RUSSIA...Dmitry on the Blood

Violent times...
These were violent times. I knew Ivan the Terrible had his name for a good reason, but I had no idea he was THAT cruel. It is interesting that nowadays there are attempts to re-write history - alternative facts...

A Dubious History
This is certainly an interesting look at a bloody and confusing incident relating to Ivan the Terrible and his son(s) death. If the first was an accident it would be bad enough, but if deliberate, then it seems horrific as is the killing of the young Dimitri. Russia's current leader may want to "change" history to put a better spin on the incident and to 'save face' for his country, but I don't think it would change people's minds or impressions, and the name "Ivan the Terrible" will endure regardless. So is the creation of fake history more acceptable than the creation of fake news?

Rule by Divine Right
Russian history is filled with violence and banishment. Are you enjoying Russian music? Putin. Now that's a Russian character. History, investigations and lies. Who knows. We must all understand history.

I always love a good murder mystery!
Hi Dave& Denise, Trust you are fine & dandy & tolerating this life “on hold”? At least that’s how I feel now. Tomorrow- well I may just murder someone! Thanks again for more history & great photos. I always love a good murder mystery! Uglich was great & just reeked of history. A sedate little town now. I look forward to your next instalment with a twist of course. Mary

Russia
is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, so said W. Churchill... Take a look at it's history and you might agree. Though patricide, fratricide, filicide and everything else pertaining to killing one or more of your own family members is a common thread within all royal/aristocratic families throughout the world. So not much of a enigma there.

Battles over Historical Narratives
We as travelers are constantly on the frontlines of discovering the truth about traveler narratives and fake news about destinations. That's why it is so important to get out there and see these places for ourselves. Enjoyed the walk through Russia's multi-layered history. Although I think that your three vodka shots are necessary for complete understanding.

The Czar (Eisenstein and Lungin)
Anybody even mildly interested in either the personality of Ivan IV or the tumultuous times of his reign might want to check out "The Tsar", a 2009 movie by Pavel Lungin. While it is not quite your average easy watching (not at all), the acting is great and the atmosphere of madness and paranoia is tangible. Also, a passing comment on fillicides, fratricides, and, especially, uxoricides - people, let's give poor terrible Ivan some slack. It's 16th century we're taking about here, about two centuries before the first convicts came ashore at Botany Bay, and roughly about the time of Henry the VIII's reign, give or take a couple of decades. Something tells me some of Henry's wives would've taken that nunnery trip any day, given the chance. Incidentally, by the time Ivan was born, someone named Cristoforo Colombo had not only completed several overseas runs, but also joined the choir invisible, blissfully unaware that just some 500 years later his statues would be less than welcome on the very continent that he sailed the ocean blue to. Our perception of history is as much - if not more - about us today as it is about the historical figures who are long gone, along with their warts, uxoricides, and all.

Nice picture
That's a really nice picture. There are so many interesting towns and cities in Russia. We know a guy in Finland who has been to every country in the world. In the last couple of years he has been travelling extensively in Russia with the aim of visiting every single Russian oblast. He has published so many interesting pictures on FaceBook from his adventures in Russia. He is almost finished with that project by the way. He has only one oblast left to visit and that it is a difficult one as he needs special permission to go there. /Ake