Natalia Brasova, Countess Brasova (; born Natalia Sergeyevna Sheremetyevskaya, ; 27 June 1880 – 23 January 1952) was a Russian noblewoman who married, as her third husband, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia.
Early life Natalia, or Natasha to her friends,Crawford and Crawford, p. 7 was the youngest of three daughters of a Moscow lawyer, Sergei Alexandrovich Sheremetevsky. She was born at a rented summer dacha at Perovo, on the outskirts of Moscow. Sheremetevsky employed 11 other lawyers, and was a member of the minor Russian nobility, but had no title and was essentially a professional middle-class man.Crawford and Crawford, p. 36 He was a sometime deputy in the Moscow City Duma, and a trustee of the Arbat City School. In the first year of her life, Natalia and her family lived in a rented apartment near the Moscow Kremlin on Ilinka. Their landlord, wealthy industrialist Aleksey Khludov, was also Natalia's godfather. From 1881 to 1893, the family lived at 7 Serebriany Lane, a single-storied wooden house owned by Sheremetevsky. From 1893, the family lived in a succession of rented apartments until Natalia left home on her marriage. She was educated at a private school, and by a French governess employed by her father.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 36–37
First marriage In 1902, she married Sergei Mamontov (1 October 1877, Moscow – 30 December 1939, Tallinn),Crawford and Crawford, p. 403 a nephew of Savva Mamontov. Sergei was a rehearsal accompanist for Savva Mamontov's Opera Company, which was renamed Association of Russian Opera after Savva's bankruptcy in 1899, and later at the Bolshoi Theatre. Through her first husband's connections, Natalia became friendly with noted musicians such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and Feodor Chaliapin.Crawford and Crawford, p. 35 The couple moved into 13 Mansurovsky Lane, a new apartment building near the fashionable Prechistenka Street, and had a daughter, Natalia or "Tata" to the family, on 2 June 1903. Sergei had a stammer and was of a retiring disposition, but Natalia was keen to socialise. Finding him socially dull, she began to go out unaccompanied by her husband.Crawford and Crawford, p. 38 Russian divorce law followed the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and in practice divorce was only possible in cases of adultery where the husband was the guilty party.Crawford and Crawford, p. 33 In 1905, Sergei agreed to a divorce and to act in the proceedings as if he was the unfaithful partner. Now free from her first husband, Natalia married her lover, cavalry officer Vladimir Vladimirovich Wulfert ().Crawford and Crawford, p. 40
Second marriage
Natalia and Wulfert had known each other as children, but only fell in love after re-meeting in Moscow when Wulfert was on leave.Crawford and Crawford, p. 39 He was an army officer serving in The Dowager Empress's Life Guard Cuirassier Regiment, known as the Blue Cuirassiers from the colour of their uniforms, stationed at Gatchina near Saint Petersburg.Crawford and Crawford, p. 41 Natalia and Wulfert set up home at 7 Baggout Street, Gatchina.Crawford and Crawford, p. 42
In early December 1907, Natalia was introduced to one of her husband's fellow officers in the Blue Cuirassiers: Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, the brother of Tsar Nicholas II.Crawford and Crawford, p. 16 The following month, they met again at the Regimental Winter Ball.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 44–45 From then on, they began to see each other regularly,Crawford and Crawford, p. 46 though Michael was always careful to include Wulfert in his letters and invitations, at least until October 1908,Crawford and Crawford, p. 55 and use the formal form of "you" (vy) rather than the familiar one (ty).Crawford and Crawford, p. 49 Rumours of their affair spread through the regiment,Crawford and Crawford, p. 59 and Wulfert grew resentful. Michael began sending her secret letters to a separate postal address, now writing to her in familiar terms,Crawford and Crawford, p. 63 and Wulfert grew physically violent, as Natalia refused to share his bed.Crawford and Crawford, p. 66 In July 1909, privately in a letter, she accused her husband of rape.Letter from Natalia to Wulfert, 17 July 1909, State Archive of the Russian Federation, 622/23, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 66 She packed luggage, and with her daughter, an elderly female cousin, and two maids, she left Wulfert for a break abroad in Switzerland. Both Michael and Wulfert turned up at the train station to see her off, and Wulfert created a scene by loudly accusing her of ruining him.
Through Baron Frederiks, the court minister, Michael tried to buy off Wulfert by offering him a post in Moscow as aide-de-camp to Prince Odoevsky-Maslov at the Kremlin.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 69–70 Wulfert threatened to commit suicide if Natalia did not return to him,Crawford and Crawford, p. 71 and then challenged Michael to a duel.Crawford and Crawford, p. 74 Nicholas II intervened, and transferred Michael from the Blue Cuirassiers to the Chernigov Hussars at Orel, from Saint Petersburg. In August 1909, Michael went to Denmark with his mother, and arranged for Natalia to meet him there. They were reunited in a hotel in Copenhagen, unbeknownst to his mother,Crawford and Crawford, p. 79 and consummated their relationship for the first time.Letter from Michael to Natalia, 29 October 1909, State Archive of the Russian Federation, 622/12, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, pp. 77, 89
Royal mistress
Wulfert accepted the Kremlin post, at an enlarged salary, and as Natalia's residence permit was tied to her husband's she also returned to Moscow to live temporarily at a hotel opposite the Kremlin.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 81–84 By November, she was living in an eight-room apartment at 36 Petersburg Road, paid for by Michael,Crawford and Crawford, pp. 85–87 where he visited her about three times a month from Orel.Letter from Michael to Nicholas II, 3 December 1909, State Archive of the Russian Federation, 601/1301, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 91 Wulfert was still demanding that Natalia return to him, as well as threatening to shoot her.Crawford and Crawford, p. 90 Against the wishes of Michael and Natalia, Nicholas II insisted that she remain in Moscow, and refused to vary the conditions of her residence permit.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 90–95
By December 1909, Natalia was pregnant. Fearful that her husband would try to claim the child and take it away from her, her desire for a divorce grew stronger.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 94–96 Eventually, after prolonged negotiations and a hefty pay-off (200,000 rubles), Wulfert agreed to a divorce on the pretence that he had been unfaithful.Crawford and Crawford, p. 97 Natalia's divorce petition was submitted to the Moscow Ecclesiastical Consistory Court on 19 February 1910, but by July 1910 it had not been granted. When she gave birth to a son on 24 July 1910, the child was legally Wulfert's. The boy was named George in honour of Michael's late brother.Crawford and Crawford, p. 104 It was said that Wulfert was bought off with a bribe of 200,000 roubles,Letter from Michael Bakhrushin to Pauline Gray, 17 December 1973, Leeds Russian Archive, MS 1363/136, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 107 and the date of their divorce was back-dated, so that George was recognised as Natalia's illegitimate son, though inheriting her noble status, rather than the legitimate child of Wulfert's.Crawford and Crawford, p. 107
In May 1911, Nicholas II granted Natalia the surname "Brasova" and the right to live at Michael's estate at Brasovo, from his posting at Orel. Michael, Natalia and her two children moved there immediately.Crawford and Crawford, p. 111 By the end of the year, Michael was posted to a command in Saint Petersburg, and they moved to the capital. He officially lived in regimental quarters while paying for a 28-room apartment at 16 Liteyny Prospekt for her.Crawford and Crawford, p. 118 She felt trapped in the apartment, feared that her letters were opened, and was ostracised by society.Crawford and Crawford, p. 119 After a few months, Michael moved her to a villa at 24 Nikolaevskaya, Gatchina, nearer to his base at the Gatchina Palace.
Third marriage
Just as they had done for the previous two years, in summer 1912, Michael and Natalia holidayed in Western Europe. After shaking off agents of Nicholas II's secret police, the Okhrana, Michael and Natalia married in Vienna on 16 October 1912 in a Serbian Orthodox Church.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 125–126 They had successfully planned the wedding without either Nicholas II's or the Okhrana's knowledge.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 126–128 On their eventual arrival in Cannes, after a few days travelling through Venice and Milan, Natalia's two children joined them from Russia.Crawford and Crawford, p. 128 The Grand Duke wrote to his brother, the Tsar, to inform him of the marriage, but because Natalia was divorced and not of royal blood the Tsar refused to approve it.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 129–131 Michael was perceived by the court as being "under the hypnotic influence of a malicious vamp".Memorandum in the State Archive of the Russian Federation, 601/1301 f. 175–6, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 133 Nicholas II said Natalia was "such a cunning, wicked beast that it's disgusting even to talk about her".Letter from Nicholas II to Empress Marie, 21 November 1912, quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 133 Michael was removed from the imperial succession, his property was put under sequestration and exiled from Russia in disgrace. Though members of society felt some sympathy for Michael, thinking his punishment severe, there was little sympathy for Natalia.Crawford and Crawford, p. 137 Despite marrying a Grand Duke, she was not entitled to be known as "Grand Duchess", and instead used the style "Madame" or "Countess Brasova".Crawford and Crawford, pp. 151–152, 410 (note 17), and 213
Until September 1913, they stayed in hotels throughout Europe, without any decrease in their standard of living. They met Michael's sister Grand Duchess Xenia and cousin Grand Duke Andrew,Crawford and Crawford, pp. 138–145 and in July 1913, they saw Michael's mother in London who told Natalia "a few home truths" according to Xenia's diary.Quoted in Crawford and Crawford, p. 146 From September 1913, they leased an English country house, Knebworth, north of London.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 148–149 Natalia acted as hostess for any of their guests, which included her friend Chaliapin, the Ballets Russes, and the artist Serge Sudeikin.Crawford and Crawford, p. 154 As a divorcée, however, Natalia was often excluded from invitations to social events elsewhere; the divorced were not received at court and could not enter the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.Crawford and Crawford, p. 155
War
Upon the outbreak of World War I, Michael requested Nicholas II's permission to return home and to the army, with the understanding his wife and children could accompany him. Nicholas agreed and the family returned to the house on Nikolaevskaya street; Natalia was still not permitted to live in any of the imperial palaces.Crawford and Crawford, pp. 159–161 Michael was appointed to the rank of major-general, and given command of the Savage Division (Дикая Дивизия) formed from Chechens, Ingushes and Daghestani. The post was perceived as a relatively low position in the Army, and was believed to be Nicholas II's punishment for Michael's marriage.Crawford and Crawford, p. 162
As was expected of women in the imperial family, Natalia founded two hospitals for wounded soldiers and officers, one at Gatchina and one at Saint Petersburg, in properties owned by Michael.Crawford and Crawford, p. 166 In January 1915, her sister Olga died in Moscow, and she went there for the funeral. In February 1915, her eldest sister Vera also died.Crawford and Crawford, p. 181