2682 - Alexander II, Emperor of Russia

Alexander II, Emperor of Russia "oublier tout dans tes bras" Alexander II, Emperor of Russia (1818–1881, assassinated). Autograph letter, unsigned. In French and Russian. 9 pp. With embossed monogram. Large 8vo. Saint Petersburg, Jan. 16–17, 1868. To his young lover, Ekaterina Dolgorukaya (1847–1922), who had been introduced as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress in order to move in court circles. A very lengthy love letter, the writing of which spanned two days and constantly alternates between French and Russian passages. “Wednesday, or rather Thursday, January 4/16, 1868, at 1 a.m. To prove to you, my Angel, that I am happy to comply with your will whenever I can, and even to indulge your whims, I did not go to the party at Smolna—which, I must admit, would have amused me more than the tedious Opira: That *Favorite*, which I had to endure from beginning to end, and thanks to which it is only now that I can return to the one occupation that keeps me alive while I am away from you... Oh! My Angel, I don’t know what to do without you … I feel once again, more than ever, that my whole life is in you and that I am good for nothing without you … To console myself a little and give myself some courage, I’ve just reread your lovely letter from last night, which had brought me so much joy this morning and which you had finished without the happy memory of our evening together—when we enjoyed ourselves like madmen… Oh! How eagerly I’m now awaiting your letter from tonight, which I hope to have the joy of receiving tomorrow morning, before I leave for the hunt… Thursday, at 10 a.m. Just as I’m about to leave for the hunt, I want to say a few more words to you. My whole being overflows with love and tenderness for you, my beloved Angel, and your dear letter from last night, which I just received, has brought me back to life. I feel loved and happy... [after a brief description of the hunting trip:] Every detail of our last delightful evening kept haunting me, and I confess that I wish it were already tomorrow so I could forget everything in your arms... Friday, Jan. 5/17, at 9:30 a.m. Good morning, my Angel, I love you more than life itself and have just received your dear letter from yesterday … I’m looking forward to seeing you again tonight. May God grant that you be freed from your unbearable [sic] headaches … I feel that I can no longer live without you, and I see that it’s the same for you, my Angel, my everything. Oh! With what passion we will reunite..., for we thirst for our “bingerle,” and this anticipation is already giving me the jitters...”. Furthermore, it mentions his daughter and other relatives, successful and failed rendezvous with his lover, and various passages in Russian, the meaning of which remains to be uncovered. - Alexander, who had been married to Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt since 1841 and had eight children from that marriage, remained faithful to his mistress: She bore him four children, and when Empress Maria Alexandrovna died in 1880, Alexander married Ekaterina in a morganatic marriage a few weeks later. Although she was elevated to the rank of Princess Yuryevskaya, she was never accepted by the Romanovs, so after the Tsar’s death, she left the country forever with her children. - Stationery bearing the Tsar’s embossed monogram.