“Yes, winter is bad in the midwest and probably worse in Russia.”
Yes, and the summers from what I saw in Iowa can be bad too. My first summer there we had a solid week of 106 to 107 daytime temps, with nightime lows of 93. No AC or fan either. Have son in Miami, after several one and two week trips there my husband and my reactions after about 4 days was always “Ho, hum another perfect, sunny BORING day in paradise.” I find the mid Atlantic area about right. Mostly not too hot or cold, and plenty of Spring and Fall.
Sorry you had such a bad time of it during your visit, makes you not want to go back. It sounds like you live when the temps aren't so extreme now which would be nice.
The heat never fazed me when I was growing up; I'd be out doing sports or active things, played 18 holes of golf, we walked back then, no matter how hot it was, can't handle it any more. This summer was bad when we had a storm and I had tons of tree branches to cut up; luckily it wasn't super hot or I'd work in the evening when it cooled down a bit. One summer that happened, the heat shot up, and a fellow came along and I paid him to clean it all up and haul it away, don't think I could have handled that by myself.
It brings us back to the lead story. I read about their suffering in the Ipatiev house. The ventilation was poor, and the empress suffered from a heart condition, probably made the whole family's suffering worse. I don't know how hot and humid it gets there but could be similar to the midwest.
Even in captivity, the czar kept to a work regimen, walked, chopped wood, kept busy while all the time being strength for the family.