Russian Imperial Family

‘The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy’ exhibit opens at Faculty of Humanities, Moscow

On 11th April 2024, the exhibition ‘The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy’ opened at the Higher School of Economics, Faculty of Humanities in Moscow.

The participants of the opening of the exhibit enjoyed a performance by the choir of the Sretensky Theological Academy, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition, by one of the curators of the project, Mikhail Googe.

The exhibition presents more than 200 historical photographs depicting the life and service of Emperor Nicholas II and his family. The exhibition is divided into three themes:

• Love and family: the love shared by Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, which was extended to their five children.

• State service of Nicholas II: the patriotic duties of the last Russian emperor, his economic reforms and the welfare of his subjects.

• Works of mercy: charitable and patronage activities of the Imperial Family.

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The photo project The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy was created in 2016 by the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. The travelling exhibition has already been presented in Serbia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Czech Republic. The exhibition has also been presented in many cities of Russia: Moscow, Voronezh, Kursk, Ryazan, Penza, Krasnodar, Belgorod, Velikiye Luki, etc.

*As I have noted in similiar posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in post-Soviet Russia – PG

Photo-exhibition teaches Russian schoolchildren about Nicholas II and his family

Posted on April 5 by Paul Gilbert

On the day of the Reigning Icon of the Mother of God, 15th March, the monks of the Nikandrova Hermitage opened the photo-exhibition The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy, in the secondary school of the village of Dubrovno, Porkhov District, Pskov Region.

The exhibition presents more than 100 vintage photographs that tell about the close relationship within the family of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II. The photographs reflect many aspects of the life of the Tsar’s family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the upbringing of the children, and the warm and loving relationship, which they shared with both their parents and each other.

The brethren of the Nikandrova Hermitage made stands for the exhibition, on which the photographs were displayed. The photographs were provided by the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow.

Hierodeacon Spyridon (Drygailo), a resident of the Nikandrova Hermitage, conducted a special lesson with the schoolchildren and teachers dedicated to the Imperial Family.

The exhibition was open to all residents of the village of Dubrovno, admission was free.

*As I have noted in similiar posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in post-Soviet Russia – PG

Photo-exhibit dedicated to the family of Nicholas II opens in Sayansk

Posted on February 9 by Paul Gilbert

On 26th January 2024, a photo-exhibition The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy. opened in the Siberian city of Sayansk. The exhibition features photographs reflecting the life and work of the last Russian Emperor and his family. The photos are provided by the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow and are part of a nationwide project that has been successfully implemented in many cities across Russia and abroad.

Father Volodymyr Danilko, head of the diocesan department of religious education, delivered an opening speech at the opening of the exhibit. Art historian Svetlana Panina spoke about Christian virtues and relationships within the family of Nicholas II.

The exhibition runs until 2nd March 2024, at the Art Gallery in Sayansk.

The importance of these photo-exhibitions

On 30th January 2024, I read a particularly disturbing article in one of the online Russian media outlets, which told about two schoolchildren fighting over Nicholas II. One boy spoke negatively about the Tsar, referring to him as “a weak ruler” and “Nicholas the Bloody”, while the second boy defended the Tsar. An argyment ensued, followed by a physical altercation, leaving one boy with a broken nose. The fight took place in the school yard of the Petrovskaya School, one of the top 30 private educational institutions in Moscow.

It is very sad that school children are still being taught the same negative Bolshevik myths and lies, which have endured for more than a century, by either their parents or educators, who still embrace the Bolshevik assessment of Russia’s much slandered Tsar. This is one reason WHY, these photo-exhibitions are so important in 21st century Russia. They provide children with a more honest and truthful assessment of the life and reign of Nicholas II.

*As I have noted in previous posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in 21st century Russia – PG

Livadia Palace hosts new exhibit dedicated to the family of Nicholas II

Posted on January 20 by Paul Gilbert

On 14th January 2024, with the blessing of His Eminence Tikhon, Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea, the photo exhibition The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy, opened at the Livadia Palace in Crimea.

In addition, the photo exhibition also shows the Tsar’s Family’s dedication to acts of charity and their service to the Fatherland, and a wonderful example of Russian family traditions and unshakable spiritual values.

The rector of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, Archpriest Dimitry Gotskalyuk, in his welcoming speech noted the special symbolic and cultural significance of the photo project for Crimea. For many decades, the inhabitants of the blessed land of Taurida have revered the Holy Royal Martyrs as the patron saints of the family. The life of the Imperial Family is not only an example of service to people and the Fatherland, but also an example of Russian family traditions and unshakable spiritual values.

The photo exhibition is a joint project of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross [the Imperial family’s church adjacent to the Livadia Palace], and the Livadia Palace State Museum, with the support of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow.

The exhibition runs until 19th May 2024, in the Music Salon of the Livadia Palace

*As I have noted in previous posts, I support any initiative – big or small – to help keep the memory of Nicholas II and his family alive in 21st century Russia – PG

Outdoor photo-exhibit dedicated to the family of Nicholas II opens in Penza

Posted on January 17 by Paul Gilbert

On 20th December 2023, an outdoor photo-exhibition dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family opened near the Spassky Cathedral in Penza. Penza is the second Russian city after Moscow, where these unique photographs are presented to the general public in an outdoor setting.

The travelling exhibition The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy was previously held near the Sretensky Monastery in central Moscow from 16th October 2023 to 16th November 2023.

The Penza exhibit opened in a tree-lined alley located between the Spassky Cathedral and the Penza Diocesan Administration Building. Most of the photographs presented at the exhibition are dedicated to the participation of the Imperial Family II in matters of charity and service to others and the Fatherland.

Of particular note are selected photographs dedicated to the service of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the Grand Duchesses as nurses in infirmaries and hospitals during the First World War.

The Tsar’s Family: Love and Mercy photo project was created in 2016 by the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. The creator of the project, a resident of the Sretensky Monastery, Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov), gave lectures on the Tsar and his family at two universities: Penza State University and the Penza Artillery Engineering Institute.

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“The old buildings and streets of Penza remember the visit of Emperor Nicholas II to the city on 28th June 1904. During his visit, the Tsar attended a review of the troops going to the Russo-Japanese War, after which he attended a Divine Liturgy in the Spassky Cathedral.

In memory of Emperor Nicholas II’s visit to Penza, a memorial plaque was installed on one of the columns of the Spassky Cathedral, which was considered lost after the destruction of the cathedral by the Soviets in 1934.

In the late 1990s, this artifact was found by the famous Penza collector Igor Sergeevich Shishkin, who kept it all these years until June 2022, on the day of the consecration of the revived Spassky Cathedral by Patriarch Kirill. On this day, Igor Sergeevich handed over a memorial plaque to the Penza diocese.

There are plans to have the memorial plaque reinstalled to its original place in the Spassky Cathedral, next to the new icon of Nicholas II, for which a case is now being made.

A painting dedicated to this event was painted in the 1990s by Penza artist Denis Santalov. The painting depicts Nicholas II standing before the priest, who offers the Tsar an icon, which he in turn would kiss and make the sign of the cross.

Unique icons belonging to the imperial family on display in Moscow for the first time

Posted on December 28 by Paul Gilbert

On 21st December 2023, a unique exhibit featuring four folding icons presented to members of the Family of Emperor Nicholas II, went on display at the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow.

According to Zhanna Belik, curator of the exhibition, “the icons, all of which are now in private collections, are being shown for the first time at the exhibition”.

“Each of the four folding icons is unique in its own way. They were personal gifts to members of the Imperial Family from organizations and donors from different walks of life. Gifts were given to the Imperial Family on special occasions throughout the year. For instance, on the occasion of the birth of children, their coming of age, the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, birthdays and namedays, etc.. To do this, it was necessary to submit a petition in advance, which was considered personally by the person to whom the gift was addressed,” Belik said.

CLICK on each IMAGE below to enlarge

According to Belik, the birth of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich in 1904 is associated with the folding icon gifted to Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Fedorovna, by the abbot and brethren of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra [in the town of Sergiyev Posad, near Moscow]. The artists and jewelers who created it were outstanding craftsmen of their time.

“The exhibition also presents a folding icon with images of saints St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Prince Alexander Nevsky and Mary Magdalene. The icon was presented to Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich [future Emperor Nicholas II] on his 18th birthday, by the guard of the Moscow Philistine Society. The folding icon was made in the workshop of Ivan Khlebnikov, a Supplier to the Imperial Court,” the curator said.

CLICK on each IMAGE below to enlarge

The curator noted that each of the four folding icons have the icon writer’s name on the back of each icon, the frames were made by jewelers – Suppliers of the Imperial Court. “At this time, jewelry art reached its apogee in Russian art, the work of jewelers of the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century are world-class works,” Belik said.

The exhibition also features a sewn icon from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum, also created on the occasion of the birth of the long-awaited heir, and presented to Nicholas and Alexandra.

The exhibition runs from 21st December 2023 to 11th February 2024.

Nicholas II’s little known third brother: Alexander (1869-1870)

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: The only photograph of the “Angel Alexander”, was taken by his parents posthumously

Up until the early 20th century infant mortality in Imperial Russia was among the highest in the world[1]. Many a family lost at least one child either during childbirth or disease. Infant mortality was something that did not discriminate, regardless of one’s position in life, including members of the Russian Imperial Family.

Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was born on 7th June (O.S. 26th May) 1869. He was the second child, of the then Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (future Emperor Alexander III) and Tsesarevna Maria Feodorovna (future Empress Maria Feodorovna, née Princess Dagmar of Denmark).

Alexander was the younger brother of the future Emperor Nicholas II, and third in line to the Russian throne at the time of his birth.

Sadly, the “Angel Alexander” did not live a full year, he died of bacterial meningitis, one month before his first birthday, on 2nd May (O.S. 20th April) 1870, age 10 months and 26 days.

The doctors who observed the infant – obstetrician Jacob Schmidt, pediatrician Karl Rauchfus and surgeon Gustav Hirsch recorded the course of the disease in detail. They noted that on the night of 15/16 April, after the secondary flu which infected the child’s right lung, signs of acute damage to the meninges appeared. On 17th April, there was a “slight improvement in the patient’s condition”, on 18th April – “a feverish state of moderation”, on 19th April – “for the most part he was conscious”, but the next day there was a deterioration and sudden death.

PHOTO: the tiny white marble sarcophagus bearing the remains of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich in the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg

Tsesarevich Alexander wrote in his diary: “God, what a day You sent us and what is this test that we shall never forget to the end of our lives? Be it Your Will Lord and we shall conciliate before You and Your Will.”

“The doctors maintain he did not suffer, but we suffered terribly to see and hear him,” Maria Feodorovna wrote to her mother, Queen Louise of Denmark.

Grand Duke Alexander was sketched on his deathbed by the famous Russian portrait artist Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi (1837-1887). The only photograph of the “Angel Alexander”, was taken by his parents posthumously.

Sergei D. Sheremetev, the adjutant to Tsesarevich Alexander, accompanied the infant’s body on horseback to the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, where he was buried in the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral. The infant Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was laid to rest in the northern nave of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in a tiny white marble sarcophagus. On the upper edge of the sarcophagus there is a gilded cross made of bronze, on the side there is a bronze plaque with an epitaph inscribed on it

Alexander’s death was the first of many personal losses which the Empress Maria Feodorovna would endure before her own death in 1928. She outlived her beloved husband “Sasha”, her parents, her sister Alexandra, all four of her sons, and five grandchildren.

Memory Eternal! Вечная Память!

NOTES:

[1] At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia had the highest infant mortality in Europe – 250 out of 1000 newborns died before they reached one year of age.

Infant mortality under Nicholas II steadily declined. The downward trend in mortality (both children and adults) began before the revolution. According to statistics, the death rate during the reign of Nicholas II per 1000 people had been steadily decreasing.

In 1913, the All-Russian Guardianship for the Protection of Motherhood and Infancy was established by a personalized Imperial Decree, with the goal of reducing infant mortality in Russia, setting up shelters for mothers and children, Russia’s first dairy kitchens, children’s hospitals, maternity hospitals, etc.

5 NEW Romanov Titles

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMAZON’S #1 New Release in Historical Russia Biographies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PAPERBACK EDITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITON

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

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

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

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

CORONATION OF TSAR NICHOLAS II
by Paul Gilbert

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEMORIES OF THE RUSSIAN COURT
by Anna Taneeva-Vytrubova

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE EBOOK EDITION

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

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

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

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

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

MEMORIES OF RUSSIA 1916-1919
by Princess Olga Paley

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE EBOOK EDITION

Every victim of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had a story to tell. One of the most tragic was that of Princess Olga Valerianovna Paley (1865-1929) the morganatic second wife of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (1860-1919).

Born in 1865, she married an officer of the Imperial Guard of Russia, Erich Augustinovitch von Pistohlkors, the couple had four children.

Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, a long-time friend of Pistohlkors, often spent his evenings with the Pistohlkors couple in Tsarskoye Selo; where he became smitten with Olga’s beauty, elegance, and her worldly and lively spirit. Their affair resulted in the birth of a son, Vladimir

Their affair created a scandal at Court and the Emperor forbid his uncle to marry Olga. Following her divorce from Pistolkors, Olga and Paul defied Nicholas II, resulting in their expulsion from Russia. They married in Livorno, Italy, and settled in an elegant mansion built in Boulogne-sur-Seine, France for several years. It was here that Olga gave birth to two more daughters,

In 1904, Prince-Regent Leopold of Bavaria titled Olga Countess of Hohenfelsen, and upon their return to Russia, the Tsar created the title of Princess Paley for her and their children.

During the revolution, her husband the Grand Duke and their son Vladimir were captured and murdered by the Bolsheviks. Olga and her daughters escaped to Finland and then returned to Paris, where she died in 1929.

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

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

Britain’s first memorial to the Russian Imperial Family

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Paul Gilbert

Up until a few years ago, Britain’s first and only memorial to Emperor Nicholas II and his family was located in the Battenberg Chapel in St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham, Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

It was here that Princess Victoria Mountbatten (1863-1950), the elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, created a memorial plaque for the members of her family who were brutally murdered in the Urals by the Bolsheviks in July 1918.

The memorial is tucked away in a corner of the Battenberg Chapel.

“Give rest O LORD to the Souls of thy Servants
who have fallen asleep, for they have set their hope on Thee”.

In loving memory of
ELISABETH, Grand Duchess Serge of Russia – b. Nov. 1st 1864
perished in the Russian Revolution on the 18th of July 1918

ALEXANDRA, Empress of Russia – b. June 6th 1872
NICHOLAS II, Emperor of Russia – b. May 18th 1864*
and of their children
OLGA – b. Nov. 5th 1895 TATIANA – b. June 10th 1897
MARIA – b. June 26th 1899 ANASTASIA – June 13th 1901
and ALEXEI, the Caesarevich – b. Aug. 17th 1904
perished in the Russian Revolution on the 17th July 1918

* Nicholas II was born in 1868, not 1864, as shown on the plaque

On 7th July 2018, a granite memorial [above photo] with bronze relief portraits of the Russian Imperial Family, was unveiled at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The monument marking the 100th anniversary of the death and martyrdom of Nicholas II and his family was created by the Moscow sculptor Elena Bezborodova.

On 13th July 2018, a monument [above photo] was also erected in memory of the Holy Royal Martyrs, on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Nativity Of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Royal Martyrs in the London Borough of Hounslow.

#ROMANOVS100: Last Days of the Romanovs Recreated in Multimedia Project

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Paul Gilbert

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NOTE: All of the articles pertaining to Nicholas II and his family which were originally published in my Royal Russia News blog, have been moved to this Nicholas II blog. This article was originally posted on 9 April 2018 in my Royal Russia News blog – PG

Note: to access any of the 4 social media networks, please click on the appropriate link, all of which are highlighted in RED below – ENJOY!

The Russian international television network Russia Today (RT) and its award-winning team behind #1917Live have launched #Romanovs100 to bring the story of Russia’s last royal family to life through thousands of Romanov family photographs recently unearthed from within the national archives. Working with nearly 4,000 original photos of the Romanovs – the largest media release of its kind – across four social media platforms, the project will retell the last decades of imperial Russia over 100 days leading up to the centenary of their execution on 17 July 2018.

In conjunction with the Russian State Archive, RT will publish the most complete collection of the Romanovs’ personal photos ever assembled across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, as a large-scale ‘digital photo-puzzle’.

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Kirill Karnovich-Valua, creative producer of the project at RT said:

“The Romanovs are deemed to be among the pioneers of photography – they had several cameras and recorded almost every meaningful event in their lives. The audience will be able to discover many sides of the Romanovs: last rulers of the Russian Empire, a devout loving family, passionate travelers, amateur tennis players, dog lovers, fans of breakthrough photography, and much more.”

Each of the four platforms will retell certain pieces of the family’s narrative using different formats and perspectives.

Mini-videos based on the Romanovs’ photo collection will be posted on YouTube, featuring historic aspects of the era in which the last Tsar’s family lived, as well as the little-known stories behind rarely seen photos. Photos from the family album featuring the most artistic and unusual images taken by the Romanovs will be published on Instagram. On Facebook, project followers will find high-quality panoramic photos in 180-degree format, and Russian composer and singer Peter Nalitch will record a special soundtrack to be integrated into lyrical videos for the project. On Twitter, individual accounts will tell first-person stories through personal photos.

In late 2016, RT launched one of the biggest-ever historical re-enactments on Twitter – #1917LIVE. The project has already been recognized by over a dozen international awards such as the New York Festivals, the Webby Awards, and the Shorty Awards, where it won five prizes, including one for “Best Twitter Partnership” for collaboration with world-renowned author Paulo Coelho.

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RT’s #Romanovs100 project ran for exactly 100 days – from 8 April to 17 July – the day which marks the 100th anniversary of the Romanovs’ tragic execution.