Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, 1894
In 1917, violent revolutions tore Russia apart, overturned the monarchy of Tsar Nicholas II, and set in place a communist regime. A 300-year-old imperial dynasty, marked by periods of glorious achievement, was swiftly ended, and a tragic series of events led to the murder of the imperial family at Ekaterinburg in 1918. It was a massacre that shocked the world and still inspires a terrible fascination today.
Historian Siobhan Clark examines what led up to the Russian Revolution and the violent deaths of the Tsar, Tsarina, and their five children. She considers how this tragedy might have been avoided by examining the traits of Nicholas as a ruler, the role of World War I on the revolution, and the impact of the Revolution on the Russian people.
She discusses the relationship between the Tsar and Tsarina—a passionate love story—and shares what we know about their and their children’s last days. She reflects on the four Romanov sisters, remembered as martyrs of a revolution, who were also innocent victims of a mother and father so divorced from reality that they unwittingly condemned their beloved family to a terrible fate.
Clarke holds a degree in Russian history and has been featured on BBC radio and PBS television. For the past 25 years, she has given lectures and tours for Historic Royal Palaces.
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