Page "Alexander III of Russia" Paragraph 5

After a performance of the ballet ' Tsar Kandavl ' at the Mariinsky Theatre, I first caught sight of the Emperor.

I was struck by the size of the man, and although cumbersome and heavy, he was still a mighty figure.

There was indeed something of the muzhik peasant about him.

The look of his bright eyes made quite an impression on me.

As he passed where I was standing, he raised his head for a second, and to this day I can remember what I felt as our eyes met.

It was a look as cold as steel, in which there was something threatening, even frightening, and it struck me like a blow.

The Tsar's gaze!

The look of a man who stood above all others, but who carried a monstrous burden and who every minute had to fear for his life and the lives of those closest to him.

In later years I came into contact with the Emperor on several occasions, and I felt not the slightest bit timid.

In more ordinary cases Tsar Alexander III could be at once kind, simple, and even almost homely.