February 11, 1903 the Winter Palace hosted the evening party, and on February 13 – a grand costume ball. It was the last ball of imperial Russia. Until now, this ball, named “The Ball of 1903″, the most famous festival in St. Petersburg during the reign of the Romanovs.

By order of Alexandra Fedorovna after the balls the best photographers of St. Petersburg – Boasson and Egler, Alexander Renz and Schroeder, Levitsky V.Yasvoin, D.Zdobnov and others – performed single portraits and group shots of participants of the ball.

Via Viola for way more photos and background on the gala of 1903 Imperial Russia.