The greatest party ever thrown was in the year 1903.
In the city known as the ‘Venice of the North,’ a grand costume party was held that continues to boast no rival in its splendour and beauty.
Imagine entering a luxurious fancy-dress party, filled with extravagant dresses like Queen Amidala’s from Star Wars.
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- Star Wars costume artist Trisha Biggar was inspired by the Russian-style dresses with kokoshniks when designing the costumes of Queen Amidala [1]
But instead of plain garments, the gowns are adorned with precious stones of serpent-green, aqua-blue or pomegranate-pink and with fat diamonds decorating large head-dresses.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the last ball of Tsarist Russia!
- This black and white photo does not even give the costume ball its full credit.
When the Russian Imperial family plan a party, they don’t settle for a small masquerade. No, this family goes all out with 17th century Boyar costumes that must be dripping in priceless gems or there’s no point in coming.
Aristocrats and royals alike, paid vast sums for those costumes. For example, Tsarina Alexandra costume cost the equivalent of ten million euros today.
- Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra dressed for the 1903 ball.
- Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of Tsar Nicholas II.
All guests, man and woman, dressed in richly embroidered costumes and were covered in glistening jewels.
Can we just take a moment to admire the beauty of their costumes?
This magnificent ball was never duplicated again by the Russian Imperial family or by any other European royal family. This was definitely the last of its kind.
After the Russian Revolution, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich wrote his memoirs in a dingy, two-bedroom apartment in Paris. It was a vast contrast from his earlier lifestyle in Imperial Russia where he owned majestic palaces.
He wrote of the ball as the, “last spectacular ball in the history of the empire.”
The Grand Duke then writes, “while we danced, the workers were striking and the clouds in the Far East were hanging dangerously low.”
The Russian Imperial family and aristocrats were so blinded by their vast wealth and golden palaces that they often failed to see how the majority of the population hovered in poverty.
None who danced that night could fathom that the strikes outside palace gates would one day impact them greatly. Today in Russia, the Russian imperial family and its aristocracy no longer exists.
It’s been 116 years since the ball in 1903 and yet it remains known as the most magnificent costume ball and one that provided costume inspiration for a Star Wars film.
Image source Google
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