Princess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia - Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War

Like other members of her family, Xenia had been thankful to her father for keeping Russia out of wars. On 25 January 1904, Xenia recorded in her diary that war had been declared between Russia and Japan. The previous December, Xenia had told the War Minister, Kuropatkin that there would be no war and that her brother did not want war. The War Minister said the whole matter might be outside of the control of Russia. As war broke out, there was unrest in Russia. On a cold Sunday in January 1905, over 150,000 peaceful people approached the Winter Palace under the leadership of Gapon. The people wanted to present the Tsar with a petition. The St. Petersburg Police had asked for help from the army, which fired into the crowd, resulting in 2,000 casualties. The day would be known as "Bloody Sunday" and mark a turning point in the relationship between Tsar and people. In February, Xenia's uncle Sergei was killed by a bomb in Moscow. She wished to be with her aunt Ella but was told the situation was too dangerous.

Xenia was exasperated on hearing of the military defeat in Korea. She had been angry about the start of the war and recorded her thoughts on the end, "and ended even more stupidly!" Xenia was in the Crimea at their home at Ai-Todor with her husband and children, when news of the mutiny of the Black Sea fleet reached them. In October, her brother was forced to agree to the establishment of a Duma as a concession to the people. Some of Xenia's family saw it as "the end of Russian autocracy". Her husband Sandro had resigned his position at the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Xenia and her family spent Christmas at Ai-Todor as it was not safe to travel north, or from their estate. Christmas service was even held in the house with the priest being driven there and back "in a closed landau under an escort of cavalry posse".