born to rule

Maria, 18. blog dedicated to the memory of the last imperial family of russia.

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Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna wearing court dresses in 1904 and 1913.

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Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (1895-1918) (source)

The eldest child of the last Tsar, Olga was the most intelligent and sensitive of her siblings. Introspective and bookish, she had a poetic and rather serious outlook on the world that surrounded her. Olga was described as plain by people who met her, but those who spent some time in her company would inevitably swear by her immense charm. According to many she may not be beautiful, but she seemed more than beautiful owing to her manners and inner qualities which always managed to shine through. After her tragic death she would linger in the minds of those who have met her vividly. They remembered her as a girl with many gifts and much promise, that was never to be realized.

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99 years since the Romanov family and their four faithful servants were murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918. May they rest in peace ✝

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In the early hours of July 17th 1918 a family and four faithful servants waited in a dim-lit cellar in a house called “The house of special purpose”. There they were told that they had to pose for a family photo to prove they were still alive .  This family was no other than the family who once ruled Russia. The father was the ex-tsar of Russia, who was a weak ruler but he was a gentle and kind man who loved his family. The mother was descended from Queen Victoria’s bloodline who had a tough childhood after the lost of her mother and baby sister at a young age. Which shaped her into a shy woman. They had five children who were definition of innocence itself. The four beautiful daughters : One was intelligent, one was dutiful, one was brave and one was able to make all frowns turn into a smile. The youngest of the five was the delicate little boy who was originally set to rule Russia someday but that never came to be. And finally the four servants who stuck with them through thick and thin. After waiting, guards started to fill the room and there was no photo to be taken but instead a death sentence was read out. In the blink of an eye bullets ricked-shade of the walls and the echo of screams filled the room. After the gunfire, the children and some of the servants were still alive so they were brutally shot/bayoneted to death. In total it took 20-30 minutes to kill all 11 people in that cellar. 

This happened 99 years ago today, may they all rest in peace.

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Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia c. 1900 (source)

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Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (June 26, 1899 - July 17, 1918)

With her large grey, luminous eyes, her classical features, and languorous movements, she was the true type of Russian beauty; the most good natured and artless of the four sisters, with endearing qualities which drew people to her. - Alexander Grabbe

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Imperial family presented with a gift from schoolgirls

[romanovqueen]

may i ask, how do the russians feel about the romanovs?

I’m sorry i wouldn’t really know since i’m not Russian. I do know there alot of Russians fans interested in the Romanovs but that’s about it. 

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June 18th 2017 marks the 116th birthday of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia.

“At about 3 o'clock in the morning, Alix started to have strong pains. At 4 o'clock I got up, went to my room and dressed. At exactly 6 o'clock in the morning a little daughter -Anastasia- was born. Everything went off splendidly, quite quickly and thank God without complications! Thanks to the fact that it all began and ended while everyone was still asleep, we both had a feeling of calm and solitude! After that I sat down to write telegrams to relatives and friends in various parts of the world. At 11 o'clock Yanyshev said prayers. At 3 o'clock there was a Te Deum at our church. Mama arrived from Gatchina. Went for a short walk. After tea, Mama left. Luckily Alix felt quite cheerful. The little one weighs 11½ pounds and measures 55cm. Went to bed early.” - Nicholas II June 1901.

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Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (18th June 1897 - 17th July 1918)

Grand Duchess Anastasia was called by many nicknames in her lifetime, but perhaps the one that characterized her best was “Schwibzik” - “Imp”. Small in stature and last in a line of politically insignificant daughters of the Emperor, Anastasia made a reputation for herself with her mischivous pranks, gift for comedy and zest for life. Roguish and as if made of quick-silver, Anastasia was much loved by her family and thought as awful by many others, especially those who had to suffer her pranks.

In the years post her tragic death, her name was the one which kept appearing in the common mindset and gave life to the Romanov legends, and thus, even though it is sad that people misused her name, they at the same time kept her alive. Be it through movies, musicals or fiction books, the name of Anastasia keeps its fascination, and often even the most deluded fantasies can be a strating point for a better research of the actual girl, who died with her family, being merely 17. 

[romanovqueen]

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (June 18, 1901 - July 17, 1918)

Anastasia Nicolaievna, on the other hand, was very roguish and almost a wag. She had a very strong sense of humour, and the darts of her wit often found sensitive spots. She was rather an enfant terrible, though this fault tended to correct itself with age. She was also extremely idle, though with the idleness of a gifted child. Her French accent was excellent, and she acted scenes from comedy with remarkable talent. She was so lively, and her gaiety so infectious, that several members of the suite had fallen into the way of calling her "Sunshine," the nickname her mother had been given at the English Court. - Pierre Gilliard, Thirteen Years at the Russian Court

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Officers presenting flowers to the family of Tsar Nicholas II probably during the celebrations of White Flower Day. Livadia, 1912.

The White Flower Day festival was initiated in Russia in 1911 under the patronage of Emperor Nicholas II, as a means to bring people together to help those in need. All those making charitable contributions were given a small bouquet of white flowers. The money collected at the time went to help fight tuberculosis and assist those afflicted with the disease.

 Other means of raising funds for the White Flower Day festival including charity bazaars, buffets, organized concerts and other events. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, along with her children, the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and the Tsesarevich Alexei took an active part in the events, raising large sums for the cause.

Before the Revolution, April 20th was traditionally the day of the White Flower Festival, dedicated to collecting funds for the care of tuberculosis sufferers. [x]

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Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia with her baby sister the new-born Grand Duchess Tatiana, summer 1897

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Romanov Alphabet → C is for Cousins

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Formal pictures of the Russian imperial family.

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“Tatiana through her good looks and her art of self-assertion put her sister in the shade in public, as the latter, thoughtless about herself, seemed to take a back seat. Yet the two sisters were passionately devoted to each other. There was only eighteen months between them, and that in itself was a bond of union.” - Pierre Gillard

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Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (June 10, 1897 - July 17, 1918)

Tatiana was as charming as her sister Olga, but in a different way. She has been described as proud, but I never knew anyone less so. With her, as with her mother, shyness and reserve were accounted as pride, but, once you knew her and had gained her affection, this reserve disappeared, and the real Tatiana became apparent. She was a poetical creature, always yearning for the ideal, and dreaming of great friendships which might be hers. The Emperor loved her devotedly, they had much in common, and the sisters used to laugh, and say that, if a favor were required, “Tatiana must ask Papa to grant it.” She was very tall, and excessively thin, with a cameolike profile, deep blue eyes, and dark chestnut hair… a lovely Rose maiden, fragile and pure as a flower. - Lili Dehn, The Real Tsaritsa