185 pages. 12 illustrations. Lady Londonderry"s Journal, published now for the first time, gives an extraordinary, gripping and vivid picture of 19th century Russia. A keen observer who writes in a curiously modern way, and her impressions are full of vitality and not primarily concerned with political issues. Lord and Lady Londonderryand their son Lord Seaham toured Northern Europe and encountered extreme discomforts on their travels. Lord Londonderry had been named by Sir Robert Peel as Ambassador to St. Petersburg in his short lived minority government of 1834-35 but was forced to decline the post, but subsequently he and his wife decided to visit Russia. The Journal describes their friendship with the Tsar and Tsarina, the splendors of Imperial Russia, palaces and museums full of treasures, ceremonies and first-hand accounts with graphic descriptions.