Books | Nicholas II

Bones of Contention: The Russian Orthodox Church and the Ekaterinburg Remains

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

Full-colour covers, 206 pages + 90 black & white photographs

Originally published in 2020, this NEW REVISED & EXPANDED 2021 EDITION features an additional 40+pages, new chapters and 90 black and white photos. It is the most up-to-date source on the highly contentious issue of the Russian Orthodox Church and their position on the Ekaterinburg Remains.

In May 2022, the Bishops’ Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, will meet in Moscow during which they will review the findings of the Investigative Commission and deliver their verdict on the authenticity of the Ekaterinburg Remains.

The reopening of the investigation into the death of Nicholas II and his family in 2015, caused a wave of indignation against the Russian Orthodox Church. This book presents the position of both the Moscow Patriarchate and the Investigation Committee.

This is the first English language title to explore the position of the Orthodox Church in Russia with regard to the Ekaterinburg remains. The author’s research for this book is based exclusively on documents from Russian media and archival sources.

This unique title features an expanded introduction by the author, and eight chapters, on such topics as the grounds for the canonization of Nicholas II and his family by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2000; comparative details of the Sokolov investigation in 1919, and the investigations carried out in the 1990s to the present; reluctance of the Moscow Patriarchate to officially recognize the remains as authentic; interesting findings of Russian journalist, producer and screenwriter Elena Chavchavadze in her documentary Regicide. A Century of Investigation; and the author’s own attempt to provide some answers to this ongoing and long drawn-out investigation for example: “Will Alexei and Maria be buried with the rest of their family?” and “Will the Imperial Family remains be reinterred in a new cathedral in Ekaterinburg?”.

This new revised and expanded edition also includes two NEW chapters!

Interviews with Vladimir Soloviev, Chief Major Crimes Investigator for the Central Investigate Department of the Public Prosecution Office of the Russian Federation and Archpriest Oleg Mitrov, a member of the Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints – BOTH key players in the Ekaterinburg remains case, reveal the political undertones of this to this ongoing and long drawn-out investigation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Independent researcher Paul Gilbert has spent more than 25+ years researching and writing about the Russian Imperial Family. His primary research is focused on the life, reign and era of Nicholas II. On 17th July 1998, he attended the tsar’s interment ceremony at the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Twenty years later, he attended the Patriarchal Liturgy on the night of 16/17 July 2018, held at the Church on the Blood in Ekaterinburg. Since his first visit to the Urals in 2012, he has brought prayers and flowers to both Ganina Yama and Porosenkov Log on numerous occasions.

4 NEW Romanov Titles

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

I am pleased to offer 4 additional Romanov titles – published in October – available in PAPERBACK editions on AMAZON. Prices for paperback editions start at $12.99 USD. Each title offers a FREE “Look Inside” feature.

All of these titles are available from any AMAZON site in the world and are priced in local currencies [CLICK on any of the following links]: Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico and Australia

Please refer to the links provided below to view this month’s selection – PG

VERA: Princess of the Imperial Blood Vera Konstantinovna
Compiled and Edited by Paul Gilbert

Includes more than 75 black and white photos!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PAPERBACK EDITION

Princess of the Imperial Blood Vera Konstantinovna (1906-2001), was the youngest child and daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna.

Vera was a second cousin of Emperor Nicholas II, and a childhood playmate of his younger children. During World War I, she lost her father and brother, and during the Russian Revolution, three of her brothers were murdered by the Bolsheviks.

At age twelve, she escaped revolutionary Russia, fleeing with her mother and brother George to Sweden. She spent the rest of her long life in exile, first in Western Europe and from the 1950s in the United States.

In the last years of her life, the Supreme Monarchist Council considered her the Empress of Russia, after whose death there were no heirs to the Russian throne.

Vera was the only Romanov who remembered pre-revolutionary life and her legendary relatives. She was a living embodiment of the best traditions of the House of Romanov, enjoyed great respect and respect in the circles of the Russian emigration.

Princess Vera died on 11 January 2001, at the age of 95. She was buried next to her brother Prince George Konstantinovich at the cemetery of the Russian Orthodox Monastery of Novo-Diveevo in Nanuet, New York.

Petrograd: The City of Trouble, 1914-1918
by Meriel Buchanan

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A compelling first-person account by the daughter of the British Ambassador to Imperial Russia Sir George Buchanan. Meriel Buchanan writes in a colourful, highly readable style that keeps her subject fresh.

Her memories provide a lively and accurate account of the 1917 Revolution, and the terror and horror the new Bolshevik order had on the Russian people

This is an fascinating account of the tense, eventful months leading to the Revolution. As the war became a disaster for Russia, the author witnessed many of the harrowing scenes in St. Petersburg, often viewing them from the windows of the British Embassy facing the Neva River and bridges where so many of the most important events were played out.

As events unfolded, Buchanan recalls the Russian soldiers, the wounded in the hospital, the crowds on the street where public speakers held forth – to her, all were upstanding and sympathetic depending on their attitude toward Bolshevism. Those who favoured Bolshevism, she correctly identifies as surly and disreputable.

The author speaks of the Russian masses in the same way that foreigners always have. In her eyes, they were almost simple-minded — admirable when they were subservient, docile, and humble, but savage when they wanted freedom from the iron grip of tyranny and capitalism.

When they fought the Germans, she acknowledges that they fought bravely even though they lacked every essential for fighting, but when they were thrown back by the enemy and flooded into St. Petersburg, in her eyes they became slovenly, lazy, and dirty.

This book is well worth reading. It demonstrates how diplomats managed, though with difficulty and with the help of many servants, to keep up a privileged existence in a city in the grip of dire circumstances, a city torn apart by events of world-shaking consequence.

A great tool for anyone researching St. Petersburg in the final days before WWI and the collapse of the Romanov dynasty.

Romanov Relations: Volume I
Compiled and Edited by Paul Gilbert

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More than a century after the fall of the monarchy in Russia, the world’s fascination with the Romanov dynasty endures, as a whole new generation of Romanovphile pursues their fascination with Russia’s most famous family.

Romanov Relations is a multi-volume set of books, with each volume offering a collection of out-of-print articles, about the emperors, empresses, grand dukes and grand duchesses, as well as their descendants. Many of them dating back to the golden years of Imperial Russia have sat around collecting dust, mostly forgotten by time and neglected by researchers. Many of the authors, whom have long since passed from this world, personally knew their subjects and present them objectively to their reader in this volume. They offer both interesting anecdotes and insight into the private world of the Russian Imperial Court. Further, each volume is richly illustrated throughout, offering a selection of vintage photographs, many of which are drawn from Russian sources, and some of which may be new to readers.

Volume One includes 70 photographs, and 5 articles, some of which are divided into numerous sub-chapters:

(1) The Imperial Family of Russia by the Countess Marguerite Cunliffe-Owen

(2) H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna of Russia by the Countess Alexandra Olsoufieff

(3) The Controversial Grand Duchess: An Intimate Biography of the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, Senior by Christopher Heu

(4) The Russian Imperial Family in Olden Times by Princess Catherine Radziwill

(5) Flight from Russia by Louise Mountbatten, Queen of Sweden and includes Letters from the Russian Imperial Family. The letters written by the Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana to their cousin, Louise

Romanov Relations will be enjoyed by readers who have an interest in the Romanovs and their legacy, as well as providing a useful reference to writers and historians as they continue to unravel the mysteries and dispel many of the popular held myths surrounding the Romanov dynasty.

Emperor Nicholas II As I Knew Him
by Sir John Hanbury Williams

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In this compelling and intimate series of diary entries, originally published in 1922, Major-General Sir John Hanbury-Williams (1859-1946) depicts Tsar Nicholas II not as history knows him, but as he knew him.

The author claims that he probably saw the Tsar oftener and knew him more intimately than most others, outside his immediate entourage, during the period of his command in the field in 1916 to early 1917.

From a great personal friend of the Emperor and one of the last people to have received any kind of correspondence from him, a fresh perspective on the character of the man behind the title is available.

This is a powerful recollection from Hanbury-Williams, who includes touching and poignant details from his own life in an historical and historic diary.

Sir John Hanbury-Williams (1859-1946) was the Military Secretary to the Secretary of State for War and Brigadier-General in charge of Administration. During the First World War, he was head of the British military mission with the Russian Stavka with direct access to Tsar Nicholas II.

Click HERE to view 5 NEW Romanov titles published in September 2021

Click HERE to view 4 NEW Romanov titles published in August 2021

Paul Gilbert to close online bookshop

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Paul Gilbert in the old ‘Royal Russia Bookshop’. Please note that the books depicted in this photo are no longer available from my online bookshop – PG

At the end of 2020, after 26 years, I closed my publishing business. Aside from my Nicholas II. Emperor. Tsar. Saint. 2022 Calendar, I have not published any new titles and ceased publication of my periodicals Royal Russia and Sovereign, during the past year.

This may be your last chance to additional titles to your personal Romanov collections!

On 27th October of this year, I will mark my 65th birthday, at which time I will permanently retire from bookselling. It is with mixed feelings, that after more than a quarter century of publishing and selling books on the Romanovs, my main online bookshop Paul Gilbert Publisher [for many years known as the Royal Russia Bookshop] will permanently close on 31st December 2021.

I will, however, continue to offer books on my other online bookshop Paul Gilbert Bookseller, which offers new, rare and second-hand titles, in addition to other topics.

At some point within the next few years, I will be moving back to England, where I will take up permanent residence in Northumberland.

As a result, I am forced to sell off the bulk of my personal library, which consists of several thousand titles on Imperial Russian history, the Romanovs, European and British royalty. In addition are richly illustrated pictorials, books on history, art, architecture, biographies among many other topics.

Given the sheer number of books that I still own, it will take me two to three years to scan and list each book. It is a very time consuming task, however, I am now committed to adding up to 50 additional titles to my online catalogue each month.

If you would like to receive updates when my online shop has been updated, please send me an email – royalrussia@yahoo.com – with a request to be added to my mailing list.

New publishing venture on AMAZON

I am pleased to announce that I will continue to research and write books on the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II [among others], all of which will be published in both paperback and eBook editions, and sold worldwide from AMAZON.

Click HERE to review 4 NEW publishing projects, which I am currently working on

In August of this year, I started to reissue reprints of other books on the Romanovs, which have been out of print for many years, and unavailable to a new generation of Romanovphiles! Below, are links to titles, currently available on AMAZON – with many others planned.

Click HERE to review 4 NEW Romanov Titles added on 31st August 2021

Click HERE to review 5 NEW Romanov Titles added on 16th September 2021

5 NEW Romanov Titles

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

I am pleased to offer 5 additional Romanov titles on AMAZON in both PAPERBACK and EBOOK editions. The bulk of these titles are books which I published in paperback editions about 20 years ago, and have been out of print for some time. I decided to repackage each with new covers, and updated with prefaces and introductions. In addition, are also new titles.

Please note that some of these titles are available in both paperback and eBook editions, while others are available in either just paperback or eBook editions at the present time.

Prices for eBooks start at $9.99 USD, paperback editions start at $12.99 USD. Each title offers a FREE Look Inside feature.

All of these books are available from any AMAZON site in the world and are priced in local currencies [CLICK on any of the following links]: Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico and Australia

Please refer to the links provided below to view this month’s selection – PG

MISHA: GRAND DUKE MICHAEL ALEXANDROVICH
Compiled and Edited by Paul Gilbert

AMAZON’S #1 New Release in Historical Russia Biographies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PAPERBACK EDITION

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (1878-1918) was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, and the younger brother of Russia’s last emperor Nicholas II.

This book explores the milestones in the life of Grand Duke Michael in a series of essays by four distinct authors, and complemented with 50 black and white photographs.

Among them are the memories of Princess Olga Pavlovna Putyatina, who in February 1917, offered refuge to the grand duke at her flat on Millionnaya Street in Petrograd.

Independent researcher Paul Gilbert offers two fascinating essays: the first reviews an album of some 200 photographs taken by Grand Duke Michael, during his stay at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire. England, 1913-1914 . The album sold at auction for more than 2 million rubles ($34,000 USD).

The final essay examines the myth that Michael was the last Tsar of Russia, he was not. Nicholas II remained Emperor and Tsar of Russia until the day of his death and martyrdom on 17th July 1918.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and his Secretary Nikolai Nikolaevich Johnson, were both murdered by the Bolsheviks near Perm on 13 June 1918. Their remains have never been found.

MEMOIRS OF THE PAGES TO TSAR NICHOLAS II
by Dr. Thomas E. Berry

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITON

The history of the Corps des Pages in Russia dates back to the days of Peter the Great. Each of his successors made changes or improvements up until the end of the monarchy in 1917.

The Corps des Pages was both a military and a Court institution which prepared young men to serve the Tsar and his family at Court. Many would also go on to serve in the military or enter into the diplomatic or civil service of the Russian Empire. The chief among the Pages of the Chamber was ipso facto the Page of the Chamber of the Tsar. The Tsarina and each member of the Imperial Household had a Page of the Chamber assigned to them, as did all the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses. As a rule, Pages of the Chamber and Pages were invited to participate in many Imperial Court events.

These memoirs provide eyewitness accounts of their education and training at the Vorontsov Palace in St. Petersburg. From here, these young men went on to serve the Russian Imperial family. Their recollections of the elegance of the Russian Court as well as many, new intimate details of Emperor Nicholas II, provide us with a rare glimpse into his private world.

The memoirs also tell of the sadness and heartache felt as the First World War swept them, their country and monarchy into history. Some lived to tell of the destruction brought on by war and the revolution and reflect on a world lost forever.

CORONATION OF TSAR NICHOLAS II
by Paul Gilbert

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Six eyewitness accounts of the crowning of Russia’s last tsar with more than 200 rare vintage photographs & illustrations

The pomp and pageantry surrounding the Coronation of Nicholas II is told through the eye-witness accounts of six people who attended this historic event at Moscow, held over a three week period from 6th (O.S.) to 26th (O.S.) May 1896.

The authors came from all walks of life and different nations: Francis W. Grenfell and Mandell Creighton, Bishop of Peterborough (Great Britain); John A. Logan, Jr., Kate Koon Bovey and Richard Harding Davis (United States); and Boris Alexandrovich Engelgardt (Russia).

Historians have left us only brief descriptions of this historic event, but it is thanks to the authors of this unique book that we are grateful. They recorded their observations in diaries and letters, leaving to posterity a first-hand record that allows modern-day readers to relive the crowning of Russia’s last tsar and the splendour and opulence of a world that is gone forever.

These exceptional memoirs offer a wealth of information that include the preparations and events leading up to and during the coronation festivities, the tsar’s entry into Moscow, the procession to the cathedral, the crowning of the tsar and the celebrations that followed. No two memoirs are alike; each of the authors guides the reader through this historic event through his or her own eyes.

Paul Gilbert is an independent researcher specializing in the study of the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II. He has committed his research to clearing the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

MEMORIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT
by Anna Taneeva-Vytrubova

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE EBOOK EDITION

Due to her privileged position at the Court of the last Russian Tsar and her close association to the Imperial Family, Anna Vyrubova’s memoirs are highly regarded by those who share a special interest in Nicholas II and his family.

From the summer of 1905 on, Anna Vyrubova centered her life on the Empress Alexandra and became a part of the Tsar’s family. In order to be closer to the family, Anna moved into a summer home at Tsarskoye Selo, just two hundred yards from the Alexander Palace, and her telephone was connected directly to the palace switchboard.

Her memories provide a rare peek into the private world of the Imperial Family, sharing many intimate details and personal impressions. She sailed with them on the Imperial Yacht ‘Standart’ to the Finnish islands and Livadia in Crimea.

In 1920 Anna escaped to Finland and lived quietly at Vyborg. There she wrote these remarkable memoirs which offer a unique eyewitness testimony of the life and character of Empress Alexandra, Emperor Nicholas II and their five children. Vyrubova describes a diverse array of incidents in the life of the Imperial family which collectively attest to the sincere and loving nature of the often misunderstood Empress.

Anna took vows as a Russian Orthodox nun but was permitted to live in a private home because of her physical disabilities. She died in 1964 at the age of 80, in Helsinki, where her grave is located in the Orthodox section of Hietaniemi cemetery. This book was first published in 1923.

MEMORIES OF RUSSIA 1916-1919
by Princess Olga Paley

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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 Imperial Guard of Russia, 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 captured and murdered by the Bolsheviks. Olga and her daughters escaped to Finland and then returned to Paris, where she died in 1929.

Princess Olga Paleys memories are a poignant, often harrowing account of the ‘last happy days’ before the disintegration of the empire, and the Tsar’s abdication. She records in stark detail the actions of the revolutionary officials, the increasing humiliation and cruelty that she and her husband, who was already in poor health, suffered under the new order, the ‘reign of blackguardism’ as they gradually requisitioned or destroyed her property and that of the other Romanovs, and how they responded to each gesture of brutality with dignity during ‘the dreadful calvary of 1918’. It is a moving document by one who survived, while so many of those closest to her did not.

Click HERE to view 4 NEW Romanov titles published in August 2021

4 NEW Romanov titles

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

I am pleased to offer 4 Romanov titles on AMAZON in both PAPERBACK and EBOOK editions. These are books which I published in paperback editions about 20 years ago, and have been out of print for some time. I decided to repackage each with new covers, and updated with prefaces and introductions.

Please note that these titles are only available in eBook editions at the present time, paperback editions are in the works, and will be announced as they become available.

Prices for eBooks start at $9.99 USD, paperback editions start at $12.99 USD. Each title offers a FREE Look Inside feature.

All of these books are available from any AMAZON site in the world and are priced in local currencies [CLICK on any of the following links]: Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico and Australia

NOTE: the book covers depicted below are the eBook editions! The book covers for the paperback editions are different. Please refer to the links provided below to view – PG

THE REAL TSARITSA
by Lili Dehn

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Rumour was busy in her lifetime with amazing tales about the late Empress of Russia; how much or little truth lay behind such rumours was known only to her few closest friends, and one of the few was Lili Dehn (1888-1963).

Great-granddaughter of Prince Koutousoff, the famous defender of Moscow against Napoleon I, Lili Dehn was admitted, after her presentation at Court, into the home circle of the Tsaritsa, and a great friendship grew up between them. Her study of the Empress’s personality, habits, views, life as she led it, is intimate and illuminating. Here is the truth about Rasputin, with new light on the legend of his power over the Royal Household, the inner reason for the scandalous reports circulated concerning him and the Empress, and a grim, enthralling account of his death and burial. Lili Dehn was the first person to whom the Empress came with the news of the Tsar’s abdication, and she witnessed his return after that supreme humiliation.

There are dramatic elements in the narrative of the early days of the Revolution; life at Tsarskoe Selo while the Tsar and his family were under arrest; and in the record of the writer’s own imprisonment and adventurous escape. The interest of the book is intensified by the often deeply pathetic letters written to Lili Dehn by the Tsaritsa from captivity. This revelation at first hand of the whole tragedy of the Empress, as a wife and a mother, and of all that led to the downfall of a great dynasty, makes a profoundly human appeal.

LADIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT
by Meriel Buchanan

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The daughter of Sir George Buchanan (1854-1924), British Ambassador at St. Petersburg in the First World War, lived among the Russian Imperial Court amid the fading glories of an age now past.

The stories which make up these six portraits are drawn from her own memories, stories of women whose lives were lived in the bright light that shines on royalty, many of whom she knew in their everyday existence.

In this gallery of portraits are included the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Alexander III and mother of Emperor Nicholas II; the Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich; the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the wife of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; the Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna, the wife of the Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich; the Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna, eldest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II; and finally, Princess Zenaide Yousoupoff, the mother of the infamous Prince Felix Yousoupoff.

In dealing with these ladies of the Russian Court, the author evokes all the mystery, fascination, splendour, and elegance of Tsarist Russia. Ms Buchanan writes with a charm and ease most fitting to the characters she describes.

LAST DAYS AT TSARSKOE SELO
by Count Paul Benckendorff

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Count Paul Benckendorff (1853-1921), belonged to the closest circle of Emperor Nicholas II. Following the collapse of the monarchy in 1917, Benkendorff and his wife shared the captivity of the Imperial Family at Tsarskoe Selo.

After the end of the First World War, he was accepted into court service: Adjutant General (1905). General of the Cavalry (1912). Ober-marshal of the Imperial Court. Benckendorff was also a Member of the State Council of the Russian Empire and the Imperial Yacht Club.

Benkendorff’s narrative provides a detailed eye-witness account of the Tsar’s abdication, his transfer to Tsarskoe Selo and his daily life in the Alexander Palace, where he was held under house arrest from February to August 1917.

Throughout his memoirs, Benckendorff characterizes Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna as courageous, gracious, and poised despite their obvious concern for their family.

Due to his age and poor health, Benckendorff was unable to follow the Emperor and his Imperial Family’s into exile to Tobolsk. One of the very few who were faithful, he parted with his Sovereign for the last time on 14th (O.S. 1st) August 1917.

TSAR NICHOLAS II
by A.G. Elchaninov

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This short biography was originally published in 1913, to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. The author served as a major-general in the Tsar’s suite, and a professor of military art in the General Staff Academy in St. Petersburg.

Many contemporary historians claim that Nicholas II was not fit to rule the Russian Empire. Elchaninov, however, rebukes these claims based on first-hand experience.

The first chapters describe Russia’s last Tsar as a caring, devoted and loving husband and father. The remaining focus on his relationship with his government, the church, the army, the Russian people, and the policies which he pursued during the first 18 years of his reign.

Written before the First World War and the 1917 Revolution. Elchaninov writes in glowing patriotic language portraying Nicholas II as an indefatigable “Imperial worker” in the service of Russia’s best interests and the “Sovereign father” of the Russian people.

This new expanded edition features an introduction by independent researcher Paul Gilbert, and two detailed appendices: a chronology of events during the reign of Nicholas II (1894-1917); and 100 facts about Nicholas II and the many reforms he made during his reign.

Russian Royal Classics . . . and then there were three!

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

Following the 1917 Revolution, a number of prominent persons who served at the Court of Emperor Nicholas II, as well as members of the Russian nobility wrote their memoirs in exile. Their writings provided curious readers in Britain, Europe and America with eyewitness accounts of the private world of the last Tsar and his family, and life in Imperial Russia.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the subsequent discovery of the remains of the Imperial Family, a whole new generation of Romanovphiles emerged. Their quest for knowledge was often met with disappointment, as by the 1990s, those memoirs which were originally published in the 1920s and 1930s were long out of print.

As a result, I embarked on a new series of 12 of the most popular titles and aptly named them as my Russian Royal Classics series. Each title was copied exactly from its original, complete with photos. I had the series published as library editions: a hard cover book having a superior quality of paper, binding, but without a dust jacket.

The series proved popular with Romanovophiles, so much so that out of the 12 original titles published, I have copies of only 3 remaining in stock. Once they are gone, there will be no reprints.

Below, I have provided a summary of each of these titles, and links to order in either US or Canadian dollars. In addition, I have provided a link to download and print an order form, for those who prefer to pay by personal check. The books are priced at $25 each + shipping and handling. Order information located at the bottom of this page.

LIFE & TRAGEDY OF ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA
by Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden

*THIS EDITION IS A HARD-COVER REPRINT OF THE ORIGINAL 1928 EDITION

Hard Cover Edition. 360 pages. Illustrated with 18 black and white photographs!

The intimate life of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna is told by the Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden who became acquainted with the Empress in 1904, and appointed a lady-in-waiting in 1913.

From the outbreak of the Revolution, the Baroness shared the captivity of the Imperial Family at the Alexander Palace, remaining with them till May 1918 — just before the regicide at Ekaterinburg — when, with other members of the household, she was forcibly separated from them.

This book is in part a vindication of the Empress, contrasting her devotion to her husband and his country and the affection felt for her by those who really knew her, with the widespread rumours of her unpopularity and the part she played in bringing about the calamity which had overwhelmed Russia.

Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden (1883-1956), served as a lady in waiting to the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. She was often chosen by the Empress to accompany the four grand duchesses on official duties. Sophie Buxhoeveden was the author of two other memoirs about the Imperial family and about her own escape from Russia: Left Behind: Fourteen Months in Siberia. December 1917-February 1919 (1929) and Before the Storm (1938).

MY RUSSIAN LIFE
by Princess Marie Bariatinsky

*THIS EDITION IS A HARD-COVER REPRINT OF THE ORIGINAL 1923 EDITION

Hard Cover Edition. 351 pages. Illustrated with 18 black and white photographs!

This remains one of the most interesting memoirs written by a member of the Russian aristocracy, featuring fascinating details about Princess Marie Bariatinsky’s (1876-1933) life in Tsarist Russia, and her impressions of the Imperial Family.
The author’s husband was a personal friend of Tsar Nicholas II, so that both Prince and Princess Bariatinsky attended all the important Court functions. The Tsar’s Coronation, the magnificent ball that followed, the Emperor’s historic visit to Paris in 1901, the Bariatsinky’s life in Manchuria, regimental duties in Tashkent, home life on the vast Bariatinsky estate are all vividly depicted in these reminiscences.

The personalities of the Tsar and Tsarina, Grand Dukes and Russian Generals are intimately portrayed. During the First World War the Princess superintended a hospital at Kiev, once invaded by the Bolsheviks.

As a writer, Princess Bariatinsky possesses a distinct gift of graphic eye-witness description, while a lively style adds to the attractiveness of her reminiscences.

AT THE COURT OF THE LAST TSAR
by A.A. Mossolov

*THIS EDITION IS A HARD-COVER REPRINT OF THE ORIGINAL 1935 EDITION

Hard Cover Edition. 273 pages. Illustrated with 14 black and white photographs!

Alexander Alexandrovich Mosolov (1854-1939), was a Russian military commander, diplomat, and Lieutenant-General. From 1900-1916, he served as permanent secretary of the Ministry of the Imperial Court – his immediate superior was the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count Vladimir Fredericks. He was the head of court censorship (department of the office of the Ministry of the Court), that is, he carried out a preliminary censorship of materials in which persons of the Imperial family were mentioned.

During his sixteen years at the Imperial Court, General Alexander Mossolov, was in close personal touch with the Russian Court. He was among the close circle of Emperor Nicholas II, and here describes the intimate life of the Emperor and Empress and their children, and reveals the strange relations between the Tsar and his Ministers and the foibles and difficult nature of the Empress.

His memoirs provide an interesting picture of foreign affairs as seen from the court of the Father of all the Russians: what “Nicky” thought of the Kaiser’s little ways and how he dealt with his visits and that of King Edward VII. A notable feature is General Mossolov’s authoritative account of the battle fought in a vain attempt to break the demoniacal influence of Rasputin, with descriptions of personal interviews with him.

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Independent Researcher Paul Gilbert announces 4 NEW publishing projects

Posted on June 14, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

Earlier this year, I announced that after more than 26 years as an independent publisher, that I had decided to retire from publishing. Over the course of the past six months, I have been reflecting on four important publishing projects, which remain unpublished. These are works which I began working on as early as 2018.

After careful reconsideration, I have decided to temporarily come out of retirement, in order to bring these four previously planned titles into publication.

Why? Since 2018, I had invested many hours of researching and writing for each respective title to simply abandon them. Each of the four titles falls in line with my personal mission to clear the name of Russia’s much slandered tsar Nicholas II, therefore, it is important for me to see each of these projects come to fruition.

It is my sincere hope, that these new titles will provide a more truthful understanding of the life and reign of Nicholas II, and a welcome alternative to all the negative literature published about his life and reign, particularly since the 1990s.

I have provided a brief summary of each title, including an image of their respective covers.

Please NOTE that at the time of writing this announcement, that I have no timeline for the completion of any of these publications, so for those of you who are interested in any of these titles, I do ask for your patience. It may take a year, it may take two years to complete all four projects. I can assure you, however, that I will publicize each new book as it becomes available, on my blog and Facebook page, as well as via my bi-weekly news updates.

NICHOLAS II. MONUMENTS & MEMORIALS
by Paul Gilbert
ISBN: 978-1-927604-41-0

This richly illustrated title is the first book of its kind to be published on the subject. Nicholas II. Monuments & Memorials explores the nearly 100 monuments, busts and memorials established in Russia, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Among them is the first bust-monument to the Tsar installed and consecrated on 17th July 1993 – the day marking the 75th anniversary of the murder of Nicholas II – on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, in Tsarskoye Selo to the most recent, a magnificent equestrian monument installed on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Martyr Michael (Gusev), lin the city of Kulebaki, Nizhny Novgorod region.

In addition, the book explores a series of Triumphal Arches constructed in a number of cities across Siberia, to mark the visit of Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich (future Emperor Nicholas II), following his Eastern Journey (1890-91); and the memorials to Nicholas II established in Europe following the exodus of White émigrés who fled Bolshevik Russia after October 1917.

This book is a companion volume to Nicholas II. Portraits, published in 2019.

TRAITOR TO THE TSAR!
GRAND DUKE KIRILL VLADIMIROVICH and NICHOLAS II
by Paul Gilbert
ISBN: 978-1-927604-54-0

In June 1917, Grand Duke Kirill was the first Romanov to flee Russia. Not only was his departure “illegal”, as Kirill was still in active duty as a rear admiral in active military service in a country at war, he had abandoned his honour and dignity in the process.

Grand Duke Kirill, was clearly a man who lacked a moral compass. In this book I discuss his entering into an incestuous marriage with his paternal first cousin and a divorcee, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1905, defying both Nicholas II by not obtaining his consent prior, and the Russian Orthodox Church.

But it was Kirill’s traitorous act during the February Revolution of 1917, in which he is most famous. It was in Petrograd, that Kirill marched to the Tauride Palace at the head of the Garde Equipage (Marine Guard) to swear allegiance to the Russian Provisional Government, wearing a red band on his uniform. He then authorized the flying of a red flag over his palace on Glinka Street in Petrograd.

In 1922, Kirill declared himself “the guardian of the throne”, and in1924, pompously proclaimed himself “Emperor-in-Exile”. Further, I explore Kirill and Victoria’s alleged Nazi affiliations during their years in exile, as well as Kirill’s shameful infidelity.

This work is the first of its kind to thoroughly examine the treachery of Grand Duke Kirill towards Nicholas II. It is based primarily on documents from Russian archival and media sources, many of which will be new to the English reader.

NICHOLAS II IN POST SOVIET RUSSIA
by Paul Gilbert
ISBN: 978-1-927604-53-3

The image of Nicholas II, whom historians have criticized as an ineffective leader – and who was demonised by Soviet ideology – has been undergoing a renaissance in post-Soviet Russia.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, a series of significant events have taken place which have helped Russia re-evaluate the life and reign of the country’s last emperor Nicholas II.

These include the discovery of his remains in Ekaterinburg in 1991, his interment in St Petersburg 1998, his canonization by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2000, his rehabilitation in 2008, the status of his remains by the ROC, and of the centenary marking his death and martyrdom in 2018.

Among the other topics explored in this book, are the results of polls taken in Russia, whereby the populace have reevaluated their assessment of Nicholas II’s reign in a more popular light. In addition, this book explores the long-held theory that Lenin ordered the murder of the Tsar, as well as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s assessment of Russia’s much slandered Tsar, and the fact that the Russian State Archives still hold documents on the Ekaterinburg regicide, which to this day remain sealed and off limits to researchers.

NICHOLAS II. A CENTURY OF MYTHS AND LIES
by Paul Gilbert
ISBN: 978-1-927604-35-9

For more than a century, many myths and lies about the reign of Nicholas II have endured to the present day. For more than 70 years, the Bolsheviks and later the Soviets were perfectly content to allow these negative myths to stand. The Soviet government’s philosophy to avoid or revolutionize many facts pertaining to Imperial history, including the adoption of extreme censorship, affected what was permitted to be published inside the Soviet Union and thus helped the Bolshevik regime to discredit the last Russian Emperor.

Soviet historians portrayed the Tsar as indecisive, weak-willed, incompetent, and out of touch with the modern world. Their assessment is based on slanderous fabrications, particularly during the early 20th century, which are still deeply rooted in the minds of both Westerners and the Russian people even to this day.

Sadly, it is these same myths and lies which many modern day historians and biographers cling to in their biographies and studies of Nicholas II. It seems that rather then challenge the old myths by researching new documents in Russian archives, they prefer instead to keep up with popular thought rather than attempt to dispel a legend. This is not the sign of a good historian.

Nicholas II. A Century of Myths and Lies explores 25 of the most popular myths, for example: “that Nicholas II was weak and indecisive” or “that Nicholas II was indifferent to the Khodynka Tragedy” or “that Nicholas II was influenced by Rasputin” or “that Nicholas II was to blame for Bloody Sunday” or “that Nicholas II was wrong in assuming command of the Russian Armed Forces during WWI” or “that Nicholas II’s death was met with indifference by the Russian people” . . . plus, 19 other myths.

FOR SALE: The correspondence of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, 1914-1917

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

I am pleased to offer two editions of the correspondence of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna from my personal library.

Between 24th April 1914 to 7th March 1917, Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna exchanged nearly 1,700 letters . The original correspondence has survived to this day and kept in the Novo-Romanovsky Archives of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF) in Moscow.

Their letters – all of which were written in English – reveal the enormous love the couple shared against the backdrop of a bloody war and the approaching end of the Russian Empire. In addition, Alexandra offers extensive commentary on hospitals and the wounded (she was a volunteer nurse). Nicholas II reports on the military and the war effort. The growing influence of Rasputin is also thoroughly documented in these texts. The reader sees in detail the crises that led to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the collapse of the tsarist regime.

This historically Important correspondence will serve as a valuable resource for all students of late Imperial Russia and World War I, and essential for those interested in the last Emperor and Empress of Russia.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN AUCTION SALE: I am offering each edition to the highest bidder. I have set the bidding price of each at $150 USD. I invite those of you who are interested to send me a private e-mail [royalrussia@yahoo.com], quoting your highest offer. Please ensure that you also note the item number (noted below). The winners will be notified by e-mail on Sunday, 20th June 2021.

Item No. 0576 – THE NICKY-SUNNY CORRESPONDENCE 1914-1917

This edition includes two volumes in one: The Letters of the Tsar to the Tsaritsa 1914-1917 and The Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar 1914-1916. Published by Academic International Press in 1970, it is a reprint of the original English edition, published in 1923.

Volume I includes an introduction by C. T. Hagberg Wright. Notes by C. E. Vulliamy; Volume II includes a 38-page introduction by Sir Bernard Pares (1867-1949).

Pares was a noted English historian and diplomat. During the First World War, he worked for the Foreign Ministry in Petrograd, Russia, where he reported political events back to London. He returned to London as professor of Russian history. He is best known for his numerous books on Russia,

Hard cover edition. 802 pages. Index. Size: 6-1/2″ x 9″ x 2″.

CONDITION: Near mint!

Opening bids start at $150.00 USD

AUCTION SALE: I am offering each edition to the highest bidder. I have set the bidding price of each at $150 USD. I invite those of you who are interested to send me a private e-mail [royalrussia@yahoo.com], quoting your highest offer. Please ensure that you also note the item number. The winners will be notified by e-mail on Sunday, 20th June 2021. *Shipping, handling and insurance are not included in the price.

Item No. 0577 – THE LETTERS OF THE TSAR TO THE TSARITSA 1914-1917 and THE LETTERS OF THE TSARITSA TO THE TSAR 1914-1916 – 2 Volume Set

Volume I: The Letters of the Tsar to the Tsaritsa 1914-1917

Includes an introduction by Ivan Bydzan. Illustrations. Index. Size: 6″ x 8-3/4″ x 1″. 324 pages. Hard cover.

Volume II: The Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar 1914-1916

Includes an introduction by Ivan Bydzan. Illustrations. Index. Size: 6″ x 8-3/4″ x 1-1/2″. 462 pages. Hard cover.

This 2-volume edition was published by the Hoover Institute Press of Stanford University in 1973, it is a reprint of the original English edition, published in 1923.

each volume contains inscription on inside title page and embossed book mark. Both copies are in excellent condition with solid binding.

Opening bids start at $150.00 USD for this 2-volume set

AUCTION SALE: I am offering each edition to the highest bidder. I have set the bidding price of each at $150 USD. I invite those of you who are interested to send me a private e-mail [royalrussia@yahoo.com], quoting your highest offer. Please ensure that you also note the item number. The winners will be notified by e-mail on Sunday, 20th June 2021. * Shipping, handling and insurance are not included in the price.

SOVEREIGN: The Life and Reign of Emperor Nicholas II

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

There are few monarchs in history about whom opinion has been more divided than the last emperor and tsar of Russia Nicholas II.

Myths about the “weak-willed”, “stupid”, “bloody” tsar, created on the basis of gossip, slanderous fabrications and Bolshevik propaganda in the early twentieth century, remain deeply rooted in the minds of both Westerners and the Russian people even to this day. Modern-day historians and biographers prefer to focus on Nicholas II’s failures, and seldom reflect on the many accomplishments he made during his reign. It was these very myths and lies, which compelled me to launch SOVEREIGN in 2015.

The articles featured in SOVEREIGN are not a rehash of everything which has been written about his life and reign over the past century. There are no conspiracy theories, nor does SOVEREIGN attempt to sweep history under the rug, or whitewash Russia’s last emperor and tsar.

Instead, SOVEREIGN features many 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 historians, we can now review the life and reign of Russia’s last emperor and tsar through the research of Russian historians – their time has come! In their works, they successfully challenge and put to rest many of the lies and myths presented over the past century by their Western counterparts.

SOVEREIGN was launched in 2015, and has published a total of eleven issues.

FREE SHIPPING when you buy ALL eleven issues
NOTE: This offer is valid on CANADA and US orders ONLY!
PRICE: $275.00 USD. PAY by CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL
*Payment can also be made by personal check or money order

Earlier this year, I announced that after 26 years, I would be retiring from publishing. I am now pleased to present the following SPECIAL OFFER on a complete set – 11 issues – of this unique publication.

Each issue features first English translations of articles, researched by Russian historians and experts, based on NEW documents from archival sources. The price of each issue is $25 + postage, so the savings on postage are substantial.

NOTE: I have a limited number of copies of issues No. 1, 7 and 9 left in stock, therefore, if you want to add a complete set of this publication to your personal library, this may be your last chance!

New book on military uniforms during the reign of Nicholas II

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

On 18th February, a new Russian language book Униформа русской императорской армии конца XIX — начала XX века. История. Дизайн. Материалы. Технологии [Uniforms of the Russian Imperial Army of the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries. Story. Design. Materials. Technologies], was presented in St. Petersburg.

The presentation took place in the concert hall of the Russian National Library, situated on the Fontanka River Embankment, researched and written by Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexei Aranovich and Vladimir Bezrodin.

Various ceremonial and field uniforms of officers and lower ranks of the military costume of the Imperial Russian Army were presented. They uniforms included: Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Finland, Volynsky and Cossack regiments, the Gendarme squadron, the Marine Guards crew. All of the uniforms were created based on the original patterns and technology of the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

President of the St. Petersburg Military Historical Society Professor Alexei Aranovich, noted that his comprehensive work is the first of its kind dedicated to the study of the uniforms of the Russian Imperial Army, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917).

The Russian language book not only presents the uniforms, but also the technologies used for their design. Military costume of the late late 19th to early 20th centuries are greatly admired for their historical and artistic values, as well as their design and technological aspects. The book is richly illustrated and supplemented with facts and information from Russian archival sources.

The publication will definitely be in demand by specialists in various fields – theater and film artists, historians and art historians, stylists and decorators, as well as designers working in the fashion industry. These materials are relevant both when creating replicas of historical costumes for feature films and documentaries, and in specialized educational institutions.