The Fall of the Dynasties: The Collapse of the Old Order: 1905-1922

by Edmond Taylor

The man on whom the Romanovs pinned their hopes was a glib and personable young adventurer named Boris Soloviev, an army lieutenant formerly attached to the staff of a rather left-wing general; he also happened to be the posthumous son-in-law (if the term can be used) of Gregory Rasputin. It was only in October 1917 that Soloviev married the starets’ daughter Matrona, who was then living in Tobolsk; a few days later, thanks to his family connection with the late Man of God, he established contact with the ex-Czarina and her husband. Soloviev represented himself to them as the accredited agent of a mysterious monarchist underground called the Brotherhood of St John of Tobolsk and explained that he had been sent to Siberia to organize their rescue. He had, of course, no difficulty in convincing the Romanovs that their salvation was at hand, and he easily persuaded them to have no dealings with any other monarchist groups that might try to come to their aid, lest such contacts jeopardize the plans of the Brotherhood.