#Interests

[otmaaromanovas]

Do you know what the girls liked to read and what their interests were ?

Hello! I have tried my very best to include detailed quotes and information about OTMA's interests and what they liked to read, so this is quite a long post!

Olga

Olga sometimes played the piano and sang, and she was considered the best pianist out of the family. Sophie Buxhoeveden recalled that

"She could play by ear anything she had heard, and could transpose' complicated pieces of music, play the most difficult accompaniments at sight, and her touch on the piano was delightful. She sang prettily in a mezzosoprano. She was lazy at practising, but when the spirit moved her she would play by the hour."

Olga also had a playful streak, and would enjoy playing practical jokes on her tutors when she was a child. When she was older, she sometimes joined in Anastasia's mischief. From a letter to her father in 1915:

“I am sitting in Mr. Gilliard’s rooms near the door of his water-closet where Trina’s little nasty girl Katya is sitting locked in by Anastasia and myself. We’ve just drawn her along the dark passage and pushed her in... Katya is still locked in the W.C. She is knocking and wailing behind the door but we are implacable"

Katya is thought to have been one of Ekaterine 'Trina' Schneider's maids, Ekaterina 'Katya' Zhivaya.

Fittingly, Olga seemed to enjoy comedy books. She sometimes wrote about the books she was reading in her diary:

Friday, 12 August 1916: "[I was] lying down in the hammock and read the second part of “Surgery.”" Sunday, 23 October 1916: "After 10 o'cl. came over and read Sladkopevtsev's funny short stories" Wednesday, 20 November 1916: "After 11 o'cl. to bed. Read V gostyakh u turok [Visiting the Turks] by Leikin."

I think that on 23 October, Olga is referring to Vladimir Vladimirovich Sladkopevtsev, a writer and actor who authored over 300 short stories. Nikolai Alexandrovich Leikin was a satire and comedy writer, and his book Visiting the Turks, part of a comedy series about a traveller, was published in 1897.

Olga brought several books with her to the Ipatiev house, including religious and history books:

And Mary Sings Magnificat, a religious book with handwritten prayers and poems composed by Olga, another interest of hers.

The Eaglet, which I believe is the Russian edition of Edmond Rostan's play based on the life of Napoleon II

The Princess and the Goblin, a children's fantasy book, gifted to Olga when she was a child by her aunt Irene

France in All Ages, a gift from Nicholas II, likely a history book

Tatiana

Tatiana had an interest in needlework and embroidery, regularly sewing clothing and blouses for herself, her sisters, and her friends. Whilst OTMA were all taught needlework by their mother, Tatiana was the most skilled. Anna Vyrubova remembered that Alexandra's "best pupil" was Tatiana,

"who had an extraordinary talent for all kinds of handwork", making "beautiful blouses and other garments, embroideries and crochets".

Tatiana also enjoyed fashion. Vyrubova also remembered that:

"she was able on occasions to arrange her mother's long hair, and to dress her as well as a professional maid"

Similarly, Sophie Buxhoeden noted that Tatiana would step in to style hair when the usual hairdresser was unavailable.

"Tatiana Nicolaevna loved dress. Any frock, no matter how old, looked well on her. She knew how to put on her clothes, was admired and liked admiration."

Tatiana's interest in fashion was reflected in her diary, where she noted when they were measured for dress fittings and that her and her sisters had a hairdresser that would curl their hair for special occasions. Similarly, she described having their heads shaved in 1917 as a "horror", but, ever sensible, noted that "now we feel comfortable".

Tatiana also had an interest in Russian history, particularly when she got to help with Alexei's lessons during 1917 to 1918. She enjoyed reading, and makes more references to reading for pleasure in her diaries than Olga does, but unlike Olga she tended not to give the titles of the books she was reading. She mentions reading “The Wide Wide World" to Maria, which was a popular novel written by American author Susan Warner in 1850, that has Christian moral lessons as its core.

Tatiana brought many books with her to the Ipatiev House. A few had annotations that Tatiana wrote, and flowers that she kept between the pages. The majority of books that Tatiana brought with her were religious, many inscribed by Alexandra Feodorovna and appear to have been gifts to Tatiana during 1917-1918. These included:

Our Lady of Beneficence

Book of Hours - I believe that these were read accompanied by prayer

Letters on the Christian life

On the Patience of Sorrow

The Life and Miracles of St. Simeon the Righteous of Verkhotursk - St. Simeon was patron saint of the Ural region

The Life of Our Father St. Seraphim of Sarov - Nicholas II approved St. Seraphim's canonisation, and the events for the solemn canonisation were attended by the Imperial family

Tatiana also brought several moral and religious books gifted to her during her childhood and teenage years, including:

Great Canons of St. Andrew of Crete

Collection of Services, Prayers and Hymns

The Beauty of Self-Control - published in 1911, this was an instructional book advocating for a Christian lifestyle

Non-religious books include

The Wider Life

Life's Open Door

The Brave Life - a book by Lidiya Charskaya, who was a very popular author for Russian girls. It tells the tale of a noble girl who decided to join the army as a cavalryman

Fables of La Fontaine - considered classics in French literature, funny short stories for children

Anthology of Childhood

Tatiana also had several history books

The History of Peter the Great - written by historian and children's writer, Sofya Afanasevna Chistyakov

Tales of Shakespeare - likely the popular children's book written by siblings Mary and Charles Lamb. They summarised different Shakespeare plays, making them suitable for young children. Mary wrote the vast majority, however her name was omitted from the authorship declaration for years in favour of her brother.

Tatiana was a fan of classics, writing to her friend Zenaide Tolstaya "I read a lot. I decided to read all the books by our best writers from the beginning to end! I also read books in English and French." Olga wrote in her diary on Saturday, 3 December 1916 that "Tatiana read “Gdye apelsini zreyut” [Where the Oranges Blossom]", another travel comedy by Leikin.

Maria

Maria had a strong interest in drawing and painting. She was naturally left handed, and like many people in the past, was encouraged to write with her non-dominant right hand instead. However, when she did art, she was able to use her left hand, which I imagine was much more comfortable!

This is confirmed in a letter from Russian tutor Pyotr Vasilievich Petrov to Olga, where he wondered whether Maria

"does not want to write [a letter] because she is not allowed to write with her left hand, and the right one refuses to write"

In 1916, Alexei asked Maria if she could draw a picture of his spaniel, Joy, for him

"16 December 1916. My dear darling Alexei! I don’t know how big you want me to draw Joy, but I will give it a go, and if it doesn’t turn out, I can do it again…. I have just tried to sketch Joy but it didn't work out because I don’t really remember what he looks like and it ended up looking nothing like him, so I won’t send it to you. When you bring Joy to me, then I will be able to draw him."

Sophie Buxhoeveden remembered:

"[Maria] alone of the sisters, had a decided talent for drawing, and sketched quite well, always with her left hand"

You will also notice that a lot of Maria's photograph albums are 'hand tinted', where she has painted over the photos to add colour.

Maria was also very interested in children, and loved spending time with babies and kids. She loved visiting the local 'Nanny school', an orphanage. In 1914 she wrote to friend Olga Vorovona that she enjoyed visiting them:

“such awfully sweet darlings... We gave them all presents and they were so happy with them and each one showed their nanny what they got…. I love little children so awfully much, play with them and carry them in my arms. Do you love babies?"

Four books belonging to Maria were found at the Ipatiev House. Interestingly, two of these appear to have been textbooks from her lessons. They were:

On Paris - I believe this was written by popular author Vasily Petrovich Avenarius

Visual Teaching of Foreign Languages

Reflections

The Role and the Ring - perhaps the narrative poem by Thomas Browning?

Anastasia

Anastasia thoroughly enjoyed acting and mimicry. She always participated enthusiastically in plays staged by the children, and was remembered by many people who knew her as an excellent mimic.

"She had a comic gift as a mimic, picking out people's foibles in a way that made everyone laugh. "What a bundle of mischief," recalls her godmother, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, the Tsar's sister."

She liked to tease her tutors to make them laugh, going as far as "throttling" Pierre Gilliard. Sydney Gibbes, her English tutor, recalled her walking into class dressed as a chimney sweep, covered in soot, and sat down as if nothing was amiss, causing lots of laughter amongst her siblings.

"Through the years he preserved from Tobolsk two cheap exercise books, each labelled ‘English’. ‘M. Romanof’ had written her name on one label. The other book belonged to A. Romanova (Shut Up!) Tobolsk 1917-1918.’ Grand Duchess Anastasia, more exuberantly talkative than her sisters, seized on one of Gibbes’s exasperated moments. When he told her to shut up, she asked him how to spell it and adopted it as her nickname."

In a letter to Russian tutor Pyotr Vasilievich Petrov, she expressed her annoyance at him by purposefully filling the letter with spelling mistakes:

"Wikied P.V.P. I am very, very upsit with you. Why didn’t you write a litter to Maria and me? I’m telling you, you are very, very bad, extremely bad even. Maria and I have written you so meny letters and you haven’t replied. I am going to make mystakes on purpose. I alredy see where I made mystakes. Anastasia. 1909. 9 November."

Anastasia also enjoyed shopping. Her nanny, Sophia Ivanovna Tyutcheva, recalled how

""Anastasia Nikolaevna was especially attracted to stores, where they sold doll shoes of various sizes…""

It's a common myth that OTMA did not go shopping - you can read more about the truth here

Only a few books belonging to Anastasia were found at the Ipatiev House, four books of essays.

The children also enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories, which their father read aloud to them, including The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Nicholas also read many of Chekhov's short stories to the children, including:

"The Duchess" - often translated as 'The Princess', a story about a narcissistic princess who encounters modest monks

"The Witch" - about a husband who thinks that his wife is a witch who has summoned a snowstorm

"To the Court of Law" - I believe this is an alternative translation for "The Court", a satire on the judiciary system

"The Incident" - about two siblings debating the parentage of kittens

"The Enemy" - about the grief of a doctor who lost his son

This was a very long post, but I do hope that you found it helpful! I don't have my Maria and Anastasia books on me at the moment, so please forgive me for not including more books that they read :')

Sources

Anna Vyrubova, Memories of the Russian Court, (London: MacMillan and Co, 1923)

GARF 640-1-1318

George Hawkins, Alexei - Russia's Last Tsesarevich: Letters, diaries and writings Part One: 1904 – 1915, (Independently Published: 2022)

Helen Azar, George Hawkins, Anastasia Romanov: The Tsar's Youngest Daughter Speaks Through Her Writings, (Independently Published, 2021)

Helen Azar, George Hawkins, Maria Romanov: Third Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters 1908-1918, (Yardley: Westholme Publishing, 2019)

Helen Azar, Tatiana Romanov, Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters, 1913-1918, (Yardley: Westholme Publishing, 2015)

Helen Azar, The Diary of Olga Romanov : Royal Witness to the Russian Revolution, (Yardley: Westholme Publishing, 2013)

Helen Azar, The Romanov Family: Books They Left Behind (Ekaterinburg)

Sophie Buxhoeveden, The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia, (London: Longmans, Green & Go, 1929)

[littlepartsofjoy]

Okay, no spoilers, but Mariana is SO COOL! I mean, don't get me wrong, we all knew that – but she is so talented and... Pure Mariana-appreciation. 💖

I just love it how characters of my absolute obsession are into my other interests and hobbies, how cool is that? It just makes the brain go brrrrr.

[the-unexplained-council]

Has anyone gotten their OUAW Dice set?? I saw like 1 person post that they got theirs but no one else and my order hasn’t said it’s shipping or anything, just that it’s ordered. I wanted to see if they’ve actually been distributed before I try to see if I need to contact them-

[tremendously-crazy]

i was supposed to be cool and mysterious like sherlock holmes but instead I can't stop yapping about anything and everything that interests me in the slightest. like sherlock holmes

[desultory-suggestions]

People who love you shouldn't make you feel ashamed of your interests and hobbies. What you enjoy is wonderful, even if it's uncommon, complicated, stereotypical, etc. Please keep sharing your lovely energy with the world.

[liesandnights]

Stop shaming people for being passionate about the things that they love. Stop mocking people for having unusual interests. Like, honestly, I’m so tired of feeling embarrassed for being "too much". If being too much means having deep interests that fill my life with romanticism and excitement, then let me be!! I’d much rather listen to anyone ranting about their latest obsession with 16th century swords than have a boring ordinary conversation with those who shame passionate people.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[skelexguts]

I saw a lot my mutuals do this on twitter and thought why not tumblr,, If you like any of these that are shown,, I would love be mutuals!!! I’ve alot of interests but these are main ones!! :D

[thepersonalquotes]

Do not allow your happiness to be controlled by the thoughts of others. People are happy for you one minute and then the next they are looking down their noses at you. You have to find within yourself the kind of happiness that withstands the ups and downs of life. No one should have the power to limit or repress your happiness.

Amaka Imani Nkosazana, Heart Crush

[l0v3sickl0s3r]

when they say “ur f/o’d love to hear u talk about ur interests” but my f/o IS my interest

proship/comship DNI >:(

[shouts-into-the-void]

My interests are like:

Tea, knitting, baking, the most horrifying media concepts you've ever seen, painting, gardening

[aahanna]

"Guys who mock girls for lacking knowledge about sports they like, let me ask you - do you know anything about fashion, cosmetics, or other girly interests? Probably not!

You've dedicated your time to specific areas, and we've done the same.

There are millions of things in the world to explore and be passionate about, and everyone has their own interests."

[the-unexplained-council]

Love is watching 5 middle aged men make middle school jokes giggling and not getting anything done in their DND campaign sessions

[douglasthealien]

Was thinking about the similarities with the Captain’s death between Thomas and Julian’s. Would have loved to see some bonding about this between them :) especially between Captain and Thomas. Two reckless sillies who died for love

[bellehaspurplehair]

When I think of the raven cycle for too long I start to levitate