Your dream Romanov book: ideas & requests for authors

[Margarita Markovna]

My dream Romanov book would be something of a cross between Romanov Autumn and the Nicholas and Alexandra Family Albums. I like reading about the family itself and the people they were.

[OlgaNRomanovaFan]

I would love a book that mixed the thorough and accurate research in books like Massie's 'Nicholas and Alexandra' and 'Nicholas and Alexandra:The Family Albums.' I would love it if I there was a book that featured OTMA more than in just one chapter or as a 'they were there too' sidenote.

[GDNastya]

I would add to this list publication of Jewel Album of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Jewel Album of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna with drawings of all the jewelry they owned and recieved as gifts.

[GDNastya]

Someone sould publish album showing all existing watercolours of  palaces of the Yusupovs, Stroganoffs, mansion of Baron Stieglitz and residences of other nobles.

[Ilana]

Insofar as as Alix's early life... I have put some in my book about VMH...

[Превед]

My dream Romanov book would be "Учите русский язык с царицы" - "Learn Russian with a Tsarina Tsaritsa". Its aim would be to teach you Russian from the perspective of a foreign princess like Alexandra Fyodorovna marrying into the Romanov dynasty, so you can learn by reading about the part of Russian culture you're most interested in. What were the words she would encounter, what would be the words and phrases she needed to learn first?  It could start teaching you the alphabet in Дармштадт with one well-known word in a sentence in Russian, and the last page of the book is all in Russian. :-)
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[edubs31]

My dream Romanov book would be "Учите русский язык с царицы" - "Learn Russian with a Tsarina Tsaritsa". Its aim would be to teach you Russian from the perspective of a foreign princess like Alexandra Fyodorovna marrying into the Romanov dynasty, so you can learn by reading about the part of Russian culture you're most interested in. What were the words she would encounter, what would be the words and phrases she needed to learn first?  It could start teaching you the alphabet in Дармштадт with one well-known word in a sentence in Russian, and the last page of the book is all in Russian. :-)
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What a great idea. Count me in for purchasing a copy! Of course you might want to add a chapter a couple of chapters that center around getting to know a bit more about actual Russian culture and the concerns of ordinary citizens so as to avoid the fate of Alexandra. Something she never quite grasped.

[Превед]

I am delighted to hear that! I'd love to write it, I just have to learn Russian myself first :-) (I'm on my way, learning with online ressources and a Dano-Russian grammar from 1916 I've inherited.)
Yes, some insight into ordinary peoples' lives should also be included: And then the words есть (eat), щи (cabbage soup) and хлеб (bread) are much more important than красный угол (icon corner).  

My dream Romanov book would be "Учите русский язык с царицы" - "Learn Russian with a Tsarina Tsaritsa".

Oops.
One of the lessons would be that the preposition c (with) demands the instrumental case, so it should be " "Учите русский язык с царицей"! One of the mistakes Alexandra no doubt made! (царицы is in the genitive case and in Alexandra's native German both the genitive and the dative (here German's equivalent of Russian's instrumental case) are the same in this case: mit der Königin / Zarin.) But where and when would she need to use the archaďc title of царица? Perhaps when she would сказать (tell) the children a сказку (fairytale, story) and they would correct her Russian!

Lol, I think this book idea would be best as an e-book, where you could cheat by clicking on the Russian words to see their translation.

[Kalafrana]

An excellent idea!! It will have to include chapters on things like train journeys, literary salons, mealtimes, going to church, balls etc.

Ann

[Marie Valerie]

Rosvall or Eurohistory should do picture albums of Miechen and the Mecklenburg-Romanov relations.

[katmaxoz]

I'd love a book which covers court costume for both men and women in depth.  I would need to include things like

* translations of the actual regulations
* when the costume was to be worn and some coverage of various events
* the colours allocated to various ranks and members of the imperial family and their suites
* jewels associated with the dress - eg the various badges for maids and matrons of honour and information on when they were given out from the 18th century onwards. These date to at least Catherine the Great in use in the court.
* Information on court balls and coronations when this dress was seen at its best
* cloth and jewelled kosnicks (Cloth ones typically used for younger ladies and children)
* dressmakers and tailors to the court
* Court photographers - and when they were arranged to take formal photos of the imperial family dressed to be "royal"

This costume - along with the peasant dress it is supposed to somewhat ape are extremely distinctively Russian. I've seen bits of this information all over the place - and chunks of it in Russian that I can't read, but haven't seen it all in one book in english.

[Ally Kumari]

Kathy I think if such book came into existence I would probably faint. I have too been longing for something of that sort!

As for my own "dream book", I would love it if there was sort of Romanov encyklopedia like Briggite Hamann wrote for Habsburgs (Die Habsburger. Ein biographisches Lexikon). Sort of an ultimate biography of the whole family.

[Maria Sisi]

As for my own "dream book", I would love it if there was sort of Romanov encyklopedia like Briggite Hamann wrote for Habsburgs (Die Habsburger. Ein biographisches Lexikon). Sort of an ultimate biography of the whole family.

I looked up this book and I have to say I most definitely share this dream as well! It would really be amazing even if they only started at Nicholas I.


I would absolutely be thrilled if some author gave Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna their own "Love, Power and Tragedy" style book. Their story is just as amazing but there don't seem to be any books on them as a couple. The book would be an opportunity to write about Xenia, Michael and Olga as well.  

I also remember reading somewhere that Leppi Publications, who published "LP&T", was suppose to publish a book on Queen Alexandra and Empress Maria titled "Two Sisters" or something like that but it never materialized. That's too bad I really wish it had.

[Belochka]

I would absolutely be thrilled if some author gave Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna their own "Love, Power and Tragedy" style book.

The biography that I wrote and had published in May 2014 relating to Alexander III is more about "Power, Tragedy and Love" if that suits your reading tastes.

The book does provide 223 photographs, some of which are unique to the publication.

Additional details and stores from where it may be purchased can be found in this Forum's Romanov book thread.

Margarita Nelipa

[Maria Sisi]

The biography that I wrote and had published in May 2014 relating to Alexander III is more about "Power, Tragedy and Love" if that suits your reading tastes.

The book does provide 223 photographs, some of which are unique to the publication.

Additional details and stores from where it may be purchased can be found in this Forum's Romanov book thread.

Margarita Nelipa

I'm really exited to hear this. Your book has been on my Christmas list before it even came out, I'm praying its still available in December.

I really can't wait to read more of his own thoughts and words from his diaries and letters! The little I have read makes me even more excited.