To commemorate the coronation of Czar Nicholas (something traditionally done at the Kremlin and not the capital of St. Petersburg) decorated mugs were given away free to all the people in attendance. The crowd swelled on the Khodinka Field where the giveaway would take place. As the wagons arrived with the mugs, the mass of people could not be held back. In the sudden surge of humanity hundreds were trampled to death. This event was also seen as an ill omen. The ghost of Ivan the Terrible was then seen again, this time on the second level of the lofty Ivan the Great bell tower of the Kremlin. Some say it resembled a shadowy outline of the ruler, others claim it was a full apparition with colorful robes. One account states it was holding a large baton and moving flames covered its face. Another ill omen for the new ruler.
These signs would prove themselves to be more than superstition. The ill fortunes of the last czar would be confirmed when he and his whole family were toppled from power by revolution and murdered in a basement in 1918 by the Red Guards ..
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