#a very GENEROUS grigori rasputin that is

[leonardoeatscarrots]

Alternate versions of my 2022 art summary

it was.. hard to pick

[idontliketomatoesleavemealone]

How does the Rasputin family breakdown? Like ages, deaths, stuff like that

Also any other hcs you wanna share!

this hopefully will not get too long.

So, first of all, we obviously have Grigory Rasputin himself & his wife, Praskovya Rasputin, who had three children;

Mikhail Rasputin, called Mischa, born before the isle was created, but taken there once it was when he was four years old. Mischa is dead, but his cause of death is unknown, as is the time. Fact is that he probably passed early because the only memories his next-oldest sibling had of him were very blurry. He would be around twenty-five now, but likely didn’t live past six.

Dmitry Rasputin, called Mitya, was just like his brother born before the isle was created and taken there when he was two years old. Mitya died of a particularly cruel beating by his father when he was nine years old and would be twenty-three now if he had lived. He was a very caring and protective older brother to his siblings, specifically Marya and Varya.

Anna Rasputina, called Anya, was born a few months after her father and brothers were sent away, always stayed sickly, and ended up passing away when she was only a few weeks old. She is not on any death records of the isle because they simply don’t know that she existed. Anya would be around 21 now if she had lived.

(Side note: I know it’s confusing that these two are called Dmitry and Anya because we already have Dimitri and Anya (Anastasia) in their story, but I am basing them off of real-life Rasputin children. For it to be clearer, the heroes are Dima (a different short form for Dimitri) and Anastasia or Nastya.)

After those three, we have four Rasputin kids that do not have a notable parent other than him:

Maria Rasputin, called Marya by most but usually Mascha by her father, the girl who lived! She was born around the same time as her half-sister Anya, but is probably a little bit younger. She’s also currently 21, but is mentally (due to being isolated for most of her life and having 3+ different neurodivergencies etc.) closer to around 6. she is not stupid, she just doesn’t have the life experience that you would expect her to have. Marya is part of Harriet Hook‘s pirate crew as the medic.

Varvara Rasputina, called Varya, is a year younger than Marya, would-be 20 years old but died of untreated pneumonia at age 12. she is kind of the baby of the longer-living Rasputin kids. Varya was blind on one eye due to head trauma and generally more careful and anxious than her siblings. After her death, she was dropped off on the side of a road by her father, later found by members of Harriet‘s pirate crew, and buried in the dragon hall cemetery.

Gregoriy Rasputin, called Schora, is three years younger than Varya, and much less well known. He died about a year after his birth, and would be 17 right now. It’s unsure what actually happened to him, but there’s a good chance his father was involved. Marya doesn’t like to talk about him, suggesting that it was not a peaceful end.

Praskovya Rasputina, called Pascha, n o t Rasputin‘s wife, but a youngest child named after her, two years younger than Schora, so she would have been around 15 now. She was something of a favorite of her father, often affectionately called Paschenka, and being generally better taken care of than any other child. It can be assumed that Rasputin didn’t have anything to do with her death, which happened when she was still an infant.

I technically have a lot of random headcanons about them but I don’t think I can actually put them into words very well so here, have a short summary of all my Rasputin kids, I might add on later if I think of anything else

[miffy-junot]

Felix Yusupov on his attempts to cover up the murder of Rasputin

I slept until ten o'clock. I had barely opened my eyes when I was told that General Grigoriev, the police superintendent of our district, wanted to see me on very important business. I dressed quickly and went into the next room where the general was waiting for me. "Your visit is probably connected with the shots fired in the courtyard of our house last night," I said. "Exactly. My object is to ask you for a detailed account of what happened. Wasn't Rasputin among your guests?" "Rasputin never comes to my house," I replied. "The reason I ask is that the revolver shots that were heard coincided with his disappearance; the Chief Commissioner of Police has ordered me to send him a report as quickly as possible." The fact that the shots fired at the Moika were at once connected with Rasputin's disappearance was extremely alarming. I hesitated before answering and chose my words with care: "Who told you that Rasputin had disappeared?" From what General Grigoriev said, it appeared that the policeman last night had taken fright and had repeated Purishkevich's imprudent words to his chiefs.* I tried to look unconcerned. I was bound by the oath we had taken not to divulge our secret. We still hoped to be able to conceal the true facts. "General, I'm very glad that you came to see me yourself. It would be most unfortunate if a report made by a policeman under a misapprehension were to have any disagreeable consequences." I then recited my story about the dog shot at by a drunken guest. I added that when the policeman, on hearing the shots, had rushed in, Purishkevich, the last of my guests to leave, had gone up to the man and said a few hurried words in his ear. "I have no idea what they were," I continued, "but from what you say yourself, I presume that Purishkevich, who was drunk, must have spoken of the dog, comparing him perhaps to Rasputin and expressing his regret that it was the dog, and not the starets, who had been shot at. Apparently the policeman didn't understand a word of what was told him." My explanation seemed to satisfy the General, but be wished to know who my other guests had been besides Purishkevich. "I'd rather not give their names," I replied, "as I don't want them to be worried by a lot of unnecessary inquiries about something of so little importance." "Thank you very much for the information you've given me," said the General, "I'll tell the Chief Commissioner exactly what you said." I asked him to inform the Commissioner that I would like to see him and would be obliged if he would give me an appointment.

When the police superintendent had left, I was told that Mlle G.** was on the telephone, "What have you done with Grigori Yefimovich?" she cried. "Grigori Yefimovich? What a strange question!" "Why strange? Didn't he spend the evening with you yesterday?" Her voice betrayed her agitation. "Where is he? For Heaven's sake, come and see me immediately, I'm in a frightful state." The prospect of a conversation with her was extremely painful but, alas, unavoidable, and half an hour later I was in her drawing room. She rushed up to me and said in a stifled voice: "What have you done with him? They say he was murdered at your house and that it was you who killed him." I tried to reassure her and repeated the story I had invented. "It's all too horrible," she said. "The Empress and Anna [Vyrubova] are convinced that you murdered him last night at your house." "Will you telephone to Tsarskoe Selo and ask if the Empress will receive me? I'll explain the whole thing to her, but be quick." Mlle G. telephoned to Tsarskoe Selo and was told that Her Majesty was expecting me. As I was leaving, she took me by the arm: "Don't go to Tsarskoe Selo, I beseech you," she said. "Something dreadful will happen to you if you do; they'll never believe you are innocent of the crime. They've completely lost their heads. They are furious with me, and accuse me of having betrayed them. Ah! why did I listen to you? I should never have telephoned to Tsarskoe Selo. You mustn't go there!" Her distress touched me, for it was evident that it was not entirely due to Rasputin's disappearance; she was also genuinely worried about me. "May God protect you," she said in a low voice. "I'll pray for you." I was just leaving the drawing room when the telephone rang. It was Anna Vyrubova who was calling from Tsarskoe Selo to say that the Empress had had a fainting fit; she could not receive me and requested me to send her a written report on all I knew about Rasputin's disappearance.

A short way down the street, I met a friend from the Corps des Pages; he ran up to me, all excited: "Felix, have you heard the news? Rasputin has been killed." "No, really? Who killed him?" "It's said he was killed at the gypsies', but no one seems to know who murdered him." "Thank God!" I cried. "I hope it's true."

On returning to the Grand Duke Alexander's palace, I found a note from the Chief Commissioner of Police, General Balk, requesting me to call on him. The police headquarters were in a state of ferment; I found the General seated at his desk, looking extremely preoccupied. I told him that I wished to explain the misunderstanding caused by Purishkevich's words. I would like to have the matter cleared up as quickly as possible, as I had a few days' leave and was going that same evening to the Crimea, where my family were expecting me. The Commissioner replied that the explanation I had given General Grigoriev was considered satisfactory and that consequently he saw nothing to prevent my departure, but he warned me that the Empress had given orders to search our house on the Moika. The fact that the shots fired there coincided with Rasputin's disappearance seemed, to say the least of it, suspicious. I answered: "Our house is occupied by my wife. She is the Emperor's niece, and residences of members of the Imperial family may not be searched without an order from the Emperor himself." The Commissioner was obliged to agree, and canceled the search warrant on the spot. I was immensely relieved, as I feared that although we had cleaned the rooms last night something might have escaped us, and a visit from the police was to be avoided at all costs until we were sure that no trace of the murder was left. My mind at rest on that score, I took my leave of General Balk and went back to the Moika. On inspecting the scene of the tragedy, I found that my fears were all too well founded. By daylight, dark stains could be clearly seen on the steps. Ivan and I cleaned the whole place thoroughly once again, and when we had finished I went to lunch with Dmitri. Sukhotin came in after lunch. We asked him to go and fetch Purishkevich. In view of the fact that we were all leaving town - the Grand Duke for General Headquarters, Purishkevich for the front, and myself for the Crimea - it was imperative that we should meet and decide on the line we would take if any one of us were detained in St. Petersburg, or arrested. As soon as Purishkevich arrived we agreed, no matter what new evidence was brought up against us, that we would stick to the story I had told General Grigoriev.

And so the first step had been taken; the way lay open to those who had the means of continuing the struggle against Rasputinism. As far as we were concerned, our role was over, for the time being. I said good-bye to my friends and returned to the Moika. When I got there I was told that all our servants had been questioned during the course of the day. I did not know the result of the examination, and although I considered the procedure somewhat arbitrary, yet what I heard from my servants left me feeling hopeful. I decided to go and see Makarov, the Minister of Justice, to try and discover how the land lay. I found the same confusion at the Ministry of justice as at police headquarters. I had never seen Makarov, and took an immediate liking to him. He was an elderly man with gray hair and a beard, a thin face, pleasant features and a very gentle voice. I explained to him the reason for my visit and at his request repeated my story about the dog which, by this time, I knew by heart. When I got to Purishkevich's conversation with the policeman, the minister interrupted me: "I know Purishkevich very well and I know that he never drinks; what's more, if I am not mistaken, he belongs to a temperance society." "I assure you that, on this occasion, he belied his reputation for temperance and broke his pledge. It was difficult for him to refuse to drink last night, as I was having a housewarming. If Purishkevich is usually as abstemious as you say, a few glasses of wine were probably enough to intoxicate him." Then I asked the Minister if my servants would be questioned again and whether they were likely to have any further trouble. They were all very worried, as I was leaving for the Crimea that night. The Minister set my mind at rest: he said that the police would most probably be satisfied with the evidence they had already got. He promised not to allow our house to be searched, and that he would pay no attention to the rumors that were rife. I asked whether I might leave St. Petersburg; he answered in the affirmative and once more expressed his regret for the annoyance I had been caused. I had a strong feeling that neither General Grigoriev, nor the Chief Commissioner, nor the Minister of justice was taken in by what I had told them. On leaving the Ministry of Justice, I went to see the President of the Duma, Rodzianko - a distant connection of mine whom I liked very much. Both he and his wife had known of my intention to kill Rasputin, and anxiously awaited news of me. I found them in a highly nervous state. Aunt Rodzianko kissed me tearfully and blessed me. Uncle Rodzianko applauded my conduct in a voice of thunder. Their kindly attitude encouraged and soothed me; I very much appreciated their sincere and warm sympathy; and at this juncture, when I was going through such an ordeal entirely by myself, it was doubly precious. But I could not stay long with them as my train was due to leave at nine, and I still had to pack. Before I went, I gave them a brief account of the whole affair. "From now on," I told them, "we will do nothing more and will leave to others the task of carrying on our work. Pray God that concerted action will be taken, and that the Emperor's eyes will be opened before it is too late. Such an opportunity will never occur again." "I am sure that everyone will consider Rasputin's assassination an act of patriotism," replied Rodzianko, "and that all true Russians will unite to save their country."

On reaching the Grand Duke Alexander's palace, the porter told me that the lady with whom I had an appointment at seven o'clock was waiting for me in the small sitting room next to my bedroom. As I had made no appointment with any lady, I asked the porter to describe the visitor: she was dressed in black, but be could not make out her features as she was wearing a thick veil. This all seemed very mysterious, so I went straight to my room and half-opened the door which communicated with the sitting room. I recognized my visitor as one of Rasputin's most fervent admirers. I called the porter, and told him to tell the lady that I would not be in until very late; after which, I started hurriedly to pack. As I went down to dinner, I met my friend Oswald Rayner, a British officer*** whom I had known at Oxford. He knew of our conspiracy and had come in search of news. I hastened to set his mind at case. In the dining room I found my wife's three brothers who were also going to the Crimea, their English tutor Mr. Stuart, the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna's lady-in-waiting MIle Evreinov, and several others. Everyone discussed Rasputin's mysterious disappearance. Some did not believe him to be dead, and said that all the rumors afloat were pure inventions; some, claiming to have it on the best authority, from eye-witnesses even, declared that the starets had been assassinated during an orgy at the gypsies'; others stated that Rasputin's murder had taken place at the Moika. Although no one thought I had taken an active part in the assassination, they were all convinced that I knew the particulars and hoped that, if enough questions were fired at me, I would give myself away. But I managed to look unconcerned, and took part sincerely in the general rejoicing. The telephone never stopped ringing. The whole town believed that I was responsible for Rasputin's disappearance. Directors of factories and representatives of various businesses rang up to tell me that their workmen had decided to form a bodyguard to protect me if the need arose. I told them all that the stories going about were untrue and that I had nothing to do with the matter. Half an hour before the train left, I said good-by to everybody and drove away with my wife's three brothers, Princes Andrei, Fyodor and Nikita, the latter's tutor, and my friend Captain Rayner. When we got to the station, I noticed a considerable force of police. Had there been an order for my arrest? I wondered. As I was about to pass the colonel of the military police, he came up to me and mumbled something incomprehensible in a voice shaking with emotion. "Speak up, Colonel, I can't hear you," I said. Regaining a little self-assurance, he raised his voice: "By order of Her Majesty the Empress, you are forbidden to leave St. Petersburg. You are to return to the Grand Duke Alexander's palace and stay there until further notice."

"I am sorry," I replied, "that doesn't suit me at all." Then turning to my friends, I repeated the order I had just received. They were extremely surprised at the news of my arrest. "What's the matter? What's happened?" asked poor Mr. Stuart, the English tutor, who had no idea of what was going on... Andrei and Fyodor decided to postpone their journey in order to stay with me. We thought it better, however, for little Nikita to leave for the Crimea with his tutor. We took them to the train, followed by the police who were probably afraid that I might give them the slip. A large crowd gathered, staring inquisitively at our little group as it moved down the platform, surrounded by the police. I went into the compartment to say good-bye to Nikita; the police looked more and more nervous. I set their minds at rest by declaring that I had no intention of taking French leave. When the train started, we drove back to the palace. I felt very tired after such an eventful day. I went to my room, asking Fyodor and my friend Rayner to stay with me.

A little later, the Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich was announced. His visit at such a late hour boded no good. He had obviously come to find out what had happened; I was tired and did not feel like going over the whole thing again. Fyodor and Rayner left me when the Grand Duke came in "Well," he said, "what have you been up to?" "Is it possible that you too believe all that nonsense? The whole business is nothing but a series of misunderstandings. I had nothing to do with it." "Tell it to the marines! I know all about it. I know every detail, even to the names of the ladies who were at your party." His last words proved that he knew absolutely nothing, and was only trying to bluff me into talking. I don't know whether or not he believed the story I reeled off once more for his benefit, but he did not want to seem convinced by it, and left looking slightly incredulous and a trifle vexed at not having discovered anything new. When he had gone, I told my brothers-in-law and Rayner that I had decided to stay with the Grand Duke Dmitri and would move over to his palace the next day. I gave them instructions as to what they were to say if they were questioned. All three promised to carry out my wishes implicitly. The events of the night before came back to me with horrible intensity; then my mind grew hazy, my head heavy, and I fell asleep. Early next morning, I went to Dmitri's palace; the Grand Duke was astonished to see me, as he thought I had left for the Crimea. I told him all that had happened since we parted, and asked him if he could put me up, so that we could be together during the anxious days that lay before us. He then told me that be had been obliged, the evening before, to leave the Mikhail Theater before the end of the performance so as to escape an ovation from the audience. On returning home, he was told that the Empress believed him to be one of the prime movers in the murder of Rasputin. He had immediately telephoned to Tsarskoe Selo to ask for an audience. This had been flatly refused. A few minutes later I went to the room he had had prepared for me, and skimmed through the newspapers. They contained a brief announcement to the effect that the starets Grigori Rasputin had been murdered during the night of December 29.

The morning passed quietly. About one o'clock, while we were still at lunch, General Maximovich, the Emperor's aide-de-camp, asked to speak to the Grand Duke on the telephone. Dmitri left the room to answer the call, and returned looking upset: "I'm under arrest by order of the Empress," he said. "She has no right to issue such an order. Only the Emperor can have me arrested." While we were discussing this unpleasant news, General Maximovich himself was announced. As soon as he was shown in, he said to the Grand Duke: "Her Majesty the Empress requests his Imperial Highness not to leave his palace." "Does this mean that I am under arrest?" "No, you are not under arrest, but Her Majesty insists that you do not leave your palace." The Grand Duke replied, raising his voice: "I consider that this is equivalent to an arrest. Tell Her Majesty the Empress that I will obey her wish." Coldly saluting General Maximovich, the Grand Duke left the room.

All the members of the Imperial family who were in St. Petersburg came to call on Dmitri. The Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich came several times a day, or telephoned the wildest, most improbable news, couched in such mysterious terms that we never really knew what it was all about. He always tried to bluff us that he knew all about the conspiracy, hoping by this means to worm our secret out of us. He took an active part in the search for Rasputin's body. He warned us that the Tsarina, convinced of our complicity in Rasputin's assassination, demanded that we be shot at once. He added that this had raised a storm of protest; even Protopopov had advised her to wait until the Tsar returned. The latter was kept in touch with events by telegram, and was expected back shortly. I heard at the same time from Mlle G., that about twenty of Rasputin's most fervent followers had met in her flat and sworn to avenge him. She had been present, and strongly urged us to take every precaution to protect ourselves against a possible attempt upon our lives. An endless stream of callers, mostly inquisitive newsmongers, kept us on tenterhooks. We had constantly to be on the alert lest we should give ourselves away by a word or a look which would have been enough to confirm the suspicions of those who harried us with questions. They were often filled with the best intentions, which made things no easier, and we hailed the end of each day with relief. The rumor of our impending execution caused great agitation among the factory workers, and they decided to form a bodyguard for our protection.

The Tsar returned to Tsarskoe Selo on the morning of January first. Members of his suite said that he received the news of Rasputin's death without comment, and his cheerfulness had struck those around him. Never since the beginning of the war had he seemed so lighthearted. No doubt he thought that the death of the starets had put an end to the bondage from which he had been too weak to free himself. But no sooner had he reached Tsarskoe Selo than he fell once again under the influence of certain of his intimates, and once again his outlook changed. Although only members of the Imperial family were allowed to enter the Grand Duke's palace, we contrived to receive our friends in secret. Several officers called to assure us that their regiments were ready to protect us. They even went so far as to propose that Dmitri should take the lead in a coup d'etat. Many of the Grand Dukes thought that an attempt should still be made to save the regime by a change of rulers. Their plan was to march on Tsarskoe Selo by night, along with some of the Guards regiments. The Emperor was to be persuaded to abdicate, the Empress shut up in a convent, and the Tsarevich proclaimed Emperor with the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaievich as Regent. It was considered that Dmitri's participation in Rasputin's assassination made him the ideal person to head this movement, and they implored him to complete the good work he had begun for the salvation of the nation. The Grand Duke's loyalty did not permit him to accept these proposals. The very evening of the Emperor's return, the Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich told us that Rasputin's body had been found near the Petrovsky Bridge, in a hole in the ice. We heard later that it had been taken to the Veterans' Home at Tchesma, a short distance from St. Petersburg, on the road to Tsarskoe Selo. When the post mortem was over, Sister Akoulina, the young nun who had been exorcized by Rasputin, arrived bearing an order from the Tsarina and laid out the corpse with the help of a male nurse. She placed a crucifix on the starets' breast and the following message from the Empress in his hands: My dear martyr, give me your blessing, that it may always be with me for the rest of my sorrowful journey on earth. And from Heaven, remember us in your holy prayers! Alexandra

On the evening of January first, a few hours after the discovery of Rasputin's body, General Maximovich came to notify the Grand Duke Dmitri - this time in the Emperor's name - that he was to consider himself under arrest in his palace. We spent an agitated night. At about three in the morning, several suspicious-looking men, who pretended they had been sent to protect us, tried to make their way into the palace through the back entrance. As they could not produce a written authority, they were turned out, and trustworthy retainers were placed on guard at all the palace entrances. The next day, as usual, nearly all the members of the Imperial family forgathered in Dmitri's palace; his arrest was on everyone's mind and was the sole topic of conversation. To take such a step against a member of the Imperial family was apparently an event of such importance that everything else faded into the background. It never occurred to anyone that interests far greater than our own were at stake, and that the future of the country and of the dynasty depended on the decisions taken by the Emperor in the days to come; not to speak of the war, which could only be brought to a victorious end if the people and the Sovereign were united. Rasputin's death made a new policy possible, which would have rid Russia once and for all of the network of criminal intrigues in which she was involved. On the evening Of the 3rd, several men of the secret police turned up at the palace. They had been sent by Protopopov to guard the Grand Duke Dmitri. The latter sent word that be needed no help from the Minister of the Interior, and that he refused to allow the police to enter his palace. Soon after, an other guard arrived - a military one, this time - sent by General Kabalov, Governor of St. Petersburg, at the request of Trepov, the Prime Minister, who had discovered that Rasputin's followers were plotting to murder us. And so, what with Kabalov's soldiers watching Protopopov's spies, we could not complain that we lacked protection. At the outbreak of war, the Grand Duke had given the first floor of his palace to be used as an Anglo-Russian hospital. This communicated with Dmitri's apartments by a private staircase. Some of Rasputin's partisans entered the hospital on the pretext of visiting the wounded, but really with the intention of trying to gain access to the Grand Duke's apartments. The attempt failed, for they were stopped at the bottom of the stairs by a sentry, placed there by the head nurse, Lady Sybil Grey. We lived in a state of siege. We could follow events only in the newspapers or from what our visitors told us. They gave us their views and expressed their personal opinions, but they all seemed chary of taking any initiative, and no one had any concrete plans for the future. Those who could have acted stayed in the background and left Russia to her fate. They were so fainthearted that they could not combine to take joint action.

Toward the end of his reign, Nicholas II was crushed by anxiety and disheartened by his political misadventures. He was a confirmed fatalist, and convinced that it was useless to struggle against destiny. If, however, he had seen the Grand Dukes joining with some of the leading and more loyal politicians in an effort to save Russia, this would have given him the courage and the energy to try to retrieve the situation. But where were the right men to be found? For many years, Rasputin had by his intrigues demoralised the better elements in the Government, and had sown skepticism and distrust in the hearts of the people. Nobody wanted to take a decision, for nobody believed that any decision would be of any use. After all our visitors had gone, we summed up what we had heard during the day, and the result was disheartening. All our fine hopes, all the ideals for which we had fought during the dreadful night of December 29, had come to naught. And we realized then how difficult it is to change the course of events even when one is actuated by the loftiest motives, and prepared to make great sacrifices. Yet we did not give up all hope. The country was with us, full of confidence in the future. A wave of patriotism swept over Russia, particularly in St. Petersburg and in Moscow. The papers published enthusiastic articles, in which they claimed that Rasputin's death meant the defeat of the powers of evil and held out golden hopes for the future. This corresponded with public opinion. Unfortunately the press was not able to express itself so freely for long. On the third day after the starets' disappearance, an order was issued forbidding the papers even to mention the name of Rasputin. This did not prevent the crowds in the streets from giving vent to their feelings. Complete strangers stopped to congratulate each other on the death of the evil genius. People knelt to pray before the Grand Duke's palace, and before our house on the Moika. The Te Deum was sung in the churches, and at the theaters, audiences insisted on the national anthem being played again and again, We were toasted in regimental messes; factory workers gave cheers in our honor. Letters from all parts of Russia brought us thanks and blessings. True, Rasputin's partisans did not forget us either; they covered us with abuse and uttered dire threats. Dmitri's sister, the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, arrived from Pskov where the headquarters of the armies of the North were established; she described the wave of enthusiasm which swept over the troops when they heard that Rasputin was dead. They were convinced that, delivered at last from the starets' evil influence, the Emperor would now be able to choose wise and experienced advisers among his loyal subjects to help him govern the country.

A few days later, my hopes were raised by a summons I received from Trepov the Prime Minister, but I was once again to be disappointed. He had been ordered by the Emperor to find out at all costs the name of the man who had murdered Rasputin. I was taken under escort to the Ministry of the Interior. The Minister greeted me in the most friendly way and asked me not to consider him as an official, but as an old friend of the family. "I presume that you sent for me by order of the Emperor?" I asked. "That is so." "Then everything I tell you will be reported to His Majesty?" "Naturally. I can conceal nothing from my Sovereign." "In that case, do you really expect me to admit anything, even supposing it was I who killed Rasputin? And do you imagine for one moment that I would give away my accomplices? Be good enough to let His Majesty know that those who killed Rasputin had only one object: to save the Tsar and Russia. Excellency," I continued, "allow me to ask you a question, to ask you personally: is it possible that precious time is going to be wasted in tracking Rasputin's assassins at this critical moment when the future of our country is at stake? This is her last chance of salvation. Look at the enthusiasm Rasputin's death has roused all over Russia; look at the panic of his partisans. As to the Tsar, I am convinced that at the bottom of his heart he is overjoyed, and expects all of you to help him in his task. Unite and act before it is too late. Is it possible that no one realizes that we are on the eve of a terrible disaster and that, unless there is a radical change in our home policy, the Imperial regime, the Emperor himself' and all his family, will be swept away on the wave of a revolution which threatens to break over Russia and in which we shall all be lost?" Trepov listened to me in silence: "Prince," be asked, "where did you gain such self-possession and surprising clearness of vision?"

I left this question unanswered. This was the last attempt we made to win over any of the high government officials. Meanwhile, Dmitri's fate and mine remained undecided. It was the subject of endless discussions at Tsarskoe Selo. On January 3, the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich arrived from Kyiv, which was his headquarters as Chief of Military Aviation. On hearing of the danger we were in, he telegraphed the Emperor, asking for an audience. He came to see us for a few minutes before going to Tsarskoe Selo. As a result of his intervention, the Grand Duke Dmitri received the order transmitted by General Maximovich to leave immediately for Persia, where he was to remain under the supervision of General Baratov, who commanded a detachment of our troops in that country. General Leiming and Count Kutaisov, aide-de-camp to the Emperor, were appointed to go with him; his train left at two in the morning. I also was exiled from St. Petersburg. I was to go that night to our estate of Rakitnoe and remain there until further orders. Captain Zenchikov, instructor at the Corps des Pages, and Ignatiev, an agent of the secret police, were to go with me and see that I spoke to no one until I reached my destination. Both Dmitri and I hated being separated. We had grown to know each other better in the few days we had spent together as prisoners in his palace than in all the long years of our friendship. What high hopes we had had!... And all our golden dreams had come to naught! When should we meet again, and under what circumstances? The future was black, and we were filled with dark forebodings. At half past twelve, the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich came to take me to the station. The platform was closed to the public, and detachments of police were stationed everywhere. I entered my coach with a heavy heart. The bell rang, the engine whistled shrilly, the platform seemed to glide away and disappear. St. Petersburg vanished into the night as the train started on its lonely journey across the shadowy plains which lay asleep under the snow. My thoughts were dark indeed as the wheels thudded monotonously over the tracks.

*when police came to the house after hearing gunshots, Vladimir Purishkevich, who had fired the shot that killed Rasputin, confessed to the truth.

**the friend who had introduced Felix Yusupov to Rasputin

***Rayner worked in the British intelligence service.

source: Lost Splendour by Felix Yusupov, chapter 24

[your-interpol-agent]

You mentioned Rasputin‘s brother drowning himself? I don’t think I ever heard of him having siblings. What happened to them?

In the context, it was "he, himself, drowned". I'm not saying he committed suicide or anything, sorry if it wasn't worded well, let's be careful with that.

A quick research on the english wikipedia page of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin tells us he had seven siblings, who all died in infancy and early childhood. Another source, which I won't reveal because I'm mysterious, but you can find rather easily, states their names were Agrippina, Andrei, Andrey, (one of the Andres is the one who drowned, most probably the second as the first must have been dead very early in order for his name to be reused for the next child), Evdokiya, Glikeriya, Maria and Tikhon.

Rumors are there was a ninth child (seven siblings + grigori = 8) who was named Feodosya and who lived long enough to have children, who would have all been godchildren of Grigori. However, thanks to both the people who wanted to soil his reputation and to the communist revolution, most records of that time were lost, so it's very hard to say more about it.

What I did find was that she died at age 25, in 1900, five years after her wedding, and had two children, who were Rasputin's godchildren. It is unknown what their names, gender or age of death were. It is entirely possible they survived to adulthood and then had children in their turn. After all, flowers are put on Feodosya's tomb, if not regularly, at least sometimes, and if her branch of the family had died, it would have been weird.

Now, if we were to extrapolate the names and gender of her children I'd say she is still from a generation of people who would give to their children the name of the children's godparent of the same sex. So if one of them was a boy, his name would be Grigori.

However in the Orthodox church, only one godparent is the norm, which could imply Feodosya's kids were both male. Now, obviously, she could have been so close to her brother she would have named him godfather of her children even if they were girls, and I'm not, myself, orthodox, so I don't want to advance some explanation or supposition that would be uncorrect, such as pretending that the sole godparent is always the same sex as the child (which I know is absolutely false). So I'll leave it at that.

[guxciestone]

✧ CELEBRITY BIRTH CHART ANALYSIS ✧

— marilyn monroe.

next up in the celebrity birth chart analysis is the one and only, the marilyn monroe 👩🏼‍🦱💋 i’ve always wanted to read her chart, but there was other celebrities i was interested in first, like grigori rasputin. i’ll try to keep my utmost respect while interpreting, god bless her soul, and reminder, i never knew her personally, this is just my take on her chart 🕊✨

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happy birthday, marilyn! 🎉🎂

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💄✨ norma jeane mortenson was born on june 1, 1926 in los angeles, california at 9:30am (d. 36 years old)

she identified as:

࿐ྂ a gemini sun, aquarius moon, & leo rising.

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✧ her childhood & inherited qualities ✧

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SATURN IN SCORPIO IN THE 4H ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ almost anyone who fairly knows about marilyn knows that her childhood was full of trauma and hardships. it has been said that her mother used to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, so she had to be in and out of foster care. marilyn claimed that because of this, she was unable to form a close relationship with her mother and therefore probably didn’t know much about her, which is emphasized in this placement as well in her moon in aquarius in the 7th squared to her saturn. it is possible that due to her cold and hard childhood, it must’ve been hard for her to form intimate and vulnerable relationships with people. she could have been more of the detached type, perhaps even private. with saturn squared to her ascendant, she appeared rather serious, brooding, and even intimidating. it was hard for her to open up and feel comfortable enough to be able to express herself truly, especially when meeting others and presenting first impressions, especially when it came to her emotions. with leo being in her ascendant and ascendant ruler being in the 10th house, you can tell that she could express herself well in the public eye. however, it might have been hard for her to express her authentic self to other people face-to-face, which could have made it harder for her to form genuine connections.

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MOON IN AQUARIUS IN THE 7H OPPOSITION NEPTUNE ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ this emphasizes how marilyn had to deal with an inconsistent mother with mental health issues; this could have made her someone who was extremely sensitive to certain environments and other people’s feelings and energies, which could have made her someone who was easy to take advantage of and manipulate. although she might have appeared like someone who didn’t have feelings with her moon in aquarius opposition the ascendant, she felt very deeply, she just didn’t know how to express it or have anyone to express it to. on the positive side, she was gentle, compassionate, kind, and empathetic. she felt for others and could have been a huge humanitarian. she must have been extremely humble and receptive in regards to others as well. she must’ve had a strong sense of the underlying energies around her, in other words, extremely intuitive.

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MOON CONJUNCT JUPITER IN AQUARIUS IN THE 7H ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ although her childhood didn’t seem like the best, it could have been a good opportunity for her to build on her organized connections and business associations, which could have benefited her on her road to fame and success. she was a woman with a ‘heart of gold’—she had lots of love to give and most definitely had a bubbly, humorous, generous, and jovial personality. you could tell from looking at brief moments of some of her movies, she had a large character which added to her charm. i’d like to say that this could’ve have gave her the curvaceous body shape she used to have, and it gives her luck and an easy-flowing expression in her sense of femininity. this aspect can point to an overall decent and unapologetic body image, which makes sense considering that she made hourglasses and shapely figures more admirable and popular for her time (the 50’s)

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(mentions of s**cide)

VENUS IN ARIES CONJUNCT CHIRON IN TAURUS IN THE 9H ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ marilyn has expressed that as a kid, she had insecurities. years after her death, people have looked at her diary entries and letters and it seemed as though she frequently felt “inadequate”, “insecure” and even suicidal. even at times, marilyn would have a fluctuating opinion on her sex symbol image in hollywood; she would at times feel boastful about it, on the other end, she would feel rather angry and uncertain. she was someone who had a sense of the harsher side of beauty, pleasure, and aesthetics. therefore, this could indicate her feeling the need to reinvent herself from an early age to become who she is known as today. she was also a potential healer as she could have underwent some wounding relationships, and again, sensitive and intuitive when it came to other people. nevertheless, she unfortunately had to deal with the feeling of not feeling good or perfect enough. she might have searched for worth elsewhere—whether that be from relationships, from her beauty, but with her venus in aries in the 9th house, perhaps from even her intelligence, insights, and philosophies (since most people did not bother to look past her physical and sexual attractiveness) or she just struggled to feel worthwhile in anyway. her venus in the 9th house conjunct to her chiron can even point to a smartness insecurity, she was not formally educated (she dropped out of school) and was very sensitive about it. she might have felt the need to prove to others that she was capable of many things and was a socially and intellectually aware person (which i’m sure she was)

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4TH HOUSE RULER, PLUTO, IN CANCER IN THE 11H ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ in marilyn’s childhood, her community or friends might have abruptly changed often. she could have been someone that intended to find trust and security through friendships, but might’ve failed to do so because of the constant transformations and upheavals, making her feel unstable or unsafe. this placement alone could indicate being untrustworthy of certain groups of people and deciding to be to yourself because of your environment not offering the protection you want and need.

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✧ her career, allure and fame ✧

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LEO ASCENDANT AT THE 13°, ASCENDANT RULER IN GEMINI IN THE 10TH ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ this is a fame and popularity indicator in in itself, and marilyn has tons of placements and aspects that gives her that “it girl”, star power, and charisma that she is known for today. marilyn might have been someone who was extremely hardworking. her vitality, efforts, and prestige’s went heavily into her career endeavors and public image. therefore, she literally loved her life in the public eye. she might have been seen as a confident and starstrucking woman in her run in the industry. she could have easily drawn eyes to her with her bright appearance as well as with her youthfulness and wittiness. it’s much more emphasized considering that she even has a leo rising, which doesn’t just give you star qualities in the public eye but also in real life. it just came natural to her. it shows in this placement. this can also be supported by her neptune in leo in the 1st house conjunct the ascendant.

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NEPTUNE IN LEO AT THE 22° IN THE 1H CONJUNCT ASCENDANT ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ it is utterly surprising knowing that a normal girl that goes by the name of ‘norma jean’ would eventually become the hollywood superstar we know today as ‘marilyn monroe’. i believe anyone would look back at marilyn’s backstory and be in awe of how drastic of a change she underwent in her identity on her road to fame; and this aspect shows that. marilyn had the ability to manifest herself to anyone she wanted to be, and she did that. marilyn monroe talked about how she felt like an ordinary person alongside of the street one day and no one paid attention to her as though she wasn’t anyone special, but then when she wanted to be noticed, she would just ✨ become ✨ marilyn, then everyone would eventually stop their cars or turn their heads. she was powerful, and it flipped like a switch for her. this is all because she had the ability to manifest into whatever reality she desired. this placement could even point to why she is perceived to be such an amazing manifestor and is a huge figure in the loa community. this placement can even show how tons of women idolize her and desire to follow after her confidence and essence. she’s considered one of the most iconic women to date. she is also known as the perfect face for hollywood: “america’s blonde bombshell”. evens. few people have said that marilyn on the first impression appeared to be a shy, quiet, and unnoticeable girl, but when she is on stage and a camera is on, she’s a completely different person!

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VENUS IN ARIES CONJUNCT MC ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ there is no doubt that marilyn monroe is a well-known and legendary actress from the 50’s that everyone adored and loved. she was extremely attractive and alluring, with the aries influence, was very erotic to the opposite gender. this aspect also truly shows that marilyn was known for her tantalizing beauty and attractiveness. and this could also show how others only perceived her as that, which was severely detrimental for her sense of self-worth—giving her a superficial reputation. she had a spunky and charismatic energy that made her someone who was perceived as amusing and wild. this resembles her legacy for being known for her glamour, fashion/styles, and being the ultimate hollywood dreamgirl.

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BLACK MOON LILITH IN LEO IN THE 1H AT THE 29° ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ marilyn monroe is considered as one of the biggest sex symbols of all time; she was the "it girl" of hollywood. with the 29° and leo influence, it emphasizes that this is what she is known for after her death, it is her legacy, this is what made her a prominent celebrity.

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SUN CONJUNCT MERCURY IN GEMINI IN THE 10H ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ this was quite an underrated quality about her, but she was an astoundingly intelligent woman that most likely thirsted for knowledge. there was apparently an auction that sought to sell marilyn’s collection of 400 books! and it was likely that she had an extremely high IQ. this aspect could even point to how versatile she was when it came to her career ventures (she was an actress, model, singer, and even made her own production company)

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CHIRON IN TAURUS IN THE 9H AT THE 0° CONJUNCT MC ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ despite marilyn being know for her extravagant image, almost everyone is highly aware of the struggles she had been through in her childhood, relationships, and career life. from being take advantage of to being abused to not being taken seriously. marilyn had suffered a few miscarriage and failed marriages; it was obvious that all she wanted a family and to be truly loved for who she was. she’s the epitome of someone who seemed to have it all, but have gone through the most.

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✧ extra ✧

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ASTEROID MARILYN (1486) IN THE 11TH CONJUNCT SUN IN THE 10TH IN GEMINI ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ i’d like to believe that this aspect can point to marilyn highly associated herself with her hollywood, career persona much often because it is what she was used to. she might have preferred to be identified that way in her community and friendgroups. her public identity could’ve also been what made her distinct and identifiable to people. this is definitely the case since her marilyn is sextiled to her ascendant as well.

ASTEROID MUNROE (4942) IN THE 8H IN PISCES AT THE 0° CONJUNCT URANUS AT THE 29°⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ since the 8th house rules inheritances and ‘passing things on’, people might not remember marilyn as norma jean mortenson, there will be people who will confuse her stage name for her real name as this is considerable her legacy. this is how i would interpret this aspect.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Russia's Favorite Love Machine

Historic fiction is one of my favorite genres to explore in storytelling. History, by itself, is already bonkers as f*ck, but in the hands of a proper creative? Masterworks can be created. Tarantino has positioned his later career almost exclusively in this genre and he has brought us gems. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained and, of course, his magnum opus, Inglourious Basterds. Absolute f*cking brilliance. Now, it’s never a grantee that you hit as hard as Quentin does dabbling in retelling history. Sometimes, you stumble and get an Alexander or The Passion of the Christ. I don’t know what the f*ck happened with that last one but it was absurd and i hated it so much. I am also a fan of the Kingsman franchise, even if Golden Circle was basically just an exercise in ego and hubris, so when a third was announced as a prequel set in WWI, i was on board. And then the Wuha happened. And then the Wuha happened again. The Wuha is still happening but, now, we don’t seem to care anymore and The King’s Man is on VOD to check out. Doe this thing stand as tall as the first or does it do the way of a henchman burger like the second?

The Good

Gorgeous film is gorgeous. That opening sequence sets the pace bu this entire movie is a feast for the eyes. I generally like the globe-trotting spy experience and King’s Man did not disappoint. I mean, it did in other aspects but never aesthetic.

Matthew Vaughn has his hands all over this thing. Dude is an exceptional creative and rarely disappoints. I say rarely because he is definitely not bullet proof. Kingsman: The Golden Circle was a bloated mess of unfocused ego and underwhelming spectacle. That said, the work he delivered here skews more toward the strong than the bloated. There is a clear , focused story Vaughn want to tell and he tells it wonderfully.

I mentioned before I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction and this one is a strong contender for one of the best. Vaughn got a story credit for this thing so it’s his idea, and a very good one at that. Sh*t ain’t Basterds but it’s still dope as f*ck.

The writing is decently strong, too. I can’t say it’s on par with, say, the first Kingsman or Layer cake, but it’s still really f*cking good. There were very few moments during dialogue exchange where i kind of groaned. I found myself doing that sh* all the time with The Golden Circle.

But that sound design, though!

I have to say, i really enjoy this cast. There are a lot of strong performers who do not disappoint. Ralph Fiennes delivers a very English performance as the lead Orlando Oxford but the excellence doesn’t end there. Gemma Arterton and Djimon Hounsou are both very capable in their respective roles and Matthew Goode was delightfully evil as the primary antagonist. I loved that vulgar motherf*cker. There were many, many, more names in this thing but I'll get to them later. That said, my absolutely favorite character in this was Rasputin.

I have an affinity for fictional Grigori Rasputins. From those old Devil Summoner games to the weirdly zombified version in that old Anastasia cartoon but Rhys Ifans was absolutely amazing in the role. He was so charismatic and chewed all of the scenery on the way to stealing every scene he was in. Seriously, Rasputin is the best thing about this film and it feels less after his death.

The Meh

So i mentioned this solid cast above, i am by no means walking that back, but it’s kind of a blessing and a curse. All of this talent; Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Bruhl, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Valerie Pachner all show up in this thing in one form or another so some cats get the shaft in terms of screen time. Literally everyone i just listed get that shaft and there are even more who aren’t even worth mentioning. I wanted more of Taylor-Johnson and Bruhl but, instead, i got next to none. Frustrating.

The pacing was a little wonky. There is a scene that just grinds this entire film to a halt for about ten minutes. It’s the third act revelation and it kind of f*cking sucks but that’s probably more because i found the character it involves, borderline insufferable.

The violence and gore is toned way down in comparison to the first two entries. It’s not a bad thing, you know sh*t happens and it’s inferred well but there is nothing so graphic as Julianne Moore grounding her henchmen into hamburgers. And then feeding it to someone. The action you expect is intact. There is a wonderful sword fight with Rasputin set to the 1812 overture and it’s breathtaking, but there is next to no gore in this film whatsoever.

The Bad

The women in this film get shafted hard. I mentioned this in the Meh, but a lot of characters don’t get enough screen time to really be characters and the three women get the worst of it. Alexandra Maria Lara gets fridged for character development in the opening sequence, Valerie Pachner is a literal plot device, and Gemma Arterton is never given the opportunity to be the utter bad ass she was hinted at truly being. The first two, fine, i get it. But Gemma’s character is founding member of Kingsman and she was little more than a background character.

The Verdict

The King’s Man is pretty good. Definitely a step up from The Golden Circle but just shy of the height Secret Service achieved. There is a lot of good here, fertile ground to build a prequel universe around. Vaughn has created a lore rich world, piggy-backed off real world events, and you can tell he’s having a field day playing in that sandbox. His direction is on point and the narrative is compelling, if a little drawn out. The cast is outstanding, if a little underused, but the standout is definitely Rhys Ifans’ Rasputin. That guy came though and made this film a straight experience. Until he died. Rasputin dies. Because history. This thing has wonderfully sound design, great editing, decent pacing, and gorgeous shot composition. It’s a true theater experience ad i feel bad i missed it in the cinemas. Still, The King’s Man is exceptional and definitely worth the watch.

[annalaurendet70]

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova of Russia at Tsarskoe Selo in 1913.

At the time of this photo she was 18,Olga died at aged 23. During that era ~ whether it was arranged or for love,females married young.If she did she could have escaped the horror that was to come.Her own mother,the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia was considered old at aged 22 when she married.

Her marriage prospects

•Prince Ioann Konstantinovich Romanov of Russia fell in love with Olga. When he was 16, he attended Alexei's christening in 1904 and met the 9-year-old Olga. He reflected that “I was so enraptured by her I can’t even describe it. It was like a wildfire fanned by the wind. Her hair was waving, her eyes were sparkling, well, I can’t even begin to describe it!!”. In 1908, he traveled to the Crimea "only out of hunger to see Olga." He admitted his feelings to Olga's parents, but they rejected him. He told his father, "They won't let me marry Olga Nikolaevna."

•In 1911, there were rumors that Olga would marry George, Crown Prince of Serbia or Prince Boris of Bulgaria.The article claimed that Nicholas intended to make his four daughters the "Queens of the Balkans" to keep the Balkan states faithful to Russia.

•After the Coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom there was speculation that either Olga or Tatiana would marry Prince Edward of Wales.

•There were rumors that Olga and her first cousin once removed Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov of Russia were romantically involved. As an orphan, Dmitri was very close to Olga's parents, which provoked more speculation that he would marry Olga. Arthur Cherep-Spiridovich wrote, “Such was the Emperor’s affection for him that all the entourage already saw in him the future fiancé of one of the grand duchesses.Alexandra Bogdanova, the wife of a general and hostess of a monarchist salon, wrote in her diary on 7 June 1912 that Olga had been betrothed the previous night to Grand Duke.The Washington Post reported that Olga had refused Prince Adalbert because "she had given her heart to her cousin Grand Duke Dmitri Paulovitch."In August 1912, Meriel Buchanan, the British ambassador's daughter, wrote in her diary, "I heard a rumour yesterday that a certain person is going to marry the Emperor’s eldest daughter. I can’t quite believe it considering all the high and mighty people who are panting to marry her. Of course she may have a coup de foudre for him and insist on having her own way.” In his book The Rasputin File, Edvard Radzinsky speculates that the betrothal was broken off due to Dmitri's dislike for Grigori Rasputin, his association with Felix Yussupov and rumors that Dmitri was bisexual.However, no other sources mention an official betrothal to Dmitri Pavlovich.

•Before World War I, there was some discussion of a marriage between Olga and Prince Carol of Romania. In 1914, Foreign Minister Sergey Sazonov advocated the match because he wanted to ensure that the Romanian royal family would support Russia in case of a future conflict. Nicholas and Alexandra saw the benefits of the match, but they insisted that “the grand duchess’s marriage … should take place only as the result of a much closer acquaintance between the young people and on the absolute condition of their daughter’s voluntary agreement to it."In March 1914, Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, and Prince Carol of Romania visited the Romanovs in St. Petersburg. Despite going on walks and dinners with each other, Olga and Carol seemed uninterested in each other. During a visit to Romania in the spring of 1914, Olga and Carol were uninterested in each other and did not speak to each other. Crown Princess Marie of Romania, noted that Carol was "not enamored of Olga's broad, plain face and brusque manner." She judged that Olga's face "was too broad, her cheekbones too high," and she told her mother that all of the grand duchesses "were not found very pretty." Marthe Bibesco, who was with the Romanian party, heard a rumor that the grand duchesses had "decided... to make themselves as ugly as they could.... so that Carol should not fall in love with any of them.". The plans were, in any event, put on hold upon the outbreak of war in 1914.

•Olga told Pierre Gilliard that she wanted to marry a Russian and remain in her own country. She said her parents would not force her to marry anyone she could not like.

•In 1913, Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin asked Alexandra about a potential marriage between the 18-year-old Olga and her own 38-year-old son, Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia. Alexandra was horrified, because "the idea of Boris is too unsympathetic." She refused to allow "a pure, fresh girl" to marry "a well-used, half worn out, blasé young man" and "live in a house in which many a woman has shared his life."

[poetic-emptiness-fanfic]

Hande Kuura: Anastasia AU

Thanks to @nvvermore, I’ve hopped on AU bandwagon. I realised that Anastasia film and musical both have excellent character dynamics in order to create this AU for my characters. I grew up watching the animation from 1997, and have been a geek of the last Romanovs stuff since I was a child. Because of these facts, I’m going to combine the film, the musical and some real life stuff left out from the adaptations to my alternative universe.

I’m probably going to write even fics about this AU in the future, but for now, I introduce the characters and their roles in it.

Warning: spoilers for Anastasia 1997 film and Anastasia musical - and well, the real events, but I wouldn’t call them spoilers.

Thank you, @juliandev0rak & @leechobsessed for positive feedback when I told about my idea!

Hande Kuura as Anya/Anastasia 

crown princess Hande of Thesa (a country I’ve created around Karnassos, which is the capital of it)

in the AU her surname is Gul, after her father

though Anastasia was youngest of her sisters, I wanted to keep Hande’s age and the age difference between her and Salma the same, so she’s still the oldest child

vivacious, curious, proud, stubborn and kind

normally the crown of Thesa is inherited by the oldest son of the shah, but since Sardar and Helena don’t have any sons, Hande becomes the crown princess and heir-apparent of Thesa

in this AU Hande doesn’t have her magical abilities

like Anastasia in the musical and in real life, Hande is 17 years old, when her family is murdered - survives the shooting, but loses her memory because of it

gets the name Hanieh at the hospital she wakes up in

has a necklace with a pendant with a carving: “Together in Vesuvia” - it opens the music box

Hande is 27 years old when most of the story takes place

Julian Devorak as Dimitri

a young con-man, a former medical apprentice

in this AU Julian is only 4 years older than Hande, which makes him 31-year-old during the story (in my canon he’s 9 older than Hande)

orphaned, used to be an urchin, until his sister took him in

during his teens he was an apprentice of Nazali Satrinava, the personal physician of the royal family

only saw some glimpses of Hande during his time at the palace - dealt more with Salma since Nazali mostly treated her and sometimes even took their apprentice with them

after Sardar II abdicated, Nazali recommended Julian to leave and never tell about his work at the palace - Nazali stays with the royal family

saves his sister from execution, and they become con-men in order to make a living 

Portia Devorak as Vlad Popov

due to technical and moral reasons, I’ve made Portia Julian’s big sister in this AU

she’s 12 years older than Hande, so she’s 39 years old in the story

orphaned, but as a child was separated from her brother and she got adopted by a noble, so she was introduced to the court 

later managed to find Julian, got him out of the streets and offered him education and arranged a medical apprenticeship for him

as a young adult and before the revolution, she had an affair with countess Nadia Satrinava, a married woman 

manages to avoid execution thanks to her brother

Lucio/Montag Morgasson as Gleb Vaganov

originally Montag Morgasson, changed his name to Lucio after the revolution

I also made him a little younger than he is in my canon: he’s 8 years older than Hande, which makes him 35-year-old during the story

in this AU part of the Scourgelands belongs to Thesa

from the family of soldiers: his father Lutz was a member of royal army and his son followed in his footsteps

later, he was promoted to be one of the body guards of the princesses

his father was a part of conspiracy against princess Afsoun (Rasputin of the story), got executed, which filled Lucio with bitterness

ends up betraying the royal family, joins the revolution

in contrast to the musical, Lucio is part of the execution group himself

becomes general after revolutionists gain control of Thesa

Nadia Satrinava as Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch

countess Nadia Satrinava, lady-in-waiting of empress Helena

was married to count Satrinava, a Prakran diplomat

befriends dowager prince Armas during his stay in Karnassos

when the second revolution (irl “October revolution”) starts, she manages to escape from Thesa to Vesuvia - Armas takes her under his wing and hires her

later finds out her husband is dead

during her time as a lady-in-waiting, had an affair with Portia Devorak

like in my canon, she is 41 years old when the story takes place

Armas Vuorimaa as Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna

dowager prince Armas of Fintrike (a country I’ve created around Hjalle, which is the capital of it)

Mielikki Kuura was queen Mielikki I of Fintrike, died like in my canon 

royal family of Kuura governs the country - an ancestor of Mielikki, part of the Forestian minority, was chosen by election, but they changed the system. so the title was given to their issue after their death

after Mielikki’s death Armas becomes a regent, until their oldest child, Paavo, becomes of age

in Fintrike the crown is inherited by the eldest child regardless of their gender

after Paavo becomes the king, Armas first stays in Hjalle as his son’s adviser - after the birth of his first grandchild (Hande), Armas moves to Karnassos 

has a house in Vesuvia, moves to there permanently when Hande is 8 years old, gifts her the music box - their lullaby is sung in Hongas, so the language is one of the key elements in this AU

Afsoun Gul as Grigori Rasputin

princess Afsoun of Thesa, adviser of Sardar II

first child and daughter of shah Kourosh V and empress Aytan (in Thesa the crown is inherited by the eldest son)

strong-willed, refuses to marry anyone, and searches for magicians in order to practice her own abilities

has huge influence on her brother, who trusts her about almost everything

has her magical powers, and is called “the witch” by her enemies

uses her magic to treat Salma during her numerous illnesses and ailments

unlike Rasputin, Afsoun isn’t womanizer (she’s still aroace in this AU)

though, she is rumored to have an affair with her brother’s wife 

is assassinated at the age of 49 by some members of the court, including Lucio’s father Lutz - this happens a few months before the first revolution (irl “February revolution”)

Sardar Gul as Tsar Nicholas II

shah Sardar II of Thesa

second child and first son of shah Kourosh V and empress Aytan

becomes the shah at the age of 26

falls in love with Fintrikean princess Helena - at first his parents oppose the marriage (they didn’t like Fintrikeans), but after Sardar’s father’s health declines, he allows his only son to propose

though, unlike Alexander III, Kourosh gets to see his first grandchild before his death

Sardar is a loving husband and father, but mediocre, indecisive and conservative as a ruler (like Nicholas II)

is executed alongside of his family at the age of 43

Helena Kuura as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

empress Helena of Thesa

second child and first daughter of queen Mielikki I and prince consort Armas of Fintrike

falls in love with the heir-apparent of Thesa, prince Sardar

like empress Alexandra, Helena is shy and reserved which is seen as arrogance by common people of Thesa

is fascinated by magic, relies much on Afsoun’s abilities when it comes to Salma’s ailments

has great influence on her husband, especially when it comes to the officials of the court and government, also manages to carry through the exceptional law which makes Hande the crown princess of Thesa

is executed alongside of her family at the age of 42

Salma Kuura as Anastasia’s siblings

princess Salma of Thesa

I decided I won’t create other siblings for Hande, so Salma is still the only one

she doesn’t have tsesarevich Alexei’s hemophilia, but is otherwise sickly

very close to Hande, also friends with Asra

becomes acquainted to Julian when he’s apprenticing with Nazali, sometimes tells Hande about “a nice boy��� who kept her company when she was sick

is executed alongside of her family at the age of 15

Asra Alnazar as “himself”

there wasn’t a suitable role for him in the film or in the musical, so I created my own, is still a year younger than Hande, like in my canon

a childhood friend and later a companion of crown princess Hande

his parents were part of service staff (Aisha was nanny and tutor, and Salim tutor of the princesses)

Aisha and Salim are part of the few staff members of the palace who voluntarily stay with the royal family during their imprisonment, and Asra being a teenager comes with them

Asra loses his parents, because they are executed with the royal family

is ordered to help the soldiers to get rid of the bodies, and notices that Hande is actually alive

hides her and brings her to a hospital

is the one who tells the hospital staff that Hande’s name is Hanieh

in order to protect Hande and himself, leaves and tries to rebuild his life on his own

Muriel as “himself”

there wasn’t a suitable role for him in the film or in the musical, so I created my own, like in my canon, is 5 years older than Hande

orphan and former urchin, has supported himself as a street fighter (among everything else)

meets Hanieh after she arrives to Karnassos with amnesia

the duo becomes friends, and they help to support each other

Muriel arranges work for Hanieh, also teaches her to fight

is supportive of Hanieh’s dreams to travel to Vesuvia one day

doesn’t trust Julian, but hears that he can arrange a visa for Hanieh, so he tips Hanieh on the opportunity

Muriel doesn’t know Hanieh is actually a princess

If you’re not familiar with my other characters, here are some links to help to understand this AU:

Hande’s family tree

introduction to Hande’s immediate family

introduction to Hande’s paternal family

introduction to Hande’s maternal family

[historical-revolution]

The Russian Revolution

Probably one of the most shocking and important events of the 20th century the Russian Revolution shows us two sides of extreme politics and how much influence the common people have over the establishment.

What was the Russian Revolution?

The Russian Revolution was a series of events between 1905 and 1917 ( however this has been a topic of historical debate) that brought down the autocracy of the Russian Tsar and lead to the rise of a strict communist rule in Russia for the next 70 years.

Who were key figures?

Tsar Nicholas II

Tsar Nicholas reigned from the 1st November 1894 to his abdication on the 15th of March 1917

He was unfortunately a weak and out of touch autocrat kept in the dark about the state of his country and was ill equipped in mind and temperament to rule the Russian empire through the early 20th century. He loved his wife Empress consort Alexandra and his children dearly hardly being able to part from them, Unfortunately his obliviousness and stubbornness to change caused him to lose his throne, The Tsar along with his wife and children were brutally executed in 1918 by the Bolsheviks

Vladimir Lenin

Lenin was leader of the newly formed Soviet State from 1917 to his death in 1922. Lenin was a staunch Marxist and revolutionary who formed the Bolshevik party which eventually overthrew the Tsarist government in the February revolution of 1917. He was a very well educated and manic man who believed strongly in the Marxist worldview.

Grigori Rasputin

Rasputin is probably one of the most infamous and mysterious figures in all of modern history, a lowly peasant monk became one of the most politically powerful men in all of Russia. It was his close relationship and power over the Russian royal family that brought their downfall as well as his own.

Leon Trotsky

Trotsky was a key figure in the Bolshevik party although his beliefs weren’t as radical as Lenin’s. He was a well educated and highly rational intelligent man who initially sided with the Mensheviks in 1905 before switching to the Bolshevik party where he frequently clashed with Lenin’s extreme ideas.

So what caused this revolution?

Historians generally believe these were the issues that brought about the Russian Revolution...

Discontent Urban workers

Russia had just hit the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century behind the rest of the world by about 150 years or so. The concept of factory work was new and therefore working conditions were terrible many workers got sick and severely injured. As a result they eventually got sick and tired of working 12 hours a day and barely being able to survive and support their family and so they rebelled and easily had hatred towards the autocracy

Discontent Peasants

Russian peasants still lived under feudalism in the 20th century, when there was poor harvest and lack of food year after year and their young working men were forced to fight and be brutally slaughtered in the Russo-Japanese war in 1905 and then in the First World War in 1914 they pretty much had enough of the establishment and combined with them being uneducated easily indoctrinated

The social structure promoting privilege and autocratic rule

Only 1.1% of the population controlled the population and lived in luxury while everyone else lived in feudalistic conditions. The peasants and working classes also had no legal protection no government body to represent them to the nobility and have their point of view considered. The newly educated urban worker also had to deal with limited civil liberties and disgustingly low wages. The Tsar and the other nobels refused to consider social and political change that may make the scales of Russian power more equal. To add to this the Tsar wasn’t a very charismatic or competent leader

What were the main events?

The revolution of 1905

Also known as Bloody Sunday this revolutionary event started as a protest march and petition the first strike was at the Putlov steelworks in St Petersburg on the 16th of January. The protesters hoped to achieve a guarantee of civil liberties such as freedom of speech, Measures to alleviate poverty, the introduction of an income tax, better working conditions such as a eight hour work day. However Nicholas II opposed every bit of that aim, he believed the Tsar’s word was law he made all decisions as a result he used censorship and his secret police to quash any ideas of political reform during his reign. The Revolution of 1905 was no exception and became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ when a bunch of the Tsar’s soldiers went into the protest killing 92 people the backlash was two political parties against the status quo the Mensheviks and the more radical infamous Bolshevik party lead by Lenin.

The October manifesto and the Dumases

After everyone started calling the Tsar ‘Nicholas the bloody’ the government thought it was a good idea to give the people what they want or at least appear to. So the October manifesto was written as a sort of constitution. The Tsar also created the Dumas a representative government of which he had complete control. The first two Dumas in 1906 and 1907 were critical of the autocratic government and were quickly disbanded. The Tsar had been given the chance to hear the people and make social and economic amendments that benefited the majority. Instead he chose to remain ignorant of the people’s discontent. Before the third Duma was created the Nicholas altered electoral law and significantly reduced the representation of peasants, land owners and urban civilians. As a result these Dumas were more conservative and in favour of the Tsar. The third Duma was allowed to run its full term from 1907 to 1912 as was the fourth Dumas from 1912 to 1917.

World War One

The outbreak of WW1 put huge pressure on a country that was not equipped to deal with modern warfare let alone on that immense scale. Initially the country banded together to support the motherland the nobility and the impoverished alike this was not to last. In late August 1914 the Germans issued a devastating assault, the Russian army had lost 3.5 million men by the end of 1915. The war was the tip of the iceberg for a already discontent nation yearning for change, the massive economic toll the war took on the people was devastating with Fathers, sons and even horses being lost to what seemed to be a pointless war.

The first revolution of 1917

On the 8th of March civilians hungry for bread took to the streets of Petrograd (St Petersburg) supported by 90,000 men and women on strike, the protesters clashed with police and refused to leave the streets. By the 10th of March the protest had spread to Petrograd workers, mobs destroyed police stations, several factories elected deputies to the Petrograd council of workers following a model devised during the 1905 revolution. The army garrison was sent to quell the uprisings, there were some occasions where they opened fire killing demonstrators. Despite this the protestors stood their ground and eventually the army grew frustrated and began supporting the protesters. The imperial government had no choice but to resign and a provisional government was established, the Tsar formally abdicated three days later ending four hundred years of tsarist rule.

The October Revolution

The provisional government set up was still run by the nobility who hoped to prevent this revolution going any further and although the socialist soviets who represented the lower classes had a voice and control over some militia the government still had capitalist and aristocratic interest at heart. This period of dual power was very chaotic for Russia as a whole there were many strikes during this time. When Lenin called for an end to Russia’s involvement in WWI and the leaders of the new government decided to keep fighting this unpopular war the Bolsheviks and other socialist factions were able to exploit virtually universal disdain towards the war effort as justification to advance the revolution further. The Bolsheviks turned workers' militias under their control into the Red Guards (later the Red Army) over which they exerted substantial control. the Bolsheviks led an army of workers and soldiers in Petrograd that successfully overthrew the Provisional Government, which gave all its authority to the Soviets the was capital being relocated to Moscow soon afterwards. The Bolsheviks had secured a strong base of support within the Soviets and, as the now supreme governing party, established a federal government dedicated to reorganizing the former empire into the world's first socialist republic, practicing Soviet democracy on a national and international scale. The promise to end Russia's participation in the First World War was honored promptly with the Bolshevik leaders signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918. To further secure the new state, the Cheka was established which functioned as a revolutionary security service that sought to weed out and punish those considered to be "enemies of the people.” Soon a civil war broke out between the red army (Bolsheviks) and the White army ( counter revolutionaries) and other less extreme socialists this lasted many years until the Bolsheviks took complete control and therefore rebranded themselves as the communist party, paving the way for the for the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922.

Sources:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910046

https://youtu.be/KOK1TMSyKcM

https://youtu.be/VHQWpcpJVM0

https://www.netflix.com/title/80145290?s=i&trkid=13747225

https://youtu.be/zXHybEb4b_o

https://www.netflix.com/title/80158770?s=i&trkid=13747225

And my own Essay lmao

[miffy-junot]

Felix Yusupov on Rasputin's confessions

!! content warning for sexual abuse !! the passage containing this will be highlighted in red

"Really, you have a great deal of common sense, my dear boy," he declared one day. "You understand everything right away. I'll have you appointed minister, if you like." The offer took me aback; I knew how easy it was for him to carry out his promise, and I was horrified at the thought of being known as the protegé of such a man. I laughed and answered: "I'll give you my help willingly, but please, never dream of making a minister of me." "Why do you laugh? Perhaps you think I can't do what I say? I can do anything and everything I like, and everyone obeys me. You'll see. You'll be made a minister." He spoke with such assurance that I felt extremely uneasy. I could already imagine the general astonishment when the appointment was announced in the newspapers. "I beg of you, Grigori Yefimovich, do nothing of the sort. What kind of a minister would I make, anyway? And what's the use? It would be far better for me to help you secretly." "Perhaps you're right," replied Rasputin, "have it your own way." He continued: "It isn't everybody who thinks as you do; most people who come to me say 'Do this for me, do that for me.' Everybody wants something." "And how do you fulfill these requests?" "I send them to a minister or some other influential person with a personal note. Sometimes I send them directly to Tsarskoe Selo. That's how I hand out appointments." "And the ministers obey you?" "Every one of them!" cried Rasputin. "They all owe their positions to me. How could they disobey me? They know very well that if they don't obey me, they'll come to a bad end... ." After a moment's silence he continued: "Every one of them without exception is afraid of me. All I have to do to enforce my will is to bang my hand on the table. That's the way you aristocrats should be treated. You're filled with envy because I walk about the palace in great clumsy boots. Every one of you is a mountain of pride, and it's pride, my dear boy, that breeds sin. If you wish to please God, you must, above all, stifle any feelings of pride."

Rasputin burst into cynical laughter; he was tipsy and in a confidential mood. He went on to disclose his method for fighting pride. "And that's that, my dear fellow," he continued, smiling strangely. "Women are worse than men and have to be dealt with first. Yes, this is how I proceed: I take all the ladies to the public baths, I just say: 'And now undress and wash the muzhik.' If they put on airs, I have a good way of convincing them and ... they soon swallow their pride."

I listened in horrified silence to the abominable account which followed, the details of which are impossible to repeat. I was afraid to interrupt him, and, as he talked, he emptied glass after glass. "But why aren't you drinking?" he asked. "Are you afraid of wine? Yet it's the best of medicines; it cures every ill and isn't made up in a drugstore. It's a God-given remedy to strengthen body and soul. Wine makes me conscious of the tremendous power the Lord has bestowed on me. And, by the by, do you know Badmayev? There's a real doctor for you, who knows how to make up his own remedies. As for fellows like Botkin and Derevenko, (*Physicians of the imperial family.) they know nothing. Badmayev uses herbs provided by nature herself; they can be found in forests, in fields, on mountains ... God makes them grow, that's why they have divine properties." "Tell me, Grigori Yefimovich," I asked with some trepidation, "aren't the Tsar and the Tsarevich treated with these herbs?" "Most certainly they are. She herself and Annushka see to it, but they are afraid that Botkin will hear of it. I tell them constantly: 'If one of your doctors ever hears about my remedies, it will go very badly for the patient.' So they take great precautions." "What kind of medicine do you give to the Emperor and the Tsarevich?" "All kinds, my dear fellow. The Emperor is given a tea which causes divine grace to descend on him. His heart is filled with peace, everything looks good and cheerful to him. And anyway," continued Rasputin, "what kind of a Tsar is he? He's just a child of God. But you'll see how we'll settle things later on. Everything will be for the best then."

"What do you mean, Grigori Yefimovich? What will be for the best?" "You are too inquisitive, you want to know everything ... when the time comes, you shall know it all." I had never seen Rasputin so communicative. Obviously, so much wine had loosened his tongue. I wanted to seize this opportunity to learn as much as possible about the plots that were being hatched. I then suggested that we should go on drinking. For a long time we silently filled our glasses. Rasputin drained his at a gulp, while I only pretended to drink. After finishing a bottle of very heavy Madeira, he staggered to the sideboard to fetch another one. I filled his glass and feigning to replenish mine took up the conversation where we had left it: "Grigori Yefimovich, do you remember having said some time ago that you wanted me for an ally? I'll help you with pleasure, but you must tell me more about your plans. You've just said that there will soon be more changes; but when will that be? And why don't you tell me about them?" Rasputin stared at me intently; half closing his eyes, he said after a few moments of thought: "This is what is going to happen my dear fellow: enough of this war, enough bloodshed. It's time to end this slaughter. Isn't Germany our brother too? The Lord said: 'Thou shalt love thine enemy as thine own brother.' That's why the war must cease. He constantly opposes this; she won't hear of it either. Someone is certainly giving them bad advice. But what does it matter? If I give an order, they'll have to do as I say. But it's still early in the day, everything isn't quite ready, "When we've settled this matter, we'll make Alexandra regent during her son's minority. As for him, we'll send him to Livadia for a rest. He'll be glad to go, he's worn out and needs a rest. Down there, at Livadia, with his flowers, he'll be closer to God. He has enough sins on his conscience to atone for. A whole life of prayer wouldn't be enough to atone for this war. The Tsarina is a very wise woman, a second Catherine the Great. Anyway, she's been running everything lately, and, you'll see, the more she does, the better things will be. She's promised to begin by sending away all those chatterboxes at the Duma. May they go to the devil! Look at them, they have decided to rebel against the Lord's Anointed. Well, we'll give them a sound drubbing. They should have been sent packing long ago. All those who have found fault with me and complained will come to a bad end." Rasputin grew more and more excited. Under the influence of the wine, he forgot to keep a watch over his tongue. "I'm like a hunted animal," he said. "All the aristocrats want to destroy me because I stand in their way. On the other hand, the masses respect me because in spite of my caftan and heavy boots I've managed to become the Sovereign's adviser. It's God's will. God has given me this power. I can read men's most intimate thoughts. You have common sense, you will help me. I can arrange for you to meet certain people ... it will bring you a lot of money. But perhaps you don't need it, perhaps you're richer than the Tsar himself. Well, you can give the money to the poor! Everyone is the happier for a few extra pennies."

[...]

Each of my visits to Rasputin convinced me more and more that he was the cause of Russia's disasters, and that if he disappeared the diabolical spell cast over our Tsar and Tsarina would vanish with him, It seemed as though fate had led me to him so that I could see for myself his evil, destructive role. So, why wait? To spare his life only meant increasing the number of war victims and prolonging the country's miscry. Was there a single honest man in Russia who did not sincerely wish for his death?

source: Lost Splendour by Felix Yusupov, chapter 22

[otmacamera]

1916 Diary of Maria Nikolaevna

January {part 2 of 2}

15/28. Friday. In the morning there were English and Batushka lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast. Mama lay down all day. In the afternoon [we] 3 rode with Isa in a troika. [I] was in our infirmary. We 4 drank tea with Anya near Mama's bed. There was a music lesson and [I] prepared lessons. [We] 4 had dinner. Mama lay down a little on the couch. Anya was here.

16/29. Saturday. In the morning there were German, Batushka and French lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [we] 4 rode with Isa, then [we] were at a concert at the G.P. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama and Anya. [We] 4 were at Vsenoshnaya. [We] 4 had dinner with Anya and Mama on the couch. Said goodbye to Kiki who goes to war.

17/30. Sunday. In the morning [we] 5 were at Obednya. Met Papa. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary. Walked with O and Papa. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa, Mama and Anya. Trina was here. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Played in the dark. Papa read to us a very interesting English book "A millionaire girl".

18/31. Monday. In the morning there were lessons in arithmetic, history and Russian. Rode with Shura. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [we] 4 were at the G.P. Walked with Papa. Drank tea with T and A in the playroom. There were English and music lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read the rest [of the story].

19/1. Tuesday. In the morning there were English, German, French and history lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Gavril 1 and U[ncle] Sergei 2, and Mama in another room. In the afternoon walked with A and Papa. Was with A in our infirmary. Had tea with Mama, A and Anya. There was a music [lesson]. Prepared lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa, Gavril and Mama on the couch. Kolya and Anya were here.

20/2. Wednesday. In the morning there were Russian, history, arithmetic and Batushka lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Sandro 3 and Kazakevich. In the afternoon walked with Papa and A. [I] was with T and A at the G.P. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama. There were music and French lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa continued reading [to us].

21/3. Thursday. In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary, was the operation Gerashchenevsky. Walked with T and A. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama, Papa and Sonya Den 4. There was [a] music [lesson]. Prepared lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read again.

22/4. Friday. In the morning there were lessons. Rode with Shura. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with O and A at the G.P. Walked with Papa, T and A. Was with A in our infirmary. Drank tea with Papa, Mama and O. There was [a] music [lesson]. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read.

23/5. Saturday. In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Co[unt] Fredericks 5 and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 rode with Nastenka in a troika. [We] 4 were at the Pa[lace] infirmary at the concert. Drank tea at home. [We] 4 were with Papa at Vsenoshnaya. The same had dinner and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read.

24/6. Sunday. In the morning [we] 4 with Papa went to A[unt] Xenia in Petrograd for Obednya and breakfast. Grandmama, A[unt’s] children and her retinue were there. Returned with A and Papa. Was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa, Mama, Kolya and Anya. Rode with A and Shura. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read.

25/7. Monday. In the morning there were lessons. Rode with Shura. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Vilkitsky and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with O and A at the G.P. Walked with Papa, A and T. Was with A in our infirmary. Had tea with T and A in the playroom. There were English and music lessons. Prepared lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Papa read again.

26/8. Tuesday. In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary and pictures of us were taken there. Walked with Papa and A. Drank [tea with] Papa, Mama, O and Anya. There was [a] music [lesson]. Prepared lessons. [We] 3 had dinner 3 with Papa and Mama on the couch. Grigori 6 and Anya were here. Papa read.

27/9. Wednesday. In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. [We] 4 went with Papa in Petrograd at the Winter Pa[lace] infirmary for 450 lower ranks. Drank tea at Grandmama’s with U[ncle] Mimi . Returned. There was a french lesson. 3 had dinner with Papa, U[ncle] Mimi 7 and Mama on the couch. Anya was here.

28/10. Thursday. There were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Mama and A[unt] Miechen 8. In the afternoon was with A in our infirmary. I skiied with A. Was with A at the G.P. Drank tea with Papa, Mama, O and T. There was [a] music [lesson]. Rode with A and Shura. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Papa left, he went to the General Headquarters in Mogilev.

29/11. Friday. In the morning there were lessons. Rode with Shura. [We] 5 had breakfast with Mama on the couch. In the afternoon was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 rode with Isa in a troika. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama and Anya. Prepared lessons. There was a music [lesson]. [We] 4 had dinner and Mom on the couch. Anya was here.

30/12. Saturday. In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Mama on the couch. In the afternoon was with A at the Grand Palace. [We] 4 rode with Isa in a troika. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama and Anya. [We] 4 were at Vsenoshnaya. [We] 4 had dinner and Mom on the couch. Kolya and Anya were here.

31/13. Sunday [We] 5 were at Obednya. [We] 5 had breakfast with Mama on the couch. In the afternoon was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 rode with Nastenka in a troika. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama. [We] 5 were with Kolya and Anya at the concert in the infirmary. [We] 4 rode with Shura. [We] 4 had dinner and Mom on the couch. Anya was here.

You can find the original Russian text aswell as pictures of Maria's 1916 diary on the lastromanovs vk group

1Prince Gavril Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Konstantin’s son 2Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich 3Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, Grand Duchess Xenia’s husband 4Sofia Vladimirovna born Sheremetieva, Lili Dehn’s sister in law 5Count Vladimir Fredericks, Imperial Household minister 6Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin 7Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich 8Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Elder

[kara-knuckles]

Last week I replayed Shadow Hearts: Covenant (one of all time favourites!). Here are some thoughts about Russian part of the game, as well as relevant bits of the animated movie Anastasia.

The letters in Gallery of the Dead are not random, they form the word "декабрь" (December).

Most names have different stress in Russian. I will bold the vowel that is supposed to be stressed.

Petrograd (Петроград). Generally, if the name of the city ends on -grad, it will be stressed. It's really neat that the game uses the correct name: the city was only known as Petrograd for a very short time (1914-1924). Before (and after 1991) it was Санкт-Петербург (Sankt-Peterburg, more commonly known as Saint Petersburg in English), after it was Ленинград (Leningrad). So, as iconic as the song "Rumor in St. Petersburg" from Anastasia is, it's actually using the wrong name.

Romanov (Романов). It has masculine and feminine forms, so Anastasia is Romanova.

Alexei (Алексей). The only son of Nicholas II. He suffered from haemophilia, a really nasty disease. Rasputin's influence indeed rose because his treatment of Alexei was successful. He was 10 during spring of 1915.

Yusupov (Юсупов). Most are addressed by their first names, but this one is a last name (his first name was Felix (Феликс)). He and another NPC, Grand Duke Dmitri (Дмитрий), were among people that killed Rasputin in real life.

Nicolai (Николай). This one is pretty funny. We are introduced to him as Nicholas, but then he is referred to as Nicolai, presumably to differentiate him from the Tsar. Except the Russian version of Nicholas is Николай, so both he and the Tsar are called Nicolai in-universe.

Grigori (Григорий) and Yuri (Юрий) are more or less correct. They lack the "й" sound at the end, but with how they are pronounced in the game, it's not noticeable. Rasputin (Распутин) also has correct stress, but the "u" sound is supposed to be like in the word "put", not the word "cute". Russian alphabet actually has different letters for those sounds. He wasn't hosting a demon in real life, or at least it didn't have an invincible shield to protect him from bullets =Ъ

Finally, Anastasia (Анастасия). It is pronounced the way it is written, with stress on "i" and no "sh" sound (Anastasiya). She was indeed short (though, probably not that short), very mischievous and was interested in photography. She and her siblings actually loved Rasputin. She is 13 during Russian segment and 14 during Japanese. A bit of trivia shared with the film Anastasia. In that movie, amnesiac Anastasia goes by the name Anya. It confused me and my friends when we watched it as kids, because Anya (Аня) is a diminutive of Anna (Анна), while Anastasia should be Nastya (Настя). Considering how it may sound to non-Russians that Anya=Anastasia, I assumed that it was a case of writers not knowing how the names work, not that Anastasia took another name. But when I grew older, I learned that 1). there was a famous Anastasia impostor, who went by the name Anna (and was born in then German Empire); and 2). the movie was a sorta remake of another movie based on a play where Anastasia and Anna were indeed the same person. So, in the end, the name actually is correct, it's just lost on many Russians. So, back to Shadow Hearts, considering how Russian version of the name Anne is Anna, I think it is a rather clever detail that it was because of Anastasia's fake documents that amnesiac German Karin ended up as Russian Anne.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Russia's Favorite Love Machine

Historic fiction is one of my favorite genres to explore in storytelling. History, by itself, is already bonkers as f*ck, but in the hands of a proper creative? Masterworks can be created. Tarantino has positioned his later career almost exclusively in this genre and he has brought us gems. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained and, of course, his magnum opus, Inglourious Basterds. Absolute f*cking brilliance. Now, it’s never a grantee that you hit as hard as Quentin does dabbling in retelling history. Sometimes, you stumble and get an Alexander or The Passion of the Christ. I don’t know what the f*ck happened with that last one but it was absurd and i hated it so much. I am also a fan of the Kingsman franchise, even if Golden Circle was basically just an exercise in ego and hubris, so when a third was announced as a prequel set in WWI, i was on board. And then the Wuha happened. And then the Wuha happened again. The Wuha is still happening but, now, we don’t seem to care anymore and The King’s Man is on VOD to check out. Doe this thing stand as tall as the first or does it do the way of a henchman burger like the second?

The Good

Gorgeous film is gorgeous. That opening sequence sets the pace bu this entire movie is a feast for the eyes. I generally like the globe-trotting spy experience and King’s Man did not disappoint. I mean, it did in other aspects but never aesthetic.

Matthew Vaughn has his hands all over this thing. Dude is an exceptional creative and rarely disappoints. I say rarely because he is definitely not bullet proof. Kingsman: The Golden Circle was a bloated mess of unfocused ego and underwhelming spectacle. That said, the work he delivered here skews more toward the strong than the bloated. There is a clear , focused story Vaughn want to tell and he tells it wonderfully.

I mentioned before I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction and this one is a strong contender for one of the best. Vaughn got a story credit for this thing so it’s his idea, and a very good one at that. Sh*t ain’t Basterds but it’s still dope as f*ck.

The writing is decently strong, too. I can’t say it’s on par with, say, the first Kingsman or Layer cake, but it’s still really f*cking good. There were very few moments during dialogue exchange where i kind of groaned. I found myself doing that sh* all the time with The Golden Circle.

But that sound design, though!

I have to say, i really enjoy this cast. There are a lot of strong performers who do not disappoint. Ralph Fiennes delivers a very English performance as the lead Orlando Oxford but the excellence doesn’t end there. Gemma Arterton and Djimon Hounsou are both very capable in their respective roles and Matthew Goode was delightfully evil as the primary antagonist. I loved that vulgar motherf*cker. There were many, many, more names in this thing but I'll get to them later. That said, my absolutely favorite character in this was Rasputin.

I have an affinity for fictional Grigori Rasputins. From those old Devil Summoner games to the weirdly zombified version in that old Anastasia cartoon but Rhys Ifans was absolutely amazing in the role. He was so charismatic and chewed all of the scenery on the way to stealing every scene he was in. Seriously, Rasputin is the best thing about this film and it feels less after his death.

The Meh

So i mentioned this solid cast above, i am by no means walking that back, but it’s kind of a blessing and a curse. All of this talent; Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Bruhl, Charles Dance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Valerie Pachner all show up in this thing in one form or another so some cats get the shaft in terms of screen time. Literally everyone i just listed get that shaft and there are even more who aren’t even worth mentioning. I wanted more of Taylor-Johnson and Bruhl but, instead, i got next to none. Frustrating.

The pacing was a little wonky. There is a scene that just grinds this entire film to a halt for about ten minutes. It’s the third act revelation and it kind of f*cking sucks but that’s probably more because i found the character it involves, borderline insufferable.

The violence and gore is toned way down in comparison to the first two entries. It’s not a bad thing, you know sh*t happens and it’s inferred well but there is nothing so graphic as Julianne Moore grounding her henchmen into hamburgers. And then feeding it to someone. The action you expect is intact. There is a wonderful sword fight with Rasputin set to the 1812 overture and it’s breathtaking, but there is next to no gore in this film whatsoever.

The Bad

The women in this film get shafted hard. I mentioned this in the Meh, but a lot of characters don’t get enough screen time to really be characters and the three women get the worst of it. Alexandra Maria Lara gets fridged for character development in the opening sequence, Valerie Pachner is a literal plot device, and Gemma Arterton is never given the opportunity to be the utter bad ass she was hinted at truly being. The first two, fine, i get it. But Gemma’s character is founding member of Kingsman and she was little more than a background character.

The Verdict

The King’s Man is pretty good. Definitely a step up from The Golden Circle but just shy of the height Secret Service achieved. There is a lot of good here, fertile ground to build a prequel universe around. Vaughn has created a lore rich world, piggy-backed off real world events, and you can tell he’s having a field day playing in that sandbox. His direction is on point and the narrative is compelling, if a little drawn out. The cast is outstanding, if a little underused, but the standout is definitely Rhys Ifans’ Rasputin. That guy came though and made this film a straight experience. Until he died. Rasputin dies. Because history. This thing has wonderfully sound design, great editing, decent pacing, and gorgeous shot composition. It’s a true theater experience ad i feel bad i missed it in the cinemas. Still, The King’s Man is exceptional and definitely worth the watch.

[pass-the-bechdel]

The Librarians s04e06 ‘And the Graves of Time’

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, three times, but at significant length on each occasion.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Three (37.5% of cast).

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Five.

Positive Content Rating:

Three.

General Episode Quality:

Goes somewhere intriguing in a big way.

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Nicole and Eve pass extensively at the mortuary in Lancashire. And the one in Florence. And in Ukraine.

Female characters:

Cassandra Cillian.

Eve Baird.

Nicole Noone.

Male characters:

Jenkins.

Flynn Carsen.

Jacob Stone.

Ezekiel Jones.

Grigori Rasputin.

OTHER NOTES:

Ah, immortal characters lamenting being immortal. Good stuff.

I wish they had cast an actual British person - or at least someone who can manage a passable accent - as Nicole. It’s really jarring.

Christopher Heyerdahl is having so much fun.

WHAAATT that just took a TURN. I am not comfortable with Jenkins being rendered mortal! Flynn buggering off is par for the course on this show so I’m whatever about it (plus he’s a jerk, tbh, and I wouldn’t want to be tethered to someone so constantly inconsiderate and self-centred, which is ironic considering the context), but Jenkins’ immortality has been one of the show’s best assets, as Jenkins himself is, and I am very concerned at the idea that losing his immortality could signal the loss of Jenkins himself in the not-too-distant future. I feel feelings about that.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 20/03/2021 (Central Cee, KSI/YUNGBLUD/Polo G)

On the tenth week that a song appears on the UK Singles Chart, it becomes likely that it has a cut to its streaming numbers by the Official Charts Company, particularly if it’s still in the top 10 and especially if it’s #1. So, the streaming and sales do not change, but the Official Charts Company just weighs them differently. This means that it’s often that songs reliant on streaming – read: most of the chart given that the UK doesn’t factor in radio – drop intensely on that particular week. Therefore, we switched out our Pokémon and “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo has been replaced at #1 after nine weeks by “Wellerman”, an 1800s sea shanty from New Zealand covered by Nathan Evans and remixed as a pop-house song by 220 KID and Billen Ted. Of course. I don’t know all of the complexities behind this rule but I do know it shakes up the chart at the cost of it being ridiculously inaccurate – I do think “drivers license” is probably still the biggest song in the country. “drivers license” is at #18 now, by the way. Yikes. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

We have a pretty interesting week, to say the least, but before all that, we can get through this brief rundown as always as we cover the UK Top 75 and all of what’s happening over there, since that’s what I cover. First of all, we do have some big drop-outs, like #1 hits “Roses” by SAINt JHN and remixed by Imanbek that seemingly had its second wind pummelled this week, and “positions” by Ariana Grande leaving somewhat prematurely. We also have “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers retreating to the other 25 slots I don’t cover because, well, of course, as well as “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus and sadly, “Be the One” by Rudimental featuring MORGAN, TIKE and Digga D, but that’s all for the notable drops out of the chart. Still falling within the chart other than the aforementioned “drivers license” are... basically all of the Drake songs from last week falling behind the top 10 and even the top 20, and two of them being behind “Leave the Door Open” now – thankfully. “What’s Next” is at #20, “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” featuring Rick Ross is at #25 and “Wants and Needs” featuring Lil Baby is at #28. We also have a handful of other notable fallers like “WITHOUT YOU” by the Kid LAROI at #27, “Hold On” by Justin Bieber off of the debut at #31 (could rebound next week when the album makes its impact), “Paradise” by MEDUZA and Dermot Kennedy at #35, “Anxious” by AJ Tracey off of the debut to #45, “Anyone” by Justin Bieber at #49, “Medicine” by James Arthur at #54, “Bluuwuu” by Digga D at #57, “34+35” by Ariana Grande at #58, “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I at #60, “Toxic” by Digga D at #61, “Good Days” by SZA at #64, “Whoopty” by CJ at #65, “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa at #66, “Afterglow” by Ed Sheeran at #68, “Regardless” by RAYE and Rudimental at #69, “you broke me first” by Tate McRae at #71 and finally, “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring Don Toliver and NAV at #75. I hope that next week is the last time I need to say “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring Don Toliver and NAV, not because the song is bad but that is a convoluted credit if I’ve ever seen one. In terms of gains and returning entries, it does get interesting. The only return is for “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles at #67, but our gains include “Didn’t Know” by Tom Zanetti at #56, “Heartbreak Anniversary” by Given at #42 thanks to the video, “Ferrari Horses” by D-Block Europe featuring RAYE at #36 off of the debut, “We’re Good” by Dua Lipa at #32, “All You Ever Wanted” by Rag’n’Bone Man at #29, “Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf at #24, “Let’s Go Home Together” by Ella Henderson and Tom Grennan at #21, “Little Bit of Love” also by Grennan at #13, “Streets” by Doja Cat at #12 thanks to the video and three songs making their first entry into the top 10 after picking up the pace on the charts recently: “Commitment Issues” by Central Cee at #9 thanks to his album, “BED” by Joel Corry, RAYE and David Guetta at #8 and finally, to my dismay, “Latest Trends” by A1 x J1 at #2 thanks to a remix featuring Aitch. Sigh, okay, well, we have a... curious selection of new arrivals so let’s start with that.

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 – “You’ve Done Enough” – Gorgon City and DRAMA

Produced by Gorgon City and DRAMA

Gorgon City are a British EDM duo who were particularly big back in 2014 or so when they had their top 10 hits, particularly “Ready for Your Love”, which peaked at #4, but they haven’t really had much success since in the UK or Europe in general. This time, however, they’ve clinched a spot in the top 75 by collaborating with DRAMA, another electronic duo except they’re from Chicago instead of north London and the vocalist here, Via Rosa, is actually from DRAMA and not some uncredited session vocalist or a sample, which surprised me because the vocals here are genuinely great and remind me a lot of these booming diva voices used so commonly in 90s house. In fact, I think this whole song is genuinely great, relying on a house groove that is pretty damn funky and some subtle keys making the foundation for a bouncy four-on-the-floor beat, with the shaky percussion just adding the spice on top of it. It helps that this chorus is pretty ethereal, with Rosa’s vocals booming over this angelic synth blend before a pretty ugly-sounding drop but that is absolutely on purpose, as the content here is about that struggle between trying to find someone and trying to better yourself so you feel like you’d be worthwhile to anyone you end up meeting, which is kind of a depressing cycle in many ways... not that I’ve experienced that, but it sounds like it warrants the DRAMA here. There are tons of intricacies in the productions here too that make the song a lot more complete, particularly in the vocal production and all the intrusive bass wobbles by the second chorus and drop, so, yeah, for once, the generic house tune debuting low on the chart is a pretty great one. I wish it went somewhere further so it sounded like an actual song but as is, without a real bridge, this is still a good, almost anthemic dance track.

#70 – “Rasputin” – Majestic and Boney M.

Produced by Majestic and Frank Farian

Boney M. are a pretty legendary disco group collected by producer Frank Farian of several Caribbean singers to make some of the most fun pop music of the 70s. One of the most interesting things about this band were the fact that they were immensely popular in the Soviet Union back when that existed, and some Soviet films even show their songs playing during high-ranking Soviet government meetings, which sounds like pure comedy. Funnily enough, “Rasputin” was the only song Boney M. were forbidden to play in the USSR, even though it was still a big hit there. The 1978 song, a #2 hit for the band in the UK, basically retells the story that led to infamous and fascinating Tsarist Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin being assassinated, with most claims in the song itself being true or at least as far as we know, although the song does mostly focus on how much of a womaniser he was. The original hit is equally fascinating as the guy himself, with a great typical disco sound, those iconic strings and the use of Russian instrument balalaikas in its mix just furthering that intrigue. Now, in 2021, the song became a hit on TikTok because... of course, and now this remix by a DJ and producer called Majestic, is charting on the UK Singles Chart. Why this remix and not the original song? Well, this is basically a French house remix of the song, using those house patterns not too dissimilar to Daft Punk or Stardust-type stuff, which makes perfect sense to remix a classic disco tune. I do prefer the original track about “Russia’s greatest love machine”, because it’s a lot more natural and the remix is kind of poorly done in some places if I’m being honest, but if this is how kids decide to experience this type of classic disco, I’m not going to complain. It’s a good song; I’m interested to see how this second chart run goes.

#53 – “DAYWALKER!” – Machine Gun Kelly featuring CORPSE

Produced by BaseXX, Machine Gun Kelly and SlimXX

Nope. No, no, no. I refuse. I’m completely fine with bringing pop-punk and post-hardcore stuff back, but if the ringleader is Machine Gun Kelly and he’s bringing out Corpse Husband to help him on this trap-metal garbage, I’m not even going to acknowledge it further than the fact that it exists and it’s probably not in MGK’s best interests to compare himself to Capitol Hill rioters. Otherwise, absolutely not. Nope. Not even going to give this the time of day.

#46 – “Addicted” – Jorja Smith

Produced by Compass

In stark contrast, here we have Jorja Smith’s new single to add to that confusing sophomore album roll-out that I feel has been delaying itself for two years now. This new song is about giving your all to a relationship and not having it reciprocated, but she paints this in a very odd way, painting herself as “too selfless” to leave and that her partner should be “addicted” to her, which seems like the wrong way to go about writing this entirely, especially if this instrumental is going to be the dullest blend of checked-out live percussion and a boring electric guitar loop, and Jorja Smith’s not going to sell this in a different way to how she sells her other songs, going for a subtle croon that just doesn’t make sense for a song where we’re clearly not supposed to think Jorja’s in the right for being this obsessive and somewhat hyperbolic about this relationship not going the way she planned. I could see this being done really well but the song is too weak and flimsy as is to grasp how to handle the content and I’m sorry but it just does not work for me.

#44 – “Day in the Life” – Central Cee

Produced by Frosty Beats

Central Cee released his debut mixtape, Wild West and, listen, there was a point to me not saying much about “DAYWALKER!” so I think Central Cee existing and giving me so little to work with will weaken that point even further. To be fair, I like the choir sample in this beat, even if the drop is going to be really awkwardly staggered by a loose 808 for no reason, and this drill beat never really feels like it keeps up with itself, especially because Central Cee might be the least interesting rapper in a crop of already desperate British rappers. He also says that rappers that use Auto-Tune don’t “really rap” or “really trap”, which is awkward considering some of this guy’s back catalogue, and also incredibly untrue. He also disses D-Block Europe pretty directly which, regardless of who it’s from or how famous DBE continue to get, always feels like punting down, so, yeah, this is worthless.

#43 – “On the Ground” – ROSÉ

Produced by 24, Jon Bellion, Ojivolta and Jordgen Odegard

This is the debut solo single from ROSÉ, one of the singers from K-pop group BLACKPINK, which explains my initial confusion to why this was so high. The label has enlisted Jon Bellion of all people to produce as they intend to push ROSÉ as a global hit-maker in her own right, given that this is part of a two-track EP so that if one track doesn’t do as well, fans could gravitate to another and that becomes the hit. See “Havana” or, really, how Drake releases his singles nowadays. Looking at some of her television appearances and the language surrounding that, it seems like they’ve been trying to push her as a soloist for a while, and given that she broke PSY’s record for most-viewed solo South Korean video in 24 hours with this song, I think it’s a success. Is the song itself any good? Well, to my surprise, it’s all in English. It now sits at 100 million views and really, there’s no way to distinguish that this is from Korea... which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, because the song is great, relying on this slick electric guitar pluck and ROSÉ’s vocals which, despite being drenched in reverb, sound really great, before the whole song is abruptly plunged into this distorted, bassy electro-pop void which is just a fascinating and kind of avant-garde choice for a pop song like this. The song doesn’t really develop further than that, pretty much repeating its own structure, but that drop with all the spliced-in backing vocals, is such an interesting catharsis itself that I think it makes up for that. The final drop does a lot different as well, going for a lead synth melody on the top of the mix that again sounds really great when paired with that mix and then the rising strings. I was tempted to write this song’s quirks off as shoddy K-pop songwriting but given the credits, especially Jon Bellion, I’m confident all of this nonsense is absolutely on purpose, and I love it. Check it out, I hope this becomes a hit outside of this debut week, although I really don’t think that’ll happen given it’s (ostensibly) a K-pop song and their western success is largely dominant on sales from fans. Regardless, I’m glad it debuted here in the first place as I wouldn’t have heard it otherwise.

#16 – “6 for 6” – Central Cee

Produced by Okami202, Sevon and Young Chencs

This is Cee’s sixth song to hit the chart, and hence he’s going “six for six”, even though only two of those singles were actually poised to stick around in any shape or form. He does seem to be going somewhere with this, particularly the direction I thought “Loading” would be going, as it uses a choir sample as the background to this janky UK drill beat... but it’s soon drowned-out and Cee himself is such a non-presence that it’s not worth paying attention to the guy’s content, let alone his lyrics which seem to try and be somewhat introspective about his drug-dealing and gang violence, but end up being incredibly shallow and not really saying anything, about as shallow as this instrumental. The outro would be a pretty nice piano interlude if it didn’t stop so abruptly and I’ve only got to hope that leads into a track on the album and isn’t just a mistake, because I’m not listening to that mixtape if my life depended on it. Another snooze from Central Cee, what a surprise.

#3 – “Patience” – KSI featuring YUNGBLUD and Polo G

Produced by Matt Schwartz

Remember when I said we had three songs making their first entry into the top 10? Yeah, turns out that I’m a compulsive liar since we actually have a fourth at #3, and I’m tempted to nope my way out of this one as well. What’s with this week and whiny, wannabe pop-punk singers collaborating with obnoxious YouTubers? I feel like I’m too old to cover this stuff every other week, and that’s saying something considering KSI himself is pushing 30 at this point, but regardless, I have to check out the song and to my surprise, it’s actually kind of decent. It goes for an 80s synth-rock vibe, with massive guitar tones and obviously not live drums that kind of undercut the pretty great bass groove here, but man, Polo G sounds surprisingly good on this production. His verse is pretty infectious, even if it ends up crushed at the end by YUNGBLUD’s hook, which sounds the least insufferable this guy has ever been, probably because of how the vocal production keeps him slightly in check. KSI himself might be the weakest link as he cannot sing at all, and the Auto-Tune in his verse is not helping, but I do like his David Bowie-interpolating ad-libs on the choruses (Yes, seriously). The bridge is a pathetic excuse of a bridge and the song’s mostly chorus – I’m kind of worried about KSI as a hit-maker going forward if he’s going to consistently contribute so little to his own singles, most of which have two other people on. I mean, it works as a short, inoffensive pop-rock song and not much else. I really wish this was Polo G’s song, actually, I think he deserves a second verse here.

Conclusion

Well, that week happened, that’s for sure. I’m going to give Best of the Week to the obvious outlier here, “On the Ground” by ROSÉ, but not without an Honourable Mention to Gorgon City and DRAMA for “You’ve Done Enough”. Worst of the Week is also going to the obvious outlier, “DAYWALKER!” by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Corpse Husband. Can I give a song I literally refused to review Worst of the Week? Yes, yes, I can. For Dishonourable Mention, just pick your Central Cee-flavoured poison. Here’s this week’s top 10:

I’ll see you next week for... Justin Bieber and Lana Del Rey. Damn, maybe I won’t see you next week.

[steliosagapitos]

        Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova painted by Christina Robertson

   Princess Zinaida Nikolayevna Yusupova (Russian: Зинаи́да Никола́евна Юсу́пова; 2 September 1861 – 24 November 1939) was an Imperial Russian noblewoman, the only heiress of Russia's largest private fortune of her time. Famed for her beauty and the lavishness of her hospitality, she was a leading figure in pre-Revolutionary Russian society. In 1882, she married Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston, who served briefly as General Governor of Moscow (1914–1915). Zinaida is best known as the mother of Prince Felix Yusupov, the murderer of Rasputin. She escaped revolutionary Russia and spent her remaining years living in exile.

Zinaida Nikolayevna Yusupova was the only surviving child of Prince Nicholas Borisovich Yusupov (October 12, 1827 – July 31, 1891), Marshal of the Imperial Court, and Countess Tatiana Alexandrovna de Ribeaupierre (June 29, 1828 – January 14, 1879). Prince Yusupov was a patron of the arts, and first served in the chancery of Tsar Nicholas I. Zinaida's mother, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, was the daughter of Comte Alexandre de Ribeaupierre and his wife Catherine Mikhailovna Potemkina, a niece of Prince Potemkin.

Princess Zinaida's only brother, Prince Boris Nicholaievich Yusupov, died in early childhood. She also had a younger sister, Princess Tatiana Nicholaievna, who died young, in 1888. As the only surviving child of a distinguished, highly placed, and vastly rich couple, Zinaida enjoyed great favor at court. She was the greatest Russian heiress of her day, and the last of her line, the House of Yusupov. The Yusupovs, a family of Crimean Tatars origin, were very wealthy, having acquired their vast fortune generations earlier. Their properties included four palaces in St. Petersburg, three palaces in Moscow, 37 estates in different parts of Russia (Kursk, Voronezh and Poltava). They owned more than 100,000 acres (400 km²) of land and their industries included sugarbeet factories, brick plants, saw-mills, textile and cardboard factories, iron-ore mines, flour mills, distilleries and oil fields on the Caspian Sea.

Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov was hoping that Zinaida would make an illustrious marriage, but at a reception organized to pair her with the Prince of Battenberg, Zinaida met and fell in love with Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston (October 5, 1856, Saint Petersburg, Russia - June 10, 1928, Rome, Italy), son of Count Felix Nikolaievich Sumarokov-Elston. Felix was a lieutenant in the Horse Guards. They were married on April 4, 1882 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Princess Zinaida and her husband had four sons, two of whom survived childhood: Prince Nicholas Felixovich Yusupov (1883–1908) and Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov (1887–1967). After his father-in-law died, in 1891, Felix was granted special permission by Tsar Alexander III to carry the title Prince Yusupov as well as that of Count Sumarokov-Elston and to pass them both to his and Zinaida's heir. Prince Felix was appointed adjutant to the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1904 and commanded the Cavalry of the Imperial Guards. In 1914 he was appointed Governor General of Moscow, a position he held briefly.

The couple had their own mansion in Liteyny Avenue, where the Institute of Economic Relations, Economics and Law is currently located. She owned the palace at Nevsky Prospect 86 as well.

As a leading figure in pre-Revolutionary Russian society, Zinaida was famed for her beauty, elegance and the lavishness of her hospitality. In her book of memoirs, Ladies of the Russian Court, Meriel Buchanan (1886-1959), daughter of the British ambassador at the Russian court, described Princess Zinaida as: "Delicate in health, easily exhausted, essentially feminine, she was not one of those capable, competent woman, able to run big charitable organizations. She was always ready to give, freely and generously, to anyone who appealed to her, to do what she could to help anyone in distress, to lend her name, her house, her resources for any worthy cause, but she shrank from publicity, from all the complications of executive administration."

Princess Zinaida Yusupova served as lady-in-waiting to both the Empress Maria Feodorovna and later Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and was a close friend to Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia.[2] In private, she became a severe critic of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Grand Duchess Elisabeth's sister. Zinaida's eldest son, Nicholas, age 26, was killed in a duel in 1908, an event which cast a shadow over the rest of her life. In February 1914, Zinaida's younger son, Felix, married Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II's only niece. Felix fell from grace for participating in the murder of Grigori Rasputin.

Following the Russian Revolution, she lost her vast wealth. She and her husband moved to Rome living under reduced circumstances. After his death she moved to Paris, where she died in 1939.

The Australian conductor Alexander Briger claims descent from her, though it is unlikely.