The Black Dragon of Nicholas II – the secret of the Romanovs' only tattoo

Tattooed monarchs were not uncommon in the West. Russia is a completely different matter. Our drawings on the skin have long been considered the lot of marginals and often marked criminals with tattoos and brands. Therefore, information about tattoos on the bodies of queens and kings is very scarce and contradictory. They say that Catherine the Great had an intimate tattoo, but it is no longer possible to check. The only monarch in the history of the state who exactly had a drawing on his body was the last Emperor Nicholas II.

If you carefully examine the photos of Nicholas II Romanov, you can notice a dark spot on his right hand. It is difficult to consider what it is because of the quality of the images, but it is possible. On the forearm of the last emperor there is a tattoo with the image of a black dragon. Historians assure that this is not a fake — Nikolai actually made such a tattoo in 1891.

A dragon appeared on the royal body during a trip to Japan, when Nicholas was still a tsarevich. The future autocrat made a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun in 1890-1891. He was accompanied by George of Greece, Prince of Corfu, the future King of England, and Russian diplomats. On the way, the cruiser "Memory of Azov", on which the voyage was made, visited Greece, Egypt, India, Ceylon, Singapore, Siam and China.

On board a Russian cruiser in the port of Nagasaki, two Japanese craftsmen tattooed Nicholas and George's hands in a traditional style. Nikolai Romanov, who kept a diary all his life, did not miss this event and made such an entry:

Now everyone would have forgotten about this event in a couple of days. But at the end of the 19th century, the act of the heir to the throne caused serious indignation in Russian society. Nicholas was accused of trampling on the ancient traditions of Russia and desecrating the royal body with an alien symbol.

But Nikolai didn't care — he really liked the tattoo and he did not deny himself the pleasure of showing it to others once again. Of course, except for official events, where such a thing would definitely be inappropriate. But why did the tsarevich choose a dragon for a tattoo? Maybe because he was born in the year of the dragon?

Maybe Prince George, the future King of Britain, made such a choice? It is likely that Nicholas imitated George, his cousin and close friend. For that, Japanese tattoos were no longer a novelty. Ten years earlier, the two sons of the Prince of Wales, Albert and George, had already visited Japan. From the trip, Georg brought his first tattoo — a yellow dragon in the style of irezumi.

But there was another version of the origin of the royal tattoo. It is known that in Russia people do not feed bread, but give them another conspiracy theory. As soon as it became known about the black dragon, there was a rumor that it was a special sign. The Tsarevich was credited with membership in a certain Order of the Dragon, which has been secretly controlling the destinies of the world for centuries.

Especially knowledgeable even found a connection between the tattoo of Nicholas and Prince George and the beginning of the First World War, and then the revolution. It was said that by joining the mysterious Order, Nicholas ruined Russia. As we can see, centuries pass, but people do not change and they always have mysterious stories about the powerful in stock.

In Japan, China and Korea, the dragon is a sacred creature that brings good luck. Did the grace of fortune pursue Nicholas after a tattoo appeared on his arm? Probably not. A couple of weeks after the tattoo session on board the "Memory of Azov", an attempt was made on the Tsarevich.

When Nikolai was driving a rickshaw through the city of Otsu, he was attacked by a policeman Tsuda Sanzo. The Japanese managed to strike the future Russian tsar twice with his sword before he was twisted. The most accurate description of this case was left by the Russian diplomat Esper Ukhtomsky, who was nearby during the Sanzo attack.

Nicholas was saved by the brave Prince George, who was armed only with a bamboo cane. The Englishman deftly hit the attacker on the head with it, from which he was taken aback and could not accurately deliver a second blow. At the same moment, the rickshaw carrying Nikolai rushed at Sanzo, grabbed him by the legs and knocked him to the ground.

Fortunately, the wound from the sword of the policeman from Otsu turned out to be harmless. The Tsarevich received several neat stitches and was immediately allowed to leave the hospital. For security reasons, the program of the visit to Japan had to be shortened. The "Memory of Azov" soon left for Russia. The scar remained on Nikolai's head for life and he, as well as the black dragon, reminded the tsar of the journey.