Simon Sebag Montefiore's 'Os Románov 1613-1918' Explores Dynasty's Brutality and Excess

The Romanov dynasty's 305-year rule, beginning in 1613 with a reluctant 17-year-old tsar and ending in 1918 with the execution of the hemophiliac heir Alexei and his family, is examined in Simon Sebag Montefiore's 900-page study. The British historian, a specialist in Russian history and author of bestsellers like 'Jerusalem,' details the lives of 20 tsars, including political geniuses Peter I and Catherine II, within an empire that grew by 140 square kilometers daily. Montefiore's narrative, published on the centenary of the Russian Revolution, intertwines intimate details—such as Peter the Great's naked dwarves and false popes with sex toys—with matters of state, revealing a world where imperial lovers became ministers and six tsars were assassinated. The book, facilitated by post-Soviet archival access, includes footnotes with grim details like the fate of the family's dogs after the massacre. It presents a succession of bizarre episodes, from bride parades to children being roasted and eaten, within a context of conspiracies and power struggles.