Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich

Monuments to Nicholas II and his son unveiled in Kalmykia

PHOTOS: bust-monuments of Emperor Nicholas II and his son and heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, installed on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsesarevich Alexei in the town of Gorodovikovsk

On 18th October 2026, a pair of bust-monuments to Emperor Nicholas II and his son Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaoevich – were unveiled on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsesarevich Alexei in the town of Gorodovikovsk, Republic of Kalmykia. Kalmykia is located north of the North Caucasus, in the southern Volga region of Russia).

A memorial plaque was instaled on the wall of the facade of the church with the text of a telegram sent by Emperor Nicholas II to the residents of Bashanta – the town was renamed Gorodovikovsk in 1971. It should be noted that Gorodovikovsk has a deep and unique connection to cossack history.

The monuments were donated to the Elista and Kalmyk Diocese by Pavel Astakhov, a Russian statesman, writer and TV presenter, and their installation, “is an effort to preserve the memory of the historical ties of the Kalmyk land with the Russian Imperial House and the service of the Kalmyk Cossacks to the Fatherland.”

The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of the Interreligious Council of Kalmykia and the Kalmyk Cossack District.

The opening ceremony of the monuments was attended by the Head of the Administration of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirill Popov, Archbishop of Elista and Kalmykia Justinian, members of the Orthodox clergy, Cossacks, public organizations and residents of the city.

During the unveiling ceremony, Pavel Astakhov spoke about the importance of preserving the memory of the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsar Nicholas II and his Family and donated a banner from the NVO zone with the emblems of units bearing the names of Orthodox saints to the Cossack Cadet Corps of Gorodovikovsk.

For his contribution to educational activities aimed at preserving the traditions of veneration of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in Kalmykia, Pavel Astakhov was awarded the diocesan medal “For Labors for the Good of the Elista Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church”.

PHOTOS: close-up of the bust-monuments of Emperor Nicholas II and his son and heir Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, installed on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Passion-Bearer Tsesarevich Alexei in the town of Gorodovikovsk

To the sounds of “Glory”, the cadets of the Cossack Cadet Corps named after Oka Ivanovich Gorodovikov removed the white covers from the monuments, and the guests of honor laid baskets of flowers at the base of each of the two pedestals.

Kirill Popov, Archbishop Justinian, representatives of the city’s religious communities, and Cossack leaders also delivered greetings.

The ceremony ended with a solemn walk-past by Cossacks and cadets. Parishioners’ and residents of the town were then invited to lay flowers at the bust-monuments.

It should be noted that the place for the installation of these monuments was not chosen by chance. Before the 1917 Revolution, Gorodovikovsk, formerly called Bashanta, maintained special reverence for the Imperial Family. Following the birth of the heir to the throne in 1904, a church was built here in gratitude to God for the birth of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.

PHOTO: the facade of the church bears the image of the Holy St. Tsesarevich Alexei

The church was consecrated in honor of the heavenly patron of the Tsesarevich. The current church was laid in 2007 and consecrated in 2018 in honour of the Tsarevich-Passion-Bearer Alexi Nikolaevich.

Another historical episode is associated with a telegram from Nicholas II, sent in 1909 to the Kalmyks of the Bolshederbetovsky ulus [local tribal administration] with gratitude for their loyalty. In memory of the Emperor’s gratitude, the ulus assembly decided to install a silver plaque with the text of the telegram.

The installation of the monument in Gorodovikovsk, is the 18th monument of Russia’s last Tsar to be installed in Russia this year. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, between 125 to 150 monuments, busts and memorial plaques have been installed in more than 50 regions of the Russian Federation.

Paul Gilbert. 20 October 2026

Nicholas II and his family “come to life” in iconic 1913 photograph

Posted on August 25 by Paul Gilbert

CLICK on the IMAGE or START BUTTON to WATCH. ENJOY!

To share this page, just click and paste the URL at the top of this page.

Some very clever and talented person in Russia, has brought Emperor Nicholas II and his family “to life,” from an iconic 1913 photograph using Artificial Inteligence (AI). The result is nothing short of remarkable!!

This iconic photograph is one of a series taken in 1913 marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty. These were mass produced and sold as postcards, the proceeds of which went to various charities supported by the Imperial Family.

The 40-second video clip first “brings Nicholas II to life” – the likeness is truly haunting! We then see his four daughters, the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia getting ready for the photoshoot. The Tsar is next seen with his son and heir Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich.

As the photographer gets his camera ready, the Imperial Family enter and assemble around three chairs. The Emperor and Empress are seated in the center, their children around them. Anastasia is seated next to her father, while Maria sits next to her mother. Olga and Tatiana stand behind their parents. Alexei sits on the floor, his hands wrapped around his father’s boot. Tatiana whispers something into Olga’s ear, they giggle, only to be hushed by their mother. Nicholas II smiles. The whole scene is absolutely charming!

The camera clicks, the photographer has immortalized this beautiful family for posterity.

New Book – Thirteen Years at the Russian Court

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

*This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE HARD COVER EDITION @ $25.00 USD

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $20.00 USD

Available in Hard cover and Paperback edtions.
294 pages. With photographs and Notes

Originally published in 1921, this new edition of ‘Thirteen Years at the Russian Court’, features a new 32-page introduction by Romanov historian Paul Gilbert

A Personal Record of the Last Years and Death
of the Emperor Nicholas II. and his Family

Thirteen Years at the Russian Court is a personal record by Pierre Gilliard, a Swiss author and academic who served as the French language tutor to Russian Emperor Nicholas II’s five children.

The book, first published in 1921, offers a unique perspective on the final years of the Romanov dynasty through Gilliard’s personal experiences as a tutor to the August children of Russia’s last Tsar.

The memoir blends historical narrative with personal eye-witness anecdotes, providing an intimate look into the opulence and decline of Imperial Russia. Gilliard’s recollections are not merely memoirs but vital historical documents that bridge the gap between the glamour of Court life and the impending doom of a centuries-old regime.

Gilliard’s memoir serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Russia’s last Tsar, Russian history, monarchy, or the complexities of life at the Russian Imperial Court during the early 20th century.

PIERRE GILLIARD (1879-1962)

Pierre Gilliard was a Swiss academic and author, best known as the French language tutor to the five children of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia from 1905 to 1918. In 1920, he returned to his native Switzerland, where he wrote his memoirs, Thirteen Years at the Russian Court, about his time with the Russian Imperial Family.

Exhibition showcases children’s drawings of Nicholas II’s family

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

On 19th May 2025, with the blessing of Bishop Mitrofan of Gatchina and Luga, a traveling international exhibition of children’s drawings and watercolours opened at the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Cathedral of the Intercession in Gatchina, near St. Petersburg.

The exhibition showcases drawings and watercolours of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and the Holy Tsar’s Family, as part of a program, launched 5 years ago by the Union of Russian Communities of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

The event coincides with the day of remembrance of the Holy Righteous Job the Much-Suffering – the Heavenly patron of the Holy Emperor Nicholas II, and the 157th anniversary of the birth of the Holy Emperor Nicholas II on 19th (O.S. 6th) May, 1868.

Last year, on 12th August 2024, the day which marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of the last Heir to the Russian throne, only drawings by Italian children, were featured in the exhibition. They were presented to the parish by the Italian opera singer Elvis Fanton, who converted to Orthodoxy that same day, taking the name Alexei. The drawings and watercolours were exhibited in the Church of the Passion-Bearer Tsesarevich Alexei in Znamenka (Peterhof). Gradually, the exhibition has been supplemented with entries from St. Petersburg, Gatchina, Marienburg, Peterhof, Ryazan and Ekaterinburg.

Those Who Served the Tsar: Father Vasiliev- Confessor to the Imperial Family

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich and
Archpriest Alexander Petrovich Vasiliev. Livadia, 1912

Alexander Petrovich Vasiliev (1868-1918), was an archpriest, tutor to the children of Tsar Nicholas II, confessor of the Imperial Family, and monarchist.

He was born into a peasant family in the village of Shepotovo, Smolensk Province. He was orphaned at an early age. He studied at the school of the famous pedagogue Sergei Aleksandrovich Rachinsky (1833-1902).

After graduating from school, Rachinsky facilitated Vasiliev’s admission to the Belsk Theological School, after which Alexander Petrovich entered the Bethany Theological Seminary, and then the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1893, he graduated with the degree of Candidate of Theology.

While studying at the Academy, he married Olga Ivanovna. The couple had seven children.

On 19th July 1892, he was ordained to the priesthood and sent to St. Nicholas Church, where he served as rector, in the village of Yam-Izhora, Tsarskoye Selo District.

While studying at the Academy, and following the example of his first teacher S.A. Rachinsky, Vasiliev founded a temperance society. The first sermons on sobriety were delivered in the Church of the Righteous Prince Alexander Nevsky at the famous Vargunin paper mill in Maly Rybatskoye, a village located on the southeastern outskirts of St. Petersburg. Alexander Vasiliev’s sermons inspired the Vargunin workers to create a temperance society at the church. The first meeting was attended by 60 people, the second attracted 146 people.

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich with his tutors among others . . . from left to right: Assistant Chief of the Palace Police, Colonel N.P. Shepel; Alexei’s “sailor-nanny” A.E. Derevenko; French tutor Pierre Gilliard; Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich; Russian language and literature tutor Pyotr Petrov and Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev. Spala 1912

In May 1894, he was transferred to the Church of the Presentation of the Lord in Polyustrovo, and from 7th September of the same year he combined his service in Sretensky Church with the rectorship of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at the Holy Cross Community of Sisters of Mercy.

In 1910, Father Alexander was appointed spiritual father and tutor to the children of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

According to eyewitnesses, members of the Imperial Family were very fond of the divine services performed by Father Alexander Vasiliev.

In his memoirs, Protopresbyter Georgy Ivanovich Shavelsky (1871-1951) reflected on Fr. Alexander Vasiliev: “Before his appointment to the Imperial Court, he enjoyed fame in St. Petersburg as an excellent public preacher, a practical teacher of law, and a beloved spiritual father. His excellent spiritual qualities, kindness, sympathy, simplicity, honesty, zeal for carrying out God’s work, and affability endeared him to both his disciples and his flock. …”

PHOTO: unidentified man (left), Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev (center) and Russian language and literature tutor Pyotr Petrov (right). Livadia Palace, Crimea. 1913

In 1913, he became an archpriest and first rector of the Feodorovsky Sovereign Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo. In 1914, he was appointed as confessor to the Imperial Family.

He took an active part in the right-wing monarchist movement; in 1910 he was elected a member of the Russian People’s Union of the Archangel Michael (RNSMA). He attended the opening of the Conference of Monarchists, held in Petrograd on 21-23 November 1915.

In 1915, through the efforts of Father Alexander, a wooden church was built at the Tsarkoselskoye Brethren Cemetery, where soldiers of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison and soldiers who died in the hospitals of Tsarskoye Selo were buried.

On 7th September 1916, his son Sergei Alexandrovich, an officer of the Pavlovsk Regiment, died at the Front. Out of sympathy for her spiritual father’s grief, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna offered to transfer his other sons from combat units to the rear, but he refused, but his son’s death undermined his health.

PHOTO: Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev in
Fedorovsky Gorodok in Tsarskoye Selo. 1916

Following the February 1917 Revolution and the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, the head of the new Provisional Government Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970) decided to send the Imperial Family into exile to Siberia.

On the evening before their departure, Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev served a parting moleben before the Znamensky Icon of the Mother of God. With the departure of the Imperial Family to Tobolsk, the priest’s health began to deteriorate noticeably, and he began to experience severe pain in the heart.

In early 1918, he was appointed rector of the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr in Yekateringof. The monumental 5-domed church featured an altar and two side-chapels: the northern one dedicated to the Martyr Alexandra and the southern one to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The iconostasis was made by the Novgorod iconographer Chistyakov. The bell tower was built according to the project of the architect Vasily Dorogulin in 1871-1873. The church was destroyed by the Soviets in 1929.

On 29th August 1918, Father Alexander Vasiliev was arrested by the Cheka in Petrograd. On 5th September – the first day of the Red Terror – Archpriest Alexander Vasiliev was shot by a Bolshevik firing squad, along with the clergy of St. Catherine’s Church. Like so many victims of Lenin’s Red Terror, Vasiliev’s remains were most likely thrown into an unmarked mass grave and forgotten.

Memory Eternal! Вечная Память!

On this day Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was baptized at Peterhof

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918)

On this day – 24th (O.S. 11th) August 1904, His Imperial Highness Naslednik Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolayevich, was baptized in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, which is adjacent to the Grand Palace at Peterhof.

Nicholas II, on the day of the baptism of his son, wrote in his diary: “August 11. Wednesday. The significant day of the baptism of our dear son.”

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna decided that their first-born son ought to be named in honour of Saint Alexei of Moscow (1296–1378), who served as Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (from 1354). He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1448 and is revered as one of the patron saints of Moscow. The claim that Alexei was named after the son of Russia’s first Tsar, Alexei Mikhailovich who reigned from 1645 until 1676) is incorrect.

In accordance to ancient Orthodox custom the parents of the infant were obliged to leave before the baptism ceremony could begin, and thus allowing the godparents to carry out their ceremonial function.

Alexei’s godparents included Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Emperor Wilhelm II, King Edward VII, King Christian IX, Grand Duke of Hesse, Princess Victoria of Great Britain, Ernest Louis Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, and Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich.

PHOTO: view of the iconostasis of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, adjacent to the Grand Palace, at Peterhof, as it looks today. It was here in this magnificent church, that Tsesarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich was baptized on 24th (O.S. 11th) August 1904

The baptism was performed by the confessor of the Imperial Family, Protopresbyter Ivan Yanishev (from 1883 until his death in 1910). The baby was carried to the font by the elderly Princess Maria Mikhailovna Golitzina (1834-1910), Mistress of the Robes. As a precaution, she had rubber soles put on her shoes to prevent her slipping and dropping him.

Countess Sophie Buxhoeveden (1883-1956) – lady in waiting to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna – recalled:

The baby lay on a pillow of cloth of gold, slung to the Princess’s shoulders by a broad gold band. He was covered with the heavy cloth-of-gold mantle, lined with ermine, worn by the heir to the crown. The mantle was supported on one side by Prince Alexander Sergeiovich Dolgorouky, the Grand Marshal of the Court, and on the other by Count [Paul] Benckendorff, as decreed by custom and wise precaution. The baby wept loudly, as might any ordinary baby when old Father Yanishev dipped him in the font. His four small sisters, in short Court dresses, gazed open-eyed at the ceremony, Olga Nicholaevna, then nine years old, being in the important position of one of the godmothers. According to Russian custom, the Emperor and Empress were not present at the baptism, but directly after the ceremony, the Emperor went to the church. Both he and the Empress always confessed to feeling very nervous on these occasions, for fear that the Princess might slip, or that Father Yanishev, who was very old, might drop the baby in the font.

In accordance with the statute of the Imperial Family, during the baptism ceremony, the newborn Grand Duke was conferred with five of the Russian Orders: St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Anna 1st Class, White Eagle, and St. Stanislaus 1st Class The august name of the Tsesarevich was entered in the lists of guards regiments and military units under the patronage of Emperor Nicholas II, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

Please note that there were no photographs taken of the actual baptims ceremony, as photography was forbidden in Orthodox churches during baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc.

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich’s baptism shirt has surived to the present day, and is now on permanent display in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, which is adjacent to the Grand Palace at Peterhof

PHOTOS above and below: Gala procession on the day of the baptism of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, who was transported in a gilded carriage pulled by 8 elegantly dressed white horses, from the Lower Dacha to the Grand Peterhof Palace, on 28th (O.S. 11th) August 1904

PHOTO: Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna arrives at the Grand Peterhof Palace, for the baptism of her grandson Alexei, on 28th (O.S. 11th) August 1904

PHOTO: Empress Alexandra Feodorovna arrives at the Peterhof Palace, where Alexei is carefully taken in hand by officials, 28th (O.S. 11th) August 1904

Sadly, this joyous occasion was overshadowed by the fact that the proud parents were already aware that their son was afflicted with haemophilia. New evidence now proves that Alexei’s bleeding was noted the day following his birth.

Tsesarevich Alexei exhibition opens in Moscow

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

Clicke HERE to watch a VIDEO – Duration: 2 mins., 30 secs.

On 12th August 2024, a new exhibition dedicated to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich opened at the Museum of Military Uniforms in Moscow. The exhibition is timed to the 120th anniversary of his birth on 12th August (O.S. 30th July) 1904.

The exhibition “If one day I became Tsar…” was organized by the Russian Military Historical Society, the The Museum of Education (Moscow) and the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), as well as from private collections..

Visitors to the exhibition will have an opportunity to see authentic items which belonged to Alexei Nikolaevich, including toys, drawings, and his personal belongings. In addition are photographs and documents. Of particular note are a series of watercolours depicting Alexei’s rooms in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo.

The opening ceremony was attended by Andrei Kokhan, Deputy Executive Director of the History of the Fatherland Foundation:

“120 years ago, an heir was born in the Imperial Family. His birth marked a new era, which was to be happy for the Russian people. However, his death, which coincided with one of the darkest and most terrible events of our Fatherland, unfortunately extinguished these hopes and dreams,” said Kokhan.

“For many decades, the history of the Imperial Family was not considered in Russian historiography. It was, by and large, forgotten. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, Russians took a keen interest in their past, the life and reign of Russia’s last Tsar and his family in particular. The Romanov archives, which were sealed during the Soviet years, revealed documents and photographs which helped reshape Russia’s history. The canonization of the Tsar and his family by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, helped present the lives of the Imperial Family in a whole new light. Today, Nicholas II and his family are the subjects of countless books, in addition to exhibitions, documentaries, films and conferences, among other events. I am sure that the exhibition opening today will make a great contribution to the study and rethinking of the events of late 19th to early 20th century Russian history,” he added.

The exhibition explores the short but important life about the boy whom everyone adored. Alexei combined unique qualities, none of which any of the Romanov grand dukes could boast of. “When I am Tsar, there will be no more poor and unfortunate! I want everyone to be happy,” he often repeated. Those who knew him personally were sure that with the Tsesarevich Alexei’s ascension to the throne, that the golden age of the Russian Empire would begin. Sadly, it was not to be.

The exhibition “If one day I became Tsar…” opens to the public on 13th August 2024 and runs until 16th February 2025, at the Museum of Military Uniforms in Moscow.

Two popular myths about Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. 1913

In this article, I would like to address two popular held myths about the Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918).

First, it was Robert K. Massie (among others), who have led us to believe that the only son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, was named after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) . . . this is incorrect.

The long-awaited son and heir to the Russian throne was named Alexei, in honour of St. Alexei of Moscow.

Saint Alexius (1296–1378) was Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (from 1354). He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1448 and is revered as one of the patron saints of Moscow.

Source: ‘Alexei. Russia’s Last Imperial Heir: A Chronicle of Tragedy’ by Margarita Nelipa. Published in 2015

Second, it has generally been accepted that Alexei began bleeding from his navel at the age of six weeks . . . this is also incorrect.

Two noted Romanov historians Margarita Nelipa and Helen Rappaport both tell us otherwise, that Alexei’s bleeding was noted the day following his birth. Their claim is based on two separate, yet reliable sources.

“One day after Alexei’s birth, Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich (1854-1931) came to congratulate the Sovereign and stayed for lunch. Upon his departure, the Sovereign mentioned the presence of “blood on the diapers”. Returning to his Znamenka estate (in Alexandria), he repeated this detail to his wife [Grand Duchess Militza Nikolaevna (1866-1951)]who telephoned Nikolai II (before visiting Alix later that evening). During their conversation, he said that the doctors had confirmed that the atypical bleeding was indeed due to haemophilia.”

Source: ‘Alexei. Russia’s Last Imperial Heir: A Chronicle of Tragedy’ by Margarita Nelipa. Published in 2015

Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich and his wife Grand Duchess Militza Nikolaevna (1866-1951) had driven over to the Lower Dacha the day Alexei was born . . . as their son Prince Roman Petrovich (1896-1978) later recalled in his memoirs [published in Danish].

“When they returned in the evening to Znamenka, my father remembered that . . . the Tsar had told him . . . That the doctors were concerned about the frequent splatters of blood in his swaddling clothes. . . .”

Grand Duke Peter telephoned the palace, “When the Tsar answered that they had hoped that the bleeding would soon stop, my mother took the receiver and asked if the doctors could explain the cause of the bleeding. When the Tsar could not give her a clear answer, she asked him with the calmest of voices she could manage: ‘I beg you, ask them if there is any sign of haemophilia’ . . . The Tsar fell silent on the phone for a long time and then started to question my mother and ended by quietly repeating the word that had staggered him: haemophilia.”

Source: ‘Four Sisters. The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses’ by Helen Rappaport. Published in 2014.

Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Exhibition opens in Livadia Palace

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

On 1st August 2024, a new exhibition dedicated to Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918) opened at Livadia Palace in Crimea. The exhibition simply titled “Наследник / Heir” is timed to the 120th anniversary of the birth of Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, who was born on 12th (O.S. 30th July) August 1904.

The grand opening of the exhibition on 1st August was attended by those who received invitions and to members of the press. The exhibit opened to visitors the following day, in the Music Room, located on the second floor of the palace.

Visitors to the exhbition will see authentic items from Tsesarevich Alexei’s rooms, and which are now in the collection of the Livadia State Palace-Museum. Among these items are religious paintings and sketches, including a sketch entitled “Bayan” by the famous Russian artist Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov (one of Nicholas II’s favourite artists), and “The Tsar’s Family in Livadia” a watercolour by Elena Samokish-Sudkovskaya, as well as pieces of furniture, photographs, etc.

The exhibition explores Alexei’s short life [he was murdered just weeks before his 14th birthday], the long-awaited heir to the Russian throne, and beloved son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The exhibition looks at his hobbies, the close ties he shared with his parents, sisters and tutors, the piety of the family, and the happy times Alexei spent in Livadia. In addition, the exhibit looks at the First World War and Alexei’s visits and stays with the Tsar at Mogilev. In the last part of the exhibition, visitors will see rare artifacts associated with the tragic death of the Imperial Family in Ekaterinburg in July 1918.

The exhibition will be complemented by authentic items from the collection of the Yalta Historical and Literary Museum, the archive of the Livadia Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as well as from private collections.

The exhibition “Наследник / Heir” is open to visitors in the Music Room of the Livadia Palace, from 2nd August to 19th August 2024.

CLICK on the IMAGE above to watch the VIDEO. Duration: 2 mins., 47 secs.

NOTE: the video is in Russian only, however, you can watch an English language version by
clicking on the Closed Captioning [CC] button and adjusting Google Translate to English. ENJOY!

Visitors to the museum will see authentic items from the museum’s funds, once located in the rooms of the Tsarevich and other living rooms of the palace. Among them are engravings on religious subjects, the engraving “Bayan” from the painting by Viktor Vasnetsov, Elena Samokish-Sudkovskaya’s watercolor “The Royal Family in Livadia”, pieces of furniture, etc.

The exhibition will show the short life of the heir to the Russian throne, the most long-awaited child in the family of the last emperor – his hobbies, close ties with loved ones, the spiritual world of the family, happy times spent in Livadia. One of the topics will be the difficult period of the First World War and staying with the Tsar at headquarters. Also, visitors to the museum will see the rarest artifacts associated with the tragic death of the royal family in Yekaterinburg in 1918.

The opening of the exhibition “The Heir” will take place on August 1 at 12:00 in the Music Salon of the Livadia Palace. Admission by invitation.

The exhibition will be available to visitors from August 2 to August 19, 2024.

The fate of Tsesarevich Alexei’s Peugeot Bebe

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: 10-year-old Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, driving his motorcar, a Peugeot BP1 Bebe, accompanied by driver Adolfe Kegresse in front of the White Tower, situated in the Alexander Park, near the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo in 1914

Among the fleet of more than 50 motorcars that were used only by Emperor Nicholas II and members of his family was a fully functional, gasoline-powered Peugeot BP1 Bebe. The Peugeot Bébé was a line of the smallest cars that Peugeot produced between 1901 and 1919.

In 1912, the famous French automaker Peugeot released the Peugeot Bebe, designed by Ettore Bugatti, complete with a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 855 cm3 and power of 10 hp. The model was first presented to the public at the Paris Motor Show in 1912.

The Peugeot Bébé came to Russia in May 1913 at the IV International Automobile Exhibition in St. Petersburg, an event that was attended by the Tsar. Its price was 4000 francs (with bodywork). In 1913 one franc was worth 0.37 kopecks, thus the pricetag for this motorcar worked out to 1900 rubles including taxes.

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei riding along the pathways of the Alexander Park in the back seat of his Peugeot Bebe, 1914

Alexei’s paternal grandmother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, bought a Peugeot BP1 Bebe motorcar for Tsesarevich Alexei on his nameday[1] – 18th October.

Alexei received the car on Sunday, 18th (O.S. 5th) October, 1914, and on Thursday, 22nd (O.S. 9th) October, Emperor Nicholas II wrote in his diary: “I took a brisk walk with Maria and Anastasia todat. We saw Alexei in the park, riding in a small motorcar presented to him on 5th October”.

PHOTO: 10-year-old Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, accompanied by driver Adolphe Kegresse in his Peugeot BP1 Bebe, near the White Tower in the Alexander Park. In the back seat is Grand Duchess Anastasia. Standing next to the motorcar is the French tutor Pierre Gilliard. 1914.

PHOTO: Tsesarevich Alexei taking his aunt Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna for a spin around the Alexander Park in his Peugeot BP1 Bebe. Standing in the background are Alexei’s sisters Grand Duchesses Anastasia and Maria Nikolaevna. 1914.

Since all members of the Imperial Family were avid amateur photographers, each of them had their own camera. Thousands of their personal photographs have survived to the present day, including several photographs in which Tsesarevich Alexei is photographed behind the wheel of his Peugeot Bebe.

Despite the fact that the motorcar was very light (350 kg) and had a length of about two and a half meters, the 10 hp engine allowed it to reach speeds of up to 60 km per hour.

Of course, Alexei did not “drive” his motorcar very often. His parents could not risk the safety of their hemophiliac son, since any injury received in an accident could be fatal for him. Therefore, they assigned the Tsar’s personal chauffeur Adolfe Kegresse (1879-1943) to accompany Alexei while he was out driving. His drives were restricted to the tree-lined alleys of the Alexander Park at Tsarskoye Selo, and he was only permitted to drive in first gear. According to witnesses, Alexei drove “quite confidently”. He often took his sisters and tutors on short drives.

PHOTO: after the 1917 Revolution, the Alexander Palace became a museum. Tsesarevich Alexei’s Peugeot BP1 Bebe was put on display, bext the wooden slide in the Marble Hall [aka the Mountain Hall]

Following the February 1917 Revolution, Tsesarevich Alexei’s Peugeot Bébé stood ownerless for a very long time. After Emperor Nicholas II’s collection of more than 50 motorcars housed in the Imperial Garage’s at Tsarskoye Selo, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Livadia and Mogilev were “confiscated” by the Provisional Government, the Peugeot Bebe remained at Tsarskoye Selo, where it was placed on display in the Marble Hall [aka the Mountain Hall] of the Alexander Palace, and removed from the lists of the Provisional Government Motor Depot.

In photographs taken in the 1920s of the Marble Hall in the Alexander Palace, Alexei’s motorcar is clearly visible, sitting next to the wooden slide, constructed in 1833, at the behest of Emperor Nicholas I and his wife Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

PHOTOS: after the 1917 Revolution, the Alexander Palace became a museum. Tsesarevich Alexei’s Peugeot BP1 Bebe was put on display, bext the wooden slide in the Marble Hall [aka the Mountain Hall]

There is no doubt that the Bolsheviks considered Tsesarevich Alexei’s Peugeot Bébé as nothing more than an extravagant “toy” and of no historical value. The motorcar stood in the Alexander Palace until 1929.

In 1930, Alexei’s Peugeot BP1 Bebe was transferred to the collection of the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers, also housed in the Alexander Palace. During the 1930s, pioneers who were members of the motoring club learned to drive in the Tsesarevich’s motorcar. In 1942 – during the Great Patriotic War – a bomb hit the Anichkov Palace [where the Peugeot Bébé jad been moved], and Tsesarevich Alexei’s motorcar was irretrievably lost.

NOTES:

[1] Russians celebrate name days separately from birthdays. Celebrations range from the gifting of cards and flowers to full-blown celebrations similar to birthday parties. Such a celebration begins with attendance at the divine services marking that day (in the Russian tradition, the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy), and usually with a festive party thereafter. The Russian Imperial family followed a tradition of giving name-day gifts.

Before the October Revolution of 1917, Russians regarded name days as important as, or more important than, the celebration of birthdays, based on the rationale that one’s baptism is the event by which people become “born anew” in Christ.