Exile and Death
Botkin felt it was duty to accompany the Romanovs into exile, not only because of his responsibility to his patients, the Romanov family, but also to the country. Botkin was considered a friend by Tsar Nicholas II and the doctor also often spoke with Tsarina Alexandra in her native German and acted as a translator for her when she received a Russian delegation.
White Russian Army investigators found this unfinished letter, written in his quarters on the night of 16 July 1918:
| “ | I am making a last attempt at writing a real letter -- at least from here -- although that qualification, I believe, is utterly superfluous. I do not think that I was fated at any time to write to anyone from anywhere. My voluntary confinement here is restricted less by time than by my earthly existence. In essence I am dead -- dead for my children -- dead for my work ... I am dead but not yet buried, or buried alive -- whichever, the consequences are nearly identical ... The day before yesterday, as I was calmly reading ... I saw a reduced vision of my son Yuri's face, but dead, in a horizontal position, his eyes closed. Yesterday, at the same reading, I suddenly heard a word that sounded like Papulya. I nearly burst into sobs. Again -- this is not a hallucination because the word was pronounced, the voice was similar, and I did not doubt for an instant that my daughter, who was supposed to be in Tobolsk, was talking to me ... I will probably never hear that voice so dear or feel that touch so dear with which my little children so spoiled me ... If faith without works is dead, then deeds can live without faith ... This vindicates my last decision ... when I unhesitatingly orphaned my own children in order to carry out my physician's duty to the end, as Abraham did not hesitate at God's demand to sacrifice his only son. | ” |
The letter was interrupted when Commander Yakov Yurovsky, the head of the command at the Ipatiev House, knocked on his door and ordered him that the Romanov party was to get dressed and come downstairs. Yurovksy told him there was firing in the town and the party was to be evacuated.
Instead, the family and their servants were murdered a short time later.
Read more about this topic: Eugene Botkin
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