Elizabeth: Grand Duchess of Russia

by Hugo Mager

Had Elizabeth, the exquisite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, not married the Grand Duke Serge of Russia, she would not have found herself, first, at the heart of the opulent court in St. Petersburg and, after the brutal assassination of her husband, in the embrace of the Russian Orthodox Church and a convent dedicated to Christian charity. Nor would she have battled the mesmeric Rasputin for her sister Alexandra's soul or suffered the bloody consequences of a Revolution that would lead to her martyrdom and, ultimately, sainthood. The dramatic details of Elizabeth's story make this elegant volume a fascinating, compelling biography. "Mager's elegantly written biography restores [Elizabeth] to her rightful place in history, a remarkable woman overshadowed by her more famous sister, Alexandra." - Publishers Weekly "A remarkable story . . . [a] fluent and moving biography of an extraordinary woman" - Houston Chronicle "In this spirited biography, Mager reconstructs the far-from-trivial life of this woman who possessed a lovely character to match her lovely face." - Booklist "An authoritative, well-researched biography of a fascinating woman" - Library Booknotes

Genres: History, Biography, Russia, Nonfiction, Royalty, Russian History, Biography Memoir

432 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about a courageous and tragic figure.

[Zosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Ella is a fascinating figure and I had a hard time finding books about her, seeking to branch out from books just on nicholas and Alexandra. Very well written and thorough. I liked how the Russian revolution was only a small part of the story; it focused on Ella’s life rather than her death and I greatly appreciated it.

[Jon Varga · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Grand Duchess Elizabeth was an extrordinary woman who led an incredible life. After her husband Serge's assasination in 1905, she abandoned her lifestyle of wealth and privilege and devoted herself to religion and helping the poor. Her own brutal murder in 1918 was one of the great tragedies of the Russian Revolution.

Although this biography is accurate and contains well-researched information, it somehow seems to leave Elizabeth as a secondary character - a cardboard cutout, rather than a woman of flesh and blood.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Princess Elizabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, Elizabeth was the second daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria. Despite her illustrious family background, she was raised in stern austerity: "She would quickly adapt to plain living and for the rest of her life consider luxury trivial" (28). She was considered the most beautiful princess in Europe and was a favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria and had fond memories of time spent in England, running around Balmoral with her cousins and siblings. Despite her grandmother's objections, she insisted on marrying Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, the fifth son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, which escalated her to become one of the richest women in the grandest court in the world.

Despite defying her family to marry for what she believed to be love, her marriage was largely a disappointment. It seems her husband was not interested in her physically and treated her like a child. Regardless, she remained devoted to him until his assassination in 1905. Elizabeth is known for her role in organizing her younger sister's marriage to the future Tsar of Russia. In doing so, she "may unknowingly have tipped the scales of history" (120).

After her husband's gruesome death, Elizabeth donated all of her wealth, gave away her palaces, and joined a convent where she devoted herself to good work serving the poor and offering her nursing services to whoever needed it. "She was probably the only person of her rank in modern times to follow literally Christ's commandment, 'Sell that thou hast and give to the poor.'" (240). She was greatly beloved by the people of Moscow and "gained a charisma equal to that of Mother Teresa in modern Calcutta. They revered her as a saint, and called her matiushka, their holy mother" (247).

Tragically, just like her younger sister, her husband the tsar, and their children, Elizabeth was brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. After being held in captivity for some months, she was marched to a mine shaft, knocked unconscious, and then thrown down the sixty foot passage. Eyewitnesses claim she and other victims survived the fall and they could be heard singing hymns from below ground until they finally succumbed to their wounds.

This was a fascinating biography about a member of the royal family who is much lesser known today but yet still has ties to the current royal family in England (she is a great-aunt of the late Prince Philip aka Queen Elizabeth II's husband). Her piety and devotion to good work is to be admired as is her bravery and willingness to suffer to serve the people. I loved this one.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life! A German princess, with a more English upbringing, marrying a Russian Grand Duke and ending a Russian Orthodox nun. Could there be any more exotic life? Elizabeth Princess of Hesse and by the Rhine became the first sister to marry into the Russian family, ahead of Alexandra, who married the last Tsar, Nicholas.
Mager combines a accessible narrative with a well-documented text. This reviewer highly recommends this book.

[Donna Quigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. If you enjoy Alison Weir, you will enjoy this as well.

[MeriBeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Officially known as Grand Duchess Serge due to her marriage to Nicholas II's uncle the Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich, Elizabeth Feodorovna is the often overlooked sister of the last Empress of Russia and one of the martyr's of the Russian Orthodox Church. Known as Ella from childhood, she was instrumental in many of the events leading up to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty. It is even possible to say that if she'd made different decisions about marriage the Russian Revolution would not have happened at all as she was one of the key players in bringing her sister Alix, the future Empress Alexandra, to the then Tsarevich's attention.

Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia brings to life this often overlooked woman who remained loyal to a marriage which quickly fell apart due to her husband's (suspected) homosexuality and turned to her new religion for both solace and direction after the assassination of her husband. She founded a convent, took care of the poor and sick, and even raised her niece and nephew, the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the latter one of the assassins of the infamous Rasputin. Grand Duchess Elizabeth even attempted to intervene and limit Rasputin's hold on the Empress yet her sister was so under Rasputin's influence that she would hear no wrong word about the man. In the end, the Grand Duchess was arrested by the revolutionaries, sent into internal exile, and like so many of the Romanov's executed in 1918. However, her story doesn't really end there as in death she would go on to become a Russian Orthodox Saint, her body moved several times to keep it from being destroyed by the revolutionaries before finally finding rest in a small crypt in Jerusalem.

Unlike many biographies of the Romanovs, especially those members later canonized as New Martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church, Mr Mager manages to present a fairly balanced picture of the Grand Duchess showing both her faults and her virtues without going overboard on the latter. It was a refreshing change, especially when so many more recent books on the Romanov family paint pictures of the last generation of the family as rosy and perfect with no faults whatsoever. I definitely recommend this book to those interested in the Romanov family.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the turmoil of late 19th and early 20th century European politics and war, Grand Duchess Elisabeth is a shining example of compassion. One of Queen Victoria's granddaughters and a priviledged life, Elisabeth's mother still taught her about caring for others less fortunate. She visited the sick and poor with her mother; learned healing isn't just physical but spiritual as well. Her marriage to Grand Duke Sergei Feodorovna, of the Romanovs, turned from idealistic love to disappointment. She remained loyal during the 20 year marriage, but found other outlets of happiness. She was also the sister of Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II. Elisabeth's husband was assasinated and it changed her life completely. Instead of being afraid, she sold/gave away her clothes/jewels. With the money, Elisabeth open a convent for women that would care for the poor, sick...no one was turned away. She become a nun herself and was influential in the care of many in Moscow and other cities/towns. With the influence of Rasputin on Alexandra, Elisabeth did try and make her realize he was a threat not a help in Russia's future. In 1918, Elisabeth along with a faithful friend and some members of the Romanov family, were taken to a small town in Siberia. Not far away, her sister and family were brutally murdered. She never knew. Elisabeth and her group was led to an abandoned mine, beat over the head and pushed down the dark mine shaft. After, rocks were thrown down by her murderers to make sure they all died. When the bodies were found, it was discovered that Elisabeth and one other had lived for awhile instead of dying right away. Their bodies were eventually moved. The priest who had her body taken experienced 2-3 appearances of Elisabeth who was finally laid to rest at an Orthodox church in Jerusalem and made a saint in their religion. Her life was truly amazing. The choices during her lifetime may have changed the outcome of Russia's future, but we'll never know.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people recognize the story of Alexandra, the last Tsarina of Russia. They know about her life, her struggles in Russia, and at least some of her role in the downfall of the monarchy in the early 1900s. Far fewer people remember Alexandra's sister, who became part of the Russian royal family several years before her sister married Tsar Nicholas. Hugo Mager does a wonderful job bringing Grand Duchess Elizabeth, the Tsarina's elder sister, the martyr-saint, to life.

I hadn't always known about Elizabeth myself, and even when I did hear about her, she seemed a minor supporting character, at best, in the chaotic story of Nicholas, Alexandra, and the fall of Tsarist Russia. Mager, however, shows just how intregal Elizabeth was in the events that led to the Revolution. She played a vital part in Alexandra and Nicholas' courtship and eventual engagement, she performed tirelessly to aid the Russian poor and destitute, and she even franticly sought to save the monarchy from the scandal that was the Rasputin disaster. I admit, I teared up a bit as I read the parts describing her final days and her eventual murder at the hands of the revolutionaries. It horrified me a bit to learn that she -- and some of those who were with her -- had survived the fall into that mineshaft and died a slow, weary death. It was certainly not an end that she deserved.

The writing was done very well. Mager was able to keep my attention, and his style wasn't dry at all. About the only irritation I had was the little notes that were left at the end of each chapter. Whenever there was a notation in the text, I'd have to flip ahead to the end of the chapter to see what was being noted. It would have been much easier if the notes had just been laid out at the bottom of the page the notations were made on.

[HRH Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the numerous biographies I've read, this is one of my favorites, of Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia, a Romanov that few people know about. A young woman of remarkable beauty, Elizabeth, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, meets and falls in love with Serge, a duke from the Russian royal family. Enamored, Elizabeth leaves her home and her family, converts to the Russian Orthodox faith and weds the duke she loves. This may sound like any fairy tale story, however its not. Soon after marriage, Elizabeth's life spirals downward after discovering her husband is a closeted homosexual and a rather cruel man. Not to be shamed by this situation, Elizabeth maintains her pose in her new home. She delves deeper into her new religion, becoming a nun after the assassination of her husband. Elizabeth's life is truly tragic, for with the coming of the Russian revolution, she too loses her life because of the Bolsheviks just as the majority of her beloved family: her sister Alexadra, the Czarina, her brother-in-law Nicholas the Czar, her nieces Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and her nephew Alexei, along with others of the royal family. Her horrible death is as outrageous as her families and it will leave you crying at the end, since she was a good woman, devout to her faith and her country. A great book to read, no doubt about it.

[Clotilde Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came away from this book with a deep respect for this woman who stood strong in her beliefs even if others did not agree with them. It was unfortunate that her sister Alix did not share those ideals. Their tales might have a happier ending.

[Erik09]

bice,entertaining book

[Kellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent information on Alexandra.s overlooked sister. Two different personalities

[Barb Tocci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good primer into this period of history. Heartbreaking story, but very well written.