Topics

31

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / History Channel Ticking Me Off!!!

« on: October 09, 2004, 10:35:55 AM »

Once again the History Channel made me yell at the TV! (my husband probably thinks I'm an idiot!) Last night I was channel surfing and on History International I found a program called "World Justice" and it was about the Revolutionaries overthrowing the Czar. So many things were so inaccurate I was disgusted!
This has got to be one of the most well know pics of OTMA

They identified it as
Maria, Olga, Anastasia & Tatiana!
They said Anastasia was the youngest daughter which is correct, but then the kept showing her pic and calling her Marie!!!!
They said the Czar's son was named Alexander!! Don't these shows have fact checkers? There is a big difference between Alexander & Alexei! If there wasn't why did Alexander II name 2 of his sons Alexander & Alexei!?
They described Rasputin as some evil genius who wormed his way into the palace and absolutely swayed every opinion of Alexandra. Never once did they mention Alexei's hemophilia!!! not once!!
The only thing I did like about the program was all of the motion films they showed of the family. One that actually made me laugh was of the girls and some young men (I think I recognized Dimitri Pavlovich) in a field holding races. One of the girls and a young man were running and it looked like they were purposely running into each other to knock each other down. The Grand Duchess lost!
It just ticks me off that this channel is called The History Channel and their facts are so off base!!!
Angie

32

Tsarskoe Selo Palaces / Catherine Palace

« on: September 30, 2004, 03:52:33 PM »

This might seem like a silly question  . As we all know the Imperial Family lived in the Alexander Palace at Tsarkoe Selo. During all that time was the Catherine Palace empty? Was it ever used? Did other members of the Imperial family live in it?

33

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / A Fatal Passion: The Story of Victoria Melita

« on: September 25, 2004, 01:14:48 PM »

I posted this topic in books, but I also wanted to put it here. This book is making me so PO'd!!!! It's like the author just accepted all the untrue statements made about Alix and accepted them as fact!  Jane said it best on the other board when she said the author was sycophantic. This book in my opinion is nothing but one big pity party for Ducky. Yes she had a hard life, but please! Show some objectivity!!!!
The author had the audacity to state that yes, Alix loved Nicky but there were more reasons as to why she accepted his proposal,  that she didn't like being made 2nd lady of the land in Hesse once Ernie married Ducky.
I find that statement to go against everything I read about Alix. She was so shy and only performed court functions because she had to, that she disliked being around strangers. I would think she would have been grateful for Ducky coming so Ducky could perform those functions and she would not.
The author makes the stupid statement that Ducky and Ernie were the only grandchildren of QV's to marry 1st cousins. Uh, what about Irene of Hesse and Heinrich of Prussia? They first cousins too.
The author raves on and on about how beautiful Ducky was, even more beautiful than Alix or Ella. Um, I DON'T THINK SO!! In my opinion Ducky was good looking. Not pretty or beautiful. Something about her eyes just makes me think she is good looking and that is it. Before all the turmoil and heartache took their tolls on them Alix and Ella in my opinion were the 2 most beautiful princesses for their generation.
I am so glad I got this book from the library and didn't buy it! I don't think I am going to bother finishing it. I also got Maria Pavlovna (the youngers) memoirs. I think I will start that.
I do feel some sympathy for Ducky. She was pressured into her marriage to Ernie by her family, (her mother was the only one against wasn't she?). And when she finally found the person she loved and married she was penalized for some time for it.
Sorry if I was ranting but that book is totally trashy and I would only recommend someone getting it to use to put under a table leg to make the table less wobbly.
Angie

34

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / A Fatal Passion: The Story of Victoria Melita

« on: September 23, 2004, 11:10:03 AM »

Has anyone read A Fatal Passion: The Story of Victoria Melita, the Uncrowned Last Empress of Russia by Michael John Sullivan? I saw it at the library and checked it out. I am only in the first few chapters but the book is starting to get on my nerves. Not the story itself. The author comes across like he is trying to paint Ducky in this "oh so perfect light", to put it frankly it's like he's sucking up to her.   No bias what so ever, no objective view. At least in The Fate of The Romanovs I read about how Alexei could be bratty at times. I am glad I got it from the library and didn't buy it
Angie

35

Their World and Culture / Photo Editing in the 19th Century

« on: September 10, 2004, 04:46:33 PM »

"The Camera & The Tsars" says this picture was altered and Tsarina MA was added to it. I saw this pic on eBay and I think it was too. It's of AII, MA, AIII & MF
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6118103324

Whatcha think?
Angie

36

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Book on Nicholas II in Russian [by Shelayev et. al.]

« on: August 31, 2004, 02:35:27 PM »

I like the site RomanovRussia even if the things are too expensive to buy I like looking at the items. At the end of the site there are books that are recommended. One is a book "Nicholas II", but it's in Russian, it has Nicholas on the cover holding Alexei
http://www.romanovrussia.com/RefNII.html
If I wanted to do a search does anyone know the authors?Does anyone have any opinions on the book?

37

Tsarevich Alexei Nicholaievich / Question about and/or Help with Picture(s)

« on: August 19, 2004, 02:34:58 PM »

On Livida.org they have some of Anastasia's section up now. I think this pic of OTMA is so funny with the face Anastasia is making.
http://www.livadia.org/ana/1901-1906/16.jpg
But my question is this. The baby on the end that the sailor is holding, is that Alexei dressed all frilly like that???
Angie

38

Rulers Prior to Nicholas II / Alexander III

« on: August 19, 2004, 11:32:52 AM »

In different books I've read about Nicholas II, they often talk about the train wreck Alexander III was in and how he practically held the roof of the carriage up so his family could escape While surfing the web today I found a pic of the wreck

39

Rulers Prior to Nicholas II / Alexander II's first daughter & Alexander III's 2nd son

« on: August 15, 2004, 10:41:12 AM »

I have a question. In the topic: "does anyone here..." some posted a pic of  Alexander III and Marie's 2nd son Alexander Alexandrovich. This pic is obviously a funeral pic. Does anyone have pics of him when he was alive? There were so many pics taken of Nicholas as a baby. I think it's weird that they never took any pics of their 2nd son before he died.
Angie

40

The Imperial Family / The Romanovs in documentaries (screenshots), on stamps and on rubles

« on: April 06, 2004, 03:46:59 PM »

The family were avid picture takers, did they ever make films? I've read that during their engagement Nicholas & Alexandra were filmed while visiting Queen Victoria. I have seen ones of the coronation and even one of the children running on the deck of the Standart but are there any others?
Angie

41

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Opinion of "Royalty Digest"?

« on: March 01, 2004, 11:37:43 AM »

I was just wondering does anyone subscribe to the "Royalty Digest"? I have seen their website and it does look interesting. I am considering a subscription, I'm just wondering if it's worth it and is it expensive?
Thanks! Angie

42

The Imperial Family / The Imperial children "sad,sheltered" life?

« on: March 01, 2004, 11:12:37 AM »

I have often read about how the Imperial children did not have real contemporaries of their own age. How they rarely saw other members of the Romanov family their own age. I have wondered if this was somewhat due to some influence Queen Victoria had over her grand daughter Alix. Not that Queen Victoria told her outright to do this. From what I read, after Prince Albert died Queen Victoria acted like she had to be the center of attention when it came to her children. That she was very reluctant to let her daughters Helena & Beatrice marry (when they did marry Queen Victoria insisted they live in England), that she even expected Beatrice to remain unmarried and devote herself only to her mother. After Princess Alice's death Queen Victoria took more of an interest in her Hessian grandchildren. Did some of this wear off on Alix? Alix was often ill, did she look at her daughters more as companion/caretakers? Being so isolated and not exposed to people their own age, wouldn't that have made the girls somewhat naive in regards to the outside world? And if the grand duhcesses did marry would she have insisted they too remain in Russia. (I do remember reading somewhere that Olga said she did not want to go to a foreign country). And in reality wouldn't the grand duchesses gotten on each other's nerves after awhile too no matter how close & loving they were?  :-/

43

Imperial Russian History / Jewish Pogroms

« on: February 29, 2004, 05:37:52 PM »

Why were there so many pogroms against Jewish people in Russia? Was it because they were not of the Orthodox Church? I never understood the prejudice against them.
Angie