Skip to main content

Romanov collection

 Collection
Call Number: GEN MSS 313

Scope and Contents

The Romanov Collection, 1894-1935, consists of letters, photographs, artwork, and autographs by or pertaining to the Russian imperial family, from the years 1894-1935. The vast majority of the material, however, dates from the period 1907-1918. The collection is organized into three series: Correspondence, Photographs, Other Papers. In addition to the original source materials, some folders contain research notes such as transcriptions, translations, attributions, and background information, which have been contributed by scholars over the years. While the accuracy of these notes cannot be guaranteed, they have been retained with the relevant materials as witnesses to established interpretations.

Series I. Correspondence (1913-1928) (Box 1) consists chiefly of letters written by members of the imperial family to their close friends, lady-in-waiting Anna Vyrubova (née Taneeva) and Lili Dehn, who remained in Petrograd by orders of the government when the imperial family was removed to Tobol'sk. These letters document the family's arrest at TSarskoe Selo, exile to Tobol'sk, and relocation to Ekaterinburg, where they met their death on 16-17 July 1918. The final letter is dated after April 1918, almost three months before the death of the imperial family. Their letters chiefly concern details of the imperial family's everyday existence, news about mutual friends, and expressions of hope and despair, with little specific reference to the historical events taking place around them. In order to mask the senders' identity, the letters were often signed with an initial, a nickname, or, in Alexandra's case, a cross. In addition, some letters were apparently dictated to servants who then signed them with their own name (e.g., one letter is signed "Annushka" Box 1 folder 22). In these cases the traditional attribution has been followed.

There are several letters to Vyrubova from other members of the imperial entourage: one letter from the Tsarevich's tutor Pierre Gilliard, one letter from a relative of the imperial family, Anna Pavlovna Romanova, and three letters from Aleksei Volkov, Alexandra's valet, who accompanied the family to Ekaterinburg and escaped.

Also included in Series I are three miscellaneous letters: to Empress Alexandra from her lady-in-waiting Anastasiia Gendrikova; from Nicholas II to A. N. Naryshkina; and a historic letter from Grigorii Rasputin to the Emperor warning him against becoming entangled in the First World War.

Series II. Photographs (1894-1935) (Boxes 2-8) includes six photograph albums of the imperial family (numbered 2 through 7) and individual photographs of royal personages and related individuals, such as Rasputin's daughter Mariia. The albums mainly contain snapshots of the imperial family's leisure activities, ranging from hunting and tennis to sightseeing, at or near their palaces around Petersburg, their summer home Levadiia in the Crimea, Siberia, and Germany. Also included are some photos of the Emperor at state visits and parades, and of the Empress attending to men wounded in the First World War. Interspersed between these are photos of the family aboard the imperial yacht Standart. Many of the photos were taken and annotated by Anna Vyrubova; others were taken by members of the imperial family themselves. The albums are numbered 2 through 7; Album 1 is not in the collection. A detailed listing of Albums 2 and 3 is given in the Appendix. Further information about the origin of these albums can be found in The Romanov family album. Introduction by Robert K. Massie; picture research by Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey; assembled by Anna Vyrubova. (New York: Vendome Press, 1982).

Series III. Other Papers (1910-1918) (Box 9) includes one autograph album, containing the signatures of the entire royal family as well as many members of court, and several pieces of artwork by Empress Alexandra and Grand Duchess Irina Aleksandrovna.

The Restricted Fragile Papers housed in boxes 10-15 consist of the original photo albums from Series II; photographic facsimiles of the albums have been placed in the main files for general reference use.

Dates

  • 1894 - 1935
  • Majority of material found within 1907 - 1918

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials in Russian, English and French, with some transcriptions in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Boxes 10-15: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.

Conditions Governing Use

The Romanov Collection is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Robert D. Brewster, 1951, 1983. The letters to Anna Vyrubova (in Series I) and the photo albums (in Series II) were acquired by Brewster from Anna Vyrubova, a friend of the Romanov family.

Extent

12.8 Linear Feet (15 boxes)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.romanov

Abstract

The collection consists of letters, photographs, artwork, and autographs by or pertaining to the imperial family. Most of the correspondence is from members of the Russian imperial family to their friends Anna Vyrubova and Lili Dehn, and chiefly concerns details of everyday existence in captivity at T︠S︡arskoe Selo (T︠S︡arskoselʹskiĭ dvoret︠s︡), Tobol'sk, and Ekaterinburg, and news about mutual friends, with little specific reference to historical events. There are also a few letters to the Romanovs or third parties from members of the imperial entourage, including Grigori Rasputin. The six albums of family photographs (1908-1915) and accompanying loose photographs consist mainly of snapshots of the family's leisure activities and individual and group portraits. These are accompanied by an autograph album and a few pieces of artwork.

CHRONOLOGY

This chronology provides a basic guide, for reference purposes, to events of immediate relevance to the time period covered by materials in the collection.

1868 6/18 May Birth of future Emperor Nicholas II

1872 6 June Birth of Princess of Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, future Empress Alexandra

1894 14/26 November Marriage of Nicholas and Alexandra

1896 14/26 May Coronation of Emperor Nicholas II

1895 3/15 November Birth of Ol'ga Nikolaevna

1897 29 May/10 June Birth of Tat'iana Nikolaevna

1899 14/26 June Birth of Mariia Nikolaevna

1901 5/18 June Birth of Anastasiia Nikolaevna

1904 30 July/12 August Birth of Aleksei Nikolaevich

1914 19 Jul/1 August Germany declares war on Russia

1916 17/30 December Murder of Rasputin (b. 1864)

1917 22 Feb/7 March Nicholas II returns to Mogilev from TSarskoe Selo

1917 23 Feb/8 March Strikes and unrest ensue in Petrograd on International Women's Day

1917 28 Feb/13 March Nicholas II, unable reach TSarskoe Selo, goes to Pskov

1917 2/15 Mar Nicholas II abdicates for himself and for his son in favor of his brother Mikhail, who refuses the throne the next day

1917 8/20 March Aleksandra placed under house arrest at TSarskoe Selo

1917 7/20 March Nicholas was arrested at GHQ-Mogilev

1917 1/14 August Imperial family evacuated to Tobol'sk via Tiumen'

1917 6/19 August Imperial family arrives in Tobol'sk

1917 25 August/7 September Anna Vyrubova detained in Petrograd

1917 1/14 September Vasilii Pankratov arrives as commissar in charge of the imperial family

1917 25 October/7 November Bolsheviks overthrow Provisional Government

1917 17/30 November News of the Bolshevik coup d'état reaches Tobol'sk

1918 31 January/13 February New style calendar adopted

1918 27 February Imperial family put on soldiers' rations

1918 16 April Vasilii Iakovlev and armed detachment escort former Emperor Nicholas II, Alexandra, and Mariia Nikolaevna, accompanied by Doctor Evgenii Botkin and three servants, to Ekaterinburg, arriving on

1918 30 April and establishing the ex-imperial family at the Ipat'ev house

1918 23 May The remaining members of the ex-imperial family arrive in Ekaterinburg

1918 12-13 June Grand Duke Mikhail killed in supposed escape attempt

1918 16 June Capital punishment reintroduced

1918 16-17 July Execution of Nicholas II, his family, physician, and servants

1964 Death of Anna Vyrubova (b. 1884)

Appendix: Inventory of the Romanov family photo albums #2 & #3

Note: These identifications were provided by Marilyn P. Swezey as part of her research for The Romanov family album (New York: Vendome Press, 1982). They have not otherwise been verified by the library. Additional corrections added 2004.

Album 2

p. 1: On the Standart, circa 1909 1. Alexis and the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
2. The Emperor.
3. Marie and Olga.
4. Dr. Botkin and Admiral Chagin
5. Admiral Chagin and Adjutant Arseniev
6. Arseniev, Naryshkin and Grabbe
7. The Empress
8. The Empress
9. Admiral Chagin and officers of the Standart and L. Baron Buksgevden

p. 2: Ashore, in Finland 1. Admiral Niloff and the Emperor
2. Officers of the Standart
3. Nicholas with one of his daughters and officers
4. "
5. Nicholas and one of his daughters
6. Nicholas with Olga and officers Rodionov and Woronoff
7. Officers with one of the Grand Duchesses
8. Prince Waldemar of Prussia, cousin of the children
9. Arseniev.

p. 3: The rocky shore of Finland 1. The Emperor
2. Officers with Anna Vyrubova and Tatiana
3. Olga reading on the beach
4. Anna Vyrubova
5. Nicholas on the tennis court
6. Alexis with his nurse, Alexandra Tegleva (future wife of Pûna Gilliard)
7. Arseniev and Anna Vyrubova
8. Anna Vyrubova and Ira B.

p. 4: On the Standart 1. The Emperor in Admiral's uniform
2. Count Benckendorff and the Empress
3. The Empress with Tatiana, Alexis and Olga
4. The Emperor and Admiral Niloff
5. Arrival of the Swedish king and queen (Gustav August V and Maud)
6. Arrival of the Swedish king on deck
7. On the deck of the Swedish ship, officers at attention

p. 5: Going ashore 1. Nicholas, Olga, and Anna in the launch
2. Nicholas and Alexis with the sailors of the Standart
3. The Emperor and Adjutant Grabbe
4. Nicholas at tennis
5. The tennis party - Anna and the emperor, officers Drenteln and Woronoff
6. The Emperor and Anna on the tennis court
7. Tatiana (Gr. Duchess)
8. Nicholas
9. Tatiana and Olga

p. 6: Ashore 1. The Imperial family seen in a launch going ashore
2. The Emperor
3. Anastasia near the tennis court
4. The Emperor
5. Nicholas and one of his daughters
6. Tatiana and Anna with officers in background
7. Nicholas and Tatiana
8. Emperor, Tatiana and Anastasia
9. The Emperor

p. 7: On board the Standart 1. Nicholas and Alexandra on deck
2. Alexis
3. Olga, Paul Woronoff, Tatiana, and Drenteln reading Tatiana's palm and Anastasia
4. Olga, Woronoff, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Drenteln
5. The Empress and Alexis
6. The Empress and Marie, Olga in the background

p. 8: Ashore, playing tennis 1. Nicholas
2. "
3. "
4. Olga
5. Anna playing tennis with the Tsar and officers
6. Nicholas
7. Nicholas, Anna, and sailors in background
8. Anna and Nicholas
9. Tennis court - 2 players

p. 9: Tennis, ashore 1. Launches from the Standart with sailors and officers
2. Nicholas on the tennis court
3. Anna and an officer
4. Officers with the Emperor, Anna and Marie
5. Officers, Woronoff and Rodionov, with the Emperor
6. ______, Anna, the Emperor, Drenteln, and Woronoff
7. The Emperor, his daughters, and officers playing tennis
8. Admiral Niloff, the Emperor, Olga, and officers
9. Anastasia looking mischievous

p. 10: Ashore 1. Nicholas
2. "
3. Nicholas and Anastasia
4. Anastasia swinging, with officers
5. Officers scaling a rock
6. Alexis with Derevenko (sailor assigned to look after him) and friends playing soldier
7. Nicholas
8. Tatiana and Paul Woronoff
9. Nicholas

p. 11: On the Standart 1. Nicholas and Alexandra
2. Nicholas and Alexandra on deck
3. "
4. Alexandra
5. The Emperor on deck with his children, Anna, and officers.
6. The Empress with Alexis and Olga
7. The Empress
8. Nicholas and Alexis
9. The Empress

p. 12: On the Standart 1. Officers with the Grand Duchesses, Anna and Baroness Buxhoeveden (lady-in-waiting)
2. Anna and the Empress
3. Admiral Chagin
4. Anastasia with two officers
5. The Standart
6. Officers of the Standart with Dr. Botkin (holding cane)
7. The Emperor
8. Launches from the Standart with the Grand Duchesses and sailors coming ashore
9. Alexandra with her four daughters: Marie, Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia; lower Dacha-Aleksandria (Peterhof) (postcard)

p. 13: On the deck of the Standart 1. The Emperor and his daughters and two ladies-in-waiting with officers of the Standart
2. Alexis with Baron Fredericks and officers of the Standart
3. The Emperor and his children with officers of the Standart and two ladies-in-waiting

p. 14 1. Tatiana, Anna, Olga, the Empress, and Marie with three officers.
2. Woronoff, Rodionov, Butakov, and the Emperor after tennis
3. The Emperor after tennis
4. "
5. The Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Selo - main residence of the family, a rear view showing windows of the family quarters

p. 15: On the Standart 1. Nicholas and Alexis on deck
2. Nicholas and Baron Fredericks
3. Nicholas and Alexis
4. The Empress receiving the greetings of the officers - the Emperor and Dr. Botkin in background
5. Anastasia with Dr. Botkin, officers and ladies-in-waiting
6. Olga
7. Alexandra coming up ship's stairs

p. 16: On the Polar Star (the Dowager Empress's yacht) 1. Nicholas on deck
2. The launch from the Standart arriving
3. Nicholas on deck
4. Nicholas, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia
5. The Emperor with his mother, Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna
6. Dowager Empress Marie with Nicholas and his four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia
7. The Emperor and his daughters on deck with officers, ladies-in-waiting, and a priest (picture taken by the Dowager Empress)

p. 17: "22 July, on the Polar Star" (the namesday of the Dowager Empress) 1. Alexandra surrounded by her daughters, Tatiana, Marie, Olga and Anastasia - Baron Fredericks
2. The Grand Duchesses and officers in a dance on deck 3. Tatiana and an officer in the dance
4. Olga and an officer in the dance

p. 18: On the Standart and ashore 1. The Emperor and his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna
2. The Empress
3. The Emperor and his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna
4. The Emperor
5. A lady-in-waiting
6. The Emperor and his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna
7. Alexis and friends playing soldier, Derevenko in background

p. 19: On deck of the Standart 1. The Empress
2. Nicholas with an officer, Anastasia in background
3. Alexandra holding her needlework
4. Alexis
5. Alexandra
6. Alexis

p. 20 1. Alexandra and Anna ashore
2. Nicholas descending into a manhole on deck
3. Alexandra on deck
4. "
5. Tatiana with Prince Waesemar of Prussia and officers
6. Marie and the Empress
7. Rodionov
8. "

p. 21: The Standart 1. The Empress on deck
2. The sailor crew of the Standart
3. The Empress on deck
4. The Empress in a stateroom
5. The Emperor ashore
6. The Empress and Alexis in a stateroom
7. The Empress on deck
8. "

p. 22: "The staterooms of Their Majesties on the Standart" 1. The Empress's salon, showing chintz covered furniture
2. The Empress's desk, in her stateroom
3. The Emperor's desk in his study
4. The Emperor's library table and cabinet

p. 23: The Standart 1. The Empress on deck
2. The Empress's boudoir, with icons, chintz and wicker furniture
3. The Emperor
4. The Emperor and his children on deck with officers of the Standart
5. "

p. 24: "Moscow 1912 - the centennial of the Battle of Borodino" postcards 1. View of the Borodino centennial celebration, 26 August 1912, on the battlefield
2. The Emperor and his children at the Imperial reviewing stand, Borodino battlefield
3. The Imperial family receiving bread and salt from a Moscow peasant delegation as they arrive by train for the Borodino Jubilee ceremonies
4. The processional entry of the Imperial family through the Iberian gate into the Kremlin for the Borodino celebration

p. 25: Moscow 1912 and Peterhof 1. Procession of the Imperial family to the Uspensky Cathedral through Red Square in the Kremlin - Borodino Jubilee
2. View of the Kremlin from the Moscow River, showing the walls, towers and cathedrals
3. View of the Chudov Monastery in the Kremlin and Nikolskii Palace (later destroyed in the revolution), with surrounding cathedrals (St. Ivan's)
4. The Dowager Empress Marie (in striped suit) with companions
5. Alexandria Cottage, Peterhof- Dacha of Empress Maria Feodorovna

p. 26: Borodino Jubilee 1. The Emperor and his daughters in the liturgical procession on the battlefield of Borodino, 26 August 1912, postcard
2. The Empress and Alexis in a carriage with Anna Vyrubova at the Borodino ceremony, 26 August, postcard
3. Regiments passing in review on the battlefield - the Emperor is barely visible on the left
4. Nicholas and Alexandra with three of their daughters
5. The Imperial procession down the Red Staircase to the Uspensky Cathedral, Borodino Jubilee, postcard
6. View from the deck of a ship, a battleship passing in review

p. 27: "Sarov" 1. The Imperial children with their aunt Princess Victoria of Battenberg, at Peterhof- lower Dach-Aleksandria
2. An officer and ladies-in-waiting (Lili Dehn, second from left)
3. "Poniataievo"
4. "
5. "The Rev. Abbess"
6. Sarov, showing the cathedral and monastery
7. View near Sarov

p. 28: Sarov 1. A cathedral within the monastery
2. Sarov Pustyn - the spring of Father Seraphim (canonized at Sarov in 1903), postcard
3. Cathedral of Sarov
4. Peasant children of the town
5. View through the monastery gate
6. The Cathedral
7. Wayside shrine near Sarov
8. An "izba" (peasant house) in the forest near Sarov

p. 29 1. The monastery of Sarov, showing walls and cathedrals
2. The Cathedral of Sarov
3. The monastery
4. A shrine in the woods at Sarov
5. Spala (the Tsar's hunting lodge in Poland) -"the Pilitsa River"
6. View of the Pilitsa River

p. 30: "Spala 1912" 1. Field church of the hunting lodge (the striped tent)
2. "The palace"
3. Anastasia and a peasant girl in local dress
4. Tatiana playing tennis

p. 31: Spala 1912 1. Front view of the lodge
2. Bridge across the River Pilitsa
3. The countryside, looking towards the river

p. 32: Spala 1912 1. "The palace at Spala"
2. Deer shot at the hunt
3. An officer on a footbridge at Spala
4. Two friendly rabbits
5. Thatched shelter at Spala
6. The day's shoot, laid out in front of the lodge

p. 33: Spala 1912 1. "Her Majesty's drawing room"
2. "
3. The Emperor conferring with officers
4. Sentry in front of the lodge
5. The field church
6. The Emperor and his officers
7. Adjutant Ermolov
8. The Emperor with his officers

p. 34: Spala 1912 1. The Emperor in Cossack uniform, with his day's shoot
2. "
3. The Emperor with an aide in front of the lodge
4. The head of the deer shot by the Emperor, with a label attached to the antler
5. The lodge at Spala
6. The day's shoot

p. 35: Spala 1912 1. The Emperor in Cossack uniform
2. "
3. "
4. Nicholas and Alexandra with their four daughters on the front steps of Spala
5. The Emperor in Cossack dress
6. Cossacks in attendance at an outdoor Mass
7. The Emperor with Cossacks and two of his daughters

p. 36: Spala 1912 1. The Emperor
2. The Emperor, Prince Orloff and his suite of officers and Baron Fredericks, Pr. Drenteln
3. Olga and Tatiana with Princess Irene of Prussia, their aunt (sister of Alexandra)
4. Anastasia
5. Irene, the four Grand Duchesses and riding group
6. Officers in attendance to the Emperor

p. 37: Spala 1912 1. The Emperor and guests
2. Guests watching the shoot
3. "
4. "
5. The Empress and her sister Irene at the hunt
6. Scene at the hunt
7. The Empress
8. Alexandra and Irene in a carriage at the hunt

p. 38: Spala 1912 1. The Emperor
2. The lodge
3. Nicholas and Tatiana
4. Tatiana playing tennis
5. Tennis group, Anna Vyrubova at far right
6. Local peasant children in costume (Polish)
7. Tennis group, Anna in the center, Drenteln, Volkov

p. 39: Spala 1912 1. Officers on the lawn in front of the lodge
2. The lodge
3. "
4. View of the river at Spala
5. Olga, Anna, and the Emperor
6. River view
7. Alexandra with her sister, Irene
8. A tennis game at Spala
9. Princess Irene of Prussia

p. 40: Spala 1912 1. Alexandra, exhausted and in despair (Alexis suffered a near fatal attack of hemophilia during this time)
2. The porch at Spala
3. Side view of the house
4. Woods surrounding the lodge
5. Alexandra on the porch
6. The field church
7. Marie and Anastasia
8. The Emperor
9. Marie and Anastasia

p. 41: Spala 1912 1. The Empress
2. The river Pilitsa
3. An officer at tennis
4. Marie on the footbridge
5. Nicholas in Cossack uniform
6. Nicholas and Alexandra reading some of the many telegrams that began to arrive concerning Alexis's illness - prayers and wishes for his recovery

p. 42: "Tsarskoe Selo 1912 - 1913, winter" 1. View of the Feodorovsky Cathedral in the snow
2. A shrine in the park at Tsarskoe Selo
3. The snow-covered shrine
4. The front of the Feodorovsky Cathedral (built by Nicholas and only recently completed at that time, the cathedral was partially destroyed during WWII and Soviet period)
5. Side entry of the cathedral
6. Another side entry, showing the cathedral's architectural detail in the style of early medieval Russian churches
7. Icons over the doorway of the cathedral
8. Nicholas with his daughters and sister Olga (third from left), a lady-in-waiting and officer with sleds
9. Alexandria sliding downhill - the white tower "Belaya Bashnya" in the background

p. 43: Tsarskoe Selo, winter 1912-1913, Alexander Palace, children's quarters 1. Olga and the Empress sewing in the girls' room
2. Alexandra and Alexis on a chaise in the girls' room
3. Nicholas reading aloud at the bedside of Tatiana, who was recuperating from an illness
4. Alexandra at the bedside of Tatiana
5. Alexis sitting beside Tatiana
6. "
7. Tatiana in her bed, recuperating
8. Olga reading to Anastasia
9. Nicholas sitting in the girls' room

p. 44: Alexander Palace, children's quaters and balcony 1. Alexis wearing a leg brace, his knee still bent from his illness at Spala
2. Olga
3. The Empress's wheelchair on her balcony
4. Tatiana sitting on the Empress's balcony
5. Anastasia and Olga
6. Tatiana
7. Nicholas and Alexis in uniform on the Empress's balcony
8. "
9. Anastasia in Nicholas and Alexis' bedroom

p. 45: Tsarskoe Selo 1. The Emperor and Alexis on the Empress's balcony
2. Olga and Marie on the balcony in fur-trimmed suits
3. Tatiana and the Empress in the mauve boudoir
4. Olga and Tatiana with three friends
5. "
6. "
7. Alexandra in her mauve boudoir
8. Alexis and Anastasia with Marie, Olga and Tatiana in the mauve boudoir
9. Tatiana and Alexis in the mauve boudoir with Empress in double exposure

p. 46 1. Alexandra and her daughters with a guest
2. Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna
3. The Empress and Anna Vyrubova
4. Nicholas and Alexandra with one of their regiments
5. The Empress on horseback
6. Anastasia and Marie
7. The Empress in regimental uniform

p. 47: In the park at Tsarskoe Selo 1. The Imperial family, Alexis on his bicycle
2. "
3. Nicholas and his children
4. "
5. Nicholas with Olga, Tatiana and Marie in canoes
6. Nicholas and Alexis
7. Rowing up the canal
8. Nicholas and his children canoeing
9. Alexis rowing

p. 48 1. Two unidentified little girls
2. Anna in the park at Tsarskoe Selo
3. The Grand Duchesses in the park at Tsarskoe Selo
4. Anna's sister, Alya, with her children
5. "
6. "
7. "
8. "

p. 49 1. Anna's sister, Alya, with her children
2. "
3. "
4. "Library of the Rozhdestvensky's"
5. The Rozhdestvensky's

Back cover: "Dr. Rauchfuss, drawn by Veliapolsky (head of the estate) Spala 1912"

Album 3 (1914 - 1915)

p. 1: "Sevastopol 1914" 1. Tatiana
2. Anastasia
3. The Standart in Sevastopol
4. The coastline of the Black Sea, the Crimea
5. Olga, Tatiana and Marie
6. Foliage of the Crimea

p. 2: "Livadia, spring 1914" 1. Court attendants in front of the palace
2. Tatiana and Olga
3. The Emperor reviewing the troops of the Black Sea Fleet
4. The arrival of the Imperial family by automobile
5. The Emperor stepping out of his automobile
6. "The blessing of the sanatorium established by Their Majesties"
7. The Emperor (back to camera) in attendance at the service at the sanatorium.

p. 3: "Oreander" 1. Olga in a wisteria arbor
2. The Empress
3. The church at Oreander
4. Marie, Tatiana, and Anastasia
5. Tatiana and Olga
6. "Tea at the farm" (at Oreander)

p. 4 1. "Her Majesty and I" (Anna)
2. The Grand Duchesses and tennis partners
3. On the tennis court: Rodionov, Tatiana, Anastasia, Nicholas, and Olga
4. Nicholas, Tatiana, Rodionov, and Marie
5. Tennis group: Nicholas with his three eldest daughters and partners
6. Nicholas
7. Nicholas and Alexandra with Marie, walking up the path to the tennis house for tea - at Livadia
8. Tea at the tennis house, Anna in the center
9. Nicholas and Rodionov at tennis

p. 5 1. The little house for tea after tennis
2. The Grand Duchesses on the tennis court
3. Nicholas
4. "
5. The Empress and Sablin
6. The Emperor, Tatiana, Rodionov, and Marie
7. The Empress

p. 6: Bazaar at Yalta 1. The Empress's table, with officers and the Grand Duchesses
2. The Empress selling goods made by her at her table
3. Alexandra at Oreander
4. Nicholas at tennis
5. Alexandra and her daughters
6. Nicholas playing tennis with Marie and Tatiana
7. The Emperor with General Voeikov, Livadia Palace

p. 7 1. The Empress with officers of the Black Sea Fleet
2. The Emperor and his children with Cossack officers of the Konvoy (Grabbe, their commandant is seen between Anastasia and Olga) at GHQ Moginav
3. The Imperial family in front of the barracks
4. The Empress in her carriage before the review

p. 8 1. The Empress and her daughters in a carriage for the review, Alexis and Nagorny (his sailor guard) in the foreground
2. The panoramic view from Livadia
3. The panorama from the park of Livadia Palace

p. 9 1. The magnificent view of sky, sea and mountains from Livadia
2. Tea at the farm
3. Tatiana
4. Butakov and the Emperor
5. "View from the balcony of the Tsar's study"

p. 10: "A visit to the dacha of Countess N" 1. "Alya [sister of Anna V. (Alexandra)] and I" (Anna)
2. "Ira and I" (Anna)
3. "The dacha of Countess N"
4. View from the balcony
5. "Countess N"
6. "Mama [Nadezda Rhiaronovna Taneeva] and Alya"
7. "Countess N"

p. 11: Livadia Park 1. View of the park surrounding the palace
2. "
3. View of the palace

p. 12: "A trip to Kazmandemiansk" 1. En route
2. "
3. The Emperor's little hunting cabin
4. The Emperor's suite: Count Grabbe, Nicholas, Prince Orloff, Voiekov, and Katkov
5. Nicholas at the head of a hiking party
6. At the little hunting lodge
7. View from the lodge
8. Nicholas and his hiking party

p. 13: "The walk to Kazmandemiansk" 1. Nicholas on the balcony of his hunting cabin
2. The Imperial family and suite on the hike
3. Nicholas on the balcony of his hunting cabin
4. The family and suite on the hike
5. View from the Tsar's hunting lodge
6. Anastasia and General Voiekov
7. Marie in the park at Livadia

p. 14 1. Nicholas with his daughters, Olga, Anastasia, and Tatiana
2. Nicholas with an officer on the walk to Kazmandemiansk
3. "Wild goats on the way"
4. The Imperial family en route
5. Alexandra in her pony chaise, the girls walking beside her
6. Nicholas en route
7. Nicholas with two officers of his suite en route
8. Alexandra in her pony chaise, Nicholas and the girls walking

p. 15: "Alupka" (Palace) 1. Autographed luncheon menu
2. Scenes of Alupka
3. Park of Alupka
4. "Sashka Vorontsov"
5. The park at Alupka
6. Panoramic view over the Black Sea; Livadia can be seen on the lower right
7. "Countess Vorontsova"

p. 16 1. "His Majesty at Oreander"
2. View from the farm over Livadia
3. Alexis riding with Derevanko
4. Nicholas in the arbor at Oreander

p. 17: Livadia 1. View of the palace from the driveway
2. Nicholas on the tennis court
3. The park of Livadia
4. View over the Black Sea

p. 18: Livadia 1. The old, small palace (where A. III died), postcard. There was also the old, large palace used before new palace was built in 1911 on top of it.
2. Nicholas
3. On the portico of the new palace - the Grand Duchesses with officers of the suite
4. Entry to Livadia park, postcard
5. Visiting a Jewish synagogue at Euptoria - Nicholas and Alexis
6. Nicholas and Alexis

p. 19: Livadia, postcards 1. Turkish gazebo
2. The palace
3. Livadia park
4. The palace
5. View from Livadia over the Black Sea

p. 20: Livadia 1. "The Imperial palace", postcard
2. "Livadia park", postcard
3. "The Imperial palace", postcard
4. "Livadia park", postcard
5. Visit of the Imperial family to the Jewish Synagogue at Eupatoria
6. Pierre Gilliard (French tutor) and his pupils Olga and Tatiana

p. 21: Livadia 1. The palace, postcard
2. The four Grand Duchesses on the balcony of the Tsar's hunting lodge
3. Livadia park, postcard
4. "Grand Duchess Olga and I (Anna) and the Dr. of the Sanatarium of the Red Cross" (the sanatarium in the Crimea funded by the Emperor and Empress)
5. Anna at Livadia

p. 22: "Chernovitsa" 1. The cathedral at Chernovitsa
2. View of the monastery
3. Park surrounding the monastery
4. On the porch of a monastery building
5. "Father Makary"
6. "At the house of Father Makary
7. A service at the monastery

p. 23 1. "Father Makary"
2. The village, near Chernovitsa
3. "On the river Tura"
4. Priests and villagers
5. On the river Tura
6. Father Makary
7. The woods
8. The river Tura

p. 24 1. Peasants of the village
2. Flood waters
3. "Tanichka" (Anna's niece)
4. Flood waters
5. Villagers attending to the flood
6. "Serezha" (Anna's brother)

p. 25: "Peterhof - fall 1914" 1. The Empress in her boudoir, lower Dacha-Aleksandria-Peterhof
2. "Serezha, Mama, Papa and Roy" (dog)
3. "Mother" (of Anna)
4. "Serezha" (Anna's brother)
5. Unidentified relative
6. A bridge at Peterhof
7. Serezha and unidentified relative

p. 26 1. Alexandra on the balcony of lower Dacha-Aleksandria-Peterhof
2. "
3. "
4. Olga and a small friend
5. Unidentified relative of Anna
6. The Empress
7. Serezha (Anna's brother) and unidentified woman

p. 27: "On the Standart" 1. Nicholas
2. Alexandra with Tatiana, Olga and Marie
3. Alexis
4. Alexandra
5. Nicholas and Alexandra on deck
6. Alexandra and her daughters

p. 28 1. A canal lock, Kronstadt
2. Nicholas and Alexandra on deck
3. Nicholas and Alexis
4. Marie and Olga
5. Pierre Gilliard (French tutor) and Alexis
6. Alexandra on deck
7. Nicholas and Alexandra with an officer

p. 29 1. Nicholas with Joy, Alexis' dog
2. Naval manoeuvers
3. Tatiana
4. Alexis
5. Naval manoeuvers
6. Pierre Gilliard and Alexis
7. The Empress on the Standart

p. 30 1. Nicholas
2. Nicholas with his daughters and officers
3. Nicholas
4. Nicholas, his daughters and an officer at the "farm" at Peterhof
5. Nicholas climbing a wooden tower during manoeuvers
6. At a military review - Nicholas mounted on horseback and Alexandra in an automobile, postcard
7. Nicholas with an officer on the Standart

p. 31: "Tennis" 1. Nicholas reading on the Empress' balcony at Tsarskoe Selo
2. Marie, an officer and the Emperor
3. Anna with tennis players
4. Anna's two nieces with their mother
5. The tennis group
6. "
7. "
8. Alexandra on the Standart

p. 32: "Krasnoe Selo - July 1914" 1. Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevitch with the Emperor, postcard
2. Nicholas reviewing troops at Krasnoe Selo, postcard
3. "God save the Tsar" - postcard with the declaration of World War I, 20 July 1914
4. Interior view of the Alexander Palace , portrait gallery
5. Nicholas reviewing troops at Krasnoe Selo, postcard

p. 33: Postcards 1. Nicholas and his officers on their way to a military review
2. The Emperor on the balcony of the Winter Palace following the formal declaration of war, 1914 July 20
3. The crowd in front of the Winter Palace, 1914 July 20
4. Arrival of the Imperial family at the Winter Palace for the ceremony of the declaration of war, 20 July 1914

p. 34: "Peterhof" 1. "Papa and Tanichka" (father and niece of Anna)
2. "Serezha and Tanichka" (Anna's brother and his daughter)
3. Serezha
4. "
5. Tanichka, Anna's niece
6. The Imperial family at lunch on the Standart
7. Olga in her Red Cross uniform and Maria

p. 35 1. Alexis with officers at Stavka, Russian military, headquarters during World War I
2. Olga and Tatiana in dining room, 2nd floor, Alexander Palace
3. Fountain in the garden of the Winter Palace
4. Anna's niece with her nurse
5. "
6. Tanichka and her sister
7. Alexandra

p. 36 1. Anna's nieces with their nurse
2. Grand Duke Nicholas and the Emperor at Stavka, postcard
3. Anna
4. Unidentified mother and child
5. The arrival of the Imperial family at the Winter Palace, postcard
6. Wounded officers

p. 37: "Her Majesty's Infirmary", Tsarskae Selo 1. Alexis at Stavka
2. Olga, Tatiana and the Empress with nurses, Drs. and patients, Hospital Tsarskae Selo
3. Olga knitting, mauve boudoir, Alexander Palace
4. Soldiers at Stavka

p. 38: The Empress's infirmary, Tsarskae Selo 1. The Empress, mauve boudoir, Alexander Palace
2. Alexandra and Tatiana dressing a wound
3. A wounded soldier
4. Alexandra and Tatiana in a dressing station
5. Lunch in the infirmary
6. Tatiana and Olga with wounded soldiers
7. A visit to Baranovichi (staff headquarters in 1914)
8. Alexis in the back entrance of the Alexander Palace
9. Anna with officers at Stavka
10. Olga at work in the infirmary
11. View of a ward

p. 39 1. Nicholas
2. Tatiana and Alexandra
3. Olga on a bicycle ride with Tatiana under arrest
4. Nicholas and his daughters under arrest
5. Nicholas, Tatiana and Alexandra
6. "Their Majesties' trip to Pskov"
7. Officers from the infirmary
8. Tatiana, mauve boudoir, Alexander Palace
9. Pskov

p. 40: The infirmary 1. The Empress, mauve boudoir
2. Olga with patients
3. Anna, Tatiana and Olga with patients - Alexandra can be seen in the top row
4. Olga in the Empress's mauve boudoir
5. Tatiana in a ward
6. Anna with patients
7. An operating room
8. A group of recuperating officers

p. 41: The infirmary 1. Anna with patients
2. Officers in recuperation
3. Anna with patients
4. A patient
5. Anna with doctors and a patient
6. Olga and Tatiana with patients and doctors

p. 42: The infirmary 1. Patients
2. Olga and Tatiana in a dressing station
3. The Empress and Tatiana and Olga in a ward
4. Officer exhibiting wound
5. The Empress with Tatiana and Olga in a ward
6. Close-up of a wound

p. 43 1. Anna and the Empress with two patients
2. "
3. The Empress
4. Marie and Anastasia
5. The Empress
6. The Empress with patients
7. The Empress

p. 44 1. Anna, the Empress, Tatiana and Olga in an operating room
2. Olga, Anna, the Empress and Tatiana with patients in a ward
3. The Empress working on a head wound - in the operating room Tatiana, Anna and Olga look on.
4. In a ward - Olga, Tatiana and Anna
5. In a ward - Olga and the Empress, Anna and Tatiana in the background

p. 45 1. Nicholas with an officer at Stavka
2. Anna, Tatiana, the Empress, and Olga posing in Red Cross uniforms
3. Nicholas and Alexandra with patients of the infirmary
4. Nicholas with Generals Yanushkevitch and Ruzsky
5. Staff officers
6. Olga and Tatiana with recuperating patients

p. 46 1. In the operating room - Olga dressing a wound, Anna holding the officer's arm
2. In the operating room - Tatiana cleaning a wound, Alexandra looking on
3. Olga and Tatiana in a ward
4. Nicholas and Alexis on a hike at Stavka
5. Olga and Tatiana in a ward
6. Alexis and his friends being pulled on a wagon by Nagorny at Alexandria Dacha, Peterhof
7. Tatiana with patients
8. A woman doctor with patients in a ward

p. 47 1. The patients are feeling better
2. Olga and Tatiana with patients
3. The Empress and her daughters with patients
4. Recuperating officers doing a sword dance on the ward chairs - nurses look on horrified
5. A sword fight in the ward
6. Dancing on the bed
7. The Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, where infirmary was located
8. Nurses and patients in a ward
9. "
10. "
11. "
12. Patients of the infirmary

p. 48 1. Patients of the infirmary
2. The Empress with her camera, the infirmary in the background
3. Marie and Anastasia in a ward
4. ?
5. Marie and Anastasia visiting patients
6. The infirmary
7. Alexandra and her daughters getting into their automobile
8. Olga in her Red Cross uniform
9. A nurse with soldiers
10. Lower Dacha-Aleksandria-Peterhof

p. 49 1. Nurses at table
2. Tatiana, the Empress and Olga standing outside
3. Tatiana with Anna and officers
4. Outside the infirmary with auto, soldiers, and nurses
5. Tatiana, the Empress, and Olga standing inside the infirmary
6. Balcony
7. Officers in recuperation
8. A doctor with sentry at the entrance to the infirmary
9. Nurses and a patient at lunch
10. Officers sword fighting at the entrance
11. House of Anna Vyrubova
12. In a ward - soldiers and a nurse

p. 50 1. A patient at his sink
2. Officers relaxing outside
3. Officers relaxing
4. Nurse and patients
5. Anna and patients
6. Anna, Tatiana, Olga, and Alexandra in a ward
7. Olga, the Empress, Tatiana, and Anna with the infirmary staff
8. Olga and patients
9. The Empress on balcony of Alexander Palace
10. Patients and a nurse

p. 51: Scenes in the infirmary 1. Doctors, nurses, and patients
2. "
3. "
4. "
5. "
6. "
7. Serezha, Anna's brother, and his wife, Ena

p. 52 1. Anna in bed following her injury in a train accident, February 1915
2. Serezha and Ena
3. Anna's mother and unidentified mother in the drawing room of Anna's house
4. The Empress visiting Anna
5. Princess T. visiting Anna
6. Anna's mother

p. 53 1. Anna in bed at her house at Tsarskoe Selo
2. The Empress on her balcony
3. Anna in recuperation from her accident on the Empress's balcony
4. Anna in bed at her cottage
5. Alexis
6. Anna in bed, in recuperation
7. Alexis

p. 54 1. Nicholas on the Empress's balcony
2. Nicholas and Alexis reviewing sailors
3. The Empress with her daughters
4. Alexis with his parents on the Empress's balcony
5. Alexandra in mourning dress, balcony, Alexander Palace
6. Marie, Tatiana, and Olga (seated) in mourning

p. 55a: A Visit to Serezha and His Family (Anna's brother) 1. Tanichka and her sister Olga
2. Serezha, his wife and his sister Alya
3. Olga
4. "Serezha and Mama"
5. Tanichka and Olga
6. "
7. Serezha and his wife
8. Olga and her nurse

p. 55b 1. Alya and her children (Anna's sister-in-law)
2. "
3. The children of Anna's sister
4. The Empress's drawing room, the Alexander Palace
5. Alya's children
6. The baby with her nurse
7. One of Anna's nieces
8. The Empress's drawing room, the Alexander Palace
9. Anna's niece
10. Front, private (Imperial) entrance to the Alexander Palace

p. 56 1. Anna's family
2. Anna's family at A.V.'s house, Tsarskoe Selo
3. Anna in her wheelchair following the train accident
4. On the Imperial train - Grand Duke Dmitri, Nicholas, Alexandra, Michael (Nicholas' brother), Anastasia, Marie, seated, Tatiana and Olga.
5. Anna's family
6. "
7. Alexandra's corner drawing room, the Alexander Palace
8. Anna's family
9. "
10. "
11. "

p. 57 1. Alexandra arranging flowers
2. The Empress with her flower arrangement
3. "
4. The Empress
5. Tatiana with a Cossack officer
6. Olga
7. A portrait of Alexandra
8. Anna's relatives

p. 58 1. Alexandra working on her embroidery
2. Olga and Anastasia with their mother on Empress' balcony, Alexander Palace
3. Alexandra working on her embroidery on Empress' balcony, Alexander Palace
4. Alexandra picking wild flowers
5. Tatiana and her mother gathering wild flowers
6. Anna Vyrubova on Empress' balcony, Alexander Palace

p. 59 1. Anna's father with his daughter-in-law and granddaughters
2. The little girls (Anna's nieces) with their mother
3. General Taneev (Anna's father) with granddaughters and daughter-in-law
4. Nini Voeikov (wife of General Voeikov)
5. Alexandra reading on her chaise in the mauve boudoir

Back cover: Photographs of the family in exile. 1. Alexandra doing needlework in her wheelchair in the park of the Alexander Palace, spring 1917 (under arrest)
2. The ballroom converted to a chapel at the Governor's house in Tobolsk
3. The Imperial spading the ground for a vegetable garden behind the Alexander Palace, 1917 April - Tatiana carrying a litter of dirt, Nicholas standing with spade in hand
4. Alexis and a nurse, circa 1916

The contents of Albums 4-7 have not been fully listed, however, in many cases individual images have captions.

Title
Guide to the Romanov Collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
by Timothy G. Young and Robert Bird
Date
January 1998
Description rules
Beinecke Manuscript Unit Archival Processing Manual
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository

Contact:
P. O. Box 208330
New Haven CT 06520-8330 US
(203) 432-2977

Location

121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours

Access Information

The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.