Romanovs and the Revolution: What Happened and How Did the Survivors Manage?

[AristoCat]

Felix Youssupov was very generous to emigres as well. It's perverse luck that he was banished right before the Revolution broke out. He and his wife would certainly have been among the first in front of a firing squad.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

Felix Youssupov was very generous to emigres as well. It's perverse luck that he was banished right before the Revolution broke out. He and his wife would certainly have been among the first in front of a firing squad.

Well I could hardly see Felix reporting for duty in the war effort, could you?

[AristoCat]

Now now, he surely would have made an excellent 'camp follower,' no? He did after all like to wear dresses and makeup.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

Now now, he surely would have made an excellent 'camp follower,' no? He did after all like to wear dresses and makeup.

That's all I have to say about that observation. It's pretty spot on though.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by AristoCat

Now now, he surely would have made an excellent 'camp follower,' no? He did after all like to wear dresses and makeup.

According to my Peter he was a real "swisher". However! He would have been good for moral.

[Warren]

"good for moral"? I think you mean 'morale'!

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Warren

"good for moral"? I think you mean 'morale'!

My ADD/dyslexia rearing it's ugly head again. Whoops!

[Baronessan]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

You are correct that Louise was the daughter of Victoria, eldest sister of Empress Alexandra. Victoria was also the grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. I believe Louise and her mother were visiting Russia when the war broke out and had a somewhat harrowing adventure trying to obtain safe passage back to England.

I never knew Louise gave a small pension to Anna. That is pretty remarkable as Louise did not become Crown Princess of Sweden until her marriage in 1923, 6 years after the revolution, and did not become Queen until 1950. Do you know when Louise set up the pension?

The Winter War started in Finland 1939 when Anna V. and her friend Vera moved to Sweden. There their expenses were covered by Swedish Court. After Louise noticed Anna´s poor financal situation she organized her a small pension. Year 1940 Anna returned back to Finland.

Queen or not - she had the will and power to help Anna.

I just lately went to Anna´s grave. It is maintained very actively by some private person. Huge amount of planted flowers - 8 nonmatching diffrent colours - very russian style. Burning candels. On the tomb there is a tiny church where is a glass door. Through the door you can see some miniature icons and a pictures of the imperial family.

Somebody is really taking care of her.

Best regards
Baronessan

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I wonder if anyone had any idea or indication that the Bolsheviks were such a blood thirsty group who would kill anyone who looked at them wrong. First the Tsar and his family, then other Romanovs, then extended family, then random Russians. Anyone know of any suspicious before 1918 that the Bolsheviks were so disgustingly violent and would turn against their own countrymen?

[AristoCat]

Anyone know of any suspicious before 1918 that the Bolsheviks were so disgustingly violent and would turn against their own countryme

Not really. Initially there was a provisional government and Kerenskey was for revolution, just like anyone else. The problem began when Kerenskey placated the Reds by releasing many Bolsheviks from prison and then the Reds took over and Kerenskey had to flee after the collapse of the Provisional government. No one had any clue as to how bad it would get. Even Lenin feared Stalin and could not hold him off. Many Russians just wanted bread and stability, but the Tsar didn't give it. It's too bad and hideous that the Reds gained control. After the Reds were in control it stopped about being about freedom and about class warfare and revenge.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Im not talking about the government changes between 1917 and 1918, I am talking about were there any warning flags that in dealing with Lenin and his crownies that these were mass murderers in training; that Lenin was so cruel that he would sign off on the murder of millions of Russians.

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Grand Duke Dmitri married a very rich woman but unfortunately died at the age of 49. I don't know if his descendants were able to hold on to the money through the years.

Dont know about the money but Paul Illinsky became Mayor of Palm Beach, Florida.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Im not talking about the government changes between 1917 and 1918, I am talking about were there any warning flags that in dealing with Lenin and his crownies that these were mass murderers in training; that Lenin was so cruel that he would sign off on the murder of millions of Russians.

I'm going to venture and say that probably not. People saw Lenin and his comrades as their saviors. As was pointed out before, Russians at the time were more concerned with having a stable government and food on the table. Anything else was pretty much irrelevant. Also, the brainwashing of the masses started right away, and anything negative about the leaders was hidden. No one would have dared to even believe that someone who rid Russia of the autocratic tyranny was a tyrant himself.

[Russophile]

There's a quote that's very telling from Lenin I think to Kerensky? VM, help me out here, or Warren. When kerensky tried to plead fo rthe life of GD Nicholas Mikhailovich Lenin said "The Revolution has no need of historians." (Or scholars.)
That was December-january of 1919.

[Benedict XVI]

It's a terrible thing but by killing and exiling much if the imperial family they ware able to prevent the people from going back to the monarchy. I read some ware but I can't remember where that at least during kerensky's government they would sell some of there jewels in order to suvive

[AristoCat]

Originally Posted by Russophile

There's a quote that's very telling from Lenin I think to Kerensky? VM, help me out here, or Warren. When kerensky tried to plead fo rthe life of GD Nicholas Mikhailovich Lenin said "The Revolution has no need of historians." (Or scholars.)
That was December-january of 1919.

Lenin also famously said "I will defend your right to say what you want, but I will reserve the right to shoot you for it." Lovely people.

The entire Bolshevik movement was about murder, not rights or reality or about Russia and the Russians. The best of Russia died in those purges, long after the monarchy had been overthrown and have the Romanovs butchered. After killing 3/4ths of the Romanovs, the Bolsheviks moved onto Russia's most prominent sailors and the navy and killed dozens of them and then proceeded to kill endless numbers of famers, the very people who fed the country.

[Benedict XVI]

I think they also killed most of the Romanovs to prevent a return of the monarchy. After that killing all the farmers who were good at producing the food for the nation. Then they set impossible quotas for inexperienced farmers to make or else. That is why 100,000s of peasants died as a result.

[Russophile]

According to The Flight of the Romanovs Old Joe Stalin extended that killing to the Whites in WW2 where the Brits just looked away as they were afraid of the Soviets power as did the French and the Americans just stood by and did nothing. The Whites, if they were lucky, were shot on site which was the fate of the older ones who had served in WW1, the ones who were not so lucky were hung up by their ribs on meat hooks to be tortured. Yes, they were lovely people.

[branchg]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Dont know about the money but Paul Illinsky became Mayor of Palm Beach, Florida.

Paul Illyinsky inherited his mother's considerable legacy (Audrey Emery was the heiress to the Singer sewing machine fortune) and lived in a mansion in Palm Beach.

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by Russophile

According to The Flight of the Romanovs Old Joe Stalin extended that killing to the Whites in WW2 where the Brits just looked away as they were afraid of the Soviets power as did the French and the Americans just stood by and did nothing. The Whites, if they were lucky, were shot on site which was the fate of the older ones who had served in WW1, the ones who were not so lucky were hung up by their ribs on meat hooks to be tortured. Yes, they were lovely people.

Sounds like a horror movie, no? The only sad part is, that was the reality of the situation.