Where is Alexandra's coronation dress?

[yolanda]

Hello All 

Can anyone tell me any information about Alexandra's coronation dress , did it survive the revolution. 
 Also if anyone has picture's of the dress, that you would like to share with me...it would be much appreciated..

Kindest Regards

Yolanda

[Thomas_Hesse]

The dress has survived indeed! It is in a museum in Moscow as far as I know. There is a photo of it in that forum.... don't recall where. It is golden and from the times when she was still quite slender

[Sarushka]

[Michael HR]

Fabulous to know that it survived the revolution when so much else was lost. I really have to go to Russia as there is so much to see and my trip get longer every time I see information on the forum.

[Lisa]

The dress has survived indeed! It is in a museum in Moscow as far as I know.

In the Armoury Museum in the Kremlin in Moscow, with all other Russian  regalia and coronations gowns of the Emperors/Empresses...

[tom_romanov]

would Alexandra's weight at the coronation be the same as when she died? because i think with all the stress she was under at both events?

thanks
tom

[yolanda]

  Wow, thank you for the pictures Sarushka, it's great to see the dress survived and its been preserved in a museum, Alexandra looks stunning in the bottom left  picture, with her glorious jewels, she was truly a beautiful Empress... looking closely at the pictures  that Sarushka posted, they look like two different dresses.....by far they look like the same dress, just the three strips of gold lace missing down the front of the dress, hummmmmmmmm,   ... Also does anyone know if  there any paintings commissioned of the day ??

 She was young and slender at the time of the coronation but I think around the time she died Tom, she would have been thin as the family would have been on food rations and limited exercise, and like you said Tom, the stress Alexandra would have been under ( one can only imagine). The pictures I have seen from around that time, she looked like she had given up with her health more worried about her children, but I cant see Alexandra being the same weight as when she was coronated.

I'm going to Russia, one day! 

[tom_romanov]

thanks yolanda 

[Thomas_Hesse]

But to be honest: the gown she is wearing in the litography of the coronation lokks totally different from the actualy dress. Perhaps the one in the museum is the wedding dress?
The coronation gown seems to be white with only some golden lines on it. The other one is completely golden?

[ImperialxTwilight]

I was thinking the same thing. Although Alix was very slender at the time, I believe the coronation did not take place until 1896, meaning she would have already given birth to Olga. The gold dress looks too tiny to hold the body of a woman who's given birth. Of course, sometimes women loose their weight from babies quickly, but even so. It also does not look as regal, and considering the wedding was obviously a little more private than the coronation, there would be less reason to look absolutely regal.

[tom_romanov]

hmm  that would make sense Thomas_Hesse & Brittany Catherine.

the wedding dress was described as 'silver tissue' and Alix would've worn fake ringlets. so this could picture could be of the wedding ( the one one sarushka posted before- "http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/tom_romanov/AF1896cloak.jpg". it also lloks like she's waering the nuptial crown

[Lisa]

I do not agree with you... I saw the dress in real, it's is not so tiny. The dress is made of brocade, silver and golden threads, beads and lace. Moreover, the museum keeps the bill for this dress and it's really the coronation dress. There was a competition for the design of the dress (I has a link to a Russian page, but I lost it... and I don't know if it still exists...)
In my opinion, this is the drawing which is "fake", it's based on the painting by Galkin about 1894-95: http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/Lisettelacousette/Robe%20de%20cour%20russe/?action=view&current=1894Galkin_AlexandraFedorovn.jpg

The same dress as in the famous session: http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/Lisettelacousette/Robe%20de%20cour%20russe/?action=view&current=1894CAlix1.jpg



Here is a portrait of Alix in her coronation dress:
http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa86/Lisettelacousette/Robe%20de%20cour%20russe/?action=view&current=1895cMakovskiyK_PtAleksFed1A620.jpg

[tom_romanov]

oh  thanks for clearing that up Lisa 

[Robert_Hall]

I agree with Lisa, as I have seen it as well. The metals are a bit tarnished from age, but it is recognisable. The 1903 Ball costume is also on display in the Kremlin.
 I think the wedding dress is kept at the Hermitage, but only on display  in a rotation. The fabrics, although costly, are very fragile and sensitive to light, dust, temp. etc. It is a tribute to the curators who  preserved them through all the turmoil of the past century.

[Halinka]

I have a picture of the dress at the mesuam if anyone want's to see it -sweat-