Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna: An Imperial Deësis Triptych Icon Gilt Silver Pendant Commemorating the Miracle at Borki Khlebnikov, Moscow, circa 1888-1889 1 x 3-1/8 inches (2.5 x 7.9 cm) 32 grams (gross) PROVENANCE: Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia; Prince Nikita Nikitich Romanoff; Princess Nikita [Janet] Romanoff; Private Collection, New York, a gift from the above. On October 29 (October 17th, Old Style), 1888, the Imperial train was traveling from the Crimea to Saint Petersburg. The train was later reported by Count Sergei Witte to have been operating in excess of the contemporary safety standards; railway laws of the period restricted commercial trains to 42 axles, yet the Imperial train was carrying 15 carriages and 64 axels, more common for freight trains. In addition, the train was pulled by two steam engines which created excessive vibration. Outside of the town of Borki (today Birky, Chuhuiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine) the train derailed; Emperor Alexander III, his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna and their children were in the dining car at the time of the derailment. The Emperor moved quickly, and with what was described as superhuman strength, lifted the roof of the car long enough for his family to exit the train unharmed. 21 people were killed, and another 35 seriously wounded in this incident which became known as the "Miracle at Borki." In honor of the escape from death, icons and commemorative items were commissioned, many featuring images of St. Andrew of Crete, whose feast day falls on the 17/29 October, and whose intervention was credited for the escape of the Romanovs. A Cathedral was erected on the site of the accident. This pendant icon was commissioned by the family for distribution to survivors of the event. The offered lot was the property of Grand Duchess Xenia, who kept the icon for the remainder of her life. It left Russia with her, and and passed in direct descent within the Romanov family until it was given by Princess Nikita Romanoff to the current owner. HID03101062020 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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