“The great Russian patriot General Kornilov, seeing that the Kerensky faction with its wordy vacillation and its constant concession to the Bolsheviks, could lead Russia only to ruin, decided to demand more decisive measures in regard to the army.” (Page 330)
Kerensky did a turnabout with Kornilov and “betrayed" Kornilov.” (Page 330) Marie’s wedding happened to also be around this time, so Marie realized her father and his family would not be able to attend her wedding. She began to make different wedding plans, as she realized, “The bold action of General Kornilov was the last act of the sort before complete darkness and chaos descended upon my country.” (Page 330)
Marie’s new plans was to have her wedding at Pavlovsk - “a one time favorite residence of the Emperor Paul I.” (Page 330) Marie’s grandmother, Queen of Greece, was residing with her nephew due to the revolution changes. Pavlovsk had changed as a residence in the imperial family to Prince John and Princess Helen of Serbia. Princes of Serbia and Marie had been part of the establishing the hospital on the front in Pskov!
Marie’s wedding was to take place September 19. Due to rumors that spreading of a possible coup d’état. As it turned-out the soldiers “visibly smartened up and pulled themselves together for those few days.” (Page 331)
The hopes of the coup d’état by Kornilov was squelched. The hopes he may save Russia was dashed. Kerensky told the plans to the Soviet. As for the participants, all were arrested but one; that one killed himself.
It was unclear what would happen on her wedding day, as Kornilov seemed close to Petrograd. Mme. Hélène, her governess in her youth, brought Marie’s wedding dress and accompanied Marie on the train from Petrograd to Pavlovsk. They reached Pavlovsk on a beautiful autumn day with no attacks close by. Her grandmother, Queen of Greece, was particularly kind to Marie on her day. Mme. Hélène assisted Marie on putting on her wedding attire. When she was ready, Prince John served in place of her father. Her grandmother with tears in her eyes, blessed Marie. Marie continued into the palace chapel where her fiancé was waiting for her. There a few guests as the situation was worsening overall. Following the ceremony, they enjoyed tea and sips of champagne which was a unique moment for Marie.
Marie had received another permit through her friends to see her father, so she and her now husband went immediately to Tsarskoie-Selo. While her father and his family were still under house arrest, Marie and her husband were allowed to drive through the gates. Her stepsisters were dressed to receive Marie and her new husband. There was joy and festiveness in the air. At the same time, Marie felt within herself that her father and his family may have a quick unhappy change. After leaving her father and his family at Tsarkoie-Selo, Marie and her new husband went to the apartment in the palace on Neva. They would not be able to maintain the whole building, so they focused on the apartment had lived in more recently. Marie stayed busy, She visited her father (as he and his family were no longer under house arrest). She also visited other friends in the area and attended a play once in a while.
The Bolshevist takeover was expected as the public did not believe the Provisional Government actions and decisions. the speeches that Kerensky was making was not well accepted as he was repelling people with his grandiose speeches which seemed empty and more radical. It was unexpected that the Bolsheviks would be able to hold power longer than 2-3 months, then a dictatorship would follow. The war was continuing on and so leaving Russia was not on her mind.
The extreme left Radicals became increasingly stronger. It was anticipated they would nationalize private operate. Marie realized she needed to get her jewels out of the state bank of Moscow. En route to handling that task, she and Putiatin would visit Marie’s Aunt Ella. When in Moscow, they visited with the Yusupovs near the Nicholas station.
They enjoyed 2-3 visiting with Aunt Ella and with her husband’s parents who were in Moscow at the time visiting with friends of theirs. October 30 was the day to go to the bank.
‘As he opened the gates for us the old janitor said: “Something is wrong in town. It strikes me that the Bolsheviks are up to something today. Maybe you shouldn’t go out; it pays, nowadays, to be careful.”’ (Page 334)
They left. The streets were empty. She and her husband did take a cab and then they had to take a detour per soldiers with rifles. Around the corner from the bank, they got out of their cab and turned the corner going into the Tverskaya. There sounds of gunfire in constant release. The bank was locked. Empty stretchers were appearing. Cabs disappeared. So Marie and her husband now had to walk and find their way out of danger. They ended-up in a small group of people on the Tverskaya which protected Marie and her husband. Trucks of soldiers were randomly shooting as they passed by. Bullets ricocheting and missed them. Marie felt great fear as they were try to dodge the danger. By noon, they were just walking past the Grand Opera. Bullets and explosions were constantly around them. Near Theatre Square, they had to pause for a while as they was firing on all sides. They were blocked in. Soldiers saw them and they were walking towards them while replacing the ammunition in their rifles. Marie did remember seeing the lots of holes particularly in a circular shape with yellow plaster showing. They were trying to get through where many had been shot and falling to the ground. By 5pm, they had arrived at the Putiatins’ home. At some point, they finally arrived at the Yurupovs. The following day was sounds of continuous firing of canons. The “pillage” was located in the town center and not in the outer skirts. (Page 338) The second night, there was loud sounds of soldiers’ boots and butts of the rifles to knock on the door. The lights were off inside the house. Marie and her husband remained silent. They were one street over from Nicholas station and her husband’s orderly worked out a plan to help them get on the train safely once the orderly knew of the train schedule into Nicholas station. There had been so much damage to buildings such as the Kremlin. It appeared the Bolsheviks “uprisings” were succeeding. (Page 338)
As it turned out Marie and her husband with his overly were able to take the first-class sleeping car. They had clean linens, a respectful conductor, electricity, with '“polished mirrors and doors.” (Page 338) Once they got to Petrograd successfully, they “drove home to Neva.” (Page 338) Once they arrived, Marie spoke with the Laimings to catchup on what occurred while they were gone. The Laimings were shocked to see them. “In Petrograd, as in Moscow, the Bolshevist uprising had succeeded. Kerensky had fled, the members of the Provisional Government had disappeared, but the troops loyal to them had engaged the Bolsheviks in several bloody combats. In this fighting the heaviest losses had been sustained by the Women Battalions and by the youths who were defending the Winter Palace.” (Page 339)
To learn of what was going on at Tsarskoie-Selo, Marie sent the orderly to investigate as he could less distinguishable. Once the orderly returned later that day, he said the following. “I am to tell you that everything is all right and that the Grand Duke Paul was taken away to the Smolny Institute two days ago.” (Page 339) Marie felt “terror” within herself. (Page 339)
The Bolsheviks made it clear, “Death to the aristocrats.” (Page 339) Marie knew now that the Bolsheviks were in control and “only chance could help us.” (Page 339)
The next day, once more, Marie sent the orderly back to Tsarskoie-Selo to learn more about her father. Once he returned, he shared that her father was to be released from Smolny. Her stepmother, Volodia, and daughters would leave for Petrograd. Marie did not know where they would stay and had no way to reach them. A day later, Volodia came to speak with Marie. Her father was not allowed to leave Petrograd unless he gotten permission to do so. Volodia had said, a warning had been shared with Princess Paley that Marie’s father may be sent to the Fortress of SS. Princess Paley persevered to get that order rescinded.
For two weeks, her father lived in Petrograd and then, was able to return to Tsarskoie-Selo. A sailor who was a member of the Soviet would go with her father back to Tsarskoie-Selo. While he was in Petrograd, Marie was able to spend much time with her father. Once he went back, she rarely saw him.
The decrees by the Bolsheviks became more alarming and ominous. “Several searches were made in his house in Tsarskoie by members of the local Soviet, men in soldiers’ uniforms with foreign names and alien, un-Russian faces. They looked for and confiscated firearms, which were now prohibited in private houses.” (Page 341)
They did find the wine collection her father had. Bottles were broken, drunk, and destroyed. Lots of drunk men inside and outside.
When Marie and her husband lived in her apartment in the palace on Neva, she had been concerned of being searched. As it turned-out, it was not. The palace did house a hospital on the second floor run by the English. Around 50 Russian orderlies lived in the basement of the palace. At night, upstairs they would hear lots of debauchery - drunk talks, corks opposing, lots of orgy sounds. Marie’s old butler asked Marie to not go to sleep that night for their safety. That night, the drunk orderlies were not keen on getting “loot” that night. (Page 342)
Marie had a footman from her earlier home, come into the hospital to work in days of working in the Pskov hospital. She had reprimanded him, and had had him arrested for a 24 hour period due to a “negligence.” (Page 342) He left work and he and his wife moved to Petrograd. His wife had been Marie’s maid in Pskov. Both the husband and the wife would periodically threaten Marie with betraying “her to the Soviet.” (Page 342) While Marie believed the punishment she had given him was well deserved, she was receiving retribution through the couples acts of revenge.
Marie was feeling that she and her husband would no longer be safe around any of the staff, “for the servants had formed their own house Soviet and elected a chairman. They continually sent their delegates to General Laiming, demanding this or that, knowing perfectly well all the time that there was no longer any money to satisfy their claims. The sale of the house appeared to be the only way to put an end to all of this. General Laiming awaited with impatience the moment when he could liquidate everything.” (Page 343) The words that would be spoken by Marie or her husband would be repeated and thus, she now was unable to trust any of her support around her.
“Owing to the war and the simpler habits I had acquired, I did not suffer greatly from the material shortages that speedily grew worse. My upbringing had been such, however, that in spite of all its deficiencies, I was able to maintain an outward appearance of poise and balance. Only one, as I remember it now, did the impression of the moment prove stronger than my former training.” (Page 344)
One evening, Marie and her husband went to the ballet. They sat in the orchestra seats. Marie was looking up at the seats where the Imperial family used to sit. Her thoughts went through all these many changes from the attire, to so many other elements. She passed out cold and a doctor was attending to her. Marie came to and noticed her teeth were chattering and she was feeling cold. “Putiatin wrapped me in a blanket and took me home, and I recovered only the next day.” (Page 345)
Marie and her husband began to live in a “furnished apartment on the Sergievskaya street.” (Page 345) They now had a cook and a maid only, versus a larger staff. People began to have less and less of money. There were problems with the food chain and much “disorganization.” (Page 345) Also her husband’s parents left Petrograd and came to stay with them. Princess Putiatina began to run the household. Food was scarce. Horse meat was periodically in their diet. It was illegal to buy white bread, so buckwheat flour was used. Then there was a ration on buckwheat flour. No sugar was available, so saccharine was a replacement. Sawdust had started to be used by others, yet it was not good for health. “In the winter we ate mostly cabbage and potatoes. Sometimes, as a special treat, my husband’s mother prepared cakes of coffee grounds.” (Page 345)
When people had conversations, they spoke mostly about food. There became a shortage of fuel during the winter. Marie ended-up with sores on her heels that would not heal, due to frostbite. Over time, Marie would sell only some small pieces of jewelry for money. People just did not have the money to buy much. Marie spoke of creative ways of hiding her jewelry pieces which had proved to work at that time.
“In winter, registrations of all sorts were introduced. Former officers, my husband in their number, were forced to clean streets. In order to receive a food card one had to have some progression or other, and to exercise the art of cunning.” (Page 347)
So to keep their minds busy, Marie, her husband, and his parents were busy with different endeavors, such as ikon painting. Marie completed her part of the joint venture with Volodia of translating from English, the novel, The Rosary. Marie commented on her state. “But on the whole I led a rather idle existence. The constant danger, the increasing want and hardships were becoming to us habitual, almost natural, phenomena. The inert, shut-in life wore me down, bit into my nerves. Each new day seemed longer than the one before, duller, more intolerable. And these interminable, circling conversations, either on food, which we did not have, or on our former grandeur now over! Especially on the days when I was hungry - which was, I admit, more and more often - all such talk stirred in me an impotent, silent wrath.” (Pages 347-348)
The Swedish Royal Family had learned of the starvation taking place in Russia and particularly for Marie. They sent her a large box of food item. Marie took the time to really appreciate each item with moments of pause.
“My still untrained mind sought among all the chatter to beat its way back into the very depths of these mysterious and incalculable causes and motives which had brought us all to ruin. What fatal flaw in the Russian character, what absence of balance and control, could have led to the gradual maturing of the new, monstrous order now ruling the country? I could not answer these questions, I could approach them only in thought. There seemed to be no answer to them, and I do not know that there is today.” (Page 348)