Padenie dinastii Romanovykh (The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty)

Esfir Shub’s "The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty" is a pioneering work of compilation cinema documenting the causes and consequences of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Following tireless research, Shub assembled this—her directorial debut—from archival footage discovered in the basement of the Sovkino film studio, drawing on her extensive prior experience as an editor. Yet, she had to fight for recognition as the film’s author against the prejudice that she had merely spliced ​​together existing footage. It was only after a public protest by her fellow artist Vladimir Mayakovsky that the studio granted her authorship status. In recent years, various versions of the film have circulated, distorting its form and content. This initial "restoration" synthesizes several digital versions to approximate the original material, drawing on Shub’s notes from the Russian State Archive of Literature to reinstate the original Russian intertitles based on "educated guesses." Software was used to enhance resolution and restore details. Since the original negative is likely lost or damaged, only an intact archival print would allow for a definitive restoration. The added soundtrack is intended to pay tribute to the century that has elapsed between the creation of Shub’s film and this version.