#The Romanov Family
- Trrriyanshi
- Sep 29, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 9, 2020
To any being in the world, a name not only gives an identity but also aims to ideally define him/her. Getting named by the parents/owner involuntarily pronounces that the person/pet/thing is important for them. I like to do the same thing with my cherished belongings as well. I try to create a bond while naming the belonging, alongside associating it to a concept which intrigues me.
Recently, I was privileged enough to own a camera (Nikon D5600) and setup. Ever since I got it, I was keen on naming the whole setup after a family. One day, I stumbled upon the story of “THE ROMANOV FAMILY” and I had to look no further for inspiration. [Side Note: I really love reading about history. It’s one of my most enjoyable hobbies. Evidently, the old times have shaped us into becoming a society that we are today. We should be well-informed about it. ]
The Imperial Romanov Family reigned over Russia from 1613-1917. Almost 3 centuries. But, the dynasty had a tragic ending. They were brutally executed after Czar (king) had to abduct his throne followed by his family’s exile.
Here is my take on their names:
· Camera Body : Czar Nicolas II, a king who made numerous bad decisions leading upto the downfall of his reign. He sat on the throne at an early age with little knowledge of how to run the huge empire. He was usually torn between acting upon the advises of political experts vs. family members. He usually chose the latter and faced several backlashes & lead to Russian revolution.
Just like a king, camera body remains at the core of performing all the functions of its empire (here, device). Without the camera body, pictures cannot be processed. And thus I chose to call the camera body after the Czar Nicolas II.
· Camera Strap : Czarina Alexandra, a highly religious queen who brought her children up in a strict fashion. Her high religious beliefs also made her superstitious regarding the situations surrounding her son’s health.
Just like a camera strap always supports a camera and prevents it from falling, the same way Czarina had Czar’s back. She always supported him and their love could easily be seen in their beloved letters that they exchanged even after several years of the marriage.
· Lights : Grand Duchess Olga and Grand Duchess Tatiana, also known as the ‘Big Pair’ were the eldest daughters of the couple. They also served as nurses during war. They were like the “light” of the empire when they were born as they signified the birth of a new generation for the royal family
· Camera Flash : Grand Duchess Maria, considered as the prettiest princess who had light hair and large blue eyes. Similar to the Flash, Maria had shining noble qualities. Along with her younger sister Anastasia, they were called the ‘Little Pair’.
· Prime Lens : Grand Duchess Anastasia was the liveliest, most mischievous and the youngest daughter. She had the most colorful and bright personality among all the siblings similar to that of a prime lens which captures sharp images with shallow depth of field. After the assassination of Romanovs, Anastasia was rumored to have escaped the dreadful fate and a mentally unstable imposter tried to claim the identity of the princess. Though, it was a false claim. [FUN FACT: Later this story was fictionalized by Disney in a 1997 animation movie named “Anastasia”.]
· 18-55mm Lens : Czarevich Alexei, the heir to the throne. A prince who suffered from hemophilia and encountered many near-death experiences. His parents loved him too much and due to his medical issues, they took up every superstitious advice given by Grigori Rasputin (a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man). An heir to the throne is regarded as a dependable prince of the empire similar to this 18-55 wide angle kit lens, which is the first friend of many beginners.
· Microphone : Grigori Rasputin was a Russian religious charlatan and self-declared prophet. He acted as a healer to the hemophiliac Alexei and had great influence over the governance of imperial Russia. His advisory inputs reflected upon the King’s decisions in the exact same way as microphone’s sound inputs are reflected upon the footage.
· Tripod : I named the tripod Russia because just like a camera is at the top of the tripod, the royal family also stood at the apex of monarchy in Russia. The background represents the green/fertile yet struggling phase of Russia during the Industrial Revolution.
TRIVIA: Family Tree showing relation of British Winsdor Royal Family & Russian Romanov Royal Family
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