Topics

1

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Imperial Crimea

« on: January 04, 2018, 07:39:50 PM »

We are pleased to announce publication of Imperial Crimea: Estates, Enchantment and the Last of the Romanovs, with articles by Greg King, Coryne Hall, Penny Wilson, and Sue Woolmans.  The book takes readers on a Turn of the Century tour of the peninsula through the eyes of tourists; follows the Imperial Family from Nicholas I to Nicholas II; explores the diverse array of palaces dotting the edge of the Black Sea; and concludes with the 1919 departure of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna and other Romanovs from the Crimea.

Imperial Crimea is not merely a republication of the original Atlantis articles.  We have been able to not only revise but also to expand and update the prior content, bringing the story up to date and incorporating the latest research.  Drawing on Russian, English, German, Danish, and French language sources as well as archival holdings in Russia, Germany, and the United States, these chapters offer what we believe to be the most comprehensive work on the Romanovs and the Crimea available in English.  More details can be seen below.

Imperial Crimea: Estates, Enchantment and the Last of the Romanovs

Imperial Crimea: Estates, Enchantment and the Last of the Romanovs is some 300 pages in length and includes over 40 illustrations.  The 16 chapters are

The Russian Riviera: A Short History of the Crimea

Bakhchisarai: The Palace of the Crimea Khans

Trains, Tartars, and Flea Powder: Turn of the Century Crimea through the Eyes of Tourists

Oreanda: The Spirit of the Mountains

Ai-Todor

Livadia in the Reign of Alexander II

Livadia in the Reign of Alexander III

Massandra, the Unknown Jewel

Livadia in the Reign of Nicholas II, 1894-1909

The Emir of Bokhara

Uncle Krasnov: The Unknown Architect

A Fragment of England in the South: Harax

Of Rapture and Reason: Dulber, Tchair and Kichkine

The White Palace at Livadia

Livadia under Nicholas II, 1911-1914

Prisoners in Paradise: Romanovs in the Crimea 1917-1919

The book draws on both published works and on unpublished sources, including German diplomatic reports on Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; the unpublished memoirs of tutor Charles Sidney Gibbes; private letters by members of the Imperial Family; and correspondence and materials from Broadlands Archives; The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace; The Mainau Archives; the Staatsarchiv, Darmstadt; the State Archives of the Russian Federation; and the State Public Library, Russian National Library Collection, in St. Petersburg. It is currently available through Amazon.

2

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / A Life for the Tsar King/Ashton

« on: July 12, 2016, 11:13:45 PM »

Just an alert that myself and Janet Ashton have a new book coming out on the coronation of Nicholas II titled "A Life for the Tsar: Triumph and Tragedy at the Coronation of Nicholas II."  This will hopefully provide the most detailed look at the coronation yet available in English, and draws on research in Russian, British, and American archives, as well as rare letters, diary entries, official accounts, obscure memoirs, and eyewitness memoirs to follow Nicholas and Alexandra, royals and factory workers, British radicals and American debutantes, as their experiences unfold in Moscow. A large format, coffee table book brimming with more than 200 rare illustrations and an extensive text, this will be published by Eurohistory in about three weeks.

We hope that everyone finds the book as interesting to read and look at as we did writing it.

3

The Habsburgs / Assassination/Archduke by King and Woolmans

« on: September 05, 2013, 06:30:31 AM »

Not Romanov related, but letting folks know:

My latest book, written with Sue Woolmans, Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World, is now out in North America from St. Martin's Press; Macmillan will publish in the UK in 2 weeks.  The book, which includes a forword by Princess Sophie Hohenberg, details the private story of Franz Ferdinand, Sophie, and their children, as well as the assassination in Sarajevo, and draws on previously unpublished letters written by Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, memories of the couples’ present-day descendants, and materials from archives in Vienna, Germany, Sarajevo, and the Royal Archives at Windsor.

Think "Nicholas and Alexandra" on the Danube...

4

Palaces in Moscow / Hunt Club

« on: July 04, 2010, 07:17:18 AM »

Janet Ashton and I are currently writing a comprehensive look at Nicholas II's coronation, drawing on a variety of rare sources. But one odd point that I can't seem to pin down: the Marquis de Montebello apparently rented the Hunt Club in Moscow for the month of May, which is where he held the infamous French Ball on May 18. I have also seen this building referred to, in several memoirs of those present during the coronation ceremonies, as a former Sheremetiev palace-but have been unable to confirm this. Does anyone have any idea what this building might actually have been, or where it was located? Thanks in advance

5

Imperial Transportation / Re: Hohenzollern - German Imperial Yacht 1892

« on: September 30, 2004, 02:32:03 AM »

There is a fairly recently published book on various luxury yachts (I have it here somewhere-if I can locate it tomorrow I will post the information) that has a long chapter on "Hohenzollern," with a lot of interior photographs (IF I had a scanner!).

Greg King

6

Imperial Transportation / Re: Derzhava (1871)

« on: September 29, 2004, 07:35:25 AM »

A bit more on “Derzhava:” Commissioned in 1866 for Alexander II, it was another paddle-wheel steamer, with twin (initially) black (later buff) funnels and an extended bowsprit encrusted with a gilded, double-headed eagle.  The ship contained two principal decks.  The first was given over to the public rooms and the apartments of the Imperial Family, all designed by Ippolit Monighetti.  His interiors aboard the yacht were notable for their heavy, ponderous woodwork, beamed ceilings, and massive walnut and mahogany furniture in the neo-Renaissance style.  Ornaments included raised beading, carved wainscot, and stamped and pierced bronze lamps; he also designed the new china service for the yacht, a bold combination of green, black, gold, and blue, woven together in geometric designs and incorporating ropes and anchors painted along the rims.

Greg King

7

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Le Tsarevitch, enfant martyr, by Eugenie de Grece

« on: September 27, 2004, 07:10:59 AM »

Hi Elisa-

It does have a number of rare/unusual photographs, and some interesting text including some unpublished letters and the like.  It also (to my mind, the best part) contains Alexei's diary-I can't recall exactly where it picks up-though if I remember correctly it at least has almost complete entries for 1917-18 in it, making it very worthwhile.

Greg King

8

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Nikolai i Aleksandra

« on: April 26, 2004, 06:07:07 AM »

Has anyone else seen this Russian documentary?  It seems to be from either 1994 or 1998, produced by a company in Moscow and directed by Alexander Aizenberg and Matthew King Kaufman.  I have just watched it and I have to say that I'm amazed at the hundreds of previously unpublished photographs and home movies it includes.  I'm pretty good at knowing what's been used before, and this documentary is simply loaded with new material-photographs of astonishing detail, films-even very careful footage from the 1920s of the interior of the Alexander Palace, focusing on things like the telephone in N and A's bedroom.  If anyone is interested, I will try to sit down and do a longer, detailed review of precisely what is seen.  It's new to me, but maybe someone in Russia has already seen it?

Greg King

9

Other Palaces / Langinkoski, cottage of Alexander III in Finland

« on: April 23, 2004, 05:22:52 AM »

It's definitely worth a visit-just don't expect a lot of rooms filled with Romanov possessions!  There are only 5 rooms on the main floor-Alexander III's study, MF's boudoir, the hall, the kitchen, and the vestibule, with a few bedrooms and a sitting area tucked into the rafters above.  Some nice items on display-portraits and photos and porcelain.  But it's absolutely gorgeous-the lodge and the setting-perfectly situated at the fringe of a forest overlooking the Kotka Rapids.  If I could only have one former Romanov house to myself, to actually live in, Langinkoski would be it.

Greg King

10

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / The Hesse siblings, children of GD Ludwig IV

« on: April 12, 2004, 06:01:02 AM »

As far as I know, the decision was made by Lord Mountbatten.  Both Victoria Milford Haven and her husband wrote sets of memoirs that remain unpublished and are at Broadlands.  VMH's memoirs are interesting for the detail they contain on her childhood, and the usual assortment of things one would expect to find on various relatives, etc.  But I'd say that there were perhaps only in the area of 20 or less pages total devoted to Alix and Ella and Russia-there is A LOT of her husband's naval career.  They're also interesting because VMH corrected them in her own hand and made notations and changes.  I may be wrong, but it seems that I recall discussing this with Dr. Woolgar, who was (and may still be) archivst there and he told me that there was concern from Mountbatten that the writing simply wasn't good enough, or else that VMH herself stipulated that they weren't to be published-my recall on this isn't good as it's been 15 years ago.  There is, incidentally, a lot more material in the family than what's at the Broadlands Archives at the U of Southampton-photo albums, letters, diaries-still remain at Broadlands House and are not part of the collection open to the public.

I don't know anything about Ella-except that her GARF files have not yet been catalogued, at least as far as I know-so who's to say what's there?  Irene did leave a lot of her personal papers to an archive in Berlin, which still has them, but they are a feminist archive and only allow women in.

Greg King

11

Russian Noble Families / Re: Kochubey Mansion Tsarskoye Selo

« on: April 11, 2004, 11:47:15 PM »

There were two Kochubeys in the Imperial Entourage: Prince Peter, who acted as Ober-Meister of Ceremonies to Count Alexei Ignatiev, who in 1911 succeeded Hendrikov as Grand Master of Ceremonies; and Prince Victor, who was Assistant Minister of the Imperial Appanage Department and a Major-General à la suite in the Emperor's Entourage.

Presumably it's the latter who had the house and memoirs in question.

Greg King

12

The Yussupovs / Palace of the Yusupovs in Moscow

« on: March 31, 2004, 06:52:45 AM »

When I visited the Moscow House (this back in 1992) there was apparently a lot of discussion as to its future-as whatever particular organization that occupied it at the time was in the process of moving out; on my other trips to Russia I never made it back to look at the house, but luckily in 1992 a few dollars got me in for a private tour that I recorded on video.  I have to say that the place is amazing-very atmospheric-I remember shuttered windows and darkened rooms, walls painted with medieval designs, 17th Century leather furniture crowded into corridors-and some of the most intricate porcelain stoves I've ever seen in Russia.  I'd love to go back one day when I have time and really prowl through the place!

Greg King