My empress; twenty-three years of intimate life with the empress of all the Russias from her marriage to the day of her exile

The author, who served as first maid in waiting to the Empress, presents a close, chronological account of court life from her appointment through service, describing household routines, ceremonial duties, the Empress’s family relations, travels, charitable work, births, and social obligations. She recounts major public events and crises, including wars, revolutions, the influence of controversial figures, the household’s arrest and imprisonment, and the eventual dismissal and exile of the imperial family. The memoir combines personal reminiscence, details of daily duties and ceremony, and observations of political and social tensions that reshaped the court and led to its downfall.