PHOTO: “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” by Sergei Malinovsky
On 1st April 2025, Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas attended the official unveiling cermony of the painting “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival”, in the restored bell tower of the Transfiguration Cathedral situated of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
The head of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolia was accompanied by the artist Sergei Viktorovich Malinovsky [b. 1959], who is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia.
The ceremony was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the revival of the historical tradition established by Emperor Peter the Great of honouring the memory of Kuzma Minin (1570s-1615), a nobleman, who in 1612 headed the militia which liberated Moscow from foreign invaders.
PHOTO: detail of “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” which depicts President Vladimir Putin, Emperor Nicholas II and Peter the Great, among others.
Sergei Malinovsky conducted a study of the activities of Peter the Great, bringing together the patriotic deeds of other Russian rulers, who honoured the memory of Kuzma Minin, the Russian national hero, who united the people and the government in the defense of the country and its historical memory.
The painting “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” was painted in oil on canvas, measuring 160 x 100 centimeters [5.3 ft. x 3.3 ft.].
In the foreground are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emperor Peter the Great, who, kneeling, lights a candle on the tombstone of Kuzma Minin’s grave. Numerous other Russian historical leaders are also depicted.
In life, Emperor Nicholas I, Emperor Alexander III, Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, all honored the memory of Kuzma Minin.
PHOTO: Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas (left) attends the unveiling ceremony of “The Testament of Peter the Great. Revival” by Sergei Malinovsky in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
The canvas also contains the banners of the militia of 1612, 1812, 1855 and the Victory Banner of 1945. Above the crucifixion which includes a piece of the Cross of the Lord, donated by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky to the Transfiguration Monastery in the village of Pureh, the following are depicted in the golden heavenly light: Kuzma Minin, holding the cap of Monomakh, as a symbol of the people who did not allow the fall of Russian statehood; St. Sergius of Radonezh, who appeared three times in visions to Minin, calling him to podvig; the “initial man” of the Muscovite state of that time, representing the spiritual power, the Hieromartyr Patriarch Germogen, according to whose charters the first (Lyapunov-Ryazan) and second (Minin-Nizhny Novgorod) people’s militias were raised; Archangel Michael, the heavenly patron of Nizhny Novgorod.
Portrait of Major General Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1913-14) Artist: unknown. Private Collection.
Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1868-1947) was a member of His Imperial Majesty’s Retinue, and served as Palace Commandant from 1913 to 1917. He was one of the most trusted associates of Emperor Nicholas II.
Vladimir was born in Tsarskoye Selo on 15th (O.S. 2nd) August 1868, to the family of cavalry general Nikolai Vasilievich Voeikov (1832-1898) and Princess Varvara Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (1840-1909), daughter of the Moscow Governor-General Vladimir Andreevich Dolgorukov (1810-1891).
He was educated in the Corps of Pages, after which, on 7th August 1887, he was released as a cornet in the Chevalier Guard Regiment.
In 1894, he married Eugenia Vladimirovna Frederiks (1867-1950), a maid of honour at the Russian Imperial Court (1890); and the eldest daughter of the Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Fredericks (1838-1927). In society, everyone called her Nina. The couple had no children.
PHOTO: Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Fredericks (left), with his son-in-law Vladimir Voeikov(right), Livadia1914
PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II with Vladimir Voeikov. Livadia1914
Vladimir Voeikov enjoyed a successful and prestigious career, in which he received numerous promotions. In August 1891, he was appointed lieutenant, from April 1898 as headquarters captain and from May 1901 he was promoted to the rank of captain. He served as squadron commander for 5 years and 1 month, then as head of the education school for 5 years and 6 months.
From November 1905, he served as assistant commander of the Chevalier Guard Regiment, and in December 1905, he was promoted to colonel. In 1906 he was appointed adjutant wing to His Imperial Majesty.
From August 1907, Vladimir served as Commander of His Majesty’s Life Guards Hussar Regiment. In December 1909, Emperor Nicholas II promoted him to the position of major general and enrollment in His Imperial Majesty’s retinue.
Upon the birth of the Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918), Voeikov was named godfather to the Emperor’s only son and heir. In 1910 Vladimir began the construction of a summer residence for his godson, located on his estate, located in the Penza region.
PHOTO: after decades of neglect by its Soviet caretakers, Vladimir Voeikov’s unfinished palace for his godson Tsesarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, today lies in ruins
The general plan of the estate initially consisted of three buildings (palace, a secondary building, and stables). The palace was designed in the style of an Italian villa, which included a park with rare trees and fountains. The palace consisted of two stories high, made in the neoclassical style, with a rotunda, surrounded by a balustrade and sloping stairs which led to the front entrance.
In 1917, the still unfinished palace was nationalized and placed at the disposal of the local Soviets, who used the building for a variety of purposes up until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The building has survived to the present day, however, it is in a terrible state of disrepair, despite the fact that the palace is recognized as a monument of history and culture of regional significance.
After the formation of the Russian Olympic Committee in 1912, Vladimir Voikov was elected its honorary chairmanm on 24th December 1913.
In 1913, Voeikov founded a mineral water bottling plant on his Kuvaka estate in the Penza region, with an annual production of 100 thousand bottles of water. The Voeikov estate was located on the territory of the modern city of Kamenka (Penza region) . During the war, Vladimir won a contract for the supply of his mineral water to the front and to hospitals.
PHOTO: in happier times, Vladimir and his wife Eugenia, wearing 17th century dress for the Costume Ball, held in February 1903, at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
During the February Revolution, Vladimir was arrested, and held under arrest, first in the Tauride Palace, then in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Petrograd, where he was interrogated by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the Provisional Government. He was subsequently released, but in the summer of 1918, under the threat of arrest by the Bolsheviks, he hid in the hospital of St. Panteleimon for the mentally ill, from where he kept in touch with his relatives.
In September 1918, having learned about the arrest of his wife, he fled to the Crimea , from where he went into exile, first to Romania, and then to Finland, where he lived at Dr. Botkin’s dacha in Terijoki (Terijoki), now Zelenogorsk. After leaving Finland, Voeikov moved to Sweden. During his years in exile, Voeikov wrote his memoirs С царем и без царя / With the Tsar and Without the Tsar [see below], published in in Helsinki in Russian in 1936.
In June 1919, during the offensive of General N. N. Yudenich on Petrograd, Vladimir’s wife Eugenia was arrested and transported to Moscow. She was held in a concentration camp in the Ivanovsky Monastery. [situated in central Moscow, inside the Boulevard Ring, to the west of Kitai-gorod]. In 1925 she received permission to leave the USSR, whereupon she moved to Finland with her father and sister. From 1939 she lived with her husband in Helsinki. In 1946 they moved to Sweden and settled in Danderyd.
Vladimir Voeikov died on 8th October 1947, and was buried in a local cemetery in the town of Djursholm, situated in the suburbs of Stockholm. Eugenia died in 1950 and was buried next to her husband. Later, their remains were reburied at the Kauniainen City Cemetery, in the same grave of Count Vladimir Fredericks – who died in 1927.
PHOTO: the proposed cover of the English translation, features this photo of Emperor Nicholas II and Vladimir Voeikov at the Stavka, the headquarters of the Russian Imperial Army, in Mogilev. 1915-1916
I am currently in the process of having WITH THE TSAR AND WITHOUT THE TSAR by Major General Vladimir Nikolaevich Voeikov (1868-1947), translated from Russian to English.
Originally published in Russian in 1936, this will be the first English translation of the sad but captivating story, about the man who, from 1913-1917, served as the last palace commandant to Emperor Nicholas II. Voeikov was the son-in-law of the Minister of the Imperial Court Vladimir Borisovich Frederiks (1838-1927). He was one of the few men at Court, who remained faithful to the Tsar.
His memoirs describe the events the February and October 1917 revolutions and their consequences for the Russian Empire and the Tsar; foreign policy intrigues and the chain of events that led to the First World War and Russia’s participation in it; Court vanity and envy; the private lives of the Tsar and his family at Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo and Livadia; and Voeikov’s ordeals as he fled Bolshevik Russia.
Translations are very costly – this book is 330 pages – which is why I am reaching out to those who share an interest in the life and reign of Nicholas II.
Please consider making a donation to help fund the translation of Voeikov’s memoirs, a very important historical record on the life and reign of Russia’s much slandered Tsar.
Russia’s last Emperor and Tsar Nicholas II, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia, continue to be the subject of books, exhibitions and documentaries. In addition, the continue to generate headlines in the media.
The following articles were published by American and British media services, in January, February and March 2025. Click on the title [highlighted in red] below and follow the link to read each respective article:
On 6th May 2025, Sotheby’s (Geneva) will offers a menagerie of Fabergé Animals from Castle Howard (England). Some 30 rare and beautiful carvings, with proceeds to benefit the restoration of Castle Howard’s long-lost Tapestry Drawing Room.
On 19th March 2025, Dreweatts (Newbury, England) was the venue for a landmark sale of works by the renowned Russian jeweller Fabergé, featuring over 100 lots.
The Yusupov princes were one of the most influential families in Russia after the Romanovs. They owned lands, palaces, factories, art collections and a huge amount of jewellery.
Pierre Gilliard, a citizen of Switzerland, served in the Court of Emperor Nicholas II for thirteen years as a tutor of French language to the Grand Duchesses and as a tutor to the Heir Alexei, thus living in close contact with the Tsar’s Family. He voluntarily followed the Tsar’s Family into exile, where he was one of its closest friends. He authored a book of memoirs called “Emperor Nicholas II and His Family” where the personality of the Tsar, Tsarina, and the entire august family are portrayed in the extraordinary beauty of their nobility, loftiness, and humility.
In January, Orthodox Christians celebrated the birth of Christ, according to the Old Style Julian Calendar. The Nativity of Christ is traditionally a favorite feast of Orthodox Rus’. Everyone, both adults and children, prepared for it. In high society, the holiday was celebrated lavishly, with many gifts and a feast with all kinds of dishes for the guests, while in the lower strata it was celebrated more modestly. But everyone was united by the joy of the Christmas holidays.
I have published nearly 50 titles to date through AMAZON – featuring one of the largest selections of books on Nicholas II, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia.
Please CLICK on the BANNER or LINK above to review my current selection of titles in hardcover, paperback and ebook editions. Listings provide a full description for each title, pricing and a Look inside feature.
Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev was born in Moscow on 30th (O.S. 18th) November 1827. He remains one of the most interesting, yet controversial persons from the life and reign of Emperor Nicholas II.
Pobedonostsev was a Russian jurist, statesman, and adviser to three Tsars: Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II. Nicknamed the “Grand Inquisitor,” he came to be the symbol of Russian monarchal absolutism.
Pobedonostsev and Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich [future Emperor Alexander III] remained very close for almost thirty years, through Alexander’s ascension as Tsar in 1881 and until his death in 1894.
During the reign of Alexander III he was one of the most influential men in the Russian Empire. He was the mastermind of Alexander III’s Manifesto of 29th April 1881, written about two months after the assassination of his father, Alexander II. ‘The Manifesto on Unshakeable Autocracy’ proclaimed that the absolute power of the Tsar was unshakable thus putting an end to Loris-Melikov’s endeavours to establish a representative body in the empire. The manifesto rejected the more liberal reforms of Alexander II (and some of his father’s ministers) in favor of “unshakable autocracy” which had been given to the tsars as a sacred duty from God. The document summed up Alexander’s counter reform policies, which were strongly influenced by Pobedonostsev.
PHOTO: Konstantin Pobedonostsev drinking tea in the garden of the Cottage Palace, the Peterhof residence of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, July 1898
Pobedonostsev was the chief spokesman for reactionary positions. He was the “éminence grise” of imperial politics during the reign of Alexander III, holding the distinguished position of Chief Procurator of the Most Holy Synod, the non-clerical Russian official who supervised the Russian Orthodox Church [from 1880 to 1905].
In 1883, Emperor Alexander III appointed Konstantin Pobedonostsev, as chief tutor to his son and heir Nicholas Alexandrodovich [future Emperor Nicholas II].
Nicholas received a thorough training under the direction of the best teachers in Russia. Among his teachers, the one who exerted the greatest influence on him was undoubtedly the ultra-conservative Russian academic Konstantin Pobedonostsev, who was highly intelligent, widely read and very hardworking. Pobedonstsev believed that only the power and symbolism of an autocratic monarchy, advised by an elite of rational expert officials, could run the country effectively.
Pobedonostsev’s guidance and influence imbibed the principles of absolutism, dynasty, military greatness and the official religious tradition on the future Tsar. He constantly reminded Nicholas Alexandrovich that the Tsar was anointed by God and was a divinely inspired source of wisdom and order.
PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II with Konstantin Pobedonostsev (far right). Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, both dressed in white (center) standing next to the Tsar. This photo was taken on the steps of the Cottage Palace, the Peterhof residence of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, July 1898
Following the death of Alexander III on 1st November [O.S. 20 October] 1894, Pobedonostev remained an aide to Nicholas II, although he lost much of his influence. While the new Tsar adhered to his father’s Russification policy and even extending it to Finland, he generally disliked the idea of systematic religious persecution, and was not wholly averse to the partial emancipation of the Church from civil control.
In 1901, Nikolai Lagovski, a socialist, tried to assassinate Pobedonostsev, shooting through the window of Pobedonostsev’s office, but missing. Lagovski was sentenced to 6 years.
It was Pobedonostsev who ordered the excommunication of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy in 1901.
As the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod – a position he held until 1905 – Pobedonostsev opposed the canonization of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov in 1903. Standing firm in his beliefs, Emperor Nicholas II ordered the canonization of Seraphim of Sarov.
PHOTO: Konstantin Pobedonostsev’s grave, St. Vladimir Church in St. Petersburg
Konstatnin Pobedonostsev died in St. Petersburg on 23rd March (O.S. 10th March) 1907. He was survived by his wife Ekaterina Alexandrovna, née Engelhardt (1848-1932), and their adopted daughter Martha (1897-1964).
Pobedonostsev’s funeral took place on 26th March (O.S. 13th March) 1907 at the Novo-Devichsky Convent; members of the Imperial Family were not present. He was buried at St. Vladimir Church in St. Petersburg. The church has not survived, however, the grave has survived to the present day.
The only known film-clip of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna visiting Queen Victoria is available to view on YouTube. It is the earliest known film of the Tsar and Queen Victoria at Balmoral. The recording lasts only 1 minute and 10 seconds, but is of great historical value.
The film-clip featuring members of the British Royal Family and the Russian Imperial Family was shot on 3rd October 1896 at Balmoral Castle, a favourite residence of Queen Victoria in the Scottish Highlands. It was filmed by William Edward Downey (1829-1915) of W. & D. Downey Studios (London).
In the recording, Queen Victoria can be seen in an open carriage pulled by a pony. In her arms, the Queen holds her favorite Pomeranian “Turi”. The Queen is accompanied by numerous family members and relatives, including her granddaughter, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna [daughter of Princess Alice of Great Britain, later Grand Duchess if Hesse and by Rhine (1843-1878)], and her granddaughter’s husband, Emperor Nicholas II, dressed in a casual three-piece suit and a Homberg felt hat. The procession is completed by the Queen’s favorite, Abdul Karim (1863-1909), who served Her Majesty during the final fourteen years of her reign, gaining her maternal affection over that time.
William Downey showed the film to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 23rd November 1896. For more than a century, the recording had been gathering dust in the archives, it was discovered and shown to the general public in 2013.
Pages from Princess Alexandra’s Photo Albums (1896) CLICK on each image to enlarge and see photos in greater detail
The Royal Foundation of Great Britain also published several pages from the album of Princess Alexandra of Wales [Alexandra of Denmark, 1844-1925] – the daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria and the maternal aunt of Nicholas II. Alexandra was fond of photography and made a detailed album on her nephew’s stay at Balmoral. The photos are round – this was the format produced by the first Kodak cameras.
In the pictures, we see the happy newlyweds and their newborn daughter Olga, about whom the queen said: “A beautiful child, and so big!”
Photos from Princess Alexandra’s Photo Albums (1896) CLICK on each image to enlarge and see photos in greater detail
The Queen talked a lot with Nicholas II about politics, in particular, about the crisis in Turkey, where mass crimes against Armenians had taken place. Over a cup of tea, Nicholas II and Queen Victoria decided the fate of the Ottoman Sultan. And Alexandra Feodorovna told Granny Victoria about her new life in St. Petersburg and her worries about motherhood.
The Queen enjoyed watching the bathing of Olga, whom she described as “a cute fat baby, cheerful and full of life.” Newlyweds Nicholas and Alix walked with their dogs in Balmoral Park – without retinue and without worries. Another photo (see below) depicts Nicholas II in the uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Grays), bestowed upon him by Queen Victoria.
Photos from Princess Alexandra’s Photo Albums (1896) CLICK on each image to enlarge and see photos in greater detail
They took photographs of each other in the courtyard of the castle. Alexandra Feodorovna also had her own camera, but her photos have not been preserved. But we can leaf through the diary of Nicholas II for their visit to Balmoral, in which the Tsar mainly describes his hunting excursions:
“At 9 1/2 we went on a round-up of the famous grouse [hazel grouse] in the mountains near Birkhall and Glenmuick. I killed only two of them, because shooting at these birds is very difficult. We had breakfast in the tent provided by the generosity of Lord Glenesk, where we drank tea in a large company after the hunt. We returned home at 7 1/2. I’m pretty tired of climbing mountains and standing for a long time on NoNo [numbers, i.e. designated positions] inside earthen towers!”
The day of 3rd October (O.S. 21st September) according to Nicholas’s diary was marked not only by a “whirling shooting”, but also by an important symbolic event. Nicholas and Alexander planted a pine tree each in Balmoral Park.
PHOTO: the Garden Cottage at Balmoral (1913)
The Emperor dug a hole with his own hands, covered the roots of the tree with earth and watered the pine tree. Since Balmoral has been carefully maintained and preserved over the years, it is safe to say that the pines more than likely have survived to the present day. There are no special plaques on the trunks, but the Queen wrote in her diary that Nicholas and Alexandra planted pine trees “not far from the Garden Cottage.”
PHOTO: memorial plaque installed on the wall of the Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sestroretsk, dedicated to Nicholas II, founder of the Russian submarine fleet
On 19th March 2025, on the day marking ‘The Day of the Submariner’ in the Russian Federation, two memorial plaques were installed on the walls of the Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sestroretsk. The first IS a portrait depicting the Holy Emperor Nicholas II, the founder of the Russian submarine fleet.
The second features a text about the event of 19th March (O.S. 6th March) 1906, when by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, a new class of warship was created in the Imperial Russian Navy – a submarine fleet, which consisted of 10 submarines.
The chapel is located on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Situated on the shore of Lake Razliv, near St. Petersburg it is the birthplace of the submarine in Imperial Russia. It was here, in the presence of Emperor Peter I, that the first test of the “secret vessel” of the inventor of Russia’s first submarine Efim Prokopyevich Nikonov took place. Since 2001, it has been recognized as the spiritual and historical ensemble in honour of the Russian submarine fleet.
PHOTO: the Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sestroretsk
The dean of the Kurortny District, the rector of the church, Archpriest Mikhail Petropavlovsky, served a Divine Liturgy in honour of all generations of submariners. Bells rang in memory of the Russian sailors who died while serving on submarines. A panikhida[prayer for the dead] was then served at the wall of memory inscribed with the names of all the sunken submarines and the names of the submarine heroes.
“As long as the Lord grants us life, we must lift up prayers of thanksgiving for the living and pray for those who died at sea – many of them have no graves, no relatives are alive, some are completely forgotten, but with God everyone is alive,” said Father Michael.
PHOTO: modern-day icon painted in St. Petersburg, by order of modern day submariners of the Russian Federation
The plaque installed on the wall of the Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Sestroretsk is based on the icon depicted in the above photo. It was painted in St. Petersburg, by order of modern day submariners of the Russian Federation.
Up until the October Revolution of 1917, ‘The Day of the Submariner’ was celebrated in Russia as a professional holiday, but abolished during the Soviet years. The holiday was revived almost eight decades later, in 1996, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet Felix Gromov. Since then ‘The Day of the Submariner’ is once again celebrated on 19th March, by military personnel, veterans and civilian personnel of the submarine forces of the Navy of the Russian Federation.
PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and Russian president Boris Yeltsin
This year – 2025 – marks the 155th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin, the 35th anniversary of the election of Boris Yeltsin as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the 25th anniversary of the glorification of Tsar Nicholas II as a saint. In recognition of these three historical figures a joint monument entitled “The Great Three” will be erected in St. Petersburg.
The sculptors will create a bronze monument depicting the life-size figures of Nicholas II, Lenin and Yeltsin, which will be installed on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, opposite the flags of the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation. They will be depicted holding each other by the shoulders and proudly looking towards the state symbols of the three eras.
The installation of the monument is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Yeltsin Center in Ekaterinburg. It is their hope that the monument will contribute to reconciliation in society and will become a symbol of the continuity of Russia’s national history.
Reconciliation is a noble ideal but Lenin’s hand on the last Tsar’s shoulder is somewhat disturbing. One simply cannot “reconcile” with the man who ordered the murder of Nicholas II and his family. The very idea of a monument depicting the Bolshevik leader standing next to the Tsar, with his hand on the Tsar’s shoulder is simply wrong!
The date and location of the installation of “The Great Three” monument has yet to be announced.
English. 154 pages, with 46 black and white photos
British author and Romanov historian Coryne Hall presents a miscellany of essays on the Romanov’s and their palaces in five chapters with illustrations.
Learn about the life of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna the daughter of Emperor Paul I, who became Queen of the Netherlands; explore the history and fate of the Imperial Hunting Palaces at Bialowieza and Spala in Poland; read about the life of Grand Duchess Tatiana Konstantinovna, the first daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, who took the veil as Mother Tamara, in Switzerland in 1946; the last chapter explores Russia’s relationship with the Kingdom of Siam, King Chulalongkorn, and his son Prince Chakrabongse who who was enrolled in the Corps des Pages in St. Petersburg.
Illustrated with 46 black and white photographs
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Other Books by Coryne Hall
CLICK on the LINK(S) BELOW FOR DETAILS ABOUT EACH TITLE
Coryne Hall is an historian, broadcaster and consultant specialising in the Romanovs and British and European royalty. She was born in Ealing, West London and developed a fascination for Imperial Russia in childhood when she learnt that her great-grandmother was born in St Petersburg, an almost exact contemporary of Nicholas II.
The author of ten books, she is a regular contributor to Majesty Magazine, The European Royal History Journal, Royal Russia, Sovereign and Royalty Digest Quarterly. She acted as consultant on the Danish television documentaries “A Royal Family” and “The Royal Jewels.”
Coryne has lectured at royalty conferences in England, Denmark, Russia and America. Her media appearances include Woman’s Hour, BBC South Today, the documentaries Russia’s Lost Princesses and 13 Moments of Fate, live coverage of Charles and Camilla’s wedding for Canadian television and co-hosting live coverage of Prince William’s wedding alongside John Moore for Newstalk 1010, Canada. She was also the last person to have a private audience with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She lives in Hampshire.
Coryne is the author of Little Mother of Russia and assisted Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff in the writing of Princess Olga, A Wild and Barefoot Romanov. Her next book From Romanov to Windsor: King Charles III’s Romanov Blood is scheduled for publication in August 2025.
PHOTO: Paul Gilbert standing at the entrance to the Romanov Memorial in July 2018
On 10th March 2025, the head of the Ekaterinburg based Romanov Memorial Charitable Foundation Ilya Korovin, issued a press release expressing concern that the grave of Nicholas II, his family and four faithful retainers at Porosenkov Log is now under threat of development by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
According to Kovovin, the Russian Orthodox Church will soon recognize the Ekaterinburg remains as those of the Imperial Family, and that such an announcement may very well threaten the Romanov Memorial at Porosenkov Log.
“If the Bishop’s Council of the ROC agree with the authenticity of the remains, then a serious question will arise about the fate of the Romanov Memorial,” said Kovovin. “This area has been preserved in its original form since 1918. It is the only place associated with Russia’s last Tsar in Ekaterinburg, which has survived to this day unchanged,” he added.
PHOTO: an Orthodox cross marks the place where Nicholas II, Alexandra Feodorovna, three of their children: Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia and their four faithful retainers were reburied by the regicides in July 1918. The remains of Alexei and Maria were buried in a second grave nearby.
Recall that it was at Porosenkov Log that the regicides buried the remains of the Imperial Family the day after they attempted to destroy their bodies at the Four Brothers Mine at Ganina Yama, situated 3.8 km [2.4 miles] down the road. The remains were initially discovered in June 1979 by Geliy Trofimovich Ryabov (1932-2015) and Alexander Nikolaevich Avdonin (born 1932). On 16th July 1999, the Romanov Memorial was opened on the site of the graves.
The land in and around the Romanov Memorial has been the subject of debate between Korovin and the ROC since 2021, after the Ekaterinburg Diocese requested the transfer of the land by the Sverdlovsk Region. The illegal drilling of wells was subsequently carried out, despite the fact that Porosenkov Log was recognized as an object of cultural heritage in 2014.
In September 2024, the Department of State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites (UGOOKN) excluded the Romanov Memorial from the list of protected monuments, which raises concerns for Torovin, who is now challenging the decision in court.
On 24th February 2025, The Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy photo-exhibition, dedicated to Emperor Nicholas II and his family opened in the city of Blagoveshchensk, situated in the Amur region of Siberia, near the Chinese border. The exhibition runs until 6th April 2025 at the Pushkarev Art Gallery.
The exhibition presents more than 100 vintage photographs which tell about the close relationship within the family of the last Russian emperor. 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.
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 piety and spiritual values.
The exhibition has been held in various formats and in many Russian cities: Moscow, Voronezh, Kursk, Ryazan, Penza, Krasnodar, Belgorod, Velikiye Luki, Yalta, Livadia, Sevastopol, Novosibirsk, Lesosibirsk, Perm, Sayansk, Severomorsk, Pskov, Pavlovsk, Livadia, etc.
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 Tsar’s Family. Love and Mercy photo-exhibition, runs until 6th April 2025 at the Pushkarev Art Gallery, Blagoveshchensk.
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*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
Nicholas II 
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