Chapter
Two
Imperial Children
Imperial Children
Grand Duchess Olga, Tsar
Nicholas' sister, recalled - 'I heard some sort of noise in the
morning, a day after the funeral of Papa. I asked my nanny 'What is
the bustle about?', she told me Nicky is getting married. He
wouldn't let Alix go home. So the period of mourning was postponed
for a week so Nicky and Alix could get married. They got married on
27th November.
On the wedding day Princess Alix
drove with her mother-in-law to the Winter Palace where, in a private
chapel, they were married.
At a quarter to one they came
out as husband and wife, drove to Anitchove Palace where they lived
for the time being. The new Empress Alexandra Fedorovna was called
'funeral bride' by the Russian people. 'She came behind the coffin.'
In the summer they moved to the
Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, which became their home for
twenty-two years. Alexander Palace was built by Catherine the Great
for her grandson, Alexander I, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of
Borodino in 1812.
Gleb Botkin, son of Dr. Eugene
Botkin, the physician of the Imperial Family, wrote in his memoirs,
'Tsarskoe Selo is the fairyland, earthly abode of human gods. To the
monarchist it is Paradise, to the revolutionists it is a sinister
place where blood-thirsty tyrants were hatching their terrible plots
against the innocent population.'
Tsarskoe Selo was a magnificent
symbol of the Russian autocracy. Fifteen miles south of St.
Petersburg, a succession of tsars and tsarinas had created an
isolated, miniature world, an artificial fantastic, mechanical toy.
Around the high iron fence of the imperial park, bearded Cossack
horsemen in scarlet tunics rode night and day. Inside the park,
monuments, obelisks, triumphal arches studded eight hundred acres of
velvet green lawns. An artificial lake, big enough for small
sailboats could be emptied and filled like a bath tub.
At one end of the lake stood a
pink Turkish bath. At the other end of the lake stood a dazzling red
and gold Chinese pagoda, crowning an artificial hillock. Winding
paths led through groves of ancient trees. A pony track curved
through gardens planted with exotic flowers. Throughout the park
were lilacs planted by a dozen empresses. When the spring rain fell,
the sweet smell of wet lilacs drenched the air.
In November 1895, the Tsarina
gave birth to her first child. It was a daughter named 'Olga'. She
was very fair with blonde hair, very similar to her father, both
physically and mentally.
Tatiana, the second daughter,
was born in 1897, dark with auburn hair, tall and slender, like her
mother very active. She was the favourite of her mother and had
tremendous influence on her parents. If one of the girls needed a
favour from their father, Tatiana was sent to him for his permission,
or requested him to grant it. Her sisters and brother called her
'Governess'. When she grew up she was regularly called by her mother
to comb and dress her hair. The Empress asked her advice when she
was in trouble.
Marie, the third daughter, was
born in 1899, was the most beautiful amongst the sisters. She had a
fresh complexion and red cheeks, thick light brown hair and dark blue
eyes; so large that they were called 'Marie's saucers'. Marie liked
to paint, but she was too gay to apply herself seriously. Had she
not been the daughter of a tsar, this warm hearted girl would have
made some man an excellent wife.
Anastasia, the youngest
daughter, was born in 1901. She was short, dumpy, blue-eyed child
called in the family 'Wag'. She was witty and vivacious, and also
had a streak of stubbornness, mischief and impertinence. She was
also a good caricaturist. Anastasia was also a tomboy. She climbed
trees to dizzying heights, refusing to come down until specifically
commanded by her father. When she was born the Tsar was so
disappointed (because he expected her to be a boy). Before facing
his wife, the Tsar had to go to the park to conceal his frustration
and emotion.
The four grand duchesses were
closer to each other than most sisters. All the girls were kind and
generous. They used to send money, gifts and presents to the poor
girls in joint name 'OTMA'. The fifth and last child was a boy,
Alexis Nicholavich, the heir to the throne.
'Alexis was the centre of this
united family, the focus of all its hopes and affections. His
sisters worshipped him. He was his parent's pride and joy. When he
was well the Palace was transformed. Everyone and everything seemed
bathed in sunshine.' - Gilliard.
To his mother he was the
blessing of God and the fruit of her long prayers.
The Tsarvitch was a handsome
little boy with blue eyes and golden hair.
Olga Alexandrovna was most
intimate and close to her nieces. She was convinced that her nieces
needed an outing. Every Saturday evening she came to Tsarskoe Selo
and spent the night in the Palace.
The next morning, on Sunday, she
and her four excited nieces boarded the train for the Capital. On
the way to their aunt's palace they dropped at Anitchove Palace to
have their lunch with their grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie.
In the evening Olga arranged for party, dance, tea, etc., for the
girls. The four grand duchesses enjoyed every minute of it. Other
young children of the Imperial Family were also invited.
They remained at Olga's palace
until midnight, when the Tsarina sent one of her ladies-in-waiting to
get the girls home.
In 1914, just before war, the
Dowager Empress gave a magnificent ball for her four granddaughters
in her Palace. Baroness Sophie Buxhoevedan recalled - 'We remained
in Anitchove Palace until 2 a.m. On our way to Tsarskoe Selo the
Tsar was sipping a cup of tea and the grand duchesses were talking
about sleeping for long in the morning, and getting up late.
In 1911 Grand Duchess Olga, the
eldest of the girls, celebrated her sixteenth birthday in Livadia
Palace, Yalta. As a present, she received for the first time a
beautiful diamond necklace and ring from her parents. In the evening
Olga had appeared, flushed and fair, at her first ball to dance and
celebrate her birthday.
In 1945, thirty-four years
later, Stalin, at the height of his power, received his allies in the
same ballroom.
The four sisters were kind and
sympathetic to the poor and disabled children. Seeing a child on
crutches, Olga enquired and found that the parents were too poor to
afford treatment. Olga arranged for the treatment of that crippled
child.
As the Imperial children had
very short lives, as fate decreed, very little about their talents
and personalities are known to the people.
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