ROMANOV FAMILY PETS: THE ELEPHANT
One of numerous criticisms by St. Petersburg society of the last ruling Romanov family was what they perceived as their frivolous waste of money. An example used was often the very costly upkeep of the pet elephant at Tsarskoe Selo, which cost the Russian imperial treasury a whopping 18, 000 rubles annually – a very significant sum at that time.
As a point of reference, the income of an average Russian citizen in early 20th century was about 4,300 rubles per year. Read more ROMANOV FAMILY PETS: THE ELEPHANT
