In May 1896, Moscow prepared to celebrate a new tsar. The coronation of Nicholas II was supposed to be a moment of splendour, but what was meant to be a celebration became one of the most symbolic episodes in Russian history: a blood-stained triumph.
Nicholas II ascended the throne after his father's sudden death, feeling unprepared. He himself had confided that he was unprepared to rule. Yet the coronation ceremony was grandiose, held in the heart of the Kremlin, in accordance with the Empire's centuries-old rituals. Everything was meant to convey stability and authority. But the decisive moment came a few days later, on May 30, during the popular celebrations organised at the Khodynka field, on the outskirts of Moscow. A large distribution of food, beer, and commemorative items was planned for the people, including bread, sausages, sweets, and, most notably, an enamelled cup bearing the imperial symbol. Since the evening before, thousands of people had gathered on the field, and rumours spread quickly: there wouldn't be enough gifts for everyone, and some cups even contained gold coins. Tensions mounted. By dawn, hundreds of thousands of people were already crowded onto the ground, but the field was unsuitable, full of ditches and holes, normally used for military exercises. When the crowd moved, everything came to a head. The pressure became uncontrollable, and people fell and were overwhelmed. In a few hours, over 1,200 people died, and thousands were injured. It was a huge tragedy, but not everyone immediately understood its significance, so the official celebrations continued. That same evening, a ball was scheduled at the French Embassy. Nicholas II, initially hesitant, was persuaded to attend for diplomatic reasons, and he did. That gesture carried enormous weight. Although the next day he visited the wounded and offered aid to their families, his image had already been damaged. In the eyes of many, the tsar appeared distant, incapable of grasping the gravity of what had happened.

The Khodynka tragedy became a symbol. Many interpreted it as a bad omen for Nicholas II's reign. A sign that something, in the relationship between power and the people, was already broken. It demonstrated the distance between the elite and the people, as well as the fragility of the autocracy. In the years to come, Russia would enter a spiral of crisis, amidst revolts, war, and revolution. And many looked back on that day, seeing it as the beginning.