2015-07-03 The Head of the House of Romanoff and the Tsesarevich take part in the opening of the exhibit “The Romanoffs:  From St. Petersburg to St.-Briac”

The Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, and her son and heir, H.I.H. The Grand Duke George of Russia, took part in the opening ceremonies of the exhibit in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer (in the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine, France) entitled “The Romanoffs:  From St. Petersburg to Saint-Briac,” dedicated to the history of the dynasty and its life in exile in Saint-Briac (1921-2006).
The ceremony began on July 3, 2015, at 5:00 PM at the monument to Grand Duchess Maria’s grandmother, Empress-in-Exile Victoria Feodorovna (which was erected on Boulevard de la Mer in Saint-Briac and designed by the sculptor Armel Beaufils and unveiled on August 15, 1937, in the presence of the Imperial Family, the mayor of Saint-Briac, Gaston Dambreville, other dignitaries, and members of the public).
The vocal ensemble “Maurice Ravel” sang the French national anthem and the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar.”  Grand Duchess Maria of Russia and Tsesarevich George of Russia placed flowers at the monument.  Present at the ceremony were the mayor of Saint-Briac, Vincent Denby-Wilkes; the sub-prefect (sous-préfet) of the subprefecture of Avesnes, François Lobit; deputy for Ille-et-Vilaine in the National Assembly, Gilles Lurton; city council member for Saint-Lunaire, Sophie Guyon, the cultural attaché of the Russian Embassy in France, Kirill Makarov, and the organizer of the exhibit and advisor to the Head of the Russian Imperial House for International Affairs, Mr. Cyrille Boulay.
The Head of the Russian Imperial House warmly thanked the people of Saint-Briac and the organizers of the exhibit:  “Saint-Briac is a lovely part of the world, and Brittany remains for me a land of high moral values, the spirit of which gave us strength when we lived here.  From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you that you have not forgotten us.  You will always remain in our hearts.”
The exhibit featured rare artifacts from the private collection of the Imperial Family and from other private collections.  The exhibit treats a broad period in the history of the dynasty, beginning with the reign of Emperor Alexander II the Tsar-Liberator (1855-1881), from whom the senior line of the House of Romanoff descends, down to our own day.
The exhibition is located in the Couvent de La Sagesse, 1, rue de Pleurtuit, until August 30, 2015.  Hours of operation are 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  Admission is 7.5 Euros, children 12 and under are admitted free.

Photos and links to the French press coverage of the opening of the exhibit 

August 15, 1937.  The unveiling of the monument in honour of Empress-in-Exile Victoria Feodorovna.
 http://www.ouest-france.fr/inauguration-de-lexposition-romanov-ce-soir-3538085?utm_source=of_share&utm_content=20150709&vidshare=045032035054038050061053014058036039058042125049053

The Head of the House of Romanoff and the Tsesarevich placing flowers at the monument to Empress-in-Exile Victoria Feodorovna.

http://www.letelegramme.fr/bretagne/saint-briac-accueil-royal-pour-la-grande-duchesse-de-russie-06-07-2015-10694353.php?xtor=EREC-85-[PartageAmi]-20150709-[article]&utm_source=partageami-envoi&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=partageami-envoi&share_auth=fb40daadd60f40b4894a89cf4aa4ee4e

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http://www.ouest-france.fr/les-romanov-retrouvent-leurs-amis-de-saint-briac-3544715?utm_source=of_share&utm_content=20150709&vidshare=045032035054038050061053014058036039058042125049053

The Head of the House of Romanoff touring the exhibit with Cyrille Boulay, the organizer of the exhibit.

http://www.letelegramme.fr/ille-et-vilaine/saint-briac-sur-mer/exposition-maria-de-russie-remonte-le-temps-08-07-2015-10697290.php?xtor=EREC-85-[PartageAmi]-20150709-[article]&utm_source=partageami-envoi&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=partageami-envoi&share_auth=401fa740440d1307bd6a4352870a057e

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Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the great-grandmother of Grand Duchess Maria of Russia) in her living room.  

http://www.ouest-france.fr/lexposition-les-romanov-saint-briac-jusquau-6-septembre-3537058?utm_source=of_share&utm_content=20150709&vidshare=045032035054038050061053014058036039058042125049053

Grand Duchess Maria of Russia in Saint-Briac, with the sea and historic flag of Brittany in the background.  
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/ru/viewer.aspx