#imperial house of russia

[chaimaybe]

Guys, where should I start with the russian imperial family? the romanavs? there's so many books available but what do you think are beginner friendly and comprehensive??

[livesunique]

Jordanian Staircase, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia,

Source: piter places

[panimoonchild]

Russian culture is great just because they constantly erase literature and kill artists from the country that russians want to conquer

This photo speaks volumes 💔😭

Today, the Russians struck one of the largest printing complexes in Europe, the Factor-Druk in Kharkiv. "Kharkiv used to be the center of book publishing in Ukraine and remains so even under constant shelling. Every third book published in the country is printed by Factor-Druk," wrote the Sense bookstore chain. "This is one of the largest full-cycle printing complexes in Europe, so books from almost all Ukrainian publishers are printed there," Vivat Publishing House reported. ❗Since the beginning of the year, more than 700 libraries have been destroyed or vandalized in Ukraine.

[fashionhistory]

Some of Empress Consort Maria Feodorovna (Minnie)'s dresses from the 1880s - 1910s.

All from the Hermitage

[labyrinthofstreams]

Imperial Russian court dress worn by Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Leuchtenberg. x

Designed by Charles Frederick Worth in Paris, France, c. 1888.

[krasivaa]

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia on the Imperial yacht Standart, 1912.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Fabergé Eggs

Fabergé Eggs, perhaps considered one of the most famous examples of exquisite and luxurious craftsmanship to this day.

Fabergé eggs were originally commissioned by the Russian Imperial family in the late 1800s AD.

Tsar Alexander III (10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) wanted a richly jeweled egg as an Easter gift for his wife, so Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé (30 May [O.S. 18 May] 1846 – 24 September 1920) got to work and produced very first Fabergé egg in 1885 AD.

And like Easter eggs you may find hidden in your shrubs or gutters, these eggs were also intended to contain a surprise inside.

Initially, the first Fabergé egg was to contain a diamond ring, but after specific instructions given by the Emperor, the egg could be opened to find a ruby pendant instead.

Over the course of the next two decades, ten eggs were produced for the family during Alexander III’s reign, starting a dazzling tradition that his son Nicholas II (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918) would carry on for his wife and his mother every Easter.

The popularity of eggs-travagant gifts spread well beyond the Imperial family, and soon, other wealthy families began commissioning their own eggs.

The eggs then began to represent great wealth and luxury that owning a Fabergé egg was considered a status symbol.

And with the skill level and time that it took to craft up just one Fabergé egg – up to one year per egg – it’s no surprise they come with such a high value.

The intricate Fabergé egg-making process began by creating a design for the egg and then the outer shell would start to come to life.

The team of goldsmiths would craft the eggs out of precious metals like gold or silver.

They were each decorated with intricate engravings, filigree work and other decorative elements.

And while his competitors used a standard palette, Fabergé wanted to experiment with more colors.

He created resplendent yellows, mauves, and all shades of greens — coming up with over one hundred and forty new colors.

Just as important as its exterior, the Fabergé egg’s interior was given just as much attention to detail.

A team of jewelers would work on creating a surprise to be hidden inside the bejeweled shell.

These surprises could be anything from miniature portraits of the recipients’ husbands to tiny replicas of famous landmarks.

The artists behind these miniature works of art were some of the best miniature painters, sculptors and engravers of that time who used a variety of material, including enamel, precious stones and even hair to create their work.

Finally, once all of the intricate pieces were complete, they were assembled by a team of skilled craftsmen to create the final product.

The egg was then presented to the recipient and would become a treasured family heirloom for years to come. 

Unfortunately, the House of Fabergé was forced to close its doors during the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Fabergé and his family fled Russia.

Many of the Fabergé eggs were sold, lost or smuggled out of Russia during this time, but now, many of them are housed in museums like the famous Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

However, history came full circle when in 2007, with new ownership and direction, the company announced the reunification of the brand with the Fabergé family.

This new chapter set the stage for a total revitalization of the Fabergé name and philosophy, which are in tune with its original values and spirit.

[sweetgosth]

🌸🌹🌸... Princesse Dagmar du Danemark, elle deviendra Tsarine de Russie en épousant le futur Alexandre III.... 🌹🌸🌹

[empress-alexandra]

Princess Alix of Hesse - later Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia - in mourning of her father Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse, 1892.

[tiny-librarian]

Photograph of Grand Duchess Alexandra, lying on a chaise-longue, facing towards the camera. She rests her head on her right hand and gazes to the right. She wears a dark coloured dress and dark coloured hair covering.

Source

[historicalcouples]

“Yesterday I received your dear letter with great joy; it made me completely happy. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for every living kind word! My thoughts are always next to you, my beloved Sasha , what I would do to have you next to me now. I miss you so much, I’m never calm when I’m away from you... I suffer and I’m sad, I’m looking forward to our meeting with such impatience!”

Empress Maria Feodorovna to Emperor Alexander III, June 5, 1891

[livesunique]

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russia, 1917,

A rare and unique set of Autochrome color photograph plates, taken by Alexander Zehest in 1917 of the interiors of the Alexander Palace, including both the Parade rooms and the personal rooms of the Imperial Family.

The Autochrome process was a rare and difficult one, invented by the Lumiere Brothers of France in 1903 and marketed in Europe and the US starting in 1907. The autochromes, 140 in total, were made in 1917 by the military photographer Andrei Zeest, who was invited by the art historian George Loukomski, Head of Tsarskoye Selo Inventory Commission. The Alexander Palace interiors were photographed in August-September, soon after the Tsar’s family left for exile.

[loiladadiani]

Alexander III and his niece Victoria of Wales

I like these two historical figures although I admit that for what we know about their personalitie, neither one would be precisely soft and cuddly.

[palecleverdoll]

Women of Imperial Russia: Ages at First Marriage

I have only included women whose birth dates and dates of marriage are known within at least 1-2 years, therefore, this is not a comprehensive list. This data set ends with the Revolution of 1917.

Eudoxia Lopukhina, wife of Peter I; age 20 when she married Peter in 1689 CE

Catherine I of Russia, wife of Peter I; age 18 when she married Johan Cruse in 1702 CE

Anna of Russia, daughter of Ivan V; age 17 when she married Frederick William Duke of Courland and Semigallia in 1710 CE

Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter I; age 17 when she married Charles Frederick I, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, in 1725 CE

Catherine II, wife of Peter III; age 16 when she married Peter in 1745 CE

Natalia Alexeievna, wife of Paul I; age 17 when she married Paul in 1773 CE

Maria Feodorovna, wife of Paul I; age 17 when she married Paul in 1776 CE

Elizabeth Alexeivna, wife of Alexander I; age 14 when she married Alexander in 1793 CE

Anna Feodorovna, wife of Konstantin Pavlovich; age 15 when she married Konstantin in 1796 CE

Alexandra Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I; age 16 when she married Archduke Joseph of Austria in 1799 CE

Elena Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I; age 15 when she married Frederick Louis, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1799 CE

Maria Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I; age 18 when she married Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1804 CE

Catherine Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I; age 21 when she married Duke George of Oldenburg in 1809 CE

Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I; age 21 when she married William II of the Netherlands in 1816 CE

Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I; age 19 when she married Nicholas in 1817 CE

Joanna Grudzinska, wife of Konstantin Pavlovich; age 29 when she married Konstantin in 1820 CE

Elena Pavlovna, wife of Mikhail Pavlovich; age 17 when she married Mikhail in 1824 CE

Maria Nikolaevna, daughter of Nicholas I; age 20 when she married Maximilian de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, in 1839 CE

Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II; age 17 when she married Alexander in 1841 CE

Elizaveta Mikhailovna, daughter of Mikhail Pavlovich; age 17 when she married Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, in 1844 CE

Alexandra Nikolaevna, daughter of Nicholas I; age 19 when she married Prince Frederick-William of Hesse-Kassel, in 1844 CE

Olga Nikolaevna, daughter of Nicholas I; age 24 when she married Charles I of Wurttemberg, in 1846 CE

Alexandra Iosifovna, wife of Konstantin Nikolaevich; age 18 when she married Konstantin in 1848 CE

Catherine Mikhailovna, daughter of Mikhail Pavlovich; age 24 when she married Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in 1851 CE

Alexandra Petrovna, wife of Nicholas Nikolaevich the Elder; age 18 when she married Nicholas in 1856 CE

Olga Feodorovna, wife of Michael Nikolaevich; age 18 when she married Michael in 1857 CE

Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III; age 19 when she married Alexander III in 1866 CE

Olga Konstantinovna, daughter of Konstantin Nikolaevich; age 16 when she married George I of Greece in 1867 CE

Vera Konstantinovna, daughter of Konstantin Nikolaevich; age 20 when she married Duke Eugen of Wurttemberg in 1874 CE

Maria Pavlovna, wife of Vladimir Alexandrovich; age 20 when she married Vladimir in 1874 CE

Maria Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II; age 19 when she married Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1874 CE

Anastasia Mikhailovna, daughter of Michael Nikolaevich; age 19 when she married Friedrich Franz III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1879 CE

Nadezhada Alexandrovna Dreyer, wife of Nicholas Konstantinovich; age 21 when she married Nicholas in 1882 CE

Elizabeth Feodorovna, wife of Sergei Alexandrovich; age 20 when she married Sergei in 1884 CE

Olga Valerianovna Paley, wife of Paul Alexandrovich; age 19 when she married Erich von Pistolhkors in 1884 CE

Elizabeth Mavrikievna, wife of Konstantin Konstantinovich; age 19 when she married Konstantin in 1885 CE

Anastasia of Montenegro, wife of Nicholas Nikolaevich the Younger; age 21 when she married George Maximilianovich, Duke of Leuchtenberg in 1889 CE

Milica of Montenegro, wife of Peter Nikolaevich; age 23 when she married Peter in 1889 CE

Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, wife of Paul Alexandrovich; age 19 when she married Paul in 1889 CE

Sophie Nikolaievna, wife of Michael Mikhailovich; age 23 when she married Michael in 1891 CE

Victoria Feodorovna, wife of Kirill Vladimirovich; age 18 when she married Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, in 1894 CE

Xenia Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander Mikhailovich; age 19 when she married Alexander in 1894 CE

Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II; age 22 when she married Nicholas in 1894 CE

Olga Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II; age 18 when she married Count George-Nicholas von Merenberg in 1985 CE

Maria of Greece and Denmark, wife of George Mikhailovich; age 24 when she married George in 1900 CE

Alexandra von Zarnekau, wife of George Alexandrovich; age 16 when she married George in 1900 CE

Catherine Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II; age 23 when she married Alexander Baryatinksy in 1901 CE

Olga Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander III; age 19 when she married Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg

Elena Vladimirovna, daughter of Vladimir Alexandrovich; age 20 when she married Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark in 1902 CE

Natalia Brasova, wife of Michael Alexandrovich; age 22 when she married Sergei Mamontov in 1902 CE

Elisabetta di Sasso Ruffo, wife of Andrei Alexandrovich; age 31 when she married Alexander Alexandrovitch Frederici in 1907 CE

Maria Pavlovna, daughter of Paul Alexandrovich; age 18 when she married Prince Wilhelm of Sweden in 1908 CE

Helen of Serbia, wife of Ioann Konstantinovich; age 27 when she married Ioann in 1911 CE

Tatiana Konstantinovna, daughter of Konstantin Konstantinovich; age 21 when she married Konstantine Bagration of Mukhrani, in 1911 CE

Irina Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander Mikhailovich; age 19 when she married Felix Felixovich Yusupov in 1914 CE

Nadejda Mikhailovna, daughter of Michael Mikhailovna; age 20 when she married George Mountbatten in 1916 CE

Antonina Rafailovna Nesterovkaya, wife of Gabriel Konstantinovich; age 27 when she married Gabriel in 1917 CE

Nadejda Petrovna, wife of Nicholas Orlov; age 19 when she married Nicholas in 1917 CE

Anastasia Mikhailovna, daughter of Michael Mikhailovna; age 25 when she married Sir Harold Wernher in 1917 CE

59 women; average age at first marriage was 20 years old. The oldest bride was 31 at her first marriage; the youngest was 14.

[babyboywinchester]

Let us take a moment to remember our Tsar Martyr Nicholas II who 106 years ago, on the night of July 16-17, was murdered along with his immediate family and four of their faithful retinue in a dismal basement in Yekaterinburg.

May you rest in peace, Tsar Nicholas, and your beloved wife and beautiful children. The burdens you had to bear were too heavy for an earthly crown, but now you have a heavenly kingdom to inherit.

Forgive them father for they know not what they do.

[pokadandelion]

Empress Elizaveta Alexeievna of Russia