Alexander Palace interiors

[BobAtchison]

No one except members of the family had rooms on the ground floor.  The English Suite was used for guests - that was on the ground floor.  The Commandant's (Beckendorffs, Orbelani, Vyrubova, Orchard's, Schnieder's, etc also) room was on the second floor - that could be what the Russians call the first floor. Perhaps that's what he meant.

Those memoirs are very good - it's funny how time plays tricks on your memory and fleeting memories can morph with time.  The gray marble columns of the New Study become malachite, Alexandra receives him in a light-blue velvet and gilt room etc...

Thank you for telling us about that book!

Bob

[BobAtchison]

Robert:

When Suzanne and I were pushing for the reopenning of the palace back in the early 90's there was a lot of opposition to the restoration of the rooms of Nicholas and Alexandra  Many people wanted the palace restored to the way it was in the reign of Nicholas I.  There is still talk of destroying the New Study and restoring the Quarenghi-Stasov Music Room.

This is because of four things;  one, some people feel that the interiors of the period of Nicholas II are trivial and decadent (not grand enough).  Two, some people believe Nicholas and Alexandra are negative personalities in Russian history and should not be memorialised this way.  Three, some people resent the 'foreign obsession' with Nicholas and Alexandra and don't want to encourage it.  Four, some people see interest in restoring the rooms a sign of right-wing enthusiasm for past Russian power.

At one time I think there were people who thought there would be hordes of people who would want to visit the AP and lots of money flowing that way.  When it didn't happen they lost interest.  I heard that there was even talk of closing the palace again because of lack of interest in it.

I think the best thing in the world would be to get $6M, close the palace - completely restore the rooms of the ground floor Imperial wing and center parade rooms to international standards - and then reopen.  I think people's opinions of the palace would be completely changed if they could see the Mauve Room sparkle and shimming like it did when it was new, smell the rose oil from the ikon lamps in the bedroom, see everything just as it was.  A restored Maple Room would be one of the glories of Russian museums.

My concern as always is that the restoration not be superficial - a cardboard cake - but be a real re-creation.  It can be done.

I pray to God that it will happen!  Does anyone know an angel that can help us?

Bob

[Robert_Hall]

Bob, thank you for the reply.
I can see restoration of  SOME rooms, perhaps, the famous "mauve"  as well as  the Maple  rooms.  Perhaps a total recreation of the palace in N&A's day is unreasonable.

[Janet Whitcomb]

I vote with Robert.  Not just because of the expense, but also because the four reasons Bob listed have validity, especially 2-4.  Those of us living outside of Russia have the luxury of viewing the Nicholas and Alexandra story in a different way. Whereas today in  Russia there are those who want to use the N & A story to whip up anti-Semitic feelings . . . which, as we know from Greg and Penny's book, is not valid!

[BobAtchison]

Robert I agree with you - a total restoration is out of the question and practically impossible in any case.  I just can't see the public being interested in the rooms of the Suite or even the office of Alexander III.

People will mostly come to the palace for the story of Nicholas and Alexandra - expecting great things - especially for the story to be told or experienced in some way.  I hope that a number of people would also come to see Roman Meltzer's rooms - I really think the Maple Room and the New Study would be breathtaking as an ensemble, fully furnished with the best fabrics, drapery and carpets....  The Mauve Room, Pallisander Room and the Bedroom could really bring the story alive and show luxurious interior decoration of the time.  All this is doable.  Combine it with the parade Rooms, the Chapel, Alix's Reception room plus Nicholas's office and you'd have a great Imperial 'house' museum.

I'd say lets do the children's rooms too sometime in the near future.

Bob

[jackie3]

Robert:

This is because of four things;  one, some people feel that the interiors of the period of Nicholas II are trivial and decadent (not grand enough).  Two, some people believe Nicholas and Alexandra are negative personalities in Russian history and should not be memorialised this way.  Three, some people resent the 'foreign obsession' with Nicholas and Alexandra and don't want to encourage it.  Four, some people see interest in restoring the rooms a sign of right-wing enthusiasm for past Russian power.

Bob, one would think that with the economic difficulties Russia is in (and has been in for years) they would realize that the best way to raise money for ANY resotration is tourism and that 90+% of the people going to see the Alexander Palace are only going there because of N&A. I myself would certainly love to go if I had the time free but I wouldn't bother if was just to see anything from the reigns of Nicholas I, the Tsar-Liberator, Alexander III or even the mysterious Alexander I. They are interesting historical figures but I don't feel I have any personal  connection to them like I do with the last Imperial family. I'm sure most visitors to Tsarskoe Selo (even Russian ones just discovering their history after a almost a century of Communist propaganda) would feel the same.

Oh and I envy you for seeing Alix and the others in Yekaterinburg. I don't know if I could have handled it - as it is I almost turn away when I see the remains being handled by human hands just in book photos or documentaries.

[Robert_Hall]

Would the chidren's rooms even be possible? Thought that floor has been totally re-arranged, the rooms gone?
Of course, I could be wrong. You know far more than me.
Cheers,
Robert

[BobAtchison]

I only walked down through the corridor and went into the area of Aleksey's rooms - we had several meetings there.  It was quite amzing sitting there with the windows open in Aleksey's rooms - you could see the trees outside and the birds were singing.  You could see the swallows nests the children wrote about.

The corridor still had it's original ceiling where we were - the rooms did seem differently arranged but I was sort of confused as we entered a few doors down from Aleksey's bedroom but ended up there.

The girl's rooms were closed to us.

It seems the changes may have been minimal....

Bob

[londo954]

I think everyone is missing the point here.
Even the flavor of Nicholas and Alexandra's reign is enough to capture the imagination. The current condition of the rooms is in some ways a sad testimony to teh non'identity that the last Tsar and his family have in Russia. With the renewed interest in them this is of course improving. I think once the Russians fully realize teh lucrative nature of Nichollas and Alexandra as a money making draw for the palace their attitdues would change. Think how much money in touristrevenue would be generate by teh number of people wishing to see the place where they lived and where the events took place. So much of the history of the revolution is focused at teh palace one might say it is the antithesis of Smolny ( where the Communist events took place) I think a full restoration will be possible when someone there has the courage to take the step. I for one would be gratified to see the few items no matter how flawed they might be that give a glimpse of what was.  I also agree with Bob that the whole ensemble needs to be restored and showed off.

[BobAtchison]

There is a glass of milk by the bed - this glass of milk was by all the children and their parents at night.  Nicholas was a big milk drinker.  The milk came from the Imperial dairies at the Imperial farm in the park.

If I remember right there's an ikon pinned to the blue-ticking cover of the headboard of the camp bed... but maybe my memory is bad...

You can see these same covers on their beds at Tobolsk.

It's a grusome thing to say but the murderers wiped their bloody hands on these covers in Yekaterinburg.  Now it makes me shutter when I see them.

Bob

[Janet Whitcomb]

When it comes to Anastasia, nothing is ever quite too weird!  She definitely had an imagination, and certainly a case of "look-at-me"-itis, undoubtedly because she was the youngest of four girls, as well as a probable sense of competition with Alexei when it came to attracting attention. (Though I'm not suggesting it was hostile attention-getting, but the kind that was probably meant to distract others away from Alexei--and his fragility?--more than anything else.)

[olga]

i have two opinions on the restoration of the Alexander Palace..........

1)all the rooms should be restored with their original furniture in place, but if some items have been lost, then accurate replicas should be made. however, ALL the rooms of the palace should be opened to the public. just being in the various rooms would be an experience in itself, knowing the many historical events that had taken place and the people who had lived there.  

2) with the state of the russian economy and country in general at the moment (the reference to the Time of Troubles in another thread was not uncalled for), i think that money and support should not be asked for from the government by people working on the restorarion of the palace.  i realise that most of the money has come from fundraising, but the government has better things to worry about at the moment.

after that second rant im probably going to sound like i dont care at all! oh well..............

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Olga,
I totally agree with you about the economical situation in Russia, but i think the government is sometimes quite contradictory....or could someone tell me where the money came from to restore the full enssemble of the Strelna palace as official summer residence for president Putin????
Quite amazing.

[Janet Whitcomb]

From what I read daily in the newspapers, and hear from my friend in Yalta, Russia continues to be in a precarious situation, comparable to pre-Revolutionary times.  So many opinions, so many troubles.  

Restoration of a palace that was occupied by those who were unable to stop--and perhaps exacerbated--Russia's 19th and early 20th century problems is undoubtedly far down on the list for most Russians.  I think it will be up to the efforts of a dedicated (if small) group of Russia preservationists and the financial support of Russian and nonRussian financiers to restore the palace.

[londo954]

This is just a suggestion but that Russian Financier who bought the Faberge Eggs from Forbes....I thought he was looking for a venue to show the eggs. Why not in their original Setting.....the Alexander Palace