JORDANVILLE, NY: March 25, 2019
"The Last Days of the Last Tsar" exhibit tended to May 17

There are many museums in Central NY. Among the most interesting is the Russian History Museum located on the grounds of the historic Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. Who knew there was a museum in Jordanville?

The Russian History Museum is professionally designed and equal to any museum in Utica, Cooperstown, Albany, or New York City. Most importantly, it is currently displaying the first ever exhibition in North America dedicated exclusively to the final months of Tsar Nicholas II, along with his family and attendants. The exhibition, "Last Days of the Last Tsar" commemorates the 100th anniversary of the tragic death of these individuals.

It opens with Tsar Nicholas’s coronation, then goes on to portray the imperial family during World War I, under house arrest after the Tsar’s abdication from the throne, their life in exile in Siberia, and the brutal murder of Tsar Nicholas and those whom he most cared about by their Bolshevik captors. The exhibit concludes with the century-long investigation of the Imperial Family’s death and the search for their remains.

Michael Perekrestov, Executive Director of the Russian History Museum, holds degrees in Museum Studies and Library & Information Science from Syracuse University. Through the years, his family has had a deep connection to Holy Trinity Monastery and the Jordanville area. Perekrestov, with a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, organized the "Last Days of the Last Tsar" and arranged for the display of objects from a dozen private collections.

"One of the best kept secrets of the monastery is that we have a museum and we want to share it with as many people as possible. The centenary of the Imperial Family’s death provided an opportunity to show some of the most historically significant objects in our collection," said Perekrestov. "We collaborate with other museums, both in the US and abroad. Over the past year we have sent artefacts for display in Washington, DC, Frankfurt, and Moscow. Right now, twenty-four of our objects are exhibited at the Science Museum, one of the most popular museums in London. But we also really want to get more visitors from our local community to visit our museum, which is unknown to many people living in this area."

The Russian History Museum’s display cases contain objects that belonged to Tsar Nicholas and his family, many of them recovered during the investigation of their death.

Photographs, documents, and artefacts (including pieces by court jeweler Faberge) tell the story of the Royal Family’s journey from the opulence of the Russian imperial court to arrest, exile, and death. Many objects are displayed for the first time.

The "Last Days of the Last Tsar" exhibition has been extended, and will be on view until May 17, 2019.

The museum is located at 1407 Robinson Road in Jordanville. It is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1-6 PM, Friday 1-5 PM, and Saturday & Sunday 1-4 PM. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Parking is available in the main lot of Holy Trinity Monastery. Go see the exhibition! You will come away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Russian Revolution in world history. Having all these artifacts together in one place and so near to where you live makes it truly a "must-see."

The museum’s official website is www.russianhistoryfoundation.org; its Facebook page is www.facebook.com/russianhistoryfoundation.

Bruce Watson
eadiocese.org