Several decades have passed since Russia's last emperor and his family were last seen and yet thousands of us still keep the flame alive. Some people think I'm obsessed about Nicholas II, Alexandra and their children - Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Tsarevich Alexei. It is not an obsession but pure passion and love for them. I've been a Romanov aficionado for a short while and what keeps me going is my imagination. I love to imagine what it would be like to have met them. I hope someday I will.

I've met other aficionados and have always asked how their passion began. The media has been partly responsible for the popularity of the Romanovs. First, there was news about their murders and possible survival of the imperial children from the massacre. Then there were the plays and movies on Anastasia, Nicholas and Alexandra. Recently, documentaries were done on the family's lives; the discovery of most of their remains; the DNA tests to authenticate them; and the truth behind Anna Anderson. The latest news about the imperial family has made more people sympathetic towards them, thus becoming enthusiasts themselves.

Books are also a conduit. There were a slew of books published in the 1920s and 1930s by people who were part of the imperial family entourage - Vyrubova, Dehn, Buxhoeveden, and Gilliard, to name a few. Their books helped us learn more about the family, their personal lives and characteristics. Books still continue to be written and printed for the whole world to see how truly beautiful the family was and how tragic the ends they met. Of all the books written on the imperial family, my favorite is Robert Massie's "Nicholas & Alexandra". The book has touched many people because Massie was very successful in telling The family's story and romanticizing the subject. To many of us, it is easy to understand the nature of our admiration for them. For those who are interested to know, my fascination towards the family lie on three topics: Nicholas and Alexandra's love story; the Grand Duchesses' and Tsarevich's charms and liveliness; and not to mention - the family's martyrdom.

The last imperial family of Russia were good human beings. All were truly noble and pious which make them excellent models for all of us. The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia has already given them the rank of martyrs. Hopefully they will also be recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia someday. At any rate, they are already saints by God. In my opinion they deserve it. I disagree those who don't think they deserve such a place in Christianity. I recommend that they read new articles and books on the beloved family with an open mind. I am hopeful that they will change their opinions and come to understand why the imperial family is loved by thousands of people up to this day.

I would be glad to hear from fellow Romanov aficionados. Feel free to email me your thoughts on the Romanovs. God bless the Tsar and his family!

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