Author Topic: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch  (Read 26066 times)

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dp5486

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #15 on: March 07, 2006, 08:35:07 PM »
This Konstantinovichi prince seems to be one of the least discussed. From the few things that I have read about him, he seemed to have been close to the Vladimirovichi (perhaps due to his mistress and later wife ballerina/actress Nina Nesterovsky).

Are there any photos of him or his wife avaliable?

Thanks!

dp5486

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2006, 01:17:38 PM »
Thank you. From these pictures as well as the other one I have seen, I think he looks kind of scary, especially in the portrait.

Does anyone know if he lived at Pavlovsk with his mother and brothers before the Revolution? I thought he may have lived in Petrograd with his girlfriend. I also noticed that he seemed to be dood friends with his Vladimirovichi cousins.

Offline Marlene

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #17 on: March 28, 2006, 01:30:40 PM »

Sandro was open about his support for Kyril, and cites that in his book .. moreover his sons' signed a document in support of Wladimir ...
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I'm not exactly sure how many princes there were at the time but perhaps if he wanted to exercise some perogatives Gavril was a good choice since he was non-controversial and seemed to get along? The sons of Xenia & Sandro most likely wouldn't have been included because of their parents' feelings towards Kyril's claims and thus Vladimir's. The same with Peter's son as Nikolasha (his uncle) had always been the favorite of some other exiles.
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dp5486

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #18 on: March 28, 2006, 05:11:18 PM »
Thank you. I have only seen one picture of Gavril, besides the two posted above. Information about he and his wife seem to disappear between the cracks. It is too bad that his memoirs are lost (I think in an embassy fire?) We could maybe know so much more about him.

frimousse

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #19 on: April 05, 2006, 09:12:42 PM »
Quote
Thank you. From these pictures as well as the other one I have seen, I think he looks kind of scary, especially in the portrait.

Does anyone know if he lived at Pavlovsk with his mother and brothers before the Revolution? I thought he may have lived in Petrograd with his girlfriend. I also noticed that he seemed to be dood friends with his Vladimirovichi cousins.

GD Gavriil knew Antonina while she was dancing at the Marinsky Theater in the winter of year 1912.
He managed to speak to her during the intervals every sunday and soon after january visited her in her little appartment where she lived with her mother.
Before Easter, GD GK was in Cannes on the French Riviera with his cousin GD André Wladimirovitch at Hôtel Carlton.
Mathilde ( Mala) Kchessinska, the ballerina and GD André's lover, joined them afterwards and was accompanied by Antonina...From now then he considered her as his "fiancée", but of course couldn't have the permission to marry her.
In 1913 he asked her to quit ballet. She found an appartment on Kamennoostrovsky Perspective ( Prospekt) in the building of the insurance company "Rossia" in front of Alexandrovsky Lyceum with all modern comfort, which was a rarity. The house was built by Benois.
In the meanwhile GD GK who lived before in Pavlosk received a three big rooms appartment at Marble Palace on the second floor looking on the Palace Banks.
After GD Konstantin Konstantinovitch's death in 1915, GD GK was more and more involved with his mistress.
His first cousin Prince Chistopher of Greece was involved with the American millionaire Miss Leeds, and at Easter 1916 Antonina told him that her dream was to marry Grand Duke Gavriil. She managed to convince Prince Christopher and invited him many times for lunch in her appartment.
Prince Christopher apparently received permission from his own mother to marry, but not GD Gavriil !
And the Emperor certainly would not agree.
That's why GD GK, after discussing with his mother who was ill, decided to disobey. This happened after the Revolution of March 1917 ( so the Emperor was "locked" in Alexander Palace).
He asked his cousin Sandro of Leuchtenberg who himself intend to marry morganatically Nadejda Nikolaïevna Ignatieff (née Karalli) to find a priest to bless the wedding secretly.
The priest was found by Sandro's first cousin Countess Tina von Zarnekau.

He therefore married April 1917, 9th ( old style) at three o'clock PM in a little church ( Alexandra church). He asked his chauffeur to drive him and to send the letter he had written to his mother begging her to pray for him.
The chauffeur was very surprised because he thought  he had to drive GD GK to a friend's wedding and not his !!
At the wedding ceremony were present only L P Tchistiakova ( Nina's sister) and her husband, Nina's aunt, Prince Barclay de Tolly-Weimarn ( Gavriil's friend of regiment) and a few people of Nina's entourage.
Gavriil had told his secret to his brother Ioann a few days before, but his elder brother didn't want to attend the ceremony because of their mother. But he promised to keep the secret.

Before going to the church Gavriil saw his brothers Konstantin and George who were walking on Morskaïa Street who had just met Nina in wedding dress in another car!!

When Gavriil and Nina came back home ( in her Kamennostrovsky appartment) his brother's chauffeur came with a letter asking whose wedding was that ??

He came afterwards to his mother's rooms and was met by Prince Schakhovskoy who asked: "Do I have to congratulate you ?"
His mother was very upset, but due to her education she at the end gave him her blessing.
From then on Grand Duke Gavriil moved in Nina's apartment...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by frimousse »

dp5486

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #20 on: April 06, 2006, 12:16:16 PM »
Thank you frimousse! Very interesting stuff on Gavril that I have never heard before!  

bell_the_cat

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #21 on: April 06, 2006, 12:36:24 PM »
I second that! I would love to read his autobio.

In "A People's Tragedy" Orlando Figes relates how the "Grand Duke" ( then Prince) and his wife were rescued by Maxim Gorky of all people. They lived for a while in his apartment in Petrograd, before leaving Russia. they didn't much like having to muck in with the revolutionaries, but didn't dare leave the apartment for fear of being arrested.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by bell_the_cat »

Linnea

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #22 on: April 06, 2006, 01:49:02 PM »
Thank you sooo much for sharing your knowledge on Gawriil Konstantinovich with us, frimousse! :)
Do you have your information out of a book and if so, from which one? Thanks!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Linnea »

frimousse

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #23 on: April 06, 2006, 02:32:14 PM »
 :)You are welcome dear members !!
I am just reading now Gavriil Konstantinovich's memoirs published in Russian "at Marble Palace, Chronicle of our Family" Saint Petersburg ,Ed Logos, 1993. I think there is also a German version published in Düsseldorf.
Very interesting with a lot of information about his education, Military life, and Imperial weddings. I am also thrilled by his description of Nicholas II coronation, the opening of first Douma, and the celebration of the Romanov tricentenial....
Always glad to share it with you!

dp5486

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #24 on: April 06, 2006, 04:48:47 PM »
That book sounds very interesting! If you don't mind, could you please share anything else you find interesting about Gavril while you read?

I would be curious to know if anyone accompanied Gavril and Nina out of Russia when they escaped. Also, is there anything else about the Schakhovskoys? From what I've found, Prince Schakhovskoy was the Head of Gavril's mother's Household.

Thanks again!

Offline Svetabel

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #25 on: April 07, 2006, 01:05:24 AM »
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I second that! I would love to read his autobio.


Gavriil's memoirs are only in Russian as I know. His book was published twice in Russian. I can say that his memories are not such exciting as GD Alexander Mikhailovicth's, for example, but anyway very interesting. He describes his life in detail , and in a simple, quiet manner.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by svetabel »

Emilia

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #26 on: April 07, 2006, 07:59:25 AM »
Dear Frimousse, were Gavriil´s memoirs really published in German? Do you know the title of the book? Thank you! :)

frimousse

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #27 on: April 09, 2006, 03:44:00 PM »
Hello Emilia,
I think it is  published by Der Blauer Reiter in Düsseldorf, but I am not sure... :-
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by frimousse »

Offline amelia

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #28 on: April 09, 2006, 05:46:47 PM »
This message is for Arturo Beeche,


Dear Arturo,

Is there a possibility that Eurohistory might translate this book?  It would be wonderful.

Thank you
Amelia

Offline Marlene

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Re: Grand Duke Gavriil Konstantinovitch
« Reply #29 on: April 10, 2006, 01:50:55 PM »
I cannot speak for Art, but I can add that Eurohistory does not have a translation department.  He does not have editors or marketing staff ...
Moreover,  I do not think that Gavrik's book is out of copyright -- and a translation from Russian to English could take more than a year - and translation costs are high  .. we are talking about a range of $30,000 - $100,000 for translations for books.  
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This message is for Arturo Beeche,


Dear Arturo,

Is there a possibility that Eurohistory might translate this book?  It would be wonderful.

Thank you
Amelia
Author of Queen Victoria's Descendants,
& publisher of Royal Book News.
Visit my blog, Royal Musings  http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/