romanov treasures hidden in the alexander palace

[msummer]

After the murder of the tsar and his family,the Russia authorities searched the palace for hidden treasures.They found some but the Nazis were much more successful, and found lots of items, which were sent to Germany. How did they find these hidden treasures, what were the valuables where were they hidden and where are they now.I am not talking about the amber room, which is all I have been able to see discussed.

[Forum Admin]

Hi and Welcome

First, please make sure to post new topics in the appropriate thread. Second, you are encouraged to use the Search function before posting. After more than ten years online, many topics, like this one have been discussed.

Alexandra had a secret safe in their bedroom, behind the bed.  Nobody knew about it except the family itself.  This is what the Nazis found. Nobody knows for certain what were the contents, nor will anyone likely ever know.  The fate of the jewelry in that safe will similarly never be know for certain. 

[londo954]

At the Naryshkin Mansion recently a cache of treasure was discovered in a hidden room that dated from the revolution. It is possible there is still valuables hidden in the Alexander Palace but I highly doubt it. As has been stated the palace was thoroughly searched by Soviet and Nazi personnel. It's the stuff of legends though :0)

[IvanVII]

Makes me think of the Geraldo Rivera/Al Capone safe fiasco.

[londo954]

yup... considering all the through searches and the current renovation I seriously doubt there are any hidden treasures at this palace.

[TanyaK]

After the murder of the tsar and his family,the Russia authorities searched the palace for hidden treasures.They found some but the Nazis were much more successful, and found lots of items, which were sent to Germany. How did they find these hidden treasures, what were the valuables where were they hidden and where are they now.I am not talking about the amber room, which is all I have been able to see discussed.

The Amber Room was a semi-state room in the Great Palace (Catherine Palace in modern terms) and not in the Alexander Palace. I'd say that if anything was left in the Alexander Palace by the Imperial Family following their departure it would most likely be quite unimportant. They seem fairly diligent concerning the management of their valuables in expectation of being transferred abroad.

[Forum Admin]

Actually, no there were a lot of valuables left in the Alexander Palace.  Nobody at the time actually knew what was going to happen.  The servants prepared everything exactly as if the Imperial Family were going to Livadia for the summer or an extended trip abroad.  All of the Faberge for example remained, as did the silver, and many other things.  This is why the autochromes are so important for the restoration.  Lukomski had the Palace inventoried, and it was the Provisional Government members who started having the valuables removed.  The Imperial Family saw now need to "hide" things, other than the secret safe in the  bedroom.  They were able to take almost anything they wanted to take, Here is the list:
http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/tobolsklist.html

As well as indicated by the Yurovski inventories of the valuables they had with them in Ekaterinburg, http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/YurovskyList.html


 not to mention the huge cache of jewels hidden in the Toblosk Monastary.  http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/jewelslist.html

[TanyaK]

Actually, no there were a lot of valuables left in the Alexander Palace.  Nobody at the time actually knew what was going to happen.  The servants prepared everything exactly as if the Imperial Family were going to Livadia for the summer or an extended trip abroad.  All of the Faberge for example remained, as did the silver, and many other things.  This is why the autochromes are so important for the restoration.  Lukomski had the Palace inventoried, and it was the Provisional Government members who started having the valuables removed.  The Imperial Family saw now need to "hide" things, other than the secret safe in the  bedroom.  They were able to take almost anything they wanted to take, Here is the list:
http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/tobolsklist.html

As well as indicated by the Yurovski inventories of the valuables they had with them in Ekaterinburg, http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/YurovskyList.html


 not to mention the huge cache of jewels hidden in the Toblosk Monastary.  http://alexanderpalace.org/palace/jewelslist.html

I understood the thread referred to "Hidden" treasures, ie those not generally catalogued by those following the departure.

[Clemence]

After the murder of the tsar and his family,the Russia authorities searched the palace for hidden treasures.They found some but the Nazis were much more successful, and found lots of items, which were sent to Germany. How did they find these hidden treasures, what were the valuables where were they hidden and where are they now.I am not talking about the amber room, which is all I have been able to see discussed.

Any idea why the Nazis were much more succesful? This pazzles me for some years now, infact I asked it once more in another topic I cannot find today, some years ago. Is there any probability the Nazis had some information the Soviets had not? And if so, where could it be from? Any letters from the Imperial Family to relatives in Germany perhaps contained anything useful? Was it something they (the Nazis) were well prepared to do, the search, did they have tecnological/ scientific means the Soviets of the time did not? All seems improbable but surely there must be an answer somewhere.

[lilianna]

Values in the Imperial bedroom - a myth. In Russia, talk about it, but no one believes. What interest do the Emperor hiding place? From whom? All valuables kept in special cases, and they can be seen. In the bedroom, in the living room and Maple was a special storage room at the Hermitage. Also, the value of the empire were kept in the Kremlin.

We had a man Sirotkin names. He worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the last 10-12 years before his death, was looking for the unknown values ​​of family and their money. He did not find anything! All of the money during the war, the Imperial Family used to care for patients. The money they receive from England (personal money, cat orye were in the Bank of England) by the British Ambassador Buchanan.

[Clemence]

In 1941 the German Nazi Army and their Spanish allies occupied the palace. During their stay they made a sensational discovery. Where the arcade meets the bedroom wall they found a secret safe concealed beneath the fabric. During the 25 years the Palace had been a museum no one had found this secret hiding place. This is amazing considering the repeated numerous searches in the palace for Romanov treasures conducted by the Soviet Government over the years. Everyday the palace was open, thousands of people walked just a few feet from the secret safe, yet no one suspected its existence. Yet, the invading German army seemed to have known it was there. When the Soviet Army re-took the Palace they found the strong box in the wall, but it had been emptied. What did the Germans find in the vault? Was this a secret hiding place for Romanov jewels? No one has yet revealed the secret.

[Forum Admin]

Nothing so "sinister" as special information about the safe in the bedroom, which was in fact found by the Germans in their occupation.  Sautov told Bob all about it.   were USING the AP as a hospital, and for offices, so they would obviously have taken down the fabric hiding the safe.  The safe was used to hold jewelry that was worn on a more every day basis, so that Alexandra could choose which brooch or bracelet and Nicholas which cufflinks, tie pin or cigarette case to use. Given how many maids and valets would have been in the room, not to mention repairs when they were traveling, a safe was an obvious choice.

[Clemence]

Thank you, the fact remains that the Soviets never searched or found it before the Nazis.

[Forum Admin]

Oh they searched. They just never found the safe. The Imperial Bedroom was a museum display which they did not want to disturb. The Nazis had no such motive