Costumes – a gift between two countries

While researching one weekend, I came across a small news item from 1898:

I immediately launched a new browser tab to see what I could find out. The story behind the gift became fascinating to me. Emails to fashion educators I followed on Instagram ensued and provided a couple of leads but they ran cold after a couple of months.

Today, I reconnected with the material and started again to piece together a picture of early Russia – Bulgaria relations – royalty, theatrical history and establishments in the two nations of 1898.

Here’s what I’ve learnt so far:

• in 1898, the Bulgarian News Agency was established and the first outlet I’ve enquired for more information.
• Tsar Nicolas II, Emperor of All Russia during this period, had a love of theatre and culture. As a young boy, Nicolas attended graduation performances of the Imperial Ballet School in St Peterburg with his parents. As a young man, Nicolas would become enamoured with one of the most famous of ballerinas, Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya, and begin a long affair. The relationship ended when Nicolas was to marry. At which time, Mathilde was ‘handed over’ to the Tsar’s first cousin Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich to be looked after.
• One of the key theatres in Moscow is the exceptional Bolshoi Theatre. The fine folk of Google Arts&Culture in partnership with Bolshoi have developed a fine online exhibition of vintage photographs of the theatre group. Some costumes in these photographs may well have been part of the gift to Bulgaria. The theatre scenery caught in these photographs is breath taking. The theatre has a museum which may also provide further information.
• One fact that may hint to the reason behind the gift was the formation of the first opera company in Bulgaria in the following year, 1890. Was the fact that, after past decades of conflict between the two nations, and since Nicolas II taking reign had allowed better relations to take form, the gift held diplomatic purpose?
• Dr Murray Frame from University of Dundee put me on to the Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum in Moscow. The museum was founded in 1894; this lead may prove fruitful.

Update: 18 Oct 2020 —

I received a response from the Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum in Moscow. Unfortunately, their records show no evidence of the event, suggesting that given the lack of cultural connections between Russia and Bulgaria at that time, it is questionable if the gifting actually took place.

I returned to newspaper sources to find clues to shed any further light. It appears true that, relations were at best delicate. A foreign correspondent’s use of language in Melbourne’s The Age on 6 April 1896 is telling: “Russia has already used in an effective way the new friendship which she has with such hesitation permitted Bulgaria to establish with her.”

Two days later, a foreign correspondent for London’s The Standard on 8 April 1896 reported a convention held in Bucharest between Russia and Bulgaria declaring rights of passage and commerce to Russia:

…a Military Convention has been concluded between Russia and Bulgaria, according to which the ports of Varna and Burgas would in certain cases be placed at Russia’s disposal..

The writer went on further to cast doubt on such a convention occurring; that whatever Russia wanted, she didn’t need prior discussion with Bulgaria:

There can be no doubt that Prince Ferdinand and his Ministers will adopt any course of action that is demanded by Russia. I will venture to assert that they will grant Russia even more than could be settled in a such a Convention.

But there was more. Following the convention, Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria was scheduled to visit St Petersburg:

During Prince Ferdinand’s stay in the Russian capital, a new Russo-Bulgarian Treaty of Commerce, now in process of being drawn up, will also come under discussion… the Bulgarian Trade now in the hands of the Austrians, Germans and English will very shortly have reverted entirely to Russia.

To be continued…