I am new here and I find it fascinating to see so many people -- from so many places -- interested in Imperial Russia. My deep connection takes me to my native Cuba where I grew up during the tumultuous days prior to the Castro revolution. I was 13 in 1962 when I fled Havana for a new life in freedom in the United States. From my earliest recollections (age 3 and up) I already had an appreciation for things Russian, particularly Tchaikovsky's music. It is difficult to explain how a Cuban-born man would be so immersed in the culture of Imperial Russia, but I must confess that I am. I realize many here have direct ties to the Russian Motherland and perhaps some may even be able to claim some parentage to those who lived in those days. My fascination, I suppose, is directly related to my clear understanding of what it is to experience the horrible reality that is Communism/Socialism. I would be very interested in learning some of your own personal reasons for being so attracted to this topic. Many thanks.
