Amazing Rare Photographs of The Romanovs’ Final Ball In Color, St Petersburg, Russia 1903

The last emperor of Russia Nicolas II dressed in the golden brocade of 17th-century Russian tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, standng with Empress Alexandra Fedorovna. All the jewellery was chosen by court jeweller Carl Faberge.

These portrait photographs of Russia’s ruling Romanovs were taken in 1903 at the Winter Palace in majestic. St. Petersburg. Knowing what was to follow, the venue was apposite.

Czar Nicholas II and his 390 guests partied for 2 days. Day one (February 11) saw dancing, music and food. With the guests loosened up and rested, day 2 (Feb 15th) featured a masked ball. There was a surfeit of sexual excess, debauchery and entitlement for a family whose absolutist rule was hailed by the country’s grateful serfs – they dubbed the Czar ‘Little Father’ – and supported by a complicit church which declared Romanov blood sacred.

In 1918, Bolshevik officials executed the ex-Emperor and his family.

These color images were created by Olga Shirnina, whose colorized photographs of Russian history and Soviet female snipers in WW2 bring the past to life.

h/t: flashbak

Princess Olga Orlova in Masquerade Costume for the Ball

Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, 1903

Alexandra Feodorovna, Costume Ball 1903

Zinaida Yusupova

La Comtesse Karlow, nee Vonlarsky (Femme de boyard du XVII siecle)

La Comtesse Fersen, nee Princesse Dolgorouky (Femme de boyard du XVII siecle)

La Comtesse Orlow-Davydow, nee Zographo (Femme de boyard du XVII siecle)

Cornette Kolioubakine

Mademoiselle Dorothee Bibikow, 1903

La Comtesse Keller, née Princesse Schakhovskoy (Femme de boyard)

Mademoiselle Alexandrine Taneiew

La Princesse Elisabeth Obolensky, Demoiselle d’honneur de Sa Ma

La Comtesse Elisabeth Moussine-Pouchkine, née Comtesse Capnist (Femme de boyard du XVII siècle)

La Princesse Youssoupow

Anna Taneeva (Vyrubova) with sister

S.A.S. la Princesse Galitzine, née Comtesse Moussine-Pou

S.A.S. le Prince Dmitri Galitzine, Chef de la Venerie Imperial

Madame Bezobrazow, nee Comtesse Stenbock-Fermor (Femme de boyard)