The World of Russian Language and Culture: Ball a’la Russe, or Swan song of Russian aristocracy

… Natasha looked in the mirrors and in the reflection could not discern herself from others. Everything got mixed up into a single shiny procession …
L. N. Tolstoy “War and piece”

The true shine of the balls of the Russian aristocratic society is now in distant past. Truly, a ball is not just a festive dance event. It is a special social act, where aristocrats were taught how to behave from a very young age.

1913

Russian aristocracy… Almost a hundred years ago, without their motherland, they began to disappear from society. But why? Many of them were cosmopolitan and despised everything Russian. They had spent most of their time in Western Europe. It was considered bad taste to speak with each other in Russian. They even had their laundry shipped to Paris for washing. It is strange… Like cut flowers in a vase, they began to fade without their land, without their roots. However, traits acquired since childhood, such as independence, nobleness, honor, sense of duty, all of them based on dignity helped many of them to retain their face in any situation.

“Some are gone, and others are far away…” The balls in the Russian Empire have sounded off. Russian aristocracy has beautifully gone away into history, leaving behind much mysterious and unsaid. This is why we turn to our history again and again. So, what is so attractive in Russian aristocracy? Extravagance of luxury? Standard of elegance and refined taste? Inner aristocratism, which cannot be purchased for any money? They can be hated, they can be admired. But we can never be like them. Maybe it is only for the better?

1924, Paris, Vanodme square…

A winter ball at the Ritz hotel. A couple of Russian aristocratic females run along the corridors. But not in ball dresses. Loaded with a pile of clothes, they are late for their first show of clothes models among famous fashion houses. In the morning after the ball the founders of this small Russian studio learnt much interesting from the French press: “Originality, elegance of taste, thorough design and artistic vision of color have placed this modest studio along with the largest fashion houses ”. An adventure, based on desperation and pride, has brought success. The following people worked on the collection, which was presented at the ball: duke Nikita Romanov, Maria Vorontzova-Dashkova, duchess Elena Trubetzkaya, duchesses Obolenski, Salomiya and Nina.

Irina Romanova-Yusupova

Irina Romanova, a niece of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II and prince Felix Yusupov named their fashion house unusually, as a combination of the first letters of their names.

Irina Romanova-Yusupova. 1925

By the way, Irina herself, along with a few of her friends-aristocrats demonstrated dresses at the ball at the hotel Ritz. Felix Yusupov’s wife was a model in her own fashion house and was recognized as one of the most beautiful women of her time.

“… The masters are almost all Russian… We don’t know much about sewing, but the business is thriving … We has clients of all nationalities… They came out of curiosity and for exotics… “

1925, Paris, Dufo street, 19…

- Good day, madam! How can I help you?
- Hi! Not madam, but … Mademoiselle! There!
- As you wish, sudarynia!
- Su-da-ry-nia? I like that a lot. Call me so. Bring me some Russian vodka. I want to see the price! I have business with him.
- He is here!
-… Good job! I like you. I want to set up a ball Russian style in my new castle in France. I got bored in America. I’ve never been to either a ball or to Russia. But, I did see a film about you. Prince! You will set up that ball for me and will invite all sorts of aristocrats like you, and people of arts. I understand nothing about arts, but I do but their paintings, and I do go to the theatre sometimes, though I fall asleep there frequently. I also want you to make me a ball dress and a golden kokoshnik with jewelry. You do understand about those things, don’t you? I want everything to be the way it was before, in Russia. Deal?
- That is a complicated problem you have for me… But, I will be most happy to solve it! You will be a true queen of a ball a’la Russe. Prince’s word!
- Who would have doubted! So, where is my vodka?…

Yes… Now the past seemed to the Prince like a wonderful dream, and Russia – a fairytale land. Some twenty years ago the world was at his feet. He was even born after a ball. “The entire night before, I was told, my mother danced at the Winter Palace. So, they said, the child would be joyous and inclined to dance.” The balls, set-up by his family, attracted the entire Saint Petersburg. “Even the czar and the czarina came to our balls, which were no worse than the ones at the Palace.”

1903, Saint-Petersburg, the Winter Palace …

- So, is this a court ball or some ancient mascarade? Were there balls before Peter I?
- There were no balls before Peter, of course. Indeed… many remembered his assemblies for a long time. But such mascarades in Russian style are not new. Mom told me that the Great Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich and Maria Pavlovna already did something like this in 1883.
- No doubt! And the Sheremetyevs set up a ball like this about 10 years ago.

Zinaida and Felix Yusupov

- These days it is difficult to invent something new.
- Do you remember the emerald ball in 1888 here, in the Winter Palace? Everyone wore green … - Of course I remember! And a year later, the black ball at the Annichkov Palace? We were warned only 4 days before. What a stir!
- The empress Maria Fedorovna was the one making all those colored balls …
- Although let me point out that there were white balls for young girls and pink balls for newlyweds before her as well.

Felix Yusupov

- These days the balls are not what they were… Do you remember Alexander III’s home balls at the Annichkov Palace?
- Yes, we came to those a couple of times. Such chamber balls were started by Catherine the Great.
- And children’s balls? I was at the first children’s ball at the Noble Society in 1851. It was set-up for the sons of the Great Prince Alexander Nikolaevich – the princes Nikolai Alexandrovich and Alexander Alexandrovich. What a great ball it was!
- I was at a children’s ball first in February 1853 …

- There are very few balls these days, very few …
- The happy times are over …
- I remember Nicholas II, before he became emperor, was considered a good dancer. And the princess of Gessen, Alexandra Fedorovna, liked to dance. And now they only come out to polonaise.
- So, what is today, polonaise, mazurka, and waltz? Or roundelay?
- They say, everything: Russian dance, roundelay, polonaise, mazurka, and waltz. It will be interesting to watch this event.
- Even the emperor and the empress will be wearing the attires of the czar Alexei Mikhailovich and the czarina Maria Ilyinichna …

Alix and Nicky in Russian dress

- It was so difficult to choose and attire for this ball! My head has been spinning for several months now …
- Madame, you look great in this dress of a noblewoman!
- Thank you, countess! My tailors spent almost a month looking for an attire for me in the archives of the Emperor’s academy of arts. Your Russian sarafan is also wonderful! And what a beautiful kokoshnik!
- But wearing this kokoshnik is simply a torture … These vintage rims with semi-precious stones! I cannot imagine how our ancestors wore them!
- Have you heard there will be Russian dance at the ball? And even princesses Elizaveta Fedorovna and Zinaida Nikolaevna will be soloing. And then we will all dance the roundelay… Where is the Russian aristocracy going?

Ah, those nice ball conversations …
But the court ball of 1903 was truly great! Indeed! The dates were quite impressive: 200 years of Saint Petersburg and 290 years of the Romanov House. The ball organizers’ task was quite challenging. It is well known that Saint Petersburg is not quite a Russian city. And the Russian aristocrats had long ago become cosmopolitan. But it was necessary to revive a uniting national idea through ancient traditions. Hence the decision to set-up a costume ball in Russian attires.

The festivities were divided into three days with a small break.

On 11 February in the Large (Nikolaevskiy) Hall of the Winter Palace the emperor’s family was greeted with the “Russian bow”. Someone was joking that the Yusupovs know the Russian bow the best. Indeed, it was through the Tartars that the Russian borrowed the face downwards bow from the Chinese. Such bow was a part of court rituals until the XVI century. Then, the “belt” bow became popular, as a sign of respect. In high life, aristocracy did not practice this bow, except on very special occasions. But, that day, the entire Russian noble society belt-bowed to the Romanov family.

Then there was a concert in the Hermitage theatre, with Fedor Shaliapin and Anna Pavlova – a pride of the Russian culture for all times.

After the concert there was a Russian dance at the Pavilion Hall. And then everyone was invited to the czar supper, which took place in the Spanish, Italian and Flemish Halls of the Hermitage.

The evening finished in the Pavilion Hall with dances, that were traditional for a high life ball: the opening polonaise (a very important Polish dance-procession), waltz (by the way, it used to be performed two-tact, unlike the present day three-tact), mazurka (another Polish dance-improvisation with a manager), and completed by a cotillion (a most spontaneous French dance-game). “Small dances” not accounted for.

13 February … On that day, the costume ball proper took place. “… “The entire” Saint Petersburg dances at the Winter Palace. … It was the last major court ball in the history of the empire. … Ksenia wore the attire of a boyarinia, richly sewed, shining with jewels, which looked great on her. I wore the dress of a falconer, which consisted of a white caftan with gold and with falcons sewed on the chest and on the back, a pink silk shirt, blue pants and yellow morocco boots. The other guests followed their own fantasy and taste, remaining, however, in the constraints of the XVII century. … Alike looked amazing, but the emperor was not tall enough for his luxurious attire. At the ball there was a competition for primacy between the grand duchess Elizaveta Feforovna (Ella) and duchess Zinaida Yusupova… The ball was a huge success and was repeated in all detail a week later in the home of the rchest count A. D.Sheremetev.” This is how the grand prince Alexandr Mikhailovich described his impression of that ball.

Serov V. Zinaida Yusupova

The concert hall; behind some gold-plated bars at the podium there is a court orchestra wearing the attires of the troubadours of the czar Alexei Mikhailovich.

The ball started with the Russian dance and roundelay. In the former, duchess Zinaida Yusupova was soloing. “Mother was naturally gifted with the ability for dance and drama. She danced and played no worse than the actresses. At the palace, at the ball, where the guests were wearing XVII century nobility attire, the emperor asked her to dance the Russian. She went, without rehearsing, but she dances so beautifully that the musicians had no problem playing along. She was called back 5 times”.

14 February … For those, who were still not tired of the balls, the count Alexandr Dmitrivich Sheremetiev set-up another yet another ball. Many people came in the same old-Russian XVII century attires.

1903

The prince kept his word. The ball a’la Russe took place at a French castle of the American sudarynia. There were even some of the people, who had been at the last court ball of the Russian Empire.

The Russian fashion house of Irina Romanova and Felix Yusupov was open until 1931. A luxurious aristocratic style was gradually falling out of popularity. However, in the same time, they opened branches in the fashionable and expensive resort of Le-Tuke-Paris-Beach, then in Berlin and London.

In 1926 the Yusupov fashion house released three aromas: for the blonde, the brunette, and the read-haired. The princess and the prince took part in the creation of the aromas. The fate was more favorable towards the perfume line of this Russian fashion house – they sold in Europe until the late 1970-s.

In the XXI century the princess and the prince’s creation came back to life. But this time it was something completely different…

The past cannot be brought back. Anyone, who has played his role, will sooner or later leave the stage. Time to shown that the game of “Russian-ness”, played by aristocrats-cosmopolitans turned out to be painfully true, even though it was conceived as yet another form of entertainment. Such historical balls first appeared during the reign of Alexander III. Having tried the XVII century court attires, sewed with golden threads, decorated with jewels, and trimmed with expensive furs, the Russian nobility was getting rid of everything imaginary and was opening its nature.

Remember Tolstoy: “Natasha took off the shawl that she had been wearing, ran in front of her uncle and, having put her hands on her hips, moved her shoulders and stood still. Where, how, and when did this countess, raised by a French émigré, absorb these movements from the Russian air that she was breathing? But, as soon as she stood still smiling – cheerfully, solemnly, and proudly – and moved her shoulder, the first fear that Nikolai and everyone present felt, the fear that she will do something wrong, that fear was gone and they were admiring her. She did it so perfectly that Anisia Fedorovna, who immediately handed the countess a necessary shawl, wept, looking at this thin and gracious girl, so strange to Anisia in silk and velvet. The countess managed to understand everything that was in Anisia, and in Anisia’s father, aunt, mother, and any other Russian person …”

Any court ball in the Russian Empire was a vanity fair, of sorts, with everyone trying to show themselves off in fall beauty. This is especially true of historical balls. Therefore, people always tried to save the memory of such events. Paintings, photographs, fans. Sometimes men and women would exchange small gifts commemorating the festivities. This is why today we can look into the past.

It is difficult to tell, say, literature classics among our contemporaries. It is equally impossible to tell which ball will be remembered in history. And it is not about dates, which mark special occasions. Any deed with a piece of soul in it will be remembered by our descendants. The last major ball of the Russian Empire remained in the history of culture forever. It was a swan song of the Russian aristocracy in the Russian Empire.

And then? But that was a completely different story…

“Sometimes I come out to the balcony of my Pierre-Geren home and feel as if in the Otelee suburban quiet I am hearing an echo of the past in the distant Paris noise…
Will I ever see Russia? …”
Prince Felix Yusupov