Messages

1

The Imperial Family / Re: Plaque to commemorate Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

« on: February 19, 2021, 11:09:24 AM »

The Grand Duchess died in an apartment over a hair salon on Gerard Street in Toronto which is located in the Reverdale neighbourhood of Toronto.  Next Tuesday (February 23, 2021), the Riverdale Historical Society (RHS) will host a Zoom conference to commemorate the Grand Duchess' life in Toronto.

RHS is pleased to present our February Speaker via Zoom

Tuesday February 23
6:30 PM Eastern Time

Join Heritage Toronto's Chris Bateman as he tells the dramatic story of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, from Revolutionary Russia to Toronto's Gerrard Street East.
Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/97490542887

Meeting ID: 974 9054 2887

2

The Imperial Family / Plaque to commemorate Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

« on: November 06, 2019, 01:54:40 PM »

The Riverdale Historical Society (Toronto, Canada) has announced they will erect a plaque next fall at the site where Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna died in 1960. 

After emigrating to Canada in 1948, the Grand Duchess lived in a small farmhouse in Cooksville, outside Toronto.  After the death of her husband, and in failing health, she lived with a family of Russian emigrés in a small apartment above a hair salon in Toronto at 716 Gerard Street East where the plaque will be installed.

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The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, discussion and pictures Part 2

« on: December 28, 2012, 01:12:34 PM »

Lisa,

I don't visit these boards very frequently, and am only now reading your response to my message posted so very long ago.  Although incredibly delayed, my gratefulness at your response is genuine nonetheless.  I have looked at the house on Street View and can visualize where it is now.  Thank you very much for the information

Bob

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The Windsors / Re: Buckingham palace

« on: December 28, 2012, 12:57:31 PM »

Thanks Chris, I think I see it now.  The Belgian Corridor(s) must be that little strip running east-west immediately behind (north) the Minister's Staircase, and that even smaller strip running perpendicular to it.

I suspect you have a better/more detailed/more recent floor plan than I do.  I believe mine is the one dating back to Queen Victoria's time.  There were a number of plans posted to this forum over time, but they have all "disappeared" by now.

Thanks for your help.

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The Windsors / Re: Buckingham palace

« on: December 18, 2012, 06:04:59 PM »

Thanks for the reply Chris, but I can't seem to figure where it (they?) is (are?).  I am looking at a floor plan of the ground floor.  The Belgian Suite is composed of the Orleans and Eighteenth Century rooms, which are side-by-side.  They give directly to the terrace on the west, and to the Minister's Staircase on the east.  Where is there a corridor?  Maybe I'm not clearly understanding what the Belgian Suite is.

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The Windsors / Belgian Corridor

« on: December 17, 2012, 09:10:58 PM »

I have recently seen pictures of an area of Buckingham Palace called the "Belgian Corridor".  I assume it is near the Belgian Suite.  Can anyone confirm the exact location and what it leads to/from?

Thanks

Bob

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The Windsors / Re: Buckingham Palace Gardens

« on: August 02, 2012, 08:57:20 PM »

This year, the gardens are open for a visit (for an extra fee, i think).

I recently purchased a book on the gardens at Buckingham Palace, which was published in the early 70s.  At the time, high rise buildings were starting to be built near the palace, and from these, people could see into the gardens.  A row of trees was planted for the specific purpose of shielding some areas of the gardens from public view.  Those trees must be mature by now, and must be providing some shelter from prying eyes.

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The Hohenzollern / Re: The Grand Ducal Family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

« on: August 02, 2012, 08:51:36 PM »

Augusta and her husband spent a great deal of the year in England.  They owned a house in London.  Does anyone know where in London that house was located?

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The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, discussion and pictures Part 2

« on: November 16, 2009, 03:11:33 PM »

Would love to visit there one day ! Is York cemetery close to downtown Toronto ?

The cemetary is within walking distance of a subway stop.  I saw Olga's grave; it has a nice, impressive monument and a plaque.

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The Alexander Palace / Re: Alexander Palace Restoration pictures

« on: October 14, 2009, 04:06:05 PM »

It is so wonderful to see that the restoration work has finally begun. The Alexander Palace has been left to deteriorate for far too long.  Hopefully, the quality of the work will be up to the same standards as the restoration of the other Imperial palaces completed during the Communist era.

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The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, discussion and pictures Part 2

« on: October 13, 2009, 09:54:52 AM »

Does anyone know the address of the house where Olga died in Toronto?  I've checked both Vorres and the more recent Phoenix book, both mention a hair dressing salon on Gerard Street, but no exact street address.  I will be in Toronto soon, and I thought I'd check to see whether a plaque or something has been erected in her memory.

Thank you

12

Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Where is Alexandra's coronation dress?

« on: October 02, 2009, 01:47:04 PM »

I saw the coronation dresses a few years ago, and was struck by how ridiculously small Minnie's waist was.  Obviously, she would have been tightly corseted, but it is still extremely small by today's standards.  Alexandra's dress didn't appear as unnaturally small around the waist.

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The Habsburgs / Re: Ladies-in-Waiting, Chamberlains, Nannies & Servants of the Habsburgs

« on: February 27, 2009, 11:36:49 AM »

Princess Helene de Tour et Taxis -  1860



Isn't that the Empress' sister?  I didn't realize she was a lady in waiting to her siser.





[/quote]

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Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Anichkov Palace

« on: February 02, 2009, 11:40:55 AM »

Where exactly in St Petersburg is the palace located?  I've tried searching on Google Map, but unfortunately, most of the returns are in Russian, and can't decipher.  Is it next to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan?

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Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Returning confiscated property...

« on: January 21, 2009, 01:24:49 PM »

I was in StP last summer, and read an interesting article in the free English-language daily paper (can't remember the name of it right now) about restitution.  It said that at the end of the Soviet system, former Church properties were returned to the religious communities they originally belonged to.  (I would suspect that religious buildings that had been converted to museums, such as the Church on Spilt Blood, were exempted from these restitutions).

The article was about a dispute between Moscow University (I believe) and a religious community over a building near Red Square that had been used by the University for years, but had reverted back to the Church.  Given the sky-high property values in Moscow, the Church  wanted to sell the property and use the profits to repair its Church building.  The University (which had so far refused to vacate the building) protested the intended sale, arguing that the building should not have reverted to the Church, given that it was currently being used for the public good (ie: education); and that the University should have the right of first refusal if the property were to be sold.  The Church was refusing to sell to the University because it stood to make a substantially higher profit selling it to a private developer and was in desperate need of the money in order to repair the Church itself.

I have no idea what was the eventual outcome of the situation, but it is a good illustration of the problems related to ownership and restitutiion highlighted by Robert_Hall.  Obtaining ownership of a confiscated property is one thing, having the funds to repair, maintain and use it is a completely other matter.