Born in 1908, Nikolay Andreyev came from a middle-class family in provincial Russia. His father and mother were both school teachers. His mother had many jewels but never wore them in public, since she believed a teacher should not show herself to be concerned with such fripperies. His parents’ views were those of the liberal intelligentsia. An uncle was killed by the police during a demonstration in the revolutionary year of 1906. Only his nanny was a monarchist, howling, ‘Woe unto you all, woe’ when she heard of the Tsar’s abdication. Nikolay’s mother banished her instantly to her room for spoiling the family’s celebrations. Later, amidst civil war and Bolshevik terror, Nikolay’s father was heard to mutter that ‘when the Emperor abdicated the only person in our room with any sense was Nanny’.
After months of hunger, danger and uncertainty Nikolay’s family fled over the Estonian border in the winter of 1919 in the wake of Yudenich’s retreating White army.
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