Bust of Count Vladimir Orlov

One of Tsar Nicholas II's closest advisors, Vladimir Nikolayevich Orlov head the Tsar's military cabinet between 1906 and 1915. He bore the nickname "Fat Orlov", and was married to Olga, daughter of Prince Constantine Belozersky. As head of the military cabinet, Orlov was keenly interested in new technologies, particularly in the motorcar, and its potential military applications. It may be that he introduced the Tsar to the motorcar in 1903. He was a patron of engineers, such as Adolphe Kergresse, who invented the Kegreese track. Orlov was banished by the Tsar in 1915 due to losing the struggle for power to Rasputin. Following the Russian revolution of 1917 and being exciled from his homeland, he was buried in Paris, France. Fedot Shubin, the sculptor of this piece, is widely regarded as the greatest of all 18th century Russia. He was born a peasant in a village near Kholmogory and, inspired by his neighbor Mikhail Lomonosov, walked all the way to St Petersburg when he was 18, more than 1000km away. He was talented in walrus ivory carving, and joined the Imperial Academy of Arts, where his instructor found him to have such impressive abilities that he was awarded a gold medal, opening his opportunities to work and study abroad. He later studied and worked in Paris and Rome, and returned to Russia later in 1772. He became fashionable and a sought-after sculptor, creating numerous pieces for the Marble Palace.弗拉基米尔·尼古拉耶维奇·奥尔洛夫（Vladimir Nikolayevich Orlov）是沙皇尼古拉二世（Tsar Nicholas II）最亲近的顾问之一，于1906年至1915年间担任沙皇军事内阁首脑。他绰号“胖奥尔洛夫”，妻子是康斯坦丁·别洛泽尔斯基亲王的女儿奥尔加。作为军事内阁首脑，奥尔洛夫对新技术抱有浓厚兴趣，尤其关注汽车及其军事应用潜力。他大概率在1903年将汽车引荐给沙皇。他是诸多工程师的赞助者，譬如发明了凯格雷塞履带（Kegreese track）的阿道夫·凯格雷塞（Adolphe Kergresse）。1915年，奥尔洛夫因在权力角逐中败给拉斯普京（Rasputin），被沙皇流放。1917年俄国革命爆发后，他被逐出故土，最终安葬于法国巴黎。 本作品的雕塑家费奥多·舒宾（Fedot Shubin）被公认为18世纪俄罗斯最杰出的雕塑家。他出生于霍尔莫戈雷（Kholmogory）附近村落的农民家庭，受邻居米哈伊尔·罗蒙诺索夫（Mikhail Lomonosov）的启发，在18岁时徒步前往逾千公里外的圣彼得堡（St Petersburg）。他在海象牙雕刻领域极具天赋，随后进入皇家美术学院（Imperial Academy of Arts）深造。其导师对他出众的才华赞叹不已，授予他金奖章，这为他开启了海外工作与研学的通道。此后他先后在巴黎与罗马学习、工作，并于1772年晚些时候返回俄罗斯。他很快声名大噪，成为备受追捧的雕塑家，曾为大理石宫（Marble Palace）创作大量作品。