Pierre Gilliard (1879 - May 30, 1962), a Swiss citizen, was the French tutor for the five children of Tsar Nicholas II from 1905 to 1918. Years after the Imperial Family was assassinated by the Bolsheviks in July 1918, Gilliard wrote a book Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, about his time with the family. In his memoirs, Gilliard described Tsarina Alexandra's torment over her son's haemophilia and how she trusted the starets Grigori Rasputin to heal the boy after he suffered from life-threatening complications of haemophilia. ^[1] Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (Olga Nikolaevna Romanova) (in Russian Великая Княжна Ольга Николаевна; November 15 [O.S. November 3] 1895 – July 17, 1918) was the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of the Russian Empire, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia. ... Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna of Russia (Tatiana Nikolaievna Romanova) (In Russian Великая Княжна Татьяна Николаевна), (May 29 (O.S.)/June 10 (N.S.), 1897 - July 17, 1918), was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Swiss may be: Related to Switzerland: the Swiss Confederation Swiss people Swiss cheese Swiss corporations Switzerland-related topics Named Swiss: Swiss, Missouri Swiss, North Carolina Swiss, West Virginia Swiss, Wisconsin Swiss International Air Lines Swiss Re SWiSS is also used as a disparaging nickname for the Socialist Workers Student Society. ... Tsar Nicholas II (18 May 1868 to 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia (Russian: ), born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (German: ) 6 June 1872 – 17 July 1918, was Empress consort of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russian Empire. ... Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov (Russian: ), full title: Heir, Tsarevich and Grand Duke (Russian: ) (12 August [O.S. 30 July] 1904 — July 17, 1918), of the House of Romanov, was Tsarevich - the heir apparent - of Russia, being the youngest child and the only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and... Haemophilia or hemophilia (from Greek haima blood and philia to love[1]) is the name of a family of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the bodys ability to control blood clotting, or coagulation. ... St Sergii Radonezhsky was one of the most famous of startsy. ... Rasputin redirects here. ...

In his memoirs, Gilliard wrote that he initially came to Russia in 1904 as a French tutor to the family of Duke George of Leuchtenberg, a cousin of the Romanov family. He was recommended as a French tutor to the Tsar's children and began teaching the elder children, Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia in 1905. He grew fond of the family and followed them into exile at Tobolsk, Siberia following the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Bolsheviks prevented Gilliard from joining his pupils in exile at Yekaterinburg in May 1918. He described his final view of the children in his memoirs: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (Olga Nikolaevna Romanova) (in Russian Великая Княжна Ольга Николаевна; November 15 [O.S. November 3] 1895 – July 17, 1918) was the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of the Russian Empire, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia. ... Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaievna of Russia (Tatiana Nikolaievna Romanova) (In Russian Великая Княжна Татьяна Николаевна), (May 29 (O.S.)/June 10 (N.S.), 1897 - July 17, 1918), was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last autocratic ruler of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra. ... View of Tobolsk in the 1910s Tobolsk (Russian: ; Tatar: Tubıl) is a historic capital of Siberia, now an ordinary town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political and social upheavals in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal and moderate-socialist Provisional Government, resulting in the establishment of Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ... Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ...

Gilliard remained in Siberia for three years after the murders of the family, assisting White Russian investigator Nicholas Sokolov with his investigation. He married Alexandra "Shura" Tegleva, who had been a nurse to Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, in 1919. He became a French professor at the University of Lausanne and was awarded the French Legion of Honor.^[3] He became a vociferous opponent of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia, though he was allegedly, according to Peter Kurth, less certain she was an impostor when he first met her.^[4] Gilliard and his wife, Shura, were asked by Anastasia's paternal aunt, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, to visit Anderson in the hospital in Berlin in 1925. Shura noted that Anderson suffered from the same foot deformity that the Grand Duchess Anastasia had. ^[5] The term White Russian may refer to: Members of the White movement whose military arm is known as the White Army or White Guard comprised some of the Russian forces, both political and military, which opposed the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution and fought against the Red Army during the... Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia (Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, (Russian: (June 18 [O.S. June 5] 1901 — July 17, 1918), was the youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna. ... University of Lausanne, museum and library The University of Lausanne (in French: Université de Lausanne) or UNIL in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. ... French Legion of Honor The Légion dhonneur (in Legion of Honor (AmE) or Legion of Honour (ComE)) is an Order of Chivalry awarded by the President of France. ... Anastasia Manahan, usually known as Anna Anderson [1] (c. ... The flag of the House of Romanov Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia (Russian: ; Olga Alexandrovna Romanova) (June 13, 1882–November 24, 1960) was the last Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia under the reign of her elder brother, Czar Nicholas II. Her father was the reformer of 19th century Russia...

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia commented on Gilliard and Anna Anderson,

Anna Anderson in 1922.

On a subsequent visit Anderson spilled perfume from a perfume bottle into Shura's hand and asked her to moisten her forehead with it. Shura said the grand duchess used to do the same thing as a little girl so that Shura might be "as fragrant as a bouquet of flowers." ^[7] Gilliard, however, appeared skeptical when Anderson didn't admit to knowing him immediately and was silent in response when he asked her to "tell me everything about your past." Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (517x800, 281 KB) Anna Anderson from Pierre Gilliards book, The False Anastasia. It was taken in 1922 shortly after she claimed to be Anastasia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (517x800, 281 KB) Anna Anderson from Pierre Gilliards book, The False Anastasia. It was taken in 1922 shortly after she claimed to be Anastasia. ...

Anderson's friend, Harriet von Rathlef, allegdedly wrote that she later spotted Gilliard in the hallway, looking agitated, and muttering in French, "My God, how awful! What has become of Grand Duchess Anastasia? She's a wreck, a complete wreck! I want to do everything I can to help the Grand Duchess." ^[8] Shura cried when she left Anderson, wondering why she loved the woman as much as she loved the grand duchess. According to Peter Kurth, Gilliard told Ambassador Zahle that, "We are going away without being able to say that she is not Grand Duchess Anastasia." ^[9] The couple wrote several friendly letters to Anderson. ^[10] Some weeks later, after investigating the woman's story, Gilliard reversed his position. He wrote articles and a book entitled The False Anastasia against her and claimed she was a "vulgar adventuress" and a "first-rate actress." He also testified against her at a trial to determine whether she was truly the grand duchess. ^[11] Harriet von Rathlef-Keilmann, (1889 - 1933), was a Russian-born sculptor and writer of childrens books who escaped to Germany from the Baltic provinces following the Russian Revolution of 1917. ...

Gilliard was severely injured in a car accident in 1958 and died four years later of complications of the injuries in Lausanne, Switzerland. ^[12] Lausanne (pronounced ) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. ...

Notes

References

• Thirteen Years at the Russian Court Pierre Gilliard, Thirteen Years at the Russian Court
• Kurth, Peter Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson, Back Bay Books, 1983, ISBN 0-316-50717-2
• Massie, Robert K. Nicholas and Alexandra. 1967. ISBN 0-5754-0006-4
• Vorres, Ian, The Last Grand Duchess, London, Finedawn Publishers, 1985 (3rd edition)