Chronology
1894
Nicholas II succeeds Alexander III
1914
War breaks out against Germany
St. Petersburg is renamed Petrograd
1915
Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich is removed as Comannder in Chief
Nicholas II appoints himself Commander in Chief, leaves for the front
Alexandra’s power and role in the government grow rapidly
1916
Rasputin murdered by Yusupov and others December 16
1917
February: Massive demonstrations break out over food shortages
Riots turn into revolution and mutiny
Nicholas II abdicates February 28
The Provisional Government attempts to restore order
March 4: The Provisional Government forms:
The Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry for the Investigation of Illegal Acts by Ministers and Other Responsible Persons of the Tsarist Regime
The Thirteenth Section, charged with investigating the Dark Forces (all who knew Rasputin are incarcerated and interrogated)
August: The former imperial family is exiled to Siberia
October: Second Revolution breaks out as Lenin and Bolsheviks seize power
1918
Nicholas, Alexandra, and children are secretly executed July 16
1919
The report of the Thirteenth Section, nearly 500 pages long, vanishes
Maria Rasputin escapes from Russia
1920
Russian Civil War ends
1977
Maria Rasputin dies in Hollywood, California
1995
The entire report of the Thirteenth Section is auctioned at Sotheby’s in Paris
Glossary
ahmeen | amen
arzhin |.71 meters
banya | Russian sauna
batushka | the dear father
bistro | quickly
bit-po-semo | so be it
bizmyen | permission to kiss the tsaritsa’s hand
bog | God
bogoroditsa | the Virgin
bozhe moi | my God
bozh’i-liudi | God’s people
chai’naya | teahouse
da | yes
derevenschina | naïve country girl, yokel
devochka | young girl
devushka | girl
doche | daughter
dochenka maya | my little daughter
dorogaya maya | my dear
Dukhobory | a religious sect known as pacifist “spirit wrestlers”
durachok | cute little fool
durak | fool
dyadka | uncle, fellow, bodyguard
dyavol | the devil
fortochka | small transom window
garderob-sheek | coatroom attendant
gospodi | good heavens
gospodin | mister
grupa seksa | group sex
izba | peasant’s log hut
kammerfurier | court log
Kazanskaya | The Virgin of Kazan, one of Russia ’s most revered icons
Khlysty | a religious sect known as “the Whips”
kiot | large icon case
konyechno | of course
kosovorotka | Russian shirt, fastened alongside the collar
kroogli durak | round idiot, complete fool
kto tam? | who is there?
leemoan | lemon
liodi | common people
malenkaya maya | my little one
milaya maya | my dear one
ministir | minister
molodets | excellent, a smart one
Molokans | a religious sect known as “the milk drinkers”
muzhik | peasant
nyet | no
narod | the masses
ochen | very
pelmeni | Siberian meat dumplings
pirog | a pie
podstakanik | metal holder for tea glass
pravoslavni | Russian Orthodoxy
proshchaitye | farewell
prospekt | prospect, boulevard
prostitutka | prostitute
radeniye | rejoicing
radi boga | for the sake of God
rasputitsa | a season of horribly muddy roads
rasputiye | a crossroad
rasputnik | a debauched person
reeba bez vodii | a fish without water
revolutsiya | revolution
russkiye | Russian
sevodnya soopa nyetoo | today there is no soup
sermyaga | peasant clothing of heavy cloth
Skoptsy | a religious sect known as “the castrators”
slava bogu | thanks be to God
spasibo | thank you
starushka | a sweet, old woman
strannik | a (wandering) pilgrim
starets | a religious elder, a man of God
starii xhren | an old piece of horseradish
Subbotniki | a religious sect whose beliefs fall between Christianity and Judaism
svalnyi grekh | group sinning
takzhe | also
tapochki | slippers
telega | a cart without springs
vershok | 4.4 centimeters
v’koosno | tasty
vranye | fibs, the art of creative lying
xhama | rogues
Xhristos | Christ
Xhristovshchina | the Christ faith
xhorosho | good/fine
ya spala kak ubeetaya | I slept like the dead
ya tebya lubloo | I love you
ya Vas slushaiyoo | I am listening to you
zakuska | appetizer
Robert Alexander
