The photo from the museum’s collection shows a young girl in the gown of an Oxford graduate. This is the daughter of the last Minister of Finance of the Russian Empire, Nina Bark. In 1922, she became the wife of Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, with whom she was married for more than half a century, sharing his difficult fate as a Russian emigration officer.
Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky was a lieutenant of the Guards crew. He began his service on one of the imperial yachts, and in the spring of 1916, he was assigned to the Varyag, which was bought from the Japanese. The crew of the legendary cruiser made a difficult five-month transition from Vladivostok across the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic to Murmansk. Then, in March 1917, the Varyag arrived in Liverpool for major repair.
The news of the revolutionary coup made most of the officers who served on the Varyag decide to stay abroad at least for a while. It is documented that Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky received permission from the British authorities to stay in the UK. Here he met the family of the last Finance Minister of the Russian Empire, Pyotr Bark, who settled in London in 1920.
The wedding of Nikolai and Nina took place in 1922. Before that, the girl studied political science at Oxford. In 1923 their daughter Maria was born. In 1924 the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan family moved to France. At first, they lived in Paris, and here a boy was born, whom his parents named after his famous great-grandfather Pyotr. After some time, the family moved to the south of France, a place favored by many Russian emigrants. Because many of the Russian ships that left their homeland forever found their last berth in the port of Marseille.
Not far from Marseille, in the place of Aubagne, the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan’s purchased a plot of land, built a house and started a farm. The estate received the Russian name ‘Petrovka’. The French know it as Saint-Pierre.
After the Second World War, the estate was sold, and the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan moved to the suburbs of Paris. To provide for his family, Nikolai became a representative of a wine company, but he did not succeed in this field. The family was in need and was forced to sell the remaining family jewelry. After a while, they had to move into a small apartment.
The authorities offered Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky to accept French citizenship so that a career as a naval officer could be opened up to him again. But he believed that, having once taken an oath of allegiance to his fatherland, he had no right to change his oath. He died in 1974 in Paris. Nina died two years after her husband and was buried next to him.
Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky was a lieutenant of the Guards crew. He began his service on one of the imperial yachts, and in the spring of 1916, he was assigned to the Varyag, which was bought from the Japanese. The crew of the legendary cruiser made a difficult five-month transition from Vladivostok across the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic to Murmansk. Then, in March 1917, the Varyag arrived in Liverpool for major repair.
The news of the revolutionary coup made most of the officers who served on the Varyag decide to stay abroad at least for a while. It is documented that Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky received permission from the British authorities to stay in the UK. Here he met the family of the last Finance Minister of the Russian Empire, Pyotr Bark, who settled in London in 1920.
The wedding of Nikolai and Nina took place in 1922. Before that, the girl studied political science at Oxford. In 1923 their daughter Maria was born. In 1924 the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan family moved to France. At first, they lived in Paris, and here a boy was born, whom his parents named after his famous great-grandfather Pyotr. After some time, the family moved to the south of France, a place favored by many Russian emigrants. Because many of the Russian ships that left their homeland forever found their last berth in the port of Marseille.
Not far from Marseille, in the place of Aubagne, the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan’s purchased a plot of land, built a house and started a farm. The estate received the Russian name ‘Petrovka’. The French know it as Saint-Pierre.
After the Second World War, the estate was sold, and the Semyonov-Tyan-Shan moved to the suburbs of Paris. To provide for his family, Nikolai became a representative of a wine company, but he did not succeed in this field. The family was in need and was forced to sell the remaining family jewelry. After a while, they had to move into a small apartment.
The authorities offered Nikolai Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky to accept French citizenship so that a career as a naval officer could be opened up to him again. But he believed that, having once taken an oath of allegiance to his fatherland, he had no right to change his oath. He died in 1974 in Paris. Nina died two years after her husband and was buried next to him.
