The story of the Romanov is as known as their tragic demise. However, when thinking about their story, we tend to focus on certain characters only instead of the whole picture. That is, the three most popular and mentioned Romanovs are often Czar Nicholas II, his son Alexei, and of course, the famous Anastasia. But what about the rest of this large family?
Back in the day, in the early 20th century, the OTMA sisters (their self-styled title that referred to their initials in order of age) were the most photographed and admired princesses. Yet, the world saw Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanov as four vain, young, beautiful women isolated from reality in their Russian palace. However, the grand duchesses were far from being one-dimensional royals, they had a peculiar and quite striking nature that allured everyone inside and outside the Russian court. Let’s meet all of them.
Olga Romanov
Olga, the eldest of the sisters, was known for her brown hair and blue eyes, but above all, what made her stand out was her personality. Olga was known as the sensitive yet also strong-minded and independent grand duchess.
Being the first-born, Olga had to set the example for the rest of her siblings. She received a good education while being prepared for a good marriage. The eldest Romanov sister loved school work and books.
Olga stood out as a great reader. She could spend hours with a book in her hands, and it was common seeing her reading her mother’s novels before the latter had a chance to turn the first page. “You have to wait for me to read it to see if it’s the right one for you,” she once told Tsarina Alexandra.
The future of her marriage was a constant topic in society’s conversations. Rumors were spread speculating possible suitors for the eldest Romanov. Among these were the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, Crown Prince Carol of Romania, and even Edward, Prince of Wales. Yet, Olga confessed she desired to marry a Russian so that she could remain in her country.
Although sometimes blunt, Olga was also a benevolent princess. During WWI, “the Big Pair” (a.k.a. Olga and Tatiana), alongside their mother, set to help the injured with the Red Cross. Olga nursed wounded soldiers in a military hospital, eventually being forced to undertake administrative duties because she had “overtired herself.”
Tatiana Romanov
The second of the four Romanov sisters, Tatiana, was the most similar to her mother and also the most attached to her. With reddish hair and gray eyes, Tatiana was known as a kind yet reserved girl. “It’s impossible to know what she’s thinking,” said some close friends. For many, she was the most beautiful Romanov sister. Still, what really impressed people was the softness of her character and the tendency to protect others. Thanks to this, she earned the nickname of “the governess.”
Tatiana was practical and had a natural talent for leadership. At first, she was, according to their French tutor, Pierre Gilliard, “well balanced but less open and spontaneous than Olga.” Yet, once Tatiana entered adulthood, she began to have more public appearances than her sisters and also started heading committees.
During her time aiding at hospitals, Tatiana was adored by many of the officers she attended. In some cases, their affection took on a passionate level, and many officers carried fond memories of the graceful Tatiana.
Maria Romanov
Maria, the third of the five Romanov children, suffered from the very well-known syndrome of “the middle sibling.” Convinced that she had been unwanted, Alexandra did not help her much to think otherwise.
The above was because of the Tsarina’s distant communication with Maria and the others by sending messages from one end of the palace to another, too exhausted to maintain continuous personal contact with her daughters.
Maria sometimes felt insecure and left out by her older sisters, who sometimes took advantage of Maria, nicknaming her “fat little bow-wow” because of her rosy cheeks and weight.
Yet, in her teens, Maria became a great beauty, though not as elegant as her older siblings according to contemporary comments. Still, her traits and character caught the attention of Lord Louis Mountbatten, confessing that he “was crazy about Maria and determined to marry her. She was absolutely lovely.”
As time went on, Maria became bold and unafraid of meeting new people, regardless of their economic and social status. She became the easiest to speak with. She would instinctively reach out and grab a baby out of a mother’s arms and smother the child with kisses, an example of her sweet nature and softness.
Once Anastasia was born, things became easier for Maria. Her youngest sister became her best friend and confidant, and they would be known as “the Little Pair.” However, even when she was older, Maria found herself dominated by the stronger personality of her sister Anastasia.
Anastasia Romanov
Last but not least, we have Anastasia, the fourth and youngest Romanov sister. The now most widely remembered grand duchess, Anastasia was “the wild child” of the family.
Despite being short in stature, Anastasia possessed an ingenious and boisterous nature. Her sparkly eyes reflected her lively spirit. Anastasia acted in a rebellious way, becoming the terror of her teachers. She played without fear of kicking and scratching, demonstrating her indomitable vitality.
Anastasia holds the record of being punished in her family, since she sometimes tripped up servants, played pranks on her tutors, and climbed trees to escape her lectures. And yet, Anastasia was extremely intelligent, though prone to be lazy and inattentive. Her tutors discovered that she was the fastest learner of the four daughters. Nonetheless, she was easily bored and had trouble focusing on her lessons.
She was a witty girl with a sharp tongue, freely expressing her sarcastic humor to entertain others. The whole family would crack up at her jokes. Nobody was safe from her honest, and sometimes a bit intense remarks.
Just like her bond with Maria, Anastasia had a close relationship with Alexei, the only son of Tsar Nicholas II and heir to the throne. They seemed to have a deep connection, enabling Anastasia to “feel her brother’s illness.” She made a constant effort to distract Alexei from his pain, running to his rooms to entertain him with her antics.
When it came to her dear brother, Anastasia would always become his protective sister. Nowadays, Anastasia, the youngest of the four grand duchesses, is the most famous of the Romanov sisters due to the alleged story of her survival, which was proven to be a pure myth.
Images from: Romanov Empire
