IN 1894, Victoria’s granddaughter Alix married Alexander II’s grandson, the future Tsar Nicholas II. Nicholas’s uncle Sergei had already married Alix’s sister Elizabeth, a convert to the Russian Church, and between her restraining influence* and the family’s ties to Britain hopes rose on both sides of a lasting friendship. British merchants brought profitable mining and retail businesses to Russia (Moscow’s flagship department store was Muir and Mirrielees) and Russians caught football fever from Scottish expats.*
Even the Great War strengthened the bond.* More than four million Russians gave their lives as allies of Britain and France against the German Empire’s aggressive expansion. Yet, to Lenin’s Marxist revolutionaries Europe’s distress was an opportunity. After slipping into Russia from Germany,* in 1917 Lenin masterminded the murder of the entire royal family in a bloodthirsty coup, and a thousand years of history ended with a pistol-shot. Over the centuries Tsars had done some terrible things; but they paled by comparison with what followed.
Today she is venerated as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. See posts tagged St Elizabeth the New Martyr (2).
Read how Herbert Bury told the Tsar that the English were in Russia ‘Not to Exploit, Sir, but to Help’. See also a quick history of the Moscow department store Muir and Mirrielees, and the remarkable sporting career of Arthur MacPherson.
See Herbert Bury’s recollections of a Russian choir singing Rule, Britannia! for him during the Great War, in Prav’, Britaniya!.
See Winston Churchill on Germany’s Secret Weapon.
Related Video
God Save the Tsar!, set to music by Alexei Fyodorovich Lvov (1799-1870), and performed by the Mikhailovsky Theatre orchestra and choir, at the State Hermitage, St Petersburg.
Media not showing? Let me know!
Боже, Царя храни!
Сильный, державный,
Царствуй на славу, на славу намъ!
Царствуй на страхъ врагамъ,
Царь православный!
Боже, Царя храни!
God, save the Tsar!
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for glory, for our glory!
Reign to make foes fear,
Orthodox Tsar!
God, save the Tsar!
Précis
At the turn of the twentieth century, relations between Russia and the United Kingdom began to thaw, thanks in part to the ties of marriage between the two royal families. Our peoples began the Great War as allies; but in 1917 the Communists seized power in Russia, and with the assassination of Emperor Nicholas the burgeoning friendship was abruptly ended. (60 / 60 words)
At the turn of the twentieth century, relations between Russia and the United Kingdom began to thaw, thanks in part to the ties of marriage between the two royal families. Our peoples began the Great War as allies; but in 1917 the Communists seized power in Russia, and with the assassination of Emperor Nicholas the burgeoning friendship was abruptly ended.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, despite, otherwise, unless, whereas, whether.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Declare. Grandson. Tie.
2 Catholic. Football. Ruin.
3 Convert. Married. Persuade.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Send. 2 Hope. 3 Court. 4 Marry. 5 End. 6 Win. 7 War. 8 Part. 9 Follow.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Good. 2 Imposing. 3 Leading. 4 Princely. 5 Historic. 6 Distrustful. 7 Capital. 8 Homeless. 9 Live.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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