", 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 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. I think that probably this business partner had been the brains, and Sergei had been the power broker, Despite the tumult of threats, financial loss, and romantic decline, complicated with the duty of raising small children, Alexandra seems at harmony with her present situation, and this is thanks to her newly unostentatious lifestyle that of the billionaires wife just didnt suit her: My whole confidence got so smashed when I was with him; he was so very manipulative, very denigrating about my riding, my exhibitions, my travel and so, I began to focus on all these things which a normal kind of oligarchs girlfriend would focus on. Amid it all she has continued to build her collection of vintage pieces from all corners of the globe. Three North European decorated and painted lidded jars, mid-19th century. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the Settings & Account section. Estimate: 2,000-2,500. A total of 130 items once displayed in the home, including a Scottish Regency bookcase, carved alabaster models and mid-20th century artwork will be auctioned at Christie's. 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.. 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. She picks up the telephone, and I can hear the excited chatter of the children who are going into the sitting room to be read a Just William story by their grandfather. Many of them met at the "Aunt Sasha" 90th anniversary in 1974. 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. We became addicted to travelling in this way. Oxford Student Publications Limited ", "The long Italian table - elegant and non-obtrusive, it was a fantastic background for photographs and pieces of Russian enamel that I had collected. Its a safari-type adventure; we stay in the most beautiful locations. I never failed to fill one. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month. Born July 1, 1884 Died September 26, 1979 (95) Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list Known for Martin the Cobbler 8.1 Short Narrator (voice) 1977 I lost myself, I lost my confidence. Tolstoys future might be uncertain but whatever it brings, shes bound to do it in her own inimitable style. [9][10], In 1974, at the age of ninety, Tolstaya received birthday greetings from President of the United States Richard Nixon, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and others, and was interviewed by The New York Times. Image courtesy of Christies, Tolstoys happy working relationship with Slowik dates back more than a decade. "Decorative, colourful, comfortable, quirky, full of pattern and informal," is how Daniel describes the aesthetic. My brother is called Dmitri and I wouldnt pronounce his name because I was so embarrassed. If I look at my children, theyre incredibly curious about a lot of things Im not sure their peers would be curious about my oldest son is obsessed with carnivorous plants, and the middle one is making things all the time I think that, somehow, that aesthetic they sort of go hand-in-hand. cookies I commissioned these white sofas to be a base for the many layered cushions that I love and spent many happy hours on them - the perfect spot to retire with friends after a dinner party. Royal Geographical Society in London that first got me into leading tours. Wed been educated in very different ways. I did really lose myself in that period and Ive started dressing in a way that just wasnt me. We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Search instead in. I just called him the baby. One such piece is a Dolce & Gabbana star print dress (290, pictured up top), which she wore during a trip to Monaco in 2011, the same year she attended the wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock there. When writing about the house for House & Garden, our former editor Susan Crewe wrote, 'I would describe Alexandras look as couture ethnic because of her passion for texture, pattern and embroidery, and one look at her Instagram profile will leave you in no doubt that colour plays a vital part in her life.'. He also claims 'credible attempts' had been made on his life in the UK. It was a therapeutic process. 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'. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Pugachev once owned two major shipyards, the world's biggest mine and large chunks of real estate in Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as the Mezhprombank, which he co-founded in the 1990s. Influenced by Alexandra's Russian heritage and many years of travel on horse across Central Asia, The Tolstoy Edit embraces folk traditions and craftsmanship with their love of colour, pattern and texture. Tolstoy is the daughter of Count Nikolai Tolstoy and Georgina Brown. I wandered in and fell totally in love with all these amazing antiques.. Their relationship ended in 2015. [8], In the summer of 1948, Tolstaya met 18 year old future United States Senator Mike Gravel, who had intended to volunteer for the Israeli forces in a fight to defend the state of Israel, and she allegedly told him to instead "go on back home and finish school", to which he complied. 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. Reading Russian literature gave me a greater understanding of the Russian character. ", "The pair of white sofas with cushions. I gave 20% of what I made to a charity in St Petersburg for children with autism. [1][2][3], The youngest daughter of Leo Tolstoy (18281910) and of his wife Sophia (18441919), Alexandra was close to her father. 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. The couple met in 2008 after Sergei hired Alexandra to help improve his English while they were both living in Russia, where Sergei was once-close friends with Putin. After nearly 11 years, however, Tolstoy is moving on from the home she has so lovingly put together, and is now offering some of its contents for sale at Christie's. Alexandra Tolstoy's fairytale Oxfordshire cottage The owner of this Oxfordshire cottage was determined to stay true to its roots, and, with the help of her designer, has created a traditional interior that incorporates and complements her collection of antiques 1 July 2021 Check out our alexandra tolstoy selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. 'I thought I'd just sell a few things but it went quite viral. He claims he is being targeted because of his knowledge of state secrets. The industry is completely different now. I remember the first time I arrived in Paris in jeans and a pair of Ugg boots. FILTER Showing 20 products Cashmere Folk Fair Isle Jumper $789 $475 organisation Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Alexandra Tolstoy buying textiles in Bishkek market Tolstoy will donate 20% of the proceeds from her sales to St Gregory's, a charity which helps poor families in St Petersburg. State creditors in Moscow pursued him in the British courts, claiming he embezzled hundreds of millions. I just had to pack my suitcase and I could go.'. In 2018, I returned after eight years away. The Italian models of buildings in Pisa worked in perfect harmony amongst the photos on this table. Any changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel. I think whats prepared me has been all those adventures I did, like riding the silk road, riding through Mongolia; I went for months when it was pre-mobile phone we had no connection with the world outside When I was eighteen I lived in Moscow for six months and really did nothing but read books and learn Russian. In 2008 Alexandra met Sergei, then one of Russias most influential men, who had bankrolled the Russian government; but, following Putins eradication of the oligarchy, and the disappearance of a $1 billion loan from the State to his bank which went under a year later, Sergei had to flee Russia in fear of his life, allegedly receiving death threats to himself and their children. Tolstoy was educated at Downe House, [2] and then studied for a Master of Arts degree in Russian at the University of Edinburgh, during the course of which she spent a year in Russia. By Marisa Remond Published Feb 17 2019. Being in these places is, to me, the ultimate 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. Tolstaya became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1941, abandoning the use of the title of countess. We use My style reflects my journey. I started the Preloved business originally with the idea of cleansing my own wardrobe, she explains. 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. 111K followers. 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. The smaller two: 19 in (48 cm) and 24 in (61 cm) high. 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). Sergei, who left Russia in 2011, claims that relations between him and Putin cooled, due to his relationship with the Russian leader calling him a 'traitor' for dating 'English woman' Alexandra, the Kremlin tried to seize or destroy his business empire. To say Alexandra Tolstoy has lived a colourful life is somewhat of an understatement. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. In the February 2016 High Court judgment, no ruling was made on the allegations of embezzled cash and Pugachev told the court he had not stolen any money. In Nice, he was visited by the DIA who demanded repayment of the billion dollar loan and threatened his family, saying they could 'cut off his son's finger and send it back to him.'. 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. I have great synergy with Emma so as a three we were prefect. 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 felt great to be giving something back to Russia and also like I was shedding a skin and really embarking back on my old and true path through life.. I've never felt such a connection to someone ever.'. 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. A German man came up to me after my talk and asked if I could set up a trek for him and 10 of his friends. 2023 - All Rights Reserved I was living at Claridges, which is just around the corner from where Colefax & Fowler used to have their antiques shop. Shes a pin-up for authentic prairie chic. Some people dont care about aesthetics, but for me, to be creative is really part of my DNA. Alexandra tells me how her appreciation for books and visual arts were completely crushed: I couldnt do anything; the luxury afforded to her nevertheless impeded her fundamental desire to be productive and freedom to explore creatively. Alexandra's Russian heritage was also crucial for determining the schemes, and drove much of the eclectic, pattern-filled decoration. She was born in Poole, Dorset. 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. Ive entertained in this house a lot, Tolstoy tells Christies during our video shoot at Glebe Place earlier in the year. Estimate: 2,000-3,000. But its absurd Putin just wouldnt care about that. Having once enjoyed an intensely close friendship, even spending many holidays together, by the time Alexandra met Sergei, he had only seen Putin once, in all those years., Alexandra asks if Ive watched Dirty John on Netflix, and compares theirs to the romance underpinned by the manipulation of the sociopathic significant other: I just find the psychology of being a sociopath or narcissism so fascinating; this creating of narratives that are literally just complete lies, but I think they end up half-believing them She later asks if Ive read And Quiet Flows the Don, saying that the relationship at the beginning is very, very similar; it just feels so full of danger and its very raw, and often angry, but then very passionate to me, it felt really like I was so in love. 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