On Thursday, 10th April 2025, the Société des amis du Louvre [Society of Friends of the Louvre] in Paris announced that it had acquired and donated to the Louvre Museum, a triptych icon that belonged to Russia’s last Tsar.
Created in 1895 by Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903), a leading workmaster of the House of Fabergé, the icon and adorned with precious stones was presented by members of the Russian aristocracy to Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna on the occasion of the birth of their daughter and first child Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna [16th (O.S. 3rd) November 1895].
The 30 cm [12 in.] triptych icon was purchased for 2.2 million euros [$2.5 million USD]. It is made of various materials: Karelian birch, oil painting, gilded silver, gold with enamel, pearls, emerald, ruby and sapphires.
It has been exhibited only once, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1977, after which it was stored in the collection of the art dealer Leon Greenberg.
The Society of Friends of the Louvre decided to acquire and donate the icon to the museum “as part of a wider €4 million sponsorship programme aimed at supporting the museum’s major projects, including the creation of a new Department of Byzantine and Christian Oriental Arts”, which is scheduled to open in 2027.
“It will be one of the major works of the new department of the museum, because of its history and its creation by one of the most prestigious goldsmiths of the House of Fabergé, famous for his decorative eggs that marked the end of the Romanov reign,” said a spokesperson for the Louvre Museum
Based in Paris, France the Société des amis du Louvre is a voluntary association created in 1897 whose purpose is to purchase objects of artistic, archaeological or historical value for the museum. It is the largest private patron of the Louvre: today the Society has 67,000 members, , mostly in France, whose contributions and donations allow it to have an annual budget for the acquisition of works of art in the amount of about 3 million euros.
Today – 8th April 2025 – I received the most wonderful and unexpected surprise from the nuns at the Diaconești Monastery in Moldavia, Romania. This beautiful colour drawing and personalised inscription was gifted to me by Sisters Seraphima, Ovidiu and Ioana in recognition for my helping to promote the English language edition of their book The True Story of the Romanov Family, which was published last year by the monastery’s publishing division.
The illustrations were hand painted by the nuns, and framed in a large wooden diptych. Each panel is covered with glass. The diptych has hinges, which allow it to be closed like a book and secured with a clasp.
On the left side of the diptych, Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna are depicted in their Coronation robes and crowns, standing under the Coat-of-Arms of the Russian Empire. The Tsar is depicted holding the Imperial Sceptre and Orb of the Russian Coronation Regalia.
In a separate letter, Sister Seraphima wrote:
“I sincerely believe that it was the Imperial Family themselves who sent you this gift through us, as a token of gratitude for the effort and love you have shown toward them. Our gift was meant, above all, as a gesture of appreciation for your dedication. But of course, it was also a sign of our thanks for helping promote our book—because it is clear that we share the same purpose.
“We chose the Coronation scene specifically for this gift. You may already know that the illustration you received is not only an original one from our book, but also a reproduction of an actual invitation used at the time of Their Majesties’ Coronation. We picked this image because we knew you already own the coronation book, and we felt it would be a fitting complement.”
On the right side of the diptych, under the Holy icon is a personalized inscription, which upon reading moved me to tears. It reads . . .
Dear Paul
Through tireless work, so true and bright, You share the Romanovs’ gentle light. Their legacy, through time restored, In every tale and treasured word.
With gratitude, we warmly say, Your light still shines along the way. The past preserved, the story lives, A gift of love, your heart still gives.
With gratitude, Sister Seraphima, Ovidiu and Ioana
Publishing House Bonifaciu Romania
I would like to note, that my more than 30 years of research and writing are all part of my personal mission to help clear the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar and his family. While I have never aspired for awards or honours, I cannot deny that it is truly humbling to receive recognition for my efforts by means of a gift such as this.
I believe that it is very important for me to show my support for any event, exhibition, documentary and publishing project which present not only the truth about Emperor Nicholas II and his family, but also keep their memory alive. These are the reasons why I helped to promote The True Story of the Romanov Family on my blog, social media and to those who subscribe to my bi-weekly news updates. This beautifully illustrated graphic study is unique, and a must read for any one who shares an interest in the Holy Royal Martyrs.
PHOTO: “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” by Sergei Malinovsky
On 1st April 2025, Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas attended the official unveiling cermony of the painting “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival”, in the restored bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral situated of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
The head of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia was accompanied by the artist Sergei Viktorovich Malinovsky [b. 1959], who is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia.
The ceremony was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the revival of the historical tradition established by Emperor Peter the Great of honouring the memory of Kuzma Minin (1570s-1615), a nobleman, who in 1612 headed the militia which liberated Moscow from foreign invaders.
PHOTO: detail of “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” which depicts President Vladimir Putin, Emperor Nicholas II and Peter the Great, among others.
Sergei Malinovsky conducted a study of the activities of Peter the Great, bringing together the patriotic deeds of other Russian rulers, who honoured the memory of Kuzma Minin, the Russian national hero, who united the people and the government in the defense of the country and its historical memory.
The painting “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” was painted in oil on canvas, measuring 160 x 100 centimeters [5.3 ft. x 3.3 ft.].
In the foreground are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emperor Peter the Great, who, kneeling, lights a candle on the tombstone of Kuzma Minin’s grave. Numerous other Russian historical leaders are also depicted.
In life, Emperor Nicholas I, Emperor Alexander III, Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, all honored the memory of Kuzma Minin.
PHOTO: Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas (left) attends the unveiling ceremony of “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” by Sergei Malinovsky in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
The canvas also contains the banners of the militia of 1612, 1812, 1855 and the Victory Banner of 1945. Above the crucifixion which includes a piece of the Cross of the Lord, donated by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky to the Transfiguration Monastery in the village of Pureh, the following are depicted in the golden heavenly light: Kuzma Minin, holding the cap of Monomakh, as a symbol of the people who did not allow the fall of Russian statehood; St. Sergius of Radonezh, who appeared three times in visions to Minin, calling him to podvig; the “initial man” of the Muscovite state of that time, representing the spiritual power, the Hieromartyr Patriarch Germogen, according to whose charters the first (Lyapunov-Ryazan) and second (Minin-Nizhny Novgorod) people’s militias were raised; Archangel Michael, the heavenly patron of Nizhny Novgorod.
Portrait of Major General Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1913-14) Artist: unknown. Private Collection.
Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1868-1947) was a member of His Imperial Majesty’s Retinue, and served as Palace Commandant from 1913 to 1917. He was one of the most trusted associates of Emperor Nicholas II.
Vladimir was born in Tsarskoye Selo on 15th (O.S. 2nd) August 1868, to the family of cavalry general Nikolai Vasilievich Voeikov (1832-1898) and Princess Varvara Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (1840-1909), daughter of the Moscow Governor-General Vladimir Andreevich Dolgorukov (1810-1891).
He was educated in the Corps of Pages, after which, on 7th August 1887, he was released as a cornet in the Chevalier Guard Regiment.
In 1894, he married Eugenia Vladimirovna Frederiks (1867-1950), a maid of honour at the Russian Imperial Court (1890); and the eldest daughter of the Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Fredericks (1838-1927). In society, everyone called her Nina. The couple had no children.
PHOTO: Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Fredericks (left), with his son-in-law Vladimir Voeikov(right), Livadia1914
PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II with Vladimir Voeikov. Livadia1914
Vladimir Voeikov enjoyed a successful and prestigious career, in which he received numerous promotions. In August 1891, he was appointed lieutenant, from April 1898 as headquarters captain and from May 1901 he was promoted to the rank of captain. He served as squadron commander for 5 years and 1 month, then as head of the education school for 5 years and 6 months.
From November 1905, he served as assistant commander of the Chevalier Guard Regiment, and in December 1905, he was promoted to colonel. In 1906 he was appointed adjutant wing to His Imperial Majesty.
From August 1907, Vladimir served as Commander of His Majesty’s Life Guards Hussar Regiment. In December 1909, Emperor Nicholas II promoted him to the position of major general and enrollment in His Imperial Majesty’s retinue.
Upon the birth of the Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918), Voeikov was named godfather to the Emperor’s only son and heir. In 1910 Vladimir began the construction of a summer residence for his godson, located on his estate, located in the Penza region.
PHOTO: after decades of neglect by its Soviet caretakers, Vladimir Voeikov’s unfinished palace for his godson Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, today lies in ruins
The general plan of the estate initially consisted of three buildings (palace, a secondary building, and stables). The palace was designed in the style of an Italian villa, which included a park with rare trees and fountains. The palace consisted of two stories high, made in the neoclassical style, with a rotunda, surrounded by a balustrade and sloping stairs which led to the front entrance.
In 1917, the still unfinished palace was nationalized and placed at the disposal of the local Soviets, who used the building for a variety of purposes up until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The building has survived to the present day, however, it is in a terrible state of disrepair, despite the fact that the palace is recognized as a monument of history and culture of regional significance.
After the formation of the Russian Olympic Committee in 1912, Vladimir Voikov was elected its honorary chairmanm on 24th December 1913.
In 1913, Voeikov founded a mineral water bottling plant on his Kuvaka estate in the Penza region, with an annual production of 100 thousand bottles of water. The Voeikov estate was located on the territory of the modern city of Kamenka (Penza region) . During the war, Vladimir won a contract for the supply of his mineral water to the front and to hospitals.
PHOTO: in happier times, Vladimir and his wife Eugenia, wearing 17th century dress for the Costume Ball, held in February 1903, at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
During the February Revolution, Vladimir was arrested, and held under arrest, first in the Tauride Palace, then in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Petrograd, where he was interrogated by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the Provisional Government. He was subsequently released, but in the summer of 1918, under the threat of arrest by the Bolsheviks, he hid in the hospital of St. Panteleimon for the mentally ill, from where he kept in touch with his relatives.
In September 1918, having learned about the arrest of his wife, he fled to the Crimea , from where he went into exile, first to Romania, and then to Finland, where he lived at Dr. Botkin’s dacha in Terijoki (Terijoki), now Zelenogorsk. After leaving Finland, Voeikov moved to Sweden. During his years in exile, Voeikov wrote his memoirs С царем и без царя / With the Tsar and Without the Tsar [see below], published in in Helsinki in Russian in 1936.
In June 1919, during the offensive of General N. N. Yudenich on Petrograd, Vladimir’s wife Eugenia was arrested and transported to Moscow. She was held in a concentration camp in the Ivanovsky Monastery. [situated in central Moscow, inside the Boulevard Ring, to the west of Kitai-gorod]. In 1925 she received permission to leave the USSR, whereupon she moved to Finland with her father and sister. From 1939 she lived with her husband in Helsinki. In 1946 they moved to Sweden and settled in Danderyd.
Vladimir Voeikov died on 8th October 1947, and was buried in a local cemetery in the town of Djursholm, situated in the suburbs of Stockholm. Eugenia died in 1950 and was buried next to her husband. Later, their remains were reburied at the Kauniainen City Cemetery, in the same grave of Count Vladimir Fredericks – who died in 1927.
PHOTO: the proposed cover of the English translation, features this photo of Emperor Nicholas II and Vladimir Voeikov at the Stavka, the headquarters of the Russian Imperial Army, in Mogilev. 1915-1916
I am currently in the process of having WITH THE TSAR AND WITHOUT THE TSAR by Major General Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1868-1947), translated from Russian to English.
Originally published in Russian in 1936, this will be the first English translation of the sad but captivating story, about the man who, from 1913-1917, served as the last palace commandant to Emperor Nicholas II. Voeikov was the son-in-law of the Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Borisovich Frederiks (1838-1927). He was one of the few men at Court, who remained faithful to the Tsar.
His memoirs describe the events the February and October 1917 revolutions and their consequences for the Russian Empire and the Tsar; foreign policy intrigues and the chain of events that led to the First World War and Russia’s participation in it; Court vanity and envy; the private lives of the Tsar and his family at Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo and Livadia; and Voeikov’s ordeals as he fled Bolshevik Russia.
Translations are very costly – this book is 330 pages – which is why I am reaching out to those who share an interest in the life and reign of Nicholas II.
Please consider making a donation to help fund the translation of Voeikov’s memoirs, a very important historical record on the life and reign of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.
Nicholas II 
You must be logged in to post a comment.