The history of this cello combines fate with a grain of mystery. The instrument is named after the Russian Prince Anatol Gurski, a member of the Czar’s family. After the February Revolution of 1917 and the murder of the Czar and his immediate family, Prince Gurski left Russia in 1922. He brought Stradivari’s cello with him, having first disassembled it to increase the chances of survival for instrument and owner alike. The scheme worked and both parties reached Berlin safely, fortunate to have escaped the death and destruction wrought during the revolutionary turmoil.
More information: Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 1, Page 302