Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovitch and his family

[catarina pinto]

Hello,

Do you have information, or do you know stories related to GD Nicholas Konstantinovich? The older brother of GD Konstantin Konstantinovich. He had a very strange life and was exiled to Tashkent

I am very curious because I've red Prince Michael's book and I can't find nothing more about him

[Charles]

One of the best books/memoirs from pre-revolutionary Russia is Count Sergei Iulevich Witte's Memoirs.  While certainly an opinionated book, it offers many descriptions and stories of various Grand Dukes, including Nikolai Konstantinovich.  I highly recommend this book--it is a long book, but well worth it.  One could also find a brief bio of NK in Chavchavadze's Grand Dukes.

As you know, he was, I believe, the first Romanov shot in February 1918.  His son, Artemi, was shot as well.  Not sure if he has any descendants.  Would be interested in learning from anyone on this.

[Thierry]

He has not been shot, but died of pneumonia.

[LisaDavidson]

Nicholas Constantinovich is shown as being killed by the Bolsheviks in February 1918 in several Western sources. This is, as the above poster points out, incorrect. He died of pneumonia.

The Grand Duke has descendants, although I am not a geneologist and don't know how many. One of the Iskander princes escaped after the Civil War and he also had several children born of partners to whom he was not married.

The Grand Duke is still well regarded in Tashkent. Amongst other things, he brought irrigation to the farms of the area, and its first movie theater.

[grandduchessella]

If I remember correctly in Flight of the Romanovs the deal with NK and the mystery/conflicting reports regarding his death. I forget if they draw any conclusions or just state the various reports. It's an interesting book as it deals with the non-immediate royal family and their escape and exile. I believe they talk a bit about the Iskanders but I could be wrong, it's been awhile.

[Louise]

grandduchessella, you are right about the Flight of the Romanovs and Nicholas Konstantinovich. In the chapter Firestorms, there is a short paragraph regarding his death. Then in the chapter Eternal Memory there is great detail regarding his granddaughter Natalia Iskander. There are also a couple of pictures of her in the book.

In Romanov Autumn there is a fair amount of information on him.

Hope this helps. It was fun re-reading this info and looking it up.

Louise

[grandduchessella]

It's funny you mention Romanov Autumn, Louise--I just read the chapter that dealt with the Konstantine branch and contained some interesting tidbits re: NK. Let's see:
1) He stole diamonds off the icons of his mother (and admitted that theft and others without remorse)
2) Had been the spoiled darling of his parents to the neglect of many of the other children.
3) Was shipped off to various exiles where he continued to cause trouble, take up with a mistress (who would follow him) and father 2 children with her.
4) Was such a troublemaker while in exile that his "handlers" had to keep being replaced.
5) Supposedly married in secret using a fake name to a dancer (?).
6) Was a bit of a poseur in his early years, liking to come off as a revolutionary but was really regarded by people as shallow, selfish and self-involved.
And that's only so far, I'm only 1/2 through the chapter!

[Mateo from Poland]

Im looking for all (complete) informations about Prince Alexander Nicholaevicz Iskander ( son of Gr. Duke Nicolas Kontantinovich) his two wifes( Olga Rogowskaja, Natalia Hannikoff). If its true that they all stay in Russia after revolution? How was their life in Soviet Union? I also read somewhere about kids of Alexander.  Prss Natalia and Pr  Cyryl probably lost during revolution. Its very mysterious, but I found dates of their deaths in some internet sources(1992 and 1999). Whats happend with them during this long period. Do they  had families? I also heard that Pr Michael of Greece wrote a book about Natalia and their meeting during imperial funeral in 1998. Im wondering if events from this book are real story or just  imagination of author.  Maybe somebody have a  pictrues of Iskanders?
Mateo
P.s. im sorry for my english
P.S.

[AnBhanfhaidh]

Perry and Pleshakov's book "The Flight of the Romanovs" gives a pretty good summary of Natalie's life after the revolution. Describes her visiting her old home as a museum attendee, her mother and her moving to Moscow. Various reversals of fortune there. Natalie became a famous motorcycle dare-devil and, oh by the way, a KGB agent. Against her will, but she did choose cooperating with the KGB rather than being shot. She also was one of the invited guests at the reburial of N II in 1998. but, to my disappointment, she's listed in the second tier - the first tier being the Family and prestigious government officials. The book also discusses her brothers, but I'm not able to as readily recall that information.
I'm glad somebody is taking an interest in this branch.

[Matep from poland]

Thanks for all this informations about Natalia.  If anyone know something more I will be gratefull to hear it.
Grettings
Mat

[Mike]

There was an illustrated story on Natalia Androsova in the Russian weekly Ogonyok:The Princess on a Bike.

[grandduchessella]

There was also a really good article a few years ago about her in Royalty magazine. It went into her career as a motorcylist/acrobat (almost like a female Evil Knievel). She would ride up straight walls, do all kinds of tricks. She did it for years and apparently broke most bones at some time or another which has left her now with pain. She was quite a beauty (IMO) when she was young, posing in mens wear ala Dietrich. She currently ives (at least at the time of the article) in a small apartment she had to wait for, with some memorabilia of her Imperial history. I'll have to look up the info about her mother and siblings.

[Matt from Poland]

Thanks a lot Granduchesella!!!!
Your informations are so interesting and I cant wait for more. here in Poland we dont have many sources about this branch of family. Maybe you can post some photos of Iskander family?? I cant wait
Matt

[grandduchessella]

The Royalty article had quite a few photos--I'll dig through my unorganized stack of info and look for the article.

I 'googled' her and discovered that she did attend the internment of Nicholas II but in the group photo she wasn't in it.   She passed away in 1999.

Nicholas Constantinovich
b. St.Petersburg 14 Feb 1850
d. Tashkent 14 Jan 1918
m.Orenburg, Russia 1882 Nadezhda Drier [Dreyer] (1861-1929)
   
1) Pr Artemy Iskander (Tashkent 1883-k.in Russian Civil War 1919)
2) Pr Alexander Iskander (Tashkent 15 Nov 1889-Grasse 26 Jan 1957)
m.1st 5 May 1912 (div) Olga Rogovskya (b.1893, disappeared in USSR)
m.2d Paris 11 Oct 1930 Natalia Khanykova (St.Petersburg 30 Dec 1893-Nice 20 Apr 1982)
 
 
1i) Pr Cyril Iskander (Tashkent 5 Dec 1914-Moscow 1992)
2i) Pss Natalia Iskander (Tashkent 21 Jan 1917-Moscow 24 Jul 1999); m.Nikolai Dostal

I seem to remember from the article that Natalia's father basically abandoned her mother and escaped to the West and she never saw/heard from him again, though she kept mementoes of him. I can't recall though, whether he was supposed to try to get his family out and just couldn't or didn't bother. As you can see by the date/location of his 2nd marriage his life went on in France. I guess that line is extinct now since Natalia's uncle died without issue, her brother died without issue, she married but had no children and her father apparently had no children by his 2nd marriage.

[AnBhanfhaidh]

. She currently ives (at least at the time of the article) in a small apartment she had to wait for, with some memorabilia of her Imperial history. I'll have to look up the info about her mother and siblings.

She has passed on now.

Mateo: a couple of pictures are in the book I told you about. Also the newspaper article cited above has the famous picture of her in men's wear smoking a cigar (also in the book)