Nice, this amazing place on the French Riviera, once became popular among high-ranking and famous Russians. Almost all members of the Romanov dynasty visited here, as well as renowned writers, artists, and officials.

In this attractive location, a casino was bound to emerge. In Monte Carlo, Chekhov, Prince Sumbatov (known as the playwright Yuzhin), Dostoevsky, Kuprin, Adamovich, and others entertained themselves. Losing here was not considered a tragedy, but rather a way of life, a kind of ritual. Losing, borrowing money, and losing again was the style of bohemian life. Chekhov mentioned in one of his letters that if his play failed, he would go to lose money in Monte Carlo. This was before the premiere of "Three Sisters."

The casino in Monte Carlo was built with Russians in mind: the nobility, officers, and creative intelligentsia easily parted with their money on the French Riviera, free from Petersburg's stuffiness. Risk and fatalism were pleasant spices here. It is no coincidence that the granddaughter of General A. V. Suvorov, Maria Golitsyna, known as the "mad princess," entered the history of Nice. In 1874, she won and lost a million francs in one evening, ultimately breaking even.

Nice was a place of incredible stories: here, the famous dancer and courtesan Mata Hari fell in love with a Russian captain. Another naval officer lost the ship's treasury and threatened to blow up the casino if he was not refunded. This was the only case in gambling history where the casino returned the lost money.