Hello everyone,
This is my first post as new member. I hope this is the right place to introduce myself.
I'm a 32 year old Dutch journalist and poet. I have only recently become fascinated with the Romanov history. Especially the fate of tsarevitch Alexei. My nickname on the forum was one of his, according to Pierre Gilliard. Alexei's life story includes elements and themes that interest me and strike a chord with the imagery and symbolism that I am using in my recent poems. So now I am thinking of writing a series of poems about Alexei and the Romanov family.
Since I am so new to the whole Romanov history, I am still learning and trying to get my hands on books and pictures etc. I joined the forum in order to share my enthusiasm and learn more.
A little bit more about me... I am Roman Catholic, since 2010. I was brought up Protestant but wanted to find my own way as I got older. After many years I found my home in the Roman Catholic church and am now also working for my parish.
I have always had a mild interest in history. Especially WWII because relatives of my grandparents on my mother's side were involved in the resistance. A great-uncle of mine smuggled illegal newspapers and was caught and later killed in revenge for an attack on a German official. He was only 18 years old at the time. His name is in the official honorary list of the fallen, compiled by the Dutch government. His parents and a brother of his are commemorated, along with hundreds of others, with their names on a wall in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. I got to visit that wall last year.
I love music of all kinds, especially English college and cathedral choirs. I'm also a big fan of the British boys choir Libera and am a moderator of a Libera fan forum.
I hope to have an enjoyable time here. Thanks for reading
