastrophe like hers in order to be convinced of the fragility of wealth, fame and other earthly blessings, which the Gospel has been talking about for so many centuries.”

Elizaveta Fedorovna slept 4 hours a day on a bench without a mattress, cared for the most difficult patients, bandaged patients with gangrene, not disdaining the smell, after which she had to change her clothes. “I commit myself to Christ and His cause,” she wrote in those days. “I give everything I can to God and my neighbors, I go deeper into our Orthodox Church.” She made all decisions with the blessing of the elders.

Two sisters

In Moscow, for helping the poor, sick, and homeless, Elizaveta Feodorovna was called the Great Mother. Even in such a seedy place as Khitrov Market, where mother picked up street children, no one dared to touch her. When the Bolsheviks decided to arrest Elizaveta Feodorovna, they sent not Muscovites to the monastery, but a group of Latvians. She was captured on the third day of Easter week in 1918.

Elizaveta Fedorovna in the clothes of a sister of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Together with Elizaveta Feodorovna, her faithful cell attendant went into exile in the Urals. nun Varvara. Mother was thrown alive into a mine shaft 60 m deep near Alapaevsk. This happened on July 18, the name day of her late husband. And the day before that, the royal family was killed in Yekaterinburg. As you know, the wife Nicholas II, Alexandra Fedorovna, was the younger sister of Elizaveta Feodorovna.

During the terrible revolutionary times, mother could have left Russia if she wanted. After the Bolsheviks concluded the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with Germany, the German ambassador in Moscow sought permission from the Soviet leadership for Elizaveta Fedorovna to leave abroad. This was facilitated by Kaiser Wilhelm, in his youth in love with Ella. In the spring of 1918, the German ambassador even arrived at the monastery, but the Grand Duchess did not receive the diplomat. She couldn’t imagine herself without Russia. And she called the people who followed the revolutionaries deceived. “Lord, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing,” the saint prayed at the edge of the mine for her tormentors. She, the nun Varvara and six other prisoners were already bombed in the mine. However, through the smoke and fumes from below, the mother’s singing could be heard: “Save, Lord, Thy people...” Two of the group of executioners could not stand the horror of what was happening and went crazy.

Soon after the massacre, the white army came to Alapaevsk. The remains of the Grand Duchess and nun Varvara were transported through China to Jerusalem, where they rested in the Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene. A quarter of a century before her death, Elizaveta Feodorovna attended the consecration of this temple together with her husband. This was her first and only trip to the Holy Land. The temple was built with money from the royal family in memory of Empress Maria Alexandrovna- the mother of her husband Sergei. The beauty of both the church and the place penetrated so deeply into the heart of 24-year-old Ella that she exclaimed: “How I would like to be buried here!” These words of hers came true exactly.

In 1992, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Elizaveta Feodorovna as a saint. At the same time, the restoration of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of Mercy, desecrated by the Bolsheviks, began in Moscow. Here again they help the suffering, raise orphans, feed the disadvantaged. In the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, erected by Mother, prayer is again offered to God. “The gates of hell will not prevail against Holy Russia and the Orthodox Church,” wrote the Venerable Elizaveta Fedorovna on the eve of her martyrdom.