The exhibition is a unique insight in the familial and diplomatic connections of the Imperial Russian and British Royal families.
Adopting a classical approach with a chronological display, the exhibition successfully provides a compact overview of over 300 years of history. Beginning with Peter the Great’s visit to Britain in 1698, it traverses the reign of Elizabeth the Great and the Napoleonic wars, where Britain and Russia allied against the French, before shifting to complex family ties of the Victorian era and briefly concluding with the cold and minimal exchange with the Soviet government.
The first highlight of the exhibition is the display of an original Russian-style dress wore by Princess Charlotte of Wales in the early 19th century. After the visit of Alexander I, the sarafan-style dress, traditional in Russia, became a fashionable item in Britain. Remarkably, the dress worn by Princess Charlotte was made using French silk and was assembled in Britain. Just a few metres away from the dress, a portrait depicts the Princess wearing the same blue dress, offering a rare juxtaposition of an original garment and its representation.
Yet, the most fascinating aspect of the display is the focus on the human interactions and relations that formed the bond between the dynasties in the late 19th century. With the marriage of Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s son and Maria Alexandrovna, daughter of Emperor Alexander II in 1874, the two families became directly connected. The link was further strengthened in 1884, when the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Alix of Hesse (Alexandra Feedorovna) espoused Nicholas II, the last Russian Emperor. The marriages not only reversed the formerly hostile Russo-British relations caused by the Caucasus war, they also facilitated a new cultural exchange and Russian decorative objects, such as furniture, glass and silverware entered the Royal Collection. Both the Imperial Russian family and the British royal family were patrons of one of the most famous jeweller – Carl Fabergé, who created exquisite royal gifts. However, the most precious additions, such as the Mosaic Egg originally commissioned by Nicholas II for his British wife, to the British collection of Fabergé works were done after the Russian Revolution, when these were bought at an auction in London in the 1930s.
The exhibition also succeeds in connecting the history of the two families to Scotland. The audio-guide offers a glimpse into their interaction at Balmoral Castle in 1896 by showing a video of the families walking along a path outside the Castle – curiously this also happens to be the first video footage of the Royal family.
Overall, the exhibition succeeds in offering a concise introduction into the complex relationship between Russia and Britain epitomised by the personal interconnections of the respective dynasties. Nonetheless, some parts of the narrative feel a little rushed – each historical section and genre of art contains enough material to be exhibited on its own. We can only hope that there will be more exhibitions highlighting the rich and interwoven history of the two nations.
- Franco Building with Jonathan Meades (BBC 4) - 28th August 2019