19. The Royal Zoo
While zoos were nothing out of the ordinary at the turn of the century, the zoo kept by the Romanov family sat on the property surrounding their main home, Alexander Palace, in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia. That was where they tended to stay most of the year. This picture captures Alexei with an elephant in that zoo. A journal entry from Nicholas the day they took this picture read: “Took the elephant to our pond with Alexei today and had fun watching him bathe.” After the revolution, the zoo, which was an obvious nod to the extravagances enjoyed by the Romanovs, disappeared from history.
18. Nicholas’ Military Service
In the Russian tradition of royalty, the heir apparent was not above serving the military. For this reason, Nicholas II—back when they called him Nicholas Aleksandrovich—served at age 19. He spent three years in the military, lending him credibility when he took the role of Tsar, commanding the country’s military. In this photo, we see Nicholas and the royal family visiting Russian troops serving in The Great War. Tsar Nicholas II served in an authoritarian role during the war, pushing his country into the conflict against the wishes of many Russians. This choice would be part of what led to his downfall and the execution of his family.