As a contribution to the Alexander Palace Association membership campaign, it's a pleasure for me to publish the last APA newsletter here.

Spring 1998

Dear Friends,

I am blessed and honored to be a part of this organization, the Alexander Palace Association (APA), for an important historical preservation! I have been an admirer of the last Russian Imperial Family for the last few years and have always wondered what I can do to help preserve the loving memory of Nicholas II, Alexandra, and their children. Helping the Alexander Palace Association is indeed one of them! In October of 1996, I received word from Bob Atchison that APA was just created. I e-mailed him the moment I found out to let him know that I was very interested in joining and working with them. Even though the process of setting up the organization took some time, I became very excited each passing day. Bob's generosity for giving me the chance to make a dream a reality will be a personal achievement: the opportunity to help, in any way I can, to preserve the special place the Imperial Family called their home - the Alexander Palace in Tsarkoe Selo, Russia.

I kindly ask each and every one of you to please consider being a part of APA. The energy of our efforts and our enthusiasm for the Imperial Family has given us the chance to unite in order to help restore the Alexander Palace. This, I am sure, will please the Imperial Family wherever they are. Your charitable contribution will help restore this beautifully built home, grounds, fixtures, and furniture - not only for us but also for the next generation of Romanov enthusiasts.

Thank you for your time and I hope that you would considr helping in this special organization. God bless the Tsar and his family!

Best Wishes,
Ann Brunning
APA Membership Chairman

Welcome to our first newsletter, and thank you so much to the two women who really made it happen, Ann Brunning and Tiffany Martin. In the years I have worked on this project, getting work completed has always been a major challenge. What many of you may not realize is that APA is an all volunteer organization, with no paid staff. Everyone, myself included, must simultaneously manage support her or himself and also squeeze in a few precious hours a day to get out a newsletter, write an article, or answer our considerable correspondence, in order to keep APA an active reality.

We have purposely delayed the Membership Campaign up until now in order that we can be properly organized. Part of that organizational process has been the formulation of specific plans for how Membership Dues will be spent. Our vision of APA as one of the first virtual charities has meant abandoning many of the time-worn concepts currently in use by other nonprofit groups. I continue to get requests for flashy brochures from prospective members, and I hasten to tell them that we are not about brochures and such trappings. If we were to spend your money in that fashion, I for one would object! We at APA are more than lean and mean. We are positively emaciated and will remain that way until we secure major funding to restore the Alexander Palace! With that in mind, here are the current funding objectives of the Alexander Palace Association:

• Sponsorship of the Alexander Palace Time Machine Website: Bob Atchison has funded the Time Machine entirely out of his own pocket for many years. As soon as possible, that will shift over to APA. We have received up to 50,000 hits per day, and the server bills have been very expensive at times. While the cost picture has stabilized over the past months, the server bills should now be paid by the APA.
• Funding Projects At the Romanov Archives: Over the past 18 months, Bob and I have identified many low cost projects at the Romanov archives. One such projects resulted in the rescue of the Tsesarevich Alexis Nicholievich's diaries for $500. Where we can have major impact with minimal dollars, we propose to go forward to assist the Russian curators in their race against time.
• Major Fund Raising: It unfortunately takes money to make money. We do not expect to fund the entire restoration through membership dollars. However, APA membership dues can be put to good use in securing grants offered by major foundations and corporations. We believe this will ultimately result in the restoration we all envision becoming a reality.
• Administrative & General: We will need general informational and press kits in order to be nominally recognized as a nonprofit charitable organization.

Please e-mail me with any questions you may have. Membership dues (personal checks or money orders in US dollars), along with your name, e-mail address, physical address, and choice of membership tier should be sent to:

Alexander Palace Association
1270 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, California 94108
United States of America

Inaugural Membership Campaign:

Supporting Member    US$25

Supporting members in the Alexander Palace Association contribute $25 annually in dues. Supporting member benefits include:

• Quarterly newsletters received two weeks in advance, updating you on Palace news, and information on the Imperial Family of Russia.
• Membership certificate.
• Exclusive pricing offers on books and other items related to Russia, the Palace and the Romanovs.

Contributing Member    US$50

Our contributing members donate $50 annually in dues, and receive the same benefits as Supporting Members. In addition, contributing members receive:

• Priority opportunities to reserve space on exclusive APA tours and events. Reservations among contributing members is on a first-come, first-served, basis.
• Exclusive photograph of the Palace, or
• Unique Photograph of the Imperial Family.

Founding Member    US$100

Founding Membership annual dues are $100. Our Founding Members will receive the same benefits as our Supporting and Contributing Members, as well as the following recognition:

• Member's Garden name recognition, in a special garden APA intends to establish on the grounds of the Feodorovsky Cathedral.

Special Offer! Founding Memberships are available through a payment plan of four $25 payments for 4 consecutive months! Offer expires December 31, 1998.

The Tsar's Circle    US$1,000

Exclusively for individuals, the Tsar's Circle members receive all the membership benefits listed above, and the following:

• Website recognition on a special page reserved for The Tsar's Circle with threaded message board exclusively for Members.
• Preferred offerings of Russian art and memorabilia as they become available.
• To be announced - Limited edition of Nicholas and/or Alexandra miniature or lithograph portraits.

Special Offer! Tsar's Circle Memberships are available through a payment plan of four $250 payments for 4 consecutive months! Offer expires December 31, 1998.

Benefactor    US$5,000

• This level are for those who are in a unique position to contribute for the future study of the Alexander Palace. Benefactors' names will be recorded into the upcoming Book of Gold in commemoration of their generosity.

Special Memberships:

Anastasia's Club    US$5 per Year

Exclusively for children under 16 years of age, Anastasia's Club is designed to combine education about Russian History and Culture with fun activities for young people.

• Monthly moderated chat exclusively for young people, moderated by an educator or APA Board Member.
• Upcoming Anastasia's Club Newsletter with activities and educational information.

Alexis' Club    US$100 Per Year

Exclusively for school classes and homeschoolers educating young people under the age of 18, Alexis' club provides the same membership for the children as Anastasia's club and a supporting membership for the teacher. As an additional benefit:

• K - 12 Classroom Syllabus available on the Internet.
• Live chats for each class throughout the school year.

Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing after receipt of dues. Thank you very much for your consideration.

There was a young child growing up in Ohio, years away and far away from an Imperial Family, an Alexander Palace and a Tsarina who had a wondrous mauve room. The child heard stories of the family and was fascinated. Things reminded her of this place so far away. I was the child. Not unlike Bob Atchison, I too was fascinated by this Imperial Family and their life and surroundings. I wanted to know everything about the culture of Russia. The art. The ballet. The music. The music touched me. The poets talked to me. And my fascination never stopped.

Years have gone by. I've had magical experiences as a result of my interest. I've stood in Russian Orthodox churches hearing the music and been shined by the same candlelight and captured by the illumination of icons the same way The Imperial Family were. I've looked at photographs of the Alexander Palace for so many years I often feel I know those rooms. A glimpse here. A reminder there.

When The Alexander Palace Time Machine first appeared on the internet, I must have been one of the first visitors. I would always type in "Nicholas II" and let the search engine take me to sites somewhere in cyberspace. I was in awe when I first saw Bob's web site. It was one of the most graphically amazing and informative sites I've ever viewed. And that is how I came to the Alexander Palace Association. Of course I wanted to be a member in order to restore the Alexander Palace back to the palace and home that it was. I did not want it lost to time and historical rewrites. And the magical part--it's not just me, it's not just Bob who has been touched by the palace. It's all of you who will share in the newsletter, shaking the dust off the palace and brushing away the years of neglect. One day, we will be part of the story. Isn't life amazing?

For those of us in America with an abiding interest in the Imperial Family, opportunities to gain insight concerning their lives are most often found in books and occasionally on television. Chances to learn first hand about their world are a rarity. A window to a unique part of the family's past has recently been provided by the Jewels of the Romanovs: Treasures of the Imperial Court exhibit. This collection of some 200 items has traveled to several American cities and is currently at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The exhibition has been designed to honor the 125th jubilee of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich's visit to the United States. This was the first official State visit to America by a member of Russia's Imperial Family.

The exhibit includes a stunning array of jewelry, religious items, clothing, paintings and a collection of raw gems and precious metals. There are also vintage photographs and documents from Grand Duke Alexei's visit. These items, brought together for their beauty and historical significance, give silent testimony to the grandeur of pre-Revolutionary Russian court life and the importance of the Russian Orthodox spiritual life. They are also evidence of the talent of the many Russian craftsmen who created them.

The jewelry, the focal point of the exhibit, is overwhelming. The sheer size of many of the pieces is astounding. The intricate designs and attention to tiny details rivals anything available today. Each piece makes a statement about its previous owner's importance and place in Imperial history. Empress Elizabeth I's bee-shaped diamond earrings and matching diadem-bandeau are among the most unusual of the adornments. The diadem has jeweled bees attached with tiny springs which long ago gave an allusion of the tiny creatures hovering over diamond flowers when the Empress moved her head. There is Catherine the Great's pendant entitled "Caesar's Ruby, " given to her in 1777 by King Gustav of Sweden. The pendant was originally believed to be an ancient ruby once belonging to Caesar. The stone is actually a tourmaline-rubelite. It is most likely from India; and still impressive in its cut and size. A copy of a diamond and emerald plastron, once a favorite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, along with the beautiful pearls that are always associated with the last tsarina are among the more recent pieces.

The exquisite detail found in each of the holy items is even more impressive than the jewelry. The 17th Century icon of "Our Lady of Kazan" with its crown of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones on the rizza emphasizes the importance of the Russian Orthodox religion in the daily life of the Imperial Family. The court gowns of Empress Alexandra and her sister-in-law, Grand Duchess Xenia, looked remarkably fresh and vibrant. Displayed beside the regal white and gold silk gown of Alexandra is a large black-and- white photograph of the tsarina wearing that very gown. To see the photograph and dress side by side is quite an emotional experience.

While the beauty and imperial importance of the exhibition is awe-inspiring, also notable is the keen sense of connectedness between our American past and that of Russia. This feeling of a mutual historical heritage comes as somewhat of a surprise since the previous political climate prevented many American educational systems from fully exploring the warm friendship that existed between the United States and Russia prior to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty. Here, documented in the correspondence from Grand Duke Alexei concerning his visit, we see our country and customs as he saw them. His observations on our regional differences, his impressions of our intellect and society and his candid comments on the contrasting personalities of American men and women give a new dimension to our perception of our past.

This awareness of a shared historical heritage between the Russian and American people reinforces the importance of restoring the Alexander Palace. The Jewels of the Romanovs exhibit has enabled many fortunate Americans to realize for the first time that we are bound to a common past that needs preserving. By working together, we can ensure that this past brings a better understanding of the present and a clearer path to the future.

Thank you to all who participated in the APA Romanov Burial Survey! The survey, which was sent out January 27, gave us an indication of Romanov well wishers' traditional, practical, emotional and religious points of view concering where the Imperial Family should be buried.

Below are the final results from the returns:

Sts. Peter & Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg - 52%
Feodorovski Sobor in Tsarkoe Selo - 36%
Yekaterinburg - 10%
Moscow - 2%
________________________________________
Total - 100%

Aside from the numbers, what was also interesting about this survey were the comments we received, particularly on the two underdog choices: Moscow and Yekaterinburg. It was expected; however, that the Sts. Peter & Paul Fortress and Feodorovski Sobor would be the favored locations: the Fortress because of tradition; and the Sobor because of its short distance to the Imperial Family's main residence, the Alexander Palace.

At any rate, below are notable comments from the survey responses:

On Sts. Peter & Paul Fortress:

"To me there seems only one suitable place for the burial: the Peter and Paul Fortress, traditional burial place for the tsars. I am offended at a burial site in Ekaterinburg. To me, it seems more like a ploy to attract tourists. One should be ashamed of being the scene of such a hideous crime of history. I would be upset visiting the site to honor the memory of the royal family. The other sites simply do not compare to the rightful place for the interment of the tsar and his family and their retinue." - John Levi

"I personally think the usual site for imperial burials since the foundation of the city as capital - the Petropavlovski (Peter-Paul) Fortress in St. Petersburg - would be the most appropriate. I understand, though, that there may still be problems with the Russian Orthodox Church, if only in the sense that the whole imperial group, including the faithful servants who were shot with the family, should be buried together. Again, on a personal basis, I would have no problem with this occurring in Petropavlovski, although purists might argue that it does not go with the idea of a family crypt as such." - Ken Berry

"I think the Romanovs and their people should all be buried at St. Petersburg. Nicholas was the tsar, and though he wasn't at the time of his death, that state was forced on him. He may not have been the most effective tsar (according to some) but he was a good man, and deserves to rest in peace in the place of his ancestors, as do his family and the loyal friends who were murdered with him. I don't think certain areas should be allowed to use them for publicity and tourism; I think they should be able to rest in peace after all that has been done to them." - Mary Ann Aquilino

"No, do not bury the family in Ekaterinburg....they wouldn't want it, it was not their home, and it was a place of imprisonment and a violent death. No, do not bury the family in Moscow, this was a very private family that enjoyed each other's company, and not a lot of anyone else's. Further, I'm not convinced that they enjoyed anything related to pomp....the Cathedral of the Blood would be to public, and too accessible to the public at large...and far too grandiose for the family. No, do not bury the family in the Fortress of Peter and Paul, the traditional burial place for Tsars...again, too pompous, too public, too far from their home. Yes, do bury them at Tsarskoe Selo in the Feodorovski Chapel where the family gathered in prayer during their lifetimes. That is the place they prayed together as a family, stayed together as a family, it was HOME. Send their poor souls home....that is where they would choose to spend eternity together." - Judith Sturtzen

In Between the Fortress & Feodorovski Sobor:

"Since it will take place in Russia, I assume it will be the guidelines of the Church in Russia. I support the burial of the former Tsar at Peter & Paul and the others, including the doctor and the servants, at Tsarkoe Selo (Feodorovski Sobor) -- and if it comes to pass that the Tsar be buried with them there, that, too is fine. I hope for the simplest, yet most profound, religious ceremony possible -- yet I fear, given the "politics" already at work in this case, things will only become more & more complicated!" - Judith Hartberg

On Feodorovski Sobor:

"I am originally from Tsarskoe Selo or Pushkin as it was in 1993 when I left Russia. That is why, may be, I am a little biased in favor of Tsarskoe Selo for the burial of the royal family. But, since I really know much about this town I feel even stronger to have such an opinion. You see, the other two choices: Moscow and Ekaterinburg, are out of question. Even though Moscow is the present Russian capital it was not so in 1917, so I do not feel the royal family of Nikolay II has any ties to it. Ekaterinburg is the place of murder of the whole family, besides it does not associate with the "Romanov Russia." Then, the choice is Sankt Petersburg at the Peter and Paul Cathedral would be a fine choice to bury the royal family. But I think we should distinguish this particular case from the others, I mean they were the last ruling family of Romanov in Russia. Therefore, the best place is the Fedorov Sabor which is right next to the Alexander Palace, the last residence of the Nikolay II." - Alina Popkova

"I believe that the Feodorovski Sabor in Tsarskoe Selo would be the best place to bury Nicholas II and his family. By family and Imperial tradition, Tsars and Tsarinas have been buried in the Fortress of Peter and Paul since the time of Peter the Great, minus Peter II I believe, but the entire family would not be able to be buried together if tradition was followed. Only the Tsar and his consort could be buried in the main church, and the rest of the family would have to be buried in the Grand Ducal chapel following tradition. I think that it is important that the entire family is buried together since they were a close family unit and they relied on each other to the very end. To separate them now would be terrible. I think that the church the Tsar and Tsarina personally planned in their home of Tsarskoe Selo should be their final resting place. By putting the family at Tsarskoe Selo, it will draw much needed funds towards the restoration and upkeep of the town and its historic treasures. The family would have wanted to be buried in a Russian Orthodox blessed church that they knew instead of one that is unfamiliar to them. Also, why bury the family in a city that vehemently held them prisoner and killed them. I think that they should finally be released from their imprisonment in Ekaterinburg and be allowed to return to their home where they were the happiest. Their souls could then finally find peace." - Jeffrey Seastrom

"I feel very strongly that the Imperial remains should be buried at Tsarskoe Selo, in the family parish. The family was happiest at Tsarskoe Selo (outside of Livadia) and I think they would find a measure of peace there that would elude them anywhere else, even in the Peter and Paul Fortress. They definitely SHOULD NOT be buried in Ekaterinburg or Moscow. Why would anyone consider that? They were brutally murdered in Ekaterinburg on the orders of thugs and hoodlums from Moscow, and it would profane their memory to have them buried in either place. There would be no peace for them. If the Ekaterinburg and Moscow groups want to assuage their guilt, let them build separate memorials and atone for their sins that way. The Romanovs should be laid to rest at the place they loved most dearly, Tsarskoe Selo." - Rae Lutz

On Ekaterinburg:

"I believe the Romanov bones should be reburied in Ekaterinburg and that a monument to their memory be erected on the site of the Ipatiev House. The reason for this is that, though it is important that the last Tsar and his family be shown respect, it is also important that the Russian government doesn't decide to rewrite history. To bury them in St. Petersburg or Moscow, as were the pre-revolution Tsars, would be almost to deny that they were murdered and, indirectly, that the revolution ever ocurred." - Forrest Pass

"As the old regime tried to bury memories of the Romanovs by destroying Ipatiev House and as they are likely to be the last reigning Romanovs, then burial at the site of Ipatiev House seems appropriate." - Bill Kemp

"Ekaterinburg is where the family were last together, and in view of the fact that the Ipatiev House was wantonly razed twenty odd years ago, their burial there would accord with a memorial at the site of their murder." - Grant Menzies

"I think the Czar's family should be at the Ekaterinberg site. It is where the family spent their last months together and to have them buried there with a memorial will remind the Russian people of their selfishness in allowing Lenin and the bolsheviks to reign and take innocent lives." - Diana Thompson

"It is absolutely beyond my comprehension to imagine that anyone could possibly think that burying the Imperial Family at Ekaterinburg would be appropriate. It would be a travesty of Russian history if that plan went through. And I'm sure that many Imperial scholars would agree that if anyone of the immediate family had survived the massacre they certainly would not have wanted any of their relatives buried in the city where they were so brutally murdered. I have seen a few programs on the selection of the burial site and the Ekaterinburg site seems to be gaining momentum partially due to the fact that many people in that area see this their ticket to building some kind of morbid Disneyland type edifice and the almighty dollar (or rather ruble) is clouding their judgment." - Victoria Littler

On Moscow:

"As to your survey--I favour the Holy Royal Martyrs to be buried in the Cathedral of the Blood in Moscow. I belong to Our Lady, Joy of All Who Sorrow in Cumming, GA a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia. In our Church, these faithful have been glorified as saints. Therefore, their holy remains are relics, and should receive proper care. I realize that this is only my opinion, but that is what you asked for. Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Perhaps the Russian Orthodox Church will glorify these Holy Martyrs soon." - Charlie F.

"I believe that the burial of the Romanov remains is a very important issue for the Russian people. I feel that the burial site should be in Moscow, the religious heart of Russia. The communists fear that if this is done, there would be more interest in the Romanov legacy than in their agenda. I say place them there (in the Cathedral) with full military honors as they deserve." - Larry Leistikow

One More Note:

"Memorials are appropriate in all the other locations, but their resting place, should be more dignified than a tourist attraction at a sight of horrible attrocity!" - Lisa Rivera

On March 2nd, Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced that the burial will take place on July 17 this year, the 80th death anniversary of the Imperial Family, at Sts. Peter & Paul Fortress. Many are hoping for this formal ceremony to happen because this event will be a significant factor in restoring the Imperial Family's public dignity they once had. This will be a wonderful celebration to many of us who are fascinated with them.

Thank you again for all who have responded. Our next APA survey topic is: What is your personal opinion on the Imperial Family? Do you admire them? Why or why not? Please send your responses to [email protected] by July 1st. We will publish our results on our newsletter next quarter. We would love to hear from you!

My wife and I visited Russia last April to adopt our two daughters. I had hoped that we could adopt from St. Petersburg because I had always wanted so badly to see it. Circumstances ironically found us travelling to Ekaterinburg to get our girls, but we decided that since we were already going half-way around the world, we must see St. Petersburg too, so we arranged to stay there three days with a family. Our hostess gave us a crash course on St. Petersburg public transportation and on the day we had chosen to visit Tsarskoe Selo her 76-year-old mother gave us pages of elaborately drawn maps and phonetic phrases to help us find the correct ticket window at Vitebsk Station and ask for round-trip ticks to 'Pushkin.'

We failed miserably in following directions and finding the correct window and wandered endlessly about the station, meeting shrugs or wild gesticulations of everyone we asked for help. We met up with an American student and her Dutch fiancee similarly engaged, and together we finally succeeded in finding the window and getting on our way together. At Tsarskoe Selo we took one of the ancient city buses almost to Sadovaya Ulitsa and walked the rest of the way up to the magnificent Catherine Palace. From there we could see the Alexander Palace in the distance poking above the treetops and decided to walk there first.

It was mid-April and still winter. There was a light snow falling and the park was deathly silent except for the crunching snow underfoot and a few crows calling. As we came up to the palace we could see that the paint was fading, and several of the windows in the circular hall were boarded over. A long wooden fence surrounded the building so we did not attempt to go closer but just stood looking and taking pictures. The palace did not have the feeling of a ruin, just something from another time, old and faded.

Someone mentioned that it was exactly 80 years before that the family was imprisoned here, and we all stood quietly with our thoughts. The unearthly silence and gentle snow seemed to call forth ghosts, and we almost expected to hear the echo of an axe as the Tsar cut down dead trees as he did so long ago. We speculated on which window it was that the Empress was carried out of when the family left for the last time. As we started away we realized that the bridge we were standing on was the same one as in a photograph of the Tsar and one of his daughters sitting breaking up the ice with long poles. We walked slowly on through the park--full of the haunting images of what we had seen, and it was a long time before anyone spoke again.

So far, in 1998:

January 12 - First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, head of the Imperial Family reburial commission, declared that the bones dug up near Yekaterinburg were those of Nicholas II, Alexandra, three of the Grand Duchesses, and their four servants.

January 13 - St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev suggested to Russian President Boris Yeltsin that Nicholas II, his family, and servants who were killed with him, to be be buried at Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress, on Repentance Day March 1st.

January 15 - The Russian Orthodox Church in Russia (ROCR) said they have no objection to holding a funeral as soon as the czar's bones are identified.

January 19 - The foundation for the Cathedral of the Blood, whose goal was to build a cathedral at the site of where the Imperial Family was killed, was found to be dealing with money laundering. The ROCR disassociated themselves from the foundation. Regardless of the findings, the Sverlovsk regional government still wants to build a cathedral using local funds.

January 23 - Russians were said to be split on where, when, and how the Imperial Family should be buried: either in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, or Moscow; Nicholas' birthday, May 6, his coronation, May 14, or even the anniversary of the executions, July 17; and as religious or political relics. The ultimate decision would be made by Russian President Yeltsin.

January 26 - The head of Russia's Forensic Department submitted a 750-page report, from their scientific tests, for conclusive proof that the nine skeletons exhumed from an unmarked pit are the remains of Russia's last czar and his family.

January 29 - Sverdlovsk Governor Eduard Rossel announced the discovery of the two missing imperial children. Rossel would not reveal the location unless the whole Imperial Family is to be reburied in the Urals. Rossel's announcement was sensational in order to disrupt any St. Petersburg burial plans.

January 30 - A Russian commission has officially declared that the remains found in Yekaterinburg were those of Imperial Family and their servants. The commission members suggested that July 17th this year, the 80th death anniversary of the Imperial Family, for the burial date. Prince Nicholas Romanov, head of the Romanov family, took the news with great delight.

February 6 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed to have the imperial remains buried in the Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress on July 17th.

February 25 - An explosion slightly damaged the chapel marking the site where the Imperial Family was shot. Nobody claimed responsibility for the blast.

February 26 - The ROCR said that they want more proof before making a stand on the Yekaterinburg remains. Although they continue to question the remains, the Holy Synod favors their immediate reburial.

February 27 - The Russian Government, despite the ROCR's announcement, has voted to to bury the remains of Nicholas II and his family in the czars' crypt in St. Petersburg on July 17.

March 5 - The Russian Communist Party leader, Mr Gennady Zyuganov, said that the publicity around the burial plans of Imperial Family would split Russian society and possibly encourage the Russian Government to try to bury the body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. Zyuganov felt that the burial decision was "a matter for the Church and for God" - not for the Government. Many communists are also uncomfortable about the burial decision.

March 18 - The ROCR is still undecided on Tsar's remains. Another issue was the canonization of Nicholas II, Alexandra, and their children. Because Nicholas II was contraversial figure to many Russians, the ROCR has not decided to canonize him. The Imperial Family was canonized in 1981 by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), who split from the Russian church during the revolution.

April 9 - Due to their ongoing uncertainty, the ROCR has not decided whether to take part in the burial.

April 15 - ROCR Patriarch Alexy remains cautious of the Yekaterinburg remains and has asked authorities to be tactful and understand people who believe that the remains are genuine. The concern was to avoid a split between the believers or society as a whole.

April 23 - Russian authorities arrested a policeman allegedly assisting an extremist group to bomb a Peter the Great monument in Moscow last summer. The bomb was found and neutralized. Members of the extremist group were arrested earlier. The suspects are also accused of exploding a Nicholas II monument last year.

May 7 - Grand Duchess Leonida Georgievna Romanov expressed that the burial must go on despite continued doubts on the authenticity of the bones found in Ipatiev Forest.

May 7 - "Nicholas & Alexandra" exhibit will be shown beginning in Wilmington, Delaware on August 1. The exhibit highlights 700 treasures, mostly from the Hermitage Museum in Russia. The exhibit will travel to two other cities, which have not been announced yet.

May 8 - A Kremlin official reported that President Yeltsin may not attend the July 17th funeral. Reasons were not stated.

Russia's last Czar Nicholas II and his family will finally be laid to rest this coming July 17, 80 years to the day that he and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. They will be laid to rest in the former Imperial capital St. Petersburg at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral along side Nicholas' ancestors. Possible attendance for the ceremony will be the survivors of the Romanov family along with the rest of European Royal families, as well as members of the Russian Government.

It's fitting that the Czar and his family will finally have there rightful resting place. The end of 80 years of mystery over the whereabouts of their bodies. Sadly though, it's not the end - there still remains the question of the whereabouts of two of the Czar's children.

One could only imagine what is was like to be walked down to the cellar that early morning In July. The noise of the gun shots echoing off the walls, the confusion and fear, their fate sealed with no way out. To understand the full scope of what happened, one must look back on that time and understand that though the Czar being a loving parent, he was in fact a rather poor leader who relied on others to make decisions for him. He was in part a tyrant that ruled as though they lived in the 19th century instead of the 2Oth century. With the added problems of World War I, the lack of food, and the terrible losses of life that Russia sustained on the battle field, it is easy to understand why the people turned against the Czar and his Government.

Many of us investigate the feelings and attitude of the People of Russia and the attitude of the Czar and his government over the events that took place. Many of us also try to have a better insight as to what the Imperial Family thoughts were about the climate of their country at that time. Many of us want to understand and cope with history.

New Biography on the Alexander Palace Time Machine:

• "Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich" by Arturo Beeche.

New Romanov Books:
Available at major chain bookstores:

• "The Complete Wartime Correspondence of Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra: April 1914-March 1917" by Joseph T. Fuhrmann (Editor), Alexandra & Nicholas II
• "Nicholas II: The Life and Reign of Russia's Last Monarch" by Robert D. Warth
• "To Save Russia; The Reincarnation of Nicholas II" by Donald Norsic
• "Fall of the Russian Monarchy: A Study of Evidence" by Bernard Pares (reprint)

Exhibitions:

• "Taste For Splendor" is showing at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum in Fresno, California. The exhibit, which highlights the extrordinary collection of Russian and European fine and decorative art collected early in this century by Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the Post Cereal fortune, will run through August 9, 1998.
• "Nicholas & Alexandra" will be showing at the First USA Riverfront Art Center in Wilmington, Delaware from August 1 through December 31, 1998. The exhibit will feature 700 items, mostly from the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Tickets will be available at 1(888)395-0005 starting June 1st.
• "Peterhoff Treasures of Russia" will be showing at Rio All-Suite Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada from November 15, 1998 through April 15, 1999.

• Bob Atchison President & Founder
• Lisa Davidson Vice President & Managing Director
• Gary Zilaff Secretary & Business Affairs
• Albert Bartridge Treasurer
• Ann Brunning Membership Chair
• Nigel Batty-Smith UK Chair
• Greg Goethals Education
• Tiffany Martin Newsletter Editor
• Stephen Meeter Public Relations
• Sue Woolmans Hidden World Tour '98 Coordinator

A special thanks to Candice Clifton Scott, Bob Smith, John Bettano, and Arturo Beeche for their contributions to this Inaugural Newsletter and the Alexander Palace website.

For email changes, additions, removals, and other inquiries, please send your messages to Lisa Davidson.

© 1998 Alexander Palace Association
All Rights Reserved

Posted May 18, 1998