The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar

Tsar Nikolai II is the former tsar of Russia and patriarch of the royal family imprisoned in the Ipatiev House by the Bolsheviks in 1918. He is husband to Aleksandra and father to Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasiya, and Aleksei. He is described as an empathetic, honorable father and capable leader who maintains composure in the face of Bolshevik antagonism. Nikolai writes the replies to the fake letters from the “White Army” throughout the novel. His empathy is evident in his attempts to call off their own rescue because he does not want bloodshed—even that of the Bolsheviks. Volodya speculates that the tsar was too honorable to foresee his assassination and Russia’s future: “Was Nikolai Aleksandrovich so naïve? That…that stupid? Or was he simply too much of a gentleman […] to even imagine that such an […] affront was even possible?” (119).

Nikolai is a patriarchal figure whose influence affects not only his family, but Volodya himself. Volodya’s language and tone in regards to Nikolai are deeply respectful, which is especially notable because his party imprisoned the tsar. At one point, Volodya describes Nikolai as a “deeply emotional, extraordinarily caring” family man and political leader (96); such descriptions starkly contrast with the Bolsheviks’ brutality. It can be argued that the young Volodya looked up to the tsar as a “father,” as he represented the respect, honor, and love that the Bolsheviks denied him. This makes Volodya’s role in the Romanovs’ execution doubly painful for him. 

Aleksandra is the wife of Tsar Nikolai II and former tsaritsa of Russia. The couple enjoys a healthy, loving marriage, and their devotion to each other remains even through the stress of their imprisonment in Ipatiev House. Aleksandra clings to hope throughout the novel, believing that the daughter of her beloved spiritual advisor, Rasputin, is orchestrating a rescue attempt with the White Army. Aleksandra’s hope is evident in her “arrangement” plan: She and her daughters Olga, Tatyana, Maria, and Anastasiya stitch diamonds and other gems into the seams of their clothing in order to sneak them out of Ipatiev House whenever their rescuers arrives.

In Volodya’s eyes, the tsaritsa was a weak woman who suffered from an unhealthy obsession with God. He attributes the fall of Russia’s monarchy and Bolshevik victory to Aleksandra’s faith in Rasputin, who weakened the Romanovs’ power with his mysticism. Volodya regularly refers to Aleksandra’s fanaticism, describing how she was “more than a fool for God” (51) and “worldly ignorant. More damage she could not have done to beloved adopted Russia” (66). Volodya’s narration is highly subjective, showing a clear preference for the tsar.

Aleksei is the only son of Tsar Nikolai II and Aleksandra Romanov and was meant to be the heir to the Russian throne. He suffers from hemophilia, a blood disease that left him weak and unable to walk. Aleksei is the boldest of the Romanov children, regularly playing and talking despite the family’s imprisonment. He boasts bright, enthusiastic energy—his innocence juxtaposing with the Bolshevik aggression present throughout the novel.

Volodya is fond of Aleksei and often mentions him. In Chapter 21, it is revealed that he purposefully keeps a candy box of Aleksei’s knick knacks (which he located and stole out of Ipatiev House after the Romanovs’ execution) in his hidden vault to remind himself of the role he played in the boy’s death. While Aleksei’s sister Maria forgave Volodya for his involvement, Volodya himself is incapable of doing so.