Bust of Count Vladimir Orlov

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One of Tsar Nicholas II's closest advisors, Vladimir Nikolayevich Orlov, led the Tsar's military cabinet from 1906 until his ousting in 1915. Nicknamed "Fat Orlov," he was married to Olga, daughter of Prince Constantine Belozersky. As head of the military cabinet, Orlov took a keen interest in new technologies, particularly motorcars and their potential military uses. It's possible that he introduced Tsar Nicholas II to the motorcar in 1903. A patron of engineers like Adolphe Kergresse, who invented the Kegreese track, Orlov supported innovation. However, his influence with the Tsar declined after Rasputin gained power in 1915, leading to his exile. Following the Russian revolution of 1917, Orlov was forced into exile from his homeland and was eventually buried in Paris, France. Fedot Shubin, a renowned sculptor, is celebrated as one of Russia's greatest artists of the 18th century. Born into poverty as a peasant in a village near Kholmogory, he walked over 1,000 kilometers to St Petersburg at age 18, inspired by his neighbor Mikhail Lomonosov. Talented in walrus ivory carving, Shubin joined the Imperial Academy of Arts and earned a gold medal for his exceptional abilities, paving the way for opportunities abroad. He later studied and worked in Paris and Rome before returning to Russia in 1772, becoming a fashionable and sought-after sculptor known for creating numerous pieces for the Marble Palace.