What got you interested in the Romanovs?

[amelia]

Dear RealAnastasia,

Yes I have 150 books on the Romanovs, I evern had a special bookshelf built for them.  About 4 years ago, I was in Palm Beach(where we spent our winters - you know I am old), and I met Prince Paul Illinskoy (son of Grand Duke Dimitry Pavlovich, and I ask him if I could have a photograph with him, to put on my bookshelf, so it will be something I will leave for my sons when I pass. But unfortunately, the Prince died and he was very kind and had agreed to the photograph.  He told me he was a professional photographer himself.

As for the books, I have the Youssopov books (3), Grand Duke Alexander Michaelovich (2), Pares , Grand Ducchess Maria Pavlovna, Kerensky, Captain Bulgin, Radzinsky, Robert Massie, Count Radzilly, and more and more, I do not have the list here in front of me.  As for the movies, I have all of them that are on sale in the shops.  One that I like very much is Nicholas and Alexander (a fiction movie).  But the real ones, like the ones from Discovery channel and History channel are very good, because you can see the ImperialFamily.  If you want more details of the movies, I can make a list and post it.

I love the subject, and I am new in this forum and I love it

All the best
Amelia

[Tania]

Dear Amelia,

If there are any family members I hope they are well. Several years ago, I went with my husband to Russia. I tried in russia to find relatives, but I was unsuccessful. I'm 63 years of age and doubt any direct living relative would be alive today. I would love to go back to Russia, and spend at least three months, with a major point of visitation in St. Petersburg. When we were there, and people found out the linkage of my last name, they could not have been kind enough. The city of St. Petersburg is brilliantly breathtaking. We were in Russia also when it was the 'white nights'. Don't know if I could take winter. brrrr the thought is not warming, lol.

I've a few books, but the major part of russian books, antiques, etc., my sister and her son walked off with, as well as other irreplaceable objects, etc. But, I've come to understand, as well taught our daughter: it's not to focus one's life on obtaining all that glitters, rather  to be at home with your conscience, and be proud of your heritage, your name, and staying honest. With that, you can die with your soul intact.  For me, for our daughter, we are proud enough just to have the linkage to history. That you cannot break, nor be selfish about. Of course in all of this I believe, one's faith must be strong in order for one to face so many adversities. It is.
Nice to meet you

Tatiana

[King_James]

It was realy strange i was watching Fraiser and the episode they talkt about that they goud be relaited to the tsar.
So i wanted to find out who it was.
And after that i was hookt

[amelia]

Dear Tatiana,


What a nice posting.  I hope you realize your dream of spending 3 months in Russia. my dream is to go back to St. Petersburgh and then go to Siberia - Yekaterinbugh and Tobolsk.  I understando that the house where the IF lived is still in Tobolsk.

So nice to talk to you

Amelia

[Tania]

Dear Amelia,

Per your quote:

'my dream is to go back to St. Petersburgh and then go to Siberia - Yekaterinbugh and Tobolsk.  I understand that the house where the IF lived is still in Tobolsk'
So nice to talk to you'

Amelia

Your braver than I, but you did not state if you were going to Siberia in the Spring or Winter. I just can't imagine anyone going in Winter. brrrrrr.

I wish we had been able to go those cities when we were in Russia, but we went in '75, and one did not ask then to go to such sites. I would love to see pictures if possible of your trip, especially the cities you have mentioned in particular. People on this site have been especially kind in sharing such treasured photos of their trips, the IF, etc. I'm very thankful to come each day just to see the varied entries, the pictures.

Thank you so very much for responding, and sharing your thoughts.

Respectfully,

Tania

[amelia]

Dear Tania,

So good to hear from you.  Actually, we are going (myself and my husband) next year in mid August to mid September.  When I wento to SP it was late Sept early Nov and it was not too bad - we had to wear a coat everyday.

We intend to go by ourselves, as we did the first time.  We are going to try and book some hotel in those cities and take the transiberian.  I understand that in Yekaterinburgh you can stay either in peoples houses or monasteries, which will be interesting.  In the moment we are browsing the internet to see what we can find.

in fact when I was in SP, there were two american ladies who just went to the train statio, bought the tickets and went To Irkutz without any kind of hotel reservations. Do you know, they told me it was the nicest place they have ever been and , yes, they stayed in a monastery,  So we will see.

Of course I will post as many photographs as I can.  As you say, this is a wonderful website for us who love the subject of the Romanovs.  

Allthe best to you and so nice to talk to you

Amelia

[isabel]

I remember in the library of my mother, an special book wich i always loved to look. It was a french edition of Prince Michael´s  "Nicholas and Alexandra family albums". As a little girl, every time i wached those explendid pictures of OTMA, i thought that they were the most beatiful princesses i will ever see...Also their tragedy always impressed me. Many years later, exactly june 2002, my family an I, went for a crusier across the Baltic Sea, our last stopping place was St. Petersburg.

I can´t explain what happened to me in St. Petersburg, but I felt enchanting and I promissed my self that one day i will returned. Back to Madrid, i begun to read about Romanov´s, it´s not easy to find books in Spain, but afortunatly i found them in Amazon. When i sow "The Camera and de Tzars" i was so delighted that my husband offered me a journey in St. Petersburg for my birthday.

I returned...., summer 2004, 6 days...i think that no one in the world was more happy than me in those days. It´s very difficult to me to explain in english the feelings i had visiting this so magical city. I only can say that my eyes were plenty of tears when i set foot in Alexander Palace.

After this i continue reading about IF. I don´t have much time (children, work....) , but almost evey night i get sleep with some book of the Romanov´s. Even my children knows their story!!!.

Two weeks ago i discovered this website. Tank you for it. It´s wonderfull!! i am sure that i am going to learn a lot reading your discussions, it´s incredible the knowledges you have about!!

[amelia]

Dear Isabel,


Welcome.    

Don't forget to look into the books on this site.  They are wonderful and very difficult to find.  Thanks to the enormous effort and dedication of Bob Atchinson, we can read them.

I hope you enjoy the forums as much as I do.

Welcome again.

Amelia

[isabel]

Dear Amelia,

Thank you for your welcome. I have print some of your articles, they are so interestings¡¡ I have to read them very slow because my english is not as good as i wanted, and i have to find some words in my old diccionary, but i am so happy to have find this forum¡¡¡. Some of my family and friends thought that i am a little crazy because they don´t understand this passion i have for this piece of history, i can´t explain them the reasons, because they are not reasons but feelings¡¡.

[Sainte-Claire1875]

I wasn't going to say anything, but since I saw that others have made similar comments, I guess I'll say it. Apparently I'm related to them,  but it's a very long story, and I don't feel like telling it right now. I would say I'm proud to be related, if it's true that I am, but I have some doubts--I just find it hard to believe that I'm related to Russian royalty--it seems somehow impossible to me. I mean, I do have many things about my physical characteristics that could link me to them, and my personality greatly resembles that of the last IF, but that could just be coincidental. My father would never lie to me, and he's the one who told me the story about it, that his mother told him. I haven't been able to ask her myself if it's true. It would be the most amazing thing if it's true though. To be somehow related to Nicky and Alix, and to Ksenia--that would at least give me something to be proud of in my life...  

[Anastasia15]

;)The Disney movie Anastasia got me interested in the Romanovs.  :-/

yes me too but actually I´m from russia and thats why the romanovs interest me too it´s a part of my home

[Romanov_fan]

I first became aware of the Romanovs when I saw Anastasia's Album ( a kids book) in a book catalog in 1996. But I didn't read it or order it. In late 1997, The Anastasia movie came out, but I didn't see it until it was released on video Spriing, 1998. All through the winter of 1998, I became more interested in the Romanovs because I had made the connection between the movie and the book I saw two years before that. The romanovs were much in the news at the time due to the remains, and that made me further aware of them.

Once the Anastasia video was out I watched it again and again. I wanted to know the differences between the real Anastasia and the fiictional one, so I read James Blair Lovell's the Lost Princess in June, 1998. That was the first Romanov book I read, but it was a little confusing since had more to do with Anna Anderson than the real Romanovs. I was 11 almost 12 at the time.From that time on, I was hooked. I read Nicholas and Alexandra in Spring, 1999. Interestingly enough, when we got a computer and I first learned how to use one in Autumn, 1999, one of the first websites that I discovered and learned how to surf was The Alexander Palace. This site fueled my passion for the Romanovs, so I read even more books about them in Autumn, 1999. This website was the first one I learned how to surf, and I love it as much now as I did then. By now, I am 19 and have read most of the books in English about the Romanovs. There are only a few I haven't read (ones can't get my hands on from libraries). Now and then, I love the Romanovs ( especially OTMA).

[amelia]

Dear Tania,


I read again your posting of Aug 22nd, I would like to know if the Prime Minister Shulgin that you mentioned is the same Shulgin who was present at Nicholas II abdication?  Is he the same who came to the West but then later returned to Soviet Union.

Thank You
Amelia

[Tania]

Dear Amelia,

He is the same, and I believe his son is a professor, perhaps retired now, from a major university here in the United States. I don't know though that he returned to the Soviet Union. How do you know about this man?

What do you know of him, and can you share the information here?

Thank you for your kind inquiry.

Tania

[amelia]

Dear Tania,

I have read somewhere, I do not remember where - my age!!!!But I read that he had come to the West and then became very unhappy and he made an arrangement with the Bolshevicks that he would go back and would write a book, very negative about the west.

There is a book written by a Shulgin - when I browse to find new books in Amazon or Barnes and Nobles, a few times I saw a book written by a Shulgin, but I do not have it.

Perhaps someone in the forum could tell us something about this subject.

I find fascinating that your fater knew him.

I find your story very interesting.

Amelia