On 24th February 2024, the exhibition There was life in the Crimea…, opened in the Exhibition Hall of Livadia Palace, situated near Yalta on the southern coast of Crimea. The exhibit is part of The Romanovs in Crimea, which is on permanent display on the second floor of the palace.

The exhibition showcases items from the collection of Livadia Palace Museum, and explores the pastimes and private lives of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, during their stays at Livadia during the first decade of the 20th century.

The Tsar and his family were very fond of their southern coastal estate, especially during the warm summer months. It was only on one occasion, that the Imperial Family were forced to extend their stay. During their visit to Crimea in 1900, the Sovereign fell ill with typhoid, forcing the Imperial Family to extend their stay until Christmas. This period is documented in the exhibition with copies of watercolours from the album “Livadia. 1900-1901” by the court painter Mihály Zichy (1827-1906). The watercolours, in the form of collages, depict episodes of the life of the Imperial Family during their stay in Crimea.

Among them are collages depicting the Imperial Family on the Imperial Yacht “Shtandart“; the meeting of Nicholas II with his his cousin Prince George of Greece; the reception of the Turkish envoy; the Tsar during his illness in 1900; the reception of deputies of the Taurida province; the Tsar’s meeting with the Knights of St. George; equestrian riding; playing board games, etc.

It is interesting to note, that in 2015, a number of these watercolours were reproduced in a handsome Russian language album, “Царское имение Ливадия в акварелях и фотодокументах [The Tsar’s Livadia Estate in Watercolors and Photographic Documents] by Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Tikhonova.

Also on display at the exhibition, are sheet music of classical works and phonograph records, which were fashionable at the beginning of the 20th century. The Tsar and his family often listened to these records in the palace’s Music Room. On other occasions, the Empress and her daughters would play pieces from the sheet music on the piano.

The last time that Nicholas II and his family visited the old wooden palaces at Livadia, was in the autumn of 1909. The exhibition features an interecting collection of photographs of this visit.

The old wooden Grand Palace was demolished in 1910, to make way for a new Italian Neo-Renaissance style stone palace, which would serve as the residence of Nicholas II and his family during their visits to Crimea. The Imperial family visited their new white palace in the fall of 1911 and 1913 and in the spring of 1912 and 1914.

© Paul Gilbert. 3 March 2024