NIKOLAI ALEXANDROVICH (1868-1918)
Lot 240
600800
Portrait of Cesarevich Nikolay Alexandrovich in the uniform of
a hussar regiment. Interior photo ‘Levitsky and son.’ SPb., 1880s;
16x10,5 cm. Traces of glue, owner’s inscriptions on the reverse.
Provenance: from the personal collection of Ferdinand Tormeyer (1858-
1944) - Swiss teacher, mentor and adviser to the children of Emperor
Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. For three years Tormeyer
was a tutor of Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and Grand Duke
George Alexandrovich, teaching them French language and literature.
Subsequently, he became a mentor for Ksenia, Michael and Olga. After
the revolution of 1917, only Ksenia and Olga kept writing to Tormeyer.
During the World war I, F. Tormeyer becomes an active member of the
Red Cross Committee and often visits Russian pow camps in Europe. He
is well informed about the events in Russia and in all possible ways helps
the Grand duchesses in exile. Olga will write to him all her life, even after
Tormeyer’s death in 1944.