The Nicholas and Alexandra Picture Thread

[pamela18335]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

I have no doubt that there was nothing scandalous about the men swimming in the nude because there were no women present. I am just surprised that a photograph was taken and it was not destroyed or suppressed once it was developed. But maybe the Tsar was not aware of its existence or maybe he did not care. But I suspect Alexandra would have been appalled.

Quite right about Alexandra, Vasillisos. It's entirely possible that the pictures in question actually were suppressed at the time. I cannot imagine that the imediate or extended family would have been happy with their publication, as it would seem to me that it would have been felt that they were disrespectful to or detracted from Nicky's image. Perhaps they only surfaced from private sources in later years.

[Furienna]

Yeah, that's probably it.

[Warren]

It's funny how some of us in the early 21st century appear more taken aback by innocent and private nudity than they were at the beginning of the 20th. Photographs of a naked Tsar (see Russo) and film of him diving naked (see Pamela) have been around for yonks. It would be a rare family, commoner or royal, that didn't and doesn't have photographs or home movies that are considered "family" and private and not intended for public consumption.

Sorry, but I don't understand why these recently released pics of the Tsar's bare bottom should cause such surprise when more revealing pictures are on the record.
It's not as if these images of nude Nicky were postered around St Petersburg or reproduced on cigarette cards to be swapped and collected by schoolboys.

[Vasillisos Markos]

Well, then, are there similar photographs taken of Nicky's contemporaries? If so, I've never heard of them. You seem taken aback that others would express surprise at these photographs. I am no prude but it seems to me, at that time in history, august persons such as the Tsar would not allow photographs to be taken. Am I wrong in this belief?

[Warren]

The first part is hard to answer because, for example, we haven't a clue what's in the private family albums of the Windsors, and probably never will.
As to the Tsar, he was both photographed and filmed, so august though he was, he didn't appear concerned. I imagine that he assumed they would remain safely within the confines of the private family albums and archives. But they didn't, and we are fortunate to glimpse the Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias enjoying a private pursuit that was not much different to that of many of his subjects.

[vsriCo]

Warren, were these photos/videos of the Tsar naked released recently by the Russian government? Or have they been in circulation for a while?

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by vsriCo

Warren, were these photos/videos of the Tsar naked released recently by the Russian government? Or have they been in circulation for a while?

Warren knows the specifics, however, they ARE in books. Tsar by Peter Kurth has many of them in it. And another one I can't remember the book. It was a whole book devoted to photos of the IF. All their personal snapshots. The library had it.

[Marengo]

Well, Peter Kurth's book is from the early nineties. I haven't seen them in books published before the fall of the communist government so my guess is that after 1989 the files in Russia were opened, resulting in these pictures popping up.

[Russophile]

Margeno, I think the book I am referring to is The Romanovs: Love, power and Tragedy by Aleksandr Nikolaevich Bokhanov. It is full of many photographs and was published in 1993 which supports your theory.

[Warren]

I first saw the film of the Tsar swimming naked in a 1990s doco about the lead-up to WWI; it's been in a few others since then.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Warren

It's funny how some of us in the early 21st century appear more taken aback by innocent and private nudity than they were at the beginning of the 20th. Photographs of a naked Tsar (see Russo) and film of him diving naked (see Pamela) have been around for yonks. It would be a rare family, commoner or royal, that didn't and doesn't have photographs or home movies that are considered "family" and private and not intended for public consumption.

Sorry, but I don't understand why these recently released pics of the Tsar's bare bottom should cause such surprise when more revealing pictures are on the record.
It's not as if these images of nude Nicky were postered around St Petersburg or reproduced on cigarette cards to be swapped and collected by schoolboys.

Imagine,In those days swimming nude was normal practice among men,it's the prudes that rule today that muffle and stumble thinking how rediculous they might look doing so.These "objections" had no ground in those days,as I said,it was normal practice in Russia at least as that was always way less prude then the "West".No,you won't find any of these pics in official albums on the family,but why should they,they are "private" moments all of us,btw,see appearing in a Romanov thread for the umptiest time,and still people blush.Telling tho....

[Russophile]

Agreed. In most of the books we all have read the authors tell us when the IF was sailing around on the Standart they thought nothing of taking a skinny dip in Finnish waters, hunting for mushrooms and having a picnic. All perfectly normal things for a family to do.

[CyrilVladisla]

Originally Posted by AnastasiaEvidence

Amazing photos of Alix and Nicky.

These are truly magnificent photos of a younger Nicholas and Alexandra.
Nicholas resembles his cousin, Prince George, Duke of York like they were twins in a mirror.
These pictures of Alexandra remind me of some of her mother when Alice was first married to Louis of Hesse.

Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra during a hunting expedition in the Bialowieza Forest in 1897
https://www.gettyimages.com/license/822507394

[COUNTESS]

Alexandra's faced is pinched and hard, unlike her mother, who had a sweet look on her face.

[CyrilVladisla]

Tsar Nicholas II with his sister Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and her husband Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich in 1897
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/820862238