Though 101 years have passed since Nicholas II abdicated the Russian throne on March 15th, 1917, the tsars still fascinate. Tourists flock to Anastasia on Broadway to see a high-tech train scene, and millions trek to St. Petersburg to gape at the Winter Palace. The public sees the Romanovs almost as Greek tragic heroes. We marvel at the hero's noble bearing and inspiring feats. But then we focus on the flaws that led to their doom. When we think of Achilles, we think of his heel - not the slayed Hector. When we think of the Romanovs, we cannot forget the image of angry, impoverished peasants.
The Faberge eggs, and amber rooms of the Tsars' palaces are overshadowed by the Russian Revolution, the Romanov's gruesome death, and the predominant assumption that the Tsars must have been terrible rulers, unable to lead and industrialize Russia at the same pace as more Western nations.
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