Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
, a grandson of Czar Alexander II of Russia
and a first cousin of Czar Nicholas II
. He followed a military career and was a Major General in the Russian Army. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War
and World War I
. He managed to escape revolutionary Russia. In exile, he married his mistress and settled in Paris.
, the third child and second surviving son among the five children of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
, born Duchess Marie Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His parents were very wealthy and lived in the luxurious Vladimir Palace
in Saint Petersburg. His father Vladimir Alexandrovich, a brother of Czar Alexander III of Russia
, was a renowned patron of the arts; his mother, Maria Pavlovna, one of the greatest hostesses of Russian society. Boris, more extrovert than his siblings, was his mother’s favorite.
It was traditional for the male members of the Romanov
family to follow a military career. From his birth Grand Duke Boris was appointed patron of the 45th Azov Infantry Regiment, and enrolled into the Semeonovsky Life Guards and the Life Guards Dragoon regiment, the 4th Life Guard Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Family. His education emphasized languages and military training. In 1896, at the age of eighteen, he graduated from the Nikolaievksy Calvary School with the rank of Cornet of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. That same year he became aide-de-camp
to the Emperor.
. From early youth Boris was notorious for his restless life style. Very social, he liked to drink and have fun. He became a famous playboy. In 1896 during the coronation ceremonies of Czar Nicholas II, he flirted with Crown Princess Marie of Romania
, who was his first cousin and was already married. The next year, he visited her in Bucharest
, fueling more rumors. Entangled with a Mademoiselle Demidov, he was the cause of her engagement breaking off on the eve of her wedding. The famous ballerina Anna Pavlova was one of Boris’ lovers. He was called “the terror of jealous husbands as well as of watchful mothers”.
Although loaded with wealth and privilege, he found his income insufficient and ran up a huge debt of nearly half a million rubles with his mother. In one year he spent more than 25,000 rubles for meals, 16,000 for servants and 8,000 for automobiles, giving 46 rubles to the church. His mother protected him from the wrath of the family. At one point he proposed to Princess Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, but otherwise avoided settling down.
His trips abroad became legendary, his escapades in doubtful taste. He drank in the company of spongers and prostitutes.
In 1901 he had a liaison with a Frenchwoman, Jeanne Aumont-Lacroix, and had a son by her. The child, Boris Lacroix (1902–1984), was not recognized. To break the relationship and strengthen his character Boris's parents sent him, with the Czar's approval, on a world tour.
where he lived in Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich's house. He began the long trip in January 1902 on board the German ship Bremen
. Accompanied by a large entourage, he visited Egypt
, India
, Ceylon, Siam, French Indochina
, Japan
, Honolulu, California
, Chicago
and New York
. A highlight of his journey was his visit to the Maharaja of Kapurthala
in his kingdom near Punjab
. He went hunting tigers and always remembered well his Kapurthala
friends. During his visit to the United States
he was noted in Chicago for drinking champagne from the satin slipper of a chorine from The Wizard of Oz
and tipping showgirls with $20 bills. Jovial and increasingly stout, Boris was famous for his wild and unpredictable behavior, but eventually these excesses began to lose their appeal. He remarked to his brother Kyril
, “After a while every woman is the same, nothing is new except the face”.
In October 1903, he enlisted in the Czar's retinue. On 26 February he left Russia for the Far East, to take part in the Russo-Japanese War
. On the morning of 31 March 1904, while galloping from the heights of Dacha Hill on the rim of Port Arthur
, he witnessed the sinking of the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk
in which more than 600 men died; his brother Grand Duke Kyril was among the few survivors. In December 1904, for his bravery in battle he was awarded a golden weapon with the caption For Courage and was promoted to staff captain.
By 1911 he was made a colonel. In the same year he represented the Czar at the coronation of Vajiravudh
the King of Siam. Between 1910–1914, he wore the uniform of Colonel of His Imperial Highness the Tsesarevich Atamansky Guards Cossack Regiment. In 1914 he became a major general.
When World War I
broke out, Boris Vladimirovich was put in command of the Guards regiment of the Ataman Cossacks. It was a nominal position, and he managed to stay away from the fighting. He commanded this regiment during the War between 1914 and 1915. Thereafter, he was attached to the general headquarters and was made Field Ataman for the commander in chief on 17 September 1915. He served in the army without real distinction. His military responsibilities were only vaguely defined and he did not change his ways during the war, continuing his life of pleasure and idleness.
In spite of Boris' reputation, his ambitious mother wanted to arrange a splendid marriage for him. In February 1916, she tried to marry him to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna
, Czar Nicholas II's eldest daughter. She was his first cousin once removed. Olga, overprotected by her parents, was an inexperienced girl of twenty. Boris was thirty eight with a long line of mistresses linked to his name. Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna turned him down. The refusal provoked the enmity of Boris' mother. Maria Pavlovna and her family, the "Vladimirovichi", plotted to depose Czar Nicholas II and gain power themselves. Towards the end of the monarchy, they were involved in a conspiracy to put Boris' brother Kyril on the throne.
Boris' Anglophobia
got him into trouble during the War. In June 1916, he was having supper at military headquarters while drunk, and in the presence of several officers of the British Military mission, he lambasted Great Britain
. His behavior was so insulting that the British Ambassador
made a formal protest, and Boris was forced by the Emperor to apologize.
When Nicholas II abdicated Boris was at Gatchina
with Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
, who declined the throne. This marked the fall of the Russian monarchy and Boris was one of the few members of the Romanov family who went to Mogilev
to pay final respects to Czar Nicholas II.
. In March 1917, he was put under house arrest because of compromising correspondence with his mother. Released in the summer, he was able to gain entrance to the Vladimir Palace
. Disguised, with the help of a friend and a caretaker, he retrieved the money and jewels from the secret safe in his mother’s bedroom. The jewels found their way to safety in a London bank.
Before the Bolsheviks took power, Boris escaped the former Imperial capital to the Caucasus with his mistress Zenaida Rachevskaya. In September 1917, he joined his mother and younger brother Grand Duke Andrei Vladimorovich
in Kislovodsk
, a spa and resort town in the Caucasus. He lived in a villa with his brother, but their mistresses were placed in separate houses, because Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna would not acknowledge their existence. For the next year they lived quietly away from danger, but in August 1918 Boris and his brother Andrew were arrested in the night after a systematic search of their villa. They were taken to Piatigorsk with other prisoners and detained at the state hotel. They narrowly escaped with their lives. The Bolshevik commander sent to execute them had once been a struggling artist in Paris
before the war whom Boris had helped by buying some of his paintings. The Bolshevik recognized him and, risking his own life, returned them to their villa the next day. Since they were no longer safe and would probably be arrested again, the two grand dukes decided to flee. On 26 August 1918, armed with false papers stating they were doing business with the Soviets,
Boris and Andrei escaped heading for Kabarda, where the chief Circassian tribe, the Kabards, lived on the north slope of the mountain. For a time they wandered from village to village. Kislovodsk was captured by the White Army and the Bolsheviks fled in late September, allowing the two brothers to return to the city on 6 October. However, two days later, under the threat of the Red advance, the small group of Romanovs and their entourage were forced to flee. In constant fear for their lives, the local White general advised them to travel to Anapa
in the south. He arranged a train and an escort of his own men and they left Piatigorsk on 19 October, with their own companions and other local refugees.
At Touapse a trawler was waiting, they docked at Anapa
, a coastal city on the Black Sea
on 22 October. From there it would be easier to escape abroad by boat. However, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was determined to remain in Russia hoping that the White movement would prevail and Boris' brother Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich would be installed as Czar. By March 1919 Boris decided to leave with his mistress. Against his mother's wishes he left Russia from Anapa by boat through the Black Sea.
Once safe in exile in Constantinople
, Boris tried to get permission to go to Britain but was refused passage on a British warship. His Anglophobia came back to haunt him and was disliked by the British royal family. Boris and Zenaida went to France but were expelled after a few weeks. They wanted to settle in Spain, as Grand Duke Boris was a friend of King Alphonso XIII of Spain, but received no reply and settled in San Remo
, instead. They were married at Genoa, Italy on 12 July 1919. Zinaida Sergeievna Rachevskaya (born 3 November 1896, Dvinsk
(20 October 1896, O.S.) – died 20 January 1963, Paris, France) was the daughter of Colonel Sergei Alexandrovich Rachevsky, who had commanded the fortifications at Port Arthur
. Yeliseyeva by her first marriage to a military officer, She was widowed by her first husband at the young age of 20. Eventually Boris and his wife settled in France. He lived in a house at 18 Rue de Marignan, near the Champs-Élysées
, with his wife, mother-in-law and private secretary.
Boris and his siblings were reunited in exile in September 1920, at Contrexéville
in the south of France
, by the death of their mother Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. Boris inherited his mother’s emeralds, the most valuable items of the Grand Duchess' jewel collection. He sold most of them. The emeralds included a famous necklace which at some point was bought by Cartier
, and in turn resold to Barbara Hutton
. They subsequently reset the stones and created an even more famous piece, which could be worn as a necklace or a tiara. (It now belongs to Elizabeth Taylor
.) With the money from the emeralds, Boris bought a chateau, "Sans Souci", in Meudon near Paris, living comfortably with his wife. The couple had no children, but raised Zinaida's niece, Natasha.
In the winter of 1925 he and his wife, who claimed an interest in dress-making, sailed to New York City
. He said that he just wanted to visit some friends and have a good time. When asked by a reporter whether Henry Ford
was a financial supporter of the effort to restore the monarchy in Russia, Boris did not know who Henry Ford was. His brother, Grand Duke Kyril, wanted to restore the Russian monarchy and in 1924 proclaimed himself czar-in-exile, but Boris was largely uninterested in politics.
and his morganatic wife Mathilde Kschessinska
ya. Zenaida was widely looked down upon by Boris' relatives.
In exile, Boris frequented his illegitimate son, Boris Lacroix, who had been raised in France in his mother's family. Lacroix's mother, Jeanne, already deceased, was buried in Père Lachaise cemetery
. Boris often visited his son, who became a famous designer under the name Jean Boris Lacroix.
During World War II
, Boris and Zenaida experienced difficulties. At the end of 1942, during the German occupation, they sold their estate in Meudon
, and moved to a house in the Rue de la Faisanderie in Paris
. In 1943 he was critically ill, and died in his bed on 9 November 1943, in Paris, at age sixty-five. His obituary was briefly noted by the newspapers and Vichy
radio. Nonetheless there was a large turnout for the funeral, held at St Alexander Nevsky Russian-Orthodox church in Paris where his body was placed in the crypt. He was later reburied next to his mother in Contrexéville
, in the Vosges
, in the Russian Orthodox chapel.
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia ) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia...
, a grandson of Czar Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
and a first cousin of Czar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
. He followed a military career and was a Major General in the Russian Army. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He managed to escape revolutionary Russia. In exile, he married his mistress and settled in Paris.
Early life
Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich was born on 24 November 1877 at Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, the third child and second surviving son among the five children of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia ) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia...
and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Maria Pavlovna of Russia)
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
, born Duchess Marie Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His parents were very wealthy and lived in the luxurious Vladimir Palace
Vladimir Palace
The Vladimir Palace was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was designed by a team of architects for Alexander II's son, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia...
in Saint Petersburg. His father Vladimir Alexandrovich, a brother of Czar Alexander III of Russia
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
, was a renowned patron of the arts; his mother, Maria Pavlovna, one of the greatest hostesses of Russian society. Boris, more extrovert than his siblings, was his mother’s favorite.
It was traditional for the male members of the Romanov
Romanov
The House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the February Revolution abolished the crown in 1917...
family to follow a military career. From his birth Grand Duke Boris was appointed patron of the 45th Azov Infantry Regiment, and enrolled into the Semeonovsky Life Guards and the Life Guards Dragoon regiment, the 4th Life Guard Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Family. His education emphasized languages and military training. In 1896, at the age of eighteen, he graduated from the Nikolaievksy Calvary School with the rank of Cornet of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. That same year he became aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Emperor.
A Russian Grand Duke
Grand Duke Boris lived in his own palace in Saint Petersburg, built in 1895 in the style of an English country houseEnglish country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
. From early youth Boris was notorious for his restless life style. Very social, he liked to drink and have fun. He became a famous playboy. In 1896 during the coronation ceremonies of Czar Nicholas II, he flirted with Crown Princess Marie of Romania
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
, who was his first cousin and was already married. The next year, he visited her in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, fueling more rumors. Entangled with a Mademoiselle Demidov, he was the cause of her engagement breaking off on the eve of her wedding. The famous ballerina Anna Pavlova was one of Boris’ lovers. He was called “the terror of jealous husbands as well as of watchful mothers”.
Although loaded with wealth and privilege, he found his income insufficient and ran up a huge debt of nearly half a million rubles with his mother. In one year he spent more than 25,000 rubles for meals, 16,000 for servants and 8,000 for automobiles, giving 46 rubles to the church. His mother protected him from the wrath of the family. At one point he proposed to Princess Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, but otherwise avoided settling down.
His trips abroad became legendary, his escapades in doubtful taste. He drank in the company of spongers and prostitutes.
In 1901 he had a liaison with a Frenchwoman, Jeanne Aumont-Lacroix, and had a son by her. The child, Boris Lacroix (1902–1984), was not recognized. To break the relationship and strengthen his character Boris's parents sent him, with the Czar's approval, on a world tour.
World tour
In the autumn of 1901, Boris Vladimirovich left Russia for CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
where he lived in Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich's house. He began the long trip in January 1902 on board the German ship Bremen
SS Bremen (1897)
The SS Bremen, later renamed Constantinople and then King Alexander, was a German Barbarossa class ocean liner commissioned in 1897 by Norddeutscher Lloyd.-History:...
. Accompanied by a large entourage, he visited Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Ceylon, Siam, French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Honolulu, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A highlight of his journey was his visit to the Maharaja of Kapurthala
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
in his kingdom near Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. He went hunting tigers and always remembered well his Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
friends. During his visit to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
he was noted in Chicago for drinking champagne from the satin slipper of a chorine from The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)
The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...
and tipping showgirls with $20 bills. Jovial and increasingly stout, Boris was famous for his wild and unpredictable behavior, but eventually these excesses began to lose their appeal. He remarked to his brother Kyril
Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his brother Michael, Cyril assumed the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia and later the title Emperor and Autocrat of all the...
, “After a while every woman is the same, nothing is new except the face”.
In October 1903, he enlisted in the Czar's retinue. On 26 February he left Russia for the Far East, to take part in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. On the morning of 31 March 1904, while galloping from the heights of Dacha Hill on the rim of Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
, he witnessed the sinking of the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk
Russian battleship Petropavlovsk (1897)
The Petropavlovsk was the lead ship of the Petropavlovsk class of battleships built for the Imperial Russian Navy. During the Russo-Japanese War, Petropavlovsk was a flagship of the First Pacific Squadron, taking part in battles against the Imperial Japanese Navy. On March 31, 1904, the battleship...
in which more than 600 men died; his brother Grand Duke Kyril was among the few survivors. In December 1904, for his bravery in battle he was awarded a golden weapon with the caption For Courage and was promoted to staff captain.
By 1911 he was made a colonel. In the same year he represented the Czar at the coronation of Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
the King of Siam. Between 1910–1914, he wore the uniform of Colonel of His Imperial Highness the Tsesarevich Atamansky Guards Cossack Regiment. In 1914 he became a major general.
War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out, Boris Vladimirovich was put in command of the Guards regiment of the Ataman Cossacks. It was a nominal position, and he managed to stay away from the fighting. He commanded this regiment during the War between 1914 and 1915. Thereafter, he was attached to the general headquarters and was made Field Ataman for the commander in chief on 17 September 1915. He served in the army without real distinction. His military responsibilities were only vaguely defined and he did not change his ways during the war, continuing his life of pleasure and idleness.
In spite of Boris' reputation, his ambitious mother wanted to arrange a splendid marriage for him. In February 1916, she tried to marry him to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia ; , November 16 after 1900 – July 17, 1918) was the eldest daughter of the last autocratic ruler of the Russian Empire, Emperor Nicholas II, and of Empress Alexandra of Russia....
, Czar Nicholas II's eldest daughter. She was his first cousin once removed. Olga, overprotected by her parents, was an inexperienced girl of twenty. Boris was thirty eight with a long line of mistresses linked to his name. Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna turned him down. The refusal provoked the enmity of Boris' mother. Maria Pavlovna and her family, the "Vladimirovichi", plotted to depose Czar Nicholas II and gain power themselves. Towards the end of the monarchy, they were involved in a conspiracy to put Boris' brother Kyril on the throne.
Boris' Anglophobia
Anglophobia
Anglophobia means hatred or fear of England or the English people. The term is sometimes used more loosely for general Anti-British sentiment...
got him into trouble during the War. In June 1916, he was having supper at military headquarters while drunk, and in the presence of several officers of the British Military mission, he lambasted Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
. His behavior was so insulting that the British Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
made a formal protest, and Boris was forced by the Emperor to apologize.
When Nicholas II abdicated Boris was at Gatchina
Gatchina
Gatchina is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov...
with Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
, who declined the throne. This marked the fall of the Russian monarchy and Boris was one of the few members of the Romanov family who went to Mogilev
Mogilev
Mogilev is a city in eastern Belarus, about 76 km from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and 105 km from the border with Russia's Bryansk Oblast. It has more than 367,788 inhabitants...
to pay final respects to Czar Nicholas II.
Revolution
During the period of the provisional government Boris Vladimirovich was living in Tsarskoye SeloTsarskoye Selo
Tsarskoye Selo is the town containing a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of St. Petersburg. It is now part of the town of Pushkin and of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.-History:In...
. In March 1917, he was put under house arrest because of compromising correspondence with his mother. Released in the summer, he was able to gain entrance to the Vladimir Palace
Vladimir Palace
The Vladimir Palace was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was designed by a team of architects for Alexander II's son, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia...
. Disguised, with the help of a friend and a caretaker, he retrieved the money and jewels from the secret safe in his mother’s bedroom. The jewels found their way to safety in a London bank.
Before the Bolsheviks took power, Boris escaped the former Imperial capital to the Caucasus with his mistress Zenaida Rachevskaya. In September 1917, he joined his mother and younger brother Grand Duke Andrei Vladimorovich
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia was a Russian grand duke, the youngest son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.-Biography:...
in Kislovodsk
Kislovodsk
Kislovodsk is a city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, which lies in the North Caucasian region of the country, between the Black and Caspian Seas. The closest airport is located in the city of Mineralnye Vody. Population:...
, a spa and resort town in the Caucasus. He lived in a villa with his brother, but their mistresses were placed in separate houses, because Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna would not acknowledge their existence. For the next year they lived quietly away from danger, but in August 1918 Boris and his brother Andrew were arrested in the night after a systematic search of their villa. They were taken to Piatigorsk with other prisoners and detained at the state hotel. They narrowly escaped with their lives. The Bolshevik commander sent to execute them had once been a struggling artist in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
before the war whom Boris had helped by buying some of his paintings. The Bolshevik recognized him and, risking his own life, returned them to their villa the next day. Since they were no longer safe and would probably be arrested again, the two grand dukes decided to flee. On 26 August 1918, armed with false papers stating they were doing business with the Soviets,
Boris and Andrei escaped heading for Kabarda, where the chief Circassian tribe, the Kabards, lived on the north slope of the mountain. For a time they wandered from village to village. Kislovodsk was captured by the White Army and the Bolsheviks fled in late September, allowing the two brothers to return to the city on 6 October. However, two days later, under the threat of the Red advance, the small group of Romanovs and their entourage were forced to flee. In constant fear for their lives, the local White general advised them to travel to Anapa
Anapa
Anapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels...
in the south. He arranged a train and an escort of his own men and they left Piatigorsk on 19 October, with their own companions and other local refugees.
At Touapse a trawler was waiting, they docked at Anapa
Anapa
Anapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels...
, a coastal city on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
on 22 October. From there it would be easier to escape abroad by boat. However, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna was determined to remain in Russia hoping that the White movement would prevail and Boris' brother Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich would be installed as Czar. By March 1919 Boris decided to leave with his mistress. Against his mother's wishes he left Russia from Anapa by boat through the Black Sea.
Exile
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, Boris tried to get permission to go to Britain but was refused passage on a British warship. His Anglophobia came back to haunt him and was disliked by the British royal family. Boris and Zenaida went to France but were expelled after a few weeks. They wanted to settle in Spain, as Grand Duke Boris was a friend of King Alphonso XIII of Spain, but received no reply and settled in San Remo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
, instead. They were married at Genoa, Italy on 12 July 1919. Zinaida Sergeievna Rachevskaya (born 3 November 1896, Dvinsk
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
(20 October 1896, O.S.) – died 20 January 1963, Paris, France) was the daughter of Colonel Sergei Alexandrovich Rachevsky, who had commanded the fortifications at Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
. Yeliseyeva by her first marriage to a military officer, She was widowed by her first husband at the young age of 20. Eventually Boris and his wife settled in France. He lived in a house at 18 Rue de Marignan, near the Champs-Élysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
, with his wife, mother-in-law and private secretary.
Boris and his siblings were reunited in exile in September 1920, at Contrexéville
Contrexéville
Contrexéville is a commune of north-eastern France, in the Vosges département. Inhabitants are called Contrexévillois.The reputation of Contrexéville as a health resort dates from 1864, when development began by a company, the Société des Eaux de Contrexéville.-Twin towns:Contrexéville is twinned...
in the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, by the death of their mother Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. Boris inherited his mother’s emeralds, the most valuable items of the Grand Duchess' jewel collection. He sold most of them. The emeralds included a famous necklace which at some point was bought by Cartier
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
, and in turn resold to Barbara Hutton
Barbara Hutton
Barbara Woolworth Hutton was an American socialite dubbed by the media as the "Poor Little Rich Girl" because of her troubled life...
. They subsequently reset the stones and created an even more famous piece, which could be worn as a necklace or a tiara. (It now belongs to Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
.) With the money from the emeralds, Boris bought a chateau, "Sans Souci", in Meudon near Paris, living comfortably with his wife. The couple had no children, but raised Zinaida's niece, Natasha.
In the winter of 1925 he and his wife, who claimed an interest in dress-making, sailed to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He said that he just wanted to visit some friends and have a good time. When asked by a reporter whether Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
was a financial supporter of the effort to restore the monarchy in Russia, Boris did not know who Henry Ford was. His brother, Grand Duke Kyril, wanted to restore the Russian monarchy and in 1924 proclaimed himself czar-in-exile, but Boris was largely uninterested in politics.
Last years
During the long years of exile the former playboy-Grand Duke remained in love with his wife, who was twenty years his junior. He was deeply attached to her, and became involved with her family and circle of friends. Of the Romanovs, the couple was close only with Grand Duke Andrei VladimorovichGrand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia was a Russian grand duke, the youngest son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.-Biography:...
and his morganatic wife Mathilde Kschessinska
Mathilde Kschessinska
Mathilda-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinskaya She was known in the West as Mathilde Kschessinska or Matilda Kshesinskaya.- Life :Kschessinska was born at Ligovo, near Peterhof. Like all her Polish family, to whom she was known as Matylda Krzesińska, Mathilde performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre...
ya. Zenaida was widely looked down upon by Boris' relatives.
In exile, Boris frequented his illegitimate son, Boris Lacroix, who had been raised in France in his mother's family. Lacroix's mother, Jeanne, already deceased, was buried in Père Lachaise cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
. Boris often visited his son, who became a famous designer under the name Jean Boris Lacroix.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Boris and Zenaida experienced difficulties. At the end of 1942, during the German occupation, they sold their estate in Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
, and moved to a house in the Rue de la Faisanderie in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1943 he was critically ill, and died in his bed on 9 November 1943, in Paris, at age sixty-five. His obituary was briefly noted by the newspapers and Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
radio. Nonetheless there was a large turnout for the funeral, held at St Alexander Nevsky Russian-Orthodox church in Paris where his body was placed in the crypt. He was later reburied next to his mother in Contrexéville
Contrexéville
Contrexéville is a commune of north-eastern France, in the Vosges département. Inhabitants are called Contrexévillois.The reputation of Contrexéville as a health resort dates from 1864, when development began by a company, the Société des Eaux de Contrexéville.-Twin towns:Contrexéville is twinned...
, in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
, in the Russian Orthodox chapel.