In the autumn of 1996, in Moscow, in the new Russia of Yeltsin's time, a foreign woman entered the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent. Eyewitnesses noted her extraordinary beauty and impeccable taste in clothing. In flawless Russian, she asked where she could light candles for the repose and health, as well as order a prayer service for the repose of Nicholas II and his family. This woman, who was older than one might assume, was friendly and showed interest in her homeland, which she had left in early childhood. Her name was Iren (Irina) Golitsyna (1916, 2006), an outstanding designer and Russian princess from the Golitsyn family.

Iren Borisovna Golitsyna was born on June 22, 1916, in Tbilisi, in the Russian Empire. Her father, Prince Boris Lvovich Golitsyn, was an officer in the imperial army, and her mother, Princess Nina Petrovna Golitsyna, decided to leave Russia after the revolution. A family friend, the Italian consul Guido Franconi, convinced her to do so. Princess Nina waited a long time for her husband, who was in a Polish camp, but ultimately left with her daughter in the spring of 1919. In Constantinople, without permission to enter Italy, they were stranded without means of survival. Nina Petrovna said that if she could not leave, she would have thrown herself into the Bosphorus. However, fate was kind: an acquaintance from the military mission helped them move to Rome, where Prince Golitsyn soon found them. But time and circumstances separated the spouses.

Iren recalled that her father was a handsome man with good style but a weak character. He could not adapt to life in Rome, unlike her mother, who excelled in everything. Boris Golitsyn moved to Paris, where Iren visited him. They lived modestly in Rome, but Nina Petrovna earned money by teaching languages. Iren did not want to speak Russian with her mother, but eventually mastered the language thanks to Tatiana Lvovna Sukhotina-Tolstaya, the daughter of Leo Tolstoy.

Nina Petrovna dreamed that her daughter would become a scholar or a diplomat. Iren enrolled in the political science faculty at the University of Rome but was more interested in fashion and art. She graduated from university and became part of the high society of Rome. During World War II, Iren worked for the Red Cross in Bucharest, where she met Gianni Agnelli, the future head of Fiat, and his wife Marella, who became her close friend.

After the war, Iren worked as a model for the Fontana sisters but soon opened her own atelier with the help of Duke Riccardo di Sangro. She married Count Silvio Medici, but the marriage was unhappy due to his gambling. Iren focused on Paris but preferred to stay in Rome, where she quickly became a fashion leader. She met Coco Chanel, who appreciated her resourcefulness.

In the 1960s, Italian fashion came to the forefront, and Iren offered the "palace pajama," which became a hit. Her clients included celebrities such as Maria Callas, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy. In 1988, Iren visited Moscow with a collection and met her cousin Andrei Golitsyn. In 1996, she opened a boutique in Moscow and visited St. Petersburg, which she considered the most beautiful city.

Iren Golitsyna passed away on October 20, 2006, at the age of 90. She was buried in the Russian church in Rome. She always remained Orthodox and a monarchist, keeping a portrait of Nicholas II in her office. Iren said she felt one hundred percent Russian and dreamed of returning to Russia, where her soul always found peace.