The men of the 2nd Regiment had from the outset been distinguished by revolutionary sentiments; at Tsarskoïe-Selo they had already been the cause of a good deal of annoyance to their prisoners. The Bolshevik _coup d’état_ increased their authority and audacity; they had managed to form a “Soldiers’ Committee,” which tended further to restrict our régime and gradually to substitute its authority for that of Colonel Kobylinsky. We had proof of its ill-will on the occasion of Baroness Buxhœveden’s arrival (the end of December O.S.). She had shared our captivity at Tsarskoïe-Selo, and it was only the state of her health that had prevented her from leaving with us. She had no sooner recovered than she came, with Kerensky’s permission, to rejoin the Czarina. The Soldiers’ Committee flatly refused to let her enter the house, and she had to find accommodation in the town. This was a great grief to the Czarina and the whole family, who had been looking forward very impatiently to her arrival. Thus we reached Christmas. The Czarina and Grand-Duchesses had for many weeks been preparing with their own hands a present for each of us and each of the servants. Her Majesty distributed some woollen waistcoats which she had knitted herself. With such touching thoughtfulness as this she tried to show her gratitude to those who had remained faithful. On December 24th the priest came to the house for Vespers; everyone then assembled in the large hall, and the children were full of delight at the “surprise” prepared for us. We now felt part of one large family; we did our best to forget the preoccupations and distresses of the time in order to enjoy to the full and in complete unity these moments of peaceful intimacy. The next day, Christmas Day, we went to church. By the [Illustration: AT TOBOLSK, WHERE THEY WERE INTERNED FROM SEPTEMBER, 1917, TO APRIL, 1918. THE CZAR AND HIS CHILDREN ENJOY THE SIBERIAN SUNSHINE ON THE ROOF OF A GREENHOUSE. From left to right: The Grand-Duchesses Olga and Anastasie, the Czar and the Czarevitch, the Grand-Duchess Tatiana, the Grand-Duchess Marie (standing). The Czarina was confined to her room, indisposed. {_Facing page 246._] orders of the priest the deacon intoned the _Mnogoletié_ (the prayer for the long life of the Imperial family). This was an imprudence which was bound to bring reprisals. The soldiers, with threats of death, demanded that the prayer should be revoked. This incident marred the pleasant memories which this day should have left in our minds. It also brought us fresh annoyances and the supervision became still stricter. CHAPTER XX END OF OUR CAPTIVITY AT TOBOLSK (JANUARY-MAY, 1918) On January 1st/14th, 1914, I resumed the diary I had given up when we were transferred to Tobolsk. I shall give a few extracts from it as I did when describing our captivity at Tsarskoïe-Selo.