On May 26, one of the most far-reaching events in world history took place in 1896, when Tsar Nicholas II was crowned ruler of the Russian Empire in Moscow. At the time, the ceremony was meant to confirm the strength and continuity of one of the world’s largest monarchies. Instead, it became closely linked with the tensions that would later shake Russia and reshape much of the 20th century. Nicholas II would be the last Russian tsar, and his rei…