Maybe we just need to do a deep dive on USSR. To understand USSR reality vs Propaganda.

Let's start with Tsarist Russia.

It was deeply stratified, dysfunctional economy with little autonomy for the poorest classes.

Tsar Nikolai was the last Tsar of Russia. He was crowned Tsar in 1894.

One of the worst things the mainstream propaganda does is hide the nature of the Tsar and his family. So let's see what primary sources we have to understand the nature of this family.

This from Feb 9, 1883, Ann Arbor Democrat. This article will be about Tsar Alexander.

The shameless puffing maybe a bit over the top and gross.

That's a weird hobby but whatever

Nice plot twist

He and his brothers wrestle as grown adults..

This is getting weird.

Weirder.

Alexander gets bored by people asking him to do administrative stuff.

I believe the nihilists is a reference to the Narodniks.

The end.

Let's see if we can forward about 10 years to see Nikolai.

Here is another source I am reading right now.

On the first page....

Best-case scenario: It will be mostly true while framing everything in a pro-tsar way.

Worst-case scenario: It will be utter lies.

So Napoleon was related to the Tsar of Russia.

Lots of inbreeding going on amongst the Royals.

This was their "summer home" and we already have some early foreshadowing..

So this guy returns to Peterhof in September of either 1904 or 1905.