Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

of his faithful.
One night around that time a secret emissary of Jordania's appeared at Vladimir’s
apartment trying to recruit Tamara as an informer for the Georgian Socialists.
Tamara used baby Asmat as an excuse to decline this dishonorable offer, but she had
caught fire. Valdimir and she had a fierce argument behind closed doors: Tamara demanded
that they should leave for Tiflis at once, this was the moment for her to enter politics. They
finally reached a compromise. Vladimir would take her and Asmat to Tiflis and then return to
Petrograd. Aside from Alexandra they told none of their friends of the appearance of Jordania’s
emissary or the reason for their leaving for Georgia. Vladimir gave the safety of Tamara and
Asmat in the face of the increasing chance of a German breakthrough as an explanation.
From the trip to Georgia Vladimir brought back a large envelope from George Dadiani.
Alexandra pulled out three documents covered with official tax stamps and the signature
of the Zugdidi magistrate: a deed of twenty acres of land to Alexandra Dadiani and Konrad
Rost and ten acres each for Otto and Sophia Rost.
Alexandra laughed facetiously. "Look, we are getting rich, George makes us
landowners. Crazy, in these times."
But the transactions reflected the depressing times. The new socialist Duma of Georgia
had resolved to finally put the Russian land reform of the 1870s into full effect. So far the
Georgian landowners and the Russian crown, which had bought up the best third of Georgia,
had been powerful enough to hold on to their possessions. From now on the largest piece of
land any person could own would be ten acres. Cunningly, George had decided to simply
distribute the best parcels of his land to his relatives.
You don’t have to do anything except sign the enclosed documents and send
them back. I will continue to take care of the tea plantations as before—except our
combined land holdings will shrink from over four hundred acres to less than one
hundred and sixty. What I cannot write over will go to the peasants in three-acre parcels
or be swallowed by the state, without compensation. A terrible shame, because on
parcels of that size you cannot run a profitable tea business. ‘They’ are out to ruin my
life’s work.
Tighten your belts, this will be the end of your easy living! I will pay you the profits
from what I can squeeze from your share of land, less ten percent administrative costs.
That will be it. Thank God, you have your own incomes. For the time being you will not
be able to buy anything luxurious anyway—the stores are empty, right?
Your honest George.
P.S. If it were possible, I would leave the country with my family. I can no longer
watch the disintegration of an order which is over a thousand years old, not to mention
my very personal pain of seeing the work of my ancestors and that of my own life being
destroyed.
That night Alexandra wept about the ruin of her family.
Beset by similar, though smaller, troubles Tamara’s father came down to Tiflis and
concluded an armistice with his daughter. His wife had left him no peace.
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