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.