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Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family found in a remote Urals museum

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08 May 2013

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A zoo on the Tzar's estate would be closed after the 1917 revolution, but on that day the ruler wrote in his diary: 'Took the elephant to our pond with Alexei today and had fun watching him bath'. Picture: Zlatoust City History Museum

Another picture taken by the emperor dated 1916 shows Tsarevich Alexei - heir to an autocratic throne that would be abolished the following year - posing on a tree in winter with his beloved pet spaniel Joy. 

These images of the Russian royal family, captured in photographs taken by the Tsar himself or his children, mostly date from the years of the First World War, and some very soon before the Romanov dynasty crumbled, to be rapidly replaced by Communism. 

Found in a vault in Zlatoust, the album shows the private moments of the royals as the storm clouds gather over a dynasty that had ruled for more than three centuries. 

The smoking picture shows the youngest princess Anastasia, then 15, evidently imbibing from a cigarette with every encouragement from the Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias. At the time there was not the same stigma attached to smoking and in fact a year earlier Anastasia had written to her father: 'I am sitting here with your old cigarette that you once gave me, and it is very tasty'.

She - like Alexei - would soon be central characters in the mystery of what became of the Romanov family. 

Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family

The smoking picture shows the youngest princess Anastasia, then 15, evidently imbibing from a cigarette with every encouragement from the Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias. Pictures: Zlatoust City History Museum

For decades there were claims that the pair had survived the 1918 shooting that took the lives of Russia's last royal ruler, his former empress Alexandra, and their other three children, Olga, Tatiana and Maria. 

In the event, DNA evidence gathered from bones found near Yekaterinburg gives credible evidence that both were indeed killed in the shooting at the Ipatiev House, where the family were held by Lenin's forces. Anastasia and her brother were, however, buried separately from the rest of the family. 

The images of Alexei show a surprisingly strong boy given that his haemophilia saw him portrayed as sickly.

Indeed it was his serious illness that led his mother to rely on debauched holy man Grigory Rasputin, a relationship that did much to undermine royal credibility as the country became embroiled in an ugly war and revolutionary fervour. 

Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family

These images of the Russian royal family, captured in photographs taken by the Tsar himself or his children, mostly date from the years of the First World War, and some very soon before the Romanov dynasty crumbled, to be rapidly replaced by Communism. Pictures: Zlatoust City History Museum

In one of the earlier pictures in the set, the four carefree Romanov princesses are seen in 1914 enjoying the royal yacht 'Standart' on the Black Sea. 

The same year at Peterhof, the Tsar is shown relaxing on rocks in a picture almost certainly taken by one of his children using a camera he had imported from Britain. And in another picture, the Tsar, Alexei and the boy's tutor are seen walking an elephant near their palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

A zoo on the estate would be closed after the 1917 revolution, but on this day the ruler wrote in his diary: 'Took the elephant to our pond with Alexei today and had fun watching him bath'.

With war breaking out in 1914, the heir is shown in a military game with his tutor's two smaller children. In 1916, as he commanded Russian forces in the First World War, the Tsar is seen playing with his son on the banks of the Dnieper River close to Mogilyov. Here - where the smoking picture was taken - Russian military headquarters was based during the war, and Nicholas insisted on having his family around him. 

Other pictures show the older princesses visiting wounded soldiers in military hospitals. 

Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Private pictures of Russian Royal family, Grand Duchess Tatiana

Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family

Top to bottom: Grand Duchess Olga and Tatiana, Grand Duchess Olga pictured looking through family album; Grand Duchess Tatiana; clockwise Grand Duchess Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia; Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna on board of Russian Royal Yacht. Pictures: Zlatoust City History Museum

The images have been released in a year which marks the 400th anniversary of the Romanov's coming to power in Russia. 

'The emperor was very fond of photography and passed his passion for it to his wife Alexandra and children,' said Milena Bratukhina, an historian at the Zlatoust Museum where the album was hidden in Soviet times.

It remains unclear how it got to Zlatoust.  One theory is that the album - which has 200-plus pictures, many never seen before - was taken from the royals by a revolutionary called Dmitry Chudinov, nicknamed Kassian, who was an escort when the exiled royals were brought westward from Tobolsk in Siberia to Yekaterinburg on their final move before they were shot. 

He was from Zlatoust and it is known that he appropriated some royal possessions. The album could have been among them.

Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Remarkable private pictures of the Russian royal family


Private pictures from Russian Royal family album, Tsar Nikolai II

Comments (80)

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND CAPTAIN JAMES COOK S HMS ENDEAVOUR SOLVING ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER MARITIME MYSTERIES The exhibition, The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution, includes other rare Romanov artifacts, such as personal diaries, jewelry found at the scene of the family s murder and two Imperial Faberge Easter eggs on loan from the Moscow Kremlin Museums. The eggs, which include an unusual Steel Easter Egg featuring military designs, were presented by the Czar to his wife in 1916 when Russia was embroiled in the World War I.
Nanna Lam, Esbiyerg
21/01/2020 04:49
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Frederic von Ebert is the GGGG Grandson of child Ebert son of Clovis 1 first king of France and king of the Franks



child Ebert his father clovis 1 and Frederic von Ebert, all born with identical partial pierce ear lobe markers as Cleopatra of Egypt and Cleopatra co ruling younger bother in Egypt. through sharing the same ancestor
Frederic von Ebert, Canada
24/09/2019 12:17
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It is a great tragedy that the Romanovs were murdered many blame Nicholas for everything but he was a weak man governed by his wife who was an autocrat through and through and wholly believed in the divine right of kings, so absolutely no reforms whatsoever this led to the downfall of the imperial family
Karen Darwin, Chesterfield England
30/07/2019 18:15
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Over time this person Frederic von Ebert has posted varios comments regrding a rare visble marker formed at birth in the form of a partial pierce that form a line across both earlobes and does not go in a daiginal direction one can see in some oldr people that is called a hart line one gets as they age because of possible heart blockage. The one speak of is seen on some related royals who share the same ancestor. I can now confirm Cleopatra and her younger rulling brother in Egypt share the same earlobe markers.. Frederic von Ebert at nelson.manor.house@gmail.com
Frederic von Ebert, Canada
16/03/2019 06:00
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Nicholas II abdicated for himself and for Alexei. He nominated his brother Michael to succeed him, but Michael declined after a few hours.
Even if one of the Grand Duchesses had survived, they would not be eligible to succeed to the throne.
Mervyn Capel, Newmarket, England
09/03/2019 02:48
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Seems to me, the youngest is the last legal heir. Nicholas transferred power to him.
It could be why it's not over until they find his bones. Seems he liked to travel abroad.
Anon, UK
04/08/2018 23:12
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One day tree family no Anastasia
maryannn callahan, geen
01/05/2018 09:45
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I believe one of the girls survived.You may ask how? when DNA has been matched.

I believe one survived but it was hushed up when they were examining the remains in the 90,s.

Imagine,just imagine if it was true...Or could be..If the survivor had living descendants,especially a male,there would be a lot of extremely nervous people in Russia.

God left Russia on the 16th July 1918,and returned when the Communists HQ was cut off from Electricity then blasted by cannon fire in the 1990's,to the delight of the Civilised World.

If a direct heir comes forward,with Orthodox Church backing,one of the most powerful country,s could be reborn,with "Payback".

Interesting..
steven, Sydney,Australia
02/02/2018 12:45
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There is a wonderful image of Olga sitting on the balcony of the Alexander Palace looking at an album.
Bob Atchison, Austin Texas
25/09/2017 02:45
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While I do not believe that our family was at all part of the royal family. My grandmother's family came from Germany several generations prior and her maiden name was Fuhrer. It sounded like a rich family of attorneys and judges. I would like to know more of her background and my family.
Jeff Granowsky, Fort Collins, Colorado
20/07/2017 06:18
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The story from my grandmother is, my grandfather was a captain of the Czars guard and 63 of them escaped the palace when it was overrun. For 2 years they walked to Romania, bought false papers and boarded a boat to Canada. Spent two years there where my grandfather was a professional trapper and then went to New York, where her family was. The stories of the two year walk were incredible, and remarkable. Only three survived. My grandparents and a young man. The young man later became a rich furrier in Canada.
Jeff Granowsky, Fort Collins, Colorado
20/07/2017 06:13
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All the bodies were NOT accounted for. My grandmother always told us that her father was brother to Czar that was overthrown by the Bolsheviks. All she knew was that he escaped from Siberia,came thru the Bering Straight in a rowboat and on horseback thru Canada and met her mother who was very pregnant with her in New York. He changed his name to Bolshevik. That was all she knew. This man had been shot in the leg and limped. He burned all his papers and committed suicide in 1946. I don't know how true it is,I mean the body of Mikhail was NEVER found. It does make for a fun family story to pass down. Who he met in New York I don't know. "Dina" perhaps? I would love to have a DNA test done,but how?
Michelle B., Clarks Hill,SC,USA
22/03/2017 05:11
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These comments are addressed to Cathy didkowsky and her question What are the mystery markings of the Czar. The markings are not a mystery but posted at RBD ( Royal Bloodline Descent on Facebook). Young Prince Alexei and one of his sister (Anastasia shared the same. All can be seen on RBD Facebook page
Frederic von Ebert, Canada
02/03/2017 21:00
2
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The imposters always come when doubt of death exists. Crazy people who desire the way of fame that belongs to others. Anna from Poland impersonated the Grand Duchess younger daughter of the fated Romanov Royal family butchered by common trash. All bodies found to proof the case against Trotsky and his mob. Even Lenin too knew what happened before it did. Cowards all of them now sure enough in the bowels of Hells torments now. The stain of sin will never wash away from Communistic Russia. When DNA proved that all the Tzars family , plus many of their servants had been shot to bits in that cellar how can any one with a brain say one survived.If so the murders had an eye witness. Do you seriously think cruel killers walked away one all fell. No they stood over every one of then to shoot last bullet in the head.Hundreds of bullets found in walls and floors show it to have been a blood bath.
Sir Kevin Parr, Baronet, Wndermere UK and salacsgrivas novads Latia
26/02/2017 13:57
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Why did they exhume graves in Russia? Is that decedent who lives in squalor still living in Alaska? Have they kept up the domestic terrorism tactics? You know too much of that ol USA non-sense crap will backfire on you right?

See you in court seems to E C H O doesn't it?
Benedict, USA
11/02/2017 09:39
3
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