How do people respond to your Romanov "fanaticness?"

[Proud_Olga]

Well, yes, that is wrong, but quite frankly in history classes in high school are about the big picture.  Knowing the names of Nicholas II's kids is not important.  You should know why things happened, why the Revolution happened, why they were executed (though there's lots of different 'schools of history' so to speak on that), etc.

That's what I meant.
But, my History Teacher said nothing special  about the political system of Nicholas II (or Alexander III due to her mistake lol) . She only learned us when he abdicated. But nothing more about him. (nor his family). I think it's important when we study the Russian Revolution to learn what happened to the Last Tsar.  She just talked about Kerensky and his government a little. She didn't even mention the name of Kerensky.
That's what that didn't really please me.

[Lanie]

That's what I meant.
But, my History Teacher said nothing special  about the political system of Nicholas II (or Alexander III due to her mistake lol) . She only learned us when he abdicated. But nothing more about him. (nor his family). I think it's important when we study the Russian Revolution to learn what happened to the Last Tsar.  She just talked about Kerensky and his government a little. She didn't even mention the name of Kerensky.
That's what that didn't really please me.

I don't think a lot of people think it's important, except there was a revolution so to speak, a Provisional Government, they died, Lenin took over, and so on and so forth.  I got a very vague understanding of it in AP European History in high school and now as an adult I still don't know all of the particulars and when what happened, etc.  The socio-economic and political issues of the time are way more important than Romanov trivia, basically!

[EmmyLee]

Well, yes, that is wrong, but quite frankly in history classes in high school are about the big picture.  Knowing the names of Nicholas II's kids is not important.  You should know why things happened, why the Revolution happened, why they were executed (though there's lots of different 'schools of history' so to speak on that), etc.  Getting into the details isn't important for a beginning history education where most people just don't really care one way or the other.  You've got to get the big picture first before getting to the nitty-gritty or else you go farther down the line and nothing makes sense.

I agree. It's impossible to cover anything in much depth in a high school history class because they really are structured around the "big picture." Such classes are meant to teach why things happened and don't always spend much time on who the people involved really were. I think it's a fine thing to correct teachers when they're wrong about a statement they make in class, but I really think they deserve a little slack. As high school history teachers, they don't really focus their studies on specific periods or countries as they do at colleges (with the exception of separating them into U.S. and World History for U.S. schools).

Lanie is also right about how most students in high school couldn't care less about whether or not they're being taught accurate details about history. Most would never take the subject if given the choice. Sadly, plenty of people find history boring and won't remember hardly anything of what was covered in their history classes anyway.

[Proud_Olga]

I don't think a lot of people think it's important, except there was a revolution so to speak, a Provisional Government, they died, Lenin took over, and so on and so forth.  I got a very vague understanding of it in AP European History in high school and now as an adult I still don't know all of the particulars and when what happened, etc.  The socio-economic and political issues of the time are way more important than Romanov trivia, basically!

I  expected more explanations about the political issues. Especially from Nicholas' reign, because I'm far to all know about what he did when he ruled. I didn't expect the teacher to talk about the Romanov family.

Sadly, plenty of people find history boring

Yes, I agree. 

[grandduchess_42]

They may be 'unimportant' in the grand scheme of things but teachers should at least know the tiniest bit of information. I think they give teachers diplomas far too easily these days. They might only be considered 'unimportant' because they barely teach a thing about them these days. I never learned anything at all. My class had no idea they were killed at all which is rather sad.

Holly you hit the nail on the head!
i agree... just because their job is to look at the big picture doesn't mean that they shouldn't know in depth about the subject, that they are teaching.

Regarding history teachers, realize the Romanovs aren't exactly important insofar as they died and why they died and all of the political ramifications of it.  The only time I've gotten into detail about what historical personages thought, did, what people thought of them, why they did what they did were in advanced history courses in college.  (Example, I wrote a 15 page paper about Anne Boleyn's interest in the Reformation but how she was not exactly an evangelical reformer, and blah-dee-blah-blah for a graduate-level course.  I found a topic that corresponded to discussions in the lecture and got in depth about what we know and don't know about her beliefs and what other people said and why and why I think XYZ historians are wrong.)  In high school, you do not get a big picture, it's just dates and names and basics.  Don't yell at the teachers for not having the same interest you do, because quite frankly this family is a niche historical interest, especially the children and they are simply unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

either way, what ever the subject is, they should know details, i find details make up the history that i'm interested in!
wow i would have loved to have read that paper! so interesting.. i'm so ready for collage HA!

i think its different being interested in a subject, then teaching it, if your teaching it you should know at least some back info whether or n ot people will remember it or not.

I don't think a lot of people think it's important, except there was a revolution so to speak, a Provisional Government, they died, Lenin took over, and so on and so forth.  I got a very vague understanding of it in AP European History in high school and now as an adult I still don't know all of the particulars and when what happened, etc.  The socio-economic and political issues of the time are way more important than Romanov trivia, basically!

I  expected more explanations about the political issues.

agreed!

[Joyann1]

well there are other more important things then learning about the romanov's in your history class, i know they ruled russia for over 300 years but well its not much of a big deal, most of you havent learned about the last emperor of china and thats the same.

all i learned was what a czar was and who the last czar was and about his abdication, they wanted to learn us about lenin , stalin etc. they just needed to tell us where everything started.

i think that the romanov's are a great thing in history but they cant go into there personal life's, show us letters , photographs ETC. i dont think many people care who these people actually were.

joyann

[Imperial_Grounds]

Well,

i have several historical 'obsessions' wich ofcourse includes the Romanovs, and the mystery around so-called survivors. Besides that i also am quite obsessed with Titanic, Anne Frank, Marie Antoinette, Princess Diana, Empress Elisabeth of Austria/Hungary and Queen Astrid of Belgium.

Anyway, when I started in Highschool they gave everyone several minutes to tell about their lvies, hobbys so when they asked me what are you interested in i started with the usual things, Harry Potter, Shelle(my favorite soap-couple - one asks 'what is it?', so i say 'a soap-couple') and then i come to the heavy subjects, Titanic(everyone knew whats the big deal here because of the movie, aldo i am more interested in its history), Anne Frank(had to explain who she was and everything), Marie Antoinette(everyone knew she was executed, but for the rest i had to explain a little), Princess Diana(everyone knows about her ofcourse), Empress Elisabeth( A girl asked 'who is she?' so i said 'she was Empress of Austria, better known as Sisi', and the girl goes 'now i know'), and then i say Queen Astrid(everyone knows here here since she is one of the more famous Queens Belgium had over the years).

After all of that i came to my biggest obsession, The Romanovs: Everyone knew it had something to do with Anastasia and wanted to know in what way the animated movie was right, so i said, in no way. And they all listened quite fasinated to the story. I told them about  Nicholas as a Tsar, as a husband and father, so they would know a little how he was. Then i went on about Alexei(some girls cried when i told about him and his disease), his sisters and Rasputin. Then to the revolution and exile. when i was done a boy tried to be funny and said that i seem to be obsessed with Tragic events and people who met terrible deaths', and i  reacted quiete normal 'i am not interested in only their deaths, but also in their lives and the times they lived in' and he tried to get me mad at him by saying 'The Romanovs deserved their death' and I calmly responded 'They didn't,  no one deserves such death, and you are working on the fact that Nicholas wasn't a good ruler. Like that is a reason to be killed.'


The funny thing is, every time there is a class about one of the events or people listed above my teachers ask me for a movie, or information, and usualy ask to help me in class because they know i qan talk passionatly about such a things, and that if i would notice a mistake i would go on about it

Not really funy but thats the hardest reaction i've ever had on it.

[Proud_Olga]

Anyway, when I started in Highschool they gave everyone several minutes to tell about their lvies, hobbys so when they asked me what are you interested in i started with the usual things, Harry Potter, Shelle(my favorite soap-couple - one asks 'what is it?', so i say 'a soap-couple') and then i come to the heavy subjects, Titanic(everyone knew whats the big deal here because of the movie, aldo i am more interested in its history), Anne Frank(had to explain who she was and everything),

At each time I talked about Anne Frank, no one asked me who she was. I thought she was really famous. Well, there's maybe still people who don't know about her.

when i was done a boy tried to be funny and said that i seem to be obsessed with Tragic events and people who met terrible deaths', and i  reacted quiete normal 'i am not interested in only their deaths, but also in their lives and the times they lived in' and he tried to get me mad at him by saying 'The Romanovs deserved their death' and I calmly responded 'They didn't,  no one deserves such death, and you are working on the fact that Nicholas wasn't a good ruler. Like that is a reason to be killed.'

I don't really like this kind of behavior. That's the reactions that I am afraid the most.

[Lalee]

I also tend to get a little irritated when people say that the Imperial Family deserved death (especially Nicholas). Sure, he wasn't the best ruler, and a lot of people lost their lives during his reign, but I believe no matter how bad a person is, they shouldn't be killed (especially also killing the adorable and innocent children and servants). Not that I actually believe Nicholas was a bad person - quite the opposite, in fact! He just wasn't suited for the throne.

At each time I talked about Anne Frank, no one asked me who she was. I thought she was really famous. Well, there's maybe still people who don't know about her.

I understand this. Once my class and I were watching Freedom Writers (GREAT movie!). It's about racism and it mentions Anne Frank a lot as she was a victim of the Holocaust. I was surprised when I talked about the film to a family member and they asked me who Anne Frank was, and a couple of classmates asked the teacher who she was as well. It was quite surprising to me, as Anne Frank has been called one of the most influential people in the world and whose diary became one of the very best-selling books, and she has been the subject of several films and documentaries.

Well, not everybody can be interested in the same things as other people. But I do think it's a shame that not as many people are into books and intellectual things. When someone pulls out a book to read in public (especially at school), a lot of the time they tend to get labelled as "nerds". Same thing happened to a friend of mine, except my other friends said it jokingly, of course!

[Proud_Olga]

I also tend to get a little irritated when people say that the Imperial Family deserved death (especially Nicholas). Sure, he wasn't the best ruler, and a lot of people lost their lives during his reign, but I believe no matter how bad a person is, they shouldn't be killed (especially also killing the adorable and innocent children and servants). Not that I actually believe Nicholas was a bad person - quite the opposite, in fact! He just wasn't suited for the throne.

Yes That's why a democratic government is better. There's not this kind of problem.

At each time I talked about Anne Frank, no one asked me who she was. I thought she was really famous. Well, there's maybe still people who don't know about her.

I understand this. Once my class and I were watching Freedom Writers (GREAT movie!). It's about racism and it mentions Anne Frank a lot as she was a victim of the Holocaust.

 I know which movie you're talking about (but it has another name in French). It looks great, I always wanted to see it.

Well, not everybody can be interested in the same things as other people. But I do think it's a shame that not as many people are into books and intellectual things. When someone pulls out a book to read in public (especially at school), a lot of the time they tend to get labelled as "nerds".

Agreed! And it's so pity. But I think many people can be interested in intellectual things but don't want to reveal it, especially in school.

[Imperial_Grounds]

Well,, not everybody can be interested in the same things as other people. But I do think it's a shame that not as many people are into books and intellectual things. When someone pulls out a book to read in public (especially at school), a lot of the time they tend to get labelled as "nerds". Same thing happened to a friend of mine, except my other friends said it jokingly, of course!

I know what you mean, my friends know i am interested in allot and that it isn't only Twilight or Harry Potter, so they think its all normal for me to read but once i was rereading Twilight, and while my teachers think it is good i am into books, history and such the kids in class always try to be funny as I said, not all of them, but there is always one person who tries to be funny. They try to make fun of people for stupid reasons and eventually get away with it most of the time - if you don't react.

At each time I talked about Anne Frank, no one asked me who she was. I thought she was really famous. Well, there's maybe still people who don't know about her.

I know, probably some did knew about her but most were like 'who is she?' and then again, we came to the subject of Anne and during those classes some people fell asleep. And then we watched a movie about her(Anne Frank, The Whole Story) and almost everybody was teared up and understood why she was a symbol. It's funny, books don't make allot impression, but movies do.

[Sara Araújo]

Once I chose the Romanovs as my History project to present to the whole class. When the presentation day came, I explained everything about them and what happaned to them, and I especialy emphasized the fact that they were all killed. In the end I asked if anyone had doubts or wanted to ask something. From the back of the class, the most distracted girl you will ever find, raised her arm and with a very serious face asked:

"How many kids did Anastasia and Dimitri get?"

When I was opening my mouth to answear, other people of the class decided to speak first and then a discussion about how many kids they got and where they lived now. One of them even answered that it was impossible for us to know that because, as the film showed, they ran away from the public eye and lived with difrent names until their deaths. When things started to calm down, I explained again that the whole family had died, but, the truth, is that many of them didn't seem to believe me! 

[nena]

I love your story, Sara. I also presented one project about Anasatsia. All were amazed in my class.

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Attention: Sara  and reply #56:    I wish to congratulate you on your knowledge and use of English.  It is very clear!  (Off-topic:  I have visited your beautiful country several times.  I especially like Lagos.)    Best wishes,  AP.

[Sara Araújo]

Attention: Sara  and reply #56:    I wish to congratulate you on your knowledge and use of English.  It is very clear!  (Off-topic:  I have visited your beautiful country several times.  I especially like Lagos.)    Best wishes,  AP.

Well, thank you very much for the compliment!  And I'm very glad you were here! Next time you've got to visit us up here in the north!