Ch.106Tsarina Broadcasts (2)

The Tsarina’s gentle voice flowed through the radio, reaching the ears of Moscow citizens who had acquired radios.

“That day was terrible. For me, it was. It was a day when the sky and earth turned upside down. Knowing nothing and confined to the mansion, I was imprisoned with my family in the Ipatiev House by the Bolsheviks.”

The Tsarina’s story on the radio was an anti-communist biography.

At first, many people tuned in with thoughts like “The Tsarina?” But despite her calm voice, what the Tsarina said was shocking.

“The Bolsheviks fired indiscriminately at my parents and siblings without any trial. The self-proclaimed Bolsheviks, who were nothing but criminals, did terrible things to my mother and sisters. They shot young Alexei, and even the servants who protected our family to the end were executed for the crime of serving us.”

“My father was incompetent as Tsar. He didn’t listen to his subjects’ voices and responded with guns and swords. But that execution wasn’t because of my father’s or our family’s karma. They executed my family simply because we could become a rallying point for the White Army forces opposing the Bolsheviks. To protect their own power. I’ll spare you the details of what the Bolsheviks, who seized power through agitation, did to the people, as everyone knows.”

“Seeing the Bolsheviks who executed my family that day, I realized they could never embrace Russia and its many people. I alone survived from that grave and gathered volunteer forces in Yekaterinburg to fight against them.”

Not even ten years had passed since the end of the civil war.

As the landscape, rivers, and mountains hadn’t changed, Moscow’s citizens were of the civil war generation and knew well what had happened.

Whether they were people from other cities, originally from White Army forces, or those who had suffered under the Bolsheviks—all had experienced the civil war.

They could hear in real-time on the radio what the Tsarina had experienced.

After the civil war ended with the Bolsheviks being swept away and moderate socialists supporting the Tsarina’s policies, many people praised the Tsarina even if they weren’t monarchists, and they wanted to continue hearing her experiences.

“I want to listen to the radio!”

“Me too. I’m going to buy a radio!”

The biography that began in Yekaterinburg spread not only to Moscow citizens but also to the citizens of Yekaterinburg, where the radio broadcasting station had opened first, and naturally, more and more people wanted to buy radios.

Of course, even the empire’s subjects who had unconditionally followed the Tsar during Nicholas II’s time, when the Tsar ignored his subjects and turned a blind eye to their desperate cries, bought radios.

“You can hear the Tsar’s voice?”

“If you’re a subject of the empire, you should buy one. Of course!”

They desperately wanted to hear the Tsar’s voice—the voice of the last bloodline of the late Tsar.

People bought radios for various reasons.

Despite Anastasia’s intention to use the current level of radio technology for anti-communist propaganda and to share her experiences of the civil war…

“Oh, Director. The Tsarina’s radio broadcast has received an incredible response! I hear the radio distribution rate has increased!”

“Indeed. As expected of the Tsarina!”

The distribution rate of radios increased explosively.

* * *

Siberian Prison Camp

Anastasia’s radio broadcast could be heard even in the Siberian prison camp.

“This has been Anastasia, Tsar of the United States of Russia.”

The Tsarina’s voice and her account of the civil war were like an oasis in the desert for the soldiers guarding the Siberian prison camp.

“Hmph. The Tsarina is doing a radio broadcast.”

“And we can hear it even here.”

“This radio broadcasting thing must be amazing. I heard that Dr. Tesla developed the radio with Prince Yusupov?”

The development of radio was that revolutionary.

Especially for Tesla, who wanted to create a wireless revolution to connect the vast Russian territory, Russian radio was a very suitable medium. The performance of the radio improved with Prince Yusupov’s capital combined with Tesla’s technology.

“I hate to say it, but it seems like the world changes when the Tsar changes.”

“Well, listening to the radio, I feel sorry for the Tsarina. The late Tsar died such a terrible death.”

“Thinking about it now, how tragic that those reckless executions were committed by the incompetent Bolsheviks to check the White Army.”

Honestly, even monarchists had divided opinions about the late Tsar.

But now that it was known that the Bolsheviks killed him not for righteous judgment but to protect their power and prevent him from becoming a rallying point for the White Army, Nicholas II’s reign, though not good, was enough to earn sympathy.

Meanwhile, a man listening to the soldiers’ conversation from beyond the prison camp wall scoffed at their dialogue.

“Huh. Did the late Tsar’s death really cause such change?”

As if things could change that much.

Thinking that way would be truly simple-minded.

Stalin found that Anastasia person suspicious no matter how he looked at it.

No, that’s not right. Maybe Olga, but think about Anastasia’s age. Would that even be possible?

A grand duchess who probably didn’t know the first thing about politics?

Moreover, wasn’t Anastasia the grand duchess known as a troublemaker since childhood?

Could such a person change like that just because her family died that day?

At best, she should be driven mad with revenge. But this seemed like someone who understood everything.

Furthermore, it was truly incomprehensible that Anastasia alone survived.

Was there any way to survive in that situation?

For whatever reason, she lived. This could almost be seen as someone who had died coming back to life.

She even survived a bomb attack in Poland. Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call her an immortal witch?

As if something was wearing the grand duchess’s skin.

That evil woman who mocked Stalin when he was castrated that day was far from being a girl of that age.

“Well. It doesn’t matter.”

Stalin stopped thinking about it.

If Anastasia was really revived by something, or if something took over her body and led Russia to this point. Well.

Yes, whatever it is, Russia is running better than during the Bolshevik era. Just seeing this, the revolution has already failed.

Although the unfinished revolution is still regrettable, how many people would follow Stalin to start a revolution in this frozen land if he alone called for revolution in this prison camp?

Of course, before that, the Okhrana’s gun barrel would neatly put a hole in Stalin’s head.

But while the revolution failed, Stalin did not die.

They spared him, saying they couldn’t kill him twice after he was castrated. Instead of being executed by firing squad, he gave up his manhood.

So despite having many complaints, Stalin stood up proudly in this absurd situation tainted by defeat.

Although his appearance was quite different from that of a communist.

“Father Stalin, it’s time for Mass.”

“Is it already that time?”

Stalin got up and dusted himself off.

How many years had passed since he was castrated?

“Why did you join the Communist Party or whatever and end up like this?”

“Sign your name here. It’s a blank recantation form. You’re recanting.”

Now Stalin was living as a priest in the Siberian prison camp, making the sign of the cross, due to his mother’s advice who had come to visit him and the Okhrana’s pressure to recant.

Lenin or Trotsky would laugh their heads off if they saw this.

After being castrated and rejected by his wife who was also imprisoned in the camp, this was all he could do.

It was something that he hadn’t signed the recantation form.

Stalin did not surrender to the Okhrana.

Yes, if he had any complaint, it was that he wanted to see the face of that damn German who had castrated him, just once.

* * *

Was the broadcast successful?

I hope they’re not saying things like “Ah~ Tsarina. Her unauthorized broadcasting is just perfect” behind my back?

There were many female employees at the radio station. Don’t women gossip well?

I hope they’re not saying strange things about me behind my back.

“Recently, the radio purchases by the United States subjects have increased tremendously.”

“Not subjects, but citizens.”

“Ahem. The radio purchasing power of the United States citizens has increased tremendously.”

The radio purchasing power has increased.

Does that mean more Russians have the economic power to buy radios?

No, in this case, it would be more accurate to say that people have become interested in radios and started buying them.

After all, among the many Russians, there should be quite a few who can afford to buy radios.

Later they’ll have to buy color televisions too, but radios should be enough for now.

“But why are you telling me this?”

“Because Prince Yusupov has put the radio business in Your Majesty’s name. Simply put, he has put Your Majesty’s name at the top.”

“So he put it in my name.”

Well, he’s certainly taking care of me.

I don’t know for sure, but Prince Yusupov is probably working hard as much as I’ve given him ideas. He seems like someone who can smell money properly.

“Your Majesty’s popularity is rising day by day.”

“No, so why? Because my voice was played on the radio?”

I don’t know why that’s related to my popularity.

“Because the citizens of the United States now only follow and praise Your Majesty. Naturally, if they can hear Your Majesty’s voice on the radio, wouldn’t they be satisfied with that?”

“Are there that many people who can afford to buy a radio?”

Radios must be expensive.

When I said there might be quite a few Russians who could afford to buy radios, I meant that looking at the population ratio, there would be some people who could buy them, but from what Maria is saying now, it sounds like I’m some kind of idol and many people are buying radios just to see me.

“Even if it ruins their household finances, there are probably many citizens who find comfort just in Your Majesty’s voice.”

I wonder if such people really exist in the world.

But I am a bit curious.

If my popularity is really rising, it means this isn’t just popularity created by me pressing down with authority.

“How much?”

“Probably all the elderly people who have followed the Romanov Dynasty since the imperial era will buy them, won’t they?”

People who have followed the Romanov Dynasty since the imperial era.

So you’re saying old people will buy radios to hear the voice of a Tsar who could be their granddaughter?

Oh my God.

Imagining it makes me feel like I’ve done something terrible.

Isn’t that too much? Radios must be quite expensive in this era.

“I feel like I’ve made a needless mistake.”

“What does it matter? It’s Your Majesty’s era anyway. European countries are already distributing radios, so wouldn’t we, Russia, with land spanning east and west, need them even more?”

Maria seems a bit simple-minded, but she has a point.

Yes, we need to use things like radio to spread my voice throughout Russia to let everyone know that this is Russia!

The problem is that to do that, Tesla needs to squeeze his brain to achieve the wireless revolution he’s aiming for.

“To do that, a wireless revolution definitely needs to happen. Hmm.”

After a moment’s thought, I decided this was settled.

This will be resolved when Tesla solves it over time.

I really only know people’s names in that field, nothing else.

I’m barely making ends meet, so how could I research in this ruined world? Especially since I majored in humanities.

Then, the next issue is obviously that.

Television. Television.

If radios are being distributed, wouldn’t it be good to take the next step with television technology?

At least in Anastasia’s lifetime, hoping for 21st-century computers would be very difficult, but color television should be possible.

To properly deal with television, don’t we need to bring in related figures?

Yes, that would be good.

Was it Philo Farnsworth?

I believe he was the person who invented the first electronic television.

In the apocalyptic world, I naturally learned about this while studying to try to operate televisions or computers.

In Russia, there was Vladimir Kosma Zworykin.

He was a person who went to America during the Red-White civil war and settled there.

I don’t know the details, but he probably worked for the White Army, but in the end, he went to America, so his achievements shone in America.

Wouldn’t it be different here?

Or did he just go to America similar to actual history due to some snowball effect?