Mathilde Kschessinska (1872-1972) Ballerina and Courtesan

[lexi4]

Originally Posted by Russophile

I'll look in "A lifelong Passion", that's their letters in a book that I have, though I'm sure they are "selected" letters. . .

Ok. I have that book too...somewhere.

[Russophile]

Page 80 of that book just has them confessing their sins. Mr. Russo says I have to go to bed so I can't do more research.
DARN MR. RUSSO!!!

[lexi4]

Great! I'll dig out my book and look.

[karla64]

here her biography.....

Mathilde Kschessinska - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[qui mal y pense]

I think that N actually admitted it to A in a letter and there is a letter back from her forgiving him and saying that in the future it won't happen.

One book about Mathilde notes that she wore her jewels from N when she danced- even in roles where she played a poor girl. When you look at the pictures karla linked you can see that she did. I think it interesting that N took such good care of her. She was really a poor nobody from a 'circus' family and he could have just used her without compensating her so lavishly. It speaks volumes about N's soft character.

[Russophile]

Interesting her technique and what the Gelsey Kirklands can do today.

[lexi4]

I think the Romanovs did well by her. After her affair with Nicholas ended, she moved on to a couple of cousins. She knew from the beginning she could never marry Nicholas. An interesting piece of info about her. She was one of the people who identified Anna Anderson as the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Russo may know more about that than I do.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by lexi4

I think the Romanovs did well by her. After her affair with Nicholas ended, she moved on to a couple of cousins. She knew from the beginning she could never marry Nicholas. An interesting piece of info about her. She was one of the people who identified Anna Anderson as the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Russo may know more about that than I do.

It was in her book she said AA had "Nicky's eyes". But whether or not AA was Anastasia, well, the jury is still out on that one.
Somebody mentioned the son died? Any info. on that?

[lexi4]

Originally Posted by qui mal y pense

I think that N actually admitted it to A in a letter and there is a letter back from her forgiving him and saying that in the future it won't happen.

One book about Mathilde notes that she wore her jewels from N when she danced- even in roles where she played a poor girl. When you look at the pictures karla linked you can see that she did. I think it interesting that N took such good care of her. She was really a poor nobody from a 'circus' family and he could have just used her without compensating her so lavishly. It speaks volumes about N's soft character.

Actually, it was quite common for members of the Imperial Family to seek out dancers during that time. Dancers were well cared for and so there was less concern about contacting social diseases. It had more to do with that than Nicholas's character. Also, it was his father that chose Mathilde for Nicholas. I am not sure I would say she was from a circus family but rather a family of members of the Imperial Ballet.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by lexi4

I am not sure I would say she was from a circus family but rather a family of members of the Imperial Ballet.

Yeah, it's not like Nicky ran off and joined the Monaco circus with his children or anything. . . .

[lexi4]

Originally Posted by Russophile

Yeah, it's not like Nicky ran off and joined the Monaco circus with his children or anything. . . .

Exactly. Although that is visual gave me quite a laugh. But there is a huge difference in the circus and the Imperial Ballet.

[AGRBear]

This may seem way off the discussion but it does connect in a 'round about way, I think.

Did Steve Berry create his heroine Akilina in his book THE ROMANOV PROPHECY as a circus preformer because he needed someone to be agile and athletic or was he linking her to Mathilde Kschessinska, who was from a circus family and who was the only person who might have given Nicholas II a son before his marriage to Alexandra??

As far as I can remember Berry never links Thorn bloodline to Akilina's family in this book.

For those who have never read the book, Berry had GD Anastasia and Tsarvich Alexei surviving the execution, being rescued and later Alexei married and was the father of Thorn.

No, I am not saying Mathilde had a child by Nicholas II. Berry's book is fiction based on fiction. I just thought it was a possible and interesting association by Berry who spins his female heroine character from a circus family.

I don't think anyone ever has claimed in real life that Mathilde had a child by Nicholas II.

AGRBear

[Al_bina]

Pikul commended Mathilde Kschessinkaya (also known as Malechka among gentlemen-at-arms) for her perseverance and hard work. Yes, she was a mistress of two Grand Dukes and lived large by taking the full advantage of her affairs. There were periods of time, when Malechka would forget about the regimen of the ballet dancer and eat/drink/play cards/ dance. However, she used to lock herself in a ballet studio for 3-4 days forgetting about the outside world and focus on rehearsing her roles and polishing her performance.
By the way, Pikul mentioned that Mathilde preferred Grand Duke George Aleksandrovich to Nicholas II because he was more compassionate, outgoing, and full of fun.

[lexi4]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

Pikul commended Mathilde Kschessinka (also known as Malechka among gentlemen-at-arms) for her perseverance and hard work. Yes, she was a mistress of two Grand Dukes and lived large by taking the full advantage of her affairs. There were periods of time, when Malechka would forget about the regimen of the ballet dancer and eat/drink/play cards/ dance. However, she used to lock herself in ballet studio for 3-4 days forgetting about the outside world and focus on rehearsing her roles and polishing her performance.
By the way, Pikul mentioned that Mathilde preferred Grand Duke George Aleksandrovich to Nicholas II because he was more compassionate, outgoing, and full of fun.

Thank you for posting that Al_bina and for giving us your source. I can see that Mathilde would prefer the Grand Due to Nicholas, he was more outgoing, more her type I think.

[Tsarina Anastasia]

Here is what I know about Mathilde:
She was picked by Alexander III for his son Nicholas because she was beautiful, outgoing, compassionate, and she was a prima ballerina (imperials picked ballerinas for mistresses a lot).
Nicholas was in love with her, but still always in love with Alix. He gave Mathilde jewels and a mansion in which they lived together in for a time.
Nicholas did confess to Alix that he had had an affair with her so that they could have an honest relationship with no skeletons in the closet : ) Alix said it was in the past and that she forgave him.
Mathilde ended up being linked to two more of Nicholas's cousins and since she had a son (born in 1902), the one she assumed was the father, Andrei, married her in 1921, although it is still disputed as to who was his real father. The family moved to Paris where she opened a ballet school. Since Andrei and Sergei were cousins it makes DNA testing even harder.