About 1,500 city residents have appealed to St. Petersburg City Governor Georgy Poltavchenko requesting that a number of St. Petersburg streets and squares be given back the names they had before the 1917 Revolution, and that the names of streets named after those who took part in criminal activities be changed as well.

“It would be better to call the streets even by numbers than by the names of classic bombers such as Khalturin, Perovskaya and Zhelyabov,” said Daniil Petrov, vice president of the Historical Traditions Support Foundation.

“Terrorists shouldn’t be forgotten, but what they’ve done should be remembered only in textbooks. Streets should have different names.”

The group of city residents also asked for the names of streets named after Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionists Pavel Dybenko, Nikolai Krylenko and notorious secret police chief Felix Dzerzhinsky and a number of others to be changed.

© St. Petersburg Times. 30 November, 2011

The little known dacha of the Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich  at Tsarskoye Selo was built in 1896-97 by the architects Sherburn and Scott. It is situated near the former suburban palace of his parents, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. 

His summer residence was built in the Old English style, the interiors furnished by the English firm Maples of London, who are famous for their work in the Alexander Palace. Many of the original interiors have survived to this day, as shown in the video.

The dacha and surrounding park have survived to this day. The outbuildings currently house a botanical institute. The dacha was recently used as an historic setting for a Russian made film based on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 25 November, 2011

The gown worn by the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna at the famous Costume Ball in the Winter Palace in February 1903, has gone on display for the very first time in St. Petersburg.

The gown is part of the Russian Style exhibit, at the State Museum of Russian History, located at the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The gown is a replica of a 17th-century Boyar's wife, made of red and gold brocade, and embroidered with pearls.

The costumes were designed to be worn at the historic ball, and then placed into storage of the House of Romanov. The head-strong grand duchess, however, decided to take her gown home. It remained at the Palace of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich on the Neva for many years.

After the Revolution the historic gown disappeared. It was later found and restored by local artisans.

The exhibition will run until December 31, 2011.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 24 November, 2011

A bust of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich has been unveiled at the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps in St. Petersburg.

The bust was a gift from the Monastery of St. Michael of Holy Mount Athos, in the Caucasus, which was founded on the initiative of the grand duke, who served as governor of the region between 1862-1882.

The idea of creating a monument to the grand duke occurred in 2009, on the centenary of his death, in recognition for his services to Russia, the Caucasus, and the military. A similar bust was unveiled at the Monastery of St. Michael of Holy Mount Athos in October 2010.

The bust was made by sculptor Alexander Appolonova, and it was the rector of the monastery, Abbot Gerasim, who requested that a copy be made and presented to St. Petersburg where the grand duke was born, worked, and buried.

The Military-Historical Museum in St. Petersburg was selected to install the monument based on the fact that the grand duke served as Chief Artillery Officer and Field Marshall of the Russian Empire for nearly 50 years. The grand duke also served as a patron to the museum during his lifetime, and made a significant contribution to the establishment and maintenance of its vast collection.

The museum will host an exhibition on the grand duke's life in 2012, marking the 180th anniversary of his birth in 1832. The exhibit will feature the bust, as well as many of the grand duke's personal possessions, including desk, uniforms, guns and swords.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 24 November, 2011

The artist Vladimir Makovsky, photographed in his workshop, painting a portrait of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Photo: Karl Bulla, 1911 

The Marble Palace of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg is the venue of a photo biennale that explores the history of photography in Russia.

The exhibition showcases 400 incredible prints, including views of serene city landscapes from the pre-revolutionary era by photographers such as Karl Bulla. Such an exhibition would be unthinkable without featuring Bulla, who is often referred to as the father of photography in Russia. Bulla documented the lives of Russian aristocrats, gentry and merchants, and his vast collection of prints covers the most intricate details of life in St. Petersburg at the start of the 20th century.

Bulla's photographs of members of the Romanov family and members of other European royal families gained him international recognition. The legendary photographer was awarded state orders from a number of countries, including Italy, Romania and Persia.

His iconic portraits of the last Russian tsar--Nicholas II--and his family comprise part of the new exhibit.

Both of Bulla's sons, Alexander and Viktor, followed in their father's footsteps. Viktor became a star in his own right, carving out a reputation as a war reporter for his photo essays from the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).

Viktor Bulla also documented the historic events of the year 1917, starting from the summer riots that preceded the revolution. After the Bolsheviks seized power, it was thanks to Viktor Bulla that the priceless photographs of the Bulla dynasty, numbering more than 70,000 images, did not perish. Viktor Bulla donated them to the Russian State Archives, and the current show at the Marble Palace was therefore made possible thanks to the personal effort that he made many decades ago.

The exhibition runs through January 20, 2012 at the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg.

© Source: St. Petersburg Times. Edited by Paul Gilbert. 23 November, 2011

||| Click Here to Visit the New Livadia Web Site |||

The palace of Livadia has launched a comprehensive web site as part of their 100th anniversary. The site is filled with information about the history of the palace, its Imperial residents, and richly illustrated with hundreds of historical and contemporary photos. 

The web site is currently only available in Russian, and there are still a number of sections under construction.

© Royal Russia. 19 November, 2011

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The popularity of our web site and blog gave birth to our official magazine, Royal Russia. A NEW web page has been launched where you will find the following information;

- a peek at the cover of ROYAL RUSSIA No. 2, to be published next year

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This section will be updated on a regular basis as each new issue of Royal Russia becomes available.

Please note that Royal Russia is also available from the following booksellers;

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© Royal Russia. 18 November, 2011

 “The Sandoz Collection”, an exhibition of the extraordinary holdings of the Swiss family that founded the chemical company of that name at A La Vieille Russie on Fifth Avenue, presents 60 objets d’art.

Dating from 1798 to 1908, the exhibits, which include watches, figures, boxes, peacocks, a bird cage, a pistol shooting perfume and a mirror in four colours of gold, are adorned with rubies, diamonds and emeralds.

Some of the objects are mechanical and musical. Included are Imperial swan and peacock eggs by Peter Carl Fabergé owned by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and her mother-in-law, Maria, which have never before been seen in public.

© A La Vielle Russie. 17 November, 2011

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Russia's first monument to the children of Tsar Nicholas II has been unveiled at the Ganima Yama Monastery near Ekaterinburg.

The monument was consecrated on November 16th, the same day that the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolayevna was born in 1895.

© Royal Russia. 16 November, 2011

The Study of Tsar Nicholas II, Livadia Palace 

Final preparations are now underway for the long-awaited restoration of the second-floor of the Livadia Palace.

The second-floor includes the former private apartments of Tsar Nicholas II and his family while they were in residence.

Palace officials have confirmed that the furniture, carpets, art work and other personal items in the rooms have been carefully packed and put into storage while the restorations are carried out.

More than $1.5 million USD has been allocated for the restorations, and another $2 million USD to be allocated by the end of the year.

Restorations include repairs to the walls and ceilings, stucco elements, updating the wallpaper, refurbishing the floors, etc. before the second-floor is once again open to the public.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 15 November, 2011