PHOTO: copy of recreated chair for the Mauve Boudoir
2021 © Tsarskoye Selo Restoration Workshop

Situated in a corner of the Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir of the Alexander Palace, was a large, plush arm-chair with a high backing, and covered with the Moscow-made silk. This corner is among the most photographed spots in the Alexander Palace. There are countless photos of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Emperor Nicholas II and their five children posing in the now iconic arm-chair.

Other family members who have been photographed in this spot include the Empress’s sister Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna with her husband Grand Duke Alexander “Sandro” Mikhailovich, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

PHOTO: Copy of the chair recreated in 2000 for Panfilov’s film

The original chair did not survive, however, a copy of the chair was made in 2000, and used by Russian director Gleb Panfilov to shoot a scene for Романовы. Венценосная семья / The Romanovs: An Imperial Family [click on the link to watch the entire film with English subtitles], a film on the last days of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Following the completion of the film, the chair was added to the Memories in the Alexander Palace exhibition, which opened in 1997.

PHOTO: copy of recreated chair for the Mauve Boudoir
2021 © Tsarskoye Selo Restoration Workshop

The Tsarskoye Selo Restoration Workshop have now recreated an exact copy of the iconic chair based on the original from vintage photographs. The chair will be moved into the corner of the Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir of the Alexander Palace, and will be on display when the palace reopens this summer.

© Paul Gilbert. 28 June 2021

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Fifteen interiors situated in the eastern wing of the palace, are now scheduled to open to visitors in the Summer of 2021. Among the recreated interiors are the New Study of Nicholas II, Moorish Bathroom of Nicholas II, Working Study of Nicholas II, Reception Room of Nicholas II, Pallisander (Rosewood) Living Room, Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir, Maple Drawing Room, Alexandra’s Corner Reception Room, the Imperial Bedroom, among others.

In the future, the Alexander Palace will become a memorial museum of the Romanov family – from Catherine the Great to Nicholas II, showcasing the private, domestic life of the Russian monarchs who used the palace as an official residence. The eastern wing of the palace will be known as the Museum of the Russian Imperial Family. The multi-museum complex, which includes the Western wing is scheduled for completion no earlier than 2024.

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THE EMPRESS’S CHAIR
in the Alexander Palace
By Paul Gilbert

*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia,
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CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $12.99 USD

English. 120 pages, 107 black & white photos

Between 1896-1898 – the Court architect Silvio Danini carried out the reconstruction of the eastern wing of the Alexander Palace, which included the personal apartments of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.

Among the Empress’s quarters was the Mauve Boudoir, which would become her favourite room. According to legend, the Empress gave Alexnder Meltzer a lilac branch, her favourite flower, so that he could choose the colour scheme for the decoration of the room.

Among the most notable pieces of furniture in this room was a corner chair, which became a popular spot for family photographs, taken by the Empress and her children, all of whom were avid amateur photographers. More than a century later, these iconic images provide us with a rare glimpse into the private world of the Imperial Family.

Like many other rooms in the Alexander Palace, the Mauve Boudoir suffered a sad fate – the decoration and the interior were lost during the Great Patriotic War. The room has since been reconstructed and restored to its original historic look, as has the Empress’s famous chair.