#grand duchess olga

alice-and-ethel:

GrandDuchessOlgaNikolaevnaRomanova

❁ “I really think people are much better now than they used to be. I’m very glad I live now when people are so kind.” ◦ “Dreams of happiness: Get married, always live in the countryside winter and summer, see only good people, no one official.” ◦ “Give my love to all who remember me.” • Olga(various sources)

❁ “I was very fond of all my brother’s children but perhaps most of the eldest, Olga. The two of us were soul mates. She resembled me in character, and that was perhaps why we understood each other so well.” • Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

❁ “She was the cleverest of the sisters, and was very musical… She could play by ear anything she had heard…play the most difficult accompaniments at sight, and her touch on the piano was delightful. She sang prettily in a mezzosoprano. Olga Nicolaevna was very straightforward, sometimes too outspoken, but always sincere. She had great charm… She was generous, and an appeal to her met with immediate response.” • Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden

❁ “She was a most amiable girl, and people loved her from the moment they set eyes on her. She took life seriously, and she was a clever girl with a sweet disposition. I think she possessed unusual strength of character.” • Lili Dehn

❁ “Olga was perhaps the cleverest of them all, her mind being so quick to grasp ideas, so absorbent of knowledge that she learned almost without application or close study. Her chief characteristics…were a strong will and a singularly straightforward habit of thought and action. [H]ad she been allowed to live her natural life she would, I believe, have become a woman of influence and distinction.” • Anna Vyrubova

imperial-russia:

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna sharing a happy moment with Countess Anastasia “Nastenka” Hendrikova

ГА РФ ф. 673 оп. 1 д. 232 л. 21 фото 355 (source)

“Slept terribly, had earache - [had] a warm compress, and Polyakov does not allow me [to go] to the Red Room, so I am in the bedroom on the couch. Papa stopped by before breakfast and after. Mama sat during the day. Anya too. Al. had breakfast with me. Trina had tea. Nastenka stopped by. In the evening Papa and Mama stopped by. T[emperature]° 37,5 - 37,5 - 37,3 - 37,2. Fell asleep rather early.”

- Olga Nikolaevna’s diary, 13th/26th February 1917

Olga Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna’s diary entries for 8th/21st February 1913

“Had lessons. About 8 degrees below. Had breakfast with Papa, Mama (she also sat) and Uncle Georgi. In the afternoon skied down the hill by the white tower with Papa. Mama and Anya were there too. In the evening we 2 and Papa went to [see] an opera - Lohengrin: Sobinov, Golska, Cherkasskaya, etc. So beautiful – we saw it for the first time. Aunt Olga was there – the darling. Came home around 1 in the morning. Mama was tired.”

- Olga’s diary

“Had lessons in the morning. Had breakfast [we] four with Mama, Papa and U.[ncle] Georgi. In the afternoon skied down the hill. Mama and Alexei were there too. Had tea with Trina. Had a French lessons, and then Papa, Olga and I went to the theater. The opera, Lohengrin. Wonderfully nice, and I liked it a lot. Golska sang. Returned at 12 ¾. Went to bed.”

- Tatiana’s diary

Olga Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna’s diary entries for 3rd/16th February 1913

“Went to Obednya at 10 ½, stayed in the chapel. Papa went to the 2nd Artillery Calvarly Regiment parade. Had breakfast with Mama. After that she played the piano for a while and sat on the balcony, but she is not feeling well because of yesterday. Skied down the hill with Papa. Cinematograph at 4 ½, Dmitri, Vasia and Rostislav came over. We 4 went the see the ballet ‘The Pharaoh’s Daughter’ with Papa. Pavlova danced. Aunt Olga was also there. Returned at about 1 in the morning. May the Lord save us.”

- Olga’s diary

“In the morning [we] four went to the regimental church. Saw the officers today after all, coming out of Anya’s at 12 ½. Had breakfast [we] four with Mama. In the afternoon skied with Papa. Alexei sat in a chair and watched. Had tea upstairs, with three of Aunt Ksenia’s youngest children. Then [watched] a cinematograph. Obednya at the regimental [church] and went to the theatre [we] 4 with Papa. They performed ballet ‘The Pharaoh’s Daughter,’ it was really lovely. Saw Sashla at the theatre, Zoya, Sasha. Returned at at 12 ¾.”

- Tatiana’s diary

“Had lessons. Had breakfast with Mama. Papa went hunting, killed a lynx and 3 pheasants. In the afternoon we 4 slid down the hill on spades. Trina ran around with us. At 4 o’cl. 22 min Tatiana, Olga Yevgenievna and I went to Petersburg. We went directly to Anichkov [palace]. Grandmama hosted a Christmas party for the Cossacks, soldiers and officers. It was lots of fun. Talked to the guard officers. But my friend AKSHV was not there – [he] was sick. From there we went to Aunt Olga’s for dinner. From there, [we] went to the circus with her and Irina. It was lots of fun. Dear N.P. was there. Returned and went to bed at about 12 o’cl.”

- Olga Nikolaevna’s diary, 28th January/10th February 1913

“Had lessons. Had breakfast with Papa and Mama. In the afternoon walked with Papa. It snowed the whole time. 1 ½ degrees below. Mama sat on the balcony and is feeling better. At 4 o’cl. we 4 went to Petersburg with Papa. Stopped by Aunt Ksenia’s, and then went to Grandmama’s for tea and a Christmas party. Aunt Ksenia, Uncle Sandro and the children, Aunt Olga and Uncle Petya [were there]. Got a lot of nice gifts. From there we went to Aunt
Olga’s for dinner. At 8.15 the little ones went home with Trina, and we 2 and Papa went to the Alexandrinsky Theater – ‘The Assembly’. Very interesting. Returned a little after midnight. Mama was in bed but not sleeping.”

- Olga Nikolaevna’s diary, 24th January/6th February 1913

“Had lessons. 3 degrees below. At 10 o’cl. Otetz Alexander came over and gave Mama communion. She is feeling better, thank God. Had breakfast with her and Trina. Papa went to the consecration of the new barracks of the 4th Rifle Regiment’s 2nd Battalion and had breakfast there. In the afternoon we 4 walked with him. There was more snow. Exercises at 4 o’cl. as usual. Uncle Pavel had tea with Papa and Mama. [We] had a dance lesson. Had dinner with Papa, Mama and Veselkin. Kaisorsky was telling funny stories. In the afternoon Lili Dehn and Titi came to [see] Mama. So sweet.”

- Olga Nikolaevna’s diary, 22nd January/4th February 1913

Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna with an officer, 22nd January/4th February 1915

“At 9.30 [we] 4 went with Papa and Mama to church for moleben. At 10 o’clock Papa departed. So sad. [We] two went to the infirmary. Bandaged Krat, Gordinsky, Belitsky, Otmarshteyn and Gumanyuk. Took photographs in each ward. Breakfast and lunch with Mama. Then walked. Sat a little with Alexei, who is in bed as leg and arm ache. Went to the Grand Palace. Had tea with Mama upstairs at Alexei’s. Had lessons. After lunch we went to ours. Sat with Nizhegorodtzy. Put together a puzzle with Navruzov and Vachnadze, then worked. Retuned, sat with Mama.”

- Tatiana’s diary, 22nd January/4th February 1915

“At 10 ½ went to obednya at the regimental church. There was a big breakfast and music. Sat with Baron Karf and Admiral Nilov at Papa’s table. Saw my friend AKSHV, greeted him and felt happy, but did not talk to him. At 2 o’cl. 7 min we 4 went to Petersburg with Olga Yevgenievna. Went to [see] Grandmama at Anichkov and then went with Aunt Olga to her [house]. At 4 o’cl. dear N.P., P.A. Voronov, S.S. Klyucharev, N.N. Rodionov, V.V. Kvoshinsky., A. Shangin – a cuirassier and N.A. Kulikovsky arrived. Aunt Olga was there. [We] had tea and then ran around, played and danced to the phonograph until 6 o’clock. 

At 6 ½ [we] went to get dressed. Dinner was at 7 o’cl. 15 min. [I] sat with Shangin and N.P. Was so happy to see him, the dear one, and talk to him. It was sad not to see Mama for so long. She is still not feeling well, but is a little better. At 8 o’cl. 45 min Papa came to get us and we went to the Mariinsky Theater with him to see the ‘Don Quixote’ ballet. Pavlova danced wonderfully. Saw Prince Beloselsky from afar. Returned at 12 o’cl. Anya was sitting with Mama.”

- Olga Nikolaevna’s diary, 20th January/2nd February 1913

Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna of Russia, 1910.

Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna with her French tutor Pierre Gilliard, 1911-1912.

Emperor Nicholas II with his children: Grand Duchesses Tatiana, Olga, Maria, Anastasia, and Tsarevich Alexei, and with sons of his sister Grand Duchess Xenia: Princes Rostislav, Dmitry, Feodor, and Vasili*, ca.1914.

*I’m not very good with recognizing Xenia’s sons so please let me know if I made a mistake.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia with her daughters Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia of Russia, visiting wounded soldiers, 1915-1916.

Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna of Russia, 1914