One example is by using actors of different ethnic backgrounds that aren't necessarily historically accurate for a Russian court.
Interesting. However, there were actually people of different ethnic backgrounds who were involved in and influenced Russian culture, including people of French, Finnish, and even African backgrounds, e.g., the great Russian writer, Aexander Pushkin (considered the father of modern Russian literature) is descended from an African great-great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal aka Hannibal, who was a Russian military general. Abram was born in what is now Cameroon. He was kidnapped from his parents as a boy, taken to Russia and presented to Peter the Great as 'a gift.' Rather than the ruler treating the boy as a servant, young Abram was freed, adopted and raised in the Emperor's household as his godson.
en.wikipedia.org
Another fascinating little known story I learned recently via the playwright Lynn Nottage's play,
Las Meninas: French king Louis XIV's wife, Queen Maria Theresa (of Spanish & Austrian descent) had an intimate affair with an African dwarf from Dahomey, named Nabo (aka Osmin), who had been captured and brought to her as 'a gift.' From the union, the Queen conceived a daughter of normal size who was given to a nunnery to be raised. There are a number of accounts which try to dispute and cover up what happened, suggesting that the Queen's baby was purplish of skin because of a lack of oxygen and that it died. However, there's enough evidence available confirming that the baby who was born to the Queen grew up to become a nun, and became popularly known as the Black Nun of Moret. The black nun, named Louise Marie-Therese, was known to refer to the Dauphin as her brother, and there is no doubt of her close relationship with the Versailles court. There are also contemporary and historical accounts by well known writers confirming the details of her birth, despite the many historical 'bend-over-backward' attempts to dispute what happened. Nabo is said to have been put to death by the King after the Queen gave birth to the dark-skinned baby, but this is less documented.
en.wikipedia.org
www.sfgate.com
This source includes contemporary accounts by witnesses at court, including Madame de Montespan, and a much later non-contemporary account by Voltaire:
https://andrewhopkinsart.blogspot.com/2011/02/louis-xivs-black-daughter-louise-marie.html (the account by Mdme de Montespan states: 'the little African was sent away' after the birth of the dark-skinned baby)
Plot synopses of tv series,
Versailles:
Welcome To Versailles is the pilot episode in the series and the 1st episode of Season One. The episode opens with Louis XIV alone in bed, dreaming of his mother as she lay dying. In the flashback, his younger brother Philippe is sobbing by her bedside. Louis then begins to dream of a glorious...
versailles-tv.fandom.com
Nabo (died 1667) was the African court dwarf at the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was a favorite of Queen Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis' wife, who enjoyed his company and played peek-a-boo with him. In 1667, he had an affair with Maria Theresa, resulting in the birth of a black baby...
historica.fandom.com
This source really goes to great lengths to explain it all away
Louise Marie Thérèse was a nun of the Benedictine order who made quite a remarkable claim: she was convinced that she was the illegitimate d...
thisisversaillesmadame.blogspot.com
This source attempts to protect the 'virtue' of Queen Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Spain was an infanta (meaning ‘princess’) of the Spanish Empire who lived during the 17th century. She belonged to the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg, and is best-known for being the Queen of France as a result of her marriage to the French king, Louis XIV.
www.ancient-origins.net
www.youtube.com
Perhaps it should take its own advice about being inclusive.
