Messages

301

Other Palaces / Re: Gatchina Palace

« on: September 29, 2005, 05:52:42 AM »

Svetabel,
Thanks for the title.  Sounds like it was published in Russia and will be a hard book to find here in the USA.  
So we'll look forward to your posting more pictures for us to see.  Thanks for the information and the photos.  Hope to see more soon!
Bob

302

Other Palaces / Re: Gatchina Palace

« on: September 26, 2005, 08:05:06 AM »

Svetabel,
What wonderful pictures of the private rooms of Gatchina!
It makes me hope you have more to post.  Do you have any of the drawing or dining rooms of MA & AIII?  Any additional posts would be much appreciated.
It is always fascinating to see how the Imperial family lived privately as opposed to the ornate and sumptious public spaces they inherited from their ancestors.
By the way, can you tell us where you found these wonderful historical photos?
Bob G

303

The Alexander Palace / Re: September 16-17, 2005, Photos of AP

« on: September 23, 2005, 12:47:54 PM »

Scott,
MORE, MORE, MORE!  These are wonderful pictures and I'm sure I'm not alone in asking for MORE.   Have you thought of posting all your wonderful pictures(if the ones you've posted here are an example) of your trip on some photoviewing web site so we could see them all.  If that's too much to ask, please, please keep posting.  These and the arsenal are fabulous!  I envy you your trip.
Bob G

304

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

« on: September 22, 2005, 11:43:53 AM »

Mike,
You proved my point.  What wonderful history of these buildings and your connection to them.  It is these kind of fascinating stories that we would never hear about without you and others sharing so much.  Thanks again.
Bob

305

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

« on: September 22, 2005, 07:45:41 AM »

It really makes no difference since we're talking about the same building, but the mansion was usually listed in pre-1917 sources at 1, Millionnaya St., therefore I referred to that side as "front".

Mike,
I hope you don't think I was debating or questioning your information.  I was merely pointing out that buildings often have several addresses and while we may have seen pictures on the Palace Embankment side, there is another address on the Millionaya side.
I know you are one of our most reliable sources of information and I would never contradict you, but only try to add some clarifying information that might be of interest.
Bob

306

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

« on: September 21, 2005, 08:08:30 AM »

Brian,
Yes, that is the mansion that I was referring to.  And I understand it to be Peter's home before he moved to Sergeievskaya.
Your picture is taken from the view described by Mike and gives another perspective of the building.  Just to clarify Mike's description: the side of the building on the right side of your picture is the Palace Embankment facade facing the Neva.  Most of the houses on the Palace Embankment have addresses on the other side of the building as well. so I'm not sure which one I would consider the "front".
Thanks for a different view of the Oldenburg mansion.

Point of clarification: I think I once read that only the homes of the Imperial family were referred to as "Palaces" in Russia.  All other homes were referred to as "Mansions."  Can anyone confirm this, and should the forum, for the sake of historical accuracy, adopt this policy?  

Bob G

307

News Links / Re: ATTENTION RESEARCHERS:

« on: September 05, 2005, 05:10:12 AM »

Do you think the library has a web site?
It would be wonderful to visit it virtually.
If anyone knows of a link, please post.
Thanx.
BobG

308

Palaces in St. Petersburg / Re: Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir

« on: August 29, 2005, 06:24:59 AM »

The front of the palace is on the Palace Quay, 26 on the Neva.
The rear of the palace with its service wing is on Millionaires Street.
Bob G

309

Imperial Russian History / Re: The Okhrana

« on: August 27, 2005, 06:09:20 AM »

There is an excellent little museum in Petersburg almost opposite the admiralty, in Dzerzhinsky's former office, which tells the story of the Secret Police from the Okhrana through to the KGB.  It has pix, uniforms, documents and oddities (signed letters by Cambridge Five etc.) but is unfortunately rather poorly known.

Does anyone know the location of the museum tobik mentioned?  
I have read in Serge Obolensky's book that his family bought a House with attached Apartment building on Mitmimskaya (Mytninskaya Nab) embankment on the Neva.
He describes it as next to Czarist secret Police. Former home of Prince of Oldenburg which was later turned into an orphanage.
I wondered if this is the location of the museum as I have not heard of the secret police located anywhere by Fontaka 16.
Any help on the location of the museum or the location about which Obolensky is referring would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob G

310

Their World and Culture / Re: St Petersburg Yacht Club

« on: August 23, 2005, 06:15:55 AM »

Thanks, all!  I apologize for not having done a better search before I posted.
Bob

311

Their World and Culture / St Petersburg Yacht Club

« on: August 23, 2005, 05:37:07 AM »

I have read many references to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in biographies and histories of Imperial Russia.  Many of the Romanovs refused to visit it because it was a place where "radical" ideas were discussed and too much unpleasant gossip was allowed to go on.
Does anyone know where the Yacht Club was located?
And even, more difficult, does anyone have a picture of it, or a link to a site that might?
Any information on it would be appreciated.
BobG

312

Servants, Friends and Retainers / Re: Count Petr Nikolaevitch Apraksin (1876-1962),secretary of Empress Alexandra

« on: August 14, 2005, 08:22:01 AM »

AlexP,
My questions about the availability of the Count's memoirs was more general.  I certainly would not pursue them personally, but I think for a true historian/biographer of Nicholas or Alexandra Feodorovna this would be a something that might add to our understanding of their lives and be worth pursuing.

It was somewhat surprising for me to read about the memoirs in de Robein's book as I had never heard of Count Apraxin.  I was using this forum to see if his memoirs had ever surfaced and if others knew of them.

I am a Romanov enthusiast, but hardly a valid historian/biographer, and if the Apraxin memoirs still exist, I leave it to them to pursue it.

I would think that with the great interest in the Romanovs (for example the huge crowds I encountered at the Newark museum for the recent exhibit At home with the Last Tsar) the family may want to pursue publishing his memoirs themselves, and that is something it might be worth passing on to the family.

Maybe some historians on this discussion board like Greg King or Penny Wilson, or a publisher like Eruohistory might like to pursue this.

Thanks for your reply.
BobG

313

Servants, Friends and Retainers / Re: Count Petr Nikolaevitch Apraksin (1876-1962),secretary of Empress Alexandra

« on: August 13, 2005, 10:03:44 AM »

Dear AlexP,
This is really a very informative history and the fact that Count Piotr Apraxine managed to get to Belgium in a first class train car may mean his memoirs survived.  I wonder if any of his family know of them or if they were left to any archive in Belgium.  I would think historians would love to get their hands on his eyewitness account.  I'm surprised they were never published!
Hopefully, Hikaru can give us more information on their palace on Millionaya Street.
Thanks again for the detailed information.
BobG

314

Russian Noble Families / Re: The Bagrations

« on: August 13, 2005, 04:55:57 AM »

Prince Constantine Bragation (b at Tiflis 2 Mar 1889) married Princess Tatiana Constantinva (b at St Petersburg 11 Jan 1890; d at Jerusalem 28 Aug 1979) at Pavlovsk, St Petersburg 24 Aug 1911. His rank as Georgian dynast informally confirmed by Nicholas II 1911 at the time of his marriage in order that Tatiana's marriage be considered "equal," although she still had to renounced her rights of succession to the Russian Throne. He died in the war at Yaroslav, nr Lemberg (Russia Galicia, now Poland) 19 May 1915;  Tatiana Professed Religious 1946, Abbess and Superior of the Orthodox Convent of the Mount of Olives.  There is a long discussion of the objections to Tatiana marrying a Bragation and the final resolution (with Maria Feodorovna's influencing Nicholas II to recognize the Georgian line of the Bargrations) in Inside the Marble Palace by her brother Gavril.
Bob G

315

Servants, Friends and Retainers / Re: Count Petr Nikolaevitch Apraksin (1876-1962),secretary of Empress Alexandra

« on: August 13, 2005, 04:40:18 AM »

I have just finished Louis de Robien's The Diary of a Diplomat in Russia. in it he writes on Friday June 14, 1918:
" I spent the latter part of the evening a the Gorchakov's, where I stayed until dawn listening to Count Apraxin reading his memoirs; he was on the personal staff of the Empress, and he wrote memoirs day by day during the tragic times which he spent at her side at Tsarskoye Selo.  It was very interesting."

This thread is the only reference to him that I have found on this Discussion board.  Does anyone know more about him?  Were his memoirs ever published?  Are they lost in some archive somewhere?  If he really was Alexandra's secretary, he would have a unique perspective to relate.
Any information would be appreciated on Count Apraxin.
BobG