Messages

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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: New book about Tatiana based on her diaries and letters (1913-1918).

« on: July 17, 2015, 03:42:25 AM »

Yes, yes, YES !!!!!!! I can't wait!

Helen, you are a gem!! :-) THANK YOU!!!!!

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Tsarevich Alexei Nicholaievich / How Much Longer?

« on: July 17, 2015, 03:34:31 AM »

I'm sorry that this will sound so morbid, but since it's the tragic anniversary of the murder of the last Romanovs and their servants, I had to ask:

We all know that poor Alexei suffered terribly from hemophilia. Several of his hemophiliac relatives had already died of this disease, most at a very young age. Obviously at the turn of the 20th century there was no treatment available for people with his condition, and very few even survived to adulthood.

Alexei had already astonished his doctors by surviving a number of nearly fatal hemorrhages. At the time of his murder, he was still unable to walk. I think he was just short of his 14th birthday when he was killed? I even vaguely recall something that Rasputin allegedly once told the Empress: that if Alexei survived until his 15th birthday, he would be cured of his hemophilia and go on to live a normal life. IF there is any truth to that (and that's a huge "if", I grant you), if he could have lived just another year and a few weeks, who knows? Maybe--just maybe--Alexei could have overcome that terrible disease and lived a long and healthy life. IF he hadn't been murdered first!!!

Anyway, now to my question: even if the Revolution had never happened, even if the Romanov dynasty had continued to flourish--what do you think Alexei's ultimate fate would have been? How much longer would he have beaten the odds? How much longer would he have lived even in a peaceful Russia?

Again--sorry to be so morbid but I've started thinking about this and wondered what others might think. Of course as things turned out, poor Alexei never got the chance to find out. May he and his family rest in peace.

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The Final Chapter / Re: anastasia or maria?

« on: July 17, 2015, 02:35:11 AM »

I think Anastasia was buried with Alexei. The Americans' justification of Anastasia being missing from the 1991 grave as opposed to Maria was a lot more convincing, given that they made their assumptions were based on more factors as opposed to the Russians' computer programme. Bearing in mind the Russians who believe Maria was missing also said that the skeleton of Demidova was that of the Emperor - a very elementary mistake when it comes to forensics, I feel more inclined to go with the American assertion.

I also feel that identifying Anastasia in 1991, like King and Wilson suggested, may have spawned from the Russians' desire to prove to the west Anastasia was dead.

While I suppose it doesn't really matter--we now know that the entire family perished 97 years ago tonight--I have to say that I agree 1000% with Romafan96, for the identical reasons. I suppose we'll never know with absolute certainty, but it really doesn't matter. BOTH Maria and Anastasia died that night--along with Alexei, Olga, Tatiana, their parents, and several servants. It was a horrible death which NONE of them deserved.

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The Final Chapter / Re: The Remains Identified as Alexei and Maria. Story Closed.

« on: July 17, 2015, 02:23:31 AM »

I know most Russian experts believed the "missing daughter" (whose fragmentary remains have since been discovered, along with Alexei's) was Grand Duchess Maria. However, English and American geneticists and other scientists who examined the remains state that the "missing" daughter was Anastasia, not Maria. Based on the evidence I've read--and no, I'm no expert--I think the missing daughter was Anastasia. (My opinion, BTW, has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm American. I just felt that the Anglo-American team had better evidence to support their conclusion that it was Anastasia who was missing.)

In the end I guess it really doesn't matter. Even if Alexei and Anastasia were found separately from the rest of their family, the sad fact remains that not a single member of Nicholas II's immediate family (his wife and children) survived. They all died--were murdered, more accurately--together in that wretched basement in the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, Russia, along with several devoted servants. Tonight marks the 97th anniversary of those bloody and heartless executions. Hard to believe it all happened so long ago--it breaks my heart knowing that those five beautiful children never got the chance to live out their lives. May they rest in peace.

5

Servants, Friends and Retainers / Re: Anna Aleksandrovna Vyrubova (1884-1964), Part 2

« on: December 22, 2012, 03:07:39 AM »

Thank you so much for this picture of Anna--I don't recall ever seeing it before. She does look a bit plump, but the overall effect (to me anyway) is attractive. I think if she had been slimmer--and more popular!!--she would have been considered a very pretty woman.

About the reason the Empress often referred to her as "The Cow"--that has long puzzled me too. It's hardly the kind of thing you would call a dear friend!! (She might as well have called poor Anya "The Pig"!) It was a really unkind way to speak of her behind her back and I don't think that reflects well on the Empress. I realize that Anya's constant presence and interference in family matters must have been extremely irritating at times and I suspect it was mostly during those episodes when Alix took out her frustration by calling Anya names--altho not to her face.

But still, it's always bothered me. It's rather jarring to read the syrupy sweet letters Alix wrote to Anya, then read another letter she writes to the Emperor referring to Anya as "The Cow"!! Were her feelings towards Anya really that ambivalent? Did she really (deep down) perceive Anya as a threat??

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia - A Haemophilia Carrier?

« on: August 12, 2011, 12:39:19 PM »

All of this is news to me too--absolutely fascinating! I had no idea that any of the girls had been tested for being hemophilia carriers, didn't know it was possible--at least not with only bones available for testing!

My own opinion is that the last girl found (with Alexei) is Anastasia. Not that I know anything about forensics or anything but it seems the weight of evidence points to that, based on what I've read.

It would be tragic (altho entirely possible) for any and all of the girls to be carriers. But somehow it seems most poignant if Marie were a carrier of the hemophilia gene--esp. if she was the only one of the sisters. Because of all of them, Marie most loved children and longed to marry and have lots and lots of children--poor thing, imagine if she had, only to lose several of them to hemophilia!! 

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia's stats & characteristics

« on: August 12, 2011, 12:23:53 PM »

Now I've got everyone all confused lol--guess my job here is accomplished!!! 

I have a few errands to run right now, but I will try to check on this later--I do recall reading it somewhere but I have so many books on this subject it might take awhile!! 

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia's stats & characteristics

« on: August 11, 2011, 03:47:45 PM »

I remember one small joke of Anastasia's while they were under "house arrest" at Tsarskoe Selo--clearly not a very happy time, altho sadly it was to get much much worse.

Anyway as I recall, one of the Imperial Family's friends--I think Lili Dehn but could be wrong--accidentally broke an extremely valuable vase and was horrified at what she had done. She kept trying to stammer out her apologies (it was irreplaceable!!) and was overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment.

Well, we know that by then the Provisional Government had declared anything which belonged to the Romanovs actually belonged to the State. Anastasia, thinking of this, took it upon herself to calm poor Lili. She pointed to the shattered bits of vase scattered across the floor and said laughingly:

"Don't worry, Lili, it isn't ours anyway--it belongs to the goverment!"  

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia or Maria?

« on: May 24, 2010, 06:06:03 AM »

Well, maybe Nicky needed the walk.  The guy had just become a father for the fourth time.  No doubt he had a lot on his mind.

Good point, Tim...but at least he didn't have to worry whether he could afford that many children! 

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Accurately Portraying Anastasia

« on: March 26, 2010, 05:57:11 AM »

I know I'm late to this discussion  , but was it Marie or Anastasia who earned the (not very kind!) nickname "Fat Little Bow-Wow"? 

I'm inclined to think it was poor Marie but I know it was one of the two younger girls, since neither Olga nor Tatiana ever seem to have had a weight problem.

And yes, that is most definitely envy you hear in my voice, lol!

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Anastasia Nicholaievna / Re: Anastasia's Main talent?

« on: March 26, 2010, 05:47:45 AM »

It's true she had a sunny, happy disposition and that is indeed a gift! Also a wonderful sense of humor--I cannot endure humorless people!

I've heard numerous times that Anastasia was a marvelous mimic and would have made a terrific actress.

Of course her social position made working--especially as an actress--out of the question, but if she had been born a commoner, I think she would have made a great actress, especially a comic actress.

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The Tudors / Re: Your favorite Tudors

« on: March 26, 2010, 05:26:56 AM »

Elizabeth I is definitely my favorite--I am a huge fan of hers! 

I also like several of the wives of Henry VIII: Katherine of Aragon (she was a saint to tolerate his behavior!!), I am fascinated by Anne Boleyn, I like Catherine Parr (somehow she reminds me a little of Katherine of Aragon?!), I think Anne of Cleves has been grossly underestimated by history, and I just feel sorry for poor little Catharine Howard. I am not much of a fan of Jane Seymour--I think she was both mousy and devious--not an appealing combination!! 

In spite of a fairly large Scottish ancestry, I have to admit I find Mary Queen of Scots a bore--reading about her generally makes me want to slap her and tell her to behave like a queen, not a lovesick schoolgirl!  (Altho I admit she did die with a great deal of courage--I could never have managed that!)

And I feel so sorry for poor little Lady Jane Grey. A totally innocent victim. 

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The Tudors / Re: Was Henry VIII a Sociopath?

« on: March 26, 2010, 05:11:03 AM »

*Warning* I majored in psychology and I could go on and on about this!!  

Some of his behavior definitely points towards sociopathy IMHO (what is now generally called "Antisocial Personality Disorder"). He certainly could be cold, calculating, cruel and callous, even towards people who had long considered him a close friend.

But I think we have to consider him in the context of his life and times. Even his daughter Queen Elizabeth I, who most definitely was not a sociopath, had people executed when she considered it necessary--most famously in the case of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Back then, when monarchs had virtually unlimited power and people were constantly scheming against you, it was pretty much the law of the jungle: kill or be killed.

Henry was ruthless and extremely narcissistic, and a man who callously tosses one wife aside (Katherine of Aragon), and murders two others (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) is not what anyone would call a nice guy.   I think he may have had some sociopathic traits, but he is a vivid reminder to me of that old saying:

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

I think that definitely happened in Henry's case!! I'd love to hear other people's opinions on this, since I've wondered about it myself.  



 

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The Final Chapter / Re: Awareness of possible execution/Do you think they knew?

« on: December 09, 2008, 06:25:55 AM »

I think that both Olga and Alexei feared that they might be killed. With his usual fatalism, I think Nicholas too believed he might die, but I think he hoped that the rest of his family would be spared.

I think tho that they were also very much hoping to be rescued (as they nearly were). 

The one I am least sure about is Alexandra. I've read a lot about her, and while I sometimes find her exasperating  I also find her quite a sympathetic character. But she still is quite an enigma to me. It seems to me (and I could be wrong of course!!) that she tended to swing from optimism to pessimism--not just regarding their ultimate fate, but throughout her life. When feeling optimistic, I am sure she believed that God would send someone to rescue them, as she felt Rasputin could rescue Alexei from his hemophiliac crises. But when feeling pessimistic, I think she was resigned like her husband---she dreaded the worst.

On the whole tho I don't get the impression that they felt that night that they were literally being led to their deaths. They were just too calm, IMO.

15

The Final Chapter / Re: Murder or execution?

« on: December 09, 2008, 06:08:43 AM »

I too think it was murder. Cold-blooded, premeditated murder. Especially in the case of the children and the servants, but I don't think that Nicholas or Alexandra had done anything to warrant their "executions", either.

And I think the "executioners" knew it was murder, too. Why else sneak around and do it in the middle of the night, hide the bodies, and then lie about it?

Even the Bolsheviks realized that the rest of the world would be horrified if (and when) they discovered what had happened to the IF and their servants.

They knew what they did was wrong!!