The queen of intrigues: how prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya became the wife of Grand Duke Andrei Romanov. Intrigues against their own colleagues

The famous Russian ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya was distinguished by such a striking beauty that her appearance received the attention of crowned persons. They say that Nicholas II himself secretly met with Kshesinskaya, and after his marriage, Grand Dukes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich became the lovers of the ballerina. And from the first, Kshesinskaya even gave birth to a boy, who was later adopted by the second. It is clear that the prima ballerina of the Imperial Theaters had no problems with money, and in 1904 she commissioned the architect A. I. von Gauguin to build a mansion for herself.

Recently, they have been talking about Matilda Feliksovna - and by no means in connection with her choreographic talent, to which the whole Old World applauded. The ballerina was remembered after public figures from the Royal Cross movement saw in a three-minute trailer that had not yet been released on screens feature film Alexei Uchitel "Matilda" distortion of historical events, as well as "anti-Russian and anti-religious provocation in the field of culture." Most of all, the activists were outraged by the love-erotic scenes shown in the picture between Kshesinskaya and the heir to the throne, the future Emperor Nicholas II. The response to public complaints was immediate. Firstly, State Duma deputy Natalya Poklonskaya turned to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to check "Matilda" for insulting the feelings of believers. Secondly, the Public Council under the Ministry of Culture received 20,000 signatures demanding to ban the film, which is scheduled to premiere in October 2017. Thirdly, a certain organization "Christian State - Holy Russia" sent a letter to the directors of Russian cinemas, in which they warned that if the film was shown, "cinemas would burn." This is how the champions of historical authenticity provided Matilda Feliksovna with a full house - and even before going on stage.

Attention! +18. Video contains erotic scenes

However, this is not the first time the ballerina has been at the center of a big scandal. Let's talk about how the whirlwind February Revolution brought the names of Kshesinskaya and Lenin into one newspaper headlines. Few people know that in April-May 1917, the ballerina caused the Bolsheviks a lot of problems and even led a property lawsuit with them, which all revolutionary Petrograd knew about. The subject of the lawsuit was the famous mansion at the corner of Kronverksky Prospekt and Bolshaya Dvoryanskaya Street, from the balcony of which, on the evening of April 3, 1917, Vladimir Lenin, who had just returned from emigration, spoke to workers and sailors. However, first things first.

Kshesinskaya decided to build herself big house in St. Petersburg in 1902 - immediately after the birth of his son. The old, much more modest house on English Avenue, donated by Nicholas II, Kshesinskaya decided to sell to Prince Alexander Romanovsky. "leave your old house, given to me by Nicky, was very hard. I had to part with the house with which the most precious memories for me were connected, and where I lived many, many happy days. But at the same time, staying where everything reminded me of Nicky was even sadder, ”Kshesinskaya recalled.

In the spring of 1906, on the corner of Kronverksky Prospekt, a large-scale construction of a luxurious house began. Matilda herself chose the place for the new mansion: there were no factories nearby, and the size of the plot made it possible to set up a garden at the house. She also cared about the harmony of the surrounding space later: in 1909, the construction of a mosque began not far from her palace, but the Catholic Kshesinskaya turned to her heartfelt friend Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich with a request to protect her from such a neighborhood. As a result, a house of the Second Kamennoostrovsky Association for the Arrangement of Permanent Apartments with a brick fence and sculptures of lions was erected between the mansion and the mosque. Everyone was satisfied.

Alexander von Gauguin
Kshesinskaya believed that the architect Alexander von Gauguin brilliantly coped with her order. The mansion, 50 meters long and 33 meters wide, is designed in the classical northern modern style, distinguished by an asymmetrical facade and a composition of uneven heights. A contrasting combination of materials was used in the exterior decoration: red and gray granite, facing bricks, majolica tiles and decorative metal. It was always neat in the yard and in the garden - this was tirelessly monitored by the chief janitor Matvey Denisov, whom Kshesinskaya warmly called "grandfather Matvey." In the courtyard there was a laundry room, garages for a crew and two cars, as well as a cowshed so that the ballerina's son could drink fresh milk. A “fat pig, Vova’s favorite” also lived in one of the sheds, and a fox and a tamed goat lived in the house itself, with which Kshesinskaya performed in the Esmeralda ballet.

The interior space was organized in the form of two enfilades of halls, with an adjoining glazed winter garden. Already before Christmas 1907, the hostess moved to a new estate, even though not all the rooms had yet been furnished. Judging by the memoirs of Matilda Feliksovna herself, the furnishings in the mansion were luxurious.

Winter Garden

“I planned the interior decoration of the rooms myself. The hall was to be designed in the Russian Empire style, a small corner sofa in the style of Louis XVI, and I left the rest of the rooms to the taste of the architect. Some rooms, like the dining room and the adjacent salon, were in the Art Nouveau style.

Living room (salon)

I ordered a bedroom and a bathroom in English style, with white furniture and cretonne on the walls.

All the stylish furniture, and that which was intended for my personal rooms and the rooms of my son, I ordered Meltzer, the largest and most famous manufacturer in St. Petersburg, and I entrusted the rest of the furnishings to the large Platonov firm. All the bronze items for the Empire Hall and the Louis XVI Salon, such as: chandeliers, sconces, candelabra, door and window handles, locks and latches, as well as all carpets and upholstery, I ordered in Paris. The walls of the salon were covered with yellow silk.
Interior of the mansion and view of the courtyard in 1916.

Main staircase

Canteen

Bedroom

white hall

Yard and garden

The second floor was reserved for children's rooms, a ballerina's bedroom, a housekeeper's room, several "spare" rooms for guests and a dressing room. The latter was furnished with four huge oak wardrobes, which stored not only Matilda's everyday and weekend dresses, but also her stage costumes, shoes and wigs. On the ground floor there was a large hall, a billiard room, several living rooms, rooms for servants, Kshesinskaya's office, a buffet and a winter garden, for which a large glazed bay window was specially designed on the facade of the building. Memories of huge palm trees decorating the garden and wooden trellis structures entwined with greenery have been preserved. On the first floor there were two kitchens - for guests and servants. Let us turn again to the memoirs of the ballerina.

“The kitchen was my pride, it was, one might say, chic, and often after dinner I invited guests to admire it. My French chef, Denis, kept the kitchen exemplary clean and tidy, and immediately after dinner, when I showed the kitchen to guests, it was in such order that one could think that no dinner was cooked there at all. The house had its own glacier and a special cold pantry for dry products. I had, of course, a wine cellar. It was filled with wonderful wines and arranged in such a way that I could give dinners there after performances for lovers of good wines, leaving them to choose from the catalog the wine that everyone wanted. There was also a special cupboard in the cellar - with glasses for each type of wine. These dinners in the cellar among the bottles of wine were original in their setting and very cheerful. And they drank a lot of wine."

Wine from Kshesinskaya's cellar was often brewed by Fyodor Chaliapin, Vatslav Nijinsky, Tamara Karsavina, Leonid Sobinov, Anna Pavlova - the whole color of St. Petersburg. The famous jeweler Carl Faberge, who presented Mathilde with jewelry, and the no less famous American dancer, beloved of the poet Sergei Yesenin, Isadora Duncan, with whom the hostess quickly became friends, came to the receptions. Sergei Diaghilev also visited the famous dancer more than once, with whom he had a tender friendship. The Italian singer Lina Cavalieri sang here, home performances, concerts, interesting conversations, people who were close in their interests communicated. In general, the Kshesinskaya Palace was a kind of Mecca for the artistic intelligentsia of St. Petersburg-Petrograd until 1917.

Kseshinskaya with her son in the mansion

In early February 1917, the situation in the northern capital began to heat up. Police chief Vladislav Galle carefully recommended the ballerina and her son to leave the capital, as riots were expected. The fears were well-founded: Kshesinskaya's closeness to the imperial family was no secret to anyone; for the past six months she had received anonymous letters with death threats. Matilda left for Finland for a while, but returned by the middle of the month. On February 22, the ballerina gave a dinner with a chic serving for 24 people. She did not yet know that this would be the last reception in her mansion. On February 26, General Halle called her and ordered her to save valuables. “When I looked around me at everything that I had precious in the house, I did not know what to take, where to carry and on what, when the sea was already raging around. The next day, Monday, February 27, every hour became more and more anxious. Everything that was more precious and that came to my hand, I put in a small hand bag to be ready just in case, ”recalled the ballerina. On February 27, Kshesinskaya, in a black coat, a scarf on her head, a suitcase with jewelry and her beloved fox Djibi on a leash, left her mansion, in which she lived happily for 11 years.

The very next day, revolutionaries of an unknown color, led by a student Agababov, burst into the building. Kshesinskaya's cars disappeared, and with them antiques and other valuables. The fact that the house was raided by marauders, the ballerina, who was hiding with her son at her old friend Lilia Likhacheva, was reported by the janitor. A couple of days later, the hostess ventured back to the mansion to see what had happened:

“I was offered to go up to my bedroom, but it was just terrible what I saw: a wonderful carpet, specially ordered by me in Paris, was all filled with ink, all the furniture was taken out to the lower floor, a door with hinges was torn out of a wonderful closet, everything the shelves were taken out, and there were guns, I hurried out, it was too hard to look at this barbarism. In my bathroom, the pool tub was filled with cigarette butts. At this time, a student Agababov approached me, who was the first to occupy my house and has lived in it since then. He offered me as if nothing had happened to move back and live with them and said that they would give me the son's rooms. I didn’t answer anything, it was already the height of impudence ... Downstairs, in the hall, the picture was no less disgusting: Bechstein’s mahogany piano was for some reason squeezed into the winter garden, between two columns, which, of course, were badly damaged by this. With a heavy heart I left my house again; built with such love, that's what it has become ... ".
This time she left her home for good. On March 1, the mansion was arbitrarily occupied by soldiers from the workshops of the reserve armored division - they were located on the first floor. At the same time, activists of the Petrograd Committee of the Bolsheviks liked the building, which huddled in two closets in the attic of the Petrograd Labor Exchange (Kronverksky Prospekt, 49). The party members sent Piotr Dashkevich to the "armored cars" for negotiations. Apparently, the parties shook hands, because already on March 11, 1917, the PC RSDLP (b) and its Military Organization moved to Kshesinskaya's dwelling. After the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) settled in the building, the Petrograd newspapers called the mansion "the main headquarters of the Leninists." The headquarters had a very convenient strategic location: not far from the center, near the Peter and Paul Fortress, not far from the People's House after the February Revolution, soldiers of the 1st machine-gun regiment were stationed, close to the working outskirts of the Vyborg side.

Certificate P.V. Dashkevich for negotiations on the placement of the St. Petersburg Committee of the RSDLP (b) in the Kshesinskaya mansion. March 9, 1917

And soon Ilyich himself overshadowed the mansion with his presence. Lenin, as you know, missed the February Revolution - he was in exile in Zurich. In the framework of our article, we will omit the story full of secrets with a trip through Germany in a “sealed” carriage. What is important for us in this case is that on the evening of April 3, Lenin arrived in Petrograd. At 11:10 p.m., the train stopped at the platform of the Finland Station, where the Petrograd workers had already gathered. Vladimir Ilyich climbed onto an armored car, from where he delivered a historic speech, which he concluded with the words: "Long live the socialist revolution!" On the same armored car, Lenin went to the headquarters of the Central and Petrograd Committees of the Bolsheviks - i.e. to the mansion of Matilda Kshesinskaya, arbitrarily occupied by the Bolsheviks. On the same night, Ilyich delivered a fiery speech from the balcony of this building to workers, soldiers and sailors who had gathered on the street. The historic balcony was in the room of the ballerina Volodya's son. Cameras did not seem to record this event, but Soviet artists later wrote a lot of socialist realist canvases on this topic.

Paintings by Soviet artists on the theme of Lenin's speech from the balcony of the Kseshinskaya mansion

Now revolutionary passions were constantly seething around the mansion. The wife of the famous historian Sergei Platonov, who lived next door with her family, wrote in her diary: “A crowd is constantly standing around him and someone is orating - it’s not Lenin himself who speaks more, but one of the “Leninists”, there are fierce disputes between the “Leninists” and their opponents, and those who disagree with Lenin are sometimes arrested, and sometimes, they say, the orator Leninist has to hastily flee to the yard or to the house, so as not to be beaten.

Revolutionary passions around the Kseshinsky mansion in the spring and summer of 1917 were in full swing

Meanwhile, Kshesinskaya decided to fight for her property. However, it turned out that the uninvited guests were not going to leave her cozy mansion at all. Matilda Feliksovna had a detailed conversation with the head of the Petrocommittee, Lev Mikhailov. Although he was polite with the imperial favorite, he was more and more ironic, in every possible way letting the woman know that her house had new owners. Kshesinskaya's conversation with the representative of the Bolsheviks in the Executive Committee of the Petrosoviet, Alexander Shlyapnikov, went on in a similar way. The ballerina began to walk around the offices of officials of all levels and political stripes: she visited the military commission of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, turned to the commander of the Petrograd Military District, General Lavr Kornilov. An amazing thing: in the Public City Administration, she was returned some of the valuables seized from the mansion. The ballerina also tried to appeal to the conscience of the members of the PetroSoviet: for them, Kshesinskaya, as a sign of special respect, even wrote a letter asking her to return her house on red paper. “I have a child, and we were left homeless,” wrote the owner of the mansion. In reply supreme body"Revolutionary Democracy" adopted a resolution in which it recognized "the seizure of private property by anyone is unacceptable" and suggested that the committee of the armored division "immediately clear the premises it occupied in the Kshesinskaya house, providing it to the owner." However, this document did not have any force: no one left the mansion on Kronverksky Prospekt.

Model of the mansion from the Museum of the State Museum political history

The appeal to the then Minister of Justice Kerensky also turned out to be ineffective. Alexander Fedorovich was extremely kind to the lady, promised to “protect from all sorts of troubles” and even gave his home phone number, but during a second visit he was forced to tell Kshesinskaya that it was impossible to liberate her house by force, “since this would entail bloodshed around him which will complicate matters even more. Then Matilda went to court. In the Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg, the “Personal file of M. Kshesinskaya” has been preserved. Among the documents is her petition addressed to the prosecutor of the Petrograd Court of Justice, in which she demands:
“1) Take measures to free my house from strangers and give me the opportunity to safely return to it.
2) Start an investigation into the looting of my property in the same house.”

The looting of the Kseshinsky mansion

The prosecutor, in response, asked the management of the reserve armored vehicle about "the possibility of freeing Kshesinskaya's house from standing in view of her petition" and requested from the police commissariat of the Petrogradsky district "an inquiry about the plundered property." Again, there was no reaction. Then Kshesinskaya's lawyer, Vladimir Khesin, filed a civil suit for eviction.

Attorney at Law Vladimir Savelyevich Khesin (1867-1948), since 1921 - in exile in Paris. I think if he became Soviet Russia, would have been shot in the basement of the Cheka, as a man who dared to sue Lenin.

As defendants at the trial, the plaintiff indicated: “1. Petrograd Committee of the RSDLP; 2. Central Committee of the RSDLP; 3. Central Bureau of Trade Unions; 4. Petrograd Regional Committee of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party; 5. Club of military organizations; 6. Assistant attorney at law S.Ya. Bagdatiev; 7. Student G. O. Agababov; 8. Candidate of rights V.I. Ulyanov (lit. pseudonym - Lenin)."

Attorney at Law Vladimir Savelyevich Khesin

Newspapers enthusiastically savored the property claims of the "tsar's favorite" to the "Bolshevik leader". Many media on the front pages published notes under headings like "Tyazhba Kshesinskaya and Lenin." However, fans of sensations were disappointed: the main plaintiff and defendant did not appear in court.

The interests of the Bolsheviks at the trial were represented by the Lithuanian Social Democrat, assistant barrister Mechislav Kozlovsky and one of the secretaries of the PC Sergei Bagdatiev. At the meeting, it turned out that the summons had not been handed over to the respondent Lenin because he did not live there, and the district committee of the Socialist-Revolutionaries refused to accept the summons. Kozlovsky explained the unauthorized occupation of the mansion by revolutionary organizations as follows: “It should not be forgotten that the revolutionary organizations occupied this building on February 27, the day of the revolutionary action of the people. They occupied it when it was empty, when the raging masses destroyed the palace of Kshesinskaya, considering it a nest of counter-revolution, where all the threads connected with the royal house converged Kshesinskaya, who, according to the understanding of the masses, was, if not a member royal family, then, at least, the favorite of the deposed king. And this palace remained intact only due to the fact that it was occupied by revolutionary organizations. What kind of “legal order” is it permissible to talk about at a time when a revolution is going on in the street with the whistle of bullets and artillery cannonade?!

Sergei Bagdatiev in his speech emphasized that the Bolshevik organizations that settled in the mansion represent a large and influential political force. “We are not robbers. We are a large political organization. As soon as we find a new room for ourselves, we will gladly leave Kshesinskaya's house. The ballerina’s lawyer Khesin retorted in response: “As a citizen and a lawyer, I must defend the idea that there are laws in the revolution. And during the revolution, as long as there is no new law, the old law operates. After all, the denial of all laws is anarchy. In vain did they talk about the crowd, about the royal favorite, about threats of destruction. Rumors and street talk should not be brought into court here. Does the crowd say enough? The crowd also talks about the journey in a sealed carriage through Germany and about the German gold brought to the house of my trustee. I did not repeat all this in front of the court. I appeal to the legal order. Therefore, I ask you to clean the house of the trustee, giving the evicted the shortest possible time.

After a 10-minute break, the magistrate announced the decision. On May 6, the Cadet "Rech" reproduced it in full: "By the Decree of the Provisional Government of Russia, it was determined: within 20 days p.k. s.-d. r.p., the Central Committee of the same party, the club of organizations (the Bolshevik soldier's club "Pravda" - A.K.), the Petrograd district committee of the p.s.r., S. Bagdatiev with all the residents and clear the premises of their property. The decision is subject to preliminary execution. Leave the suit against Vladimir Ulyanov and the Central Bureau of Trade Unions without consideration.”
On June 5, lawyer Khesin, accompanied by a bailiff and a police detachment, appeared at the Kshesinskaya mansion to carry out the eviction. Yakov Sverdlov, who led the activities of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), managed to agree with the Minister of Justice of the Provisional Government P.N. Pereverzev to grant a new delay and promised Khesin that in a week all the Bolsheviks would leave the building. This time was spent on the fact that the party members found out who was to blame for the failure of the case in court: the majority decided to blame Bagdatiev with his unconvincing speech, but Stalin stood up for him. In general, the extreme was not found. The Bolsheviks had no choice but to officially announce their departure from the mansion of the Central Committee and PC of the RSDLP (b) on June 12. However, the Military Organization of the RSDLP (b), which at that time disposed of the building, categorically refused to comply with the court decision. Its leaders threatened that the attempt to evict them would be answered with armed resistance. Looking at them, the Petrograd Bolsheviks also returned to their homes.

I must say that by this moment the arrogance of the Bolsheviks was already rather fed up with ordinary St. Petersburg residents: anti-Bolshevik sentiments were gaining strength in society, and Kshesinskaya was no longer ridiculed by the newspapers, but was presented as one of the victims of the arbitrariness of Lenin and his associates. St. Petersburg telephone operators even threatened to declare a boycott and not connect with the "Leninists" who had settled in the mansion. Bourgeois feminist organizations, in turn, staged demonstrations demanding the return of the building to its rightful owner. In response, left-wing newspapers published resolutions of rallies of workers, soldiers and sailors demanding that the long-suffering house be recognized as public property. The garrison of the Peter and Paul Fortress declared its readiness to respond with gunfire to any attempt to evict the Bolshevik organizations by force.

The order of the bailiff to the head of the city police D.A. Kryzhanovsky about sending an armed detachment to the Kshesinskaya mansion. June 23, 1917

On June 15, Minister of Justice Pereverzev sent D.A. Kryzhanovsky was ordered to "immediately enforce the ruling of the Petrograd World Court on the eviction of the persons and organizations occupying it from the Kshesinskaya house." Due to the fact that the defendants refused to voluntarily clear the premises occupied by them, the minister suggested to Kryzhanovsky “to apply with a written request for secondment of the necessary for the execution of the court ruling military force to the Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District. On June 23, the bailiff of the 28th precinct, Skripitsyn, turned to the chief of police with a request to send “a reinforced detachment of armed people” to the Kshesinskaya mansion at 8 am on June 26. A new armed conflict was brewing, but a series of political crises temporarily diverted the attention of the authorities from the Kshesinskaya mansion.

Only during the elimination of the Bolsheviks' July uprising did government troops occupy the building on the morning of July 6, while the premises of the Central Committee and the PC of the RSDLP (b) were brutally destroyed. Here we offer a brief flashback to our time. In one of the excursion programs of the State Museum of Political History (it is this organization that now occupies the former mansion of Matilda Kshesinskaya), the following is written: “We invite you to a tour that tells about the unique trial of 1917, which was called “Litigation of Kshesinskaya and Lenin” in the press of that time. . In the spaces of the mansion of the famous ballerina, you will find out what caused the trial between the Bolsheviks and the ballet diva and why the leader of the RSDLP (b) fled from this house in July 1917. It is believed that during the so-called "July Crisis" Lenin secretly fled from the Kshesinskaya mansion from an angry mob. The details of this flight were not widely advertised, but Lenin really urgently left northern capital and for the whole summer he settled in Razliv. In Leningrad, there were even such rumors: in the early 1970s, the museum was being renovated, in one of the rooms there was an impressive hole in the ceiling. One of the tourists allegedly blurted out: "But Lenin ran into this hole." The hole was sealed the next day.

If we turn to the official chronology, then the events around the mansion in early July 1917 developed as follows: July 3: numerous groups and delegations of participants in anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd arrive at the mansion, demanding that the Bolsheviks officially support the movement. July 4: Lenin speaks from the balcony of the mansion to the sailors of the landing detachment, which arrived in Petrograd from Kronstadt to participate in an anti-government demonstration. July 5: The military organization of the RSDLP (b) prepared the mansion for defense, machine guns were installed, the sailors of the Kronstadt detachment were accommodated in the mansion. Armored cars took up position on the square in front of the mansion. July 6: Provisional Government troops completely blockade the mansion and present an ultimatum to its defenders. At about 11 o'clock in the morning, the mansion was captured by a combined detachment of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment and naval pilots. The bursting soldiers staged a rout of a number of premises. July 7: The counterintelligence of the Petrograd Military District conducts a thorough search in the premises of the mansion. Guards are installed in all rooms.

Scooters in the courtyard of the Kshesinskaya mansion. July 1917

However, even after the expulsion of the Bolsheviks, no one was going to return Kshesinskaya to her ruined nest: this time the mansion was occupied by a convoy and a company of the 1st scooter battalion of the 5th Army of the Northern Front, which arrived in Petrograd to suppress anti-government demonstrations. No one dared to evict the scooters, specially recalled from the front to "save the revolution". Soldiers ransacked the mansion, destroying and taking away everything that was left. Here are excerpts from the newspapers of that time about the state of the once chic palace: Novoye Vremya: “Everything is in the mud inside. There is almost no furniture. And the courtyard, and the front garden, and the pavement near the palace are strewn with soldiers ”; "Evening Time": "The mansion of Mrs. Kshesinskaya has been plundered to the last degree"; "Petrogradsky sheet": "The garden of the palace represents the appearance of a military camp: military carts, many bicycles, horses ...".

Kshesinskaya's lawyer continued to file new lawsuits - now against the Provisional Government, seeking the return of the building to its former owner and compensation for the damage, which he estimated at a third of a million rubles. The total cost of the mansion, which exceeded one million gold rubles, increased by 3-4 times by 1917. However, all these claims were made already in the absence of the hostess herself: Matilda Feliksovna realized that she had nothing more to look forward to in revolutionary Petrograd. “It was more and more painful to feel that there was nothing more of her own, there was no home, no things, but it was even worse for others,” the ballerina writes in her memoirs. Having received official permission from the authorities, on July 13 she left the capital forever, going to Kislovodsk to her dacha, where she was waiting for her. Grand Duke Andrey Vladimirovich. In the south, Kshesinskaya survived two years civil war, and in February 1920, after the defeat of the Volunteer Army, she left Russia forever. The following year, she married the prince and lived a long life in exile - the owner of the expropriated palace on Kronverksky Avenue in Paris died in 1971 at the age of 99. It can, perhaps, be 100% certain that Matilda Feliksovna outlived everyone who took her house away from her.

Museum of the Revolution in the Kseshinskaya mansion. With a bust of Lenin and a view of the historic balcony
The history of the famous mansion went its own way: until October 1917, scooters remained its owners, after the revolution, the building was placed at the disposal of the Petrosoviet. Volodarsky, Zinoviev and other revolutionary leaders spoke from its balcony. In subsequent years, its owners changed like in a kaleidoscope: the notorious Proletkult, the house of political education of the Petrograd region, in which for the first time in 1923 the “Ilyich Corner” was created, and even an orphanage for mentally retarded children. In 1929, the institute was located here Catering, in which a dietary canteen was opened, from 1931 to 1935 there was a society of old Bolsheviks in the mansion, in 1937 the newly created museum of the murdered S.M. became the owner of the building. Kirov. Since December 1955, the Kshesinskaya mansion has become the main building of the Museum of the Great October Socialist Revolution, which on August 13, 1991 received its modern name - State Museum political history of Russia.

According to the Internet

Name: Matilda Kshesinskaya

Date of Birth: 31.08.1872

Age: 146 years old

Place of Birth: St. Petersburg, Russian empire

Activity: ballerina, teacher

Family status: married

The biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya are now being actively discussed. This name is on everyone's lips after the premiere of the sensational film "Matilda", in which the autocrat, canonized by the saints of the Orthodox Church, is shown as an ordinary passionate person. This shocked many, especially believers. And, as you know, many people are now protesting. So who was this mysterious woman really?

Childhood and youth of Matilda

Matilda Kshesinskaya was born on August 31, 1872. Her biography began in the town of Ligovo, St. Petersburg district.

Matilda's parents were ballet actors, Pole Felix and Julia. His father performed at the Mariinsky Theater, and his mother was a corps de ballet dancer. The personal life of Felix and Yulia Kshesinsky was successful, they had three children, despite the fact that Yulia had 5 children from her first husband before her marriage to Felix. In girlhood, the mother's surname was Dominskaya. She was married to the famous dancer Lede, who died leaving her alone with her children.

Matilda from childhood showed the ability to theatrical art and loved theater with all her heart. Her older sister was also a ballerina, which only increased the desire of the young girl to follow this path. Therefore, as soon as she was 8 years old, the girl entered the Imperial Theater School and in 1890 graduated from it as an external student. During her studies, the future ballerina was worried that she would not be able to benefit society, but when she saw the performance of the famous Virginia Zucchi and was inspired by it, she realized that there was nothing more important for her than art.

Matilda Kshesinskaya in childhood

The final exam, already exciting for Matilda, was attended by Emperor Alexander III, along with his son, Tsarevich Nicholas. The sovereign praised Matilda's performance, wishing her to become an adornment of the famous Russian ballet.

This praise had a huge impact on the biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya, gave her confidence. After the exam, at the ball, the girl danced with Nikolai. Both of them, recalling this moment, claim that they fell in love with each other immediately.

Matilda's parents

The memoirs of contemporaries show that the girl had a cheerful character. Matilda was easy-going and very cheerful. Tsarevich Nikolai even spoke in his diary that instead of blood, champagne flows in her. She remained that way for the rest of her life.

Since the girl showed herself in her studies from the best side, after graduating from college she was immediately invited to the Mariinsky Theater.

Creative career in Russia

Matilda was a very hardy and purposeful person. She could stand at the barre for hours, not paying attention to pain and discomfort.

The girl played many roles in the theater, but her debut was the role of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In 1896, Matilda, despite the absence of the consent of the chief choreographer Petipa, became the prima ballerina of the imperial theater. The girl's work was difficult, besides, the attitude of other ballerinas towards Matilda was not easy, but she continued to shine on stage.

At that time, Italian ballerinas were the most popular in Russian ballet, due to their physical endurance and grace. To learn this skill, Matilda takes lessons from Italian masters, which allowed her to perform the well-known trick - 32 fouettes, which had not been performed by Russian ballerinas before.

Famous ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya

Kshesinskaya performed not only at the Mariinsky Theater, but also at the Krasnoselsky and Hermitage. Also, young ballerina worked together with such famous ballerinas as Anna Pavlova and Yulia Sedova.

Matilda's style was different from other ballet styles of the time. The girl knew how to combine Italian flexibility and Russian grace, as well as endurance and natural charisma. All this allowed her to leave a noticeable mark in the history of art.

To the repertoire great ballerina at that time included roles from ballets:

• "Esmeralda";
• "La Bayadere";
• "Vain Precaution";
• "Flora Awakening";
• "Sleeping Beauty";
• "Evnika" and others.

None of the dancers had such beauty of movements and grace in those days. Matilda knew how to charm the viewer with her charm, expressiveness of feelings and precision of movements. This is all thanks to the diligent training, diligence and perseverance of this small but strong woman.

Matilda during the dance

In 1904, Matilda left the theater forever and began to give performances by order. She earned decently for those times, on average, the former prima ballerina received 500-750 rubles per performance. It was a lot of money at that time, considering that two rubles could buy a cow, for example. In 1911, the ballerina performs very successfully in London. Matilda has since become interested not only in the theater, but also in various financial transactions. For example, during the First World War, Kshesinskaya distributes orders for troops between firms and influences various military affairs.

Life abroad

During the February Revolution, the biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya changed completely. The ballerina with her family and son Vladimir leaves Petrograd forever. For some time the ballerina lives in Kislovodsk, then moves to Novorossiysk. Matilda wanted to return to the capital of Russia, but she could not do this, since her famous mansion was occupied by the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party.

In Novorossiysk, the life of the Kshesinskys was not sweet. In those difficult post-revolutionary times, the aristocrats had a very difficult time. They, along with relatives of the Grand Dukes, had to live for 2 months in wagons in which typhus was raging.

For some time the dancer lived abroad

Fortunately, the disease passed by Matilda and her son. In 1920, the ballerina moved abroad, to France, to a city called Cap d'Ail. There she had a villa, and Matilda's life improved again.

9 years later, Kshesinskaya opens her own ballet school in Paris. The students recalled that her noble blood was visible to the naked eye. During her teaching, Matilda Kshesinskaya never raised her voice to the students, she was always polite and behaved with dignity. She did not talk much about her biography and personal life, and in the photo, and in life, she looked much younger than her years.

During World War II, Matilda becomes ill with arthritis, because of which every movement began to bring her pain, but, as in her youth, the former ballerina copes with it. In Paris, Kshesinskaya begins to write memoirs, which were published in France in 1960. In Russia, her books were published only after the fall of the USSR, in 1992.

The novel of Matilda Kshesinskaya with the Tsarevich

The biography and personal life of Matilda Kshesinskaya is closely connected with the imperial family. In 1890, the girl met Nikolai Alexandrovich, the future Nicholas II. According to the memoirs of the ballerina, she immediately fell in love with the heir. Nikolai was also fascinated by this fragile and petite girl (her height was only 153 centimeters!).

Empress Maria Feodorovna approved of the Tsarevich's decision to have an affair with Matilda and even helped with money for Kshesinskaya's gifts. This was due to the fact that Nikolai was too modest and paid little attention to the female sex. His mother was seriously worried about this.

But, unfortunately, there could be no marriage between the ballerina and Nicholas, since in this case the crown prince would have lost the opportunity to take the throne. Everyone understood this, and Matilda too. However, no one forbade young lovers to meet.

Matilda in her country house

Their love was like a young unopened rose that attracts attention with its fragrance and beauty. However, it can be very difficult to break it due to the sharpness of the thorns.

Thanks to this novel, Nikolai gained experience in love and communication with women. The love of the Tsarevich and the young beautiful ballerina became a forbidden fruit when the time came for him to marry, having found a worthy candidate for this, and take the throne.

In 1894, on the occasion of the death of Emperor Alexander III, Nicholas made a decision - it was necessary to marry Alice of Darmstadt, the future Alexandra Feodorovna, the granddaughter of the English Queen Victoria. Moreover, the crown prince fell in love with the princess. Nikolai saw Alix (as her relatives called her) as a child, at the wedding of her sister, Princess Elizabeth, and his uncle, Prince Sergei. Having met with Alix a few years later, Nikolai saw a formed beauty in her appearance, and his heart trembled. He realized that he could not find a better party for marriage.

Matilda Kshesinskaya and Nikolai Alexandrovich

Since then, the relationship between Matilda and Nikolai has ceased forever. The girl was very upset by the breakup, but soon quickly dealt with it. Matilda and Nikolai have fond memories of each other.

Before his wedding, the future emperor asked his nephew, Sergei Mikhailovich, to take care of Kshesinskaya, to which he happily agreed. Moreover, Sergei was the president of the Russian Theater Society, which had a beneficial effect on the girl's career. Matilda and Sergei became good friends and later lovers.

Personal life

Love affairs were not alien to this pretty girl. After parting with the Tsarevich, Matilda had two lovers, His Serene Highness Princes Sergei Mikhailovich and Andrei Vladimirovich. Sergey made an offer to the ballerina, but for some unknown reason she refused. Probably then the girl was still too windy in nature and was not ready for a serious family life.

Once, in 1908, on a tour in Paris, Matilda began an affair with the young Peter Vladimirovich. As a result of this romance, Peter and Andrei developed far from friendly relations, it even came to a duel, where Peter was shot in the nose.

Matilda with her husband and son

The unmarried life of a ballerina at that time could not continue for a long time, and the dream of a large and friendly family did not allow Kshesinskaya to enjoy a free life. In 1902, Matilda's son Vladimir was born. By the way, it is still unknown who the real father of the boy is.

Despite the fact that Kshesinskaya was not married to Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, her son was given the nobility and patronymic Sergeevich. But soon the son had to change this patronymic, since in 1921, in Cannes, Matilda married Andrei Vladimirovich, the grandson of Alexander II. Matilda, who was a Catholic before the wedding, converted to Orthodoxy with the name Maria. Their family was exactly what the ballerina dreamed of. They were together until the end of their days.

A capable ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya (Polish Jewess) managed to be the mistress of several Grand Dukes at the same time. She ended up marrying one of them. And he even had to adopt his own son ...

125 years ago, young ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya completed her first season at the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg. She had a dizzying career ahead of her. whirlwind romance with the future Emperor Nicholas II, about whom she spoke with the utmost frankness in her Memoirs.

In 1890, for the first time, the royal family, headed by Alexander III, was to attend the graduation performance of the ballet school in St. Petersburg. “This exam decided my fate,” Kshesinskaya would write later.

fateful dinner

After the performance, the graduates watched with excitement as members of the royal family slowly walked along the long corridor leading from the theater stage to the rehearsal room: Alexander III with Empress Maria Feodorovna, four brothers of the sovereign with their spouses and still very young Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich. To the surprise of everyone, the emperor loudly asked: “Where is Kshesinskaya?” When the embarrassed pupil was brought to him, he held out his hand to her and said: "Be the adornment and glory of our ballet."

Seventeen-year-old Kshesinskaya was stunned by what happened in the rehearsal room. But the further events of that evening seemed even more incredible. After the official part, the school gave a big gala dinner. Alexander III took a seat at one of the lavishly served tables and asked Kshesinskaya to sit next to him. Then he pointed to a seat next to the young ballerina to his heir and, smiling, said: "Look, just don't flirt too much."

“I don’t remember what we talked about, but I immediately fell in love with the heir. Like now, I see his blue eyes with such a kind expression. I stopped looking at him only as an heir, I forgot about it, everything was like a dream. When I said goodbye to the heir, who spent the whole dinner next to me, we looked at each other not the same as when we met, a feeling of attraction had already crept into his soul, as well as into mine ... "

Later, they accidentally saw each other several times from afar on the streets of St. Petersburg. But the next fateful meeting with Nikolai happened in Krasnoe Selo, where, according to tradition, a summer camp was held for practical shooting and maneuvers. A wooden theater was built there, where performances were given for the entertainment of the officers.

Kshesinskaya, who from the moment of the graduation performance dreamed of once again at least seeing Nikolai close, was infinitely happy when he came to talk to her during the intermission. However, after the fees, the heir had to go on a round-the-world trip for 9 months.

“After the summer season, when I could meet and talk with him, my feeling filled my whole soul, and I could only think about him. It seemed to me that although he was not in love, he still felt attracted to me, and I involuntarily gave myself up to dreams. We never got to talk in private, and I didn't know how he felt about me. I found out later, when we became close ... "

When the heir returned to Russia, he began to write many letters to Kshesinskaya and increasingly came to her family's house. Once they sat in her room almost until morning. And then Nicky (as he himself signed letters to the ballerina) confessed to Matilda that he was going abroad to meet with Princess Alice of Hesse, with whom they wanted to marry him. Kshesinskaya suffered, but she understood that her separation from the heir was inevitable.

Mistress Nicky

The matchmaking turned out to be unsuccessful - Princess Alice refused to change her faith, and this was the main condition for marriage, so the engagement did not take place. Nicky began to visit Matilda often again.

“We were more and more attracted to each other, and I increasingly began to think about getting my own corner. Meeting with parents became simply unthinkable. Although the heir, with his usual delicacy, never spoke openly about it, I felt that our desires coincided. But how do you tell your parents? My father had been brought up with strict principles, and I knew that I was dealing him a terrible blow, given the circumstances under which I left the family. I was aware that I was doing something that I had no right to do because of my parents. But ... I adored Nicky, I only thought about him, about my happiness, at least a short one ... "

In 1982, Kshesinskaya moved to a house on English Avenue. The heir constantly came to her, and the lovers spent a lot of time there together. happy hours. However, already in the summer of 1893, Nicky began to visit the ballerina less and less. And on April 7, 1894, Nicholas's engagement to Princess Alice of Hesse-Darmstadt was announced.

Until the wedding, his correspondence with Kshesinskaya continued. She asked Nicky for permission to continue to communicate with him on "you", and also turn to him for help in difficult situations. In the last letter to the ballerina, the heir replied: "Whatever happens to me in my life, meeting with you will forever remain the brightest memory of my youth."

“It seemed to me that my life was over and that there would be no more joys, but there was much, much grief ahead. I knew that there would be people who would pity me, but there would also be those who would rejoice in my grief. What I then experienced when I knew that he was already with his bride is difficult to express. The spring of my happy youth has ended, a new one has come, hard life with a broken heart so early ... "

Nicholas always patronized Kshesinskaya. He bought and gave her a house on English Avenue, which she had once specially rented for meetings with the heir. With the help of Nicky, she resolved numerous theatrical intrigues that were built by her envious and ill-wishers. With the suggestion of the emperor in 1900, Kshesinskaya easily managed to receive a personal benefit dedicated to the tenth anniversary of her work at the Imperial Theater, although other artists were entitled to such honors only after twenty years of service or before retirement.

After the heir, Kshesinskaya had several more lovers from among the representatives of the Romanov dynasty. Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich consoled the ballerina after parting with Niki. They had a close relationship for a long time. Recalling the theatrical season of 1900/1901, Kshesinskaya mentions how the married 53-year-old Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich looked after her beautifully. In those same years, Kshesinskaya began a stormy romance with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, while the ballerina's relationship with Sergei Mikhailovich did not stop.

“A feeling immediately crept into my heart that I had not experienced for a long time; it was no longer empty flirting ... From the day of my first meeting with Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, we began to meet more and more often, and our feelings for each other soon turned into a strong mutual attraction ... "

In the autumn of 1901 they went on a trip to Europe together. In Paris, Kshesinskaya found out that she was expecting a baby. On June 18, 1902, she gave birth to a son at her dacha in Strelna. At first she wanted to name him Nikolai, in honor of her beloved Nicky, but she considered that she had no right to do so. As a result, the boy was named Vladimir - in honor of the father of her lover Andrei.

“When I got a little stronger after giving birth and my strength recovered a little, I had a difficult conversation with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. He knew very well that he was not the father of my child, but he loved me so much and was so attached to me that he forgave me and decided, in spite of everything, to stay with me and protect me as good friend. I felt guilty before him, because the previous winter, when he was courting a young and beautiful Grand Duchess and there were rumors about a possible wedding, I, having learned about this, asked him to stop courtship and thereby put an end to unpleasant conversations for me. I adored Andrei so much that I did not realize how guilty I was before Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich ... "

The son of Kshesinskaya was given a patronymic Sergeevich. Although already after emigration, in January 1921, the ballerina and Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich got married in Nice. Then he adopted his own child. But the boy received the surname Krasinsky. And it had a special meaning for Kshesinskaya.

AND NOW THE MIRACLES BEGIN WITH THE BIOGRAPHY. ATTACHING TO THE RICH AND POWERFUL IN THE BLOOD OF JEWISH WOMEN, A SUCH HOBBY. WELL AND INVENT YOURSELF TITLE-ALSO NOT A PROBLEM!

The history of the family of Matilda Kshesinskaya is no less interesting than the biography of the ballerina herself. Her ancestors lived in Poland and belonged to the family of Counts Krasinski. In the first half of the 18th century, events occurred that turned the life of a noble family upside down. And the reason for this, as often happens, was money. The great-great-great-grandfather of Kshesinskaya was Count Krasinsky, who had enormous wealth. After the death of the count, almost the entire inheritance went to his eldest son (great-great-grandfather Kshesinskaya). His younger brother got practically nothing. But soon the happy heir died, not recovering from the death of his wife. The owner of untold wealth was his 12-year-old son Wojciech (great-grandfather of Kshesinskaya), who remained in the care of a French educator.

Further events are reminiscent of the plot of "Boris Godunov" by Pushkin. Uncle Wojciech, who considered the distribution of the inheritance of Count Krasinsky unfair, decided to kill the boy in order to take possession of the fortune. In 1748, the bloody plan was already nearing completion: two assassins were preparing a crime, but one of them lost their nerve. He told the Frenchman who raised Wojciech about everything. Having hastily collected things and documents, he secretly took the boy to France, where he settled him in his family's house near Paris. In order to conceal the child as much as possible, he was recorded under the name Kshesinsky. Why this surname was chosen is unknown. Matilda herself in her memoirs suggests that she belonged to her great-grandfather in the female line.

When the teacher died, Wojciech decided to stay in Paris. There, in 1763, he married a Polish emigrant, Anna Ziomkowska. Seven years later, their son Jan (Kshesinskaya's grandfather) was born. Wojciech soon decided that he could return to Poland. During the years of his absence, the cunning uncle declared the heir dead, and took all the wealth of the Krasinsky family for himself. Wojciech's attempts to return the inheritance were in vain: the teacher, when escaping from Poland, did not take all the documents. It was also difficult to restore the historical truth in the city archives - many papers were destroyed during the wars. In fact, Wojciech turned out to be an impostor, which played into the hands of his uncle.

BEAUTIFUL WRAPPED! AND YOU CAN'T FIND ENDS. WERE SUCH OR NOT .. (SAME WITH POKLONSKY'S BIOGRAPHY, ALSO DO NOT LOOK FOR BIOGRAPHY, WHO AND FROM WHERE IS ALL NOT TRUE).

The only thing that was preserved by the Kshesinskaya family as proof of their origin is a ring with the coat of arms of the counts Krasinski.

“Both grandfather and father tried to restore the lost rights, but only I succeeded after the death of my father ...”

In 1926, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich awarded her and her offspring the title and surname of the princes Krasinsky.

*Extremist and terrorist organizations banned in the Russian Federation: Jehovah's Witnesses, National Bolshevik Party, Right Sector, Ukrainian rebel army"(UPA), "Islamic State" (ISIS, ISIS, Daesh), "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham", "Jabhat an-Nusra", "Al-Qaeda", "UNA-UNSO", "Taliban", "Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people”, “Misanthropic Division”, “Brotherhood” by Korchinsky, “Trident im. Stepan Bandera", "Organization Ukrainian nationalists» (OUN)

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Matilda Kshesinskaya- the figure is mysterious and ambiguous. Who was she really? A talented ballerina, fanatically devoted to her profession, a capricious fidget, a rich woman and an avid gambler, a femme fatale who easily swindled the male half of the Romanov dynasty, or a secret agent of the Bolsheviks? Looking at the photographs of Matilda, it is hard to believe that so many vices and atrocities were attributed to her. On the other hand, it is not so easy to diagnose them, guided only by the pictures yellowed from time to time.

It is curious that there are no features in it unearthly beauty: short, strongly built, dark-haired Kshesinskaya is absolutely elusive; her delicacy for men is non-standard and therefore even more interesting. Judge for yourself: if Matilda were long-legged, big-eyed and blond, would anyone be surprised by her stormy love affairs with the most august persons? But, paradoxically, it was this strong, short woman who charmed men so much that they lost their mind and pride.

Successful since childhood

"Baby M." (as Nicholas II himself called her) was born on August 19, 1872 in a family of ballet dancers; she was downright sentenced to the stage, on which she made her debut, barely learning to walk. And how much time the girl spent behind the scenes ... In general, the question of “who to become” did not even arise for the young Kshesinskaya (as, indeed, for her many brothers and sisters, who easily joined the famous dance dynasty).

Malya (this is her home name) from an early age got used to admiration and adoration. “My childhood was very happy and joyful. My parents loved their children very much and lived for them,” recalled Matilda.

Already at the age of 8, she entered the Imperial School and enjoyed all the privileges available to her with pleasure. While other pupils, separated from their relatives, lived at the institution itself, Kshesinskaya, along with her brother and sister, received the right to stay at home. By the way, Matilda always came to class on a miniature chaise drawn by a pony. Just like a princess from fairy tales.

Such a comparison is not accidental. There is a legend according to which the Kshesinsky family belonged to the rich and noble family of Counts Krasinsky, but, alas, there are no documents confirming them noble origin, not left.

On the other hand, a beautiful silver ring has been preserved, slightly darkened from time to time, but not becoming less attractive because of this. It belonged to one of the wealthy ancestors of the Kshesinskys. Of course, the jewel did not go unnoticed by the coquettish Mali, who gladly tried it on her tiny finger. It was then that Felix Ivanovich, Matilda's father, told her this family legend. Malya was delighted with the title of countess (albeit lost!)

Matilda, despite her apparent spoiledness, was a diligent student; already at the age of 15 she began to take lessons from an eminent teacher and representative french school Christian Ioganson, who continued to direct Kshesinskaya even after she became a famous ballerina. Malya knew how to please people - this is an indisputable fact.

By the way, she began to use her love charms quite early. At the age of 14, the insidious Matilda decided to break the engagement of her neighbor in the country. She invited him to the forest to pick mushrooms and herself risked kissing the young man (pretty bold, isn't it?). This piquant picture was revealed to the future bride, and the engagement, of course, was terminated. Malya internally rejoiced: no, of course, she no longer needed that neighbor, but she was confident in her abilities once and for all.

First triumphs and love with the Tsarevich

Matilda was enrolled in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater immediately after graduation. In her first season, the starlet danced in 22 ballets and 21 operas. However, such an impressive debut was not only due to her personal diligence, belonging to a dance dynasty and the efforts of eminent teachers. The thing is that already at the final exam, Matilda met the future Emperor Nicholas II, who in many ways contributed to her promotion to big stage. Of course, that meeting was not accidental. There were rumors that almost all members of the royal family, including Empress Maria Feodorovna, pushed the indecisive and soft-bodied Nikolenka to communicate with the cheerful and liberated Matilda. If this was the case, then their simple experiment was a success: the Tsarevich was really fascinated, and Malya herself was delighted with such an influential and famous gentleman.

What is it - true love at first sight or the cold calculation of a mercenary courtesan? Detractors, of course, will choose the latter, but not everything is so simple. After all, the relationship that arose between the young ballerina and the future emperor did not at all resemble a momentary spark: Kshesinskaya carried her reverent attitude towards the sovereign through her entire long life. Her Nicky (as Matilda affectionately called her first serious love) became a guide and a standard, the features of which she later looked for in other men.

Relations with Nikolai were short-lived. Of course, Malya understood that their connection was not eternal, but she drove away sad thoughts about the inevitable separation. On April 7, 1894, it was all over: Nicholas announced his engagement to a Danish princess.

“What I experienced on the sovereign’s wedding day can only be understood by those who are able to really love with all their soul and with all their heart and who sincerely believe that love exists,” Matilda wrote.

Before the wedding, Kshesinskaya asked Nikolai to reserve the right to address him as “you” and ask for help if necessary. The emperor kept his word, but from now on he was at a distance.

But from the former love there was a chic bracelet with sapphires and diamonds, on which 2 dates were engraved: 1890 (a fateful meeting) and 1892 (the first visit to Matilda's home).

New romance and bathing in luxury

Matilda, of course, grieved, but she was not going to put an end to her personal life. The St. Petersburg heartbreaker was saved from love torments by His Serene Highness Prince Sergei Mikhailovich. At first, Matilda Feliksovna inspiredly depicted Snow Queen, coldly accepting courtship and luxurious gifts from the new gentleman, but then she decided to change her anger to mercy.

“I never had a feeling for him that could be compared with my feeling for Nicky, but with all his attitude he won my heart, and I sincerely fell in love with him,” Kshesinskaya admitted. However, she emphasized more than once that Sergei Mikhailovich was more of a patron for her and true friend than passionate lovers. But the prince, it seems, was not at all disturbed by the lack of reciprocity on her part. It was only important to him that next to him was his beautiful Malechka. And, however, everything suited her. Firstly, Matilda still remained close to the Romanovs' house; secondly, Sergei Mikhailovich did not restrict her freedom in any way, and, thirdly, his gifts were truly royal. The little girl wanted furs - the prince brought the most expensive things to her feet, she wanted jewelry from Faberge, blinding with their brilliance - even here he did not skimp on any of her whims. Millions of roses - goes without saying. And Sergey Mikhailovich also gave his Malechka a chic dacha near Strelna, equipped with a power plant (a huge rarity in those days!). But that's not all!

In addition to all these benefits, Matilda bought a huge plot of land on the Petrograd side for a house, which she ordered from the famous architect Alexander von Gauguin.

“... It was easier and cheaper to demolish the old house and build a new one in its place, according to the latest technology. I preferred to build a new house in a more beautiful part of the city, and not among the smoking factory chimneys, as it has become in recent years on Angliysky Prospekt,” Matilda later recalled.

Kshesinskaya furnished her mansion in the latest Parisian fashion, ordering everything, down to the door latches, from France. The best servants are neat and courteous, the most talented cook, a huge cellar with fine wines and even a personal cowshed that daily serves the lady with a glass of fresh milk. Yes, Matilda Feliksovna loved to live in grand style.

Career and power

However, did our heroine know how to do anything other than squandering Russia's military budget? (It's no secret that it was with this money that Kshesinskaya was chic). Perhaps someone will be surprised, but she was not limited only by the influential status of the favorite of the Romanov dynasty; Matilda was indeed a talented ballerina of her time. She carefully monitored her diet, weighed herself daily, went to bed at 10 pm, consulted with the best teachers in St. Petersburg and trained for a long time. On the eve of performances, Kshesinskaya spent the whole day in bed in order to gain strength, and always arrived at the theater 2.5 hours before the start of the performance to tune in the right way and carefully and flawlessly apply makeup. Surprisingly, she continued to dance even at a long pregnancy - the ballerina was so dedicated to the stage.

Of course, Matilda Feliksovna was despotic and did not tolerate competition. Once she arbitrarily put on her own outfit for the performance, ignoring all the exhortations of the director Volkonsky. The indignant Sergei Mikhailovich immediately imposed a fine on the overly independent artist (spiteful critics and envious people rejoiced: they would finally rein in this upstart!), But no such luck. One complaint to the patrons - and Volkonsky not only canceled the fine, but also ... left his post. So mercilessly Matilda Kshesinskaya dealt with those who did not want to accept her completely.

Kshesinskaya had tremendous influence, it was not for nothing that the ballerina was called "the generalissimo of the Russian theater." It was she who was taken the repertoire for approval, coordinating every step. And God forbid someone get in the way of Matilda and give, for example, her parts to other artists. From that moment on, their career could be considered finished.

New love for a lifetime

Matilda was never able to fully fall in love with her patron Sergei Mikhailovich, in the depths of her soul she was waiting for a new passionate feeling, and suddenly, unexpectedly, the ballerina switched to ... his brother Andrei. Windiness or regularity? Rather the second. Prince Andrei Vladimirovich painfully reminded her of Nicky - both in character and appearance. Needless to say, the feeling that flared up this time was mutual? It is curious that Andrei was 6 years younger than Matilda, but neither the age difference nor the prohibitions of his mother had any effect on the lovers.

At the first meeting, the amazed man stared at his future darling so much that he accidentally knocked over a glass of wine on her fabulously expensive suit. “I was not upset that a wonderful dress died. I immediately saw in this an omen that it would bring me a lot of happiness in life, ”recalled Matilda. And she turned out to be right! The day they met - July 19, 1900 - they will celebrate 56 years in a row, until Andrei's death. How could a banal flirtatious and courtesan be so reverent towards any man? But Matilda Feliksovna could. True, hardly anyone would dare to call it banal ...

It was from Prince Andrei that Kshesinskaya gave birth to a son, however, Sergei Mikhailovich was originally recorded as the father (his patience with Malechka was truly limitless!). Everything fell into place only in exile, where the lovers finally got married 21 years after they met. Then the son Volodya received his true patronymic, and Matilda - a lost title of nobility.

Life in exile

The 1917 revolution clearly split the life of all people into before and after. It is not difficult to guess what fate awaited Matilda, the favorite of the royal family and the owner of fabulous wealth, if she had not left for France with her family in time. No, of course, Kshesinskaya, like many, to the last hid her head in the sand, not wanting to believe that the brutalized crowd could overthrow the foundations of many years and come to power, but when bullets and stones began to fly over her head, she had to look at this terrible world is different. Luxurious mansion was mutilated and plundered, the royal family was brutally murdered. By the way, the devoted Sergei Mikhailovich, until his last breath, clutched in his hands a golden pendant with a photograph of his beloved Malechka. Everything was cracking at the seams.

Together with Volodya, Matilda went to Kislovodsk, where Andrei was already waiting for her. In February 1920, they sailed to Constantinople, then to Italy, and from there to France, which became their haven for the rest of their lives.

Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, Kshesinskaya Matilda and son in France

In 1929, Matilda Feliksovna opened a ballet school. Her name was not lost among other masters, so students from all over the world came to her. It's a paradox, but Matilda has always been successful and lucky. Neither wars, nor revolutions, nor the change of power significantly affected her worldview.

Kshesinskaya with her beloved student Tatyana Ryabushinsky. Paris, late 1920s

Surprisingly, the son of Kshesinskaya, who was captured by the Gestapo for participating in a Russian Masonic circle, was soon released, an unprecedented rarity at that time. Luck or secret connections with the authorities? Another mystery that Kshesinskaya took with her to the grave.

The only serious loss for Matilda was the death of her beloved husband. “With the death of Andrei, the fairy tale that was my life ended,” Kshesinskaya wrote in her memoirs.

Matilda Feliksovna died in 1971, not having lived 9 months before her 100th birthday. This woman witnessed many events, having managed to create an atmosphere of mystery and admiration around herself, and also showing by her own example that you can always be successful and happy - from birth to death. Rare quality, right?

Interesting Facts:

- The notorious Alexandra Kollontai flaunted with pleasure in Matilda's fur coat, dragged from her mansion.
- The son of Kshesinskaya never started a family, because the mother has always been the center of the universe for Vladimir.
- There were centenarians in the Matilda family: her grandfather died at the age of 106.
- Prince Andrei, Matilda and Vladimir rest in the same grave in the Russian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.
- Kshesinskaya's memoirs were published in Russia only in 1992.

Valeria Mukhoedova

From:

Her name was Madame Seventeen. The reason for this was her addiction to playing roulette in the Monte Carlo casino and a constant bet on the number 17. It was at this age, on March 23, 1890, that she first met with the heir to the royal throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich or Niki. This meeting determined further fate Maria-Matilda Adamovna-Feliksovna-Valerievna Krzhezinskaya or, in a more familiar version, Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya. The more I read about this famous ballerina, about her life, love, creativity, the more often I ask myself the same question: who and what would she be without the support of the Romanovs? Who is she more - a courtesan or still a femme fatale? The authors of many stories very diligently bypass this topic, as if "blurring" this facet of Matilda Kshesinskaya's "talent". But in reality, everything is not so simple, and this is confirmed by the numerous memories of her contemporaries and the actions of the ballerina herself.

Thomson M.N. Matilda Kshesinskaya 1991

The world of the theater is not so simple, if for ordinary spectators it is a holiday, then for the ministers of Melpomene it is a struggle for life, intrigues, mutual claims and the ability to do everything so that you are noticed by the superiors of this world. Ballet dancers have always been loved in the upper class: the grand dukes and nobles of a lower rank did not shy away from patronizing this or that ballerina. Patronage is often further love affair it did not go, but still some dared even to take these charms as wives. But these were a minority, while the majority was destined for the sad fate of "flashing like a bright star" on the stage and then quietly fading out of it. Matilda Kshesinskaya escaped this fate ...

Matilda Feliksovna Kshesinskaya was a hereditary "ballet" - she was born on August 31 (19 according to the old style) in 1872 in the theatrical family of a Pole, dancer and opera singer Felix Kshesinsky and ballerina Yulia Dolinskaya (in another transcription Dominskaya) in St. Petersburg. Matilda became the last, thirteenth child in this family and had affectionate name- Malaya, little one. Eldest daughter Felix Kshesinsky, Julia, danced with her father and is often confused in photographs today with Matilda Feliksovna. Matilda's brother, Joseph, also became a ballet dancer. It was in such an atmosphere of the theater world that young Malechka grew up.

At the age of 8 she became a visiting student at the Imperial Theater School, and at the age of 15 she took lessons from Christian Ioganson, who became her teacher at long years, even after she became an established ballet dancer. In the spring of 1890, after graduating from college, she was enrolled in the group of the Mariinsky Theater and in her first season she danced in 22 ballets and 21 operas.

Not bad for a start... and it may seem that only talent is to blame. But is it? In fact, not quite so - March 23, 1890 during final exam just the first meeting of the future Emperor Nicholas II, a phlegmatic and lethargic young man, with a cheerful and cheerful Polish woman took place. Everything happened with the approval of the members of the royal family, starting from Emperor Alexander III, who organized this acquaintance, and ending with Empress Maria Feodorovna, who still wanted her son to become ... a man. After the exam, there was dinner, mutual flirting between two young people and, years later, an entry in Kshesinskaya's 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 1889

Their truly serious relationship began only two years later, after the heir came home to Matilda Kshesinskaya, under the name of hussar Volkov. Notes, letters and ... gifts, truly royal. The first was a gold bracelet with large sapphires and two diamonds, on which Matilda engraved two dates - 1890 and 1892 - the first meeting and the first visit to her home. But ... their love was doomed, and after April 7, 1894, when the engagement of the Tsarevich to Alice of Hesse was officially announced, Nikolai never came to Matilda again. However, as you know, he allowed her to address him in letters to "you" and promised to help her in everything if she needed help.

But ... as they say, a holy place is never empty: "In my grief and despair, I did not remain alone Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, with whom I became friends from the day when the heir first brought him to me, stayed with me and supported me I never had a feeling for him that could be compared with my feeling for Nicky, but with all his attitude he won my heart, and I sincerely fell in love with him, "Matilda Kshesinskaya wrote later in her memoirs. She fell in love ... but quickly and again ... Romanov.

And it is not surprising that her career went uphill. She became the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater and in fact the entire repertoire was built for her. Yes, her contemporaries did not deny her recognition of her talent, but implicitly everyone understood that this talent made its way to the top not with the help of a terrible struggle for existence, but in a slightly different way. But let's give the floor to the witnesses, Vladimir Arkadyevich Telyakovsky, director of the imperial theaters, writes especially well about this in his Memoirs.

Matilda Kshesinskaya in the ballet "The Talisman" 1898

"M. Kshesinskaya danced beautifully and was also an undeniably outstanding Russian ballerina. For (Kshesinskaya) ... success on stage was a means: her aspirations were more grandiose and extensive, and the role of only a ballerina, although outstanding, did not satisfy her from a young age. M "Kshesinskaya, already at the thirteenth year of her service, voluntarily left the ballet troupe. She saved her strength for another purpose. M. Kshesinskaya was an undeniably smart woman. She perfectly took into account both the strengths and, in particular, the weaknesses of men, these eternally looking for Romeo who say whatever they like about women, and from whom women make whatever they, women, want."

Matilda Kshesinskaya in La Bayadère 1900

“It would seem that a ballerina, serving in the directorate, should belong to the repertoire, but here it turned out that the repertoire belongs to M. Kshesinskaya, and as out of fifty performances forty belong to balletomanes, so in the repertoire - of all the ballets, more than half of the best belong to the ballerina Kshesinskaya. She she considered them her property and could give or not let others dance them.

There were cases that a ballerina was discharged from abroad. In her contract, ballets were stipulated for the tour. So it was with the ballerina Grimaldi, invited in 1900. But when she decided to rehearse one ballet, indicated in the contract (this ballet was “Vain Precaution”), Kshesinskaya said: “I won’t give it to you, this is my ballet.”

Began - phones, conversations, telegrams. The poor director was rushing back and forth. Finally, he sends an encrypted telegram to the minister in Denmark, where he was at that time with the sovereign. The case was secret, of special national importance. And what? He receives the following answer: “Since this ballet is Kshesinskaya, then leave it to her.”

Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich loved Matilda Kshesinskaya faithfully for 25 years. He spoiled her, defended her, saved her ... In Strelna, in the name of Kshesinskaya, they bought a magnificent dacha. Later she would write: "In order to console and entertain me a little, the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich spoiled me as best he could, did not refuse me anything and tried to forestall all my desires."

Matilda Kshesinskaya with a fan

"... The question arises: how did the impoverished dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya become one of the richest women in Russia? The salary of the soloist of the Mariinsky Theater? Yes, she spent more on outfits! Communication in 1890-1894 with the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Nikolai? There were also pennies. late 1890s Kshesinskaya buys country palace in Strelna. The ballerina overhauled it and even built her own power plant. “Many envied me, because even in the palace [Winter. - A. III.] there was no electricity, ”Kshesinskaya proudly noted. In the Strelna Palace of Kshesinskaya, tables were laid for more than a thousand people. On Matilda's birthday, the railway schedule of trains passing through Strelna even changed.

In the spring of 1906, Kshesinskaya buys a piece of land at the corner of Kronverksky Prospekt and Bolshaya Dvoryanskaya Street and orders the project of the palace to the architect Alexander von Gauguin. By the end of 1906, the two-story palace was completed. Its length is 50 and its width is 33 m. They wrote about the palace - everything was built and furnished according to the desire and taste of Kshesinskaya: the hall was in the Russian Empire style, the salon was in the style of Louis XVI, the bedroom and dressing room were in the English style, etc. Stylish furniture was supplied by the famous French manufacturer Meltzer. Chandeliers, sconces, candelabra and everything else, down to the latches, were ordered from Paris. The house with an adjoining garden is a small fantasy masterpiece of Matilda Kshesinskaya. Well-trained maids, a French cook, a senior janitor - a Knight of St. George, a wine cellar, carriages, cars and even a cowshed with a cow and a cowwoman. Matilda loved to drink milk. There was, of course, a large winter garden. Where does all this come from? It is not difficult to guess that the source of Matilda's wealth ... was Russia's huge military budget."

Matilda Kshesinskaya in the winter garden of her mansion 1916

The very budget to which the Grand Dukes and in particular Sergei Mikhailovich had access. In all her roles, she "shone": she went on stage, hung with real jewelry - diamonds, pearls, sapphires ... She was serviced by Faberge himself and did many things by order of the Grand Dukes. Yes, she has been dancing all this time, but ballet is not work for her, but just entertainment, although, we must pay tribute, she is talented and does everything in order to be in shape. And all in order to remove competitors and rivals! There is an interesting entry in this regard in the memoirs of the great ballerina Tamara Karsavina.

Matilda Kshesinskaya in Esmeralda, 1898

From the memoirs of the ballerina Tamara Karsavina (Tamara Karsavina "Theater Street", 1929, chapter 13)

"I recall another incident with a fine that had serious consequences. It occurred during Volkonsky's directorship. Once Matilda Kshesinskaya put on her own costume for a performance, ignoring Volkonsky's order to go on stage in a costume specially made for the role. The next day she was fined Kshesinskaya became angry and began to seek cancellation, and a few days later the order of the Minister of the Court to cancel the fine appeared in the Vestnik. Prince Volkonsky immediately resigned. hostile manifestations directed against Kshesinskaya began to take place in the theater - she paid dearly for her short-term triumph. At that time she was at the top of her talent. In virtuosity, she was not inferior to Legnani, and even surpassed her in acting qualities.

Matilda herself chose the time for her performances and performed only at the height of the season, allowing herself long breaks, during which she stopped regular classes, and unrestrainedly indulged in entertainment. Always cheerful and laughing, she adored tricks and cards; sleepless nights did not affect her appearance, did not spoil her mood. She possessed amazing vitality and exceptional willpower. During the month preceding her appearance on the stage, Kshesinskaya devoted all her time to work - she trained hard for hours, did not go anywhere and did not receive anyone, went to bed at ten in the evening, weighed herself every morning, always ready to limit herself in food, although her diet and without that was quite strict. Before the performance, she stayed in bed for twenty-four hours, only eating a light breakfast at noon. At six o'clock she was already at the theater in order to have at her disposal two hours for exercise and make-up. One evening I was warming up on stage at the same time as Kshesinskaya and noticed how feverishly her eyes were shining.

From the very beginning, she showed me great kindness. One autumn day, during my first season in the theatre, she sent me an invitation to spend the weekend at her country house in Strelna. “Do not bother to take elegant dresses with you,” she wrote, “we have a country style here. I will send for you." The thought of the modesty of my wardrobe troubled me greatly. Matilda, apparently, guessed about it. She also thought that I did not know the face of her secretary, so she came to the station herself to pick me up. She had a small group of friends visiting. In the role of hostess, Matilda was on top. She had a large garden near the coast. Several goats lived in the corral, one of them, a favorite who went on stage at the Esmeralda, followed Matilda like a dog. All day Matilda did not let go of me, showing countless signs of attention ... I got the impression that everyone around me fell under the charm of her cheerful and good-natured nature. But even I, with all my naivete, understood that the sycophants around her exuded a lot of flattery. And this is understandable, given the position that the famous dancer, rich and influential, occupied. Jealousy and gossip constantly followed her. All that day, a feeling of bewilderment did not leave me - is this charming woman really the same terrible Kshesinskaya, who was called a shameless intriguer, destroying the careers of her rivals.,

If anyone hurts you, come straight to me. I will stand up for you,” she said later, and subsequently kept her word: she had the opportunity to intervene and stand up for me. I began to get significantly fewer roles, it turned out that the director was told that I had too much work. One famous ballerina, who apparently did not belong to the number of my well-wishers, unexpectedly showed excessive concern for my health, asking the director not to overload me, since I was ill with consumption. The director, thus deceived by this feigned care, showing true sympathy, began to gradually reduce my repertoire.

Matilda Kshesinskaya Photo portrait based on the ballet "Komargo" 1902

On February 13, 1900, theatrical Petersburg celebrated the tenth anniversary of Kshesinskaya's creative life on the Imperial stage. For lunch after anniversary performance the sons of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich were invited - Kirill, Boris and Andrei. With the latter, the ballerina began a stormy romance. She was six years older than Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich. At the same time, Matilda officially lived with Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. In June 1902, a son was born to Matilda Feliksovna. The boy was named Vladimir in honor of the father of Grand Duke Andrei. Only now, from which of the Romanovs this child was born, is still unknown. Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich considered him his son until the end of his life. And again the word to V.A. Telyakovsky.

"Is this really a theater, and am I really in charge of it? Everyone is happy, everyone is happy and glorifies the extraordinary, technically strong, morally impudent, cynical, impudent ballerina, who lives simultaneously with two grand dukes and not only does not hide it, but, on the contrary, weaves and this is art in its stinking cynical wreath of human carrion and depravity.

Lappa informed me that Kshesinskaya herself was telling that she was pregnant; wishing to continue to dance, she altered some parts of the ballet in order to avoid risky movements. To whom the child will be attributed is still unknown. Who speaks - to the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and who to the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, others speak of the ballet Kozlov.

In 1904, she leaves the stage, but retains the right to roles in performances and does not allow anyone else to dance them. In 1908, Matilda Kshesinskaya successfully toured at the Paris Grand Opera and amazed the audience with her 32 fouettes! And at the same time, she immediately starts an affair with her partner Peter Vladimirov, who is 21 years younger than her, which ends with a duel in the forest near Paris between the latter and Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich.

And then there was a revolution and everything went to dust. Her chic mansion was looted, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich died in Alapaevsk: dying in an abandoned mine, he was clutching a small gold medallion with a portrait of Matilda Kshesinskaya and the inscription "Malya" in his hand. On February 19, 1920, she sailed to Constantinople on the Italian liner Semiramis. In January 1921, in France, they married the Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, and Matilda received the title of the Most Serene Princess Romanovskaya. In 1929, Kseshinskaya opened her ballet studio in Paris, where students from England, the USA, and Spain took lessons from her.

"In 1958 ballet troupe Bolshoi Theater came to Paris. Although I don't go anywhere else, dividing my time between home and dance studio where I earn money to live, I made an exception and went to the Opera to see the Russians. I cried with happiness. It was the same ballet that I saw more than forty years ago, the owner of the same spirit and the same traditions ... "- so she wrote in her memoirs.

She died at the age of 99 in 1971 and rested in the Russian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois in France. Who was she anyway: a courtesan or a great talent? Hetera or a smart gadget? Probably all together, but one thing is clear her role in the art of the Russian theater and the "art" of Russian life was far from the last ... but such is Russia.