Nicholas II

The Great Pilgrimage of Emperor Nicholas II in 1913

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

NOTE: this page was updated on 9th November 2023, with an ENGLISH-language version – PG

The Museum of Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow have produced a new documentary to mark the 110th anniversary of the pilgrimage ofEmperor Nicholas II to ancient Russian cities during the Romanov Tercentenary in 1913.

“The Great Pilgrimage of Emperor Nicholas II” is a one-hour documentary – featuring seven vintage newsreels filmed filmed between 15th to 28th May 1913, when Nicholas II and his family visited 12 ancient Russian cities, which included Vladimir – Suzdal – Bogolyubovo – Nizhny Novgorod – Kostroma – Yaroslavl – Rostov – Petrovsk – Troitskaya Sloboda – Pereslavl-Zalessky – Sergiev Posad – Moscow. * Watch the video located at the bottom of this post. CLICK on the [cc] for ENGLISH subtitles.

The film is based on the materials of the Russian State Archive of Film and Photo Documents (RGAKFD), the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA), the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) and the Library of Congress of the United States.

During the Soviet years, a significant part of the pre-revolutionary newsreels of the Imperial Family were destroyed, leaving only small fragments of most of the films. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian State Archives of Film and Photo Documents carried out painstaking work to restore many of these. This was possible that some of newsreel fragments had been stored on different reels, making it possible to restore and edit many of these historic newsreels. In total, some 300 fragments were restored to their original.

The documentary is complemented by musical accompaniment recorded in in the early 20th century, including “God, Save the Tsar!”. The music for the documentary was taken from old gramophone records and wax rollers. They include segments of marches, hymns, waltzes, operas, folk songs, balalaika, bell ringing and church chants.

If you listen closely to the audio you will hear the voice of Nicholas II at [9:35] thanking the regiment as they march past him in Nizhny Novgorod.

Many detractors of Russia’s much slandered Tsar continue to spread the myth that Nicholas II was not popular with the Russian people. This nonsense is quickly debunked by the newsreel footage which shows thousands of people flocking to get a glimpse of the Tsar in each city visited. You can see them cheering and making the sign of the cross as the Tsar passes by.

CLICK on the image above to watch this video.
Duration: 60 minutes. Language: English

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Numerous scenes depicts the Sovereign being greeted with the traditional bread and salt, meeting local dignitaries, kissing icons, visiting churches and monasteries, reviewing his troops, and much more.

NOTE: the numbers in the brackets [ ] below, correspond to their exact location in the newsreels – PG

The church seen in the opening of the film at [0:46] is Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo: the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral .

16 May: Vladimir, Suzdal and and Bogolyubovo [1:12] – in this newsreel, is a splendid view of the Imperial Train.

17 May: Nizhny Novgorod [6:34] – at [7;57] we see the Tsar and his family taking part in a religious procession – at [9:35] if you listen closely to the audio you will hear the voice of Nicholas II thanking the regiment as they march past him.

19 & 20 May: Kostroma [10:51] – in this newsreel, we see the Ipatiev Monastery – the birthplace of the Romanov Dynasty – at [12:10] the Imperial Family arrive in Kostroma on the steamship “Mezhen“, where they see the riverbank lined with people, all of whom have come to get a glimpse of their Batushka Tsar. Many can be seen bowing and making the sign of the cross, some of them even wading into the river – at [15:32] the Imperial Family take part in a religious procession at the Ipatiev Monastery – at [15:46] Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna descend the staircase of the Trinity Cathedral – at [17:13] the Tsar leaves the Romanov boyar palace – at [17:38] Tsesarevich Alexei is carried in the arms of the Cossack Alexei Petrovich Pilipenko (1887-1972) .

21 May: Yaroslavl [25:41] – at [26:51 the Imperial Family arrive by boat at a specially made pier and pavilion at Yaroslavl.

22 May. Rostov [32:01] – at [35:22] once again, we see Alexei being carried in the arms of the Cossack Alexei Petrovich Pilipenko. He helps the Tsesareich into the awaiting carriage, and you can clearly see that he has trouble walking, and instead hops on one leg to seat himself – the Tsar sits next to him.

23 & 24 May. Petrovsk – Pereslavl-Zalessky – Troitskaya Sloboda – Sergiev Posad [38:33] – at [42:28] Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Emperor Nicholas II, Tsesarevich Alexei, and one of his sisters get into a waiting carriage at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius – the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church – in Sergiev Posad – at [42:57] the other three grand duchesses are joined by their aunt Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna in the second carriage.

24 to 27 May. Moscow [43:12] – at [43:46] Nicholas II enters Moscow on horseback through the Triumphal Arch – the same gate he entered the city for his coronation in 1896 – at [45:01] “God, Save the Tsar!” is performed – at [47:48] the Tsar and his family stop to pray at the Iverskaya Chapel at the Resurrection Gate, which leads into Red Square. Again, we see Alexei being carried in the arms of the Cossack Alexei Petrovich Pilipenko – at [48:27] Emperor Nicholas II crosses Red Square on horseback – he is greeted by thousands of Muscovites – at [49:26] the Tsar walks past St. Basil’s Cathedral, and enters the Kremlin on foot – at [50:09] is the famous procession seen in many English-language documentaries, of the Imperial Family, their relatives and entourage walking towards the Assumption Cathedral, where Nicholas II was crowned in 1896 – at 51:28] the Imperial procession walks past the Chudov Monastery – at [53:01] the Imperial Family visit the Chambers of the Romanov Boyars – at [55:05] the Imperial Family arrive at the Novospassky Monastery, taking part in a religious procession at [56:25] – Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich can be seen at [56:45].

© Paul Gilbert. 26 October 2023

Second Nicholas II museum opens in Moscow

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: interior view of the new Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family, situated in the Belaya Dacha in Moscow.

On 5th November 2023, the Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family opened at the newly restored Belaya Dacha estate in the city of Kotelniki of the Moscow district. It is the second dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II to be opened in Moscow – the first being the Museum of Emperor Nicholas II.

The permanent exhibition, which is located on the first floor of the museum, feature about 300 unique exhibits, including many personal items belongings to the Imperial Family. Among them is a piano belonging to Nicholas II’s mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Also on display, are the letters of Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich [the future Emperor Nicholas II] to Alexandra Feodorovna, written between 1890-91, during a trip to Japan, where an attempt was made on his life.

In addition, a letter from Empress Maria Feodorovna to Emperor Wilhelm II, received by him two days before Germany declared war on Russia, vintage photographs of the last Tsar and his family and other unique exhibits are also displayed.

Draped over a chair in the recreated study of the Tsar, is an exact copy of a uniform of Nicholas II. It looks very simple, as it reflects how the Emperor dressed when he went out to greet his soldiers, thus demonstrating respect for his army.

“Exhibits for the museum have been collected over the last three years, from private collections and auctionsall over the world,” said Lyudmila Grosarchuk, curator of the museum.

“We are bringing back to our country, to our home, what was scattered so carelessly following the 1917 Revolution,” added Viktor Semyonov, Chairman of the Museum Supervisory Board.

At the opening of the museum, the first visitors were given a tour of the exhibition and the and museum. A performances by the State “Berezka” Dance Ensemble, Russian opera star Hibla Gerzmava, and People’s Artist of Russia Sergey Migitsko.

As a symbol of the unity of Russian museums, an oak from Tsarskoye Selo was planted on the grounds of estate.

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PHOTO: the Belaya Dacha estate mansion (above), now home of the private museum of the family of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II in Moscow. Viktor Semenov (below), Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the The Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family.

© Paul Gilbert. 6 November 2023

The Rehabilitation of Emperor Nicholas II

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On 1st October 2008, the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation granted the judicial rehabilitation of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. Ninety years after a Bolshevik execution squad gunned down the last Tsar and his family, the country’s supreme court declared the Imperial family as “victims of political repression.” The regicide was condemned, and that the false accusations against the Tsar, that he was an enemy of the people…were at long last proven to be false.

By finding the Tsar a victim of political terror, the court has completed the remarkable transformation of the discredited man who died with his family in the cellar of the Ipatiev House in the early hours of 17th July, 1918 on the orders of the Ural Soviet.

Throughout the years of the Soviet Union, government propaganda vilified the last Tsar, giving him the derogatory nickname “Bloody Nicholas” and accusing him and his family of a litany of crimes.

It is important to note, that the Supreme Court’s decision overturned a ruling by the same court in November 2007 that the killings did not qualify as political repression, but premeditated murder. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, stated in court that “the requirements for rehabilitation do not comply with the provisions of the law due to the fact that these persons were not arrested for political reasons, and no court decision on execution was made.”

Four weeks later, on 30th October 2008, it was reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation ruled to rehabilitate 52 people from the entourage of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.

Some readers will argue that the Court’s judicial rehabilitation was unnecessary because the Tsar had not committed any crime, which of course is true! For the sake of historical justice, however, it was the responsibility of a post-Soviet Court to overturn the Bolshevik’s decision to condemn and justify the murder of Russia’s last Tsar. In addition, his rehabilitation defeats the myths and lies of both the Bolshevik and Soviet regimes.

Up until the Supreme Court’s ruling, Nicholas II remained falsely accused of crimes in which he did not commit. According to the existing code of laws, the Russian Federation is the lawful successor of Soviet Russia and of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]. From the purely juridical stand­point, all the criminal charges, incriminations and verdicts of repression pronounced since 7th November 1917 continue to carry legal authority until the government officially rehabilitates the victims. A paradoxical situation thus occurred, where the head of the Russian government has offered up repentance for the bloody violence carried out by representatives of the government on members of the Imperial House and their servants, relatives and friends; where the immediate members of the family of Emperor Nicholas II along with Grand-Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna have been recognized as saints by the Russian Orthodox Church; yet where, from the judicial point of view, they can legally be considered “criminals,” since they were executed as “enemies” of the government.

Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that Nicholas II, was unlawfully killed by Bolshevik authorities. The ruling negates the Bolshevik claims used to instigate the 1917 revolution, and the murder of the Tsar and his family the following year. His rehabilitation reinstates the good name of Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov, and to legally declare that he was innocent and had suffered unjustly.

Georgy Ryabykh, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church said the “decision can only be welcomed. It strengthens the rule of law, restores historical continuity and 1,000 years of state tradition”.

Ivan Artsishevsky (1950-2021), Director of the Romanov Family Association also praised the ruling: “the fact that the Russian state took responsibility for that murder is a step towards repentance … and the rehabilitation of all innocent (Bolshevik) victims.”

It should come as no surprise that the rehabilitation was denounced by the Communists, who said it was “cynical” and would “sooner or later be corrected.” In response, Russian lawyer German Lukyanov (1961-2022) noted that the ruling was “a final decision that cannot be challenged.” 

“Rehabilitation is necessary for the modern state, so that the image of Russia throughout the world is associated not with basements covered in blood, but with the image of a civilized state that has renounced the Soviet past and condemned it,” he added.

© Paul Gilbert. 1 October 2023

NEW BOOK: Most Pious Tsar

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

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

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER @ $50.00 USD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $40.00 USD

English. Large 7″ x 10″ format. 162 pages with 132 photos in FULL COLOUR

In 1938, Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. On 1st November 1981, he was canonized as a new martyr by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). On 20th August 2000, after 8 years of study, he was canonized as a passion bearer by the Moscow Patriarchate, although the people had already been venerating him as a saint for a long time, and this canonization was simply a confirmation of a fact that already existed by itself.

Since these historic dates, icons of Russia’s last Tsar have been installed in Orthodox churches across Russia and around the world. In addition home icons have been mass produced and sold for veneration by Orthodox Christians. This book features more than 130 of these icons in full colour.

Inside, are a series of articles, plus an introduction, in which the author explains iconography, Nicholas II as a martyr or passion bearer, the veneration of icons, intercession, miracles, non-canonical icons, frescoes, and more.

This book also includes a Prayer and Akathist to the Holy Martyred Tsar.

This book will not only appeal to Orthodox and non-Orthodox persons, but for any one who shares an interest in icons and iconography, as well as adherants to the Holy Royal Martyr Nicholas II.

© Paul Gilbert. 8 September 2023

Nicholas II assumes command of the Russian Imperial Army, 1915

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On this day – 5th September (O.S. 23rd August) 1915 – Emperor Nicholas II assumed the position as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Imperial Armed Forces.

After the great retreat of the Russian army in the summer of 1915, the Tsar removed his cousin Grand Duke Nicholas “Nikolasha” Nikolaevich (1856-1929) of the position on 21st August 1915.

In the order, the Tsar wrote with his own hand: “With firm faith in God’s mercy and with unshakable confidence in the final victory, we will fulfill our sacred duty of defending the Motherland to the end and will not disgrace the Russian land. Nicholas”.

Some historians have wrongly suggested that Nicholas II’s decision was disastrous, citing that the move was largely symbolic. It was at this stage of his reign that the Tsar’s patriotism reached its zenith. He travelled up and down the Eastern Front on the Imperial Train, in his motorcars and even on horseback to show himself to his troops, boasting morale, reviewing troops, inspecting field hospitals and preside over meetings with his chief-of-staff General Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseyev (1857-1918).

PHOTO: Nicholas II with his chief-of-staff General Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseyev

When Nicholas II assumed command of the Russian armed forces, he appointed Alekseyev as Chief of Staff of the General Headquarters and placed in charge of all military operations. He served in this capacity from August 1915 to March 1917.

According to Russian historian George Mikhailovich Katkov (1903-1985): “Alexeev was a modest and reserved man, an educated general, to whom the Tsar treated extremely attentively . . . . Every morning the Tsar and Alexeev discussed the affairs of the front for several hours. They apparently understood each other well, and there is no indication that the Emperor tried to impose any strategic or tactical ideas on his Chief of Staff. In fact, Alexeev was the commander-in-chief, and each of his undertakings was supported by the Sovereign.”

History has now proved that Russia made great gains under Nicholas II’s command. For instance, shortly after he assumed command of the armed forces, the Russian Imperial Army carried out at least 15 major victorious operations, not counting the Brusilov Breakthrough. Russia’s military historians now believe that had the revolution not interfered, Russia was bound to have won the war.

On 1st September (O.S. 19th August) 1916, he wrote the following in a letter to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna:

“Thank God, the news is good – on the first day of our offensive we captured 300 officers and more than 15,000 Austrian and German soldiers…”

On 16th December 2013, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu opened a sculptural composition dedicated to the heroes of World Wars I and II on the grounds of the National Defense Control Center (NDCC) building – situated on Frunze Embankment in Moscow. The WWI monument (above) features Nicholas II on horseback, recognizing and honouring his efforts during the Great War.

FURTHER READING:

“They did not betray their oath” – the fate of the generals who remained loyal to Nicholas II + PHOTOS

© Paul Gilbert. 5 September 2023

Cathedral in memory of Nicholas II under construction in Murmansk

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: artist concept of the cathedral named in honour of Nicholas II in Murmansk

Construction has begun on a new cathedral named in honour of the Holy Royal Martyr Nicholas II in Murmansk, Russia’s first ice free port founded in 1916 by Nicholas II and named Romanov-on-Murman.

“With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the new Russian Orthodox temple will bear the name of the Holy Transfiguration of St. Nicholas Cathedral,” stated Metropolitan Mitrofan of Murmansk and Monchegorsk.

The idea to build a church in honour of the last Tsar in Murmansk is the initiative of the Murmansk diocese. The cathedral will be erected on the site of a former amusement park on the street named after Konstantin Burkov, a veteran of the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, a Pomeranian sailor who made a significant contribution to the development of the Kola Arctic and was awarded the highest state award of the USSR – the Order of Lenin. In November 2022, Metropolitan Mitrofan presented the project to Patriarch Kirill. During that meeting, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church noted that the style of the temple should correspond to the traditions of the Russian North and promised to support the project.

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In recent years, Emperor Nicholas II has been commemorated in a number of projects in Murmansk and the surrounding region:

  • In June 2019, Murmansk Airport was reamed Nicholas II-Murmansk Airport
  • In July 2019, plans were announced for a bust-monument to Nicholas II, to be installed in front of the main terminal at Nicholas II-Murmansk Airport

© Paul Gilbert. 27 August 2023

‘The Romanovs: An Imperial Family’ a film by Gleb Panfilov

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

“A legacy that defied Bolshevik and Soviet attempts of erasure”

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OBITUARY: the famous Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter Gleb Anatolyevich Panfilov (1934–2023), died on 26th August 2023, at the age of 89. Memory Eternal! Вечная Память!

***

More than a century has passed since the murder of Emperor Nicholas II and his family brought an end to the Russian monarchy and the Russian Empire. The Soviet Union is no more. But the grandeur of pre-Soviet, Tsarist Russia continues to occupy the imagination of people across the world and the last Russian Imperial family has entered the annals of cinema in many a memorable work of moving images.

Among the cinematic works created around the Romanov family who were brutally murdered by the Ural Soviet on 17th July 1918, is the historical drama film ‘The Romanovs: An Imperial Family’. The Russian made which was released in 2000 having premiered at the 22nd Moscow Film Festival. This film is a must watch not only for ‘Romanovophiles’ but also for history buffs and movie lovers who enjoy the historical drama genre. Directed by internationally acclaimed Russian film director Gleb Anatolyevich Panfilov (1934-2023), it is a Russian language movie with Russian actor Aleksandr Galibin as Emperor Nicholas II and British actress Lynda Bellingham as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

The directorial craft of the movie brings to life the perceptions and perspectives of Nicholas II and his family during the last stage of their lives and shows how the imperial family perceived and responded to news of the turmoil in the country that was creating a tide of antipathy towards the monarchy. The narrative shows the humaneness of the Tsar and his family bringing to life their humanity which makes this an endearing film.

Contrary to what Soviet propaganda sought to perpetuate during the reign of communism in Russia, that the Imperial family were cold and uncaring towards the masses, Panfilov’s vision shows how the Romanovs were caring people with admirable humane qualities and talents which even their captors could not help but secretly appreciate.

The movie is quite compelling with a cast of good actors and a plot structure that drives forward the drama of events and action principally through the somewhat insular characters of the Imperial family. Galibin delivers a superb performance as His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas. The character that is brought to life in Panfilov’s directorial vision is one who is much a human with his principal weakness being perhaps that he was torn between how to focus and devote himself and his efforts on being a good father while also being a good monarch and to win the love and respect of all.

The Tsar and Tsarina are shown as two loving humans who are solid in their spousal and parental love. The Imperial children are portrayed as children who feel emotions of sadness, fear, anger and love just like any other, and how they are made hapless victims of a political agenda that overawes all forms of governance and power that formed the old order of imperial Russia.

The revolution is not shown in prominence through extensive scenes of armed conflicts but as more a series of events brought to the knowledge of the Tsar and his family at various stages from February 1917 to the fated day of their massacre in Ekaterinburg on 17th July 1918. Their grasp of matters that near their unseen doom, as a gradual and coldly unnerving series of changes in their household brings to life the ‘psychological environment’ the Imperial family inhabited in their last days. The Tsar and his family are meant to endure suffering that is much more psychological than physical and thus the slow torment and torture of the Romanovs at the hands of the communist red army captors are brought to life.

The Ipatiev House, In what is called the ‘House of Special Purpose’ by the Bolsheviks, a residence located in Ekaterinburg in Western Siberia, the Imperial family is kept under guard, after the Tsar’s abdication and monarchical rule ends and the family finds themselves being political prisoners. However, the ‘House of Special Purpose’ becomes the slaughter house where the massacre of the imperial family and their remaining staff takes place past midnight on 17th July 1918. The murder carried out by the Bolsheviks brings the narrative of the Romanovs to an end. The scene which follows as the end of the film is documentary footage of the scene of canonization of the Romanov family in Russiain 2000.

The final scene is a strong message that one sees at the end of the film when reading it in context of post-Soviet Russia. The statues of Lenin who founded the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) have been brought down with the end of the Soviet Union and his legacy now enjoys no glory among Russians. The Romanovs, however, have once again been reborn in their nation’s collective heart and soul, to remain adored in the Russian people’s memory.

‘The Romanovs: An Imperial Family’ is presented in this post in 13 x 10 minute videos, with ENGLISH subtitles.

This film presents the most historically accurate version of events available to an English audience to date. Unlike Massie’s ‘Nicholas and Alexandra’ (1971), Panfilov filmed entirely in Russia, with many scenes filmed inside the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo. Furniture was specially created for this film, which can be seen on display in the palace to this day. The recreation of the private apartments of the Imperial family in the Alexander Palace and the Tsar’s Imperial Train are truly remarkable.Overall, the film is visually stunning!

I invite you to make yourself a cup of tea or pour a glass of your favourite wine, sit back, relax and enjoy ‘The Romanovs: An Imperial Family’ – PG

© Dilshan Boange / Paul Gilbert. 20 September 2020

Imperial Railway Pavilion in Tsarskoye Selo is being restored

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

It’s official! After decades of delays and lack of funding, restoration of the Imperial Railway Pavilion to its original historic look in Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) is now underway. Having survived the revolution, war, vandalism and the elements, it is nothing short of a miracle that it has survived to the present day.

The project has some very high profile supporters, including the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov and State Duma deputy Vladimir Resin. The official announcement was made during the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Tsarskoye Selo Station Foundation, which was held on 17th August in the Imperial Hall of the pavilion.

“We have created a special fund to restore the Imperial Railway Pavilion, the only imperial railway station in Russia. Ideas for the building’s use after the restoration has been completed are currently being developed. Funding will be provided at the expense of the city and federal budgets, as well as private and corporate donors,” Beglov said.

PHOTO: the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Tsarskoye Selo Station Foundation, was held on 17th August 2023, in the Imperial Hall of the pavilion

One of the finest examples of the Neo-Russian style

The construction of a special branch line from the Vitebsk Railway Station in St. Petersburg to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo began in 1895. It was deemed a matter of security to provide safe transport links between the capital and the suburban residence for the Tsar and his family. The line was also convenient for government officials who arrived daily by train with their reports to the Tsar when he was in residence.

The original Imperial Pavilion was constructed of wood in 1895, however, it was destroyed by fire on 25th January 1911. A new stone pavilion designed by architect V.A. Pokrovsky, was constructed in the same Neo-Russian style as the buildings of the nearby Feodorovsky Gorodok [Town]. The Imperial Railway Pavilion served as a terminus for the Tsar’s Imperial Train. It was here that Emperor Nicholas II greeted many foreign dignitaries. A special road was laid from the station to the Alexander Palace.

The richly decorated interiors were stylized as chambers with heavy stone vaults. The decoration of the facades and interiors corresponded to the grand presentation of the station, being an example of a synthesis of architecture, monumental painting and decorative art, which successfully combined the forms of ancient Russian architecture of the 17th century. with construction technologies and materials characteristic of the modern era. The imperial chambers of the station were painted by the artist M. I. Kurilko, reflecting the chambers of the beloved suburban palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

The fate of the Imperial Railway Pavilion during the Soviet years

In 1918, the station was renamed the Uritsky[1] Pavilion and was used as a dormitory and canteen for workers of the Track Repair of the Mechanical Plant, created on the basis of the Imperial Railway Repair Depot. The Imperial emblems were removed and the building and adapted for housing. The rails and sleepers were dismantled and used for the construction of other railway lines. The 200-meter passenger platform was dismantled in the 1930s. The pavilion was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War (1941-45).

The dormitory was moved in the 1970s, the former station closed and has not been used since. The former Imperial Railway Pavilion was declared an object of cultural heritage of Russia of federal significance, an act which saved the building from demolition.

The rebirth of the Imperial Railway Pavilion

The Imperial Railway Pavilion in Tsarskoye Selo will be completely restored in its original form, including the terminal building, the platform and canopy, as well as the unique interior paintings, some of which have already been partially uncovered by restorers.

According to restorers, many of the building’s original details have surprisingly been well preserved. The historical painting of the dome of the main entrance to the Tsar’s Station has been miraculously preserved – see photos above, one of which shows an area which had been cleaned, revealing the colourful painting underneath. Early 20th century watercolours of the interiors – which have been preserved in archives – will be of great assistance to artists in their efforts to restore the once beautiful interior to its historic original.

The restoration of the Imperial Railway Pavilion will be one of the stages in the integrated development of the territory, which includes the Feodorovsky Gorodok (Town), Fermsky Park[2] and other facilities. This combined with the restoration of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral and the Alexander Palace will complete a revival of some of the most notable buildings associated with the life of Russia’s last Tsar, one which the Bolsheviks and Soviets failed to destroy.

Several years ago, a wooden Orthodox cross – seen in above photo – was installed outside the Imperial Railway Pavilion at Tsarskoye Selo. The inscription on the plaque reads: “All around is betrayal and cowardice and deceit! Forgive us, sovereign” and signed: “The soul of the Russian people.”

NOTES:

[1] Moisei Solomonovich Uritsky (1873-1918) served as Chief of the Cheka of the Petrograd Soviet. After his assassination in 1918, Lenin initiated the first Red Terror on 20th September 1918.

[2] Fermsky Park is located near the Fedorovskiy Gorodok [Town] and Alexander Park. It was arranged by Adam Menelaws in 1818–1820 as a grazing area at the nearby imperial farm. A pond was dug in the park for watering.

FURTHER READING:

Update on the restoration of the Imperial Railway Pavilion at Tsarskoye Selo – published on 16th April 2024

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 sad state of the Imperial Railway Pavilion in Tsarskoye Selo includes 20 PHOTOS! – originally published on 29th December 2019

Imperial Railway Pavilions During the Reign of Nicholas II – originally published on 23rd October 2019

© Paul Gilbert. 18 August 2023

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Not only do these documents give voice to the works of a new generation of Russian historian, they are of immense historic value in helping me with my efforts to clear the name of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.

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PAUL GILBERT

The fate of the regicides who murdered Nicholas II and his family

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Pyotr Ermakov, Mikhail Medvedev-Kudrin,
Pavel Medvedev, Yakov Yurovsky and Grigory Nikulin

The murders of Emperor Nicholas II, his family and four faithful retainers in Ekaterinburg on 17th July 1918, remains one of the darkest pages in 20th century Russian history. To this day, historians and investigators are not entirely sure of all those who participated in the regicide, only the names of some of them are known – those who admitted that they were a participant in the regicide, or those of whom were identified by witnesses. The fate of many of these regicides also ended tragically, their lives being overtaken by disease or an equally violent death.

It is known that the direct leader of the liquidation of the Imperial family was Yankel Khaimovich, better known as Yakov Yurovsky. He lived until 1938 and died of a duodenal ulcer. In Soviet times, they said that his son was not responsible for his father’s crime, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in the Yurovsky family. The eldest son Alexander, ended up in the Butyrka prison in 1952, but was released a year later. The daughter Rimma was also arrested in March 1938. She served a sentence in the Karaganda forced labour camp until 1946. Yurovsky’s grandchildren were not spared either, dying under mysterious circumstances. Two died after falling from a roof, while the other two were burned to death in a fire. It is worth recalling that the blood of Tsar Nicholas II was spilled by Yurovsky. He himself recalled: “I fired the first shot and killed Nikolai on the spot.”

The leading Russian playwright and historian Edvard Radzinsky was most intrigued by the idea that there was photographic evidence of the murdered remains of the Imperial family.

PHOTO: Yakov Yurovsky

“Yurovsky was a professional photographer,” he says. “He confiscated a camera from the Tsarina. It was impossible for him to take pictures immediately after the execution — he was a little bit crazy, they continued to be alive, they continued to kill them. But afterwards, he had three days. He had an opportunity to take a camera to the grave. It is impossible for a man who likes pictures not to take such pictures.”

Could there be any truth to his idea, or did Radzinsky give birth to yet another Romanov conspiracy theory? Radzinsky is a playwright, and perhaps his creative imagination got the better of him, but who knows? Yurovsky had already proven what he was capable of, so anything was possible! There is also the possibility that Yurovsky took such photos to take with him when he left for Moscow after the murders, as evidence to Lenin and Sverdlov that the regicide had been carried out?

“IF” such photographs ever existed, we can surely assume that they would have been destroyed. Lenin was both crafty and careful not to leave a paper trail that would implicate him in dubious affairs – murder being one of them.

Click HERE to read my article Yakov Yurovskys’ ashes remain hidden from vandals in Moscow, published on 23rd November 2019

The personality of Pyotr Ermakov was no less significant in the murders of the Imperial family. According to his own recollections, it was he who killed the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the cook Ivan Kharitonov and the doctor Evgeny Botkin. He often boasted of his crime, without feeling any sense of remorse: “I shot the Tsarina who was seated only six feet away, I could not miss. My bullet hit her right in the mouth, two seconds later she was dead. Then I shot Dr. Botkin. He threw up his hands and half turned away. The bullet hit him in the neck. He fell backwards. Yurovsky’s shot knocked the Tsesarevich to the floor, where he lay and groaned. The cook Kharitonov was huddled over in the corner. I shot him first in the torso and then in the head. The footman Troupe also fell, I don’t know who shot him … ” Ermakov died of cancer on 22nd May 1952.

Since the 1990s, Ermakov’s grave in the Ivanovo Cemetery in Ekaterinburg. has been repeatedly vandalized by local monarchists, who regularly douse his gravestone with red paint.

The red paint symbolizes the blood which this evil man spilled, and his involvement in the brutal murder of Nicholas II and his family on 17th July 1918.

In 1951, at a reception, which gathered all the local Party elite in Sverdlovsk, Peter Ermakov approached Soviet Red Army General Georgy Zhukov and held out his hand. Frowning in disgust Zhukov looked Ermakov in the eye, and muttered, “I do not shake the hands of murderers.”

Every year on 17th July – the day marking the anniversary of the murder of Emperor Nicholas II and his family – the grave of the Bolshevik revolutionary Peter Ermakov, has been vandalized by local monarchists, who douse his gravestone with red paint.

Click HERE to read my article ‘You reap what you sow’ – Monarchists take revenge on the regicide Peter Ermakov, published on 17th January 2023.

He left a testimony regarding another regicide: “Stepan Vaganov dealt with the grand duchesses: they lay dying in a heap on the floor and groaned … Vaganov continued to shoot at Olga and Tatiana … I don’t think any of us shot the maid Demidova. She sank to the floor, shielding herself with pillows. Vaganov, later pierced her throat with his bayonet … ” Death found Vaganov in the same ill-fated year of 1918. When Kolchak’s army took Ekaterinburg, Vaganov did not escape, instead he hid in a basement, where he was found by relatives of those killed during the raids. They did not stand on ceremony for long – they killed him on the spot. Perhaps in vain, because he could have given interesting testimony, having fallen into the hands of the investigators who were engaged in clarifying the fate of the Imperial family. But the fact remains: Vaganov did not die of natural causes.

Pavel Medvedev turned out to be not just a murderer, but also a thief. He recalled: “Walking around the rooms, I found six 10-ruble credit tickets under the book Закон Божий (God’s Law), in one of them, and appropriated this money for myself. I also took some silver rings and some other knickknacks.” Medvedev, unlike Ermakov, fell into the hands of Kolchak’s troops. He fled from Ekaterinburg, but, was captured, and he was charged with “murder by prior conspiracy with other persons and the seizure of the property of the former Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, the heir to Alexei Nikolaevich and Grand Duchesses Olga, Maria , Tatyana, Anastasia, as well as the physician Dr. Botkin, the maid Anna Demidova, the cook Kharitonov and the footman Troupe. “In 1919, Medvedev died in prison from typhus, however, his widow claimed that he was killed by White Guards.

PHOTO: Philip Goloshchekin

It was no coincidence that Sergei Broido ended up in the Ipatiev House, but he also took part in the murder of the Imperial family by order. Mikhail Medvedev-Kudrin, who also took part in the murders, recalled: “It is known that Broido, along with Ermakov and Goloschekin, arrived in a car at the Ipatiev House on the eve of the murder. It is believed that due to a lack of men to carry out the execution, he was recruited at the last minute by order of Yurovsky.” On 8th March 1937, Broido was first convicted under Article 58 of the RSFSR Criminal Code, for being a Trotskyist, and subsequently shot.

The youngest regicide was Viktor Netrebin. At the time of the crime, he was only 17 years old. Netrebin disappeared in 1935. The Latvian Jan Cemles also disappeared.

But there were also those who organized the murders of the Imperial family and their retainers. Among them was Shaya Itsikovich, known as Philip Goloshchekin, who is known to be one of the organizers. It was he who came up with the idea of ​​execution, even travelling to Moscow to discuss his plans with Lenin and Sverdlov. Goloshchekin was not present himself during the murders, but he took part in the removal and destruction of the remains. On 15th October 1939, Goloshchekin was arrested for sympathizing with the Trotskyists. Another fact from his biography is particularly noteworthy. After his arrest, and during interrogation the People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov, claimed that he had a homosexual relationship with Goloshchekin. On 28th October 1941, Goloshchekin was shot near Samara. A colleague and another organizer of the execution of the Imperial family, Yakov Sverdlov, described Goloshchekin as follows: “I stayed with Goloshchekin for several days, things are bad with him. He has become neurasthenic and becomes a misanthrope.” An interesting fact is that Sverdlov did not die of natural causes. According to the official version, he died of the Spanish flu, which raged after the First World War, but there is a second version, according to which the workers beat Sverdlov in Oryol and he died from the injuries he sustained.

Pyotr Voikov was also an organizer and participant in the murder of Nicholas II and his family. Diplomat-defector Grigory Besedovsky, who knew Voikov personally, recalled: “As commandant of the Ipatiev House, the execution of the decree was entrusted to Yurovsky. During the execution, Voikov was supposed to be present, as a delegate to the regional party committee. He, as a scientist and chemist, was instructed to develop a plan for the complete destruction of the bodies. Voikov was also instructed to read the decree on the execution to the Imperial family, with a motivation that consisted of several lines, and learned this decree by heart in order to read it out as solemnly as possible, believing that thereby he would go down in history as one of the main participants in this tragedy”. Voikov was killed in Warsaw in June 1927 by the Russian émigré Boris Koverda. During interrogation, Koverda stated about the motives of his act: “I avenged Russia, for millions of people.” Boris Koverda spent 10 years in Polish prisons and was granted amnesty. After his release in 1937, he lived another 50 years and died in Washington at the age of 79.

Not only did these men committed regicide, they also helped to drown Russia in blood. Today, streets, squares and even metro stations of Russia’s cities are named after some of them. Is this right? No! These men will forever, have their names inscribed in the history of Russia, not as scientists or engineers, but as murderers.

Holy Royal Martyrs, pray to God for us!
Святы Царственные мученики, молите Бога о нас!

***

The following NEW title was compiled and edited by independent researchers and Romanov historian Paul Gilbert was published in August 2024. 

This fascinating new study features 14 chapters on this tragic event, which include the memoirs of a British intelligence officer and journalist, and two First-English translations. In addition, 11 chapters were written by Paul Gilbert, based on new documents sourced from Russian archival and media sources over the past decade.

Please refer to the link provided for further details about the content of this new title . . .

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS TITLE

© Paul Gilbert. Originally published on 28 October 2020, updated on 18 July 2023

NEW BOOK: A Day in the Life of Russia’s Last Tsar

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan
*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $25.00 USD

English. 242 pages with 225 black & white photos

Aside from his many duties as God’s anointed Emperor and Tsar of All the Russia’s, Nicholas II took on many other roles from one day to the next: a dutiful husband and loving father, a devoted son and brother, a friend, a sportsman, a diplomat, an ambassador, a dedicated military leader, a devout Orthodox Christian, among others.

This richly illustrated pictorial explores the day-to-day duties of Russia’s last monarch. It is divided into six sections: the Tsar and His Family; Sports, Leisure and Holidays; the Tsar and the Church; the Tsar and Russia; the War Years; and the Tsar Under House Arrest. Each section features full-size historic images which reflect his day to day duties and activities. In total, this unique album includes more than 200 photographs from the author’s private collection.

The publication of this album is timed to coincide with the 155th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Nicholas II on 19th May [O.S. 6th May] 1868 and the 105th anniversary of the death and martyrdom [17th July 1918].

About the author

Paul Gilbert is a British born researcher and writer, specializing in the study of the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II.

He has travelled extensively in Russia since 1986, visiting archives and historic sites associated with Russia’s last Tsar.

In 1998, he attended the Tsar’s funeral in St. Petersburg, and in 2018, he took part in the events marking the 100th anniversary of his death and martyrdom in Ekaterinburg.

©  Paul Gilbert. 14 July 2023