Latest news with #LeonievonUngern-Sternberg
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Meet Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg: The TikToker claiming bloodline to Mongolia's ‘God of War'
Source: Instagram/@leonievungern Some TikTok stories go viral for a dance. Some for a joke. And then there's Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg, whose quiet, aesthetically lit videos of sipping matcha and journaling suddenly sparked global interest when viewers learned of the blood-soaked legacy behind her name. Leonie, 29, an MBA student living in Spain, wasn't expecting the internet to erupt over her last name. 'I posted that video and I went to sleep,' she told The New York Post. 'And the next day I woke up and I had a million views, which for me was surreal.' That video, a lighthearted TikTok posted June 30, joked, 'All these people telling me I should reclaim the throne to Mongolia but I'm just a girl who drinks matcha.' It has since racked up over 2 million views — and stirred up a firestorm of commentary from amused millennials, curious historians, and disturbing far-right sympathizers alike. Source: Instagram/@leonievungern Legacy stained in blood Leonie claims direct descent from Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, one of the 20th century's most brutal warlords, often referred to as 'the Bloody Baron', 'the Mad Baron', or even 'the God of War', nicknames earned through violence that even his enemies considered extreme. Roman was a fiercely anti-Communist military commander who, after the Russian Revolution of 1917, led a violent crusade through Siberia and eventually into Mongolia. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola There, with support from loyalists to the Russian tsar, Mongol horsemen, and Japanese mercenaries, he seized control and declared himself ruler. He reportedly planned to rebuild a pan-Mongolian empire and then march on Moscow to overthrow the fledgling Soviet regime. Historians credit him with expelling Chinese forces and briefly restoring Mongolian independence, but that's only one part of the story. Ungern was known for cruelty that bordered on theatrical horror. As The Post detailed, he 'devised sadistic tortures and painful deaths for his enemies, and even his followers who disobeyed him.' Victims were said to have been crucified with rusty nails, burned alive, or tied to treetops until they froze to death or fell out and were shot. Leonie admits she grew up knowing little about him. 'I didn't know much,' she said. But the viral attention pushed her to explore the archives of her centuries-old family, whose lineage stretches back nearly 1,000 years. 'If a family is almost 1,000 years old, there is a chance that one or the other is going to … have done negative things throughout history,' she told The Post. Source: Instagram/@leonievungern "It's just a name that doesn't mean anything." Despite the name, Leonie insists her day-to-day life is far from dynastic. 'It's not like I have this super-glamorous life and I'm a baroness,' she explained. 'No, it's just a name that in that context doesn't mean anything.' 'I've been working since I was 18,' she added. 'We were always raised in a very humble way.' But the internet doesn't always do nuance. While many commenters treated her TikTok revelation as curious and even humorous, others latched onto her family history. 'I feel like I'm a case study on how a viral video can bring unwanted attention from ideologies that I personally don't align with,' she said. 'I've gotten a lot of comments … a lot of sexism … racism.'
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Descendant of the ‘God of War' is a TikTok-loving MBA student: ‘People say I should reclaim throne to Mongolia'
A direct descendant of one of the 20th century's most brutal warlords has no plans to follow in his footsteps. Instead, Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg describes herself as a matcha-loving TikToker who has no wish to reclaim the throne of Mongolia like one of her most famous ancestors. Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg is a descendant of Russian military leader Roman von Ungern-Sternberg Leonie is a descendant of Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, a Russian military leader who rose to infamy during the Russian Civil War. In a conversation with the New York Post, the 29-year-old MBA student spoke about her viral TikTok that brought her viral internet fame and a barrage of hate over her ties to one of history's most brutal warlords. Who was Roman von Ungern-Sternberg? Born in 1886, Roman led one of the 20th century's bloodiest conquests when he intervened in Mongolia against China, restoring the Bogd Khan as head of state and acting as the de facto ruler and protector of the new Mongolian state. Ungern-Sternberg's brief reign was marked by extreme brutality, both toward his enemies and civilians. His savagery earned him sobriquets like 'The Bloody Baron' and 'The Mad Baron'. He was viewed by his Mongolian subjects during his rule as the "God of War" – a title reflecting the terror he inspired. Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg: His descendant Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg, one of his descendants, is currently an MBA student in Spain and shares snippets of her life on TikTok. 'All these people telling me I should reclaim the throne to Mongolia but I'm literally just a girl who drinks matcha,' Leonie quipped in one TikTok video shared on June 30. The video blew up online and has received 2 million views till date. Screengrabs from the video posted on X have clocked in over 22 million views. 'I posted that video and I went to sleep,' Leonie told The New York Post. 'And the next day I woke up and I had a million views, which for me was surreal.' Many of the comments were amused, but she did get hate from a section of the internet. Another section of comments came from fanatics aligned with the ultra-nationalist ideology that Roman believed in. 'I feel like I'm a case study on how a viral video can bring unwanted attention from ideologies that I personally don't align with,' she said. 'I've gotten a lot of comments … a lot of sexism … racism,' she added. The burden of an infamous surname The von Ungern-Sternberg family is an old and influential Baltic-German noble house with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Leonie acknowledges the 'burden' that comes with her 'unusual surname, but says that Roman is hardly her only prominent relative. 'If a family is almost 1,000 years old, there is a chance that one or the other is going to … have done negative things throughout history,' she said. But despite her roots to ancient nobility, this 29-year-old says she did not grow up in luxury. 'We were always raised in a very humble way … I've been working since I was 18,' she said. 'It's not like I have this super-glamorous life and I'm a baroness … No, it's just a name that in that context doesn't mean anything.'
