October 09, 2021

A Rare Royal Romanov Wedding


A Rare Royal Romanov Wedding
The last Romanov wedding in St. Petersburg before last week. Public domain Hermitage painting

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov – yes, there are still Romanovs alive – married an Italian woman in St. Petersburg on Friday, October 1, 2021. Rebecca Virginia Bettarini was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church last year and took on the new name Victoria Romanovna Bettarini, with the patronymic "Romanovna" strangely suggesting that her father's name is Roman.

The couple wed in St. Isaac's Cathedral in the center of St. Petersburg. It was a traditional church wedding, not a quick ZAGS affair – though they actually did register their marriage in Moscow prior to the big shindig.

There were about 1,500 guests, many of whom belong to the royal families of Europe. Romanov appears in many lines of succession: for example, he is 140th in line to the British throne. Man, a lot of people would have to die...

The royal rings were made by Fabergé. Their nuptial outfits will be donated to the Russian Museum.

The distantly-related-to-Tsar-Nicholas-II groom was born in Spain to Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova and Prussian Prince Franz Wilhelm of Hohenzollern. Maria Vladimirovna was the granddaughter of Nicholas II's first cousin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich. The groom, now 40 years old, grew up in Spain and France. Unsurprisingly, the groom only visited Russia for the first time in 1992 – after the Soviets, who assassinated the Nicholas II Romanov family, lost power in 1991.

Romanov has worked in the European Parliament and the European Commission. Bettarini is the daughter of the Italian ambassador to Belgium, and the couple met while Romanov was working in Parliament.

The couple resides in Moscow, though they probably have properties all over the place. They are now on a honeymoon to see the furthest reaches of Russia by train. We assume they are not traveling platzkart.

You Might Also Like

The Tsar with the Dragon Tattoo
  • May 04, 2021

The Tsar with the Dragon Tattoo

Something you probably did not know about the last Romanov: before he ascended the throne, he got a huge dragon tattoo in Japan.
The Emperor Has No Clothes
  • November 03, 2020

The Emperor Has No Clothes

Unexpected nude photos of Nicholas II appeared online last week, causing quite a stir, despite being more than a century old.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955