Author Topic: A little help please!  (Read 111874 times)

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Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #75 on: April 14, 2014, 10:42:07 PM »
Barry Lewis english translation of Dad's writing on back of photos is:
1) Usov Family 1910 [?] c-715 [?]

Top

From left to right > my pat..[unclear word], Dmitry, my father,

his twin Alexandr, my grandfather below, my uncle Konstantin, Anastasia, my grandmother Maria,

below: from left, my uncle Fedor, Anna, my

goodmother [?](probably Godmother), Anastasia, Sergei, and my Grandmother

2) Russia

Estate of Ivanovskoe of Yaroslavskaya Province

Where I was born in the room

Top right-hand window


Also: Photo of my Grandfather Nicholas (My Fathers's father)



Very interesting information you have very kindly helped so much. Thank you.

I will also post photo of book showing cataloguing from Estate House. My brother will ask Dad if he can photograph it.





« Last Edit: April 14, 2014, 11:10:01 PM by missmoldavite365 »
Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #76 on: April 14, 2014, 11:26:16 PM »
I also have a 1906 Russian Bond. It in itself is not worth anything really but the history behind who purchased it is of historical interest, according to my Father, who gave it to me many years ago. I think it also might have come out of that book from the Estate where he was born?...maybe/maybe not....

I am now wondering if this is also another link to our Russian family....could certainly prove worth looking into...

Records are apparently kept in the Kremlin according to back Office Bonds - Societe Generale whom I also contacted many years ago in relation to its history.

I did check with a retired Romanov lawer who lived in Sydney, (on Victoria Road, he owns/ed a gymn and lived on the upper 2 levels)....he said he could go to Russia and access the records but that I would need a family tree to prove who WE were first.  I asked Dad and then he clammed up and changed his story and thats when apparently the family tree became missing.

 :-\



Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #77 on: April 15, 2014, 01:21:39 AM »
Some aspects are puzzling to me....Dad purchased a ceremonial sword that had belonged to the Tsars Brother, Michael many years ago in Sydney.

I wasn't sure and playing the family detective and historian,  I checked out one of the Romanov Sites and I recognised it quite by chance there happened to be an article about it. I contacted the sites owner and asked about it. I then asked my father how he came to know what it was - he said that he had recognised it from his early life, but that the seller of the sword did not know what he had. (I have suggested that he upon his death, instruct the sword to go back to Russia). Scratching my head as for him to have known about and and have seen it in his younger years - he would have had to of been born much earlier?!

The other thing is that my Mother maintains that Father gave an incorrect date of age to be able to get entry into Australia and that he was some 10 years older than the age he had given. Apparently it was because there was an age restriction - if you were over a certain age they would not accept you in as you were deemed to not be able to support yourself.

I then asked my Father if he had a birth certificate from Russia. He said no, because of where he was born and who he was, everyone knew about it. I asked him if he had any documentation at all to prove who he was. He said that he had placed some jars of russian soil along with his documents into a suitcase back ion those years before he exited Russia and had put them on a boat. He then travelled separately; ie not on the boat, to go and retrieve them at the other end. When he got there he said the Germans and I am assuming it must have the been the High Command  had taken possesion of his suitcase and were walking off with it as he arrived to get it out - so he was never able to retrieve it. I mentioned this particular aspect to the Lawer in 2009 when I went to see him.

The other thing is he says he and his family would holiday at Yalta in summertime, and that it was the place where Stalin, Rooselvelt, and Churchill. He also has mentioned the Yelagin- which is the Alexander Palace. So maybe then he is not a Usov but that he took on that name to get out of Russia, which is indeed what he said when I asked him.

I wonder if he was from some other family and was placed with the Usov family? Noble families in Europe did do this type of thing...This could explain things somewhat.

IF its true that he is much older then this is truly amazing, that would make him 100 or so years old! even if though he is t 95 he is still amazing! Still sound in body, mind and spirit...still driving, shopping and doing all the things an 80 year old would do if in good health!

All in all its been an excrutiatingly difficult thing to piece together and we are not done yet... I'm wondering now if it might be a very good idea to see if he would permit Barry Lewis to come and speak with him. Often a person who is specialist can ask the right questions and shed light on things. I will ask my brother to see if it can be done.

Thanks again for being a good man and helping us out.

 :-*




Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline Превед

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #78 on: April 15, 2014, 04:51:40 AM »
I'm glad to help and glad that your father is in such good health, in his very old age.

and the photos of the crests he made us.




The upper one is no doubt the arms of the Yaroslavskaya Guberniya, but the second one looks odd to me. I am more likely to believe it's a falcon, rather than an eagle. (BTW a downwards falcon is the alleged arms of the early Rurikid dynasty and as such a likely inspiration for the modern tryzub arms of Ukraina.) I have never seen any traditional Russian arms that look like this, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's some recent, municipal arms.

Have you shown your father the picture from Ivanovo-Rudakovo to see if he recognizes it?

Some aspects are puzzling to me....Dad purchased a ceremonial sword that had belonged to the Tsars Brother, Michael many years ago in Sydney.

I wasn't sure and playing the family detective and historian,  I checked out one of the Romanov Sites and I recognised it quite by chance there happened to be an article about it. I contacted the sites owner and asked about it.

Why don't you show it to us and I'm sure the military experts here will verify that it's just the ceremonial sword of some lowly Tsarist officer.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2014, 05:21:10 AM by Превед »
Берёзы севера мне милы,—
Их грустный, опущённый вид,
Как речь безмолвная могилы,
Горячку сердца холодит.

(Афанасий Фет: «Ивы и берёзы», 1843 / 1856)

Offline Превед

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #79 on: April 15, 2014, 05:07:25 AM »

Also: Photo of my Grandfather Nicholas (My Fathers's father)



You should ask Mike, the resident Imperial military expert if he can identify your grandfather's rank and service branch from his uniform.
Берёзы севера мне милы,—
Их грустный, опущённый вид,
Как речь безмолвная могилы,
Горячку сердца холодит.

(Афанасий Фет: «Ивы и берёзы», 1843 / 1856)

Offline Mike

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #80 on: April 15, 2014, 05:29:29 AM »
Might try, but from a much larger image.

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #81 on: April 19, 2014, 04:10:20 AM »
Thank you for being so kind, so relieved,  was concerned as to what might happen when I spoke up.

I will do my best to be able to place some photos of the sword. Dad was well known at the Antique Fairs in Sydney for many years for his expertise regarding swords and russian icons. He also had a good friend who owns/ed a shop called "Tsarinas" in Sydney.

I also was informed that for many years the Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Strathfield paid my father many visits, probably still does.

From memory dad said that the lady from Sothebys here in Australia came to see him many years ago and photographed his collection for a book about the Romanov collection to go on sale. She later then went to work in London at the Sotheby's office there. I do not know her name, was just informed by my father about it. She actually went to his home to meet with him to discuss. Apparently she was amazed. She may be the best bet at the moment regarding verifying the sword because as it stands today my elder brothers are not yet in alignment with me in being a team...sharing this information. I am in the bad books, for speaking up, about a number of things. Put it that way.

I do admit for making some errors of judgement in the past but hey you learn form your mistakes. Unfortunate situation, I have asked for forgiveness and am putting a prayer out that good will prevail. I think there is probably a good deal of fear around it for them as well which they have got from Dad, due to his circumstances and what happened to him.

Yes, I did pass on via email your links you gave me and explained to please show dad and ask if some items could be photographed. I am not certain that my brother will be able to do this and whether he will in fact pass it on either. It can be difficult at times to be able to speak with Dad privately as his german wife is very very protective of him, understandably, but it does create a problem at times.

Barry Lewis was emailed the other day to ask if he was open to coming for a visit to sit with my Dad and talk with him about his history but my brother was not in agreement. There is a concern on his part that Dad would be interrogated and he doesn't want Dad to feel that way. Neither do I. We have learnt in past situations with Dad that the best way is to be relaxed and cheeful and positive and thats when he opens up.

As it turns out Barry Lewis is just about to go overseas anyway on a large project.

However, time is marching on and the day will come when he is no longer with us and it would be a good thing if, in a comfortable and happy situation where he felt ok to discuss at some length with someone trustworthy, and not be hassled. I'm working on it but if you have any ideas please do share with me. One thing I though of is if someone wrote him a letter asking for his input on that period in history and his thoughts if he might participate. :-\

Larger photo of my Grandfather:







« Last Edit: April 19, 2014, 04:36:17 AM by missmoldavite365 »
Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #82 on: April 19, 2014, 04:48:23 AM »
Photos of maps with Dads journey during wartime years:(apologies they are so big but its hard to see the writing when its smaller).

Strelna - 1941-42, then to Narva 1942-43
Narva to Libau 1944-45 (crossing water)
Libau across the Baltic to Swene ?- ? (unreadable word looks like "monde")...Germany then Austria to Berlin/Dresden.




« Last Edit: April 19, 2014, 04:58:24 AM by missmoldavite365 »
Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline Mike

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #83 on: April 19, 2014, 05:45:57 AM »
Larger photo of my Grandfather:
Still not large enough to see the shoulder boards. Should be at least x3. Try scanning only the informative part of the image at a higher resolution.

Offline Превед

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #84 on: April 19, 2014, 05:53:26 AM »
Libau across the Baltic to Swene ?- ? (unreadable word looks like "monde")...Germany then Austria to Berlin/Dresden.

No doubt Swinemünde / Świnoujście, the port of Stettin / Szczecin.
Берёзы севера мне милы,—
Их грустный, опущённый вид,
Как речь безмолвная могилы,
Горячку сердца холодит.

(Афанасий Фет: «Ивы и берёзы», 1843 / 1856)

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #85 on: April 27, 2014, 01:32:04 PM »
Created a bigger version - doesn't seem to be working...here is the direct link to the Flkr account....if this is still not big enough I will go to photolab place here at Coffs and get them to do it. Let me know. Thank you.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122703004@N04/13863037725/sizes/l
« Last Edit: April 27, 2014, 01:35:05 PM by missmoldavite365 »
Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline missmoldavite365

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #86 on: April 27, 2014, 05:59:29 PM »
PS> I don't suppose that golden falcon on the crest is anything to do with Malta?
Ничто когда-либо действительно не умирает - это только преобразовывает.

Offline Превед

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #87 on: April 27, 2014, 06:14:38 PM »
PS> I don't suppose that golden falcon on the crest is anything to do with Malta?

No. As I said it a downwards eagle is in Russian heraldry linked with Rurik and the Rurikides / Rurikovichi.
See http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%8E%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA#.D0.9E.D0.B1.D0.BE.D0.B4.D1.80.D0.B8.D1.82.D1.8B.2C_.D1.82.D0.B0.D0.BA.D0.B6.D0.B5_.D0.B8.D0.BC.D0.B5.D0.BD.D1.83.D0.B5.D0.BC.D1.8B.D0.B5_.D1.80.D0.B5.D1.80.D0.B5.D0.B3.D0.B0.D0.BC.D0.B8
and http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%A0%D1%8E%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%B9


Two crossed golden axes rather makes you think of Norway (St. Olav's golden axe in the national arms and numerous provincial arms).

With your great interest in genetics I suppose you know about the fascinating Rurikid Dynasty DNA poject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurikid_dynasty#Genetic_studies_of_Rurikids

Oh and BTW a coat of arms is not a crest. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms for an illustrated explanation.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2014, 06:32:30 PM by Превед »
Берёзы севера мне милы,—
Их грустный, опущённый вид,
Как речь безмолвная могилы,
Горячку сердца холодит.

(Афанасий Фет: «Ивы и берёзы», 1843 / 1856)

Offline Mike

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #88 on: April 28, 2014, 10:20:29 AM »
Created a bigger version
Now it's much better. The photo shows, most probably, a cadet of the Vladimirskoye Officer School in St.Petersburg [юнкер Владимирского военного училища]. The period seems to be 1915-1917.

Offline Mike

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Re: A little help please!
« Reply #89 on: April 30, 2014, 10:43:54 AM »
To Susannah:
It's turned out that the above photo of Nikolay Usov and several other images of the Usov family were published in the Russian book Костюм и мода Российской империи. Эпоха Николая II [Costume and Fashion of the Russian Empire. The Nicholas II Period] (2013), by Dr. Olga Khoroshilov of St. Petersburg. You may contact her, if you wish, for more details: iskusstvomag@gmail.com, kitiart@mail.ru