Masterpieces from the Hermitage- National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)

In October 2015 I was fortunate to be able to see a number of items which were owned by Catherine the Great. These included pieces of jewellery, furniture, artwork, plans for buildings and personal items.

The display was segmented according to various themes, including Flemish Art, Dutch Art, China and much more. There were items from various ages and included art by famous artists such as Titian, Rembrandt, Hackert, Van Dyck and a variety of others.

The exhibition was very successful and attracted visitors from all over Australia and tourists from overseas also enjoyed the opportunity to see these treasures.

Some of the items which were on display are below.

Romanovs 400 Years: 1613-2013

2013 marks the 400th anniversary of Romanov rule in Russia. This is a very special time for all those who continue to be fascinated and also love the Romanovs.

I am hoping to keep up to date on commemoration events which take place during this time. Please feel free to post anything you would like to share with others.

Long live the Romanovs!

Questioning the Romanov remains?

Over the years since 1918, there has been much debate over the possibility that someone may have survived the Ekaterinburg massacre as well as debate over the identity of the remains which were found in the woods, near Ekaterinburg. However, it has been widely accepted over the course of the last decade that nobody survived the massacre because all of the bodies of the deceased Romanovs and the loyal servants who accompanied them have been found.

Below is the link to an article which was written this year, which is very interesting. Could the debate begin again?

May the Romanovs and their loyal servants who died with them rest in peace.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=8264

                            The cellar in Ekaterinburg where the family was executed by Bolsheviks in 1918

The influence of Rasputin

It is generally accepted that the monk known as Rasputin came to be accepted by the Tsar through his influence on the Tsarina, Alexandra.

To have a child who suffers from haemophilia would be extremely stressful for any parent and Nicholas and Alexandra would certainly have felt this stress. Their child could have died at any moment as a result of the slightest injury. No parent wants to deprive their child of the chance to play and do the things that any normal child does. No parent wants their child to feel different to other children because they can’t do normal things.

As if this was not stressful enough, Nicholas and Alexandra owed Russia the future of the dynasty. It was their job to provide a male heir. They  had four daughters first. I have heard that when the fourth daughter, Anastasia was born Nicholas went for a long walk before finally returning to see his baby girl. After all, he loved all of his children with thorough devotion. Finally, in 1904 the long awaited boy was born, the Tsarevich Alexei. He became the centre of attention. His parents and sisters adored him.

How was it possible that their long awaited son could be a haemophiliac? Sadly, given the history of haemophilia in the royal houses of Europe, it had a strong probability. Even still, it was most unfortunate for Nicholas and Alexandra and of course, Alexei himself.

The love of a sick child coupled with the task of providing Russia with an heir to the throne was now reality for Nicholas and Alexandria. Certainly stress would follow.

Rasputin, however was a womanising monk who drank too much. It is quite an enigma as to how this person came to have so much influence over Alexandra. Especially considering this kind of behaviour was not favoured by either Nicholas or Alexandra.

Rasputin had charisma. He had managed to charm many of the aristocratic ladies of St. Petersburg, hence his reputation. Did he also charm Alexandra? It is unlikely that there was anything indecent between Alexandra and Rasputin, as many rumours have suggested. Alexandra was completely devoted to Nicholas and was unlikely to consider an affair with anyone else.  It is also worth considering the fact that Nicholas and Alexandra were the top of Russia’s social and political hierarchy. Rasputin would not gain anything from coming between them. In fact, for him to have an affair with the Tsar’s wife would have cost him many opportunities, should Nicholas have learned of it. I suggest that it is most likely that he did charm Alexandra, but he did so in a purely social manner.

For her part, Alexandra may have been easily charmed by this person. As mentioned above, she did have some stress in her life. She was also said to be reluctant to attend social gatherings, preferring quiet time with her family at home. Rasputin may have tried to make her feel good about herself and this would have given her the confidence to enjoy herself. Rasputin also presented himself as a holy man, who was capable of performing miracles.  Someone who could perform miracles would have been welcomed by the Tsarina. A miracle was exactly what she needed.

After Alexandra became acquainted with Rasputin she was much happier and would have been reflected through a positive change of behaviour which would be detected by close family and friends. For this reason, Alexei would have noticed that his mother was increasingly confident in his recovery. As he was just a child himself and still dependent on his mother, his confidence would have also risen. This may have resulted in a state of seemingly improved health for Alexei, due to his improve emotional well-being.

Rasputin with society ladies, circa 1914

Rasputin found dead, 1916

Alexandra with her son, the Tsarevich, Alexei

Books about the Romanovs

There are many great books which have been written about the Romanovs. In order to learn as much as possible, I have found that it is worth reading more than one, or even multiple books. I have found that different authors write from a different perspective or write about a different topic. Of course, there are other references besides books, such as websites and articles, but this post will relate to books.

Anastasia’s Album, written by Hugh Brewster focuses on the Tsar’s youngest daughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia. The book follows her life from birth to death and even touches on the Anna Anderson story at the end. There are several pictures included in the book as well as quotes and letters written by Anastasia. This book provides the reader with a glimpse into the mind of Anastasia and helps the reader to learn about what her life would have been like.

The Romanovs: The Final Chapter, written by Robert K. Massie focuses on the forensics of the discovery and identification of the Romanov bones. Included in the book are first hand accounts of those who discovered the bones and worked identify them. Also in this book, Massie discusses the life of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. It also discusses the forensic case which determined that she was not the Grand Duchess. The book also describes others who have claimed to be members of the Romanov family and claimed to survive the Ekaterinburg massacre. Massie also provides interesting accounts of Romanovs who are alive today. Massie has included their opinions on issues such as claiming the throne and who should be considered to be the pretender to the throne.

One book which provides the reader with many primary sources is A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas And Alexandra, Their Own Story. This book by Andrei Maylunas and Sergei Mironenko is a compilation of letters and diary entries by Tsar Nicholas II and the Tsarina Alexandra. This book provides a good insight into their lives, thoughts and feelings. The book also includes copies of photos of the family as well as copies of paintings and drawings of them. There is also a copy of the Romanov family tree at the start of the book.

Royal Russia: The Private Albums Of The Russian Imperial Family is divided into two sections. The first section describes the lives of the Romanovs. The book covers the love between Nicholas and Alexandra, as well as the Russian Revolution and the role Rasputin played in the lives of Nicholas and Alexandra. A family tree is also included in this first section of the book. The second section of the book is pictures which have been ordered chronologically.  Underneath each picture is text which explains the picture in detail. This is especially helpful with photos of plaques where the text is in Russian or if the photo is not self-explanatory.  

Another good book for learning about the Romanovs is Tsar: The Lost World Of Nicholas And Alexandra by Peter Kurth. This book is very detailed. It describes the state or Russian society at the start of the twentieth century, discusses the Tsar’s jewellery, Faberge’ and his work for the Imperial family. Another character who has been written about is the ballerina Mathilde Kschessinka, whom Nicholas was rumoured to have a serious flirtation with. There is also a section which has been dedicated to the sailors who were in charge of looking after the Tsar’s son, Alexei. This includes Nagorny, who was shot alongside the Romanovs in Ekaterinburg. The book also provides details about the stampede which occurred during the distribution of memorabilia of the coronation of Nicholas II. Photos of the bodies of those who did not survive the stampede are also included. The discovery of the Romanov bodies is also covered at the end of this book. Many photos have been used as well.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of books. There would be many more available and I hope to one day read many more. If anyone has any suggestions for other books or has a different view on any of the books I have discussed, please do not hesitate to comment below.

The Romanovs frequently  enjoyed spending time together

An introduction to the Romanovs

The Romanov family ruled Russia from 1613 until 1917, when the Russian Revolution occurred. The last Tsar to rule Russia was Nicholas II. Often when people think of the Romanovs, they think of a perfect world of magnificent luxury such as stunning palaces and glamorous balls. Nicholas and his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra are still famous for their love and devotion to each other and to their five children. The Romanov children were the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia as well as the Tsarevich, Alexei.

The Romanovs were a close family and they were very fond of taking photographs of each other. For this reason, we now enjoy photos of their personal moments, which provide us with a glimpse into their world.  The Romanovs also enjoyed family holidays together. These included spending time on their Yacht (The Standart), at Livadia on the Black Sea, as well as at Peterhof.

Unfortunately, Alexei was a haemophiliac. Haemophilia is a genetic disease which is passed through the females of a family, yet it only affects the males. This disease prevents blood from clotting properly. Due ot this illness, much care was taken to ensure that Alexei did not injure himself as an injury could have resulted in him bleeding to death. It was Alexei's illness which lead to his mother's fondness of the monk, Rasputin. Alexandra believed that Rasputin had the power to cure Alexei of his illness. Rasputin weas a prominent figure in hte lives of the Romanov family until his death in 1916. Two high ranking members of the Russian aristocracy were implicated in Rasputin's death. These were Prince Felix Yussupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich.

The Romanovs were executed in 1918 by the Bolsheviks in Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg. The place where the Bolsheviks buried the bodies of the Romanovs and the servants who died with them remained a mystery for much of the 20th century. This is perhaps one of the greatest reasons why the Romanovs have been the subject of so much fascination since the Russian revolution. It is difficult to imagine that a happy and prosperous family could meet such a violent fate and nobody knew where their bodies were for such a long time. It is clear why this topic would receive so much attention.

 In 1979, all except for two of the bodies were found. This discovery was kept quiet until the fall of communism in Russia. For this reason, it is often assumed that the bodies were not found until 1991, when the Yeltsin government agreed to exhume the bodies. The bodies of Alexei and Maria were not discovered until 2007.

Nicholas and Alexandra when they were young

                                                          Nicholas with his five children