Grand Duke Nicholas quotes from Nicholas & Alexandra (1971)

Grand Duke Nicholas

Well Nicky, let me put it this way. Presents a bullet This is a bullet, munitioned in Saint Petersburg. I send it off to war. How does it get there? On a single spur of railroad track four thousand miles long. And in the middle, no track at all. God help us, it spends three days packed on sleds. This works the same way for every pair of boots, first aid kit, or pound of tea we send. Get out now, Nicky. While there is time.

Grand Duke Nicholas

There's this fantastic holy fellow just arrived. You must meet him. He's a live, authentic starets straight from the fields. Cures diseases by the laying on of hands. I've seen him do it. Saw this fellow wheeled in, legs like pretzels. Then the starets – Grigori Rasputin is his name – gave him a deep look, touched him, prayed a bit. And up the pretzel popped and skipped about the room. A bit grotesquely, I admit, but you could tell he was skipping.

Grand Duke Nicholas

I could have won this war in time if I were only fighting on one front. But I had two enemies at my back, your Sunny and her monk. Not long ago, he wrote to me. Could he come and bless the troops? I told him if he came, I'd hang him. Should have let him come. Hung the bastard when he got here.

This one cannot get to the colors fast enough!

Grand Duke Nicholas

Your Majesty, may I present the head of the Foreign Ministry, Minister Sazarov.

Gentlemen, at ten past seven, Germany declared war on Russia.

Tsar Nicholas II

May God save Russia!
Flag officers [in unison]: God save the Tsar!