Confessions of the Czarina

"Confessions of the Czarina" by Count Paul Vassili is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The narrative focuses on the life of Alexandra Feodorowna, the last Empress of Russia, exploring her marriage to Nicholas II and the complexities of her position within the Romanov dynasty amidst the political turmoil leading to the Russian Revolution. The opening portion sets the stage for Alexandra's life before and after her marriage. It details the ailing health of Czar Alexander III and the urgent necessity of his son, Nicholas, to find a bride, leading to Alexandra's betrothal. As the story unfolds, it portrays her emotions regarding her new position in Russia, her struggles with loneliness, and her attempts to navigate the intricate dynamics of the Russian court. The reader is introduced to the tensions with her mother-in-law and the expectations placed upon her as Empress, hinting at the deep sense of isolation and the challenges she faced in trying to fit into a world that often viewed her with suspicion and disdain. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Princess Catherine Radziwiłł was a Polish-Russian aristocrat. Born in Russia into the Polish-Lithuanian House of Rzewuski, her maternal family was the Russian Dashkov-Vorontsov family. In 1873 she married the Polish-Lithuanian Prince Wilhelm Radziwiłł.