What Became of Peter's Dream?: Court Culture in the Reign of Nicholas II Book

What Became of Peter?s Dream? focuses on the Boyar Ball of 1903, illustrating with objects the jarring inconsistencies between the westernized society of the Romanovs and the old Russian customs that Nicholas II hoped to recapture. From the traditional Russian costumes to the heirloom jewels that they wore to this festive gathering, the members of the Court of Nicholas II seemed out of touch with the real world that we now know was in historic transition. Bedecked in costumes designed by Sergei Diagilev and jewels by the firm of Faberge, they celebrated a world that Peter had rejected. Detailed descriptions of the accoutrements and possessions of the court make tangible the complex interweave of Russian imperial tradition, spiritual aspiration, and cultural efflorescene on the eve of the Revolution. Three hundred years after the founding of St. Petersburg, we see an intimate view of the culture dramatically swept away in the forces of history. Picture frames, portraits, jewels, desk sets, cigarette boxes, icons, Easter eggs, gifts of state--even a glass vodka bottle--tell a nuanced and complex story. Drawn primarily from the collections of Marjorie Merriweather Post and a family descended from the Romanovs themselves, the objects present a vivid view of life at home as well as life at court. Published on the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, this book looks at the cultural ambitions and contradictions in Russia on the eve of the Revolution.Read More