Captivity photo's

[blessOTMA]

Here is the famous photo nena speaks of showing Alix and the Big Pair on the balcony. Note the parasol.
This is the best copy of it I have seen. It was doctored pretty heavy early on . The girls are fairly bald still
 as they are wearing tight  head scarfs


To me the guard appears both armed and at attention. The weather stayed warm a long time that year.
 

[Sunny]

BlessOTMA, your version of AF&OT on the balcony is wonderful *___* far best than any i have. Thanks!!

Uhm, even if i continue looking at the Governor House photo, i continue to see AF with an umbrella... if it's not her, there's something wrong in my eyes.

[Alixz]

I am not trying to be "devil's advocate" here, but the guard is not at attention.  One leg is bent and it looks like his hands are in his pockets not holding anything. Or his thumbs are hooked over his belt.

When someone stands at attention or on "guard duty" they usually don't stand casually with one leg bent.  Even if he were holding a rifle at "port arms" his hands would be in front of him with the gun in plain sight.

To me, it looks like he is leaning casually with his left shoulder against the building.  Not an "at the ready" stance.

Where do you see a gun?  I have no doubt that this is the Governor's Mansion and that the woman on the balcony looks like Alexandra, but if that man is a guard, I would cite him for sloppy posture and dereliction of duty.

Where is Colonel Kobylinski when you need him?  :-)

[Alixz]

This is an American Soldier using a 1903 Springfield rifle which is what most countries used before and during WWI.  See What I mean about port arms or at the ready?

I used to teach color guard and this is the rife (without the bayonet) that the girls used.

Now the figure in the original picture looks like Nicholas II out for a smoke.

[blessOTMA]

 It seems to me the rifle is at his side., I don't believe the gun would be held chest high for the  hours
guard duty would require .But your idea its Nicholas has merit.
 He is sometimes mistaken for a guard ...like in this photo

( the guard is next to Alexis , walking  and Nicholas is the last figure on the right, standing )

This was a regular  post in a good number of photos.  If this is Nicholas and not a guard, that would suggest this was indeed early in thier Tobolsk stay...before security was further tightened. Of course Nicholas would just be smoking while out ...it's only today people go outside to smoke! lol!  But the placement of figure on the balcony  suggests it's the Tsar as well...as they have aligned themselves with the man on the steps for the photo. I don't think they would for a guard

[Alixz]

It is possible that the rife (if its there) is being held at "order arms", but the sloppy posture would be odd since the person would know that his picture was being taken and would, I think, not want to look less attentive that he should be.  Especially since there is a photographer in the area.  Wouldn't he (if its a guard) want to look alert and paying attention rather than "at ease" with his leg bent?

The more I enlarged the pic the more it began to look like Nicholas and other pictures I have seen of him standing with his leg bent just so. Also the man is slim and in a uniform that looks like one that Nicholas wore.  It is hard to tell if there is a beard, though.

[blessOTMA]

It is possible that the rife (if its there) is being held at "order arms", but the sloppy posture would be odd since the person would know that his picture was being taken and would, I think, not want to look less attentive that he should be. 

Quite right. 

The more I enlarged the pic the more it began to look like Nicholas and other pictures I have seen of him standing with his leg bent just so. Also the man is slim and in a uniform that looks like one that Nicholas wore.  It is hard to tell if there is a beard, though.

It now looks like to me Nicholas and Alix posing for a photo early on in Tobolsk...and it's the parasol photo with the big pair that helps me decide it's likely Alix...and to me these two figures are posing somewhat  together even if they are on diffrent floors!

[matushka]

Saruskha, no, Naryshkina did not go to Tobolsk: she was sick and too old.
I already saw this picture... somewhere. Was it in Alexandrov's book? Only remember it was labelled as Alexandra.
Alixz: when the family came to Tobolsk, the whether was quite hot yet, they wore summer clothes. Remember this picture of Tatiana with thekid Tolya (please, someone, post it! I have not my fails with me).

[Sarushka]

Alixz: when the family came to Tobolsk, the whether was quite hot yet, they wore summer clothes. Remember this picture of Tatiana with thekid Tolya (please, someone, post it! I have not my fails with me).

[Alixz]

The rifle that was used by the Russian and then Soviets from 1891 through the latter part of the 20th century was a Mosin-Nagant. It looks very much like the 1903 Springfield that I posted.

Thanks everyone for posting the pictures of the family in summer clothing.

[nena]

According to some Russian sources, the first one was taken in Spetember of 1917.

[matushka]

Probably. According to Their Majesties's diaries, the whether was quite hot in august and the first part of september. Then it was colder; at the beginning of october the whether was like in summer, and then began the long siberian winter in the middle of october. When the sun was shining, the Empress worked on the balcony or outdoors, alone or with one or two daughters.

[blessOTMA]

Surely TN's hair length places this farly early in thier stay. btw I adore this photo. Thanks for posting

[Alixz]

Who is the little person with her?

[matushka]

A little boy named Tolya (Anatoly), the son of an housecleaner from Tobolsk.