Anastasia Romanov is a very mysterious figure in history, in fact the whole Romanov family would be more precise. Wake up a grand duchess during the first world war, go to sleep a prisoner in your own palace, one year later walking to your death....
The last Grand Duchess of Holy Russia, and of all of Russia, she died a brutal and early death...
or did she die at all?
ANASTASIA'S
FAMILY HISTORY AND HOME
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanova was born on June 5, 1901 at the Imperial Farm Palace in the Alexandria Park at Peterhof . Her parents were His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II, Tsar, of Russia and Her Imperial Majesty, Alexandra Fyodorovna, Tsarina of all of Russia. By the time that Anastasia was around ten, the Romanovs had been ruling for 300 years. And she also had family ties to England's Royal family, her mother being Queen Victoria's granddaughter. Anastasia had three sisters (the Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, and Maria) and one brother ( the Tsarevich, Alekesy).
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanova was born on June 5, 1901 at the Imperial Farm Palace in the Alexandria Park at Peterhof . Her parents were His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II, Tsar, of Russia and Her Imperial Majesty, Alexandra Fyodorovna, Tsarina of all of Russia. By the time that Anastasia was around ten, the Romanovs had been ruling for 300 years. And she also had family ties to England's Royal family, her mother being Queen Victoria's granddaughter. Anastasia had three sisters (the Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, and Maria) and one brother ( the Tsarevich, Alekesy).
The last Tsar of Russia and his family resided 16 miles outside of Russia's
capital city of St. Petersburg in Tsarskoe Selo. Tsarskoe Selo means "Tsar's Village". They lived in
the "small" 200 room side of the Alexander Palace.
The two older Grand Duchesses, Olga (left) and Tatiana (right) pose in their regal
The two older Grand Duchesses, Olga (left) and Tatiana (right) pose in their regal
When the Tsarevich was born everyone in Russia was overjoyed that they had a healthy future ruler. Although the new child seemed normal and healthy, he was not. Throughout Alexandra's family history many of the women had passed down a disease to their sons that caused severe internal bleeding that could result in death. And Aleksey Nicholaevich Romanov had the disease.
All throughout her life, Alexandra sought out help for Aleksey, but had no such luck. Then from a from a close friend, she got word of a Holy man with healing powers. Alexandra soon came in contact with the man people called "Rasputin". He came to the palace occasionally and always made rounds throughout the house praying over the family. Many despised Alexandra during the first world war because she was of German decent, and after Rasputin started visiting the palace, many rumors spread that they were having an affair while the tsar was away. Although, no rumors were true, and the tsar's ruling was not bad, many advisors were pressuring Nicholas to abdicate the throne. Rasputin had predicted in a letter to Alexandra that if he ever was killed and someone related to the family was responsible for his death, Nicholas would be forced to abdicate the throne, and the entire Romanov family would be dead within two years. Not too long after the letter was written, Nicholas's niece's husband murdered Rasputin. Soon after, Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne and the revolutionary Bolsheviks put the royal family under house arrest.
The family then moved to Siberia and spent months under close eyes of the Bolshevik guards. When they were told that they were moving to another house and to pack only clothes, the women did not know what to do with there jewels. The jewels finally were sown into the women's corsets where they could not be found.
Where the family really went was the house in Enaitenberg, called "The House of Special Purpose". This was to be the family's last stay anywhere.
They were watched each day and were in something like solitary confinement until they were awakened in the middle of the night and told to put on their clothes to take pictures. The entire family was led into a bare room where Nicholas and his family lined up for the picture, and with the girls and the palace staff that was left. Nicholas had asked for two chairs for Alexandra and Aleksey and when they brought them back, a line of men with guns followed.
When men took the bodies to be burned, there was a discrepancy about accounts of what happened at the pit where they were to be dumped. Some eye-witness accounts state that one of the sisters was still alive and was taken to another location. Many believe that it was Anastasia or Maria. Others believe that it was Aleksey. Many people came forward claiming to be the lost tsarevich or grand duchesses. One woman, who called herself Anya, convinced many people, but not the empress.
For now we will never know if Anastasia was alive or dead, but it truly is the mystery that most love to ponder on.
(ABOVE) Her Imperial Majesty, Alexandra Fyodorovna, Tsarina of all of Holy Russia.
(BELOW) This portrait was one of many in a series of portraits done for the 300 year celebration of Romanov rule. (Left to right) Tatiana, Olga, Anastasia, Maria, Center, Tsarina Alexandra) In this portrait Tatiana was wearing a wig because she lost her hair due to an illness.
