As is known, not all mothers of emperors nursed their children. Often, simple Russian peasant women were hired for this role. Firstly, a young girl with good health and a calm character was chosen. The level of alcoholism in the village was even considered when selecting for the Imperial House. If it was unsatisfactory to the commission, the village was excluded from the list. Secondly, the fact that a Russian peasant woman nursed the monarch emphasized the connection between the tsar and the people. After arriving at the court, the girl was dressed in a national sarafan and given a kokoshnik.

Nurses received not only a salary for their work but also a pension. In some cases, a dowry was even collected for their marriage. For example, in 1905, almost 1000 rubles worth of goods and furniture were bought for the nurse of Tsarevich Alexei, Alexandra Negodova Romanova. Over the years of service, the peasant women and their charges became attached to each other. The nurses continued to communicate with them even after the children became tsars. A touching story is known about the relationship between Alexander III and Ekaterina Luzhnikova.

She would visit him on major holidays. Contemporaries recall that on Christmas, the emperor always hid a gift for her under the tree and retrieved it himself when Ekaterina could no longer bend down. Their relationship was indeed like that of a mother and son, and Luzhnikova could scold the sovereign for his drinking without hesitation.

Once, hearing a reproach for his fondness for wine, Alexander III grumbled, "Not your business!" To which Luzhnikova replied, "I'll show you what is not your business!" She went into the next room and returned with a glass of water and a piece of charcoal at the bottom. Alexander shouted to the footman, "Quick, bring a fluffy towel, or she'll ruin my frock coat." "You'll sew a new one," the nurse replied, and, filling her mouth with water, she splashed it in his face, muttered a prayer, and added, "Now nothing will harm you: neither bullet, nor dagger, nor evil eye."