Historical Anecdotes

[Georgiy]

Crimson, if you are writing this yourself, please research a little bit about Orthodox Churches. There are no pews first of all. We stand. We don't normally kneel either - if we go on our knees it is to make a prostration. There wouldn't be pictures of dead soldiers in Church - only icons of Saints. Nor would he enter Church wearing a hat. Women have their heads veiled, but men are bare headed. he would not be able to go to the altar. The altar is behind the iconostasis, and the Royal Doors (in front of the altar) are closed except during the parts of the Service when they are to be opened. One can't just walk into the Altar area without a blessing from the Priest. The foundation of the Orthodox Church is Jerusalem, though Orthodoxy came to Russia via Byzantium (Constatinople). please don't take offence, but if you want to write a historical-fiction involving the Tsar and his family, you will need to read up about Orthodoxy.

[cimbrio]

I was in the Czech Republic two years ago and visited the Spa resort in the mountains called Karlovy Vary (also known for it's German name, Carlsbad). There our tour told us that there stood a tall door, which indeed we did notice. She told us the door had been built especially for Peter I The Great on the occasion of his visit to the town, and since he was relatevily tall (people at the time were much shroter than today) and had to wear a tall hat (men, especially an emperor, weren't supposed to take off their hats, especially for a too-small-a-door!), ths they built this large door
Hope it helps

[Crimson_Snow]

Crimson, if you are writing this yourself, please research a little bit about Orthodox Churches. There are no pews first of all. We stand. We don't normally kneel either - if we go on our knees it is to make a prostration. There wouldn't be pictures of dead soldiers in Church - only icons of Saints. Nor would he enter Church wearing a hat. Women have their heads veiled, but men are bare headed. he would not be able to go to the altar. The altar is behind the iconostasis, and the Royal Doors (in front of the altar) are closed except during the parts of the Service when they are to be opened. One can't just walk into the Altar area without a blessing from the Priest. The foundation of the Orthodox Church is Jerusalem, though Orthodoxy came to Russia via Byzantium (Constatinople). please don't take offence, but if you want to write a historical-fiction involving the Tsar and his family, you will need to read up about Orthodoxy.

Hi Georgiy,

Thank you for your feedback. I admit when I imagined this scene it came from the below picture.
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/stavka/stavsobor.html

I just thought there would be pews behind this view.

I agree- I need to know more about the Orthodox Church. What you told peaked my interest. Thank you.

I appreciate you looking this scene over. I will make the above changes.

Best regards,
D. Shone

[Georgiy]

You're welcome! I am glad it was helpful for you. I think a knowledge of the Orthodox faith (and worship) is vital for understanding how Nicholas and Alexandra thought, and if one is writing an historical fiction of them extremely important for it to ring true. There is a plethora of information out there. Try fatheralexander.org or orthodoxinfo.com

And best of luck with your writing

BTW, in the photo-link, the Royal Doors are open, and you can see a huge icon of Christ behind the altar. Did you know that on every altar is a special cloth that contains the relic(s) of a Saint(s). Without which, the Liturgy (mass) is not performed. Also note, that in the Orthodox Church we don't have statues or 3D representations - just painted icons, though these are occasionally carved in bas-relief.

[hikaru]

One day, when Alexandr III was fishing in Finland in divine silent and peaceful atmosphere, one Minister have approched him by saying that they have got an urgent message about the dangerous situation in Europe. Alexandr have became very angry and said:
"Europe can wait, while Russian Emperor is fishing".

[hikaru]

One day baby Olyga visited with Nicholas the Smolny Institute where she was surronded by the girls.
She was so little , she even could not see the tnings lying on the table.
So the girls laughed: "You could not be called Grand Dutchess - you is unable even to watch what is there , on the table."
Little Olga hesitated for a moment, then she said:
" I have no idea, really. You must ask to my papa, he knows everything"

[hikaru]

Catherine the Great made the first purchase for Hermitage Collection in a quite anecdotic sircumstances
(actually she did not pay for it):
The German Merchant Gotskovsky had to pay to the Russia his debt for russian grain.
At the same time he collected under the demand of the Prussia 's king Fridriekh 200 pieces of art (pictures).
King could not pay for it ( due to the war those time).
The merchant did not want to pay the cash to Catherine (or he did not have it).
So he paid the debt by the pictures.
This collection began the beginning of the Hermitage Collection. When the collection arrived Catherine understood that the fine art collection will increase the authority of Russian Empire and began the hunting for the masterpieces.

[hikaru]

The life of the Petersburg ballet connected intimetely with the Court.
The change of the Emperor always caused the changes in the ballet life.
For Example, Paul I hated ballet from all his heart.
One day he said with contempt : "A man should be a warrior but not a dancer".
So the next day all men's roles were executed by girls.

[Victoria_Romanov]

A story I know of is Gibbes was waiting for a while for the little pair to come and start lessons. However, the previous night, there was a "fancy dress" party. In a few minutes, in came the little Imp all black from soot and she was carrying chimney sweep tools...i.e. a little ladder, etc.
Gibbes, pretended not to notice and asked, "So, did you go to the party Anastasia Nicholaievna?" and she just laughed and said nothing. A moment later the double doors burst open and in came the giggling Olga, Tatiana and Maria, with a furious Alexandra yelling "Anastasia! Go and get cleaned up this INSTANT!” OTM trying to restrain giggles, Anastasia got up and came back a while later with a big red scrubbed face!

I thought that was funny.  I can perfectly imagine the Imp and her escapades!

OMG! I can just Alexandra yelling at Anastasia and see Olga, Tatiana and Maria giggiling  

[hikaru]

This anecdote about Nicholas II was popular in Petersburg in October of 1904:
" Why everybody said that we need a costitution which should limit the monarchy?  We have already for 10 years the "limited" Tsar! "

[hikaru]

When Alexandr III have heard that one of GDukes would like to marry the Merchant's widow Burenina , he
exclaimed:" I have close relationship with all of the European Courts , but never had relationship with the Merchant Court ".
(Saying Merchant Court , He used russian word Gostiny Dvor  , which was and is big Department Store of Petersburg)

[hikaru]

I do not know if I call it anecdote, but I liked it:

When the wife of Alexandr II , Maria Alexandrovna visited Darmshtadt, the Princess Alice of Hesse presented to Maria  all  her children - the baby Alix was  one of them. That time Maria Alexandrovna said to the one of her Ladies-in - Waiting by showing to the baby Alix : "She is your future Empress".

[hikaru]

When the second son of Nicholas I - Konstantin Nikolaevich was a child. He took the chaire from the back of one Minister when he was going to sit down and he falled. So Nicholas and his wife Alexandra apologised a lot. From that time Konstantin felt bad and became a very polite child.

[hikaru]

I have read an interesting thing:
when Catherine the Great was angry to her Ministers and sublings, she took the water in her mouth because she made her best not  to cry on  them. She did not want to show that she loose her temper.
So now , we know Catherine as  a clever and cool Empress.

[hikaru]

Empresse Alix had a spesific skin's type.
Her skin killed  pearls.
But Empress liked to wear pearls very much.Her pearls reached her knees.
In order to prevent her pearls from the death, a peasant women weared Alix's pearls and slept  wearing them. So the next day pears began to shine again.