In the past week the world watched the British Monarchy in all of its glory. Certainly, at least among the English speaking world, the British crown is the undisputed champion of what "Royal" means.
Many have forgotten, that less than 100 years ago, the Kings and Queens of Europe were related from Britain to Russia. Each war, territorial dispute, and coup was just one big family fued. The Romanov family of Russia was no exception to the grand lifetyles enjoyed by other European ruling families. Nestled in Petersburg Russia, a little further out than their cousins in Western Europe, they epitomized what Imperial living is all about. Unfortunately, a series of bad decsions, world war, and an unhappy working class brought the family to an end.
All we have reamining are some fine monuments, country residences and artifacts of a bygone era. I would encourage anyone interested in the British Royal history to learn more about the Royal history of Russia and how it all ties in with the shaping of modern day Europe. Paying a visit to the Hermitage museum, in St. Petersburg, would be a great start to any historian, but if time and expenses are an issue, I would hope that a visit to The Museum of Russian Art, in Minneapolis, MN would be a good start!
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