How did you become interested in the Romanovs?

[TheLionandTheEagle]

I saw the Fox version of Anastasia when I was 9 and I remember finding it fascinating -- but my mother said it was all wrong, and went on some rant about some woman named Anna Anderson who was a liar.  I asked her for more info, she took me to the library.  I devoured Romanov books like potato chips, became fascinated with all things Russian, and here I am!

Weirdly, I wonder if we would even have the children we have (adopted from a former Soviet republic) if I hadn't gone to see that horribly inaccurate movie!

[voronochka262]

It all started when I saw the movie with my best friend (we were six or seven) I had an Anastasia lunch box, and shoes. Then, when I was about 13, we went to see an exhibition in Cincinnati about the Romanovs, and I read the Royal Diaries Anastasia book. My best friend was learning Russian too, so it's kind of been on/off again for years

[edubs31]

It all started when I saw the movie with my best friend (we were six or seven) I had an Anastasia lunch box, and shoes. Then, when I was about 13, we went to see an exhibition in Cincinnati about the Romanovs, and I read the Royal Diaries Anastasia book. My best friend was learning Russian too, so it's kind of been on/off again for years

What was the exhibition in Cincinnati you saw...do you remember? The jewels tour came to the states at a few locations (including Wilmington, DE where I saw it) in the late-90s, but based on your age I'm guessing the event you're referring to was around 2003/04?

[Lochlanach]

Touched upon the Russian Revolution whilst studying history a decade ago -  bought book on the revolution as a consequence , then Robert Services bio of Lenin , then Massie's book on N and A , and gradually became interested in the minutiae of the last Imperial family , lured in by the drama and tragedy I guess.

[Dru]

I got interested in the Romanovs by accident.  The local library was having a book sale, and I came across this big red book about Rasputin (unfortunately, I no longer have it).  There were pictures of the last Imperial family in this book, and like many people, I was struck by the photos of the grand duchesses.  I had only ever heard of Anastasia, so I was interested in learning more about her sisters, too.

[TimM]

And it was our interest in the Romanovs that brought us all here to this great site.

[Ceridwen]

I became interested in 9th grade after reading Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie.

[TimM]

I wonder if we'll see an upsurge in interest, considering that we almost at the 100th Anniversary of the murders.

[edubs31]

I haven’t seen much of it sadly. Though you never know what sort of media coverage there will be and whether they Spurs on a surge of interest after the fact.

I’ll be commemorating in my own special way. I hope Romanov fans everywhere will do the same even for just this one day.

[TimM]

The anniversary of the murders is two weeks from today.