Biography and Memoir

Thirteen years at the Russian court (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Personal record of the last years and death of the Czar Nicholas II. and his familyBy Pierre Gilliard

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Thirteen Years at the Russian Court is Pierre Gilliard's lucid memoir of his service as tutor to the children of Nicholas II, especially the haemophiliac Tsarevich Alexei. Written in a restrained, observant prose, it combines domestic intimacy with historical witness, moving from lessons, family rituals, and court routines to the upheavals of war, revolution, captivity, and the Romanovs' final disappearance. Its literary context is that of post-imperial testimony: neither sensationalist chronicle nor official history, but a humane eyewitness account shaped by loss. Gilliard, a Swiss educator from Vaud, entered the imperial household first as French tutor and gradually became a trusted presence within the family's private world. His foreignness gave him a degree of detachment, while his proximity gave him rare access to the emotional life of the dynasty. The book's tenderness toward the imperial children, and its sober judgments on Rasputin, court isolation, and political catastrophe, reflect both professional loyalty and moral bewilderment. This volume is recommended to readers seeking a measured, deeply personal entry into the fall of the Romanovs. It is indispensable for students of Russian history, memoir literature, and the tragic intersection of family life and imperial collapse. 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.

Royalty & Courts Family Political Intrigue World War Grief Rebellion Conspiracy Psychological

Audiobook details

GenreBiography and Memoir

Length6 hrs 26 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateDec 8, 2023

LanguageEnglish

1Thirteen years at the Russian court (Annotated)

14CHAPTER XII NICHOLAS II. AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF—THE ARRIVAL OF THE CZAREVITCH AT G.H.Q.—VISITS TO THE FRONT

2INTRODUCTION

15CHAPTER XIII THE CZAR AT THE DUMA—THE CAMPAIGN IN GALICIA—OUR LIFE AT G.H.Q.—GROWING DISAFFECTION IN THE REAR (1916)

3CHAPTER I MY FIRST LESSONS AT THE COURT (AUTUMN, 1905)

16CHAPTER XIV POLITICAL TENSION—THE DEATH OF RASPUTIN

4CHAPTER II ALEXIS NICOLAÏEVITCH—VISITS TO THE CRIMEA (AUTUMN, 1911, AND SPRING, 1912) SPALA (AUTUMN, 1912)

17CHAPTER XV THE REVOLUTION—THE ABDICATION OF NICHOLAS II.

5CHAPTER III I BEGIN MY DUTIES AS TUTOR—THE CZAREVITCH’S ILLNESS (AUTUMN, 1913)

18CHAPTER XVI THE CZAR NICHOLAS II.

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6CHAPTER IV THE CZARINA, ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA

19CHAPTER XVII THE REVOLUTION SEEN FROM THE ALEXANDER PALACE—THE CZAR’S RETURN TO TSARSKOÏE-SELO

7CHAPTER V RASPUTIN

20CHAPTER XVIII FIVE MONTHS’ CAPTIVITY AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO (MARCH—AUGUST, 1917)

8CHAPTER VI LIFE AT TSARSKOÏE-SELO—MY PUPILS (THE WINTER OF 1913-14)

21CHAPTER XIX OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK (AUGUST-DECEMBER, 1917)

9CHAPTER VII THE INFLUENCE OF RASPUTIN—MADAME WYROUBOVA—MY TUTORIAL TROUBLES

22CHAPTER XX END OF OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK (JANUARY-MAY, 1918)

10CHAPTER VIII JOURNEYS TO THE CRIMEA AND RUMANIA—PRESIDENT POINCARÉ’S VISIT—DECLARATION OF WAR BY GERMANY (APRIL-JULY, 1914)

23CHAPTER XXI EKATERINBURG THE MURDER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY DURING THE NIGHT OF JULY 16-17 th , 1918

11CHAPTER IX THE IMPERIAL FAMILY IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR—OUR JOURNEY TO MOSCOW (AUGUST, 1914)

24CHAPTER XXII THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CRIME ESTABLISHED BY THE ENQUIRY

12CHAPTER X THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE WAR

25EPILOGUE

13CHAPTER XI THE RETREAT OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY—THE CZAR PLACES HIMSELF AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY—THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF THE CZARINA (FEBRUARY-SEPTEMBER, 1915)

26Memorable Quotes