On the Red Staircase
Mary Imlay Taylor
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
"“The Czarevitch Ivan is said to be indifferent to the high office,” I replied, in a low tone; “he is blind.”
“Ay, and deformed!” said the Russian, promptly. “Yet will the people of Russia demand the recognition of primogeniture. Court intrigues cannot prevail. What a flimsy pretext was this election! The States-General of Russia elected Michael Romanof; the Czar Shuisky fell because he was elected by Moscow alone; and this is not the Moscovite State, but the rabble of the city, and the retainers of the boyars! The Miloslavskys are down to-day, but who dares to predict for to-morrow?”"
A fictional account of the turmoil following the death of Czar Alexis, when Russians were forced to choose between the traditional rule of primogeniture, in the form of the deficient Ivan, and his more suitable but younger half-brother, Peter. - Summary by LynneT (6 hr 53 min)
Chapters
The Rabble Elect a Czar | 13:53 | Read by Lynne T |
Mademoiselle’s Glove | 16:11 | Read by ChoeChoco |
The Story of Cain | 14:18 | Read by Cbteddy |
The Shadows on the Wall | 11:36 | Read by ToniaManley |
Zénaïde | 12:50 | Read by Yi Fan |
A Kitchen Feud | 14:15 | Read by Lynne T |
A Czar’s Funeral | 12:58 | Read by Cbteddy |
The Assassin | 12:47 | Read by Cbteddy |
Sophia Alexeievna | 14:27 | Read by ToddHW |
The Packet | 12:17 | Read by Cbteddy |
The Rescue | 12:40 | Read by Cbteddy |
Pravezh | 13:40 | Read by ruthruby |
Prince Basil Galitsyn | 12:38 | Read by Lynne T |
Mademoiselle Eudoxie’s Window | 17:08 | Read by ruthruby |
The Flight | 16:27 | Read by tshoes76 |
The Audience-Chamber | 13:48 | Read by TGSnyder |
The Secret Staircase | 17:09 | Read by Christine Rottger |
Feodor Sergheievitch Ramodanofsky | 14:15 | Read by ruthruby |
Polotsky | 13:52 | Read by ruthruby |
A Friendly Cup | 15:32 | Read by Gila Labinger Freeberg |
The Prisoner | 15:08 | Read by tshoes76 |
Baffled | 13:08 | Read by tshoes76 |
Homyak | 19:35 | Read by tshoes76 |
The Red Staircase | 11:32 | Read by Mel |
In the Face of Death | 17:30 | Read by tshoes76 |
Love and Fire | 11:45 | Read by tshoes76 |
Michael’s Revenge | 14:53 | Read by tshoes76 |
Madame von Gaden | 11:42 | Read by tshoes76 |
A Desperate Defense | 6:44 | Read by Lynne T |
A Solemn Betrothal | 8:27 | Read by KevinS |