Two unique rooms, - the Agate Room and the Library, are now open to visitors following their restoration at the Tsarskoe Selo 18th century memorial estate near St. Petersburg.

The Agate rooms are the only rooms of Empress Catherine the Great at Tsarskoe Selo that have retained their original decoration to this day. They are unique in terms of design and unparalleled anywhere in the world.

The restoration of the Agate Room got under way earlier this year. Restoration was simultaneously under way in the Library, which now looks the way it did in the 18th century. Restoration on other rooms in the Agate Pavilion will continue through 2013.

© TASS. 3 January, 2012

A porcelain cat that was once belonged to the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna has returned to the Alexander Palace.

The object was presented to the Empress as a Christmas gift in 1903, however, it disappeared after the 1917 Revolution. It was recently purchased at an auction in Moscow by the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve.

The colour-glazed, almost life-size figure was produced in 1903, along with 3 other similar works by the St. Petersburg Imperial Porcelain Manufactory. They were sculpted by Ivan Zotov to the design of August Heinrich Timus, the manufacturers sculpture workshop manager who created a series of animal figures in the early 1900s.

The cat will once again join the growing porcelain collection of the Alexander Palace.

© Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve. 2 January, 2012

Royal Russia is running advertisements in the January 2012 issues of the following magazines: Royalty Digest (Europe), Majesty (Great Britain), and Russian Life (United States). It is our hope and wish that these ads will draw new Romanovphiles and Russophiles from all over the world to our web site, and help keep the memories of old Russia alive!

© Royal Russia. 1 January, 2012

The Russian Imperial Union Order (RIUO) has prepared a video of the visit of HIH the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna's visit to the United States in 2010.

© Russian Imperial Union Order. 16 December, 2011

A monument to Emperor Alexander III was erected in the Siberian city of Irkutsk marking the end of construction on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. This monument was originally unveiled on 30 August, 1908. The sides of the monument were decorated with bronze sculptural portraits of historic figures who left their mark on the history of Siberia, as well as the tsar's edict on the construction of the Trans-Siberian, the coat of arms of Siberia and Irkutsk. In 1920, the statue was removed from its pedestal by the Bolsheviks. In 2003, the statue was reinstated marking the centenary of the historic rail line that connected the vast Russian empire.

© Royal Russia. 15 December, 2011

A pair of gold cufflinks decorated with photos of the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich at different ages (about 1888 and 1898) were sold this week at a Geneva auction for 66,000 CHF (Swiss Francs).

The unique set of cufflinks, decorated with diamonds and peridot, were from the collection of Ferdinand Thormeyer, Swiss tutor to the children of Emperor Alexander III.

On his return to Switzerland, Thormeyer took with him many gifts and photographs of the Russian Imperial family.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 14 December, 2011

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More than 300 rare photographs of the Romanov family went under the hammer in Geneva on Monday, fetching 1.6 million Swiss Francs or 1.73 millions USD.

Experts attribute the auction's success to the fact that the photos had never been published before, and that many had been signed by members of the Russian Imperial family.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 13 December, 2011

A unique photographic exhibition, Charity Under the Auspices of the Romanov Dynasty opened last week in Moscow.

The exhibit includes more than 100 photographs that show members of the Russian Imperial family involved and working with various charities for the benefit of the people.

Among the most actively involved were the Empresses Maria Alexandrovna, Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna, as well as Grand Duchesses Olga Alexandrovna and Elizabeth Feodorovna.

Many members of the Russian Imperial family built and founded charities, orphanages, almshouses, at their own expense and became active patrons of these institutions. As the ruling dynasty, many felt a moral obligation to reach out to those less fortunate.

The photographs depict the Romanovs at charity functions, including bazaars and concerts; working at clinics, hospitals, hospital trains, hospitals and orphanages. Many portraits are also featured, including members of the Russian Imperial family, doctors, medical staff, honourary trustees, hospital and hospice employees, teachers, etc.

The exhibition runs until 22 December, 2011 at the Moscow School No. 1573.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 12 December, 2011

A memorial plaque in honour of  Carl Faberge was unveiled yesterday in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

The plaque was unveiled at 15 Khreschatyk Street, the former location of the Faberge shop, by Russia's Ambassador to the Ukraine, Mikhail Zurabov.

The Kiev branch of the House of Faberge was opened in 1905 and closed in 1910 believing the branch superfluous in light of the already well established and older Odessa branch.

There are plans to erect similar plaques in other Russian cities connected with Faberge leading up to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 2013.

© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 7 December, 2011

The Livadia Palace-Museum have published two new books as part of their ongoing celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the famous residence of Tsar Nicholas II in the Crimea.

The first book, The Romanovs in Livadia: At Home With the Family of Nicholas II, 1911-1914, provides a photographic history of the last Russian tsar and his family during their stays at Livadia, while the second, Livadia in Watercolours, offers a beautiful collection of watercolours of the palace, its interiors and surrounding park by a variety of Russian artists. Both are richly illustrated with text in Russian.

© Royal Russia. 6 December, 2011