Westminster history professor’s new book examines Russian royal weddings Share on: A new book by Dr. Russell E. Martin, professor of history at Westminster College, explores how royal weddings in early modern Russia were choreographed to broadcast powerful images of monarchy and dynasty. The Tsar’s Happy Occasion: Ritual and Dynasty in the Weddings of Russia’s Rulers, 1495-1745 shows how the vast, ornate affairs of royal weddings reflected and shaped court politics during a time of dramatic cultural and dynastic change. Using an array of archival sources, Martin shows how the ...