Memory of Russia: The exhibition “Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. 110 anniversary of the death” in Moscow

The exhibition “Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. 110 anniversary of the death” is held from February 17-23, 2015 at the State Historical Museum (Moscow).

The exhibition, dedicated to the grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich opens on the day of his tragic death. 4 (17) February 1905 he was killed by a bomb, thrown by a terrorist S. R. Ivan Kalyaev on the Senate Square of the Moscow Kremlin. The Moscow Governor-General, the founder of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, a connoisseur of fine arts, collector and patron, Sergei Alexandrovich – is the second representative of the Romanov dynasty after his father – emperor Alexander II, who was the “victim of the revolutionary law”.

More than 20 years Sergei Alexandrovich was an honorary chairman of the Office of the Russian Historical Museum. It was completed the construction of the museum building, which was opened to the Coronation Celebrations in 1883. Grand Duke actively participated in the life of the museum, being one of its original owners, donated the collection of archaeological monuments, ancient liturgical objects, works of fine arts, the collection of Russian women’s hats.

After a tragic death of the Duke, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, gave the museum a part of his personal belongings. These objects form the basis of exhibition in the Front porch of the Historical Museum. Among the objects – the commemorative silver plaque with an icon an a stone from Mount Tabor, family icons, given by the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, documents, related to the military and historical activity of Sergei Alexandrovich, rare photographs and portraits.

It is these few relics and evidence which give opportunity to tell about interests and hobbies of the grand Duke, about those areas of political and social activities, to which he devoted his life, what he saw and found his destiny.