Maria Feodorovna's regiments

[JamesAPrattIII]

The Dowager Empress Maria F was the honorary Colonel of a number of regiments here is a list of them:
11th HIH Maria Feodorovna Siberian Rifle regiment 3rd Siberian rifle division IV Siberian corps
Her Supreme majesty Empress Maria Feodovrvna Chevalier Guards regiment 1st guards cavalry division
Her Supreme majesty Empress Maria feodorvrna Life-Guards Cuirassier regiment 1st guards Cavalry division
Her Supreme Majesty Empress Maria Feodorvna Life guards Lancer regiment 2nd guards cavalry division
2nd Her Supreme Majesty Empress Maria fedorvna life Pskov Dragoons 2nd cavalry division
11th Her Supreme majesty Empress Maria Feodrvna Chugnev lancers 11th cavalry division
and a charity:
Empress Maria Feodorvna Maria Home for Widows
I hope this of some interest.

[blessOTMA]

James, that's amazing. Was it unsual for member of the Imperial family to have so many?

[JamesAPrattIII]

Nicholas Alexandra and Alexei were honorary commanders of a number of regiments ect the i will be posting over the next few weeks. Being a Dowager Empress and living in Russia a number of years she was most likely given these honorary commands as honors. Also some of these units are Guards regiments it would not be suprising for someone of her rank to be given such a position.

[DanielB]

James : Empress Maria Feodorovna was indeed Colonel in Chief (the Russians say « Shef » = Chief) of 6 regiments, but not of a Life-Guard Lancer Regiment. The 2 Guards’ Lancer regiments had Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as Chiefs.

The 6th military unit which had Empress Maria as Chief was the Guards’ Equipage (Naval Guards).

For Easter 1912 his son presented her with one of Fabergé’s famous eggs : the « Napoleonic Egg » commemorating the centenary of the Russian Victory over Napoleon. The surprise inside was a folding screen with 6 miniature paintings of men with the standards or flags from Empress Maria Feodorovna’s regiments.

For more info & photos see : http://www.mieks.com/faberge-en/1912-Napoleonic-Egg.htm

I have identified the 6 regiments depicted on Zuiev’s miniatures and added the location of the regimental headquarters (before the War) along with the date upon which the Empress was named Chief (from left to right):
H. M. The Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Chevaliers Guards Regiment, St. Petersburg, (March 2, 1881);
H. M. The Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Cuirassier Guards Regiment, Gatchina, (May 31, 1880);
The Guard’s Equipage, St. Petersburg, (July 22, 1892);
H. M. The Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna’s 2nd Pskov Leib-Dragoon Regiment, Suvalki, (May, 31, 1880);
H. M. The Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna’s 11th Chuguev Lancer Regiment, Dubno, (May 20, 1868);
H. M. The Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna’s 11th Siberian Rifle Regiment, Vladivostok, (July 22, 1907).

Empress Maria Feodorovna was patron of a large number of charitable, educational & medical institutions, most of which under the jurisdiction of His Majesty’s Own Chancery for Empress Maria’s Institutions. It’s also worth noting that the Dowager Empress remained President of the Russian Red Cross until 1917. For Easter 1915, she was presented with the « Red Cross Portraits Egg » by Nicholas II : http://www.mieks.com/faberge-en/1915-Red-Cross-Portraits-Egg.htm

As for the regiments who had Nicholas II, Alexandra & Alexei as chiefs, you might want to read some of my posts regarding Nicholas II :
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=13927.msg405667#msg405667

and Alexei :
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=9999.msg373694#msg373694

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=9999.msg373690#msg373690

Feel free to add or correct what I have already posted. As for Alexandra Feodorovna’s regiments, I don’t recall having posted a list yet and have seen yours. You only need to add "Her Majesty The Sovereign Empress Guards’ Lancer Regiment" of which she was named Chief on November 14, 1894.

[JamesAPrattIII]

Hi Dan
I got the listing of regiments from Mark's Russian military history page.
I also have found from the book "Tide at Sunrise" on the Russo-Japanese War Maria-Fed was the honoray commander of the battleship Alexander III which was sunk at the battle of Tsushima. There were no survivors.
During WW I a dreadnought battleship of the Black Sea Fleet was commissioned Imperatrista Maria named after her. It was lost do to a accidental magazine explosion on 7/20 Oct 1916.
Another Black Sea Fleet drednought named Imperator Alexander III had a somewhat stranger career. It was renamed Volia (Liberty) after the revolution. Then captured by the Germans in 1918. Recaptured by the British after the Armistice. Handed over to the White Russian Navy in 1920 it took part in the evacuation from the Crimea of the White forces. The ship was finally scrapped in 1936.

[JamesAPrattIII]

Hi again Dan
It seems Mark's Russian Military his page made a mistake . I have added the life guards lancers to my posting of Alexanders regiments. On the posting OTMA regiments I have posted the german Austrian and Rumainian regiments Nicholas II was honorary commander of.