Personal Attributes of Nicholas II

[hikaru]

Lisa ! you are a genius!!!
His tattoo was a multicolor - black, red, yellow and blue!!! ( the color 's ifm according to a japanese sources)

[Mie]

Lisa you made the best evidence of he had a tattoo. Now I do believe it!! It is obvios and in these pictures you really can see it!! Thank you!
Now I'm inerested to know how Alix and children and other royals felt of this!?

[grandduchessella]

That's great Lisa! *clap, clap* They probably were touched up a bit for posterity. I don't think I've ever seen GV's either though it was detailed more in books. I love the sketch of his! Considering the colors those tattoos must've been something to see. I would've loved to have seen a photo of the two comparing them--they took several photos together when they would meet up. A 'matching tatooes photo' would be interesting.

[Sarushka]

Oh goodness, I'm a dingbat sometimes! All through this discussion, I'd been focusing on the little scratch in the photo instead of the big dragon-shaped shadows all over his arm...DUH!

You're absolutely right, Lisa. Thanks for posting it in such a clear way.

[Caleb]

If you've seen the NOVA program "Anastasia: Dead or Alive?", there was some interesting things about Nicholas & Alexandra's dental health. Czarina Alexandra had quite a few fillings "probably the most expensive dental care you can imagine" they were made out of 100% pure platinum, but her teeth were in relatively good health. Czar Nicholas's teeth, uh boy, were another matter. He was actually missing many of his teeth & actually had a severe case of paradontal disease. Supposedly if he hadn't been killed when he was, he probably would have had to have his teeth pulled & have dentures made. As Dr. Maples said "One is tempted to wonder, if you're the czar, if it gives you the right not to go to the dentist as much as you should"

[lovy]

I heard that Nicholas's teeth were bad. I don't remember hearing of him only having a few teeth, but he did smoke. And smoking does harm to your teeth. For Alexandra, I remember reading one of her letters to Nicholas and she said that some dentist was arranging her false tooth. Maybe hers weren't very good either. After all, I did hear that she smoked delicate French cigarettes. How did people take care of their teeth back then? Probably not as intelligent as ours.

[Forum Admin]

Nicholas hated going to dentists. Remember in those days, anaesthesia was far more primititve and the tools were barbaric by todays standards. They did have and use modern style toothbrushes and basic toothpastes.

[Romanov_Fan19]

Just how bad were his teeth

[Sarushka]

As Dr. Maples said "One is tempted to wonder, if you're the czar, if it gives you the right not to go to the dentist as much as you should"

As I recall, that comment caused a bit of fuss among some Russians. They didn't care for the implication that their tsar was perhaps afraid of the dentist.  

[imperial angel]

Well, I don't blame him for not wanting to go the dentist especially back then, and I don't think anyone else would either. However, he most likely would have gotten great dental care, and not doing so harmed his teeth.

[Margarita Markovna]

Just how bad were his teeth

Do you have FOTR? It's all in there.

[imperial angel]

Yes, Fate of the Romanovs has lots of details about the Romanov's, and Nicholas II including his teeth.

[imperial angel]

Yes, it is understandable, bad teeth or no bad teeth. Doubtless, he would have had good dental care, as his family got, but the dentist is always the dentist. And things are no doubt a bit more advanced today than then, but there are not many among us who would say they enjoy going to the dentist.

[Margaret]

Hello, I am a new member.

I was just wondering if the dragon tatoo could have been selected by royal gentlemen as a nod to the Order of St. George.  Just a thought.

Thank you

[Sarushka]

I was just wondering if the dragon tatoo could have been selected by royal gentlemen as a nod to the Order of St. George.  Just a thought.

I think it's very possible.

Does the dragon figure into Japanese culture as prominently as it does in Chinese culture? If so, perhaps Nicky saw the dragon tatoo as a way to take a piece of Japan home with him.?