alexander palace – Page 3 – The Romanov Family

March 14, 2016Helen Azar No Comments

ON THIS DATE IN THEIR OWN WORDS: NICHOLAS II – 14 MARCH, 1914.

From the 1914 diary of Nicholas II:

March 4, 2016Helen Azar No Comments

ROMANOV FAMILY: FUN IN THE SNOW

Romanov family loved snow. Tsarevich Alexei with his sister at the snow tower.

Romanov family loved snow. Maria Romanov and her sisters and father at the "snow tower" — Romanov family loved snow. Maria Romanov and her sisters and father at the “snow tower”

December 15, 2015Helen Azar No Comments

ROMANOV FAMILY: “THE FAMOUS” ALEXANDER PALACE BALCONY

Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra and Tsarevich Alexei on the Alexander Palace balcony

The Alexander Palace balcony was an addition made by the last imperial family: Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, in 1896. The balcony, which was to give Alexandra the opportunity to go outdoors without leaving the palace. It was completely wired for electricity during the First World War, in 1915. Rain or shine, summer or winter, the Romanov family enjoyed tea time, meals and general leisure time on this balcony. Every Romanov family member mentioned “the balcony” in their diaries or correspondence. Numerous photographs were posed for on the balcony as well (see below).

December 8, 2015Helen Azar 2 Comments

ROMANOV FAMILY: CHRISTMAS AT THE ALEXANDER PALACE

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia in front of the Romanov family Christmas tree

From the memoir of Margaretta Eager (Romanov family nanny):

“We generally spent Christmas at Tsarskoe Selo. It is less elaborately observed than Easter in general, but at the Alexander Palace it was a great festival. There were no fewer than eight Christmas trees in various parts of the palace. The Empress decorated them all herself, and personally chose the presents for each member of her household, and for each officer, to the number of about five hundred. A tree was arrayed for the Cossacks in the riding-school. The children and I had a tree for ourselves. It was fixed into a musical-box which played the German Christmas hymn, and turned round and round. It was indeed a glittering object. All the presents were laid out on white covered tables, and the tree stood for several days an object of intense interest and admiration to the children. They were very sad when it was dismantled just before we went to St. Petersburg, but they were consoled by being allowed to help, and to divide the ornaments among the members of their own household.”