PHOTO: Prince Rostislav Romanov [b. 1985] © Dominique Boutin / ТАСС

On 14th March 2017, Dmitri Gorokhov of the Russian media news agency TASS, interviewed Prince Rostislav Romanov [b. 1985], great-grandson of Nicholas II’s sister, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. His Highness answered questions on the 100th anniversary of the abdication of Russia’s last emperor.

Although this interview was recorded more than a decade ago, it remains an interesting read nonetheless. Below is the first English language translation.

– How do you, Your Highness, a descendant of the Romanovs, look at the events that took place on 15th (O.S. 2nd) March 1917?

“On this day a hundred years ago, with the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II from the throne on his own behalf and on behalf of his son, the history of the Romanov dynasty in Russia ended. And even with the passing of time, it is difficult for me to think about this dramatic event without feeling sadness.

“If we turn to the past, we see that history has always consisted of stages. Previously, they were much longer than in the new era. Events in certain countries often served as indicators of general development in the regions. If we look at the events of the early 20th century, we will see the abolition of many monarchies long before 1917.

“For many decades, there were currents that aimed at such changes. In many countries, the end of dynasties took place in different forms. But in Russia it was extraordinarily tragic, and not only for our family. The upheavals caused by it made the whole of Russia suffer.”

“The Emperor could have saved his family by moving to England. But the Romanovs did not receive such an invitation from London…

” I believe that Nicholas II would never have left Russia. He loved her, was faithful to her. Russia was also a family to him, and he could never leave it.

“Let us now return to the trends of the early twentieth century, when many monarchies faced problems. Perhaps this explains London’s instruction to the British ambassador to Russia, George Buchanan: “His Majesty’s Government will not insist on the Emperor and his family coming to England . . . ” At that moment in England, neither the royal family nor the British government could have foreseen the consequences.

“Part of the Romanov family managed to avoid reprisals and gradually started a new life in other countries. But they were never able to return to their homeland and were forced to end their lives in exile, scattered around the world.”

– What image of Nicholas II did your relatives preserve?

“The older generations of our branch of the Romanovs were very close to the Tsar. My great-grandmother, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, was the Tsar’s sister. My great-grandfather, the creator of the Russian Air Force, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, was his brother-in-law.

“My father, Prince of the Imperial Blood Rostislav Rostislavovich (Senior), tried to raise my brother and me and our sister in the traditions of the dynasty, following its values. Nothing was more important to him than family, and in this he was very much like the late sovereign.

“One of the traits of the Tsar’s character was attention to other people. He never lost his composure, always remained steady, calm. This was a great gift.”

PHOTO: Prince Rostislav Romanov admires a portrait of Nicholas II, painted in 1900
by Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865-1911), in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

The eldest among the descendants of the Romanovs, Prince Dimitri Romanovich (1926-2016), did a lot to bring closer the dignified burial of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and his sister Grand Duchess Maria. How does the family feel about these plans today?

“In January, together with other relatives, I participated in the farewell ceremony for Prince Dimitri Romanovich in Copenhagen. At the same time, we decided to continue the work to which the head of the Russian Imperial House gave so much of his strength.

“The eldest in our family, Prince of the Imperial Blood Dimitri Romanovich, believed that the Emperor’s children [Alexei and Maria] should be buried with their parents and sisters. And then the Tsar’s family will finally be able to rest in peace after so many difficult years.

“Christian duty is one of the reasons why the family calls for the burial of the Tsar’s children with their parents. Dimitri Romanovich hoped that this sad page of Russian history would be turned during his lifetime. Unfortunately, he did not live to see this moment. But we believe that he will see it from heaven.”

– You are a representative of the younger generation of the Romanovs. What does it mean to you to belong to this family?

“I often think about it, I have discussed it many times with my family. I think it is very important to preserve the legacy of the family, represented by the Romanov Family Association and the charitable Romanov Fund for Russia.

“We, the Romanovs, are proud of the contribution of our dynasty, which it left to the legacy of eternal Russia. The role of the dynasty has not been consigned to oblivion.

“That is why our association is so dear to us. It helps to maintain family ties, serves as a guide in our attitude to the roots and values of the family, which should never be forgotten. It defines our main goal at this moment, our commitment to the cause that was sacred for the late head of our family, Dimitri Romanovich: the burial in the cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and his sister Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna.

“We must always remember what trials Russia has gone through. It is also very important to help those who need it. I will always be grateful to the late Dimitri Romanovich for creating the Romanov Fund for Russia to come to the aid of those who need such support.

“At a January meeting in Copenhagen with Princess Feodora Alexeevna, who had been with Dimitri Romanovich all these years and shared his concerns, the relatives decided to continue the activities of the Romanov Family Association and the work of the Romanov Fund for Russia.”

You first visited Russia when you were twelve years old. How do you feel today in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

“Coming to both Russian capitals, I feel at home. Russia went through great trials, but retained its soul. And no matter what I do, the Russian soul leads me everywhere,” concluded His Highness.

PHOTO: Prince Dimitri Romanovich (left) and Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich.
April 2015. Cannes, France

***

Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov was born on 21st May 1985 in in Lake Forest, Illinois (USA). He is the second child and eldest son of Prince Rostislav Rostislavovich Romanov (1938–1999) and his wife, Christia Ipsen(b. 1949).

Prince Rostislav belongs to the Mihailovichi branch of the Romanov family as a male line descendant of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia, the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I. He is also a descendant of Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, being the great-grandson of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia (sister of the last Emperor Nicholas II) and her husband Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia. Rostislav has been a member of the Romanov Family Association since 1985 and was a committee member between 2007 and 2013.

In September 2021, Prince Rostislav married Foteini Georganta, married in the Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral in Paris.^[17] The wedding reception took place in the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, a building that briefly housed the Russian Embassy in Paris after the Napoleonic Wars. The couple have one son, Prince Rostislav (born 2013).

In 2009, Prince Rostislav became the first Romanov to move back to Russia, where he lived for two years and studied Russian. He currently splits his time between the United Kingdom and Russia.

 In March, 2023, Rostislav was elected president of the Romanov Family Association. 

© Paul Gilbert. 23 December 2025