Treasures lost during WWII returned to Russia’s Tsarskoye Selo

Considered lost during World War II, art pieces have been returned to the Tsarskoye Selo imperial residence in the St. Petersburg suburbs.

1) Two paintings from the collection of Alexander II: ‘Sappers of the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion digging earthworks’ and ‘The Departure of Her Majesty’s Cavalry Regiment, stopped near the camp’ by German artist Karl Friedrich Schultz.

Courtesy of Tsarskoye Selo

2) A photo album in English called ‘The Russian Campaign. March to August 1915’, which belonged to Tsesarevich Alexei and was kept in Tsarskoye Selo’s Alexander Palace. It contains 168 photographs taken by British photographer George Mewes during the Russian campaign of World War I.

Courtesy of Tsarskoye Selo

3) A plate from the famous ‘Raphael’ porcelain set, created in 1903 especially for the Tsarskoye Selo imperial residence.

Courtesy of Tsarskoye Selo

Art patron and philanthropist Mikhail Karisalov purchased all the rarities at foreign auctions and donated them to the Tsarskoye Selo museum-reserve.

Read more: 10 facts about Tsarskoye Selo, the Imperial country residence (PHOTOS)

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