The Witches of St. Petersburg

Imogen Edwards-Jones THE WITCHES OF ST PETERSBURG

For Katya Galitzine

I could not have done this without you.

*

And Nikolai Antonov

(In Memoriam)

‘Rasputin is a vessel like Pandora’s Box, which contains all the vices, crimes and filth of the Russian people. Should the vessel be broken we will see its dreadful contents spill themselves across Russia.’

Papus, 1905 – Occultist and founder of the Martinist Order

‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.’

Leviticus 20.6

Cast of Characters

Grand Duchess Militza Nikolayevna – second eldest daughter of King Nikola of Montenegro (she was one of twelve children, only nine of whom survived into adulthood.)

Grand Duke Peter Nikolayevich – cousin to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, married to Militza.

Grand Duchess Anastasia (Stana) – third eldest daughter of King Nikola of Montenegro.

George Maximilianovich, sixth Duke of Leuchtenberg – Stana’s first husband.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich (Nikolasha) – brother of Grand Duke Peter Nikolayevich, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, Viceroy of the Caucasus and cousin to Tsar Nicholas II; second husband to Stana.

Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917) – ‘Nicky’

Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna (née Princess Alexandra of Hesse-Darmstadt) – Empress also called ‘Alix’ and ‘Sunny’

Their children:

Olga

Tatiana

Maria

Anastasia

Alexei, the Tsarevich.

Grand Duke George Alexandrovich – younger brother to Tsar Nicholas II. He died of TB by the side of the road in Georgia when he was twenty-eight years old.

Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna (née Princess Dagmar of Demark, known as Minny or Dagmar) – widow of Alexander III, mother to Tsar Nicholas II.

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna (Ella) – elder sister of the Tsarina, married to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, uncle to the Tsar.

Grand Duchess Vladimir, Maria Pavlovna (also known as Miechen) – one of the richest women in all Russia.

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich – husband to Maria Pavlovna and uncle to the Tsar.

Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston – married to Princess Zinaida Yusupova, the richest woman in all Russia, parents of Prince Felix Felixovich and Prince Nicholas Felixovich.

Prince Felix Yusupov – married to Princess Irina Alexandronva, daughter of Xenia (Tsar Nicholas II’s sister) and Alexander Mikhailovich (Sandro). He was one of the murderers of Rasputin.

Anna Vyrubova (née Taneyeva) – the Tsarina’s best friend.

Dr Shamzaran Badmaev (otherwise known as Dr Peter Badmaev) – apothecary, philosopher and purveyor of fine drugs, born in Tibet.

Countess Sophia Ignatiev – purveyor of Black Salons.

Philippe Nizier-Vachot (Maître Philippe) – guru and Martinist, from Lyons, France.

Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin (Grisha) – man of God, Hierophant and Holy Satyr from Siberia.

Prologue 10 February 1911, Znamenka, Peterhof

They hammered on the entrance to the palace, pounding with their fists. The heavy wooden doors shook on their hinges and cries of bloodlust rang out into the night.

‘Open up! Police! Open up in the name of the Tsar!’