The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia

Prologue-Chapter 4

Reading Check

1. For the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg (Prologue)

2. His grandfather Tsar Alexander II (Chapter 1)

3. Queen Victoria of England (Chapter 1)

4. Seraphim (Chapter 3)

5. Hemophilia (Chapter 3)

6. Bloody Sunday (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. They are described as awkward and shy. One noble described Alexandra as being on the verge of tears. (Prologue)

2. Tsar Nicholas II is described as the richest monarch in the world, while the poor in Russia live on cabbage soup with little meat in tiny, dark, windowless rooms. (Prologue)

3. Nicholas II’s father is described as a bearlike man with an iron fist. He rejects his son because Nicholas is gentle and shy. (Chapter 1)

4. She begins to embrace her new religion by seeking out the miraculous and the mystical. (Chapter 1)

5. On the day of their coronation, there are rumors that there will not be enough gifts and food for everyone. A stampede results from that fear, and 1,400 people are crushed to death. Nicholas tries to cancel the ball for the evening but is convinced to continue—giving the impression they are celebrating despite the deaths. The beginning of his reign is considered a “bad omen.” (Chapter 2)

6. The Russian people become more aware of injustices in the government and decide to rally against autocracy. (Chapter 4)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. The Union Russian People/Black Hundred (Chapter 5)

2. Jewish people (Chapter 5)

3. Gregory Rasputin (Chapter 5)

4. Exiles him (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. The children in the royal family are described as mischievous and lacking in discipline and education. (Chapter 7)

2. He frequently violates young women and develops a reputation for being a conman. (Chapter 8)

3. He shares the letters she sends him with the public. (Chapter 7)

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. The Anti-Christ (Chapter 9)

2. She is German. (Chapter 10)

3. Assassinate him (Chapter 11)

4. Cyanide (Chapter 11)

5. Shoot him (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. There is a renewed sense of nationality and support for their tsar. (Chapter 9)

2. They each receive nursing degrees and begin to help victims of the war. The two younger daughters become patronesses of the hospital. (Chapter 10)

3. The Provisional Government is established to lead temporarily, while the soviet is intended to be the watchdog for the revolution. (Chapter 12)

Chapters 13-15

Reading Check

1. Measles (Chapter 13)

2. The Garde Equipage (Chapter 13)

3. Soviet (Chapter 14)

4. Siberia (Chapter 14)

5. The soviets (Chapter 15)

6. The White Army (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. They are angry because the people want control of the government, but Nicholas grants his position to his brother. (Chapter 13)

2. The government claims they are acting in defense of Russia in the war, while in reality, they send a letter stating they would fight to the bitter end. (Chapter 14)

3. He makes it illegal to own land, seizes industries, and creates equal distribution among the peasants. He also seizes factories and banks and decrees a separation of church and state. (Chapter 15)

Chapters 16-18

Reading Check

1. A cake (Chapter 16)

2. Commandant Alexander Avdeev (Chapter 16)

3. The White Army (Chapter 17)

4. Yurovsky (Chapter 17)

5. Family jewels, diaries, and photos (Chapter 18)

6. Joseph Stalin (Chapter 18)

Short Answer

1. They do not want the rest of the world to see them as cruel and savage. (Chapter 17)

2. The people are still hungry. They are forced to work in assigned jobs, and items such as food and electricity are closely rationed. (Chapter 17)