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Thirteen Years at the Russian Court: A Personal Record of the Last Years and Death of the Tsar Nicholas II, and His Family Paperback – December 6, 2016

by Pierre Gilliard (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 336 ratings
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In September 1905 Pierre Gilliard entered Tsar Nicholas II’s household as the French tutor of Duchesses Olga Nicolaievna and Tatiana Nicolaievna.



He would go on to spend a further thirteen years in the close company of the Romanov family.

Within that time he would be a witness to one of the most remarkable and tragic events of modern history as a close-knit family was torn apart and executed in the midst of the Revolution.

But this book is more than simply an eyewitness account of the Revolution.

As one of the books early reviews notes, Gilliard ‘had unusual opportunities of knowing their simple domestic life, and when the tragedy that had befallen the Royal house inevitably drew its members, and the few of their attendants who were left to them, more closely together, he was able to learn more and more intimately the ties that bound them together and the difficulties that had brought them to such a doom.’ The Tablet

Throughout his thirteen years Gilliard built strong personal relationships with those at the Russian court and his eyewitness account of that time is a beautifully intimate portrayal of the family.

From little Aleksey who despite his haemophilia remained the centre of attention to his mischievous sisters, their anxious mother and proud father, Gilliard provides vivid sketches of each of the family members.

He was also witness to figures outside of the family circle, including the infamous Rasputin.

Throughout the account there are extremely personal notes interspersed with humour which provide a humanising view of the Romanov family, including the moment when Gilliard forgets to censor some of the language in Les Miserables to which Tsar Nicholas II teases with him: “You are teaching my daughters a very curious vocabulary, monsieur…”

In 1914 Russia descended into war and over the coming years as the situation on the front becomes more tense so too does life within the court.

The strain upon court and nation comes to a climax in March 1917 as the Revolution begins.

Even through their abdication and imprisonment Gilliard remained with the family, until finally in 1918, after the Bolshevik’s coup d’etat, Gilliard is separated from them, never to see them again.

Pierre Gilliard’s remarkable and tragic account of the last years of the Romanov dynasty was first published in 1921. He later became a French professor at the University of Lausanne and died in 1962.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    161 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 6, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.41 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1519085923
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1519085924
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (December 6, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 161 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1519085923
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1519085924
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.41 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 336 ratings

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Pierre Gilliard

Pierre Gilliard

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
336 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Daniel Bailleau
5.0 out of 5 stars Great eyewitness account to history
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
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This book is an important account of the final years of the Imperial Russian court, written by the French tutor who was employed to the court to teach the children of the Czar. Easy to read with a wealth of info and personal anecdotes you wont find in conventional histories of this time and place. As a student of Russian history and culture, this book has been an invaluable source for me. I highly recommend it.
One person found this helpful
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B. Pocker
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and provocative account of life at the last Russian Court
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2017
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Firsthand accounts are always interesting because they provide insights and details usually overlooked by historians whose primary concern is to explain the larger forces behind past events. This account has great merit for anyone curious about Russia and its revolt against the tsar. It is quite a gripping account. I gave it four stars because it is so clearly one-sided that a reader would be hard pressed to understand why any revolt occurred. The
author seems to attribute all the issues to the illness of the male heir and the influence of Rasputin. While these may be significant, there is little acknowledgment of other problems. For those, reading Tolstoy and other Russian writers would be helpful.
2 people found this helpful
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Eugenia
5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotional Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2017
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Colonel Acoutin, one of the Czar's guards, was a close friend. He fought on the White Russian side but managed to escape. He often recounted the story of the Revolution, at my request. I met his brother who had been imprisoned in Siberia, with a knife wound on his neck to prove it.

Later I met briefly Prince Serge Obolensky in New York. Unfortunately, I didn't know who he was at the time.

Colonel used to be amazed that the book "Nicholas and Alexandra" had been published. Russia was then the USSR. He couldn't fathom how the author got his hands on the material. He said that no one knew about Alexis' hemophilia. So no one understood the Czarina's attachment to Rasputin.

So this book was very personal to me. I loved that it came from someone who was close to the family -- not an historian. He did a huge service by getting the forensic information out of the country. It's a wonderful book from the Romanoff perspective.
37 people found this helpful
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Reviewer2000
5.0 out of 5 stars first hand account
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
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really fascinating, a first hand account from the tutor who was with them up to the last! I'm not sure he was objective or accurate, but it is interesting
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Kelley Ridings
3.0 out of 5 stars Tutoring the Romanov children prior to the Russian Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2015
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This was Pierre Gillard's autobiographical account of his years as tutor to the children of Tsar Nicholas and Tsaritsa Alexandra. Considering his 13 years of service to them, and his intense loyalty in staying with them until he forcibly separated from them after they were all arrested, I was a little disappointed with the lack of feeling of this book. At times he wrote as if he was a historian (about governmental workings that I'm pretty sure he would have had no personal knowledge of at the time as the family tutor) which went beyond the scope of this book. He was also surprisingly drawn in by some of the vicious gossip of the time. While he claims to write this book to support the family, he also is surprisingly derogatory to their close personal friend Anna Vryubova, succumbing to spreading malicious propaganda about her, that after having read quite a bit about her (through other sources), I am virtually certain wasn't true. Still, despite his shortcomings, Gillard, a Swiss, was to be admired for his deep devotion to the family and his willingness to be arrested and held in captivity with them in order to continue his service to a family he deeply admired (something Vyrubova did as well). Such devotion speaks volumes about their character. While I wanted to read this book to gain a clearer sense of this era in history (a time of great personal interest to me) but I was disappointed in that it wasn't as personal as other autobiographical accounts I've read of the same period.
22 people found this helpful
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Hernandez Jorge
5.0 out of 5 stars well done Mr. Gilliard
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018
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I have to join the troops of readers who enjoyed this book. More than many others i've read regarding the Romanovs, both fiction and non, this is an unique view of the family as seen from an insider, one with on-going daily contact. Teacher to the five children and also a devoted companion to the Tsarevitch Alexei, Pierre Gilliard writes openly and honestly, giving the reading HIS viewpoint. He stayed with them all until they arrived at their final home and murder site in the town of Ekaterinburg, where he was not permitted. Emotionally crushed he remained loyal to his death.
" And death came, but death refused to separate those whom life had so closely bound together,and it took them all seven, united in one faith and in one love."
9 people found this helpful
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J. Franz
4.0 out of 5 stars You feel like your inside the Castle
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2017
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Aside from this book I have read two other books on the Fall of Czar Nicholas. and one other on Rasputin..... This book was a limited view of what went on The Author even admits with only minor exceptions he will only write about what he witnessed. Which is fair,
this book was written by the Heir to the thrones teacher You can feel the emotion he grew to feel for the Family
I recommend this book
However I suggest if this is you first time reading about Nicholas and Alexandria and the Gang...... I do recommend either the book Nicholas and Alexandria or The Last Tsar......... and then read this book
But this book does bring you inside the Castle so to speak and you feel a bit closer to the family Then a Historian who lived 50-80 years later make you feel. Which is why I say read this book second..... Let a Historian tell you the story..... then go inside the castle and be with the family
its a short book Less then 200 pages.... and thats why I gave it 4 stars..... You dont learn a lot of things the Author didnt witness For example he writes very little about Rasputin, Because in all of his 13 years he only met him once Ok cant be helped But it is part of the story thats missing
11 people found this helpful
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Slugpuppy3
5.0 out of 5 stars Personal and Moving!
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2017
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This is a well written, heartrending, personal eyewitness account of the last Romanovs. Gilliard paints a picture of a family that is simple in taste (compared to the formal glitter of the Russian Court), devoted to each other and to their faith. A must read for anyone interested in Russian history or in how Tsar Nicholas II and his family lived and died.
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Top reviews from other countries

pop92
5.0 out of 5 stars Packaged well
Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2021
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This was a gift but I was told that the packaging was very good. The book arrived in a timely manner, is very interesting (apparently 🤷🏼‍♂️) and is an appreciated gift. I look forward to seeing in in person some time in the future.
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D'Aguì Pietro
5.0 out of 5 stars worth the money
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2019
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Good conditions. Really nice book
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Kate C. Roberts
3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Perspective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2021
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This is an interesting read told from the perspective of someone who was close to the Imperial Family for a number of years. However, it is clear that the author puts the Csar and Csarina on a ridiculous pedestal and has a very low opinion of the Russian peasants and the struggles they faced daily. He blames them for being ignorant and uneducated, completely oblivious to his own privilege. He doesn't mention the Imperial Guard firing into the crowds during protests and killing hundreds, including children. He only briefly mentions the death of thousands of peasants during the coronation, and with more sympathy for those in power and how this made them look rather than feeling for the peasants themselves and their families. There is also some anti-Semitic feeling by the author against some of those involved. As I said, I did find this interesting, but it is extremely biased. Saying that, I don't suppose this is surprising, given the fact that it was written only a few years after the murders of the Imperial Family - feelings must have still been very raw.
2 people found this helpful
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