I witnessed the fall
of one of the greatest empires
in the world.
Pierre Gilliard
Pierre Gilliard Pierre Gilliard, a citizen of Switzerland, served in the Court of Emperor Nicholas II for thirteen years as a tutor of French language to the Romanov Grand Duchesses and as a tutor to the Heir Alexei, thus living in close contact with the Tsar’s Family. He voluntarily followed the Tsar’s Family into exile, where he was one of its closest friends. He authored a book of memoirs called “Emperor Nicholas II and His Family”i where the personality of the Tsar, Tsarina, and the entire august family are portrayed in the extraordinary beauty of their nobility, loftiness, and humility.
“Peter Andreyevich Gilliard,” as he was called at Court, or—affectionately—“Zhilik,” was born on May 16, 1879 in Switzerland in the village of Fiez near Lausanne. His father, Edmond André David Gilliard, was a landowner and winemaker. His mother, Marie Milerb, a Frenchwoman, was born in Normandy and grew up in Switzerland. The couple had six sons and two daughters. In 1904, Pierre graduated from the Classical Literature department at the University of Lausanne and in the fall of the same year he accepted the invitation of Duke Sergei Georgievich of Leuchtenberg, an uncle to the Emperor Nicholas II, to go and teach the French language to his son in Russia. Being a young, strict, modest, and patient man, he proved to be a good teacher and a person of true integrity. The Royal family met Pierre Gilliard in Peterhof; the Duchess of Leuchtenberg and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna were close friends at that time, and at some point the tutor was introduced to the Royal family.
In September 1905, about a year after he took up an appointment as a tutor at the Duke of Leuchtenberg, Gilliard received an offer to teach French to the Emperor’s two eldest daughters, the Grand Duchesses 
Holy Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova (1895–1918)All those whose destinies crossed the paths in life of the Royal Family unanimously testified to the moral purity of the eldest Princess, her kindness, modesty, sensitivity, and sense of justice.
“>Olga and 
Holy Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova (1897-1918)“She is a Grand Duchess from head to toe; how aristocratic and royal she is! I feel without words that there is a whole closed and original world inside her.””>Tatiana. At the time, Olga was ten and Tatiana, eight years old. The Empress was present at their first lessons in order to check the quality of teaching. After several visits to the lessons, she was convinced that their new teacher was a talented pedagogue. Gilliard writes in his memoirs:
“As for my first few months there, I distinctly remember the extreme interest of the Empress, a mother fully devoted to her duty, to the upbringing and education of her children. To my utter surprise, instead of the arrogant, cold Tsarina I had heard so much about, I came to meet a woman who was genuinely devoted to her maternal duties.”
Pierre Gilliard with the Grand Duchess Olga in class
Gilliard very quickly made friends with his eldest pupil Grand Duchess Olga who became his favorite. In his opinion, Tatiana was prettier than her sister, but she seemed rather absent-minded. Grand Duchesses 
Holy Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Romanova (1899–1918)Maria spoke to her mother about faith and the Church more often than the other children and shared her religious experiences with her.
“>Maria and 
Holy Princess Anastasia Romanova (1901-1918)“She was so cheerful and so able to drive away frowns from anyone who was out of sorts, that some of those around her called her ‘Sunbeam’, recalling the nickname given to her mother at the English.””>Anastasia joined the classes later. Gilliard wrote that Maria was best known for her modesty, kindness and warmth. The younger one, Anastasia, was mischievous and funny. Despite her characteristic laziness, she made significant progress learning French and developed perfect pronunciation. Anastasia “played out miniature theatrical scenes with a real talent.”
Pierre Gilliard’s position so close to the Royal family offered him an opportunity to observe the life of this holy family not only in an official, but also in an intimate, day-to-day setting, as well as under the circumstances of their somber imprisonment later. An educated man and a master of observation, Pierre Gilliard carefully studied the characters of the Sovereign and all members of his family.
With the Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana
Half a year after he began his service in the Alexander Palace, Gilliard met the one-and-a-half-year-old Heir to the Throne , Alexei:
“The Tsesarevich was a delightful baby boy… He looked at me sternly and shyly, not daring to stretch out his chubby hand to me. I noticed how the Empress was holding her son tight at her chest, as if guarding him or fearing for his life. This gesture and the accompanying look revealed an acute inner suffering that struck me deeply. Only much later did I realize the meaning of that look.”
When the Heir turned nine, the Emperor and Empress asked Gilliard to take over his education. Pierre agreed, and on October 2, 1912 he was officially appointed a tutor to the Grand Duke and Heir 
Holy Passion-Bearer Tsarevich Alexei (1904–1918). Part 1The Tsarevich had a very gentle and kind heart. He often exclaimed, ‘When I become the Tsar, there will be no poor and unhappy people. I want everyone to be happy.’”
“>Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. It wasn’t easy to teach Alexei, because the boy wasn’t at all accustomed to discipline. The teacher knew perfectly well that Tsesarevich Alexei was a special child. Hemophilia left its mark on the character of this child, so kind, cheerful and sociable by nature. Gilliard wrote:
“That’s how terrible was the disease from which Alexei Nikolaevich suffers; it meant a constant and never-ending threat to his life: a fall, a nosebleed, a simple cut, usually so trifle for a normal child, could become fatal for him.”
Pierre Gilliard and Tsarevich Alexei aboard the Imperial yacht “Standart,” 1914
As soon as he showed improvements in his studies, once again Alexei would be tossing about on the bed in unbearable agony and Gilliard would have to spend sleepless nights at his bed. His parents’ fear of provoking yet another injury and the onslaught of illness that followed was justified, but the tutor believed that Alexei must learn to control his behavior. He convinced his parents that this never-ending fear for the Heir’s health can negatively impact his character and make him a weak-willed or even a morally crippled man. After all, he was the future Tsar of Russia. Gilliard believed that Alexei should have more freedom. His parents agreed with the tutor’s opinion and expressed support. Soon this kind of education of this kind bore its fruit. Alexei shed his shyness and took to studies more seriously. He also became physically stronger, to the great joy of his parents.
Pierre observed in his student an acute and keen mind.
“He surprised me at times by asking questions beyond his years, which bore witness to a delicate and intuitive spirit… He never boasted about being the Heir of the Imperial family… In the young and capricious little creature I assumed the beginning to know, I later discovered a child with a heart genuinely loving and truly sensitive to suffering, because he had already suffered so much himself… I became more aware of the richness of his inner self…”
As a constant companion of the Tsarevich, Pierre Gilliard lived in close proximity to the Royal Family in Tsarskoye Selo, Livadia, and at the General Headquarters; he participated in their travels around Russia and to the front lines. At the General Headquarters, Alexei wore the uniform of a private, ate breakfast at the common table seated at the left hand of the Emperor, and always had dinner with his tutors. He received an award…
During the February Revolution, Pierre Gilliard was in Tsarskoye Selo and tried in every way to support the Empress and the children who had come down with the measles. The Empress instructed Gilliard to inform Alexei of his father’s abdication from the throne.
Alexei Nikolayevich with his tutor Gilliard on the pier of a pond near the Children’s Island. Tsarskoe Selo. Photo by Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Alexei Nikolaevich
“reddened to the root of his hair and became anxious… But not a word about himself, not the slightest suggestion of his rights as Heir. Once again I was struck by this child’s modesty—modesty that equaled his kindness.”
Pierre Gilliard voluntarily followed the Royal Family into exile and stayed with them from March 21, 1917 to May 23, 1918. He morally supported the Royal Martyrs, enduring all the hardships with them. Along with Sidney Gibbs, an English tutor, he selflessly looked after the Tsesarevich during his illness, spending sleepless nights next to him.
When the Royal family was moved from Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went with the Sovereign, entrusting sick Alexei to the care of Gilliard. Upon arrival in Ekaterinburg, he was forcibly removed from the Royal Family by the Bolsheviks. Gilliard described the moment when he saw his charge for the last time:
“Sailor Nagorny walked by my window carrying the little patient in his arms; behind them went the Grand Duchesses, laden with suitcases and small packages. I wanted to go outside, but the sentry rudely pushed me back into the carriage.”
Pierre Gilliard took the death of the Royal family hard as they had become like family to him
In February 1919, Gilliard met with Nikolai Alekseevich Sokolov who informed him of the death of the entire family. Pierre Gilliard took hard the news of the death of the Royal family that had become like family to him. After the murder of the Imperial family he remained in Siberia, where he helped the investigator Nikolai Sokolov, and also exposed an impostor who pretended to be Alexei Nikolaevich.
In 1920 he returned from the Far East to Switzerland, and began teaching French at the University of Lausanne. He was awarded the Legion of Honor. On October 3, 1922 Pierre married Alexandra Alexandrovna Tegleva, a former nanny of the Romanov Grand Duchesses. In 1921, he published the book “Thirteen Years at the Russian Court: the Tragic Fate of Nicholas II.” He died aged eighty-four.
Pierre Gilliard’s close proximity to the Royal Family presented him with the opportunity to observe their life, including the time of their somber imprisonment, filled with abuse. During this period, he often spoke to the royal martyrs on a variety of topics, and in these conversations, they expressed their sincere and innermost thoughts and views on the ongoing political events.
Not associated with any political parties in pursuit of their own goals, Gilliard was free from their influence. As a noble, impeccably honest, and courageous man, Pierre Gilliard was guided only by his conscience and tried to be impartial in his judgments about people and events.
Pierre Gilliard tried to remain impartial and was guided by conscience in his judgments about people and events
In his memoirs, Gilliard writes that during his three-year stay in Siberia he was completely isolated from the rest of the world and had no information regarding the stories published in Europe about Emperor Nicholas II at that time. Upon his return to Europe in September 1920, Gilliard learned of the contents of these publications, where one such story even reported his own death. He wrote:
“As soon as I learned about their content, I was outraged; I was even more outraged once I realized that, to my surprise, these publications gained the approval of the general public. There was an urgent need to rehabilitate the moral image of the Russian Imperial Couple; a sense of justice and decency demanded this.”
Gilliard rightly believed that the majority of articles about Emperor Nicholas II and his family were nothing but “a collection of absurdities and lies, tabloid journalism that relied on worthless slander.”ii Pierre Gilliard’s memoirs are a reliable historical source.
Gilliard about the Emperor Nicholas Ⅱ
“The Emperor was endowed with remarkable personal qualities. He personified the noblest and best feelings of a Russian soul. He submitted to his fate and obediently accepted the superhuman labor entrusted to him by God. He loved his people and the Motherland with all the power of his soul. The Emperor loved even more dearly the common people and the Russian peasant as he wholeheartedly strove to improve their life. History will give him justice.”
On July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia. Gilliard noticed that the Emperor took this tragic time hard. He watched him during a church service:
“When I met the Emperor… I was astonished to find him in a state of extreme fatigue: his face was drawn and looked sallow, and the baggy skin below his eyes that he usually developed in moments of extreme fatigue looked even worse this time. He was praying now with all his might that God avert this war from his people, as he perceived it was drawing near and was inevitable… Next to him was the Empress, whose sorrowful face wore an expression of immense suffering…”
In 1914, the Tsesarevich, together with his tutors, visited the frontline’s sick quarters and hospitals. The boy was stunned at the sight of the suffering and groans of wounded soldiers. Alexei visited the wounded with his father. Pierre Gilliard writes:
“The Emperor approached all the wounded and spoke to them with great kindness. His sudden visit at such a late hour and so close to the front line was greeted with astonishment. One of the soldiers… lifted his only healthy hand to touch his (the Emperor’s) clothes, to make sure that what he saw was really the Tsar and not a spirit.”
In the most difficult time of the war, when the Russians were haunted by failures at the front, the Emperor assumed the role of Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Two months prior to that, the Emperor had a conversation with Gilliard.
“You can’t even imagine how much being present in the rear weighs down on me,” said the Tsar…”All they have here is intrigues and conspiracies… while back there, they fight and die for their Motherland. At the front, there is only one feeling that prevails among the soldiers: the determination to win…”
The Emperor accepted full responsibility for the future course of the war. He supplemented his order on assuming the Supreme Command with the following promise:
“With unshakeable faith in the goodness of God and unwavering conviction in the ultimate victory, We shall fulfill our sacred duty in defending our Motherland to the end, and We will never allow the Russian soil to be desecrated.”
After his abdication, the Tsar was arrested by the Provisional Government and stayed at Tsarskoye Selo, where the soldiers of the guard insulted him and caused him trouble.
“However,” writes Gilliard, ”the Tsar accepted these embarrassments with remarkable composure and amazing greatness of his soul. Not one word of reproach escaped his lips, and this was because only one feeling prevailed over his whole being, which was even stronger than his devotion to his family: love for the Motherland. You could sense that he was ready to forgive those who had caused him these humiliations, if only they could help him to save Russia.”iii
The Emperor not only forgave his enemies’ offenses, but he also prayed for them. Here is Pierre Gilliard’s record of the Pascha celebration during imprisonment at Tsarskoye Selo:
“At half past eleven in the evening, everyone went to church for the midnight service… The service lasted until two o’clock and then everyone went to the library to exchange the traditional greetings. The Tsar, according to Russian custom, kissed all those present, including the Commandant of the palace and the officer of the guard who remained with him… I noticed that the Emperor crossed himself piously when the priest was reading a prayer commemorating the Provisional Government.”
Nicholas II and Pierre Gilliard cut wood for the winter during exile in Tobolsk
Pierre Gilliard followed the Royal family into Siberian exile, supporting them morally and enduring all the hardships with them. It was a mere accident he didn’t share their tragic fate. Gilliard noted the nobility of feelings and moral greatness of the Royal Martyrs they displayed in the time of tribulations that befell them. He also writes about the manifestation of love for the Royal Martyrs on the part of the residents of Tobolsk:
“I saw that the people we met as we went to or returned from church would make the sign of the cross or fall on their knees when they saw Their Majesties. The overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Tobolsk were deeply devoted to the Imperial family, and our guards had to take decisive measures against the people who lingered by the windows of our house, removed their hats or crossed themselves as they passed the house.”
Investigator N. A. Sokolov testified:
“I especially consider myself obliged to note the high degree of dignity and deep devotion to the Russian Tsar and his family of two men: the Swiss Gilliard, the tutor of Heir the Tsesarevich and Englishman Gibbs, the English teacher”
Gilliard’s book concludes with the following:
“Then came death. But it was loathe to separate those who were so closely united by their life, and so it took all seven of them, connected by one faith and one love… The Emperor and the Empress believed that they were dying as martyrs for their country—they died as martyrs for mankind. Their true greatness didn’t arise from their imperial kingship, but from their wondrous moral purity they developed over time. They became an ultimate power; in their very humiliation, they displayed the stunning vision of that glorious clarity of soul that disables every kind of violence and every kind of rage, and triumphs over death itself.”iv
Source: Orthodox Christianity
