Books | Nicholas II

Those who served the Tsar: Alexander Spiridovitch (1873-1952)

PHOTO: Alexander Ivanovich Spiridovich (1873-1952)

In 1906 Alexander Ivanovich Spiridovich was handpicked by Emperor Nicholas II to serve as his personal security chief from 1906-1916. He was also responsible for the security of the tsar’s residences. He was a nan of honour, and one of the few men whom the Tsar put complete trust. Throughout his distinguished career, Spiridovich served his Sovereign faithfully and with honour.

He was born on 17th (O.S. 5th) August 1873 in the town of Kem, Arkhangelsk Province into the family of a hereditary nobleman. His father, Ivan Matveevich Spiridovich, was an officer of the border guard, his mother, Anna Alexandrovna, came from the family of the fabulist I. A. Krylov.

Alexander graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps (1891) and the Pavlovsk Military School (1893), from where he was released as a second lieutenant in the 105th Orenburg Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to lieutenant of the regiment. In 1899 he was transferred to the Separate Corps of Gendarmes

In 1900 he went to Moscow, where he was seconded to the Department for the Protection of Public Safety and Order, usually called the Guard Department and commonly abbreviated in modern English sources as the Okhrana [a secret police force of the Russian Empire and part of the Imperial police department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs], where he served under the command of Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov[1] (1864-1917).

In 1902, he was appointed head of the Taurida security department in Simferopol in Crimea and in 1903, with the rank of captain, he took up the post of head of the Kiev security department. On 13th May 1903, he arrested the head of the combat organization of the Socialist-Revolutionaries, Grigory Gershuni[2], in Kiev. He was later promoted to lieutenant colonel.

On 28th May 1905, Spiridovitch was seriously wounded by his former secret collaborator, the Social Democrat P. M. Rudenko, after which he spent several months in treatment. On26th June, he was seconded to the staff of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes.

PHOTO: Tolstoy House, one of the residences
of Alexander Spiridovitch in St. Petersburg

At the beginning of 1906, Alexander was seconded to the palace commandant Dmitri Feodorovich Trepov[3] (1850-1906) and appointed head of the palace Security Agency. In 1907, he organized the protection of Emperor Nicholas II and his Family during a trip to the Finnish skerries. For distinction in service, Alexander Spiridovitch was promoted to colonel.

After the assassination of Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin in 1911, Spiridovitch was involved in the investigation on charges of not taking measures to protect the chairman of the Council of Ministers, and, although his career was considered already over, he did not lose the trust of Nicholas II and was not relieved of his post. In 1913, the criminal case was terminated by the personal order of Nicholas II.

During the First World War, Alexander accompanied Nicholas II on all trips. In 1915, he was promoted to major general for distinguished service. He organized the protection of Nicholas II at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief at Mogilev. On 15th August 1916, Alexander Spiridovitch was appointed mayor of Yalta in Crimea.

During the February 1917 Revolution, Spiridovitch arrived in Petrograd [4], where he was arrested by the Provisional Government, held in the Peter and Paul Fortress and interrogated by the Extraordinary Investigation Commission. In early October 1917, he was released from prison on bail in October.

In 1920 he emigrated to France. He was a member of the Russian Monarchist Party in Paris. In 1926, he participated as a delegate from France in the Russian Congress Abroad. While living in emigration, he gave numerous public lectures on the history of the Russian revolutionary movement and the struggle against it, as well as lectures on Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

During his years in exile, Alexander Spiridovitch published several books on these topics and his own memoirs, including Les Derniers années de la cour de Tsarskoïe Selo, Paris, Payot, 1928; Histoire du terrorisme russe, 1886-1917, Paris, Payot, 1930 and Raspoutine 1863-1916, Paris, 1936.

In 1950, at a meeting with the American Sovietologist Isaac Don Levine (1892-1981), he recognized as authentic a document proving that Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was an agent of the Tsarist police.

In 1950, Spiridovitch moved to the United States, where he died in 1952 at the age of 78. He was buried at the Novo-Diveevo Cemetery – the largest the largest Russian Orthodox cemetery outside of Russia, situated in Rockland County, New York. His personal archives are today in the collection of Yale University.

NOTES

[1] Zubatov committed suicide during the February Revolution of March 1917 after hearing the news of the Emperor’s abdication.

[2] Grigory Andreyevich Gershuni (1870-1908) was a Russian revolutionary and one of the founders of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. In February 1904, Gershuni was tried by a military court in St Petersburg and received a death sentence, which later was reduced to life imprisonment at a hard labour camp by Tsar Nicholas II.

[3] Trepov was Head of the Moscow police, Governor-General of St. Petersburg with extraordinary powers, and Assistant Interior Minister with full control of the police. His attempts to restore order were overwhelmed by the revolution of 1905; he retained influence with Nicholas II, when appointed as the Commandant of the Imperial Palace.

[4] In Petrograd [St. Petersburg] Spiridovitch lived in the Tolstoy House at 15-17 Troitskaya Street (now Rubinstein Street) and at 54 Fontanka Embankment in apartment 333

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PHOTO: the first French language editions of Alexander
Spiridovitch’s memoirs, published by Payot Paris

LAST YEARS OF THE COURT AT TSARSKOE SELO – 2 Volumes
by Alexander Spiridovitch

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Originally published in French in 1928, this is the FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDITION of both volumes – a MUST read for any one interested in the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II.

Alexander Ivanovich Spiridovitch (1873-1952) was handpicked by Emperor Nicholas II to serve as his personal security chief from 1906-1916. He was also responsible for the security of the tsar’s residences.

His memoirs offer a rare eye-witness glimpse into the private world of the last tsar and his family and their day to day life. Thanks to his eye for detail, he Alexander Palace and Livadia Palace in detail, the Imperial yacht Standart and journeys through the Finnish fjords and to Livadia in the Crimea.

Spiridovitch writes candidly about his impressions of Emperor Nicholas II and family, as well as the grand dukes and grand duchesses. He also writes about his investigation of Grigorii Rasputin.

Spiridovitch and his men were highly recognized for their counter-terrorist work. His memoirs reveal the numerous plots to assassinate Nicholas II and other members of the Imperial family by terrorist groups working within Russia.

Spiridovitch was a pillar of honesty and trust, articulate, and intelligent, loyal to God, the Tsar and Mother Russia. He was truly a gentleman beyond reproach. His memoirs offer one of the most honest accounts of the character and personality of Tsar Nicholas II and life at the Russian Imperial Court in its twilight years.

*You can order this title from most AMAZON outlets, including
the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Sweden,
Brazil, Mexico and Japan

*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

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CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

LAST YEARS OF THE COURT AT TSARSKOE SELO
Volume 1
1906-1910

Volume I – 1906-1910, with 458 pages + 59 black & white photographs

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER EDITION – PRICE $30.00

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION – PRICE $25.00

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LAST YEARS OF THE COURT AT TSARSKOE SELO
Volume 2
1910-1914

Volume II – 1910-1914, with 480 pages + 65 black & white photographs

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER EDITION – PRICE $30.00

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION – PRICE $25.00

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

The third volume of Alexander Spiridovitch’s memoirs cover the years 1914-1916. This book is only available in French and Russian.

In 1935, Spiridovitch also published a book about Grigorii Rasputin (1863-1916): from Russian documents and the author’s private archives » (published in 1935). It is a detailed biography based on his direct knowledge of the Russian Imperial Court. This book is only available in French and Russian.

NEW BOOK – ‘The Romanovs. The Path of Holiness and Golgotha’

Posted on 14 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

Large hard cover. 208 pages. Richly illustrated throughout. Russian edition only

The long-awaited edition of Романовы. Путь святости и Голгофы (The Romanovs. The Path of Holiness and Golgotha), has been published by the AST Publishing House. The Russian-language book is the result of many years of research by Dmitry and Ekaterina Ostroumov, dedicated to the Romanov dynasty and the spiritual path of the Holy Royal Martyrs Nicholas II and his family.

The publication is based on the exhibition dedicated to Russia’s last Tsar and his family, which opened in January 2025, in the Museum to the Royal Passion-Bearers. The permanent exhibition takes up the entire ground floor of the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the Russian city of Dno, situated 114 km from Pskov.

The exposition project, which went from a temporary exhibition to a permanent memorial museum. It was here that on 14th (O.S. 1st) March 1917, the Imperial Train carrying the Tsar stopped. The following day, Nicholas II abdicated the throne. The event marked the beginning of his Way of the Cross.

Today, the museum preserves unique archival materials that reveal not only the historical, but also the spiritual aspects of the life of the last Russian Emperor and his family. The museum is a tribute of the deepest respect to their sacrificial feat. The scale of the project attracted the attention of the AST Publishing House, which proposed to transfer the exhibition concept to a book forma.

The large hard cover pictorial is based on authentic documents, diary entries, letters and rare photographs. The album recreates the history of the Romanov dynasty, covering the path from the calling of Mikhail Romanov in 1613 to the glorification of the Imperial Family as passion-bearers by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2000.

The main topic of the book, however, is the last Tsar and his family – from the upbringing of the heir Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II] to a martyr’s death in 1918. Particular importance is attached to the inner world of the Holy Royal Martyrs, their family way of life, their piety and sincere service to the Fatherland.

“Understanding the person of the Tsar in the Russian state today is important not only in its political and administrative significance, but also in its sacred function,” says Dmitry Ostroumov, co-author of the book. “This album, through immersion in the history of the Imperial Family, allows us to take a deeper look at this key role of the bearer of the Tsar’s life and reign.”

Through the fate of each family member, the reader comes closer to understanding the sacred depth of the monarch’s service, where earthly government and heavenly calling are inseparable, and a look into the past helps to see what often remains hidden behind the vanity of time.

The album Романовы. Путь святости и Голгофы (The Romanovs. The Path of Holiness and Golgotha) is currently available for purchase in Russian book shops, online stores, and the official website of the AST Publishing House.

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PLEASE NOTE: This post is for information purposes only. This book is ONLY available in Russia, there is NO English edition available, nor is there one planned. I regret that I do not know any booksellers who offer this book.

The current sanctions imposed by the West on Russia forbid financial transactions, therefore it is not possible to order this title from a Russian bookseller online – they will not accept Western credit cards, nor can you use PayPal, Western Union, etc. Although there are numerous Russian bookshops in the West, please note that some countries such as the United States now impose a 40% tariff on books being imported from Russia.

It is very unlikely that we shall ever see an English edition of this book. Having said that, if and when the sanctions are lifted, and English-speaking tourists return to Russia in the numbers prior to 2022, the Russian publisher may just issue an English language edition of what looks like something many of us would like to add to our personal libraries – myself included!

NEW BOOK – ‘Memories of Russia: My Travels in Post-Soviet Russia’ by Paul Gilbert

Posted on 27 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER EDITION @ $25.00 USD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $20.00 USD

English. 9″ x 6″ format. Hard cover and paperback. 314 pages.

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of my first visit to Russia. During the past four decades, I have visited Russia 29 times!

I travelled to Moscow, St. Petersburg – and the suburban towns of Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Strelna – as well as Yalta and Crimea, Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk.

In my new book, which is part travelogue, part history, I share my personal impressions and history of a dozen historic sites, that I have visited – some on numerous occasions. Out of the dozen historic sites covered in my book, all but two have a connection to Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II.

Join me as I revisit such places as the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Petrovsky Travelling Palace and the Russian State Archives – where I explore the Romanov archives in Moscow; learn the fate of Nicholas II’s private apartments in the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Theatre – venue for the famous 1903 Costume Ball; travel with me to the Children’s Island and the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral – Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo; the ruins of the Lower Dacha at Peterhof and much more!

On the cover photo above, I am standing in the magnificent St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The date is 27th October 2000 – the day in which I marked my 44th birthday. Of all the wonderful memories I have from the 29 journeys I made to Russia between 1986-2018, this is among one of the most memorable!

Richly llustrated with more than 200 black and white photographs!

Every one has one country in which they are drawn, for me it is Russia
– PAUL GILBERT (Retired)

Russian Geographical Society issues new edition of Nicholas II’s journey to the Far East

Posted on March 28 by Paul Gilbert

Earlier this week, a new Russian-language edition of a book dedicated to the 1890-91 Far East journey of the future Emperor Nicholas II, was published by the Russian Geographical Society. The three-volume set of books was presented to business circles, diplomats’ and journalists at the Russian House in Bangkok, Thailand.

The original three-volume “Journey to the East of His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir Tsesarevich Nicholas” was created by the orientalist and member of the Russian Geographical Society Prince Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky (1861-1921), who accompanied Nicholas on his nine month journey.

PHOTO: Prince Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky (1861-1921)

Recall that on 5th November (O.S. 23rd October) 1890, Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II] embarked on a journey, which took him around the greater part of the Eurasian continent. The total length of the journey exceeded 51,000 kilometres, including 15,000 km of railway and 22,000 km of sea routes.

The map below depicts the Eastern journey of the future and last Tsar of Russia, which took him to Egypt, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Singapore, Batavia (Jakarta, Dutch East Indies) Siam (Thailand), Saigon (French Indochina), Hong Kong, China, and Japan. It was during his visit to the Empire of Japan, that Nicholas was the target of a failed assassination attempt in Otsu.

On his return to Russia, Nicholas took part in opening ceremony of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Vladivostock. He then made his way across the Russian Empire, through Transbaikalia and Siberiam before arriving back in St. Petersburg on 17th August [O.S. 4th August] 1891.

During the nine month journey, Ukhtomsky kept a travel diary, recording daily the places and landmarks visited, meetings with kings, princes and government officials as well as historical and cultural research, including geographical and ethnographic observations. His vivid essays about the countries and peoples of the East at the end of the 19th century make a fascinating read.

The original Russian-languaged edition of the book was published in three volumes between 1893 and 1897 and brought the author all-Russian fame.

An English-language edition was also published in 1896. Volume One of Travels in the East Nicholas II Emperor of Russia when cesarewitch 1890-1891 is available to read online.

The republication of Nicholas II’s journey to the Far East is timed to coincide with the 135th anniversary of the visit of Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich to Siam in 1891,” – said Anastasia Timofeeva, Advisor to the Department of Expert, Analytical and International Activities of the Russian Geographical Society.

“The Tsesarevich’s’s journey became symbolic of the beginning of friendly relations between Russia and Thailand. It was during his visit to Siam, that the heir to the Russian throne was awarded the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri. In turn, the King of Siam Chulalongkorn (1853-1910) was presented with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle First-Called. This helped to establish a trusting dialogue between the two countries. Today, the republication of this historic book, continues the joint historical and cultural heritage which helps to strengthen relations between the business and cultural circles of Russia and Thailand.,” she added.

There are plans to produce a Thai-lanaguage edition of the book, of which copies will be presented to both the National Library of Thailand and the Siam Society Under Royal Patronage.

PHOTOS: an exhibition dedicated to the history of the dynastic friendship between the Russian Imperial House and the Royal House of Chakri (the ruling dynasty in Thailand, was preparted for the presentation of the book

The republished book about the travels of Nicholas II to the East presents 700 illustrations that were handmade by the Russian military officer, painter and writer Nikolai Nikolaevich Karazin (1842-1908).

In addition, the book is illustrated with photographs of Vladimir Dmitrievich Mendeleev (1865-1898), the son of an outstanding Russian chemist.

In the book, you can find sketches and testimonies about Siam (Thailand), which allows a modern reader to see the country through the eyes of the expedition participants.

The updated edition of this publication is supplemented with name and geographical indications and a map of the journey. This makes the publication accessible to both researchers and a wide range of readers.

PHOTO: guests lead through the pages of the book Nicholas II’s journey to Far East

During the presentation, the organizers prepared an exhibition dedicated to the history of the dynastic friendship between the Russian Imperial House and the Royal House of Chakri (the ruling dynasty in Thailand, which has been in power since 1782).

The presentation was followed by a gala dinner, where the cuisines of Russia and Thailand met. The chefs of the two countries prepared an unusual menu. Guests were treated to borscht with coconut milk and shrimp, buckwheat porridge with tree mushrooms and other authentic dishes.

The organizers of the project were Rossotrudnichestvo and the Restaurant Group of Russia, founded by Alexei and Dmitry Vasilchuk. The event was held with the partner support of the Russian Embassy in Thailand. The cuisine of Thailand was represented by chef Phi Thip Pausila (Belle), and the Russian gastronomic school was represented by Alexander Railyan.

Recommended reading: 10 books on the life and reign of Nicholas II

Posted on February 22 by Paul Gilbert

One of the questions I am asked most is “can you recommend a good book on Nicholas II?”

Putting aside the numerous beautiful pictorials which have been published over the years, I have compiled the following *list of 10 books, which for the most part, present an honest assessment on the life and reign of Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar.

In addition, are the following honourable mentions: Nicholas and Alexandra byRobert K. Massie (1967); Last Years of the Court at Tsarskoe Selo Volume I – 1906-1910 (2010) and Volume II – 1910-1914 (2017) by General Alexandre Spiridovitch; Thirteen Years at the Russian Court (1921/2025) by Pierre Gilliard; At the Court of the Last Tsar (1935) by Alexander Mossolov; and The Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II (2012) edited by Paul Gilbert.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

*NOTE: all of the books listed here are in English and listed in order of the year they were published. With the exception of Oldenburg’s 4-volume study, all the remaining titles are available from your favourite bookseller. Second hand copies can also be found on eBay, aLibris, Biblio, etc.

Teokratia: The Theocratic Principle in Russia, 1917 and Today
Author: Matthew dal Santo
Published in 2025 by Angelico Press
546 pages

NOTE: I have selected this title for my ‘Romanov Book of the Year 2025’

Part travelogue, part history, and part theological reflection, Matthew Dal Santo’s new book is a “MUST READ” for any one who shares an interest in the life and reign of Russia’s last Tsar. Dal Santo brilliantly connects themes of contemporary relevance with ‘old Russia’ by unfolding a journey in which he explores the rise and fall of the Romanov family. He investigates how the family is perceived by the Russian people today, in light of their canonization by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2000.

At the heart of his reflections stand two figures, Nicholas II and the theologian Sergei Bulgakov (1871-1944): the tsar represents the fate of Teokratia in Russia, the idea that political rule is a sacred office. It is a scholarly life of Nicholas II set against its background in the history of imperial Russia. It is a journalist’s investigation of attitudes to the martyrs of the Romanov family among ordinary Russians today. It is a travelogue of descriptions, often astonishingly beautiful, of the places associated with Nicholas II and his family, and where the final drama of the dynasty unfolded.

The book serves simultaneously as a spiritual biography of Russia’s last (now sainted) tsar, Nicholas II (1894–1917),exploring the theological sources of Nicholas’s unwillingness, even inability, to grant Russia a constitution as a matter of faith and conscience—questioning as it does so the tensions in not only Bulgakov’s political theology but also the meaning of the place of the emperor/tsar in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

It is also—and this will not easily be found among other accounts of the coming of the revolutions of 1917—a plea to re-examine the significance of ‘sacral’ monarchy, understood as the symbolization of a Christ-centered order in which ultimate norms and values are raised above the simple adjudication, whether democratic or bureaucratic, of practical affairs.

Last year, after the author sent me a review copy of his book, he sent the following note: “I hope you will feel I have done Nicholas II’s inner, spiritual life justice. That was one of my chief aims.” He did indeed!

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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Tsar Nicholas II: Unveiling the Holy Tsar
Author: Alexander Egger
Published Independently in 2024
493 pages

San Francisco based author Alexander Egger’s groundbreaking book is a must for those who wish to understand better the spiritual journey of Nicholas II.

Explore the captivating life of Tsar Nicholas II, in a profound journey through his tumultuous yet spiritually rich reign (1894-1917), torn between the duties of rulership and a deep yearning for spiritual enlightenment, navigated a realm fraught with political intrigue and societal upheaval. Despite these challenges, he emerged as a steadfast champion of the Orthodox faith, dedicated to preserving Russia’s sacred traditions.

This book vividly portrays Nicholas II’s unwavering devotion to God amidst the trials of governance. It delves into his inner conflict, portraying a leader grappling with faith, fate, and destiny. Nicholas II’s spiritual odyssey unfolds as a timeless tale of personal transformation, resonating with those who seek deeper meaning beyond earthly power.

Witness the poignant journey of a ruler who strove to reconcile his role as sovereign with his desire for piety and humble devotion. Through rich narrative and historical insight, this book offers an unforgettable portrait of Nicholas II’s unwavering loyalty to tradition and his quest for solace and salvation.

Tragically, Tsar Nicholas and his beloved family ultimately met their deaths in a gloomy basement in Ekaterinburg. Throughout their lives, they embodied the values of family, humility, nobility, duty, the Russian people, and, above all, the holy Orthodox faith. In the end, they sacrificed their lives for their nation and the Orthodox faith, standing as the early martyrs did before the lions. Having given their lives for Christ, they now intercede on our behalf before Christ.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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The Last Tsar:
The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs
Author: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
Published in 2024 by Basic Books
560 pages

In April 2024, I shared some thoughts on The Last Tsar, which were based on the publisher’s summary of the book. My article was published on this blog some 8 months prior to the book’s release in December 2024. Click HERE to read it.

I had some hesitation including this book to my Top 10 recommended reading list, but after some deliberation I decided to include it. First of all, I found Hasegawa’s book very biased against Nicholas II. The author does not hold back from revealing what he thinks of Nicholas II as a ruler, regurgating the same old nasty euphemisms which have existed since the early 20th century, the same ones which were allowed to germinate during the Bolshevik and later Soviet years.

As one reviewer on Amazon wrote: “Humans are all bias to some degree. Historians need to be mindful of our own human nature and try to stick to factual representations of history.” The reviewer then adds: “It is difficult to find real history presented through unbiased factual lens . . when discussing the last Russian Tsar.”

In addition, Hasegawa makes some outrageous statements, the most ridiculous being found on pages 32-33, in which he compares Rasputin’s followers to that of cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson or Jim Jones and even Donald Trumo’s MAGA movement. I wonder if Hasegawa has met some of the “Kirillists” – aka as “Legitimists”? This is just one example, and certainly not the type of “research” one expects from a “professor emeritus in history”. Perhaps he drank too much sake?

Then there are the sources for his book. While Hasegawa has utilized the vast resources of the Russian archives, presenting many new documents, he also cites some rather dubious sources. In particular, when discussing Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich’s treasonous actions following the February 1917 Revolution, he refers to a series of emails from a well-known American social media troll and “Kirillist/Legitimist”, who goes out of his way to present the Kirillovich branch of the Romanov dynasty in any way but truthful!

Having pointed out the negatives of this book, I still recommend this book to those who share an interest in the reign of Russia’s last Tsar. Hasegawae has produced an intimate and highly absorbing account of Russia’s last hereditary autocrat. Hasegawa’s book is like a slow-motion vintage newsreel of Russia approaching the edge. He literally “dissects” the events leading up to the Tsar’s abdication on 15th March (O.S. 2nd March) 1917, which reveal many new details, thus making this book a compelling read.

This book which is based on a trove of new archival discoveries, narrates how the factions of scheming nobles, ruthless legislators, pragmatic generals and even members of the Russian Imperial Family – ALL in one way or another helped to bring about the destruction of the monarchy and the Russian Empire. Nicholas II’s famous words “All around me I see treason, cowardice and deceit!”, ring loud and clear, as Hasegawa reveals the identities of those who betrayed their sovereign.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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The True Story of the Romanov Family
Published in 2024 by the Diaconești Monastery (Moldavia)
68 pages, richly illustrated

A new graphic novel, featuring exceptional illustrations and content that evoke the true story of the last Russian Imperial Family. This books is a labour of love by the nuns of the Diaconești Monastery in Moldavia, motivated by their deep reverence for the Holy Tsar Nicholas II and his family.

Drawing from numerous historical sources—studies, memoirs, and diaries—the nuns have meticulously reconstructed key moments in the life of the Imperial Family and presented them in a visually captivating format suitable for readers of all ages.

From the love story between Nicholas and Alix to the children’s education in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, from the tragedy of the Otsu Incident to the prophetic meeting with the Blessed Pasha Ivanovna of Diveevo, all are captured in exceptional illustrations, crowned with artistic refinement by the eleven Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs—famous jewels from the Romanov collection—depicted on the book’s title page.

This graphic novel aims not only to captivate Romanov history enthusiasts but also to offer a model of family, faith, and dignity in a world where these values are increasingly under threat. This book is a must read for all dedicated ‘Romanovphiles’.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II and the Russian Revolution
Author: Robert Service
Published in 2017 by Pan Macmillan (UK)
382 pages, illustrated

The Last of the Tsars was published just before the 150th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II in 1868, and the 100th anniversary of his murder in 1918. I have to say that I was reluctant at first to read this book, however, once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down!

This book was researched and written by the well known British historian and Sovietologist Robert Service. Wile the author is clearly not one of Nicholas II’s adherents – he rehashes the negative Bolshevik assessment of the Tsar – this book is still worth a read.

Service’s meticulous research offers some very interesting new details about the last eighteen months of Nicholas II’s life. What sets Service’s book a cut above those previously written, is that he avoids the details of the murder and burial of the Tsar and his family, and instead, explains in intricate detail the events between the Tsar’s abdication in February 1917 and his death in July 1918.

Drawing on Nicholas II’s own diaries and other hitherto unexamined contemporary documents, The Last of the Tsars reveals a compelling account of the social, economic and political foment in Russia in the aftermath of Alexander Kerensky’s February Revolution, the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917 and the beginnings of Lenin’s Soviet republic.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal
Published in 2019 by Mesa Potamos Publications (Cyprus)
508 pages, illustrated

The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal draws on letters, testimonies, diaries, memoirs, and other texts never before published in English to present a unique biography of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. A lively portrait of the Imperial Family emerges from their own personal writings and in the writings of those who lived very close to them. Based strictly on primary sources, the book also brings to light a multitude of unknown and unrevealed facts, which evince that many truths in regard to the life and martyrdom of the Royal Martyrs remain silenced or distorted to this day. The result is a psychographic biography that explores the essential character of the royal family in a deeper and inspiring way.

This voluminous book includes nearly 200 black and white photographs, and also features a 56-page photo insert, of more than 80 high-quality images of the tsar and his family, all of which have been colourised by the acclaimed Russian artist Olga Shirnina (aka Klimbim), and appear here in print for the first time.

The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal was my personal choice for Romanov Book of the Year in 2019. Click HERE to read my review, published on 18th November 2019.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II
Author: Greg King
Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (US)
559 pages, illustrated

While a massive body of work has been devoted to the last of the Romanovs, The Court of the Last Tsar is the first book to examine the people, mysteries, traditions, scandals, rivalries, and riches that were part of everyday life during 22+ year reign of Nicholas II.

This richly illustrated volume includes 24-pages of colour photographs; more than 80 black-and-white photos; floor plans of the Winter Palace (St. Petersburg), the Alexander Palace (Tsarskoye Selo), the Grand Kremlin Palace (Moscow), among others.

King’s study draws on hundreds of previously unpublished primary sources, including memoirs, personal letters, diary entries, and official documents. His research invites you to experience dozens of extravagant ceremonies and entertainments attended by members of the Imperial Court, which numbered more than fifteen thousand individuals.

Chief among these, of course, was Nicholas II, Emperor and Tsar who ruled an empire that stretched over one-sixth of the earth’s land surface. His marriage to Princess Alix of Hesse in 1894 and their Coronation in 1896 are two of the most spectacular ceremonies described in this lavish volume.

The Court of the Last Tsar brings the people, places, and events of this doomed but unforgettable wonderland to vivid and sparkling life.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

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A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas and Alexandra, Their Own Story
Authors: Sergei Mironenko and Andrei Maylenas
Published in 1997 by Doubleday (US); Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (UK)
559 pages, illustrated.

These letters, most of which are published here for the first time, offer an intimate look at some of the most momentous events of the early 1900s, including Russia’s participation in World War I and the fall of the Romanov dynasty in the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Among the correspondents are Alexandra’s beloved but domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and Nicholas’ cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Most poignant, though, are the letters and diaries of the last Tsar and Tsarina, which stand as eloquent expressions of one of the great love affairs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A Lifelong Passion begins in 1884 with the couple’s first childhood meeting and chronicles their intense courtship and first joyful years of marriage. Their happiness, however, was not to last, as they were quickly overtaken by the forces of war and revolution. The discovery that their only son and heir Alexei was stricken with hemophilia opened the family to the formidable and perhaps malign influence of the monk Rasputin, whose gory death is here recounted by one of the murderers. Though unshaken in their love for one another, Nicholas and Alexandra could not hold their country together, and their story ends with a chilling account of their murder by the Bolshevik revolutionaries.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

***

Nicholas II: Twilight of the Empire
Author: Dominic Lieven
Published in 1993 by St. Martin’s Press (US); Pimlico (UK)
292 pages, illustrated

What is there new to say about Russia’s last monarch? Almost everything. Previous biographies have told of the shy family man, the father of the hemophiliac heir, the victim of the infamous murder at Ekaterinburg in 1918. This book provides new insights into those parts of the story, but it looks above all at Nicholas as political leader and emperor, as it portrays the Old Regime’s collapse and the origins of Bolshevik Russia in a way that will surprise readers.

Nicholas II was not stupid. Nor was he weak as is commonly thought. The dilemmas of ruling Russia were vast and contradictory, and it was an illusion to think that simply by agreeing to become a constitutional monarch Nicholas could have preserved his dynasty and empire. Drawing many eerie parallels to events unfolding in Russia today, Lieven shows that social and technological change had far outstripped the existing political and executive structures. Lieven argues that the inability of the Tsar and his government to recognize these growing anachronisms and to devise new systems constructively helped lead to the devastating chaos out of which the new order arose.

Drawing on his fifteen-year study of Imperial Russia and using archival material and other sources all over the world, Cambridge Research Professor Dominic Lieven shows that the downfall of both the Imperial and Soviet Regimes fit into a pattern of ongoing Russian history, one that bears close scrutiny if we are to understand the turmoil of the post-Cold War period.

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

***

Last Tsar: Nicholas II, His Reign and His Russia – 4 Volumes
Author: Sergei S. Oldenburg
Published in 1975 by Academic International Press (US)
228 pages (Vol. I), 315 pages (Vol. 2), 224 pages (Vol. 3), 356 pages (Vol. 4)

The 4-volume Last Tsar. Nicholas II, His Reign & His Russia by the noted Russian historian and journalist Sergei Sergeiivich Oldenburg (1888-1940), remains the most comprehensive and definitive English language study of Nicholas II’s 22+ year reign to date. Originally published in 1939 in Russian, the first English edition was not published until 1975.

It is a major document in modern Russian historiography. The final contribution of a Russian nationalist historian, it provides uniquely sensitive insights into the character, personality, and policies of Russia’s last tsar. It has no rival as a political biography of Nicholas II and is without peer as a comprehensive history of his reign.

Click HERE to read my article about this highly sought after set and its’ author Sergei Sergeiivich Oldenburg

Click HERE to download, print and save a copy of my 22-page
Nicholas II Bibliography of Books (2026). It’s FREE!

Two NEW books on the Alexander Palace

Posted on February 8 by Paul Gilbert

I am pleased to a nnounce the release of a NEW edition of The Empress’s Balcony (published in 2026) and it’s companion volume The Empress’s Chair (published in 2023).

I have compiled two unique pictorials dedicated to two of the most iconic spots in the Alexander Palace – the former residence of Russia’s last Imperial Family at Tsarskoye Selo – both of them favourite spots for the rest and relaxation of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

The Empress’s famous balcony and the corner chair in her Mauve Boudoir served as the settings for hundreds of iconic photographs of herself, the Tsar, their children, as well as extended family members and those close to the Imperial Family.

Each of these pictorials feature more than 100 full-page black-and-white photos. The accompanying text explores the history of both the balcony and chair, as well as the history and recreation of the Maple Drawing Room and Mauve Boudoir. While the balcony was demolished during the Soviet years, the Empress’s chair has recently been recreated for the restored interior of her Mauve Boudoir, which opened to the public in 2021.

Each of these charming pictorials will be a welcome addition to any one who shares an interest in the Alexander Palace and its Imperial residents during the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

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*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $13.99 USD

English. 112 pages, 100 black & white photos

Originally published in 2023, this NEW 2026 edition features a NEW cover, plus two additional pages and NEW photographs

Between 1896-1898 – the Court architect Silvio Danini carried out the reconstruction of the eastern wing of the Alexander Palace, which included the personal apartments of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.

In addition, he installed the famous L-shaped iron balcony for the Empress, which was accessed via the Maple Drawing Room.

The Empress’s balcony became a favourite setting for taking family photographs, taken by the Empress and her children, all of whom were avid amateur photographers. More than a century later, these iconic images provide us with a rare glimpse into the private world of the Imperial Family.

The photographs presented in this pictorial, have all been selected from the private albums of the Empress and her children, and that of Alexandra’s friend and lady-in-waiting Anna Vyrubova.

Read why the balcony was dismantled between 1947-49, and why the palace-museum have no plans to restore it. In the meantime, we have to content ourselves with the selection of vintage photographs which have survived to this day, and are presented in this pictorial.

*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $13.99 USD

English. 120 pages, 107 black & white photos

Among the Empress’s quarters was the Mauve Boudoir, which would become her favourite room. According to legend, the Empress gave Alexnder Meltzer a lilac branch, her favourite flower, so that he could choose the colour scheme for the decoration of the room.

Among the most notable pieces of furniture in this room was a corner chair, which became a popular spot for family photographs, taken by the Empress and her children, all of whom were avid amateur photographers. More than a century later, these iconic images provide us with a rare glimpse into the private world of the Imperial Family.

Like many other rooms in the Alexander Palace, the Mauve Boudoir suffered a sad fate – the decoration and the interior were lost during the Great Patriotic War. The room has since been reconstructed and restored to its original historic look, as has the Empress’s famous chair.

Sovereign: The Life and Reign of Emperor Nicholas II

Posted on January 7 by Paul Gilbert

BACK 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

No. 14 Winter 2025

No. 13 Summer 2024

No. 12 Winter 2024

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

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

No. 14 Winter 2025

No. 13 Summer 2024

No. 12 Winter 2024

Nicholas II Bibliography – FREE 22-page booklet

Posted on January 2 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

***

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 January 1 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.

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 December 26 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