Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret

01/26/2026

In October 2025, director Victor Ilyukhin and cinematographer and co-producer Justin Ervin traveled to Greece to film with Prince Rostislav and his son Rostislav Jr. at the Saint Panteleimon Russian Monastery on Mount Athos. Surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, we captured rare and intimate moments of father–son connection, along with honest reflections on identity and life in exile. These scenes have already become some of the emotional anchors of the film.

Your generosity and belief in this project made it possible for us to take meaningful steps forward, and we are deeply grateful for your support.

With gratitude and warmth,

Victor Ilyukhin

10/15/2025

Production meeting before the next filming trip this Saturday! All is happening thanks to our seed&spark supporters ❤️🙌. Brainstorming with the DP 🎥 and a new team member .jpg at with Victor Ilyukhin

06/13/2025

WE HAVE REACHED THE GOALl!!! THANK YOU! Let's up the number of supports before it officially closes! 1 DAY left to contribute to the campaign! Spread the word and claim your award now! Link in BIO. Also we would love to thank our most recent supporters:

Natalia Afanasyeva
Semyonova Zhanna
Vlada Lodesk
Nikita Nadezhdin
Aleksandra Simonova
Ak
Sasha Z
Antonio
Alice Elliott
Katya Ustinova
Ellen Brodsky
Chithra Jeyaram
Robert Rooy
Ao
Tanya
Natalie Perry
Soldak Katya

Special Thanks to our Lead Patron: Lewis Shepherd

06/11/2025

3 days to go! In the final days of the campaign please help us to make the final push and enjoy unique perks! A recipe from the Romanov cookbook and original artwork by Prince Rostislav Romanov. Special Price in effect! https://seedandspark.com/fund/romanov-family-the-best-kept-secret-3

06/09/2025

🎉 We’ve hit 50 supporters & reached 70%! 🎉
Just 5 days left to help finish The Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret—a doc on identity in exile.
💫 New perk: a Romanov family recipe from the Historical Cook Book, curated by Princess Foteini!
🙏 Even $1 helps. Spread the word →
🎥 https://seedandspark.com/fund/romanov-family-the-best-kept-secret-3

06/02/2025

Last week, we held a special fundraising evening at MyBiblioteka.com, where we shared a sneak peek of our work-in-progress and spoke about our creative process. The space was filled with joy, curiosity, and an incredibly engaged audience. Thank you for coming, asking thoughtful questions, and reminding us why this story matters.

We’re truly moved by the growing interest in our film, whether from history lovers or those exploring identity in exile and generational trauma. Your support keeps us going, and we’re working even harder to bring this story to life.

A heartfelt thank-you to our newest anonymous donors and to those we can gratefully acknowledge:

Arkadiy Starostenko
Micah Fink
Elissa Cooper
Emanuele Sesta
Sandra Itäinen
Marc-Alexandre Jacques

Your generosity means the world. Let’s keep building this together.

05/20/2025

Prince Rostislav Romanov is the great-grandson of Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of Tsar Nicholas II and Grand Duke Sandro. His family fled Russia after the Revolution, finding refuge in England. Now, over a century later, Rostislav grapples with what it means to carry the Romanov name. As part of our campaign, you can receive a custom artwork created by Rostislav himself.
✨ More details in the Incentives tab. Link in bio!

05/16/2025

Campaign Update: We're at 16% — and 22 days to go!
We’re thrilled to share that Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret has reached 16% of our goal, with 22 days left to build momentum. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far — every single pledge matters.

A heartfelt thank-you to our anonymous donors and to the following generous backers:

Nadya Peterson
Enrique Vega
Alla Berenshteyn
Kochanova Olga
Maksim Avdeev
Seed&Spark Alison
K Ledneva
Grigori Rasputin
Anton Kuzmin
Alla
Benito
Natalia
Di Vi
Emil

Your belief in this story is what keeps us going.

We kindly ask everyone who’s following the project to consider donating—even $1 makes a difference. The number of backers significantly boosts our campaign’s visibility and helps attract the interest of larger production partners.

And don’t forget: all donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. If you’d like a tax-deductible receipt, just let us know — we’re happy to provide it.

With gratitude,
Victor & Olga

05/14/2025

Our production could not have happened without an incredibly talented artist and long-term collaborator, Director of Photography Justin Ervin, whose vision for the film is at the very core of its artistic concept and style. We are grateful to be working with such generous individual who is keen on sharing with us his creativity, professionalism and optimism. 🙌🙏❤️

05/13/2025

A huge thank-you to our incredible supporters!
We’re so grateful for the support pouring in—17 generous donors are already helping us bring our project to life.

Special thanks to our anonymous backers and heartfelt appreciation to:
Maryam Sweirki
Ev Borisova,
Julia Trubikhina
Olga Demina
Frannie Laks
Lulu Men
Williana Gordon
Lucas Smith
Uwa Iduozee
Larisa F.

Your belief in this story fuels us—and we’re just getting started.
If you haven’t yet, please consider donating. Every single backer matters, no matter the amount. More supporters means greater visibility and momentum for the campaign!

05/10/2025

Our Seed&Spark campaign for the documentary "Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret" is off to a great start—8% funded in just the first 24 hours! We’re so grateful for your incredible support.

Every pledge, share, and follow helps boost our visibility and bring this powerful story to life. Please spread the word!

Watch our campaign video via the link in the first comment.

Learn more from the film’s director Victor Ilyukhin and producer Olga Lvoff.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

05/08/2025

Thanks to your early encouragement, Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret is now officially live on Seed&Spark!

We’re so grateful for your support — every follow, share, and pledge makes a real difference in these first crucial days.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us!
Victor & Olga

Romanov Family: The Best Kept Secret is a lyrical, vérité-driven portrait of identity and duty in exile. It follows Prince Rostislav Romanov and his family as they confront the myth and trauma tied to their name—and quietly forge a new path. But can they ever be free of the past?