The Romanovs in documentaries (screenshots), on stamps and on rubles

[Angie_H]

The family were avid picture takers, did they ever make films? I've read that during their engagement Nicholas & Alexandra were filmed while visiting Queen Victoria. I have seen ones of the coronation and even one of the children running on the deck of the Standart but are there any others?
Angie

[Janet Whitcomb]

Yes, some very self-conscious footage was taken at Balmoral during Alix and Nicky's visit to Queen Victoria; it's the kind of thing where the photographer obviously said, "Okay everyone, move around because this is a moving picture!"  The figures are in the distance, but you can obviously pick out Queen Victoria, sitting in her carriage, as well as Alix in her very proper Victorian lady suit, and various and assorted other relatives.

According to Penny Wilson, elsewhere on this forum, a tremendous amount of film footage exists at the Hoover Institute.

You'll see much of the same footage used in most of the documentaries re: the Romanovs, but every now and then something different will be used.  

[Ilana]

Have seen that film that you're talking about, Janet, and think it's hilarious.  They are just meandering around to the camera...and you're absolutely right, someone was undoubtedly shouting (respectfully of course) walk around, walk around.

[Lisa]

Angie,
There is a documentary film in France called "Les Aigles Foudroyés:Chronique de la chute des grands empires"(the Struck down Eagles:Chronic of the fall of the great empires) by Frederic Miterrand.Tere is only films of time, images of files and photographs! The
passage to Balmoral is there and it is rather pitorresque!
If you have the occasion to see it or buy it: does not
hesitate any second!!!

[Lisa]

OOps!   It's Frédéric Mitterrand (with two"T" and two"R").

[rvinson]

Has anyone seen any film footage of Ella? I had an old documentary of WWI, and watching it again today, saw her on it in a short clip of a procession of Russian royalty. She was garbed in the particular habit you see her wearing in many photos.

[ashanti01]

I don't think there is any footage of Ella besides the one where she is in her nun's outfit in procession with the Imperial Family, but even that is only a second or two, not a very long clip.

[grandduchessella]

I think that's it unless she can be made out in any film footage of NII's coronation. There was a documentary put out on Ella by an Orthodox group and it used still photos to narrate it so if there was more live footage I think it would've been used, especially as they had pretty good access.

[bluetoria]

I've seen two very short 'bits' one of which is probably the one you described - she is walking (very quickly) next to one of the Grand Duchesses (Maria?) down some steps onto a balcony; & a the second one is when the IF are walking along a road looking v. happy - Alix is smiling - & surrounded by crowds. Ella, again in her nun's habit, is walking slightly behind them - looking v. tall & with her head down! - next to a tall man in uniform. Unfortunately, when you pause the brief shot to try to make out all the faces, the clip becomes blurred.

[rvinson]

The clip I have, from the WWI documentary - "The Guns of August", shows her walking in pairs with other notables of the Russian court. It's close enough to see that it's her. She's wearing a solid white habit that exposes only her face.  It could be the one you described, where she's walking down steps. The only other person I recognize in the short clip is Nicholas's very tall uncle, who commanded the Russian army for a time during WWI.

[Candice]

I haven't seen any footage of Ella and would love to see one no matter how short.

[bluetoria]

The bits that I've taped from TV came from two separate programmes. One was called (I think) "The Kaiser" (that's the one that shows them going down the balcony...The other (walking along the road) was (I BELIEVE) a documentary about Rasputin simply called 'Rasputin' - just telling you in case they ever come on TV again ! I wish there were more too. It seems so strange seeing them moving and alive...

[bluetoria]

The only other person I recognize in the short clip is Nicholas's very tall uncle, who commanded the Russian army for a time during WWI.

I wonder if this is a different one (a third one!). The one I saw when she's with the tall man doesn't (I don't think :-/) look like GD Nicholas & that isn't the war one either...They're outside on a sunny day & everyone looks v. happy. On the one at the outbrwak of war she is with her nieces & they're under a sort of pillared roof, high up on a very long balcony. (I'm not very good at describing these am I  )

[helenazar]

What about the clip during the Romanov Tricentennial celebrations, where Ella is walking in the royal procession on her nun's habit. This is the same one where Alexei is being carried by his sailor because he still couldn't walk from the Spala incident..

[bluetoria]

A fourth one, perhaps??