Alexandras confidence and safety were worn by years of threats and continual surveillance from the Russian authorities, alleged harassment from the British legal system, and, indeed, later by the cruelty and intimidation by her very husband. Alexandra Tolstoy published many books (" I worked for the Soviets", 1934; " Father. I wandered in and fell totally in love with all these amazing antiques.. I met the father of my three children, Sergei Pugachev, a banker formerly in Putins inner circle, in 2009. Tolstoy has been spending lockdown at her childhood home, posting glorious shots of herself baking cookies in a folkloric dress by Ukrainian designer Vita Kin and perched on the steps of a handpainted gypsy caravan in a dress by German label Horror Vacui, which specialises in delicate, super-feminine florals. She was given permission to leave the Soviet Union in 1929 and went to Japan in the same year. 111k Followers, 797 Following, 1,514 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from ALEXANDRA TOLSTOY (@alexandratolstoy) alexandratolstoy. One womans confidence-shaking luxury purchases are anothers treasure. We had unusual hanging space in Glebe Place - the huge windows meant there wasnt much wall space but what we did have was a big open wall and needed something on a similar scale. My mother comes from a big family of seven and they made all their own clothes, bread and yoghurt. I started the Preloved business originally with the idea of cleansing my own wardrobe, she explains. I never failed to fill one. But the eventual dramatic unravelling of their liaison was laid bare in a documentary which aired last week on BBC, The Countess and the Russian billionaire. Scroll down to see Alexandra's favourite lots. Nicknamed Putins Banker, Pugachev owned a coal mine, shipyards, designer brands and one of Russias largest private banks before a catastrophic fall from favour placed him at number 3 on the Kremlin hit list. Stephanie Linning For Mailonline
analyse how our Sites are used. The Russian authorities froze his assets, put him on Interpol's wanted list and obtained a court order in Britain forcing him to hand over his passports. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. It was definitely not an extravagant mentality, she says. Pugachev has cut off Alexandra and their children financially, she claims, and she is now auctioning her possessions with Christie's to mark the 'start of a new chapter'. Wearing Alex Gore Browne knitwear Alexandra Tolstoy As well as her own pre-loved pieces, there are also bargains from some of her fashionable friends, including Cond Nast Traveller's fashion director Martha Ward and chic interiors store owner Alex Eagle. Shortly afterwards I introduced her to Emma for decoration help with other projects globally and the relationship grew and grew. Tolstaya became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1941, abandoning the use of the title of countess. Reading Russian literature gave me a greater understanding of the Russian character. Its complete freedom. Alexandra Tolstoy and "Lucky Diamond" arrives at the fourth annual Paws for Style fundraiser hosted by Animal Fair Magazine May 1, 2003 in New York. I feel were moving to a new phase and thats exciting, she says. Featuring our stunning jumbo cord overshirt and trousers, silk blouses and folk print dress, this collection is your one stop shop to style her fairy tale inspired Fair Isle jumper and tank top. To say Alexandra Tolstoy has lived a colourful life is somewhat of an understatement. But, Alexandras presently unassuming country lifestyle, or, indeed, the life of adventure in her earlier years, is miles from the shrouded world of Russian high society, and from the 200-acre estate in Hertfordshire and $40 million beach-front Caribbean villa she recently enjoyed with her husband, whose fortune went from $15 billion to $70 million and now refuses to give her and the children even a penny. However, after allowing White Russians to meet in her Moscow home, she was arrested five times by the Bolsheviks and in 1920 was sent to prison for a year. FILTER Showing 23 products Cashmere Folk Fair Isle Jumper 495 259 Its a safari-type adventure; we stay in the most beautiful locations. Many of them met at the "Aunt Sasha" 90th anniversary in 1974. The first time I went to Russia was in 1992, just after the Soviet Union dissolved. In her judgment jailing him, Mrs Justice Rose noted he does have a genuine fear that his life is in danger from agents of the Russian state. I've never felt such a connection to someone ever.'. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. Tolstoy first met Sergei, then a Russian senator and trusted friend of Putin who had separated from his wife, when asked to give him English lessons while she was living in Moscow with Galimzyanov. I note how impossible it must be to represent oneself in a society where value and status is projected through selfsame designer clothes and modern houses, which is entirely different to the way she represents herself now. She died in 1979 at age 96. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. Featuring a classic Fair Isle jumper, snood, and mittens, along with this season's most coveted knit; a tank top. ", Having featured Alexandra Tolstoy's Chelsea house in House & Garden two years ago, we now look back at the contents of the house as they go up for sale at Christie's, Everything we know about Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan's former UK home, A light and calm Victorian flat in Belsize Park by Alice Davies, The 7 cringiest home decor trends, according to Youtubers and Tiktokers, An interior designer's Welsh cottage, inventively furnished with second-hand finds, An elegant house in Chelsea layered with soft colour and thoughtfully curated art, Divine inspiration: what churches can teach us about interiors, A Cotswold farmhouse mixes a calm colour palette with flourishes of pattern. I slightly lost myself thinking [the Pugachev-era clothes] were beautiful and actually its extraordinary how your vision can get warped and distorted. It was amazing. 2023 Getty Images. The house, which was formed from two artists' studios, was decorated with the help of Daniel Slowik and Emma Burns at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, and was a treasure trove of interesting objects and characterful design. I love decorative art - it adds to the layering of a home - and again these were the perfect colours for our home. The self-described "Anglo-Russian adventurer" has travelled by horse and camel (yes, you read that right) for nine months on the Silk Road across central Asia to China, hosted a BBC TV . I gave 20% of what I made to a charity in St Petersburg for children with autism. FILTER Showing 20 products Cashmere Folk Fair Isle Jumper $789 $475 Xander Haveron-Jones talks with Countess Alexandra on cultivating an aesthetic, the liberation of stylistic reinvention, and her infamous billionaire marriage. ", "The paintings of Indian palaces. She was active as the Foundation's President and served as a fundraiser, a lecturer, and a writer until l976. A superficial browse of Alexandras delightfully aesthetic Instagram page evokes the traditional rural cottage idyll; her three young children in shorts and little leather shoes reading or playing outside; carrying a roast goose to a carefully-decorated table for supper in a candle-lit dining room; nursing a cup of tea on a rocking chair beside the aga. Like a haven from the outside world.. George Smart, A pair of Regency cut-felt collage pictures of The Goose Woman and Old Bright The Postman of Frant, c. 1820. He claims he is being targeted because of his knowledge of state secrets. For her almost 50,000 Instagram followers (@alexandratolstoy), these memories of oligarch-style trophy buys will be impossible to conflate with the idyllic look she now encapsulates. Among the treasures coming to auction are an impressive group of botanical prints (above) sourced by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, and a pair of George Smart felt pictures (below) from around 1820 that once hung in the childrens bedroom. It was a therapeutic process. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. Later, while living and working in Moscow, she met Sergei Pugachev, with whom she would have three children. [4], In 1921 she became the director of the Tolstoy museum at Yasnaya Polyana. [1] [2] [3] Biography [ edit] When I returned to Kyrgyzstan last summer, I felt I had rediscovered myself. I remember having a fantasy about feeding the chickens and I would be wearing something really, really pretty.. personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to Alexandra Tolstoy's Instagram: @alexandratolstoy Simon Brown 1/8 Two rows of botanical prints and antique celadon vases on plinths help to break up the height of this lofty, light-filled space on the first floor. I very much hope that these pieces will find a new home and be equally enjoyed.'. A highlight is a 19th-century Russian painted pine model, below, of the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius outside Moscow. This house is a family home, says Alexandra Tolstoy of the beautiful six-bedroom Chelsea residence she converted from two adjacent artists studios. Estimate: 2,000-3,000. And when youre in an abusive relationship like that it makes you completely and utterly lose your confidence, you dont even realise its happening. They were symbols of a bad time so it doesnt matter.. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy. Contestant shares behind the scenes secrets from the hit quiz show - revealing there's NO studio audience and how the Chaser's identity is kept secret, The ultimate pre-lockdown to-do list! As the partner of a Russian oligarch, Countess Alexandra Tolstoy had an envy-inducing wardrobe, as she dressed the part in haute couture gowns accessorised with diamonds and designer handbags. For Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, the fantasy became reality when she met billionaire Russian banker Sergei Pugachev in 2008 and left her then-husband, an impoverished Uzbek horseman called Shamil Galimzyanov, for a life of unimaginable luxury. It has since been pursuing Sergei Pugachev through the High Court claiming he illegally siphoned hundreds of millions of pounds from the government bailout of the Mezhprombank. She sent a cheque for 5,500 from her last clear out. I thought I had to be someone else, I thought I had to be like those girls. Alexandra Tolstoy Alexandra Tolstoy is an Anglo-Russian mother, adventurer, author and TV presenter. Shop Alexandra TolstoysPreloved edit here, For more news, analysis and advice from The Telegraph's fashion desk,click hereto sign up to get our weekly newsletter, straight to your inbox every Friday. Theres nothing phoney about it I keep it authentic. Alexandra Tolstaya Countess Alexandra ( Sasha) Lvovna Tolstaya ( Russian: ; 18 June 1884 - 26 September 1979), often anglicized to Tolstoy, was the youngest daughter and secretary of the noted Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. I was always scouring around. Images from the time show her looking the bohemian ideal, wearing romantic blouses whilst leading horseback tours through the wilderness. Alexandra's Russian heritage was also crucial for determining the schemes, and drove much of the eclectic, pattern-filled decoration. Now, Alexandra has reclaimed her creative autonomy and a certain intellectual freedom which was repressed during her years spent with the billionaire: We all have different tastes, but if our taste isnt reflecting who we are or where we are in life, that lack of harmony can make you feel not very happy. Her Instagram page has allowed her to present her own image to the world, one which she finds to be truly representative, unlike that of the media which is seemingly always speculating. Now she still has use of their home in Chelsea, a converted artist studio, but she could be thrown out at any moment by the Russian government. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. ", "The pair of white sofas with cushions. VASLII BEREZHNOI. It was also life-changing: a book deal soon followed, as did a brief marriage to an Uzbek showjumper. There are many treasured items that I sourced and selected over the years with the expert guidance of decorators at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. I telephone Alexandra on a sunny afternoon during lockdown, which she is spending at her parents house with the children; suffering from asthma, she thinks it safer to be with other adults, just in case. Alexandra Tolstoy wearing a Dolce & Gabbana dress now listed for 290 on her website Credit: Courtesy of Alexandra Tolstoy 'I wanted to cleanse that whole phase of my life and get back to. Anne-Jessica Faure, a lawyer for Mr Pugachev, said there has been no court decision establishing financial wrongdoing by him. I suppose that I was not very confident anyway, and I felt I needed to live-up to these very shiny, perfect girls and I was a bit Bridget Jones-like in comparison to them, so felt probably a bit inadequate I shouldve just carried on the way I was I didnt realise, but it accentuated how lost Id become, and it also made me much more dependent on him, so I think he liked it, because it isolated me from my family., She now considers the trappings of her private-jet-chic vulgar, and has since sold almost all that which shes kept, realising bogged down the luxurious tokens of her billionaire lifestyle: The really cathartic moment was last summer I thought I have to sell these ridiculous handbags, I have to sell them because theyre actually quite liquid its money that I can use to pay school fees and I can educate the children I suddenly managed to make myself look at them and think its not really me anyway.. With Sergei, I lived in this new Russian way but I hated it. They will say I am old fashioned, but I am afraid for this country, because of lack of religion among the young ones, drugs, immorality and the shamelessness of youth.[4], For her present-day distant cousin of the same name, see, Last edited on 31 December 2022, at 00:52, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Alexandra Tolstoy, at 90, Is Honored for Lifetime of Helping Others, "What Today's Youth Can Learn From the Great Russian Writer Leo Tolstoy", Oral history interview with Alexandra Tolstoy 1966, Picture of Alexandra Tolstoy in Valley Cottage, Saint Sergius Learning Center founded in association with Tolstoy Foundation in Valley Cottage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexandra_Tolstaya&oldid=1130601922, This page was last edited on 31 December 2022, at 00:52. When I was in Sergeis chteau, he wouldnt really let me do anything anyway. At the time of writing, there are dresses and jewellery by Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci shoes, Saint Laurent trainers, Hermes scarves and Valentino jackets available to buy. In 2018, I returned after eight years away. When he fled to France in 2015, I ultimately felt such relief. 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