Unaware of what lay ahead for Russia, they danced
July 17, 2022
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Russia pre Revolution. A fancy dress ball. My grandmother and her partner dancing with no idea of the tragedy to come…
Plagiarism; or shall we say theft?
July 10, 2022
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Plagiarism is a hot topic at the moment in the Australian literary scene. Plagiarism is also the reason I have not written a blog post for a couple of months. In late April someone shared with me a Facebook post about my grandfather. Naturally I clicked on the link and
Knowing your place: the boundaries around relationships in pre-Revolutionary Russia
April 17, 2022
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Lately I have read pieces both in fiction and non-fiction which have claimed my grandfather, Pavel Voronov, “stepped over the line” when in the presence of the Grand Duchess Olga, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. These pieces have been very obviously written through a contemporary Western lens, most
What’s in a Name? Was I named in memory of the Empress?
March 27, 2022
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Was I named after Empress Alexandra (pictured above), wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia? It is a question I have been asked time and time again. It was not something I ever discussed with my mother. How do parents decide on names for their children? I had a few
Pine, oak, birch and aspen; notes from years ago on the Potchep forest
March 6, 2022
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The war in Ukraine has turned my thoughts to my grandmother. Her father’s estates were situated in western Russia, not far from the current border with Ukraine. I remember her telling me how beautiful Kyiv was, so she must have visited it at least once. Recently I again sorted through
At least they had a Nice honeymoon before the march to war
February 27, 2022
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On February 14, 1914, my maternal grandparents, Paul and Olga Woronoff (neé Countess Kleinmichel) were married in the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo – I have written about their wedding here and talked about it here on YouTube. So 108 years ago they would have been on their honeymoon. I
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