“By the beginning of 1918 the Bolshevist anti-militaristic propaganda and the reluctance of our peasants to go on fighting had attained such proportions that Russia reeled towards a shabby and makeshift peace.” (Page 349)
The Soviet government and Germany had already started negotiations. In January 1918, Trotsky had already publicly stated he was demobilizing troops, yet there had not been a signature made on the treaty.
The armies had become greatly disorganized and many left the front. The front was affected first and then the cities became affected more. The armies and villagers began to pillage what was of value on estates. The destruction included furniture, art collections, libraries. The destruction even included killing the land owners, their livestock which often was valuable breeding cattle.
Near the end of February, the Germans had quickly advanced near Petrograd, and thus, the Allied embassies and missions had to leave quickly. “The Germans were before Narva, and the Bolsheviks, badly frightened, agreed to all demands and signed the proffered treaty of peace.” (Page 349)
When the signing took place on March 3, the Allied embassies and missions returned. In April, they decided and left. This departure affected Petrograd greatly because there was more a “guarantee” of “civilization that still existed, and even protection.” (Page 349) Now the Russians were left with being at the “mercy of our new rulers.” (Page 350)
Mid-March, “Uritsky, who was at the head of the terrible Cheka, issued a decree making obligatory the registration of all men belonging to the house of Romanov.” (Page 350) Princess Paley advocated for Marie’s father, as she had received an illness certificate issued by the doctor which she presented to the Cheka and to the Bolsheviks. Unfortunately for Volodia, Marie’s uncles and cousins who resided in Petrograd area were required to go to the Cheka and placed on a list, and then, were going to sent into exile. “Two weeks late Volodia, together with the three sons of the late Grand Duke Serge - who during the war was Commander-in-Chief of the Artillery - were exiled to Vita. We never saw any of them again. At the end of April they were all transferred, first to Ekaterinburg and then to Alopaievsk where later they were joined by Aunt Ella, exiled by the Bolsheviks from Moscow.” (Page 350)
Despite Marie’s Aunt Ella never really forgiving Marie’s father with all related to his marrying a divorced woman and his titles had been removed by the Emperor, despite being recognized by the court as official title and rights, versus morganatic title and rights. Marie noted that fate had created a turn of events where Aunt Ella had become at peace with second wife of Marie’s father close to the time of her death and the son’s (from second marriage) death. Also Marie wrote that Princess Paley, Marie’s father’s second wife, felt great regret that she had not sent her son, Volodia away - to have avoided being taken and exiled in Russia.
When Marie would visit her father at Tsarskoie-Selo, she would see how her father had less and less of what he was accustomed to his prior life. That pained Marie to see. In the winter, there was not enough fuel to continue with central heating, so they had closed off many of the rooms. By January, the fuel was out, so he with his family had moved into the “house of my cousin Boris, also located in Tsarskoie-Selo, where the stoves could be heated with wood.” (Page 351) Marie continued. “The local Soviet and its constantly changing members were continually blackmailing my father under some pretext or other for the purposes of personal material gain. Finally, the new government nationalized and took his house and its valuable collections, registering it as a museum.” (Page 351)
In the early Spring, Marie and her husband moved out of the city into a cottage in Pavlovsk. There she would be close enough to her father and manage her life with her husband as best they could. She was finding the city harder to live in. There at her new cottage, she began to plant a vegetable garden which she nurtured herself. The bought a goat which was for a source of dairy, as it had become too difficult to obtain cow milk.
As Marie was pregnant, and in early July, was confined due to her pregnancy. Just a week before, a trained nurse was to life with Marie and her husband. It was also planned that a doctor who managing her case, had planned to come to Pavlovsk on the 1st call. Three weeks ahead of the plan, she was in her garden watering and tried to left 2 larger pots which in the past did not seem to be that heavy. She suddenly developed a severe pain in her back. Her mother-in-law was not around as she had been during that day at Tsarskoie-Selo. Marie’s husband tried to reach the doctor to no avail. Marie’s pains escalated. When her mother-in-law did return, she was getting things setup and working on bringing in a local midwife. Dmitri’s favorite dog was under the bed yet intensely watching over Marie. The dog wanted to protect Marie and stand by her. Aleck brought in a local midwife and brought what she needed to address situation. “Less than an hour later I heard the cry of the newly born baby, and I could hardly believe that everything was over.” (Pages 352-353) Marie thought about her mother birthing her brother and that her mother passed during childbirth. Yet Marie was able to up and walking soon thereafter. The christening was to take place 10 days later. As part of the christening celebration, Her father and her husband’s grandmother were asked to be the godparents for this baby boy. Marie’ mother-in-law prepared a “real feast” and they used this time to best forget the difficulties of life. (Page 353) Her father seemed so joyous on that day. During that same time, what they did not know was, “in a small Siberian town, Volodia, Aunt Ella, and their companions” were enduring much suffering. “The Bolsheviks threw them that day down an old, unused mineshaft, then shot at them and threw stones upon them. Some were killed at once; others lived for days and died partly of wounds, partly of starvation.” (Page 353) Also on the christening day, they did know that this baby boy would not live much beyond one years old. When Marie walked her dad out to his carriage, what waited for him was “an ancient, shabby carriage, unearthed goodness knows from where, drawn by a workhorse, formerly used in the garden.” (Page 353) The gardener was his coachman and his dad wore “an old tweed cape” and a dark hat. (Page 353) Watching himself leave until she could no longer see him was forever etched in Marie’s memory.
“About that time came vague reports of the assassination of the Tsar and his family, but we refused to believe them. Also there came from Siberia unverified rumors of the scape of a group of our relatives who were in Alopaievsk; among them, Volodia. Poor Princess Paley was beside herself with joy at this news by my father was silent, rightly attaching little faith to such talk. Letters from Volodia, which came quite frequently, had ceased since July; his fate was unknown; but my father never learned of his death.” (Page 354)
“Many months later, when the armies of Admiral Kolchak had occupied Siberia, there was an inquiry; and I received, in London, various small belongings of Volodia’s - a two-fold leather frame with pictures of his parents, a small pocketbook with some paper money that smelled mouldy, as though long buried in damp earth, and a few yellowed letters from home. This together with official photographs of the corpses as they were carried out of the mine. Aunt Ella’s and Volodia’s bodies were found, we were told, side by side. The bodies, seven in all, were placed in coffins and sent to the Orthodox Mission at Peking. Still later, Aunt Ella’s brother and sister took her coffin, together with that of a nun who had perished with her, to Jerusalem where now in the Holy City she lies buried.” (Page 354)
The Bolsheviks began to focus on “the cultured part of the population.” (Page 354) The attacks were made towards those who were “participated in the old regime.” (Page 355) Marie and her husband began their plans to escape and her encouraged her to do so. They started with a “vague plan” and seemed “hopeless.” (Page 355)
“In spite of the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty, South Russia, including Kiev, was now occupied by the Germans, who were drawing from these provinces, rich in wheat, enough supplies and cattle to feed their own starving country. Moreover, in the places under their control they had established order.” (Page 355)
“Under the protection and with the aid of these same Germans a local government had been organized in Little Russia, now called Ukraine. At the head of this government was a former general of the Russian Army, by name Skoropadsky. We decided to try to make our way to Ukraine. It was still our hope not to have to leave Russia, but simply to live for a while in the south, awaiting better days.” (Page 355)
Documents seemed to be extremely important. Permits and identification papers were required for even the shortest distances. After looking into the details, “the safest way to go would be without any documents at all.” (Page 355)
Marie, her husband and his brother would exit the country first and find a place to live in Kiev. Then they could bring over her husband’s parents. Traveling with only the baggage that one could easily carry was important. Marie had sent her larger jewels to Sweden which had been hidden unknowing containers. Some of the smaller pieces, Marie sold to have some money for the trip. She was going to travel in what she was not accustomed to wearing. Instead of her known nurses’ uniform, she would be wearing “an old, worn-out dress and a raincoat.” (Page 356)
They had now a permit of departure from the local Soviet. At the last moment, Marie asked “the Swedish Legation for a paper that would identify me to the Germans in case of necessity.” (Page 356) She inserted it into soap she carried. Her husband carried penholders which held the money.
The night before their departure, they went to visit Marie’s father at Tsarskoie-Selo. It was a beautiful evening in temperature and foliage. They enjoyed tea together. Marie brought up Dmitri’s name and then, Marie felt it was time to leave and must day good-bye. They were able to express feelings that were feeling. Her father led the out into the garden and all kissed and blessed each other. Marie felt her father was cognizant that would be last time to see each one another. Marie felt pained with that feeling and possibility.
July 20, was there departure on a train from Petrograd to Orsha. Orsha was the “frontier between Soviet Russia and the more southern region occupied by the Germans.” “The first-class carriage in which we travelled was in comparatively good order although the small compartment for two was now occupied by four; my husband, his brother Aleck, myself, and an unknown gentleman.” (Page 357)
“Before the train started, my husband pushed into the hand of the conductor a small sum of money and this saved us from great trouble which could well have ended tragically.” (Page 357) Some of their friends who were there for their departure said that “orders were circulating through town for the mass arrest of officers, all of whom were being sent , it was said, to Kronstadt to be dealt with by the sailors.” (Page 357)
“And it is strange, but it was precisely from that day that there began the arrests, tortures, and executions which plunged Russia into an ocean of suffering and blood and which have have lasted for many long years.” (Page 357)