How likely is Russia to become a monarchy again?

[James1941]

There is a good possibility (stress possibility) that the monarchy in Serbia could be restored. They have, like in Russia, begun using the old royalist symbols. The royalist party in Serbia also has a very viable and attractive claimant in the person of Crown Prince Alexander. He has three very attractive sons by his first wife (a Braganza-Orleans princess) and he is undoubtedly the heir. He and his family have also been smart enough to avoid controversy and scandal. He is popular in Serbia. If the Serbian monarchy were restored, it being also an Orthodox monarchy and Slavic, it might stimulate interest in Russia. This is, admittedly, a long shot.

[AkshayChavan]

I am a hardcore monarchist. But i hope Russia never sees the likes of Romanovs again. I have read a lot of books on russian history and some of them have really brought tears to my eyes. The romanov rule was exceptionally cruel (i don't mean the family). The only parallels i can think of Saddam Hussein's Iraq or Gaddafi's Libya. Neither Austria, Germany or Turkey were as barbaric as Romanov Russia. As much as I love Imperial Russia, crimes by communists cannot wash the crimes of romanovs. Two wrongs do not make a right.

[David_Pritchard]

There is a good possibility (stress possibility) that the monarchy in Serbia could be restored. They have, like in Russia, begun using the old royalist symbols. The royalist party in Serbia also has a very viable and attractive claimant in the person of Crown Prince Alexander. He has three very attractive sons by his first wife (a Braganza-Orleans princess) and he is undoubtedly the heir. He and his family have also been smart enough to avoid controversy and scandal. He is popular in Serbia. If the Serbian monarchy were restored, it being also an Orthodox monarchy and Slavic, it might stimulate interest in Russia. This is, admittedly, a long shot.

A restoration of a limited monarchy under Crown Prince Nikola is even more likely in an independent Kingdom of Montenegro than in a unified state of Serbia-Montenegro under Crown Prince Alexander. The forthcoming end to Serbia-Montenegro might even help Crown Prince Alexander in his quest to restore the monarchy in what remains of Serbia.

DAP

[Robert_Hall]

Personally, I doubt that. Montenegro, perhaps. But in Serbia, the family is at odds with each other and there is more opposition to the monarchy than support for it.

[Belochka]

Russia needs to better understand and practise her newly created democratic rights for the benefit of all her citizens.

Russia and the Russian people do not need to be burdened by the ties of monarchic rule, and especially coming from those who do not choose to live in Russia.

[David_Pritchard]

Russia needs to better understand and practise her newly created democratic rights for the benefit of all her citizens.

Are you refering to the democratic rights that the Russian people have lost under the Putin administration, like freedom of the press, direct elections of governors, the freedom not to have your business property confiscated by the government?

David

[Nadezhda_Edvardova]

I think that one issue Russia must resolve before a restoration could become a real possibility is the character of post-communist Russia in the modern world.  About five years ago, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (http://www.carnegieendowment.org/) held a conference on this issue, and from reading the papers presented there, it is clear to me that Russia hasn't figured out if it is part of the developing world or the first world, if it is Asian or European.  The most persuasive commentators at the conference argued that Russia must find a "third way" though they couldn't identify what it would be.

These conflicts are well-developed, for example, in Ukraine, where electoral politics revolve greatly around Ukraine's pro-European (or independent) policy, and how Russia responds thereto.

A monarchy would be a uniting factor, but Russia needs to decide around what national character they wish to be united.

Pax, Nadezhda

[Belochka]

Are you refering to the democratic rights that the Russian people have lost under the Putin administration, like freedom of the press, direct elections of governors, the freedom not to have your business property confiscated by the government?

David

Something like that yes.

Also I await the day when internal passports do not have to be carried when one ventures outside the front door, not to be subjected to random street searches because a person may appear darker than their neighbor, or to freely purchase a simple inter-urban train ticket just to travel some distance from your residential zone and so on ...

[David_Pritchard]

Something like that yes.

Also I await the day when internal passports do not have to be carried when one ventures outside the front door, not to be subjected to random street searches because a person may appear darker than their neighbor, or to freely purchase a simple inter-urban train ticket just to travel some distance from your residential zone and so on ...

That is interesting that you dislike the internal passports. I have been telling American friends for years how positive it would be if we had them in the US. They are a wonderful crime deterent and a simple way to deal with illegal aliens.

As you will ask, no I did not mind getting asked for my passport five to ten times a week.

David

[Tsarfan]

Internal passports . . . .  They are a wonderful crime deterent and a simple way to deal with illegal aliens.

They are also a wonderful way for a government to track the comings and goings of the citizenry.  The Nazis, for instance, found them very handy for tracking the whereabouts of Jews.  With an administration in the U.S. that is trying to subpoena Google records to see how many people are accessing sex sites, I am not ready to trust the U.S. government with the power to know where I was any time they want to know.

I lived in West Berlin in the mid-'70s and am personally acquainted with the use the East German government made of its internal passport system.

I'd much rather live with the consequences of illegal immigration than with the consequences of a government having easy means to impose ideological or behavioral conformity.

[Christian_II]

Take a look on the kingdoms of Europe of today, especially the Scandinavian could be models for a Russian monarchy, one of Russia’s great and much beloved Czarina Marie Feodorovna actual came from Denmark. I strongly believe that Russia need a unifying symbol, of course not a absolute monarchy but a monarchy which have certain influence even the politics.
Remember a political party represent only a part of the population, The Czar represent the whole population.
All that was created under the Czars are ruin under the politicians, now Imperial Russia is divided in several countries, which furthermore are in conflict with each other, don’t forget The Czar was not only Emperor over Russia but also over Ukraine, Kazakhstan and so on.
Christian

[Robert_Hall]

That "Empire" does not exist any longer. Do you suggest that Russia go back and re-conquer those nations ?

[Christian_II]

I don’t like the idea to re-conquer, more like a state form such as USA. None of these former Russian territories are doing very well, including Russia itself, under the more or less corrupt leaders and politicians. Only Finland is a real democratic and doing it very well indeed. Finland could be a model to all these territories. At the beginning of last century Russia was in great advance (in the industrial and agricultural field) but also great wealth in raw material. Greater political development in form of more democratic reforms. It was just a matter of time before Russia would be among Europe’s great democratic and industrial countries.
I do not think all these countries today really want to be democratic or to give its people a better life, some get very rich but the majorities get poorer. We have to continue exactly on the same spot where we left before the communist stole and ruined the country.
Christian

[Tsarfan]

The U.S. is not a voluntary association of sovereign states.  They had a civil war in the 19th century to establish that fact.

[Robert_Hall]

Most of U.S. territory was taken by acts of war [or the treat of it] and outright purchase with no regard to the wishes of the natives.
In the case of the [former] Russian Empire, those states that are now independant could hardly wait for release from the Russian control they had been under for centuries. I think some even tried for independance after the revolutions/civil war. It would seem highly unlikely that they would rush into any "voluntary" union at this point. Even with the less than ideal regimes at least they are THEIR regimes, not someone imposed by Moscow. Also, some of those nations are Islamic.  They never had any affection for the Romanovs to begin with. Others are anxious to join the EU rather than any sort of reunion with Russia.
On the Russian side, what makes anyone think they would WANT the old empire back ? Russians are having enough trouble putting itself together, the least thing they could use is more problems from the "provinces".
If there is any role for the Romanovs in modern Russia, I see it exactly as MV is doing. Involvement in Church charity and such.