On 1st July 2024, a new book by the President and founder of the SEARCH Foundation Peter Sarandinaki will be published. Sarandinaki is best known as one of the participants who discovered the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna in 2007. He has spent many years searching for the remains of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and his secretary Nikolai Johnson.
His new book In Search of the Romanovs: A Family’s Quest to Solve One of History’s Most Brutal Crimes will no doubt become one of the most highly anticipated books for Romanovophiles to be published in many years!
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In 1918 a famed general of the Russian White Army battled through the Red Army to save Emperor Nicholas II—but he arrived too late. The Romanovs had already been murdered.
In this thrilling true-life detective story, we follow Anna, the general’s courageous young daughter, who fled across the continent and boarded a ship with her husband to escape the bloodshed. Beneath her bunk was a box, and in this box lay grisly evidence of what had become of Russia’s royal family, the Romanovs. Generations later, Anna’s grandson Peter Sarandinaki set out to finish his great-grandfather’s mission to find the Romanovs’ remains, enlisting searchers and scientists to finally piece together the answers to some of history’s most perplexing questions: What really happened to Tsar Nicholas, Empress Alexandra, and their children? And what about the tsar’s brother, Michael, who simply disappeared?
Set against the disparate backdrops of the Russian Revolution and the twenty-first century’s leading DNA laboratories, In Search of the Romanovs weaves together historical records, forensic science, and the diaries, recollections, and experiences of Sarandinaki’s own family. Follow Sarandinaki as he fits together the final fragments of the mystery: a piece of topaz jewelry, a blood-stained shirt once worn by Tsar Nicholas II, the fabled Solokov box, and his team finding clandestine initials carved into a tree. A riveting and deeply personal story, In Search of the Romanovs reveals hidden truths in the legends about the murder and disappearance of Russia’s most famous royal family.
PHOTO: Cossack youth stand at attention beside the bust-monument to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich
On 18th October 2023, a new bust-monument to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was unveiled on the grounds of the O.I. Gorodovikov Cossack Cadet Corps Institution, situated in the city of Gorodovikovsk in Kalmykia – located in the North Caucasus region of Southern Russia. .
The installation and consecration of the bust-monument was timed to coincide with the name day[1] of the only son and heir of Emperor Nicholas II. The last official heir to the Russian throne is considered the patron saint of the Union of Cossack Youth of Russia. From the day of his birth – 12th (O.S. 30th July) August 1904 – Alexei became the August ataman of all the Cossack troops.
The unveiling of the monument was attended by Archbishop Justinian of Elista and Kalmyk, Ataman of the Kalmyk Cossack District of the Great Don Army Chimid Dzhangaev, Rector of the Gorodovikovsky Khurul Gelyung Gem Yamphi, Deputy Chairman of the Krasnodar Branch of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, Secretary of the Krasnodar Branch of the World Russian People’s Council in the Krasnodar Territory, Rector of the Church of the Holy Martyrs John Kovsharov and Yuri Novitsky in Krasnodar Priest Vyacheslav Klimenko, Director of the O.I. Gorodovikov Cossack Cadet Corps Valery Abushinov.
PHOTO: detail of the bronze bust to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich
The ceremony was attended by cadets and teachers of the Cossack Corps, representatives of the parent community, clergymen of the Elista and Kalmyk diocese and Cossacks of the Kalmyk Cossack District of the Great Don Army.
Greeting the participants of the ceremony, Archbishop Justinian of Elista and Kalmyk stressed the importance of honoring the memory of the Holy Passion-Bearer Alexei, who during his earthly life was the chief of all the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire, and today is revered as the heavenly patron of Cossack youth.
He further noted: “A Cossack is not so much a blood belonging as a special disposition of mind and soul. A Cossack is free-willed, brave, preserves the faith and traditions of his ancestors, loves his Motherland, tries to protect the weak and defenseless. And God grant that the youth of the pupils of the Cossack Cadet Corps may pass under the patronage of the Holy Tsesarevich Alexei, so that they may prayerfully turn to him with their worries and sorrows, because he will understand their youth and help them!”
PHOTO: Archbishop Justinian of Elista and Kalmyk (right) performs the consecration ceremony
His Eminence expressed his gratitude to the abbot of the Nizhny Novgorod Ascension Monastery of the Caves, Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatyokin), for donating to Kalmykia a monument to Tsesarevich Alexei, created at the expense of the monastery.
His Eminence Justinian read a prayer and sprinkled the monument with holy water. Then the anthem of the Russian Federation, the anthem of the Republic of Kalmykia and “Glory” from the opera “Ivan Susanin” by M.I. Glinka were played.
This was followed by a concert and lecture in the assembly hall of the Cossack Corps. Local historians talked about the historical basis of the veneration of St. Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich in Kalmykia.
PHOTO: full view of the bronze bust and pedestal to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich
People’s Artist of the Republic of Kalmykia, and Director of the Children’s Art School No. 2 in Elista, Arslan Shavgurov, recalled St. Tsesarevich Alexei’s passion for playing the balalaika and performed several works on this folk instrument in his memory.
Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was the August Chief of the Life Guards Ataman Regiment, in which more than 20 Kalmyks served at the beginning of the twentieth century. Subsequently, the heir was appointed chief of the 2nd Don Cossack Regiment, in which more than 30 Kalmyks served, and the Novocherkassk Cossack School from 1915, whose graduates were many Kalmyk officers.
PHOTO: a permanent outdoor display tells about the life of the Tsesarevich and his position as chief of all the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire
In 1907, a khurul[2] was opened in the Kalmyk steppe in honor of Tsesarevich Alexei. In 1914, a church was consecrated in Gorodovikovsk in honour of the heavenly patron Heir of St. Alexis of Moscow.
At present, St. Alexis Church has been restored and consecrated in honor of the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsesarevich Alexis and St. Alexius, Metropolitan of Kiev, Moscow and All Russia[3].
NOTES:
[1] Russians celebrate name days separately from birthdays. Celebrations range from the gifting of cards and flowers to full-blown celebrations similar to birthday parties. Such a celebration begins with attendance at the divine services marking that day (in the Russian tradition, the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy), and usually with a festive party thereafter. The Russian Imperial family followed a tradition of giving name-day gifts.
Before the October Revolution of 1917, Russians regarded name days as important as, or more important than, the celebration of birthdays, based on the rationale that one’s baptism is the event by which people become “born anew” in Christ.
[2] A khurul is a Buddhist monastery.
[3] It was Robert K. Massie (among others), who have led us to believe that the only son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was named after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) . . . this is incorrect. This is incorrect. The long-awaited son and heir to the Russian throne was named Alexei, in honour of St. Alexius of Moscow.
Saint Alexius (1296–1378) was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (from 1354). He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1448 and is revered as one of the patron saints of Moscow.
PHOTO: portrait of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Artist: Pyotr Petrovich Pershin (1877-1956) From the Collection of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum
Today – 18th October – marks the Name Day[1] of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918). The heir to the throne was born in the Lower Dacha at Peterhof on 12th August (O.S. 30th July) 1904. He was named in honour of St. Alexius of Moscow[2] (1296–1378).
On a historical note, the Name Day of the Tsesarevich was celebrated on this day at Livadia, Crimea, in 1909, 1911 and 1913 respectively.
In 1913, Nicholas II wrote in his diary: “In the morning, Alexei received gifts in our bedroom . . . At 11 o’clock, the Yalta garrison held a parade in front of the house. After the solemn event, the guests were invited for breakfast in the Main Dining Room, where about 160 people were present. In the evening, the Black Sea squadron held beautiful illuminations.”
Divine services will be held in churches across Russia today, in honour of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich’s Name Day. White flowers were placed at the pedestal holding a bust of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (above), which was installed and consecrated in the Tsarsky Center, located in the Patriarchal Compound, across from the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg, in July.
NOTES:
[1] Russians celebrate name days separately from birthdays. Celebrations range from the gifting of cards and flowers to full-blown celebrations similar to birthday parties. Such a celebration begins with attendance at the divine services marking that day (in the Russian tradition, the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy), and usually with a festive party thereafter. The Russian Imperial family followed a tradition of giving name-day gifts.
Before the October Revolution of 1917, Russians regarded name days as important as, or more important than, the celebration of birthdays, based on the rationale that one’s baptism is the event by which people become “born anew” in Christ.
[2] It was Robert K. Massie (among others), who have led us to believe that the only son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was named after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) . . . this is incorrect. This is incorrect.
The long-awaited son and heir to the Russian throne was named Alexei, in honour of St. Alexius of Moscow.
Saint Alexius (1296–1378) was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (from 1354). He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1448 and is revered as one of the patron saints of Moscow.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 100 monuments, busts and memorials have been installed in cities and towns across in Russia – six of which have been installed in Ekaterinburg. Recall that it was here, in the Ural capital, where the last Tsar and his family were held under house arrest and subsequently murdered.
Once a bastion of Bolshevism, Ekaterinburg has slowly shed its status as the “capital of atheism”. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Urals has experienced a revival of faith, with Ekaterinburg as the center of Orthodox Russia in the region.
It is important to add, that Ekaterinburg has done more to honour Russia’s last Tsar and his family than any other city in Russia. It is home to the Church on the Blood [built on the site of the Ipatiev House, where the Imperial Family were murdered]; the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama; the Romanov Memorial at Porosenkov Log; three museums and no less than six monuments, dedicated to the Imperial Family.
Church on the Blood, Ekaterinburg
The Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg, was built in 2000-2003m on the site of the Ipatiev House, where the Imperial family and their faithful retainers were all brutally murdered by members of the Ural Soviet on 17th July 1918.
The monument to Emperor Nicholas II and his family, created by the sculptor Konstantin Vasilievich Grunberg was installed in 2003 on the grounds of the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg. The Tsar is depicted carrying the invalid Tsesarevich Alexei in his arms.
The staircase on the left represents the 23 steps the Imperial Family and their four faithful retainers descended to their death and martyrdom in the Ipatiev House in the early morning hours of 17th July 1918.
The door seen in the lower right is the entrance to the Lower Church, sanctified in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs in the Church, where the Imperial Room – built on the site of the murder room.
Several years back, a bronze bust on a marble pedestal of Emperor Nicholas II was installed at the top of the staircase leading to the Museum of the Holy Royal Family in the Tsarsky Cultural and Educational Center, situated in the Patriarchal Compound of the Church on the Blood.
In July 2023, the bust was replaced with a similar bust of the Tsar’s son and heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. The bust of the Emperor was moved to the new permanent exhibition The Romanovs in the Urals, located at the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in Ekaterinburg.
Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs, Ganina Yama
Ganina Yama is the site of the Four Brothers mine situated near the village of Koptyaki, 15 km north from Ekaterinburg. It was here that in the early morning hours of 17th July 1918 the bodies of Tsar Nicholas II, his family and four servants were secretly transported to Ganina Yama and thrown into a 9′ deep pit. The murderers returned the following day, exhumed the remains and reburied them in two unmarked graves at Porosenkov Log, which is situated 3.8 km away.
In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church constructed the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at the site in 2001. Between 2008-2011, three monuments to the Holy Royal Martyrs were installed on the grounds of the monastery:
The bronze bust of Emperor Nicholas II was installed and consecrated on 19th (O.S. 6th) May 2008, the day marking the sovereign’s 90th birthday.
Bronze monument to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was installed and consecrated in 2011.
Bronze monument of Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Tsesarevich Alexei, was installed and consecrated on the grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs at Ganina Yama in 2011.
Sredneuralsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast
The Sredneuralsky Convent in Honour of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Conqueror of Bread”, is an Orthodox convent located on the outskirts of the city of Sredneuralsk, 15 km northwest of Ekaterinburg.
In 2014, the Trinity Church was consecrated in the monastery, which was built based on the ancient Russian architecture of the era of the formation of the Moscow kingdom. It is dedicated to the family of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II. The basement of the Ipatiev House – where the Imperial Family were shot – was recreated in the lower part of the church. A large Poklonny cross dedicated to the Imperial Family, and a bust of Tsar Nicholas II were installed on the grounds of the monastery.
PHOTO: obituary notice on the death of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (1876-1938)
October 12th marks both the birth (1876) and death (1938) of one of the most despised members of the Russian Imperial Family: Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.
Kirill was born on 12th October [O.S. 30th September] 1876, at the Vladimir Villa, the country residence of his parents at Tsarskoye Selo. He was the second of five children born to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909) and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1854-1920), born Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Kirill was a grandson of Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881) and a first cousin of Emperor Nicholas II. He was also the uncle of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (1906-1968) and great-uncle of Prince Michael of Kent (born 1942).
In the service of the Fatherland
After graduating from the Sea Cadet Corps and Nikolaev Naval Academy, in January 1904, Kirill was promoted to Chief of Staff to the Pacific Fleet in the Imperial Russian Navy. With the start of the Russo-Japanese War, he was assigned to serve as First Officer on the battleship Petropavlovsk, but the ship was blown up by a Japanese mine at Port Arthur in April 1904. Kirill barely escaped with his life, and was invalided out of the service suffering from burns, back injuries and shell shock.
From 1909–1912, Kirill served on the cruiser Oleg and was its captain in 1912. In 1913, he joined the Maritime Division of the Imperial Guard and was made Commander of the Naval Guards in 1915. He achieved the rank of rear admiral in the Imperial Navy in 1916, a position which he later abandoned.
PHOTO: Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna
An unholy alliance
During the festivities marking the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, held in Moscow in May 1896, Kirill fell in love with his paternal first cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1876-1936). They flirted with each other at the balls and celebrations, but Victoria Melita was already married to Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse (1868-1937), the only brother of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Victoria’s father was Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844-1900), the second eldest son of Queen Victoria. Victoria’s mother was Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna (1853-1920), a daughter of Emperor Alexander II and Kirill’s paternal aunt. Victoria Melita scandalized the royal families of Europe when she divorced her husband in 1901.
On 8th October 1905, Kirill entered into an incestuous marriage [forbidden by the Russian Orthodox Church] with the divorced Victoria Melita. The marriage caused a scandal within the Russian Imperial Family, as well as in the Royal Courts of Europe and Great Britain.
The couple wed without the formal approval of Britain’s King Edward VII (as the Royal Marriages Act 1772 would have required), and in defiance of Emperor Nicholas II by not obtaining his consent. Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna wrote that she felt “responsible for having arranged the marriage of Ducky and Kirill,” a decision she regretted.
Nicholas II punished Kirill, by stripping him of his offices and honours, also initially banishing the couple from Russia. Together with their two daughters, the family settled in Paris before they were allowed to visit Russia. In 1910, they returned to Russia, whereupon the Emperor recognized Victoria Melita as Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna.
Despite the family reconciliation, the strained relationship which had already existed for many years between Nicholas and Alexandra with Kirill and Victoria, would remain strained and even hostile.
While commanding the Marine of the Guard, which was responsible for guarding the Empress Alexandra and her children at Tsarskoye Selo, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich with his tsarist monogram on his epaulettes and a red ribbon on his shoulders, under which the Marine of the Guard followed their commander, appeared on 1st March, at the State Duma, where he reported to Duma Chairman M.V. Rodzianko. “I have the honour of appearing before Your Excellency, I am at your disposal, as is the entire nation. I wish Russia only good.” Then he stated that the Marine of the Guard was at the complete disposal of the State Duma. Kirill then authorized the flying of a red flag over his palace on Glinka Street in Petrograd.
Prior to that, the Grand Duke sent notes to the chiefs of the military units at Tsarskoye Selo, with a proposal “to join the new government”, following his own example.
In June 1917, Grand Duke Kirill was the first Romanov to flee Russia, along with his pregnant wife and their two children. Not only was his desertion “illegal”, Kirill, who was serving as a rear admiral in active military service in a country at war, had thus abandoned his honour and dignity. It is interesting to add, that the Kirillovich were the only branch of the Imperial Family who managed to escape the Bolsheviks, without losing any family members.
In exile, on 8th August 8, 1922, Kirill declared himself “guardian of the Russian throne”. On 13th September 1924, he proclaimed himself “Emperor of All Russia” to the now non-existent Russian throne under the name of “Kirill I”. He became known as the “Soviet Tsar” because in the event of a restoration of the monarchy, he intended to keep some of the features of the Soviet regime.
In addition, is Kirill’s shameful infidelity—an affair which involved his behaviour or relationship far more sensational and unorthodox than a simple casual affair with another woman—a possible homosexual liaison perhaps?
Not only was Grand Duke Kirill a coward, he was clearly a man who lacked a moral compass and a traitor to his Sovereign and to Russia. His acts of treason and desertion, and later his support of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during his years in exile, thus deprived his descendants any rights to the Russian throne.
PHOTO: the tomb of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, in the Grand Ducal Mausoleum of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg
Legacy
Grand Duke Kirill was initially buried at the ducal mausoleum at Friedhof am Glockenberg, Coburg. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the remains of Kirill and Victoria were transferred from Coburg to the Grand Ducal Mausoleum of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg on 7 March 1995 after negotiations and great expense, thanks to the efforts of his Spanish-born granddaughter Princess Maria Vladimirovna.
85 years after his death, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich remains one of the most despised members of the Russian Imperial Family. While some believe that he was a beacon for a restoration of the monarchy in Russia, his record of treason simply cannot be overlooked or swept under the rug, by those who work so diligently to whitewash his legacy.
During the 1920s until his death in 1938, his only adherants, were known as the Kirillists. Today, they are known as Legitimists – a small group of zealots – most of whom are American, and have no say whatsoever in the monarchist debate in modern day Russia. They work tirelessly to keep Kirill from falling from the pedestal, which this insignificant group of nutters has placed him on.
Despite what the Legitimists claim on their blog and social media, neither Kirill, nor his descendants Maria Vladimirovna and her pompous arrogant son George Mikhailovich, are very popular in post-Soviet Russia. Most Russians – including monarchists – dismiss their claims as “pretenders” to the non-existent Russian throne. Their activities in Russia attract a lot of media attention, in particular the wedding of George Mikhailovich to Rebecca Bettarini in St. Petersburg on 1st October 2021.
Under no pretext can we admit to the throne those whose ancestors belonged to parties involved in the 1917 revolution in one way or another. Nor can we admit those whose ancestors betrayed Tsar Nicholas II. Nor can we ignore those who ancestors openly supported the Nazis. Thus, without any reservations, the right to the succession to the throne of the Kirillovich branch should be excluded!
Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich is the subject of my forthcoming book ‘Kirill: Traitor to the Tsar!‘, the first comprehensive study to examine the relationship between Grand Duke Kirill and his first cousin Tsar Nicholas II. It is based primarily on documents and letters retrieved from Russian archival and media sources, many of which will be new to the English reader.
My book is scheduled for publication in late 2025. Watch for my ads in both Majesty and Russian Life magazines!
On 8th October 2022, the Russian premiere of the ballet “Rasputin” took place at the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. During the past year, it has been staged in numerous cities across Russia, including Moscow, Yaroslavl, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, among other cities.
The ballet was created by free-lance choreographer Yuka Oishi. The dance drama explores the dark psychological depths of one of the most controversial figures in Russian history – Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (1869-1916).
The world premiere of the ballet took place at the Palladium Theater in London, England in October 2019.
The role of Rasputin is performed by Sergei Vladimirovich Polunin (b. 1989). In addition, Xenia Ryzhova (Empress Alexandra), Alexei Lyubimov (Nicholas II), John Cook (Prince Felix Yusupov), and Platon Alekhine (Tsesarevich Alexei) among others. All costumes for the show were designed by the famous and scandalous fashion designer Ulyana Sergeenko.
CLICK on the IMAGE above to watch a short VIDEO clip of Sergei Polunin perform in the London premiere of “Rasputin” at The London Palladium on 15th October 2019. Duration: 6 minutes, 15 seconds
PHOTO: the Alexander Palace set against the backdrop of autumn colours
The first day of autumn officially arrives in Russia on 1st September. It seems only fitting that we celebrate one of the loveliest seasons of the year with these beautiful photos of the Alexander Palace and Park at Tsarskoye Selo.
Autumn is my favourite time of year to visit Russia. During a visit to St. Petersburg in October 2007, I decided to spend an entire week in Pushkin [Tsarskoye Selo].
Staying in Tsarskoye Selo was a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of St. Petersburg. I stayed at the Hotel Natali which is situated in the city’s historical district, with nice rooms, and a hearty breakfast included. The main reason I chose this hotel was that the Alexander Palace is literally at the top of the street!
The hotel’s location was ideal for visiting the Alexander and Catherine Palaces, but also the Alexander Park daily on foot at my own leisure. One day, I actually walked to Pavlovsk Palace, a distance of 7.3 km. [4.5 miles]!
The Alexander Park offers pathways leading to the parks numerous pavilions, as well as ponds and canals, which were often used during the summer months by Nicholas II and his children for boating.
Over the course of the past decade, numerous pavilions have been beautifully restored, including the Sovereign’s Martial Chamber, the Arsenal, the Chapelle, and the White Tower. The next restoration project in the Alexander Park will that of the Chinese Theatre.
PHOTO: autumn view of the Alexander Palace from the pond
The paths throughout the Alexander Park are now blanketed in beautiful red, yellow, gold leaves that crunch under your footsteps. Cool autumn breeze gently flow through the trees spiriting loose leaves from their branches, allowing each one to dance in the air before falling gently to the ground, adding yet another element to the sprawling carpet of autumn colours. The setting is truly magical.
In addition, I had a wonderful opportunity to explore the town itself. While much of Pushkin was destroyed by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War (1941-45), it still retains some beautiful architectural gems from the Tsarist period, including a number of palaces and churches – the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral is a must!
Numerous restaurants and cafes are within walking distance of the hotel, as well as a burgeoning souvenir market, where you can buy beautiful hand painted lacquer boxes, lace, and other items made by locals.
For any one planning a future visit to St. Petersburg, I highly recommend Tsarskoye Selo as an alternative place to stay. My autumn 2007 visit remains one of my most memorable visits to Russia, and it was the the season itself which enhanced the beauty of the Alexander Palace and the surrounding park.
NOTE: the first 15 interiors of the private apartments of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, situated in the eastern wing of the Alexander Palace, opened to the public on 14th August 2021. Since that date, nearly 17,000 people have visited the palace.
On 1st October 2008, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation granted the judicial rehabilitation of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Ninety years after a Bolshevik execution squad gunned down the last Tsar and his family, the country’s supreme court declared the Imperial family as “victims of political repression.” The regicide was condemned, and that the false accusations against the Tsar, that he was an enemy of the people…were at long last proven to be false.
By finding the Tsar a victim of political terror, the court has completed the remarkable transformation of the discredited man who died with his family in the cellar of the Ipatiev House in the early hours of 17th July, 1918 on the orders of the Ural Soviet.
Throughout the years of the Soviet Union, government propaganda vilified the last Tsar, giving him the derogatory nickname “Bloody Nicholas” and accusing him and his family of a litany of crimes.
It is important to note, that the Supreme Court’s decision overturned a ruling by the same court in November 2007 that the killings did not qualify as political repression, but premeditated murder. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, stated in court that “the requirements for rehabilitation do not comply with the provisions of the law due to the fact that these persons were not arrested for political reasons, and no court decision on execution was made.”
Four weeks later, on 30th October 2008, it was reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation ruled to rehabilitate 52 people from the entourage of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.
Some readers will argue that the Court’s judicial rehabilitation was unnecessary because the Tsar had not committed any crime, which of course is true! For the sake of historical justice, however, it was the responsibility of a post-Soviet Court to overturn the Bolshevik’s decision to condemn and justify the murder of Russia’s last Tsar. In addition, his rehabilitation defeats the myths and lies of both the Bolshevik and Soviet regimes.
Up until the Supreme Court’s ruling, Nicholas II remained falsely accused of crimes in which he did not commit. According to the existing code of laws, the Russian Federation is the lawful successor of Soviet Russia and of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]. From the purely juridical standpoint, all the criminal charges, incriminations and verdicts of repression pronounced since 7th November 1917 continue to carry legal authority until the government officially rehabilitates the victims. A paradoxical situation thus occurred, where the head of the Russian government has offered up repentance for the bloody violence carried out by representatives of the government on members of the Imperial House and their servants, relatives and friends; where the immediate members of the family of Emperor Nicholas II along with Grand-Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna have been recognized as saints by the Russian Orthodox Church; yet where, from the judicial point of view, they can legally be considered “criminals,” since they were executed as “enemies” of the government.
Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that Nicholas II, was unlawfully killed by Bolshevik authorities. The ruling negates the Bolshevik claims used to instigate the 1917 revolution, and the murder of the Tsar and his family the following year. His rehabilitation reinstates the good name of Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov, and to legally declare that he was innocent and had suffered unjustly.
Georgy Ryabykh, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church said the “decision can only be welcomed. It strengthens the rule of law, restores historical continuity and 1,000 years of state tradition”.
Ivan Artsishevsky (1950-2021), Director of the Romanov Family Association also praised the ruling: “the fact that the Russian state took responsibility for that murder is a step towards repentance … and the rehabilitation of all innocent (Bolshevik) victims.”
It should come as no surprise that the rehabilitation was denounced by the Communists, who said it was “cynical” and would “sooner or later be corrected.” In response, Russian lawyer German Lukyanov (1961-2022) noted that the ruling was “a final decision that cannot be challenged.”
“Rehabilitation is necessary for the modern state, so that the image of Russia throughout the world is associated not with basements covered in blood, but with the image of a civilized state that has renounced the Soviet past and condemned it,” he added.
Nicholas II 
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