Research Notes: Romanovs, Egypt, Bukhara, etc.

Discovered Memories of the Russian Court, by Anna Vyrubova, a first-hand account of the Romanov's by one of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's close friends/ladies in waiting. The bit about Crimea (chapter 4) I found particularly interesting due to current events, but my main objective is, as usual, to understand how revolutions happen.

Began reading about Ancient Egyptian religion. The occasional TV special about the pyramids and a healthy interest in comparative mythology have left me vaguely informed on the topic, but I'd prefer to understand in some kind of depth.

The Emir of Bukhara, a contemporary of the Romanov's mentioned in Vyrubova's account (the photo is from 1911.)

Mosaic from Bukhara

Jewish Children with their Teacher in Samarkand -- "Prior to the establishment of the state of Israel, the Bukharan Jews were one of the most isolated Jewish communities in the world." (From the Wikipedia article on the Bukharan Jews.)