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Once a Grand Duke
Alexander lived in Paris when he wrote his memoirs, Once a Grand Duke, which were first published in 1932. It is a rich source of dynastical and court life in Imperial Russia’s last half century, and Alexander also describes time spent as guest of the future Abyssinian Emperor Ras Tafari.
“The history of the last fifty turbulent years of the Russian Empire provides only a background, but is not the subject of this book.
“In compiling this record of a grand duke’s progress I relied on memory only, all my letters, diaries and other documents having been partly burned by me and partly confiscated by the revolutionaries during the years of 1917 and 1918 in the Crimea.”—Alexander, Grand Duke of Russia, Foreword
“The history of the last fifty turbulent years of the Russian Empire provides only a background, but is not the subject of this book.
“In compiling this record of a grand duke’s progress I relied on memory only, all my letters, diaries and other documents having been partly burned by me and partly confiscated by the revolutionaries during the years of 1917 and 1918 in the Crimea.”—Alexander, Grand Duke of Russia, Foreword
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1923
43 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Mikhailovich
16 books6 followersGrand Duke Alexander Mihailovich of Russia was a naval officer, an author, explorer, the brother-in-law and advisor of Emperor Nicholas II.
Alexander played a major role in the creation of Russian military aviation. He was the initiator of the officer's aviation school near Sevastopol in 1910 and later the chief of the Imperial Russian Air Service during the First World War.
In 1917 he went into exile and wrote his memoirs and became fascinated with archaeology and conducted a number of expeditions.
Alexander played a major role in the creation of Russian military aviation. He was the initiator of the officer's aviation school near Sevastopol in 1910 and later the chief of the Imperial Russian Air Service during the First World War.
In 1917 he went into exile and wrote his memoirs and became fascinated with archaeology and conducted a number of expeditions.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 26, 2024
Part of the problem of Russia, at least for me, is that so much of what I hear implies that there was no Russia. Then there was a revolution. Then things got bad. I have read some Russian literature and more than a little of its history. What still remains unclear, as through a glass darkly, was: Is this revolution necessary? More seriously, what was it about Russia that it suffered what was (I think) a popular uprising horrifically suborned and kidnapped by hard-line communists. I have found a lot of possible trails in the literature, but I have yet to read an illuminating history that focuses on the erosion of the bonds between people and Tsar that brought it to the February, then the October Revolution and then the Russian Civil War (all starting in 1917 and ending 1923).
In choosing to read Once a Grand Duke by Grande Duke Alexander of Russia, I got a very insider’s point of view, very close to the throne. The Grand Duke writes well enough and the conscious, or unconscious contradictions lead me to accept that he is making an effort to be an honest reporter. It would be too much to expect his analysis to be clinically objective. Likewise, he can only report on what he experienced. He was not privy to much and by making himself a nuisance he was excluded from a lot more. There are some more threads of interest to me and plenty of court personalities and gossip. The audience for this book need not worry about language, nor be overburdened with deep political analysis.
Specific to my research question, The Grand Duke speaks in general terms about the degree to which the last Tsar was poorly advised, much of the advice coming from the Grand Duke’s uncles and brothers, and very explicit on The Tsars unreadiness for his duties and general lack of the required personality for the leadership of an empire. The author has himself largely excluded as the result of his determination to make proposals and point out problems that made him unwanted in the Tsar’s inner circle.
The Grand Duke lived through a number of political assignations, efforts to reform policy and foreshadowing, often times violently of what was to come. He is bitter and caustic about a number of the voices of this discontent. Too often those murdered included people who could have promoted needed reforms. The Grand Duke was family to these men, and knowledgeable of the others. He never attempts to pull together what might have been intentions, goals or meaningful compromise. In comparison, Germany’s Otto von Bismarck famously initiated major changes, cutting off the head of discontent. Russia was never able to do the same. Why, what that might have looked like or what alternative could have been successful is not explored.
Among my take always was that the Grand Duke was not happy with a number of things that a better Tsar could have done. That The Grand Duke was in favor of some of what might called the liberal agenda, and more generally modernization. Excepting smaller things like being allowed to start the Russian Air Force, he was not a man with much influence. I tend to believe the author. I am open to suggestions that the criticisms of the Tsar come within what might have been an ‘official’ version and it is convenient to have the speaker out of the room when bad advice was received. Your call.
For the rest this is the diary of an interesting man, who had all of the privileges. Granted growing up a Grand Duke was very restrictive. His schooling was harsh, rarely imaginative and he was strictly barred from anything in the way of practical experience. He made for himself a decent career as a Naval Officer and managed to avoid being present at the battles wherein the emerging Japanese empire would destroy Russia’s fleets. Two of them.
There are a number of profiles of the men and women of the Romanov family, their estates and yachts. All fodder for those who like to track royals. Through Once a Grand Duke, I have become aware of what seems to have been a cottage industry of royal Russian emigre biographies. My research question remains unanswered.
In choosing to read Once a Grand Duke by Grande Duke Alexander of Russia, I got a very insider’s point of view, very close to the throne. The Grand Duke writes well enough and the conscious, or unconscious contradictions lead me to accept that he is making an effort to be an honest reporter. It would be too much to expect his analysis to be clinically objective. Likewise, he can only report on what he experienced. He was not privy to much and by making himself a nuisance he was excluded from a lot more. There are some more threads of interest to me and plenty of court personalities and gossip. The audience for this book need not worry about language, nor be overburdened with deep political analysis.
Specific to my research question, The Grand Duke speaks in general terms about the degree to which the last Tsar was poorly advised, much of the advice coming from the Grand Duke’s uncles and brothers, and very explicit on The Tsars unreadiness for his duties and general lack of the required personality for the leadership of an empire. The author has himself largely excluded as the result of his determination to make proposals and point out problems that made him unwanted in the Tsar’s inner circle.
The Grand Duke lived through a number of political assignations, efforts to reform policy and foreshadowing, often times violently of what was to come. He is bitter and caustic about a number of the voices of this discontent. Too often those murdered included people who could have promoted needed reforms. The Grand Duke was family to these men, and knowledgeable of the others. He never attempts to pull together what might have been intentions, goals or meaningful compromise. In comparison, Germany’s Otto von Bismarck famously initiated major changes, cutting off the head of discontent. Russia was never able to do the same. Why, what that might have looked like or what alternative could have been successful is not explored.
Among my take always was that the Grand Duke was not happy with a number of things that a better Tsar could have done. That The Grand Duke was in favor of some of what might called the liberal agenda, and more generally modernization. Excepting smaller things like being allowed to start the Russian Air Force, he was not a man with much influence. I tend to believe the author. I am open to suggestions that the criticisms of the Tsar come within what might have been an ‘official’ version and it is convenient to have the speaker out of the room when bad advice was received. Your call.
For the rest this is the diary of an interesting man, who had all of the privileges. Granted growing up a Grand Duke was very restrictive. His schooling was harsh, rarely imaginative and he was strictly barred from anything in the way of practical experience. He made for himself a decent career as a Naval Officer and managed to avoid being present at the battles wherein the emerging Japanese empire would destroy Russia’s fleets. Two of them.
There are a number of profiles of the men and women of the Romanov family, their estates and yachts. All fodder for those who like to track royals. Through Once a Grand Duke, I have become aware of what seems to have been a cottage industry of royal Russian emigre biographies. My research question remains unanswered.
October 7, 2022
As the grandson of Nicholas I and son-in-law of Alexander III, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich had a privileged insider's view of the last years of tsarist Russia. For part of the time when was growing up, he and his brothers were forced to endure Spartan military discipline, and that probably helped to keep him from becoming a total spoiled brat, but he was so surrounded by wealth and luxury and so separated from the life of real people that he had no chance of developing any sort of normal point of view. He had some semi-liberal leanings (rebelling against the Orthodox church and believing that Jews were human). He wanted to bring Russia into the modern age, at least with its navy and fledgling air force. He was reasonably smart, but everything about his life, his actions, and his writing style screams that this guy was a total lightweight. He thinks that Alexander III, a martinet with no imagination, was a great tsar. He praises Stolypin and sneers at Witte. I'm sure that they both had their failings, but he got that one backwards. He tried to make some contribution to good government and a stronger military, but he was basically just an enabler for the weaknesses of Nicholas II. Grand Duke Alexander lived a life of luxury, fiddling while Rome burned. He claims to have seen in advance many of the negative turning points in the last 40 years of the tsars, but I suspect that much of that clarity of vision is 20/20 hindsight. If he was really so smart as to see all of it coming, then he was a shameful pathetic weakling to have not done more to change the course of history. I wouldn't wish Stalin on anybody, but all of the last couple of generations of the Romanovs and their lackeys were a gang of boobs who were aching for a breaking.
August 4, 2019
This book is a must-read for anyone trying to understand the fall of the Russian Empire.
Unfortunately, the author does seem to suffer greatly from a great ability to contradict himself in certain ways. When he is describing actual events, he is fantastic. The chapters on the War and the Revolution are worth their weight in gold, and he is unapologetic in defending the autocracy, legitimacy and strength of the Russian Empire. However, even as he rails against the liberals and Bolsheviks who destroyed the country and murdered scores of his relatives and friends, he constantly expresses his own liberal ideas, especially his rebellion against the Orthodox Church (I'm guessing because, as he himself admits, he acted very immorally towards women as he grew older, culminating in an open affair while his wife and mother of his seven children desperately tried to save their marriage). In these passages he seems to be unable to reconcile his own love for Western ideas and programs with his constant demonstration that it was precisely such ideas that destroyed his beloved country. The reader will have to read this and see for himself; I have to take away one star for this.
That being said, his perspective, distorted and corrupted as it is by his political and moral ideas, only lends further credence to the truthfulness of his narrative. If a man of different temperament and convictions can see the exact same truth concerning Russia and its demise as I do, then we have reached a definitive consensus.
Unfortunately, the author does seem to suffer greatly from a great ability to contradict himself in certain ways. When he is describing actual events, he is fantastic. The chapters on the War and the Revolution are worth their weight in gold, and he is unapologetic in defending the autocracy, legitimacy and strength of the Russian Empire. However, even as he rails against the liberals and Bolsheviks who destroyed the country and murdered scores of his relatives and friends, he constantly expresses his own liberal ideas, especially his rebellion against the Orthodox Church (I'm guessing because, as he himself admits, he acted very immorally towards women as he grew older, culminating in an open affair while his wife and mother of his seven children desperately tried to save their marriage). In these passages he seems to be unable to reconcile his own love for Western ideas and programs with his constant demonstration that it was precisely such ideas that destroyed his beloved country. The reader will have to read this and see for himself; I have to take away one star for this.
That being said, his perspective, distorted and corrupted as it is by his political and moral ideas, only lends further credence to the truthfulness of his narrative. If a man of different temperament and convictions can see the exact same truth concerning Russia and its demise as I do, then we have reached a definitive consensus.
June 5, 2024
Brilliant and amazed it isn't better known as a window into the Romanov family and the events which lead to their downfall. A truly breathtaking first-hand account of Russia on the eve of the revolution.
February 14, 2023
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (meaning “son of Mikhail) was simultaneously the cousin AND brother in law of the last tsar of Russia - Nichole II. They grew up together and as a Sandro (as he was called) always had a crush on “Nicky’s” sister Xenia (they were actually second cousins, but close nonetheless). While this tangled relationship may seem too common among European royals it was relatively uncommon to marry a cousin you grew up with and it was illegal under Orthodox rule in Russia without a special dispensation from the Tsar.
All to say that this man was the last tsar’s closest friend. This provided his with a very unique vantage point to watch Nicholas destroy imperial Russia with his vacillation, his dithering, his quack theories, and his unquestioning loyalty to his wife’s ideas.
Although the reader must clearly understand that Sandro has his own “agenda,” it is a very interesting story. One filled with pathos and one in which he doesn’t pull any punches about his cousin(s) (naturally he was related to Alexandra as well).
He makes a profound point that I haven’t heard before about Nicholas: he says that Nicholas always felt that he had to accept everything that came his way as “gods will” and that because he was born on the “feast of Job” he had to accept that he would suffer. He never realized that his “fate” and “suffering” were not personal, but the suffering of 150M people. Nicholas refused to work hard and take hard decisions - and this was not generous, but selfish.
All to say that this man was the last tsar’s closest friend. This provided his with a very unique vantage point to watch Nicholas destroy imperial Russia with his vacillation, his dithering, his quack theories, and his unquestioning loyalty to his wife’s ideas.
Although the reader must clearly understand that Sandro has his own “agenda,” it is a very interesting story. One filled with pathos and one in which he doesn’t pull any punches about his cousin(s) (naturally he was related to Alexandra as well).
He makes a profound point that I haven’t heard before about Nicholas: he says that Nicholas always felt that he had to accept everything that came his way as “gods will” and that because he was born on the “feast of Job” he had to accept that he would suffer. He never realized that his “fate” and “suffering” were not personal, but the suffering of 150M people. Nicholas refused to work hard and take hard decisions - and this was not generous, but selfish.
August 3, 2020
Any viewer of the amazingly lush films "Dr. Zhivago" or "Nicholas and Alexandra" knows of the appalling chaos that occurred during WWI in Russia, and the resulting violent and primitive revolution. What isn't as clear, unless you've spent time reading of the Russian monarchy, are the many rifts that were building up to those moments - between serf and noble, between anarchist and oligarch, between the many ruling relatives of Queen Victoria scattered throughout Europe, and - as highlighted so well by this book - the fundamental rifts between the torn and indecisive Nicholas II, his autocratic past, and the desperate pressure for Russian modernization. The revolution has as many narrative threads as a rug - but this personal narrative is golden.
Author Grand Duke Alexander, or "Sandro," was one of Nicolas II's many cousins, ultimately also marrying Nicholas's sister Xenia. We hear of Sandro's spartan childhood in the Caucuses, where his father ruled as Viceroy, his resulting dislike of social St. Petersburg, and his love of the outdoors. Strong willed and independent, Sandro rebels against the traditional army career and enters the navy, broadening his viewpoints by visiting South Africa, Europe, and America.
It is Sandro's time in Russia as an adult that is terribly frustrating and sad, once "Cousin Nicky" becomes Tsar Nicholas II. Sandro, as with all male family members, takes part in a variety of aspects of the government, but is stymied in almost every effort by old ways with louder voices, constant family issues, and most of all, Nicholas II, who couldn't be more poorly suited for his role.
I wouldn't recommend reading this book as the only story of the Russian Revolution - there are so many key pieces and betrayals left out, and clearly a great deal of bitterness left in. And researchers of the time, particularly of Sandro's immediate family, indicate that his writing (probably not surprising) is edited in such a way to favor...himself. But, unlike "Education of a Princess," the "Lifelong Passion - Letters of N & A" (or efforts by Robert K. Massie, who fell prey to wistful escape rumors and succumbed to Anna Anderson's story), this gives an invaluable working family member's view of the government, and a hint of what Russia might have been.
Author Grand Duke Alexander, or "Sandro," was one of Nicolas II's many cousins, ultimately also marrying Nicholas's sister Xenia. We hear of Sandro's spartan childhood in the Caucuses, where his father ruled as Viceroy, his resulting dislike of social St. Petersburg, and his love of the outdoors. Strong willed and independent, Sandro rebels against the traditional army career and enters the navy, broadening his viewpoints by visiting South Africa, Europe, and America.
It is Sandro's time in Russia as an adult that is terribly frustrating and sad, once "Cousin Nicky" becomes Tsar Nicholas II. Sandro, as with all male family members, takes part in a variety of aspects of the government, but is stymied in almost every effort by old ways with louder voices, constant family issues, and most of all, Nicholas II, who couldn't be more poorly suited for his role.
I wouldn't recommend reading this book as the only story of the Russian Revolution - there are so many key pieces and betrayals left out, and clearly a great deal of bitterness left in. And researchers of the time, particularly of Sandro's immediate family, indicate that his writing (probably not surprising) is edited in such a way to favor...himself. But, unlike "Education of a Princess," the "Lifelong Passion - Letters of N & A" (or efforts by Robert K. Massie, who fell prey to wistful escape rumors and succumbed to Anna Anderson's story), this gives an invaluable working family member's view of the government, and a hint of what Russia might have been.
May 25, 2024
The memoirs of Grand Duke Alexander are without doubt one of the esential first hand accounts of the follie de grandeur which was Romanov Russia. I read this book back in 1976 after purchasing it in a wonderful second hand book shop in Cincinatti, Ohio. Long lost, but never forgotten, like those vanished mid West bookstores stocked with the discarded libraries of well read pre WWII Americans these memoirs are quoted by every historian on pre revolutionary Russia. Rather then read the sentimentalist claptrap of the mountain mediocre 'biographies' of the last of the Romanovs produced by writers who can't even read a foriegn language or figure out how to access an archive. The tale of everything that was good and bad, and there was a lot of bad, is there in these marvellous memoirs.
March 7, 2025
👍 Super fascinating look into the mind and life of the last tsar from an equal, not an employee
👎 I would have loved more insight into Alexandra as well
👎 I would have loved more insight into Alexandra as well
"As always happened with Nicholas II, logic was crushed by emotional complexes."
"He developed an immense liking for the military service. It appealed to his passive nature."
"It never dawned on him that a ruler has no right to be human."
"I wished Alix would not take her synthetic palaceborn picture of a Russian peasant for a reality."
"Nicky believes nobody but his wife, which means that he is going to stand by all her prejudices and errors."
July 29, 2023
witness of the collapse of imperial Russia
The eye witness account of a member of the Romanov dynasty and its demise at the end of World War One. Grand Duke Alexander the first cousin of the lady czar gives his opinions and accounts on the last 30 years of the Romanov family. Well written and definitely worth a read.
The eye witness account of a member of the Romanov dynasty and its demise at the end of World War One. Grand Duke Alexander the first cousin of the lady czar gives his opinions and accounts on the last 30 years of the Romanov family. Well written and definitely worth a read.
April 29, 2022
It's an interesting book, a view of pre-revolutionary Russia from the top of the social scale. He's contradictory, liberal on somethings, conservative on others, and quite critical of Nicholas II. Would recommend for anyone interested in pre-revoltionary Russia.
May 13, 2024
A must read for anyone who loves Russian history
An eloquent and surprisingly revealing insiders look a life among the Romanovs during the reigns of the last tsars. Nicholas II's cousin 'Sandro' gives a fascinating account of growing up in the Russian royal family. A great read.
An eloquent and surprisingly revealing insiders look a life among the Romanovs during the reigns of the last tsars. Nicholas II's cousin 'Sandro' gives a fascinating account of growing up in the Russian royal family. A great read.
December 15, 2018
Unusually frank for the time it was published.
Either the Grand Duke was himself a gifted writer, or he chose a very good ghost writer.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, "Always a Grand Duke."
Either the Grand Duke was himself a gifted writer, or he chose a very good ghost writer.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, "Always a Grand Duke."
August 8, 2019
The last token he left us was honesty. The best book by GD Alexander.
January 1, 2024
Written 13 years after the execution of the Tsar and his family this is one of the best histories I've read of the end of Imperial Russia.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews