The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty
A First "Restoration"
September 18, 2026
Esfir Shub's Fall of the Romanov Dynasty is a foundational work of compilation film about the cause and consequences of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Through unflagging research, Shub assembled archival footage she had found in the basement of SovKino film studio, creating her first work as a director after she had edited hundreds of other films. Yet, to gain recognition as the author of her own work, she had to fight against the preconception that she had merely glued some film stock together. Only after a public protest from her artist-colleague Vladimir Mayakovsky did the studio grant her this status.
In recent years, this film has circulated in versions that have changed and distorted its form and content. This first "restoration" collates several digital versions to restore original footage and uses Shub's notes found in the Russian state archive for literature (RGALI) to reinsert original Russian intertitles by "educated guesswork." Software has uprezzed and restored detail, sometimes adding subtle artifacts. Since the original negative is likely to be either lost or mutilated, only an intact archival print would allow a definitive restoration. The added soundtrack seeks to acknowledge the century that has elapsed between the making of Shub's film and the making of this version. (Keith Sanborn)
Keith Sanborn is a media artist, author, and translator. He recently published a translation of Esfir Shub's memoirs and a selection of her texts, making them available in English the first time. My Life Is the Cinema (Sticking Place Books, 2025) will be presented at the Film Museum.
With Keith Sanborn in attendance
Esfir Shub's Fall of the Romanov Dynasty is a foundational work of compilation film about the cause and consequences of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Through unflagging research, Shub assembled archival footage she had found in the basement of SovKino film studio, creating her first work as a director after she had edited hundreds of other films. Yet, to gain recognition as the author of her own work, she had to fight against the preconception that she had merely glued some film stock together. Only after a public protest from her artist-colleague Vladimir Mayakovsky did the studio grant her this status.
In recent years, this film has circulated in versions that have changed and distorted its form and content. This first "restoration" collates several digital versions to restore original footage and uses Shub's notes found in the Russian state archive for literature (RGALI) to reinsert original Russian intertitles by "educated guesswork." Software has uprezzed and restored detail, sometimes adding subtle artifacts. Since the original negative is likely to be either lost or mutilated, only an intact archival print would allow a definitive restoration. The added soundtrack seeks to acknowledge the century that has elapsed between the making of Shub's film and the making of this version. (Keith Sanborn)
Keith Sanborn is a media artist, author, and translator. He recently published a translation of Esfir Shub's memoirs and a selection of her texts, making them available in English the first time. My Life Is the Cinema (Sticking Place Books, 2025) will be presented at the Film Museum.
With Keith Sanborn in attendance