Hardly anyone recognizes the name Felix Yusupov. He was a Russian aristocrat and a member of the imperial family, whose place in history was secured by his involvement in the assassination of Rasputin—a fascinating and unique figure well known to history enthusiasts. However, that episode had a curious epilogue years later when Felix, already in […]
Russian Empire
Posted inModern Era
How a German Tried to Conquer Hawaii for the Russian Empire
A German resident in America trying to seize Hawaii for the Russians. It sounds convoluted, but it’s the most succinct summary of the strange historical episode that took place between 1815 and 1817, starring an unclassifiable German doctor when he saw the opportunity to conquer the Polynesian island following a minor incident. This event is […]
Posted inModern Era
When Lenin and Stalin Robbed the Bank of Tiflis in 1907
The first quarter of the 20th century was a golden age in the history of bank heists, perhaps not in quality but in quantity—if we consider the amount stolen in the first case and the frequency in the second. The transition from famous 19th-century outlaws like Ned Kelly, Butch Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh, the Dalton brothers, […]
Posted inModern Era
How Liechtenstein could have bought Alaska
There was a time when Alaska was Russian territory, something that barely leaves a trace today, except for some churches and a population that predominantly professes the Russian Orthodox religion. In 1867, the Russians sold Alaska to the United States, considering it a better deal than letting it fall into British hands without receiving anything […]
Posted inArt, Modern Era
The scientist who captured the Russian Empire in colour photographs before they were invented
Photography has improved so much, technologically speaking, that today we see images from only twenty years ago and they almost seem prehistoric to us; in fact, many people probably don’t even know what rolls were or how the processing was done. It would be even worse if we go back a little further, to black […]
