Mathilde Kschessinska (1872-1972) Ballerina and Courtesan

[Attaining Grace]

It was very strange that Mathilde kept the two Dukes on a string!

What do people think about her being accused of arms smuggling?

[Grace Angel]

I think she loved Andrei and yet had been with Sergei longer though she didn't love him romantically and thus she couldn't force herself to end the affair with him, until he died in the Revolution. Sergei who knew she didn't love him as he did her even proposed to her around the time of the Revolution, and she had to turn him down. So he obviously never gave up. And she truly loved Andrei, so she didn't want to leave him.

[AristoCat]

She was adept at surviving being dumped and I read in the Massie book that she felt devastated when she witnessed the coronation of Nicholas and Alexandra, knowing that she would never have him as her own.

[Vasillisos Markos]

She seemed to be the "official" courtesan for the Grand Dukes of Russia! I know that the mob sacked her mansion during the revolution because of the ties to the royal family and because she was suspected of being an arms dealer, but from whence did that accusation arise?