Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova (1884-1964), Part 2

[violetta]

a few pictures of anna vyrubova,spala, 1912:

[RealAnastasia]

In the last pic she is with Nicholas and Olga. Isn't she?

RealAnastasia.

[Kalafrana]

Do we know who the other people are in the tennis pictures?

Ann

[PAVLOV]

If my research is correct, I think this is the tennis court at Livadia. The fence and the trees are similar to the photographs I have.
If so, the gentlemen are:

Lieutenant N.N. Rodionov
Lieutenant A I Butakov
Commander N P Sablin

All three were on the "tennis team" at Livadia. Butakov was a well liked officer of the Standart, and the Emperors usual and favourite tennis partner. He was killed at the front in 1914.

The Empress sometimes joined in as a spectator with her friend Princess Orbeliani, who was wheeled out in her chair. This was before her disease progressed to the final stages and she was confined to her room in the Alexander Palace.     

[Kalafrana]

Pavlov

Thanks. I always like to know who these 'lesser individuals' are!

Ann

[Nicola De Valeron]

If my research is correct, I think this is the tennis court at Livadia. The fence and the trees are similar to the photographs I have.
If so, the gentlemen are:

Lieutenant N.N. Rodionov
Lieutenant A I Butakov
Commander N P Sablin

Pavlov, good version! Your reseach is rather good. But I can't see any of Butakov and Rodionov here;). Anyway, the name of the brave Officer Butakov deserved to be mentioned.

Just some corrections for the total clarity.
In addition to Vyrubova, I can clearly see on this photo:

- Sablin Nikolai Pavlovich (in the center), at that time (1912, I hope this is right year) Senior Lieutenant of the Guard, Fligel Adjutant and head of the Standart. Sablin became Captain of the 2nd rank only in 1914, just before or during the War, as he was appointed to Nicholas II war escort.
- Drenteln Alexander Alexandrovitch (bald man, leftmost), at that time (1912) Colonel of the Guard and Fligel Adjutant, head of the Preobrazhensky of His Majesty's Guards Regiment.
- Volkov Nikolai Alexandrovitch (rightmost), at that time (1912) Flag Captain to the Chief of the brigade battleships of the Baltic Sea squadron. Later he became Rear Admiral and Fligel Adjutant.

And these women, I think that if this photo was taken in Spala (Poland), then most likely these beautiful women are Polish baronesses or countesses. Maybe we have some experts here about Polish nobility who can answer this question.

[PAVLOV]

Yes thanks. I dont think this is the Livadia tennis court. The posts seem to be different. They appear to have been very keen on tennis, so I would imagine that most members of the suite felt obliged to play. There seems to have been tennis courts at every palace they stayed in.
   

[Kalafrana]

Were ADCs appointed on the basis of prowess at tennis, I wonder?

Ann

[Nicola De Valeron]

Yes thanks. I dont think this is the Livadia tennis court. The posts seem to be different.

You are welcome. Yes this is not Livadia, this photo was taken in Spala. Moreover I think that those big number of photos that you mean (from 2nd Vyrubova album with an endless amount of Naval Officers, like Butakov, Sablin and others) were also not taken in Livadia. Those photos were taken at the Finnish shore.

Were ADCs appointed on the basis of prowess at tennis, I wonder?

Ann

Ha ha, Ann, as I understood you clearly (I think you mean by the word ADCs Adjutant), then of course no! I think that to talk about prowess at tennis/playing abilities among Officers at the beginning of the 20th century, when this sport was on very low professional level is very funny. I think that Vyrubova, Drenteln, Sablin and others just played tennis simply for fun and it was fashionable at that time among the elite circles of the Russian Empire, and at the same time of course they didn't forget about the discussing of all of the newest palace gossip;).

[Kalafrana]

Hello Nicola

Yes, I use ADC because adjutant has quite a different meaning in the British army (the adjutant is more or less the personnel manager in a unit).

Ann

[PAVLOV]

I would imagine members of the suite were chosen for their prowness, yes. The same probably went for cards, shooting etc. There is nothing worse than a bad tennis partner !!
I cannot imagine though how those ladies ran around a tennis court in those outfits, specially Anja Vyrubova, who was certainly not built for speed !!.

[Kalafrana]

Not only did the men where long trousers for tennis, but in some cases hats and ties as well!

[Snegurochka]

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the proceedings of Anna's trials, please?  I'm writing a biography on her for eventual publication and can't locate them anywhere.  It's ok if they're in Russian - I have students who can translate them   Thank you!

[Nicola De Valeron]

To posts 91, 99, 142, 156, 157, 158.

Ann and other forum members,

We all are a little bit mistaken;) I've just found it funny confusion. On all the photos with probable Asian Prince Chakrabongse which are posted here from Vyrubova albums, we can see not the Prince himself, but his Thai accompanying man Nai-Pum;). They are both surprisingly similar to each other. Nai-Pum or Nai-Pum Nikolai Nikolaevich (~1884-1947) was also Thai man who served as a Russian Officer, also in the Hussar's of HM Regiment and ended with the high Colonel rank. Participated in the WWI (commanded the squadron of HM Hussar's) and Russian Civil War. Then emigrated to France and later to England. Died in 1947 in the Cornwall county in England.

Here is the photo from Vyrubova album. Cornet of the Guard, Nikolai Nikolaevich Nai-Pum is standing leftmost.

[RomanovMartyrs]

Hello!

At Easter I went to visit her grave. Here are photographs if you are interested. You can also check out the Romanov webshow I make, which includes her in this episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYiQt4bLWMY





Thanks for looking! If anyone is planning to go there I can draw out a map of the grave site to help locate her so you don't go through what I did! lol Just send me a PM or something.