Our online exhibition Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna, beloved sister of Peter the Great commemorates the 350th birth anniversary of the elder daughter of Tsar Alexs from his second wife and is available till 31 December 2023.
For our museum's first exhibition project held in a complete digital space we have gathered all the surviving portraits of Natalia Alexeevna from nine museums in Russia, as well as some biography facts about her based mostly on nineteenth-century publications. Born on 1 September 1673 into the family of Tsar Alexis (Alexei Mikhailovich) of Russia and his second wife Natalia Naryshkina, she was one year junior to her brother Peter (the Great). Natalia Alexeevna supported his ideas and Western reforms and often accompanied him on his trips.
Tsarevna Natalia supported charitable projects, which was uncommon in the early eighteenth century. She founded the first hospital in St Petersburg, as well as the first Russian theatre in Moscow and then in St Petersburg. She was a playwright and author of several plays serving her brother's reforms. Natalia died at 42 of stomach problems in 1716 and was buried at Lazarevskoe (St Lazarus) Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (monastery) in downtown St Petersburg.
Besides paintings from Tsarskoe Selo, the online exhibition showcases works from the collections of the Alexander Pushkin Museum (StP), Russian Museum (StP), State Historical Museum (Moscow), Peterhof (StP), History of St Petersburg Museum, Vladimir and Suzdal' Museum (Vladimir), Dmitrov Kremlin Museum (Dmitrov), Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) and State Hermitage Museum (StP).
The online exhibition consists of two parts:
Part 1: Life and Deeds of Natalia Alexeevna (1673–1716)
• Childhood
Images:
(1) Tsar Alexis of Russia and Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna. Print of 1900 from the book 'The History of the Life-Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment [1683-1900]'
(2) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna, Sister of Peter I, with Portraits of Peter I, Tsarina Catherine I, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich Peter Petrovinch and Tsarevich Peter Alexeevich. Oil on canvas by an unknown artist, 1st half 18th c. Russian Museum
• Relationship with Her Brother
Images:
(1) Portrait of Peter I. Oil on canvas of 1715 by Ivan Nikitin. Tsarskoe Selo Collection
(2) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Oil on canvas by Leontiy Miropolsky, last quarter 18th c. Vladimir and Suzdal' Museum
• Move to St Petersburg (1708)
Images:
(1) Plan of St Petersburg in 1705
(2) Chambers of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna in St Petersburg. Etching on paper by A. Zubov, 1716-17. State Hermitage Museum
(3) Plan of the Capital City of St Petersburg. Print of 1851. History of St Petersburg Museum
(4) Church of the Icon of the Mother of God 'Joy of all who Sorrow' at Shpalernaya Street and Voskresensky Prospekt (where Natalia Alexeevna's palace and chapel used to be). Etching on paper by S. Galaktionov, 1818. History of St Petersburg Museum
(5) The Mother of God 'Joy of all who Sorrow'. Lithograph of 1862 showing Natalia Alexeevna's lost icon
(6) Icon of the Mother of God 'Joy of all who Sorrow'. Reproduction of Natalia Alexeevna's lost icon, 18th c. Transfiguration Cathedral of St Petersburg
• Charity projects
• Theatre projects
• Death
Part 2: Portraits of Natalia Alexeevna
Images:
(1) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Oil on canvas by an unknown artist, 1st half 18th c. Russian Museum
(2) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna, Sister of Peter I. Oil on canvas by Ivan Nikitin, pre-1716. Russian Museum
(3) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Oil on canvas by Ivan Nikitin, 1714-15. Tretyakov Gallery
(4) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Oil on canvas by an unknown artist, 1st half 18th c.Tsarskoe Selo Collection
(5) Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Oil on canvas and wood by an unknown artist, late 18th c. Dmitrov Kremlin Museum
(6) Miniature Portrait of Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Painting and gold painting on enamel by G. Musikiysky, 1715. State Historical Museum
(7) Miniature Portrait of (possibly) Tsarevna Natalia Alexeevna. Painting and gold painting on enamel (possibly) by G. Musikiysky, 1720-25. Photo of 2023 by V. Korolyov. Peterhof
(8) Natalia Alexeevna, Daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Watercolour and lithograph on paper by Piotr Borel after Ivan Nikitin, 1853. History of St Petersburg Museum
(9) Natalia Alexeevna, Daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Lithograph on paper by Piotr Borel after Ivan Nikitin, 1853. Alexander Pushkin Museum