Personal Attributes of Nicholas II

[Arleen_Ristau]

I am rereading Peter Kurth's great book TSAR, The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra, the pictures bring me back to it again and again, and not for the reason of this topic!!  But it does come to mind, on page 111 is "Nicky's bare butt".  Where are these pictures taken and who are the other men in them and WHY ARE THEY ALL NUDE???  
Arleen

[Jmentanko]

I think the photos were taken during the family's holiday on the Standart. I'm not too sure though.

As to why they are all nude. I think that's just how they swam.

I wonder who took the pictures :-/? Seems kind of creepy to me.

[Arleen_Ristau]

In the pictures taken of Nicholas, Olga and Tatiana at Livadia swimming in the sea they all have those cute striped swimsuits on.
Arleen

[Forum Admin]

They were taken in Finland, on family vacations. Nothing "creepy" at all...the other men are officers of the Standardt, Nicholas's friends, and they always swam naked.  It was private, there was nobody else there, and there was no 'shame' in men together swimming nude at the time. Many references write that Alexei love to watch them dive and swim like that.
Our collection has a wonderful original print by the famous Russian military artist Samokish showing a cavalry regiment swimming together naked...done in the 1890s.

[Arleen_Ristau]

Rob, Thanks. In whose album do they appear...who took the pictures??
I think the whole thing is pretty cool!     Arleen

[Forum Admin]

There are some in Vyroubovas albums, but none fully naked,  the rest, full monty ones... are in, as far as I know, the Imperial Family's personal albums in GARF. I suspect Alexei took them, but no way to know for sure. Someone else may know more than I do.

[Jmentanko]

I understand that it was an acceptable thing to take nude pictures of your friends swimming.

Still, my 21st century way of looking at things makes me think; "creepy" !

[Pravoslavnaya]

There are one or two that I have seen of little Alexei skinny-dipping, too.  I suppose that our society is just a lot more embarrassed at the thought of people swimming without bathing suits back then.  Of course, in mixed company men swam in striped bathing suits, which one can see the Emperor, his son and even the portly Derevenko wearing in photographs.

[Joanna]

In Nicholas and Alexandra The Family Albums by Prince Michael of Greece there are these same two photographs on page 141 with a caption "Summer 1912 Gulf of Finland. Nicholas II was an advocate of hydrotherapy... Although amongst men only no-one wore a swimming costume, the strange thing is that in this prudish period, and in this family so attached to certain conventions, the Tsar ... has allowed himself to have his photograph taken naked, and that one can find this extraordinary document in his daughters' album" There are also films of these same photos.

It is funny that today we think ourselves blase of nudity and look on with horror the thought of living during the times of Victorian prudery but it was a myth. Not only these photos and films but the sensuality of women's decolletage and men in their officers' uniforms with those tight breeches oh la la !!!!

Joanna

[Arleen_Ristau]

Thanks again Rob, I think its a real hoot that Vyroubova had some in her albums. (considering the supposed crush she had on Nicholas) Makes you wonder WHO took the pictures.  I didn't KNOW they had full monty photos...its a wonder they haven't turned up in print or on a website.
It just shows me how down to earth the Tsar was.....Arleen
PS...didn't he have a great bod??

[Janet Whitcomb]

Wow, what a startling topic!  What next?!  

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Anastasia took that photo of her father swimming naked.  She had a way of sneaking up on other people and taking photos of them before they could say no . . . or were even aware!

[Namarolf]

Well, at least they didn't complain about the paparazzi. I get amused when present-day royals have no problem to go around dressed like Adam and Eve in yatches and beaches, but later felt outraged if a daring photographer publishes their pictures. When I think of some recent cases, I certainly prefer to have a Prime Minister or a President around instead of royals.

[BobAtchison]

It was an Russian army tradition for men to bathe this way together.  They rode horses into rivers naked to bathe them this way as well.

Russians had a different attitude toward bathing semi-publically.

Bob

[Jmentanko]

Yah, so did the Romans.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

[Ammie]

Hi all!  Searching the web on Queen Olga of Greece I came across a website of tattoos.  It says that Nicky had a star tattoo. Does anybody know where it was? One other website said that King George V & Tsar Nicholas were heavily tattooed.
TIA
Ammie