When
Nicolas II became tsar of Russia in 1894, he and his wife Alexandra had one
goal: to preserve the throne and the dynasty.
From the moment Alexei was born, the girls became less important. All the attention of the family was focused on him, as the heir to the throne and because of his health. The girls were seen as a group of four, often dressed the same way. The different personalities of the girls were often overlooked.
Pages: 386
In 1895
their first child was born, a girl, Olga. Nicolas and Alexandra were happy with
their healthy baby, but after four daughters they were not so happy anymore.
After all, they needed a son to inherit the throne, since women could not reign
according to the Russian laws.
Although
they loved their daughters, they also became a bit desperate, when would they
have a son? In 1904 their wish was finally granted, Alexei was born.
Threehundred gunshots announced his birth to his people. Everybody rejoiced. Only
soon the happiness of the family turned to grief, it became clear the tsarevich
was ill. He inherited hemophilia, the incurable disease that prevented his
blood to clot. In the fourteen years to come all attention would be on Alexei
and on his health.
In 1914
World War One broke out and this did not go very well for Russia. In 1917 the
tsar abdicated. In July 1918 the whole family would be shot in the cellar of
the house in Jekatarinaburg. Olga was twenty-two at the time, Alexei thirteen.
Many books
have been written about the Romanov family, but Four sisters tries to focus on
Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. This is refreshing, since they take second
place in most books, as they did in their lives.
From the moment Alexei was born, the girls became less important. All the attention of the family was focused on him, as the heir to the throne and because of his health. The girls were seen as a group of four, often dressed the same way. The different personalities of the girls were often overlooked.
Alexandra
never liked the Russian court and wanted nothing more than to spend time with
her Household and her family, like a German Hausfrau. She did not introduce the
girls to the court or prepare them for meeting the higher circles. The girls
were almost never allowed to go to balls or parties.
Most people
who met them noticed how sweet they were, but also realized they had almost no
clue how to behave in court circles.
There were
not many possibilities for the girls to have their own life. An independent
position at court was of course out of the question, although Nicolas once
considered naming Olga his heir when Alexei was particularly ill.
During WWI
Olga and Tatiana followed their mother and became fully trained nurses in the
army hospital. Despite the horrible things they saw there, this was also a time
for them where they experienced freedom and a sense of the world, outside the
narrow-minded environment their mother guarded.
Tsar Nicolas II and Alexandra, with their children. |
Getting
married would be the best possibility to live their own lives, but who could
they marry? The only young men they met and felt comfortable with were the
young officers of the Imperial yacht the Standard, but they would never be
considered suitable as husbands for the daughters of the tsar. Marrying a
foreign prince, like prince Carol of Rumania or prince Louis Mountbatten would
be an option, only then they would have to leave Russia, a horrible thought.
The
marriage talk never became serious and the war put an end to all of it.
Helen Rappaport wrote an excellent book about the murder of
the Romanovs. In Four sisters she
focuses on the four girls. Letters and diaries have been used to find their
voices, but because they led such sheltered lives, it is difficult to hear.
They still remain at a distance, still remain a group of four.
Although
the book did not have a lot of new information for me, I do think it is a very
good addition to any Romanov-library.
Original
title: Four sisters. The lost lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses.
Published
in 2014Pages: 386
I've always been fascinated by the Romanovs, but haven't read much about them. I like that this book focuses on the daughters. I'm going to have to put this one at the top of my list! :-) Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. If you are interested in the Romanovs, I can also recommend Nicolas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie, it is sort of a standard work.
DeleteKind regards,
Great. Thanks. I'll check it out. :)
DeleteIf you are interested in the Romanovs, the chance is there you will like this book. If you already know a lot it will not bring you much news, but it is still a good read.
DeleteKind regards,
This sounds interesting, Bettina!
ReplyDelete