He died under a tree, his faithful dog still by his side. No one knew his real name. They called him ‘Old Nick’ at the North Bank Caravan Park in Katherine where he’d lived for the past six years.

Little did they imagine that the cheerful 72-year-old who loved to read and walk his dog each morning, and who died of a heart attack, had an illustrious heritage. His real name was Leonid Gurevich Kulikovsky and he was the great-grandson of the Russian Imperial Tsar Alexander III.

Mr Kulikovsky died on September 27 but the police search for next-of-kin meant his body remained in a Darwin morgue for two months.

This week, after authorities located Mr Kulikovsky’s family in Denmark, he was finally laid to rest in the Greek Orthodox section of the Darwin Cemetery, and the private plot of one of Australia’s most famous Greek families – the Paspaleys.

In a statement provided to Neos Kosmos, a spokesperson for Nick Paspaley, chairman of the Paspaley Group, said that while Mr Kulikovsky was not known to the Paspaley family, “Nick Paspaley, on hearing of the gentleman’s story, simply acted out of courtesy and compassion to ensure that Mr Kulikovsky was buried with dignity”.

“He feels that we should look after this man in our country as we would hope to be looked after if we were in the same situation in his country.”

Simon Andropov, a Darwin resident of Russian heritage, who assisted the Kulikovsky family in organising the funeral arrangements, said it was fitting that Mr Kulikovsky should be buried in a Greek cemetery.

“It’s nice that he’s gone to a Greek cemetery because his grandfather escaped from Russia through the Greek islands, and the Greeks showed them all the courtesy and hospitality.

“The family wished him to be buried in the Territory and were very pleased to accept the Paspaley’s offer. We’re all so pleased,” said Mr Andropov.

Mr Kulikovsky migrated to Australia from Denmark when he was 24 and worked for Sydney’s Water Board. It’s believed he set up home in Katherine in 2009 while driving around Australia after his retirement.

Owner of the North Bank Caravan Park, Peter Byers, told the NT News that Mr Kulikovsky was a “lovely man” who largely kept to himself.

Mr Byers said Mr Kulikovsky became stranded in Katherine after his campervan was stolen.

“Old Nick decided it was all a bit much for him … He rented a small unit from us and stayed put.

“He got on with everybody. He loved his dog and took great care of him. He was a great reader and had a huge number of books on ­Vikings.”
During his funeral at Darwin’s Serbian Orthodox church (the city has no Russian church), a statement from Mr Kulikovsky’s family was read out to about 40 mourners who attended.

“The death of Leonid Gurevich Kulikovsky came as a great shock …” the message read. “We had just been taught he was far away from Moscow … and had renewed hope that we would be able to come into contact, but a few days later we were informed by the police that he was found dead.”

His family explained they lost contact with Mr Kulikovsky in 1967 after he left Denmark where he was born.

Among the mourners were members of Darwin’s Greek, Russian and Serbian communities, along with Peter Styles, the NT’s minister for multicultural affairs, Dr Michael Protopopov, the Chancellor of the Russian Orthodox Church in Australia, and a representative from the Russian Embassy in Canberra.

Alexander III reigned in Russia from 1881 until 1894, when he was succeeded by his son, Nicholas II, the last of Russia’s tsars, who was murdered by Bolshevik sympathisers along with his wife and children in 1918, following the Russian Revolution.

Mr Kulikovsky is the grandson of Princess Olga, Alexander III’s daughter and Nicholas II’s sister. Olga and her husband fled to Crimea with their two sons after the Romanov royal family was assassinated, before making their way to Copenhagen.

A descendant of one of the world’s most powerful and tragic dynasties, Mr Kulikovsky now lies at peace beside the pioneers of one of Australia’s most successful Greek families.

Nicholas Paspalis (Paspaley) (1914-1984) migrated to Australia from Castellorizo as an infant refugee around the same period the Romanov royal family was slain. He established Paspaley Pearling Company first in WA and then Darwin, where it became the largest and oldest pearling company operating in Australia.