Fast Women, Slow Ships, and a Gothic Castle: The Enigmatic World of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich

By Greg King

As much as any Romanov, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich remains a bit of an enigma.  He was a man of immense appetites, both gastronomic and carnal, with a reputation as a wayward and incompetent naval administrator.  Millions of rubles from the state budget, it was said, disappeared into his pocket, funding his lavish style of life which included jewels showered upon his mistresses.  Yet he was also a man of great sentiment, denied the right to marry the woman he truly loved.  And he was also deeply reflective and thoughtful, someone who, as he neared the end of his life, regretted the lost opportunities and wasted moments.  His most visible and lasting legacy, though, is a strange, ornate palace in St. Petersburg.  Protected by an intricate wrought-iron fence, crowned with steep roofs and spouting towers, this is perhaps the most peculiar of all Grand Ducal residences in the former Imperial capital, a rather gloomy structure where Dracula himself might feel at home.