Alexandra's Private Chapel

[jfkhaos]

Granted it was off of the bedroom for Alexandra's use, but did any of the family use the room as well, or was it exclusively for Alexandra's use only?  

For those of you who have been in the palace, is the chapel even there anymore, even an entrance?  I am trying to get an idea of how large (or small) the room was, but when I have seen current pictures, it looks as if that huge black and white picture of the room would completely cover any trace of the room.

I get the feeling that this would have been a main target for vandalism etc, given the hatred against Alexandra.  I welcome anyone's ideas.  Thanks!

[nigbil]

I've posted the ground plan again because I cannot see any reference on it to Alexandra's private chapel or anywhere where it could have been given you say it was close to the bedroom. Unless it was upstairs......
Can anyone else help?

[jfkhaos]

Thank you for responding!  From what I understand, Alexandra's private chapel was accessible through her bedroom....anyone have any other additional information?

[BobG]

I believe the Chapel was really part of the Imperial Bedroom.  In the section on the Imperial Bedroom in the AP site, it says

"To the right of the bed Alexandra had a small prayer chapel with a bible and ikons set into the corner. A votive light was kept burning here as well. The Empress spent long hours here praying for her son, Aleksey, who suffered from hemophilia, and for the protection of her husband. She kept her candles and other religious supplies tucked away in cabinets in the chapel. Priests came to the chapel to hear the confession of the Tsar, Tsaritsa and their family in the bedroom."

I think the term Chapel is referring to a location where Alix could pray, not a separate room.  The pictures of the Imperial Bedroom show the many Ikons and the votive lamps that were constantly kept burning.  It is possible the Alix used draperies to separate the "Chapel" area, but that's unclear in the text about the Imperial Bedroom.

Bob G

[Ortino]

In the Nicholas and Alexandra Exhibition book, they have a picture of the "prayer corner" as they call it. It is in the bedroom and has drapes in the same fabric as in the rest of the room so it can be closed off. It looks really simplistic, there's a few ikons and pictures in there and what appears to be an altar. I can't really tell where in the bedroom it is, since there's nothing but a few pieces of furniture in front of it to use as reference. It appears though to be on the right wall.

[nigbil]

This is what their bedroom looked like and you can just see behind the drapes a bed and icons on the wall (I believe I read that there were about 300 or so). To the left seems to be an enclosed area (in drapes too) which I would guess is the 'private chapel' to which we are all referring.
This is what it looks like today. The bed is in the wrong place (its on the left hand wall not the back wall) but you get a good idea of the icons.

[hikaru]

Originally there were more than 700 icons in the bed-room.

[geglov3]

Спасибо Джоан, очень интересный рисунок, думаю первое пробное изображение "Шапель".

Thanks to Joann, a very interesting picture, I think the first test image of "Chapelle".

http://pushkin-history.info/component/option,com_datsogallery/Itemid,143/func,detail/catid,335/id,6680/