PHOTO: an icon depicting St. John of Tobolsk, gifted by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to Anastasia Hendrikova in 1918, sold at a Paris auction to a private collector in 2021

The former lady in waiting to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Countess Anastasia Hendrikova (1888-1918) has been very much in the news of late. On 30th May 2024, the Perm Diocese announced that a forensic study confirmed the identity of Hendrikova’s remains, along with those of Ekaterina Schdeider, On 9th June 2024, a Funeral (Memorial) Litany was served in a Perm church. In recent days, yet another story about Hendrikova appeared in the Russian mdeia which deserves mention.

In August 1917, Anastasia Hendrikova voluntarily followed Emperor Nicholas II and his family into exile to Siberia, where they were held under house arrest for 8 months. During those difficult days, Hendrikova proved to be a great source of comfort to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, to whom she was devoted. She helped the Empress endure the hardships of exile and imprisonment.

On 29th October 1917, the Empress presented her devoted maid of honour with an icon depicting the image of St. John (Maximovich) of Tobolsk[1]. On the back of the icon the Empress had written the inscription «Спаси и сохрани / 29.X.1917 / Тобольск / Александра» [“Save and Protect. 29.10.1917 / Tobolsk / Alexandra”]. The size of the icon measured 22.3×17.3 cm. In a wooden case — 25.3 × 20.3 cm. 

On the reverse of the icon case, there is a bronze engraved plate with the inscription “This icon was given by H.I.M. Alexandra Feodorovna, to maid of honour Countess Anastasia Vasilievna Hendrikova during the stay of the Imperial Family in Tobolsk.”

PHOTO: Countess Anastasia Hendrikova (1888-1918) 

On the part of the Empress, it was indeed a gift of great value and affection, a testimony of deep friendship in sharing the suffering of imprisonment. Countess Hendrikova was then 29 years old.

After her imprisonment in Perm and the murder of the Imperial Family, Countess Anastasia Hendrikova was taken from prison to the Cheka on 21st August 1918, where she was interrogated. One of the investigators asked her whether “she voluntarily followed the Romanovs to Tobolsk. She replied that she went voluntarily.

“Well,” he replied “since you are so devoted to them, tell us: if we were to let you go now, would you return to them again and continue to serve them?”

“Yes, until the last day of my life,” she replied. A few weeks later, Anastasia Hendrikova was shot by the Bolsheviks on the night of 3/4 September 1918 in Perm.

PHOTOS: (above) on the back of the icon Empress Alexandra wrote an inscription “Save and preserve / 29.X.1917”; (below) a bronze engraved plate with an inscription dedicated to Anastasia Hendrikova from the Empress.

After Hendrikova’s murder, the icon found it’s way into the hands of her brother Count Pyotr (Peter) Hendrikov[2]. For many years, he kept the icon as a family shrine and took it with him when he went to live in France. In his old age, he donated the icon to the orphanage church of the Russian Military Invalids situated near Paris.

But in 2001, the unexpected happened – the church and the orphanage were destroyed by fire. The ancient icon could have been lost forever, had it not for the priest Mikhail Gudkov, who found the precious relic among the burned out ruins of the church.

Father Mikhail cherished the historical value of the icon, and before his death he passed it on to his son.

In the autumn of 2021, the ancient icon, which has become a symbol of boundless love and loyalty, went under the hammer at a Moscow’s famous Litfond Auction House[3], as part of their “Relics of the House of Romanov” sale. The auction was held on 30th September 2021. The icon of St. John of Tobolsk was listed at 1.6 million rubles [$18,400 USD] and sold for 2.6 million rubles [$30,000 USD] to a private collector in Russia.

NOTES:

[1] In August 1915, Emperor Nicholas II sanctioned the canonization of St. John (Maximovich) of Tobolsk (1651-1715). The solemn glorification of John of Tobolsk took place the following year, on 10th June 1916. He was the last saint to be canonized during the reign of Russia’s last Tsar.

[2] Pyotr (Peter) Vasilyevich Hendrikov (1883-1942) died in Paris on 13th February 1942.

[3] The Litfond auction house is the undisputed leader among auction houses in Russia, occupying about 60% of the market. About 100 auctions are organized in Moscow and St. Petersburg each year.

© Paul Gilbert. 18 June 2024