Costumes of Russian Emperors and Empresses from the Moscow Kremlin funds
Nicholas II
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Nicholas II, in contrast to his predecessors who have worn general's suits for coronation, was crowned in the uniform of a colonel of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards. The displayed gala portrait presents him bearing a ribbon and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and a cross of the Order of St. Vladimir, commemorative medals and crosses of two foreign orders.
A splendid example of the dress of the so called "Frenchified sarafan" or "train" type is the coronation gown of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, made in 1896.
From the early XVIIIth century masquerades have become extremely popular at the Russian court. In the second half of the XIXth and early XXth century Emperors did not wear fancy dresses on such occasions. Nevertheless on February, 11, 1903, all the guests of the fancy dress ball, organized by Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna, were dressed in stylized costumes of the XVIIth century. The Imperial family employed the director of the imperial Hermitage and former director of the imperial theatres to design their garments. The Emperor wore the suit copying the "parade dress" of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich; the costume of his wife was modeled on the dress of Tsarina Maria Ilinichna (the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich). The display presents the hat and two kaftans of the Nicholas II's masquerade costume.
