The Moscow Romanovs took their wives from Russian noble families, and their blood was purely Russian blood

But from Peter the Great onwards it became the custom to marry the heirs to the throne to foreigners, chiefly Germans, and the Russian ruling dynasty turned into a thoroughbred non-Russian one.

By the statutes of English horse-breeding, the "Stud Book" that is authoritative the world over in matters of blood and heredity, a horse counts as thoroughbred if, in the progeny of any sire or founder whatsoever, there have been eight crossings in succession with one and the same breed whose blood is being introduced.

Thus, if in the progeny of an Arabian stallion eight generations have been crossed solely with the English breed, the eighth generation is considered a thoroughbred English horse.

Such blood is technically denoted: -128/128-, that is, the fullness of the additions of foreign blood is the fullness of purity of the new blood!

Let us sum up the marriage policy of the present Romanovs precisely in respect of the nationality of their blood, and this is the plain truth that results.

The first of the Romanovs to contract a marriage with a foreigner was Peter the Great. Catherine, his wife, was a Swede. The present Romanovs descend from her second daughter Anna, who is styled Petrovna after Peter, but her blood kinship to him, her being Peter's daughter, is not proven.

But let us reckon her Peter's daughter. Let us make the calculation by the "Stud Book".

In Anna Petrovna there is 1/2 of Russian blood. She married the Prince of Holstein-Gottorp. Peter III was born. The Russian blood in him weakened by a further half.

In Peter III there was thus only 1/4 of Russian blood. He married a German, Catherine, the future "Great". According to Catherine, her son Paul was born of Saltykov, but this flatly contradicts the spiritual kinship of Paul and Peter III. The same general abnormality, the same despotism, cruelty, wilfulness and... cowardice were in both. Paul was undoubtedly the true son of Peter III, and the clever Catherine simply lied and concealed the truth in her memoirs in order to strengthen her son's prospects in Russia.

So in Paul there is 1/8 of Russian blood. Paul again married a German, Maria Feodorovna.

In his son Nicholas I there is 1/16 of Russian blood. Nicholas married a German, Alexandra Feodorovna.

In his son Alexander II there is 1/32 of Russian blood. Alexander II married a German, Maria Alexandrovna. In his son Alexander III there is 1/64 of Russian blood. Alexander III married a Dane, Maria Feodorovna.

In his son Nicholas II there is 1/128 of Russian blood. That is, the fullness of non-Russian blood is 127/128 of the "Stud Book".

He is a German, with 1/8 of Swedish blood and 1/8 of Danish. But as a Russian he is thoroughbred: not Russian.

Soon after the abdication of Nicholas II this reasoning about the composition of his blood was published in the "Small Gazette" [Malenkaya gazeta] under the byline of Alexey Suvorin, which might have bewildered the reader, since under that name the Russian writer, publicist, theatre critic, playwright, founder of "New Time" [Novoye vremya] and of the Theatre of the Literary and Artistic Circle was widely known. And, above all, a monarchist. But Alexey Suvorin died in 1912. So the author of the text is another Suvorin, his namesake in full, which is rather convenient, with such a famous name.