About Russia

As I begin to set off for my trip to St. Petersburg, a lot of people have been asking me, Why Russia? So I thought it might be a good idea to explain just why it has been a dream of mine to go to Russia, and especially St. Petersburg.

My intrest in Russia began when I was about 11 years old with the animated film, Anastasia. Though very historicaly inaccurate, this film first lead me to the mystery that is Anastasia Romanov. I remember a lot about the first time I saw this movie. I watched it with Mom, Ju-Ju (my godmother) one night when Ju-Ju came to visit. It was very exciting, and a little scary. But I loved it. Especially the movie. The funny thing though, after all these years, I still don't own it!

At the time, I knew very little about Russia and it's history. But I knew enough, or at least some one told me, that the beginning of this film was correct, and there really was a Romanov family and questions about the last Romanov daughter. Thanks to our wonderful neighborhood library, I began to dive into the history of the last Romanov family.

It is a sad story. One the animated feature doesn't cover. The tragedy of the Romanov's removal from the throne, and their final, horrible, murder. If there is one tragedy in history that moves me the most, it would be the murder of the Romanovs. There are so many what ifs in this story. What if this or that hadn't happend? What if the White Army had made it in time? The details of this murder, released after the fall of Communism in Russia, are also terrible. And I think that makes it all the more sad.

The bodies of the Royal family where thrown into a mass grave along with those of a teacher, and three others, not a part of the Royal family, but still dedicated to them. However, in 1991 when the graves where found and the bodies recovered, two were missing. That of the Tsaravich Alexi and Grand Duchess Anastasia. It is impossible to think that Alexi would have survived the massacre because of the fact that he had hemophilia. A disease which doesn't allow the blood to clot. Considering what the family when through, there is no way he would have been able to surive. However, Anastasia, a healty 17 year, could have. And this is what sparked one of the greatest historical mysteries. Did she survive?

Today, this question still has not been answered, and may never be. But it is this fasinating mystery that propelled me into this history of Russia. So it wasn't long after seeing this movie and reading every single book the library had about the Romanovs, that I began to dream about going to Russia one day.

Over the years I've read more books, learned more about the family, and not just Anastasia and have become quite a storehouse of knowledge on the last Romanov family. Several years ago my godmother took me to a wonderful exhibt that was touring around the US from the famouse St. Petersbur museum, The Hermitage. This exhibit, showcased many of the personal belongins of Nicholas II and Alexandra Romanov and family. From jewels, to paintings, to clothes. This was a beautiful, and tragic exhibit that I am forever grateful I got to see. It was here I also learned even more about the last Royal family.

I could go on and on about this, but I won't. :-) For more about the history though, you can check out the NOVA PBS special, Anastastia: Dead or Alive? - a documentary about Anastasia, those in the past who have claimed to be her, and the probablity of her having survied. This is a great documentary that I highly recommend. The 1971 film, Nicholas and Alexandra this follows the history of the last family and is very accurate. And very sad. This film really did an amazing job telling the story about the Romanovs, the mistakes they made, and their final days. This movie however is not for young people! Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster - a good beginner book. Lots of pictures and good history. One of my first about Anastasia!

I can't really say why exactly Anastasia's story and that of the last Russian Tsars has so long intrigued me. But it has. And though I've learned a lot more history, and a lot more about Russian history, I still find myself drawn to this story.

So here I am, almost 10 years later, finally fulfilling my dream of traveling to St. Petersburg to see the places I have read about for so many years. And finally being able to speak the language I've been trying to learn for what seems like just as long. Thoughy you wouldn't know it by how much I know. :-) But at least I can write it and know a lot of the basics. I look forward to being able to use my Russian more once in St. Petersburg and hopefully learning more of the language as well.

I will be staying at St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University, in the Internationl dorms, known as IMOP. I will be in a suite with three other girls. There are two bedrooms, two girls to a room with a small common area, kitchen and bathroom as well. My room-mates name is Meg, and the other two girls are Stephanie and April. So I'm sure as I update you'll be hearing a lot about them.

Thanks many times over to the friends and family who have helped to make this trip possible, and those who have been giving me encouragment and suggestions. You have all been such a blessing!