Nicholas II | Nicholas II

The favourite tunes of Nicholas II and his Family – Part 3

This third video features another tune, which was apparently a favourite of Emperor Nicholas II and his Family. Click on the image above to listen to Осенний сон / Autumn Dream, a waltz. [Duration: 3 minutes, 27 seconds].

The music of the waltz “Autumn Dream” was written by the English pianist and composer Archibald Joyce (1873-1963) in 1908, who wrote a whole series of waltzes loved by listeners and even received the unspoken title of “King of Waltzes”.

In 1909, he came to Russia where he performed concerts, after which “Autumn Dream” immediately gained popularity. A few years later, records were released in huge editions, and “Autumn Dream”, along with other popular works by Joyce, began to be referred to as “old Russian waltzes”.

Several attempts were made to write lyrics to this music. The first to do this was Prince Feodor Nikolaevich Kasatkin-Rostovsky (1875-1940), who dedicated poems to Baroness Olga Nikolaevna Taube. But they did not receive recognition among the public. In the pre-war years, other poets tried to write lyrics to this opera, but the most popular was the version of Vasily Ivanovich Lebedev-Kumach (1898-1949).

NOTE: the translation is not perfect, but it will give you the gist of the lyrics – ENJOY!

The autumn wind blows off the leaves,
All nature is full of sadness.
Only hope does not die —
The heart knows: spring will come.

And sorrows, and bad weather —
Everything will pass like autumn rain.
There will be joy, there will be happiness,
And the warm sun will rise!

You have had enough of crying, maples, birches,
You can’t collect old leaves.
It’s enough to shed big tears for you,
The spring day will come again.

Soon the autumn of separation will pass,
The green leaf will grow again,
Dear hands will embrace us again,
There will be joy, love will come.

Set against the background of this opera are a number of images (some of which have been photoshopped) depicting Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna set against the autumn colours of the Alexander Park at Tsarskoye Selo. In addition are vintage newsreels and photos of the Imperial Family.

The vocals of this waltz is performed by the famous Russian soloist Irina Krutova, who perform Russian romances and classical music, accompanied by soloists of the State Academic Russian Concert Orchestra. The video was created by Irina Koroteeva (Moscow).

NOTE: Stay tuned for additional videos, featuring more favourite tunes of Nicholas II and his family.

More favourite tunes of Nicholas II and his family:

Part 2 – Я ехала домой / I was on my way home

Part 1 – Утро туманное (Misty Morning)

Nicholas II’s porcelain project presented in St. Petersburg

Posted on February 28 by Paul Gilbert

Earlier this week, a new exhibition opened in St. Petersburg, featuring items from the Imperial Porcelain Factory. The exhibition was organized by the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA) in St. Petersburg and the Imperial Porcelain Factory [established in 1744].

The highlight of the exhibition is a unique porcelain series “Peoples of Russia”, which represents the peoples of the former Russian Empire. The series was and remains the largest project in the history of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, created by the personal order of Emperor Nicholas II.

In addition, are more than 200 archival documents dedicated to the history of the Imperial Porcelain Factory and the author of the “Peoples of Russia” series, sculptor Pavel Pavlovich Kamensky (1858-1922). The documents include Kamensky’s personal files, letters, and documents on the procedure for making the porcelain series. Many of these documents are exhibited for the first time.

The “Peoples of Russia” series of porcelain figurines was created between 1907-1917 by order of Emperor Nicholas II. The series was created to mark the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty in 1913. The series represents the 73 nationalities of the Russian Empire, according to the results of the first General Population Census of 1897.

Kamensky managed to create over 150 figures, depicted in their respective national costumes. The sculptor relied on a wide range of historical, ethnographic and anthropological materials from the collections of the Kunstkamera and the Museum of Alexander III [State Russian Museum]. He was assisted by a team of molders and painters – Anatoly Lukin, Pavel Shmakov, Ivan Zotov, Andrei Dietrich, Lyudmila Midina and others.

Nicholas II personally evaluated the new statuettes of the series. Every year before the Christmas holiday from 1907 to 1914, several new figures were brought to the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, and shown to the Emperor.

The majority of the original “Peoples of Russia” figurines are today in Collection the Porcelain Museum of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. In addition, there are 47 figurines in the collection of the Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg.

Copies of these beautiful figurines are still manufactured at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg, and available to purchase by collectors.

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

Posted on February 16 by Paul Gilbert

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

Putting aside the numerous beautiful pictorials which have been published over the years, I have compiled the following *list of 6 books, which for the most part, present an honest assessment on the life and reign of Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar.

In addition, are the following honourable mentions: Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie (1967); Last Years of the Court at Tsarskoe Selo Volume I (2010) and Volume II (2017) by General Alexandre Spiridovitch; Thirteen Years at the Russian Court (1921) by Pierre Gilliard; At the Court of the Last Tsar (1935) by A.A. Mossolov; and The Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II (2012)

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

***

OUT OF PRINT, BUT A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ!

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

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

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

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

First General Census of the Population of the Russian Empire (1897)

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

On this day – 10th February (O.S. 28th January) 1897 – the First General Census of the Population of the Russian Empire took place.

Emperor Nicholas II took part in the First General Census of the Population of the Russian Empire (1897). He personally filled in the form, under name he wrote “Nicholas II Alexandrovich Romanov”. In the column “Occupation, position or trade” he wrote “Master of the Russian land.”

This important historical document [seen in the photo above], has been preserved to this day in a velvet cover. It is now in the funds of the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) in Moscow.

Enumerators and organizers of the first general population census of the Russian Empire in 1897, who volunteered their time were awarded this bronze medal (29 mm). It was established on 3rd December (O.S. 21st November) 1896 by decree of Emperor Nicholas II.

The obverse of the medal [above] depicts the monogram of Nicholas II crowned with the Russian Imperial Crown in the center. Around the monogram there is a laurel wreath of two branches. Between the laurel wreath and the border, from the edge of the medal is an inscription along the circumference: “FIRST GENERAL CENSUS OF THE POPULATION”.

On the reverse side [seen above] there is a horizontal inscription in five lines:

ЗА ТРУДЫ
ПО ПЕРВОЙ ВСЕОБЩЕЙ
ПЕРЕПИСИ
НАСЕЛЕНІЯ
1897

FOR WORK
ACCORDING TO THE FIRST GENERAL
CENSUS
POPULATION
1897

The medal had to be worn on the chest. The ribbon of the medal is white-blue-red, in the colours of the flag of the Russian Empire.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivan Logginovich Goremykin (1839-1917), was given the authority to determine the right of individuals to wear the medal. The awardees were issued a certificate for the right to wear the medal.

Film Review: Nicholas and Alexandra

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the release of the film adaptation of Robert K. Massie’s (1929-2019) classic book Nicholas and Alexandra. Published in 1967, it remained on the New York Times Bestseller List for 46 weeks, and has never gone out of print! Selling more than 4.5 million copies, it is regarded as one of the most popular historical studies ever published. Praised in The New York Times as a “long-needed and balanced account” of the last tsar and his family. In Massie’s study, Nicholas comes across not as the “stupid, weak or bloodthirsty” monarch, as he is often been portrayed by his Western counterparts.

The film version was released on 13th December 1971, and nominated for numerous awards. At the 44th Academy Awards (1972), Nicholas and Alexandra won two awards of six nominations; at the 25th British Academy Film Awards (1972), Nicholas and Alexandra received three nominations; at the 29th Golden Globe Awards (1972), Nicholas and Alexandra received three nominations; and at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards (1973), Richard Rodney Bennett was nominated for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.

PHOTO: Michael Jayston as Nicholas II and Janet Suzman as Alexandra Feodorovna

The film featured a star-studded cast of notable British actors and actresses: Michael Jayston (1935-2024) as Nicholas II; Janet Suzman [b. 1939] as Alexandra Feodorovna; Irene Worth [1916-2022] as the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna; Tom Baker [b. 1934] as Grigori Rasputin; Jack Hawkins [1910-1973] as Count Vladimir Frederiks, the Minister of the Imperial Court; Timothy West [1934-2024] as Dr. Botkin, the court physician; Jean-Claude Drouot [b. 1938] as Pierre Gilliard, the children’s Swiss tutor; Laurence Olivier [1907-1989] as Count Witte, the Prime Minister; Michael Redgrave [1908-1985] as Sazonov, the Foreign Minister; Eric Porter [1928-1995] as Pyotr Stolypin, the Prime Minister after Witte; John McEnery [1943-2019] as Kerensky, leader of the Russian Provisional Government; Michael Bryant [1928-2002] as Lenin; Martin Potter [b. 1944] as Prince Felix Yusupov; Richard Warwick [1945-1997] as Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich; among many others.

Personally, I greatly disliked this film for a number of reasons. It is due to the popularity and cult-like status of this film which compelled me to address some of the many factual errors of this film, and that it will serve as a resource for those who have viewed it for the first time.

Aside from some terrible acting, such as Janet Suzman’s appalling portrayal of Empress Alexandra Feodorovnam the film is rife with historical inaccuracies. For instance, not a single scene was filmed in Russia. This of course is due to the fact that in 1971 Russia was still the Soviet Union, and the discussion or promotion of the last Tsar was still taboo. Instead, the film was shot entirely in Spain and Yugoslavia.

While I personally acknowledge that both Massie’s book and film inspired many people to learn more about Russia’s last Tsar, sadly, there are those who will actually base their own assessment of Nicholas II on this film, and that in itself sets a very damaging scenario.

While I acknowledge that while this is merely a film and not a documentary, I cannot overlook the fact that the producers have blurred the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.

Below, are just four of the more notable historical inaccuracies, which I spotted in the film – I documented many others in my notes while watching the film:

PHOTO: Michael Jayston as Nicholas II and Harry Andrews as Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich

[1] In an early scene, Nicholas II addresses Grand Duke Nikolai “Nikolasha” Nikolaevich – played by Harry Andrews [1911-1989] – as “uncle”, however, this is incorrect. Grand Duke Nikolai was a first cousin once removed of Emperor Nicholas II..

PHOTO: Tom Baker as Grigori Rasputin

[2] When Rasputin returns from Siberia, he enters a room where the Empress is waiting. He approaches her, she looks into his eyes adoringly, lifts the cross hanging around his neck and proceeds to kiss it.

Later in the film, upon being transferred from Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg, the entire family are seen leaving the “House of Freedom” together. This scene is certainly not based on fact. It is well known that Nicholas, Alexandra and Maria left Tobolsk on 26th (O.S. 13th) April 1918, while Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia and Alexei left Tobolsk the following month.

Upon arrival at the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, the Imperial Family are greeted at the door by Yakov Yurovsky, played by English actor Alan Webb [1906-1982]. This scene is historically inaccurate, as Yurovsky was not appointed to the Ipatiev House until 4th July 1918 – 13 days before the Imperial Family were murdered. I would like to add, that in July 1918, Yurovsky was only 40, whereas in the film, he is depicted as an elderly man. At the time of the making of the film, Webb was already 65.

PHOTO: scene whereby the grand duchess allegedly exposes herself to a guard

[3] During their house arrest in Ekaterinburg, a guard enters the room of the grand duchesses where they are getting dressed for bed. One of the daughters (Tatiana) asks what he wants, and then opens her dressing gown to expose her naked body. The grand duchess cries that she is only 21 and desires to be wanted.

What nonsense! The daughters of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna were all raised as decent Orthodox Christians. None of these pious and respectful young women would never have exposed themselves to such vulgar thugs! This would not be the first time that such a claim would be made . . .

In their book The Fate of the Romanovs, American co-authors Greg King and Penny Wilson alleged that Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna had a “private moment” with Ivan Skorokhodov, one of the guards at the Ipatiev House. They continued in their claim that Maria slipped away with Skorokhodov for a private moment and they were discovered together in a compromising position. They further allege that both the Empress and her older sister Olga appeared angry with Maria in the days following the incident and that Olga avoided her company.

Sadly, British author Helen Rappaport also entertained this nonsense between Maria and Skorokhodov on page 30 of her book ‘Ekaterinburg. The Last Days of the Romanovs‘. King and Wilson’s claim has been widely dismissed as a myth based on “absolutely no first-hand evidence.”

PHOTO: the final scene in the murder room is missing three people

[4] On the night of 16/17 July 1918, the family enter the murder room where two chairs are depicted against the wall. This is incorrect, the room was empty, and it was the Empress who requested the chairs: one for herself, the other for Alexei. The most blatant error in this scene, however, is that only nine persons are in the room: the Imperial Family and Dr. Botkin. There were in fact eleven persons in the room on that fateful night! Missing are Alexei Trupp, footman; Ivan Kharitonov, cook; and Anna Demidova, Alexandra’s maid. In fact, the latter three are not to be seen in the entire film!

As new generations of film buffs discover Nicholas and Alexandra, I can only hope that they will watch it with both an open mind and heart. That in this day and age of masses of information at their fingertips, that the film will inspire them to embark on their own personal quest for the truth.

I hope that they will read Massie’s book, but also other books, articles and documentaries. It must be noted that when Massie was researching for his bestselling book in the 1960s, his resources were very limited, his “facts” based on the information available to him at the time. Massie did not have access to the invaluable Romanov Archives in Moscow. Recall that it was Stalin who had these archives sealed, they were even forbidden to Soviet historians, with the exception of course, for propaganda purposes. The archives were only unsealed in the 1990s, at which time Massie completed his sequel The Romanovs: The Final Chapter, published in 1996.

The remaking of classic films seems to be all the rage these days, so perhaps a new film adaptation, one which will be worthy of Massie’s classic work. If so, the writers must refrain from adding fictitious nonsense to the script, relying on Massie’s research. And for authenticity, it must be filmed on location in Russia: in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo, Livadia, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg.

Final scenes for ‘The Romanovs. Devotion and Betrayal ‘ shot in the Alexander Palace

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: a scene from the film, with actors portraying the Imperial Children playing on the slide in the Marble [aka Mountain] Hall in the Alexander Palace

On 24th January 2025, the final scenes for the upcoming Russian-language film Романовы: Преданность и предательство / The Romanovs. Devotion and Betrayal were filmed in the Alexander Palace and Park at Tsarskoye Selo. The film is based on the book of the same name by the Tyumen writer Sergey Kozlov.

The filming of the 12-part series began in Tobolsk in March 2024, and has since been filmed in places associated with Nicholas II and his family, including St. Petersburg, Perm and Tsarskoye Selo. Copies of Rasputin’s house and the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg were recreated for the film.

Crews began a 5-day shooting of the final scenes for the film in the Alexander Palace and Park on 24th January. Scenes were filmed in various rooms and halls of the palace.

According to the film’s director Vasily Chiginsky, editing and post-production are already underway, with the film expected to be complete by the end of the year.

PHOTO: early 20th century motorcars parked outside the Alexander Palace that were used during the filming of ‘The Romanovs. Devotion and Betrayal‘

NOTE: I have been following the progress of this large-scale historical project since it began filming in March of last year. I will continue to share any new developments, including more videos, as they become available – PG

Handwritten note by Nicholas II to be auctioned in Moscow

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

A handwritten note of Emperor Nicholas II, addressed to the Governor-General of St. Petersburg Dmitry Fedorovich Trepov in 1906 will go under the hammer next month at a Moscow auction. The auction will be held at the Litfond Auction House on 6th February, the list price is 75,000 Rubles [$760.00 USD].

Description: In a personalized envelope with a written signature “Nikolai”, the addressee is written in pencil on the envelope: “To D.F. Trepov”. The note is written on a sheet of 18×11.1 cm. writing paper with the stamp “Ца́рское Село́ / Tsarskoye Selo” in the upper lefthand corner.

A rough translation of the Tsar’s note to Trepov reads:

“I ask you, Dmitry Fyodorovich, to familiarize yourself with the enclosed files of the Council of Ministers and come to see me tonight at 10 1/2 o’clock, to discuss what you have managed to read of the report. Jan. 10. 06 g. N”.

PHOTO: Dmitry Fedorovich Trepov (1855-1906)

Major-General Dmitry Fedorovich Trepov (1855-1906) enjoyed a short, but impressive career – he was only 50 when he died. He served as Head of the Moscow police (from 1896). Then, taking advantage of the favour of Emperor Nicholas II: was a Major General (1900), Major General of the Retinue (1903), Governor-General of St. Petersburg (from 1905), as well as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. By the personal order of the Emperor he was settled on the first floor of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. He strongly believed that autocracy was the only way for Russia.

Churchill on Nicholas II

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

Today – 24th January 2025 – marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965). In 1929, Winston Churchill wrote his assessment of Emperor Nicholas II, which, though not uncritical, is a much fairer one than that customarily given by Western historiography. They are among the most succinct and powerful English words in defense of Nicholas’ character — in part because Churchill does not depend upon the “well he was a good husband and father” strategy. He also addresses some of the questions that still exist in Russia today (democratize or hold firm). Many voices remain critical of Nicholas II’s refusal to democratize (although he did create the Duma, and think how long ago Magna Carta was written), herewith is Winston Churchill’s verdict:

“It is the shallow fashion of these times to dismiss the Tsarist regime as a purblind, corrupt, incompetent tyranny. But a survey of its thirty months’ war with Germany and Austria should correct these loose impressions and expose the dominant facts. We may measure the strength of the Russian Empire by the battering it had endured, by the disasters it had survived, by the inexhaustible forces it had developed, and by the recovery it had made. In the governments of states, when great events are afoot, the leader of the nation, whoever he be, is held accountable for failure and vindicated by success. No matter who wrought the toil, who planned the struggle, to the supreme responsible authority belongs the blame or credit.

“Why should this stern test be denied to Nicholas II? He had made many mistakes, what ruler has not? He was neither a great captain nor a great prince. He was only a true, simple man of average ability, of merciful disposition, upheld in all his daily life by his faith in God. But the brunt of supreme decisions centred upon him. At the summit where all problems are reduced to Yea or Nay, where events transcend the faculties of man and where all is inscrutable, he had to give the answers. His was the function of the compass needle. War or no war? Advance or retreat? Right or left? Democratize or hold firm? Quit or persevere? These were the battlefields of Nicholas II. Why should he reap no honour from them? The devoted onset of the Russian armies which saved Paris in 1914; the mastered agony of the munitionless retreat; the slowly regathered forces; the victories of Brusilov; the Russian entry upon the campaign of 1917, unconquered, stronger than ever; has he no share in these? In spite of errors vast and terrible, the regime he personified, over which he presided, to which his personal character gave the vital spark, had at this moment won the war for Russia.

“He is about to be struck down. A dark hand, gloved at first in folly, now intervenes. Exit Tsar. Deliver him and all he loved to wounds and death. Belittle his efforts, asperse his conduct, insult his memory; but pause then to tell us who else was found capable. Who or what could guide the Russian State? Men gifted and daring; men ambitious and fierce, spirits audacious and commanding – of these there were no lack. But none could answer the few plain questions on which the life and fame of Russia turned’.”

Source: Churchill Winston S., The World Crisis, 1916-1918, p. 695-7, London, 1929.

On 16 December 2014, 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 Ministry of Defense on the Frunze Embankment in Moscow. The WWI monument features Nicholas II on horseback (above), recognizing and honouring his efforts during the Great War.

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Paul Gilbert’s Romanov Bookshop on AMAZON

I have published nearly 50 titles to date through AMAZON – featuring one of the largest selections of books on Nicholas II, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia.

Please CLICK on the BANNER or LINK above to review my current selection of titles in hardcover, paperback and ebook editions. Listings provide a full description for each title, pricing and a Look inside feature.

The Tsar’s Chapel in Pskov, in memory of the Tsar’s abdication

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

In 2003, a memorial chapel in memory of the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II was constructed on the square in front of the modern-day railway station in Pskov. The Chapel of the Resurrection of Christ was officially opened and consecrated on 17th July 2003.

Recall that on the night of 14/15 (O.S 2/3) March 1917, in a carriage of the Imperial Train, which was detained at the Varshavsky Railway Station in Pskov, the last Russian autocrat signed the act of abdication from the throne. The monarchy and the Russian Empire ceased to exist.

The Varshavsky Railway Station was built 140 years ago (on 9th September 1863) in connection with the opening of the St. Petersburg – Warsaw Railway. The two-storey station building, was restored anew for the 1100th anniversary of the city in 2003.

The chapel’s architect Sergei Nikolaevich Kondratiev, wanted to construct the chapel to correspond with the station building. He chose the architectural style of Imperial Russia, based on the famous examples of St. Petersburg, Oranienbaum and Peterhof.

The tiny chapel stands 17 meters [56 ft.] in height, it is crowned with a dome and a small cupola on which a gilded cross is installed. The dome is covered with sheet copper, the dome and the cross are made of a special alloy made at one of the defense plants in Chelyabinsk. The single colour scheme of the chapel’s facade is a combination of golden-brown, green and white.

A marble plaque was installed on the side of the chapel, on which the inscription is engraved: “The Tsar’s Chapel was built in the year of the 1100th anniversary of Pskov as a repentance and deep sorrow of the people of Pskov over the tragic death of the last Russian Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov.”

NEW BOOK: At the Court of the Last Tsar

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

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Following the October 1917 Revolution, many of those who served at the Imperial Court were able to flee Bolshevik Russia to a new life abroad. Amonth them was General Alexander Mossolov, whose memoirs have been out of print for years, are once again available in a new paperback editions.

General Alexander Mossolov, was head of the Court Chancellery from 1900 to 1916. His memoirs, published in 1935, are an important historical record on Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their children, their relatives and their Court during those sixteen years.

Mossolov was impressed by the Tsar’s positive qualities as a faithful, loving husband and father; timid, courteous, even-tempered, thoughtful and affable towards all around him, with ‘an ingrained dislike of argument’, and with a touching concern for the fate of Russian soldiers wounded in wartime.

The Tsarina was very shy, devoid of social skills and with no appetite for ‘society talk’, yet an efficient organizer, particularly with regard to the installation of hospital trains, convalescent homes, and hospitals, and her ability to gather round her persons of ability and energy.

His pen portraits of Count Freedericksz, Minister of the Court, the Tsar’s aunt Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess Vladimir, and foreign royalty such as the German Emperor William II, and King Edward VII of England, are equally perceptive.

Mossolov’s memoirs are a kindly testimonial to the sovereign whose reign and life ended in tragedy, but remained to the end a conscientious and well-intentioned man.

***

Alexander Alexandrovich Mosolov (1854-1939), was Born in Ryazan, Russia. From 1901 he served as an aide-de-camp. From 1902 he was appointed to the Retinue of His Imperial Majesty. In 1900-1916 he held the position as head of the chancellery of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, and was in the close circle of Emperor Nicholas II. He fought against the Bolsheviks in the South of Russia; in emigration he lived in France and later in Bulgaria.