Tsarist fun: how fun the last Emperor of Russia Nicholas II

Contemporaries say that Nicholas II was a very versatile man, active and with a lot of Hobbies. Despite his busy schedule, he found time for Cycling and skiing, sailing, tennis, kayaking and regular bathing in the sea. The Emperor was able to relax in any time of year, but especially rich was his summer that he and his family spent in their Crimean residences or in Peterhof.

The bikes were a passion of Nicholas II, his entire life. The first two-wheeled car he bought when he was still heir to the throne, in 1895, for a large money — 295 rubles. It was a Bicycle manufacturing American brand Dayfon, and supplying this equipment trading house "Victory". Along with the Bicycle purchased Nikolay Alexandrovich and some accessories. Know exactly what was ordered flashlight for night riding for 9 rubles, and Bicycle horn for 1 ruble.

So Alex was able to enjoy the ride, rode his "uncle" sailor Andrew Derevenko. For this purpose we used a special wooden seat mounted over the front wheel. Thus, the heir could accompany sisters and father in the household, under the supervision vigilant and careful servants.

In the 70-ies of the 19th century, father Nicholas, Emperor Alexander III, was fond of tennis. This sport is the Emperor was advised by doctors as a way to lose weight. But Nicholas was indifferent to the game on the court and just watched my father play, not yet acquainted with the lawn tennis during a visit to England in the mid-90s.

The sport in the family of the Tsar was taken very seriously — all the players wore specially ordered for the occasion tennis costumes. Nicholas II himself came out to play in the lungs white pants, tennis shoes and a white shirt with embroidered on the chest pocket with gold Imperial eagle.

Like most aristocrats of his time, Nicholas II was an avid hunter. He began to hunt in childhood, with his father, and then, upon reaching adulthood, went to the forest alone. More precisely, the hunt for the monarch was organised into a Special service (the Management of the Imperial hunting) in Gatchina, whose staff consisted of huntsmen, conochie, Rangers and other personnel needed to hunt down beast and to ensure the security of the king. All the Royal hunt was served by 70 people!

In the Management of the Imperial hunting has always recorded the number killed personally by the king of the game and did a detailed statistical reports. The numbers of these documents are flawed only in 1900, Nicholas II was killed in Belovezhskaya Pushcha 41 bison! However, in those days, this beast was not in European forests rarity and maintain its population followed carefully.

For the first time Nikolai mastered the kayak as a child, when my father visited the Tsar's residence in Gatchina. There was a huge pond, where it was freedom for swimming and boating. In may, 1881, on its 13th anniversary, the heir to his father in the canoe, which was worth 245 rubles. It was a simple flotation device, without any improvement, it is possible to tell, the serial production.

How the Emperor was interested in rowing, says one small but important detail. 13 March 1917, the Tsar wrote in his diary that floated on kayak. Just a few days, the Emperor renounced the throne and become just a "citizen Romanov".

Another passion of the last Emperor of the Russian Empire was bathing. Nicholas II never refused to take a dip, if you were given the opportunity. In the summer, if the Royal family were out in its Crimean possessions, the place of rest became beautiful Peterhof. There, under Catherine II, Managerism pond was built luxurious bath, which was used by several generations of the Romanovs.

It was a very beautiful building, decorated with stucco and painted. It is decorated with two fountains — "the Sun" and "the Dolphins". Bath pleased the members of the Royal family and particularly close more than 150 years, but in 1925 was destroyed by the Bolsheviks and now we can evaluate it only on photos and drawings.

For some time, the Romanovs were bathing in the Nude or in underwear, but at the end of the 19th century appeared first special costumes. In 1909, the Imperial family was vacationing on the Black sea, in Livadia and the princesses were already striped swimwear, and on their heads hats for swimming and special shoes. In those times women used for a summer holiday shoes for swimming, which protect the foot from accidental injury.

Bathed Romanovs and near the capital — it was equipped beaches of the Gulf of Finland. On 6 June 1905, Nicholas wrote in his diary that the family bathed in the Baltic sea, despite the cold water. The Emperor was not afraid of ice water and often staged races with the officers of his yacht "Standart" in the Finnish archipelago. In the company of men, the king preferred to have a swim in the Nude.

Not so long ago, some pictures of the Royal bathing alarmed the Internet — foreign wearer were delighted with the excellent physical form of the Russian Emperor.