The Alexander Palace Time Machine Discussion Forum

About 5 years ago, I had a long discussion with the chief curator of the Yelagin Palace, and this theme of Pavlovsk, Peterhof, and the Hermitage poaching items from the 'secondary' palaces figured greatly in her comments.
TATYANA

I had a long talk with the Director of the Yelagin Palace Museum a couple of years ago, who bemoaned the number of original Yelagin Palace items now at Pavlovsk, Peterhof and the Hermitage, and their respective tenaciousness in hanging on to these items. So, my guess is not any time soon.
TATYANA

Alibubba -- The last time I was at Livadia, 3 years ago, there was no museum shop/book shop, only 3 or 4 little nooks with vendors selling really tacky souvenirs. Other than "The Romanovs in the Crimea" (in Russian), I don't know of a book on Livadia. If anyone does, please let us know!
TATYANA

For everyone's information, the catalogs for the Sotheby's Russian Auctions in London (Bond St & Olympia) 5/31 and 6/1 are online at www.sothebys.com

TATYANA

I'll take a stab at all I can bring to mind (and I'm sure I'm missing some):

1.  Alexander Palace
2.  English Palace
3.  New Palace
3.  Catherine Palace
4.  Winter Palace
5.  Ropsha
5.  Grand Kremlin Palace
6.  Palace of Facets
7.  Anichkov Palace
8.  Spala
9.  Yelagin Palace
10.  Kozumensky (sp?) Palace
11.  Grand Palace at Peterhof
12.  Gatchina
13.  Chesme
14.  Livadia
15.  Small Palace in Moscow (not sure of its formal name)

Then there were a host of smaller residences in the main palace parks:  Marly, the Chinese Pavilion, Peter the Great's Summer Palace, etc.

And a host of other palaces which were built for rulers, or their family members, or favorites and subsequently passed in and out of the tsars' hands:  Pavlovsk, the Michailolvsky Palace, the Engineer's Palace, the Tauride Palace, the Marble Palace, etc.

In fact, I'm not even sure how what definitional parameters to wrap around my original question.

Maybe the simplest way is to ask what palaces did Nicholas and Alexandra have at their disposal for personal living quarters, should they have chosen, at the time of the revolution.

Additions or deletions, anyone?

There was also the Imperial Palace in Kiev.

My late mother-in-law was Jack Emery's second wife -- they were in love all their lives, but her family wouldn't let her marry him originally because they considered him "fast".
Her recollection of Audrey was that she was very fast: my mother-in-law said that she snapped her garters at men regularly!    

TATYANA

Now, New York City. My Family is from, variously, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vilnus, Odessa, Bar (Ukraine).

Tatyana

Here are my pictures of Massandra Palace, from the summer of 2003.
This was the home of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, and Stalin stayed here during the Yalta conference.

I visited Massandra Palace in the summer of 2003, and took photos of nearly every room, as well as the exterior from all sides. It's a charming place, and I'll be happy to post my photos, but I have to figure out how, and find the time!
TATYANA