Vasili Filatov

What has been happening with the Filatovs lately? I read the book a while ago and found it pretty piss poor. Filatov's son, Oleg, was pushing for DNA confirmation of his father's claims.

I thought his book was compelling.  

Me too  

Care to elaborate?

I have to admit I am VERY skeptical about any claimant saying they're Alexei.  But, nonetheless, I enjoyed the book; it made fascinating entertainment.  I think Filatov looks absolutely NOTHING like Alexei--infact, Anna Anderson has much more credibility in the looks department than Filatov--but the teenage picture of one of his daughters (I believe it was Nadezhda and it was placed right next to a young picture of Alexandra) did bear somewhat of a resemblance to Alix.  I guess just because that book might've been false, doesn't mean that it wasn't interesting to some people.  

Michelle

You made a good point yet almost almost anyone can look like anyone else with clever lighting and a good photographer...

Michelle

You made a good point yet almost almost anyone can look like anyone else with clever lighting and a good photographer...
 

Don't forget a good makeup job or plastic surgery.

True.  I almost forgot another picture, though of Oleg.  It was on the back cover of the book next to a portrait of the tsar.  Oleg looked like he was in his fifties or somewhere around there.  At first I had to do a double take--it was almost a dead ringer for Nickolas II!  I showed it to my mom and she was like, "WOW!  That's amazing!  Maybe he IS the real son of the tsarevich!"  Stuff like this make the book interesting, as I've said, but unfortunately, that doesn't always make it true.    But I'm also saying that my mind will remain open to all possibilities--even if it's coupled with some wishful thinking.  

I haven't seen this book so I can't say.

But one thing I have thought about in the cases of claimants and people saying they look like them when others say they don't is, I think that the power of suggestion is a big thing. If no one said, this is Alexei or Anastasia, and you were asked to say which historical figure the person resembled, you might not name a Romanov. But when someone says, this is so n so, it kind of takes our minds in that direction, and people are more likely to go, oh yes, I see it!

For example, take the backward masking in songs. There was a lot of flak years ago about people claiming there were evil messages in Led Zeppelin songs. Then I saw a guy on  TV set out to prove a point, and he did- he played the record backwards for one group of people, telling them they were supposed to hear "here's to our sweet satan" and the people all gasped and said, oh yes, they heard that! How scary! Then he played the same part of the same song backwards for another group of people and did not tell them what the message allegedly was. They all said it sounded like gobbledegook, or some foreign language. No one suggested what it was supposed to be, and since it wasn't really there, they didn't hear it. It's no offense to anyone who sees and hears things because of the power of suggestion, it's part of the way the mind works. But it is a factor in these stories, I think.

I have met and interviewed Oleg Filatov.   When I first glimpsed him at our appointed meeting place - an international bank on the Moika where he was employed in PR! - I confess I was quite surprised by his resemblence to the late Emperor.   Like so many claimants, he delivered his story with sincerity.   His hair, beard and moustache had been carefully cultivated in precisely the style of Nicholas II.   However, his colouring, hair and eyes are so light  he presents as an 'Albino'.   He says this is a legacy from his 'father's' haemophilia.   I doubt this would be confirmed medically.

In his explanation for his 'father's' survival... he avered, this was due to the herbs and frozen fish fed him by the peasants of the 'north'.

I did not know of the existence, and therefore have not read, his book.   I do not know if any photographs are included.   What did cause me some consternation, was the remarkable resemblance between his sister Irene and the Grand Duchess Xenia.

Oleg did ask if we could possibly obtain a sample of blood from the 'Queen of England's husband'.   I thought better than to stalk the corridors of Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Balmoral or Sandringham with a needle and syringe.    

tsaria

Hey tsaria, it'd be really cool if you had a picture of his sister Irene--you've made me curious!!

And Oleg Filatov's sister Nadezhda looks remarkably like Alexandra Fyodorovna.

Some illustrations of the book:
Oleg Filatov:


His father in 1939:

Her sisters:
Olga:


Irina:


and Nadezhda (he compare her to Xenia and Alexandra... I can't see how someone could ressemble to Xenia and Alix at the same time )

I don't think Irina really looks at all like any of the tsar's family, based on that picture.  Or his sister Olga for that matter.  It's hard to really say who Nadezhda looks like.  She resembles Alix somewhat in the younger picture of her when Alix's picture is held up to Nadezhda's.  But it's hard for me to see it now. :-/  I can't tell if she looks like anybody in her older photo.  

The only one that would convince me of a relation to the tsar would be Oleg, because he does look REMARKABLY similar to Nicholas II.