Butterfly Collector: Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, Entomologist from the Romanov Dynasty

The book is dedicated to one of the most unusual representatives of the imperial family of the Romanovs – Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich (1859–1919). A successful military man, generous patron, publisher, politician, he became a recognized specialist in two disciplines far removed from each other – Russian history and lepidopterology (a branch of entomology that studies butterflies). Nikolai Mikhailovich was an enthusiastic collector and assembled one of the largest private butterfly collections in the world. His high social status and financial means allowed him to pave his own "royal" path in science. Uniting around him equally passionate insect lovers, the grand duke created a scientific circle that became one of the centers of entomology in Russia in the late 19th century. In the book, you will also find "portraits" of Nikolai Mikhailovich's closest associates, each of whom was an extraordinary figure and left their mark on science.