MEMORIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT

\n \nDue to her privileged position at the Court of the last Russian Tsar and her close association to the Imperial Family, Anna Vyrubova's memoirs are highly regarded by those who share a special interest in Nicholas II and his family. \n \nFrom the summer of 1905 on, Anna Vyrubova centered her life on the Empress Alexandra and became a part of the Tsar's family. In order to be closer to the family, Anna moved into a summer home at Tsarskoye Selo, just two hundred yards from the Alexander Palace, and her telephone was connected directly to the palace switchboard. \n \nHer memories provide a rare peek into the private world of the Imperial Family, sharing many intimate details and personal impressions. She sailed with them on the Imperial Yacht 'Standart' to the Finnish islands and Livadia in Crimea. \n \nIn 1920 Anna escaped to Finland and lived quietly at Vyborg. There she wrote these remarkable memoirs which offer a unique eyewitness testimony of the life and character of Empress Alexandra, Emperor Nicholas II and their five children. Vyrubova describes a diverse array of incidents in the life of the Imperial family which collectively attest to the sincere and loving nature of the often misunderstood Empress. \n \nAnna took vows as a Russian Orthodox nun but was permitted to live in a private home because of her physical disabilities. She died in 1964 at the age of 80, in Helsinki, where her grave is located in the Orthodox section of Hietaniemi cemetery. This book was first published in 1923. \n \n