#otma edit

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Happy 128th Birthday to Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia! November 16th (3rd O.S) 1895 🌸🤍🫧

❧ For me, it was an unforgettable day during which I suffered a great deal! My dear Alix felt intense pain at one o’clock and couldn’t fall asleep. She spent the whole day lying in bed in these throes—poor girl… Mama came from Gatchina at about two o’clock. We three, Mama, Ella and I, did not leave Alix for even a minute. At nine o’clock, we all heard a baby crying and sighed with relief! While praying, we named the daughter God granted us Olga! ☙

— Tsar Nicholas II’s diary, November 16th 1895

(Edit made by me using CapCut)

#happy birthday my darling! 🤍🥹 #olga nikolaevna #my edit #made by me #mine #romanov #romanovs #happy birthday #November 16 #Grand duchess olga #otma #grand duchess olga nikolaevna #russian imperial family #russian history #video edit #otma edit #tsar nicholas ii #letters and diaries

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

OTMA with shaved heads, 1917

“Now we four shaved our heads because our hair had fallen out terribly after our measles. More than half of Maria's hair had fallen out it is a horror but now we feel [more] comfortable.”

— letter from Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna to Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, July 20th 1917 (o.s), Tsarskoe Selo

#photo enhanced by me :) #olga nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #anastasia nikolaevna #otma #romanov #captivity #1917 #enhanced #made by me #otma edit #grand duchesses #house arrest #tsarskoe selo #letters and diaries

[krasivaa]

HAPPY 124th BIRTHDAY TO GRAND DUCHESS MARIA NIKOLAEVNA OF RUSSIA! June 26, 1899

Edit made by me using capcut

my queen 🤍💗

#she was the sweetest #maria nikolaevna #happy birthday #happy Birthday mashka #my queen slay #my edit #mine 🤍 #capcut #capcut edit #romanov edit #royal edit #maria nikolaevna edit #otma edit #birthday edit #grand duchess maria nikolaevna #i love romanovsss

[romanovsonelastdance]

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, 1910.

#romanov #otma #anastasia nikolaevna #formal #1910 #my collection #FINALLY #been looking for a russian edition of this one for ages

[leonisandmurex]

OLGA. TATIANA. MARIA. ANASTASIA.

Happy 1st blogversary @foreverinthepagesofhistoryy ♡

#thanks to you I now have a fave otma ;) #....guess whoooo?! #(these are all supposed to be candid snaps btw) #foreverinthepagesofhistoryy #Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna #Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna #Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna #Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna #OTMA #my edit #Romanov

[historicwomendaily]

❁ Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Nikolaevna were the four daughters of Emperor Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. Known collectively as “OTMA”, the tragic lives of these four grand duchesses endlessly fascinate. Here is a list of resources to get to know the Romanov sisters a bit more deeply. ❁

⮞ Primary Sources Within the last decade or so, much work has been done to translate the diaries and letters of the Romanov sisters. Additionally, primary source material from their parents and retainers provide excellent insight into their lives. These include:

The Diary of Olga Romanov: Royal Witness to the Revolution by Helen Azar • The first in an excellent series on each individual Romanov sister, Azar offers a biographical sketch and translations of the wartime diaries and letters (1914-1918) of Olga Nikolaevna in a narrative-style with additional documents of the period.

Tatiana Romanov, Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters, 1913–1918 by Helen Azar and Nicholas B. A. Nicholson • Translated for the first time in English with plentiful annotations, this book offers a  narrative-style approach the diaries and letters of Tatiana Nikolaevna, including a biographical sketch and additional documents of the period.

Maria Romanov: Third Daughter of the Last Tsar, Diaries and Letters, 1908–1918  by Helen Azar and George Hawkins  • The first English translation of the intimate writings of Maria Nikolaevna, this narrative-style book offers translations of Maria’s writings and letters, with a biographical sketch and additional primary source material on the third grand duchess.

Anastasia Romanov: The Tsar's Youngest Daughter Speaks Through Her Writings (1907 - 1918) by Helen Azar and George Hawkins • Here for the first time, readers can discover the real Anastasia Nikolaevna through her own letters and writings - translated into English with a biographical sketch and additional documents, illustrating in a narrative style a “surprisingly modern teenager from the dawn of the 20th century.”

Journal of a Russian Grand Duchess:  Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar by Helen Azar • This volume comprises of diary entries of Olga Nikolaevna from the full year of 1913, which allow the reader a unique glimpse into the daily domestic routines of the Russian imperial family just prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

1913 Diary of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna: Complete Tercentennial Journal of the Third Daughter of the Last Tsar by Helen Azar and Amanda Madru • The first translation of Maria Nikolaevna’s 1913 diary in its entirety, Maria’s journal records the daily routines of the Imperial family, from the mundane to the magnificent.

Maria and Anastasia: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words by Helen Azar • Known to their family and friends as "The Little Pair", Grand Duchesses Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna are the main topic of this volume on their individual writings and letters.

Correspondence of the Russian Grand Duchesses: Letters of the Daughters of the Last Tsar by George Hawkins • This book contains a wide range of letters to and from the Grand Duchesses, both from relatives and friends, but also from strangers and people from  parts of the world.

In the Steps of the Romanovs: Final Two Years of the Russian Imperial Family 1916-1918  by Helen Azar • Unique volume collection of first-hand accounts of the Romanov family exclusively through their diaries and correspondence. 

Romanov Family Yearbook: On This Date in Their Own Words by Helen Azar and Amanda Madru • A unique edition which commemorates the last Romanovs through a collection of personal documents that recount their daily lives, ranging over a decade. This book contains 365 diary entries, letters, and photographs–one for each day of the year—including some previously unpublished material.

Russia’s Last Romanovs: In Their Own Words by Helen Azar and Eva & Dan McDonald  •  In this book, you will follow the events which led up to their eventual tragic fate through personal words of each family member, as well as their close friends and associates. Their letters, diaries, and postcards – many of which have been compiled into English here for the first time. 

A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas and Alexandra: Their Own Story by Sergei Mironenko and Andrei Maylunas • A large collection of letters, diaries, and writings of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna and their five children, this volume naturally includes much first-hand information on the Romanov grand duchesses.

The Last Grand Duchess by Ian Vorres • A memoir/biography of Aunt Olga Alexandrovna, whom OTMA were particularly close, offers much first-hand information on the sisters’.

The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal by St. John the Forerunner Monastery • This beautifully-illustrated, unique volume draws on letters, testimonies, diaries, memoirs, and other texts never before published in English to present a unique biography of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, four daughters, and son.

The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna: Empress of Russia by Sophie Buxhoeveden • A unique first-hand account of a close friend of Empress Alexandra, who also served as a lady-in-waiting and close confidant of the four sisters. A wealth of information and anecdotes on the lives of the girls’ full up the pages of this volume, including their lives in captivity.

Six Years at Russian Court by Margaret Eager • The memoirs of the governess of the grand duchesses, Eager offers the most complete first-hand account of the sisters’ childhoods.

Thirteen Years at the Russian Court by Pierre Gilliard • The best first-hand account of the life of the last Imperial family of Russia was written by Pierre Gilliard, French tutor to the Tsar's children.

Memories of the Russian Court by Anna Vyrubova • Memoirs of Alexandra’s closest friend, a lady-in-waiting to the empress, Anna’s memoirs, like Buxhoeveden’s, offers particular insight to the life of Alexandra Feodorovna and her four imperial daughters.

The Real Tsaritsa by Lil Dehn • A memoir of the court by Alexandra’s lady-in-waiting, Dehn with close with the Imperial family and the Romanov sisters in their last few years.

⮞ Historical Novels As many Romanov enthusiasts knows, it is incredibly difficult to find quality historical fiction on the last Romanov family. There are important exceptions, however:

The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller • Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. Like the fingers on a hand--first headstrong Olga; then Tatiana, the tallest; Maria the most hopeful for a ring; and Anastasia, the smallest. These are the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, grand duchesses living a life steeped in tradition and privilege. Highly praised for its historical accuracy and  individual voices given to each grand duchess, Sarah Miller’s young adult historical fiction book can serve itself as a great starting point on the Romanov sisters, fiction or nonfiction.

Anastasia and Her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer • A young adult historical fiction novel from the point of view of Anastasia, this generally accurate book follows the lives of the Romanov sisters from their childhood to young women in captivity.

Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer • A well-beloved middle-grade novel written in the style of a fictionalized     diary of Anastasia.

Rubies in the Snow: Diary of Russia's Last Grand Duchess 1911-1918 by Kate Hubbard • Another fictionalized diary of Anastasia Nikolaevna, this book follows the grand duchess across seven years.

The Last Grand Duchess: A Novel of Olga Romanov, Imperial Russia, and Revolution by Bryn Turnbull • I have admittedly not read this book yet, so perhaps it is taking a huge chance to recommend this book; however, it is a new first-person novel of Olga Nikolaevna that has been well-received by readers and I haven’t found a trace of the usual sensationalism in the book’s reviews. 

⮞ Secondary Sources While there has yet to be a definitive combined biography of the four Romanov sisters, there are a number of nonfiction works that include their lives woven into their narratives. These include:

Anastasia’s Album by Hugh Brewster • A beautifully illustrated young adult nonfiction book on Anastasia Nikolaevna and her sisters.

The Romanovs: Love, Power, and Tragedy by A. N. Bokhanov • This book provides an enthralling  description of the last Romanov family. It is Told through the diaries and family albums of the last Tsar and Tsarina, and included for the first time in print the diary entries and letters of the grand duchesses. Hundreds of unique and historic photographs from the personal photo albums of Nicholas and his family complete this volume.

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie • A masterful classic of nonfiction, this book is considered by many to be the standard biography of the last Imperial Family of Russia. Written by Robert Massie with much research work done by Suzanne Massie, this book is a generally great nonfiction starting point on Nicholas, Alexandra, and their five children.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming • A young adult historical biography of the last Romanov family of Russia. This well-researched and well-annotated book provides information not only on the history of Nicholas, Alexandria, and their children but also on the Russian people living at the time and on the social conditions that contributed to the family's demise.

The Resurrection of the  Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, and the World's Greatest Royal Mystery by Greg King and Penny Wilson • This groundbreaking book serves three purposes: first, a biography of Anastasia Nikolaevna; second, a recounting of the tale of “Anna Anderson”; and third, a biography of Franziska Schanzkowska and how under the guise of Anna Anderson she falsely claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanova.

⮞ Websites The internet has proven to be an endless mine of Romanov material on the grand duchesses and the imperial family as a whole. These websites are particularly good starting points:

Alexander  Palace Time Machine • The world’s preeminent Romanov website--a treasure trove of photos, letters, books, articles, and more.

Liviadia.org • A tribute to the Romanov children, featuring scrapbook-style biographies and photo albums of each grand duchess.

The Romanov Family • A popular Romanov history website focusing on Nicholas, Alexandra, the four sisters, and Alexei in their own words, run by translator Helen Azar.

Frozentears • A media-rich memorial to the last Imperial family.

Romanov Memorial • A virtual tour of the Ipatiev house.

Yale Beinecke Albums • Browse six of Anna Vyrubova’s personal photo albums, loaded with candid snapshots of the grand duchesses and their family.

The Romanov Royal Martyrs Project • A multimedia dedication to the last Imperial family of Russia.

⮞ Films, Documentaries, & Footage While there have been numerous films and documentaries on the Romanovs, only a small amount steer away from the sensationalism often associated with the family, particularly the imposters. Documentaries and films that focus on the real family instead includes:

The Romanov Four Sisters (2021) • A documentary on the Romanov sisters by The Romanov Royal Martyrs project, this two-part series is a purposeful remake of a far less well-received documentary. This new version features colorized pictures by Olga Shirnina (Klimbim),  newsreel footage, and a selection of photographs from the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF).

OTMA — Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria & Anastasia (Footage) •  An hour length collection of the old archival film footage with the Russian Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov of Russia from the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive at Krasnogorsk (RGAKFD).

Last of the Czars (1996) • A three-part documentary on the last imperial family of Russia, Discovery Networks.

Russia’s Last Tsar (1995) • A documentary on Nicholas II and his family, National Geographic Video.

The Romanovs: An Imperial Family (2000) • A Russian historical drama film about the last days of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. It has been praised by Romanov enthusiasts for its depictions of the Romanov sisters.

Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) • The film adaptation of Robert K. Massie’s book of the same name, this historical drama focuses on the imperial couple and their family throughout Nicholas’s reign.

#historyedit #royaltyedit #romanov #romanovedit #olga nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #anastasia nikolaevna #otma #anastasiaedit #anastasia #russian history #history #sources #our edits #writing #20th century #photo #by olishka #women's history #full disclosure that this op finds helen rappaport a revolting human being not only for her sensationalism and meaness but also her right-wi #ng politics #however the book is 'by necessity' listed here i do not actually reccomend it #i also have a problem with massie that i hint at in this post but i still rec it lol #im a bit weary of the book by turnball #i also cant stand greg king/penny wilson lmao but the book rec here is their sort of redemption arc #and its a great book honestly

[the-last-tsar]

OTMA and signs: {04/04}

Grand Duchess Anastasia -> Gemini

Appropriately symbolized by the celestial twins, this air sign was interested in so many pursuits that it had to double itself. Because of Geminis' intrinsic duality, they're often falsely misrepresented as two-faced. In reality, however, Gemini rarely has a hidden agenda. Playful and intellectually curious, Gemini is constantly juggling a variety of passions, hobbies, careers, and friend groups. They are the social butterflies of the zodiac: These quick-witted twins can talk to anyone about anything. Find them buzzing between happy hours, dinner parties, and dance floors.

#grand duchess anastasia #otma #anastasia nikolaevna #a #my own #my edits #romanovs #grand duchess #otma and signs #signs

[otmaaromanovas]

Hey. I was wondering what your favourite books about OTMA/The Romanovs are? I have read quite a few and I’m looking for new recommendations. I love your posts btw :)

Hiya! Thanks for your question.

As you said you have read quite a few books about the Romanovs and want new recommendations, I'll try and think of some of the less common/more obscure books I've read, which I don't see talked about too much!

Once a Grand Duchess by John van der Kiste and Coryne Hall

Admittedly, this book sometimes reads like a long wikipedia page, but has some very interesting information on Xenia Alexandrovna. If you are interesting in the British royal family and their history, the second half of the book has some great info on Xenia's stay at Frogmore Cottage and Hampton Court

The False Anastasia by Pierre Gilliard and Constantine Savitch

Written half by Gilliard and half by Savitch, it combines some of Pierre Gilliard's memories of Anastasia and the Romanovs with debunking the Anna Anderson myth. Some great work here on Anderson's actual identity. However, I will warn you straight away that if you do get this book in its English translation, the translator Edgar A. Lucidi is VERY antisemitic. Throughout the book, he goes to great pains to try and say that Anastasia survived, and has a whole preface about it, including photos of him posing with a pretender. It's frustrating and insulting, especially when he makes actual notes in the text trying to 'debunk' Gilliard and Savitch's writing. I'm recommending this book purely because of what Pierre Gilliard and Constantine Savitch have written, which is very interesting and revealing. If you can read French (I definitely can't!) it's worth getting the original.

Tutor to the Tsarevich by John C. Trewin and Charles Sydney Gibbes

This book is FANTASTIC and really underrated! It's more of a coffee table format, with plenty of photos, but has some really fantastic information. It has a lot of Gibbes' original writings and reflections, published for the first time I believe. Some great anecdotes about Tobolsk and some rare photos of Gibbes and his life after the Romanovs.

The Romanovs & Mr Gibbes: The Story of the Englishman Who Taught the Children of the Last Tsar by Frances Welsh

This book focusses on the life of Charles Sydney Gibbes, later known as Father Nicholas, who was the English tutor to the children. Although it is definitely not as good as Tutor to the Tsarevich, it provides an interesting picture of Gibbes' life. It's quite short, and focusses a lot more on Gibbes than the Romanovs, but is worth a read if you're interested in the tutors of OTMAA.

A Few Years Before the Catastrophe by Sofia Ivanovna Tyutcheva, translated by George Hawkins

This book is *TINY* so you might be better served getting the online kindle edition rather than actually buying it. Sofia, or 'Savanna' as OTMA called her, was a nanny to the children from 1906-1912, before being dismissed by Alix for disagreements over Rasputin and the raising of the children. As I said, the book itself is very short, but paints an interesting picture especially of Ernst of Hesse and Nicholas' personalities. There are some fun anecdotes about OTMA, but not too many. The reason I recommend this book is because I am currently reading Anna Vyrubova's memoirs and she goes on a four page rant about poor Savanna, saying that she was a traitor and sold out Nicky and Alix. Reading Savanna's recollections almost entirely prove this wrong.

The Camera and the Tsars: The Romanov Family in Photographs by Charlotte Zeepvat

This book is BEAUTIFUL! Anything Charlotte Zeepvat writes is worth buying in my opinion. But this book especially... *chef's kiss*. It has so much detail about the whole of the Romanov family, and is mainly in picture form with detailed captions and text too. The photos are high quality. A great overview of the whole of the Romanov family and its many branches.

The Grand Duchesses: Daughters & Granddaughters of Russia's Last Tsars

This book is comprised of multiple different biographies about Romanov Grand Duchesses and princesses over a span of about 200 years. It is very unique in focussing entirely on the women in the Romanov family. There are a couple of errors in it, but nothing too awful. Great if you want to dive in and learn about some of the Grand Duchesses that came before (and after) OTMA.

‘After that we wrote.’: A Reconsideration of the Lives of Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, 1895-1918 by Althea Thompson

The last recommendation isn't a book, but a thesis written for their Master's Degree, and focusses entirely on OTMA. It's fascinating, with plenty of great sources sprinkled in. It looks to re-examine how historians have viewed OTMA and aims to create an accurate picture of their daily lives. It's a long academic read, but has fantastic information. You can read it here.

I hope this was helpful! I probably missed out some great gems, but these are the first ones that come to mind which are less common :)

#q #ask #answered #anon #books #sources #bookblr #book recs #non fiction #Romanovs #russian history

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

As much as I hate the half-drama-half-documentary format of “The Last Tsars” (AND the inaccuracies, AND the bias, AND that bullshit scene where Nicholas has a nice chat with his would-be murderer and the would-be child and women murderer is a nice, tragic character who has the final say and a “memorable line”, AND ESPECIALLY the “Maria had sex with a guard after he gave her cake” myth bullshit the producers and historical consultants probably knew was exaggerated and still added just to have another pointless sex scene), I must admit it was ultimately for the best.

I have talked about this before.

Imagine a pure, uninterrupted, plot driven, show-and-do-n't-tell drama mini-series that ACTUALLY makes you care for the characters, especially the children and their personalities.

Imagine a general audience who knows nothing about the Romanovs following them as they hide their jewels in preparation for some (Perhaps edge-of-your-seat, action driven) escape attempt. Imagine them following them as they suffer from the separation, reunite and so on. Imagine them seeing how they had to stop the girls from socializing with the guards because OTMA were THAT charming. Imagine the fake rescuer sending them letters plot, the expectation for something else to happen.

Imagine that general audience getting to the end. It would be so disappointing and anticlimactic. At least the annoying half-documentary format doesn't let people get too attached and reminds those with bad memory that this is based on a real story, a sad real story.

Unpopular opinion I guess (And I am totally and shamelessly contradicting myself, YES, but only because I want a good Romanov tv show for other purposes completely unrelated to the show itself: That the fandom grows and more people know what I am talking about when I mention something about them lol), but the REAL last Romanov family (Family of a reigning Emperor, I know there are still Romanovs out there) can only be properly enjoyed through letters, memoirs, photographs, and edits where you can easily go back and forward in time imo. Their tragic story doesn't make for a good adaptation.

#the last tsars #romanov #otma

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

~ ♔ ꧁ OTMA ꧂ ♔ ~

❧ “In the darkness of the mystery which surrounds the fate of these innocent children it is with poignant emotion that I recall them as they appeared, so full of life and joy, in those distant, yet incredibly near, days before the World War and the downfall of Imperial Russia.”

❧ “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, I should say, were a strong will and a singularly straightfor, ward habit of thought and action.”

❧ “Tatiana was almost a perfect reincarnation of her mother. Taller and slenderer than her sisters, she had the soft, refined features and the gentle, reserved manners of her English ancestry. Kindly and sympathetic of disposition, she displayed towards her younger sisters and her brother such a protecting spirit that they, in fun, nicknamed her "the governess."

❧ “Marie had splendid eyes and rose-red cheeks. She was inclined to be stout and she had rather thick lips which detracted a little from her beauty. Marie had a naturally sweet disposition and a very good mind.”

❧ “Anastasia, a sharp and clever child, was a very monkey for jokes, some of them at times almost too practical for the enjoyment of others. I remember once when the family was in their Polish estate in winter the children were amusing themselves at snowballing. The imp which sometimes seemed to possess Anastasia led her to throw a stone rolled in a snowball straight at her dearly loved sister Tatiana. The missile struck the poor girl fairly in the face with such force that she fell senseless to the ground. The grief and horror of Anastasia lasted for many days and permanently cured her of her worst propensities to practical jokes.”

- Anna Vyrubova (friend and personal confidante of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna)

#💗🤍 #OTMA #olga nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #anastasia nikolaevna #romanov #romanovs #my edit #mine #made by me #Romanov edit #russian imperial family #russian history #shuffles #shuffles edit #grand duchesses #grand duchess Olga #grand duchess tatiana #grand duchess maria #grand duchess Anastasia #Anastasia #Anna Vyrubova #diaries and letters #quotes #wallpaper

[romanovsonelastdance]

Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna in court dress 1913.

#romanov #otma #olga nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #i already had this as a british one #this is the russian edition #although the top was cut off? #but now I have like . . . 9? #of this session in Russian editions. #4 solo tatianas #3 solo olgas #and 2 of them together #my collection

[romanovfairies]

Olga Nikolaevna resemble her father, Nicholas II and her aunt, Olga Alexandrovna.

Tatiana Nikolaevna resemble her mother, Alix of Hesse (Alexandra Feodorovna) and Maria Alexandrovna.

Maria Nikolaevna resemble her grandparents, Dagmar of Denmark and Alexander III.

Anastasia Nikolaevna resemble her mother, the German princess Alix of Hesse and her sister, Tatiana Romanova.

The tsarevich, Aleksei Nikolaevich resemble Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna (his parents).

What relatives do OTMAA resemble?

#otma resemble #romanov #otma #the romanovs #imperial russia #russia #otmaa #tatiana nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #olga nikolaevna #maria romanov #tatiana romanov #olga romanov #anastasia nikolaevna #anastasia romanov #alexei nikolaevich #alexei romanov #tsarevich alexei #grand duchess tatiana #edit #romanov edit

[the-last-tsar]

OTMA and signs: {03/04}

Grand Duchess Maria -> Cancer

Cancer is ruled by the moon, the celestial body that represents comfort, self-care, and maternal energies. Accordingly, Cancers tend to be domestically oriented. They attract friends and lovers through their loyalty, commitment, and emotional depth. They love to create cozy, safe spaces that serve as their personal sanctuaries, then spend lots of time in them. Cancers care deeply about their families and are quick to adopt caregiver roles.

#grand duchess maria #maria nikolaevna #otma #m #my own #my edits #otma and signs #signs #romanovs #grand duchess

[enamoredpast]

“ It is hard that we cannot see each other, but God will surely help us, and we will meet again in better times.”

Tatiana Nikolaevna

#otma #quote #edit #romanov edit #otma edit #grand duchess #grand duchesses #olga nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #anastasia nikolaevna #romanov #imperial russia #my edit #my edits #my gif #my gifs

[otmaaromanovas]

Hi! Where do you read letters and diaries of NAOTMAA? Do you read it online and if not where do you buy books? I luv ur blog sm ❤️‍🩹🙃

Hello! Thank you for your question and compliments!

I read the diaries and letters from physical books. A few books are online, and Olga and Tatiana's diaries are online, but require institutional access - you can see more about that here.

If you have an amazon prime account or free trial, you can read some online using the kindle app.

The most prolific translator is Helen Azar, who collaborates often with George Hawkins and Nicholas B. A. Nicholson.

I am going to list all the books that I am aware of that are dedicated purely to translations:

1895 Diary of Tsar Nicholas II, Lottie Bailey 1913 Diary of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna: Complete Tercentennial Journal of the Third Daughter of the Last Tsar, Helen Azar, Amanda Madru A Lifelong Passion, Andrei Maylunas, Sergei Mironenko (this book is huge, almost 800 pages, and has translated letters and diaries from Nicholas and Alexandra, some of OTMA's notes, and extended family) Alexei: Russia's Last Tsesarevich - Letters, diaries and writings, George Hawkins Anastasia Romanov: The Tsar's Youngest Daughter Speaks Through Her Writings, Helen Azar, George Hawkins Correspondence of the Russian Grand Duchesses: Letters of the Daughters of the Last Tsar, George Hawkins In the Steps of the Romanovs: Final Two Years of Russian Imperial Family (1916-18), Helen Azar Journal of a Russian Grand Duchess: Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar, Helen Azar MARIA and ANASTASIA: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words, Helen Azar MARIA ROMANOV: THIRD DAUGHTER OF THE LAST TSAR. Diaries and Letters 1908-1918, Helen Azar, George Hawkins Romanov Family Yearbook: On This Date in Their Own Words, Helen Azar, Amanda Madru Russia's Last Romanovs: In Their Own Words, Helen Azar Tatiana Romanov, Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters, 1913–1918, Helen Azar, Nicholas B.A. Nicholson The Complete Wartime Correspondence of Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra, April 1914-March 1917 (Documentary Reference Collections), Joseph Fuhrmann (at a whopping 800 pages, this book went out of print several years ago. It not sells for over $100 regularly, though you can get it cheaper second hand. It is the only completely uncut edition of all of Nicholas and Alexandra's telegrams and letters during WWI.) The Correspondence of the Empress Alexandra of Russia with Ernst Ludwig and Eleonore, Grand Duke and Duchess of Hesse. 1878-1916, Petra H. Kleinpenning (includes both the original German letters and English translations) The Diary of Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna - 1913, Marina Petrov, Reagan Baker The Diary of Olga Romanov: Royal Witness to the Russian Revolution, Helen Azar The Last Diary of the Tsaritsa Alexandra, Vladimir Khrustalev, Robert K. Massie

Diaries and letters are occasionally quoted by historians in their books, but books solely dedicated to these writings tend to not be online for free reading unfortunately. However, here are a few:

Nicholas's 1917-1918 diary is translated and available to read for free here!

A Lifelong Passion is available to read for free here!

Anna Vyrubova includes a few letters from Alexandra, which you can read for free here!

My recommendations if you are just starting to get into the Romanovs and their writings would be either A Lifelong Passion, Correspondence of the Grand Duchesses, and the diaries and letters of OTMAA. Note that some of the other books by Azar have letters from other members of the family, rather than being focussed on just one member, so expect repeated letters and diary entries if you decide to purchase all of her books. For example, letters published in Maria's book are also published in the book dedicated to Maria and Anastasia.

In terms of where I buy them, I like to get my books second hand - helps out the planet and also means that you usually can get a good discount!! Translated books often aren't cheap, because of the time and money spent visiting archives and translating each piece of writing individually. For example, I managed to get a book almost 70% cheaper than the retail price by buying it second hand. I use websites like eBay, WOB (world of books), and abebooks.

I hope that this was helpful!

#q #ask #answered #books #bookblr #sources #Romanovs #russian history #romanov family #OTMA

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

“Lost Crown” by Sarah Miller has issues (Or I am extremely nitpicky when it comes to OTMAA)

I love “Lost Crown.” I may repeat that a thousand times. It is an almost perfect book and I doubt any Romanov historical fiction book will ever compare to “Lost Crown” in quality of writing, characterization, historical accuracy, depicting the love this family had for each other, wholesomeness, and pretty much anything else. I have reread that book three times. I admire Sarah Miller a lot for what she accomplished, hers is one of the few books I have re-read and I swear I hate re-reading the same books, so this is a huge deal.

If you are looking for a review praising it though, you are in the wrong place, because I actually think the book is flawed and I am going to be talking exclusively about said flaws (Single flaw? It depends on how you see it, it is mostly one issue).

I love “Lost Crown”, but I am also ridiculously sensitive regarding Sarah Millerʼs attitude towards Alexandra and Alexei, the latter most of all, because he was a child.

“People can stomach the political necessity of executing the tsar, the empress, and maybe the 13-year-old heir to the throne, but there was no reason for those four sisters to die”- Sarah Miller.

That is from an interview. I can not find the exact source, but I am sure I read it somewhere and that it is accurate. Sure, she was talking about what OTHER people feel about Alexeiʼs death when compared to OTMAʼs, but she did NOT make her own opinion known, which makes me think she either doesn't consider that way of thinking discusting or even disagrees too much.

Wow, Miller, really? Does that mean that if Nicholas had removed the Pauline Laws you would have “stomached” the deaths of these girls you wrote a masterpiece about better?

Nothing against Sarah Miller herself, as many people outside the niche Romanov fandom bubble have this mindset, but I genuinely find these sorts of comments and opinions gross. For any who think like that:

A) Premeditatedly (And assuming you are of sound mind) killing innocents for super logic and pragmatic, even downright Einstein level of genius political reasons is just as evil as killing them for any other reason. Yes, ANY other reason. Come at me with whatever “buts” you like. The reasoning of murderers throughout history may be diverse, more or less understandable, or even nonexistent in some cases, but if the effects are the same (Innocents end up dead as a consequence of their immediate actions), then they are just as evil in my eyes.

B) They also had political reasons to kill the girls. They could have been used as a White symbol of resistance against the Bolsheviks, who also wanted to demoralize the upcoming armies by killing the entire family (Further proof that “tactical” doesn't take away from the “evil” of it all).

C) He was 13, the literal youngest, you psychos. His murder was as wrong, sickening, shocking, and unjustified as that of his sisters. I don't care if he doesn't fit your aesthetics OTMA-edit-blog-whatever “Which Romanov Sister are you most like?” quiz or feminist college dissertation on how OTMA were overlooked in favor of him (Bo freaking hoo you care more than OTMA, who loved their brother, did, get over it).

Ok, rant over, let's get to the point. This all brings me to the only aspect of “Lost Crown” I have trouble coming to terms with: It is obvious reading it that Sarah Miller feels little for Alexei, projects those feelings onto the girls, and the worst part is that people don't notice. Well, I do. At first I thought I was seeing things, because not a single Romanov enthusiast had pointed out the same stuff I have issues with, but then I read that quote in the interview and thought: “Maybe I am not so crazy after all, I may be a sensitive little bitch, true, but I am not crazy” lol.

It should be said that I don’t think like this because I consider Alexei’s characterization on Lost Crown bad, on the contrary.

Alexeiʼs characterization is perfect in my view, and it is clear that Sarah Miller did her research on his personality, which is not what troubles me. She might feel “little” for him (Sorry, vibes she gives) but she does feel, I have never claimed she is not compassionate. It is hard to read about him without feeling a twinge of compassion. Sarah does feel for him and his illness, it is clear she does.

The best portrayal I have read of Alexei in Romanov fiction is actually from Sarah Miller’s Lost Crown. It is clear she TRIED to write him with a lot of empathy and sensitivity. But here is the thing, Sarah flawlessly described the POV of each sister but decided not to include Alexei’s POV, which I believe she would have been perfectly capable of handling. I read a review that said that Sarah probably knew too many POVs would ruin the book, but I think that is just silly, because four POVs are already too much. If you are fine with using four I don’t think a fifth one would ruin the story. Sarah is a talented writer, if she had wanted to include Al, she would have.

I think maybe Sarah felt Alexei’s POV was unnecessary for a book marketed towards teenage girls, or that it “ruined” the almost perfect young adult theme of the four sisters. I mean, even “serious” nonfiction author, Helen Rappaport, left Alexei out of the title of her “Four sisters” book, even though the book also talked about him a lot, almost as much as it talked about each of the four sisters individually. Alternatively, Sarah didn’t WANT to include his POV because of reasons already mentioned, she didn’t feel as much for him, which is fine, I mean, it is her book. This is not necessarily the issue.

What I truly freaking dislike are all those scenes where “Olga” is literally jealous of Alexei. Once, because he was allowed a friend to play with him in Tobolsk while her own friend was sent away (Ok, fair, that made a lot of sense), and the second time, when he was comforted in the Rus because he was afraid of the gunshots (The soldiers were killing seagulls). It makes sense Olga was afraid and wanted comfort as well, especially on the infamous Rus where they were not allowed to lock their doors, but her character gave these vibes: “Why DoNt theeyy comfOrt uus? Whaat about uss? He doesnʼt even need it as much!! His fear is not ValiD in comparison to ours!!! I am so jealous and resentful of my brother and I am totally Olga you guys!!!!”

The worst part is when Tatiana is jealous that the fake rescuers wanted to take Alexei down the window first (Oh, I don't know… maybe because he was ill and taking him down would be the hardest thing to do?! Maybe because as Sarah Miller HERSELF said, his murder made most political sense, and at that time, it was logical people thought he was in the most danger??), and “Tatiana”, the most mature, virtually Alexei’s second mother, and the best friend of politically astute Olga, who was bound to know all of this, was jealous, something we are the readers are supposed to view as “fair” and sympathize with.

I would have believed this jealousy arousing from fear coming from Anastasia, the youngest girl and almost a child herself, but not 21-year-old Tatiana. Romanov fans love bitching about authors making up fake cat fights between the girls and antagonizing them, which I sympathize with, one of many reasons “The Tsarina's daughter” was trashed (As it should be) and I don't want to read it. But Sarah Miller makes Tatiana jealous of the fact her disabled brother (Who it makes more political sense to kill) is being put into consideration first in a dangerous rescue attempt and no one bats an eye only because “Lost Crown” has more prestige in the fandom, and “Tsarina's daughter” was in general inaccurate, had insulting scenes, and the author had the nerve to give it a more satisfying ending by making Tatiana survive (Oh no! That didn't actually happen! The horror!! How dare the author put fiction in that fiction book!!!!).

I don't care anymore if people come at me. It is almost perfect, but some parts still irritate me and feel as insulting as parts of “The Tsarina's daughter”, or even the “The Last Tsars” and “The Passion of Marie Romanov” scenes where Maria has sex with a guard. Yea, THOSE scenes. There, I said it. Parts of “Lost Crown” actually offended me MORE, because Maria exploring her sexuality (gasp! horror!) with a guard in FICTION is not as bad as “the Romanov sisters mocking their little brotherʼs fictional self-harm issues” in fiction (I will get to that). Oh! And an added plus is that the author of “The Passion of Marie Romanov” is, as I am, just as horrified about the murder of Alexei as she is about the murder of his innocent sisters, as everyone should be.

Not only are Olga and Tatiana irritatingly jealous and resentful of her brother... but Anastasia is irritatingly jealous and resentful of her brother. The one described as the closest to her brother is. She is suuper annoyed about the family focusing so much on him after they all arrived at Ekaterinburg. Picture this: She has been separated from her parents and favorite sister, her other half of the pair, for weeks. She has missed Maria and wants to see her “so much it is pathetic'' (As she similarly described in a letter), she has worried for their well being and their conditions for weeks, and instead of being happy about the reunion, she is resentful about her brother receiving more attention from his mother for his silly “so painful it can make you pass out” hemophilia attack. She literally says something similar to “what is the use of being together again after weeks of worry and longing if people are paying so much attention to my sick brother, also, I totally am Anastasia, the same girl that wrote a letter to Ekaterinburg talking about how sweet Alexei was, you guys, the same girl that tried to cheer him up and make him laugh when he was ill you guys” *rolls eyes*

“But usernamesuggestionsarefunny...” you say, “you are too sensitive,” you say. “They could have had those thoughts of jealousy for their brother in real life because they were human!” You say.

I am fine with the authors exploring less than perfect sides of the characters (But Alexei-related jealousy issues are the go-to for most Romanov fiction writers, it is overused and rarely done differently, I said what I said), it is fiction, and in real life they weren't perfect and must have had their fights, we just have less information on that. What I don't like is when the narrative doesn't call it out as something wrong, or it villianizes, even if slightly, one of the characters, making you take the other characterʼs side even when, once you reflect about it, is not 100% guaranteed. It is especially obvious why these scenes annoy me when you consider we don't actually get Alexei´s POV. Sarah Miller didn't give us one. So we are just supposed to sympathise with Olgaʼs and only Olgaʼs thoughts and feelings of jealousy, not with Alexei´s own fear of gunshots. We are supposed to sympathize with Anastasiaʼs feelings of jealousy. We never know if Alexei sensed this resentment coming from his favorite sister, how it made him feel if it did, sometimes he is almost treated as some obstacle of sorts to the girls´ happiness instead of a character, I don't know how to explain it, but it is so blatant and annoying.

Oh wait! None of what I mentioned before is the worst part of the book, the part that angered me the most, that angered me more than “Maria having fictional sex with a guard” levels of anger. I leave that for the last part of my rant: The worst part is that Sarah Miller literally implies that after they arrived at Ekaterinburg, Alexei hurt himself on purpose. Now, I don't think this is true in real life, but I understand why Sarah Miller got the idea from: Nicholas´s diary entry, where he mentioned that Alexei bumped his knee against the bed “as if on purpose”. I personally think his expression was meant more as a “This is so freaking inconvenient” or “Why did it have to happen now?” kind of thing, like, Alexei was not in the best health before and now the bump had made the situation worse, you know what I mean? Maybe Nicholas was even annoyed at Alexeiʼs carelessness, but that is it. I donʼt think Nicholas meant he LITERALLY thought Alexei had done it on purpose. He just didn't, in my opinion. It is also possible he was simply going through a typical puberty growth spurt, which as most teenage boys and men are aware, makes you a bit clumsy because you are growing too fast and can´t calculate the size of your limbs lol.

Now, I am not bothered by Sarah Miller's interpretation of Alexei doing it on purpose. It wouldn't bother me even if it could be 100% disproven (I literally support escape plot fictional additions in Romanov fiction for the sake of the plot/story/character development/satisfying end/you name it wholeheartedly). It is fiction after all. I just want serious elements added or included in the story to be treated with the severity they guarrant.

Sarah made the girls aware of the fact their brother might have hit himself on purpose, which, considering his illness, would have caused him a lot of pain, like, A LOT, and it did. He kept his family awake with moans of pain in real life. I am sure Sarah Miller knows about this. I am sure by this point in his life Alexei knew his own body enough to realize this as well if it were true that he did it on purpose (Which I genuinely doubt). This tiny “detail” she decided to include in her book was literally self-harm.

Well, she made the four girls dismiss their brotherʼs self-harm as something selfish he did for attention, and I felt sick. I knew girls in junior high, around Alexei´s age, who did this. No laughing matter, and SUPER out of character for OTMA, even, I would venture, Anastasia, to dismiss this with a laugh as they did, but for some reason not even literal Romanov experts and scholars in the book reviews who are faaar more knowledgeable than me noticed this, maybe because they were blatantly tricked by the narrative (And so were you).The girls making light of their brother self-harming is treated by the narrative as a “cute” and “funny” sister bonding moment (It literally is treated that way, why did no one else notice? Why am I the only one upset about this?). The girls were right and their brother is an attention-seeking asshole for self harming. Also, self-harm is funny and if people do it “for attention” (Which in fact means there are deeper mental health issues that should be attended to), it should not be taken seriously. That is what we are supposed to get from that scene.

This wouldn't bother me if, again, we got Alexeiʼs point of view of this situation, so we the readers could see why he is doing what he is doing and empathize, maybe raise awareness to the serious mental health topic of self harm. Like seriously, hemorrhages into the joints, or in general some hemorrhages cause a lot of pain, and I think Romanov fans underestimate just how much. For example, in Spala, he sometimes had to pass out to be free from it. If he had bumped his knee as a form of self harm knowing it would cause that sort of physical pain, it would have probably meant that his emotional pain was becoming almost unbearable to cope with. That is one of the explanations people who self harm give (Not the only reason people self harm though, and it is much more complex than that), that the physical pain distracts them from the emotional pain. Like seriously, few people would go through that pain for attention, but we the readers are just supposed to believe Alexei was “playing with his illness”, and that he was not taking into account his motherʼs *cough cough his jealous sistersʼ cough cough* suffering.

Like for real, read the following passage from Anastasiaʼs pov and imagine if Alexei had been a 13-year-old girl and her older sisters mocked her self-harm issues behind her back, we would be calling the sisters bitches, Cinderellaʼs step sisters. If the older sisters were older BROTHERS people would go even further, some would call them abusive and uncaring pricks. Think about it for a second, how the way the narrative portrays something tricks you to see this as a “cute” sister bonding moment.

~

Every time the crowd in the doorway thins, I can see our brother sitting there in Maria’s cot like it’s a striped throne and he’s Tsar Aleksei II.

“I bet he hurt his knee on purpose,” I whisper to my sisters.

“If that’s true, I’d like to take him across my own knee,” Olga says.

“Olga!” Tatiana scolds. “How could you?”

“After what we went through for all those weeks because he was too sick to move? It isn’t fair to play with his illness like that.”

“The first time was not on purpose, Olga.”

“I know it. But think of how Mama suffers. It’s selfish of him.”

“Mama doesn’t seem to mind,” I say. “She looks pretty pleased to have someone to fuss over.” Tatiana’s jaw falls open so far her teeth ought to drop out. “And the only good part so far is that Mama’s hovered so much, Aleksei hasn’t had a chance to notice his own dog is missing.”

“Don’t, Nastya,” Maria begs. “Not on our first day all together again.”

I shut my mouth, but what’s the use of being all together again if everybody’s going to set up camp around Aleksei’s cot and never mind the rest of us?

-

Lmao I can't with “Anastasia” here. She is so selfish and annoying, sue me.

Nooo, H-O-W D-A-R-E Alexei have legitimate mental health issues as a result of his imprisonment when the book is about OTMA and THEIR thoughts and emotions during imprisonment? How dare I expect Alexei to be treated as a character and not a prop or obstacle to show how nice the poor girls are to put up with his spoilt ass, the attention he gets and his silly "selfish" cries for help?

Sarah actually does give us scenes of Alexei coping with the separation from his parents. His character is treated sensibly while he is at Tobolsk, and to that I give the author a lot of credit, but if she had already touched upon Alexei’s coping, as well as some of his feelings about the separation and of his illness, what was the need to include this fictional self-harm mini plot then? To make it about the girls and how much it annoys them? This is another thing I have noticed, a small minority of exclusively OTMA fans, most often people new to the last imperial family (so Sarah Miller has no excuse lol), talk about Alexei´s illness as if the only real victims were the girls, the people forced to”put up” with it and how much their brother's illness diverted their mother's attention from them, and Sarah Miller does write about Alexei´s illness like this in SOME parts of her book, which is infuriating. This does NOT mean the girls were not deeply affected, or the side effects of his illness, including potential favoritism, should not be mentioned or even extensively explored in fiction, but I don't like when it is made out to be the only important thing, when Alexei is right there, literally about to die in excruciating agony or something but... oh,well.

By the way, how come no author writes about how it affects the girls to see or know their brother is suffering? How come that is not made into a source of conflict for them? Pierre Gillard literally writes it affected their moods, never mentioned jealousy. Like seriously it would be super interesting, kind of accurate and still focus exclusively on the girls if that is what the author is most interested in, but I guess writers prefer to project THEIR personal “my parents loved my youngest sibling more than me” traumas onto OTMA lmao. I mean, Pierre Gillard said his sisters worshiped him, which I genuinely think is hyperbolic and immensely whitewashed. I take the “too good to be true” memoirs with a grain of salt, just like most people and *clearly* Sarah Millar. Of course the girls were human, and I think they got fed up with and bored of their brother once in a while, but if Pierre wrote that they worshiped him it was because he mainly witnessed love between them, more than fights or resentment, and he wanted that love remembered. Why is it the LAST thing remembered in Romanov fiction then? Why does Sarah Miller gloss over that at the worst possible times?

Romanov fans know this is a book true to reality that has no escapes or twists, so this self-harm side-plot leads to NOWHERE in the narrative, a total dead end (Absolutely no pun intended). It was literally added for the “lols”, or as a mini side plot. I hated it, I truly did.

How dare I expect something as serious as self harm to be given importance by the narrative after the author herself decided to add it to the story for no reason at all when she could have easily explained the incident away as an accident? Like seriously, that diary account from Nicholas is all we have and in no way is Alexei doing it on purpose the only valid or even most obvious explanation. If you still want to write about it, good! It might be interesting! But treat it S-E-R-I-O-U-S-L-Y I guess I am super sensitive but that is just me. I literally can't believe no one else has pointed this out.

Not everyone will get the reference, but an example of characters being treated unfairly by popular characters, and the narrative wanting to make you side with the popular characters, who are being unjust, is the case of Percy and the twins from Harry Potter. I love the twins and don't care for Percy that much. The twins are my favorite characters, but the fact is that they were bullies to Percy, and the narrative never called this out. It made you side with the twins and not Percy. It made you angry at Percy for his admittedly cruel actions but not the twins for their unwarranted mocking of their brother. After Percy apologized, the twins should have also done so, but this never happened. According to the narrative, the twins did nothing wrong.

Obviously, the popular characters in this case are the Grand Duchesses, who in Lost Crown didn't actually do anything nearly as bad as the twins. It was just gossip and private thoughts, but again... Alexeiʼs POV people! We don't get it! Or at least, if Sarah didn't want to write it or it took too much space, an explanation of his self-destructive behaviour through a heartfelt talk between the siblings. The narrative convinces you that the way the sisters are talking about their self-harming brother is completely fine. It never calls it out, it never proves them wrong, in fact, most readers didn't notice nor cared, but might come to internalize the belief that people who self harm are attention seeking, or that people that are chronically ill are wrong to have mental health issues because they are not being “grateful” enough to the people who care for them, they are being “unfair” to them, and not “appreciating” all the caretakers have had to do for their sake. It is a pretty toxic message, I don´t know, don´t mind me, I am a sensitive little bitch.

Alexei behaves horribly with Anastasia in Ekaterinburg as well, by the way. I hated him in that scene. He “pranks” her in a way that could have easily killed her. But the anecdote is told from Anastasiaʼs POV, we rightfully side with her and see how scared she is. The narrative shows us Alexei crossed the line, that is the difference.

To be honest, this other book is objectively less accurate, but I preferred “Anastasia and her sisters” to “Lost Crown”. Sure it has a made up romance between Anastasia and Botkinʼs son, and you know what? That innocent fictional addition is not nearly as harmful as Sarah Millerʼs diary-entry-based self-harm side plot and the possible message it sends to the readers, something that, admittedly, she may have not realized as she wrote it was harmful.

Another thing, this is more tongue in cheek. The only sister who never thinks of Alexei with humorous over the top resentment is, as far as I can remember, Maria (At least my fave Maria escaped from that terrible detail in the girlsʼ characterization lol). I appreciate Maria never did so, not even when Alix said “Thank God it wasnʼt Alexei!” when Maria hurt her eye. The only thing Maria thought was that her motherʼs expression hurt her feelings, which I completely get. I mean, that line was so obnoxious and obviously put there to show the readers how horrible Alexeiʼs existence was for the girls lmao, and it is impressive that Sarah Miller held herself back there from making Maria have an internal monologue on how little her mother loves her even though it was clear what Alix meant (Though I still don't like the line, it was downright cruel, sure Alix could have said it in a moment of carelessness, but in context with the rest of the book, it sounds as if the author was trying to tell me: “Look how poor OTMA were neglected by Alix in favor of the brat Alexei”). Mariaʼs love for her brother is also connected by the narrative to her nurturing nature and longing to be a mother, which was so ashfkdfhgdfgi I loved it! I canʼt believe Sarah Miller seems to think the same way as I do, that Mariaʼs personality makes it unlikely she was not as close to her brother.

The fact Maria is often talked about as the “jealous” one or “least close” to her brother for literally no reason (no evidence whatsoever) makes me consider the fact she escaped this book intact from resentment a triumph honestly, at least in that aspect I applaud Sarah Miller.

Tatiana doesn't escape from the rescentful part of the characterization, and many of the times she worries about Alexei, she clearly does so solely for her mother's sake (Literally, when she is caring for Alexei she barely thinks of him as a brother but as her motherʼs “sunbeam”, when Alexei calls for his mother in a clearly upset tone because they just literally ARRESTED his sailor nanny, Tatiana is like: how ddaaare he annoy my poor sick mother!!! When he is EQUALLY SICK!!). I loved the way Miller portrayed Tatianaʼs love for Alexandra btw. Tatianaʼs love for Alexei just doesn't appear to be as genuine as that of Maria in this book.

In conclusion, Lost Crown was almost perfect, and I have waaay less problem with the book than I have with the way the fandom blindly worships it as if it were the Bible of Romanov historical fiction. Sure, love it! I have read it 3 times and plan to do so again, maybe that is why I noticed these details while other fans did not, maybe I love it more than you do guys lol. In fact, I advise you to read it again, or buy and read it if you haven´t, maybe you will do so with new eyes, maybe not. But don't just appeal to it as authority on what good Romanov fiction is. Lost Crown is far from perfect, and if you have stuff you have issues with (I hope someone will say something in the comments, maybe even something new, and prove I am not alone, lol), or you like another Romanov fiction book more, even “silly” and inaccurate “they escape” fantasy books, you should be free to speak your mind without being called ignorant.

#romanov #romanovs #otma #olga nikolaevna #tatiana nikolaevna #maria nikolaevna #anastasia nikolaevna #alexei nikolaevich #grand duchess anastasia nikolaevna #grand duchess olga nikolaevna #grand duchess tatiana nikolaevna #grand duchess Maria nikolaevna #lost crown #Sarah miller #otmaa