Revolutionary Days Princess Julia Grant Cantacuzene, 1907 My Life Here and There The Lakeside Classics REVOLUTIONARY DAYS Including passages from My Life Here and There 1876–1917 By Princess Julia Cantacuzene Countess Speransky,née Grant edited by Terence Emmons The Lakeside Press R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY CHICAGO December,1999 Copyright © 1999by R.R.Donnelley & Sons Company All Rights Reserved PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE ITWASEXACTLYone hundred years ago,in 1899,that the author of this year’s Lakeside Classic embarked upon the adventure of her life.That summer,Julia Dent Grant,granddaughter of the famous general and ex-president,married a Russian prince and sailed off to live among the aristocracy in Imperial Russia.She and her family escaped in 1918from the Russian Rev- olution and returned to the United States.Princess Cantacuzene then wrote her memoirs of one of this century’s pivotal events. It is interesting to note this book’s Chicago con- nection.Both of Julia’s parents were from Illinois.Her mother’s sister was wealthy Chicago society leader Bertha Honoré (Mrs.Potter) Palmer.Julia met her prince while traveling in Europe with her aunt and uncle,visited Chicago on trips back to the United States,and,upon her permanent return,was men- tored by Mrs.Palmer. Coincidentally,1899was also a milestone in the his- tory of our company.The founder and a prominent civic leader,Richard Robert Donnelley,died in April of1899.Leadershippassedtohisson,ThomasElliott Donnelley,who led the company for the next half- century.It was T.E.who,in 1903,started The Lake- side Classics series.These books were intended to typify simplicity and elegance in book design and demonstrate the latest in manufacturing methods. v vi Publishers’ Preface Each year since then,a new title in the series has been issued as a holiday gift. Revolutionary Daysis the ninety-seventh book in The Lakeside Classics series.We continue to honor T.E.’s original concept, employing the latest com- mercial techniques to manufacture the book.For more information about this volume, please refer to the Colophon at the back of the book. Our historical editor for this edition was Terence Emmons,Ph.D.,who teaches Russian history at Stan- ford University.Professor Emmons is the editor of a multivolume,annotated bibliography of Russian émi- gré memoirs; the author of a book on Russians in San Francisco; and the editor and translator for a book that details the diary of a professor at a Moscow uni- versity.Professor Emmons wrote our Historical In- troduction and edited and annotated the text. * * * * When R.R.Donnelley died one hundred years ago, the company faced significant challenges.The same is true today. Although print continues to be a vigorous and healthy business,we know we must be vigilant to as- sure the right combination of people,plans,and re- sources to meet the expectations of our customers and shareholders.We are emphasizing four business areas that will create future profitable growth. First,we look to transform print to meet our cus- tomers’needs for speed,targeting,and flexibility in Publishers’ Preface vii the products and services we offer.Second,we con- tinue to build an integrated production system of value-added services,from premedia (the stages be- fore printing plates are made) through final distribu- tion of products. We also are concentrating on using our current ca- pabilities in ways that are highly valued by our cus- tomers,such as consolidating and reconfiguring our logistics business so we can offer customers better, faster,and more economical ways to get their products to consumers.Finally,we are extending our capabili- ties through acquisition and expansion to leverage value-creating opportunities. InthisPreface,wewillfocusonthelastpoint:how weextendedourcapabilitiesin1999tomeettheneeds ofourcustomers,shareholders,andemployees. Early in 1999,we broadened our range of direct- mail capabilities when we purchased Communicolor, a major direct-mail marketing group.This acquisition significantly enhances our capabilities to produce a wide array of direct-mail products.We are now well positioned to assist direct marketers in improving their response rates through increasing levels of per- sonalization and product differentiation,all provided by one source. We recognize that the southeast United States is a growing market.Two acquisitions in 1999were based on our decision to serve this region more effectively. Each acquisition addresses a different market seg- ment. For example, the financial printing unit of viii Publishers’ Preface CadmusCommunications,withservicecentersinBal- timore, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Richmond, offers entrytotheSoutheast’sfinancialcenters.Therapid growth of this region, including the emergence of some of the largest banks in the United States,pro- vides great opportunities in financial printing.The purchaseincludedaprint-on-demandandfulfillment centerinCharlotte,enablingustoofferthesepopular servicesmoreefficientlyintheSoutheast. Late last year,when we purchased GTE Directo- ries’ St. Petersburg, Florida, telephone directory printing plant,we added print/bind,logistics,and ac- celerated delivery throughout the region for telecom- munications publishers.The agreement included a long-term contract to print certain GTE directories, as well. In addition to adding new print capabilities,the company added other value-added services,including Internet-related services.During the past few years, customers have sought aggressively to extend their brands into new channels.R.R.Donnelley responded by forming the eSolutionssm business unit, which helps customers utilize the Internet and other elec- tronic media to achieve brand extension.The eSolu- tions group creates large-scale Web sites,consults on Internet strategy,and develops Internet-based mar- keting programs.It enables our customers to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, and in- crease the lifetime value of customers. South America also continues to provide us with Publishers’ Preface ix excellent opportunities for growth.Through Editor- ial Lord Cochrane, which is 78 percent owned by R.R. Donnelley, we made a number of moves to strengthen our position there.For example,Donnel- ley Cochrane Brasil Ltda.expanded into the telecom- munications market by establishing its first dedicated directory plant in Brazil near São Paulo.This facility complements the company’s existing directory ca- pacity in Santiago,Chile. We entered the book market in South America by acquiring São Paulo-based Hamburg Gráfica Editora, the largest independent book manufacturer in Brazil. Among its customers are many of South America’s leading publishing houses in the elementary school, high school,trade,and professional book markets. In Argentina,our Cochrane S.A.took full owner- ship of Atlántida Cochrane S.A.,when it purchased the remaining 50percent of that company.Renamed Donnelley Cochrane Argentina,the company focuses on printing high-quality magazines,inserts,and cata- logs for domestic markets,including Brazil,Paraguay, and Uruguay. Our Central and Eastern Europe operations print magazines and catalogs for Poland, the Czech Re- public,Russia,Ukraine,and Germany,as well as tele- phone directories primarily for Poland, the Czech Republic,and Greece.To add to these capabilities, we are investing $100 million in our operations in Poland over the next three years.Specifically,we ac- quired 100 percent ownership of Donnelley Polish- x Publishers’ Preface American Printing Company,a Kraków-based joint venture formed in 1993,and we are expanding our ex- isting facility in Kraków,making it the largest and most advanced printing operation in the region.That plant celebrated its fifth anniversary this year.We also plan another printing plant in Kraków,with startup date to be determined. Our current success is demonstrated in the perfor- mance measurements where we excel: customer rela- tionships and integrated solutions,technology,and financial metrics such as margins,cash flow,debt ca- pacity to finance growth,and return on investment. Our future success is dependent on maintaining our lead in delivering value-added products and services. * * * * This year,we welcomed Joseph B.Anderson,Jr.,to our Board of Directors.Mr.Anderson is president and CEO of Chivas Products Ltd.,a manufacturer of components for the automotive industry.Prior to that, he was general director of a business unit for General Motors Corporation.A decorated military officer,Mr. Anderson served two tours of duty in Vietnam and taught at West Point. We wish you and your families good health and good wishes for the new year. THEPUBLISHERS December 1999