You know you're obsessed with the Romanovs when... Part 2

[Romanov_History_Buff]

...... when the first or second thing you do on internet is search about them or come to the forum, hehe.

True!  lol! 

In my case it's go 2 my email first to see if i have an emails related the threads i have notifications on and then once that's all taken care of i come to the forum and look at the unread messages... and if there is a thread i have notification for i go back to my email and back then come back to the forum!

If you find the life of Alexandra Feodorovna, I'd love to know why you're on what is mainly a Russian history and royalty website.
One person's view of what is interesting and intelligent is merely that person's opinion. To say that changing your political or social views reflects on a person's intelligence is an ignorant statement to make.

Although there is a thin line between obsession and passion, there is also a huge difference. Someone having an obsession means it comes and goes, but if you have a passion for something, it never goes away no matter how hard you may try. It's a part of you. And when it's a part of you, you'll know.

True Holly maybe this should have named "You know your passionate about the Romanovs when..." Sometimes it's not always the Romanovs... yesterday i went in search of the George V thread and there have been times I've read (or maybe reread) the Tudor folder with Lady Jane and Catherine Howard even though true my main interest is in the Romanovs!

[Tasia]

Cool, Romanov_h_Buff!!
And I agree with you, Holly about the obssesion & passion =).

[Nicola De Valeron]

If you find the life of Alexandra Feodorovna, I'd love to know why you're on what is mainly a Russian history and royalty website.
One person's view of what is interesting and intelligent is merely that person's opinion. To say that changing your political or social views reflects on a person's intelligence is an ignorant statement to make.

Although there is a thin line between obsession and passion, there is also a huge difference. Someone having an obsession means it comes and goes, but if you have a passion for something, it never goes away no matter how hard you may try. It's a part of you. And when it's a part of you, you'll know.

I wonder, for what reason people are taking words on their own account. Dear Holly, nothing personal. I love Alexandra Feodorovna, and love Anastasia of course;) (Sorry, but I had to said it). And I love all of the other Romanovs. But the main problem, that for me Russian History and Russia itself, are not only about Romanovs, Petersburg and Count dresses. This is more complex subject with an endless human victims, different problematics, etc.

I agree with you, that even good and intelligent man could change his views very rare or even never. But this is not about "true" Romanov's fans with a five or even ten years of the Romanovs service record;) (mainly fans of a beautiful girl Anastasia, not for example about excellent poet Konstantin Romanov or brave General Nikolay Nikolaevitch.)

What am I doing on the forum, well... A lot of things. You can make a look on my profile, and you'll find there a lot of interesting things (Russian Revolution, Russian History, final Romanov days, etc.) All in all, I hope this is rather interesting for people, who wanted to find something more, than about only Romanovs.

To be honest with you, I love Romanovs, because I have Russian blood, but I'm not a big and "true" fan. And I have brains (I hope) for a more complex view at this case, and can understood all the troubles that the Last, Orthodox and closed from the public, Imperial Family, made. All in all, they had a great power and popularity at the start, but they had nothing in the end. Nicholas II with his big reforms was unable to do nothing. And even the White Guard was unable to do nothing. Please, do not take my words on your personal account.

P.S. Holly, nothing personal. I can only envy your passion and devotion.)

[abbigail]

Well said!

It's basically inevitable to learn something of and be moved by other aspects of Russian history when you get into the Romanovs. I love history and every aspect of it, and the last Imperial family is one of my main points of interest, though the history is so big that the family is only a part of it.

[NAOTMAA Fan]

I'm passionate about Romanovs. That's all I have to say.

[Holly]

It's very difficult not to take words on your own account on a public discussion board. That's what this is for anyway, discussion. I was simply curious as to how one could find Alexandra's life to be boring when not only her story, but the entire family's story, is the subject of so much media attention and interest.

Having a great interest in the ruling family of a country doesn't mean that the person puts no consideration into the other important historical and political figures of the country. I became interested in the Romanovs foremost because of the intense political situation in Russia in 1914-1918. (And although there were other important topics that can be paired with their story, I've been here since 2004 and it usually always comes back to the Romanov family.) I wouldn't say they "had nothing in the end". Obviously, the victors write the history books and definitely not all of the Russian people felt the way they did. Change is inevitable in all things this world has, but not everyone likes it. And it wouldn't be wholly correct to say that "even the White Guard was able to do nothing". As far as I know, one of the reasons the Romanovs were killed was because the Whites were advancing towards Ekaterinburg.

I didn't take anything personally, I simply enjoy discussing these matters. I would never even think to be ashamed of my devotion to the last Romanovs or feel ignorant because of it. My interest has in fact done quite a lot for me in my life and because of this I'm accomplishing many things in my university that I'm proud of. I only hope other people find the same fortune I have.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Holly, to be honest with you, I respect you. It's great that you are interested in the Russian History.

I can only say - poor creators of Anastasia animated movie. They made an excellent work (I mean movie itself), but they hadn't calculated the consequences;)
Do not take on personal account. This is not about you.

Of course, it was not a boring story at all, especially their final days, but I can't agree with your words about such a big number of movies. If you will ask the typical American or European, who didn't watched Anastasia movie, or haven't visited this forum, or simply not interested in the History - who are the Romanovs? He will answer you: "What? Maybe this is the name of Russian vodka or the name of our new city major?" He knows Lenin, Stalin, Gorbachev, Perestroyka, but not the Romanovs. Moreover all these "interesting" movies are not about girls and their beautiful dresses, but mainly about the final Romanov days, Yurovsky, Ermakov, endless saga with Rasputin, and so on...

You a little bit misunderstood me, I meant that the White Guard was unable to do nothing not with the Imperial family, they, in the (1917-1922), and before them Kerensky, Milukov, Alexander the Liberator (good exception from the rule), Decembrists, all the Russian free and democratic people, and finally Yeltsin were unable to do something with Russia itself, after the Romanov's rulership.

By the way, as I know, you are going to Russia soon, you would have a chance to see (not in Saint Petersburg, but in the common Russian village), that even nowadays this country have the same situation. And now, other good people are also unable to do anything. This answer for me is clear: the problem is, that for a typical American or European man, living in a quite and free country with established rules, monarchy and emperors with their Empires are just innocent things, but they forgot, that they are talking about Const. Monarchy (light British variant) and not about Russia with an absolute vertical power, which was very strong and omnipotent in the Romanovs times, as in the Soviet times.

[blessOTMA]

... This answer for me is clear: the problem is, that for a typical American or European man, living in a quite and free country with established rules, monarchy and emperors with their Empires are just innocent things, but they forgot, that they are talking about Const. Monarchy (light British variant) and not about Russia with an absolute vertical power, which was very strong and omnipotent in the Romanovs times, as in the Soviet times.

Very interesting point Nicolá. The West is many years away from Autocrat rule...hundreds in fact, and Russia is not.  When the British crown made constitutional concessions over the years, some  thought it was imperilling the monarchy by doing so. But in fact the UK has a monarchy today because it's been a constitutional one for some time. Traditions of freedom and established rules are a slow growing plants. Russia's seedlings haven't been given much of a chance.

[abbigail]

Good points, all.

I agree with a lot of what was said...I just can't think of a way of stating what I know and how I agree with it (too ignorant at this point . I think people often forget how things were connected (at least, it seems so), such as absolute monarchy, the views that came with that (like God-given right to rule affecting how the problems in the country about the common people were dealt with; as far as I know many issues were ignored and the government form was maintained becuase of that for a long time, just building up the path to revolution). Of course the Russian monarchs and their families are extremely interesting; I love the subject myself, a lot! However, there's a lot more to the story. Luckily, being interested in the Romanov family makes you learn about the revolution and everything else in the history as well.

Of course an interest in the last Romanovs is nothing to be ashamed of! It's a fascinating subject, and connected to so many things that it's hard to not be interested in it. It's a worthy subject to study, and no one should feel that they know to little...everyone learns so much from their interest in one part. You gain a lot.

I like what you said, Nicola, and I agree with blessOTMA. I've never considered present-day Russia so much as I do now, the situation, etc. It's amazing how that kind of monarchy affects the future. For some reason i'd never considered the present-day effects very much.

Though I say all this, and I do know a good amount about Russian history, I'm afraid I couldn't tell you many significant dates, happenings, etc. I agree with what's been said, though I still need to learn more specifics.

I'll stop now for fear of saying something wrong


I'll stop now for fear of getting something wrong

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Earlier someone mentioned their interest in the Romanovs sudsiding, and then they saw a book and got even more interested...
That happened with me, too!
I stopped being interested in them for a while, and then this past summer i found a Romanov book at the library and got very excited, because i still liked them, and i have been even more interested in them since & never stopped being so 

[Nicola De Valeron]

GrandDuchessAndrea, very intersting. It is always common to change your interests during your life. Happily you are not alone in this world.

abbigail and blessOTMA, you are right.

abbigail, of course Absolute Monarchy, which was lasted for centuries in Russia, starting from the conquest of Democratic Novgorod, have a great impact on society. Plus Orthodox Religion, plus Russian endless territory without any roads, and then this would make a great impact. Remember, that the main number of Russian people all these centuries were studying not Mr Jefferson and Mr Lincoln, and were not resting on the different health resorts for heart diseases, they had been working as a slavers in Imperial times and were prisoners of Stalin camps (millions of Russian, German Russians, etc) and were killed during the Second World War.

The most big problem, is that people, who loving Romanovs, cannot clearly understand Imperial Russian/Soviet/New Russian History as a complex and total subject. And not only clearly understand, but to find in all these, on the first time very different Histories, a lot of strong and even defining similarities, like vertical power (monarchism and authoritarism, moreover Stalin was a first and maybe last Bolsheviks Tsar, Religious Orthodox man and lover of a monarchical vertical power), the same people relations (Russian and Soviet peasants, 75% of the Russian population were living by the same laws, in the same houses, had the same relations in the Imperial times/Soviet/New Russian times, and they live by the same laws today!), and all other endless different and defining things. I do not have time and desire to mention all of them.

I do not want also to be misunderstood, because I like Romanovs and the last Imperial family. I like their devotion to each other, devotion till the end. Moreover, I like big reforms of Nicholas II, because if you decided to reform and to liberalize Russia, you are signing your own death sentence. (We know the results and 17 of July, Ipatiev house cellar). But, all these things are not enough for such a difficult Russian situation. That's exactly what I wanted to say. Again, I like the last Imperial family, but I also can understand all Russian specific problematics. Sadly, but when Nicholas started these reforms, the time had passed. That was the time of more energetic men, like Mr Sverdlov and Mr Yurovsky.

P.S. Romanov History Buff, sorry again, that we turned another your topic to the next boring political conversations.
And sorry for off-topic.

[abbigail]

Romanov History Buff, I have another one...

...when you make a collective name for you and your siblings from your initials and insist to go by that, like OTMA
me and my siblings go by SAM sometimes

[Tasia]

Good points, Abbigail, Andrea and Nicolá.
Cool, Abbi. If so, me and my two friends go by LLS / ^~^!

[abbigail]

That's neat, Tasia! Lol, I wish me and my friends could do that...I don't have any friends who are in any way into history Unfortunately...

[Katya90]

You know you're obsessed when...
- You've attempted to get your hairstyle like Tatiana's in the 1914 formal pics (I had some success with this one, but I think it's impossible to duplicate that effect with the headband. If I try it I just look silly!)
- You've learned a small amount of Russian simply because of your interest in them, and want to take classes to learn more, even though you are already deep into learning a completely different language!