Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix) (1872-1918)


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I have read many books on the British Royal Family and became interested in reading about the Russian Royal family from my reading on Queen Victoria. I would like to read a book on Nicholas and Alexandra. There are quite a few available and I was just wondering if someone could tell me the best one to start with. Thanks.
 
:previous: Probably the best "beginner" book on Nicholas and Alexandra that I can think of is Robert Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra". It is considered a classic.

The 1971 film of the same name was based on this book.
 
Robert Massie's 'Nicholas and Alexandra' is immensely readable and I've enjoyed it several times over the years. It is very elderly, having been written in the 1960s and has been criticised more recently for being overly sympathetic to both the last Tsar and Tsarina. However, I'd agree, it's a terrific book to get an overall view of this couple.

After that, for something a bit newer, I liked Virgina Cowles' 'The Last Tsar and Tsarina' and would recommend it. But try Massie first.
 
Moonmaiden23 said:
:previous: Probably the best "beginner" book on Nicholas and Alexandra that I can think of is Robert Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra". It is considered a classic.

The 1971 film of the same name was based on this book.
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Thank you.
 
Curryong said:
Robert Massie's 'Nicholas and Alexandra' is immensely readable and I've enjoyed it several times over the years. It is very elderly, having been written in the 1960s and has been criticised more recently for being overly sympathetic to both the last Tsar and Tsarina. However, I'd agree, it's a terrific book to get an overall view of this couple.

After that, for something a bit newer, I liked Virgina Cowles' 'The Last Tsar and Tsarina' and would recommend it. But try Massie first.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
Curryong said:
Robert Massie's 'Nicholas and Alexandra' is immensely readable and I've enjoyed it several times over the years. It is very elderly, having been written in the 1960s and has been criticised more recently for being overly sympathetic to both the last Tsar and Tsarina. However, I'd agree, it's a terrific book to get an overall view of this couple.

After that, for something a bit newer, I liked Virgina Cowles' 'The Last Tsar and Tsarina' and would recommend it. But try Massie first.
Click to expand...

I have one other question about these books. Do they cover Nicholas and Alexandra's childhoods or do they start with their marriage?
 
It's been such a long time since I read 'Nicholas and Alexandra' that I can't remember! As Massie was interested in their lives together it covered the marriage well, but then most books about them do that.

The Cowles book 'The Last Tsar and Tsarina' covers Nicholas's childhood and adolescence, relationship with his parents, the atmosphere in which he grew up etc quite well (though not chapter by chapter) but there is little about Alexandra as a child in it.

If you wanted a more intimate look at the young Alexandra you'd be better off with a book like 'The Last Empress' The Life and Times of Alexandra' by Greg King, which I have and enjoy reading. It covers her parents' marriage, Alexandra's birth, her childhood, siblings etc and her courtship by Nicholas before marriage. Perhaps you could start there.
 
Curryong said:
It's been such a long time since I read 'Nicholas and Alexandra' that I can't remember! As Massie was interested in their lives together it covered the marriage well, but then most books about them do that.

The Cowles book 'The Last Tsar and Tsarina' covers Nicholas's childhood and adolescence, relationship with his parents, the atmosphere in which he grew up etc quite well (though not chapter by chapter) but there is little about Alexandra as a child in it.

If you wanted a more intimate look at the young Alexandra you'd be better off with a book like 'The Last Empress' The Life and Times of Alexandra' by Greg King, which I have and enjoy reading. It covers her parents' marriage, Alexandra's birth, her childhood, siblings etc and her courtship by Nicholas before marriage. Perhaps you could start there.
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Thank you so much. I want to read all the books you have recommended. I became interested in Nicholas and Alexandra after reading the book "Queen Victoria's Matchmaking". It covered their courtship in there but it was only a small part of the book. It made me want to learn more about the both of them as children and when they were courting.
 
The Robert Massie one, already mentioned, is the classic.


Alexandra: the Last Tsarina by Carolly Erickson is a recent one - not bad at all (although I think that might be the one which annoyed me by occasionally calling her Alexandra before her marriage ... but I could be confusing it with something else!).
 
The youtube channel "The Romanov Royal Martyrs" has a new vid out: It is about the life of the Empress and has a voice-over out of a radio broadcast.


I link this with some headaches, since it is very apologetic of the Empress and the vid advertises a book of the same title (and I get no cash-back ? ).


But it has some interesting photos and facts, so... I try to link this indirectly, I hope it works.


 
His priority was his family. He wasn't trained properly for the role of Tsar but did his best in rising to the occasion. In the end, though, it wasn't enough for the Russian people.
 
edelweiss.kb said:
In the end, though, it wasn't enough for the Russian people.
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How do we know, that "it wasn't enough for the Russian people"?

It was not enough for a small clique in Sankt Petersburg and Moscow, this might be pretty sure... - but the majority of the Russian people, really? How do we know?

Stalin, the bearded bandit turned Czar, died peaceful in his bed with full power over All Russias and much more: Is this a sign, that his deeds were cool for the "Russian people" and "enough"?

BTW Welcome to The Royal Forums!
 
Alexander II was also murdered. So was Peter III. Not too many lucky names ... although Paul was murdered because he upset his own courtiers, so I can see why she wasn't keen on that idea.
 
edelweiss.kb said:
His priority was his family. He wasn't trained properly for the role of Tsar but did his best in rising to the occasion. In the end, though, it wasn't enough for the Russian people.
Click to expand...



By most accounts it was his domineering wife that failed to rise to the occasion while the Tsar toiled on the war front. Her “regency” was the ruin of them.
 
I read a lot of books about them, it is clear that he was a nice man but not a leader. Some people are naturally born with this authority and some aren't... Fate gave a role to a man who was not born for it.
 
Dalriada said:
By most accounts it was his domineering wife that failed to rise to the occasion while the Tsar toiled on the war front. Her “regency” was the ruin of them.
Click to expand...
I don't know if Alexandra had anything to do with the attempts with the russification of Finland, but Nikolai definitively was involved in the try to abolish the cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minotities, from Finnish point of view he was the worst of the Russian tsars governing over the Grand Duchy of Finland, (as well as other non-Russian parts of the empire).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Finland
 
Alison H said:
Alexander II was also murdered. So was Peter III. Not too many lucky names ... although Paul was murdered because he upset his own courtiers, so I can see why she wasn't keen on that idea.
Click to expand...

Nicholas II had declared that there had been enough usage of the names of Alexander and Nicholas.
 
I am about to finish reading "Nicholas and Alexandra" by Robert K. Massie. Does anyone know of a reputable book on Rasputin? I am looking at this one and wonder if anyone has read it. I would appreciate any other recommendations.
 
History is an ever evolving discussion. And there is a new book coming out, claiming to rule over all the others...

"Unknown and unrevealed facts, which evince that many truths in regard to the life and death of the Romanovs remain silenced or distorted to this day. Nicholas II was surrounded by the forceful presence of his mother, the Dowager Empress, and his uncles. This generation of Romanovs could have, under normal circumstances, expected another two decades of service to and influence over their nation, and it was with both regret and misgivings that they kissed the hands of their new young sovereign and his Hessian bride. This video is produced as part of the project for the book "The Romanov Royal Martyrs”, which is an impressive 512-page book, featuring nearly 200 black & white photographs, and a 56-page photo insert of more than 80 high-quality images, colorized by the acclaimed Russian artist Olga Shirnina (Klimbim) and appearing here in print for the first time."


Basically, the story of this book is in short: It is sponsored by by the Church, co-written for example be renowned historians like Helen Rappaport and based on formerly unknown sources from the newly opened archives of Russia.

https://www.amazon.de/Romanov-Royal-Martyrs-Silence-Conceal/dp/9963951775

Is it good? I don't know... I did not read it. I'll wait for a German translation.
 
victor1319 said:
History is an ever evolving discussion. And there is a new book coming out, claiming to rule over all the others...

"Unknown and unrevealed facts, which evince that many truths in regard to the life and death of the Romanovs remain silenced or distorted to this day. Nicholas II was surrounded by the forceful presence of his mother, the Dowager Empress, and his uncles. This generation of Romanovs could have, under normal circumstances, expected another two decades of service to and influence over their nation, and it was with both regret and misgivings that they kissed the hands of their new young sovereign and his Hessian bride. This video is produced as part of the project for the book "The Romanov Royal Martyrs”, which is an impressive 512-page book, featuring nearly 200 black & white photographs, and a 56-page photo insert of more than 80 high-quality images, colorized by the acclaimed Russian artist Olga Shirnina (Klimbim) and appearing here in print for the first time."


Basically, the story of this book is in short: It is sponsored by by the Church, co-written for example be renowned historians like Helen Rappaport and based on formerly unknown sources from the newly opened archives of Russia.

https://www.amazon.de/Romanov-Royal-Martyrs-Silence-Conceal/dp/9963951775

Is it good? I don't know... I did not read it. I'll wait for a German translation.
Click to expand...
That was an interesting point about Nicholas's mother and uncles.
But yeah, it is not the first time that I heard that Nicholas probably had to become a far too soon.
 
I just watched the Video about the Romanov Imperial Family. I need to get the book. What was done to them was a Crime against HUMANITY.
 
REAL COUNTESS said:
I just watched the Video about the Romanov Imperial Family. I need to get the book. What was done to them was a Crime against HUMANITY.
Click to expand...


Their death has been like a breaking seawall and gave free way to the Red Terror with it's innumerous victims.

They were the first, which were murdered, but what followed, was a now half forgotten sinister tragedy.

I am always wondering, whether the sainthood as martyrs of the orthodox church was mainly given to them, to exemplify the horrors of the revolution.
 
Does anyone know if the Russian Orthodox church has allowed the remains of the Tsarevich Alexii and his sister (Anastasia or Marie) to be buried? What is the church's disagreement with the DNA results?
 
The last news on the subject I've been able to trace has been this article from July 2018. I know that the Church was reluctant to bury the remains because they felt that earlier DNA tests on them weren't 100% accurate. Later tests were conducted and the results were examined 'with great interest' by Church authorities. But as of two years ago Alexei and his sister were still unburied.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...ticity-remains-attributed-romanovs-180969674/
 
Curryong said:
The last news on the subject I've been able to trace has been this article from July 2018. I know that the Church was reluctant to bury the remains because they felt that earlier DNA tests on them weren't 100% accurate. Later tests were conducted and the results were examined 'with great interest' by Church authorities. But as of two years ago Alexei and his sister were still unburied.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...ticity-remains-attributed-romanovs-180969674/
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
Tsarina Alexandra's social projects included establishing workhouses for the poor, creches for working mothers, and a school for training nurses cat Tsarkoe Selo and another for housemaids.
 
duchessrachel said:
Does anyone know if the Russian Orthodox church has allowed the remains of the Tsarevich Alexii and his sister (Anastasia or Marie) to be buried? What is the church's disagreement with the DNA results?
Click to expand...

The churches disagreement is that no one in his or hers right mind will ever be as backward as the ROC and the woman in Madrid.

No,the children s remains are not yet buried.The DNA tests are not reckognised by that church.Anything modern is seen as a danger to them,a danger that their faul play can be discovered.What ´s more,the remains of Nicolas II,Tsarina Alexandra and Olga Tatiana and Anastasia were removed from their tomb at the St.Peter & Paul in StP just about 2 years ago and are now somewhere undisclosed but ....safe...according to the ROC....Not much is known on that,just that they are no longer in the Cathedral anymore.

Some have a double agenda
 
lucien said:
The churches disagreement is that no one in his or hers right mind will ever be as backward as the ROC and the woman in Madrid.

No,the children s remains are not yet buried.The DNA tests are not reckognised by that church.Anything modern is seen as a danger to them,a danger that their faul play can be discovered.What ´s more,the remains of Nicolas II,Tsarina Alexandra and Olga Tatiana and Anastasia were removed from their tomb at the St.Peter & Paul in StP just about 2 years ago and are now somewhere undisclosed but ....safe...according to the ROC....Not much is known on that,just that they are no longer in the Cathedral anymore.

Some have a double agenda
Click to expand...

Thank you. I did not realize that their remains had been removed.
 
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