And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thursday, August 17, 2023
‘Tsarevna Sophia by Ilya Repin.
Notice the dead Streltsy hanging outside her window. A reminder from Peter to stay in her lane.
“Notice the dead Streltsy hanging outside her window. A reminder from Peter to stay in her lane.”
Yes, interesting. Had to look it up. Severely summarizing, Sophia served as Regent, supported by Streltsy, as her half-brother Peter was growing up. She tried to block his ascension to Tsar when he was 17. He imprisoned her in a convent. 10 years later, he went abroad on a diplomatic tour, and she started a rebellion to put her on throne using the Streltsy as muscle. Peter returned and brutally crushed the rebellion, torturing and executing Streltsy, hanging some of their bodies around the convent where Sophia was (re-)imprisoned, secluded from even the convent nuns. She died in the convent 6 years later, no evidence of ever having a “romantic” attachment during her life. No wonder she looks so pissed off.
She must have been fun at parties...
ReplyDelete"It's" evidence they did have Trannies back in the day.
ReplyDeleteBogs, you beat me to it.
DeleteThats John Belushi in a dress.
ReplyDeleteEven the kid in the background looks like he's scared to death of... ahem... 'her'.
ReplyDeleteIf it was down by the ocean, that place could be called the bay of pigs.
ReplyDeleteMan, this was a mini-history lesson.
ReplyDeleteHow dare you come in here stinking of vodka and dripping borscht on my carpet!
ReplyDeletethe Nutcracker
ReplyDeleteOn her way to the convent.....for life!
ReplyDeleteGreta?
ReplyDeleteI've seen her. Pretty sure that's Tsarevna Karen.
ReplyDelete“Notice the dead Streltsy hanging outside her window. A reminder from Peter to stay in her lane.”
ReplyDeleteYes, interesting. Had to look it up. Severely summarizing, Sophia served as Regent, supported by Streltsy, as her half-brother Peter was growing up. She tried to block his ascension to Tsar when he was 17. He imprisoned her in a convent. 10 years later, he went abroad on a diplomatic tour, and she started a rebellion to put her on throne using the Streltsy as muscle. Peter returned and brutally crushed the rebellion, torturing and executing Streltsy, hanging some of their bodies around the convent where Sophia was (re-)imprisoned, secluded from even the convent nuns. She died in the convent 6 years later, no evidence of ever having a “romantic” attachment during her life. No wonder she looks so pissed off.