The Romanovs: An Imperial Family
Encyclopedia
The Romanovs: An Imperial Family is a 2000 Russian film about the last days of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The Russian title implies both the Imperial Crown of Russia
and the crown of thorns
associated with martyrs. The film premiered at the 22nd annual Moscow Film Festival.
. By 1917, Russia had suffered many losses. Nevertheless, the tsar's authority with the people was high. Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) was an exception. Late at night, Nicholas and Alexandra are woken up by their son, Alexei who has a high fever, as well as Olga, the eldest of the five children. The next morning, Nicholas leaves to Stavka, at the war front. Meanwhile in Petrograd, people are starting to revolt. A street is bombed and many are killed. The Russian Revolution has started. Nicholas arrives at Stavka and he is told that his son Alexei, a hemophiliac, will not live to the age of 16. Back in Petrograd, Alexandra is told about the chaos in the city. At the Imperial Train, Nicholas is given documents requesting his abdication. He signs and is no longer Emperor of All the Russias. He had decided to give the throne to his son Alexei, but due to his bad health, he decides to give the throne to his brother Michael, who does not accept it.Russia is left without an emperor.
At the Palace, Alexandra is told that she and her husband are no longer Emperor and Empress and that they are now under house arrest. Alexandra asks M.Gilliard, the French tutor, to tell her son the news. Nicholas, no longer tsar, returns to his family at the Alexander Palace. The next day, Nicholas, Alexandra, the two older Grand Duchesses, and Alexei are introduced to Alexander Kerensky of the Provisional Government. They do not seem to like him. Olga does not seem to like him; Tatiana says that he does not respect the ex-tsar and tsarina because they are private citizens. Alexandra is hurt and Tatiana tells her that she’s getting bald. Olga reassures her mother that it is normal that she and her sisters are losing their hair because they have been sick with measles. Alexandra decides to shave her children’s heads.One night, Alexandra wakes up screaming. She tells Nicholas that she had a dream that Rasputin showed her a vision of the future.
On August 1, 1917, the Imperial Family and four of their loyal servants leave the Palace for the last time. They see Nicholas’s brother Michael Alexandrovich
before they leave. They are transferred to Tobolsk
, a village in Siberia , to live in the Governor’s Mansion under house arrest. The Grand Duchesses continue their everyday lives. They play the piano while Alexei draws ships. One day, Olga is playing the piano when a guard downstairs is playing another song on the mandolin, his name is Andrei Denisov. Olga starts playing the same song that Denisov is playing. They all start dancing as he keeps playing the mandolin. The Imperial Family and their former servants live a simple life. Their everyday lives consist of cutting wood, snow sledding, and family dinners. One day, Olga and Denisov start to fall in love with each other. There is another change in the Russian Government after another revolution. In November 1917, the Bolsheviks who form the first Soviet Republic overthrow the Provisional Government. The family is photographed and new, more aggressive guards are brought in. Olga Nikolaevna is sick once again and needs a blood transfusion. Denisov gives Olga is the donor as Alexandra cannot do it. Olga recovers and she and Nicholas play the piano together. The new Soviet government decides to transfer the Imperial Family to a new location. Yakovlev, a commissar of the Ural Soviet, visits the Imperial Family in Tobolsk. He talks to Alexei and asks the maid Demidova to check is temperature. Because of Alexei’s bad health, only Nicholas, Alexandra, Maria, and the servants leave to Ekaterinburg in April 1918.Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Monsieur Gilliard are left behind. A few weeks later, they are also transferred to the Ipatiev House
in Ekaterinburg. After they are reunited, the commandant, Yurovsky, allows the family to have a church service. The next day, a priest comes to give a mass for the family. In the following days, the kitchen boy, Sednev is let go to be with his uncle.
On the night of July 16, 1918, the Ural Soviet received an order to execute the Imperial Family. While everyone sleeps, Yurovsky and the other guards are planning the execution. Shortly after midnight of July 17, the guards awake Dr. Botkin. He is told that everybody is too come to the cellar for safety, as the White Army is getting closer. The family and their servants are led downstairs into a cellar. The guards bring in two chairs for Alexei and Alexandra, everybody else stands. Yurovsky tells everyone that there are rumors that the family is dead and that they will take a picture to put an end to it. He arranges into position, but then suddenly reads to Nicholas an execution order. Nicholas is shocked, Alexandra and her daughters cross themselves. The guards draw their guns and shoot. Not everyone is dead immediately, so they massacre the survivors individually. As they clear the bodies, the guards discover diamonds hidden in the family’s clothes. The film then switches to the Canonization of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. This is the last scene before the end of the film.
Imperial Crown of Russia
The Imperial Crown of Russia, also known as the Great Imperial Crown, is the crown that was used by the Emperors of Russia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1917. The Great Imperial Crown was first used in a coronation by Catherine II, and was last used at the coronation of Nicholas II...
and the crown of thorns
Crown of Thorns
In Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus Christ before his crucifixion...
associated with martyrs. The film premiered at the 22nd annual Moscow Film Festival.
Plot
The film begins on the night of February 22, 1917, before the Tsar departs to the war front of Stavka. Russia under Tsar Nicholas II was in the third year of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By 1917, Russia had suffered many losses. Nevertheless, the tsar's authority with the people was high. Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) was an exception. Late at night, Nicholas and Alexandra are woken up by their son, Alexei who has a high fever, as well as Olga, the eldest of the five children. The next morning, Nicholas leaves to Stavka, at the war front. Meanwhile in Petrograd, people are starting to revolt. A street is bombed and many are killed. The Russian Revolution has started. Nicholas arrives at Stavka and he is told that his son Alexei, a hemophiliac, will not live to the age of 16. Back in Petrograd, Alexandra is told about the chaos in the city. At the Imperial Train, Nicholas is given documents requesting his abdication. He signs and is no longer Emperor of All the Russias. He had decided to give the throne to his son Alexei, but due to his bad health, he decides to give the throne to his brother Michael, who does not accept it.Russia is left without an emperor.
At the Palace, Alexandra is told that she and her husband are no longer Emperor and Empress and that they are now under house arrest. Alexandra asks M.Gilliard, the French tutor, to tell her son the news. Nicholas, no longer tsar, returns to his family at the Alexander Palace. The next day, Nicholas, Alexandra, the two older Grand Duchesses, and Alexei are introduced to Alexander Kerensky of the Provisional Government. They do not seem to like him. Olga does not seem to like him; Tatiana says that he does not respect the ex-tsar and tsarina because they are private citizens. Alexandra is hurt and Tatiana tells her that she’s getting bald. Olga reassures her mother that it is normal that she and her sisters are losing their hair because they have been sick with measles. Alexandra decides to shave her children’s heads.One night, Alexandra wakes up screaming. She tells Nicholas that she had a dream that Rasputin showed her a vision of the future.
On August 1, 1917, the Imperial Family and four of their loyal servants leave the Palace for the last time. They see Nicholas’s brother Michael Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
before they leave. They are transferred to Tobolsk
Tobolsk
Tobolsk is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh Rivers. It is a historic capital of Siberia. Population: -History:...
, a village in Siberia , to live in the Governor’s Mansion under house arrest. The Grand Duchesses continue their everyday lives. They play the piano while Alexei draws ships. One day, Olga is playing the piano when a guard downstairs is playing another song on the mandolin, his name is Andrei Denisov. Olga starts playing the same song that Denisov is playing. They all start dancing as he keeps playing the mandolin. The Imperial Family and their former servants live a simple life. Their everyday lives consist of cutting wood, snow sledding, and family dinners. One day, Olga and Denisov start to fall in love with each other. There is another change in the Russian Government after another revolution. In November 1917, the Bolsheviks who form the first Soviet Republic overthrow the Provisional Government. The family is photographed and new, more aggressive guards are brought in. Olga Nikolaevna is sick once again and needs a blood transfusion. Denisov gives Olga is the donor as Alexandra cannot do it. Olga recovers and she and Nicholas play the piano together. The new Soviet government decides to transfer the Imperial Family to a new location. Yakovlev, a commissar of the Ural Soviet, visits the Imperial Family in Tobolsk. He talks to Alexei and asks the maid Demidova to check is temperature. Because of Alexei’s bad health, only Nicholas, Alexandra, Maria, and the servants leave to Ekaterinburg in April 1918.Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Monsieur Gilliard are left behind. A few weeks later, they are also transferred to the Ipatiev House
Ipatiev House
Ipatiev House was a merchant's house in Yekaterinburg where the former Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, his family and members of his household were executed following the Bolshevik Revolution...
in Ekaterinburg. After they are reunited, the commandant, Yurovsky, allows the family to have a church service. The next day, a priest comes to give a mass for the family. In the following days, the kitchen boy, Sednev is let go to be with his uncle.
On the night of July 16, 1918, the Ural Soviet received an order to execute the Imperial Family. While everyone sleeps, Yurovsky and the other guards are planning the execution. Shortly after midnight of July 17, the guards awake Dr. Botkin. He is told that everybody is too come to the cellar for safety, as the White Army is getting closer. The family and their servants are led downstairs into a cellar. The guards bring in two chairs for Alexei and Alexandra, everybody else stands. Yurovsky tells everyone that there are rumors that the family is dead and that they will take a picture to put an end to it. He arranges into position, but then suddenly reads to Nicholas an execution order. Nicholas is shocked, Alexandra and her daughters cross themselves. The guards draw their guns and shoot. Not everyone is dead immediately, so they massacre the survivors individually. As they clear the bodies, the guards discover diamonds hidden in the family’s clothes. The film then switches to the Canonization of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. This is the last scene before the end of the film.
Cast
- Aleksandr GalibinAleksandr GalibinAlexander Vladimirovich Galibin is a Russian actor noted for playing the Master in the miniseries The Master and Margarita .His acting career spans over three decades and includes such memorable roles as Tsar Nicholas II in Gleb Panfilov's The Romanovs: A Crowned Family .-Biography:Alexander...
as Tsar Nicholas IINicholas II of RussiaNicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until... - Lynda BellinghamLynda BellinghamLynda Bellingham is a Canadian-born English actress, broadcaster and author, who is known for her distinctive husky voice.-Early life:...
as Tsarina Alexandra - Yuliya NovikovaYuliya NovikovaYuliya Gennadyevna Novikova She graduated from the Schepkin Drama School. She also worked in the Mark Rozovsky Theater as a theater actress.Her first acting role was Grand Duchess Olga in Gleb Panfilov's The Romanovs: A Crowned Family ....
as Olga Nikolaevna - Kseniya KachalinaKseniya KachalinaKseniya Mikhailovna Kachalina is a Russian actress.Her acting career began in the 1990s and includes roles such as Grand Duchess Tatiana in Gleb Panfilov's The Romanovs: A Crowned Family .-Filmography:* V kruge pervom...
as Tatiana NikolaevnaGrand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of RussiaGrand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia , , was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra... - Olga VasilyevaOlga Vasilyeva (actress)Olga Alekseyevna Vasilyeva One of her most famous acting roles is that of Grand Duchess Maria in Gleb Panfilov's The Romanovs: A Crowned Family .-Filmography:* Edelweißpiraten * Klyuch ot spalni...
as Maria Nikolaevna - Olga BudinaOlga Budina-Biography:Olga Alexandrovna Budina was born on February 22, 1975 in Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast.Olga Budina had dreamed to be an actress since her youth. In the Humanities Lyceum, where she studied, she starred in a school production of The Princess and the Pea...
as Anastasia NikolaevnaGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of RussiaGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna.... - Vladimir GrachyovVladimir GrachyovVladimir 'Volodya' Grachyov is a Russian actor.His only known movie role is that of Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, the youngest son of Tsar Nicholas II in Gleb Panfilov's The Romanovs: A Crowned Family .-External links:...
as Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia - Aleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr Georgievich Filippenko is a famous Soviet and Russian actor. Filippenko was honored with People's Artist of Russia in 2000.-Biography:...
as Lenin
Production
- The photographs Nicholas is looking at while he sits on the toilet in the Ipatiev house are actual photographs of the real Imperial family.
- All actors portraying the grand duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei had their hair shaved for the movie. In real life the daughters and heir were indeed sick and had their heads shaved. Although, their hair never grows back despite the fact that they still lived for about 13 months.
- British actress Lynda BellinghamLynda BellinghamLynda Bellingham is a Canadian-born English actress, broadcaster and author, who is known for her distinctive husky voice.-Early life:...
(Empress Alexandra) had her lines dubbed into Russian by writer Inna ChurikovaInna ChurikovaInna Mikhailovna Churikova is a Soviet Russian film and theatre actress.-Biography:...
. - Outside and inside shots were actually taken at the Alexander Palace, the official home of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Inside shots included the Tsar's study. Although the rooms of the Grand Duchesses were recreated from water colors and photographs.
- The dresses the Grand Duchesses wear as they dance around the room at Tobolsk are replicas of the actual dresses worn in the 1914 formal photo-shoot.
- When the family is resting by the lake, while they travel to Toblosk, Nicholas lets photographs fall from his shirt. The photographs are of Mathilde KschessinskaMathilde KschessinskaMathilda-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinskaya She was known in the West as Mathilde Kschessinska or Matilda Kshesinskaya.- Life :Kschessinska was born at Ligovo, near Peterhof. Like all her Polish family, to whom she was known as Matylda Krzesińska, Mathilde performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre...
, Nicholas' first lover before he married Alexandra. - The Governor's house in TobolskTobolskTobolsk is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh Rivers. It is a historic capital of Siberia. Population: -History:...
still exists and is now a museum. - The Ipatiev HouseIpatiev HouseIpatiev House was a merchant's house in Yekaterinburg where the former Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, his family and members of his household were executed following the Bolshevik Revolution...
no longer exists. It was demolished in 1977. In its place is a church known as the Church of BloodChurch of All Saints, YekaterinburgThe Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land is a Russian Orthodox church in Yekaterinburg built in 2000-2003 on the site where the former Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and several members of his family and household were executed by the Bolsheviks following the...
.
Accolades
- (2000) “Golden Aries” award for Best Production design (Alexander Boim, Vladimir Gudilin, Anatoly Panfilov)
- (2001) International Moscow Human Rights Film Festival “Stalker”. Directors Guild Award (Gleb Panfilov)
- (2003) St. Petersburg Governor’s prize for cinematic score (Vadim Bibergan)