Last autumn, a one-day exhibition of watercolours by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960) and personal items that belonged to the family of Emperor Alexander III, was held at the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace[1] in St. Petersburg. A virtual tour of the exhibition is now available – see link below.
The exhibition includes 45 works of art and 16 memorial items from the collection, which was donated to the State Russian Museum by the St. Catherine’s Foundation with the assistance of the ESPO Foundation in 2023.
The exhibition is a joint project of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the State Russian Museum, and the Elisabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO).
All the children of the imperial family knew how to draw, but among the children of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, their youngest daughter Olga stood out. From a very early age, Olga proved herself as an artist. The Grand Duchess recalled: “Even during geography and arithmetic lessons, I was allowed to sit with a pencil in my hand, because I listened better when I drew corn or wild flowers.”
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was the patroness of many charitable societies and artistic associations of the Russian Empire, the chief of the 12th Hussar Akhtyrka Regiment. During the First World War she worked as a nurse, equipping a hospital in Kiev at her own expense.
The 3D tour is complemented by audio accompaniment dedicated to the life and work of the Grand Duchess, who during her lifetime painted more than 2,000 watercolours.
[1] Before the 1917 Revolution the palace was named the Sergei Palace, a Neo-Baroque palace at the intersection of the Fontanka River and Nevsky Prospekt in the capital. The palace served as the residence of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Following Sergei’s assassination in February 1905, the palace then became the property of his widow who became a nun in 1909. She went to live at the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow and willed the palace to her ward Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich.
PHOTO: local actors perform the roles of the Imperial Family
On 11th January 2025, a *Christmas event dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family was held in the House of Culture in the village of Narovchat, Penza Region. Christmas in the Circle of the Tsar’s Family marked the traditions of celebrating the Nativity of Christ in the circle of the family of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers and Imperial Russia.
* Recall that Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 14th January, according to the Old Style Julian Calendar
The event was organized by the nuns of the Trinity-Scanov Monastery, the pupils of the monastery Sunday School, the pupils of the Bishop’s Children’s Choir of the Penza Diocese and the staff of the Penza Museum of Local Lore.
The guests of honour included Metropolitan Seraphim of Penza and Nizhnelomovsk, Bishop Mitrofan of Serdobsk and Spassky, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Penza Region Sergey Vyacheslavovich Bychkov, and acting head of the Narovchat district Sergey Viktorovich Skudin.
Guests were greeted in the lobby by the pupils of the Sunday school and the nuns of the Trinity-Skanov Monastery, who sang carols and praises to the newborn Christ child.
On stage the private world of the Imperial Family was revealed. Local actors read aloud the personal letters of Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra to each other, which revealed to the audience the tender and loving image of the Imperial Family.
An Imperial Ball was held, which focused on the splendour of the Russian Imperial Court in the early 20th century. Elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen performed waltzes and polkas to live music of the era – all of which created an inspiring atmosphere of the holiday.
At the end of the solemn event, all participants received gifts from the abbess of the Trinity-Scanov Monastery, Abbess Innocent.
Also during the event, an exhibition of photographs courtesy of the Sretensky Monastery “The Royal Family: Love and Mercy” was opened. The exhibition features photographs reflecting the life and work of the Imperial Family.
In addition, the White Flower Festival was celebrated, which offered guests many skillful crafts made by the nuns, delicious pastries and much more. The tradition of the White Flower Festival was initiated by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her children at the beginning of the 20th century.
PHOTO: Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II in the uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Greys (1902). Artist: Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865-1911)
In 2025, a portrait of Emperor Nicholas II, painted in 1902 by the Russian artist Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865-1911) will be shown at the National Army Museum in London at an exhibition dedicated to the art of battle during the era of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).
The National Army Museum in London will host a major exhibition Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria, which runs from 1st July to 1st November 2026.
The exhibition will showcase over 140 works of art from the museum’s collection, including works on loan from other museums and private collections. Among these is Serov’s portrait of Nicholas II, on loan from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum in Edinburgh.
In Serov’s portrait, painted in 1902 in a lively impressionist manner, Russia’s most famous portrait artist, was able to convey the remarkable resemblance of the two Royal cousins: Nicholas II (1868-1918) and his elder cousin, the British King George V (1865-1936).
In Serov’s portrait, the young Russian Emperor is dressed in the uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Greys. This title was granted to him in 1894 by Queen Victoria on the occasion of the wedding of her granddaughter Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine to the future Emperor of Russia.
In 1902, the Emperor commissioned a portrait from Valentin Serov and, upon completion, presented the work to his Scottish Regiment. The portrait was taken to Edinburgh, to the castle where the headquarters of the Royal Scots Greys were located.
In 1971, the Royal Scots Greys was reformed and changed its name to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. But the portrait of the honorary commander of the regiment remained in its place in the living room of the regimental castle.
In the 2010s, the Board of Trustees of the regimental fund of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regiment summoned an expert in Russian painting to Edinburgh. The insurance valuation of Serov’s work was valued at £15 million ($18 million USD).
Serov’s portrait of Emperor Nicholas II (1902) is on permanent display in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum, located in the New Barracks at Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria exhibition, runs from 1st July 2025 to 1st November 2026 at the National Army Museum in London.
PHOTO: entrance to the exhibition which takes up the entire ground floor of the recently constructed Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in Dno
On 26th December 2024, a new museum dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family was officially opened and consecrated in the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the Russian city of Dno, situated 114 km from Pskov.
Metropolitan Matthew of Pskov and Porkhov performed the rite of consecration of the museum to the Royal Passion-Bearers. The museum takes up the entire ground floor of the church. Admission to the museum is FREE to all!
PHOTO: His Eminance performs the rite of consecration of the museum to the Royal Passion-Bearers
The interiors of the museum are a wonderful example of modern exhibition spaces, designed in the Neo-Russian Style [aka the Russian Revival Style], characteristic of the early twentieth century and beloved by Russia’s last Tsar.
The museum is divided into two halls. The first hall, which is painted burgundy-green, combined with dim lighting. Burgundy is the colour of the Imperial Porphyry, green is the colour of the monk. In this hall, the exposition explores the life of the Imperial Family from Emperor Nicholas II’s and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s childhood to the tragic vents of 1917. Two stands describe the history of the House of Romanov – from the calling to the throne of Mikhail Feodorovich in 1613 and to the death and martyrdom of Nicholas II 305 years later.
Archival photographs and documentary materials, diary entries, testimonies of contemporaries, statements by prominent public and church figures reveal in detail the life of the Imperial Family. They tell about their service to Russia, their close family relations, and the historical context of the events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition, the exposition explores the cultural, scientific, and political life of the Russian Empire during the era of Nicholas II.
PHOTOS: four double-sided mobile stands display documents and photos which explore the life of Emperor Nicholas II and his family
The photographs and documents are displayed on four double-sided mobile stands on small wheels with stoppers. At the northern and southern walls there are carved white-stone lecterns with carvings, under which relics of the era of Emperor Nicholas II are placed. In the eastern part of the hall there is a passage through three brass decorative arches which leads to the White Hall. Between the arches, there are four kiot stands made of white stone with carvings (initials), glass, lighting and a carved finial, dedicated to the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna. The ceiling is dark, with diffused and directional track lighting.
In the White Hall there is information about the Way of the Cross of the Imperial Family – the period from the events at the Dno station, the Tsar’s abdicated in March 1917, to the murder of Nicholas II and his entire family on 17th July 1918 in Ekaterinburg and the subsequent history of the veneration and glorification of the Imperial Family as saints. Extensive textual and illustrative material makes it possible to speculatively walk this path together with the Royal Passion-Bearers, to come into spiritual contact with the last year of their lives, to see the light of the Paschal victory in the darkness of the Ipatiev House.
CLICK on the photos below to enlarge and see in greater detail . . .
Also in the White Hall there are stands dedicated to the faithful retainers, who voluntarily followed the Imperial Family into exile and shared their sufferings, showing an example of loyalty to duty; stands dedicated to the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the Venerable Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the Alapaevsk Martyrs, who were murdered by the Bolsheviks the day after the Imperial Family; two kiot stands dedicated to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich; and stands dedicated to the memory, glorification and modern veneration of the Holy Royal Martyrs.
The hall is crowned by a large carved icon case with an icon of the Royal Martyrs, visible from the very entrance to the burgundy-green hall. The saints are depicted in white robes with a reference to the apocalyptic image of martyrs overcoming earthly sufferings and faithful to Christ (Revelations 6:9-12).
The White Hall is also used as a venue for small gatherings. The 4 white stands can be rrolled to the sides, thereby freeing up the central space of the hall. Attached to the ceiling in this room is a screen that can be opened in the eastern part of the hall, with a projector at the entrance to the burgundy-green hall. Folding chairs which are stored in the adjoining utility room, provide for guests attending lectures, films and other events.
CLICK on the photos below to enlarge and see in greater detail . . .
The museum is a project of love and deepest respect to the Holy Royal Martyrs and their feat on the Cross, which formed the basis of the feat of faith of all the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church and the preservation of the Holy Russian spirit in the 20th and early 21st centuries.
The opening of the new museum in Dno is the fourth such museum in Russia dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family, the other three are the Museum of the Holy Royal Family in the Tsarsky Cultural and Educational Center, situated in the Patriarchal Compound of the Church on the Blood (Ekaterinburg); the Museum of the Family of Emperor Nicholas II (Tobolsk); and the Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family (Kotelniki-Moscow).
PHOTO: icon of the Royal Martyrs in the White Hall
On 23 December 2024, a new exhibition dedicated to the merciful service of members of the Russian Imperial Family during the Great War (1914-1918), opened at the Kazan Monastery in Kaluga.
The mobile exhibition features 24 poster-stands which present unique photographs and interesting facts which acquaint visitors with the story of the great love, compassion and self-sacrifice of the family and relatives of Emperor Nicholas II, for the Russian people during the First World War.
During the First World War, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, her daughters, the Emperor’s sister Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and many others became ordinary nurses. Some went to hospitals at the front line, while others attended to wounded Russian soldiers at Tsarskoye Selo and Petrograd, together they worked on an equal basis with other nurses.
Visitors to the exhibition can learn about the work of the Russian Red Cross, the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS), and the “Olginsky”[1] and Tatianinsky”[1] Committees. The central part of the exhibition is dedicated to Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, whose 160th birthday was celebrated in 2024.
The exhibition was organized by the Elizabeth-Sergius Educational Society Foundation (ESPO) in Moscow. Preserving historical memory of the Russian Imperial Family is the most important task of the Foundation and especially with the younger generation. Schoolchildren and students of the Kaluga region will be invited to the exhibition, “because it is important to teach them from childhood and adolescence about the history of Russia and the life of the last Tsar, his family and relatives”.
The travelling exhibition was created in 2022, the year marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. For the past two years, the exhibition has been presented in cities and towns across Russia.
*As I have noted in previous posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in 21st century Russia – PG
NOTES:
[1] To help the civilian population affected during the First World War, Emperor Nicholas II established the Supreme Council chaired by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The Empress created committees to help refugees and families whose breadwinners are called to war. She assigned responsibility for the work in these committees to her two eldest daughters: Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna. The “Tatianinsky” and “Olginsky” committees had branches in many cities throughout the Russian Empire and were very popular.
A photograph album belonging to the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (1895-1918) from the collection of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (Moscow) is currently on display at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St. Petersburg.
The photographs are dated 1907-1908. The cover of the album is decorated with the Imperial Crown, and in the upper right corner is Olga’s monogram O. N.
In total, the album contains 294 photographs, of the Romanov family during the early 20th century. The pictures depict the day to day life of the Imperial Family: Olga and her siblings playing games, picnics, snowball fights and walks in the Alexander Park at Tsarskoye Selo, sailing on the Imperial Yacht Shtandart, New Year’s celebrations, and the Romanov family at home.
It also depicts photos of the Imperial Family: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna at Tsarskoye Selo with her children, with maids of honour, Emperor Nicholas II with his family and entourage.
Olga was the eldest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. She was the favorite of her father, and was considered the most gifted of the August children. Olga had a philosophical mind, loved to read and wrote poetry. According to Anna Vyrubova, Olga was ‘extremely pretty, with brilliant blue eyes and a lovely complexion, and resembled her father in the fineness of her features, especially in her delicate, slightly tipped nose’.
All the photos in the album are cheerful and serene. During the First World War, Grand Duchesses Olga and her sister Tatiana, together with their mother, completed Red Cross training, passed an exam, and swapped their Imperial dress for nurses uniforms and began to help wounded soldiers in a special hospital set up not far from the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo.
Next year, will mark the 130th anniversary of the birth of the Grand Duchess, on 16th (O.S. 3rd) November 2025.
On 1st November 2024, the photo-exhibition The Tsar’s Family: Service, Love, Mercy opened in the Zdemirov Rural House of Culture, situated in the village Zdemirovo of the Kostroma region. The exhibition was organized by the Union of Orthodox Women of the Kostroma Region, with the assistance of the clergy and parishioners of the local Church of the Prophet Elijah.
Photographs for the exhibition were provided by the brethren of Sretensky Stauropegial Monastery in Moscow. The photographs reflect the warmth and love the Imperial Family shared with one another.
What is a true Christian family? In the eyes of the Russian Orthodox Church, that example was set by the family of Emperor Nicholas II.
How selflessly they helped people, their fellow citizens of the Russian Empire. Despite their August positions in life, they worked on an equal basis with others, they worked as nurses, bandaged the wounded and participated in operations. In spite of of everything, they remained a strong family, always supporting each other. They were aN example of true service to God, the Motherland and people.
The photo-exhibition is timed to the 130th anniversary of the ascension of Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar to the throne, on 2nd November (O.S. 20th October) 1894.
Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich was 26 years old at that time. He was to stand at the head of the Russian Empire for more than 22 years, he marrued his fiancée, the Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, the future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
On 27th (O.S. 14th) November 1894, on the birthday of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the wedding of Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich with Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna took place in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace. The couple were blessed with 5 beautiful children: four daughters and a son.
The The Tsar’s Family: Service, Love, Mercy photo-exhibition runs until 4th December 2024. Admission is FREE!
***
As I have noted in similiar posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in post-Soviet Russia – PG
On 24th October 2024, with the blessing of Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, the Tsar Nicholas II Men’s Choir performed a concert of sacred music at the Cathedral of the Dormition in London, England.
The creative team under the direction of Adrian Fekula unites choir directors and singers from the USA, France and Great Britain. The choral ensemble aims to preserve the heritage and traditions of Russian Orthodox music abroad, focusing on the works of Russian church composers of the 20th century.
During the Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated by the Secretary of the Diocese of Sourozh, Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, assisted by Priest Vasily Gandzyuk, Protodeacon Vadim Santsevitch, Protodeacon Ioan Sîlnic and Deacon Alexander Kapustin, a mixed group of singers sang, which included the choir of the Dormition Cathedral and the singers of the Tsar Nicholas II choir. The choirmaster was Dmitry Tugarinov.
After the divine service, a concert was held in the church. Archpriest Dimitry Nedostupenko, addressing the participants of the performance, warmly greeted the guests on behalf of the Rector of the Dormition Cathedral, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, and thanked them for the opportunity to hear the masterpieces of the Russian church singing, reports the diocesan website.
The choir’s program included works by famous Russian church composers B. Ledkovsky, S. Taneyev, M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, A. Nikolsky, N. Cherepnin, N. Golovanov, P. Chesnokov, N. Kedrov, S. Trubachev, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, and A. Kastalsky.
The concert was attended by parishioners of the London Cathedral and parishes of the Diocese of Sourozh, who came from various cities of Great Britain. Among those gathered were a large number of British people interested in Russian sacred music.
On 24th October 2024, a travelling exhibition dedicated to Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, opened at the Pozhalostin Art Museum in Ryazan[1]. The exhibition is timed to the 140th anniversary of the birth of the last grand duchess of Russia, who was born on 13th June (O.S. 1st June) 1882, in the Cottage Palace, situated in the Alexandria Park at Peterhof.
The youngest daughter of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was a philanthropist of numerous schools and hospitals, during the First World War she went to the front as a nurse. In addition, she was a gifted artist. Throughout her life, she painted more than 2000 watercolours.
Some of the grand duchess’s watercolours are on display at the exhibition, painted in different years of her life. These are complemented by photographs, letters, diary entries and memoirs from the family’s personal archive. Among her letters on display, are those written to her brothers: Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and Emperor Nicholas II. The exhibits are from the funds of the Historical and Cultural Center of the Oldenburg Palace Complex, located in the village of Ramon[1], Voronezh Region.
The traveling exhibition has already visited the cities that were dear to the heart of the grand duchess. Among them are Gatchina (where Olga spent her childhood), Borovichi (a place close to the estate of her first husband Peter Alexandrovich[2]), Livadia in the Crimea (where Olga lived with her mother after the February 1917 Revolution), as well as the Mirsky Castle in Belarus (the Imperial Family was in close contact with the family of princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky).
The exhibition runs at the Pozhalostin Art Museum in Ryazan until 1st December 2024.
NOTES:
[1] Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna has a close connection with Ryazan and Ramon. It was here, near the Oldenburg Estate, “Ramon” (in the Voronezh region), that she had her own villa, called “Olgino” after the local town. She subsidised the village school out of her own pocket, and established a hospital. Sadly, the villa has not survived to the present day.
[2] On 27th July 1901, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960) married her first husband Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg (1868-1924), in the family church in Gatchina Palace. In 1915, the couple separated; Olga had no children from this marriage. On 27th August 1916, Emperor Nicholas II approved the definition of the Holy Synod, which recognized her marriage to Prince of Oldenburg dissolved.
On 2nd October 2024, a new musical drama The Last Romanoff premiered at the International House of Music in Moscow. The intriguing plot of the production is based on real events of Russia’s last Tsar, the causes of the revolution and its consequences.
The creator of the libretto, composer and director is Alexander Ragulin. The main roles in the production are performed by popular stars of Russian musicals, as well as theater and film actors.
The Last Romanoff is not for those who love rock music, contemporary, impressive scenery, or musical comedy shows. Instead, this musical-drama takes an historical turn, one which focuses on the horrific events that took place in Russia in 1918, events which plunged the Russian Empire, the monarchy and the Imperial Family into an abyss.
The musical tells, and most importantly, shows the story of the tragic fate of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, who was shot along with his family and faithful retainers in the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg on 17th July 1918. As it should be in this genre, music dominates, the vocals reveal the character of the Tsar and his family, and other characters, which “transmit” to the audience the story that turned the world upside down.
Without colourful background scenery and special effects, it is music which present the plot of this drama. The acting, the dynamics of the performance, the mood of the characters, all set against the backdrop of a dark, gloomy, dimly lit stage, help in telling the story.
Actor, composer, vocalist, producer and director Alexander Ragulin (who plays the role of Rasputin) has assembled an amazing cast: Igor Balalaev, Valeria Lanskaya, Alexander Marakulin, Yaroslav Bayarunas and others – a total of 12 artists.
The Imperial Family: Nicholas II, his wife, four daughters, the sick Tsesarevich Alexei – and further down the list all the famous historical figures: Rasputin, Kerensky, Yusupov… The emperor’s daughters work in the hospitals and wonderful singing are all featured in this production.
The musical drama The Last Romanoff runs until 24th December 2024 at the International House of Music in Moscow.
Nicholas II 
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