The broadcaster, author and businesswoman Alexandra Tolstoy has beautiful taste in interiors - here at House & Garden we've featured her fairytale cottage in Oxfordshire as well as her Chelsea house. Some years into this life, she was visited by Tatiana Schaufuss, an old friend who had spent several years in prison and in exile in Siberia. Anne-Jessica Faure, a lawyer for Mr Pugachev, said there has been no court decision establishing financial wrongdoing by him. The sale runs until November 25 on christies.com. The smaller two: 19 in (48 cm) and 24 in (61 cm) high. Like a haven from the outside world.. Alexandra Tolstoy: An Interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler selling online at Christie's from 4 25 November, The comments below have not been moderated, By She sent a cheque for 5,500 from her last clear out. Scroll down to see Alexandra's favourite lots. Enjoy browsing and do email us if you have any questions! Xander Haveron-Jones talks with Countess Alexandra on cultivating an aesthetic, the liberation of stylistic reinvention, and her infamous billionaire marriage. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. She was born in Poole, Dorset. The family moved between an array of properties including a 12million family home in Battersea, a 200-acre country estate in Hertfordshire, and a 40million beachfront villa in St Barts. [5] Originally given permission to stay for six months to study schools,[6] she ultimately stayed in the country for 18 months. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. The pinnacle of Tolstoys new fashion life was dressing for Prince Albert of Monacos wedding in July 2011, an occasion which called for two new couture dresses: a yellow Fifties-style Princess Grace look dress by Giambattista Valli for the day ceremony, followed by Valentino for the evening. Within a year of meeting, they had a baby and another on the way, and were living a life of luxury in London, Moscow and Paris. 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. [4] Her father having been excommunicated from the Russian Orthodox Church for his teachings, she commented: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I don't believe in everything the Orthodox Church says, I don't believe in miracles, but want the people to go to church. But it wasnt really me. We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy is selling furniture, rugs and personal treasures that decorated the 12million London home she once shared with her Russian billionaire ex. Reading Russian literature gave me a greater understanding of the Russian character. Offered in Alexandra Tolstoy: An Interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 4-25 November, Online, If you have that rapport and that friendship, you can understand the living space, says Slowik. Theyre really works of art, some things I didnt do totally wrong.. She died in 1979 at age 96. FILTER Showing 20 products Cashmere Folk Fair Isle Jumper $789 $475 The Russians then accused him of profiting from vast sums of taxpayers' money given to Mezhprombank by the Russian central bank at the height of the 2008 economic crisis. After teenage years spent living mostly in one army surplus shirt and a pair of jeans, Tolstoys style horizons were expanded when she began her adventures in Russia, living like a heroine conjured from the imagination of her distant relation, the Nobel Prize-winning author Leo Tolstoy. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. So we went to Chanel and bought a dress. ", "The paintings of Indian palaces. In Once Long Ago, Jenny Robinson invites us to Sonnet for Foxe by Anna Cowan and Ruth Port, Backstage interview: the creatives behind Bare, Oxford, the 15-Minute City, and the Birth of a Lie, NUS referendum voting underway as campaigning intensifies, A varsity society match like no other; an ACS affair. Subconsciously, I got quite in awe of all those Russian girls in that world. I love this because its on a grand scale but informal and pretty too - I chose antiques that work in modern as well as traditional interiors, and this is a prime example. Image courtesy of Christies, Tolstoys happy working relationship with Slowik dates back more than a decade. The broadcaster, author and businesswoman Alexandra Tolstoy has beautiful taste in interiors - here at House & Garden we've featured her fairytale cottage in Oxfordshire as well as her Chelsea house.This week, the contents of the latter are on sale at Christie's as she moves out into a new home (the progress of which we've been avidly following on Instagram). Being in that landscape makes your senses alert. 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. 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. I remember having a fantasy about feeding the chickens and I would be wearing something really, really pretty.. Alexandra is cheerfully conversational, and I congratulate her on the release of the recent BBC documentary about her and her husbands complex relationship (The Countess and the Russian Billionaire); its hard not to be compelled by the remarkable situation of her marriage to one of the worlds richest men, and we soon discuss the astonishing details: While living in London with Sergei, the couple became aware of surveillance placed upon them by the Russian state; Sergeis security company found GPS trackers planted under their cars (which were initially suspected to be explosive devices), including the car used exclusively by Alexandra and the children. The next year, I took a trip to Kyrgyzstan, which is better suited to riding because its mountainous and beautiful, and the horses are wonderful. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy's Colefax and Fowler interiors are up for sale at Christie's, for Tatler 3rd November 2020 The writer, equestrian and socialite talks to Tatler about the decision to auction off the pieces that made her Chelsea home impossibly chic. I went on to take groups every year between 2002 and 2009, and was leading a tour the week before my wedding. Her life with Pugachev took her away from all that, and transported her into a life where designer trainers were in, collections of Chanel handbags were vast and vintage market buys were out. To say Alexandra Tolstoy has lived a colourful life is somewhat of an understatement. The auction house expects the lots to make in the region of 250,000. Tolstoy is the daughter of Count Nikolai Tolstoy and Georgina Brown. This house is a family home, says Alexandra Tolstoy of the beautiful six-bedroom Chelsea residence she converted from two adjacent artists studios. I think its difficult for anybody in those circumstances to be creative; how can you be original? In the propertys light, lofty rooms, vibrant contemporary pieces sit in happy juxtaposition with 19th-century works of art, fabulous curiosities and treasures from Tolstoys globetrotting adventures. I went to the Plaza Athenee hotel and I thought, oh my gosh I dont fit in, she tells me over the phone from her parents beautiful Oxfordshire home where she is seeing out the lockdown, and where five star hotels and all the other trappings of her time with Pugachev are now a distant memory. Our relationship was wonderful when we were in the wilds, but in the city it was just awful and unhappy. My brother is called Dmitri and I wouldnt pronounce his name because I was so embarrassed. She could choose whatever she wanted. It was definitely not an extravagant mentality, she says. I started Preloved by Alexandra Tolstoy with a friend we sell second-hand designer items via Instagram by doing this huge sale of my own clothes. 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. 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. I started Preloved by Alexandra Tolstoy with a friend we sell second-hand designer items via Instagram by doing this huge sale of my own clothes. Alexandra Tolstoy published many books (" I worked for the Soviets", 1934; " Father. 11:17 EST 03 Nov 2020. It is also incredibly practical - it doesnt slip on the wooden floor and my children played on it everyday! Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. A year later, they met again at an awards ceremony attended by the Russian president. Later, while living and working in Moscow, she met Sergei Pugachev, with whom she would have three children. One womans confidence-shaking luxury purchases are anothers treasure. It was shocking how he had absolutely no clue about finances, about running a company; it was shocking basic accounting, he didnt even understand. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. Talking about her pursuit of an exquisitely domestic lifestyle, Alexandra says that its not just aesthetic, it does also go with a kind of freedom of thought, doesnt it? , updated Offered in Alexandra Tolstoy: An Interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 4-25 November, Online, One of her favourite pieces to be offered at Christies is a 20th-century North American rag rug. Biographies of Teymuraz K. Bagration :::: Tatiana Schaufuss. I never failed to fill one. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It also serves as such a wonderful background any colour works against it., Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week, Of the dedicated Christies online sale she says, I would love these pieces to go to people who really appreciate them and love them. 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. The Italian models of buildings in Pisa worked in perfect harmony amongst the photos on this table. Before she met Sergei, Alexandra was married to a penniless Cossack named Shamil Galimzyanov. Alexandra Tolstoy, Sigrid Kirk and Isabella Macpherson attend the Molly Goddard presentation during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016 at the BFC. But in 2008, Sergei's bank hit problems and the Russian bank bailed it out with $1 billion loan. An eclectic selection of furniture and objets dart will also be offered everything from a trio of decorated and painted lidded jars from the mid-19th century to a mid-20th-century English oak and brass desk. Alexandra said: 'The sale of the interiors from my Chelsea townhouse at Christies London marks a new chapter in my life. I remember the first time I arrived in Paris in jeans and a pair of Ugg boots. The first time I went to Russia was in 1992, just after the Soviet Union dissolved. Everything was paid for and clothes were delivered at home. There are many treasured items that I sourced and selected over the years with the expert guidance of decorators at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. She grew up in Oxfordshire before going to Edinburgh University to study philosophy. Her connection to nature and rusticity, a love of . It was my friends dream to do it and I hooked onto it. Now, I can be creative in a totally different way., Alexandra Tolstoy: An Interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler runs 4-25 November, Online, Get the best stories from Christies.com in a weekly email, *We will never sell or rent your information. 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. Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. In 1901, at the age of seventeen, she became his secretary. 'I thought I'd just sell a few things but it went quite viral. I feel were moving to a new phase and thats exciting, she says. With the help of Emma Burns and Daniel Slowik of Londons longest established interior decorating firm, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, the Anglo-Russian author and broadcaster created an interior that was warm, welcoming and a reflection of her unique sense of style. university The Russian Orthodox cross is a staple of Ms Tolstoy's apparel. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. 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. 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. Alexandra spoke to Jenny Coad. After the war, she worked on an edition of her father's writings. Check if your Now I embrace embroidery, vintage Fair Isle knitwear from eBay and clothes by the Russian designer Russmotive, which reprints old fabric designs. and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, On the order of the High Court, the family home was put on the market and Alexandra made a deal with the Russian government to drop her claim to his fortune. Since the breakdown of her relationship with Sergei Pugachev, who was accused of fraud by the Kremlin in 2015, she has rediscovered her sense of style, favouring pieces that celebrate homegrown traditions and fashions, as evidenced on her popular Instagram account, @alexandratolstoy, where she often documents her wardrobe choices. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. 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. 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. Everything weve got I feel is in its own right very unusual and special.. He also claims 'credible attempts' had been made on his life in the UK. The two are not mutually exclusive. Estimate: 2,000-2,500. And when youre in an abusive relationship like that it makes you completely and utterly lose your confidence, you dont even realise its happening. Just that morning, shed been contacted by a friend who was a yacht broker, who was sad to see the couples old yacht on the charter market, but Alexandra felt no loss: I thought to myself its amazing I literally miss nothing about that lifestyle planes, boats, trains, automobiles, houses: nothing.. Alexandra Tolstoy Alexandra Tolstoy is an Anglo-Russian mother, adventurer, author and TV presenter. It was on that trip that I met my former husband, Shamil Galimzyanov, an Uzbek horseman. Mothers share the things they want to remember this time around - including going to the tip, picking up craft supplies and having acrylic nails taken off, Britain's first blind and deaf trainee medic reveals she's spent 'more time as a patient than a doctor-to-be' during a nightmare year where she was made homeless and spent three months in hospital. It was one of the first pieces that I bought and I bought it for practical reasons as well as aesthetic - its great storage! Though Alexandra Tolstoy hadn't her own family she had many relatives in Sweden, France, Soviet Russia and in the United States. 'It was a great pleasure to be able to fully utilise such a diverse and highly personal selection of works of art, furniture and objects in a family home but also to be surrounded by objects that I took great huge pleasure from every day. I wanted to cleanse that whole phase of my life and get back to who I really was, she says of her decision to sell off her designer wares. Now I embrace embroidery, vintage Fair Isle knitwear from eBay and clothes by the Russian designer Russmotive, which reprints old fabric designs. Riding the length of the Silk Road in 1999, from the . 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. 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