Nicholas II

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SOVEREIGN was launched in 2015, by Paul Gilbert, a British-born historian and writer, who has dedicated more than 35 years to researching and writing about Emperor Nicholas II, his family, the Romanov Dynasty and Imperial Russia. Now retired, he focuses his work on clearing the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

He is able to achieve this through his blog, social media, conferences and SOVEREIGN. It is through these venues that he challenges the negative myths and lies about Nicholas II, which have existed for more than a century. He is the author of more than a dozen books, which explore the life and reign of Nicholas II, based on research from Russian archival and media sources.

From 1986 to 2018, he travelled to Russia 29 times, visiting St. Petersburg, Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Crimea. In the 1990s, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Gilbert organized annual Romanov Tours, which offered visits to the Imperial Palaces, palaces of the grand dukes and grand duchesses in and around St. Petersburg, museums, among others.

PHOTO: SOVEREIGN publisher and editor Paul Gilbert. Ekaterinburg. July 2018

These tours featured lectures by leading authors and Romanov historians and museum curators. Several tours included visits to the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF) in Moscow, to view photo albums, letters, diaries and personal items of Nicholas II and his family.

Some of the highlights of these tours included the Alexander Palace in 1996 – one of the first groups from the West to explore the interiors of Nicholas and Alexandra’s private apartments; the Grand Kremlin Museum in Moscow; Livadia Palace in Crimea, among others.

One of the highlights of his career, was organizing and hosting the 1st International Nicholas II Conference, held on 27th October 2018, in Colchester, England. It was a memorable event, which brought together more than 100 people from almost a dozen countries. A second conference is in the works.

About SOVEREIGN

There are few monarchs in history about whom opinion has been more divided than the last Emperor and Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II (1868-1918).

Myths and lies about the “weak-willed”, “incompetent”, “bloody” tsar, were created on the basis of gossip, slanderous fabrications and Bolshevik propaganda in the early 20th century. For more than 70 years, the Bolsheviks and the Soviets were perfectly content to allow these myths and lies to stand. Sadly, they remain deeply rooted in the minds of both Westerners and the Russian people to this day.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Nicholas II has undergone nothing short of a renaissance in modern-day Russia. Much of this is thanks to the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Church and monarchist groups. He has been the subject of hundreds of new biographies and historical studies, documentaries, exhibitions, discussion forums, etc. In 2002, Tsar’s Days was revived in Ekaterinburg, an annual event which draws tens of thousands from across Russia and abroad to honour the memory of Nicholas II and his family.

Sadly, many of today’s academically lazy, British and American historians and biographers, prefer to rehash the popular negative myths and lies of Nicholas II’s early 20th century detractors. Few – if any of these “experts” – have traveled to Russia to utilize the vast archival sources now available to researchers. Instead they focus on Nicholas II’s failures, and seldom reflect on the many accomplishments he made during his 22+ year reign.

It was these very myths and lies, which compelled Gilbert to launch SOVEREIGN in 2015.

In 2024, SOVEREIGN was relaunched with a new format, which now features articles researched and written by Paul Gilbert and published on this blog. Gilbert has researched these works from Russian archival and media sources. Beginning with the No. 12 Winter 2024 issue of SOVEREIGN, these articles are now available in a printed format for the first time!

In addition, are a number of First English language works by Russian historians and experts, based on new archival documents discovered since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Thanks to this new generation of post-Soviet historian, we can now review the life and reign of Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar through Russian eyes, instead of Soviet ones! They challenge and put to rest many of the lies and myths presented over the past century by their Western counterparts. Their works are based on facts and information from reliable Russian sources.

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SOVEREIGN was launched in 2015, and has published a total of 15 issues. Please note, that issues No. 1 through 11 are now out of print, although used and second-hand copies are available on eBay and Amazon.

Issues No. 12 to 16 are available exclusively from Amazon – please refer to the links below. The No. 17 Sunner 2026 issue will be published in June 2026.

Current issues of SOVEREIGN

– CLICK on the LINK below for more details, including a full list of the articles found in each issue + links to ORDER copies of the issues which interest you most:

No. 16 Winter 2026

No. 15 Summer 2025

Nicholas II Bibliography – FREE 22-page booklet

Posted on 5 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

Click HERE to download, print and/or save booklet
Please note that this file is only available in a PDF file

Russia’s last emperor and tsar remains one of the most documented persons in history. He has been the subject of countless books, and articles for scholarly periodicals, magazines and newspapers.

I have UPDATED the 2024 edition of this booklet with 4 additional pages. My 2026 edition features a NEW article about Nicholas II’s libraries and his vast book collection; 8 black and white photos; and I have added even more titles to the bibliography. The highlight of my NEW 2026 edition is a list of more than 125 English-language books on the life and reign of Nicholas II.

My UPDATED 22-page booklet, is now available to download, print and/or save. It’s FREE!

The bibliography provides a comprehensive list of both scholarly and popular works. Many are generally of limited value and even mislead readers, however, they have been included because they played a significant role in shaping Western opinion of the last Tsar. In some instances, these works have been responsible for the creation and perpetuation of widely subscribed to generalizations, stereotypical images, and myths. In a sense, then, the fact that many of these sources contain inaccuracies, exaggerations, and oversimplifications, and are sometimes guilty of tendentiousness, does not lessen but rather constitutes their historical value.

I trust that this booklet will be a useful research tool for scholars, historians, teachers, writers and the general reader. It includes titles which are current, out of print, as well as a number of titles which have yet to be published.

As new books are published, this booklet will be updated accordingly. If you know of any other titles which are not listed in this bibliography, please feel free to bring them to my attention. You can e-mail me at royalrussia@yahoo.com

PAUL GILBERT

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I am committed to clearing the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar. In exchange for this NEW UPDATED 22-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 and media 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, the booklet is FREE to every one! ENJOY!

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

Unique catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms has been published

Posted on 6 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

The Tsarskoye Selo State Museum has published the first volume of a unique catalog of the wardrobe of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The first volume is dedicated to the uniforms of Nicholas II.

The Tsarskoye Selo State museum houses the world’s largest collection of uniforms of the last Russian Tsar and clothes of members of his family – more than 800 items. The collection comes from the Alexander Palace, the last and favorite residence of Nicholas II.

The catalog contains photographs and descriptions of more than 350 items. The author of the catalog is the curator of the Men’s Costume Collection, senior researcher at the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve, Alexei Rogatnev. [Note: the link features a 10-minute video of Rognatnev talking about the Alecander Palace’s collection of Nicholas II’s uniforms]

“During the reign of Nicholas I, there was a rule without exceptions: the Emperor was an officer of the Russian Empire. Therefore, he was obliged to wear a military uniform, and only on trips abroad could he wear civilian dress. Even when he was not engaged in affairs related to the management of a huge empire, Nicholas II wore a uniform: in photographs from the Romanov family albums, we see him playing tennis in the summer jacket of a naval officer and shoveling snow near the Alexander Palace in the uniform of a colonel of the 4th Imperial Family Life Guards Rifle Regiment,” he notes.

“In the last few decades of the 19th century, thanks to the passion of Alexander III and Nicholas II for hunting, the rule was somewhat relaxed – when hunting, members of the Imperial Family wore comfortable, specially tailored suits. Thus, most of the wardrobe of both the emperor and the grand dukes was a collection of uniforms of the various units of the regiments of the Russian Empire and European countries,” Rogatnev added.

PHOTOS: pages from the 296-page catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms
© Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

PHOTOS: pages from the 296-page catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms
© Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

PHOTOS: pages from the 296-page catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms
© Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

PHOTOS: pages from the 296-page catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms
© Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

The catalog is based on documents from the museum collection, the most valuable are from the inventory lists of the Alexander Palace Museum, which were compiled in 1938-1939. They contain a complete list of the wardrobe of the Imperial Family as of 22nd June 1941, and make it possible to recreate the composition of the pre-war collection, the method and place of evacuation, and to identify lost items.

Among the numerous sources that were used in researching for the catalog, the wardrobe records of Nicholas II, in particular, which uniform he wore. Entries in these books were made only on the days the Emperor participated at official events held in St. Petersburg and mirrored those of the Chamber Fourier journal. They do not contain records of the Emperor’s foreign travels, while traveling on the Imperial Train, and under other similar circumstances. These records also contain factual inaccuracies that can be identified by cross-referencing several sources.

Thanks to the study of the annual reports, which are stored in the Russian State Historical Archive, we can see the expenditures for the manufacture of most of the uniforms of Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsesarevich Alexei and the Grand Duchesses. These accounts make it possible to determine the amount spent on uniforms by year, to systematize the internal structure of the wardrobe by military units, to determine the main and secondary suppliers of uniforms, military accessories, and shoes.

Emperor Nicholas II and his family made the Alexander Palace their permanent residence rom 1905. Personal items, including their respective wardrobes, were not tied to a certain place, but accompanied them, wherever they stayed, be it the Winter Palace, Peterhof, Livadia, Spala, Moscow or abroad. But most of the Emperor’s wardrobe invariably remained in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo.

The catalog of Nicholas II’s uniforms will be of interest to historians, specialists in Russian military costume, art historians, museum employees and everyone who is interested in the reign of Russia’s last Tsar.

The catalog is currently only available in the Tsarskoye Selo museum shops in the Catherine and Alexander Palaces, in the Russia in the Great War Museum (located in the Sovereign Military Chamber), as well as book kiosks found in the Catherine Park.

NOTE: this catalog is ONLY available in Russian, there is NO English language edition available, nor does the museum have any plans on issuing such. 296 pages, richly illustrated throughout.

FURTHER READING

Nicholas II’ s uniforms on display in Tula from the Collection of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum + 21 COLOUR PHOTOS

Wardrobe of Emperor Nicholas II in the Alexander Palace + PHOTOS and VIDEO

1896 Coronation uniform of Emperor Nicholas II + PHOTOS

New book on Charles Sydney Gibbes on the horizon

Posted on 12 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Charles Sydney Gibbes / Father Nicholas Gibbes (1876-1963)

Romanov historian and author Helen Rappaport has announced that she plans on writing a new book about Charles Sydney Gibbes (1876-1963). This is indeed welcome news, as a fresh and more comprehensive study of the British academic, who from 1908 to 1917 served as the English tutor to the children of Emperor Nicholas II, is long overdue.

In early December, Rappaport wrote on social media:

“I’ve been very focused for the last few months or so in filling in the complete void of Sydney Gibbes’s early life in Rotherham and Cambridge pre 1900 – about which he said virtually nothing and Benagh[1], Trewin[2] and Welch[3] added very little. You have to dig very hard to get to things but I have had a few lucky breaks and some info from helpful Rotherham locals. I have now written chapter 1 about those lost years. One thing I can confirm – alas – is that the Blue Plaque on the Old Bank in Rotherham is wrong. Sydney Gibbes did NOT attend Rotherham Grammar School …..

“Now that I have the bit between my teeth, I am going to write this book, do or die, deal or no deal. The Sydney Gibbes of Welch[1], Benagh[2], Trewin[3] and chocolate-box Romanov legend is but one side of the story and of the complex and elusive personality at the heart of it. But it needs a publisher!!!”

While Helen Rappaport and I do not see eye to eye on Nicholas II, I believe that she will do an admirable job at telling Gibbes story. She lives in the UK, and will have access to Gibbes’ surviving archive of letters, photos and other memorabilia relating to the last Imperial family of Russia which are now kept in Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections.

It is generally believed that Gibbes did not write his memoirs, however, it is now known that among the documents stored at the University of Leeds Special Collections, is his typescript Ten Years with the Russian Imperial Family (unpublished). I regret that I do not know the number of pages, nor can I confirm if it was ever completed.

In addition, Helen wrote a very sad and sympatheic article of the last days Charles Sudney Gibbes / Father Nikolai, which I hope she will incorporate into her book.

In the early 1990s, I had the pleasure of corresponding with George Gibbs [1906-1993] in whose letters he shared numerous anecdotes about his father [while it is only a few letters, I have preserved them to this day]. The regular exchange of letters came to a stop, and it was only after making enquiries that I learned of George’s death on 11th May 1993.

In April 2023, I visited Headington Cemetery in Oxford, to lay flowers and offer prayers at the grave of Charles Sydney Gibbes (later Father Nikolai).

Given Helen Rappaport’s enormous popularity, I have no doubt that she will find a publisher for her book. I look forward to reading it, and will most certainly be writing a book review for this blog. In the meantime, I will keep readers posted on any new developments with this exciting new publishing project.

NOTES:

[1] Benagh, Christine (2000) An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar. Ben Lomond, California: Conciliar Press.

[2] Trewin, J. C. (1975) Tutor to the Tsarecvich – An Intimate Portrait of the Last Days of the Russian Imperial Family compiled from the papers of Charles Sydney Gibbes. London: Macmillan

[3] Welch, Frances (2005) The Romanovs & Mr Gibbes: The Story of the Englishman Who Taught the Children of the Last Tsar. UK: Short Books

NEW BOOK – Sovereign No. 16 (Winter 2026)

Posted on December 1 by Paul Gilbert

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English. Large format 8-1/2″ x 11-1/2″. 132 pages. 124 Black & White photos

The No. 16 Winter 2026 issue of SOVEREIGN features 28 articles about Russia’s last Tsar, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia. These articles have been researched and written by independent historian and author Paul Gilbert. His works are based on new research from Russian archival and media sources.

Please note, that this issue features 3 articles researched and written by Russian historians (see list below). These articles have been translated and published and published in English for the first time.

In an effort to preserve his 30+ years of research, the author has reproduced a selection of the more than 950 articles he has written for his blog. They are made available in a printed format for the first time. The author has updated many of the articles in this issue with additional information and photos. In addition, this issue features one new First English translation.

The No. 15 issue features the following 28 articles:

[1] Nicholas II’s visits to the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow – 1912, 1913 and 1914

[2] 25th anniversary of the canonization of Nicholas II by the Moscow Patriarchate

[3] Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s photo album sells at St. Petersburg auction

[4] Lord Mountbatten’s letter regarding Anna Anderson

[5] Monument to Nicholas II and his family to be installed in Mogilev

[6] New monument to Nicholas II installed in Krasnodar

[7] The fate of the kokshniks presented to OTMA in Kostroma (1913)

[8] Divine Liturgy for the Imperial Family performed in the Winter Palace

[9] Thousands of items at Pavlovsk, have not been return to the Alexander Palace

[10] Faithful to the End: Prince Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgorukov

[11] The Great Imperial Crown Of the Russian Empire

[12] The Imperial Legacy of Carl Fabergé (1846-1920)

[13] In 2007, General Wrangel’s grandson decrid Bolshevism, Lenin and Stalin

[14] Nicholas II wanted reforms, Lenin wanted recolutions: who was right?

[15] Obituary: Maria Dmitrievna Ivanova-Tatishcheva (1930-2025)

[16] Tsar’s Days in Ekaterinburg 16/17 July 2025

[17] Chinese Theater at Tsarskoye Selo to be restored

[18] State Halls in the Alexander Palace reopened after restoration

[19] The marriage that shocked The Russian Empire

[20] The fate of four faithful retainers of the Imperial Family

[21] Nicholas II visits the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow

[22] “They did not betray their oath” —The fate of the generals who reamained loyal to Nicholas II

[23] Nicholas II’s menu: culinary preferences of Russia’s last Tsar

[24] Carpet from Governor’s House in Tobolsk preserved in United States ,museum

[25] Russia honours the Romanovs

SPECIAL TO THIS ISSUE OF SOVEREIGN

[26] Confession of a regicide Pyotr Ermakov’s deathbed confession 1952

[27] Trotsky’s version of the murder of the Imperial Family

[28] Attempts at Church Reform bythe Holy Emperor Nicholas IIAL TO THIS ISSUE OF

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Back issues of SOVEREIGN

No. 15 Summer 2025

NOTE: back issues of Nos. 1 to 12 are now out of print.
Second-hand copies are available on AMAZON and eBay.

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

Posted on October 20 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.

New Book – Thirteen Years at the Russian Court

Posted on September 29 by Paul Gilbert

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Available in Hard cover and Paperback edtions.
294 pages. With photographs and Notes

Originally published in 1921, this new edition of ‘Thirteen Years at the Russian Court’, features a new 32-page introduction by Romanov historian Paul Gilbert

A Personal Record of the Last Years and Death
of the Emperor Nicholas II. and his Family

Thirteen Years at the Russian Court is a personal record by Pierre Gilliard, a Swiss author and academic who served as the French language tutor to Russian Emperor Nicholas II’s five children.

The book, first published in 1921, offers a unique perspective on the final years of the Romanov dynasty through Gilliard’s personal experiences as a tutor to the August children of Russia’s last Tsar.

The memoir blends historical narrative with personal eye-witness anecdotes, providing an intimate look into the opulence and decline of Imperial Russia. Gilliard’s recollections are not merely memoirs but vital historical documents that bridge the gap between the glamour of Court life and the impending doom of a centuries-old regime.

Gilliard’s memoir serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Russia’s last Tsar, Russian history, monarchy, or the complexities of life at the Russian Imperial Court during the early 20th century.

PIERRE GILLIARD (1879-1962)

Pierre Gilliard was a Swiss academic and author, best known as the French language tutor to the five children of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia from 1905 to 1918. In 1920, he returned to his native Switzerland, where he wrote his memoirs, Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, about his time with the Russian Imperial Family.

New Book – Memories of Russia 1916-1919

Posted on September 1 by Paul Gilbert

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Paperback and eBook editions. 304 pages

Originally published in 1924, this new edition of ‘Memories of Russia 1916-1919’, features a new introduction by Romanov historian Paul Gilbert

Every victim of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had a story to tell. One of the most tragic was that of Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929) the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (1860-1919).

Born in 1865, she married an officer of the Russian Imperial Guard, Erich Augustinovitch von Pistohlkors, the couple had four children.

Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, a long-time friend of Pistohlkors, often spent his evenings with the Pistohlkors couple in Tsarskoye Selo; where he became smitten with Olga’s beauty, elegance, and her worldly and lively spirit. Their affair resulted in the birth of a son, Vladimir

Their affair created a scandal at Court and the Emperor forbid his uncle to marry Olga. Following her divorce from Pistolkors, Olga and Paul defied Nicholas II, resulting in their expulsion from Russia. They married in Livorno, Italy, and settled in an elegant mansion built in Boulogne-sur-Seine, France for several years. It was here that Olga gave birth to two more daughters,

In 1904, Prince-Regent Leopold of Bavaria titled Olga Countess of Hohenfelsen, and upon their return to Russia, the Tsar created the title of Princess Paley for her and their children.

During the revolution, her husband the Grand Duke and their son Vladimir were arrested and subsequently murdered by the Bolsheviks. Olga and her daughters escaped to Finland and then returned to Paris, where she died in 1929.

New film dedicated to the Imperial Family premieres in Nizhny Novgorod

Posted on August 13 by Paul Gilbert

On 11th August 2025, the premiere of the documentary-film, based on the book Романовы: убийство, поиск, обретение [Romanovs: murder, search, acquisition] by the abbot of the Nizhny Novgorod Ascension Pechersk Monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin), took place at the Record Cultural Center, in Nizhny Novgorod.

The documentary-film is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the glorification of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family as Royal Passion-Bearers by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church on 14th (O.S. 1st) August 2000.

PHOTO: it was “standing room only” at the Nizhni Novgorod premiere

The event was attended by Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin), the scriptwriter and director of the film Irina Vdovina-Sudina, Doctor of Historical Sciences and leading specialist of the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History Lyudmila Lykova, participant in the search for the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei and Grand Duchess Maria in 2007 Leonid Vokhmyakov, participant in the search for the remains of the Imperial Family in 1979 Gennady Vasiliev, retired Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Vladimir Solovyov, who headed the investigation into the “Ekaterinburg Remains”, Olga Ryabova, the widow of screenwriter Geliy Ryabov (1932-2015), who led an expedition in 1979 to search for the remains of the Imperial Family, among other guests.

Before the screening, Irina Vdovina-Sudina addressed the audience: “We have all gathered today for the premiere of this documentary-film. Our apologies, we did not expect that there would be more spectators than seats in the hall. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the glorification of Nicholas II and his family, and the creation of the film is timed to coincide with this date. I did not immediately want to take on such a complex topic, which causes so many contradictory opinions, but having immersed myself in it, I began to embrace it wholeheartedly. The film is not only about the mystery of finding the Ekaterinburg remains, it is also about mistakes, redemption and repentance.”

PHOTO: Irina Vdovina-Sudina addressed the audience

The film explores how for many decades Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin) collected information about the fate of the Imperial Family’s remains, following their execution on the night of 16-17 July, 1918. As a youth, Nikolai Zatekin (the secular name of Archimandrite Tikhon) worked with a team of plasterers in Moscow’s St. Daniel’s Monastery. It was during a conversation with a colleague, that the subject of the fate of the remains of the Tsar and his family piqued the interest of Zatekin for the first time. After moving to Sverdlovsk (renamed Ekaterinburg in 1991), he began to collect materials about the history of the family of the last Russian emperor.

PHOTO: Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin)

In 1985, Zatekin met the film director and writer Geliy Ryabov (1932-2015). Recall that in 1979, it was Ryabov along with geologist and local historian Alexander Avdonin, who discovered the burial place of the remains of the Imperial Family on the Old Koptyaki Road, near Sverdlovsk [Ekaterinburg]. This event was preceded by a long and painstaking collection of information, on the basis of which the researchers concluded that the remains of the Imperial Family, contrary to the widespread version, were not destroyed, but transferred from mine No7 at Ganina Yama and buried in the forest on the territory of the Porosenkov Log tract.

The remains were exhumed from the ground only in 1991. In 2007, another excavation was carried out at Porosenkov Log, a result of which the remains of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna were found and identified. This find became a counterargument for those who were against the recognition of the remains as those of Nicholas II and his family. More than once in disputes, opponents pointed out that 11 people were murdered in the Ipatiev House, and the remains of nine were found in Porosenkov Log by Geliy Ryabov and Alexander Avdonin. The second grave, containing the two additional remains settled the argument, at least for some.

PHOTO: following the end of the documentary-film, retired senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Vladimir Solovyov, took part in a question and answer period

After a series of studies and examinations were carried out, the remains of 9 people were buried on 18th July 1998, in the St. Catherine Chapel of the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The remains of Alexei and Maria were transferred to the Lower Church of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow in December 2015, and remain there until the present – pending the decision by the Council of Bishops.

In 2015, the Investigative Committee of Russia resumed the investigation into the death of the Romanovs. During the investigation, the remains found near Ekaterinburg in 1991 were re-examined.

“In 2022, a meeting of the Holy Synod was held, where representatives of the state commission, which had studied the remains since 2015, and members of the church commission headed by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. The conclusions of the first investigation confirmed, that the found remains belonged to Emperor Nicholas II and his family. It was decided to submit the issue of the remains to the Council of Bishops for approval,” said Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin).

PHOTO: following the premiere, Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin) took the time to sign copies of his book Романовы: убийство, поиск, обретение [Romanovs: murder, search, acquisition]

Following the documentary-film’s premiere, the audience were invited to ask questions to the panel of experts who participated in the making of the film, including Vladimir Solovyov, Lyudmila Lykova, Olga Ryabova and Archimandrite Tikhon (Zatekin). The latter, then took the time to sign copies of his book Романовы: убийство, поиск, обретение [Romanovs: murder, search, acquisition]

NEW BOOK – Sovereign No. 15 (Summer 2025)

Posted on May 30 by Paul Gilbert

*You can order this title from most AMAZON outlets, including
the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan
*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $20.00 USD

English. Large format 8-1/2″ x 11-1/2″. 130 pages. 131 Black & White photos

The No. 15 Summer 2025 issue of SOVEREIGN features more than 20 articles about Russia’s last Tsar, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia. These articles have been researched and written by independent historian and author Paul Gilbert. His works are based on new research from Russian archival and media sources.

In an effort to preserve his 30+ years of research, the author has reproduced a selection of the nearly 900 articles he has written for his blog. They are made available in a printed format for the first time. The author has updated many of the articles in this issue with additional information and photos. In addition, this issue features one new First English translation.

The No. 15 issue features the following 23 articles:

[1] Film Review: Nicholas and Alexandra

[2] Smoking: the Tsar’s bad habit

[3] St. Catherine’s Chapel. The Final Resting Place of Nicholas II

[4] What were Lenin’s plans on Nicholas II’s fate?

[5] The “Imperial Palace” of Emperor Nicholas II in Paris – October 1896

[6] The hidden wealth of the Bolshevik devil Yakov Sverdlov

[7] In 1897 Nicholas II approved the Winter Palace to be painted red

[8] Romanov archives of Charles Sydney Gibbes

[9] The Tsar’s Railway Pavilion in Nizhny Novgorod

[10] Ministers of Foreign Affairs During the Reign of Nicholas II

[11] Nicholas II’s little known third brother: Alexander (1869-1870)

[12] Nicholas II’s Diaries 1894-1918

[13] God, Save the Tsar! Боже, Царя храни!

[14] Emperor Nicholas II Foundation Marks 4th Anniversary

[15] Serov Portrait of Nicholas II to be exhibited in London

[16] Faithful to the Tsar and His Family: Pierre Gilliard (1879-1962)

[17] Portrait of Nicholas II returned to Russia from America

[18] What is Nicholas II’s correct date of birth?

[19] New museum dedicated to Nicholas II and his family opens in Pskov region

[20] Reconstruction of the Imperial Train Pavilion at Tsarskoye Selo

[21] The human side of the Tsar

[22] Father Vasiliev: Confessor to the Imperial Family

[23] Obituary: Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli (1934-2025)

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