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[Almighty Colin]

The Cincinnati Museum Center presents an introduction to the last Tsars of Russia

By Kendra Leonard

In 1918, when Russia’s Tsar, Nicholas Romanov, was shot to death along with his wife Alexandra and their five children, it marked the end of the Russian dynasty. After the murders, pretenders to the throne, former servants, and those present at their executions came forward with claims to the family’s name and fortune, stories about the family’s life away from public view, and even ghost stories about these aristocratic and enigmatic figures.

For history buffs and those enthralled with the tragic tale of Nicholas and his family, there are countless books and films available to educate and illuminate. However, printed history and images pale in comparison to the Cincinnati Museum Center’s new exhibition of artifacts and objects from the family. This lush exhibit, “Nicholas & Alexandra: At Home with the Last Tsar and His Family, is the first to display the Romanov family's personal belongings from their living quarters in the Alexander Palace.

The massive exhibit includes more than 250 items ranging from works of art to the utensils of daily living. The collection gathered for this display provides a unique opportunity to see the material lives of the Romanovs before their downfall. As visitors make their way through the exhibit, they’ll see letters and photographs created by the Tsar and his family alongside books they read, the uniforms the Tsar and his son wore and the dresses owned by the wife and daughters. Decorative artworks from the family palace include secular works of Faberge as well as religious icons, tapestries, porcelain, paintings, and textiles, all of which provide further illustration of the rich and sumptuous lives of the family. It is the home movies and children’s toys that show the family's more private side. Entire rooms from the Alexander Palace are re-created down to the last details and interactive technology will enable visitors to discover more about the belongings they see, as well as about their owners from long-ago.

Visitors may also be intrigued by the Cincinnati connection to the last of the Russian royalty: Nicholas’ cousin Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovitch, who lived with the family on a regular basis and is the photographer behind of many of the photographs displayed, went into exile in Paris and married Audrey Emery, a Cincinnati beauty. The two returned to her home town, where they lived under the Grand Duke’s adopted name of Ilyinsky. In fact, Cincinnatian Michael Romanoff Ilyinsky, a descendent of the Romanov family, will discuss his family heritage at a special free lecture event on February 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cincinnati Museum Center Reakirt Auditorium.

In addition to the exhibit itself, the Museum Center has worked with a number of local arts organizations to present an entire “Russian Winter;" a series of performances, lectures, and other events designed to showcase the splendor of Russian arts at the turn of the last century. These events include concerts of Russian classical music and opera; Russian folk music; readings of Russian folktales for children at Joseph-Beth Bookstore; lectures on the Romanovs, their lives, religious practices, and controversial legacy, including an appearance by expert author Robert K. Massie on March 23; ballet performances of “Cinderella” and “Swan Lake”; traditional Russian-style Easter Egg decorating; and even a discussion of Russian wedding traditions and customs. A full list of events can be found at http://www.cincymuseum.org/cmc/attractions...sianwinter.html.

There’s something to pique everyone’s interest, and enough to start some on a love affair with history.