Alexander Palace interiors

[Janet_W.]

Elisa, your theory is intriguing. So far all I've found is that Eugen Bracht lived from 1842 to 1921.  The websites his name turns up on are in German, which I do not speak or read. Could someone help us out with this? (I'll also post this under the friends, servants and retainers section.)

[hikaru]

Very charming toys  from the Alexandrovsky palace
are in the Toys museum which is located in the Troitse-Sergiev posad near Moscow -
the horse, baby-cauch like swan ,
railway toys and dolls are wonderful.
Troitse Sergiev Posad is famous by 2 things -
Troitse Sergiev Laura (Mecca of the Russian Orthodox Church and by the Matryoshka.
First Russian Matryoshka was made there.
Best Regards,

[nigbil]

Joanna,
Thanks for your message. I'll be able to post more pictures next week - mostly interiors.
The lady was probably on her way to lunch - but its still an atmospheric picture! Sadly, this picture, and the third, show the poor exterior condition of the building. Broken windows, missing balustrade...and from reading other threads on this site, I believe its the roof that causes most concern.
The bathing house is pretty. Has anybody been inside recently or is it used still in use ( I gather this part of the AP gardens is 'public').
Thanks
Nigel

[londo954]

I think the building you are referring to as a bathhouse looks like the small Children's House on an island.

[strom]

For "londo954" on the objects from the Alex. Pal.
For many years I have thought that the Minhoff collection at the Cleveland Mus. seemed to hold an unusually high percentage of items from the Palace. Of course, there is the "Red Cross" or "Resurrection" Egg to Alexandra in 1915, but the other egg, called the "Lapis Lazuli" Egg might also be very closely tied to the Imperial family and possibly to Nicolas as Cesarevich!  The Virginia Museum also has many of the most beautiful of Alexandra's eggs and some of the family's personal possessions, see especially the "Revolving Palaces" and "Cesarevich" Eggs.  What a loss to Russia that these state objects can never be returned to their home!
Then again the real loss is that there is no Imperial dynasty in Russia to receive them.    

[strom]

Dear Bob Atchison and all interested people:

I was wondering if you might know what happened to the bas-relief of Empress Catherine (in marble with an ormulu frame) that was once in the Empress Alexandra's Reception Room.  I understand it was sold by the Soviets.  Incidentally, there was also one of Emperor Peter I which was saved and is now back in place!  

Also I have seen a couple of massive torcheres in the form of youths taming horses that once decorated the Palace, possibly removed before the revolution.  Does anyone know what happened to them?  These would have been perfect compliments to the two youths in bronze still at the entrance made by Ivan Martos and installed, I believe, under Emperor Nicolas I.  I assume the torcheres could have been suitably displayed to right and left of the main entrance immediately inside where they also would have illuminated the staircases.    

Also, there is one extraordinary pier table (now housed in the Catherine Palace) that was manufactured entirely out of precious stones.  This table (with a miissing duplicate) was part of the Alexander Palace original furnishing and given by Empress Catherine.  Apparently, Empress Alexandra had these two tables restored to the palace but I do not know where they would have been displayed.  

Please help.  

Thanks to all interested in this supreme masterpiece of art and architecture.  In a way, Quarenghi is the end of European classicism, or after him it seems to decline.  

R. Strom.  

[hikaru]

According to the Palace cataloge of 1918,
bas-relief of Catherine the Great , as well as the same one of Alexandr 1 and his wife was evacuated to moscow From Corner Drawing room.
Peter the Great's one stayed in the prevous place.
( I do not know about the frame of the Catherine's one - nothing mentioned about it)

[londo954]

I believe the bas relief sculpture of Catheirne the Great if its the one by Callot is in the Post Collection...

[strom]

Thank you londo.  You are right, the bas-relief was by Collot.  I had no idea it is at Hillwood!  Isn't Hillwood a treasure house.  

[londo954]

One might say that... as wife of teh US AMbassador to Soviet Russia and heir to the post cereal fotune Marj Post was in a position to buy a large number of objects that were in the Palaces...It would seem she had a particular passion for the Imperial era.....Over the years too friends would purchase gifts for her and she continued to coolect items from the period when they appeared for auction.

[hikaru]

I understood from the Kouchoumov 's memories,
that the Catherine''s by Collo was taken at the end of 20-30years .
So I understood, that other medalion-portret by Ekaterina was evacuated in Moscow in 1918.

[hikaru]

I would like to add that everybody could see one sofa from the GD's room of AP now in the former Minister Room of Winter Palace, Hermitage . ( In this room Nicholas used to listen daily Minister's reports).
Now this room is decorated as baby room.

[rgt9w]

Hi Bob and other participants on this thread,

I am fascinated by Mr. Kuchumov's commitment to relocating items lost from the Alexander Palace. Are there any english language translations of anecdotes of his travels and subsequent "finds" when looking for items after the war?

What are the odds that items transferred to Pavlovsk will be returned to the AP? Do the other palaces not have other interesting items to replace the AP items with?

I also wanted to ask if you are still working on a possible book about the Alexander Palace?

Thanks for any information you may have.

Roy

[BobAtchison]

Accoirding to Kuchumov's notes the marble relief of Catherine by Collot was sent to the Antikaquarat and sold.  I'll see if he put a date on it.

Hikaru - can you tell us more about that sofa?  I wonder how it got rhere!

Bob

[hikaru]

I have a photo.
I will try to put it when I will by a cable.
It is just a very small sofa.
and It was there since  I do not know what time.
Except this sofa ( yellow ) there are 2 chairs from Feodorovky gorodok in the next room.
They put this sofa because they made the interior of the formal reception room as baby-room.
(  I am glad that I could give you some ifm that you did not know).