Zoubkoff arrested for brawl

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February 23, 1928

Alexander Zoubkoff, the husband of Princess Victoria of Schaumburg-Lippe has apparently forgotten a promise he made a few days ago to his wife "to observe an early curfew while he was in Berlin alone with his money in his pockets."

According to the New York Times,  Zoubkoff has not followed his wife's advice and is now facing "a charge of assault on a page early this morning in a West End bar."

This action could lead to Zoubkoff, who is thirty years junior to his wife, being deported from Germany as an "undesirable foreigner."

Princess Victoria left Berlin earlier this week.  Her husband remained behind "for further negotiations for his proposed transatlantic flight with his wife as a passenger."

But while his wife is away,  Zoubkoff has been spending a lot of time at the Casanova Club, with friends of both sexes, leading a "gay life, drinking, singing, and dancing."

He arrived at the Casanova Club shortly after midnight already intoxicated and had more to drink before he prepared to leave at about 3 a.m.  A page tried to assist Zoubkoff with his cloak, but the inebriated Russian thought he was trying to listen to a conversation he was having with a lady companion.    He ordered the page to leave the room, but the page explained that he was under orders from the manager to stay in the room.   Zoubkoff then "struck" the young man in the face, knocking him down to the floor, and "immediately began kicking him.

He was arrested by the police and taken to the local police station where he was determined to be very drunk.  The police discovered that Zoubkoff's passport had expired in December and he had not renewed it.  He was charged with "violating the regulations for foreigners and fined 300 marks."

Zoubkoff has been stateless since the Russian revolution and holds a Nansen passport granted by the League of Nations.  As Zoubkoff's wife, Princess Victoria has the same status and can be deported as well due to her husband's "violation of the law." 

It is not known if officials will "exercise their prerogative" in this matter.