Month: October 2025

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich – the Perm Period (1918)

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: poster for the exhibition Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. The Perm Period

After years of planning, a permanent historical and archival exhibition dedicated to the fate of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, his faithful secretary Nicholas Johnson[1] and the tragic events of June 1918[2], has opened in the building of the former Korolev Rooms Hotel in Perm.

The first of the Romanovs to fall at the hands of the Bolsheviks was Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Emperor Nicholas II. His fate is inextricably linked with Perm, where he spent the last months of his life – from March to June 1918 – and subsequently murdered[2].

The historical and archival exhibition Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich: The Perm Period is designed to shed light on this episode in early 20th century Russian history. This exhibition is not just a collection of documents and photographs, but instead, takes a hard look into the drama of a man who finds himself in the epicenter of a historical hurricane.

The exhibition is unique in its reliance on authentic archival documents, many of which are exhibited for the first time. It debunks myths and restores a chronology of events based on documented facts. Visitors have the opportunity to learn, not only about the fate of the Grand Duke, but also to understand the atmosphere of that time, the motives of the characters and the fatal chain of events that led to his murder. For Perm, this exhibition is of particular importance, as it reveals one of the darkest and most significant pages in the history of the city.

The choice of the place for the exhibition was selected not accidental – the venue is situatedd in the building of the former Korolev Rooms Hotel[3], where the Grand Duke passed the last few weeks of his life.

PHOTO: view of one of the halls showcasing the exhibition Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. The Perm Period

The creation of the permanent exhibition is the first step towards a museum dedicated to Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. The project is a monumental effort which has united historians, archivists, local historians, museum workers, members of the Russian Orthodox Church, public figures and supported by local and regional government authorities.

For the first time, visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to gain access to the former Korolev Rooms Hotel, where they can view a large number of unique documents and photographs, and see a replica of the military uniform worn by the Grand Duke during his service as Commander in the Caucasian Native Cavalry Division.

Visitors can also watch a unique archival newsreel depicting Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, see 3D models of the signs of charitable societies of which he was a trustee, as well as hear audio recordings of the memories of participants and eyewitnesses of the events of June 1918.

The exhibition is a joint project of the Foundation for the Revival of the Elisabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO), the Perm State Archive of Social and Political History, the Perm Museum of Local Lore, and the Central Exhibition Hall of Perm.

PHOTO: entrance to the exhibition in the former Korolev Rooms Hotel, where from May 1918, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and his faithful secretary Nicholas Johnson, were held under house arrest.

The historical and archival exhibition Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich: Perm Period is much more than a collection of old papers and photographs. This is a powerful and poignant reminder of the human tragedy that unfolded against the backdrop of global historical cataclysms. It allows visitors to not only learn the facts about the final days of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, but to feel and to breathe the era, its cruelty and uncertainty.

NOTES:

[1] Despite his British-sounding first and last names, Nicholas Nikolaevich Johnson (1878-1918) was actually Russian, he was born in St. Petersburg and baptized in the Russian Orthodox faith. He served as Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich’s private secretary from December 1912.

[2] On the night of 12/13 June 1918, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, together with his secretary Nikolai Johnson, were taken to a forest outside Perm, and murdered by the leader of the local secret police, Gavril Myasnikov, with the connivance of other local Bolsheviks. Their remains have never been found. In 1981, Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).

[3] In 1998, a memorial plaque to Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was installed on the façade of the former Korolev Rooms Hotel in Perm.

FURTHER READING:

Search for Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich’s remains resumes near Perm + PHOTOS

The myth that Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich was Russia’s last Tsar

© Paul Gilbert. 31 October 2025

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MISHA: GRAND DUKE MICHAEL ALEXANDROVICH
Compiled and Edited by Paul Gilbert

Paperback edition. 136 pages + 50 black & white photographs

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PAPERBACK EDITION

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (1878-1918) was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, and the younger brother of Russia’s last emperor Nicholas II.

This book explores the milestones in the life of Grand Duke Michael in a series of essays by four distinct authors, and complemented with 50 black and white photographs.

Among them are the memories of Princess Olga Pavlovna Putyatina, who in February 1917, offered refuge to the grand duke at her flat on Millionnaya Street in Petrograd.

Independent researcher Paul Gilbert offers two fascinating essays: the first reviews an album of some 200 photographs taken by Grand Duke Michael, during his stay at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. England, 1913-1914 . The album sold at auction for more than 2 million rubles ($34,000 USD).

The final essay examines the myth that Michael was the last Tsar of Russia, he was not. Nicholas II remained Emperor and Tsar of Russia until the day of his death and martyrdom on 17th July 1918.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and his Secretary Nikolai Nikolaevich Johnson, were both murdered by the Bolsheviks near Perm on 13 June 1918. Their remains have never been found.

Imperial Family photo-exhibition opens in Vyselki

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

NOTE: click on the above image to enlarge and see in greater detail

On 22nd October 2025, the photo-exhibition ‘The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy‘, opened in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory.

The exhibition is showcased in the central alley of the Church, where large photographs of Emperor Nicholas II and his family are displayed on the walls. The exhibition is FREE to all.

The exhibit tells the story of the Nicholas II’s family, who unselfishly served others during the First World War and the traditions of nursing in Russia at the turn of the 19th – early 20th centuries.

Recall that when World War I broke out, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her two eldest daughters Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana became Red Cross nurses. Together, from 1914 to 1917, they cared for wounded soldiers in a private hospital on the grounds of Tsarskoye Selo, until the family were placed under house arrest, following the Tsar’s abdication 15th March (O.S. 2nd March) 1917.

PHOTO: 3rd grade students of school No. 2 in Vyselki together with their teacher visit the photo-exhibition ‘The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy’

The exhibition has already been visited by 3rd grade students of school No. 2 in Vyselki together with their teacher Irina Fostenko.

The children listened with interest to the story told by Father Alexander about the service of the Imperial Family to the Fatherland, and about Nicholas II’s family, helping soldiers, the poor and the sick during the war years.

The photo project The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy was created in 2016 by the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. The travelling exhibition has already been presented in Serbia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Czech Republic.

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*As I have noted in previous posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in 21st century Russia – PG

© Paul Gilbert. 30 October 2025

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s photo album sells for 13 million rubles at auction

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On 15th October 2025, I reported that a rare photo album belonging to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) was being auctioned on 23rd October 2025, at the Literary Fund Auction House (Litfond) in St. Petersburg.

The opening bid for the album was 10 million rubles [$125,600 USD], but collectors bidding against one another, managed to drive the price even higher. The photo album sold for 13 million rubles [$163,000 USD], to an unknown Russian bidder.

The lilac-coloured album includes 12 pages with 26 photographs of the Imperial Family taken by the Empress herself, using her Kodak Brownie Box camera. The photos were taken in 1913-1914 in the Crimea and Tsarskoye Selo.  The size of the album is 24.5×20 cm, the photographs are from 8.5×5.3 to 11.8×9.3 cm. All the photos were personally pasted into the album by Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II.

This album is one of only two of the Imperial Family’s photo albums, known to the author of this article, that was not included in the state archival funds. The other photo album belonging to Emperor Nicholas II in the Museum of Local Lore in Zlatoust, which is situated 270 kilometers (168 mi) south of Ekaterinburg. 

On a personal note, I am happy that the photo album was purchased by a Russian buyer, rather than sold abroad to a foreign collector. Let us hope, that the album will be gifted to a museum – preferably the Alexander Palace, from where it was taken in August 1917, when the Imperial Family were sent into exile.

FURTHER READING:

Photo album belonging to Russia’s last Empress to be auctioned in St. Petersburg + PHOTOS

© Paul Gilbert. 29 October 2025

Why are so few Russian language books on the Romanovs not available in English?

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

Earlier this month, a new book Персидский дневник. 1917–1918 / Persian Diary. 1917–1918, was published in Russia. The 688-page, Russian language title presents the diaries of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich (1891-1942), who was exiled to Persia as punishment for his involvement in the murder of Grigorii Rasputin in November 1916. Ironically, the Tsar’s punishment, actually saved Dmitri from sharing the same fate as that of many of his relatives.

The publication of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich’s Persian diaries, is just the latest in a plethora of books about Nicholas II, the Romanovs and Imperial Russia, which Russian publishers have issued over the past 30+ years. These titles are prominently displayed in bookshops, such as Dom Knigi (House of Books) in Mosocw and St. Petersburg. Sadly, none of these books will ever be translated into English.

These include biographies and studies, collections of letters, diaries, exhibition catalogues and high-quality coffee table books, many of them richly illustrated with vintage black and white or full colour photographs.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the publication of books on the Romanovs by Russian publishers has resulted in hundreds of new titles. These books are based primarily on research made by a new generation of Russian historian, who now have access to the Romanov Archives, which were sealed during the Soviet years.

But, why are none of these books translated into English? Well, there are currently two main reasons, that I will address in this post . . . .

Foreign rights and translation costs

First, and probably most importantly, are the translation and production costs, but also a limited readership in the West. Despite the success of Robert K. Massie‘s classic bestseller Nicholas and Alexandra in 1967, books on the Romanov’s has a very limited audience in the West, particularly with books on the more obscure members of the Imperial Family.

In the first few decades after the murder of Russia’s last Tsar in 1918, Western publishers were anxious to publish the first English-lanaguage translations, written by members of the Imperial Family, their retinue, and others, who escaped Bolshevik Russia. These days, however, are long gone, I am afraid.

The publishing world has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Having worked in the publishing industry in both Canada and the UK, for many years, I have been witness to these changes, and the interest and demand for books on the Romanov’s and Imperial Russia. During my years in the industry, I have seen many of the old traditional publishing houses fold, or swallowed up by competitors.

Academic publishing houses, i.e. university presses, publish new titles on the Romanov’s and Imperial Russia, especially historical, social and political studies during the era of Emperor Nicholas II, during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. These titles, usually have limited print runs of several hundred or several thousand copies, which is one of the reasons why, they are so expensive to purchase.

If we are to see any of the books (seen on this page) ever published in English, it is going to take one of the larger, more established publishing houses, such as Weidenfeld & Nicolson (UK) – who translated and published A Lifelong Passion (1996), to step up to the plate, and take the risk of offering the small, but demanding readership, who are hungry for anything new on the subject’s.

Probably the number one reason is simply the translation costs involved, the diaries and letters in particular. First of all, the author would have to receive an advance, then legal fees would have to be dispensed, then the actual translation itself – we are talking thousands of dollars. All these combined, make such projects economically prohibitive.

Given the current economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia, there could be no financial transactions, such as royalties to the author, etc., whatsoever.

Western economic and cultural sanctions

Secondly, following Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was hit with sweeping sanctions from the European Union, Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, among other countries. While these sanctions have had little impact on Russia’s economy, they have dealt a heavy blow to the exchange of cultural events.

These sanctions have had a devastating effect on cultural events, which we have enjoyed over the years, including ballet, opera, symphonies, exhibitions, films and even the publishing industry. At the present moment, no Western publisher would dare enter into negotiation with a Russian publisher for foreign rights and translation of a book, written by a Russian author.

In addition, the cost to import books from Russia has become more expensive, this in part is due to former President Joe Biden, who in June 2022, imposed a 35% U.S. tariff rate on certain Russian imports, which include book.

© Paul Gilbert. 20 October 2025

Vintage train from Ekaterinburg, tells the story of Nicholas II’s last days

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: a pin – depicting the image of Nicholas II
– worn by conductors on the vintage train from Ekaterinburg.

In December 2022, a vintage train journey was initiated from Ekaterinburg, which tells passengers, the story of the last days of Nicholas II and his family in the Urals. The train runs from Ekaterinburg to the Shuvakish station and back, on Friday evenings, and also on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The locomotive (see photo below) is not from the Imperial times, but a 1963 steam engine, made in Czechoslovakia. The interiors, however, have been remodeled to resemble that of an early 20th century Russian train.

Passengers travelling on the vintage train are greeted on the platform by hospitable conductors wearing uniforms of early 20th century Imperial Russia-style, and white gloves (see photo below).

The train has four wagons: First Class, Economy Class, a dining car (see photo below) and a sightseeing car, which operates during the summer months. One compartment is decorated with framed photographs of the Imperial Family.

During the 3-hour train journey, passengers can sit back, relax and enjoy the view, while listening to an audio-guide, which tells the story of the last days of Russia’s last Tsar, his family and their four faithful retainers.

The audio begins with the Imperial Family’s train journey from Tsarskoye Selo to Tyumen, then by boat to Tobolsk, where they were held under house arrest in the former Governor’s House, from August 1917 to March 1918.

The story continues, with the transfer of the Imperial Family to Ekaterinburg, where they were held under house arrest in the Ipatiev House, from March to July 1918. The audio-guide further tells of their fate, their burial at what is today known as Ganina Yama, and the discovery of their remains, almost 100 years later on the Old Koptyaki Road.

Tea is served to passengers from a traditional samovar. Conductors bring the tea in beautiful faceted glasses in iron cup holders, on which the Double-Headed Eagle of the Russian Empire is depicted.

The train stops at Shuvakish Station (Zheleznodorozhny district), where passengers are free to disembark the train to a wooden platform, decorated with benches, a bell and a manual semaphore signal. The stop lasts a little more than an hour.

Inside the wooden pavilion, passengers can enjoy music, which includes a variety of waltzes and melodies from the repertoire of Alexander Serov.

Passengers can also try on the uniforms of the White Guards, take photos, and enjoy a cup of hot tea, bagels and local berries.

PHOTO: tea is served at Shuvakish Station

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*As I have noted in previous posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in 21st century Russia – PG

© Paul Gilbert. 19 October 2025

State visit by Elizabeth II to Russia, 17-20 October 1994

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Queen Elizabeth II being warmly greeted by Muscovites,
during her visit to Moscow in October 1994

On 17th October 1994, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Moscow, marking the first and so far only visit by a reigning British monarch on Russian soil.

The only previous visit by a British monarch to Russia was made by King Edward VII in 1908. The King never stepped ashore, and met Nicholas II on royal yachts off the Baltic port of what is now Tallinn, Estonia

Queen Elizabeth II’s four-day visit to Russia, from 17th to 20th October 1994, hosted by the President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007), is considered one of the most important foreign trips of the Queen’s 70-yeaar reign.

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II and Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia are related through their shared ancestry. Her Majesty is a first cousin twice removed to Nicholas II. This connection is a result of their marriages to each other’s relatives, with Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the future Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, Nicholas II’s wife, being the granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

The brutal murders of Emperor Nicholas II and his family in 1918, prevented royal trips from being made to Russia and the former Soviet Union. In 1967, when Prince Philip was asked if he would go to Moscow to help ease Cold War tensions, he said:

“I’d very much like to go to Russia – although the bastards murdered half my family”.

In September 1973, Prince Philip attended the European Eventing Championships in Kiev as president of the International Equestrian Federation with his daughter, Princess Anne. They became the first British royal family members to visit the Soviet Union since Nicholas II’s murder.

PHOTO: Boris Yeltsin and Queen Elizabeth II touring the Kremlin Museums in Moscow

In 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev made an official visit to the United Kingdom in which he met Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen and Gorbachev met again in July 1991 at the 17th G7 summit in London. Despite this the Queen declined an invitation by Gorbachev to visit the Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Prince Charles visited St Petersburg in May 1994 and the Queen accepted an invitation by President Boris Yeltsin to visit the country in October 1994.

During her visit to Russia, Russian media focused on the Queen and her popularity in the United Kingdom with newspaper and television coverage of the visit continuing for several days. It was during and after her visit, that the subject of restoring the monarchy in Russia was openly discussed, Some polls showing 18% of Russians favoured a return to monarchy. In a similar poll, taken in 2019, more than 27% of Russians support the restoration of the monarchy. Following the visit, a Russian monarchist party announced that it had amassed 800,000 signatures in support of a referendum on whether a constitutional monarchy should be established in Russia.

Prince Philip said monarchy had thrived in Britain due to it being apolitical while the Tsar “was, by constitution, the autocrat.” Philip was not convinced that people in Russia would want to return to monarchy, despite the presence of monarchist parties.

It is interesting to note, that in 1998, President Boris Yeltsin had considered restoring the monarchy in Russia, but was later dissuaded from the idea.

FURTHER READING: Russia after Putin – would he restore the monarchy?

In the photo above, President Boris Yeltsin makes the official presentation of a copy of The Romanovs, Love, Power & Tragedy to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Moscow.

PHOTO: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive at
Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on 17th October 1994

EVENTS

Queen Elizabeth II was greeted at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow by First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets and a guard of honour. Yeltsin and his wife, Naina, formally welcomed the royal couple at St. George’s Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace, in Moscow. The royal couple stayed in the Grand Kremlin Palace – the former Moscow residence of Emperor Nicholas II – as Yeltsin’s guests. The Queen attended a performance of Giselle at the Bolshoi Ballet, sitting in the Tsar’s Box underneath the State Emblem of the Soviet Union [this has since been replaced by the Russian Double-Headed Eagle]. Her Majesty wore a tiara she had acquired herself instead of one of her tiaras she had acquired elsewhere such as the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara to not cause offence.

PHOTO: Queen Elizabeth II and President Boris Yeltsin in
the Tsar’s Box at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow

The following day, the Queen toured the Kremlin Museums and Red Square and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin Wall commemorating World War II casualties. Elizabeth II met the mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov (1936-2019) outside of St Basil’s Cathedral and she also met His Holiness Patriarch Alexi II (1929-2008), the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

PHOTO: Patriarch Alexei II and Queen Elizabeth II. Moscow, 18th October 1994

Later that everning, the royal couple attended a state banquet hosted by President Boris Yeltsin. At the banquet, the Queen addressed Yeltsin and said:

“You and I have spent most of our lives believing that this evening could never happen. I hope that you are as delighted as I am to be proved wrong“.

Boris Yeltsin said the visit was to Russia was the “utmost recognition that our country is on the road to democracy” and his chief spokesman Vyacheslav Kostikov said the Queen’s visit was evidence of Russia’s break with its totalitarian past. Kostikov added they were aware that the British queen would never have visited a Communist country. 

The Queen flew to St Petersburg on 19th October, where she visited the Peter and Paul Fortress and the State Hermitage Museum.

PHOTO: Queen Elizabeth II admires the gilded Coronation carriage of Empress Catherine the Great in the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, departed Russia aboard the royal yacht, HMY Britannia on 20th October 1994.[11] Before returning to the United Kingdom, she made an official visit to Finland.

PHOTO: the royal yacht, HMY Britannia, docked
on the Neva in St Petersburg

In her 1994 Christmas Message, the Queen reflected on how times had changed, noting she “never thought it would be possible in [her] lifetime” to attend a service in St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow Prince Philip made a solo visit to Russia in July 1995 as president of the World Wildlife Fund. In 2003, the Queen hosted President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to the United Kingdom and in 2014 they both met again during an event commemorating D-Day in France.

© Paul Gilbert. 17 October 2025

Photo album belonging to Russia’s last Empress to be auctioned in St. Petersburg

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On 23rd October 2025, a unique photo album of the last Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), the wife of Nicholas II, will be put up for auction at the Literary Fund Auction House (Litfond) in St. Petersburg. The starting bid is set at 10 million rubles [$127,000 USD], although it is expected to sell for much more.

The album includes 12 pages with 26 photographs of the Imperial Family taken by the Empress herself, using her Kodak Brownie Box camera. The photos were taken in 1913-1914 in the Crimea and Tsarskoye Selo.  The size of the album is 24.5×20 cm, the photographs are from 8.5×5.3 to 11.8×9.3 cm. All the photos were personally pasted into the album by Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II.

The lilac-coloured cover of the album is decorated with a metal coat of arms of the Russian Empire, inlaid with five precious stones – ruby, turquoise, pearls, demantoid and chrysolite, each of which symbolizes one of the five children of the August Couple.

The Empress purchased the album at a charity bazaar in Yalta in 1913, a record of which is recorded in her own handwritting has been preserved on the inside front cover. Until 1917, the album was in the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, and then was taken by Alexandra Feodorovna into exile to Tobolsk.

In the autumn of 1917, Alexandra presented the album to the dentist of the Imperial Family, Sergei Sergeievich Kostritsky (1875-1944). After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Kostritsky found himself abroad, in Nice, France, where he befriended members of the His Majesties Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. In 2003, the photo album was returned to Russia by Nikita Tuchkov, and three years later it was acquired by a private collector.

This album is one of only two of the Imperial Family’s photo albums, known to the author of this article, that was not included in the state archival funds. The other photo album belonging to Emperor Nicholas II in the Museum of Local Lore in Zlatoust, which is situated 270 kilometers (168 mi) south of Ekaterinburg. 

Below, are six pages from the album, featuring just some of the 26 photos:

Sergey Burmistrov, who serves as General Director of Litfond, noted: “The starting price is high, but this album has probably generated the most interest in this auction, one of great historial significance. We have informed both the state archives and museums in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Crimea, and we do not rule out that they may be interested in bidding on this album.”

Let us all hope, that this photo album, which has such a close personal connection to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, does not end up in another private collection, but instead, is purchased by or for one of the museums or palaces, where it will be put on display for visitors to see and researchers to study.

AUCTION RESULTS – 23rd October 2025

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s photo album sells for 13 million rubles at auction

© Paul Gilbert. 15 October 2025

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While my research is dedicated to clearing the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar, I am also actively looking for articles and news stories on the Romanovs, from Russian archival and media sources, which may be of interest to my readers.

In exchange for this 18-page booklet, please consider making a small $5 or $10 donation in aid of my research. These donations are of great assistance in helping me offset the cost of obtaining and translating documents from Russian archival sources, which are often paid for out of my own pocket. It is these documents which help present new facts and information on the life and reign of Nicholas II. In addition, my research continues to debunking many of the myths and lies which exist more than a century after his death and martyrdom.

Please note, that there is NO obligation, thank you for your consideration!

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

Nicholas II monuments in and around Ekaterinburg

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

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.

PHOTOS: two views (above and below) of the bust-monument to Emperor Nicholas II, in the Patriarchal Compound of the Church on the Blood

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 temporarily 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.

PHOTO: the bust-monument to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, in the Patriarchal Compound of the Church on the Blood

Ekaterinburg museums

PHOTO: Bust of Emperor Nicholas II on display at the Hermitage-Ural Museum in Ekaterinburg – a branch of the State Hermitage (St. Petersburg)

PHOTO: a copy of the “The Night at the Ipatiev House” sculptural composition by Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli (1934-2025), greets visitors to the permanent exhibition ‘The Romanovs in the Urals‘ located in the Poklevsky-Kozell House Museum in Ekaterinburg.

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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 (above) of Emperor Nicholas II was installed and consecrated on 19th (O.S. 6th) May 2008, the day marking the sovereign’s 90th birthday. A bas-relief (below) depicting Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her five children, is located on the lower section of the monument to Emperor Nicholas II

The bronze monument (above) to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was installed and consecrated in 2011.

The bronze monument (above) 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.

© Paul Gilbert. 13 October 2025

Russian President honors the memory of the Emperors of All Russia

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On 7th October 2025, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, marked his 73rd birthday, with a visit to the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, where he paid homage to the Emperors and Empresses of All Russia.

The President, who was on a working trip to the Northwestern Federal District, was accompanied by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Active State Counselor of the Russian Federation 1st Class A.R. Belousov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General V.V. Gerasimov, Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Army General A.V. Bortnikov and a number of other high-ranking military officials.

The rector of the cathedral, Archimandrite Alexander (Fedorov), served a moleben [a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving] at the tomb of the Most Pious Right-Believing Emperor Peter I Alexeevich (1672-1725).

President Putin laid a bouquet of red roses on the tombstone of Emperor Peter I the Great, whose death on 10th February (O.S. 28th January 2025, marked the 300th anniversary of his death. Note: Peter the Great was only 52 years of age, when he died of uremia or azotemia. An autopsy revealed his bladder to be infected with gangrene.

“I decided to begin this working visit to the region today from here, because this is the burial vault of those people who, in fact, made modern Russia,” said Putin.

Putin and the Romanovs

Vladimir Putin is the first Russian leader to honour the Romanov Emperors and Emperors. While his predecessor Boris Yeltsin attended the burial of Emperor Nicholas II on 17th July 1998, Yeltsin was also the one responsible for the demolition of the Ipatiev House in September 1977.

Since taking office, Putin has touched on the subject of the Romanovs, who ruled Russia for more than 300 years, on numerous occasions, during speaking engagements or honouring them during the installation of monuments.

On 25th January 2016, while speaking at an inter-regional forum of the All-Russia People’s Front, Vladimir Putin denounced Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, for “brutally executing Russia’s last Tsar along with all his family and servants”. Putin further criticized Lenin, accusing him of placing a “time bomb” under the state, and sharply denouncing brutal repressions by the Bolshevik government, murdering thousands of priests and innocent civilians.

On 4th May 2017, the memorial cross marking the spot where Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assassinated in 1905, was restored in a ceremony that was attended by President Vladimir Putin. Recall that the original memorial cross was installed in 1908 by his wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna at the place were her husband was assassinated on 17th February (O.S. 4th February) 1905. T

On 18th November 2017, Putin unveiled a monument to Emperor Alexander III on the site of the Small (wooden) Palace at Livadia, Crimea.

On 5th June 2021, a new monument to Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894) was unveiled on Arsenal Square in front of Gatchina Palace. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally took part in the unveiling and dedication of the monument.

In May 2025, while this author was watching an interview, a framed portrait of Emperor Alexander III on the mantlepiece caught my eye. It is interesting to note that Alexander III is one of the few Russian Tsars in which he most admires.

Sadly, Putin holds a negative assessment of the 22+ year reign of Emperor Nicholas II, one which reflects that of the old Bolshevik and Soviet history books, which is based on propaganda and lies.

In addition, Putin has visited and toured the former Romanov palaces at Tsarskoye Selo, including the Alexander Palace. Not only has he supported the restoration of the Alexander Palace, he was instrumental in securing funding for the project.

FURTHER READING:

Putin, the Church and the last Tsar

Russia after Putin: would he restore the monarchy? + PHOTOS

The unholy alliance of Maria and Vlad

Putin’s Russia and the ghost of the Romanovs + VIDEO

© Paul Gilbert. 10 October 2025

The marriage that shocked the Russian Empire

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna

On 8th October (O.S. 25th September) 1905, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia (1876-1938) married his paternal first cousin Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (1876-1936).

Princess Victoria Melita was raised in the Anglican faith but was later confirmed in the German Lutheran church by her mother. This means she was raised as a Protestant and later formally associated with the Lutheran branch of Protestantism. 

Despite Princess Victoria Melita’s faith, the secret and incestuous marriage [forbidden by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Civil Law of the Russian Empire] took place in the Russian Orthodox chapel at the home of Count Adlerberg in Tegernsee, Bavaria.

The bride had no intentions of accept the Orthodox faith at the conclusion of the marriage, which was required when a foreign princess married a Romanov grand duke. She did not convert to Orthodoxy until nearly two years later, on 30th (O.S 17th) January 1907.

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich was fourth in line to the Russian throne, after Nicholas II, Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and the Tsar’s younger brother Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich.

It was a simple ceremony, attended by Victoria’s mother [Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna], her sister Beatrice, Count Adlerburg, Herr Vinion, along with servants, which included a gentleman-in-waiting, two ladies-in-waiting, and Count Adlerburg’s housekeeper.

Emperor Alexander III’s younger brother and womanizer, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich (1850-1908) attended the wedding, placing the wedding crown over Kirill’s head during the ceremony.

In a letter to her daughter Marie [Queen of Roumania], Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, noted that Victoria “looked very handsome in a very becoming light grey dress and a yellow hat.  She was calmly beaming, very touching to see, very somber. Kirill was “calmly nervous” but also calmly pleased. He shows so little outward feeling, but one saw that he was emotional.”

Grand Duke Kirill noted in his memoirs [My Life on Russia’s Service, Then and Now] , that during the wedding feast, “there was a buzzard raging outside . . . ” Was this an omen?

The marriage shocked, not just the members of the Russian Imperial Family, but the Russian Empire. Further, it caused a scandal in the royal courts of of Great Britain and Europe. The bride, Princess Victoria was divorced from her first husband, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse. Not only was the Hessian grand duke Victoria’s first cousin, he was also Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s brother.

The Empress already disliked her former sister-in-law and first cousin, and defended her brother from rumours about his alleged homosexual orientation, which were being “actively spread” by his wife. Alexandra was not alone in her opposition, her mother-in-law, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was also “appalled at the effrontery of Kirill’s marriage.”

The Emperor’s reaction to this forbidden marriage was immediate: he declared that he would not recognize the marriage, and that the children born in this union would receive the surname of the princes of Kirilovsky, with the title of Serene Highness.

Shortly after Kirill’s return to Russia [from Tegernsee, the Tsar stripped him of his imperial allowance of 100,000 rubles (paid annually) and title of Imperial Highness, his honours and decorations, as well as his position in the Russian Imperial Navy and then banished him from the Russian Empire.

PHOTO: Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna [daughter of Emperor Alexander II], later Duchess of Edinburgh and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, with her daughter Princess Victoria Melita (right) and her son-in-law Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.

Kirill’s marriage to Victoria was in open defiance of the Russian Orthodox Church, which ruled that marriage between first cousins were forbidden. Kirill knew that the Tsar’s younger brother Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich had been forbidden to marry his first cousin, Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but defied both the Church and the Emperor nevertheless.

It should also be noted, that being the daughter of a British prince [her father was Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844-1900)], Princess Victoria was a member of the British Royal Family, and thus required the formal approval of Britain’s King Edward VII to marry Kirill, as required by the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. Victoria openly defied the British King.

In addition, the couple defied the the Civil Law of the Russian Empire, which forbid such a marriage. The couple: both Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and Princess Victoria Melita were both, completely lacking in morals!

Victoria’s mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna [daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia] later wrote to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, that she felt “responsible for having arranged the marriage of Ducky and Kirill,” a decision she regretted.

In 1908, after the death of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich and Victoria’s conversion to Orthodoxy the year prior, Nicholas II restored Kirill to his rank of captain in the Imperial Russian Navy and his position as aide de camp to the Emperor. He was given the title Grand Duke of Russia and from then on his wife was styled as Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna. 

Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna died on 2nd March 1936; Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich died on 12th October 1938.

The couple defied both Emperor Nicholas II, King Edward VII of Great Britain, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church and the Civil Law of the Russian Empire . The couple’s great-granddaughter Maria Vladimirovna, believes that she is “Empress de jure of Russia,” which she most certainly is NOT!!

While this author seldom criticize Nicholas II, it is regrettable that he did not stand firm on upholding the the Pauline Laws, which forbid morganatic marriages by members of the Imperial Family, without the consent of the reigning Emperor. During Nicholas II’s reign, three grand dukes openly defied their Emperor by entering into morganatic marriages: Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich in 1902, his cousin Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich in 1905 and his brother Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich in 1912.

Had he done so, these three grand dukes would have rightfully, been stripped of their imperial allowance of 100,000 rubles, paid annually from the State budget, their title of Imperial Highness, their honours and decorations, and their permanent banishment from the Russian Empire.

© Paul Gilbert. 8 October 2025