A TikToker has revealed that she is a direct descendant of one of the 20th century’s most violent warlords, known as “the Bloody Baron.” Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg's ancestors have a dark history. The 29-year-old has descended from Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, a brutal Russian nationalist whose actions in the 1910s and '20s earned him nicknames like “God of War” and “the Mad Baron,” per New York Post.
Who is Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg?
Leonie is an MBA student living in Spain. On TikTok, she shares lighthearted clips about her daily life and calls herself a matcha-drinking millennial, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, Roman was a military leader who fought on the losing side during Russia’s 1917 communist revolution. He later invaded Mongolia and declared his own kingdom with the help of tsarist loyalists and mercenaries from both Japan and Mongolia.
He hoped to build a new Mongol empire that could march to Moscow and destroy the Soviet government. Along the way, he hunted down and killed anyone he suspected of being a communist.
Over a century after Roman's execution by the Bolsheviks in 1921, Leonie said carrying his last name has felt more like a burden than a privilege. Admitting the “burden” of her “unusual surname,” Leonie said that “the Mad Baron” was not her only well-known ancestor.
Leonie said, “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," according to New York Post report.
{{/usCountry}}Leonie said, “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," according to New York Post report.
{{/usCountry}}She added, “We were always raised in a very humble way … I’ve been working since I was 18. 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.”
Leonie said she “didn’t know much” about Roman growing up. But after sharing TikToks and vlogs with friends, her connection to one of the most infamous figures of the early 20th century quickly went viral.
What was ‘Mad Baron’ known for?
Some historians credit the Mad Baron with helping liberate Mongolia from Chinese occupation, but he is also remembered for his extreme violence and mental instability. He became obsessed with Eastern religions, and his troops were described more like a heavily armed cult than a traditional army.
Roman was not just anti-communist — he was deeply antisemitic and came up with horrific tortures for his enemies. Reports claimed he burned people alive, left them out in the cold to be eaten by wolves, crucified them with rusty nails, and even forced some to stay in treetops until they either fell and were shot or died from the elements.
Also Read: Influencer Erika Cramer's Instagram account suspended due to shocking reason: 'I've been accused...'
“All these people telling me I should reclaim the throne to Mongolia but I’m literally just a girl who drinks matcha,” Leonie joked in one TikTok video. It has been viewed more than two million times since she posted it on June 30.
She said, “I posted that video and I went to sleep. And the next day I woke up and I had a million views, which for me was surreal.” While much of the response was playful, some of it took a darker turn.
Leonie received attention from far-right extremists
She said she received attention from far-right extremists who idolize her ancestor’s ideology, and others who blamed her for Roman’s crimes. “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,” Leonie said. “I’ve gotten a lot of comments … a lot of sexism … racism,” she added.
Despite the “scary” experience, Leonie said she still carries her name with “pride and honor,” especially because of other “amazing family members.” “My great-grandparents got murdered by the Nazis for helping Jews flee the country,” she said, adding that it was “shocking” and “hurtful” to see extremists embrace her family name.
Also Read: Who is Mia Zelu? AI influencer fakes Wimbledon appearance, fools internet
Her video also drew comments from Mongolian users, whose opinions about Roman are divided. “A lot of Mongolians say, ‘In our home, [Ungern’s] a hero.’ There are some that say, ‘Without [Ungern], we would possibly belong to China right now,’” she said. “On the other hand, there are also a lot of Mongolians that say, he was brutal … an outsider … He had no business to even hold that much power.”
Now, Leonie hopes to use the attention her videos have brought to explore her family’s past more deeply. “He’s such a complex historical figure that you can’t just box him up and make him out to be one person,” she said. She concluded by saying, “He’s more complex than that.”