#Shura and Tatiana

[last-grand-duchess-of-russia]

10 years old Anastasia Romanov Kremlin letter, [29 May 1912].

How is your health. It is hot here 30 degrees in the sun. I just got back from Neskuchnyi [1]. There was an outing in the morning and there was a worship service in Uspensky cathedral [2]. It was so sad to leave Levadia [3]. and I feel terribly sad that you are not here. Mari [4] and I live in the blue room Olga and Tatiana in the red, Nikita Fyodor and Andrei have tea with us and play here. Do you have a stick? Nikita is terribly naughty. It was terribly hot on the train.

“ Darling Shura,

Olga, Mama, Papa and Tatiana were traveling in a noble [5], like in Kiev. I feel better but sometimes bad again. Tomorrow there will be an inauguration of the monument [6]. Do you think you will come soon or not. They say that we will raise the Standard [7] on June 29, so you need to hurry. Now after Moscow I want to go to Levadia. We made a stop in Harkov. There were Ladies with Mama and Papa had reception of the deputies. Tatiana received a good gift today for her celebration [8]. We had a marvelous voyage from Yalta to Sevastopol [9], the weather was hot and marvelous in Sevastopol [10].

Will stay in touch. Big kiss to you. With love

1. The oldest park in Moscow.

Truly yours Anastasia

The envelope is plain because people like to read, when it says Moscow or Standard [11]. ”

2. Principal church in the Kremlin.

3. Tsarist summer palace in the Crimea.

4. Grand Duchess Maria.

5. Slang for a train cart for nobility.

6. Tsar Alexander III monument inaugurated on May 30, 1912.

7. Navy flag, the main Imperial yacht of the Tsar had the same name – The Standard.

8. May 29th is Grand Duchess Tatiana’s birthday.

9. Cities on the Black Sea.

10. A city in the Crimea.

11. The yacht, Standard.

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

Well, I just spent a few hours on this. Thanks, ADHD Hyperfixations. Anyways, here’s the general ages I came up with for the Three Frats AU relative to the 3H cast’s ages in the academy phase. Some are canon, others are modified canon, and others are straight up vibe guesses. I didn’t include any of the shapeshifters on here since they’re up in the air.

31+ - Vaida, Renault, Saber, Valbar, Gregor, Basilio, Flavia, Volke, Reina, Yukimura, Shura, Gilliam, basically anyone old enough to have their own kids or just obviously older than 30 something 30 - Arvis, Uther, Oswin, Hawkeye, Deen, Miriel, Libra, Shinon, Azama, Arthur (Fates) 29 - Aida, Pent, Louise, Dorcas, Isadora, Harken, Karla, Zeke, Stefan, Izana, Emmeryn, Gerik, Tethys 28 - Claud, Bartre, Natalie, Mathilda, Kamui, Fredrick, Virion, Sigrun, Gatrie, Xander, Saizo 27 - Beowulf, Lucius, Canas, Farina, Legault, Clive, Robin, Say'ri, Bastian, Heather, Tanith, Ryoma, Kagero, Scarlet, Glen (FE8) 26 - Balthus, Arden, Hector, Rath, Leila, Geitz, Karel, Lloyd, Linus, Sully, Cordelia, Kellam, Lon'qu, Calil, Rhys, Camilla, Orochi, Setsuna, Niles, Nyx, Benny 25 - Sigurd, Eldigan, Quan, Naoise, Ayra, Lewyn, Chulainn, Eliwood, Kent, Raven, Matthew, Dart, Fiora, Python, Forsyth, Sonia, Chrom, Vaike, Stahl, Cherche, Zihark, Lucia, Hinoka, Beruka, Peri, Joshua, Saleh, Cormag 24 - Edain, Brigid, Alec, Jamke, Lex, Sain, Lowen, Lukas, Leon, Jesse, Sumia, Gaius, Tharja, Geoffrey, Oscar, Jakob, Effie, Charlotte, Seth 23 - Deirdre, Tailitu, Azelle, Midir, Erinys, Wil, Heath, Ursula, Palla, Maribelle, Olivia, Henry, Kieran, Makalov, Kaze, Azura, Natasha, Glenn (3H), Rennac 22 - Mercedes, Lachesis, Lyn, Florina, Luthier, Lissa, Aran, Nephenee, Felicia, Flora, Rinkah, Silas, Syrene 21 - Jeritza, Byleth, Sylvia, Serra, Erk, Priscilla, Tatiana, Conrad, Ricken, Elincia, Marcia, Astrid, Boyd, Leo, Takumi, Oboro, Hinata, Artur, L'Arachel 20 - Hubert, Hapi, Catria, Atlas, Ike, Fiona, Jill, Mia, Lute, Innes, Knoll 19 - Sylvain, Yuri, Leonie, Finn, Dew, Guy, Rebecca, Silque, Berkut, Rinea, Fernand, Donnel, Pelleas, Ilyana, Tormod, Hana, Subaki, Mozu, Erika, Ephraim, Colm, Niemi, Forde, Kyle, Lyon 18 - Dorothea, Dedue, Raphael, Lorenz, Hilda, Constance, Monica, Jaffar, Gray, Faye, Clair, Mist, Soren, Hayato, Vanessa, Tana 17 - Edie, Dimi, Claude, Bernie, Ferdie, Felix, Ingrid, Marianne, Ignatz, Alm, Tobin, Celica, Mae, Sothe, Laura, Sakura, Elise 16 - Caspar, Linhardt, Ashe, Annette, Nino, Est, Boey, Genny, Leonardo, Meg, Ross 15 - Lysithea, Petra, Kliff, Edward, Franz 14 - Cyril, Oifey, Amelia, Ewan 13 - Delthea, Sanaki, Shannan

--

You entering a trace and emerging with an age list of (I presume) every FE that you’ve ever played. It happens. I get it. (I do have to point out that Saizo and Kaze are twins, so maybe we split the difference on their estimates? 25? 26?)

Mostly however I am going to be thinking about the 13-year-olds tier. There is such powerful energy there. I don’t know what’s going to happen if you put the three of them in the same room, but I know it will be happening, and there is no force on all the continents that could stop them if they put their mind to something.

[thebronzehorsemanforever]

[tatianaandalexanderinmyheart]

“They renewed and vowed and confirmed and kissed and danced to the Anniversary Waltz in four languages and “E Lucevan Le Stelle” in six renditions. . .” Tatiana's Table by Paullina Simons

June 23, 1942

Happy Wedding Anniversary, Tatiana and Alexander

[lovingsylvia]

Today marks the 51st anniversary of Assia and Shura Wevill’s deaths. RIP!

Assia Wevill, born Assia Esther Gutmann (15 May 1927 – 23 March 1969)

Alexandra Tatiana Elise, nicknamed Shura (3 March 1965 - 23 March 1969)

Assia committed suicide  and killed her daughter Shura in her London home at 3 Okeover Manor, Clapham Common, UK.

***

“Assia wrote in her diary: “’It’s Sylvia---it’s because of her’ […] “It says die---die, soon. But execute yourself and your little self efficiently,” [...] “I can’t believe it---any more that I could believe hearing my own death.” […]

On Sunday, 23 March 1969, around 8:30 p.m., a neighbor in Assia’s building smelled gas, but since her apartment was all dark, she assumed there was no one there, but decided to stay by the door and warn Assia of the gas leak upon her return.

“As he [another neighbor] entered Assia’s flat, it became clear to him that the source of the smell was behind the shut kitchen door. Pushing it open, he turned the kitchen light on and saw the two bodies. […] “Mrs. Wevill was lying on some blankets on the floor on her left side, and her daughter was lying on her back, with her face inclined toward her mother,”  […] She [the nurse] took her pulses, but there weren’t any. She looked at their pupils, discovering to her horror that they were fixed, dilated. “The little girl was much colder than her mother.” […] the nurse did some cardiac massage on the mother and on the little girl, but it was hopeless. The police doctor who had just arrived declared them both dead. The post-mortem examination report stated that the cause of the mother and daughter’s death was carbon monoxide poisoning; there were no external marks of recent injury on Shura’s body and, unlike her mother, there were no signs of barbiturates and no evidence of alcohol. The pathologist […] remarked, “The child bears every evidence of proper care and attention.”

In a suicide note to her father found on her bedside table, Assia wrote two months earlier, in January 1969: “I have lived on the dream of living with Ted---and this has gone kaput. The reasons are immaterial. There could never be another man. Never.” […]

“It is clear that by January, Assia had made up her mind to take her own life and not to leave her child behind. […] Assia knew that she had no more than three hours in which to execute it all: to prepare the letters, clear the kitchen, lay the blankets, close the windows, swallow a package of pills gulping whiskey, carry Shura from her bed, and turn on the gas taps. The use of multiple methods indicates that she was past the point of no return, and did not wish to be saved.”

– Excerpt from Chapter Twenty, “The Die is Cast” - London winter 1969 in “Lover of Unreason. Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath’s Rival and Ted Hughes’ Doomed Love” by Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev, 2006

Picture: Assia nd Shura at Court Green, Devon, UK

[sognaresfogliando]

Nel mio primo post vorrei parlarvi di una trilogia che ha rapito il mio cuore: “Il cavaliere d’inverno” di Paullina Simons. 

Leningrado, 1941. In una tranquilla sera d'estate Tatiana e Dasha, sorelle ma soprattutto grandi amiche, si stanno confidando i segreti del cuore, quando alla radio il generale Molotov annuncia che la Germania ha invaso la Russia. Uscita per fare scorta di cibo, Tatiana incontra Alexander, un giovane ufficiale dell'Armata Rossa che parla russo con un lieve accento. Tra loro scatta suvbito un'attrazione reciproca e irresistibile. Ma è un amore impossibile, che potrebbe distruggerli entrambi. Mentre un implacabile inverno e l'assedio nazista stringono la città in una morsa, riducendola allo stremo, Tatiana e Alexander trarranno la forza per affrontare mille avversità e sacrifici proprio dal legame segreto che li unisce.

Inizio con il dire che sono stati, soprattutto il primo, dei libri che mi hanno fatto piangere ed emozionare immensamente, facendomi vivere gli orrori della guerra, vedere i meravigliosi paesaggi russi e soffrire con la struggente storia d’amore di Tatiana e Alexander.

I libri, anche se composti da quasi 700 pagine ciascuno, scorrono veloci e fermarsi nella lettura risulta quasi impossibile. Sono abbastanza accurati storicamente e le descrizioni dei luoghi sono minuziose ed impeccabili, così come la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, personaggi umani, con i loro pregi e i loro difetti, trattati in tutte le loro sfaccettature.

La cosa che colpisce di più, tuttavia, è il sentimento tra i due protagonisti, un amore nato al primo sguardo, un amore forte, che riesce a sopravvivere alla distanza e ad ogni avversità, un amore eterno.

Vorrei concludere con le parole della Simons:  "Ho voluto raccontare la storia di un grande amore e di grandi sacrifici, del trionfo del coraggio sulla tragedia, e dell'oscurità che ha avvolto la Russia per gran parte del ventesimo secolo. Il Cavaliere d'Inverno parla di speranza: perchè anche nei momenti più terribili è possibile una vita migliore, e nemmeno un'ideologia schiacciante può distruggere l'amore."

[nathairart]

Ph: StephanyGin photography Cosplayer: Hachi Cosplay

Tatiana Metanova from The Bronze Horseman.

[characterobsessed]

So I’ve been reading this book called the Bronze Horseman set in the Soviet Union during World War II and this song has been playing on loop the entire time i was reading it but oml this book has brought me to tears so many times it’s 100000% worth the read😭 I’m more obsessed with it than Outlander and thats saying something

[lilietsblog]

so whenever Russian characters crop up in American/English-speaking media theres a very noticable thing where writers v often dont understand patronymics and full names.

Now, there’s two gradations of “full name” that are in use here. There is the “FIO” full name, or SGP perhaps (surname, given name, patronymic), and there is the full given name.

As an example, let’s take Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich.

Ivanov is the surname. You can tell bc of hte -ov suffix at the end. (Not the only one possible but a pretty decent indication something is a surname when it is there)

Ivan is the given name. You can tell bc Russian has a set (an expansive one) of given names and this is one of them, one of the most historically popular at that.

Ivanovich is the patronymic, it can be translated as “son of Ivan”. You can tell bc of the “ovich” suffix. There is also “evich” and for at least one name just “ich”. Colloquially they will also get shortened into just “ych” making the variation “Ivanych”. (”Y” is the letter used for transliteration of a sound that doesn’t exist in English but is considered fairly close to “i’)

To be clear, “Ivanov Ivan Ivanych” is the exact same person as “Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich”, this is hte exact same name, the only thing that changes is how formal the speaker is being about it.

Female suffixes are “evna” and “ovna”. Anna Petrovna, Anna Fadeevna. There is also “ichna” for at least one name and an antiquated “ishna” which is the colloquial alternative in some cases. Anna Fadeevna = Anna Fadeishna. This IS antiquated tho.

Coming back to our Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich, this is the “FIO” form of his name, the way it will be put on formal documents that require one’s full name. The “Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov” form is also acceptable, its just not the order you write on documents in. The patronymic (Ivanovich) always comes after the full given name (Ivan), the surname can be stuck on either side of that.

The traditional respectful address to someone you know is the full given name + patronymic. Ivan Ivanovich! Could you come over here? It’s used with plural/formal “you”. This form is also becoming obsolete in recent years but if you’re writing mid-20th-century or characters of middle age+ Ivan Ivanovich is the name to go.

(Note the difference from the address + surname form in English: Dr. Smith or Mr Smith etc. In Russian this form does not exist except several centuries back or in very very impersonal century back “citizen Ivanov” that like a policeman would use to address you. Not anyone you actually know personally. Schoolchildren will often not know their teachers’ surnames because they are all Ivan Ivanovich to them.)

Now I keep saying “Ivan” is the FULL given name. The short given name from “Ivan” is “Vanya”. This is a set linguistic fact - the set of given names in Russian is factually two linked sets, a set of full given names and a set of short given names. Some short given names can  be short from several full given names, some full given names can have several short names (a person will usually pick one to use). A short given name doesn’t go anywhere on formal documents. It just follows from your full given name naturally, like conjugation. Some full given names (Gleb, Oleg, Diana, Vera) are short enough to be used as short given names too and so don’t realy have assigned short counterparts. In fact Vera can be both a full name on its own - Ivanova Vera Ivanovna - and short for Veronica - Ivanova Veronica Ivanovna.

Short names are formed through a variety of rules. There are basic requirements for the form they take as a result though. Full given names can have “complicated” consonant pairs together: Dmitriy, Aleksandr, Pavla, Anna. Short names are “simple” will almost always go consonant-vowel. Dmitriy -> Dima, Aleksandr -> Sasha, Alik or Shura (don’t ask how that last one happened, it’s a miracle of absurdity, but it’s one of the traditional shortenings), Pavla -> Pasha (well, Pavla is a rare name, you hear Pasha and you usually assume Pavel, the male name), Anna -> Anya. (”y” is not a consonant here, “ya” is a vowel sound English doesnt really have)

(As an exception to the consonant-vowel rule, when there’s a consonant pair the second of which is “l” it’s usually kept together in the short name - it’s just very simple to the Russian ear / tongue. Vladislav - Vlad or Slava, for example)

Often a name will be formed fully from the syllables / consonants of the full name, give or take changing the last vowel to the gender neutral “a”/”ya” (It will either be “a”/”ya” or a consonant). Vladimir -> Vlad, Ruslana -> Lana, Tatiana -> Tanya, Anna -> Anya, Katerina -> Katya, Dmitriy -> Dima or Mitya, Ivan -> Vanya. And then there’s the “sha” suffix tacked on as the second syllable: Pavel -> Pasha, Natalia -> Natasha or Tasha, Daria -> Dasha, Aleksandr -> Sasha, etc.

So long as they conform to these rules, you can kind of make them up. Though considering the whole of history, you’re not super likely to make up something that hasn’t been made up before you. Anna historically speaking turns into Anya, Nyura, Nyusha... -shudders-

So how are short names actually used?

As an implication of familiarity/subordination, that’s how. For the weebs in the audience, you know the ‘-chan’ suffix in Japanese? Kind of exactly like that. Japanese has more nuances, but generally if you wouldn’t call someone -chan, you shouldn’t call them by their short name. (Unless they specifically asked you to, but I think that’s a thing in Japanese too)

Short names are never paired with patronymics. The steps of formality in address are basically “Ivan Ivanovich” => “Ivan” => “Vanya”.

(There’s also formal you, so to be completely clear: “Ivan Ivanovich” (formal you) => “Ivan” (formal you) => “Vanya” (formal you) => “Vanya” (informal you). If someone is getting called their full given name + informal you, it’s either implying antiquity - pre 20th century - or they’re using their full given name as their short given name.)

You call your children and siblings by short names. You call your friends by short names. You MIGHT call your employees, especially if they are sufficiently young, or if you’ve known them for a long time and the “familiarity” part applies, by short names.

SHORT NAMES ARE NOT FORMAL. This is important. Nobody has “Natasha” written in their passport (unless I guess they were making new documents in America or something from scratch and didn’t use any old ones as basis of establishing idenity so could make up whatever. It’s still weird! It’s like having “Johnny-boy” written in your passport!)

SHORT NAMES ARE OFTEN GENDERED BUT YOU CANNOT TELL HOW WITHOUT KNOWING THE CORRESPONDING FULL NAME. “Pasha” and “Misha” are both male names becaus they are short from “Pavel” and “Mikhail”. Of course you could have a Pavla or a Mikhaila, but the former is very rare and the latter is probably a foreign Mykaila Russianified or something. In these cases it’s usually considered normal to assume gender, even if there’s a tiny chance you could be wrong.

PATRONYMICS ARE NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES INTERCHANGEABLE WITH SURNAMES. You have the same surname as your family members, but if you have the same patronymic, either you’re siblings or there are multiple people with the same given name in your immediate family, which is slightly odd. A patronymic is formed from your father’s name by unambiguous and definite rules. Foreign names can be turned into patronymics easily. (Though kids of foreign citizens can get whatever their parents want on their birth certificate - patronymic by the rules of one of the parents’ home country, no patronymic at all, whatever) Surnames are surnames and work the same way they work anywhere else.

PATRONYMICS AND SURNAMES ARE NOT CONNECTED IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. Any surname goes with any patronymic same as it goes with any given name. Except for the obvoius “statistically likely to be from the same culture” part. (Your “Russian” character could have Georgian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Lithuanian, Bielorussian, Kazakh, Tatar descent, descent from any number of indigenous cultures on the territory of Russia that I personally never heard about until I started translating documents in high amounts and stumbling upon them. Russia is an empire!) But even that’s just statistics - you could have a Tsukino Farha Bogdanovna and I’d just go “that’s a fascinating family history right there”.

GOOGLE RUSSIAN GIVEN NAMES, DON’T MAKE THEM UP. And pay attention if something is marked as “diminutive” - that means it’s a short name, and it will not be used on formal documents or in conjunction with a patronymic. Go for the name it’s diminutive for and just have the character ask everyone to use their short name if you want - it’s trendy these days.

There’s all kinds of fuckery going on with name use on the margins - some old people will call their close friends the “patronymic + informal you” construction. (Actually it’s a “Russian babushka” stereotype that actually exists within the culture. And if anyone ever uses the “short name + patronymic” form irl it’s this category of people, though I’d imagine only in third person) Some bosses or even teachers will invite their students to call them by their short name (I am so deeply uncomfortable with this). Age is often the difference between a Vanya and an Ivan Ivanovich in the same situation.

All patronymics and a good share of surnames conjugate by gender! “Ivanov” and “Ivanova” are the exact same surname, but a guy will have the former writen in their documents and a gal would have the latter. If you legally change your gender that letter changes too. (No, there’s no gender neutral form. Some surnames, like those ending in -enko, just don’t do this, but those that do are at all times one or the other) I guess expatriates a couple of generations down could have whatever going on, but if you have an actually-born-in-Russia “Ivanova Ivan Ivanovna” that means “Ivan” is a girl with a male name for some fucking reason. Name gendering is just tradition, patronymic gendering is grammar. (And if you have an “Ivanova Ivan Ivanovich” that’s just someone making a typo) (Maybe our hypothetical Ivanova Ivan Ivanovna transitioned and liked her birth name so much, she decided to not even go for Ivanna or something else plausible, Ivan or bust. Officials would probably just shrug and go with it lmao)

Oh, and in less formal lists and situations, surname + short given name is a classical combination. When I call my grandboss, surname + short given name is how I introduce myself, because I’m much younger and much subordinate so short name it is, but she’s under no obligation to identify me from my given name so surname it is. (To people who I expect to remember my name but who weren’t expecting me to call, just surname is good, but to people who can connect my surname with my identity but probably don’t remember my given name immediately & exactly from that, giving also the form of given name they address me by is the reasonable person thing to do)

If I were introducing myself in the “Hi! I’m Tsukino Usagi!” anime intro format, I’d go for “Short given name + surname”. Short name is usually the one people think of as their personal identity as it’s whatt their close circle will have been calling them for their entire life, and ACTUALLY it’s normal for the surname to come after the given name. In a book citation of “famous doctor X did Y” they will probably be “famous doctor fullgivenname-patronymic-surname”. For a Russian speaker, switching between Japanese name order and English name order is not a difficulty, but we WILL be distressed by not being able to tell which is which and therefore which it is on sight )=

MARVEL COMICS WALL OF SHAME

- Natasha Alianovna Romanova. First, “Romanov” is not a common surname, it’s the surname of the royal family, it’s like a random English guy being called “Tudor”. Well, it’s plausible, it IS formed by the classic “common given name + -ov” rule, but Roman isn’t even that common a name (and not exactly Russian), and... well. It’s just weird. I don’t think there’s good chances for it to have come into existence as such historically WHEN IT WAS THE RULING FAMILY SURNAME. Second! Natasha is a short name! She should be Natalia/Natalya! Third... I mean I will not say Alian is not an existing male name, and I won’t even say it’s not used in any cultures that exist within Russia, but if they were aiming for “common Russian male name” they missed 180 degrees.

- Ilyana Rasputin. First, -in is a suffix that makes this surname adjective-ish, meaning it conjugates by gender, meaning she is RASPUTINA. Her brother is Rasputin. She is Rasputina. Second, again, I have heard of exactly one (1) guy with this surname, and it’s the same guy you’re thinking of right now. It is in no way, shape or form common, or reasonable to give to a character without making it a plot point. Third, Ilyana is not a Russian name that exists. Ilya is a male name, but there’s no female form. FOURTH, I distinctly remember reading a comic where she was calling her brothers “Piotr” and “Mikhail”. That’s their full names! I mean bonus points for actually finding the full names this time, but it’s extremely weird for their LITTLE SIBLING to use them! They should be Petya and Misha as far as her own speech is concerned!

P.S. “All Night Laundry” is a fantastic webcomic, but “Grandimir” is not a real name, “Grand” is not a Russian word root and will not be used in a name this way, you’re looking for “Velimir” or somethng (though that’s, like, a thousand years antiquated). Also while both the uncle and the nephew having the “Petrovich” patronymic is not that odd, Petr is not THAT rare a name and maybe their brother/father was Petr Petrovich... considering we never learn their surname, I seriously suspect the writer just confused a patronymic with a surname. Also, naming their dog the same name crosses the line into slightly weird. Who names a dog after their father? This is actually what prompted this...

[cymeliumstore]

New canvas design is available in store now.

[evernightarcana]

Day 28 - Apprentice

Whoa, hey, watch what you’re doing, that’s dangerous! 

Magic wand testing. Be careful with that and have a fire extinguisher nearby. This is Shurasi’Tatiana, Karen’s kiddo who was also featured on day 9′s inktober. she’s still learning magic from her mom.

[otmacamera]

Alexandra Tegleva "Shura", Ivan Ivanovich Chagin, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna and Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin onboard the Standart, 31st May - 21st July 1908.

"21st July. Monday. At 9 o'clock left Pitkopas for Kronstadt. In the morning did nothing special. As always had breakfast with Papa and Mama. At 3 1/2, to our regret, left the "Standart" for Peterhof. At 6 played with C[ousin]. Dick. A[unt] Ella, A[unt] Victoria, Louise, Dimitri and Dick arrived today."

(1908 Diary of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna)

Photo from: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna's 1907-1908 Album

[tatianaandalexanderinmyheart]

“Alexander of the innocent, the eloquent, the invincible, the invisible, the inordinate, Alexander of the warrior, the combatant, the commander, Alexander of the water and the fire and the sky, Alexander of my soul.”

Happy birthday, Shura!

[laragazzadellibro-recensioni]

TITOLO: Il Cavaliere D'Inverno; Tatiana & Alexander; Il Giardino D'Estate (trilogia)

AUTRICE: Paullina Simons

CASA EDITRICE: BestBUR

COSTO: rispettivamente 10 €, 10.90 € e 10.90 €.

TRASPOSIZIONI CINEMATOGRAFICHE: Nessuna.

GIUDIZIO: 10/10

Siamo a Leningrado, è estate e corre l’anno 1941. Tatiana e Dasha sono due sorelle che condividono tutto, persino il letto, nella casa affollata dove abitano con i genitori. Un annuncio alla radio manda tutto in frantumi: la Germania ha invaso la Russia. È la guerra. Proprio uscendo per fare scorte di cibo, Tatiana, piccola esserina bionda, innocente e delicata incontra Alexander, ufficiale dell’Armata Rossa e tra loro nascerà un’amore in grado di andare oltre tutto. Insieme passeggeranno sotto i bombardamenti, attraverso la distanza, dentro il dolore, con la gioia e nella drammaticità. Tatia e Shura sono in grado di far raggiungere le più alte vette di infelità, possono far piangere, ma vi trascineranno anche nella più intensa sensazione che potrete mai provare: l’amore immenso. Vi troverete ad arrabbiarvi e dispiacervi con Tatiana, ad essere invidiose della stessa sorella, ad arrabbiarvi e vi verrà voglia di chiudere il libro tantissime volte, perché Paullina Simons è in grado di farvi disperare e soffrire e poi di farvi toccare una felicità assoluta. Correrete tra la guerra, tra il dolore che essa porta, poi sarete su un bel prato verde, nel fresco di un ruscello, poi tornerà la neve e con essa il gelo, e infine non vorrete lasciare mai questa storia.  E’ la realizzazione più bella e delicata che potrete avere di due vite, destinate alla sofferenza, che sfideranno il mondo intero, anche senza avere nulla per cui combattere, anche quando forse lottare non basta più. Proverete il desiderio di aiutare voi Tatiana e Alexander (alcune volte anche di essere meno delicate con lui), ma soprattutto capirete cosa vuol dire sfidare la vita, la morte e l’amore stesso. E’ un trionfo su tutto quello che c’è di negativo dalla vita, non abbattetevi quando penserete di stare per vedere la luce nella storia e al contrario ricadrete in un buio ancora più profondo. Sperate, come hanno fatto Tatiana ed Alexander. Non arrendetevi, mai. NOTE DI LARAGAZZADELLIBRO: Questa trilogia resterà sempre stampata nel mio cuore perchè dire che è bellissima sembra banale, è la storia d'amore più struggente e delicata nella quale sono incappata e ho divorato i tre libri uno dietro l'altro nel giro di una settimana, nonostante la mole di pagine. Anche la parte storica è ricostruita alla perfezione, quasi come se foste voi i reali protagonisti, ma più di tutto vi stupirà la maestria con cui l'autrice descrive i sentimenti di Tatiana e di Alexander, ostacolati fin da subito dall'età, dai ruoli sociali, dalla famiglia, dalla vita, dalla guerra e dalla morte, nonchè dalle responsabilità e dalla paura; li amerete incondizionatamente e vivrete davvero una delle più fantastiche storie d'amore tra due persone in continua lotta per sopravvivere, per cancellare i ricordi che li hanno segnati per sempre ed, infine, per impedire che il passato li macchi ancora. PAULLINA SIMONS nasce a San Pietroburgo nel 1963. Le vicende dei tre bestseller “Il cavaliere d’inverno”, “Tatiana & Alexander” e “Il giardino d’estate” sono ispirate alla storia della sua famiglia, emigrata negli Stati Uniti negli anni Settanta. «Tatiana gli teneva le mani intorno al collo. Le labbra appoggiate alla gola. “Mio Dio, Alexander”, ansimò, “devi aiutarmi. Io non riesco a sopportare tutto questo.” “Non posso”, le rispose.”Non ce la faccio neppure io.” Alexander si sentiva un uomo finito. A ventitré anni. Non aveva più fiato. La baciò, sopraffatto da un esserino così delicato. Lei l’aveva battezzato con il suo corpo. Il vecchio Alexander non esisteva più. Era morto e rinato dentro quel cuore perfetto, dentro un’anima pura donatagli direttamente da Dio. A lui e per lui.»(da "Il Cavaliere D'Inverno")

[immortalotma]

Grand Duchess Anastasia’s letter

Letter written by Grand Duchess Anastasia on May, 29, 1912 from Moscow Kremlin. The letter is written with some orthographic and grammar mistakes. 

Darling Shura,

How is your health. It is hot here 30 degrees in the sun. I just got back from Neskuchnyi (Translator’s note: the oldest park in Moscow). There was an outing in the morning and there was a worship service in Uspensky cathedral (TN: principal church in the Kremlin). It was so sad to leave Livadia and I feel terribly sad that you are not here. Maria  and I live in the blue room Olga and Tatiana in the red, Nikita Fyodor and Andrei have tea with us and play here. Do you have a stick?

Nikita is terribly naughty. It was terribly hot on the train.

Olga, Mama, Papa and Tatiana were traveling in a noble (a slang, probably referring to a car on a train for nobility), like in Kiev. I feel better but sometimes bad again. Tomorrow there will be an inauguration of the monument (TN: Tsar Alexander III monument inaugurated on May 30, 1912). Do you think you will come soon or not.They say that we will raise the Standard on June 29, so you need to hurry. Now after Moscow I want to go to Levadia. We made a stop in Harkov. There were Ladies with Mama and Papa had reception of the deputies. Tatiana received a good gift today for her celebration (TN: Tatiana’s birthday). We had a marvelous voyage from Yalta to Sevastopol, the weather was hot and marvelous in Sevastopol.

Will stay in touch. Big kiss to you. With love

Truly yours Anastasia

The envelope is plain because people like to read, when it says Moscow or Standard.

Close up of Anastasia’s signature:

Close up of Anastasia’s drawing:

[nathairart]

Ph: StephanyGin photography Cosplayer: Hachi Cosplay

Tatiana Metanova from The Bronze Horseman.