3/16 February 1915

The Great Fast began yesterday. As usual, I spent time with Anya Vyrubova. She’s very easy to entertain, as long as we talk about Father Grigory. She’s convinced he’s a saint. Mama believes it, too, because Alexei always gets better when Father Grigory prays over him. Anya also believes Father Grigory has a divine purpose: that God sent him to save our family and all of Holy Russia. She says that only God knows how.

He does not smell as bad as he used to (stink is a better word), but he still makes me feel very strange. I want so much to talk to Mashka about him, and to ask her what she thinks, but I don’t dare.