My Dear Friend, the Tsarina

A Russian lady-in-waiting’s memoirs of the court and revolution

After the Russian Revolution and the fall and murder of the ruling Romanov family in 1918, many books were written by those close to the personalities of the time describing the final days of the imperial Russian court. These books were eagerly read when first published and interest in this subject has endured to the present day. This book, originally published under the less than informative title ‘Memories of the Russian Court’ may have escaped the notice of many readers interested in the period. It was written by a lady-in-waiting at the court, who held the distinction of being an intimate of the Tsarina Alexandria Fyodorovna. So close was their relationship that they became confirmed ‘best’ friends. It is widely accepted that no one knew the Tsarina better than Anna Viroubova and the Tsarina shared her fascination with and admiration for the controversial monk, Rasputin. Viroubova was an acolyte who loyally and dangerously championed Rasputin’s cause as his influence declined. During the Great War, Anna Viroubova trained to become a Red Cross nurse, created her own hospital and worked closely with the Tsarina in the care of the wounded. With the onset of the revolution Viroubova was arrested, imprisoned, interrogated and narrowly avoided execution. A chance meeting with friends gave her the opportunity to escape and she suffered many hardships while fleeing from the Bolsheviks before she arrived in Finland, where she lived until her death. This book vividly describes the author’s life during this period.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.