1st June—Novorossiysk
In the morning anchored in Novorossiysk bay. All around are green mountains of monotonous depressing appearance. The marina suffers from severe bora, especially in winter. In '48 during a storm on this path the bora caused the loss of the schooner "Struya," which sank under the pressure of [?] ice crust. A very unimportant place to weigh anchor. The weather is wonderful, very warm. I felt so good at the thought of being in Oreanda tomorrow. I so love the view of Yalta and the Yalta road, the smell of bay [trees], the steep cliffs of Ai-Petri. When I'm sad, it's pleasant to remember all this, especially the slope of the mountains to the sea around Yalta, so good for the heart. Novorossiysk gives the impression of a boring, empty city. A dirty church, a miserable public garden, nondescript streets, nasty pavements, barracks, a hospital, Greeks and some Russians. I went up the mountain with Obezyaninov, with colonel Nikifaraki accompanying. He, seemingly, is a very sensible, skilful and good person. He will probably get a lot [of stick] from the engineers; Papa noticed that the cathedral was in a very obscene state, and asked whose jurisdiction it was in; the colonel replied that it was with engineering. Papa degraded the engineering department to the engineering officer a great deal, instructing him to transfer it to the authorities. Obezyaninov promised me that he would forewarn them in Tiflis [i.e the local government]—that the engineers are really guilty, and that Nikifiraki did not betray them, but Papa noticed the dirty situation of the church himself.
3rd June—Oreanda
After breakfast we spoke about "going through hard times." I comforted, saying that light does not converge like a wedge*, that people lived and live, and will live for a long time. Talked about the trial of Solovyov, who attempted to kill the Sovereign, and his execution on the 27th of May...
4th June
Read the case of the state criminal Solovyov and the description of his execution. It made a heavy impression on me, my head even ached...
5th June—Oreanda
The last day here. Someday I will see the lovely Crimea again. May God grant me to be at least as good then as I am now.
7th June—Nikolaev
At 11 o'clock was on the Bug at the Spassky pier. Big meeting, admirals in uniform, flowers, gates [with] the inscription "Welcome," etc—all is as it should be...Went with Kornakovsky to wander around the city. Went to a vocational school; to a shelter for the elderly, old women and children, arranged by the society; [went] to a girls' boarding school and the Konstantinovsky School of Literacy. Then I went to the cemetery; I wanted to visit the graves of my first teacher Elizaveta Ivanovna Ilyina and my dear Gavrishev, who died of a shrapnel-wounded leg at Mama's infirmary. I prayed at his grave, asked him to beg God to send Mama health and happiness. And it seemed to me, that Vladimir's soul was closer to me. —I found out at home that our departure from here has been postponed until tomorrow. I cannot express how upset I was; I was so hoping to end the tedious and boring inspections of all sorts of establishments and workshops. I took it upon myself, prayed to God to calmly endure the trouble. I also prayed for Gavrishev. And prayer helped me wonderfully and refreshed me. I soon began to see and find some pleasure in wandering around the Admiralty behind Papa, in the midst of a huge retinue. Papa was very angry several times over the bad and careless finishes of several items of the Nikolaev port.
9th June—The bank of the Bug
The weather is wonderful all the time, very sultry. Went with N. I. Kazakov to the missile factory, where a rescue rocket was launched in my presence, and to a Bulgarian boarding house. Bathed in the Bug. Was with Papa at the Panferova female boarding school, [also] at the Alexander Gymnasium and examined the beautiful, still unfinished naval hospital. At 4:45 left Nikolaev. Mama on the telephone asked [me] to plant jasmine and mignonette on Gavrishev's grave. I entrusted this to Kazakov, he promised to fulfil it. Mama asked me to plant these flowers because the old lady governess of the late [Gavrishev] saw in a dream that he reproached her for not wearing mignonette and jasmine, his favourite flowers, to his grave.
10th June
At Kharkiv Papa was met by the interim Governor-General Loris-Melikov. We three were together, he spoke to Papa about the current mood of Kharkiv society and about revolutionary socialist societies. I liked Melikov's beliefs, though I haven't read much and don't know enough to judge people's views on administration. Nevertheless, I felt inner delight, seeing that in Kharkiv the Governor-General takes neither drastic nor careless measures leading to nothing.
11th June—Moscow
At 6 1/2 were in Moscow. According to custom, went upon arrival to worship the icon of the Iversky Mother of God. A great crowd of people was waiting for us on the porch and greeted us with a hearty "hurrah." Entering the chapel, I made two prostrations to the ground, kissed the image and bowed to the ground again, I heard church singing, and when I came out the "hurrah" of the people overcame my ears again. It was nice to feel the connection, seemingly nonexistent between other nations and their princes. I felt a sinking of the heart and happiness seeing Red Square, the palace facade, St. Vasily's, and then [again?] when we took off our caps under the Spassky Gate, and the man on the box, taking off his hat, and [when] the coachman took off his hat. We settled in the small Kremlin Palace. Papa has childhood memories here at every turn. After dinner he took me to Alexandria, where, too, every room reminded him of his childhood and his late sister Alexandra Nikolaevna (Aunt Ankhen), with whom he was especially friendly. Alexandria belonged to Count Orlov-Chesmensky and was bought by the late Sovereign for the Empress. We went to the garden. Papa wanted to show me the pavilion where he used to run between lessons as a child. Professor Sergei Mikhailovich Solovyov lives there now, he is very ill, the doctors say that he has cancer in the liver. We went to him and found him over the manuscript of the history of Ekaterina [presumably 'the Great.'] We live under the same roof as the Chudov Monastery, where the relics of St. Alexei lie.
12th June
Prince Dolgorukov sent T.V. Merlin to me—Count Uvarov is not here—and I walked and drove around Moscow in the morning with Merlin. Today I went to the cathedrals of: the Assumption, the Archangel and the Annunciation; venerated the relics and looked at the shrines and attractions. I was at the palace, in the Faceted and Golden chambers**, to the towers, saw the inner churches...We drove up with Papa to the Anthropological Exhibition, where the committee treated us to breakfast. Then we toured the exhibition. The archaeological department is very full and interesting. Dined at Dolgorukov's: I sat beside Maria Nikolaevna Mansurova, the Prince's niece...In the evening we were at the Maly Theatre, for a performance of Tchaikovsky's "Evgeni Onegin" given by the conservatory, conducted by N.G. Rubinstein. The role of Tatiana was performed perfectly by the student Klimentova.
13th June
Went in the morning with Merlin to the patriarchal sacristy and armoury. After breakfast we were with Papa at the Anthropological exhibition. From there, again with Merlin went to the archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the director of the archive, Baron Buhler, got on my nerves a great deal with his obsequiousness. Before leaving, took a walk around all the Kremlin walls; the weather was good, the view of Moscow was amazing.—Dined again at Dolgoruky's.
14th June—Moscow
In the morning I saw the [Cathedral of the] Saviour on the Bor, St. Vasily's Cathedral...Was at the women's Passion Monastery. There is an icon of the Holy Virgin and the head of St. Anastasia. I visited the abbess. I want to send a lamp to the icon in this monastery. Was at Merlin's, and despite how I refused and was embarrassed, I had to take several gifts from him of ancient things from his matchless collection...Were at the Cathedral of the Saviour [which is] under construction; saw the hoisting of the bell. The sight of the Cathedral, especially inside, is striking in size and beauty. Were at the home of S.M. Tretyakov, heads [sic?], saw his gallery. Were also at the Museum of Applied Knowledge, then at the galleries of Soldatenkov and the other Tretyakov.
15th June—Pavlovsk
Drove with Papa to Tsarskoe. The Sovereign gave me an insignia with his monogram, saying "This is for you in memory of the days when you were with me near Plevna." Papa told the Emperor about our whole trip, giving him a good impression of sailing on the "Popovka". Were at the Empress'; she was also interested in the "Popovka" and the whole journey in general...Here I heard, that I will not go around the world this year. I am lost in assumptions, and I put my fate in God's hands.
19th June—Pavlovsk
I am completely orphaned; now Pavel Egorovich has gone, I am left alone, however I am not complaining, I am fine alone. Early in the morning I went upstairs to the storerooms, examined the old things stacked and heaped in the attic; found a Jacob [i.e Georges] armchair, then such a magnificent bureau. Between all the rubbish I found portraits of Peter the Great and King Charles I of England. All this I took to my room. Mama helped me to arrange it, and it turned out very nicely.
22nd June
Got up very late, and was therefore displeased with myself, had a little headache. Was late for a walk with Tatiana Mikhailovna. After breakfast drove to Tsarskoe. Met the Sovereign and the Empress in a carriage; a Cossack [was] on the box, in front, on the sides, and behind [there were] Cossacks on horseback, at some distance...in droshkys. I confess, it is painful to see how the Tsar must ride as a prisoner—and then where? In Russia itself.
22nd June [cont'd]
Was at Elena Sheremeteva's; she lives in Tsarskoe at the Kreilitsa dacha. We were very, very happy to see each other. On my way to her I was thinking about my love and could not give myself an account [of it]: was I right that inside I had become submissive and accustomed to all sorts of sorrow, or was the love not real? I remember that it was painful, very painful, but I never felt jealousy and even came to love Volodya. And now, though I would very much like to be Elena's husband, were such a thing possible, I don't feel a great deal of despair...They don't tell me anything about my sailing, I don't know anything. I confess, it is a rather unpleasant situation.
23rd June
In the morning read the biography of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna "In Ancient and New Russia." It often occurs to me that my diary too will appear in print somewhere in sixty, seventy years; which often, I confess, makes me pay attention to the style and verity of my notes...La Roche came to me, a professor of music theory at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He is my friend, I was pleased afterwards to show him our palace; I never tire and could not be bored of telling the same thing for the hundredth time about different rooms, about porcelain, about bronzes, about tapestries and antique furniture, showing all these beauties to guests...
24th June — Pavlovsk
Our family dined at the Tsar's; the Empress is extremely weak, she looks pained and tired, she coughs violently. Due to weakness she almost could not take part in the conversation between the Sovereign and Papa, she, unmoving, sat in armchairs, often closing her eyes, and had the most miserable appearance. And the conversation became extremely boring for our generation; about the former commanders of guard regiments, about the heads of units during these regiments' manoeuvres. Admittedly, these dinners are not famous among us for fun or anything stimulating. Late in the evening at Pavlovsk I was at Tatiana Mikhailovna's and sat with her until one o'clock in the morning. I told her about my life on the "Svetlana" and then on the banks of the Danube, she [spoke] about her childhood affection for Alexei Valentinovich and how this feeling turned into a sincere and strong friendship. At her request I told her about the Silistrian affair and how I received the cross of St. Georgy. Returning home by the courtyard; I admired the view of the palace on a bright and clear June night, illuminated by the full moon.
25th June — St. Petersburg
If Nicholas I were alive, he would have reached 83 years today. The family gathered for a panikhida in St.. Petersburg, at the fortress.
28th June — Pavlovsk
Mama returned from Strelna extremely agitated. Entering the Tsarskoe Selo garden, on the grand road, not far from the arsenal, she met a Cossack on horseback. Behind him, harnessed by a pair of English horses which the Sovereign ruled [i.e drove] came a basket, [and] in it, besides the Sovereign, was Princess Dolgorukova and the children. Pavel Egorovich, [and] Countess Keller, accompanying Mama, noticed that the Sovereign had a very abashed look. Clearly, Mama was very upset after such a meeting. I thanked God that I didn't go with Mama. The heart bleeds at the sight of what our Tsar, autocrat of all Russia, is doing, and even after his miraculous deliverance from an attempt on his life.
29th June
My fate again, it seems, is changing. Papa was at Krondstadt yesterday, he was reviewing the corvette "Bayan" which had returned from a long voyage. He came up with the idea to send "Bayan" around the world again with a guard crew in autumn. He wants to send me on it, too. Here everything has again changed. I am glad, however, [because] the St. Petersburg winter frightens me, with divorces, celebrations and so on...
*Saying, essentially equivalent to "the world is bigger than X problem."
**Generally referred to in English as the Palace of Facets and the Tsarina's Golden Chamber
Source:
https://imwerden.de/pdf/romanov_konstantin_dnevniki_vospominaniya_stikhi_pisma_1998__ocr.pdf
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