Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier #14

https://www.kunstmuseum.nl/en/press/pierre-gilliard-last-days-romanovs

Governor's Mansion, late 1917

We left the Alexander Palace on August 1st and were taken to the town of Tobolsk in Siberia. The prime minister claims that the local populace is loyal to the tsar and the town is devoid of politics, making it a safer location than Tsarskoe Selo. The imperial family was dismayed that they were not going to the Crimea. Marie seems to like the mansion. She only wishes there were no guards. Some of the Romanov entourage are sheltered in an adjacent house, but they are often denied access to the imperial family.

The guards are intolerant of Anastasia. One day she borrowed Alexei's slingshot and launched a projectile at a sentry outside, hitting him in the head. She hid behind me as he ran up the stairs and angrily confronted us, confiscating the slingshot. Another guard forced the Romanovs to have their portraits taken by a photographer in an attempt to humiliate them. Anastasia did not comply and ruined her picture by making a face for the camera. The guard uttered profanities at her, and when Alexei demanded he apologize to his sister, he was shoved to the floor.

Before I could intervene, Alexei's guardian, Klementy Nagorny, lunged at the guard and beat him to a pulp. Nagorny was therefore banished to the adjacent house, though he was allowed to return the following day after the tsar pleaded with the commandant. He has no regrets attacking the coward for humiliating the Romanovs. Alexei used to have two guardians, both of whom were sailors from the imperial yacht. Following the revolution, only Nagorny chose to remain with the imperial family. Along with Ivan Sednev, Vasily Dolgorukov and Ilya Tatishchev, we are essentially what's left of the Tsar's Escort.

Anastasia came downstairs one freezing winter night. She was bored. I was keeping warm by the fireplace and she huddled next to me. We spoke to each other in English in case the guard standing near the doorway was eavesdropping. She likes having me around and hopes that I will continue to stay with her family, maybe live on a nearby farmhouse in the English countryside where we could often visit each other. She admits she'll miss seeing the sea. I haven't decided what I'll do once the Romanovs have settled down. I'll think it over after they're safely out of Russia. One thing's for sure, I would follow Anastasia and her family to the ends of the earth.