Topics

1

Imperial Russian History / RIA officers

« on: June 05, 2020, 05:50:31 PM »

A frind of mine pointed out a site in Russian that i was able to google translate somewhat containing brief bios of officers of the Russian imperial army 1900-1917. see: ria1914.info/index.pap

I have looked through some of them there are a lot of Romanovs not Grand Dukes or princes

The one on GD Dimtri p has him engaged to Olga N!?

It also contains some photos that some of us might like

2

The Final Chapter / youtube Execution of the Romanov Family: The Guns Used

« on: May 08, 2020, 04:25:38 PM »

I just found on youtube a video by a man named Chris Butler called "Execution of the Romanov Family: The Guns Used/Collections and History Corner" where he discusses the weapons used to kill the IF and an account of their murder. It could do with some "polish" you might say. It is of some interest and use to some people on this site

3

Having Fun! / Period russian slang

« on: December 10, 2019, 05:04:07 PM »

here is some period Russian slang terms:

White crow: odd ball

Sitting (in prison) a revolutionary once asked Stalin where he been the reply "sitting"

White Boned: blue blood a member of the nobility

Black boned: not a member of the nobility

4

Having Fun! / Getting dressed

« on: August 13, 2018, 07:12:06 PM »

on youtube a stumbled on to a video "Getting Dressed WW I the VADs" which showed you what a VAD (Volunteer Aid Detachment) nurse wore. No doubt other women of the period also wore the same underneath. I thought some people of this site would be interested.

5

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / The Race To Save the Romanovs

« on: August 04, 2018, 02:41:25 PM »

I just finished reading the new book "The Race To Save the Romanovs" by Helen Rappaport I must say it is a a fine well written book on as the subtitle says "The Truth behind the Secret plans to Rescue the Russian Imperial Family". It includes some very impressive research where the author does a good job as a detective tracking down sources and clues. It does a good job at explaining the roles played by King George V and other monarchs in this affair. King Alfonso XIII comes out looking very well. It also provide an update in the roles played by Vasily Yakovlev and others and what they really did. It also deals with the plans of Allied agents and Russian monarchists to rescue the Imperial family some of which can best be described as "hare-brained" as the author would say.

6

Having Fun! / Painters and a photogragher

« on: June 23, 2018, 03:01:54 PM »

If you want see paintings on Russia ect google search to:
List of 20th Century Russian painters and list of 19th century Russian painters

I would also like to mention one of the more famous Russian Photographers of the late Imperial period Victor Bulla

he is the man who took the iconic photo of the July 1917 revolution street scene on Nevski Prospekt and Sadovia Ulitsa which is on the front cover of the book The Russian Revolution" by R Pipes

7

Imperial Russian History / victims of communism memorial

« on: December 31, 2017, 07:44:42 PM »

On 24 Dec 2017 C Span had a interview with lee Edward about the monument to the victims of communism in Washington DC. See victimsofcommunism.org. It contains a virtual tour of a gulag camp. In the interview it mentions the books "The Great Terror" and Harvest of Sorrow" by Robert Conquest and how Academics treated the book with sceptism when they came out. Sadly this was not unusual for them people who should have been smart enough to know better.

On 30 dec 2017 C Span had an issue spotlight: North Korea discusses book "Escape form Camp 14" and "The Impossible State" and what a Communist hell hole North Korea still is

8

Having Fun! / Model warships

« on: October 03, 2017, 10:52:51 AM »

In looking through the 2017 gallery section of modelwarships.com they had some models of warships of the Imperial Russian era including the Battleships Tsesarevich and Peresvet  pronounced pyair-yes-VYET.

One day I would like to post some pictures of some models I have of this period on this site if i could figure out how.

9

News Links / Iron Felix statue

« on: September 10, 2017, 09:14:19 PM »

According to the Wall Street Journal the Russians have erected a new statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky founder of the Cheka. Note the centennial of  the founding of the Cheka is on 20 Dec of this year no doubt President Putin will commemorate this event. Of course nothing will be said about the tens of millions of people murdered, jailed, tortured ect by this organization and its renamed successors.

10

Marie Feodorovna / Maria Fed red cross hospital pictures

« on: March 16, 2017, 04:37:56 PM »

On the great war forum 1914-1918invasionzone.com medical services section there is a posting from the Russian state archives of photos of Maria Fed and her red cross hospital. A few  pictures I have seen before but many are new to me. They are worth a look at. Note all the captions are in Russian a translation is needed.

11

Nicholas II / Nicholas Diary 30 March/12 April 1916

« on: October 11, 2016, 01:59:38 PM »

Can anyone help me find out what or if Nicholas wrote in his diary on 30 March/12 April 1916 about the air attack that happened while he was reviewing the 3rd Trans-Amur Infantry Division? The next day 31 march/13 April 1916 he writes Alexandra "During the review we heard our guns firing at Austrian aeroplanes wh. were dropping bombs on both of the bridges over the Dnester." This is for an article I am writing. there is some disagreement between Russian and Austrian accounts as to what happened.

12

Having Fun! / The Eastern Front 1914-1917 wargame

« on: October 30, 2015, 03:45:57 PM »

The wargame company SPW has the Der Weltkrieg Series board wargaming WWI see www.spwgame.com which lists the games and has an step by step video on how to play it. The introductory game is tannenberg. There is also The Eastern Front 1914-1917 6 separate games Tannenberg, Galicia , Serbia, Rumania, GorliceTarnow,and the Brussilov Offensive as well as East front campaign game. For those of us who want to refight WW I in the East.

13

Having Fun! / 1917 Russian Offensives

« on: October 22, 2015, 06:42:56 PM »

This is in the way of what if Nicholas worked something out there was no Feb/Mar 1917 revolution and the Russian army remains fit to fight and in 1917 launches a series of offensives. This is what I understand they were planning to do:
The Russian and Rumanian forces outnumbered the Central powers Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria by 2 to 1 in manpower and the central powers were holding a front line that went from the Baltic to the Black sea. The Russians planned to attack after the thaw late april/early may. They were going to begin with secondary attacks by the Northern, Western and Rumanian fronts mainly to draw off Central powers reserves. Then the main offensive was to be launched by the SouthWest front towards Lemberg/Lvov and Kovel just to the south of them the Russian and rebuilt Rumanian army was also going to launch an offensive.
 I would say the South West fronts offensive would breakthrough the lines in part because most of the troops they were up against were Austrians who collapsed rather quickly during the failed Kerensky offensive. The Germans would have some troops to deploy to the East as they did during the Kerensky offensive but I don't think it would have stopped this Russian breakthrough. I would say the Russians would have captured Kovel and while they probably would not have been able to capture Lemberg/Lvov they would have at least gotten close to it before their troops were to exhausted to carry on. The Rumanians to the South did quite well in 1917 only this time there are no real reserves to stop them as what happened in real life.  I would also expect the Northern, Western and Rumanian fronts to make some gains. The Rumanian front was to attack along the coast and should have done well. As for the other two fronts if the front commanders Ruzsky of the Northern and Evert of the Western were fired and replaced with better generals they certainly would have done very well.  To be continued.

14

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Star media World War I Documentary

« on: April 15, 2015, 04:53:28 PM »

Star Media who gave us the House of Romanov 1613-1917 has another documentary out title World War I that deals with the fighting on the Eastern Front in WW I. It's in 8 parts plus six more parts of short clips. I would rate it as average. I found a number of errors and omissions. Like no mention of Rasputin. I did learn some things. This is similar in format to the house of Romanov 1613-1917 and if you liked that you will like this one. I would recommend this to people who frequent this site. It's on youtube. I found this on the Axis History Forums First World War section . On a posting of Review of WW I Russian Documentary. Will someone with more computer skills than I have please post this here.

15

Having Fun! / Some funny and not so funny things

« on: March 04, 2015, 01:51:42 PM »

I have some period humor which is mostly black humor for you

From "Thou Shalt Kill"

Witte (the Finance Minister) decided to replace gold currency with dynamite since dynamite is streaming into Russia and gold is streaming out

Last evening, his Excellency the Govenor General held a small reception at his residence at which he accepted congratulations from his subordinates on the two week anniversary of his successful command of this area.

The difference between European minister and ours theirs are thrown out and ours are blown out

Due to the increase in the incidence of bank robberies, the mask and costume business are showing large profits a domino mask goes for 60 rubles (rental and A harlequin for more than 80. The administration intends to institute price controls in order to curb the merchants greed.

Bank satire in 1905 in the old days this was a place to safeguard your money

Latvian terrorist exhibit A real live Latvia: A german castle not destroyed and a policeman who has not been shot

Newspaper staffer "The biography of the new Govenor-General has arrived what do I do with it?"
Editor: "Send it to the obituary department"

The police:
1: Go to sites that have been robbed
2:Report all robberies less than an hour after they happened
3; Photogragh all criminals who have disappeared
4:Send the entirely of stolen sums to police headquarters with out delay as material evidence
5: Travel around and ask all inhabitants if they stole money from the bank

The greatest inventor of the century (John ) Browning

A Liberal kneeling in front of Nicholas II: "Your Majesty grant us a constitution or the SRs will shoot."

From Autocracy Under Siege:
Grand Duke Serge after he was assassinated "The Grand Duke had for once been obliged to cast his brain around an issue"