St. Petersburg | Nicholas II

Former Fabergé dacha to be auctioned in St. Petersburg

PHOTOS: the former dacha of Agathon Karlovich Fabergé in the
suburbs of St. Petersburg is currently in a terrible state of disrepair

A former dacha of one of the members of the Fabergé family is the latest architectural monument from the era of Russia’s last Tsar, to go under the hammer next month, the starting bid is ₽46.9 million rubles [$625,600 USD].

Recall that on 20th March 2026, the former multi-level studio-apartment of Ernst Karlovich Liphart (1847-1932) – the famous court artist of Nicholas II, sold at an auction in St. Petersburg for 80 million rubles [$1,058,400 US dollars].

The Fabergé dacha, which is located in the village of Pargolovo in the Vyborg district of St. Petersburg, was once the summer home of Agathon Karlovich Fabergé (1876-1951) is the second son of Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920).

The Fabergé dacha is today designated a cultural heritage site. The lot consists of a manor house [the dacha],outbuildings and the plot of land it sits on. The total size of the dacha including outbuildings is 3,000 square meters [33,000 square ft.], and a plot of almost 8 hectares is 19.8 acres].

The new owner must agree to restore the building as well as comply with the requirements for the preservation, maintenance and use of the building, the Institute of Housing Development reported. The auction will be held on 19th June 2026.

The deadline for fulfilling the conditions of the competition is seven years, and the work on the preservation of the OCH should be completed by February 2029. The property is proposed to be used for commercial purposes, such as a spa-hotel.

NOTE: the photos below, depict the current states of the interiors of the Fabergé dacha

For the restoration of the object, the new owner will be eligible to receive preferential financing at a rate of 9% per annum or6% – for restoration, if the building is used as a hotel, with a minimum of a “three stars” rating. The loan will be provided by the DOM Russian Federation Bank.

The Fabergé Dacha was constructed in 1901-02, by the Russian architect Karl Emil Michael Schmidt (1866-1945). Initially, the manor house looked like an English cottage.

As Agathon’s family grew – by 1907 he already had four children. – he ordered an extension built on the house, which was carried out in 1908-10. The job was entrusted to the architect Ivan Andreevich Galnbek (1855-1934), who introducted elements of Art Nouveau to the dacha.

On the ground floor there were ceremonial rooms: living rooms, a ballroom, a large dining room, a greenhouse and a utility block with a kitchen, and storerooms. On the second floor there were living quarters – bedrooms, toilets, and baths.

Agathon Fabergé was a great collector or art objects, of which his country dacha earned the nickname the “Small Hermitage”. His vast collection consisted of antique statues, tapestries, paintings, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, a collection of 300 Buddha figurines, and a collection of Japanese combat swords and netsuke [small carved ornaments].

PHOTO: Agathon Karlovich Fabergé standing at the entrance of his dacha in the village of Pargolovo in the Vyborg district of St. Petersburg. 1914

After the 1917 revolution, the dacha was nationalized. The building was plundered and looted by revolutionary thugs. What was not stolen, was transferred to various museums in Petrograd.

During the First World War, like many patriotic Russians, Agathon set up a “sanatorium” for wounded Russian soldiers in the dacha under the patronage of the hostess [Agathon’s wife], Lydia Alexandrovna Fabergé (1874-1944).

During the Soviet years, the Fabergé dacha served as a sanatorium, a rest house for workers and a children’s camp. The building’s new Soviet caretakers made a number of changes to the building, which resulted in significant damage to the original interiors.

Since 1920, the dacha has been under the jurisdiction of various, mainly medical and health-improving organizations. In the 1980s, a fire broke out in the dacha, which caused damage mainly to the roof of the main house.

.Since the beginning of the 2000s, city officials and conservationists have made several attempts to address the dire condition of the dacha. In 2007, the dacha was given to Gorny University, the new owner undertook to restore the dacha, with the intent to open a museum. Sadly, no work was carried out, due to a lack of funding.

PHOTO: artist concept of what the Fabergé dacha in
Pargolovo, would look like after restoration

For more than a decade, the former dacha of Agathon Fabergé has fallen into a terrible state of neglect and disrepair. Let us hope that a buyer comes forward and gives new life to this architectural monument of the era of Nicholas II – a symbol of both the Fabergé family and the former Russian Empire.

Studio-apartment of former Court artist to Nicholas II sells for 80 million rubles

Posted on 15 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Ernst Karlovich Liphart in his St. Petersburg studio. Artist unknown.

On 20th March 2026, I reported that Ernst Liphart’s former apartment-studio in St. Petersburg would be sold at auction. The multi-level studio-apartment was listed at 110 million rubles [$1.3 million USD]. The auction was held at the Litfond Auction House in St. Petersburg, on 18th April 2026, and sold for 80 million rubles [$1,058,400 US dollars].

What made the sale of this property so interesting, was the history behind it. The studio-apartment was built and designed in 1906 by the the Russian architect Vasily Vasilyevich Schaub (1861-1934), for Ernst Karlovich Liphart (1847-1932) – the famous court artist of Emperor Nicholas II and the chief curator of the Hermitage.

Situated on the 6th floor of No. 16 Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, the artists’ apartment-studio consisted of four levels with a total area of 150 sq. meters[1,614 sq. ft.].

PHOTOS: views of the Studio Hall of Liphart’s former
apartment-stidio, as it looked during the Soviet years

PHOTO: view of the Studio Hall of Liphart’s
former apartment-stidio, as it looks today

The original layout has been preserved in the studio, but the space looks completely different than under Liphart. Only a small number of elements remain from it’s original neoclassical style of the early 20th century, and many interior details are reminiscent of the modernism of the 1960s.

Despite the changes made during the Soviet years, the studio hall has retained the mezzanine and columns (seen in the photos above), but also the multi-meter windows, which offer a commanding view of the historic area. The windows of the apartment overlook Avstriyskaya Ploshchad (Austrian Square) and Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, as well as the neighboring Gorbov apartment building, and the architectural dominants of the historic Petrograd district.

Other details of the apartment-studio which have been preserved include a belvedere, an oval study, a spiral staircase leads to the mezzanine and then to a small secluded tower where you can enjoy the silence while admiring the city from round windows.

PHOTO: view of one of the rooms in Liphart’s apartment-studio

PHOTO: view of the studio of Vladimir Sokolov during the Soviet years

The first owner of the studio-apartment, Ernest von Liphart, became famous not only for his portraits of the Tsar and members of the Imperial Family, but also for his scientific work. It was he who determined that the famous painting “Madonna with a Flower” belongs to the brush of Leonardo da Vinci, and helped the Hermitage Museum to buy it. After the 1917 Revolution, Liphart remained in Russia and continued to work in the museum.

In the second half of the 20th century, the Soviet artist Vladimir Sokolov (1923-1997) lived and worked in the same studio. He is known as the artist of “blockade” posters and postcards, as well as portraits of world leaders such as Che Guevara and Pablo Neruda. Today, the works of both famous owners of the apartment-studio on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt are stored in the collections of Russian museums and libraries.

PHOTO: Liphart’s apartment-studio is located at No. 16 Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt

PHOTO: view of Avstriyskaya Ploshchad from the studio of Ernst Liphart

NEW BOOK – ‘Memories of Russia: My Travels in Post-Soviet Russia’ by Paul Gilbert

Posted on 27 Days Ago by Paul Gilbert

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***

This year marks the 40th anniversary of my first visit to Russia. During the past four decades, I have visited Russia 29 times!

I travelled to Moscow, St. Petersburg – and the suburban towns of Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Strelna – as well as Yalta and Crimea, Ekaterinburg and Alapaevsk.

In my new book, which is part travelogue, part history, I share my personal impressions and history of a dozen historic sites, that I have visited – some on numerous occasions. Out of the dozen historic sites covered in my book, all but two have a connection to Russia’s last tsar Nicholas II.

Join me as I revisit such places as the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Petrovsky Travelling Palace and the Russian State Archives – where I explore the Romanov archives in Moscow; learn the fate of Nicholas II’s private apartments in the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Theatre – venue for the famous 1903 Costume Ball; travel with me to the Children’s Island and the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral – Nicholas II’s favourite church at Tsarskoye Selo; the ruins of the Lower Dacha at Peterhof and much more!

On the cover photo above, I am standing in the magnificent St. Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The date is 27th October 2000 – the day in which I marked my 44th birthday. Of all the wonderful memories I have from the 29 journeys I made to Russia between 1986-2018, this is among one of the most memorable!

Richly llustrated with more than 200 black and white photographs!

Every one has one country in which they are drawn, for me it is Russia
– PAUL GILBERT (Retired)

The Church of the Saviour on the Waters to be revived in St. Petersburg

Posted on March 26 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: the Church of the Saviour on the Waters in St. Petersburg,

On 23rd March 2026, it was announced that the Church of the Saviour on the Waters, one of the most famous lost churches of old St. Petersburg will be revived. Recall that the church was was constructed in 1910-1911 as a memorial to the sailors who died in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russian-Japanese war (1904-05). The church was destroyed by the Soviets in 1932.

The reconstruction of the Church of the Saviour on the Waters is past of a large-scale renovation of Novo-Admiralty Island.

History and Construction

The site for the construction of the church was at the end of the English Embankment, at the place where the Novo-Admiralty Canal and the Neva river meet, and not far from the Admiralty Shipyards where the ships of the Imperial Russian Navy were built. The location of the church was chosen well. Lined with white stone, it looked very beautiful from the Neva River, closing the perspective of the embankment.

In 1908, a committee was created in St. Petersburg to collect donations for the construction of the memorial church. The honorary chairman of the committee was the only female admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Queen of the Hellenes / Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna (1851-1926).

PHOTO: construction of the church took place in 1910-11

The foundation stone of the church was laid by Bishop Nikon (Rozhdestvensky) of Vologda on 28th (O. S. 15th) May 1910, on the day marking the 5th anniversary of the Battle of Tsushima. The event was followed by a procession of the cross from the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral. Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna laid the soldier’s St. George Cross in the foundation stone.

The white-stone church was built in the Neo-Russian Style, by the Russian architect Marian Marianovich Peretyatkovich (1872-1916). The two-storey church consisted of a lower church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and an upper one in honour of the Gethsemane Agony of Christ the Saviour. The church was designed for 300-400 parishioners.

On 10th August (28th July) 1911, the military protopresbyter Georgy Ivanovich Shavelsky (1871-1951) consecrated the lower church,in the presence of the relatives of the victims of the war. The solemn consecration of the upper church took place on 13th August (O.S. 31st July) 1911. It was attended by Emperor Nicholas II and his daughters, Queen Olga of the Hellenes / Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna, her brother, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich (1858-1915), among other members of the Imperial Family.

PHOTOS: Emperor Nicholas II along with other members of Imperial family arrive for the consecration of the the Church of the Saviour on the Waters in St. Petersburg, 13th August (O.S. 31st July) 1911

Design and Interior

The church was erected in the likeness of the Vladimir-Suzdal churches of the 12th century. According to the builders, it was supposed to resurrect the wonderful traditions of ancient Russian architecture. Many famous artists participated in the decoration.

The gate led to the church, above which was a belfry and a mosaic icon of the Saviour Not Made by Hands according to a sketch by the famous Russian painter and graphic artist Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848-1926). Relief doors lined with copper imitated the gates of the 13th century in the Suzdal Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. The dome of the church was covered with golden smalt.

PHOTO: a colour view of the upper church and the mosaic
“The Saviour Walking on the Waters”

In the upper church, on the altar wall, there was a mosaic “The Saviour Walking on the Waters” made according to a sketch by the Russian painter Nikolai Aleksandrovich Bruni (1856-1935). Two mosaic icons – “Praying for the Chalice” and “Carrying the Cross” – on the pillars were made according to sketches by artists Viktor Vasnetsov and Nikolai Bruni.

The iconostasis was made in the ancient style of carved light gray stone and had two tiers. The Holy Doors were made of chased bronze. The altar curtain was the St. Andrew’s flag. Bronze choros chandeliers hung on anchor chains. The white-marble tabernacle was carved in the shape of the church itself.

The entrance to the lower church was through a narrow corridor. The low vaults of the lower church were covered with a continuous painting made by the Russian painter and graphic artist Mikhail Mikhailovich Adamovich (1884-1947), depicting the Gospel scenes and the life of the patron saint of sailors, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The wooden two-tiered iconostasis, covered with brocade and basma, was decorated with bronze overlays. The Holy Doors were donated by the builder of the church Sergei Nikolaevich Smirnov (1877-1958) and dated to the 16th century. The Kazan icon of the Mother of God was embroidered with gold.

A covered gallery connected the church with the tower, where the maritime museum was located, and the belfry, which in turn was connected by a gallery with the clergy house.

The unique memorial church became “a symbol of a mass grave for the heroic sailors who died without burial” in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

The Soviet Years to the Present

The Church of the Saviour on the Waters was closed by the Bolsheviks in early 1918. For a short time, irregular services continued to be conducted without too much fuss from the authorities. In 1919, the Soviet authorities concluded an agreement with the parishioners that the building would be transferred to them, and in return, the church was ordered to pay taxes, report on donations, and maintain the building in order. The teaching of doctrine was prohibited. Failure to comply with the orders would result in arrests and imprisonment.

n December 1931, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Leningrad Soviet, it was decided “to transfer the building to the plant for scrapping using materials for construction needs.”

The Soviets wasted little time in looting the church: Icons, vestments, the Gospel, silverware and precious stones were taken during two confiscations. Some were taken to local museums. Less valuable things, such as lamps, chalices, discos – were simply melted down into metal. Some of the mosaics were saved by an employee of the Morozov Museum, and stored in the basements of the museum.

Following the pillaging and looting, the church was blown up in the spring of 1932, despite thousands of signatures collected. The clergy and some of the parishioners were repressed by the local Soviet.

PHOTO: the Church of the Saviour on the Waters
was reduced to a pile of rubble on 8th March 1932

On 27th May 1998, on the 93rd anniversary of the Battle of Tsushima, a small chapel was built on the site of the church. With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, a foundation stone, a marble plaque with a canonical commemorative text and the St. George Cross, brought from France by the grandson of one of the builders of the Church of the Saviour on the Waters, were laid in the foundation of the new chapel.

PHOTO: members of the planning working committee meet in St. Petersburg to discuss plans for the reconstruction of the Church Savior on the Waters

Reconstruction

On 23rd March 2026, representatives of the working committee gathered at the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg to discuss the project for the reconstruction of the Church of the Saviour on the Waters. Among them were representatives of the St. Petersburg clergy, descendants of the heroes of the Battle of Tsushima and historians.

The decision to revive the church was made as part of the large-scale redevelopment of the Novo-Admiralteysky Island. The Church Savior on the Waters is one of the most famous lost churches of old St. Petersburg, t was created in memory of the sailors who died during the Russo-Japanese War. The church will be restored at the expense of private philanthropists.

Ernst Liphart’s former studio in St. Petersburg to be auctioned

Posted on March 20 by Paul Gilbert

On 18th April 2026, the former apartment-studio of Ernst Karlovich Liphart (1847-1932) – the famous court artist of Emperor Nicholas II, will go under the hammer at the Litfond Auction House in St. Petersburg. Its price starts at 110 million rubles [$1.3 million USD].

Liphart’s heirs managed to preserve the historical layout of the apartment-studio, conceived more than 120 years ago by the painter and portraitist. Recall that during his years in the Russian capital, Liphart painted more than half a dozen portraits of Nicholas II (see below).

Located at 16 Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, this great workshop is a real monument of architecture and art of the early 20th century. The area of the four-level apartment-studio is 150 square meters [1,614 sq. ft.].

PHOTO: Ernst Karlovich Liphart in hist St. Petersburg studio. 1914

PHOTO: a unique four-level studio-apartment that belonged to Ernst Liphart

The Art Nouveau building was built in 1906 by architect Vasily Schaub. A huge multi-meter window overlooking Austrian Square and Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, a hall with columns, an oval office and a secluded tower with round windows – perspective buyers will not find such an apartment anywhere in St. Petersburg.

The history of the workshop on the upper floors of the apartment did not end with Liphart’s departure. Another artist, Vladimir Maksimovich Sokolov (1909-1991), lived and worked here. His works, dedicated to the theme of the struggle for peace and humanity, are now stored in the funds of the largest museums in Russia.

PHOTO: the former apartment-studio of Ernst Liphart is located
at 16 Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg

***

PHOTO: Baron Ernst Karlovich von Liphart. 1910

Baron Ernest Karlovich von Liphart (1847-1932) was a Russian painter and graphic artist who is known for his numerous portraits of E,peror Nicholas II, members of the Russian Imperial Family, and other famous Russian public figures.

He was born into a Livonian noble family on 2nd September (O.S. 21st August) 1847. His father, Baron Carl Eduard von Liphart (1808-1891), was an art connoisseur.

Initially Ernst studied painting at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts and then in Paris. From his father, he inherited a deep knowledge in the field of art history. He studied the history of painting in museums in Germany, Spain, England and Italy. From 1877 he exhibited his paintings at the Paris Salon.

Having received an order from the Russian Emperor Alexander III for two paintings on the subject of reasonable and unreasonable wives, in 1886 he brought them to St. Petersburg and remained there until his death in 1932. In 1886-1896, Liphart taught decorative painting at the Drawing School of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

PHOTOS: Ernst Liphart painted more than half a dozen portraits of Nicholas II.
Source: ‘Nicholas II. Portraits‘ – published in 2021

He was very popular as a decorator and portraitist. His paintings have been preserved in many St. Petersburg mansions and palaces: Marble Palace of Grand Duke Konstaintin Konstantinovich, three decorative panels for the palace of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich at 122 Moika, in the Derviz Mansion, in the theater of the Yusupov Palace and others.

He was a member of the Society of Watercolorists from its very foundation. From 1886 to 1896 he served as a teacher of decorative painting at the drawing school of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

In 1895, during the renovation of the Hermitage Theater in the Winter Palace, Ernst Liphart developed a sketch according to which the curtain for this theater were made. n 1912 he compiled a catalogue of the collection of paintings, and from 1906 to 1929 he served as chief curator of the Hermitage Picture Gallery.

Baron Ernest Karlovich von 14th April 1932. Liphart died in Leningrad [St. Petersburg] on He was buried at the Smolensk Lutheran cemetery, the oldenst non-Orthodox cemetery in the city; the grave is not marked

Anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov, 1913

Posted on March 6 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Postcard in honoir of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov

NOTE: the date of 6th March 1913 is the day of the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary according to the New Style Gregorian calendar, which is now 13 days ahead of the Old Style Julian calendar, used in Russia during the reign of Russia’s last Tsar. Therefore, the date of 21st February (O.S.) is in fact 6th March (New Style – PG

On 6th March (O.S. 21st February) 1913, the grandiose celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov began in St. Petersburg. It was on this day in 1613, that a Zemsky Sobor; elected Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov (1596-1645) as Tsar, establishing the House of Romanov.

The day of the “solemn celebration marking the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov” approved by the “Ceremonial” was 21st February) 1913, [according to the Old Style Julian calendar]. The “Ceremonial” provided that “solemn liturgies will be celebrated in all cathedrals and churches of the Russian Empire, followed by thanksgiving prayers with the intonation of “Many Years to Emperor Nicholas Alexandrovich <… >and to the entire reigning house”. The document also described the procedure for the celebration of solemn services and the arrival of the Emperor and his family in Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, as well as the offering of congratulations to Their Imperial Majesties and other events in St. Petersburg.

In addition, the Emperor ordered a pannikhida [memorial service for the dead] be served in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg on the eve of the day of celebration, on Wednesday, 20th February.

By a resolution of 4th February 1913, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decreed that Divine Liturgies be performed on 21st February, in all the cathedrals and churches of the empire.

On 13th February 1913, Emperor Nicholas II approved the resolution of the Council of Ministers “on declaring 21st February, 1913 [according to the Old Style Julian calendar] a holiday for all citizens of the Russian Empire. February 21st 1913 fell on the on the eve of Great Lent.

A special role in the upcoming celebrations was assigned to Moscow and Kostroma, from which Mikhail Romanov was called to the throne in 1613^. In general, the celebrations took place throughout the Russian Empire. Three years before the upcoming celebrations, the “Committee for the Celebration of the Tercentenary of the Reigning House of Romanov was formed, and Aleksandr Grigoryevich Bulygin (1851-1919) was appointed its chairman.

As part of the preparations for the 300th anniversary, a number of charitable events throughout the Russian Empire were initiated by Nicholas II. Financial resources were allocated for the care of children, and assistance to advanced farmers.

PHOTO: Procession headed by Emperor Nicholas II and his family arrive in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan on the day of the beginning of the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, on 6th March (O.S. 21st February), 1913

PHOTO: Preparations for a ‘Te Deum’ in honour of the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, St. Petersburg on 6th March (O.S. 21st February) 1913.

Preparations for the 300th anniversary

Preparations for the celebration began three years before the celebration. The “Committee for the Celebration of the Tercentenary of the Reigning House of Romanov” was formed, the chairman of which was appointed Aleksandr Grigoryevich Bulygin, a member of the State Council and Hofmeister of the Imperial Court. The newly formed committee proposed to Nicholas II to promulgate the “Imperial Manifesto” on the occasion of the anniversary, which, among other things, read:

“<… > Through the combined efforts of our crowned predecessors on the Russian throne and all the faithful sons of Russia, the Russian state was created and strengthened <… > In unfailing unity with our beloved people, we hope to continue to lead the state along the path of peaceful organization of the life of the people’s <… > The nobility of Russia sealed with their blood their devotion to the Motherland <… > In the radiance of glory and greatness, the image of a Russian warrior, defender of the faith, throne and fatherland… >May the reverent memory of the feats of the departed serve as a testament for generations to come, and may it unite around our throne all faithful subjects for new labours and feats for the glory and prosperity of Russia <… >». The “Highest Manifesto”, according to the “Ceremonial”, was read in all Russian churches after the Divine Liturgy, and before the solemn prayer service, on 21st February 1913.

On 5th August 1911, in the presence of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich (the august patron of the building committee), a church was laid in St. Petersburg in honour of the Feodorovskaya Icon, in memory of the 300th anniversary of the reigning house; the main side chapel of the upper church was consecrated on 15th January 1914 by Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family.

In St. Petersburg, sculptors and architects worked on a monument to the anniversary. Not far from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, a church in honour of the Romanov dynasty was being built (the Cathedral of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God), and a rotunda was being erected on St. Isaac’s Square. For the celebration, jubilee medals were issued – gold, silver, dark bronze and light bronze – these medals were produced by the Mint in St. Petersburg. In addition, commemorative coins, stamps, postcards, Fabergé eggs, and even household items such as glasses, tablecloths, headscarves and brooches were issued. Thousands of workers were involved in the construction of stalls and kiosks, as well as the installation of masts for standards, banners, and the decoration of buildings.

On the eve of the day of celebration, 20th February 1913, at three o’clock in the afternoon, Patriarch Gregory IV of Antioch (who was invited to Russia for the celebrations), along with Metropolitan Dimitrije of Belgrade and other hierarchs, performed a pannikhida in the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul in the presence of Their Majesties.

PHOTO: a host of Russian and foreign hierarchs took part in the the solemn liturgy in Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral, situated on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg

PHOTO: Kazan Cathedral House, situated on Nevsky Prospect, 25. The two-storey building served as the residence of the clergy of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral Photo by Karl Bulla. 1913.

Events in St. Petersburg, on 21st February 1913

On 21st February 1913, at 8 a.m., twenty-one cannon shots from the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, signaled the beginning of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty began in the Russian Empire.

The Imperial Family travelled from the Winter Palace in a grand procession of carriages and horses to Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt, to take part in a prayer service. The route to the Kazan Cathedral was lined with regimental troops and cadets of military educational institutions. Tens of thousands of people crammed the route, all hoping to get a glimpse of the Tsar and his family.

Emperor Nicholas II and his son, the heir to the throne Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich travelled in an open carriage together. They were followed by the four-horse ceremonial carriage of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, followed by a four-seater carriage with the the Tsar’s daughters: Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna. The “Imperial convoy” consisted of 100 members of the Imperial Family, which included grand dukes, grand duchesses and princes and princesses of the Imperial Blood.

At the entrance to the cathedral, the Emperor and his family were met by Patriarch Gregory and Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of St. Petersburg and Ladoga.

At 11 a.m., the solemn liturgy in Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral was led by Patriarch Gregory IV of Antioch, co-served by a host of Russian and foreign hierarchs.

Inside the cathedral, the protodeacon read the manifesto of the jubilee before the moleben [a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving]; the service of the prayer service was led by the Antiochian Patriarch Gregory IV, who read the Gospel in Arabic. The protodeacon then proclaimed “Many Years to Their Imperial Majesties” and to the entire reigning house. The troops outside the cathedral saluted; began the solemn trezvon [bell ringing] of all the churches of St. Petersburg. Cross Processions from many city churches arrived at the cathedral), followed bya salute from the cannons of the St. Petersburg fortress.

Recall that Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg served as the court church for the House of Romanov and was dedicated to the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. which was the most important icon in the Russian Orthodox Church, for it protected Russia and consequently the Romanov dynasty. When the Kazan Cathedral was built, it inherited both the icon and the role of the court church. Imperial family weddings and thanksgiving prayers were all held in the cathedral.

When in St. Petersburg, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went to the Kazan Cathedral to pray, kneeling in the shadow of a pillar, unrecognized by anyone and attended by a single lady-in-waiting.

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and his father Tsar Nicholas II, passing the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in St. Petersburg, during the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913.

PHOTO: tens of thousands of people lined Nevsky Prospekt on the day marking the 300th anniversary, with the hope of catching a glimpse of their Emperor and his family, on their way to Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral

Tercentenary Tour

Three months later, in May, the Imperial Family went on a pilgrimage, following the route of Mikhail I after his election as the first Romanov Tsar in 1613. Nicholas II and his family set off to visit the ancient towns of Muscovy associated with the founding of the Romanov dynasty. The tour started off in Kostroma, where they arrived in a ‘flotilla of steamboats’ on the Volga, greeted by a large crowd of townspeople. Here Nicholas visited the Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail had sought refuge from the invading Poles and the Muscovite civil wars. From there, the tour went to Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl, by rail on the Imperial Train. During their visit to the monastery town of Suzdal, the Imperial Family had to travel in thirty open-top Renaults, as there were no railways.

The pilgrimage ‘climaxed’ when the imperial family triumphantly arrived in the historical capital Moscow, site of the crowning of the first Romanov ruler. The Tsar and his family were greeted at the Alexandrovsky train station, by a large number of dignitaries.

The Tsar mounted a white horse and rode alone, sixty feet ahead of the rest of the party and his Cossack guard escort, towards the Kremlin. All along the route, he was greeted by large cheering crowds. The decorations along Tverskaya Street, included velvet banners donning Romanov symbols spanning the boulevard, buildings covered in pennants, flags, and lights. Even more inventive than those in the capital, garlanded statues of the tsar and a showering of confetti from the people, were ‘even more magnificent than in St. Petersburg.

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II is greeted by thousands of his subjects on Red Square during the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov in Moscow. Many Western historians claim that Nicholas II was not popular during his reign, however, I think that this photo says otherwise.

The Tsar dismounted in Red Square, the convergence point of the religious processions throughout the city. Rows of priests echoing chants and prayers entered the Dormition [aka Assumption] Cathedral. The young Tsesarevich Alexei was, along the rest of the family, was supposed to walk the last hundred yards, however, due to haemophilia, had to be carried by a Cossack guard to the “exclamations of sorrow” from the crowds.

This was all followed by, in the words of historian Orlando Figes, “another round of pageantry and gastronomy. The ball in the Assembly of the Moscow Nobility was particularly lavish.”

PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II takes part in a solemn prayer service on Red Square in Moscow, during the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, 1913.

New monument to Nicholas II installed in St. Petersburg

Posted on December 23 by Paul Gilbert

On 19th December 2025, a new monument to the Holy Royal Passion-Bearer Emperor Nicholas II, was unveiled and consecrated in the rotunda of the Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics in St. Petersburg. The event was timed to coincide with the feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Bishop Veniamin of Kronstadt, abbot of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech, in which, in particular, he drew attention to the aspect of sacrificial service for the good of the Fatherland and the contribution to the history of Russia of Russia’s last Tsar. Let this monument inspire the superiors, teachers and students of the Military Academy to imitate the Holy Emperor.

In addition, the Head of the Academy Ilgar Marish oglu Kahramanov, Deputy Head of the Administration of the Governor of St. Petersburg Olga Ivanovna Arishina and others addressed with welcoming words.

The final part of the ceremony was the rite of consecration, which was performed by Bishop Veniamin of Kronstadt. The deacon was headed by Senior Hierodeacon Elias (Vasiliev). The liturgical hymns were sung by the fraternal choir consisting of Hieromonk Tikhon (Voronov) and Hierodeacon Alexander (Urbanovich).

In 1900, the Holy Royal Passion-Bearer, Emperor Nicholas II, ordered the opening of the Quartermaster Course, which in the future was transformed into the Quartermaster Academy, the forerunner of the modern Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics.

On 17th April 1896, General of Infantry Nikolai Ivanovich Solovyov (1850-1907), was appointed the first head of the Quartermaster Course.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 100 monuments, sculptures, busts and memorial plaques to Nicholas II have been installed in cities and towns across the Russian Federation.

250th anniversary of the Life Guards of His Majesty’s Cossack Regiment

Posted on November 29 by Paul Gilbert

On 18th October 2025, solemn events dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the creation of the Life Guards of His Majesty’s Cossack Regiment were held in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

October 18th is the namesday of St. Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-18), Sovereign Ataman[1] of All the Cossack Troops. His father, Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918) served as Regimental-Colonel-in-Chief from 2nd November 1894 to 4th March 1917.

After a drill review on the square of the Spiritual and Educational Center at the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Sestroretsk, the Cossacks of the Convoy in Memory of His Majesty Emperor Nicholas II went to St. Petersburg to the Peter and Paul Fortress to participate in the solemn events dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the creation of the Life Guards of His Majesty’s Cossack Regiment.

The commemorative ceremony brought together representatives of Cossack societies, the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, government officials and the military-historical community, from all across the Russian Federation.

The participants were the Life Guards Cossack Division, the Platov Hundred of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment from Novocherkassk (NPI), the Convoy in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II, the Grebenskaya Embassy Stanitsa of the 1st Cadet Corps, the Cossacks of the St. Petersburg Cossack District, the Cadet Naval Brotherhood from the 245th School of the Admiralty District of St. Petersburg, the Military Historical Society in Memory of the Life Guards Ataman Regiment and a group of drummers of the Moscow Musical Cadet Corps.

The day began with a solemn prayer service in the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, which was led by the rector of the Church of the Holy Martyr Hierotheos at the Life Guards Cossack Units, Priest Alexei Egorov. He was concelebrated by Priest Timofey Chaikin and the clergy of the cathedral. During the service, the jubilee standard of the St. Petersburg Life Guards Cossack Division was consecrated.

Flowers were laid by the Life Guards of the Cossack Division at the tomb of the founder of the Court Cossack regiments, Empress Catherine II, in the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral. This was followed by a solemn formation of the Cossack units on the Cathedral Square.

Representatives of the Government of St. Petersburg, clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church and atamans of Cossack organizations addressed those who attended the event.

On behalf of Oleg Kapitanov, Chairman of the Committee on Interethnic Relations and Implementation of Migration Policy in St. Petersburg, Sergey Domnin, Head of the Department of Interethnic Relations and Coordination of State Programs, read out a welcoming address to the participants of the ceremony.

Executive Secretary of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, Rector of the Church of St. Priest Timofey Chaikin read out a congratulatory address from the chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk.

Welcoming speeches were made by: Vladimir Ivanov, Representative of the Governor of St. Petersburg for Cooperation with Religious Organizations; Prince Vladimir Trubetskoy, representative of the Imperial Guard Memory Association in Russia; Chairman of the Russian All-Military Union (ROVs) Igor Ivanov; the head of the choir of St. John of Damascus at the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Irina Boldysheva; and the oldest ataman of the North-West, the ataman of the “Stanitsa Nikolskaya”, a Cossack of the Convoy in Memory of His Majesty Emperor Nicholas II Vyacheslav Polyakov, the great-grandson of the last Leib, the chamberlain of the Cossack of the Russian Empire Kirill Ivanovich Polyakov.

With the blessing of the rector of the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Sestroretsk, the spiritual father of the Convoy in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II, Archimandrite Gabriel (Konevichenko), the commander of the St. Petersburg Life Guards Cossack Division, Cavalry Sergeant of the Convoy, Esaul Ilya Pivnik, presented the Order of the Emperor Nicholas II[2].

The Order of the Emperor Nicholas II – seen in above photo – was awarded to:

Ataman of the Grebenskaya stanitsa O. Zakharchenko, head of the Interregional Historical and Cultural Center “Healthy Life” M.O. Osadchenko, sergeant of the Platov hundred of the Life Guards Cossack regiment from Novocherkassk (NPI) A. Kovalev.

To the sounds of the historic regimental march of the Life Guards of the Cossack Regiment (Mendelssohn’s march), the column solemnly marched to the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The procession was led by a platoon of the Guard of Honor of the Leningrad Military District, accompanied by a military orchestra.

This was followed by a performance of a group of drummers of the Moscow Musical Cadet Corps under the direction of Georgy Posnov took place.

The culmination of the event was the traditional noon cannon shot, which was made by representatives of Cossack units.

At exactly 12:00 p.m., Colonel V.A. Polyakov and Esaul I.I. Pivnik fired a cannon shot from the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress to the glory of the Life Guards of His Majesty’s Cossack Regiment.

Then there was a solemn separation of the company of the Guard of Honor of the Leningrad Military District.

NOTES:

[1] A Cossack leader.

[2] The Order of Emperor Nicholas II was made by order of the St. Petersburg public organization “Convoy in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II” for the following anniversaries:

100th anniversary of the tragic death of the Russian Empire (2017)
-150th Anniversary of the Birth of Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich (2018)
100th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Royal Family (2018))

It was on these dates that the “Convoy in Memory of His Majesty Emperor Nicholas II” established this award. The Order Badge “Emperor Nicholas II” is presented by co-workers and missionaries of the Spiritual and Educational Center of the city of Sestroretsk in St. Petersburg with the blessing of the spiritual father of the “Convoy in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II” Archimandrite Gabriel (Konevichenko) and signed by him for loyal feelings and love for the Tsar and His August Family.

Russian President honors the memory of the Emperors of All Russia

Posted on October 10 by Paul Gilbert

On 7th October 2025, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, marked his 73rd birthday, with a visit to the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, where he paid homage to the Emperors and Empresses of All Russia.

The President, who was on a working trip to the Northwestern Federal District, was accompanied by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Active State Counselor of the Russian Federation 1st Class A.R. Belousov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General V.V. Gerasimov, Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Army General A.V. Bortnikov and a number of other high-ranking military officials.

The rector of the cathedral, Archimandrite Alexander (Fedorov), served a moleben [a liturgical service of supplication or thanksgiving] at the tomb of the Most Pious Right-Believing Emperor Peter I Alexeevich (1672-1725).

President Putin laid a bouquet of red roses on the tombstone of Emperor Peter I the Great, whose death on 10th February (O.S. 28th January 2025, marked the 300th anniversary of his death. Note: Peter the Great was only 52 years of age, when he died of uremia or azotemia. An autopsy revealed his bladder to be infected with gangrene.

“I decided to begin this working visit to the region today from here, because this is the burial vault of those people who, in fact, made modern Russia,” said Putin.

Putin and the Romanovs

Vladimir Putin is the first Russian leader to honour the Romanov Emperors and Emperors. While his predecessor Boris Yeltsin attended the burial of Emperor Nicholas II on 17th July 1998, Yeltsin was also the one responsible for the demolition of the Ipatiev House in September 1977.

Since taking office, Putin has touched on the subject of the Romanovs, who ruled Russia for more than 300 years, on numerous occasions, during speaking engagements or honouring them during the installation of monuments.

On 25th January 2016, while speaking at an inter-regional forum of the All-Russia People’s Front, Vladimir Putin denounced Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, for “brutally executing Russia’s last Tsar along with all his family and servants”. Putin further criticized Lenin, accusing him of placing a “time bomb” under the state, and sharply denouncing brutal repressions by the Bolshevik government, murdering thousands of priests and innocent civilians.

On 4th May 2017, the memorial cross marking the spot where Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assassinated in 1905, was restored in a ceremony that was attended by President Vladimir Putin. Recall that the original memorial cross was installed in 1908 by his wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna at the place were her husband was assassinated on 17th February (O.S. 4th February) 1905. T

On 18th November 2017, Putin unveiled a monument to Emperor Alexander III on the site of the Small (wooden) Palace at Livadia, Crimea.

On 5th June 2021, a new monument to Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894) was unveiled on Arsenal Square in front of Gatchina Palace. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally took part in the unveiling and dedication of the monument.

In May 2025, while this author was watching an interview, a framed portrait of Emperor Alexander III on the mantlepiece caught my eye. It is interesting to note that Alexander III is one of the few Russian Tsars in which he most admires.

Sadly, Putin holds a negative assessment of the 22+ year reign of Emperor Nicholas II, one which reflects that of the old Bolshevik and Soviet history books, which is based on propaganda and lies.

In addition, Putin has visited and toured the former Romanov palaces at Tsarskoye Selo, including the Alexander Palace. Not only has he supported the restoration of the Alexander Palace, he was instrumental in securing funding for the project.

FURTHER READING:

Putin, the Church and the last Tsar

Russia after Putin: would he restore the monarchy? + PHOTOS

The unholy alliance of Maria and Vlad

Putin’s Russia and the ghost of the Romanovs + VIDEO

The St. Petersburg Museum of Easter Eggs

Posted on July 2 by Paul Gilbert

Yet another new museum has opened in St. Petersburg: the Museum of Easter Eggs – not to be confused with the Fabergé Museum. The Museum of Easter Eggs, which opened in 2024, showcases the work of Andrey Georgievich Ananov, the famous Soviet and Russian jeweller, and Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.

As the photos of Ananov’s creations, the jeweller has clearly been inspired by the Imperial Easter Eggs created by by Carl Fabergé.

Ananov’s works have received international recognition, and showcased at prestigious exhibitions in both Russia and abroad. Today his products are in the collections of Russian Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Albert of Monaco, and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, among others.

The museum, founded on the basis of the Ananov Jewellery Workshop, is a unique space where history, art and modern technology are combined. The Easter Egg Museum is housed in an Art Nouveau style building, which resembles a small castle. The exposition in two halls introduces guests to the exquisite Easter eggs and jewellery made in Ananov’s workshop in different years.

Like the famous Imperial Easter Eggs produced in the late 19th and 20th centuries by Carl Fabergé for Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II, Ananov’s Easter eggs, each decorated with enamel, precious stones and mosaics, also contain a “surprise” inside. For example, one of them is dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. Inside this egg, the master placed miniature photographs of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna – see photo below.

PHOTO: the 400th Anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty Easter Egg. Inside this egg, contains miniature photographs of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in a heart-shaped frame. © Andrey Georgievich Ananov

The Easter Egg Museum is located at No. 7 Michurinskaya, near the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Individual visits are carried out during the following hours: 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30. Price of admission is 1500 rubles [$20.00 USD].