The Life-Cossack of Maria Feodorovna. Poliakov was the second out of four cossacks in service of the Empress. Only Yaschik and Poliakov were young enough to wait on her, the two other posts having partly retired. The photograph has been kept for years by Poliakovs´ Russian relations and showed up when the family visited Denmark in 2006 (Top illustration: © Private family collection)

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