Alexander III., With Xenia, Olga, the Tsarevich Nikolaj, Georg, Michael and the Tsarina Marie 1886

This photograph, taken in 1886 by renowned photographer Felix Nadar, depicts the Russian Imperial family. The Tsar Alexander III stands at the top of the staircase, flanked by his wife Maria Feodorovna, his children, Xenia, Olga, and the Tsarevich Nikolaj, and other figures. Nadar, known for his portraiture and photojournalism, captures the family in a candid moment, highlighting the grandeur and formality of the imperial court. The composition emphasizes the family’s position of power, with the stairs leading up to the Tsar, symbolic of his authority. The image offers a glimpse into the personal lives of the Romanovs, a family whose fate would be tragically intertwined with the tumultuous events of the 20th century.