
Behind the Veil at the Russian Court (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. An Eye Witness Account of Palace Intrigues and Gossips by a PrincessBy Catherine RadziwillLength13h 35m
About this audiobook
Behind the Veil at the Russian Court offers an intimate, often unsparing portrait of late imperial Russia, drawing back the ceremonial curtain from palaces, salons, dynastic rivalries, and the fragile social codes that governed the Romanov world. Written in the polished, anecdotal style of aristocratic memoir, the book blends political observation, character sketch, and court gossip, situating itself within the fin-de-siècle literature of imperial decline and retrospective witness. Catherine Radziwill, a Polish-born princess by marriage and a figure long acquainted with European high society, wrote from the vantage point of both insider and exile. Her proximity to Russian and continental aristocratic circles gave her access to personalities and customs largely hidden from ordinary observers, while her later controversies and disillusionments sharpened her appetite for revelation. The book reflects a life spent near power, yet never wholly secure within it. Readers interested in Romanov Russia, court culture, women's memoir, and the social prehistory of revolution will find this volume especially compelling. Though its judgments should be read critically, its immediacy, elegance, and psychological acuity make it a valuable window onto a vanished political world.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreHistory
Length13 hrs 35 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 17, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
24Book II. 1894-1913
2Book I. 1855-1894
25Chapter I. Funeral and Wedding Bells
3Chapter I. Nicholas I. Dies
26Chapter II. A Character Sketch of Nicholas II.
4Chapter II. Alexander II. on the Throne
27Chapter III. The Empress Alix
5Chapter III. Anecdotes of the Imperial Family
28Chapter IV. The Imperial Family To-day
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6Chapter IV. The Influence of the Grand Duchess Hélène Pavlovna
29Chapter V. The Zemstvo of Tver Incident and What Came of It
7Chapter V. The Reforms of Alexander II. and His Ministers
30Chapter VI. The Entourage of the Emperor and Empress
8Chapter VI. The Adlerbergs and the Schouvaloffs
31Chapter VII. The Coronation of Nicholas II.
9Chapter VII. St. Petersburg Before the War of 1877-8
32Chapter VIII. The Springtide of Discontent
10Chapter VIII. The Eastern War and Afterwards
33Chapter IX. The War with Japan
11Chapter IX. The Berlin Congress and Its Consequences
34Chapter X. Mukden and Tsushima
12Chapter X. Alexander’s Love Affairs
35Chapter XI. The Birth of the Tsarevitch
13Chapter XI. Assassination of Alexander II.
36Chapter XII. The Death of Mademoiselle Vietroff
14Chapter XII. Alexander III. and His Consort
37Chapter XIII. The Beginning of the Revolution
15Chapter XIII. The Imperial Family in 1881
38Chapter XIV. Peace with Japan; War at Home
16Chapter XIV. The Friends and Ministers of Alexander III.
39Chapter XV. The First Two Dumas
17Chapter XV. Alexander III is Crowned
40Chapter XVI. The Career of M. Stolypin
18Chapter XVI. St. Petersburg Society from 1883 to 1894
41Chapter XVII. A Character Sketch of M. Kokovtsov
19Chapter XVII. The Foreign Policy of Alexander III.
42Chapter XVIII. The Foreign Office Under Nicholas II.
20Chapter XVIII. Alexander’s Ministers
43Chapter XIX. St. Petersburg Society at the Present Day
21Chapter XIX. The Police Under Alexander III.
44Chapter XX. The Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Her Children
22Chapter XX. The Truth About Borky
45Chapter XXI. The 300th Anniversary of a Dynasty
23Chapter XXI. Last Days at Livadia
46Memorable Quotes