Our Notes & References

An impressive, lavish publication celebrating the Romanovs’ Russia, with a focus on the tsars’ coronations, used as a start for a broader history of their reigns and of the Russian empire. As its publication date, 1971, marked the 75th anniversary of the coronation of the last reigning Romanov, Tsar Nicholas II, special attention has been given to this event.

With a wealth of colour illustrations, many full page, reproducing historical documents, books designs, engravings, paintings, together with photographs of Romanov family members, imperial treasures, palaces etc. The main text is in Russian, with shorter summaries in English. The luxurious binding boasts colourful and bright designs inspired by one of the volumes of Kutepov’s celebrated ‘Tsarskaia okhota’ [‘Imperial Hunt’].

This rather heavy volume was published by the Russian Orthodox Youth Committee, which was founded by Deacon Nikita Chakirov (1933-87) in 1968 in New York. Chakirov was the life-long assistant to Metropolitan Philaret Vosnensky. The Committee’s goal was to “serve the people of Russia under communist atheistic rule, to give financial help to our monasteries around the world, to enlighten Russians living abroad in the free but not religiously Orthodox world, and to educate the young generation in the Russian Orthodox tradition”. The Russian Orthodox Youth Committee published spiritual and historical books, printed Orthodox calendars, sponsored pilgrimages and youth meetings.