SUMMARY: By all accounts Nicholas was not a wise or "good" Tsar. Like all his family he did not ASK or SEEK to be Tsar, but it was his fate to be born to that position. Accounts claim that he was weak, indecisive and lacked the courage to carry out reforms that the suffering Russian people sorely needed. He seems to have seen it as his duty to maintain Imperial ways and traditions. He was not, however, in the same psychopathic mould as Genghis Khan, Ivan the terrible or Vlad the Impaler - OR indeed Stalin, Hitler and others who clearly deserved to be shot.

However, the Bolsheviks massacred him, his entire family and a number of servants for fear they would be rescued by advancing Imperialist forces, the Revolution not yet being clearly won. Such a rescue might have rallied more people to the anti-Revolution cause, which Lenin and his followers could not let happen.

Such a decision may have made sense regarding the Tsar himself - and even been in some way defensible from the Revolutionaries' point of view - but the WHOLE FAMILY was brutally shot and/or bayoneted to death, including five beautiful children. However, THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE THE CHILDREN OF THE TSAR and were TOTALLY INNOCENT VICTIMS of the Bolsheviks and later Stalin - and now Putin.

REST IN PEACE DEAR CHILDREN. We never knew you but will also never forget you - or the horrible humans who murdered you.

PS At first, the Bolsheviks did not know what to do with Nicholas and his family, and there were negotiations with England and France about the possibility of exiling them to Europe. King George V refused, however, fearing that the presence of the family might encourage revolutionary rumblings in Europe. Basically, we could have saved them - but chose not to.




This remarkable photograph showcases the children of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna aboard the Imperial yacht Standart, around 1907. The Romanov children, often referred to as OTMA (Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia), along with their younger brother, Tsarevich Alexei, are captured in a rare moment of joy and family unity. The photograph is a reminder of the imperial family's once-glamorous life before the dramatic and tragic events of the Russian Revolution that would change their fates forever.

The Imperial yacht Standart was a symbol of the Russian monarchy’s wealth and power. It was used by the royal family for leisure and travel, particularly during the summer months when they would embark on cruises along the Baltic Sea. For the Romanov children, these voyages were an opportunity to escape the pressures of their royal duties and enjoy a more carefree existence. In this image, the children of Nicholas II are dressed in the formal attire typical of the time, with their beautiful, elaborate clothing reflecting their royal status.

Olga, the eldest daughter, was known for her serene and responsible nature, often acting as a surrogate mother to her younger siblings. Tatiana, the second eldest, was similarly devoted but was often considered the more outwardly practical and energetic sister. Maria, the third daughter, was known for her kind and gentle spirit, while Anastasia, the youngest, had a more mischievous personality, often seen as the family’s source of energy and humor. Tsarevich Alexei, their only son, is seen here in the photograph as well. He was beloved by his family, despite his battle with hemophilia, a condition that would play a tragic role in the family’s story.

The portrait captures a moment of normalcy and familial love within a royal family that would soon face unimaginable hardship. The Romanovs' idyllic life would end with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 and the subsequent execution of the entire family in 1918, forever cementing their place in history. This image serves as a poignant reminder of their lost world and the close-knit bond shared by the Romanov children.