Ebook: Nicholas & Alexandra. The Family Albums

London: Tauris Parke Books, 1996. — 240 с., илл. Качество: Сканированные страницы.There are many books of pictures of the Romanov family, but Nicholas and Alexandra: The Family Albums by Prince Michael of Greece is probably the best of the bunch. Since Nicholas became tsar and husband at almost the same time, their family life is very well documented in pictures. There are the usual official photographs taken by professional photographers. But the Romanov's were also big shutterbugs. They all owned cameras and it is in these candid shots that we really get a chance to see life within the palace walls. In addition to formal portraits, we see the Imperial Family at work, at play, on vacation and just relaxing. We also see extended family members (most of them European royalty from England, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and others). Many of these photographs were taken from the albums of individual family members, and were hidden in communist archives. They were only made available after perestroika.This book also gives us a glimpse of the many residences of the Romanov's. While the Alexander Palace was their primary home, they also spent time in the Crimea (Livadia Palace), Spala (their hunting lodge in Poland), Standart and Polar Star (Imperial Yachts), and The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Some of these photographs are of never before seen interior shots.Nicholas and Alexandra are criticized for being ineffective rulers, but in one thing they can't be faulted--they were loving and devoted parents. The closeness of their family life comes through very clearly in The Family Albums. There are also pictures of their captivity, that are extremely haunting. But looking at this book just magnifies the tragedy of their fate. They gave up not just palaces, jewels, clothes and priceless objects, but because of poor leadership, they also cost this beautiful family their lives. That is the most heartbreaking loss of all.