The Romanov family history in the romantic and leisurely 19th century develops like a classic melodrama with numerous love affairs and infidelities, weddings and divorces, personal quarrels between close relatives and friendly relations between brothers and sisters. Perhaps it was the overly blissful course of family life, compared to the previous two centuries, that weakened the autocratic grip of the Romanovs and eroded their state abilities. The last Emperor Nicholas II was so immersed in the problems of his own family that he allowed himself not to notice the onset of new times. He did not do what he should have done, and the dynasty, which had just celebrated its 300th anniversary under his reign, lost its future. However, many are inclined to forgive him for this as a person. Choosing between empire and family, he chose the latter. But can you blame him for this choice, if his predecessors have been doing this for almost a century?