Kiev, 1911, for the Tsar’s visit celebrating the dedication of a statue to his grandfather, Alexander II. It was virtually a week long celebration with parades, parties, races and celebrations. It was also during that visit that the reformist Prime Minister, Peter Stolypin, was assassinated at the Kiev Opera House. The Tsar and, especially, the Tsarina hated Stolypin. Security at the Opera House was tight. The Tsar and his daughters were in a box attending the performance. But the assassin, a police informant, had been given a ticket by the Chief of Police. He shot the Prime Minister during the intermission. Stolypin saluted the Tsar with a sign of the cross and collapsed. He died four days later. The Tsar did not visit him but continued the celebrations with no change in schedule. The assassin was hanged within days and the Tsar put a stop to any further investigation. This gave rise to theories he was either behind the assassination or he was protecting the right wing fanatics who were. The irony is that Stolypin was the last great Prime Minister Imperial Russia had and probably the Tsar’s best hope of avoiding revolution and his own and his family’s murders in 1918. I would just love to know what was being said at the time.