The Last Czars

“After such t hings, it’s ver y ha rd to ta ke t he show ser iou s l y,” w r ot e ne w s pa p e r Argumenty i Fakt y.

Presented ‘myths as truths’

Lengthy sex scenes showing the royal couple also had Russians cringing.

On their wedding night, the topless tsarina tells the tsar as they make love that “you need to be strong. You’re the tsar, the master of the land”.

Jour na list Fyodor Krasheninnikov on Facebook critic i s e d a not her “d i sg ust i ng sc ene” where t he t s a r i na prays out loud for a son while making love.

“The series will only please people who wanted to see the tsa rina na ked,” wrote Argumenty i Fakt y.

In ot her er rors, footage of a n A r menia n monaster y i s used for a monaster y in t he Ura ls t hat Rasput i n v isited, TV Rain independent channel reported.

“To be honest, I’m d isappointed,” journa list Yevgeniya Zobnina sa id on T V Rain. “Because a f ter t he huge success of Chernobyl . . . it seemed we wou ld s e e s omet h i ng si mila r.

“It’s like the series gathered together all the myths about the tsar’s court of that time and presented them as convincing truth.”

Russian media criticised what they called the cheap look of the show, given that its subject is a hugely wealthy dynasty that lavished vast sums on pomp and ceremony and ornate trinkets such as Faberge eggs.

In the coronation scene, the ermine trimming of robes worn by Nicholas and Alexandra appears to be synthetic fur, Fontanka complained.

“Rugs from Ikea would look better.”

“Some of the jewelled ornaments that cost millions look l i ke cheap cost u me jeweller y,” wrote the website of 5TV cha n nel, whi le c onced i ng t hat of f icers’ unifor ms a nd c ou r t ier s’ clot hes i n l ater scenes looked “bel ievable”.