The Last Three Autocrats

"The History of the Russian State in Faces and Destinies" is a series of books about key events in the domestic history that have had a decisive impact on the past and present of our country. On the pages of the very personal diary of Alexandra Viktorovna Bogdanovich (1846–1914) — hostess of one of the largest social salons in St. Petersburg during the reigns of Alexander II, Alexander III, and Nicholas II — many significant events in the domestic history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are reflected: the movement of the Narodnaya Volya, the assassination of Alexander II, the death of Alexander III and the ascension of Nicholas II, "Khodyinka", the Russo-Japanese War, "Bloody Sunday", the revolution of 1905–1907, the assassination of P.A. Stolypin and much more. The notes of A. Bogdanovich are especially interesting because they allow us to see the hidden springs of the politics of the Russian Empire, to delve into the secret underpinnings of the struggle of statesmen for power and influence. The author of the diary also does not shy away from the personal life of the last tsar and his inner circle, recounting the alcove secrets and scandals in the Romanov family.