Messages

16

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Restorations and renovations in St.Petersburg - news

« on: September 05, 2011, 02:36:13 PM »

Sorry for the typos:

Kamenoostrovski palace is on Kamenny Island at the tiip of the island where the Bolshoy Nevka & the Maly Nevka meet.  

BobG

17

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Restorations and renovations in St.Petersburg - news

« on: September 05, 2011, 01:49:45 PM »

Robert,
Kamenoostrovski palace ins on Kamenny Island at the tiip of the island where the Bolshoy Mevka & the Maly Nevka meet. 

BobG

18

Tsarskoe Selo Palaces / Re: The Lower Dacha (New Palace), at Peterhof

« on: June 08, 2011, 05:02:32 PM »

I think the photo only makes sense if it is rotated:


This would be the view from Monplaisir looking towards the Lower Dacha. 
Here is a current photo of the terrace of Monplaisir from the Tickets to Russia web site.



I can't really see the details of the palace in the distance, but clearly many pictures have been incorrectly posted in the past.
BobG

19

The Alexander Palace / Re: Pictures of the Interiors as they were

« on: June 08, 2011, 04:23:36 PM »

Actually, I found them at Poemas del Rio Wang Tsarskoe Selo.  The pictures can be accessed at

riowang.blogspot.com/2011/05/tsarskoe-selo.html

A further search did turn up the same pictures at Royal Russia, which site identified the fourth picture as a dining room at the Lower Dacha at Peterhof. 

I let Paul Gilbert at Royal Russia know that the dining room and Tsars' study (both originally identified as AP rooms) were in fact from the Lower Dacha at Peterhof.  He was going to check his source to find out if more pictures from the Lower Dacha were available.
BobG

20

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Zoia Beliakova's book: Honour and Fidelity, the Russian Dukes of Leuchtenberg

« on: May 28, 2011, 12:10:48 PM »

I've just finished it, and thought it was a wonderful book!  I had also just read "The Secret Letters of the Last Tsar" (Nicholas & Marie Feodorovna's correspondence).  In it there was a passage:
 "Peter was in Paris for two days for the funeral service of poor Yuri and said that the French were very poliite and courteous.  It is so sad that his poor children, Sergei and Ileana, only arrived two hours after his death."  

There was no reference as to whom Yuri was, although most other people mentioned in the letters were identified.  My guess is the editor (Edward J. Bing) didn't know whom it was.  Although I figured out Peter was Olga's husband (of Oldenburg) from the context, it was only after reading Zoia's wonderful book that I was able to connect the Yuri to Georgy, the 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg!  Who would know that the family called him Yuri! Thank you Zoia!

I think this book is a must have for those interested in the Romanovs.  The ongoing connection of the Leuchtenbergs with the Romanovs is fascinating and convoluted.  Zoia's book helps clarify many of the connections ( or should I say hook-ups) between the two families.  

BobG

21

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: New Upcoming Books in 2011

« on: April 04, 2011, 10:56:44 AM »

According to Paul Gilbert's blog, he has secured the rights from the copyright holders.  I beliieve they are both grandchildren of the Grand Duchess.

More information can be found here:
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/news/diary.html.

BobG


P.S. Sarah,
Looking forward to your book as well.
Bob

22

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / New Upcoming Books in 2011

« on: April 04, 2011, 07:46:54 AM »

Just thought this topic should be updated especially with the news that Gilbert's Books will be offering a new editon of Grand Duchess George's A Romanov Diary in September of 2011.  I'm so excited!
BobG

23

The Alexander Palace / Re: Right Wing of Alexander Palace

« on: March 29, 2011, 09:39:31 AM »

Pavlov,
Room 96 in the right wing of the basement plan was translated from Yakolef's book as:
 (37) Gofmarshall's kitchen with a marble bowl (which previously were used everywhere, but were replaced as they were too deep and hard to clean), the hearth, the pastry oven, the oven for baking Shrovetide pancakes and skewers for grilled shish kebabs." 

I'm not sure if this served the whole wing or not.  It may be that food was transported to this wing in carts or later trucks from the kitchen building and that the tunnel was used primarily for the IF and formal meals served in the parade rooms.

BobG

24

The Alexander Palace / Re: Alexander Palace Restoration

« on: March 26, 2011, 08:09:41 AM »

I think the real attraction of the AP is for the Russian people, who seem to support the restoration of many of the sites related to the IF (ie the plan to rebuild the lower palace at Peterhof--which I hope is only temporarily on hold).  After all, the AP was the home to a family of saints.  I hope that once the palace gets fully restored and the more authentic the restoration to the time of N&A, the more Russian tourists will want to visit the palace.  Given their interest, we history buffs and AP followers will ride on their coat tails and will reap the benefits of their interest in the IF.

As I side note, when I visited the AP my guide was exactly like Robert's.  And his point regarding the time constraints of most foreign tourists means that most guides aren't interested in the AP.

BobG

25

The Alexander Palace / Re: Right Wing of Alexander Palace

« on: March 13, 2011, 01:27:28 PM »

Joanna,
If we can help with the translations, Let us know.  I'm sure others would be glad to help as they did on  the original.  I think everyone appreciated how much we learned from them.  The right wing has always been a mystery and would be wonderful to learn more about it.
BobG

26

The Alexander Palace / Re: Right Wing of Alexander Palace

« on: March 06, 2011, 09:17:16 AM »

Joanna,
Any chance of doing a translation of Volume II like we did for Volume 1?  It certainly was appreciated by most here.

I didn't even know there was a Volume II!

BobG

27

The Alexander Palace / Re: Alexander Palace Restoration

« on: February 06, 2011, 10:28:39 AM »

When I went to St Petersburg in 2002, I had to force my travel company to include the AP on my visit to Tsarskoye Selo.  The guide knew practically nothing about the palace or its inhabitants.  And yet, I believe it had been a really popular attraction when it first opened as a museum. I think if the restoration is down properly, this will become a very popular attraction.  After all, it is the home of a family of Russian Orthodox saints as well as the last of the Tsars.
BobG

28

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Palace of GDss Xenia Aleksandrovna

« on: January 06, 2011, 09:48:38 PM »

Dear xirbis,
You are absolutely right, and I don't know how I labeled this as Xenia's palace.  No wonder I had such a hard time figuring out the rooms.  Thanx for setting me straight!

I wonder if anyone does have a floorplan of Xenia's Palace?


BobG

29

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Palace of GDss Xenia Aleksandrovna

« on: January 05, 2011, 06:19:45 AM »

I'm not sure where I got this floorplan of Xenia's palace, but could anyone help identify the rooms that have their photos posted above?

BobG

30

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: The Grand Dukes, Volume 1

« on: November 27, 2010, 08:44:41 AM »

I have received my copy of The Grand Dukes, but with the holidays have not read it.  I have however, scanned it and enjoyed the photos most of which are new to me. 

However, I have been unable to locate a listing of the people appearing on the balcony with N&A on the cover.  This is probably a well known photo, but I would love someone to help me identify them all.

By asking this, I have now probably exposed myself as a lukewarm and uninformed Romanov fan.   Oh, well, hopefully my fervent Romanovophiles will be able to help me.

Thanx.
BobG