Messages

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The Imperial Family / Re: Grand Duke Konstantin (KR) and his family- discussion and pictures, Part II

« on: February 04, 2012, 10:56:45 AM »

and only Gavril, Tatiana & Vera survived.
What happened to George???

George survived too.
In 1929 he moved to New York. He died of peritonitis in 1938 and is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth, Long Island.

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Having Fun! / Re: Books the Romanovs Read

« on: January 16, 2012, 04:29:32 AM »

If I may...
there is a small mistake:

226. AUDACIOUS LIFE, by Tcharski, with hardback cover with a small painting.

Not - TCHARSKY, but CHARSKAYA or TCHARSKAYA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidia_Charskaya (original title of this book is "Смелая жизнь")

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Having Fun! / Re: Books the Romanovs Read

« on: January 15, 2012, 03:14:06 PM »

I read somewhere there were many books by Lidia Charskaya in private OTMA bookcase.
Olga read "Les Miserables" by V. Hugo, Nicholas - "War and Peace" by L. Tolstoy.
They certainly read Chechov, Krylov, Pushkin, Turgeniev.

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Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Assassination attempt in 1916

« on: November 06, 2011, 03:23:18 PM »

Everyone has right to their own opinion.

Of course Michael knew about that crisis in 1912 (but not of haemophlia), and indeed he wrote to his brother as you are quoting, Sunny, but it could not be true, rather just an excuse, which was pretty tactless - Alexei's illness couldn't be a reason why he married, because the secret wedding in Vienna was planned before that crisis.

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Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Assassination attempt in 1916

« on: November 06, 2011, 12:43:15 PM »

Michael was only a heartbeat and a hemorrhage away from the throne in 1912 when he lied to his brother.  He wasn't a coward, but I seriously question his self-discipline and his fidelity to Nicholas (and MF).

I have quite different view. He promised not to marry Natalia and for two next years he tried not to break that promise, but situation was getting worse and worse - for few years Natalia had endured humilitation and they both felt that they could not live in this way any longer. And it was also Nicholas' fault that his brother came to the conclusion that there is no other way but marriage.
 In some way his intransigent family forced him to make a choice.
So in my opinion - yes, he broke his word, but it was a matter of honor, not fidelity to Nicholas.

I have to admit that my judgment of Michail's behaviour in 1917 also depends on what he did in 1912
 maybe he'd have better to sign a public manifesto saying he did not want it instead of marrying secretely and so on.
Anyway, i hope he thought well on what this refuse could bring - that is, if Aleksej had died, the title of heir would have passed to Kirill and to a secondary branch of the family - Moreover, to a person like Kirill.

He knew that, and probably that's why he formulated his manifesto in 1917 in this way, making actually impossible to take the throne by no other - if he didn't abdicate, no one could take the throne, it's simple.

Anyway, if we are talking about what he did in 1912, the point is that he know nothing about Alexei's hemophilia! If he knew the truth, he could have acted differently.

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia Pictures V

« on: October 29, 2011, 03:06:42 PM »

So the Grand Duke Michael was part of the Tercentenary. I read somewhere that he was banished from Russia until WWI.

He is escorting Olga in the famous 1913 procession  footage...Krill is escorting TN,  someone I don't recognize is with Marie ( possible Paul A)  and then Anastasia is escorted by Dimity P.

It was not procession in 1913  for sure - in that time Michael was not in Russia.

So the Grand Duke Michael was part of the Tercentenary. I read somewhere that he was banished from Russia until WWI.

Yes, of course he was. However, he was out from the homeland in 1910 and 1912, during affair with madame Brassova.

Not exactly. Michael was abroad since September 1912 to August 1914, when he came back to Russia with his wife and children, just before the outbreak of war.
He spent the entire two years abroad so he could not participate in the procession in 1913, it was just impossible.

So the procession in the picture posted by larri-otmaprivatealbums was in my opinion not in 1913 but  in 1912, not during the Tercentenary but during Centenary celebrations in Moscow - of the victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812.

Anastasia in 1913 during the Tercentenary:

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Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Assassination attempt in 1916

« on: October 25, 2011, 03:41:03 AM »

if he didn't want to be emperor (perfectly understandable) he shouldn't have signed that GDs manifesto agains Nicholas. Since the manifesto clearly required the abdication of Nicholas to have Michail as a regent.

The GD's manifesto he signed (after GD Pavel and GD Kirill, was that one proposed a new constitution, creation of constitutional monarchy after war and formation of a new government.  Michael indeed signed that, and then, when it ceased to be relevant, he asked to remove his name. But it was not a manifesto against Nicholas.

I'm quoting from The Fall of the Romanovs, page 87 - 91. On page 90 appear 3 request of abdication for Nicholas. One from Nikolasha, the second (the one i'm referring to) from General Brusilov. This latter clearly writes: "I ask you to report His Imperial Majesty (...) to abdicate the throne in favour of His Majesty's Heir tsarevitch with Grand Duke Michail Aleksadrovich as regent."

You are quoting not a manifesto, but responses sent to Pskov by commanders, when Nicholas was still not sure - to abdicate or not. The commanders advised to abdicate.

What i meant is: did Michail know of this request? i can't say for sure, but it's likely since he signed the manifesto. So: IF he knew, and agreed, he acted IMHO like a coward because he firstly accepted this request and then, when Nicholas called him to reign (and so following that precise request) he refused. First he agreed and then was scared and refused. And this would be very odd.

Not if situation could change dramatically from one hour to the next.
But anyway - when Nicholas signed his abdication in Pskov, Michael was on Millionnaya Street in Petrograd and he had no idea , what his brother decided to do after his first abdication in favour of Aleksei (with Michael as a Regent) - that he had abdicated once more ("Not wishing to be parted from our beloved Son").  Michael didn't know that he was new Emperor until Friday, March 3, probably when the delegation of Duma came at Milionnaya St. to meet him.
So when he signed GD's manifesto (which should also sign Nicholas after his return to Petrograd), he didn't know about his brother's decision. Actually when exactly he agreed to be a Tsar? He was told suddenly that he is already a new Emperor, nobody asked him whether he wants it or not. Letter of apologizes (for this unexpected "suprise") from Nicholas to his younger brother not reached the addressee.

 It was said Michael let  himself to be persuaded to give up the throne - but in fact his manifesto is not the abdication ("I have taken a firm decision to assume the Supreme Power ONLY IF such be the will of our great people") . It was not his fault that there was no universal suffrage and soon after the power had passed into the hands of the bolsheviks.
If the situation in the country after abdication of Nicholas II was different, Michael could be a good constitutional monarch. But as you said, Sunny, it is only "what if"...

There were many cowards in Romanov family, there were even a traitors (like was Kirill Vladimirovich in my opinion), but to call Michael 'a coward' it is just injustice.

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Alexandra Feodorovna / Re: Assassination attempt in 1916

« on: October 24, 2011, 06:11:01 AM »

Michail, first of all, was a real COWARD, IMHO. If he didn't want to rule, why did he approve his cousins' and uncles' manifesto? He could have stayed apart from everything.
On the contrary, he behaved like a real coward.

I totally NOT agree with you, Sunny. There were many cowards in this family, but certainly not Michael. And I think it is so unfair to say about him 'a coward', when he was just feared for his life and life of his family - when no one couldn't ensure he was safe, on the contrary - he was told that take over the throne = bloodshed. In this  unimaginably dangerous situation Michael had made actually the only possible decision he could. Who said, the whole family wanted him to be a Tsar? Certainly not! Michael was just first person on whom Nicholas could dump the whole mess, which he did with his wife.
So if I understand you correctly, in your opinion, Sunny, Mchael was just should take the throne and die. And then no one would have said he was a coward, isn't it?.

If he was really a coward, he would survive the revolution like his cousins, those who fled abroad, because life was more precious to them than Dynasty and throne and Russia.



Sorry for this off-topic, but I just had to write it.

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Having Fun! / Re: The Romanovs - your subject of interest?

« on: October 12, 2011, 06:09:57 AM »

My main subject of interest is Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich. And family of Tsar Alexander III.
I'm not too interested in OTMA or NAOTMAA.

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Olga Nicholaievna / Re: Photos of "The Big Pair"

« on: September 06, 2011, 04:37:55 AM »

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Having Fun! / Re: Help with Identification, Translations, Finding a Photo

« on: September 06, 2011, 04:03:34 AM »

One of Alix's sisters is there, I believe Irene,  so had to be during a visit of hers. 1908  sounds right as they are slightly older than the playing on the deck film  of 1907 .  Sarushka  had the right OTMA order of course .... it was quite a family  studded occasion...., Sunshine Aunt and husband, Uncle Michale as well as Alix's sister were there. I wonder if Alix took this 

In the picture are OTMA, their father, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna with her husband Duke Pyotr Oldenburg and Grand Duke Michael Aleksandrovich. I can't recognize that woman next to him, but I wouldn't say it's Irene.

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Nicholas II / Re: Re: Photos of Nicholas II #5

« on: September 02, 2011, 10:55:49 AM »

Tsarevich Nicholas Aleksandrovich

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The Imperial Family / Re: The Vladimirovitchi - discussion and pictures, Part 2

« on: September 02, 2011, 08:47:39 AM »

Andrei once again, this time in a Chinese costume

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The Imperial Family / Re: The Vladimirovitchi - discussion and pictures, Part 2

« on: September 01, 2011, 08:59:27 AM »

This young lady's name is Andrei;)

Andrei Vladimirovich

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Nicholas II / Re: Re: Photos of Nicholas II #5

« on: August 26, 2011, 08:16:22 AM »

Young Nicholas