Quiz: How much do you know about tsars?
IT'S A JOB title that's stirred up a storm – the government's plan to appoint a so-called 'housing tsar' with a proposed €430,000 salary sparked fierce political backlash this week, ultimately prompting Brendan McDonagh to bow out before any formal appointment was made.
Critics questioned both the pay and the need for such a role, while others took issue with the title itself.
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How did a word rooted in the Russian empire even end up in modern Irish politics?
Amid the new search for an Irish 'housing tsar', we wanted to ask you – how much do you know about tsars?
What does the word "tsar" originally mean?
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Ruler by divine right
King
Caesar
Protector of the people
Which Russian tsar was famously overthrown during the 1917 revolution?
Peter the Great
Nicholas II
Alexander III
Alexander the Terrible
The Romanovs were the last royal family to rule Russia. How many years were they in power?
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103 years
157 years
266 years
304 years
Which tsar founded the Russian city of St Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd?
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Peter the Great
Peter II
Peter III
Nicholas I
What was Rasputin's official role at the Russian court during the rule of tsar Nicholas II?
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Military advisor
Healer and spiritual advisor
Minister for Religion
Tutor to the tsar's children
The last tsar of Serbia was a man named Stefan Uroš V. What rather unflattering nickname was he given?
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Uroš the Weak
Uroš the Feeble
Uroš the Ugly
Uroš the Ailing
In Bulgaria, the tsardom was abolished in 1946. How old was the last reigning tsar at the time?
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293 days old
Nine years old
12 years old
17 years old
Which of these is NOT the name of a real Russian tsar?
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Feodor the Blessed
False Dmitry
Alexis the Quietest
Leonid the Gentle
Which tsarina was born a German princess named Sophie?
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Catherine I
Catherine the Great
Elizabeth
Maria Feodorovna
"He ruled the Russian land, and never mind the tsar" is a line from the iconic 70s disco hit, Rasputin by Boney M. At what position did the song peak in the Irish weekly charts?
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3
6
10
18
Answer all the questions to see your result!
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Gold tsar
You were Russian through that one!
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Super tsar
Nice one, you know your Alexanders from your Ivans
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Not a tsar player
You're not the biggest fan of Russian royalty
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No gold tsar
Go study up and listen to some Boney M
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Quizzer the Terrible
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