One Hundred Years On

[LisaDavidson]

I recalled the murder of those poor Norwegian children was close to the anniversary of the Imperial Family's murder. Losing children strips us of our future. Surely Russia would have been better off with Nicholas' children alive, just as Norway would have been better off with their children alive!

[TimM]

The murder of children is horrible.

[tenorsfan]

The last couple of years there's been an outbreak of measles in Europe. Another Romanov coincidence. The  100th anniversary from when OTMAA caught it and lost their chance to escape and live. Once again its wreaking havoc.

[LisaDavidson]

Are children not being vaccinated?

[GDSophie]

Nope, because the internet and some terrible organisations are preaching that vaccinations cause autism and other stuff, which is a complete, utter lie.

[Greenowl]

I recently read an article about the problem in a scientific journal, in which the internet was described as a "Pandora's Box" as most parents are unable to assess whether or not the information they find there is factually correct, with the result that many believe they are doing their children a favour by refusing to have them vaccinated. Seemingly a baby in the UK recently died from measles, which is the first measles-related death in the UK for over ten years....

[TimM]

Hard to believe people can still die from this, when it's easily preventable.

[tenorsfan]

The hundred year mark felt like a circle maybe elliptical where OTMA seemed closer, more right there, like it came around. Now that the century mark since their murder has slipped away, I wonder if those girls may start to fade in the distance or is it those deer in the headlights photos that will always keep them immediate. It seems their murder was the one murder that plunged poor Russia into a 100 year dark ages. Like how Jesus' crucifixion was the one crucifixion of lasting significance. Now at the Century mark, what will happen? Dark ages for the rest of us is what it feels like is what is happening though I hope not.

[TimM]

As long as sites like this exist, none of them will be forgotten.

[PAGE]

Personally, I knew the imperial family by his assassination, but I did not become one of his fervent admirers for that. I do not think, it will be forgotten.

[TimM]

Keep the memory alive.

[The Test Card Girl]

As someone of Jewish heritage - although not a practicing Jew - whose ancestors escaped Old Europe pogroms I have...mixed attitudes toward the Tsar.

His main problems were that A) he wasn't taught how to properly rule and B) He grew up in a highly reactionary environment which instilled into him the idea that he should rule.

[DNAgenie]

If the Russian royal family had not been murdered, this site would not exist, but martyrdom is a powerful incentive for undeserved admiration. I am aware that the site aims to examine the facts impartially, but this is not easy to do.

The more I learn about Nicholas II the less I like him. Despite being the scion of a long line of (more or less) successful rulers, he was entirely unfitted to rule Russia when he came to the throne. I do feel sorry for him, as he knew that to be the case but he felt he had no choice. However I do not share the idolatry of many on this site.

The same goes for Alexandra, who I find particularly irritating. I am not alone in this as most of her family felt the same way at some stages of her life, but she could never see her own faults, or if she did, she could not act on the knowledge.

Given the circumstances, this pair was a disaster waiting to happen, and it happened.

[Forum Admin]

As a Jew, who has studied this subject and read many first hand accounts, I can say that Nicholas was about as "OK" with Jews as any other head of State in Europe at the time. His "problem" was having to juggle the various social forces in Russia, many of which were very anti Semitic. To his credit, he never "permitted" Pogroms and in fact issued Ukazes and orders to stop and prevent them (many of which were ignored on the local level) and he had Jewish people around him, including his personal Orchestra. He once publicly ridiculed Dombadze the Governor of Yalta who refused entry to the Jewish members of Nicholas' orchestra as part of his anti Semitic agenda.

[Forum Admin]

For DNAGenie:
I don't disagree with much of what you said. I do, however, have a different take on it. I find something sad about the Pathos of their situation and the resulting tragedy. Yes Nicholas knew his weaknesses, as did Alexandra. You miss the point that they had NO CHOICE but to accept their roles and "muddle on" as best they could. It was unthinkable from their perspective to NOT rule as Alexander III and his other ancestors had done. Alexandra bore a huge burden feeling totally to blame for Alexei's illness, she felt a huge guilt at not being able to "fit in" to the Social world of the Aristocracy, who mostly and unfairly never gave her a chance to be accepted for who she was, and who villified her for not conforming to their expectations, when as EMPRESS the Aristocrats had the duty to try to accept her, but they refused. This made her challenge nearly impossible. Her devotion to her family and her role was seen as a negative, by the aristocratic class who preferred her to be a social paragon of tradition, parties, and less about her family, Further the health issues of the Tsetsarevich compounded her difficulty, and she had no support or understnding from the Court for this challenge. I find it a tragedy of PATHOS,