A Lightning Rod Of Hate
Urged to become the new mistress of Tsar Alexander II, Catherine Dolgorukova got a lot more than she signed up for when they ultimately tied the knot, especially considering their significant age gap. Although she was completely devoted to him, every day that she spent with his family was a nightmare, and they never stopped harassing her—even long after she had cut ties with them.
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1. She Had Noble Blood
Catherine Dolgorukova and her family suffered the bitter taste of poverty from early in her life, but while they certainly struggled to get by, they actually had a deep connection to the Russian monarchy. Through her father’s side of the family, Catherine was a direct descendant of Nikita Romanovich, who was not only a high-ranking noble in the early Tsardom of Russia but also brother-in-law to the first Tsar, Ivan the Terrible.
It wasn’t long before she would have the most important meeting of her life—and arguably the most unfortunate.
Sergei Lvovich Levitsky (1819 – 1898) and Rafail Sergeevich Levitsky (1847– 1940), Wikimedia Commons
2. They Met Each Other
Just because Catherine’s family couldn’t reap the benefits of their ancestry, that didn’t mean they were completely cut off from the rest of the nobility, even members of the Imperial Family. Receiving a visit from one of the royals in 1859, the 10-year-old Catherine met the man who would become her husband, Alexander II—the 41-year-old Emperor of Russia.
Sadly, her whole life was about to become uprooted—and it came with a tragic loss.
Attributed to W. & D. Downey, Wikimedia Commons
3. They Were Sent Away
Although Catherine’s father hadn’t been able to provide much for his family, their situation became even worse when she was about 17 years old, and he perished. Still hoping to give her two daughters the life she wanted for them, Catherine’s mother sent her and her sister, Maria, to the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens.
They soon found someone to help them out—and unfortunately, it was a familiar face.
4. She Couldn’t Pay For It
While Catherine’s mother wanted the best for her children, this kind of higher education didn’t come cheap, so she pulled every string she could. Reaching out to the Court Minister for help, he persuaded the Emperor to pay the tuition of both Catherine and Maria, along with their four brothers as well.
Now that he was more involved in her life, it was only a matter of time before he approached her again.
Anonymous photographer from Russian Empire (before 1917), Wikimedia Commons
5. They Met Again
Catherine hadn’t seen Alexander since their first meeting, but shortly after she began her studies at the Smolny Institute, he decided to make an official visit to the school. The two of them became acquainted once again, and he immediately singled her out, going on walks with her and inviting her to go on carriage rides.
Having already latched onto her, the Emperor went out of his way to keep her around.
Yegor Botkin, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Gave Her A Job
Even though she had met him once before, the 17-year-old Catherine couldn’t have been more excited that the Emperor was showing an interest in her—and Alexander knew it. Although he was married to Empress Maria and over four times Catherine’s age, he saw no issue with trying to court her. Since his wife was struggling with tuberculosis, he took advantage of her circumstances and assigned Catherine as one of her ladies-in-waiting.
Although she was young and starstruck, she still had her wits about her.
Unknown photographer, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Was Hesitant
After spending so much time in conversation with Alexander, Catherine grew to enjoy being with him, but she wasn’t ignorant of what he was trying to do. While she accepted the position of lady-in-waiting to the Empress, she had reservations about becoming closer to Alexander—but only because she didn’t want to be just another one of his mistresses.
At the same time, she had other voices pushing her in the opposite way.
Anonymous photographer from Russian Empire (before 1917), Wikimedia Commons
8. They Pressured Her
Now 18 years old, Catherine Dolgorukova still may have had second thoughts about becoming Alexander’s mistress, but while she was trying to figure it out, she had others weighing in. For instance, the headmistress of her school urged her to go through with it, believing it would give Catherine’s family a leg up in the world. More than that, though, even her own mother thought it was a good idea for the same reason.
With so many people telling her one thing, the decision she finally reached came as no surprise.
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9. She Felt Sorry For Him
Working as the Empress’s lady-in-waiting, Catherine had maintained her more reserved stance, but something happened that she didn’t expect. Having lost his eldest son about a year prior, Alexander was still deep in the throes of grief by the summer of 1866, all for Catherine to witness. Feeling great pity for him, she ultimately accepted his offer to become his mistress on one night in July.
Although she still had her doubts, he knew exactly how to reassure her.
Левицкий С., Wikimedia Commons
10. He Made Her A Promise
While Catherine Dolgorukova may have given in to the Emperor’s request out of her own sympathy, she was still open about how she didn’t want to be just another mistress—but Alexander had all the right answers. According to her writings, she felt more at ease once he called her his “secret wife” and promised that he would marry her as soon as it became possible.
No one would be surprised if this vow turned out to be an empty one—but surprisingly, Alexander meant it. However, something nearly took that future away from him.
Unidentified photographer, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Had A Close Call
As someone devoted to the Emperor, Catherine already knew the typical risks that Alexander faced, but she would soon realize just how close the danger was. While attending the World’s Fair in 1867, the Emperor was riding in his carriage when an assassin approached and fired his pistol. However, the pistol misfired and only hit a nearby horse.
This put many things into perspective for him—including their relationship.
Sergey Lvovich Levitsky, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Kept Her Close By
Having survived such a serious attempt on his life, the Emperor not only became more paranoid about his own safety, but also the safety of those he prioritized most—namely, his mistress. While he and Catherine still needed to keep their relationship a secret, he also wanted to see her far more frequently, ordering his officers to escort her to a private apartment in his palace about three times a week.
As their relationship progressed, Catherine still had her concerns, and she finally put her foot down.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
13. She Asked Him A Favor
Despite meeting up frequently throughout each week, Catherine and Alexander couldn’t help but write countless letters to each other every day—especially after she became pregnant with his child. This put their relationship into a new view for her, and still worried about his infidelity, she wrote to him asking if he would finally devote himself only to her.
He also went out of his way to help her family—but only once it benefited him too.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Helped Her Sister
Part of Catherine’s choice to become the Emperor’s mistress was to help her family, and Alexander soon fulfilled this expectation—if only to serve his own interests. Hoping to have Catherine closer to him, but still trying to avoid suspicion, Alexander arranged a marriage between her sister, Maria, and an adjutant general of his. That way, Catherine could show on paper that she lived with her sister.
Meanwhile, her relationship with his family wasn’t nearly as pleasant.
Неизвестный художник (монограммист В.Г.), Wikimedia Commons
15. They Didn’t Like Her
Alexander and Catherine weren’t coming forward publicly, but gossip certainly got around until many of his family members and courtiers caught wind of their relationship—and they weren’t happy. Although Alexander was the one who essentially preyed on Catherine first, the rest of the Imperial Family believed she was manipulating him to become the new Empress.
As such, they needed to up their game if they wanted to keep seeing each other.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
16. They Kept It A Secret
Especially with such harsh disapproval coming from his family, Alexander knew he and Catherine Dolgorukova would have to be even more careful about how they saw and spoke to each other. Taking more specific precautions, they even began using codewords and pseudonyms in every letter between them.
Of course, a few things came along that made this infinitely more difficult.
Alexander Ivanovich Morozov, Wikimedia Commons
17. They Made A Family
Although Alexander couldn’t marry Catherine and was doing everything he could to keep their affair on the down low, things only grew more challenging once it wasn’t just the two of them anymore. Between 1872 and 1878, Catherine would give birth to four of his children, welcoming two daughters and two sons.
At a certain point, though, Catherine began to resent being shut away—and she wouldn’t stand for it any longer.
Unknown photographer, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Wanted To Be There
Going into 1876, Catherine Dolgorukova was expecting the third of her and Alexander’s children and had been growing angrier that the previous births had to happen in secrecy. So, as she went into labor in February that year, she demanded that Alexander allow her to give birth at his home, the Winter Palace.
Sadly, even the Emperor and his mistress weren’t immune to one of the worst tragedies they could endure.
Левицкий С.Л., Wikimedia Commons
19. They Lost Him
Alexander accommodated Catherine as best he could and gave her one of his rooms to give birth in, all while still maintaining a veil of secrecy—but they would soon have bigger things to worry about. Although she stayed in the palace to recover for about a week, Catherine had their new son, Boris, taken back to her house, where he tragically passed in infancy.
Unfortunately, the danger around Alexander would threaten Catherine too before long.
20. He Was Worried About Them
Alexander took every precaution he could against any would-be assassins, but his loved ones were in just as much danger—especially those not directly under his protection. As his fear overcame his concern for secrecy, he brought Catherine and their four children into the Winter Palace and gave them a place to live on the third floor.
His fears were clearly justified—but it didn’t really make a difference.
21. He Heard A Noise
Catherine Dolgorukova was happy enough to move into the Winter Palace, and Alexander thought he was doing the smart thing, but it didn’t make her any safer. He hoped that having her close to him would keep her from harm, but on March 1, 1880, assassins caused an explosion in the Palace’s dining room. Hearing the blast, but not knowing where it was, Alexander rushed to Catherine’s room to check on her.
He likely thought this was the end—but their time together wasn’t over just yet.
22. They Were Fine
Climbing the stairs to the rooms of Catherine and her children, Alexander expected to find the worst when he reached them, but he soon realized that the explosion had happened elsewhere in the Palace. Catherine had heard the noise and was certainly shaken, but as the Emperor discovered, she and their children remained unharmed.
Alexander may have reassured himself that she was okay—but he had also shown his hand.
Konstantin Makovsky, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Didn’t Think About Her
Elsewhere in the Palace, on a different floor than Catherine’s room, was that of Empress Marie, who lay bedridden with tuberculosis and was so out of it that she had missed the entire incident. However, even though she had no injuries, her brother, staying at the Palace, was livid, as he realized who Alexander truly cared about in times of crisis.
Nonetheless, the Emperor continued to prioritize Catherine’s well-being—in more ways than one.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
24. He Set Her Up
Alexander had provided Catherine Dolgorukova with a home and whatever safety he had to offer, but knowing how likely it was that he would meet an untimely end, he also wanted to make sure she and their children would want for nothing. While he still tried to keep it on the down-low, he created an account at the State Bank for them, containing 3,302,910 gold rubles.
Naturally, more gossip began to spread—whether it was true or not.
25. They Were Spreading Rumors
With both his wife and mistress now living under the same roof, Alexander gave his courtiers no shortage of gossip to work with—and none of it was good. One such rumor claimed that Catherine’s room was directly above that of Empress Marie, who had no choice but to hear her husband’s other family through the ceiling. This was largely an exaggeration, though, as the two rooms were nowhere near each other.
In truth, Marie’s reaction to his affair was different from what most expected.
Screenshot from Katia, Spéva Films (1959)
26. She Gave Her Blessing
Although Empress Marie was often in and out of consciousness due to her illness, she wasn’t completely ignorant of her husband’s infidelity, but her attitude was surprising. Knowing she was nearing the end of her life, she asked Alexander to bring his new children to her room to meet them. He agreed and brought the two eldest of his and Catherine’s children, but Marie only looked upon them in kindness, giving each a kiss.
Alexander was about to lose his wife—but grief was the farthest thing from his mind.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Wasted No Time
Empress Marie tragically succumbed to her illness in June 1880, but rather than grieving for the loss of his wife and the first mother of his children, Alexander had other things on his mind. Catherine Dolgorukova saw him fulfill his promise from way back, and after only a brief mourning period, the two married the following month.
He also gave her a brand-new title—but it didn’t make a difference.
Mihály Zichy, Wikimedia Commons
28. They Were Still Outsiders
Making her even grander promises, Alexander swore to Catherine that he would crown her Empress before the year was out—but this vow came with complications. As their marriage was morganatic, meaning they were from different social classes, the best he could do was to grant her the title of Most Serene Princess Yurievskaya. While this legitimized their children as royalty, it still didn’t give them any claim to the throne.
As expected, the news of their marriage wasn’t exactly met with applause.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
29. They Were Outraged
Many had suspected Catherine and Alexander’s relationship, but once it became a public fact, his people erupted with anger and criticism. One of the late Empress Marie’s other ladies-in-waiting quit after hearing about it, and even Alexander’s childhood friend, Count Nikolay Adlerberg, tried to change his mind.
At the same time, this was nothing compared to how his family reacted.
Screenshot from Katia, Tobis Filmkunst (1938)
30. They Couldn’t Accept It
Alexander had already felt his family’s disdain toward Catherine, but now that they had married, this rage multiplied. No one showed this anger more than his and Empress Marie’s children, who couldn’t get past how quickly he had replaced their mother. In fact, his favorite child, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, wrote a letter to Alexander, in which she prayed that she and her siblings “would one day be able to forgive” him.
As such, everything Catherine did fell under intense criticism—no matter how small.
Charles Bergamasco, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Gave Him A Nickname
Along with the pseudonyms they had used when writing to each other early on in their relationship, Catherine and Alexander had their own nicknames, with him often referring to her as “Katya”—but that wasn’t the problem. Her name for Alexander was “Sasha,” and as his family found this a stunted change from his true name, it was just another thing for them to roll their eyes at.
Among everyone, only one person ever felt an ounce of sympathy for her.
Sergey Lvovich Levitsky, Wikimedia Commons
32. He Felt Bad For Her
To Catherine, it seemed like everyone aside from her husband and children was against her, but that wasn’t completely true. As it turns out, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich, Alexander’s youngest brother, was one of the few people to lay no blame on Catherine and express how sorry he felt that the rest of his family was so cruel to her.
While there were so many accusations flying around, Alexander seemed to have an answer for everything.
Georg von Bothmann, Wikimedia Commons
33. He Made An Excuse
The Imperial Family was still under the impression that Catherine had manipulated Alexander for her own ulterior motives, especially since they had married so quickly after Marie’s passing. However, Alexander addressed his family and explained that the only reason he didn’t wait longer was that he knew Catherine wouldn’t get any inheritance from him if assassins got to him before they tied the knot.
Of course, this wasn’t very convincing for them—and didn’t stop them from speculating.
Ivan Tyurin, Wikimedia Commons
34. They Were Terrified
While Alexander’s family clearly disliked Catherine, she also represented a major risk to their dynasty, especially the children he had with Empress Marie. The concerns that Catherine would become Empress weren’t unreasonable, especially since this implied her children would replace the legitimate heirs Alexander already had.
Both Catherine and Alexander faced daily insults and cold shoulders—so he tried to clear the air.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
35. He Set The Record Straight
Just as before, rumors of Catherine Dolgorukova overstepping and trying to assert herself in court spread like wildfire, whether or not they were actually factual. Once again, Alexander tried to stand up for his new wife, writing a letter to his sister stating that the rumors were categorically false, as Catherine largely stayed out of court affairs.
They tried to make the best of their situation—but Catherine always felt something was wrong.
Mihály Zichy, Wikimedia Commons
36. They Were Never Comfortable
Catherine Dolgorukova loved her children and remained devoted to Alexander, so she did her best to carve out a happy life as the Emperor’s wife, but this was easier said than done. Combining the hostility from her in-laws with the mounting paranoia that assassins could come after any of them, it was hard to ever be at peace in the Winter Palace.
Little did she know that her hardships were about to get much worse.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
37. He Went For A Drive
Throughout all this turmoil, both Catherine and Alexander still tried to get on with their lives, and in the Emperor’s case, that meant taking his weekly trip to the Mikhailovsky Manège on March 13, 1881. This was to oversee the Russian army’s roll call, and to maintain at least a semblance of protection, he used a closed, bulletproof carriage for the journey.
He had only grown more fearful of his untimely end—but now it was Catherine’s turn to worry.
Elizabeth Thompson, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Had A Bad Feeling
By this point, Alexander had taken many precautions to ensure the safety of himself and his family, but when it came to this weekly visit, he wasn’t the anxious one. According to Catherine, she had seen a vision that this trip would only lead to his doom, and she tried to convince him to stay home. The Emperor wasn’t having it, though, and ultimately brushed her concerns off before leaving.
Alexander would soon discover just how right she was—but all too late.
Unknown source, Wikimedia Commons
39. He Was In The Crowd
After Catherine Dolgorukova bade him a nervous farewell, Alexander headed to the Mikhailovsky Manège, where the public was well aware of his visit and lined the streets to watch him go past. As he slowly made his way through, a young man belonging to the Narodnaya Volya movement rushed the carriage. His name was Nikolai Rysakov, and in his arms was a white package—containing a powerful explosive.
This attack was much more precise than the others—but it wasn’t the end for Alexander yet.
Gustav Broling, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Was Still Okay
Fortunately for Alexander, his safeguards had all paid off, as although the explosion rocked the carriage, the vehicle’s bulletproof exterior stopped the blast from doing much else. Out on the street, one of his Cossacks lost his life, and multiple people had sustained injuries—including the Emperor’s driver—but Alexander was fine.
However, he still wasn’t out of the woods yet.
41. He Wasn’t Safe
Believing the incident was over, Alexander opened the door of his carriage and stepped out, but he had overlooked one possibility—his attacker wasn’t working alone. A second assassin named Ignacy Hryniewiecki emerged with another explosive, and as the package landed at Alexander’s feet, he had only a moment to realize that he should have listened to Catherine.
Even so, it wasn’t over in an instant—and he needed to get home.
Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Wikimedia Commons
42. They Brought Him Back
The package exploded, and as the smoke cleared, Alexander’s entourage discovered him on the ground—still alive, but practically missing his legs. Not willing to risk a third assassin’s attack and hoping to get him back in time to say goodbye to Catherine before he perished, his men carried him into another vehicle and hurried back to the Palace.
She rushed to his side as soon as she heard—and made quite the entrance.
43. She Was Devastated
Alexander arrived back at home, and his men brought him to what became his deathbed, after which word traveled fast around the Palace. His family and courtiers filed into his room to see him one last time until, at last, Catherine Dolgorukova burst through the door, crying out his name in horror and throwing herself across his body.
Finally, Alexander’s time ran out—and it was more than she could bear.
Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons
44. She Lost Her Husband
Catherine Dolgorukova and the rest of the Imperial Family stayed with Alexander as he slowly faded, her dressing gown now stained with his blood from their final embrace. Eventually, at about 3 pm, he took his final breaths, and his family began their prayer. Catherine couldn’t handle it, however, and immediately fainted before the staff carried her out.
Adding insult to injury, this was the last time she would be this close to him.
Screenshot from Katia, Spéva Films (1959)
45. They Were Kept Away
The Imperial Family’s hostility continued even after Alexander’s passing, and as they carried out his funeral procession through the streets of Saint Petersburg, Catherine was nowhere to be found. Following this, they wouldn’t allow her or her children any closer than the church’s doorway at the service, so she had to attend a completely separate one after.
Although she made no shortage of sacrifices, she didn’t come away with nothing.
46. They Made A Deal With Her
Without Alexander to protect Catherine and their children, his own family immediately ganged up on them to push her out of their lives—but she wouldn’t leave without a fight. Hoping to live comfortably with her children for the rest of her life, Catherine eventually agreed to stay away from the Winter Palace and all other Imperial residences, but only in exchange for a pension of 3.4 million rubles.
Now she had to live the rest of her life without Alexander—but this was when she truly thrived.
47. She Became Popular
Although the Imperial Family thought they had won by pushing Catherine Dolgorukova out, she was clearly fed up with Russia altogether and found a new home in France as soon as she could. The improvement she felt was like night and day, as she went from being surrounded by people who hated her to becoming one of Paris’s most prominent and beloved hostesses among the elite.
Nonetheless, she still hadn’t escaped the spitefulness of her former in-laws.
48. They Wouldn’t Leave Her Alone
The Imperial Family’s wish had come true since Catherine was gone, but that still wasn't enough for them, and they just couldn’t move on. None of them ever let go of the contempt and suspicion they felt for her, and they even sent spies to Paris to report back on everything she was getting up to.
Even her children couldn’t avoid the hatred of their family.
49. He Mocked Her Son
Although Catherine Dolgorukova was happy to have nothing more to do with Russia, her son George tried to join the Imperial Russian Navy without success—and the Imperial Family just had to rub it in. In a letter to Catherine from Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, son of Alexander and Empress Marie, he informed her of George’s failure, describing in detail just how horribly his half-brother had performed.
Catherine ultimately passed after a long and storied life—and it was seemingly meant to be.
Unknown photographer, Wikimedia Commons
50. She Went At The Right Time
For 41 years, Catherine Dolgorukova enjoyed her life outside the political chaos of the Russian Imperial Family, all the while living off her pension. When that ran out, she sold the houses she owned in Paris and Biarritz, but even the money from that wouldn’t last forever. Fortunately, it didn’t have to, and right when she was finally reaching the end of her vast fortune, she passed on February 15, 1922.
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