In the Alexander Palace, the emperor’s wardrobe occupies a separate room in the living quarters of Nicholas II. The room was furnished with special built-in oak closets with sliding doors and drawers, where all the sovereign’s clothes were kept: uniforms, shoes, hats, undergarments, and various accessories.
According to the pertinent Russian proverb, clothes do not make the man but they do make the first impression. The clothes of the last Russian emperor were sewn by the best craftsmen in St. Petersburg. One uniform set gathered the experience of many generations of craftsmen. His uniforms, coats, and headdresses are the pinnacle of technology of the early 20th century. The sovereign’s clothing was made from a wide variety of materials: leather, fur, feathers or horsehair, metals, wood, and others.
Tsarskoe Selo has a large collection of items that made up the military wardrobe of Emperor Nicholas II — almost 800 items that were made at the turn of the 20th century. There have survived the tunics made for Nicholas II as heir to the throne, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. Nicholas II wore ceremonial and service uniforms of military units of both the Russian army and the armies of foreign countries, where he was colonel-in-chief.
A standard Guards tunic with a lapel cost 150 rubles at the beginning of the 20th century. By comparison, a bicycle, then a miracle of technology, cost 250. We tend to think of Nicholas II’s military uniform as a practical item, a special piece of clothing in a sense. A uniform is a special outfit of the Empire’s defenders, which the last Emperor was proud to wear.
Several different uniforms of various Russian military units are displayed in Emperor Nicholas II’s Wardrobe. Traditionally, different colors of cloth were used for sewing Russian military uniforms: green for the infantry; red, blue, white, and even brown for the cavalry.
According to the pertinent Russian proverb, clothes do not make the man but they do make the first impression. The clothes of the last Russian emperor were sewn by the best craftsmen in St. Petersburg. One uniform set gathered the experience of many generations of craftsmen. His uniforms, coats, and headdresses are the pinnacle of technology of the early 20th century. The sovereign’s clothing was made from a wide variety of materials: leather, fur, feathers or horsehair, metals, wood, and others.
Tsarskoe Selo has a large collection of items that made up the military wardrobe of Emperor Nicholas II — almost 800 items that were made at the turn of the 20th century. There have survived the tunics made for Nicholas II as heir to the throne, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. Nicholas II wore ceremonial and service uniforms of military units of both the Russian army and the armies of foreign countries, where he was colonel-in-chief.
A standard Guards tunic with a lapel cost 150 rubles at the beginning of the 20th century. By comparison, a bicycle, then a miracle of technology, cost 250. We tend to think of Nicholas II’s military uniform as a practical item, a special piece of clothing in a sense. A uniform is a special outfit of the Empire’s defenders, which the last Emperor was proud to wear.
Several different uniforms of various Russian military units are displayed in Emperor Nicholas II’s Wardrobe. Traditionally, different colors of cloth were used for sewing Russian military uniforms: green for the infantry; red, blue, white, and even brown for the cavalry.
