That is a great idea, to look at that list and use it as reference and that way I'd know what personalities to have in my novels!
Really the one about the cursed dress is not going to need that many people from history in it, but it will serve a great purpose to use in my other Romanov novel...
Yes, I'm planning on another Romanov-related novel. God only knows when I'll actually WRITE it though. It requires a lot of research, since I want to be as detailed as possible, and, unlike "Devilish Blue Dress," this novel will encompass ALL the rulers, from Peter the Great to Nicholai II. So I have my work cut out for me if I want to be accurate to residences, titles, ranks, customs, etiquette, clothing, weapons, landscapes, transportation, medals/orders, relations with other royals, battles (you get the idea)... all through the span of centuries! At the same time, I need to make it so that it's not a boring history lecture. My plot needs to be woven carefully with these historical details, written in such a way that will captivate all readers, not just history buffs.
My main protagonist is (a fictional creation of my own) the eldest son of Petr, the Tzarevich and Heir Evgeni Petrovich (I chose the name Evgeni mainly because it literally means "aristocrat; Plushenko had little to do with it *wink*). I have him born in 1688, to (another fictional creation) Petr's first wife, whom he married by choice, and who unfortunately died in childbirth with Evgeni. The rest I keep as history happened. I have Evgeni the heir, and he is anxious to rule Russia and modernize it just like his father is doing.
Then, I'm thinking in the year 1709-10, tragedy strikes when Evgeni is kidnapped! He soon finds out that his captor is a vicious, ancient vampire! Demetrius is determined to make the tzarevich into a vampire.
So therefore, if I want to really make an impression, in addition to all this historical research, I also need to create a unique vampire mythology and lore for the saga. I like the ideas put forth in the Vampire Diaries, simply because my vampire NEEDS to be in sunlight if I intend to have him involved in certain historical events and interact with various historical people. But of course, I need to carve my own niche, rather than take that idea and I certainly won't do the whole Twilight cop-out.
I also need to think of 100 years of historical events and tidbits that I will feature that take place outside of Russia, finally ending up in the present day. PHEW!
The saga will take up at least 3 books:
Part One: Peter the Great to Nicholai II
Evgeni's biography before he became a vampire. Then, mourning over the loss of his throne, he is determined to still have some influence over the monarchy, decides that he can help some of his descendants by offering himself as an adviser and taking various aliases to protect his true identity. But he knows that he can't help all of his descendants, or his secret will be at risk. So he must advise only some rulers. Most of the time, his advice is heeded to at least some degree, but when he advises Nicholai II, he doesn't listen... and... we all know how that turned out. I actually have Evgeni in Ekaterinburg when the family is murdered, and finds the two missing bodies in the street - one in the clutches of a vampire! Evgeni intervenes, fights the vampire, who turns out to be DEMETRIUS. Demetrius runs away, leaving Evgeni with the two bodies. Aleksei is barely alive, and I originally thought of Tatiana, but I will obviously use Maria; who is already dead. Evgeni takes Aleksei and his sister to a place he can spend his last hours in safety. Aleksei confronts Evgeni, having seen what he had done in the fight with Demetrius, and knows that Evgeni is a vampire. Evgeni had grown fond and close with Aleksei, and so he sadly tells him his whole story. Just before he dies, Evgeni cuts his hand, wipes it with a handkerchief with the Romanov crest on it, dips it in one of Aleksei's wounds, and takes the boy's hand: He swears, by their family's blood, that he will have revenge on Demetrius. If it weren't for him, Evgeni believes, this never would have happened if he had been allowed to rule.
Par Two: 1918-19 to Present
Evgeni decides to hunt for Demetrius, and all vampires in his bloodline. Along the way, more historical events unfold. Evgeni ends up in present day Chicago, where he believes that Demetrius is now hiding, waiting for another victim. Evgeni begins to befriend a young woman, Corrinne Delacroix. Eventually, Evgeni trusts Corrinne enough to tell her everything about himself, including his quest to destroy Demetrius. Eager to help him, Corrinne offers to do whatever Evgeni asks of her. Reluctant to have her involved at all, Evgeni politely declines. Then, he decides the best course of action: give Corrinne a formal challenge to deliver to Demetrius. To ensure her safety, Evgeni gives her a flag of neutrality and a carte blanche. The plan goes well, and Demetrius accepts Evgeni's challenge: a duel to the death, with Corrinne acting as his second (according to the traditional rules of French dueling, the seconds do not HAVE to fight; it is their own choice) (I chose the French rules of dueling because of course of how much Petr loved the French culture).
Part Three: Conclusion
Now THAT I will keep to myself!
So yeah, obviously I will have to do a TON of research if I'm to do this as I imagine it! So it's great to have a list of names that I should include... I'll have to make a list of names for the whole saga.