The Home of the Last Tsar - Romanov and Russian History

List of Imperial Jewels found hidden in 1933 in Tobolsk

During their imprisonment in Tobolsk, Empress Alexandra managed to have many of the family's most valuable jewels smuggled out by the family valet Chemodurov, who gave them to the mother superior of the Tobolsk Ivanovski Monastary. Shortly before the Mother Superior died, she gave them to her assistant, the nun Marfa Uzhintseva, who hid them in the convent. In the mid 1920's, the nuns were evicted from the convent by the government. Uzhintseva gave the jewels to a trusted acquaintance, Vasily Michaelovich Kornilov, who then hid them. In October 1933, she confessed under interrogation to the Tobolsk authorities, and revealed Kornilov's name to them. The Soviets then interrogated Kornilov, who showed them where they were. The amazing truth of this story was kept Top Secret in the Russian Counter-Intelligence files until 1996.

This list will be of interest to those who are interested in the life of the Imperial family in capivity and their ultimate fate. They represent a small but critical fraction of the possessions of the family in exile. The true story was well hidden, until the fall of Communism in Russia and published in 1996. Our thanks to Rob Moshein for transcribing the list as printed in "The Last Act of a Tragedy" by V.V. Aleskeyev, Yekaterinburg, 1996. ISBN 5-7691-0394-9; 5-7691-0597-6.

This information is for educational purposes only and is protected by copyright belonging to V.V. Alekseyev and the Interregional Fund "Russian Heritage" 1996. It may not be reproduced or used commercially for any purpose without prior written approval of the copyright holders.

 

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List of Imperial Valuables Found in Tobolsk, 1933:
"On November 20, 1933, we the undersigned appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, evaluated the valuables below, shown to us in the presence of ECD PR officials Maksevich and Borodin, whereupon it was found:

ItemQuantity (when more than one)Value
1. Diamond brooch 100 carats1,200,000
2. Diamond crescent with 5 big diamonds up to 70 carats310,000
3. Diamond hairpins, 2, 36 carats each700,000
4. Diamond pin 44 carats700,000
5. Diamond necklace with pearls and ruby pendants50,000
6. Tsar's diamond emblem with big diamonds 8 carats22,000
7. Diamond pins for headdress, 27,000
8. Diamond brooches - bows, 26,000
9. Diamond brooch with a pearl twig8,000
10. Hairpins with diamonds and pearls, 220,000
11. Diamond diadem with big middle diamond of 8 carats and others of small size25,000
12. Diamond diadem with pearls25,000
13. " " with kuntzite stones2,000
14. " " with almandin stones5,000
15. " " with turquoise7,500
16. Diamond hairpin1,000
17. Diamond medals, 5 25,000
18. " panagia, 24,000
19. " "23,000
20. Pendant with diamonds and double gems9,500
21. Brooch with diamonds1,500
22. Gold chain with emeralds3,000
23. " with pearls2,500
24. " with pearls and small trinkets1,500
25. Pendant " with medals, roses and pearls1,500
26. Gold chain with small turquoise and trinkets120
27. Twisted chain with petals of pure gold and diamonds150
28. Gold chain with emerald dross, pearls and diamonds250
29. Gold chain with amethyst cabochon and pendants150
30. " " with small medals and pendants200
31. " " with big pearl, turquoise and trinkets150
32. Lady's waistband with amethyst and moonstone100
33. Lady's enamel watch with gold colored chain50
34. Lady's watch with engraved monogram [cyrillic] "T.N."50
35. Gold necklace with little bells50
36. " " with pearls, open work150
37. " " of aquamarine, with diamonds and pearls2,500
38. Pendant with diamond portrait and small pearl chain2,500
39. " " with a diamond of 5 carats, amethyst and pearl weave6,000
40. Brooch with a diamond and a beryl2,000
41. Necklace with small diamonds and amethyst1,200
42. Bracelet with diamonds and amethyst800
43. Pendant with chain of diamonds and kuntzite stone600
44. " with platinum chain with shorls [sic] and chrysophases150
45. Diamond band600
46. Pendant with gold chain and 4 small hanging balls200
47. Cross with pearls and emeralds100
48. Pendant with hanging cross and mounted gems700
49. Pendants with platinum chains, 9900
50. Brooch in form of twigs studded with diamonds and aquamarine800
51. Hairpins with small diamonds, 41000
52. Watch in bracelet with diamonds, rusty200
53. Pin in form of anchor with diamonds300
54, Pendant with moonstone80
55. " studded with diamonds and aquamarine100
56. " with a small diamond and aquamarine120
57. Pendant - globe with shorls [sic], with diamonds130
58. Aquamarine trinket40
59. Studs with moonstone, 330
60. Small trinket with agate20
61. " lily of the valley with moonstone15
62. " studded with diamonds80
63. " and an ametheyst [sic]60
64. Studs with diamonds, 270
65. Platinum trinket with date 191220
66 Cross with aquamarine40
67. National brooches, 420
68. Brooches - fascist symbol5
69. " medal shaped15
70. Trinket - fascist symbol2
71. " with monogram "T", 210
72. " " [cyrillic] "A.F"5
73. Silver " with monograms, 35
74. Various pins, 36
75. Trinket with roses and rubies30
76. Red medical crosses, 25
77. Gold pencil with pearl15
78. Trinket with a monogram and a sapphire10
79. Gold coin of 7 rubles, 50 kopecks7.50
80. Gold cross with alexandrite5
81. Gold trinkets, 210
82. Pendant with emerald bas-relief of woman, with diamonds7,000
83. Pearl pinhead studded with diamonds2,000
84. Pearl pendants, 33,600 
85. Brooch of gems with diamonds2,000
86. " with gem of golden rock crystal studded with diamonds2,000
87. " acquamarine studded with diamonds and roses800
88. " round, of aquamarine and studded with uncut diamonds800
89. Pendant of colourless amethyst with diamonds700
90. Aquamarine brooch inside rim with small diamonds200
91. " of aquamarine, triangle with diamonds300
92. " with emerald, ellipsoid, studded with diamonds300
93. " of agate with small diamonds100
94. " citrine, studded with diamonds120
95. " of amethyst with diamonds and two pearls250
96. " with colourless amethyst and studded with diamonds200
97. " of beryl with diamonds150
98. " with colourless amethyst with diamonds in form of marquise400
99. " with a moonstone in form of a heart with small diamonds175
100. Pendant from small pearls700
101. Brooch with small emeralds and diamonds500
102. Amethyst brooches studded with diamonds, 2300
103. Brooch with small aquamarine of ellipsoid form with diamonds75
104. " with rubies, square and diamonds250
105. " with three small crowns with sapphire and garnets120
106. " with four moonstones and studded with diamonds75
107. Quadrangular brooch with an inner small crown with pearls and small diamonds60
108. " with two small clasps with amethyst and studded with diamonds45
109. " in form of cross with almadin gems and studded with diamonds85
110. " agate studded with small roses40
111. " of sapphire, 230
112. " round, enameled with small pearls and studded with diamonds60
113. " shorl20
114 " with oblong aquamarine and roses120
115. " with three pendants - carnelian, garnet and amethyst60
116. " with image of flag3
117. Pendant with sapphires, diamonds and uncut diamonds175
118. Brooch with a round aquamarine300
119. Cut blue aquamarine, ellipsoid300
120. Pendant of aquamarine in form of pear, studded with diamonds180
121. Chain bracelet with three rubies and diamonds2,500
122. Platinum bracelet with three aquamarines in form of heart and 2 kuntzite stones and small pearls250
123. Bracelet with small emeralds cabochon, one pearl and studded with diamonds50
124. " with four aquamarines35
125. " with turquoise and studded with diamonds50
126. " with agate30
127. " with amethyst55
128. " with two rubies250
129. " with gold, ordinary form, 220
130. " gold, engraved "Alexandra" studded with uncut diamonds500
131. " Chain bracelet with trinket 191410
132. Bracelet, ordinary, iron, 2-
133. Gold locket5
134. [illegible] with emeralds and studded with diamonds, one of them is platinum, 2750
135. " with diamond and rubies500
136. " with ruby500
137. " with aquamarine and small uncut diamonds50
138. " with two sapphires and diamond75
139. " with agate and small uncut diamonds20
140. " with diamond150
141. Waistband from small pearls with 11 big rubies, studded with diamonds and rubies75,000
142. Silver panagia with gold chain200
143. Silver " with gold chain and gems300
144. Silver panagia with gems100
145. Mother of pearl " with silver chain50
146. Silver " with pearls150
147. Silver "25
148. Crosses " with gems, 3450
149. " ", 180
150. " "75
151. Mother of pearl "25
152. Silver " with pearls180
153. A gold chain with Father Superior's Cross100
154. Small silver icons, 5-

TOTAL according to our expert's appraisal 3, 270, 693 rubles, 50 k
Signed by Appraisers Zverev and Borovskikh, Officials ECD 8th Department. Urals OGPU Operations Plenipotentiary Maksevitch and Borodin.
[Note: the addition is incorrect in the total in the original document, the actual total is 3, 270,793 rubles 50 k.]

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