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After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War
AFTER THE ROMANOVS by Helen Rappaport is a forthcoming title from St. Martin's Press.
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First published March 8, 2022
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About the author
Helen Rappaport
28 books857 followersHelen Rappaport is a historian specialising in the Victorian period, with a particular interest in Queen Victoria and the Jamaican healer and caregiver, Mary Seacole. She also has written extensively on late Imperial Russia, the 1917 Revolution and the Romanov family. Her love of all things Victorian springs from her childhood growing up near the River Medway where Charles Dickens lived and worked. Her passion for Russian came from a Russian Special Studies BA degree course at Leeds University. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary D.Litt by Leeds for her services to history. She is also a member of the Royal Historical Society, the Genealogical Society, the Society of Authors and the Victorian Society. She lives in the West Country, and has an enduring love of the English countryside and the Jurassic Coast, but her ancestral roots are in the Orkneys and Shetlands from where she is descended on her father's side. She likes to think she has Viking blood.
Helen is the author of 14 published books with 2 forthcoming in 2022:
"In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon" - Simon & Schuster UK, 17 February 2022
"After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris through Revolution and War" - St Martin's Press USA, 8 March 2022
For her next project she is working on a biography of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg aka Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia
Follow her also on Facebook at:
HelenRappaportWriter
Helen is the author of 14 published books with 2 forthcoming in 2022:
"In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon" - Simon & Schuster UK, 17 February 2022
"After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris through Revolution and War" - St Martin's Press USA, 8 March 2022
For her next project she is working on a biography of Juliane of Saxe-Coburg aka Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia
Follow her also on Facebook at:
HelenRappaportWriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
January 3, 2022
This well done nonfiction tells the story of Russians in Paris. I appreciated that Rappaport gives us the history leading up to the Revolution. She starts at the turn of the century, contrasting the haves and the have nots of the Russians. The money spent by the aristocracy boggled my mind and gave me a much better understanding of what led to the revolution. The have nots included mostly artists (like Chagall), writers and musicians.
Once the Revolution took place, I was shocked at the number of emigres that made it out of Russia and to Europe. I had to give credit to these aristocrats, who were forced to take on menial work. As was said at the time “the men drive taxis and the women sew for a living.”
I had wondered why France was so willing to take on so many emigres. The answer lies in the loss of lives during WWI and the need for labor.
The book is very detailed, giving many specific examples of what happened to individual aristocrats. There’s a very small tidbit about George Orwell’s friendship with an emigre working as a waiter. I couldn’t help but wonder if this didn’t play into his anti-communist works.
As would be expected, it’s a sad book. Few succeeded, there were a meaningful number of suicides. The depression and then WWII added to their troubles. And in the end, the younger generation assimilated into French culture.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
Once the Revolution took place, I was shocked at the number of emigres that made it out of Russia and to Europe. I had to give credit to these aristocrats, who were forced to take on menial work. As was said at the time “the men drive taxis and the women sew for a living.”
I had wondered why France was so willing to take on so many emigres. The answer lies in the loss of lives during WWI and the need for labor.
The book is very detailed, giving many specific examples of what happened to individual aristocrats. There’s a very small tidbit about George Orwell’s friendship with an emigre working as a waiter. I couldn’t help but wonder if this didn’t play into his anti-communist works.
As would be expected, it’s a sad book. Few succeeded, there were a meaningful number of suicides. The depression and then WWII added to their troubles. And in the end, the younger generation assimilated into French culture.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
August 10, 2022
My review can be read here.
https://openlettersreview.com/posts/a...
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September 19, 2022
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
AFTER THE ROMANOVS: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Epoque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport is a nonfiction novel about the Russian emigres specifically in Paris from the 1870’s to the early 1930’s. While most people are interested in the history happening in Russia during this time, this is an interesting look at many who fled.
Paris is a city of cultural excellence, fine wine and food, and the latest fashions, but it is also a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution before and after the Russian Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all that Paris had to offer, spending lavishly when they visited, but the brutality of the Bolshevik takeover forced Russians of all social backgrounds to flee their homeland, sometimes leaving with only the clothes on their backs.
Many former soldiers worked in the manufacturing plants and former princes learned to drive taxicabs and waite tables, while their wives who could sew worked for the fashion houses or set up their own. Talented intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers, and writers struggled in exile, eking out a living at menial jobs. Some encountered success over time, but it was not always lasting. Political activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar and reestablish the monarchy while double agents on both sides plotted espionage and assassination. Many could not cope and became trapped in a cycle of poverty, depression, and an all-consuming homesickness for the Russian homeland they felt forced to leave.
I found this novel very interesting because I always read about the history in Russia itself and never really considered the refugees other than the few who left and then made names for themselves worldwide after the Revolution. I felt the plight of the refugees is described without bias. Not only did they have to deal with their losses, but the world was dealing with an economic depression at the same time which always makes the acceptance of refugees in another country difficult. The story of the first generation of refugees was depressing and sad, whether you agree with the Revolution or monarchy, due to the human suffering and lost dreams.
This nonfiction book can easily be the stories of refugees anywhere at any time which makes it an important read.
AFTER THE ROMANOVS: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Epoque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport is a nonfiction novel about the Russian emigres specifically in Paris from the 1870’s to the early 1930’s. While most people are interested in the history happening in Russia during this time, this is an interesting look at many who fled.
Paris is a city of cultural excellence, fine wine and food, and the latest fashions, but it is also a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution before and after the Russian Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all that Paris had to offer, spending lavishly when they visited, but the brutality of the Bolshevik takeover forced Russians of all social backgrounds to flee their homeland, sometimes leaving with only the clothes on their backs.
Many former soldiers worked in the manufacturing plants and former princes learned to drive taxicabs and waite tables, while their wives who could sew worked for the fashion houses or set up their own. Talented intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers, and writers struggled in exile, eking out a living at menial jobs. Some encountered success over time, but it was not always lasting. Political activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar and reestablish the monarchy while double agents on both sides plotted espionage and assassination. Many could not cope and became trapped in a cycle of poverty, depression, and an all-consuming homesickness for the Russian homeland they felt forced to leave.
I found this novel very interesting because I always read about the history in Russia itself and never really considered the refugees other than the few who left and then made names for themselves worldwide after the Revolution. I felt the plight of the refugees is described without bias. Not only did they have to deal with their losses, but the world was dealing with an economic depression at the same time which always makes the acceptance of refugees in another country difficult. The story of the first generation of refugees was depressing and sad, whether you agree with the Revolution or monarchy, due to the human suffering and lost dreams.
This nonfiction book can easily be the stories of refugees anywhere at any time which makes it an important read.
April 4, 2022
After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport reads like a work of fiction, yet it is a true account of what happened before, during and after the Russian Revolution. The Romanov dynasty had fallen and were exiled. Russian aristocrats had always enjoyed spending time in Paris and Paris was where many of them went when they fled their homeland, some of them without means of support. Their lives were never the same again. The contrast between the luxury they enjoyed in Paris previously and the impoverished existence they now endured is striking. Life in exile was difficult and many worked at menial labour to keep the wolf from the door. The author recounts a terrible time for the Romanovs and how they overcame the loss of their homeland and made a life in a foreign land. When you read the acknowledgements, it will become apparent how difficult research can be during a pandemic and this is a credit to Helen Rappaport’s dedication in writing this book. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2022
At the turn of the century wealthy Russians went to Paris to escape the winter, participate in its cultural life and shop for the latest fashions. It is no surprise that it would be a preferred destination for them after the revolution.
The first two chapters show the lives and life styles of the pre-Revolution Russian aristocrats in Paris. There is a profile of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich who epitomizes the excess of the Russian nobles. He was banished from Russia due to an affair/child/divorce but was still able live a life of luxury and social swirl. There is profile of one of the cultural leaders, Sergey Diaghilev, who along with other Russian immigrants (Stravinsky, Nijinsky, etc.) revolutionized ballet.
Not many of these aristocrats saw their fate coming. The author shows how lands, automobiles and heirlooms were taken, sometimes with the owners looking on before they were shot or imprisoned. The fortunate few had parked some assets in Europe. For most others, the sudden need to leave meant grabbing what jewels could be carried and making connections that could (and in many cases did not) yield passage and passports for the long and dangerous journey out of Russia.
The thousands of refugees who followed the flight of the aristocrats had a variety of political and social backgrounds. A few were monarchists but most were merely “anti-Bolshevik” fleeing communism and/or the brutality of the revolution. There were artists, intellectuals and veterans of the White Russian Army.
Through primary sources, Rappaport documents individual journeys that often required walking long distances or passage on overcrowded boats with no food or sanitation. Even those with money had difficulties. Refugees went to Constantinople, Greece, the newly formed Yugoslavia and other places, but many Russians were already acquainted with France, spoke French and had better job prospects since WWI had devastated the population.
The newly arrived aristocrats had few (no) marketable skills. The fortunate found work driving taxis. Others worked in auto assembly plants. Intellectuals and poets found no market for their work. There were many short lived publishing endeavors.
Some refugees found opportunity in the new life. There were cafes and restaurants for Russian clientele. Russians became fashion models and designers; some opened their own fashion houses. A few took on the burden of service, raising money and administering to the poor. The very lucky (or plucky) artists like Marc Chagall, Igor Stravinsky, and Vladimir Nabokov were able to enjoy great success in the US. Most of the exiles, even those with jobs, are shown to be hungry and in debt.
Many expected the Bolshevik reign to end and that they would return to Russia. It is not said outright, but they seem to think they can resume their entitled lives. Some plotted such a return, and supported different candidates to be the new emperor. Some of these groups were infiltrated by Bolsheviks who encouraged a return to Russia where the naive returnees where murdered or imprisoned.
Rappaport has the best presentation I’ve read on the significance of the Diaghilev/Stravinsky “Rite of Spring” and of Ivan Bunin’s receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in 1933.
This is an excellent survey of the experience of the refugees of Russia’s revolution in Paris. Most mourned their past life and the country as they remembered it. They did not adjust and stayed in their own communities. Some of which were very comfortable but most were not. Like so many children of immigrants, their children assimilated into France. Many saw their parents as we do now, relics of a bygone way of life.
If you are interested in this topic, I highly recommend this. The topics above are merely an outline. Rappaport presents research that shows the scope of this immigration and a lot of individual stories that help you relate to their experience.
If you are interested in this topic, you may be interested in Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy which documents the post-revolution life of two formerly wealthy families that mostly stayed in Russia.
The first two chapters show the lives and life styles of the pre-Revolution Russian aristocrats in Paris. There is a profile of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich who epitomizes the excess of the Russian nobles. He was banished from Russia due to an affair/child/divorce but was still able live a life of luxury and social swirl. There is profile of one of the cultural leaders, Sergey Diaghilev, who along with other Russian immigrants (Stravinsky, Nijinsky, etc.) revolutionized ballet.
Not many of these aristocrats saw their fate coming. The author shows how lands, automobiles and heirlooms were taken, sometimes with the owners looking on before they were shot or imprisoned. The fortunate few had parked some assets in Europe. For most others, the sudden need to leave meant grabbing what jewels could be carried and making connections that could (and in many cases did not) yield passage and passports for the long and dangerous journey out of Russia.
The thousands of refugees who followed the flight of the aristocrats had a variety of political and social backgrounds. A few were monarchists but most were merely “anti-Bolshevik” fleeing communism and/or the brutality of the revolution. There were artists, intellectuals and veterans of the White Russian Army.
Through primary sources, Rappaport documents individual journeys that often required walking long distances or passage on overcrowded boats with no food or sanitation. Even those with money had difficulties. Refugees went to Constantinople, Greece, the newly formed Yugoslavia and other places, but many Russians were already acquainted with France, spoke French and had better job prospects since WWI had devastated the population.
The newly arrived aristocrats had few (no) marketable skills. The fortunate found work driving taxis. Others worked in auto assembly plants. Intellectuals and poets found no market for their work. There were many short lived publishing endeavors.
Some refugees found opportunity in the new life. There were cafes and restaurants for Russian clientele. Russians became fashion models and designers; some opened their own fashion houses. A few took on the burden of service, raising money and administering to the poor. The very lucky (or plucky) artists like Marc Chagall, Igor Stravinsky, and Vladimir Nabokov were able to enjoy great success in the US. Most of the exiles, even those with jobs, are shown to be hungry and in debt.
Many expected the Bolshevik reign to end and that they would return to Russia. It is not said outright, but they seem to think they can resume their entitled lives. Some plotted such a return, and supported different candidates to be the new emperor. Some of these groups were infiltrated by Bolsheviks who encouraged a return to Russia where the naive returnees where murdered or imprisoned.
Rappaport has the best presentation I’ve read on the significance of the Diaghilev/Stravinsky “Rite of Spring” and of Ivan Bunin’s receiving the Nobel Prize for literature in 1933.
This is an excellent survey of the experience of the refugees of Russia’s revolution in Paris. Most mourned their past life and the country as they remembered it. They did not adjust and stayed in their own communities. Some of which were very comfortable but most were not. Like so many children of immigrants, their children assimilated into France. Many saw their parents as we do now, relics of a bygone way of life.
If you are interested in this topic, I highly recommend this. The topics above are merely an outline. Rappaport presents research that shows the scope of this immigration and a lot of individual stories that help you relate to their experience.
If you are interested in this topic, you may be interested in Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy which documents the post-revolution life of two formerly wealthy families that mostly stayed in Russia.
October 17, 2023
Having just seen an excellent documentary on YT ("Grand Duchess Olga, the Last of the Romanovs"), I eagerly pounced on this book. Also, years ago in Paris, the parents of a close chum were White Russians who escaped Russia by way of Finland. This seemed promising. But here's a must toss: it may be the most badly-written book I've ever read. I am embarrassed for the author, for blinded GRs, and the publisher.
The material can indeed rivet. After the royals were murdered, turmoil/civil war went on for some years as
writers, artists, doctors, lawyers, academics fled the bloody Reds, realizing the Bolshevik regime would never collapse. One writer said, "The Bolsheviks are coming, like Atilla, like clouds of locusts. They are destroying everything in their path." About one million emigres left behind horror and hopelessness.
In 1922, Ernest Hemingway, an ambitious young reporter for the Toronto Star, told readers, "Paris is full of Russians."(In a few years the number would reach 45,000). "They are waiting for something wonderful to happen. It seems a pity, they are such a charming lot." They could also speak several languages. Refined and well-mannered, the men were often swashbuckling, the women beautiful. Natalie Paley, a young woman of extreme elegance, found work as a model and eventually married the American producer-director John C. Wilson, a longtime lover of Noel Coward. The men worked as taxi drivers, waiters, farmers, valets, and on the assembly line at Renault. Of matinee idol looks, Dmitri Pavlovich courted Consuelo Vanderbilt and became the lover of Coco Chanel. But for many it was a lonely, penniless life of despair. Still, to a French reporter they "always remained courteous and loyal."
A Cecil B deMillian cast of 1,000s overpower the author whose colorless, tangled writing pretty much reads like scrappy research notes for a writer. This oft happens w non-fiction. Otto Friedrich, a former writer-editor at TIME, is one of the few scribes within this genre who is not just damn good, but superb. He has written abt Hollywood, Berlin (before Hitler) and the Paris of Manet.
Editor?? Why does this story open w Russian aristos drinking champagne in Paris before W1, and spill details about the Ballet Russes? Editor? Was there one? I guess not. So, it's trouble fr the get-go.
The book's description lured me in-- who the mischief wrote that? (The PR dept?) Now, to resell this annoyance at the Strand in NYC. It is a tragic saga that deserves a Great Book.
The material can indeed rivet. After the royals were murdered, turmoil/civil war went on for some years as
writers, artists, doctors, lawyers, academics fled the bloody Reds, realizing the Bolshevik regime would never collapse. One writer said, "The Bolsheviks are coming, like Atilla, like clouds of locusts. They are destroying everything in their path." About one million emigres left behind horror and hopelessness.
In 1922, Ernest Hemingway, an ambitious young reporter for the Toronto Star, told readers, "Paris is full of Russians."(In a few years the number would reach 45,000). "They are waiting for something wonderful to happen. It seems a pity, they are such a charming lot." They could also speak several languages. Refined and well-mannered, the men were often swashbuckling, the women beautiful. Natalie Paley, a young woman of extreme elegance, found work as a model and eventually married the American producer-director John C. Wilson, a longtime lover of Noel Coward. The men worked as taxi drivers, waiters, farmers, valets, and on the assembly line at Renault. Of matinee idol looks, Dmitri Pavlovich courted Consuelo Vanderbilt and became the lover of Coco Chanel. But for many it was a lonely, penniless life of despair. Still, to a French reporter they "always remained courteous and loyal."
A Cecil B deMillian cast of 1,000s overpower the author whose colorless, tangled writing pretty much reads like scrappy research notes for a writer. This oft happens w non-fiction. Otto Friedrich, a former writer-editor at TIME, is one of the few scribes within this genre who is not just damn good, but superb. He has written abt Hollywood, Berlin (before Hitler) and the Paris of Manet.
Editor?? Why does this story open w Russian aristos drinking champagne in Paris before W1, and spill details about the Ballet Russes? Editor? Was there one? I guess not. So, it's trouble fr the get-go.
The book's description lured me in-- who the mischief wrote that? (The PR dept?) Now, to resell this annoyance at the Strand in NYC. It is a tragic saga that deserves a Great Book.
February 2, 2022
Rappaport is an authority on the history of Russia, and her books embody both excellent scholarship and fascinating reading. I didn't know much about what happened to the aristocrats who got out of Russia around the time of the revolution, and that is what this book describes. Many went to Berlin, but the majority apparently settled in Paris, and were actually forced to work: as taxi drivers, maids, and dishwashers. And they were the lucky ones who found employment. The Russia they yearned to return to no longer existed and, resented by the French for taking jobs away from French citizens, many were unhappily living in poverty. Some former soldiers dreamed of taking back the country from the Soviets, but this, they finally realized, was never going to happen. Recommended for anyone with an interest in Russian history. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
September 5, 2021
After the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport is an excellent nonfiction that gives the reader a glimpse of the events, actions, and lives of the Russian elite, aristocrats, and royalty when they lived in and around Paris after during and after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
I have read several books by Ms. Rappaport and I have enjoyed every one of them. She has always impressed me with her knowledge, research, and wonderful ability of creating an engaging and fascinating narrative out of history and present it in a way that keeps me coming back for more. This is no exception.
I have always been fascinated by Russian History, especially the history of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Revolution of 1917, so I obviously wanted to read this book.
It was so interesting to see how such a vast array of men and women escape to a location that what once was a vacation destination and now was a city of exiles and escapees from Russia. Their lives dramatically changed in a lot of cases.
Some seemed to blend in better than others. Some seemed to adapt better than their counterparts. Some positive endings with second chances at life, some not. Plenty of examples, and even a list and explanation of names/people are added to help the reader. To me, this was utterly fascinating.
I highly recommend this for anyone interested in not just Russian history, but also WWI and WWII history as well.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
I have read several books by Ms. Rappaport and I have enjoyed every one of them. She has always impressed me with her knowledge, research, and wonderful ability of creating an engaging and fascinating narrative out of history and present it in a way that keeps me coming back for more. This is no exception.
I have always been fascinated by Russian History, especially the history of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Revolution of 1917, so I obviously wanted to read this book.
It was so interesting to see how such a vast array of men and women escape to a location that what once was a vacation destination and now was a city of exiles and escapees from Russia. Their lives dramatically changed in a lot of cases.
Some seemed to blend in better than others. Some seemed to adapt better than their counterparts. Some positive endings with second chances at life, some not. Plenty of examples, and even a list and explanation of names/people are added to help the reader. To me, this was utterly fascinating.
I highly recommend this for anyone interested in not just Russian history, but also WWI and WWII history as well.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
February 21, 2022
I received a free publisher's review copy, via Netgalley.
Helen Rappaport has made a writing cottage industry of the last of the Russian Romanov dynasty, with previous books The Last Days of the Romanovs, The Romanov Sisters, The Race to Save the Romanovs, and now After the Romanovs. To me, this one has a bit of the flavor of purposing the unused bits of research from other books, as one might use the scraps of leftover dough from a piecrust.
The book begins during the Belle Epoque, well before the titular After the Romanovs, but the book’s beginning establishes Paris as a longtime second home for the Russian aristocracy during the late Tsarist period. These aristos all spoke French and descended on the City of Light regularly to spend astonishing amounts of money on hotels, second (or third or fourth) homes, dining, couture, jewelry, and gambling.
A few aristos had moved to Paris with a good deal of their wealth intact before the Revolution. They’d been advised to diversity assets outside Russia or, in one case, had been banished for marital misconduct by the straitlaced Tsar and had managed to take a large amount of assets with him.
Russian writers, dancers, musicians, composers, choreographers and artists also often found their ways to Paris, though not arriving in the style of the aristos. They were usually living on a shoestring, often were Jewish, and had no connection to the Tsar or his court. Some became sensations in Paris, like Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Chagall. Others lived in grinding poverty.
Tens of thousands of Russians became Parisians in the wake of the Russian Revolution. They smuggled as much with them as they could, but in most cases it wasn’t much. They found themselves working as cleaners, dishwashers, bathroom attendants, and many other unskilled jobs. Becoming a taxi driver was a reachable ambition for many of the former White army officers, since they were among the few who knew how to drive. Aristocratic women were generally skilled at needlework, and many of them got jobs sewing with high-fashion couturiers.
This book is told mostly anecdotally, and it’s astonishing just how many Princes, Princesses, Dukes, Duchesses, Grand Dukes, Grand Duchesses, and Generals there are. It gives an idea of just how bloated—but exclusive—the Russian aristocracy was. For some years, they maintained faith that the Tsar and his family were still alive, that the Bolsheviks would be ousted and the monarchy restored. But that faith and hope slipped away, and they had children who had never seen the motherland. Paris’s Russophilia of the 1920s faded and sometimes turned to resentment.
Whenever I began to feel sorry for the formerly high-class exiles, Rappaport would toss in a good bucket of cold water in the form of hard facts about this class, like their virulent antisemitism and support for fascist dictators like Mussolini, Franco and, yes, even Hitler.
An entertaining book, though it feels a little thin and cobbled together.
Helen Rappaport has made a writing cottage industry of the last of the Russian Romanov dynasty, with previous books The Last Days of the Romanovs, The Romanov Sisters, The Race to Save the Romanovs, and now After the Romanovs. To me, this one has a bit of the flavor of purposing the unused bits of research from other books, as one might use the scraps of leftover dough from a piecrust.
The book begins during the Belle Epoque, well before the titular After the Romanovs, but the book’s beginning establishes Paris as a longtime second home for the Russian aristocracy during the late Tsarist period. These aristos all spoke French and descended on the City of Light regularly to spend astonishing amounts of money on hotels, second (or third or fourth) homes, dining, couture, jewelry, and gambling.
A few aristos had moved to Paris with a good deal of their wealth intact before the Revolution. They’d been advised to diversity assets outside Russia or, in one case, had been banished for marital misconduct by the straitlaced Tsar and had managed to take a large amount of assets with him.
Russian writers, dancers, musicians, composers, choreographers and artists also often found their ways to Paris, though not arriving in the style of the aristos. They were usually living on a shoestring, often were Jewish, and had no connection to the Tsar or his court. Some became sensations in Paris, like Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Chagall. Others lived in grinding poverty.
Tens of thousands of Russians became Parisians in the wake of the Russian Revolution. They smuggled as much with them as they could, but in most cases it wasn’t much. They found themselves working as cleaners, dishwashers, bathroom attendants, and many other unskilled jobs. Becoming a taxi driver was a reachable ambition for many of the former White army officers, since they were among the few who knew how to drive. Aristocratic women were generally skilled at needlework, and many of them got jobs sewing with high-fashion couturiers.
This book is told mostly anecdotally, and it’s astonishing just how many Princes, Princesses, Dukes, Duchesses, Grand Dukes, Grand Duchesses, and Generals there are. It gives an idea of just how bloated—but exclusive—the Russian aristocracy was. For some years, they maintained faith that the Tsar and his family were still alive, that the Bolsheviks would be ousted and the monarchy restored. But that faith and hope slipped away, and they had children who had never seen the motherland. Paris’s Russophilia of the 1920s faded and sometimes turned to resentment.
Whenever I began to feel sorry for the formerly high-class exiles, Rappaport would toss in a good bucket of cold water in the form of hard facts about this class, like their virulent antisemitism and support for fascist dictators like Mussolini, Franco and, yes, even Hitler.
An entertaining book, though it feels a little thin and cobbled together.
January 12, 2022
"After the Romanovs" opens in a relatively light fashion as wealthy Russians, among them Romanovs, enjoy vacations and visits to France. Paris is a playground for them. Artists of all kinds flock there to rub shoulders with the elite of the world. Stars like Nijinsky shine. Intellectuals sought both rest and creativity, some even rubbing shoulders with a Russian visitor named Lenin. Yes, that Lenin.
Needless to say, the tone of the book switches gears quickly after the Russian Revolution and assassination of the Tsar and his family. The Romanovs were now targets for the new regime. Many of those who once sought amusement or simply enjoyed the thriving creativity to be found in Paris found themselves fleeing to Paris once again, this time as refugees. Now largely penniless and unable to find work, this is their story. Even the mysterious Anastasia makes an appearance in the book.
Watching this history unfold was at once both saddening and fascinating. The emotions of those in exile swung wildly from optimistic and hopeful for a return to Russia to lost and simply desperate to survive. Few had any practical skills and they were cut off from the past fortunes. The manner in which the French accepted them, of course, also varied. The Jazz Age occurred post revolution but the emigres, many of whom had never worked a day in their lives, were usually too busy trying just to stay alive with a roof over their heads and something to eat and wear, to be caught up in it. Interestingly enough, it was some of the female emigres who perhaps came closest, particularly those who found employment with Chanel or in the garment industry. Former duchesses found themselves doing piecework and embroidering to support their families. You might find yourself being seated at a ritzy restaurant by a former duke or driven about town by a taxi driver with royal connections. Rappaport writes at one point that the unifying thread between them all seemed to be a "solidarity in poverty". Starvation and suicide were common.
Even though I found it a bit difficult to keep the names straight in my head -- I found myself scrolling back-and-forth frequently -- I found the book fascinating. The author has done extensive research and the amount of information she shares is almost staggering. You'll also see the birth of the current communist society which, even then, especially after Stalin's ascent, used spies and kidnapping to its benefit both against its own countrymen and the Russian emigres. There's much to take in here and kudos to author Rappaport for sharing her research with us in such a readable fashion.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. Even as a former history major and teacher, I came away with not just a more thorough knowledge of the post Russian Revolution emigres but history in general.
Needless to say, the tone of the book switches gears quickly after the Russian Revolution and assassination of the Tsar and his family. The Romanovs were now targets for the new regime. Many of those who once sought amusement or simply enjoyed the thriving creativity to be found in Paris found themselves fleeing to Paris once again, this time as refugees. Now largely penniless and unable to find work, this is their story. Even the mysterious Anastasia makes an appearance in the book.
Watching this history unfold was at once both saddening and fascinating. The emotions of those in exile swung wildly from optimistic and hopeful for a return to Russia to lost and simply desperate to survive. Few had any practical skills and they were cut off from the past fortunes. The manner in which the French accepted them, of course, also varied. The Jazz Age occurred post revolution but the emigres, many of whom had never worked a day in their lives, were usually too busy trying just to stay alive with a roof over their heads and something to eat and wear, to be caught up in it. Interestingly enough, it was some of the female emigres who perhaps came closest, particularly those who found employment with Chanel or in the garment industry. Former duchesses found themselves doing piecework and embroidering to support their families. You might find yourself being seated at a ritzy restaurant by a former duke or driven about town by a taxi driver with royal connections. Rappaport writes at one point that the unifying thread between them all seemed to be a "solidarity in poverty". Starvation and suicide were common.
Even though I found it a bit difficult to keep the names straight in my head -- I found myself scrolling back-and-forth frequently -- I found the book fascinating. The author has done extensive research and the amount of information she shares is almost staggering. You'll also see the birth of the current communist society which, even then, especially after Stalin's ascent, used spies and kidnapping to its benefit both against its own countrymen and the Russian emigres. There's much to take in here and kudos to author Rappaport for sharing her research with us in such a readable fashion.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. Even as a former history major and teacher, I came away with not just a more thorough knowledge of the post Russian Revolution emigres but history in general.
May 9, 2022
This is mostly gossipy history-lite, but it was an enjoyable read.
The book starts with a survey of the wealthy Russians in Paris in the last years of the tsars, who were as bad as the worst showy billionaires flaunting their wealth today. The extravagance of the tsarist nobility provides a nice contrast to the same group of people working as taxi drivers or assembly line workers for Renault after 1917 and keeping afloat by selling off the family jewels one by one to keep food on the table.
But the Russian emigre world in Paris before and after the October Revolution was more than just rich aristocrats impoverished after the Bolsheviks came to power. There was also a vibrant intellectual life of poets, writers, and artists in every field and a cafe society that would have been fascinating to be a part of. This included people who sought out Parisian culture or who fled tsarist censorship and continued with people whose approach to art and/or politics was out of favor back at home in the Soviet era.
After 1917 there was an overwhelming feeling of sadness in all strata of the Russian community in Paris. It was a lost world of lost people, fated to live out their last years in relative obscurity, stuck in false dreams of kicking out the bandits and returning to former glory and ultimately leaving very little as their legacy once the first generation faded away.
The book starts with a survey of the wealthy Russians in Paris in the last years of the tsars, who were as bad as the worst showy billionaires flaunting their wealth today. The extravagance of the tsarist nobility provides a nice contrast to the same group of people working as taxi drivers or assembly line workers for Renault after 1917 and keeping afloat by selling off the family jewels one by one to keep food on the table.
But the Russian emigre world in Paris before and after the October Revolution was more than just rich aristocrats impoverished after the Bolsheviks came to power. There was also a vibrant intellectual life of poets, writers, and artists in every field and a cafe society that would have been fascinating to be a part of. This included people who sought out Parisian culture or who fled tsarist censorship and continued with people whose approach to art and/or politics was out of favor back at home in the Soviet era.
After 1917 there was an overwhelming feeling of sadness in all strata of the Russian community in Paris. It was a lost world of lost people, fated to live out their last years in relative obscurity, stuck in false dreams of kicking out the bandits and returning to former glory and ultimately leaving very little as their legacy once the first generation faded away.
March 10, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-galley of this book.
I have waited several weeks to write this review because I wanted to see if my opinion changed or differed in any substantive way because of hindsight. The answer to that is that I'm still slightly confused about why this book specifically mentions the Romanovs in the title. The entire book is not focused on the Romanovs and after the first chapter that name takes more of a backseat position. Paris After the Romanovs is a title that would seem to fit the subject matter best, at least for me.
I don't know if this book suffered from being written during the early portions of the COVID-19 pandemic or not, but I found myself growing weary of the subject matter and putting the book aside for days at a time. There wasn't any spark that ignited my enthusiasm so when the book began to grow tiresome, I had no problem putting it on a table and leaving it alone.
I have waited several weeks to write this review because I wanted to see if my opinion changed or differed in any substantive way because of hindsight. The answer to that is that I'm still slightly confused about why this book specifically mentions the Romanovs in the title. The entire book is not focused on the Romanovs and after the first chapter that name takes more of a backseat position. Paris After the Romanovs is a title that would seem to fit the subject matter best, at least for me.
I don't know if this book suffered from being written during the early portions of the COVID-19 pandemic or not, but I found myself growing weary of the subject matter and putting the book aside for days at a time. There wasn't any spark that ignited my enthusiasm so when the book began to grow tiresome, I had no problem putting it on a table and leaving it alone.
March 9, 2022
A fascinating, well-researched look at the lives of Russian refugees in Paris before and after the 1917 Revolution. Perfect for those who want to understand more of Russian history in light of today's events. Out now.
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#aftertheromanovs #HelenRappaport #StMartinPress #NetGalley
Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
#aftertheromanovs #HelenRappaport #StMartinPress #NetGalley
April 3, 2022
Click here to hear my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
July 21, 2023
I was so excited for this book - to learn more about the fates of those, who managed to escape the Russian Revolution. And I did get that, but it felt a little flat. I, personally, needed an introduction. Something to clarify the scope and purpose of the book. Is it a group biography? An exploration of Russian culture's impact on France? Something else, I didn't pick up on? But overall, I enjoyed the book. Rappaport is my go-to for Russian history
July 10, 2023
A Poignant Tale of Former People
After enjoying Helen Rappaport’s masterpiece Ekaterinburg, I moved onto her latest book After the Romanovs, which focuses on those who got out of Soviet Russia and tried to settle in the French Capital. Paris during this time was certainly the place to be in a post war Europe. The birth of giant fashion houses such as Chanel, The Moulin Rouge and changes with culture in the roaring twenties made for a huge contrast with the terror, famine and persecution of the population under the Bolsheviks.
I have to say I was rather underwhelmed by this book. It is easy to read and the content is neither hard to grasp or academic in nature. However, it feels unfinished; something is missing to provide some depth to the analysis. I found myself skim reading in places and I didn’t fail to understand what was happening.
Overall I am glad I read this book. It pulled some pieces together. Who was there, from Grand Duke, White army officer, famous writer to lowly peasants. It also goes to explain that although they survived the revolution many truly were left with nothing and living out a miserable existence, unable to turn home or to the passive aggressive French. It also answers questions over why they could not stage a counter revolution as they were so fractured and unable to support each other. A former people scattered like Skittles from a ripped bag all over Europe. Many missed mother Russia in the end and this book does go some way to explain Russia, it’s people and history.
After enjoying Helen Rappaport’s masterpiece Ekaterinburg, I moved onto her latest book After the Romanovs, which focuses on those who got out of Soviet Russia and tried to settle in the French Capital. Paris during this time was certainly the place to be in a post war Europe. The birth of giant fashion houses such as Chanel, The Moulin Rouge and changes with culture in the roaring twenties made for a huge contrast with the terror, famine and persecution of the population under the Bolsheviks.
I have to say I was rather underwhelmed by this book. It is easy to read and the content is neither hard to grasp or academic in nature. However, it feels unfinished; something is missing to provide some depth to the analysis. I found myself skim reading in places and I didn’t fail to understand what was happening.
Overall I am glad I read this book. It pulled some pieces together. Who was there, from Grand Duke, White army officer, famous writer to lowly peasants. It also goes to explain that although they survived the revolution many truly were left with nothing and living out a miserable existence, unable to turn home or to the passive aggressive French. It also answers questions over why they could not stage a counter revolution as they were so fractured and unable to support each other. A former people scattered like Skittles from a ripped bag all over Europe. Many missed mother Russia in the end and this book does go some way to explain Russia, it’s people and history.
January 26, 2022
In high school a fellow chorus member told me her heritage was White Russian. Here I am, some fifty-plus years later, finally understanding her family history in the pages of After the Romanovs. I had garnered some idea from books and movies, but had no real appreciation of the traumatic emigration of thousands of Russians, the poverty of their exile, and their heartbreaking longing for their lost homeland and life.
Helen Rappaport begins the story with the Russian obsession with all things French, dating to Peter the Great’s 1717 visit to Paris. She recreates Belle Époque Paris and describes the wealthy Russian nobility who enjoyed Parisian society, both high society and it’s darker underworld. By 1905, when Cossack troops slaughtered protesters calling for better wages and living conditions, it became obvious that, as Grand Duke Paul con Hohenfelsen expressed, “within and without, everything’s crumbling.”
Each chapter concentrates on a specific experience of Russians in Paris, following the lives of specific aristocrats and artists. There is Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes that propelled to fame previously unknown Russian composers like Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Mussorgsky, and dancers like Anna Pavlona and Nijinsky, a chapter I especially enjoyed.
We read about Lenin’s time in Paris, the writers and poets and painters. After the abdication of Nicholas II, the Russian aristocracy saw everything they had disappear, their rank and power, their land and possessions, their very lives at risk. For the first time in generations, they had to work, and at the lowest occupations possible. The alternative was to leave their homeland, making their way to the Crimea or Singapore, often with the clothes on their back and some jewelry they hoped would pay their keep for decades. Perhaps 146,000 left in 1920.
Rappaport paints a vivid picture of the gruesome journey on overcrowded ships, and the dire poverty that awaited them in exile.
Before us darkness and terror. Behind us–horror and hopelessness.Vera Bunin quoted in After the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport
At first, the French government accepted the emigres to replace the population lost during WWI, and perhaps 120,000 settled there. “Paris is full of Russians,” Ernest Hemingway wrote in 1922. The flood of jewelry on the market drove their value down, and the emigres had few skills to fall back on. The men aspired to become taxi drivers. The women took up needlework that was featured in Coco Chanel’s collections, capitalizing on the fad for Russian inspired fashion, working 12 hour days for a barely enough money to feed themselves.
The emigres longed for their homeland and old life, unable to accept their new reality as permanent. The ‘rightful tsar’ organized and plotted a comeback with expectation that Russians would rebel against the Soviet government. When a Russian emigrant assassinated the French president, there was a backlash against the Russians.
Most of the exiled poets, writers, and artists failed to thrive. Those who left for America faired better, and many Jews did leave with the rise of Hitler. It is heartbreaking to read of people’s lonely, cruel aging, the suicides, all hope gone. The poignant story of Mother Maria, who became a nun who organized soup kitchens and housing for the impoverished, ends with her death in Ravensbruck.
I don’t often feel compassion for the rich and powerful, and the White Russians were certainly isolated from the reality of ‘real life’. But what a marvelous study of a whole class and generation faced with the loss of everything they knew.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Helen Rappaport begins the story with the Russian obsession with all things French, dating to Peter the Great’s 1717 visit to Paris. She recreates Belle Époque Paris and describes the wealthy Russian nobility who enjoyed Parisian society, both high society and it’s darker underworld. By 1905, when Cossack troops slaughtered protesters calling for better wages and living conditions, it became obvious that, as Grand Duke Paul con Hohenfelsen expressed, “within and without, everything’s crumbling.”
Each chapter concentrates on a specific experience of Russians in Paris, following the lives of specific aristocrats and artists. There is Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes that propelled to fame previously unknown Russian composers like Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Mussorgsky, and dancers like Anna Pavlona and Nijinsky, a chapter I especially enjoyed.
We read about Lenin’s time in Paris, the writers and poets and painters. After the abdication of Nicholas II, the Russian aristocracy saw everything they had disappear, their rank and power, their land and possessions, their very lives at risk. For the first time in generations, they had to work, and at the lowest occupations possible. The alternative was to leave their homeland, making their way to the Crimea or Singapore, often with the clothes on their back and some jewelry they hoped would pay their keep for decades. Perhaps 146,000 left in 1920.
Rappaport paints a vivid picture of the gruesome journey on overcrowded ships, and the dire poverty that awaited them in exile.
Before us darkness and terror. Behind us–horror and hopelessness.Vera Bunin quoted in After the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport
At first, the French government accepted the emigres to replace the population lost during WWI, and perhaps 120,000 settled there. “Paris is full of Russians,” Ernest Hemingway wrote in 1922. The flood of jewelry on the market drove their value down, and the emigres had few skills to fall back on. The men aspired to become taxi drivers. The women took up needlework that was featured in Coco Chanel’s collections, capitalizing on the fad for Russian inspired fashion, working 12 hour days for a barely enough money to feed themselves.
The emigres longed for their homeland and old life, unable to accept their new reality as permanent. The ‘rightful tsar’ organized and plotted a comeback with expectation that Russians would rebel against the Soviet government. When a Russian emigrant assassinated the French president, there was a backlash against the Russians.
Most of the exiled poets, writers, and artists failed to thrive. Those who left for America faired better, and many Jews did leave with the rise of Hitler. It is heartbreaking to read of people’s lonely, cruel aging, the suicides, all hope gone. The poignant story of Mother Maria, who became a nun who organized soup kitchens and housing for the impoverished, ends with her death in Ravensbruck.
I don’t often feel compassion for the rich and powerful, and the White Russians were certainly isolated from the reality of ‘real life’. But what a marvelous study of a whole class and generation faced with the loss of everything they knew.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
January 13, 2022
After the Romanovs is a bit of a misnomer as the title of this book, as Rappaport begins covering Russia and its elites several decades prior to the execution of the Tsar and his family and the rise of the Bolsheviks and continues through mainly to the beginning of World War II. This does help establish the stark contrast though, between the lives members of the upper class were able to live in Paris prior to either fleeing or being forcibly removed from Russia. The “before” period is without a doubt the story of decadence – jewelry, high fashion, the upper crust of society in music and entertainment. And oh, how the mighty have fallen several decades later. With no funds to live off of, no practical skills for many and few jobs available for those with practical skills, the former Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses are forced into menial labor to survive and artists, musicians and writers struggle to reconcile the world they now live in against the one that shaped and influenced them. Rappaport covers the full gamut, and at times the book is richer for it by showing a full experience of every type of Russian émigré but it also bogs it down; trying to keep all of the different people and their occupations (or lack thereof) can be a struggle. Any reader that has a great love of where they come from will certainly empathize with the Russians removed from their homeland; it may be more difficult to generate sympathy for Grand Dukes used to showering jewels on mistresses being forced to work as taxi drivers. The author shows that there are those that acknowledge their circumstances and learn to adapt, but there are many that struggle to reconcile that a pampered existence is no longer theirs for the taking and prefer to live in the past – and their glory years. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 23, 2022
Author Helen Rappaport gives us a glimpse of what life was like for the Russians, artistic exiles and refugees, who arrived in Paris in the late 19th and early 20th century and reveals how the city of light offered them a chance to reinvent themselves.
I enjoyed the way this book was organized. It was necessary to see the luxury and excess the Russian elite enjoyed in Russia so that we could see what a transition it was for them to become dressmakers, taxi drivers, and menial workers in order to survive. It must have been difficult to balance a love of heritage and all that shaped them with a love of a new country and all it offered them. Those who adapted and lived for the future did well. Those who didn’t, found out the hard way. I also appreciated being reminded that the influence was a two-way street; the Parisian artists were influenced by the Russian literature, ballet and opera while the Russians were influenced by the French fashion, food, and joie de vivre existence.
I had difficulty in keeping up with the vast number of people discussed and was wondering if it might have been easier to flip to the cast of characters list had I had a paper copy as opposed to my ebook.
This intriguing and extremely well-researched book is a must have for all who love following the Romanovs and with those with knowledge of the artists of the Belle Époque as well as the Russian Revolution and the civil war.
I was gifted this advance copy by Helen Rappaport, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I enjoyed the way this book was organized. It was necessary to see the luxury and excess the Russian elite enjoyed in Russia so that we could see what a transition it was for them to become dressmakers, taxi drivers, and menial workers in order to survive. It must have been difficult to balance a love of heritage and all that shaped them with a love of a new country and all it offered them. Those who adapted and lived for the future did well. Those who didn’t, found out the hard way. I also appreciated being reminded that the influence was a two-way street; the Parisian artists were influenced by the Russian literature, ballet and opera while the Russians were influenced by the French fashion, food, and joie de vivre existence.
I had difficulty in keeping up with the vast number of people discussed and was wondering if it might have been easier to flip to the cast of characters list had I had a paper copy as opposed to my ebook.
This intriguing and extremely well-researched book is a must have for all who love following the Romanovs and with those with knowledge of the artists of the Belle Époque as well as the Russian Revolution and the civil war.
I was gifted this advance copy by Helen Rappaport, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
December 2, 2021
I thank Sara Beth Haring from St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Press and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.
I have always wondered about Russian nobility and extended Imperial family post 1914 and revolution. This non fiction not only provided me with the answers, but provided brief history of how the Russian nobilities had found their liking towards French and Paris.
While the Social Graces by Renee Rosen based on real life events introduced me to the Gilded Age, I became aware of the Belle Epoque through "After the Romanovs" that I wasn't aware of.
The book goes back from the time when many Russian nobles and Dukes frequently visited Paris and comes to the time when they had to work hard in Paris, unlike how they would throw away money at the Ritz few decades ago.
The revolution that forced many elite Russians into fashion industry and labor work, including an aristocratic woman whose degree as a doctor wasn't accepted and she was forced to work as a driver in Paris is described in this book.
This book is like a history lesson and should be read by those interested in knowing the fate of the rich and the elite post revolution.
Writing style is good and it's evident that the author has conducted immense research in this part of the history.
I have always wondered about Russian nobility and extended Imperial family post 1914 and revolution. This non fiction not only provided me with the answers, but provided brief history of how the Russian nobilities had found their liking towards French and Paris.
While the Social Graces by Renee Rosen based on real life events introduced me to the Gilded Age, I became aware of the Belle Epoque through "After the Romanovs" that I wasn't aware of.
The book goes back from the time when many Russian nobles and Dukes frequently visited Paris and comes to the time when they had to work hard in Paris, unlike how they would throw away money at the Ritz few decades ago.
The revolution that forced many elite Russians into fashion industry and labor work, including an aristocratic woman whose degree as a doctor wasn't accepted and she was forced to work as a driver in Paris is described in this book.
This book is like a history lesson and should be read by those interested in knowing the fate of the rich and the elite post revolution.
Writing style is good and it's evident that the author has conducted immense research in this part of the history.
December 18, 2021
This is a thorough look at the Romanovs, but I found it to be a cumbersome read. It is well researched and carefully written, but that is also what it feels like - like a paper written for a college course. It impedes the flow of the book. If you are looking for a detailed history book then this is the book for you, but if you are looking to learn and enjoy along the way you may want to try a different place to start. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.
June 8, 2025
I don't want to be unkind to the author who has written and spoken about the last tsar and his family with a great deal of sense, and free of the cringe-making sycophantic drivel that has descended upon them since Massie's ridiculously shoddy Nicholas & Alexandra shot to international fame, but this is a very, well I was going to say poor, but let's be kind and say it is a 'history lite' version of the emigration.
Part of the problem is that Paris wasn't the only, or even the most important centre of emigre life. Berlin, Prague and Belgrade were as significant in emigre culture and Belgrade and Yugoslavia were a home to more ordinary Russians (almost all ordinary men and officers of the White armies that escaped or were evacuated were given assylum there). Paris wasn't even the home to any significant Romanov exiles though some did settle in France. So although she does concentrate on Paris she has to keep skipping around to places outside of the books subject and this means she inevitably leaves much unmentioned or discussed. She tends to take exile memoirs as fact. It is surprising how she barely mentions the connections of the ridiculous Grand Duke Cyril and his poisonous wife Victoria Melita with Hitler. They gave large sums to help finance his Beer Hall push in 1923 (investigating both her relations with the Nazis and the rest of the Coburg family, including its British angle, is almost impossible because anything touching on those years in the UK royal archives or the Coburg ones are not available to researchers - if they still exist). She fails to mention Felix Yussoupov's scandalous seduction of the son of a French politician, who promptly beat the shit out of Yussoupov. He tried to keep it quite by suing various emigre Russian language for libel which he lost. She allows the self important grand duchess Maria (sister of the GD Dimitri of Rasputin killing notoriety) to boast of her self sufficiency without any mention of the help she received from the king of Sweden (there is an interesting little in this book about the help the Swedish king gave over the years to various exiled royals - again if the archival material is available).
She is good on artists and writers but again Berlin and Prague were as, if not more important, in many ways. The emigre writer most likely to be known today is of course Nabakov and it was Berlin's Russian community that sheltered and published his early work. Just as it was the queen of Romania who gave home to his mother after his father was assassinated.
The Russian emigration deserves a good comprehensive history in English - one that includes not just the grand dukes and princes who fled but the politicians and intellectuals that Lenin expelled. The horrors of the flight from southern Russia and the experience of the Russian refugees in Constantinople is treated here so slightly as to be upsetting. To get a true taste of the nightmare I strongly recommend reading the relevant chapters in Philip Mandel's 'Constantinople: City of the World's Desire' and Charles King's 'Midnight at the Pera Palace'.
This is not a terrible book but it is not a book worthy of its subject.
Part of the problem is that Paris wasn't the only, or even the most important centre of emigre life. Berlin, Prague and Belgrade were as significant in emigre culture and Belgrade and Yugoslavia were a home to more ordinary Russians (almost all ordinary men and officers of the White armies that escaped or were evacuated were given assylum there). Paris wasn't even the home to any significant Romanov exiles though some did settle in France. So although she does concentrate on Paris she has to keep skipping around to places outside of the books subject and this means she inevitably leaves much unmentioned or discussed. She tends to take exile memoirs as fact. It is surprising how she barely mentions the connections of the ridiculous Grand Duke Cyril and his poisonous wife Victoria Melita with Hitler. They gave large sums to help finance his Beer Hall push in 1923 (investigating both her relations with the Nazis and the rest of the Coburg family, including its British angle, is almost impossible because anything touching on those years in the UK royal archives or the Coburg ones are not available to researchers - if they still exist). She fails to mention Felix Yussoupov's scandalous seduction of the son of a French politician, who promptly beat the shit out of Yussoupov. He tried to keep it quite by suing various emigre Russian language for libel which he lost. She allows the self important grand duchess Maria (sister of the GD Dimitri of Rasputin killing notoriety) to boast of her self sufficiency without any mention of the help she received from the king of Sweden (there is an interesting little in this book about the help the Swedish king gave over the years to various exiled royals - again if the archival material is available).
She is good on artists and writers but again Berlin and Prague were as, if not more important, in many ways. The emigre writer most likely to be known today is of course Nabakov and it was Berlin's Russian community that sheltered and published his early work. Just as it was the queen of Romania who gave home to his mother after his father was assassinated.
The Russian emigration deserves a good comprehensive history in English - one that includes not just the grand dukes and princes who fled but the politicians and intellectuals that Lenin expelled. The horrors of the flight from southern Russia and the experience of the Russian refugees in Constantinople is treated here so slightly as to be upsetting. To get a true taste of the nightmare I strongly recommend reading the relevant chapters in Philip Mandel's 'Constantinople: City of the World's Desire' and Charles King's 'Midnight at the Pera Palace'.
This is not a terrible book but it is not a book worthy of its subject.
December 17, 2022
It was an interesting read but since I don't know much about Russian history I was missing something. At times it read like a college research paper and if that was the case the professor would know a lot of the back story that I didn't. The chapters were really quite long. Obviously there were a lot of "characters" with really long names and the story flowed from one time line to another, back and forth between Paris and Russia and from one person to another. I think I would have liked it more if it was about one person or even one family.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press giving me the opportunity to read a digital copy.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press giving me the opportunity to read a digital copy.
January 25, 2022
A thorough and illuminating look at the Russian exodus to Paris before, during, and after the Russian Revolution.
Before reading this, I was only moderately aware of the number of Russian citizens - aristocrats, artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals alike - who sought refuge in the City of Light at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. It was fascinating to learn how many people fled to what was once a vacation destination for them, a cultural hub of decadence and indulgence, and see it become a place of exile and refuge from persecution instead.
In fact, by 1930, I learned there were over 43,250 Russians living in the twenty Paris arrondissements, with another 9,500 in the other suburbs. That's a staggering number! I was shocked to know there were that many emigres. Clearly this was not something I remember being taught in history class.
It was also gutting to read about the struggles, the cyclical nature of poverty and homesickness that many faced, which resulted in things like feelings of disgrace, alienation, frustration, and sometimes led to suicide. Job opportunities were scarce as well, so the vast majority of emigrants worked in car manufacturing, construction, or industry. Few were able to find work in France that matched the professional expertise they had attained in Russia so they took menial jobs in order to make a living. Men often became taxi drivers, for instance, while women, if they could sew, would work for fashion houses.
There were those who were fortunate enough to find success, however. Bunin, Stravinsky, and Chagall are a few reputable standouts. Ballerinas were rather chic for a time as well, with the Ballet Russes becoming an extremely influential part of Paris' Russian emigre culture. I found myself enthralled by all the ways in which Russian culture rubbed off on Paris, and likewise, how much Parisian culture rubbed off on Russian exiles--especially a generation or two down the line.
It was difficult to keep up with the number of people who were being discussed at times, for some were more obscure or unknown to me, and the layout of their profession/influence/importance wasn't always as clear as I would've liked, but I am happy to have read this book. It was well-researched and enlightening. In addition to that, it helped broaden my understanding of the history surrounding both the pinnacle and the fall of the Romanovs.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
BOOK BLOG
Before reading this, I was only moderately aware of the number of Russian citizens - aristocrats, artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals alike - who sought refuge in the City of Light at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. It was fascinating to learn how many people fled to what was once a vacation destination for them, a cultural hub of decadence and indulgence, and see it become a place of exile and refuge from persecution instead.
In fact, by 1930, I learned there were over 43,250 Russians living in the twenty Paris arrondissements, with another 9,500 in the other suburbs. That's a staggering number! I was shocked to know there were that many emigres. Clearly this was not something I remember being taught in history class.
It was also gutting to read about the struggles, the cyclical nature of poverty and homesickness that many faced, which resulted in things like feelings of disgrace, alienation, frustration, and sometimes led to suicide. Job opportunities were scarce as well, so the vast majority of emigrants worked in car manufacturing, construction, or industry. Few were able to find work in France that matched the professional expertise they had attained in Russia so they took menial jobs in order to make a living. Men often became taxi drivers, for instance, while women, if they could sew, would work for fashion houses.
There were those who were fortunate enough to find success, however. Bunin, Stravinsky, and Chagall are a few reputable standouts. Ballerinas were rather chic for a time as well, with the Ballet Russes becoming an extremely influential part of Paris' Russian emigre culture. I found myself enthralled by all the ways in which Russian culture rubbed off on Paris, and likewise, how much Parisian culture rubbed off on Russian exiles--especially a generation or two down the line.
It was difficult to keep up with the number of people who were being discussed at times, for some were more obscure or unknown to me, and the layout of their profession/influence/importance wasn't always as clear as I would've liked, but I am happy to have read this book. It was well-researched and enlightening. In addition to that, it helped broaden my understanding of the history surrounding both the pinnacle and the fall of the Romanovs.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
BOOK BLOG
February 17, 2022
The Fall of an Empire
Before the revolution and the fall of the Romanov's you would find in Paris during the 1900's Grand Duke's and Duchesses, Prince and Princesses and Counts an Countesses of the Russian Empire in Paris having coffee at the Ritz. They called it Five O Clock Tea. They would be found shopping for Jewelry and fancy clothing. For 40 years Paris was a place for Russian Royalty to visit.
One famous Russian on the Paris scene was Sergey Diaghilev. He dabbled in the arts. The Dance Company "The Ballets Russes (Ballet), the artistic group called "Mir Iskusstva"(World of Art), and even music and the Paris Opera House. After much trial and error his Ballet went on to International fame for the next sixteen years.
It was said that Paris was the Cafe of Europe. The Parisian cafes served not only coffee, but as an important social club ,for literary and political discussion. a meeting place for travelers, writers and artists from across Europe. They served as a home for impoverished artists and political dissidents fleeing Tsar Russia.
After the Revolution the Russian royalty immigrated to Paris. At one point it was estimated that there was around 100,000 Russian immigrants in Paris.
In 1921 the young American writer Ernest Hemingway came to Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star Newspaper. He wrote to the Toronto Star Paris is full of Russians.
The immigrated Russians were often forced to take low paying jobs such as washing cars , opening doors for customers or working on farms in the country. only a few were able to find jobs in their professional field.
Help was needed for the struggling refugees. In 1934 Mother Maria founded a "Hospitality House" a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. It was always filled day and night with the poor unemployed Russian Immigrants.
This book is the story of Paris at and the Russian's that loved the city and immigrated there to escape persecution in Russia.
It was a good history of these times in history and very interesting to read. If you are a history buff you will enjoy reading this book.
Thanks to Helen Rappaport for writing the book, to St. Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
Before the revolution and the fall of the Romanov's you would find in Paris during the 1900's Grand Duke's and Duchesses, Prince and Princesses and Counts an Countesses of the Russian Empire in Paris having coffee at the Ritz. They called it Five O Clock Tea. They would be found shopping for Jewelry and fancy clothing. For 40 years Paris was a place for Russian Royalty to visit.
One famous Russian on the Paris scene was Sergey Diaghilev. He dabbled in the arts. The Dance Company "The Ballets Russes (Ballet), the artistic group called "Mir Iskusstva"(World of Art), and even music and the Paris Opera House. After much trial and error his Ballet went on to International fame for the next sixteen years.
It was said that Paris was the Cafe of Europe. The Parisian cafes served not only coffee, but as an important social club ,for literary and political discussion. a meeting place for travelers, writers and artists from across Europe. They served as a home for impoverished artists and political dissidents fleeing Tsar Russia.
After the Revolution the Russian royalty immigrated to Paris. At one point it was estimated that there was around 100,000 Russian immigrants in Paris.
In 1921 the young American writer Ernest Hemingway came to Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star Newspaper. He wrote to the Toronto Star Paris is full of Russians.
The immigrated Russians were often forced to take low paying jobs such as washing cars , opening doors for customers or working on farms in the country. only a few were able to find jobs in their professional field.
Help was needed for the struggling refugees. In 1934 Mother Maria founded a "Hospitality House" a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. It was always filled day and night with the poor unemployed Russian Immigrants.
This book is the story of Paris at and the Russian's that loved the city and immigrated there to escape persecution in Russia.
It was a good history of these times in history and very interesting to read. If you are a history buff you will enjoy reading this book.
Thanks to Helen Rappaport for writing the book, to St. Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.
March 6, 2022
After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War written by Helen Rappaport is Historical Non Fiction.
Helen Rappaport has written a history of Russian Aristocrats and others in Paris before and after the socialist takeover and how they lived and survived even in poverty and exile. This book is an interesting history of wealthy and poor Russians' enchanting love affair with Paris, France, and all things French.
The author supplies a list of characters that play important roles in her book and a bibliography for more in depth study. Excellent reference book of European Historical Non Fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
Helen Rappaport has written a history of Russian Aristocrats and others in Paris before and after the socialist takeover and how they lived and survived even in poverty and exile. This book is an interesting history of wealthy and poor Russians' enchanting love affair with Paris, France, and all things French.
The author supplies a list of characters that play important roles in her book and a bibliography for more in depth study. Excellent reference book of European Historical Non Fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars
December 5, 2021
After reading a few fiction books on Russian royalty, it is quick a refresher to read a nonfiction on what happened to many whom sought refuge in Paris. Eye-opening with so many historical accounts, After the Romanovs is a definite read for history lover.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the pleasure of reading After the Romanovs.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the pleasure of reading After the Romanovs.
January 18, 2025
3.5
One that I liked as I was reading it, but never had the urge to pick it up again. Interesting content but also difficult to remember the hundreds of characters and their backstories.
One that I liked as I was reading it, but never had the urge to pick it up again. Interesting content but also difficult to remember the hundreds of characters and their backstories.
February 15, 2022
Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque through revolution and war
Taken from drawings, diaries and with help of researchers in the UK and France the author delivers a portrait of Russian aristocrats, artists and intellectuals who sought freedom and refuge in Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is not an easy read. The author details the scandalous affairs, sumptuous parties, the extravagant shopping trips and gifts given to high class prostitutes. She also describes how Russian artists entranced their Parisian audiences and overwhelmed cafes causing the local authorities to be concern that revolution might come to France. After Stalin came to power in 1917, thousands of people were killed by the Bolshevists or sought refuge in other countries. Paris was for the aristocrats the city of dreams. Without money and no passports they needed to work, Russian noblewomen found work in the haute couture houses while Russian men found jobs as taxi drivers or worked in the auto industries. Although some ended in Berlin it is estimated that over 50,000 people made Paris their home.
This book was hard to get into I had to drop it many times and recoup in order to keep going. They author throws names of people I barely knew about and a period long forgotten. But interesting was how the exiled managed to earn their living and come to terms with their reduced circumstances. The book focuses on several individuals and their story are sad. Not easy to be chased from your country and see your life the ways you always lived it ending.
Although I didn’t know much about the subject matter apart from the obvious Romanovs, Rasputin, Stalin and a few others like Coco Chanel now I can say I have a little bit more knowledge. If I can only remember all those Russian names...
“After the Romanovs” is meticulously researched and written with tremendous details. It places emphasis on the period following the Russian revolution and the White Russians who fled to Paris.
On a side not: Russian aristocrats lived a life of opulence built on oppression of many...not surprising the uprising....
Thank you, St-Martin Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.
Taken from drawings, diaries and with help of researchers in the UK and France the author delivers a portrait of Russian aristocrats, artists and intellectuals who sought freedom and refuge in Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is not an easy read. The author details the scandalous affairs, sumptuous parties, the extravagant shopping trips and gifts given to high class prostitutes. She also describes how Russian artists entranced their Parisian audiences and overwhelmed cafes causing the local authorities to be concern that revolution might come to France. After Stalin came to power in 1917, thousands of people were killed by the Bolshevists or sought refuge in other countries. Paris was for the aristocrats the city of dreams. Without money and no passports they needed to work, Russian noblewomen found work in the haute couture houses while Russian men found jobs as taxi drivers or worked in the auto industries. Although some ended in Berlin it is estimated that over 50,000 people made Paris their home.
This book was hard to get into I had to drop it many times and recoup in order to keep going. They author throws names of people I barely knew about and a period long forgotten. But interesting was how the exiled managed to earn their living and come to terms with their reduced circumstances. The book focuses on several individuals and their story are sad. Not easy to be chased from your country and see your life the ways you always lived it ending.
Although I didn’t know much about the subject matter apart from the obvious Romanovs, Rasputin, Stalin and a few others like Coco Chanel now I can say I have a little bit more knowledge. If I can only remember all those Russian names...
“After the Romanovs” is meticulously researched and written with tremendous details. It places emphasis on the period following the Russian revolution and the White Russians who fled to Paris.
On a side not: Russian aristocrats lived a life of opulence built on oppression of many...not surprising the uprising....
Thank you, St-Martin Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.
February 27, 2022
Rappaport’s latest book on the Russian emigration after the Bolshevik overthrow is both timely and relevant. Rappaport weaves a seamless story of Russian Parisian life before the takeover and contrasts that with the horrifying aftermath. She describes the harsh realities faced by emigrants and refugees, which, unfortunately, rings true today with the refugee crises we see around the world.
Rappaport begins her book with a great glossary of historical figures she mentions throughout the book—there are a lot of them! It would have been interesting to have photographs throughout the book. Perhaps the final copy will have images. Rappaport proceeds to describe the atmosphere in Paris prior to the Bolshevik revolution, all the glamour and the glitz. She highlights the Romanovs, the intelligentsia, and the artists.
After the takeover, many of the remaining Romanov family members fled, along with White Army members, and the members of the artistic community. Paris offered sanctuary to many of the displaced Russians. Rappaport describes what the Russian people faced in Paris and how they coped with the loss of their home and their finances. Some caved to poverty and depression, and others rose up and created income from sewing or taxi driving.
Much of the book takes place during the 1920s, but it does continue through WWII. I found it noteworthy how the Russian émigrés faced more and more discrimination as WWII loomed. My favorite part of the book was the story of Mother Maria in Chapter 12 and how she met the needs of the impoverished Russian community. Her selflessness was truly inspiring.
Rappaport writes with a historian’s eye for details and a storyteller’s knack for captivating an audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC.
Rappaport begins her book with a great glossary of historical figures she mentions throughout the book—there are a lot of them! It would have been interesting to have photographs throughout the book. Perhaps the final copy will have images. Rappaport proceeds to describe the atmosphere in Paris prior to the Bolshevik revolution, all the glamour and the glitz. She highlights the Romanovs, the intelligentsia, and the artists.
After the takeover, many of the remaining Romanov family members fled, along with White Army members, and the members of the artistic community. Paris offered sanctuary to many of the displaced Russians. Rappaport describes what the Russian people faced in Paris and how they coped with the loss of their home and their finances. Some caved to poverty and depression, and others rose up and created income from sewing or taxi driving.
Much of the book takes place during the 1920s, but it does continue through WWII. I found it noteworthy how the Russian émigrés faced more and more discrimination as WWII loomed. My favorite part of the book was the story of Mother Maria in Chapter 12 and how she met the needs of the impoverished Russian community. Her selflessness was truly inspiring.
Rappaport writes with a historian’s eye for details and a storyteller’s knack for captivating an audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC.
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