russian yacht standart

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Nicholas II’s family yachts (PHOTOS)

The last Russian emperor is often considered one of the richest people in history. His worth was estimated at $250-300 billion, if we go by what the ruble was worth in 2010. A multitude of factors must be considered when speaking of the Royal family’s ‘bank account’ ( not all is straightforward there ), but what we know for sure is that living expenses left a massive dent in the Russian Empire’s treasury. In 1894-1914, the family had the largest yacht flotilla of all monarchs on the planet. These floating castles were formally owned by the maritime department, but, in practice, belonged to the Romanov family and built to its specifications. 

‘Standart’ 

In 1892, the maritime department ordered a Danish shipyard to build a cruiser, but Alexander III soon ordered to turn it into a yacht. It was already during Nicholas II that the yacht was finally lowered into water, using ‘Standart’ - a traditional name for a tsar’s vessel (the first yacht of this name saw the light of day during Peter I’s reign, almost 200 years earlier).

Imperial Russian yacht Shtandart (1893–1961), off the coast of the Crimea, near Yalta, in 1898.

The cruiser yacht, meanwhile, was humongous: measuring 128 meters, it had a crew of almost 400! The Standart was the largest and most luxurious emperor’s yacht in the world, boasting a conference room, an exquisite dining hall for official visits, separate living room, ensuite amenities for every guest cabin and so on. The interior was fashioned with expensive wood and matched the Winter Palace in luxuriousness: crystal chandeliers, candelabras, velvet portiers and other bells and whistles.

Imperial Yacht Standart

All of that was, of course, perfect for welcoming the most esteemed guests onboard: a Siamese King, a German Emperor and a French President were all visitors at one point. However, the yacht was just as likely to be used for family outings. Nicholas and his family loved to vacation from June to early August, usually on the Finnish islands. They would live on the yacht and only set foot on land for relaxing walks. 

The Russian Imperial Family aboard the Imperial yacht Standart.

World War I put an end to those walks and yacht trips, for security reasons. In 1917, the tsar-cruiser became the site of a sailor rebellion - just as other vessels at the time, and already in April, the Baltic Fleet’s Revolutionary Committee took up residence in it. 

All of the metamorphoses that had taken place henceforth aboard the yacht did not exhibit even a trace of its former elitist flair. The ship was repurposed into a minelayer, then used in battle. After the war, the vessel served as a barracks on water and, from 1961, as target practice for missiles. By the end of the 1960s, it bore the unglamorous fate of being taken apart for parts and scrap metal. 

‘Polar Star’

The ‘Polar Star’ appeared in the Royal family earlier than the ‘Standart’, in 1888. Its construction was also that of a cruiser yacht, with four 47-millimeter cannons on board. 

Imperial Russian yacht Polyarnaya Zvezda in Copenhagen.

The cruiser served the Romanovs until 1914 and used to take the tsar on visits to European capitals, as well as participating in official military functions and celebrations. And, although the Polar Star was a more modest affair than the Standard, according to Count Ignatyev, “her rival”, which belonged to English Queen Alexandra of Denmark, Nicholas II’s aunt, “paled in comparison”. The Polar Star housed a church and even a cowshed, with a separate cabin. 

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaievich

The yacht was most frequently spotted not at official state functions, but in a small Copenhagen port, where this “dark blue beauty, fringed with a massive gold rope”, voyaged every year with Nicholas’s mother, Maria Fedorovna, aboard. The Royal family loved going shopping in Copenhagen and, although the Danish capital was only a couple of days’ travel by train, the widowed empress preferred the yacht. 

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna with Anna Vyrubova in the main deck salon of the Imperial yacht Polar Star

After the Revolution, the vessel faced a similar fate to the Standart. It was first taken up by revolutionary sailors, then, before World War II, it was repurposed to serve as a submarine mothership. In 1954, the former Romanov yacht was likewise turned into a floating barracks and, seven years later - into a target for missile tests. It was finally sunk in the 1960s. 

‘Svetlana’

Nicholas II’s uncle Prince Aleksey’s personal yacht, the ‘Svetlana’, was inspired by the 2nd class French armored cruiser, the ‘Catinat’, so was given to French engineers to design. It was lowered into the water in 1897. 

Due to the fact that the ship was first intended for Grand Duke Aleksey Aleksandrovich, it contained luxurious chambers, fashioned with expensive wood, marble and persian rugs. The Portuguese queen once took a 45-minute tour of the yacht, allegedly never hiding her amazement.

But, aside from taking the Royal family on vacations and serving as an armored minelayer and escort, the vessel also managed to take part in battle. Aside from soft couches and marble, the ship was armed to the teeth: in 1904, it was included in Russia’s Pacific Fleet and sent to fight in the Russo-Japanese War. Having received a direct shell hit during the Battle of Tsushima, the cruiser attempted to get itself to safety, but was detected and sustained heavy Japanese fire. Almost 300 sailors lost their lives. An investigative committee set up after the battle determined that the crew of the Svetlana “showed exemplary fortitude and self-sacrifice”. This appraisal was especially important to those who had survived: prior to the war, the Pacific Fleet’s sailors considered them “maids” and their ship - a “floating hotel”, instead of a fighting unit. 

A dozen smaller yachts 

The list didn’t end there. Almost every Romanov relative used to own their own cruiser. From 1905, one such vessel - the ‘Almaz’ (‘Diamond’) - acted as a double. For six long years, it would swap places with the Standart in Finland - their silhouettes were extremely similar. The security measures weren’t unfounded: there was word that, in 1907, a floating mine was spotted on approach to Kotkin Bay. The Almaz was docked in the Standart’s place that day. 

Imperial Russian cruiser Almaz.

However, aside from these humongous yachts, the Romanovs also used a dozen smaller ones: the ‘Tsarina’, ‘Aleksandria’, ‘Slavyanka’, ‘Livadia’ and others. They were used for relaxed outings around that same area and not for official state visits to Europe.

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Nicholas II

Born: Tsarskoe Selo, 6 (18) May 1868 Died: Ekaterinburg, 17 July 1918 Reigned: 1894-1917

Nicholas II, the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Fyodorovna was born 18 May 1868 in Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg. As heir apparent, the young Nicholas received an excellent "palace" education that prepared him for his future role as Autocrat of All the Russias. Among the young tsarevich's private tutors were the ultra-conservative Ober-Procurator of the Holy Synod and former advisor to Alexander III, Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev, and General Grigory Danilovich. Partially due to their efforts, Nicholas' character combined extraordinary restraint (to the point of shyness), love of military service and of all things military, and the sacred belief in the inviolability of the principles of absolute autocracy - traits which to a greater or lesser degree later affected his activities as tsar.

Contemporaries unanimously note Nicholas' great personal charm, his quiet restraint, combined with an ability to converse easily with others, and his excellent memory which allowed him to recall an enormous number of people whom he had met over the years. He spoke and wrote fluent English (and communicated in this language with his wife, who as child spent her summers at the court of her grandmother, Queen Victoria), and also knew French and German. The Emperor was fond of history and was an avid reader of both entertaining and scholarly books. In addition, Nicholas was fascinated by photography, as were his children, and he enjoyed both walking and hunting (as did many other Romanovs). When automobiles appeared in Russia, they captivated him, and the Russian court possessed one of the largest car collections in early 20th century Europe.

Nicholas II came to power unexpectedly, after Alexander III died suddenly from kidney failure in Lividia Palace on the Black Sea at the age of forty-nine. At the time of this tragedy, Nicholas was engaged to Princess Alice from the small German state of Hesse. Despite the time-honored tradition of holding mourning for one year after the death of a monarch, Nicholas decided to get married immediately, and thus the young couple's honeymoon was spent in an atmosphere of mourning. The coronation of Nicholas and Alexandra (as she was called after her conversion to Orthodoxy) was opulent, but the festivities for the common folk in Khodynskoe Field on the outskirts of Moscow ended tragically: rumors that the free beer and pretzels would not suffice for the huge crowd that had gathered resulted in a stampede in which almost 1,400 people were trampled to death. The tragedy became known as the Khodynka, and was considered by many to be a bad omen for the new regime.

Once in power, Nicholas immediately made known his position about the impossibility of constitutional reform and the inviolability of the autocracy. This pleased the country's monarchists, but disappointed the liberal intelligentsia and the educated elite.

As a whole, the Russian economy expanded during Nicholas II's reign. This economic growth permitted the currency reform of 1897 which established the gold standard for the rouble. On the eve of World War I, in 1913, the country's highest level of economic development was reached, so that the later successes of the USSR were purposely compared with this year. The rate of industrial growth at this time was 4-4.5%, whereas agricultural growth was 2.0%. The construction of railroads continued, natural resources - such as oil in Baku and in Grozny - were actively exploited. The conditions of factory workers improved somewhat during Nicholas' reign, but this did not result in a decrease in the number of strikes, especially during the 1905-1907 revolution.

In the sphere of foreign policy, Nicholas strengthened Russia's focus on an alliance with France, and later with England (the Triple Alliance or Entente). Despite once friendly relations with Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany (Nicholas and Wilhelm were cousins), the relationship between the two countries began to chill. Russia concluded a treaty with China, which allowed it to build railroads in Manchuria, and then to rent two ports on the coast of China, one of them Port Arthur, for twenty-five years. Strengthening Russia's position in the Far East led to the disastrous war with Japan in 1904-1905. As a result of underestimating the enemy, inadequate technical equipment in the army and the navy, extended lines of communication, and occasional lack of strong leadership in the army, the war ended in a catastrophe for Russia, the nadir of which was the destruction of the Russian fleet in the naval battle of Tsushima. President Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the peace treaty which was signed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1905.

This destabilizing war with its disgraceful defeat was one of the causes leading to the Revolution of 1905-1907. Riots began after what became known as Bloody Sunday, when on 22 January 1905, a peaceful crowd of factory workers and their families, carrying icons and singing hymns (including "God Save the Tsar") marched towards Palace Square from several points in the city. They were fired upon by soldiers of the Imperial Guard, and some forty people were killed. Nicholas was not in residence at the time, but the marching demonstrators were unaware of this fact, and he received the blame for the massacre. Although several authors have claimed that there may well have been agents provocateurs mixed in with the marching workers, society at large viewed the brutal suppression of this event as the execution of peaceful citizens.

The capital city and the country at large were beset by worker uprisings and clashes with the police, and overall unrest increased. In October of 1905, under great pressure from ever worsening circumstances and general strikes, Nicholas was forced to relinquish his iron grip on his autocratic principles and to grant civil liberties and the convening of an elective, legislative body, the State Duma. Meanwhile, in December 1905 in Moscow, an armed worker's uprising flared up, but the unrest soon waned.

Nicholas' relationship with the Duma, was, unsurprisingly, not of the warmest nature, and the unruly Duma was twice dissolved by the Tsar. Only after the tightening of election laws was a more docile Duma elected that proved capable of working with the Tsarist government. With the Duma's participation, the progressive economic reforms of Prime Minister Peter Stolypin were implemented, but unfortunately Stolypin was assassinated by terrorists in the Kiev Theatre in 1911, during a performance at which Nicholas himself was also in attendance. Once again, another hope for peaceful reforms in Russia was extinguished.

As has already been mentioned, Nicholas II was a controversial figure who evoked love and respect from some of his contemporaries, but disapproval from others. He was an exemplary family man who deeply loved his wife, the Empress Alexandra. Contemporaries confirmed that the Emperor avoided social events and tried to spend as much time as possible in the circle of his close family. The couple had four girls - Olga, Tatyana, Maria and Anastasia - before the longed-for son, Alexey, finally appeared in 1904.

The great joy at the birth of an heir turned into horror shortly thereafter at the discovery that the young child was stricken with hemophilia, a potentially lethal disease in which the blood does not clot. Although stringent steps were implemented to protect the boy's fragile life, it was impossible to prevent all injuries, and in those desperate cases, with the doctors unable to alleviate the boy's excruciating pain and the Tsar's incredible wealth incapable of purchasing a cure, a terrified Alexandra grasped at other means to save the life of her beloved son. Thus the magnetic Siberian mystic, Rasputin, was able to rise to prominence. To this day, no satisfactory explanation has been found as to how Rasputin worked his cures, but work them he did, and Alexandra trusted him implicitly as the only person capable of helping her pain-wracked son. Thus, the mangy mystic gained enormous influence over the devout Alexandra, and through her over the Emperor of Russia, all of which only further destabilized the country that was suddenly plunged into a war of worldwide dimensions.

The First World War shocked contemporaries with its brutality and simultaneously, demonstrated the weakness of certain elements of the Russian economy. If, at the declaration of war in 1914, thousands of citizens enthusiastically cheered Nicholas II on Petersburg's Palace Square, only two years later the popularity of the war among society at large had plummeted. Nicholas' decision to take upon himself the duties of the Supreme Commander and his departure from St. Petersburg to Headquarters at the front caused him to lose control over the situation in the capital.

The active participation of the Empress (a German by birth) in the running of the government, led to outrageous rumors that resulted in a further weakening of the power of the autocracy. A disruption in food supplies in Petrograd during the harsh winter of 1916-1917 exacerbated the already deep social divisions and quickly led to riots in the capital, and finally to the February Revolution. In March 1917, Nicholas abdicated in both his name and the name of his underage son, the Tsarevich Alexey. It was assumed that power would pass to his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail, but he refused to accept the crown. The convening of a Constituent Assembly to determine the country's future form of government was announced for the end of 1917, and in the meantime, power passed to the Provisional Government, which consisted of eminent personalities from the State Duma. However, before the Constituent Assembly could be convened, the Bolsheviks had already seized power in the country.

A tragic fate awaited Nicholas and his family. After Nicholas had abdicated in the wake of the February Revolution, he and his family were held under house arrest in the Alexander Palace at Tsarkoe Selo near Petrograd. The Foreign Minister, Paul Milukov, tried to organize exile for the Royal Family in Great Britain, but due to instable conditions in that country, King George V refused to assent to this plan. By decision of the Provisional Government, the former Tsar and his family were exiled to Tobolsk in August 1917, and in the spring of 1918, the Bolsheviks transported them to Ekaterinburg. Here, in a house belonging to the merchant Ipatiev, Nicholas, Alexandra, and their five children were shot and killed in July 1918.

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Alexander Palace Time Machine

The home of the last tsar - romanov and russian history, imperial yacht standardt - big view of the yacht, from a 1896 british magazine.

Not the best quality, but a valuable view from 1896. Here's the text from the article, the magazine is unidentified:

THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL YACHT " STANDART."

We give this week, on pages 175, l78, and 183 some further illustrations of the fine yacht built by Messrs. Burmeister and Wain, of Copenhagen, for the Czar of Russia, and of which we published other drawings, together with a description, in our issue of January 28 last. The graceful appearance of the boat is well shown by Fig. 18, page 183, which represents the Standart at anchor. As will be seen from this engraving, she is rigged as a three-masted fore-and-aft schooner. The great size of the funnels, which is a necessary accom paniment of the great  boiler power fitted, makes the boat, perhaps, appear rather smaller than she actually is; but the steam launch shown in the foreground serves to correct this impression, and to convey a truer idea of her real proportions, her displacement being 5255 tons. We have already published illustrations of the Emperor's deck cabin and sitting-room, the dining saloon, and the upper deck; we now add (Figs. 14 to 17, page 175) views of the sitting-rooms provided for the Empress and Dowager-Empress, of the church, and of the officers' mess. The engines are shown in Fig. 10, page 178. They are of the twin-screw triple-expan sion type, with cylinders 41 1/8 in., 65 1/8 in., and 105 1/8 in. in diameter by 54 in. stroke. The low-pressure cy linders are fitted with double-ported Trick slide valves, balanced by means of relief rings at the hack; whilst the high-pressure and intermediate cylinders have piston valves. In the case of the latter cylinder the valves are double, both spindles, however, being con nected to a single crosshead. Steam reversing and turning gears are provided, the former having an all round motion. The engines take their steam at a pres sure of 165lbs per square inch from a battery of 24 Belleville boilers working at a pressure of 245 lb. per square inch, the steam being passed through reducing valves before reaching the engine stop-valves. The crankshaft is hollow, the external diameter being 171 in. and 18 in., and internal diameter 8 in.  The main condensers are cast in one with the hack columns of the low-pressure and intermediate cylinders, the circulating water heing supplied by means of two independently-driven centrifugal pumps.  On trial the engines have given an average of 12,000 horse-power for a period of 12 hours, the corresponding speed on the run being 21.5 knots.

Palace Tour

Gala parade halls.

• Small Library - Dining Room
• Large Library
• Palace Chapel
• Billiard Hall
• Semi-Circular Hall
• Marble - Mountain Hall
• Portrait Hall

Restoration of the Palace

• 2012 Update Facade Looks Fantastic!

Rooms of Nicholas II

• The New Study
• Tsar's Bathroom
• Tsar's Reception Room English Español
• Working Study English Español Français

The Children's Floor

• Aleksey's Bedroom
• Aleksey's Classroom
• Crimson Room
• Grand Duchesses's Classroom
• Grand Duchesses's Dining Room
• Maria and Anastasia's Bedroom
• Olga and Tatiana's Bedroom
• The Maid's Rooms

Rooms of the Right Wing

• Alexandra Memorial Chapel
• Bedroom of Empress Maria
• Blue Boudoir
• Study of Alexander III

Palace Park

• Children's Island
• Chinese Theater
• Imperial Farm
• Imperial Horse Graveyard
• Llama House and Elephants
• Palace Park Views
• Retired Horse Stables
• White Tower

The Imperial Garage

• The Imperial Automobile Sport Club of Tsarskoe Selo
• The Imperial Garage - the Tsar and His Cars English Russian

Imperial Dining

• Alexandra's Names Day - 1897
• Easter in Imperial Times
• History of Court Dining
• Russian Imperial Stout
• Tatiana's Birthday

Plans, Maps and Churches

• Designs for the Alexander Palace by Quarenghi
• Feodorovsky Imperial Cathedral
• Floorplan of Nicholas and Alexandra's Rooms
• Floorplan of the Parade Halls
• Ikon of Our Lady of Tsarskoe Selo
• Map of the Alexander Palace and Park
• Martha and Mary Convent of Saint Elizabeth Moscow
• Our Lady of the Sign Church in Tsarskoe Selo
• Palace Floor Plan
• St. Catherine's Cathedral in Tsarskoe Selo
• St. Sophia Cathedral

Imperial Yacht Standardt

• Big View of the Yacht
• Chapel on the Yacht
• Dowager Empress's Room
• Empress's Drawing Room
• Officer's Mess
• Standardt Engines

Why does my webpage look weird?

Why a web page may look different on different computers.  This article that was written by Walt and is on the Pallasart site.

Hagia Sophia - the Church of Holy Wisdom

Learn about the history and discover the mosaics of this monument of world architecture

Palace Zooms

March 19, 1898

The Russian Imperial Yacht “Standart”

Category: Standart (ship, 1895)

Instance of
Manufacturer
Yard number
Port of registry
Country of registry
Date of official opening
Authority file   Subcategories This category has the following 5 subcategories, out of 5 total. Figurehead of Standart (ship, 1895) ‎ (3 F) Interior of the Standart ‎ (20 F) Marti (ship, 1895) ‎ (2 F) People aboard the Standart ‎ (81 F) Standart yacht (Fabergé egg) ‎ (13 F) Media in category " Standart (ship, 1895)" The following 22 files are in this category, out of 22 total. Imperial yachts of Russia World War I minelaying cruisers of Russia World War II minelaying cruisers of the Soviet Union Cold War minelaying cruisers of the Soviet Union Ships built at Burmeister & Wain Baltic Fleet of the Soviet Union Yachts by name Ships of Russia by name Ships built in 1895 Steam yachts Baltic Fleet of the Russian Empire Ships scrapped in 1965 Sail-steamers of Russia Steamships by name Three-masted ships Screw steamers Naval ships of Russia by name Uses of Wikidata Infobox Ships by name (flat list) Navigation menu Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia Royal and presidential yachts Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy Steam yachts Mine warfare vessels of the Soviet Navy Auxiliary ships of the Soviet Navy Russian yacht Standart Russian yacht Standart Career (Russian Empire) Name: Standart Namesake: Emperor's Naval Standard Owner: Ordered: 19 June 1893 Builder: Burmeister & Wain Copenhagen, Denmark Yard number: 183 Laid down: 1 October 1893 Launched: 10 March 1895 Commissioned: September 1896 Decommissioned: 1918 Reinstated: 1936 (as minelayer) Fate: Scrapped 1963 General characteristics as Imperial Yacht Displacement: 5557 tons standard Length: 128 m (420 feet) Beam: 15.8 m (52 feet) Draught: 6.00 m (19' 8 Propulsion: 2 Triple Expansion Steam Engines Speed: 21.18 knots Complement: 355 Armament: 8 - 47mm guns (Hotchkiss) General characteristics as Minelayer Marti Displacement: 5665 tons standard, 6198 tons deep load Length: 122.30 m (401' 3 Beam: 14.4 m (47' 3 Draught: 6.80 m (22' 4 Propulsion: 2 shaft, 2 Triple Expansion Steam Engines, 4 boilers Speed: 18,85 knots Complement: 400 Armament: 4 - 130mm guns (4x1) 7 - 76.2 mm guns (7x1) 3 - 45mm guns (3x1) 3 -12.7mm machine guns (3x1) 320 mines The Russian Imperial Yacht Standart , serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, was in her time (late 19th/early 20th century) the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. After the Russian Revolution the ship was placed in drydock until 1936, when she was converted to a minelayer. During World War II she played a significant role in the defence of Leningrad. 1.1 Imperial Yacht 1.2 Soviet Minelayer Marti 2 Specifications 3 Previous Imperial Yachts 4 References and external links Soviet Minelayer Marti [ ] Minelayer Marti in 1942 After the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, Standart was stripped down and pressed into naval service. The ship was renamed 18 marta (18 March), and later Marti . In 1932-1936, Marti was converted into a minelayer by the Marti yard in Leningrad. During the Second World War , Marti served in the Baltic, laying mines and bombarding shore positions along the coast. On 23 September 1941, Marti was damaged in an air attack at Kronstadt , but later repaired and continued service until the end of the war. After the war, Marti was converted into a training ship and renamed Oka in 1957. She continued serving in that role until she was scrapped at Tallinn, Estonia, in 1963. Specifications [ ] Displacement: 5557 tons Length: 370 feet (112,8 m) between perpendiculars Length Overall: 420 feet (128 m) Width: 50 feet 8 inches (15,8 m) Depth: 20 feet (6 m) Maximum Speed: 21.18 knots References and external links [ ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to . Russian Imperial Yacht Standart Royal Russia - Russian Imperial Yacht, the Standart Conway's All the World's Fighting ships 1922-1946 Nicholas II Emperor tsar saint, imperial yacht standart, of bygone days: the memoirs of an aide-de-camp to the emperor nicholas ii. Posted on July 4, 2023 by Paul Gilbert *This title is available from AMAZON in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Japan *Note: prices are quoted in local currencies CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION  @ $20.00 USD English.   214 pages, 10 black & white photos First English translation with introduction and notes by William Lee NOTE: The first Russian-lanaguage edition of Fabritsky’s memories was published in Berlin in 1926. The first English-language edition of Fabritsky’s memoirs was published in Canada in 2016. This title has been out of print for many years, so I am delighted to offer this new edition. “ The time I spent with Their Majesties – over the course of many years and under varied circumstances – will always be the source of my most precious memories, and I am very happy to be able to share those memories now with a wide public. I hope at least to give an absolutely truthful account of what I saw and heard ” – Semyon S. Fabritsky. 1926 Semyon Semyonovich Fabritsky (1874-1941) had a fascinating career during the twilight years of Imperial Russia. He began his naval career in the very first days of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II. In 1909, Fabritsky was personally appointed Aide-de-Camp by the Emperor himself, a position he served with immense pride and devotion. During his service to Nicholas II, Fabritsky earned both the trust and friendship of the Emperor. Through his often uninterrupted contact with Russia’s last sovereign and observing him at all hours and under a variety of conditions, Fabritsky was able to form a clear picture of Nicholas II and his family, through his own personal eye-witness observations. He also served aboard the Imperial yachts, partaking in holidays with the Emperor and his family to the Crimea and the Finnish skerries. He shares interesting details and anecdotes about the Alexandria , Polar Star, and Standart . This book will also be of great interest to any one with an interest to the Russian Imperial Yachts and the Russian Imperial Navy . Fabritsky provides great insight to the treachery, cowardice, and deceit which prevailed every where. He acknowledges ministers and generals who were either unworthy of their posts or unfit for them. Sadly, it was these men who surrounded Nicholas II during his 22+ year reign, who contributed to the downfall of monarchy and the destruction of the Russian Empire in 1917. ©  Paul Gilbert. 4 July 2023 Emperor Nicholas II and King Edward VII meet at Reval, 1908 Posted on June 9, 2022 by Paul Gilbert PHOTO: Pyotr Stolypin, Queen Alexandra, Emperor Nicholas II, King Edward VII, Vladimir Frederiks, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, on the deck of the Russian Imperial Yacht. On 9th June 1908, a meeting of the Russian Imperial and British Royal families took place in Reval [today Tallinn, Estonia]. The historic meeting marked the first visit of a reigning British monarch to the Russian Empire, although Edward had previously visited Russia as His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 1866, when he attended the wedding of the future Russian Emperor Alexander III in St. Petersburg. The meeting at Reval in 1908, served as an important diplomatic purpose in the aftermath of the 1907 Anglo-Russian Entente, which settled colonial disputes and instigated the Triple Entente. King Edward VII arrived on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert roadstead of the port of Reval. He was accompanied by his wife Queen Alexandra (sister of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna) and daughter of Princess Victoria of Great Britain. They were met by the Emperor, the Empress, their five children, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, and Queen Olga of the Hellenes (nee Russian Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna). In addition, the Emperor was accompanied by prominent members of his retinue, including Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, and the minister of the Imperial Court, Vladimir Frederiks. On the morning of 9th June 1908, the hills and the wooded shores of the bay were crowded with thousands of well wishers. At 7 o’clock, the Imperial Train arrived in Revel from Peterhof. Crowds of children lined up to greet the Emperor and his family: “It is impossible to describe the delight of the children when the Imperial Family passed by. Their Majesties … were very touched,” the head of Nicholas II’s secret personal guard Alexander Spiridovich recalled. Passing the cheering crowds, the Imperial family proceeded from the train station to the port, where they boarded the Imperial Yacht Standart . Two other Russian Imperial Yachts were also in port, including the yacht of the Dowager Empress, the Polar Star and the smaller steam yacht Alexandria . PHOTO: Nicholas dressed in the uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Greys, on the deck of the Imperial Yacht Standart. His son and heir Tsesarevich Alexei is standing beside him. 9th June 1908 Prior to meeting the British king, Nicholas dressed in the uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Greys. Nicholas II was appointed an honorary member of the distinguished regiment by Britain’s Queen Victoria in 1894, after he became engaged to Princess Alix of Hesse (Alexandra Feodorovna), who was Victoria’s granddaughter. King Edward, in turn, put on the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army, but it turned out to be clearly too small for him, but despite this, the king looked by no means impressive. The British yacht Victoria and Albert anchored in the roadstead between the Standart and the Polar Star . The Imperial and Royal yachts were surrounded by British and Russian warships, also lying in the roadstead. On board Nicholas greeted the British King by saying, “It is with feelings of the deepest satisfaction and pleasure that I welcome your Majesty and her Majesty the Queen to Russian waters. I trust that this meeting, while strengthening the many and strong ties which unite our Houses, will have the happy results of drawing our countries closer together, and of promoting and maintaining the peace of the world.” An eyewitness recalled: “While the guests were very cordial towards one another, it was felt that Edward showed some condescension towards his nephew – he seemed to patronize him … he warmly hugged and kissed the Empress, and then carefully looked at the grand duchesses, who looked a little embarrassed. Then he went up to the heir [Alexei], took him in his arms and kissed him.” The Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna was delighted to once again meet her beloved sister Alexandra, the British Queen, with whom she maintained a prolific correspondence throughout her life. A luncheon was served on the Dowager Empress’s yacht, the Polar Star , but no speeches were made at this affair. The menu was traditional for such occasions: Toulouse consommé, pâté, champagne lobster, truffle and grouse rolls, vol-au-vents, Nantes duck, vanilla peaches and frozen strawberry puree. At five o’clock, tea was arranged on the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert . The Tsar arrived without his wife, since the Empress suffered from another attack of sciatica. PHOTO: Imperial hosts and Royal guests gather for a state banquet in the dining hall of the Imperial Yacht Standart . Empress Alexandra Feodorovna can be seen in the center of the photograph, seated between King Edward VII [on the left], and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales [future King George V, on the right] At 8 pm, the hosts and guests gathered together for a state banquet on the Imperial Yacht Standart . During dinner, the orchestra played works by Borodin, Wagner, Liszt, Grieg, Glazunov and Gounod, while the monarchs made official speeches, both in English. The King thanked the Emperor for the warm welcome, recalling his previous visit to Russia, when he was still Crown Prince, and expressed hope for the Anglo-Russian alliance to be strengthened: “I believe that this will serve to closer uniting the ties that unite the peoples of our two countries, and I am sure that this will contribute to a satisfactory peaceful settlement of certain important issues in the future. I am convinced that this will not only contribute to a closer rapprochement between our two countries, but will also help maintain peace throughout the world,” Edward VII said. The emperor answered in the same spirit. Early in the evening, boatloads of German and Russian residents steamed about in the roadstead and serenaded the Imperial and Royal visitors with national folk songs. After the sun set and darkness set in, the warships were all illuminated, and the Imperial Yachts Polar Star and Alexandria displayed special electrical effects. The following day, the Emperor and Empress received a delegation from Reval, after which they again received British guests at lunch, during which a misunderstanding occurred. The King turned to the Empress and joked about the terrible accent with which the Grand Duchesses spoke English. The criticism hurt the Empress, especially since the King himself spoke English with a clear German accent. But the conclusions were made and soon the Grand Duchesses were appointed a new English tutor – Charles Sidney Gibbes , who after the revolution would follow the Imperial Family into exile to Siberia. The inevitable exchange of gifts took place that day. The King presented his nephew with a sword made by Wilkinson, on which were engraved the words: “To His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of All Russia from His Loving Uncle Edward, Revel 1908.” The Emperor, in turn, presented his uncle with a jade vase with cabochon moonstones and chalcedony. PHOTO: King Edward VII and and Emperor Nicholas II, Reval. 1908 That evening, dinner was served on the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert . Shortly after the arrival of the Imperial couple, the King was faced with a dilemma. Who will accompany him to dinner: the Queen or the Dowager Empress? English protocol required that the Sovereign’s wife should precede the Dowager Empress, but this could offend Maria Feodorovna, who was also his wife’s sister. On the other hand, if the Empress was forced to take second place, she might well take the opportunity to leave. The King handled the situation with his usual aplomb. Taking both ladies by the arms, he declared: “Tonight I will enjoy the unique honour of inviting two Empresses to dinner.” After dinner, the King and his Imperial guests sat in comfortable chairs, coffee and liquors were served. There were also dances during which the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna danced with the British Admiral John Fisher (1841-1920). Around midnight, the Imperial couple, having said goodbye to the guests, left the Victoria and Albert and returned to the Standart . At 3 o’clock in the morning, the Victoria and Albert weighed anchor and arrived in Port Victoria in Kent three days later. CLICK on the IMAGE above to view an album of photographs of the meeting of the Russian Imperial and British Royal families at Reval, on 9th June 1908 © Paul Gilbert. 9 June 2022 125th anniversary of the first voyage of the Imperial Yacht “Standart” Posted on November 27, 2021 by Paul Gilbert This year marks the 125th anniversary of the first voyage of the Imperial Yacht Standart [ Shtandart ]. It was on 8th September 1896 [after sea trials], that Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna first travelled by sea on board what many considered the “most perfect ship of her type in the world”. The Imperial couple were accompanied by their first-born child Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna. The Imperial Yacht made its first long voyage to Europe stopping at Copenhagen (Denmark) – Plymouth (England) – Cherbourg (France), before returning to Kronstadt, its primary port. The ship, built by special order at the Danish shipyard Burmeister & Wein, served the Imperial Family until 1914, when the Great War began, it was pressed into naval service. She was scrapped at Tallinn, Estonia, in 1963. The hull of the yacht was made of riveted steel. The vessel had two decks – upper and main, as well as two platforms at the ends – fore and aft. In the middle section of the Standart , under the engine and boiler rooms, there was a second bottom, which was divided by watertight compartments. The bow superstructure consisted of two tiers and had a navigating bridge. In the first tier of the bow superstructure, the navigator’s room and two cabins for the commanding staff were located. The second tier of the bow superstructure was the wheelhouse. PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II, on the deck of the Imperial Yacht ‘Standart’, colourized by Olga Shirnina [aka KLIMBIM ], who consults with Russian historians and other experts to ensure the correct colours of the uniforms worn by Emperor Nicholas II  The large aft superstructure was finished with mahogany, it housed a dining room for official receptions seating up to 70 people, a study and the emperor’s reception room. The flat upper deck was lined with American teak planks. On the main deck were the imperial apartments, which included a common living room, separate offices and separate bedrooms of the Sovereign, Empress and Dowager Empress, dining room, salon, cabins of the Heir, cabins of the Grand Duchesses, officers of the yacht and the ship’s wardroom. The bow platform housed storerooms, workshops, showers and crew quarters, below there was a cargo hold and a powder magazine. On the aft platform there were playrooms for the Imperial children, rooms for servants, a radio room, showers, and below – refrigerator chambers for perishable provisions. The yacht’s life-saving accessories included 2 large mahogany steam boats, 2 powerboats, 2 large 14 row boats, 2 10 row boats, 2 six-oared yales and 2 8-row boats. The yacht was powered by steam-sailing, with 24 boilers and two steam engines with an indicator capacity of 6000 hp each, which rotated two bronze screws. The armament of the yacht consisted of 8 single-barreled 47-mm Hotchkiss cannons, which were located in the bow of the upper deck on both sides. On the 125th anniversary marking the first voyage of the Imperial Yacht, a model was recently donated to the Monastery of the Holy Royal Martyrs Museum at Ganina Yama, near Ekaterinburg. Other models of the Standart are on display in the Imperial Yacht Museum in Peterhof, which has a small room dedicated to the vessels; the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg; and at the Burmeister & Wain Museum at Copenhagen CLICK on the LINK(S) below to read more about the Imperial Yacht Standart: Exhibition: Imperial Yacht Standart and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor + VIDEO – published on 15th December 2019 The Fates of the Russian Imperial Yachts ‘Standart’ and ‘Polar Star’ – published on 21st October 2019 ‘Ten years in the Imperial Yacht Standart’ by Nikolai Sablin – published on 27th August 2019 © Paul Gilbert. 27 November 2021 Exhibition: Imperial Yacht Standart and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor Posted on December 15, 2019 by Paul Gilbert NOTE: All of the articles pertaining to Nicholas II and his family which were originally published in my Royal Russia News blog, have been moved to this Nicholas II blog. This article was originally posted on 15 February 2018 in my Royal Russia News blog – PG The following exhibition ran from 26 January to 4 April 2018 The exhibition Imperial Yacht Standart and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor , opened on 26 January at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. The exhibition is based on memories and original photographs from the personal archive of Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin (1880-1937), who served on the Imperial yacht Standart from 1906 to 1914. A significant part of these historic images were photographed by the co-owner of the photographic studio “K. E. von Gan and Co., the famous Russian photographer AK Yagelsky, who had the title of Court photographer of His Imperial Majesty. Yagelsky also owned the right to conduct filming of the imperial family. The exposition includes photographs of the photographic studio K. E. Von Gan and Co., as well as unique newsreel footage taken on board the imperial yacht. In addition to the photographs, original letters of Emperor Nicholas II written on board the ship, watercolours and a collection of postcards dedicated to the Imperial yacht, a yacht logbook and a number of other unique documents will be on display. The photos taken on board the yacht Standart are not widely known to the general public and are associated with the inner life of the royal family, moments not intended for an outsider’s eye and therefore very sincere and direct. The exhibition was first shown at the State Museum and Exhibition Center ROSPHOTO in St. Petersburg, from 2 August to 24 September 2017 and in Smolensk from 18 October to 15 December 2017. Click on the VIDEO above to view highlights from the St. Petersburg venue. The exhibition Imperial Yacht Standart and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor , runs until 4th April 2018, at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. Click HERE to visit the ROSPHOTO site for more information and photographs of the Imperial Yacht Standart – in Russian only. © Paul Gilbert. 15 December 2019 401 IMAGES Imperial Russian yacht "Standart" Russian Yacht Standart Part 32 The Standart Yacht and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor Russian yacht Standart Standart yacht of nicholas ii hi-res stock photography and images The Russian imperial yacht Standart, captured by the bolsheviks, leaves COMMENTS Russian yacht Standart The Standart was an Imperial Russian yacht serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, being in her time (late 19th/early 20th century), the largest imperial yacht afloat. After the Russian Revolution, the ship was placed in drydock until 1936, when she was converted to a minelayer. During World War II, she participated in the defence of ... The Fates of the Russian Imperial Yachts 'Standart' and 'Polar Star' The fates of both the 'Standart' and the 'Polar Star' are equally sad. 'STANDART'. The Imperial Yacht 'Standart' was built by order of Emperor Alexander III, and constructed at the Danish shipyard of Burmeister & Wain,² beginning in 1893. She was launched on 21 March 1895 and came into service early September 1896. A look inside the Russian Imperial Yacht "Standart" Here I present an album of early 20th century photographs of the Russian Imperial Yacht "Standart". Music - "Variation No 4." by Risky-Korskov.The vessel se... Nicholas II's family yachts (PHOTOS) Imperial Russian yacht Shtandart (1893-1961), off the coast of the Crimea, near Yalta, in 1898. Public domain ... The Russian Imperial Family aboard the Imperial yacht Standart. The Soviet Navy's use of the Imperial Yacht "Standart" during WWII PHOTO: the former Imperial Yacht Standart, refitted for wartime use during the Soviet years. It seems that royal yachts are today a thing of the past. In the Russian Empire, the last was the Imperial Yacht Standart of Emperor Nicholas II. A magnificent ship that survived its owner by more than 40 years and left it's mark on Russia's nautical history. The Romanovs on the Imperial Yacht: The Standart The Standart was an Imperial Russian yacht serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, being in her time the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. After the Russian... Standart The Imperial Yacht Standart (Штандартъ) was built by order of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. It was constructed at the Danish shipyard of Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen, in the beginning of 1893. Standart was probably the most exclusive and magnificent yacht ever built. She was launched on 21 March 1895 and came into service early ... 125th anniversary of the first voyage of the Imperial Yacht "Standart PHOTO: Emperor Nicholas II, on the deck of the Imperial Yacht 'Standart', colourized by Olga Shirnina [aka KLIMBIM], who consults with Russian historians and other experts to ensure the correct colours of the uniforms worn by Emperor Nicholas II The large aft superstructure was finished with mahogany, it housed a dining room for official receptions seating up to 70 people, a study and the ... Imperial Yacht Standart Standart at her best - Elegant and Gracious in all Respects (1896) The Imperial Yacht Standart herself was designed based on experiences gained from a long and impressive line of earlier Russian Imperial Yachts and her technology was extremely impressive even to today's standards. Although time has almost whiped out all traces of her existence ... Biography of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia The Russian Imperial family aboard the Imperial Yacht Standart c.1906 ... War shocked contemporaries with its brutality and simultaneously, demonstrated the weakness of certain elements of the Russian economy. If, at the declaration of war in 1914, thousands of citizens enthusiastically cheered Nicholas II on Petersburg's Palace Square, only ... Tsar Nicholas II & His Family aboard their yacht "Standart" In this old film footage from the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive at Krasnogorsk (RGAKFD) you can see the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Empress... Moscow Kremlin Museums: The beloved Emperor's yacht which outlived its royal owners, a shipwreck, war and Revolution, has been enshrined forever in one of the most inspired works in the history of Russian jewellery. In 1909 Fabergé's famed jewellery firm manufactured the egg with the model of the 'Standart' yacht. This Easter present immortalized the yacht of ... Russian frigate Shtandart The frigate Shtandart (Russian: Штандартъ) was the first ship of Russia's Baltic fleet.Her keel was laid on April 24, 1703, at the Olonetsky shipyard near Olonets by the decree of Tsar Peter I and orders issued by commander Aleksandr Menshikov.The vessel was built by the Dutch shipwright Vybe Gerens under the direct supervision of the tsar. She was the first flagship of the Imperial ... Big View of the Yacht THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL YACHT " STANDART." We give this week, on pages 175, l78, and 183 some further illustrations of the fine yacht built by Messrs. Burmeister and Wain, of Copenhagen, for the Czar of Russia, and of which we published other drawings, together with a description, in our issue of January 28 last. The Russian Imperial Yacht "Standart" This article was originally published with the title " The Russian Imperial Yacht 'Standart' " in SA Supplements Vol. 45 No. 1159supp (March 1898), p. 18518 doi:10.1038 ... Imperial Yacht Standart: Nicholas II's Palace on the Seas The plans had been preserved in 1895 by the Admiralty Office when plans for a new British royal yacht were under construction. PHOTO: plans for the Imperial Yacht Standart. The Standart was a superb, black-hulled 5557-ton yacht measuring 401 feet in length and 50 feet wide, making it the largest private ship in the world. Category:Standart (ship, 1895) The following 20 files are in this category, out of 20 total. 01 Standart - General View of the Imperial Yacht.jpg 2,232 × 1,448; 362 KB. 02 Standart - View of the Deck.jpg 2,188 × 1,676; 484 KB. 03 Standart - View of the Deck.jpg 2,395 × 1,800; 642 KB. 04 Standart - Bridge and Tower of the Yacht.jpg 2,196 × 1,660; 439 KB. Russian yacht Standart The Russian Imperial Yacht Standart, serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, was in her time (late 19th/early 20th century) the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. After the Russian Revolution the ship was placed in drydock until 1936, when she was converted to a minelayer. During World War II she played a significant role in the defence of Leningrad. The Imperial Yacht Standart ... Imperial Russian Yacht Standart Jun 1908 Photograph of the Imperial Russian Yacht Standart, probably at Reval, Russia (now Tallinn, Estonia), with flag in foreground. Provenance. Acquired by Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) People involved . Creator(s) Attributed to . Search the collection View the person page Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (1844-1925) Romanov Imperial Yacht Standart The Standart was an Imperial Russian yacht serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, being in her time (late 19th/early 20th century) the largest Imperial ... Imperial Yacht Standart Imperial Yacht Standart Imperial Yacht Standart The exhibition Imperial Yacht Standart and the Family of the Last Russian Emperor, opened on 26 January at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. The exhibition is based on memories and original photographs from the personal archive of Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin (1880-1937), who served on the Imperial yacht Standart from 1906 to ... Standart Yacht (Fabergé egg) The Standart Yacht egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1909 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna.It is currently held in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow, and it is one of the few imperial Fabergé eggs that were never sold after the ... catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht