Hi,
Unfortunately I know nothing about Count Benckendorff’s papers. I guess that, if they survived, they would be in the Russian Archives. Maybe Greg King or Penny Wilson have seen them.
In the Appendix to his Memoirs, the Count mentions that, after the departure of the Imperial Family for Tobolsk, eight packing cases full of “objects of value which belonged personally to the Emperor and Empress were collected and transferred to the depository of the Imperial Office in the Anichkov Palace, whence they should be sent to Moscow if the danger of occupation of St. Petersburg by the German army continued”. Surely a list of those valuable items was made. Later he writes that he had a discussion with Golovin, the new Commissioner for the Imperial Court, about “the jewellery that belonged to the Empress personnaly” (…) which, for the most part, had been deposited in the store-rooms of the Imperial Office, as well as furs, gowns and other effects of their Majesties which were deposited in the store-rooms of various Palaces.”
As for what stayed in the Alexander Palace, the Count doesn’t mention any lists but does write about the work of the Historical and Artistic Commission headed by George Lukomsky which the Provisional Government set up to preserve the Tsarskoe Selo Palaces. In the French
Revue des Deux-Mondes (08-15-1929), Lukomsky published an interesting account of the Imperial family’s departure, which he witnessed, and his later work in the Palace. He gives some interesting information about what he found in the Private Appartments but writes that, when he arrived (a few hours after the I.F. left),
nothing had been inventoried and that he was given no list, except one for the items which went to Tobolsk (and which, deliberately, made no mention of the Empress jewellery though). So the members of the Commission went immediately to work. The next day, he writes colour photos of all the Private Appartments were taken
. I wonder if they have survived?? Maybe Bob knows? It would be amazing to see them no?!
In a 1918 small catalogue for the Alexander Palace, Lukomsky wrote (and which I have), he does list all the objects and art in the Parade Rooms, which had already been opened to the public. Unfortunately he doesn’t go beyond Alexandra's Formal Reception Room.
