Coronation of the Tsars (Czars)

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Joanna!
The building is the former Vorontsov Palace, situated in Sadovaya ulitsa, a perpendicular to the Nevsky prospekt, just in the corner with Lomonosova ulitsa, in front of one of the Gostiny Dvor´s wings.

The white dinning room´s windows look to a smaller inner courtyard, not the main one.

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Joanna!

The abuting portion of the facade is the private small chapel(now closed) of the palace. The windows to the raight of this part are those of the long corridor. Almost out of the photograph to the right, above the entrance there was a lovely winter garden before the recolution.

[elisa_1872]

Joanna, thanks so much for posting that link!

I've come across a letter written by Victoria of Hesse to Queen Victoria, describing the coronation+, which i can post if anyone should like to see? Letters by her to her grandmother are so rare. It was written on May 26th, the same day

[elisa_1872]

Thanks Helen! Such a wonderful reminiscence from Ernst Ludwig!

Here's the letter of Victoria of Hesse:

Moscow May 26th 1896.

"Darling Grandmama, the Coronation is just over, everything went off admirably, & it was a most beautiful sight.. At a 1/4 to 9, Aunt Minnie in her crown and robes headed our procession into church. She looked marvellously young but i have never seen sadder eyes than hera & it was visible that only by a great effort of will she kept back the teats that kept starting in her eyes. It was indeed a sad & moving sight to see her standing all alone before her throne waiting for the new emperor and empress to come.. Nicky.. looked very grave and serious & she remarkably handsome with hair unadorned & only a small string of pearls round her neck. She was flushed & a little trembling at first, but as the ceremony proceeded grew quite calm. Nicky's great diamond crown weighs 9 pounds and as it had to fit across the scar of the wound he received in Japan which from the small nerves having been severed is very sensitive, he suffered a good deal of pain from the pressure.. When he had crowned himself Alix knelt down before him and he taking his crown off just touched her forehead with it replacing it immediately & placing Alicky's own small crown on her head with so much of gentle care that it was pretty to see...

With tenderest love i remain your dutiful, loving Grandchild, Victoria."


I'd never heard a mention of the Otsu incident before like this.. such a unique description of the ceremony!

[Merrique]

That was such a lovely letter Victoria wrote to her grandmother about the ceremony.And those pictures on the Columbia website are wonderful.They are so clear to see you could almost step back in time and feel like you were really there.

[elisa_1872]

 Welcome Helen!  Yes, isn't it lovely how this was commented on by so many?  

I thought id pass on this recommendation. I found a privately published little book, quite unusual, about 80 pages long, which is called "Gold Glitter and Gloom". I wasn't terribly pleased about the title, but it is a recollection of the Coronation of Nicholas and Alexandra, as well as other Russian memories. It has illustrations, inc. one of the coronation menu. It is by Mary Hickley. Her descriptions are nicely detailed, and she descibes much of the ceremony itself, the illuminations, the review.. the state entry.

I think there may be copies left through amazon, but if not, one can write to Brenda Marsault, EX8 2NS, Devon, United Kingdom. This lady is a family relative of the author.

[elisa_1872]

 

It would be great to see some of those pages Helen!
My word. I wonder if it could have been the Russian Coronation book by Kate Koon Bovey? I've been after a copy of that for years. I saw one copy once but it was about £100, and i couldn't afford it. I'd get it immediately now, even though i still can't afford it
I wrote to Gilbert at Royal Books because he did a publication once called "The Coronation of Czar Nicholas II" , and it seems to have been a reprint of a kind. He said he intended to reprint this book again, so let's hope so!

Must have been so great to look through that album, do please post any information!

[RobMoshein]

One of my two original Coronation menus is the May 20th menu you can see on the Columbia website. The other is May 26th.  I also have an original Imperial Gala program from May 17th performance of "La Vie Pour La Tsar" and "La Perle" at the Bolshoi Theatre which Nicholas attended.

[Mike]

The other is May 26th.

Why not to place it here, Rob? If it's in Russian, I volunteer to translate and probably to add culinary comments .

[elisa_1872]

One of my two original Coronation menus is the May 20th menu you can see on the Columbia website. The other is May 26th.  I also have an original Imperial Gala program from May 17th performance of "La Vie Pour La Tsar" and "La Perle" at the Bolshoi Theatre which Nicholas attended.

Rob, how great you have these originals! I looked in the book by Mary Hickley and found that the menu pictured is dated from 23rd May. It says in the book the original has been presented to the Russian Archive, Leeds University by a Mr David Hickley.

I'll copy it up here in full

[elisa_1872]

Here we are to share with everyone

"Menu du 23 Mai 1896"

In Russian, translated as:

DINNER.

Bouillon Lukullovski
Various pates
Cold grouse a la Suvorov
Hot skewered Chicken
Salad
Asparagus Spears
Ice Crea,
Dessert.

The menu is decorated with a scene of the Kremlin, the embankment, and a rider in old traditional costume.

[elisa_1872]

My book is entirely in Russian and is called "Albom Koronatsiya Ich Imperatorskich Velitschjestv". It was authorised by the Russian Minister of Court at the time. It starts with a kind of poem ("Tsar y Narod") and the manifesto of Nicky on the occasion of the coronation. Then it has an 80 pages account of the festivities with lots of pen drawings, with chapters on the regalia, the arrival of their royal highnesses in Moscow, the serenade at the Petrowskiy Palace, their entry into Moscow, the announcement of the coronation, the actual coronation ceremony, the festive dinner afterwards, the illuminations in town, a parade, descriptions of various balls and the festivities at Chodynka, some fireworks and the departure of their highnesses to the Troitse-Sergeyeva Convent. It might be interesting material for the AP site when translated.

Oh it sounds wonderful Helen! I very much look forward to a translation/any information!

[Forum Admin]

That is exactly my menu. It is too large for the scanner, as it is a double sheet, folded in half, and it is archivally framed...otherwise I would have posted it here for you to see.

[Mike]

the wonderful panorama of millions of lights at Zamoskvoretsie[?]

Zamoskvoretchie is a part of Moscow on the opposite bank of the Moskva river, with regard to Kremlin. Its main current landmark is the Tretyakov Gallery. In the late XIX c. it was built mainly with one- or two-storeyed  houses of old-fashioned bearded merchants who wore long coats and were looked upon by the gentry.

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Zamoskvareche was also the "merchant quarter" of the city, so to say, and contrasted with the aristocratic Prechestenka street. Moscovites used to say that when the inhabitants of Zamoskvareche were already up to go to work, those living in Prechestenka had not even gone to bed( i suppose i spoilt the phrase because of the translation but hope you´ll understand...)
In Zamoskvareche is also located the Martha and Mary convent of Grand Duchess Elizabeta.(Bolshaya Ordinkaya street)

Even if Prechestenka is indeed very elegant, i must confess that i found Zamoskvareche really charming and far more interesting.