2023 Getty Images. Obviously theres her Russian heritage, so we loved the idea of pattern and colour.. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy was known for her remarkable calmness and dignity. Scroll down to see Alexandra's favourite lots. I obviously didnt have a very big budget, but when I lived in Russia, there was this amazing flea market on the outskirts of Moscow and I used to go at the weekend and hunt for antiques. 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. He appointed her as executor of his will, a task she had to undertake in 1910. By Later, while living and working in Moscow, she met Sergei Pugachev, with whom she would have three children. He got a prison sentence in the UK so he wont come back. The Tale of Alexandra Tolstoy. I think those prepared me more than anything, really., But, when Alexandra had first met Sergei, shed recently ended an unhappy marriage and fell very much in love with the oligarch, despite the potential risk involved with someone so closely linked to the elite levels of Communist politics: I was obviously a thrill-seeker; I loved an adventure and I loved the feeling of adrenaline and excitement. Pugachev fled to France before the 2016 High Court ruling in a case brought by Russias Deposit Insurance Agency, in which he was sentenced for 12 breaches of court orders connected to a freezing order imposed on him over attempts to recover the cash. She sent a cheque for 5,500 from her last clear out. I fell so in love with him. It is not dated and is a little unusual and quirky with the beaded detail. When I was in Sergeis chteau, he wouldnt really let me do anything anyway. 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. 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. It was the love story of my life, and it did feel dangerous he was this very powerful person, and he did turn on me sometimes in the early days, but there was this drama of winning him back round; I didnt realise that this was all very dangerous abusive pattern., Alexandra believes Sergei spun a false narrative to malign her and distract from his own culpability for the disastrous failure of his business interests; particularly, Sergei blames his downfall on the fact that Putin supposedly disliked his marriage to a foreigner, which she frustratedly contests: Its a very narcissistic thing to do; he made up this whole narrative [in the documentary] which suited its all about belittling me, and by saying that particularly to his close family it gave them a narrative that it was my fault that everything had gone wrong for him; he blamed it on me, saying that Putin didnt like me. I gave 20% of what I made to a charity in St Petersburg for children with autism. The author and broadcaster invites us on a brief tour of the London home she created with interior design firm Colefax & Fowler, introducing some of the beautiful and eclectic items now being offered in a special online sale. 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 just get on and do things; I cant sit around doing nothing. State creditors in Moscow pursued him in the British courts, claiming he embezzled hundreds of millions. 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. I felt like Bridget Jones, so awkward. Its not even like I was that good at riding, recalls Tolstoy of the nine-month, 5,000-mile journey from Merv in Turkmenistan to Xian in China. Back then, people heard about the trips by word of mouth. Its a very visually stimulating religion., A Russian painted pine model of the Trinity Monastry of St. Sergius, c. 1900. Wed been educated in very different ways. At The Tolstoy Edit, we are happy to share with you our favourite finds for the home; antiques, as well as occasional newer pieces, curated by Alexandra Tolstoy, the adventurer and writer. Alexandra on horseback in Kyrgyzstan. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. ", "The long Italian table - elegant and non-obtrusive, it was a fantastic background for photographs and pieces of Russian enamel that I had collected. I thought Id just sell a few things but it went quite viral. Being in that landscape makes your senses alert. The industry is completely different now. I felt it was quite symbolic, it was out of Russia that this crazy life had happened and now I was giving something back which felt good., But shes honest that its as much for her own familys welfare that shes doing it, too. Please, She married an Uzbek horseman and rode the length of the Silk Road; lived the oligarch lifestyle with Putins banker; and now leads intrepid group tours of the Stans, A Kyrgyz camp in Naryn region, Kyrgyzstan, Yasnaya Polyana, Leo Tolstoys former redoubt. 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. 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. Tolstoy is alluding to the discomfort which these indulgences eventually came to signify for her, leading her away from her instinctive style and appreciation for tradition towards a struggle to fit in and conform to being the sort of woman Pugachev and his circle expected. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. I was living at Claridges, which is just around the corner from where Colefax & Fowler used to have their antiques shop. 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. Offered in Alexandra Tolstoy: An Interior by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 4-25 November, Online, Their bedroom was like a little world of its own, full of imagination and toys and pictures and books, she says. And when youre in an abusive relationship like that it makes you completely and utterly lose your confidence, you dont even realise its happening. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. But really shes happiest in clothes which reflect her passion for tradition, craft and travel, mixing Hungarian textiles repurposed by Eponine London with Romanian shawls found on Etsy and Broras British knitwear. [1] [2] [3] Biography [ edit] 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. Everything was paid for and clothes were delivered at home. [7] She worked as a lecturer on Tolstoy and as a Russian teacher,[6] and was supported by Japanese literary and academic circles. He enjoyed a close relatinship with Vladimir Putin, andin 2008 when Sergei's bank hit problems, the Russian state bailed it out with $1 billion loan. Estimate: 3,000-5,000. 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 VASLII BEREZHNOI. 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. She died in 1979, at age 96, and was laid to rest in the Russian cemetery of Spring Valley, New York, USA. Brora x Alexandra Tolstoy. It was so enriching and fabulous.. 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. The pair met whilst travelling along the Silk Road on horse in 1999. Selling her designer clothes and handbags allowed her to start again, and to be herself. When I came back, I switched my university course from philosophy to Russian at Edinburgh. The Italian models of buildings in Pisa worked in perfect harmony amongst the photos on this table. I have great synergy with Emma so as a three we were prefect. I did really lose myself in that period and Ive started dressing in a way that just wasnt me. She was active as the Foundation's President and served as a fundraiser, a lecturer, and a writer until l976. Riding the length of the Silk Road in 1999, from the . She died in 1979 at age 96. Like a haven from the outside world.. [7], In 1931 she left Japan and settled in the United States, where she gave lectures and worked as a chicken farmer. Their gilded life of globe trotting with a small army of staff evaporates as Pugachev falls out of favour with Putin, eventually holing up at his chateau in the South of France with Tolstoy and their three children, Aliosha, Ivan, and Maria, left to fend for themselves. 797 following. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. 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. The pair soon enlisted Burns help. 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. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy whose oligarch ex was known as 'Putin's banker' auctions off 250,000 of antiques that decorated her 12million London home before she was evicted after he fell foul. 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. 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. 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.'. Clothing: Ring Smart Home Security Systems eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room: Blink Smart Security for Every Home Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts 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. Its complete freedom. In 1901, at the age of seventeen, she became his secretary. I led them, with Shamil, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and it was a success. Estimate: 1,000-2,000. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the Settings & Account section. 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. Oxford Student Publications Limited During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages. You can still enjoy your subscription until the end of your current billing period. So we went to Chanel and bought a dress. 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. 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. It was also life-changing: a book deal soon followed, as did a brief marriage to an Uzbek showjumper. 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. After arriving in the UK in 2011, he was accused of siphoning a fortune out of his finance house Mezhprombank. After the Silk Road journey, he, a friend and I went to Mongolia with only packhorses. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy. 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. It was a real adventure. Enjoy browsing and do email us if you have any questions! The book details the difficulties she faced living in Russia during and after the revolution. I wandered in and fell totally in love with all these amazing antiques.. Student journalism does not come cheap. Indeed, after the breakdown of her marriage, it was Sergei himself who began monitoring Alexandra, placing individuals outside her London house every day to intimidate her. I was fascinated to know whether, in a contrary sense, this had prepared her and the children for lockdown, as shed already become so accustomed to feeling great isolation, especially in their French chteau, which was sort of isolation anyway. 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. When he fled to France in 2015, I ultimately felt such relief. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy is selling furniture, rugs and personal treasures that decorated the 12million London home she once shared with her Russian billionaire ex. Its the colours, the texture, the natural ageing of it, she enthuses. 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