Fortress of St Peter and Paul, their final wishes?

[James_Davidov]

I know that tradition dictated that the Imperial family be buried at the fortress of P&P, but I read somewhere (possibly in Nicholas and Alexandra) that due to the state of the royal tombs at P&P, which were prone to flooding and rats, that the Imperial Family had decided not to be buried there.  Can someone shed any light on the issue??

[jackie3]

If I remember right from Massie: Romanov's: The Final Chapter book there was some political wrangling over who would get the Romanovs (Ekaterinburg wanted them too IIRC) but the decision was made for the P&P fortress. Personally I think it would have been more more moving if they had been buried in Livadia (which they loved more than any other place and where they wanted to be "exiled" to) or their own church the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Tasarksoe Selo/Pushkin.

[James_Davidov]

Yeah, I agree Jackie, Livadia or Tarsarkoe Selo would have been more personal and sentimental than St P&P, despite it being traditional.  Going back to their wishes, I remember something to do with plans for a church or something, it must have been referring to Feodorovsky.  I went to try to search through my copy of N&A to find the reference, but I have lent it to a mate’s sister .  I was thinking about examples where Nicholas broke with tradition, and I couldn’t find many.  Cases such as his coronation, where he wished to wear ancient styled robes, but bowed to the pressure of tradition, are plentiful.  This leads me to question if Nicholas would dare make such a decision as not to be buried at St P&P, where every Romanov Emperor had been laid to rest…

P.S>
The thought that the IF could have been buried at Ekaterinburg is disturbing, it may have been the place of their deaths, but it should never have been considered their final resting place.  Anyway, since that never panned out, back to the topic…  

[olga]

If only the Tsar, Tsarista and Tsarevich had been left in Russia (in the event of no revolution), then they should have been buried in the Pyotr i Pavel Krepost. But Livadia seems more fitting.

[James_Davidov]

Whats the Pyotr i Pavel Krepost??....

[Dashkova]

Whats the Pyotr i Pavel Krepost??....

Peter and Paul Fortress, (St. Petersburg).

[BobAtchison]

Alexandra hated Peter and Paul Fortress "the cold family vault" she calls it....  Nicholas was well aware of the terrible conditions of flooding and freezes in the vaults which were a mess even then.

I think they were considering the Feodorovsky Sobor as an alternative - at least for the girls if they remained in Russia.  The crypt has a specific place for some tombs to be placed.  It's hard to imagine this space being intended for someone outside the family.

Bob

[Robert_Hall]

I am a bit muddled here, and probably too busy- or lazy- to look it up, but is that where Rasputin was buried ?
Best,
Robert

[Forum Admin]

Rasputin was buried underneath the never completed church Alexandra and Anna V. were building near the Feodorovski. His body was exhumed by the Provisional Government, moved, then burned with the ashes scattered in a forest...

[Robert_Hall]

Yes, I remembered the dis-internment. Is there anything at all left of the little church and was it to be dedicated to anyone in particular ?  I am wondering if it was to be "Rasputin specfic" for lack of better words.
Best,
Robert

[Georgiy]

I am not sure if it is the one you mean, but the Fedorovsky Church fell into a huge state of disrepair after the revolution, though in a photo I saw of it, you can make out the icon of the Mother of God over the entrance still.  The Fedorovsky church is (was) dedicated to the Theotokos (Mother of God), and is named after an icon of her (called fedorovskaia) which had great significance for the Romanov family.

[BobAtchison]

I think we are confusing the hospital church of Anna Vyrubova where Rasputin was laid to rest and the Feodorovski Sobor.  They are two different churches.

[Belochka]

The only correct burial place for Russia's last Imperial Family was always the same location as for all of the previous Emperors and their consorts - inside the Petropavlovski' Sobor

This was Imperial tradition and custom.

While Livadia is an attractive idyll, it can only be viewed as a fanciful notion.

[BobAtchison]

Belochka:

Yes, this is true, but so much was changing - it is hard to know what would have happened in the end.  One expects Nicholas would have followed family tradition and his wife would have wanted to be with him.

At the same time he appears to be hedging his bets with the Feodorovski Sobor and it's crypt.  I have always felt it is a better and more honorable place for them today than Peter and Paul.

Bob

[Dominic_Albanese]

Bob: - You've mentioned in the past the terrible condition the crypts (in the St. Peter & St. Paul Fotress) are in.  With the impending burial of Empress Maria, do you know of any renovation plans to try and correct the problem?  

I believe I read that the crypt that N&A were buried in had a waterproof (it looked like plastic) liner in it.

Has anyone heard anything about trying to correct the flooding problem in the crypts?

dca