"Did you know" Romanov version!

[xwhiterussia]

Sorry if this has been created, or having been talked about before, but I thought I would make this for those that would want to find creative bits about the Imperial Family that may not have been known before. You may bring up any random knowledge you know in this thread.

[Lady Macduff]

Something I only learned a few days ago - Maria had a Siamese cat, seen here with Alexei. Nobody I've spoken to has been able to tell its name, though.

[nena]

That's Maria's cat? I have always thought that the cat is Aleksei's one, called Zubrovka?

Did you know that...Aleksei Nicholaievich adored cats, used to drink coffee?
...that Nicholas II is one of the most wealthy people in the history, ranked the 5th, if my memory serves me well?

[Lady Macduff]

Might well be Zubrovka, now that you mention it. I saw that it was labeled as Maria's, and it looked Siamese to me.

[Jen_94]

Maria did have a Siamese cat (did a little bit of searching), name unknown Didn't know Alexei had one too. Mits mention for those who do not know, Olga also had a cat, Vaska, who was a tabby.

[xwhiterussia]

Alexei drank coffee? How interesting. Didn't he also have a donkey if I am not mistaken?

[Lady Macduff]

Yup. Vanka.

I think that's her.

[xwhiterussia]

I think that I have also read somewhere on this forum that one of Olga's favorite books was "Princess and the Goblin".

[nena]

Tsarevich Aleksei read Sherlock Holmes' stories as well. ^^

[clockworkgirl21]

Olga also liked Les Miserables - she read it in English and the original French.

I believe it's also the book that caused Olga to ask Nicholas what the French word "merde" meant. Gilliard was supposed to censor that word but missed it. Luckily Nicholas seemed to think it was amusing.

[Sarushka]

I think that I have also read somewhere on this forum that one of Olga's favorite books was "Princess and the Goblin".

Olga owned a copy of the book given to her by her Aunt Irene in 1903. It was found at the Ipatiev House. The fact that she carried it all the way to Ekaterinburg definitely suggests she was fond of it, but it's impossible to know whether that was because of the story itself or the connection to her aunt.

[Jen_94]

I think that I have also read somewhere on this forum that one of Olga's favorite books was "Princess and the Goblin".

Olga owned a copy of the book given to her by her Aunt Irene in 1903. It was found at the Ipatiev House. The fact that she carried it all the way to Ekaterinburg definitely suggests she was fond of it, but it's impossible to know whether that was because of the story itself or the connection to her aunt.

Maybe both?

[TimM]

Olga also had a cat, Vaska, who was a tabby

My Tatiana is a tabby!

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

Did you know...

All films (and TV shows) must carry a disclaimer, saying they're either completely fictional, or, if based on history (such as Apollo 13), they are not entirely accurate to history, and we have Prince Felix Yussupov to thank for that?

When the film "Rasputin and the Empress" came out, Prince Felix was so enraged over its inaccuracy, he sued the studio. He won the suit, and as a result, all films must carry such a disclaimer now.

"Yusupov and his wife successfully sued MGM through the English courts for invasion of privacy and libel in connection with the 1932 film Rasputin and the Empress. The alleged libel was not that the character based on Felix had committed murder, but that the character based on Irina, called "Princess Natasha" in the film, was portrayed as having been seduced by the lecherous Rasputin.[12] In 1934, the Yusupovs were awarded £25,000 damages, an enormous sum at the time, which was attributed to the successful arguments of their counsel Sir Patrick Hastings. The disclaimer which now screens at the end of every American film, "The preceding was a work of fiction, any similarity to a living person etc.," first appeared as a result of the legal precedent set by the Yusupov case."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Yusupov

So yeah, figured I would post that tidbit.

[Rodney_G.]

Olga also liked Les Miserables - she read it in English and the original French.

I believe it's also the book that caused Olga to ask Nicholas what the French word "merde" meant. Gilliard was supposed to censor that word but missed it. Luckily Nicholas seemed to think it was amusing.

Haven't read Les Miz but I thought it took place during the period of the Commune, 1870 (?) Whereas I thought Nicholas' response about "merde"  referred to the Napoleonic campaigns. Any help?