
In 1903, the Romanovs, Russia’s last and longest-reignÂing royÂal famÂiÂly, held a lavÂish cosÂtume ball. It was to be their final blowout, and perÂhaps also the “last great royÂal ball” in Europe, writes the VinÂtage News. The parÂty took place at the WinÂter Palace in St. PetersÂburg, 14 years before Czar Nicholas II’s abdiÂcaÂtion, on the 290th anniverÂsary of Romanov rule. The Czar invitÂed 390 guests and the ball ranged over two days of fesÂtivÂiÂties, with elabÂoÂrate 17th-cenÂtuÂry boyar cosÂtumes, includÂing “38 origÂiÂnal royÂal items of the 17th cenÂtuÂry from the armory in Moscow.”
“The first day feaÂtured feastÂing and dancÂing,” notes RusÂsia Beyond, “and a masked ball was held on the secÂond. EveryÂthing was capÂtured in a phoÂto album that conÂtinÂues to inspire artists to this day.” The entire Romanov famÂiÂly gathÂered for a phoÂtoÂgraph on the stairÂcase of the HerÂmitage theÂater, the last time they would all be phoÂtographed togethÂer.
It is like seeÂing two difÂferÂent dead worlds superÂimÂposed on each other—the Romanovs’ playÂactÂing their beginÂning while standÂing on the threshÂold of their last days.

With the irony of hindÂsight, we will always look upon these poised arisÂtoÂcrats as doomed to vioÂlent death and exile. In a morÂbid turn of mind, I can’t help thinkÂing of the baroque gothÂic of “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe’s stoÂry about a doomed arisÂtocÂraÂcy who seal themÂselves inside a cosÂtume ball while a conÂtaÂgion ravÂages the world outÂside: “The exterÂnal world could take care of itself,” Poe’s narÂraÂtor says. “In the meanÂtime it was folÂly to grieve or to think. The prince had proÂvidÂed all the appliÂances of pleaÂsure…. It was a volupÂtuous scene, that masÂquerÂade.”

Maybe in our imagÂiÂnaÂtion, the Romanovs and their friends seem hauntÂed by the weight of sufÂferÂing outÂside their palace walls, in both their counÂtry and around Europe as the old order fell apart. Or perÂhaps they just look hauntÂed the way everyÂone does in phoÂtographs from over 100 years ago. Does the colÂorizÂing of these phoÂtos by RussÂian artist Klimbim—who has done simÂiÂlar work with images of WW2 solÂdiers and porÂtraits of RussÂian poets and writÂers—make them less ghostÂly?

It puts flesh on the pale monoÂchroÂmatÂic faces, gives the lavÂish cosÂtumÂing and furÂniÂture texÂture and dimenÂsion. Some of the images almost look like art nouÂveau illusÂtraÂtions (and resemÂble those of some of the finest illusÂtraÂtors of Poe’s work) and the work of conÂtemÂpoÂrary painters like GusÂtav Klimt. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that unease lingers in the eyes of some subjects—Empress AlexanÂdra FedorovÂna among them—a cerÂtain vague and trouÂbled appreÂhenÂsion.

In their book A LifeÂlong PasÂsion, authors Andrei MayÂluÂnas and Sergei MiroÂnenko quote the Grand Duke AlexanÂder Mikhailovitch who rememÂbered the event as “the last specÂtacÂuÂlar ball in the hisÂtoÂry of the empire.” The Grand Duke also recalled that “a new and hosÂtile RusÂsia glared though the large winÂdows of the palace… while we danced, the workÂers were strikÂing and the clouds in the Far East were hangÂing danÂgerÂousÂly low.” As RusÂsia Beyond notes, soon after this celÂeÂbraÂtion, “The globÂal ecoÂnomÂic criÂsis marked the beginÂning of the end for the RussÂian Empire, and the court ceased to hold balls.”

In 1904, the RusÂso-JapanÂese War began, a war RusÂsia was to lose the folÂlowÂing year. Then the aristocracy’s powÂer was furÂther weakÂened by the RevÂoÂluÂtion of 1905, which Lenin would latÂer call the “Great Dress Rehearsal” for the RevÂoÂluÂtionÂary takeover of 1917. While the arisÂtocÂraÂcy cosÂtumed itself in the trapÂpings of past gloÂry, armies amassed to force their reckÂonÂing with the 20th cenÂtuÂry.
Who knows what thoughts went through the mind of the tzar, tzaÂriÂna, and their heirs durÂing those two days, and the minds of the almost 400 nobleÂmen and women dressed in cosÂtumes speÂcialÂly designed by artist Sergey Solomko, who drew from the work of sevÂerÂal hisÂtoÂriÂans to make accuÂrate 17th-cenÂtuÂry recreÂations, while Peter Carl FabergĂ© chose the jewÂelÂry, includÂing, writes the VinÂtage News, the tzarina’s “pearls topped by a diaÂmond and emerÂald-studÂded crown” and an “enorÂmous emerÂald” on her broÂcadÂed dress?

If the Romanovs had any inkling their almost 300-year dynasty was comÂing to its end and would take all of the RussÂian arisÂtocÂraÂcy with it, they were, at least, deterÂmined to go out with the highÂest style; the famÂiÂly with “almost cerÂtainÂly… the most absoÂlutist powÂers” would spare no expense to live in their past, no matÂter what the future held for them. See the origÂiÂnal, black and white phoÂtos, includÂing that last famÂiÂly porÂtrait, at HisÂtoÂry DaiÂly and RusÂsia Beyond, and see sevÂerÂal more colÂorized images at the VinÂtage News.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Tsarist RusÂsia Comes to Life in Vivid ColÂor PhoÂtographs TakÂen CirÂca 1905–1915
How ObsesÂsive Artists ColÂorize Old PhoÂtographs & Restore the True ColÂors of the Past
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
























