Nicholas II

My baptism into the Russian Orthodox Church – Paul Gilbert

On Wednesday 14th October 2026 – the day that Orthodox Christians celebrate the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (Mother of God) – I was received and baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church. This event took less than 2 weeks before my 70th birthday.

The rite of baptism was performed by Father Maksim (Abroskin), rector of Our Lady of Smolensk Church (ROCOR) in Jacksons Point, Ontario, which is located about an hour and half north of Toronto, in the beautiful cottage country of Lake Simcoe.

I would like to emphasize that my decision to convert from Anglican to Orthodoxy was not the result of a sudden whim. On the contrary, I have been considering converting to Orthodoxy for some years now. Over the years, particularly during my 29 visits to Russia between 1986 and 2018, I spent many hours in Orthodox churches attending Divine Services, lighting candles and venerating holy icons.

I have honoured the Holy St. Tsar Nicholas II and his family since I was a young boy, and I have dedicated many years since to the clearing his much slandered name from those who continue to spread the myths and lies initiated by the Bolsheviks.

I firmly believe that it was the Holy St. Tsar Nicholas II , who led me to Orthodoxy. And I am not alone. This amazing and very deep spiritual path has been followed by many other believers. The Holy St. Tsar Nicholas II become an example of true Christian faith, meekness and perseverance during the most difficult trials of his life to each of us.

Nicholas II is now my patron saint

When one is baptized in the Orthodox faith, the person takes the name a saint from whom they take their name. This practice is significant as it establishes a personal relationship with the saint, who intercedes for the individual in their spiritual journey. I have followed the example made by Charles Sydney Gobbes (1876-1963), who took the name “Nikolai”. in honour of Nicholas II. the Holy St. Tsar Nicholas II is now my patron saint.

My baptism shirt was hand-made in Russia

I ordered my baptism shirt from the Russian Clothing Company. Each piece is crafted or sourced from skilled local manufacturers across Russia, who carry on the folk traditions of Russian craftsmanship. Their mission is to help keep Slavic heritage alive around the world. The Orthodox cross embroidered on the front of my shirt is simply beautiful and I am so pleased that I could help support this company’s efforts to carry on the folk traditions of Russian craftsmanship.

Our Lady of Smolensk Orthodox Church

In December 2025, I had a health scare which found me in the ER of our local hospital. It was a very traumatic experience, one which forced me to take a more pro-active approach to my health and taking better care of myself. It was at the same time that I asked myself, “what am I doing for my faith?” It was at this point that I decided I had to also take a pro-active approach to my spiritual health. I knew that I wanted to convert to Orthodoxy and began to search for a Russian Orthodox Church, where I could be baptized into the faith, attend Divine Services and take an active part in parish life.

In early June, I received an invitation to visit Our Lady of Smolensk Orthodox Church (ROCOR) in Jacksons Point. Upon my arrival, I could not believe my eyes. The tiny blue church looked as though it had been plucked from the Russian landscape and transplanted in a richly wooded area filled with Birch trees.

That morning as Divine Services began, my eyes scanned the magnificent iconostasis. I gazed up at the dome and the frescoes painted on the ceilings, returning to take in each of the icons. As my gaze shifted to the far side of the church, I saw a familiar face staring back at me – it was the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, who was depicted in a large icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs. Father Maxim later told me that the icon came from Jordanville, and took 6 men to carry it!

I cannot begin to explain what I felt the moment that I met the Tsar’s gaze that morning, but one thing I do know, it was at that moment that I knew in my heart that he had led me to this lovely church, and it was here that I would be baptized.

My catechism began in early July, and since that time I have attended Divine Services on Sunday, been instructed on the teachings of Orthodoxy. I read the Gospels and Orthodox Prayer Book, and studied fervently a number of books including Catechism: A Short Guide to Orthodox Christianity by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, who served as the First-Hierarch of the ROCOR from 18 May 2008 until his death in 2022.

PHOTO: wearing my Orthodox cross

During the service, Father Maksim blessed both my Orthodox cross – seen in the photo above – and my icon of the Holy St. Tsar Nicholas II. Following the baptism service the parish sisterhood had prepared a lunch was prepared in my honour. – see photo above

I would like to add that it had been raining and overcast that day, however, after I stepped out of the font, the interior of the church filled with sunshine. I was standing at the foot of the font, when Father Maksim turned to me smiling and said “Paul! Look! Look!” At that moment rays of sunshine were pouring in through the window on the side wall – see photo above. I couldn’t help but think that the Holy Royal Martyrs were rejoicing with me!

The day of my baptism into Orthodoxy is truly a landmark event in my life. I keep touching the cross around my neck or admiring it in the mirror, because it all seems to surreal. I am so happy!

After years of soul searching, this “son of old Russia” has at long last found his home in the Russian Orthodox Church. Now I can attend Divine Services and pray in any Orthodox church, without feeling like an outsider. Glory to God for All things!

Paul Gilbert. 15 October 2026

Monument to Nicholas II and his family installed in the Teikovo district

Posted on 5 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

On 3rd October 2026, a new monument to Emperor Nicholas II and his family was unveiled on the grounds of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice” in the village of Nerl, Teikovo district. The village is located 62 km southwest of the city of Ivanovo. The sculptural composition was installed with the financial assistance of philanthropist Andrei Gusarov

“Today, an important event took place in the village of Nerl – the opening of a monument to the Romanov dynasty, which for more than three hundred years determined the fate of Russia. This monument to the family of the last Emperor Nicholas II: his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and their children – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei, is an example of a true Russian family, where the main values were love and kindness to one another. After all, it is the family that is the basis of society: it is in it that the very values are born, which then determine the path of entire generations,” said Gusarov.

At the opening ceremony of the monument, Hegumen German, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, welcomed parishoners, members of the clergy, as well as the head of the Teikovo district Vitaly Katkov and philanthropist Andrei Gusarov.

The monument to Russia’s last Imperial Family is the second to be installed in the Russian Federation this year. Recall that on 19th August, a monument was installed on the grounds of the Church of of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, situated in the village of Bely Yar, Surgut district. In addition, a total of 17 monuments to Emperor Nicholas II have been installed in towns and cities across the country in 2026.

BOOK REVIEW – ‘Memories of Russia. My Travels in Post-Soviet Russia’

Posted on 7 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Romanov historian and author Paul Gilbert

I recently received the following review of my book Memories of Russia. My Travels in Post-Soviet Russia from an American reader . . .

16th September 2026

Dear Paul Gilbert

“I came across Memories of Russia: My Travels in Post Soviet Russia, and what stayed with me was the depth of personal history behind the book. Twenty nine visits to Russia over four decades gives your observations a perspective that goes far beyond a conventional travelogue, especially when so many of the places you revisit are connected to the final years of Nicholas II and the Romanov family.

” . . . what stayed with me was the depth of personal history behind the book.”

“What particularly stood out was the way you bring historic places to life through firsthand experience. Your visits to the Kremlin, the Winter Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, the State Archives, and other sites create a journey through both physical spaces and the history preserved within them. The combination of travel memories, archival research, and historical context gives the book a strong sense of continuity between the Russia you encountered and the past you have spent decades studying.

“I was also drawn to the extraordinary depth of your commitment to this subject. Your research into the life and reign of Nicholas II, your regular travels to Russia, your work organizing Romanov tours and conferences, and your publication of more than fifty books concerning the Russian Imperial family reflect a sustained dedication to preserving and examining this period of history. Your firsthand attendance at the 1998 funeral of Nicholas II and the 2018 Tsar’s Days events adds another remarkable dimension to that body of work.”

***

*You can order this title from most AMAZON outlets, including
the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Sweden,
Brazil, Mexico and Japan
*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER EDITION @ $28.00 USD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $20.00 USD

English. 9″ x 6″ format. Hard cover and paperback. 314 pages.

Richly llustrated with more than 200 black and white photographs!

***

This year marks the 40th anniversary of my first visit to Russia. During the past four decades, I have visited Russia 29 times!

I travelled to Moscow, St. Petersburg – and the suburban towns of Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Strelna – as well as Yalta and Crimea, Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk.

In my new book, which is part travelogue, part history, I share my personal impressions and history of a dozen historic sites, that I have visited – some on numerous occasions. Out of the dozen historic sites covered in my book, all but two have a connection to Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II.

Join me as I revisit such places as the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Petrovsky Travelling Palace and the Russian State Archives – where I explore the Romanov archives in Moscow; learn the fate of Nicholas II’s private apartments in the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Theatre – venue for the famous 1903 Costume Ball; travel with me to the Children’s Island and the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral – Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo; the ruins of the Lower Dacha at Peterhof and much more!

On the cover photo above, I am standing in the magnificent St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The date is 27th October 2000 – the day in which I marked my 44th birthday. Of all the wonderful memories I have from the 29 journeys I made to Russia between 1986-2018, this is among one of the most memorable!

800 items from the era of Nicholas II auctioned in Paris

Posted on 8 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: military uniform from the era of Emperor Nicholas II

Last month, the famous Hôtel Drouo auction house in Paris was the venue for the sale of 800 items of Russian Imperial art from the era of Emperor Nicholas II. Among these remnants of Russia’s glorious past are items which belonged to Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and other members of the Russian Imperial Family.

The auction is based on the collection of “Monsieur. G.”, a French historian and collector of Russian origin, formed over more than 50 years. “Mr. G.” devoted a significant part of his life to the search for objects, archival documents and memorabilia that survived the Russian Revolution and the exodus of tens of thousands of White Russian Empires.

This outstanding collection features a marvelous pieces of Imperial Russian militaria worthy of any museum: uniforms, headgear and regimental badges, regimental flags, swords, daggers, orders, jetons and historical memorabilia spanning up to 1918.

In addition are portraits, paintings, photographs, icons, porcelain, silverware, jewelry, books and more. Of particular note are some 29 lots from the Collection of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich (see pages 96-103 in catalogue No. 1).

Recall that after marrying Natalia Wulfert (later Countess Brasova) without Tsar Nicholas II’s permission, Mikhail and Natalia left Russia in 1912 and briefly lived in exile in France. They returned to Russia following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. After Mikhail was executed by the Bolsheviks in Perm, Russia, in 1918, Natalia and their son Georgy later spent time in France (where Georgy died in a car accident in Sens in 1931, and Natalia died in Paris in 1952).

The auction was held over two days: on 17th and 18th September 2026. The auction raised a total of 4.3 million Euros [$4.8 million USD].

Below, you can download, review and print ALL three French language catalogues, I have provided a link underneath each of the auction catalogue covers . . .

Click HERE to download, review and print catalogue No. 1

Highlights include items belonging to Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich

Click HERE to download, review and print catalogue No. 2

Highlights include swords and Imperial Orders, medals and jetons

Click HERE to download, review and print catalogue No. 3

Highlights include splendid uniforms and headgear of the Russian Imperial Army

New bust-monument to Nicholas II unveiled in Russian arctic town of Naryan-Mar

Posted on 9 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

On 6th October 2026, a new bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II was unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of the Epiphany Cathedral in the town of Naryan-Mar. It is the 17th monument to the Tsar Passion-Bearer to be installed in Russia this year!

Naryan-Mar is a sea and river port town and the administrative center of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The town is situated north of the Arctic Circle on the right bank of the Pechora River, 110 kilometers (68 mi) upstream from the river’s mouth, on the Barents Sea. It is interesting to note that the town was founded in 1930, in the course of the first five-year plan of the Soviet Union.

The opening ceremony brought together representatives of the local authorities, clergy and the public. Before the ceremony, Bishop Sophrony of Naryan-Mar and Mezen performed a Divine Litury in the Epiphany Cathedral. The unveiling ceremony was then performed on the grounds of the temple, whereupon Vladyka addressed those who gathered around the monument:

“Today, as we unveil the monument, we remember the feat of the Tsar Passion-Bearer, we remember his faithfulness to the Fatherland and God. Having endured torments, the entire Imperial Family at the throne of God now prays for us and intercedes for our salvation. Looking at the Tsar Passion-Bearer, let us strengthen ourselves spiritually, preserve the family values that were preserved in this August Family, let us love God and remain faithful children of the Orthodox Church”.

Bishop Sophrony thanked everyone involved in the opening of the monument to Tsar Nicholas II in Naryan-Mar: Pavel Astakhov, Boris Korchevnikov, Anastasia Popova, and the head of the Alley of Russian Glory project Mikhail Serdyukov. Bishop of Naryan-Mar and Mezen presented Pavel Astakhov with a diocesan medal of the Russian Arctic project.

Honoured Russian writer and host of the SPAS TV channel, one of the initiators of the Alley of Russian Glory project, Pavel Astakhov, accepting the award, and noted that he accepted on behalf of the entire initiative group that was engaged in restoring the memory of the outstanding sons of the Fatherland.

“Tsar Nicholas II is probably the most slandered political figure in the history of the 20th century in our country. He was so pious that to the end he stood for faith, for his country, and for his family. He had the opportunity to flee abroad, but did not do so, ending his earthly journey in his homeland. It is no coincidence that Nicholas II considered the pious Job as an example, who, despite all the torments and temptations, did not depart from God,” said Astakhov.

Pavel Astakhov said that under the leadership of the general director and general producer of the public Orthodox TV channel “SPAS” Boris Korchevnikov, a 20-episode documentary about the era of Nicholas II is now in production. It was under him that large scientific expeditions beyond the Arctic Circle took place and the active development of the northern territories began. Bishop Sophrony added that Nicholas II can be called the “Oatron Saint of the Arctic”.

The installation of the monment in Naryan-Mar, is the 17th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

Pink Drawing Room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna opens in the Livadia Palace

Posted on 11 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

The Livadia Palace Museum has announced the opening of the Pink Drawing Room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The room was designed by the famous Russian-Serbian architect Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov (1864-1939). The room was part of a suite of rooms for visiting guests and family members who came to stay at the Imperial Family’s imean residence.

The opening of the Pink Drawing Room is part of a large-scale restoration of the Livadia Palace and Park, announced in April of this year. Recall that on 26th June 2026, Nicholas II’s Italian Corridor was opened to visitors for the first time in 15 years. The museum also has plans to restore other interiors of the Imperial Family, including Nicholas II’s Study.

PHOTO: partial view of he Pink Drawing Room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

PHOTO: bust-profile of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

“Everything in the Empress’s Pink Drawing Room is simple and at the same time exquisite: the interior was originally designed in the style of Louis XV and we have tried to replicate this. We have tried to present the warm and cozy interior of a large Russian, hospitable family. The room was conceived specifically for the comfort of members of the Imperial Family and other guests who were invited to Livadia by special invitation. Today this room reflects one of the most intimate and informal aspects of the life of the Imperial Family in Livadia,” said the Director of the Livadia Palace Museum Larysa Kovalchuk

The Pink Drawing Room is located next to the former guest bedroom. During the early 20th century, guests included Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, sister of Emperor Nicholas II, who stayed here in 1913, and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and later abbess of the Martha and Mary Convent (Moscow), who stayed here in 1912.

PHOTO: framed photographs of the Imperial Family

PHOTO: rare album with photos of Livadia Palace and Park during the 20th century

Other guests included Grand Duke of Hesse Ernst-Ludwig, the brother of the Empress, and the Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, the son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, who stayed at Livadia in 1912 and 1914. Dmitry was a family favourite, both Nicholas II and Alexandra treated him like an adopted son. His fame in Russian society was so great that after the revolution, these guest rooms were named after him.

The interior of the Pink Drawing Room features framed family photographs and portraits. Among them are truly unique exhibits donated to the museum specifically for this interior: photographs of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich in Livadia and on the eve of the First World War, an equestrian portrait and amateur photos of the Grand Duke from the collection of Russian historian Dmitry Matlin, who now serves as chairman of the Alexander II Historical Society in St. Petersburg.

In addition, visitors can see a unique autographed portrait of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, a photograph of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with her son Tsesarevich Alexei, as well as numerous photographs of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, in some of which she appears in the vestments of a sister of mercy.

PHOTO: the Private Balcony of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

The excursion route in the Livadia Palace now combines the Pink Drawing Room and the Private Balcony of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, which was opened to visitors for the first time in July 2026. It is complemented by an audio guide created on the basis of the correspondence of the Imperial Family and the testimonies of Russian historians.

Earlier this year, the Livadia Palace-Museum released a new Russian-language guidebook for visitors. The 88-page book explores the history of the palace, it’s interiors and it’s Auguest residents.

Following the construction of the new White Palace at Livadia in 1911, Nicholas II and his family visited Livadia in the autumn of 1911 and 1913 and in the spring of 1912 and 1914, where they took up residence for several months at a time.

New bust-monument to Nicholas II installed in Syktyvkar

Posted on 12 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

On 2nd October 2026, busts of Emperor Nicholas II and St. Luke of Crimea were unveiled and consecrated on the grounds of Saint Stephen of Perm Orthodox cathedral in Syktyvkar, the capital and largest city of the Komi Republic in Russia.

Nicholas II was the last Russian emperor. Together with his family, he accepted a martyr’s death. On 20th August 2000, the Moscow Patrichate glorified them as passion-bearers – those who accepted death with meekness and prayer, imitating Christ.

Luke of Crimea (in the world Valentin Voyno-Yasenetsky) was a Russian surgeon, spiritual writer, a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, and archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea from May 1946 until his death in 1961. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize in medicine in 1946.

In 1958, writing after Stalin’s death, and under Nikita Khrushchev’s new wave of anti-religious persecution, Saint Luke stated “how arduous it has been to swim against the stormy current of antireligious propaganda, and how many sufferings it caused me, and continues to cause me to this day.”

He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on 25th May 1996. Three days later, on 20th March 1996, his relics were transferred to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Simferopol.

With the monument to Nicholas II, a different story, Pavel Astakhov noted. He first encountered this question in 1996, when he met a descendant of the Romanov dynasty, and was imbued with history of Russia’s last Tsar. The initiative to install the monument in Syktyvkar (among other cities) belongs to the general director of the SPAS TV channel Boris Korchevnikov.

Both monuments were installed on the grounds of Saint Stephen of Perm Orthodox cathedral. On the pedestal of St. Luke of Crimea there are inscribed two of his quotes: “I have admitted that I have no right to do what I like, and I am obliged to do what is useful for suffering people” and “I fell in love with suffering, which so amazingly cleanses the soul, because I really felt that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself was walking next to me and supporting my burden and my cross.”

The bust of Nicholas II also has two quotes inscribed on the pedestal: “It is not evil that will defeat evil, but only love” and “I have a firm and complete conviction that the fate of Russia, just like the fate of me and my family, is in the hands of God, Who has placed me in my position. Whatever happens, I bow to His will, believing that I have never had any other thought than to serve the country whose government He has entrusted to me.”

The bust-monuments were consecrated by Metropolitan Philip of Metropolitan of Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryansk. He called their installation a “historic event.”

“These are two saints who worked and suffered during the revolution. We know the lives of these people. Emperor of the Russian Empire, who ruled the country for 22 years. Who, probably, loved the Orthodox faith more than anyone else,” the metropolitan commented.

After the opening ceremony, the participants in the work to perpetuate the memory of the saints were awarded by the church. Pavel Astakhov was awarded the Medal of the Syktyvkar Diocese of St. Stephen of Perm, III degree.

According to Pavel Astakhov, any city and region can join the work to immortalize the saints. Similar monuments have already been erected in other cities of Russia as part of the “Alley of Russian Glory” project, on the initiative of federal social activists and the SPAS TV channel.

The installation of the monment in Syktyvkar is the 16th monument of Russia’s last Tsar, to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in nearly 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

Nicholas II in the NEWS – Summer 2026

Posted on 15 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

Please note that the articles provided (by links) are for information purposes
only, they do not reflect the opinion of the administrator of this blog – PG

Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar Nicholas II, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia, continue to be the subject of books, exhibitions and documentaries. In addition, he continue to generate headlines in the media.

The following articles were published by English-language media services, in July, August and September 2026. Click on the title [highlighted in red] below and follow the link to read each respective article:

This cossack remained the Russian empress’ bodyguard even after the revolution + PHOTOS

In the passport issued to Cossack Timofey Yashchik in Great Britain, the “occupation” field listed “Bodyguard”. A native of the village of Novominskaya in the Kuban region, he served as the bodyguard to Empress Maria Feodorovna – the mother of the last Russian tsar – and faithfully performed his duty until the very end of her life.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 21 September 2026

The man who proposed selling Alaska to the U.S.

Many in Russia wanted to get rid of the North American colonies. The downsides of maintaining them had begun to outweigh the benefits. The person who spearheaded the sale of Alaska to the United States was Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich – brother of the reigning emperor Alexander II.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 16 September 2026

The Mystery of the Missing Romanov Jewels + PHOTOS

The fate of the hidden jewels, which were carefully sewn into the grand duchesses’ garments during imprisonment, haunts both historians and descendants of the Romanov dynasty to this day.

Source: Vanity Fair. 4 September 2026

Laying a Mosaic Where the Royal Passion-Bearers Met Martyrdom + PHOTOS and VIDEO

The Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg was built on the site of the Ipatiev House, where Emperor Nicholas II, his family and four faithful retainers spent the last months of their lives and met martyrdom. Within the church is the Tsar’s Room, also known as the Execution Room, where the altar stands on the very site where the Royal Passion-Bearers were murdered.

On the wall of this room, where the Imperial Family and their attendants were brought on the night of 16/17 July 1918, there is now a mosaic created by the craftsmen of the St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus. It depicts all eleven of the innocent slain, in the arrangement in which they stood at the moment of their martyrdom.

Source: St. Elizabeth Convent (Minsk). 14 July 2026

The Russian Aristocracy on Holiday: Summer Life at the Turn of the 20th Century + PHOTOS

How did Russian nobility spend their summers around 1900? For many members of Russia’s aristocracy, summer meant leaving the cities behind and heading for a family estate, a dacha (summer home), or a resort. The change of scenery offered an opportunity to escape the bustle of St. Petersburg and Moscow and enjoy the pleasures of long summer days: horseback riding, boating, tennis, fishing, picnics, swimming, leisurely walks, and long afternoons spent outdoors.

Source: RussiaN History Museum (Jordanville). 11 August 2026

Why is Alexander III called the ‘Peacemaker Tsar’?

All of Europe recognized Him as the ‘Peacemaker’ and, in recent years, has become accustomed to thinking and believing that, as long as Alexander III lives, the peaceful life of the peoples is ensured…”

Source: Gateway to Russia. 6 August 2026

How the Revolution of 1905 SHOOK the Russian Empire + PHOTOS

It raised questions about the very existence of the monarchical system and served as a “dress rehearsal” for the events of 1917.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 30 July 2026

Catherine the Great’s pyramid unveiled in Tsarskoye Selo + PHOTOS

This unusual architectural pavilion was built in the tsarist residence’s ‘Catherine Park’ outside St. Petersburg by order of Catherine the Great herself.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 28 July 2026

The Romanovs: A Family Portrait + 26 PHOTOS

Before the revolution in Russia, a popular genre was the family portrait. Parents usually sat in the center surrounded by their children, and the photographer took a number of photos. These old photographs reflect a traditional relationship to the home and hearth, and to our close ones as a world of intrinsic value. Some of these photos taken of the Russian Imperial Family have been preserved to our day. In them we can trace the history of love—Nicholas and Alexandra as betrothed, then as husband and wife, and then with their firstborn child. Finally we see them all—as we see them depicted on icons.

Source: Orthodox Christianity. 18 July 2026

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna – “Her Purity Was Absolute” + PHOTOS

July 18th (O.S. 5th) is the feast-day of the holy Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, who was martyred for the faith of Christ in 1918. Elena Detinina writes about the life and death of the woman known as “White Angel of Moscow”.

Source: Orthodox Christianity. 18 July 2026

Martyrs of Alapayevsk: How Nicholas II’s relatives were executed + PHOTOS

Everyone knows how the life of the last Russian emperor ended. However, another tragedy is less well known. On 18th July 1918 – six additional members of the Russian Imperial family and two of their servants were murdered by the Bolsheviks at Alapaevsk.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 18 July 2026

5 facts about Russian Emperor Nicholas I + PHOTOS

He was called the ‘Knight of Autocracy’ and the ‘Gendarme of Europe’. Nicholas ruled for almost 30 years, although he was originally never supposed to occupy the throne.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 8 July 2026

Thousands of Intimate Photographs Reveal the Everyday Lives of the Romanovs, Russia’s Last Imperial Family + PHOTOS

The Bolsheviks executed the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, and the rest of his family, including his famous daughter Anastasia, 108 years ago. Surviving snapshots open a portal into the royals’ private world.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine. 16 July 2026

7 caps of Russian tsardom that have survived to this day + PHOTOS

Until the 17th century, it was caps, not crowns, that served as the primary state regalia of Russian tsars. Adorned with precious stones and trimmed with fur, these headpieces are now kept in the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 5 July 2026

Portrait of Tsar Nicholas II found in Tbilisi dumpster

Posted on 15 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: portrait of Emperor Nicholas II found in a Tbilisi dumpster

On 17th September 2026, a prominent Georgian scientist and researcher, Nana Kardava, found a portrait of Emperor Nicholas II in a dumpster .in Tbilisi. She subsequently brought the painting to the Palace of Arts of Georgia, situated in the Georgian capital.

Museum experts believe that the work has a distinctive artistic value – the compositional type of the portrait is close to the portraits of Emperor Nicholas II, created by the great Russian artist Ilya Yefimovich Repin in 1895-1896. Repin created several official portraits of the young emperor, and it was during this period that one of the most famous state iconographic types of Nicholas II was formed.

PHOTO: an art expert with Nana Kardava, posing with the portrait of Nicholas II

The painting shares several interesting similarities with Repin’s style and patterns, such as the emperor’s posture and head slightly turned, the direction of his gaze, a dark military uniform with a red collar, a golden aiguillette, a diagonally lowered portupea and the characteristic gesture of the right hand. These similarities give museum experts reason to connect the work at this stage with the portrait type of Nicholas II created by Repin.

PHOTOS: two of Repin’s most famous state portraits of Emperor Nicholas II

The director of the Palace of Arts of Georgia, Georgi Kalandia, noted that the historical study of the painting by art experts is now under way, the results of which will identify the artist.

In order to accurately establish the authorship, it is necessary to conduct a number of studies: the study the reverse side of the canvas, the inscriptions on it, to analyze the paint, and also to compare in detail with other famous works of Ilya Repin.

Kalandia stressed that the very fact that the canvas, which has great historical and artistic significance, was discovered completely by accident and could easily have been destroyed, gives this story a special meaning. The portrait will be kept in the collection of the Palace of Arts Museum.

Repin often painted portrait studies for his more important works, with ceremonial portraits being among them. It should be noted that Repin had a number of very talented students who worked under him, often recreating copies of the great portraitists works.

PHOTO: the portrait reflects the work of Russian artist Ilya Repin

In 1895-1896, Ilya Repin created several portraits of Nicholas II, two of which are kept in the collection of the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), and one more in the State Hermitage Museum. The artist was commissioned to paint one of the works by the Ministry of the Imperial Court for the meeting room of the State Council. As Repin said in a letter to the public figure and collector Alexander Zhirkevich, “it took seven sessions to paint the ceremonial portrait”.

Ilya Repin painted the same portrait again, but as an element of the interior. In the painting “The Ceremonial Meeting Of The State Council 7 May 1901”, on the day of the centenary of its establishment”, Nicholas II sits against its background.

This is not the first portrait of Nicholas II by Repin found in a landfill. After the 1917 Revolution, the portrait from the Mariinsky Palace was considered lost. In the early 1980s, it surfaced in the possession of the Leningrad collector Nikolai Kozhevnikov, who claimed to have found the canvas in a landfill during the Great Patriotic War. The canvas passed from hand to hand, was stored under a carpet, once it was even exchanged for a two-room apartment in Leningrad.

Chapel dedicated to Nicholas II and his family consecrated in Murmansk airport

Posted on 28 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegors performs the rite
Of Consecration of the Chapel of the Holy Passion-Bearers at Murmansk Airport

On 13th September 2026, a chapel in honour of the Holy Passion-Bearers Tsar Nicholas II and his family was consecrated in the Murmansk Airport, named after Nicholas II in 2019. The chapel now offers passengers and airport staff, a quiet place, for prayer and solitude.

Work on the chapel began in December 2025, and was opened on 4th May 2026, while the decoration of the interiors was carried out during the past 4 months. The tiny chapel is located on the second floor of the new terminal.

The rite of consecration was performed by Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk. The service was attended by the general director of the Spas TV channel Boris Korchevnikov, the clergy of the Murmansk diocese, parishioners and curious airport passengers.

PHOTO: Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegors performs the rite
Of Consecration of the Chapel of the Holy Passion-Bearers at Murmansk Airport

PHOTO: the interior of the Chapel of the Holy Passion-Bearers
is decorated with icons and portraits of Nicholas II and his family

The head of the Murmansk Metropolis congratulated those present and stressed that the opening of the chapel is a big step in the return of the historical memory of the Kola Region.

“We must not forget who the founder of the city of Romanov-on-Murman, through whose prayers our land flourishes – the Holy Passion-Bearers, the Kola Saints and all the Russian saints – this is our hope and prayers,” said Bishop Mitrofan.

Metropolitan Mitrofan also answered questions from the Spas TV channel correspondent and spoke about the unique icons which decorated the interior of the chapel. In addition to the icons, the walls of the chapel’s interior are decorated with large framed portraits of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovma and their 5 children: Tsesarevich Alexei, and Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.

The chapel was erected by the joint efforts of the Murmansk Diocese, the Government of the Murmansk Region and the Novaport Holding Company with the support of philanthropist Alexander Petrovich Biba.

PHOTO: Chapel of the Holy Passion-Bearers
Tsar Nicholas II and his family at Murmansk Airport

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Recall that on 31st May 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree naming Murmansk Airport after the founder of the city, Nicholas II.

Prior to that, residents of the Russian Arctic city had voted in favour of naming the airport in honour of Russia’s last Tsar, who received 68,260 votes (48%).

More than 5.5 million people took part in the ‘Great Names of Russia’, a national competition in which the Russian people could cast votes to rename 42 of the country’s major airports.

Recall that in 1916, Romanov-on-Murman was the last city and first ice-free port founded in the Russian Empire by decree of Emperor Nicholas II.

On 1st April 1917, the Minister of War and Navy Alexander Guchkov [one of the traitors responsible for the abdication of the Tsar] ordered to rename Romanov-on-Murman to Murmansk. The new name was approved on 3rd April 1917.

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Since 2019, great efforts have been made to draw attention to Murmansk residents and visitors of Nicholas II’s connection to the Arctic city . . .

Exhibition dedicated to Nicholas II opens at Murmansk Airport

In November 2020, a permanent photo exhibition dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II opened in the main terminal building of Murmansk Airport – [the link above features 12 photos]

There have been proposals for the square in front of the airport terminal, however, whether these plans come to fruition remains to be seen . . .

New monument of the Imperial Family to be installed at Murmansk Airport

On 26th January 2023, a St Petersburg architecture and landscaping firm, published an artist’s concept of the new square in front of the Nicholas II-Murmansk Airport, the highlight of which will be a major sculptural composition depicting the last Russian Imperial Family.