Alexandra was Nicholas I's favorite daughter who died in 1844, just a year after marrying the Prince of Hesse-Cassel. She was very lovely - Nicholas thought her to be the mirror of her mother - and had lived much of the year here in special rooms set aside for her by her father. Alexandra had considerable music talents as well as being a beauty. When she died her father was terribly distraught and had her bedroom turned into a chapel. The chapel was built in 1845 by Yefimov, who also installed a special Amosov heating system here.

The ikon on the left, painted in western style, represents St. Alexandra and is by Karl Brullov. It was a gift of officers of one of the Imperial guard's Regiment

Above: The memorial in the park.

Nicholas also erected a special shrine to his daughter's memory in the Alexander Park. It was located at the site of one her favorite spots on a small lake and housed a sad white marble statue of Alexandra. Alexandra's favorite swans used to meet her there and continued to greet Nicholas there when he would come to mourn his daughter's passing.

Bob Atchison