Vladimir Romanov-Krasinsky did not repeat the fate of his famous mother. Married to the House of Romanov: the true story of Matilda Kshesinskaya

Head of the editorial and publishing department State Museum political history Russia, Candidate of Historical Sciences, author of the research “The Case of the Mansion. How the Bolsheviks “densified” Matilda Kshesinskaya” and “Diva for the Emperor. Nicholas II and Matilda Kshesinskaya" and the exhibition "Matilda Kshesinskaya: Fouette of Fate", which has been running at the Museum of Political History of Russia since 2015.

Family

Matilda Kshesinskaya came from a theatrical family. Her father Felix Janovich (in Russian transcription - Ivanovich) was a famous ballet dancer who performed at the Warsaw Opera. They even went on stage together: there is a photograph of them dancing the mazurka in the opera “A Life for the Tsar.” Felix Yanovich lived a very long life and died due to an accident: during

Felix Kshesinsky with his wife Julia

During one of the rehearsals, he accidentally fell into an open hatch, and, apparently, severe fright and injury brought his death closer. Kshesinskaya's mother Yulia Dominskaya was also an artist. Almost all of her children went to ballet: older sister Matilda Julia did not become such a famous ballerina, but brother Joseph received the title of Honored Artist, which he retained in Soviet era.

Meeting the Imperial Family

In 1890, Matilda very successfully graduated from the Imperial Theater School (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. - Note A.K.) at 17 years old. The graduation party became a turning point in the fate of Kshesinskaya - there she met with the heir, the Tsarevich.

Nicholas II

According to tradition, the royal family is almost in full force attended this event. Ballet was considered a privileged art - as it was later, in Soviet times. The powers that be showed interest in him in every sense - often they were interested not only in the performances, but also in the ballerinas themselves, with whom the princes and grand dukes had many affairs.

So, on March 23, 1890, after exams, the royal family arrived at the school. After a short ballet fragment, in which Kshesinskaya also participated (she danced the pas de deux from “A Vain Precaution”), there followed a dinner with the students. According to Matilda, Alexander III I wanted to meet her and asked where Kshesinskaya was. She was introduced, although usually in the foreground there should have been another girl - the best student in the graduating class. Then Alexander allegedly uttered the famous words that predetermined future destiny Kshesinskaya: “Be the beauty and pride of Russian ballet!” Most likely, this is a myth invented later by Kshesinskaya herself: she loved to engage in self-PR and left behind a diary and memoirs that do not match in some details.

Matilda Kshesinskaya

The Emperor sat Kshesinskaya together with Nikolai, who was four years older than Matilda, and said something like: “Just don’t flirt too much.” It’s interesting that Kshesinskaya initially perceived that historical dinner as a boring, routine thing. She didn’t care at all what great princes would be there, who would be nearby. However, they quickly had a casual conversation with Nikolai. Even when they parted, it was clear that this meeting was not accidental. Returning to Anichkov Palace, Nikolai left the following entry in his diary: “We went to a performance at the Theater School. There were short plays and ballet. I had a very good dinner with my students” - nothing more. However, he, of course, remembered his acquaintance with Kshesinskaya. Two years later, Nikolai will write: “At 8 o’clock. went to the Theater School, where I saw a good performance of drama classes and ballet. At dinner I sat with the pupils, as before, only little Kshesinskaya is sorely missing.”

Novel

Kshesinskaya was enrolled in the troupe of the Imperial Theaters, but at first she, a young debutante, was not given large roles. In the summer of 1890 she performed at the wooden Krasnoselsky Theater. It was built for the entertainment of guards officers, among whom were all the great princes, including Nicholas. Backstage, she and Matilda once met and exchanged in short phrases; Nikolai wrote in his diary: “I really like Kshesinskaya 2” Kshesinskaya First, in turn, was called Matilda’s sister Julia. They almost never saw each other alone. All in all, an innocent, sweet situation.

Then a famous event happened - trip around the world heir on the cruiser "Memory of Azov". Kshesinskaya was very worried that Nikolai would forget her. But this did not happen, although the journey lasted more than a year. Upon their return, the young people met at the theater, and in March 1892 their first private date took place. This is stated in the memoirs, although in fact Nikolai came to her parents’ apartment, and the three of them were in the room with her sister Kshesinskaya.

The first - in French - edition of Matilda Kshesinskaya's memoirs was published in Paris in 1960

You can learn how it was from Matilda’s diary. In the evening, Kshesinskaya felt unwell; the maid came into the room and announced that their acquaintance, the hussar Volkov, had arrived. Kshesinskaya ordered to ask - it turned out it was Nikolai. They spent more than two hours together, drinking tea, talking, looking at photos; Nikolai even chose a card, then said that he would like to write to her, received permission to write back letters, and subsequently asked Kshesinskaya to contact him on a first-name basis.

The climax of their relationship came in the winter of 1892–1893. Most likely, Nikolai and Matilda became lovers. The diary of Nikolai, a very closed and reserved person, is replete with descriptions of meetings: “I went to M.K., where I had dinner as usual and had a great time,” “I went to M.K., spent a wonderful three hours with her,” “I just left at 12 ½ straight to M.K. Stayed a very long time and had an extremely good time.” Kshesinskaya kept a very ladylike diary, where she described her experiences, feelings, and tears. Nikolai has no liberties. However, this is how he writes about the winter events: “January 25, 1893. Monday. In the evening I flew to my M.K. and spent the best evening with her so far. I am impressed by her - the pen is shaking in my hand.” Even in the description of much more formidable events, such strong emotions on Nikolai’s part are practically invisible. "January 27, 1893. At 12 o'clock went to M.K., who had until 4 hours left. (meaning, until four o'clock in the morning. - Note ed.). We had a good chat, and laughed, and messed around.” Later, they decided that Kshesinskaya should live separately: meeting with her parents was too inconvenient - especially since the girls’ small bedroom was adjacent to her father’s office. With the support of Nikolai, Kshesinskaya rented a house at 18 Anglisky Prospekt - from now on they saw each other there.

Kshesinskaya first asked permission from her father. Then move unmarried girl from parents was considered indecent, and Felix Yanovich hesitated for a long time. As a result, they talked: her father explained to her that this relationship was futile, the novel had no future. Kshesinskaya replied that she understood all this, but she was madly in love with Niki and wanted to remain at least somewhat happy. The following decision was made - the father allowed the move, but only with his older sister.

Nikolai Romanov began keeping a diary in 1882. The last entry was made 9 days before the execution - June 30, 1918

They started living in a house with very interesting story. Its most famous owner was the uncle of Emperor Alexander III, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich . In addition to the fact that he was a great liberal (and for this Alexander III could not stand him), Constantine was de facto a bigamist: his legal spouse he left and lived there with a ballerina Anna Kuznetsova .

They usually say that the move took place in winter. Matilda is not in the diary exact date, but Nikolai has it. He wrote: “February 20 (1893). I didn’t go to the theater, but I went to M.K. and the four of us had a great housewarming dinner. They moved to a new home, a cozy two-story mansion house. The rooms are decorated very well and simply, but some things still need to be added. It is very nice to have a separate household and be independent. We sat again until four o’clock.” The fourth guest is Baron Alexander Zeddeler, a colonel whom Julia later married. Kshesinskaya described in detail how she was engaged in landscaping: she generally enjoyed doing construction work.

Gap

This was the climax of the novel and at the same time the beginning of the end. The prospect of a marriage with Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt, the future Alexandra Feodorovna, became more and more clear. Nikolai wrote quite interestingly in his diary: “A very strange phenomenon that I notice in myself: I never thought that two identical feelings, two loves, simultaneously combined in my soul. Now it’s been four years that I love Alix G. and constantly cherish the thought that if God allows me to marry her someday...” The problem was that his parents did not really approve of this choice. They had other plans - Maria Feodorovna, say, was counting on a marriage with a French princess; I looked at other options as well.

Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt - future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Nikolai came to Alice several times, but it was not possible to woo him - which made Kshesinskaya very happy. She wrote: I was again glad that nothing had happened, that Niki had returned to me, that he was so happy. Was he really that happy or not? big question. Alice did not want to convert to Orthodoxy. This was an important condition dynastic marriage. Her sister Ella (Elizaveta Feodorovna) In 1918, the Bolsheviks threw her, along with other members of the imperial family, into a mine near Alapaevsk. In 1992, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Elizaveta Feodorovna as a saint., who became the wife of the Moscow governor Sergei Alexandrovich He was killed in 1905 by revolutionary Ivan Kalyaev, also did not immediately agree to this. Alice hesitated for a long time, and only in the spring of 1894 the engagement took place. Even before this, Nikolai broke off relations with Kshesinskaya.

Matilda describes in great detail their last meeting - near some sheds on the Volkhonskoye Highway. She came from the city in a carriage, he arrived on horseback from the guards camps. According to her version, Nikolai said that their love would forever remain the brightest moment of his youth, and allowed her to continue to address him as you, promised to respond to any of her requests. Kshesinskaya was very worried - this is described in her memoirs and a little in her diaries, but after parting with Nikolai, the diaries ended. She probably abandoned them in upset feelings. At least, we know nothing about the existence of other similar records.

According to the memoirs of the emperor's valet, Nicholas drank a glass of milk every evening and meticulously wrote down everything that happened to him that day. At some point he simply stopped mentioning Matilda. At the beginning of 1893, Nikolai wrote something almost every day “about my Mala”, “about my M.K.” or about “flying to little M.” Then the mentions became less and less, and by 1894 they disappeared completely. But you need to take into account the nuances - his diaries could be read by strangers, parents, valet.

Attitude to the novel in the imperial family and in society

There are several versions about what the royal family thought about Nicholas’s affair with Matilda. It is believed that their first meeting was a well-prepared impromptu. Allegedly Alexander III started worry that the heir has become lethargic, inert, that he already seems to be a grown-up young man, but there are still no novels. On the advice of Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Nikolai’s teacher and the main ideologist of the Russian Empire, Alexander decided to find him a girl - ballerinas were undoubtedly suitable for this purpose. In particular, Matilda - she had a slightly dubious, but still nobility, she was young, not spoiled high-profile novels, perhaps even remained a virgin.

Judging by Matilda's diary, Nikolai hinted at intimacy, but could not make up his mind. Their romance was platonic for at least two years, which Nikolai emphasizes. According to Matilda, during a meeting in early January 1893, a decisive explanation takes place between them on an intimate topic, from which Kshesinskaya understands that Nikolai is afraid to be her first. Nevertheless, Matilda managed to somehow overcome this embarrassment. No one held a candle: there were no documents strictly confirming the erotic connection. Personally, I am sure that between Nikolai and Matilda there were intimate relationships. Agree, “the pen trembles in the hand” was written for a reason - especially by the heir to the throne, whose choice is actually practically unlimited. No one doubts the romance itself - platonic or not. However, the historian Alexander Bokhanov Author of many books about Russian emperors - from Paul I to Nicholas II - and a history textbook Russia XIX century. Monarchist believes that intimate connection it wasn’t, otherwise Matilda would have tried to give birth to a child from Nikolai. Of course, there was no child, this is a myth. Well, in 1894 the romance definitely stopped. You can consider Nikolai useless statesman, but he was faithful to his family: his father’s nature, and not his grandfather’s, who had a lot of novels.

Alexander III with his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna

Maria Feodorovna knew for sure about Nikolai’s affair. One of the ladies-in-waiting told her about this - before that, the empress complained that her son often did not spend the night at home. The lovers tried to disguise their meetings quite in a funny way. For example, Nikolai said that he was going to Grand Duke Alexei Alekseevich. The fact is that the mansion on English Avenue adjoined his house with a garden: the route was the same, the address was different. Or he said that he was going somewhere and stopped there after Matilda. There are known rumors about an affair, recorded by the owner of a high-society salon, Alexandra Viktorovna Bogdanovich. Her diary was published several times: she kept it from the 1870s until 1912. In the evening, after receiving guests, Bogdanovich carefully wrote down all the new gossip in her notebook. Also preserved are essays by the ballet figure Denis Leshkov. He writes that rumors reached the highest parents. Mom got angry and instructed one of her outhouse adjutants to go to Felix Yanovich (Matilda was still living with her family at that time) in order to forbid him, under any plausible pretext, to receive the crown prince at home. Felix Yanovich found himself in a very difficult situation. A solution was found in the spirit of Dumas’s novels, writes Leshkov: the young people saw each other in a carriage standing in a secluded alley.

Kshesinskaya moved to the famous mansion on Kuibysheva Street in the winter of 1906. By that time, she, the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, already had a son, Vladimir, and she herself was in a relationship with two other grand dukes - Sergei Mikhailovich Before the revolution, he was considered the father of Vladimir - therefore, since 1911, the child bore the patronymic “Sergeevich” And Andrey Vladimirovich He married Matilda Kshesinskaya in 1921 and adopted Vladimir - he changed his middle name to “Andreevich”. By that time they were living in France. Nikolai gave her a house on English Avenue, and we even know how much it cost - approximately 150 thousand rubles. Judging by the documents that I found, Kshesinskaya tried to sell it, and this figure is indicated there. It is not known how much Nikolai regularly spent on his novel. Kshesinskaya herself wrote that his gifts were good, but not large.

Of course, the newspapers did not mention the novel - there were no independent media at that time. But for the high society of St. Petersburg, the connection with Kshesinskaya was not a secret: not only Bogdanovich mentions her, but also, for example, Alexei Suvorin, Chekhov’s friend and publisher of Novoye Vremya - and unambiguously and in rather indecent expressions. In my opinion, Bogdanovich indicates that after the breakup they discussed different options what to do with Kshesinskaya. Mayor Victor von Wahl suggested either giving her money and sending her somewhere, or simply expelling her from St. Petersburg.

After 1905, an opposition press appeared in the country with materials very different levels. Well, the real squall begins in 1917. For example, in the March issue of the New Satyricon the cartoon “Victim of the New System” was published. It depicts a reclining Kshesinskaya, who reasons: “My close relationship with the old government was easy for me - it consisted of one person. But what will I do now, when the new government - the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies - consists of two thousand people?

Matilda Kshesinskaya died on December 6, 1971 in Paris at the age of 99. In exile, she bore the title of Most Serene Princess, which was assigned to her by Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who in 1924 proclaimed himself Emperor of All Russia.

Matilda Kshesinskaya

Prima ballerina of the Imperial Theater Matilda Kshesinskaya was not only one of brightest stars Russian ballet, but also one of the most scandalous and controversial figures in the history of the twentieth century. She was the mistress of Emperor Nicholas II and two Grand Dukes, and later became the wife of Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov. Such women are called fatal - she used men to achieve her goals, weaved intrigues, and abused personal connections for career purposes. She is called a courtesan and seductress, although no one disputes her talent and skill.

Matilda's parents Julia and Felix Kshesinsky

Maria-Matilda Krzezinska was born in 1872 in St. Petersburg into a family of ballet dancers who came from the family of bankrupt Polish counts Krasinski. Since childhood, the girl, who grew up in an artistic environment, dreamed of ballet.


Famous prima ballerina

Nicholas II and Matilda Kshesinskaya

At the age of 8 she was sent to the Imperial Theater School, from which she graduated with honors. Her graduation performance on March 23, 1890 was attended by the imperial family. That's when I first saw her future emperor Nicholas II. Later, the ballerina admitted in her memoirs: “When I said goodbye to the Heir, a feeling of attraction to each other had already crept into his soul, as well as into mine.”


Matilda Kshesinskaya

After graduating from college, Matilda Kshesinskaya was enrolled in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater and in her first season took part in 22 ballets and 21 operas. On a gold bracelet with diamonds and sapphires - a gift from the Tsarevich - she engraved two dates, 1890 and 1892. This was the year they met and the year they began their relationship. However, their romance did not last long - in 1894, the engagement of the heir to the throne to the Princess of Hesse was announced, after which he broke up with Matilda.


Famous prima ballerina

Matilda Kshesinskaya in the ballet *Pharaoh's Daughter*, 1900

Kshesinskaya became a prima ballerina, and the entire repertoire was selected specifically for her. The director of the imperial theaters, Vladimir Telyakovsky, without denying the dancer’s extraordinary abilities, said: “It would seem that a ballerina, serving in the directorate, should belong to the repertoire, but then it turned out that the repertoire belongs to M. Kshesinskaya. She considered the ballets her property and could give or not let others dance them.”


Famous prima ballerina

Ballet star with scandalous reputation

Photo portraits of Kshesinskaya based on the ballet *Comargo*, 1902

Prima weaved intrigues and did not allow many ballerinas to go on stage. Even when foreign dancers came on tour, she did not allow them to perform in “her” ballets. She chose the time for her performances herself, performed only at the height of the season, and allowed herself long breaks, during which she stopped studying and indulged in entertainment. At the same time, Kshesinskaya was the first Russian dancer to be recognized as a world star. She amazed the foreign audience with her skill and 32 fouettés in a row.


Matilda Kshesinskaya

Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and his wife Matilda Kshesinskaya

Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich looked after Kshesinskaya and indulged all her whims. She went on stage in insanely expensive jewelry from Faberge. In 1900, on the stage of the Imperial Theater, Kshesinskaya celebrated her 10th anniversary creative activity(although before her ballerinas gave benefit performances only after 20 years on stage). At a dinner after the performance, she met Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, with whom she began a whirlwind romance. At the same time, the ballerina continued to officially live with Sergei Mikhailovich.


Ballet star with a scandalous reputation

Famous prima ballerina

In 1902, Kshesinskaya had a son. Paternity was attributed to Andrei Vladimirovich. Telyakovsky did not choose his expressions: “Is this really a theater, and am I really in charge of this? Everyone is happy, everyone is happy and glorifies the extraordinary, technically strong, morally impudent, cynical, arrogant ballerina, who lives simultaneously with two great princes and not only does not hide it, but, on the contrary, weaves this art into her stinking cynical wreath of human carrion and depravity "


Left – Matilda Kshesinskaya with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and son Vladimir, 1906. Right – Matilda Kshesinskaya with her son, 1916

On the left is M. Thomson. Portrait of Matilda Kshesinskaya, 1991. On the right is Matilda Kshesinskaya, photo in color

After the revolution and the death of Sergei Mikhailovich, Kshesinskaya and her son fled to Constantinople, and from there to France. In 1921, she married Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, receiving the title of Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya. In 1929, she opened her own ballet studio in Paris, which was successful thanks to her big name.


Matilda Kshesinskaya at her ballet school

Matilda Kshesinskaya, 1954

She died at 99, having outlived all her eminent patrons. Disputes about her role in the history of ballet continue to this day. And from her entire long life, only one episode is usually mentioned: what connected the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and Nicholas II

Celebrity biography – Matilda Kshesinskaya

The famous ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, danced at the Imperial Theater.

Childhood

Matilda's entire family were artists. Her parents danced at the Mariinsky Theater and we can say that from childhood the girl absorbed the atmosphere of ballet work and the celebration of beautiful productions. Her mother, Yulia Dominskaya, already raised five children from her first marriage. I met my husband at the theater. Matilda's father, Felix Kseshinsky, arrived at the Marinsky Theater from Poland at the invitation of Nicholas I himself. He remained on the stage of the theater until he was 83 years old.

Their common child, a girl named Maria Matilda, was born on August 31 (August 19, Old Style) 1872 near St. Petersburg, in the village of Ligovo.

Initially, my father’s surname sounded like Krzezinsky, but was later renamed to Krzeshinsky for euphony. On her father's side, Matilda's grandfather was opera singer in Warsaw.

All this, of course, influenced the choice of how future profession for the girl and her range of interests in the future. She had seen theater and ballet since childhood, and she was also very talented.

Matilda's parents: mother - Yulia Dominskaya and father - Felix Kshesinsky

So, at the age of 8, Matilda was sent to study at the Imperial Theater School in St. Petersburg. Her siblings also studied there. Studying was easy for her, and teachers noted a certain talent in the girl, given to her from birth.

The girl passed the exam to a commission that included Emperor Alexander III himself, along with his son, Nicholas II. The girl was pretty and talented, she managed to win the hearts of so many high-ranking judges. She was only 17 years old. She liked her performance so much that the emperor wished her to become an adornment of the Russian ballet. To which Matilda promised herself to live up to the expectations of such high-ranking examiners. The high bar in art helped her achieve fame and public acceptance in the future.

After the exam there was a gala dinner, where Matilda sat side by side with the future heir to the throne. From that moment their meetings and correspondence began. However, the imperial family, being aware of these meetings, approved of the actions of the heir.

I don't remember what we talked about, but I immediately fell in love with the Heir. Like now, I see him Blue eyes with this kind expression. I stopped looking at him only as the Heir, I forgot about it, everything was like a dream

From the diary of Matilda Kshesinskaya

Personal life and the beginning of a creative path

The mother of the future heir to the throne Nicholas, Maria Fedorovna, was extremely concerned about her son’s behavior towards girls. He was not fascinated by the beauty or youth of beauties, and this caused concern to his mother. The meeting with Matilda changed his attitude towards women in general, and he became seriously interested in the dancer, which could not but please his mother in this situation. Nikolai seemed to come to life after meeting Matilda. Their feelings were mutual. He attended all her performances, and she danced only for him, putting her whole soul into her dance.

To confirm his feelings, Nikolai gave the girl a house located on English Avenue. This place became their dating house. In 1891, the future heir to the throne went on a trip around the world, but it did not last long, being in Japan, young man an attack was carried out. He was forced to interrupt the trip and return to Russia. That same day, after a reception at the palace, he went to Matilda’s house.

Matilda and Nkolay II

In 1984, their relationship ended because Nicholas decided to marry, choosing a party suitable for his status, it was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt. Matilda had to accept the choice of her lover and she even supported him in this decision, but after the wedding took place, Matilda began to lead a reclusive life.

Later, having already become emperor, Nicholas II gave the task to his cousin Sergei Mikhailovich to take care of Matilda. The care apparently was excessive and soon they had a love affair.

Matilda became a favorite of the royal court, and this greatly helped her build her career. The patronage of the emperor himself did its job, and the girl felt confident and at ease, as if the entire theater belonged to her. She could afford to speak in a raised voice and was the first of the Russian ballerinas to get the role of Esmeralda. Before this, the party only went to Italian actresses. Due to a number of conflicts, including with her, Prince Volkonsky left his position as theater director.

The ballerina invariably appeared on stage wearing jewelry; she loved beautiful outfits and glitter. She radiated a charge of energy and charm. This did not go unnoticed by another cousin of Nikolai, Andrei Vladimirovich. He was fascinated by the beauty and talent of the young dancer. Despite the age difference, Matilda was 6 years older than Andrei, and they began a whirlwind romance. He was kept secret, since Andrei Vladimirovich’s mother would never have blessed or accepted this relationship. In 1902, their son Vladimir was born. The girl barely survived the difficult birth. The doctors first thought about who to save - the woman in labor or the newborn, but they managed to save both, since the most competent specialists were present at the birth.

Their wedding took place in 1921. And only after the death of his mother Andrei decided to legally marry and adopt his child. Matilda became the Most Serene Princess of Romanovskaya.

Tours in different countries

Matilda Kshesinskaya became a famous ballerina not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. She toured in countries such as Poland, England, Austria, France. In 1903, she was invited to America, but the dancer refused the offer, preferring to perform on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.

Matilda Kshesinskaya could already be called a wealthy woman at the beginning of the last century. She owned a mansion, given to her in memory of her love with Nicholas II. She had a dacha in Strelna. A lot of outfits and jewelry, in a word, she was used to a luxurious, rich life.

The only thing that worried her was how long she could be a prima singer at the Mariinsky Theater. Despite the enormous connections and influence of the court, age took its toll and more talented and younger ballerinas came to replace them. In 1904, it was decided to leave the stage, but it was not possible to completely retire from ballet and Matilda continues to perform in some performances. At the same time, successful tours took place in France. And since the ballerina loved her son very much, she often took him on tour with her.

The career of a ballerina in Russia ended in 1917 with the beginning of the revolution. The family managed to emigrate to France. There Kshesinskaya opened her ballet school, which had great success. The ballerina lived a long life and died at the age of 99, buried in France, next to her husband’s grave.

since 1929, Matilda Kshesinskaya taught in her own ballet studio in Paris

Medallions with portraits of lovers, secret connections, frank letters - all this is the beginning of such a romantic, but at the same time tragic era - the beginning of the 20th century.

The burning interest in the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Matilda Kshesinskaya increased significantly after the release of the film of the same name “Matilda” Russian director Alexey Uchitel. The public itself provided it with great advertising, namely the contradiction of opinions: some take this work for a historical drama, others are inclined to believe that it is feature film with historical figures.

Unlike lovers of new products in the modern film industry, biographers and scholars dealing with issues of ballet art have long been trying to shed light on the personal and creative life Matilda Feliksovna. So in the State Archive Russian Federation The diaries of the last king are kept Russian Empire Nicholas II, and Kshesinskaya’s memoirs were officially published in the 1960s in France.

Matilda Kshesinskaya in childhood

It should be noted that the future ballerina was born into a family of artists who came from Poland. She was the youngest, the thirteenth child in the family. Only two of her older brothers and sisters connected their lives with the world of art - Julia and Joseph Kshesinsky. At the age of eight, Matilda entered the ballet school. And after graduating from the Imperial Theater School, she danced on the Imperial stage for about thirty years.

Almost every person has an idol whose success they want to strive for, inspired by his unconditional skill. For Matilda Kshesinskaya, at one time, such a person was the Italian ballet dancer Virginia Zucchi. Thanks to her creativity, little Malechka chose her own path and, with the passage of time, she herself became an impeccable example for today's world-famous artists. Virginia was beautiful, flexible and virtuosic, but perhaps the distinctive quality that critics and researchers from different eras noted was the dancer’s dramatic talent. Tsukki masterfully transformed herself from performance to performance, perfecting her technique and artistry.

In 1890, Kshesinskaya became a graduate of the Imperial Theater School and, as you know, a fateful meeting with the heir to the throne, the last king the Romanov family took place in March of the same year, after the final exam. Matilda noted in her diaries that she and Nikki, as she called the Tsarevich, were attracted to each other. She is beautiful and graceful, he is witty and rich.

By the way, Nikolai Alexandrovich was a romantic person and he courted her with taste. A special budget fund was set aside for Matilda's gifts.

European furniture, foreign sets, expensive fur coats and, of course, diamonds: bracelets, pendants, tiaras - all this gave her great pleasure. Still, the most expensive and memorable gift is often the first. Nikolai presented the talented dancer with a gold bracelet with sapphires. Since then, it's been a favorite gem Kshesinskaya.

Matilda Kshesinskaya is a passionate fan of Faberge

The Golden Comb took a special place in Terpsichore's jewelry box. Legends were made about him. The famous Russian poet of the Silver Age, Nikolai Gumilev took part in many scientific expeditions. And in the winter of 1904, going to the North, he discovered this stunningly beautiful ancient find and brought it to the emperor. He, in turn, being married to German princess Without hesitation, Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt (Alexandra Fedorovna) gave the comb to Matilda. She loved this decoration very much, considered it her talisman, so she was sure that it was he who brought her good luck and fulfilled her wishes. But, alas, after October Revolution, the comb disappeared without a trace, following the Russian autocracy.

By the way, the ballerina was a favorite and regular client of the famous Russian jeweler, Carl Faberge. She not only loved receiving gifts, but also took great pleasure in giving them to others. So she liked to bring joy to her loved ones and encourage her colleagues on stage for a wonderful performance.

The relationship between the crown prince and the ballerina lasted from 1890 to 1894, until he married a girl of a noble German family, Princess Alice. Of course, in the short time that was allotted to them, Matilda was happy. She was shrouded in the close attention and interest of the eligible groom those times. Despite the recklessness and sometimes frivolity, the young ballerina understood that their union would not last forever and it seemed that this was precisely what added spice to the relationship.

Their communication was not ordinary; it was built, first of all, on spiritual closeness. Nikolai was well educated, and Matilda, due to her profession, constantly toured and saw a lot. Was there something more connecting them? Who can know this for sure except themselves. Either way, they had a strong connection that lasted for many years, despite the fact that Matilda outlived her lover by more than 50 years.

Kshesinskaya did not know what a lack of male attention was. After the break with the Tsarevich, her patron, and simply good friend became Prince Sergei Mikhailovich. He pampered the artist with all sorts of real estate, in Cannes and the Caucasus. But one of the most famous gifts is located in St. Petersburg - this is a mansion on the Petrograd side.

Outside, northern modern, inside Russian Empire style and chic French furniture. She lived in this house for just over ten years, and then with the advent of the famous Russian political party, her carefree life in Russia ended. Having packed silverware, jewelry, and clothes into large wooden boxes (about 40 pieces and that’s not all, the rest was looted by the Bolsheviks), she was forced to leave for the dacha.

This is interesting:

In the Kshesinskaya mansion in St. Petersburg in different years Lenin, Zinoviev, Stalin and others worked. From the balcony of this house Lenin repeatedly spoke to workers, soldiers and sailors. Kalinin lived there for several years, from 1938 to 1956 there was a Kirov Museum, and since 1957 - the Museum of the Revolution. In 1991, the Museum of Political History of Russia was created in the mansion, which is still located there.

However, Matilda managed to experience the happiness of marriage and motherhood. In 1921, she married Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of the Romanov dynasty and lived with him for thirty-five years. The ballerina gave birth to a son, the future Prince Vladimir. Until now, researchers are interested in the question of establishing the boy’s paternity.

“A difficult question arose before me, what name to give my son. At first I wanted to call him Nikolai, but I couldn’t do that, and I didn’t have the right to do it for many reasons. Then I decided to name him Vladimir, in honor of Father Andrei, who always treated me so cordially. I was sure that he would have nothing against it. He gave his consent"

She lived with her little family: she adored her son, loved her husband and was always grateful to Sergei Mikhailovich, who sincerely loved and idolized her throughout his life. At the end of the revolution, the prince proposed to Matilda, but she refused.

In 1935, the family went completely bankrupt, losing all their property, and was forced to move to Paris. The ballerina opened her own school and devoted all her time to teaching. She was a brilliant teacher who trained two world stars of ballet art, British ballet dancers - Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn.

Years of teaching

The life of the talented dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya was cut short in 1971 in Paris, but her fame will live forever.

Curious facts from the life of Matilda Kshesinskaya

Matilda Feliksovna did not live several months before her centenary. The Kshesinsky (Krasinsky) family has always been famous for its longevity. The ballerina's grandfather, Ivan Felix (1770-1876), lived 106 years, and her sister Julia died at the age of 103.

For many years Matilda studied charitable activities. She not only took part in front-line concerts, but also contributed to the arrangement of hospitals.

Matilda Kshesinskaya received the nickname “Madame Seventeen” because of her passion for gambling. The number she always bet on in the casino was “17”. Who knows why this particular number. Perhaps because at the age of seventeen she met the future Emperor Nicholas II.

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© Alexander Ulanovsky / Collage / Ridus

Passions are still running high around the film “Matilda” by Alexei Uchitel, which is being released across the country. However, few of either the opponents or supporters of its display are familiar with real story novel of the heir Russian throne with the ballerina of Polish origin Matilda Kshesinskaya. Meanwhile, this story deserves the closest attention, because it is capable of clarifying a lot and dotting the i’s in the events that took place around the last Russian Emperor more than a hundred years ago.

“Reedus” tried to figure out what was really behind the novel attributed to Nicholas II and Matilda Kshesinskaya, whether it actually happened and how it turned out further fate Matilda herself.

Beautiful polka

Matilda's real name is Krzezinskaya. Because of her cacophony, the girl’s father, the famous dancer Felix Krzesinsky, changed his last name to Kshesinsky. All her life, his daughter voiced a complex legend that her ancestors were the Polish Counts Krasinski, but due to the intrigues of her relatives, the family lost the right to the title.

After the revolution, having married Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, the ballerina achieved the right to be called Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya. However, there was and is no documentary evidence of her relationship with the Krasinskis.

It was no coincidence that Kshesinskaya came up with noble ancestors for herself. This was a traditional move for all the famous courtesans of that time. At some point, the ladies of the Parisian demimonde necessarily acquired the noble prefix “de”, for which they had neither rights nor documents. Liana de Pougy, Emiliena d'Alençon, Beautiful Otero - the tastes and passions of Kshesinskaya were no different from the morals of semi-secular French women. She also adored jewelry and handsome young men, fleeced men completely, lost at roulette and took it out on her rivals.

She was a fighter

In terms of her appearance, Kshesinskaya fit perfectly into the gold standard of the era. Famous beauties late XIX centuries were short and had a very dense physique. In the photo we see a strong, muscular Kshesinskaya with a pronounced waist, rounded arms and plump legs. Her large head and small height (about 150 cm) did not add to her beauty, but her snow-white teeth and cheerful smile made her forget about all her shortcomings.

Kshesinskaya’s external characteristics not only made her a favorite of the Romanov house. They allowed her to master the most difficult ballet steps. How less height ballerinas, especially high tempo she can dance.

The pumped-up little Kshesinskaya (Malya, as her lovers called her) had a build reminiscent of modern gymnasts. She became a real record holder on the Russian stage, the first of the Russian ballerinas to master thirty-two fouettés.

The lyrical roles that later made her rival Anna Pavlova famous were not suitable for Kshesinskaya. She was a virtuoso, a sports ballerina, as we would say today. She showed the same sporting character in life. “She was a fighter, a real warrior,” said Diaghilev, who suffered a lot from her.

The beginning of the novel

And now this 17-year-old “fighter,” a charming, lively and irresistibly flirtatious girl, meets with the sad and thoughtful heir to the throne. The first acquaintance took place on March 23, 1890 after the graduation performance. The dancers were invited to the table with the imperial family. Kshesinskaya was not entitled to an invitation. But Alexander III personally noted her and seated her next to the heir. “Just be careful not to flirt too much!” - The emperor smiled at the couple.

It was a difficult time for 21-year-old Nikolai Alexandrovich. The parents were worried that their son was somehow not interested in the fair sex. They tried to introduce him to young ladies, but things didn’t go beyond platonic walks.

The imperial couple had every reason to worry.

Nicholas's eldest relative, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, was known not only for the cute poems to which Tchaikovsky wrote romances, but also for his love for members of his own sex.

“My life flows happily, I am truly a “darling of fate”, I am loved, respected and appreciated, I am lucky in everything and succeed in everything, but... there is no main thing: peace of mind. My secret vice has completely taken possession of me…” the Grand Duke wrote in one of his diaries.

Uncle Nicholas, another Grand Duke - Moscow Governor-General Sergei Alexandrovich, at one time also the whole royal family saved from homosexuality.

“Some members of the imperial family also led an openly homosexual lifestyle,” wrote sexologist Igor Kon. “In particular, Nicholas II’s uncle, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, who was killed by Kalyaev in 1905, openly patronized handsome adjutants and even founded a closed club of this kind in the capital.”

Alexander was forced to invite Dostoevsky to be his teacher. This, however, did not help, and rumors about the gay brothels of the Moscow Governor-General circulated throughout the capitals until the death of Sergei Alexandrovich from Kalyaev’s bomb.

Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, a desperate liberal and enthusiastic Freemason, nicknamed Philippe Egalite for his revolutionary spirit, was also practically an open homosexual.

The mid-19th and early 20th centuries brought homosexuality into the spotlight high society some unusual delicacy, a funny and very “cute” curiosity, although forbidden.

All these weaknesses were forgivable when it was not about the heir to the throne. But sex life Nikolai Alexandrovich was a matter of national importance. The fate of the monarchy and the country depended on whether he was able to leave offspring.

Naturally, Maria Feodorovna and Alexander III turned their attention to the “ballet” ones. If under Mother Empress Catherine, sexual education of the heirs was provided by broken ladies-in-waiting, then in the 19th century a semi-legal harem for royalty became the Smolny Institute (where Alexander II’s beloved Princess Yuryevskaya studied) and the ballet troupe of the St. Petersburg Bolshoi (later Mariinsky) Theater.

Having met the heir, Kshesinskaya led the siege according to all the rules. I regularly met Nikolai, as if by chance, either on the street or in the theater. She came to dance for him at the summer theater in Krasnoe Selo. She flirted diligently. However, the phlegmatic Nikolai did not reciprocate her feelings, he only wrote in his diary “I positively like Kshesinskaya the second.” In the fall of 1890, he went on a trip around the world.

After his return in 1892, Kshesinskaya began to invite the heir to her parents’ house. Everything was decorous and noble. Niki and Malya were sitting in the living room and talking. After one such conversation, which lasted until dawn, Kshesinskaya announced to her parents that she was leaving them and would live separately, in a rented apartment. She actually rented a house on English Avenue. All that remained was to lure Niki there.

But just at this decisive moment the heir had a panic attack. He told Mala that he needed to break off the relationship, that he “cannot be her first, that this will torment him all his life.” Kshesinskaya began to persuade him. “In the end I almost managed to convince Nicky,” she recalls. “He promised that this would happen... as soon as he returned from Berlin...” Returning from Berlin, the future emperor actually arrived at the house on English Avenue. There, as Kshesinskaya’s memoirs say, “we became close.”

Despite the fighting qualities of the little ballerina, her romance with Nikolai was short and not very successful. It turned out that even before meeting her, the heir fell madly in love with Princess Alice of Hesse. Despite his parents' opposition, he sought their consent to the marriage for several years. Then he had to persuade Alice. Immediately after the announcement of the engagement, which took place in 1894, Niki broke up with Malya.

As a consolation, Kshesinskaya received a mansion on English Avenue, bought for her by Nikolai, a privileged status in the theater and, most importantly, connections with the House of Romanov.

Lengthy epilogue

Like a true gentleman, Nikolai Alexandrovich after the engagement avoided meeting and corresponding with Kshesinskaya. In turn, she behaved wisely and delicately. The emperor’s intimate letters “disappeared” somewhere. Kshesinskaya did not try to blackmail her lover. Just at this time, Nicholas II’s cousin, German Kaiser Wilhelm II, got into trouble. She's been extracting money from him for years ex-lover, who kept notes incriminating him.

The fate of our heroes turned out differently. Niki married his Alice, became emperor, abdicated the throne and died in Yekaterinburg.

Malya outlived her lover by fifty-three years. Immediately after her affair with him, she came under the official patronage of Nicholas II’s cousin, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. At the same time, she was credited with an affair with the emperor’s uncle, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. After some time, she became friends with his son, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. Besides them there were the “cutest” diplomats, hussars, and dancers. At the age of 40, Kshesinskaya fell in love with her young stage partner Pyotr Vladimirov. Andrei Vladimirovich challenged him to a duel in Paris and shot the handsome man in the nose. At the same time, Kshesinskaya managed to dance the main roles, then “leave forever” from the stage, then return again - and so on until she was 44 years old. She had complete control over the Mariinsky Theater, selected the repertoire and appointed performers.

“Is this really a theater and is it really me who runs it? - the director of the imperial theaters Telyakovsky, driven to despair, exclaimed in his diary. - Everyone... glorifies the extraordinary, cynical, arrogant ballerina, who lives simultaneously with two great princes and not only does not hide it, but, on the contrary, weaves this art into her stinking, cynical wreath of human carrion and depravity... Kshesinskaya herself says that she is pregnant... It is still unknown who the child will be assigned to. Some speak to Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and some speak to Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, others talk about the ballet Kozlov.”

They said about Kshesinskaya that she married the entire Romanov house. They paid her in jewelry (before the revolution, Kshesinskaya had accumulated two million rubles worth of jewelry alone), villas, and houses. When it became obvious that the diamonds and sapphires that Kshesinskaya wears on stage were paid for from the country's military budget, she became one of the most hated characters in Tsarist Petersburg. It is no coincidence that the Bolsheviks occupied her new mansion on Kronverksky Avenue as their headquarters.

Kshesinskaya sued the Bolsheviks and even managed to win. However, she could no longer return anything and, together with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and her son, fled to France. There she quickly lost at roulette, the French villa had to be sold, Kshesinskaya moved to Paris, where she opened her own school.

Her son grew up dandy and handsome. He liked to hint that his real father was Nicholas II, but no one believed him. The emigrants called him Vova de Russy - “Vova of All Rus'”. For some time, he believed that he would be able to come to an agreement with the Soviets and that he would be allowed to reign, at least nominally.

During World War II he was sent to a concentration camp. To get him out, Kshesinskaya went almost to the legendary Gestapo chief Muller. Her famous charm worked again, Vovo was released, went to England and became a British intelligence officer.

Kshesinskaya died in 1971, several months short of her centenary. Against the background of these adventures, her youthful romance with Nikolai Alexandrovich looks kind and funny story. Both lovers behaved with the utmost dignity.