The Winter Ball Of 1903

Undoubtedly a horrific event, the Russian Revolution saw the dramatic dissolution of one of Europe's longest-reigning royal families. Also, it was easily understood. The Tsar and his family had, to put it mildly, excessively extravagant lives for decades while the rest of the nation endured war, famine, and other difficulties.

The Winter Ball of 1903, which took place barely two years before the revolution of 1905, is a prime illustration of that. It was undoubtedly untimely, but it was by no means dull. The ball, which is frequently cited as one of the most lavish costume parties ever held, was intended to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. The 17th century was the theme, and it was intended to reenact Alexei Mikhailovich's heyday as Russia's second monarch.

The costumes, each of which cost over ten million dollars at the time, for the 390 members of the Russian aristocracy who were invited to the event were created by the artist Sergey Solomko with the help of historians who were only engaged to ensure that they were accurate to the time period.

Two days of celebrations were held, beginning on February 11 with opera and ballet performances at the Hermitage Theater by some of Russia's greatest performers at the time.

Following a magnificent dinner, the following day was totally dedicated to getting ready for the ball on February 13—the day of the costume party. As you might expect, it was an equally lavish occasion, as evidenced by the lavishly dressed-up members of the monarchy visible in the photographs that continue to influence set designers and painters today.