Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanova

Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanova was born on June 5/18, 1901 at 6:00 A.M. in the Lower Dacha at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her father was Tsar Nicholas II Romanov, and her mother was Empress Alexandra of Hesse; who was the favorite grand daughter of England’s Queen Victoria. After the births of three daughters already and still no heir to the throne, the couple was desperate to give birth to a son. Alexandra grew increasingly anxious; it was the Empress' one duty to provide an heir. They hired mystics and stargazers for help and all were sure Alexandra’s child would be a boy. So when yet another girl was born to the Imperial family, she was a big disappointment. The mystics proclaimed that because she was sure to have been a boy, but was instead a girl, Anastasia would lead an exceptional life and have an unusual destiny. It is said that Nicholas had to take a walk in the park before putting a smile on his face and going in to see his wife. Although the whole of Russia felt the anguish of a fourth daughter, the couple loved her all the same. They named her Anastasia after a Montegrin princess, who was also Alexandra’s close friend. The name Anastasia in Greek can be roughly translated to, “she who will rise again”. Nicholas wrote this in his diary that day:

“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 our little daughter 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. Luckily Alix felt quite cheerful. The little one weighs 11½ pounds and measures 55 centimeters.”

Even though Anastasia wasn't quite as elegant and graceful as her sisters were, she gained welcome attention with her great wit and charm. Alexandra, ever more anxious for the future, still tried to have a male child and in 1904 she finally succeeded. In August of that year, Alexandra gave birth to a baby boy whom they named Alexei, and everyone in Russia rejoiced. The couple was extremely happy with their beautiful new son with golden curls and bright blue eyes, but the joy didn't last long. It was soon noticed that baby Alexei's navel was bleeding and it wouldn't stop. It worried Nicholas and Alexandra but they didn't jump to any conclusions. Soon it was also noticed that when baby Alexei crawled, he developed large bruises on his elbows and knees. To their horror the doctor confirmed their worst fears: he had haemophilia. Haemophilia is a rare blood disease that occurs in boys in which the blood cannot clot. A simple cut is nothing to worry about, but if he got a bump or bruise, it caused the boy excruciating pain and he could die. He inherited it from Alexandra who got the gene from her mother, who got the gene from Queen Victoria. Most people with the disease in that time period did not make it past childhood, and since Alexandra had a brother who died from it, she was very afraid for Alexei's safety and was often anxious and worried. This anxiety led to health problems such as headaches and a weak heart. These health ailments kept her lying in bed most of the time. She often spoke to her daughters through letters exchanged under the same roof. The girls loved playing with little Alexei and he was the sunshine of the whole family. When he was ill, everyone in the palace found it hard to be cheerful. But when he wasn't ill it seemed as if the palace household had been transformed and everyone was happy. He was given two sailor nannies: Derevenko and Nagory, to look after him. Alexei longed to be normal and often asked questions like, "Why can't I be like other boys?". Fortunately, Anastasia and Alexei were very close and Anastasia's lively personality helped him to deal with the restrictions of his illness.

Anastasia had a very distinguished look that was somewhat different than her sisters. She was not a classic beauty in most eyes. She had golden hair with a bit of red like her mother, a long straight nose, sharp chin, and thin lips. But her eyes, which she inherited from her father, were what made her stand out amongst her sisters. It's said that there was not a single person that ever met Nicholas that did not comment on the beauty of his eyes. They were the luminous blue “Romanov eyes”. Anastasia’s were of a striking cornflower blue. When she laughed, she never looked at the subject of her laughter, but peered at it through the corners of her eyes. Anastasia was very short for her age and hated it. When she got older she became rather stocky and henceforth, earned the nickname, "Dumpling".

A tomboy and intelligent, people who knew her well said she was comically good at wicked impersonations of those around her. She was incredibly good at picking up the foibles of those around her and acting them out hilariously. Once when the fat Baroness Kutzova, who was visiting the palace jumped on a chair and complained of a heart attack brought on by the appearance of a mouse, she had no idea that a little girl was silently watching her every move. When the family was alone it would all come out, "Oh the fun we had when we heard duplicated the fat Baroness Kutzova. Very naughty of Anastasia but she certainly was brilliant at it!” She was known as an “enfant terrible”, “roguish”, “a very monkey for jokes”, “frightfully temperamental”, and a wag. Once when Alexandra was discussing portraits of the children she told someone, “It is Anastasia who will give you trouble!” She was a natural comedian and could make any one laugh. Even as a toddler Anastasia could entertain grave old men and important political figures at the dinner table. She could mimic exactly the mannerisms and speech of those around her, sometimes brutally. Once the little girl was teasing so ruthlessly that her Aunt Olga Alexandrovna slapped her. Anastasia did not cry (she rarely did; even when hurt) but her face turned scarlet and she silently slipped from the room. Another time, Olga Alexandrovna, Nicholas, and Alexandra were laughing and discussing an incident that occurred earlier, and Anastasia stood by the door listening. Suddenly, she said “Very funny, but I don’t see the joke in it at all.” She then ran away before they had time to scold her.

Her same gift of ear and tongue in mimicry also allowed her to obtain perfect foreign accents. Her French tutor, Pierre Gilliard claimed that she had a marvelous French accent. When she was very little she showed great interest in the classroom but soon that interest faded and she was prone to laziness. Her Aunt Olga recalled, "Her teachers called it laziness. But I am not so sure. I think books as books never said much to her." Even though she wasn't the most intellectual of her siblings she was quite possibly the brightest of them. Count Alexander Von Grabbe remembered, "Whenever I talked with her, I always came away impressed by the breadth of her interests. That her mind was keenly alive was immediately apparent." Once she even tried to bribe her English tutor Sidney Gibbes with flowers to raise her poor marks! When he refused, she gave them to her favorite; the Russian tutor Peter Petrov as a gift. Anastasia started school when she was eight years old. She was taught in geography, arithmetic, history, general sciences, art, grammar, English, Russian, French, and dancing. She was horrible at spelling and grammar and she regarded arithmetic as “pig and filth!”. Russian and English were the only languages she could speak fluently and the only languages the family used at home. The family usually spoke English amongst themselves but Anastasia would speak Russian with her father and with Alexei who knew only Russian fluently. She always spoke English with her mother and it is said the family had a British accent. When Anastasia and her sisters were very little it was said that the girls had a Scottish accent due to their Scottish nanny influencing their speech but this was corrected quickly.

Anastasia had many passions. One of which was animals. Her first real dog was of a Pomeranian type, named Shvibzik. In Russian that means "imp", and it was also Anastasia's nickname given by her family. When little Shvibzik did the "governor" on her mother's carpets Anastasia had a little silver bucket and shovel to clean it up with. Once time, Anastasia couldn't find Shvibzik and wouldn't go to bed until she found him. Getting desperate, Alexandra started to bark. This worked and when Shvibzik answered he was found underneath the sofa. In 1915, Shvibzik died of cerebral inflammation. Poor Anastasia was inconsolable for many weeks and missed him terribly. The children gave him a little funeral with hymns and he was buried on The Children’s Island at Peterhof. She was also given a cow by the President of France that was kept at the Imperial zoo. The whole family loved animals and each family member had their favorite pets. Nicholas had a herd of collies, Alexandra had scottish terrier named Eira, Olga had a kitten named Vaska, Tatiana kept a French bulldog named Ortino who slept with her (much to the annoyance of Olga who disliked his snoring), Maria was fond of a Siamese cat (and a mouse in Maria and Anastasia's bedroom wall that Anastasia did not like), and Alexei loved his spaniel named Joy.

Anastasia's other passion was for the arts. She was a very good painter and loved to draw. Although she wasn’t as accomplished as her sisters, she enjoyed it immensely and showed promise. She could play the piano, guitar, and balalaika well. Often, she and Alexei would play duets together on the guitar or balalaika. And sometimes all of the children would play together with someone on the piano. She was a talented actress especially in comedies and people said if she hadn’t been the daughter of the Tsar, she would have made an excellent actress. Anastasia could be seen spending her free time writing letters, painting, knitting, sewing, working on their photo albums, drawing, taking walks, watching films, taking pictures, reading, or lying in bed.

Like her mother, she suffered from stomach ailments and Porfiria. Which was a disorder that caused little red splotches on the face and neck when angry or upset. It was also discovered that she had very painful bunions that affected both her big toes but was much worse on her right. Surgery was considered, but then thought to be too risky. Anastasia also had a weak back due to a "defective muscle" and had to have a massage twice a week. She hated what she labeled "fuss" and when the massuse came to the palace, a search had to be organized for the missing Grand Duchess. Sometimes she would hide in a cupboard or under her bed just to put the massage off for another few minutes. Nicholas was often strict with her but usually saved her from the harsh punishments she might have deserved. Anastasia's great charm undoubtedly helped her get out of trouble, too.

Anastasia had a love for chocolates and candies and when her Aunt Olga visited for tea, Anastasia enjoyed stuffing her full of chocolates. An officer of the families yacht, The Standart, said that in her pockets she always had a candy, "Creme brulee”, and once he had an open box of Japanese cherries in sugar sitting around. Anastasia was not allowed to take things from the officers, but she looked around to make sure none of her sisters were watching and took one with great delight. She also loved perfumes and wanted her nanny, Shura, to always smell like "a bouquet of fresh flowers". A favorite perfume was Coty's "Violette".

M. Eager, a nanny of the Grand Duchesses once said, "Olga has grace, wit, and good looks; Tatiana is a regular beauty; Marie is so sweet-natured, good and obliging, no one could help loving her; but little Anastasie has personal charm beyond any child I ever saw." Pierre Gilliard later noted that “For all her weaknesses you were bound to love this child, because you could not escape from her irresistible charm, made up of freshness, enjoyment of life, ingenuousness and simplicity."

Although she and her three older sisters were all very close, Anastasia's best friend was her older sister Maria, of two years. Olga and Tatiana were known as the Big Pair while Maria and Anastasia were called the Little Pair. The pairs were genuinely devoted to each other from birth and dressed alike. But each girl had their own little difference in their dress; such as a different color or design.

The two pairs each shared rooms that were across the hall from each other. Olga and Tatiana’s was pink with dragonflies at the top and Maria and Anastasia’s was grey with butterflies. The rooms were large, decorated and furnished simply in green and white with icons in every corner, couches with embroidered cushions, and favorite photographs everywhere. The girls all slept on army camp cots, which they moved around the room all year round to catch the breezes. A big room divided by a curtain served as a dressing room and bathroom for all of them. Half of the room was full of cupboards and the other half was occupied by a large solid silver bath. Anastasia and her sisters took a cold bath in the morning like their father did when he was younger. But when they got older they were allowed to take a warm one in the evening with perfumed bath waters by Coty. Olga liked, "Rose, the"; Tatiana favored, "Jasmin de corse"; Maria was constantly changing her perfumes but was more or less faithful to "Lilac", and Anastasia never deviated from “Violette.”

Olga, the eldest, was born on November 16th, 1895. She had chestnut blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slightly up-turned nose which she referred to as, "my humble snub". She was thought to be the most intellectual of Nicholas and Alexandra's children. She loved to read anything she could get her hands on and would sometimes take books from Alexandra’s room. When confronted about it she would simply smile and say, “You must wait Mama, until I found out if it is a proper one for you to read!” Not only did she enjoy reading poetry, but she also wrote her own poems. She inherited a lot of her father's qualities; she was open, honest, and blunt in her way of speaking. She was also sometimes moody and possessed a hot temper. She frequently clashed with her mother as she grew older and she was constantly getting rebuked for her actions. Olga had a very kind, passionate heart and when she was old enough to use part of her inheritance she put a lot into charity. Once when seeing a crippled boy she inquired about his condition and ended up setting aside money to help pay for the boy's medical bills. Musically gifted, she had a lovely mezzo-soprano singing voice and could play piano by ear. She was made a Red Cross nurse during the war but became depressed and anemic. Olga felt her religion deeply in her heart and seemed to be the only one of the children that truly understood the danger her family was in during the revolution and imprisonment. This knowledge made her increasingly depressed and withdrawn as time wore on. She was 22 when she died.

Tatiana, the second oldest, was born on June 11th, 1897. Tatiana had dark reddish brown hair, grey eyes, and exotic features. She was the most regal of the four daughters. When you were near her, people said you never forgot that you were in the presence of a daughter of the Tsar. She was thought to be the most beautiful of them and was the most popular among the public. She often doted and mothered her younger siblings and so they dubbed her, “The Governess”. Tatiana emerged as the leader of the Grand Duchesses, which didn't bother Olga. Tatiana was very much like her mother in personality and looks. She was regal, reserved, responsible, and devout in her religion. Tatiana tried to do whatever she could to please her mother and wanted to be the best daughter she could. Although she was very talented when it came to musical and artist pursuits, she cared more for practical endeavours. Tatiana also had a less serious side and could be quite amusing which is visible in her letters. She became a Red Cross nurse during the war and worked hard. She was 21 when she died.

Next was Maria or “Mashka/Masha”. Maria was born on June 27th, 1899. She had light brown hair, big blue eyes (referred to as "Mashka's Saucers" by family), and the Romanov's level eyebrows. Maria was very angelic as a small child and her father commented that he was always afraid of the wings growing! She was so good that Olga and Tatiana often called her the step sister. She was a little chubby until she reached her late teen years and they lovingly called her "The Good Fat Puppy" because of her dog-like loyalty. Maria was sweet, romantic, a daydreamer, and a bit clumsy. She always seemed to find a way to hurt herself. She was lovingly teased by the family for her many crushes and she once said she would like to marry a Russian soldier and have twenty children. Her dream was to one day have a family of her own. She loved children and was known to scoop babies out of their mother’s arms and cover them with kisses. She was more simple in her tastes than her sisters and was more easy to talk to. Maria had no airs of grandeur about her and she loved to talk to soldiers and learn about their lives, homes, and families. She was smart and enjoyed schoolwork. She was talented with drawing and painting, always with her left hand, but didn't apply herself. Maria sponsored a hospital with Anastasia and loved spending time there. She had just turned 19 when she died.

Little Alexei was always the center of attention in the family. He was a bit spoiled, could be very mischievous, and liked to romp with Anastasia when health permitted. He had reddish golden hair and blue eyes. Alexei's own illness allowed him to understand other's pain and illnesses very well and this made him an especially kind and thoughtful child. He was very contemplative and was a deep thinker. When Alexei was well, he was just as lively as Anastasia. He loved to go with his father and spend time with him. There was a special attachment between Alexei and Anastasia. They invented their own language which they called "Tarabar". They loved writing mysterious letters in this made up language and exchanged them in secret. Imprisonment effected Alexei greatly and he suffered terribly from boredom. He died when he was 13.

"To Her Highness stupid Marie and Anostoie. Thanks for thesnakck I rekon well befightin. M. A. Alexei. 1914."

The four daughters of the last Tsar are usually regarded as the closest royal sisters in history. The four were sometimes referred to as OTMA; derived from the initials of their first names. They used this name to jointly give cards and gifts. But around the house and in public they were simply called, Olga Nicholaievna, Tatiana Nicholaievna, Maria Nicholaievna, and Anastasia Nicholaievna; Or by their nicknames. The girls didn’t like to be called by their official titles, and it often embarassed them. They were not spoiled children in any way. They made their own beds, cleaned up their own rooms, got only a small allowance to buy notepaper and perfumes, helped the maids, and sometimes played with the servant’s children. If they were to buy a gift for someone, it meant giving up something they wanted for themselves.

Everyday, they had breakfast at 9:00 AM. Lunch was at 1:00 PM and 12:30 PM on Sundays. A family tea was held at five, and dinner was at 8:00 PM. In the evenings the girls would work on puzzles or needlework while their father read aloud. Sundays were a great occasion for the girls because that was the day that their Aunt Olga took them to her home for a party with other young people. “The girls enjoyed every minute of it,” wrote Olga Alexandrovna over fifty years later. “Especially my dear god-daughter Anastasia. Why I can still hear her laughter rippling all over the room. Dancing, music, games-why, she threw herself wholeheartedly into them all.” The whole family looked forward to summer when they could go on their beloved yacht, the Standart. For two weeks in June they would cruise the coast of Finland, sometimes going ashore to have excursions on the islands. One spot in particular, called “The Bay of Standart” by the children, was a favorite among the whole family and they anchored there often to have picnics, hikes, and play tennis on the court that Nicholas had built there himself. They all found life on the Standart very comfortable and Anastasia always waited longingly for the hour to come when she could dance with the officers.

Growing up behind the palace gates with no one to play with beside themselves, the girls were somewhat younger than they really were. As girls of sixteen, people remarked that they conversed as girls of about twelve. But they were very smart, devoted, kind, and charitable. If only they hadn’t held the last name of Romanova, they could have made something of themselves.

In 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. When Alexandra found out she began crying and her mother cry Anastasia and her sisters also burst into tears.

The troubles of the war took over much of Anastasia’s teen years. Anastasia did not get a special ball for her 16th birthday like Olga did (and neither did Tatiana or Maria). Traditionally, Nicholas's daughters were given their own regiments on their name day when they were fourteen years old. Anastasia's regiment was the 148th Kaspiisky (Caspian) Infantry and they were located in Peterhof. Since before Anastasia's birth the regiment had chosen December 22nd (St. Anastasia's Feast Day) as their regimental holiday. Because December 22nd was also Anastasia's name day that is probably the reason she was given this regiment. Anastasia was not given this regiment on her name day, but rather her 14th birthday. Nicholas wrote in his diary:

"On the occasion of Anastasia's birthday, I named her Shef (Colonel-in-Chief) of the 148th Kaspiisky Infantry Regiment."

From them on the regiment was known as the "148th Kaspiisky Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna's Infantry Regiment."

Alexandra and the girls did their part in the war by helping wounded soldiers. Alexandra transformed many palaces into hospitals and she, Olga, Tatiana, and Olga Alexandrovna took nursing classes so that they could become real Red Cross nurses. They each passed their exams and it was said Alexandra had never looked as happy as she was after doing so. The men who came in had horrific wounds but the women did their job dutifully. They amputated limbs, drained wounds, assisted in surgeries, and did stitches. Maria and Anastasia were thought to young to see the kind of things that Olga and Tatiana saw so they became hospital patronesses. Maria and Anastasia had there own hospital sponsored by money right out of their own pockets. Everyday they visited the hospitals and did what they could for the wounded men. They helped them to read (which Anastasia particularly enjoyed), knitted things for them, wrote letters to their families with their dictation, listened to stories, played cards, checkers, talked about their families, played pool, and had evening chats on the telephone. The girls also enjoyed playing with the babies in one of the hospitals. Once, Alexandra tried to get the girls to go ride their horses and only Tatiana submitted because the other girls were "too lazy" and instead went to the hospital to play with the babies.

“Today I sat with our soldier and helped him to read, which I enjoyed very much. He has begun to learn to read and write here. Two more poor things died, we sat with them only yesterday.”

The Little Pair organized little concerts and had movie showings to entertain the men. After they were done at the hospital they came home and had lessons. Anastasia really enjoyed visiting the hospitals and would remember them often in the last years of her life:

“We remember the old days, visiting our hospital. I guess no one goes to the graves of our injured ones now. Nearly everyone was taken away from Tsarskoe. Do you remember Lukyanov? He was so pitiful and sweet, always playing with our bracelets like a baby. His visiting card was in my album, but unfortunately the album was left behind at Tsarskoe. Just now I’m writing in our bedroom. On the writing desk are pictures of our beloved hospital…All in all, the times we went to visit the hospital were awfully good. We often reminisce about our visits to the hospital, the evening chats on the telephone, and everything, everything…”

The war was not going well and Nicholas's popularity was becoming increasingly low. In February, the revolution was at its peak, and Anastasia and her siblings were one-by-one falling ill with German measles. Olga, Tatiana, and Alexei were the first to sucumb to the illness while Maria and Anastasia were just showing small signs of an oncoming illness. Outside, there were 1,500 men taking defensive positions around the Alexander Palace. Petrograd was in the hands of an angry crowd and they were stopping all cars.

Lili Dehn, Alexandra's close friend, had to stay at the Alexander Palace with them and stayed in the Crimson Room on the couch. Maria and Anastasia added small trinkets to the room to make it more comfortable for her. Anastasia put out her nightgown on the bed for her and Maria brought in an icon, lamp, and a picture. Alexandra left Lili with Anastasia, and they amused themselves on the carpet with jigsaw puzzles until she returned. When she came back, Alexandra suddenly sent Anastasia to bed and told Lili, “I don’t want the girls to know anything until it is impossible to keep the truth from them, but people are drinking to excess, and there is indiscriminate shooting in the streets. Oh, Lili, what a blessing that we have here the most devoted troops. There is the Garde Equipage, they are all our personal friends, and I place implicit faith in the tirailleurs of Tsarskoe.”

The next morning they had coffee in the Grand Duchesses room. Alexandra told Lili that they had repeatedly wired to the Tsar, who was Mogilev, but had not received a reply. Later she was informed that things on the outside were becoming more and more alarming and that the Garde Equipage should remain inside the Palace because there were reports of mobs supported by the Duma marching in Tsarskoe Selo. The scene outside the Alexander Palace was a frightening one. By nightfall, the 1,500 men’s soup kitchens and warming fires were established in the palace courtyard. The Empress was reassured, and Maria and Anastasia, seeing the familiar faces, declared happily, “It’s just like being on the yacht again.”

The rest of the night was spent in anxious fear. At nine, a phone call advised them that rebels were on their way. A moment later, a sentry was shot. Alexandra decided to go outside and talk with the soldiers. She threw a black fur cloak over her nursing uniform, with Maria and Anastasia and walked out to ask for the men’s loyalty to them. Although the palace itself was not assaulted, the sick children could still hear the sound of gunfire. When they asked what it was, they were told that the shots came from maneuvers.

That night Maria slept with Alexandra, and Lili and Anastasia slept together in the same room. Neither of them could sleep and talked to each other in low voices. Occasionally Lili would fall silent, which Anastasia would then ask, "Lili, are you asleep?" During the night, the two got up and looked out the window and saw that a huge gun had been placed in the courtyard. "How astonished Papa will be,” Anastasia whispered as she stared at the gun. Sentinels were dancing around the gun in order to keep from the bitter cold. And in the distance they could hear drunken voices shouting and the occasional shots. They stood watching the scene outside for a few minutes and then returned to bed.

At 5 am on Wednesday morning, the day Nicholas was expected to arrive, Lili and Anastasia went downstairs to Alexandra's bedroom. Alexandra opened the door and said, "Hush... Marie is asleep: the train is late... Most probably the Emperor won't come until ten." Lili asked, "Oh Madame, why is the train late?" Alexandra only smiled sadly.

As Lili and Anastasia were going back upstairs to their room, Anastasia said in agitated tones, "Lili, the train is never late. Oh, if Papa would only come quickly... I'm beginning to feel ill. What shall I do if I get ill? I can't be useful to Mamma... Oh, Lili, say I'm not going to be ill." She cried and cried though Lili tried to calm her down and persuaded her to lie down and sleep. Anastasia wanted to help her mother as much as she could and Alexandra often referred to her as “my legs!” Alexei had recovered from the measles, but now Maria and Anastasia were beginning to fall ill. Anastasia could not reconcile herself to the idea of being ill and cried for a long time repeating, “Please don’t keep me in bed.”

Soon it was heard that leaflets announcing the Tsars abdication were being distributed in St. Petersburg, but Alexandra didn’t believe them. At 7:00 PM, Grand Duke Paul arrived and asked to have a meeting with Alexandra. She went eagerly and Paul spoke to the Empress in the Crimson Room. Lili and Maria were sitting in the adjoining study and they could hear the loud voice of Grand Duke Paul and the agitated replies of Alexandra. This made Maria apprehensive and she asked, “Why is he shouting at Mama? Don’t you think I had better see what’s the matter Lili?” “No, no,” Said Lili, “we had better remain here quietly.” Maria got up to leave the study and said, “You can remain but I’ll go to my room. I can’t bear to think Mama is worried.” Right after she left Alexandra entered the room looking pale. “Abdicate!” she said. Nicholas had really abdicated the Russian throne, but not only for him, for Alexei as well. Suddenly Lili heard someone crying bitterly and she saw Maria crouched in the corner crying. Right at that moment the servant Volkoff entered and in trembling tones, announced dinner. Alexandra tried to regain her composure and Lili and her went into the next room. Then Alexandra looked around and asked where Maria was. Lili went back into the Crimson room where Maria was still crouching in the corner crying. She knelt beside her and rested Maria’s head on her shoulder. “Darling,” she said, kissing the tear-stained face, “don’t cry… You will make Mama so unhappy. Think of her.” Maria then tried to forget her sorrow and said, “Ah… I’d forgotten, Lili. Yes, I must think of Mama.” Lili and Maria then went to find Alexandra.

The future now seemed very precarious for all of them. They were eager for Nicholas’s return to the palace. When he returned, everything would get better they thought. That night, Maria slept in the Crimson Room with Lili. They layed awake for hours talking about the developments of the day. The next day Alexandra and Lili started to burn all of Alexandra’s diaries and correspondence and visited the Grand Duchesses. Olga was now suffering from inflammation in the head, Tatiana’s eardrums had ruptured and she could not hear, and Anastasia showed very little or no progress. After lunch Alexandra received a call from Nicholas, who said he would be arriving soon. Suddenly things got much happier.

On Wednesday March 8th, Count Benckendorff came to inform them that Nicholas would arrive at Tsarskoe on the 9th, and that the Revolutionary authorities had made the decision to arrest everyone inside of the Palace by noon. Benckendorff asked Alexandra to compile a list of the people that would be willing to remain with them. Lili wished to stay with the family and share their danger. At last, Alexandra felt it was time to tell the children of their father’s abdication. Alexandra went into the children’s room and sat with them for a while telling them the news. Tatiana and Anastasia were suffering from painful ear abcesses and could not hear the news of their father’s abdication, so Olga and Maria wrote it down for them to read. Anastasia had already sensed what had happened and after Alexandra left she looked at Lili and said quietly, "Mama has told us everything, Lili; but, as Papa is coming, nothing else matters. However, you have known what was going on. . How could you keep it from us? Why, you're usually so nervous how is it you are so calm?" Lili simply kissed Anastasia and told her she owed it all to her mother.

Later that night, Maria finally fell ill with the measles. Like Anastasia, she dreaded becoming ill. She kept saying, “Oh, I did so want to be up when Papa comes.” Her temperature kept rising and just before she went unconscious she told Lili, “Lili, can’t you sleep with Mama tonight?” Lili told her she would, then went to see Olga and Tatiana, who also requested that she sleep with her mother that night. (One of the girls had usually slept with their mother in case she needed assisstance in the middle of the night.) That very next day Lili was forced to leave the palace. She had just enough time to say rush into Anastasia and Maria's room where both girls were lying in bed and kiss Anastasia many times while telling her she would never desert them.

Maria, who wanted more than anyone to greet her Papa when he came, was dangerously ill. On top of measles she also developed double pneumonia. She went inbetween consciousness and was put on oxygen at one point. Her high fever seemed to give her horrible nightmares. She have visions that crowds of "dreadful people" were coming to kill her Mama. She would wonder why they would do such a terrible thing. Botkin feared the young girl would not live. Lili stayed with Maria and sponged bathed her and combed her long, beautiful hair.

When Nicholas returned to his family everything seemed instantly better and everyone in better spirits. The family was then put under house-arrest.

A mixture of medication and high fevers caused the girls' hair to fall out. Alexandra thought it would be best to shave it to promote healthy growth. They had their heads shaved on June 22nd, 1917. Alexei also had his head shaved with his sisters even though Alexandra didn't want him to and he later wrote in his diary that he made his Mama angry. The girls took delight in shocking people with their baldness and Anastasia said she rather liked the idea. Once Pierre Gilliard wanted to take their picture but at the last second they all removed their hats on a motion from Olga, showing off their bald heads.

Life under house arrest went on like it did before, despite a few things. Crowds gathered at the gates to jeer at the family when they were taking walks on the grounds. Palace menus were posted so that the people could see how the Royal family was stuffing themselves while they were starving for meager amounts of bread. The family made their own kitchen garden and spent most of their time taking care of it. The servants even helped to carry water. Once they were well enough lessons for Anastasia and her siblings also resumed. Nicholas himself gave lessons in history and geography, Baroness Buxhoeveden gave lessons in English and piano, Mlle. Schneider taught arithmetic, countess Hendrikova taught art, and Alexandra taught religion. Gilliard, besides French, became the informal headmaster. Olga was now old enough to stop taking lessons but she would devote some of her free time to reading historical books and would go over history with the younger girls sometimes.

At this time, the family still thought they would go to the Crimea and there had also been talk that the family would be allowed to stay in England but England refused to house them.

Eventually, it was decided that they be moved to Tobolsk, Siberia. The last day they spent at Tsarskoe Selo, the children ran excitedly about the grounds saying goodbye to the servants, their belongings, and their favorite island in the pond. On this day, Alexei wrote in his diary that he threw Olga in the water fully clothed.

The family and the people going with them stayed up very late into the night in the semi-circular hall waiting for departure. Finally, they left the Alexander Palace at 6 a.m. They took the steamship Rus to Tobolsk, Siberia. When they arrived, the house was not yet ready for them to live in yet so they had to live on the Steamship for eight days. Finally, when the house was ready on August 26th, at eight in the morning Nicholas, Alexei, Olga, Maria, and Anastasia walked from the dock to the house along a road lined with soldiers. Alexandra and Tatiana followed behind in a carriage. The Govenor’s mansion was a large two-story white house. OTMA shared a corner bedroom and they brought their camp beds from the Alexander Palace with them. Anastasia decorated the wall above her bed with some of her favorite photographs and drawings. Life in Tobolsk wasn’t completely horrible but very boring for them. The window in the girls’ bedroom provided Anastasia with distraction because she could sit and watch the passers by. Lessons continued for Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. They started at 9:00 AM and broke off from 11:00 to 12:00 for a walk with Nicholas. The house had no classroom so the lessons were often in the large hall on the first floor. At 1:00 PM they had lunch and at 2:00 PM they went out for a walk and to play outside until around 4:00 PM. They put on numerous plays for amusement and took daily walks behind a tall fence.

In the winter they built a snow mountain and slid down it until they had to put a drainage ditch through it and they were unable to. The Grand Duchesses enjoyed sawing and cutting wood as well. Sometimes they would stand outside on their heads, and wave at people passing. Evening prayer services were held in a corner of the downstairs drawing room, which was decorated with icons and lamps. On September 21, Kobylinksy arranged for the family to begin attending a private early mass at a nearby church. On these occasions, two lines of soldiers formed in the public garden that lay between the house and the church. As the Imperial family walked between the two lines, people standing behind the soldiers crossed themselves and some dropped to their knees. Life was monotonous but not unbearable.

"Lessons for us as usual, everyday, morning, and evening. The weather has been marvelous these last days and we often sit on the balcony, glad of the change of scenery, looking at passers by. Just now, I am sitting and writing by the window. It's already 7:45, but still light out. The church bells are ringing, reminding us of the cathedral at Tsarskoe."

Suddenly, Anastasia started putting on weight at an alarming rate. Anastasia was devastated by her weight gain. She probably would have grown out of it like Maria had when she had gotten a little older. Anastasia said, "I have not yet turned into an elephant, though I might yet very soon. I really don't know why all of a sudden. Maybe it's too little movement, though I don't know". Alexandra wrote to their friend Anya that, “Anastasia, to her despair is now very fat, as Maria was, round and fat to the waist, with short legs. I do hope she will grow.”

Soon Nicholas was called for trial. They weren't sure where. Alexandra had to make the agonizing decision of going with Nicholas and sharing her husband’s fate, or staying with her ill son. It was a very hard desicion for her to make and she was devastated. All through the night she was certain something would happen which would prevent them from leaving. Tatiana finally talked to her saying that either way something must be decided and that she couldn't go on tormenting herself. Eventually she chose to accompany Nicholas and to take Maria along to help her. Olga was to take care of Alexei, Tatiana the household, and Anastasia was "to cheer all up". The children were very sad to see their parents and Maria leaving them. They had never been separated this way before. They spent the night together and none of them could sleep. Peasant carts lined up at the house for the trip and Alexandra and Maria went in the first one. All they had to sit on was hay a mattress for Alexandra. Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia stood on the porch, "three figures in grey suits", crying as they watched the carts drive away. One-by-one they turned around and went back inside the house and climbed the stairs slowly to their room and their sobs could be heard through the house.

While Nicholas, Alexandra, and Maria were gone, the children were even more bored and sad. They told each others fortunes using a special book, read, went for walks, and took care of Alexei. Sometimes, Anastasia would go out and play on the swing. She also continued to draw - "Not too badly they say, it’s very pleasant". One morning, Anastasia came to the window and seeing Dr. Botkin’s son Gleb in the street below, began to wave. Rodionov dashed into the street and pushed Gleb away shouting, “Nobody is permitted to look at the windows! Comrades,” he yelled to the sentries, “shoot everybody who so much as looks in this direction.” Anastasia continued to smile as Gleb bowed to her and walked away.

“I want to see you so much it’s sad. I go for walks and then I’m back. It’s boring whether you go out or not. I swung. The sun came out, but it’s cold and my hand can barely write.”

On May 3rd, a letter was sent to the remaining four children in Tobolsk from Alexandra, which stated that all were well and that the Grand Duchesses should, “dispose of the medicines as agreed". “Medicines” and “candy” were the codenames for the jewels that were left behind with them in Tobolsk. Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia were to conceal the jewels into their clothing to hide them from the guards. These jewels might buy there way to freedom if their prayers were finally answered and they were rescued. With Tatiana's dictation, the girls concealed the jewels by sewing them into their clothing. They were covered in cloth to be disguised as buttons, put inside corsets, lined the rims of hats, and sewn into the hems of clothing. This activity took up a lot of their time and took several days.

In Ekaterinburg, Alexandra, Nicholas, and Maria continued lived their dreary life in the Ipatiev House. They wrote letters to the remaining children in Tobolsk daily and told them how it was to live there. Maria informed them of how they looked through their belongings, did a daily role call to make sure everyone was present, and checked how much money they had with them. Maria told them that everyday there brought nasty surprises and she hoped things were better for them. They all anxiously awaited news about the children and counted the days to when they might be reunited.

By May 19th, Alexei was considered well enough to travel so on the following day at noon Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia and Alexei boarded the steamer Rus once again for Yekaterinburg to join the rest of the family in the Ipatiev House. Ominously called, "The House of Special Purpose". On the Rus, the girls were not allowed to close their doors and Alexei was locked in his room with Nagorny where even the doctor could not get to him. Finally they arrived at Tyumen on May 22nd and were taken to a special train.

They reached Yekaterinburg at night and the next morning at 9:00 a.m. several carriages came alongside their train. Four men went towards the children’s carriage. Pierre Gilliard who was there said, “A few minutes passed and then Nagorny, the sailor attached to Aleksey Nicholaievich, passed my window, carrying the sick boy in his arms; behind him came the Grand-Duchesses, loaded with valises and small personal belongings. I tried to get out, but was roughly pushed back into the carriage by the sentry. I came back to the window. Tatiana Nicholaievna came last, carrying her little dog and struggling to drag a heavy brown valise. It was raining, and I saw her feet sink into the mud at every step. Nagorny tried to come to her assistance; he was roughly pushed back by one of the commissaries... A few later the carriages drove off with the children in the town. How little I suspected that I was never to see them again, after so many years among them I was convinced that they would come back and fetch us and that we should be united without delay.”

They were brought to the Ipatiev House a little before 11 a.m. The children’s arrival brought great happiness and a glorious reunion. Alexei slept on Maria's bed and they prepared the girls a place to sleep on the floor with cloaks and cushions.

Most books greatly exagerate how bad life was for Anastasia and her family in the Ipatiev House. Having not enough silverware, no walks outside, pornography everywhere, following the Grand Duchesses to the restroom, lewd remarks, etc. are basically myths that were created by a few monarchist writers who were not there at the time. The myths have been further edited to even greater extremes. Although there were some lewd works of poetry about Nicholas and drawings of Alexandra and Rasputin together, the children were not forced to look at it. It is true that people from all the way to America were sending the Grand Duchesses letters and some contained porn, but all the mail sent to the family was examined and any pornographic works were discarded (there were many). There were also marriage proposals sent to them. Including a boy in America who found Anastasia more beautiful than her sisters and wished to marry her (I saw this letter in person).

Every day they went to bed at around 10:30 p.m. and awoke at around 9 a.m. They had breakfast, lunch at 2:30, tea at 5, and supper at 8. Anastasia's days were filled with sewing, walks in the garden, reading, and playing card games. The daily walk in the garden was the main highlight of their day. The girls would take turns giving up their walk and staying inside with their mother and reading out loud to her from spiritual books. Later they also learned how to make bread and it was a great delight for everyone.

On Tuesday, June 18th, there was beautiful weather. Earlier in the day the girls made bread and later Alexei was wheeled into the garden and everyone sat outside for an hour. It was very hot and the lilac bushes and honeysuckles were in bloom. The flowers were pretty and untidy. They had supper at 8 and played cards after. In the evening there was a short thunderstorm. This was Anastasia's last birthday. She was now seventeen years old.

A Yekaterinburg priest noted a change in Anastasia and her family. On his first visit at the end of May, he noticed that although the Empress seemed tired and ill, Nicholas and the girls were in good spirits and Alexei seemed happy. On July 14th, when he returned, the change was marked. The family appeared extremely anxious and depressed. When the deacon sang the prayer “At Rest With The Saints,” the family knelt and one of the girls sobbed openly. When the service was over one of the girls fell on her knees and had just enough time to say, “Thank you,” before the door was closed in her face.

The family began to recieve notes in French from a 'loyal officer' who wanted to rescue them and Olga sent replies for the family telling the 'officer' how the rooms were situated and other details they needed. There were nights that they sat up fully clothed and waiting for any sign from the outside. When nothing happened, Olga wrote a last note back telling them that they did not wish to be rescued unless there was real and inescapable danger. These notes turned out not to be written by 'a loyal officer', but by one of the bolshevist men who thought that when they killed the family, the notes would serve as proof they had tried to escape.

July 16th passed like any other day for Anastasia and her family. Early in the morning, women brought milk and eggs. Nicholas, Olga, Maria, and Anastasia went for a walk in the garden while Tatiana and Alexandra read religious passages. Then Supper, and 10:30 to bed. In the early morning hours, Dr. Botkin was writing what appeared to be the last letter to his family when a knock came to the door. Yurovsky ordered that he wake the family and tell them to get dressed, there was unrest in the town and it wasn't safe for them. They needed to "evacuate" the house. Dr. Botkin did as he was told and awoke the family. It took them around 40 minutes to dress. They had no idea what was going on and were told to follow the soldiers.

Anastasia and her sisters wore only a white blouse and a dark skirt. No hat or wraps and their hair had now reached their shoulders in a bob. They followed the men across the house and down twenty-one steps to the small cellar room. When they entered the room, Alexandra said, "No chairs? May we not sit?" They brought in two chairs for them. Alexandra sat in one and Nicholas sat Alexei in the other. Olga and Tatiana stood behind Alexandra and Anastasia and Maria stood behind them with Demidova leaning against the storeroom door.

Yurovsky read a slip of paper that said, "In view of the fact that your relatives have continued their attack on soviet Russia, the Ural Soviet Executive Commitee has decided to shoot you all." Gasps and screams arose from the room as Yurovsky pulled up a gun and shot Nicholas in the chest. The eleven other executioners then began shooting at Nicholas; regardless of their orders. At least three of the girls were still alive after the first round of bullets.

The girls huddled together in the corner until they were finally broken apart. Olga and Tatiana hugged eachother screaming and crying and both were shot in the head. Maria had broken away from the others and tried to open the locked storeroom door. She rattle and banged on the door screaming for help until she was shot in the thigh and she fell. Anastasia crouched in the corner with her arms over her head trying to protect herself. Both girls were apparently shot in the head according to Yurovsky.

Some say that Anastasia had only fainted when the shooting began, regained consiousness, and seeing herself surrounded by pools of her family’s blood, screamed and tried to get away. They held her down with bayonets, and tried to stab her. But they couldn't get the bayonets to penetrate her corset because of the jewels.

And some say that when the bullet missed it's mark, she cried out for mercy to the man whose bayonet then ended her life. The bodies were wrapped in sheets taken from the Grand Duchesses beds. As the bodies were being carried out to an awaiting truck, a girl sat up on the sheet and screamed. With rifle butts and clubs, the band turned on her. In a moment she was quiet again and little Jemmy's lifeless body was carelessly tossed into the back of the truck. An era had ended.

The bodies were taken to a forest where their clothes were stripped off of them. Men saw the glimmer of jewels in the girls' corsets and tried to steal from them. Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia were all wearing corsets filled with jewels. All of the girls were also wearing amulets with a picture of Rasputin and the text of a prayer. After disfiguring the bodies, the men decided to burn two of them. Alexei and Alexandra. Instead, they thought they had mistaken Demidova for Alexandra but as it is apparent now, he had actually mistaken her for Anastasia.

The ashes were scattered into the wind where they flew across the forest. The remnants of the bodies and the fire were buried. The rest of the bodies were thrown into a mass grave with sulfuric acid and grenades. Where they remained for over eighty years.

On July 11th, 1991, the remains of the Romanovs and their friends were publicly unearthed from the pit they were buried in. The put was about 3 1/2 to 4 ft. deep and the skeletons were strewn everywhere. Parts of ceramic pots were lying at the bottom, which the men used to contain the sulfuric acid in.

The bodies showed the kind of horrific treatment they were given during and after the execution. Some were shot while lying down, they had been bayoneted, faces smashed with rifle butts, jaws broken and faces crushed. Some of the facial parts of the skulls, particularly two of the girls, had been completely demolished. The damage inflicted upon these people was enough to make the most seasoned of professionals feel sick to their stomachs. Many of those present were actually ill.

Russian and American scientists did not agree when it came to identifying the three daughters. The American scientists used the age and height of the remains to come up with their results and they concluded the missing daughter was Anastasia. The Russian scientists tried to glue the little bits of bone together and make it stretch across the large gaps on their skulls and use it for superimposition; which is when they take a picture of the skull and put it on top of a photograph to see if it matches. This procedure wasn't very precise and even the slightest gap could put it completely off, making it invalid and any results with it useless. They also used height to determine which of the girls were present and when trying to get the height of Anastasia they 'accidently' used a picture of Maria from 1917 instead. In the picture, Maria was standing next to a gun that was precisely 5'7 and she was as tall as the gun. They then used that information to place Anastasia's name with Body No. 5 which was also 5'7. The Russian scientists claimed that Anastasia was the missing daughter.

Body No. 4: Nicholas II.

Remains: A short, middle-aged man. Wear and deformation in the hip bones from riding horses so much. A wide, sloping forehead and jutting brow. A broad, flate palate. Very bad teeth with the lower jaw showing periodontal disease. Everything from the eye sockets down was gone. Shrunken brain found inside.

Body No.7: Alexandra Feodorovna.

Remains: Middle-aged woman. Ribs damaged from bayonet thrusts. Very good dental work.

Body No. 3: Olga Nicholaievna

Remains: In her early twenties at death. Wormian bones. Half of face and lower jaw missing. Shape of head and unusually prominent forehead was similar to Olga. Fully grown. The leg bones had been cut but Dr. Maples was able to extrapolate her height at just under 5 ft. 5 in. Her molars and wisdom teeth were fully developed which also points to a mature woman. Gunshot wounds showed that a bullet entered under her left jaw and exited through the front of her skull. Maples said, "Such a trajectory could come from a gun placed under the chin and fired up, or from firing at a body already on the floor."

Body No. 5: Maria Nicholaievna

Remains: In her late teens or early twenties at death. The youngest of the remains. Had the back of a woman at the very least eighteen years old. Height was estimated at 5 ft 7 1/2 inches. Half of middle face missing.

Body No. 6: Tatiana Nicholaievna

Remains: Shot in the back of the head, the bullet entering her skull from the left rear and exiting from her right temple. She was fully grown and dental and skeletal developement put her in age between Body No. 3 and No. 5. Molars were still incomplete which made her nineteen to twenty-one. Height was estimated at 5 ft. 5 1/2 in. There was no evidence of recent continuing growth. Sacrum and pelvic rim were mature, which made her at least eighteen. Collarbone was mature, making her at least twenty.

These results conclude that Anastasia and Alexei's remains were not there.

In July of 2007, Anastasia and Alexei's remains were finally recovered about 77 yards from the original pit; exactly where Yurovsky said they were. Though DNA tests are still being performed, we know these two bodies to be the missing children from this evidence: 1. Two bodies have been found. Two bodies were missing. 2. A male of the correct age and female of the correct age were found. 3. These two bodies were found 70 metres from the mass burial site. 4. Yurovsky accurately described the exact location where the bodies were found. 5. Nagant bullets were found with the remains, which EXACTLY match the same Nagant bullets from the mass burial site. 6. Pieces of japanese jars containing japanese made sulfuric acid were found which EXACTLY match the pieces of similar jars found in the mass burial site 7. Yurovsky et al all describe the procuring and use of this acid during the attempted burning and burial process. 8. Large amounts of burnt material and ash were found at the same layer as the remains. This is further consistent with all known accounts. 9. A piece of clothing (called a dress fragment) was found. From "Last Act of a Tragedy": "G.I. Sukhorukov, who was assigned to go help dispose of the corpses of the Royal Family the next morning. On April 3, 1928 his memoir:... "It was necessary to begin digging up the corpses (after the attempt to burn them the previous night)...the first thing we came across was the leg of the last Nicholas. He was removed successfully, and then all the others. To be precise, it can be said that everybody was naked, except for the heir, who had on a sailor shirt but no trousers."

Although Russian sources state that the newly found remains are that of Maria Nicholaievna's and not Anastasia Nicholaievna's, it is much more likely to be Anastasia's for many reasons. The main and most obvious being that the remains they buried with Anastasia's name on them were 5'7 tall when in real life Anastasia was about 5'2. When the remains were first found they estimated the age at being 19-21 and the estimated age has steadily been dropping over time. It is now the same age and height as Anastasia was when she died.

^ At the site where the remains were found.

^ Bullets found with the remains.

^ Bone fragments.

On April 30th, 2008, it was announced that a laboratory in the United States was able to obtain DNA from the bone fragments and their results were positive that the remains were those of the missing Romanov children.

On July 16, 2008, the 90th anniversary of the murders in Ekaterinburg, Moscow announced that through DNA tests they identified the missing children.

Acid wear on the bones made identification difficult. The forensic scientists used teeth which contained amalgam fillings to help identify them. The dental work the new remains matched the dental work in the known Romanov remains and scull fragments showed injuries that were consistent with bullet wounds. Numerous genetic tests showed the remains of both groups belonged to one family group.

In late 2008 tests proved that there were now four separate daughters and one son, ending the mystery of the Romanovs. Even though the Russian's are still strong in their conviction that the newly found Romanov daughter is Maria, we can now be sure that all of the Romanov children are accounted for. We know without a doubt that Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei were each brutally murdered in a cellar room in the summer of 1918.

On the 22nd of September in 1977, the Ipatiev House was demolished on the orders from the Russian president. Probably so that it wouldn't attract tourists and become a shrine to the old Russia. The cellar wall which the Romanov's stood in front of is stil around and can be seen for a small fee.

On the site which the Ipatiev House once stood there has recently been built a church called, "The Church on the Blood". This beautiful cathedral has a statue standing at the front which shows Nicholas carrying Alexei, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia standing around a large cross.

In 1981, the Romanov family and their servants that died with them were canonized as saints in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

In 2000, after much debate, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the Romanov's as "passion bearers".

They are now buried with their other family members inside a tomb.

Today, they are remembered and loved by many as the close, compassionate family that they were. Their lives have inspired countless books, films, plays and music. They have stirred the imagination and hearts of people from all walks of life and they will never be forgotten by the world.

May they rest in peace. +

Among the things left behind in the Ipatiev House, was a beautiful poem that was handwritten by Olga Nicholaievna on the back of an icon of the Virgin Mary.

"Send us patience, Father,

to support us in this year

of dark days and tempests,

these persecutions of the people

and these tortures of our executioners.

Give us the strength, O just God,

to pardon the wickedness of our neighbors,

and to carry the heavy, bloody cross with your humility.

And in these notorious days,

when our enemies strip us,

help us, Savior God,

to suffer the shame and the insults.

Master of the world, bless us with your prayers

and give peace to our souls

at this terrible, unbearable hour.

And at the gates of the tomb,

Cause us to be born again as with our lips

we, your slaves, humbly pray.

*If you have a question that could be added here, just post it in the guestbook*

Name: Anastasia Nicholaievna.

Full name: Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanova.

Title: Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanova of Russia.

Nicknames she used: Nastasya, Nastaska, Nastya, Shvibzik, Anastasie, Caspian Nastaska, Nastanka.

Birthday: Tuesday. June 5th/18th, 1901.

Height: 5'2.

Birth place: Peterhof Palace in the Lower Dacha.

Hair color: The second lightest of her sisters, a light brown with a reddish tint, like her mother.

Eye color: Cornflower blue.

Regiment: 148th Kaspiisky (Caspian) Infantry.

Favorite perfume: Coty's "Violette".

Languages she spoke: Russian and English fluently. French fairly well. (No German.)

Pets: She had a dog called Shvibzik that died in 1915 and she took care of Tatiana's dog, Jemmy. She was once given a cow by the president of France.

Instruments she could play: Piano, guitar, balalaika.

*She loved doing art particularly painting and drawing.

*She loved animals, especially dogs and liked to teach them tricks.

*She had bangs/fringe all her life to conceal a scar she got on her forehead when she was very young.

*She was right-handed.

*She was a great mimic and made people laugh easily.

*She was a talented actress.

*She loved food; especially sweets and chocolate.

*She smoked cigarettes and enjoyed them a lot when her father sent them to her.

*She got a table tennis set for her birthday once.

*The older she got, the more she hated school. She liked the days she had no school so she could "lie about in bed longer than usual".

*She adored her father and mother very much.

*She had a defective muscle in her back.

*She had a bad case of bunions that was worse on her right foot.

*She was excellent at horseback riding and her aunt Olga A. thought she enjoyed it much more than her sisters.

*She was known for her laughter which was rather squirrelish.