Nicholas II | Nicholas II

‘The Emperor on Vacation’ – Set of 3 photo albums

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: three photo albums from the family of Emperor Nicholas II at Livadia, during the years 1902, 1912 and 1913. From the Collection of Historical and Literary Museum in Yalta, Crimea.

One of the most prized titles in my private collection of more than 300+ books on the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II, is a 3-volume set of photo albums, which I purchaed from a Russian publisher in Crimea in 2020.

The photographs in these books have been reproduced from three little known family albums of Emperor Nicholas II during their visits to Livadia in various years during the early 20th century.

The albums had been tucked away for decades in the dusty archives of the Historical and Literary Museum in Yalta, Crimea. They were found in Livadia Palace following the 1917 Revolution, and seized by the regional Soviet after the Imperial residences were nationalized by the Bolsheviks.

I was made aware of the existence of these family albums of the Imperial Family during my visit to Yalta and Crimea in October 2000, however, it was not possible to view them at the time.

The albums were reproduced in 2019 by the N. Orianda Publishing House in Simferopol, Crimea under the title Император на отдыхе / The Emperor on Vacation in three handsome hard cover volumes. Each album is filled with high quality photographs of the Imperial family during their stay in Crimea in 1902, 1912 and 1913 respectively. The albums are packaged in a handsome slip case. Text and captions are in Russian.

This collection of photographs are indeed special, as there are no staged portraits, they reflect the private, home life of the Imperial Family: walks, picnics, excursions, family and friendly meetings, etc. – all set against the backdrop of picturesque Crimean nature, and the region’s historical and architectural monuments. Also included are a few images taken during official meetings and parades. In addition, are photos of the old wooden palaces at Livadia, and the Imperial Yacht Standart, docked in Yalta.

These albums will be indispensable to historians and any one interested in the life of Russia’s last Tsar and his family. The photographs have not been published in any of the pictorials published by Western publishers over the past decades – they are new to us!

It is interesting to note that that only 100 sets were printed! The price for the entire set was 10,000 rubles ($150 USD). After placing my order, I shared the information on my Facebook page, and within a few days, the remaining sets were sold out! I do know if a reprint was ever issued, and even if it was, it would be impossible to order these albums, due to the economic sanctions imposed by the West against Russia in 2022.

The 3-volume set of albums is encased in a handsome slipcase

Volume I (1902) Августейшие дачники / August Summer Residents
128 pages with 60 full-page black and white photos

Volume II (1912) Земной рай Романовых / Romanovs Earthly Paradise
224 pages with 112 full-page black and white photos

Volume III (1913) Царский альбом в стиле репортажа
88 pages with 40 full-page black and white photos

Published by the N. Orianda Publishing House in Simferopol, Crimea.
LanguageL Russian only. ISBN: 9785604293164

Video tour of the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

CLICK on the image above to watch the VIDEO

Duration: 2 minutes, 57 seconds. Language: Russian

For English subtitles: please click on the closed captioning button [cc] and then use translate [i.e. Google]

NOTEl: at the beginning of the video, please note the bust of Emperor Nicholas II on a pedestal, situated to the left of the museum.

***

Situated in a quiet side street in the Basmanny district, situated in northeastern Moscow, is a small museum dedicated to Russia’s last Tsar. The Museum of Emperor Nicholas II, which is part of the Nicholas II Cultural Foundation was established in April 2018.

The Foundation was created to support the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II and his family, as well as other initiatives to restore and disseminate the historical truth about the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II.

Both the Foundation and the Museum were fojnded by the famous Russian art historian Alexander Vasilyevich Renzhin. It was during the 1990s that Renzhin began to collect, bit by bit, everything related to Emperor Nicholas II and his family. During that time, he managed to amass a collection of more than 3,000 authentic items which reflect on the private lives of the Imperial Family from 1868 to 1918.

The museum’s collection includes sacred relics and unique icons that belonged to the Imperial Family: church utensils; rare books; ceremonial portraits of Emperors Alexander II, Alexander III, and Nicholas II; more than 500 original photographs; authentic autographs; state documents; porcelain and glassware; personal items of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna; memorial items of the Romanov dynasty; a complete set of state awards established by Nicholas II; postcards; chromolithographs; engravings and much more.

Of particular note is unique memorabilia from the Holy Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II in May 1896: earthenware glasses and plates decorated with the coats of arms and monograms H II [Nicholas II] and AF [Alexandra Feodorovna], miraculously preserved fine crystal glasses with engravings and paintings, cups, plates and saucers from the service with the new coat of arms introduced in 1856.

In the spring of 2008, Renzhin donated his collection as a gift to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery.

In February 2021, the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II was forced to close its doors, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the museum’s mounting debt of almost 9 million rubles (more than $13,000 USD) in arrears of rent.

A Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, and founder of the Tsargrad TV channel, came to the rescue by providing Renzhin’s rare collection with a new venue in which to display his vast collection. The Museum of Emperor Nicholas II re-opened in the Museum of Russian Art, the former manor house of Nikolai Eremeevich Struisky (1749-1796) – situated in Moscow’s historical district – on 10th February 2021.

FURTHER READING:

The Great Pilgrimage of Emperor Nicholas II in 1913 + VIDEO

Museum of Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow + VIDEO

Museum of Emperor Nicholas II re-opens in Moscow + PHOTOS

Tutor to Nicholas II reflects on his August student

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

Portrait of Adjutant General Nikolai Nikolayevich Obruchev (1830–1904)
Artist: Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)

Adjutant General Nikolai Nikolayevich Obruchev (1830–1904), tutor to Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, reflects on the future Emperor Nicholas II

“Tsar Nicholas II was of average height – 5 feet and 7 inches (about 170 cm). His slender figure was impeccable in proportion to his build, shone with the exceptional elegance of his innate grace, which, combined with a military bearing, athletic perfection, and the gentle smoothness of the Sovereign’s movements, was the outward appearance of his Imperial majesty and Royal simplicity …

“The Tsar’s hair was golden-reddish in colour; somewhat darker than his always carefully trimmed, well-groomed beard. The features of his beautiful elongated face, which often shone with a charming smile, were his blue eyes. All who had the honour of ever seeing the Emperor up close, were struck by the bottomless depth of these wonderful eyes, in which, as in a mirror, his beautiful soul was reflected. His physical appearance was a worthy frame for his bright soul …

“I was always impressed with the mind and the wonderful spiritual qualities of my student and the ability of the Heir Tsesarevich to quickly grasp the essence of the subject being presented and his phenomenal memory. His English tutor said about his student: “He was very curious and diligent, causing even good-natured ridicule from others, and was overly keen on reading, spending most of his free time reading a book.” At the end of his education, the Heir Tsesarevich retained an interest in books throughout his life and continued to improve his knowledge by reading and talking with competent and outstanding people of his time and amazed them with his extensive knowledge on various subjects …”

The portrait of General N. N. Obruchev was painted in 1897 by the Russian artist of Ukrainian origin Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko (1846-1898)

After the revolution, the portrait of General Obruchev ended up in the collection of the Pavlovsk Palace Museum. In 1966, it was transferred to the N. A. Yaroshenko Memorial Museum-Estate in Kislovodsk.

***

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE CATALOGUE

Cross procession in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs held in Ekaterinburg

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: “Transfer of the Romanov family to the Ural Soviet”. 1927. Artist Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelin (1869-1941). From the Collection of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in Ekaterinburg.

On 30th April 2024, a Cross Procession along the “Path of Sorrows” honouring the memory of Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and their daughter Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was held in Ekaterinburg. The day marked the 106th anniversary of their arrival in the Ural capital from Tobolsk.

Accompanying them were a number of servants: Dr. Evgeny (Eugene) Sergeyevich Botkin, Prince Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgorukov, maid Anna Stepanovna Demidova, valet Terentiy Ivanovich Chemodurov and boatswain Ivan Dmitrievich Sednev.

Every year on this day, the Ekaterinburg Diocese prayerfully celebrate the memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs. In churches, prayers are made to the Holy Imperial Family, and people also honour them by taking part in the Cross Procession along the “Ekaterinburg’s Path of Sorrow”, to the places associated with them on the day of their arrival in the Ural capital.

The clergy of the Ekaterinburg Diocese lead the Cross Procession along the “Ekaterinburg Cross Procession”, they are joined by Orthodox Christians, monarchists and other adherent’s to the last Tsar and his family. Together they prayfully walk the Path of Sorrows, walking in the footsteps of the Tsar, his family and their faithful servants, expressing their love and reverence for them.

The “Ekaterinburg Path of Sorrows” begin at the place where Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna disembarked from the train on 30th April 1918. Here, near the Shartash Railway Station (in 1918 – Yekaterinburg-II Station), a Memorial Cross and foundation stone were installed. A church in honour of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, one of the three miraculous icons that appeared during the reign of Nicholas II, will be constructed on this site.

The Cross Procession then proceeds along Vostochnaya Street, where the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Port Arthur” was erected at the intersection with Shevchenko Street. Here, according to the historical version, on 23rd May 1918, Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia Nikolaevna arrived by train, placed under arrest, and then taken to the Ipatiev’s House.

In 2008, a memorial stone was laid at the site, and in 2017, the construction of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Port Arthur” was completed, the consecration of the church was performed by Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye.

Not far from the railway station, in Nevyansky Lane, stands the Church in Honour of the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God. It was consecrated in 2011 by Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye. In 1918, the Yekaterinburg-I Station was located here, and it was here on 30th April 1918, that the train carrying the Tsar, his family and their servants stood for several hours. An angry mob had gathered at the station, forcing the train to travel to the Yekaterinburg-II Station.

PHOTO: view if the mosaic panel depicting the Holy Royal Martyrs, situated in the Imperial Room, a side-chapel located in the Lower Church of the Church on the Blood

The Cross Procession along the Path of Sorrows ends at the Church on the Blood on Tsarskaya Street. The Memorial Church was constructed on the site of the Ipatiev House, demolished in 1977. It was here, in the early morning hours of 17tj July 1918, that the Imperial Family and four faithful servants met their violent deaths at the hands of a firing squad and their martyrdom. Situted in the Lower Church there is the “Tsar’s Room” aka as “The Imperial Room” – the altar of the side-chapel in honour of the Holy Royal Martyrs, which was erected on the site of the murder room, with the blessing of Metropolitan Kirill of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye for the Tsar’s Days 2018.

My efforts to clear the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar – Paul Gilbert

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

During the month of May, we celebrate the anniversaries of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II in the Alexander Palace on 19th May (O.S. 6th May) 1868, and the Holy Coronation of Nicholas II in Moscow on 27 May (O.S. 14 May) 1896.

In recognition of these historic events, I am reaching out to friends and followers for donations to help support me with my research on the life and reign of Nicholas II, and my personal mission to clear the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

There are many web sites, blogs and social media pages dedicated to the Romanovs. However, Despite the fact that I am now retired, I continue to work very hard searching Russian archival and media sources to bring something new to the table every day. This includes First English translations of articles researched by a new generation of Russian historians; news on the Romanovs, their palaces, exhibitions, etc; + photos, videos and more.

Your donation helps support my research, the cost of translations, maintenance of my news blog Nicholas II. Emperor. Tsar. Saint, and the organization and promotion of Romanov themed events, such as the 1st International Nicholas II Conference.

If you enjoy all the articles, news, photos, and videos which I personally research, write and share, please help support my work in the coming year ahead by making a donation.

Click HERE to make a donation in US Dollars by CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL

Donations as little as $5 are much appreciated, and there is NO obligation!

Thank you for your consideration.

Another way that you can support my work, is by purchasing my semi-annual periodical SOVEREIGN, which features articles on the life and reign of Nicholas II, his family and the history of Imperial Russia. The articles featured in each issue are based on new research from Russian media and archival sources. The No. 12 Winter 2024 issue includes 17 articles, 130 pages. 114 Black & White photos. Price: $20 USD.

Click on the link below to review a list of the 17 articles featured in this issue, and to order your copy from AMAZON:

CLICK HERE for more details and to order SOVEREIGN No. 12 Winter 2024 issue

*Please note that the No. 13 Summer 2024 issue will be available in July 2024

Update on the restoration of the Imperial Railway Pavilion at Tsarskoye Selo

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: the Imperial Railway Pavilion [aka as the The Tsar’s Train Station] at Tsarskoye Selo and it’s architect Vladimir Aleksandrovich Pokrovsky (1871-1931)

NOTE: links to other interesting articles are highligted in red below – PG

Further to my August 2023 announcement that the Imperial Railway Pavilion at Tsarskoye Selo would be restored, I am pleased to provide the following update, which includes photos [taken in March 2024] of the progress being made on this important historic project, one which is closely connected to Emperor Nicholas II.

The building is currently hidden under scaffolding and outdoor construction hoarding, as experts carry out the restoration of the facade, it’s historic elements and install a new roof. This work can be seen in the photos published in this article, all of which were taken a few weeks ago.

The Imperial Railway Pavilion [aka as the Tsar’s Train Station] is a registered cultural heritage site of federal significance, an act which saved the building from destruction. Despite the fact that the building has not been used since the 1930s, it has been preserved in fairly good condition. The unique building will be restored to its original. In addition to the building itself, the 200-meter passenger platform and canopy will be reconstructed and the unique paintings which once decorated the walls and ceilings of the interior, and which have been partially revealed by restorers, will be revived.

The next stage, after a detailed study, will be the design, and then the restoration. The concept of using the building as a museum after the completion of the work will also be worked out.

The restoration work on the Imperial Railway Pavilion is part of a comprehensive development proect which includes the nearby Feodorovsky Gorodok, and other buildings to their original pre-revolutionary look.

The original wooden Imperial Railway Pavilion and the covered platform were constructed in 1895. They were intended to receive Imperial Trains arriving at Tsarskoye Selo through the Aleksandrovskaya Station, which is situated north of the pavilion on the St. Petersburg-Warsaw railway line.

On 25th January 1911, the wooden station was destroyed by fire. It was decided to erect a new stone building on the same site by the architect Vladimir Aleksandrovich Pokrovsky (1871-1931) with the participation of a graduate of the Academy of Arts Mikhail Ivanovich Kurilko (1880-1969).

The new pavilion was designed in the Neo-Russian Style beloved by Nicholas II. The Fepdorovsky Gorodok, the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral, the Sovereign’s Martial Chamber, and the barracks of His Majesty’s Own Convoy were all built in the same style. Together, they form an architectural ensemble in which motifs of ancient Russian architecture were used. In addition, the planning and design of the Imperial Railwat Pavilion was influenced by the Imperial Railway Station, which has survived to this day at the Vitebsky Railway Station in St. Petersburg.

The front part of the building consists of three halls. In the center there is a square lobby with a front porch, large enough to accomodate automobiles and carriages. The halls on the sides of the vestibule were intended for the Emperor and his retinue: on the south side was the Tsar’s Hall, on the north side – the Retinue Hall. A metal canopy was built above the platform and tracks, adjacent to the eastern façade of the station.

Paintings became an unusual decoration of the walls and ceilings of the building’s interior. They were made using a tempera-glue technique on plaster. A unique painting has been partially preserved [see photo below] to this day, which will allow experts to restore it in full to its original.

During the First World War of 1914-1917, the Imperial Railway Pavilion was used to receive wounded Russian soldiers, who were transferred to the hospital established by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in the Feodorovsky Gorodok. And after the Revolution of 1917, it was renamed the Uritsky Pavilion and was used as a dormitory for workers of the Track Repair of the Mechanical Plant.

The Tsarist emblems were removed from the building’s facade, and the ceremonial halls were divided by walls. The building began to lose its former grandeur and ceremonial appearance: the porch was adapted for the kitchen, furniture, lamps, objects of decorative and applied art were lost.

Now in the 21st century, a new life awaits the former Imperial Railway Pavilion. Following completion of the reconstruction of the building and restoration of the interiors, the Board of Trustees of the Tsarskoye Selo Station Foundation, will discuss proposals for the future use of the building.

The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

Below, is the publisher’s summary of the forthcoming title The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, to be published in December 2024. Please take a moment to read my personal comments which follow – PG

***

When Tsar Nicholas II fell from power in 1917, Imperial Russia faced a series of overlapping crises, from war to social unrest. Though Nicholas’s life is often described as tragic, it was not fate that doomed the Romanovs—it was poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy.

Based on a trove of new archival discoveries, The Last Tsar narrates how Nicholas’s resistance to reform doomed the monarchy. Encompassing the captivating personalities of the era—the bumbling Nicholas, his spiteful wife Alexandra, the family’s faith healer Rasputin—it untangles the dramatic struggle by Russia’s aristocratic, military, and legislative elite to reform the monarchy. By rejecting compromise, Nicholas undermined his supporters at crucial moments. His blunders cleared the way for all-out civil war and the eventual rise of the Soviet Union.

Definitive and engrossing, The Last Tsar uncovers how Nicholas II stumbled into revolution, taking his family, the Romanov dynasty, and the whole Russian Empire down with him.

About the Author

Tsuyoshi Hasegawa is professor emeritus in history at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The award-winning author of many books on Russian history, World War II, and the Cold War, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.

A few comments on the publisher’s summary

Based on the above summary, one can only presume that this new book will be yet another negative assessment of the Holy Tsar Nicholas II.

Hasadawa makes radical claims, but nothing we haven’t heard or read before. For instance, he states that it was “poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy” which “doomed the Romanovs” . . . and that “by rejecting compromise, Nicholas undermined his supporters at crucial moments” . . . and that, “his blunders cleared the way for all-out civil war and the eventual rise of the Soviet Union”.

Such broad accusations, putting the blame at the feet of one man during some of the most difficult times of his reign, are simply not a fair assessment. One man cannot be held responsible for civil unrest, revolutionary activity, war, revolution, etc. There were so many different elements at play which led to the end of the monarchy and Tsarist Russia.

Nicholas II was surrounded by enemies, including self-serving ministers, generals and even members of his own family. Worst of all, were the various revolutionary groups, who did not want a “constitutional monarchy”, but a new world order. Just look at what replaced the monarchy in Russia in early 1917: the Provisional Government, led by Alexander Kerensky. The enemies of the Tsar blindly followed Kerensky and his cronies towards the abyss, until October 1917, when the Bolsheviks seized power, ushering in decades of totalitarianism, terror, and destruction of the old order.

Hasadawa then goes on to claim that Nicholas’s resistance to reform “doomed the monarchy”. What utter nonsense! More than a century after the fact, it is so easy to criticize or cast judgement on why “did” the Tsar do this, or why “didn’t” he do that? Hindsight is always 20/20. Nicholas II carried out many reforms during his 22+year reign, however, these are often ignored or overlooked by academically lazy historians. In addition, any reforms of a 1000 year old autocratic system would have to come slowly and with great care.

The author then resorts to insults. He refers to Nicholas as “bumbling” , so it will be interesting to read how Hasadawa explains just how the Tsar was “bumbling”. Then he insults Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as “spiteful”. Alix spiteful? Really? He then goes on to refer to Rasputin as “the family faither healer”, which is incorrect. Rasputin was a strannik, meaning a holy wanderer, or pilgrim.

The publisher claims that this new book is based on “on a trove of new archival discoveries”. I for one am intrigued, and looking forward to reading these “discoveries” Did the author actually travel to Russia and carry out research in the Russian archives? Did he meet with and interview his Russian peers for perhaps, a more balanced understanding of history from a Russian perspective? We shall have to wait and see.

I will be anxious to see if Hasadawa will touch on the many reforms and accomplishments made by Nicholas, and while discussing the Tsar’s abdication, will he even dare touch on the fact that the abdication was in fact an illegal coup?

Back in 2018, I remember prematurely balking at reading The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II and the Russian Revolution by British historian and author Robert Service. I did this simply because the author was a Sovietologist, anticipating that the entire book would be an all out attack on Nicholas II. I was wrong. There is no question, that Service is not a fan of the last Tsar, but as it turned out, the book was one of the most interesting I had read in many years. Service writes about the last 18 months of the life of the Tsar, presenting many new facts and much new information, primarily from Russian archival sources. Therefore, I feel it necessary to afford Hasadawa the same courtesy. I have already pre-ordered a copy from Amazon, and look forward to reading it in due course.

Unique historical poster documents 1896 Coronation of Nicholas II

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: poster announcing the Holy Coronation of Nicholas II, 1896

An interesting historical document – a poster announcing the Holy Coronation of Nicholas II – is currently on display in the Holy Places for Russian Culture exhibition at the Izborsk State Historical Architectural Museum in the Pskov region.

The poster was printed by the thousands and posted in cities, towns and villages in all provinces throughout the Russian Empire. The poster on display in the exhibition was discovered in the 1960s, and donated to the museum’s collection.

Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna were solemnly crowned on 27th (O.S. 14th) May 1896, in the Assumption Cathedral [aka the Cathedral of the Dormition or Uspensky Sobor] of the Moscow Kremlin.

The coronation was preceded by a number of events. On 14th (O.S. 1st) January 1896, a manifesto “On the Forthcoming Holy Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties” was issued, according to which the ceremony was to take place in Moscow in May of the same year.

PHOTO: detial of the poster announcing the Holy Coronation of Nicholas II, 1896

The dates 7th May to 27th May 1896, were declared the coronation period. Orders for preparations for the celebrations were entrusted to the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (1837-1916). A special coronation detachment consisting of 82 battalions, 36 squadrons, and 28 batteries was formed under the command of Nicholas II’s uncle Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909).

A special telegraph station with 150 lines was set up in the Kremlin, linking all the foreign embassies.

The coronation itself, as noted by contemporaries who attended the event, surpassed all previous coronations in terms of magnificence. On the day of the coronation in St. Petersburg, Divine Liturgies and thanksgiving molebens were served in every church.

PHOTO: silver commemorative medal
“In Memory of the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II”

A commemorative medal “In Memory of the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II” was minted. It was awarded to all civil servants, military personnel and individuals who took active part in the preparation of the ceremonies of the coronation. At a later date, the award was also bestowed upon women who had actively assisted in the preparation of the ceremony.

FURTHER READING

COLOUR photos of the Coronation of Nicholas II + PHOTOS

Filming the Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II in 1896 + PHOTOS and VIDEO

1896 Coronation uniform of Emperor Nicholas II + PHOTOS

Russia’s only church built in honour of Nicholas II’s Coronation + PHOTOS

The myth of Nicholas II’s indifference to the Khodynka tragedy + PHOTOS

‘The Tsar’s Family. Ascent’ exhibition opens in Novocherkassk

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

On 10th March 2024, The Tsar’s Family. Ascent exhibition, opened in the Ascension Military All-Cossack Patriarchal Cathedral in Novocherkassk, situated in the Rostov district. The cathedral serves as the main church of the Don Cossacks.

The exhibition explores the life, service and spiritual path of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

On display, are more than 100 photographs, 23 reproductions of famous paintings and portraits, archival documents, military banners from various regiments of the Russian Imperial Army and more.

The project was organized by the press secretary of the Mogilev diocese, Ilya Sidorovich. Exhibits were collected from the funds of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF), the Russian State of Film and Photo Archive (RGAKFD), museums and private collections in Moscow, Tsarskoye Selo, and Mogilev. exhibition

PHOTOS: the exhibition was attended by the Governor of the Rostov Region

The rector of the Ascension Cathedral, Archpriest Georgy Smorkalov, noted that it was no coincidence that Novocherkassk was selected to host the exhibition. Emperor Nicholas II visited Novocherkassk on several occasions and visited the Cathedral Church of the Don Army. It is interesting to note, that one of the few lifetime portraits of Emperor Nicholas II – not held in any museum fund – today, hangs in the “Royal Chambers” of the cathedral.

The travelling exhibition is currently touring Russia and Belarus, and has been held in a number of cities, including Mogilev, where from 1915 to 1917, served as the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, under Emperor Nicholas II.

The grand opening of the exhibition was attended by the Governor of the Rostov Region, Vasily Golubev, the Minister of Culture of the region Anna Dmitrieva, and local government other officials.

The Tsar’s Family. Ascent exhibition runs until 5th May 2024.

Family Disloyalty: Nicholas II and the Vladimirovichi

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich,
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and Emperor Nicholas II

During the final years of his reign, Emperor Nicholas II was more than aware that the various branches of his family were creating a politically dangerous situation by their open hostility towards him. Among them were his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas “Nikolasha” Nikolaevich (1856-1929) and uncle Grand Duke Nicholas “Bimbo” Mikhailovich (1859-1919), however, it was the hostility which simmered from the Vladimirovich branch of the family which posed the greatest threat to him.

The Vladimirovichi are inextricably linked to the many myths and lies which have been allowed to germinate for more than a century, and continue to overshadow the life and reign of Russia’s much slandered Tsar to this day. Some members of the Vladimirovichi were, devoid of principle. They embodied the “treason, cowardice and deceit” that Nicholas II recorded in his diary, following his abdication in March 1917.

Over the past few years, I have been researching new documents from Russian archival and media sourcesl for my forthcoming book ‘Kirill: Traitor to the Tsar’, which is now scheduled for publication in 2025. Watch for my ads in both Majesty and Russian Life magazines!

Below, is a short summary of just some of the issues which I will discuss in my book:

In part one, The Vladimirovichi: Uncle Vladimir and Aunt Miechen, I discuss the often hostile relationship between Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna towards Emperor Nicholas II. During the last years of Vladimir’s life, the rift between his family and that of Nicholas II widened.

Vladimir’s German born wife, Maria Pavlovna (née Duchess Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), a vile opportunist with an over inflated ego, carried the family’s anti-Nicholas agenda to the end of her days. She was known in the family as “Miechen” or “Maria Pavlovna the Elder,” and was well known for her acid tongue and spiteful demeanour. The power hungry Maria Pavlovna had an open rivalry with her sister-in-law the Empress Maria Feodorovna (wife of Emperor Alexander III) as well as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Emperor Nicholas II), the latter of which Maria Pavlovna was notorious for plotting against and spreading malicious gossip. She was also very crafty. Maria remained Lutheran throughout most of her marriage, but converted to Orthodoxy in April 1908, believing it would give her son Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich a better chance at claiming the throne.

The treachery and deceit which emanated from the Vladimir Palace in St Petersburg, where Maria Pavlovna held her own rival Court, was not restricted to the senior grand ducal couple, but also to their eldest son and his wife Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna.

In part two, Kirill and Ducky , I discuss Kirill entering into an incestuous marriage his paternal first cousin [forbidden by the Russian Orthodox Church], Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1905, both defying Nicholas II by not obtaining his consent prior, but also the consent of King Edward VII. However, it was Kirill’s traitorous act during the February Revolution of 1917, in which he is most famous for. 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 new 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 1924, Kirill pompously proclaimed himself “emperor-in-exile”. I also discuss Kirill and Ducky’s alleged Nazi affiliations during their years in exile, and Kirill’s infidelity.

It is ironic that following the 1917 Revolution, ALL the members of the Vladimirovich branch of the family managed to get out of Russia, with the exception of Grand Duke Vladimir who had died in 1909

My study will feature excerpts from letters by Nicholas II, his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, Queen Marie of Roumania among others, as well as letters and excerpts from Russian sources, translated and published for the first time.

Why is this story relevant?

During the Nicholas II Conference, held in Colchester, England on 27th October 2018, I announced that I would be committing myself to researching and writing about the life and reign of Nicholas II. In addition, I announced my personal mission to clear the name of Russia’s much slandered Emperor. As part of the latter, I believe that a comprehensive study of the relationship between the Vladimirovich branch of the Imperial Family and Nicholas II, was an important historical issue which had to be addressed.

As a result, I severed all ties with Maria Vladimirovna and her son George Mikhailovich, as well as the Russian Legitimist cause. My main reason being that my conscious would no longer allow me to support or promote the activities of this branch of the Imperial Family.

Many monarchists (myself included) and those faithful to the memory of Nicholas II, believe that Maria Pavlovna’s malicious gossip and intrigues against Nicholas II, and her son Kirill’s act of treason in 1917, should eliminate the Vladimir branch of the Russian Imperial Family from any further consideration.

In 2011, I interviewed Maria asking her the following two questions on Nicholas II:

“For nearly a century, the last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II, has been maligned and slandered by Western historians and biographers. In your opinion, how have these historians and authors been mistaken about Nicholas II?”

and secondly . . .

“In your view, why is the rehabilitation of the Tsar-Martyr Emperor Nicholas II by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation so important for a proper understanding of Russian history?”

Her responses were indeed admirable, however, her refusal to acknowledge the open hostility and treachery of her ancestors towards Nicholas II, in which she remains defensive.

On 2nd September 2020, Maria Vladimirovna, stated the following on her web site:

“She [Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna] was critical of some aspects of the official political course, but she always retained her loyalty and love for Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. She was subjected to slanderous persecution by the court intriguers, who sought to sow discord within the Imperial Family.”

Maria Vladimirovna’s attempt to whitewash the truth about her power hungry great-grandmother and her traitorous grandfather, eluding that she was the victim of “slanderous persecution” is utter nonsense! One cannot sweep history under the rug. Maria and her supporters do not want her ancestors exposed for what they are: traitors! Maria might just gain some respect, if she simply spoke honestly, and admitted that her grandfather and great-grandmother were a rotten pair.

In addition, I like many others, believe that the Russian Imperial House ended with the death of Nicholas II, on 17th July 1918. The “Russian Imperial House” – as it exists today – consists of no more than four people: a woman who is Russian only because Yeltsin gave her family Russian passports, she failed Russian at Oxford University, and currently lives in Spain; her son, is a Hohenzollern prince and nothing more. Their claim to the now defunct Russian throne is disputed by many Russians.

Below, is the cover of my forthcoming book Kirill: Traitor to the Tsar, now scheduled for publication in 2025 . . . more than 200 pages, it will be available in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions! Watch for my ads in both Majesty and Russian Life magazines!