Grand Duchess Olga's Lesser Known Love: Vladimir Molokhovets
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2021
- In early January of 1914, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna experienced an already anticipated heartbreak: her beloved "S."- Pavel Voronov, married Countess Olga Konstantinovna Kleinmichel. The entire imperial family was present at their wedding in Feodorovsky Cathedral, including the Grand Duchess herself.
As usual, in early Spring, the family travels to the Crimea. Each day, they have a late breakfast with various officers from the imperial yacht as guests.
In early April, there is a first mention in Olga's diary of a young officer named Molokhovets, "a very tall and dear midshipman".
Born in 1890, Molokhovets is five years Olga's senior. He was appointed junior duty officer on The Standart at the end of 1913, around the time Olga was feeling tormented by her beloved "S."'s engagement.
During the month of April, 1914, Vladimir Molokhovets is regularly invited to the imperial family's breakfasts, tennis games, walks. He is now often seen in the family's private photos. Olga Nikolaevna captions his name casually in her 1914 photo albums. There is nothing to indicate that Molokhovets has become a new favourite of the eldest grand duchess. But about a month later, in May, 1914, everything changes. Olga starts to emphasise her meetings with him in her diary. "Sat with Molokhovets. He is such a darling... cosy and terribly nice..." "such a dear, cosy face".
The preparation and holding of the Yalta charity bazaar brings the young people closer together. Olga Nikolaevna is clearly interested in the young officer and tries to spend more time with her new friend, as they paste photographs into souvenir albums.
Much like a year earlier, when Olga looked through a field glass searching for her beloved "S ", she now did the same to look at her new love interest: "[looked] through a field glass at the boat training. Saw Molokhovets." "So happy, especially because spent all day with Molokhovets".
On the first day of June, before departure from Livadia, in the evening Olga sits with Molokhovets, not realising that she will never see Livadia again. Shortly, the yacht will head to Romania to visit their royal family, and possibly make a dynastic match for Olga, with the heir to the Romanian throne, Prince Carol.
After meeting the prince, Olga doesn't mention him in her diary, but does comment that Molokhovets stood on guard.
Being indifferent to the prince of the blood as a potential husband, Olga is relieved when she and her family sail off from Romania, "at 11 left to sea. Such happiness. Sat with darling Molokhovets in telegraph cabin ... Terribly nice."
That evening - the last on the yacht, Olga tried to spend "a lot of time with Molokhovets. He is so dear."
When it was time to say goodbye to the officers of The Standart, Olga was devastated, but it was Vladimir that she singled out, and even admits her love for him. "It's disgusting to have to leave them all. Terribly sad without them and darling Molokhovets. I fell in love with him."
About a month later, everything changes, as the first world war breaks out.
During the war, the deck of The Standart was replaced, and the grand duchesses asked if they could have a piece of the old deck as a memento. Years later, in his memoir, an older Vladimir Molokhovets reminiscences about that, and hopes that "maybe this small piece of wood from their beloved yacht, - connected to so many happy memories from their short lives, was with them in the far away Siberia... "
Perhaps, as she looked at that piece of wood, Olga was remembering the happy days she spent with "darling Molokhovets". In a 1917 letter that Olga wrote to her friend Margarita Khitrovo, from Tobolsk on 17 October, she asked "And Molokhovets, where is he?"
Vladimir Molokhovets survived the war and the revolution, was able to escape abroad and lived the rest of his life in England. It is unclear if he ever married (if you know, please comment!), but he died in Oxford in 1966, at the age of 77. He is buried in Headington Cemetery in Oxford; I was
able to get a photo of his grave. There is no tombstone there, just grass...
Information from original Russian source: saltkrakan.livejournal.com/10...
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Very interesting video. It was nice to know more about this soldier and Grand Duchess Olga. God bless her kind heart.
I really enjoyed this video. The fact that Olga asks about Molokavets in Siberia in 1917 is very interesting. A cry for help?
Fantastic video, Helen! It's touching you went to his grave. Olga would have liked that .
This video is beautiful and sad at the same time. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent video. It was good to know, that you discovered, he was able to flee and lived out his life in England. I wonder where those albums of photos, that they sold at the bazaar ended up?
Moving...❤️❤️❤️
Molokhovets was of course also the surname of the Russian equivalent of Mrs. Isabella Beeton - Elena Molokhovets - author of the ‘Gift for Young Housewives’, the standard cookery and household manual for the Russian middle class and above until 1917. After the Revolution, the book was lampooned in the Soviet Union for its middle-class and by then outdated values, but remained culturally-significant in a semi-clandestine way. The book has been translated into English by an American author of presumably Estonian heritage, Joyce Toomis (sp.?). As such, the book provides an interesting insight into middle-class tastes and interests in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Imperial history is fascinating, but domestic, social history is fun, too.
Beautiful ❤❤
Excellent research. Sincere appreciation. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you for this memory and history it is very moving.
So exciting this new information about Grand Duchess Olga. Thanks again for sharing it
Oh wow Helen that was beautiful but so very sad xo 😥
Fascinating video, bitter sweet, thank you for posting.
Your video's are great in detail and give such great info about the romanovs
Such a wonderful film...inspiring-thank you💗
❤️❤️love
Thank you for this very moving video. How sad for them both.
Огромное спасибо за ваш труд
The daughters were obviously interested in dating appropriate young men, but to make more out of it than may have been the case is a travesty.
Just found your channel and must say that I'm so intrigued with the family and their sad ending, loved the background music, thank you, new sub!!
Really beautiful and touching video!thank you!
Thank you for this video x
There is an article online he married but link wouldn't post.. If you search Letitia Elizabeth billyard Leake married 14th Jan 1926. He married into Australian family who held Anzacs and were friends of the British royals. The wedding was a story in the papers at the time.
Their marriage was reported in "The Sun" Sydney, Tuesday 23rd February 1926.
Striking Wedding Miss Billyard-Leake To Russian Army Officer(By a Correspondent)London, January 21.A pretty Australian girl figured in an unusually picturesque, and incidentally one of the most important, society weddings of the Little Season, when Miss Letitia Elizabeth Billyard-Leake was this week married to M. Vladimir Molokhovetz. The bride is the only daughter of Mr. Charles Billyard-Leake, of Kenyu, New South Wales (who during the war presented Harefield Park, his beautiful home near Uxbridge, for use as an Australian hospital), and sister of Lieut.-Commander Billyard-Leake, who was on the Renown, and is well known in Australia. M. Molokhovetz, late Commander, Imperial Russian Guards Equipage, is the only son of Captain Constantine Molokhovetz, Russian Navy. Two services were held, the first at the Russian Church of St. Phillip and the second at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge. The church for the Russian ceremony had the appearance of a big room, empty except for a red carpet with a white centre. The bride and bridegroom wore crowns, which attendants frequently lifted and replaced on the couple's heads. There was a peculiar ritual, too, during which the ring was often interchanged. A choir of Russians contributed quaint songs. There were six bridesmaids, each wearing a Russian headdress, and two tiny pages were in Cossack costumes, with red Russian boots. The bride, who was given away by her brother, Lieut.-Commander E. W. Billyard-Leake, D.S.O., Flag Lieutenant to Sir Sydney Fremantle, Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, wore a beautiful dress of soft white silk. The train of silver tissue was draped with very rare old Brussels lace, which had been worn by the bride's mother at her wedding. The veil, also of old lace, fell from a Russian coronet of silver and orange blossoms. A bouquet of white lilies was carried. Two pages, Master Pat and Master Michael Summers, carried the train, and there wore six bridesmaids - Miss Joan Mountfort; Miss Winifred Laird, Miss Joan Wright, Miss Ileene Stead, Miss Bertine Buxton, and Miss Dawson Wrench. Their dresses of poinsettia red crepe-de-chine had godet skirts embroidered in silver. They wore Russian headdresses in silver and oxidised silver and pearls, with veils and silver galon at the back, and carried bouquets of poinsettias. Mr. Henry Morrison was best man. Captain Billyard-Leake brought Mrs. Billyard-Leake, who wore cocoa-colored velvet, trimmed with fur of the same color, and a gold tissue toque. The Marquise de Chateaubrun, who was accompanied by the Marquis, was in black, with, a velvet hat, and relief of color in a cluster of pink flowers. Lady Raglan, with whom was Lord Raglan, was in black. Lady Richard Jones was in black velvet and blue fox fur, and wore a hat to match. Among others present, including several Australians, were: Lord Louth, Admiral the Hon. Sir Edmund Fremantle, Admiral Sir Reginald Tapper, Sir Burton and Lady Chadwick, Sir Frederick and Lady Young. Sir Newton and Lady Moore, Alice Lady Hayes, Mrs. Otter, Mrs. Pearson, Mrs. Rough, Mrs. Sinclair, Captain and Mrs. George Cooper, Miss Joan Liddell, Miss Crowe, Miss Wilkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Macdonnell, Mr. Robert Morrison, Miss Fremantle, Mr. John Trollope, Mr. and Mrs. Harland.
Wladimir and Letitia Molokhovetz had at least one child.
George Molokhovetz b. 1928
Wladimir Molokhovetz died on 4th January 1966 in England. He was buried at Headington Cemetery, Oxfordshire, England.[4]
Thank you!
Very interesting! Kenyu is about 4 hour drive from where I live, I wonder if the couple ever lived there at all.
@@inthestepsoftheromanovs5750 I doubt it they emigrated in late 1800s I think the property was more of a commercial interest for her father. In saying that I need to watch the Australian story that the ABC did on the leakes sounds interesting. Thanks for your videos too I love all history and I've become interested in Russia because of your channel.
At 4:40 he mentions gluing photographs in albums to be sold at the charity bazaar. What photos were in the albums? Are there any out there in museums or elsewhere that can be seen?
And its sad there is no tombstone on his grave and only grass
There are so many photos of them scattered around the world.
It would be nice if we who read this blog could contribute so that a headstone could be purchased, inscribed, and, played over the resting place of Vladimir Molokhovets. Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him, O Lord. Father Vern, Iowa, USA. I would be honored to donate to the fund if this could be done/arranged.
their eternal memory. may the Savior Christ rest them