Drawing of Emperor Nicholas II (1914)
Artisit: Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev (1878-1927)

Please note that the articles provided (by links) are for information purposes
only, they do not reflect the opinion of the administrator of this blog – PG

Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar Nicholas II, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia, continue to be the subject of books, exhibitions and documentaries. In addition, they continue to generate headlines in the media.

The following articles were published by American and British media services, in the Summer: July, August, and Autumn: September, October, November and December 2025. Click on the title [highlighted in red] below and follow the link to read each respective article:

How was New Year’s Eve celebrated under the Russian empresses? + PHOTOS

What kind of holiday would it be without cannons? Without masquerades and music?! Here’s how the holidays were celebrated in Tsarist Russia, by the Empresses Anna Ioannovna, Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 31 December 2025

How Catherine the Great learned the Russian language + PHOTOS

The German-born empress ended up knowing Russian better than her husband, Emperor Peter III.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 23 December 2025

How an English adventurer duchess ended up at the court of Catherine the Great + PHOTOS

Historians, describing the life of Duchess Elizabeth Pierrepoint Kingston, call it “rich in adventure”. This euphemism conceals a real adventure, complete with bigamy, an escape to Russia and a ship full of treasure.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 22 December 2025

10 culinary tips from the most popular book of Tsarist Russia + PHOTOS

Elena Molokhovets’s book ‘Gift to Young Housewives’ went through 29 editions from 1861 until the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The “culinary bible” of the Russian Empire taught women left without servants the art of managing a household. We’ve selected some tips from it that are still relevant today.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 21 December 2025

Why did every Russian girl dream of working as a ‘lady-in-waiting’?

Behind the outward splendor lay the Spartan daily routine and hard work of women born into noble families.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 12 December 2025

How Nicholas II’s mistress once sued Lenin… & won

Ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska was not only the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, but also a socialite, known for her affairs with several Romanov grand dukes.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 30 November 2025

3 tsarist generals who joined the Bolsheviks

The Soviet government was deeply suspicious of any high-ranking commanders of the Imperial Army and considered them ideological opponents. This meant they had to work extra hard to earn its trust.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 17 November 2025

How & why Russian tsars built ‘travel’ palaces for their journeys + PHOTOS

In tsarist times, a trip from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ was a real adventure that could stretch on for weeks or even months. Of course, there were already roadside inns for travelers, but these were not up to the standard required for emperors and their entourage. Therefore, “travel” palaces had to be specially built – luxurious mansions where one could rest, spend the night and continue the journey with renewed energy. Anna Sorokina takes a look at 8 of these “Travelling Palaces”.

Source: Gateway to Russia. 28th October 2025

War propagandists bring imperial flag from occupied Ukraine to remotest Arctic archipelago + PHOTOS

Two representatives of the ultra-conservative TV channel Spas brought a flag depicting emperor Nicholas II from the occupied Ukrainian city of Vuhledar to the archipelago of Severnaya Zemlya.

Source: The Barents Observer. 2nd September 2025

Putting the Romanovs to rest + PHOTOS

Why the Russian Orthodox Church refuses to recognize the remains of Nicholas II and his family.

Source: Meduza. 21st October 2025

A Palace Rediscovered: Solving the Mystery of a Romanov Album + PHOTOS

Every now and then, a quiet object in the museum’s collection reveals an extraordinary story. For decades, a heavy leather-bound album, its cover elegantly embossed in gold with the words “Views of His Own Palace and Rooms, St. Petersburg” lay, largely unnoticed, in the Russian History Museum’s archives. According to old museum records, it showed the interiors of the Anichkov Palace, home of Emperor Alexander III.

Source: Russian History Museum. 21st July 2025

© Paul Gilbert. 31 December 2025

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