#pavel konstantinovich

[clarkkantagain]

pavel konstantinovich by olga bragida

[loiladadiani]

The Romanov Martyrs

I wanted to put together a little memorial that included all the members of the Romanov Family (as well as the members of their staff) that were murdered by the Bolshevik terrorists. This seems like a good week to keep them in our minds. Although we love and mourn the children especially, there were others we cannot forget.

Tsar Alexandre II was hunted down until finally blown to pieces.

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna lost two sons and five grandchildren (no wonder she could not accept they were dead)

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was also hunted down and blown to pieces

Three Mikhailovichi brothers were murdered

Four Konstantinovichi were murdered, three of them brothers; I cannot imagine what their mother, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna, went through...and so on.

May they rest in peace.

[romanovsonelastdance]

Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna with members of the extended Romanov family.

[loiladadiani]

There are four individuals I do not recognize. Actually, this is an impressive gathering of Grand Dukes and Duchesses. I have included all the names of individuals in the group that I recognize on the tags.

Emperor Alexander III surrounded by family

[roses-of-the-romanovs]

Hello! I'm creating a Romanov roleplay so could you give me a list of members and friends of the Romanov family, and others (Standart officers, Bolsheviks, etc.) for people to roleplay? That would be very helpful since I know I'm going to accidentally miss some characters (^^”).

Hi! These are some people who were involved with the Romanovs:

Friends:

Anna Vyrubova—quite possibly Alexandra's dearest friend. Typically viewed as a bit of a simpleton or a cunning spy--the reality is probably that she was neither. Also very attached to Rasputin.

Lili Dehn—another of Alexandra's friends, a lady-in-waiting. Also close with Nicholas and the children; was with Alexandra when Nicholas abdicated.

Elizabeth Naryshkina—the elderly mistress of the robes.

Sophie Buxhoevedon—lady-in-waiting, affectionately known as "Isa" (also spelled "Iza").

Catherine "Trina" Schneider—also attempted (unsuccessfully) to teach the Romanov sisters German. Taught Russian to Alexandra. Lutheran.

Grigori Rasputin—infamous. Especially intimate with Alexandra, also a sort of mentor for the daughters. Killed in 1916.

Kolya Demenkov—Alexei’s friend.

Gleb Botkin & Tatiana Botkina—the children of Evgeny Botkin.

Sofia Orbeliani—Alexandra’s friend and an invalid. Died in 1915.

Countess Anastasia “Nastenka” Hendrikova—family friend.

Family:

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna—OTMA's grandmother. But a bit frosty in her relations with Alexandra.

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna—Nicholas II's sister. Often the grand duchesses spent Saturdays with her.

Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna—Nicholas’s sister. Her family was known as the Ai Todories due to their estate. Her daughter Irina especially was close to the daughters. (Irina’s husband, Felix Yussupov, was one of Rasputin’s assassins.)

Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich—one of Nicholas’s favorite cousins, and once considered a possible groom for Olga. Under the care of Elizabeth Feodorovna. One of Rasputin’s assassins.

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna—Alexandra’s sister. Became a nun after her husband Sergei’s assassination in 1905; sent coffee and chocolate to the family during imprisonment. Murdered by the Bolsheviks.

Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich—Nicholas’s brother. Married morganatically and exiled. Saw Nicholas before Nicholas’s departure to Tobolsk. Also murdered by the Bolsheviks.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich—commander in chief of the Russian army during WWI until Nicholas II took over. Not liked by Alexandra due to his dislike of Rasputin.

Tutors/Staff:

Pyotr Vasilievich Pyotrov—the Russian tutor, known as "PVP."

Pierre Gilliard—the French tutor, especially close to Alexei. Often called "Zhilik" or "Monsieur."

Sydney Gibbes—the English tutor, often known as "Sig."

Sofia Tyutcheva—Known as "Savanna," OTMA's unofficial governess when they were young. Outspokenly against Rasputin, and not popular with the Romanovs' other friends.

Margaretta Eagar—OTMA's Irish governess, dismissed in 1904.

Anna Demidova—lady-in-waiting who accompanied the family and was eventually killed with them. Known as “Nyuta.”

Aloise (Alexei) Trupp—footman who was killed with the family; unique in that he was Latvian, and Catholic.

Ivan Kharitonov—cook killed with the family.

Leonid Sednev—companion of Alexei during captivity, eventually sent away by Yakov Yurovsky.

Eugene Botkin—doctor (primarily Alexandra’s). Killed with family.

Nagorny and Demenkov—Alexei’s “sailor nannies.” Only Nagorny continued on with the family to Tobolsk.

Standart Officers of Note:

Pavel Voronov—Olga's love interest in 1913. She wrote of him as "S." in her diaries.

Alexander Konstantinovich Shvedov—Also Olga's love interest in 1913, took place before Voronov. Referred to as "AKSH" in diaries.

Viktor Zborovsky—Anastasia's crush. She also exchanged letters with his sister Ekaterina "Katya" in captivity. Nicholas's favorite tennis partner.

Patients during WWI/Nurses, Doctors:

Dmitri Shakh-Bagov—Olga's love interest. Known as "Mitya."

Dmitri Malama—Tatiana's love interest. Gave her a dog known as Ortipo, named after his cavalry horse.

Valentina Cheborateva—OT’s friend and fellow nurse.

Margarita Khitrovo—fellow nurse and friend. Known as “Ritka” or “Rita.”

Dr. Vera Gedroits—female doctor. Known as “Princess Gedroits.” After the tsar’s abdication, her behavior turned increasingly unconventional.

Vladimir Kiknadze—Tatiana’s love interest after Malama. Considered a dangerous flirt by the other nurses and doctors.

Politicians:

Sergei Witte—Served as prime minister 1905-1906.

Pyotr Stolypin—Served as prime minister 1906-1911. Sofia Tyutcheva, Nicholas II, and OT were there at his assassination.

Mikhail Rodzianko—state chairman of the Duma, 1911-1917.

Bolsheviks/Captors, etc.:

Alexander Kerensky—member of the Provisional Government. Oversaw the Romanovs’ house arrest.

Eugene Kobylinsky—commandant during house arrest; nevertheless on good terms with the family.

Vasily Yakovlev—commissar, searched the house at Tobolsk; helped transfer the family to the Ipatiev House at Ekaterinberg.

Alexander Avdeev—commandant at the Ipatiev House.

Yakov Yurovsky—commandant at the Ipatiev House after Avdeev. Orchestrated the murders.

Pyotr Ermakov—one of the executioners, his accounts of the Romanovs and their murder are highly exaggerated and untruthful. Was drunk on the night of the murders.

Ivan Skorokhodov–despite the rumors there is no reliable evidence to support the idea of a liaison with Maria. However, he was really a guard at the Ipatiev House.

[ieaturaniumrods]

Cian O'Lynn

BASICS

Name. Cian O'Lynn

Nickname. Snow White ( stage name, mostly referred to as this name), Cyan (Called this by Khadija to annoy him while they bicker)

Age. Died at age 41

Date of Birth. 12th of November, 1845

Zodiac. Sagittarius

Sun/Moon/Rising. Scorpio/Libra/Leo

Race. Caucasian

Ethnicity. Irish

Nationality. Russian

Languages. Irish gaelic, Russian, and English

Sex. Male

Gender. Bigender

Pronouns. He/She

Sexuality. Bisexual

Current Residence. Smolensk Orthodox Cemetery, Saint Petersburg

Past Residences. Belvedere Protestant Children's Orphanage, Tyrrellspass, Ireland (Ages 0-18). The Shack, near the Nevsky River, Russia (Ages 19-41).

PERSONALITY

MBTI. ESFJ-A

Moral Alignment. Lawful Good

Strengths. Creative, charismatic, confident, good-natured, kind, sociable, helpful

Flaws. Stubborn, naive, airy, aimless, dishonest, fatalistic, gullible, sensitive, passive, repressed

Hobbies. Practicing, writing in his diary, reading, and the occasional bit of translation, fishing, and swimming in the river- this is only a summer activity, never a winter activity, studying astrology.

Fears.

Chronophobia- fear of time

Hemophobia- fear of blood

Noctiphobia- fear of the night

Character Tropes.

The Idealist- a character with unwavering beliefs in a better world. 

The Dreamer- a character with ambitious and unattainable dreams.

The Sacrificial Lamb- a character whose death serves to motivate others. 

The Repressed- a character who hides their true self or emotions.

FAVOURITES

Food. Brown rice.

Drink. Warm wine- he had it once in his life and now he absolutely loves it.

Colour. Navy.

Pattern. Celtic knot.

Piece of Clothing. The damask light blue scarf she wore to her wedding.

Flower. Sweet William & Cornflower.

Season. Spring.

Book. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

APPEARANCE

Height. 5'4" or 162.56 cm.

Weight. 102 lbs or 46.26 kg.

Skin. Very light porcelain.

Hair. Wavy white hair, cut short. Has a handlebar moustache.

Eyes. Icy blue, downturned.

Nose. Grecian shape.

Lips. Very pale pink, thin upper lip.

CAREER

18-20: Loading cargo onto ships. Eventually stowed away onto one of those ships.

20-24: Cleaning dirt off the streets as well as hawking & peddling around the neighbourhood, selling things that he stole.

25-41: Trapeze artist at Count Belinsky's Circus of Freaks under the stage name of Snow White.

FAMILY

She does not know who her immediate family aside from her children, as she was left in the care of an orphanage as a newborn. But she does believe they would have loved her a lot if they had the chance to take care of her.

His eldest child, Caleb O'Lynn, was the child that he coddled, the child he held close to his heart, to keep him away from all the strange and horrible things in the world that he had been made to suffer through. He would shower him with the few gifts he could pay for, and he would open the doors to new opportunities in Caleb's mind, showing them that they did not have to just be a circus freak, they could be a writer, a painter, a fashionista, whatever they wanted.

His youngest and last child, Imogen O'Lynn, was born at a time in his life where he already knew how to take care of children. While he did not coddle her as much, he still did put a lot of attention onto her, giving her all the love he possibly can, even through his depressive episodes. Taught her how to row a boat.

FRIENDS

Pavel Konstantinovich was his first friend, even though their friendship did not last for long. They would clean the roads together, and speak about their own experiences in childhood, almost like a daily dose of trauma-dumping to each other. Once Cian got the job at the circus, they drifted apart.

He met Khadija when he was working for Count Belinsky, as she was her trapeze companion for ages. They were best friends for ages, and practiced a lot in their spare time, as well as meeting each other in the park and drinking shots on the benches and feeding the ducks with bits of bread.

RELATIONSHIPS

He met Ivan Andreevich Belinsky, his sickly boss’s eldest son. After a few conversations which would always end in Ivan being alerted by his hysteric younger brother that his father was "taking his last breaths" -most of these sudden disturbances were caused by a bloodied cough or a raspy throat- or Cian simply having to do her job. Their relationship soon flourished from eventual info-dumps under the stairs to a love affair of sorts. Even though Ivan was recently married, a fact which Cian had never been notified of, their love blossomed beneath the staircase as well as underneath the sheets. Ivan soon grew quite bored of his lover, and began to ignore him without further notice, and yet had the gall to be insulted when Cian showed interest in someone else...

Nadya Ocentinovna was by no means a regular at the show, more like her father was, dragging her along to the circus to bear witness to the so-called 'oddities he seemed to both despise yet be amazed by.’ Her eyes were always drawn to one- Cian O'Lynn, and when the time came, she most certainly snuck her way to the dressing rooms and made herself known to him. Soon they were waltzing around town, whispering meaningless gossip and chattering about whatever news they had heard. They got engaged a year after their first meeting, in front of their favourite cafe, and when her father found out, he was not the kindest, casting her out of the house with nothing but a small bag of belongings, yet she was still happy, with her new spouse, she sought to make a life for the two of them, and when another pair, their children, popped into their lives, she was more than happy to share this gift with her, as well.

MISC

― Him and Nadya would conduct little fashion shows in her old room in the dead of night.

― He has a severe case of depression.

― Loves loves loves astrology, massive astrology girl its like her whole thing.

― Always wanted a pet dog, but never got to have one.

― Loves ponds and pond life so, so, so much.

― Has never had ice cream in her life.

― Had a full beard while he worked at the piers but shaved it off when he started to work at the circus.

― Prefers conifer forests instead of redwoods.

― Would be the person to starve to death in a deserted island scenario because she was too afraid to eat someone.

[romanovsmurdermystery]

On the photographs: top - Paul Leopold Johann Stephan (Pavel Konstantinovich) von Benckendorff (10 Apr 1853-29 Jan 1921) in the costume of the Ball 1903; bottom: a list of personal jewellery belonging to Alexandra Feodorovna which she gave to Paul Benkerdoff for safekeeping; on the right - the translation of the list into English.

In June 1917 while in Tsarskoe Selo, the former Empress Alexandra Feodorovna passed her personal jewellery to Paul von Benckendorff for safekeeping. He then sent it to the Vault Department of the Cabinet where some personal belongings of the Family were kept.

On 31 July 1917 The Family left Tsarskoe Selo for Tobolsk. Most likely the personal jewellery of Alexandra Feodorovna in the above list stayed in the Cabinet.

Extra info: Paul (Pavel Konstantinovich) Benckendorff parted with the Family when they went to Tobolsk. He was the second husband of Princess Maria Srgeevna Dolgorukova (14 Dec 1846-1936) who was the mother of Vasili Alexandrovich Dolgorukov (13 Aug 1868 -1918), a friend and supporter of Nicolas II. Valya Dolgorukov went with the Family to Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg, but in Ekaterinburg was not allowed into the Ipatievsky House. According to some sources, he was executed in 1918.

[loiladadiani]

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1857 - 1905)

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich is in some ways a mystery and in others he is not.

He was the fifth son and seventh child of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. He was an influential figure during the reigns of his brother Emperor Alexander III of Russia (who trusted him) and his nephew Emperor Nicholas II, who was also his brother-in-law through Sergei's marriage to Elizabeth, the sister of Tsarina Alexandra. Sergei served for almost 15 years as the governor-general of Moscow until becoming a victim of terrorist violence in 1905 just when he was getting ready to leave the post. He was a very cultured man and spoke four languages in addition to Russian. He was also very religious (even though sometimes he showed concern about what he considered his wife Ella's excessive religiosity).

There is always much talk about the fact that his marriage to Ella was childless and that he wore a corset under his uniform (this was standard practice at some point in Prussia.) His sexual orientation seems to always be an issue. We don't really know because Ella and he left no papers, diaries, or letters that could enlighten us in that area. We do know why he wore the corset and why he seemed so impatient and uptight a great deal of the time: He had osteoarticular tuberculosis and was in a lot of pain most of the time. Within the family, he was extremely close to Grand Duke Pavel, his younger brother, and his sister Marie. He was also close to Tzar Alexander III and to Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich.

Several interesting quotes about him:

Consuelo Vanderbilt then Duchess of Malborough met him in Moscow, she considered him to be "One of the most handsome men I have ever seen."

Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse: " He was tall and fair with delicate features and beautiful light green eyes".

Marie, Queen of Romania: "Dry, nervous, short of speech, impatient, he had none of the rather careless good humor of his three elder brothers ... but for all that we loved him, felt irresistibly attracted to him, hard though he could be. Few perhaps cherish his memory, but I do."

Grand Duchess Marie, Duchess of Edinburg by marriage and later Grand Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha adored him and called him "an exceptionally nice young man... and can be recommended one very possible way, not because he is my brother, but because he is an exception among princes."

His wife sustained that she adored him. She also said that Sergei was the type of person you liked more as you got to know him better (paraphrase.)

I have read that many of the malicious rumors about him came from William II, the German Keiser, who had been in love with Ella; she turned him down to marry Sergei. Certainly, Grand Duke Alexander Milkhailovich (Sandro) did not do him any favors in his book "Once a Grand Duke." Although his book is quoted on the Romanovs very frequently, he is not always reliable.

The pictures of Sergei above are not frequently seen - all of them were reblogged from the tumblr blog sergei-and-ella-romanov

One more thing: His nickname was Giga.

Smilies Sergei and Ella

[annalaurendet70]

Currently there is no known photos of the wedding of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Princess Alix of Hesse and By Rhine on 14 November 1894 ( 26 November 1894 N.S.) at the Grand Church of the Winter Palace.Of course they may still be in the Russian Archives,not yet released

On 19 April 1894, Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia was at the wedding of Ernst-Ludwig Grand Duke of Hesse, to their mutual cousin,Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Nicholas had also obtained permission from his parents, Tsar Alexander III and Empress Marie Feodorovna, to propose to Ernst's younger sister, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine.The Emperor and Empress had initially been opposed to the match. However, Nicholas, who had first met Alix a decade earlier in St. Petersburg when Alix's sister, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, married Nicholas's uncle, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov of was not to be dissuaded. Furthermore, Tsar Alexander's health was beginning to fail.

Shortly after arriving in Coburg, Nicholas proposed to Alix. However, Alix, who was a devout Lutheran, rejected Nicholas's proposal, as in order to marry the heir to the throne, she would have to convert to Russian Orthodoxy.However, Alix's cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who had been at the wedding, insisted that it was her duty to marry Nicholas, despite her religious scruples.Elisabeth also spoke with her, insisting that there were not that many differences between Lutheranism and Orthodoxy. At the prompting of the Kaiser, Nicholas proposed for the second time, and she accepted.

On 1 November 1894, Alexander III died at Maly Palace, Livadia, leaving twenty-six-year-old Nicholas as the next Tsar of Russia. The following day, Alix, who had arrived at Livadia several days earlier in order to receive the dying Tsar's blessing, was received into the Russian Orthodox Church as Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna.Alix had apparently expressed her wish to take the name Catherine, but decided to take the name Alexandra on Nicholas's request.

Guests

The groom's family

•The Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia ~ mother of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna Romanova of Russia ~ sister of Nicholas ll

•Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov of Russia ~ brother-in-law and first cousin once removed) of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia, brother of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Romanova of Russia, sister of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal uncle of Nicholas II

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Romanova of Russia (the Elder) ~ paternal aunt by marriage of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Kyril Vladimirovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal first cousin of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal first cousin of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal first cousin of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna Romanova of Russia ~ paternal first cousin of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal uncle of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal uncle of N0icholas II

Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna Romanova of Russia ~ sisters-in-law and paternal aunt by marriage of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal uncle of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna Romanova of Russia ~ paternal grandaunt by marriage of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov of Russia ~ first cousin,once removed of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchess Elizaveta Mavrikievna Romanova of Russia ~ first cousin once removed by marriage of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich Romanov of Russia ~ first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Duchess Vera of Württemberg, first cousin once removed of Nicholas II (representing the King of Württemberg)

•Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov of Russia ~ paternal granduncle of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich Romanov of Russia ~ first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhailovich Romanov of Russia ~ first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich Romanov of Russia ~ first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•King Christian lX of Denmark ~ maternal grandfather of Nicholas II

•King George l of the Hellenes ~ maternal uncle of Nicholas ll

•Queen Olga of the Hellenes ~ maternal aunt and first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Prince George of Greece and Denmark ~ first cousin of Nicholas II

•Prince Valdemar of Denmark ~ maternal uncle of Nicholas II

The bride's family

•Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine ~ brother of Alexandra Feodorovna

•Princess Irene of Prussia ~ Sister of Alexandra Feodorovna

•Prince Henry of Prussia ~ brother-in-law and maternal first cousin of Alexandra Feodorovna (representing the German Emperor)

•Edward, Prince of Wales ~ uncle of both Alexandra and Nicholas (representing the Queen of the United Kingdom)

•Alexandra,Princess of Wales ~ aunt of both Alexandra and Nicholas (representing the Queen of the United Kingdom)

•The Prince George,Duke of York ~ Alexandra and Nicholas' mutual first cousin

•Alfred,Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ~ uncle of Alexandra Feodorovna and uncle by marriage of Nicholas ll

•Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Romanova,Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ~ aunt of Nicholas ll and aunt by marriage of Alexandra Feodorovna

•Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Romania, husband of Alexandra and Nicholas' mutual first cousin (representing the King of Romania)

Foreign Royalty

•Mecklenburg : Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg ~ second cousin once removed of Nicholas II (representing the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)

•Grand Duchy of Baden : Prince Wilhelm and Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Baden, second cousin once removed of both Nicholas and Alexandra, and first cousin once removed of Nicholas II (representing the Grand Duke of Baden)

•The Duke of Leuchtenberg, first cousin once removed of Nicholas II

Prince George Maximilianovich and Princess Anastasia of Leuchtenberg, first cousin once removed of Nicholas II and his wife

•Grand Duchy of Oldenburg : Duke Alexander Petrovich and Duchess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Oldenburg, second cousin once removed and first cousin once removed of Nicholas II (cousin of the Grand Duke of Oldenburg)

•Grand Duchy of Oldenburg : Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg ~ second cousin of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchy of Oldenburg : Duke Constantine Petrovich of Oldenburg ~ second cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz : Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ~ second cousin once removed of Nicholas II (nephew of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz)

•Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz : Duke Karl Michael of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ~ second cousin once removed of Nicholas II

•Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg Prince Albert and Princess Helene of Saxe-Altenburg ~ third cousin once removed of both Nicholas and Alexandra, and second cousin once removed of Nicholas II (representing the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg)

[steliosagapitos]

    ~ "I was very worried about how my father would take my engagement," Grand Duchess Maria Pavlova The Younger recalled in her memoirs. "I was overcome with remorse that no one bothered to consult with him. I shared my thoughts with my aunt, but she did not want to understand me in any way. She only repeated what we had heard so often from her, and before that from my uncle: my father left us and shifted the responsibility to others. And now it is the duty of others to make decisions that are made for my good." Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich was against a hasty wedding and persuaded Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna to wait for Maria Pavlovna's 18th birthday. In December 1907, 4 months before the date, the Grand Duke ordered Cartier two tiaras for 520,000 francs. The sapphire one was intended for a wedding gift to Maria Pavlovna. The necklace and the devant de corsage, known from photographs of her wearing a Swedish court dress, were not part of Pavel Alexandrovich's original order. As the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich notes in his diary, gifts were presented to the bride and groom the day before the wedding ceremony during a family dinner with foreign guests at the Alexander Palace on April 19, 1908. "Miechen, on behalf of the family, ordered a magnificent brooch in the form of a bow made of diamonds and sapphires. It is quite corresponding for the father's gift — a tiara of diamonds and sapphires. "Miechen is the home name of another famous Cartier client, The Grand Duchess Vladimir (Maria Pavlovna The Elder). The bride herself noted that "jewellery has always been part of the court attire" and she perceived them only as an ordinary decoration" and "did not understand their material value." After The Russian Revolution, when money was urgently needed for survival, Maria Pavlovna had to change her mind and sell her jewellery collection. At that time, it was almost the only source of income for her. ~    

[clarkkantagain]

pavel konstantinovich by olga bragida

[mashkaromanova]

Alexander Konstantinovich Shvedov with Grand Duchess Olga, 1914. Olga had a crush on Alexander ('AKSHV') in 1913. He was mentioned quite a bit in her 1913 diary (though, like everything that was wrote in her and her family's diaries, it was not with too much emotion) Here are a few mentions of him in her 1913 diary:

[From ‘Journal of a Russian Grand Duchess: Complete Annotated 1913 diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar’]

“I sat with AKSHV the whole time and fell deeply in love with him. May the Lord keep us. Saw him all day long – at obednya and at breakfast, also in the afternoon and the evening. It was so nice and fun. He is so sweet.”

- Olga, 10th Feburary

“We rode by the church, the barracks and the Assembly ([I] hoped to see my dear) and got lucky. AKSHV and a bunch of other officers were on the balcony.”

- Olga, 9th May

“Dear AKSHV smiled across the crowd.”

- Olga, 24th May

“Dear AKSHV was there. [I] stared at his back from far away the entire time.”

- Olga, 7th April

“Towards the end, with great joy I unexpectedly saw dear AKSHV.”

- Olga, 11th April

“I was happily anticipating [to see] AKSHV on this day but he was not there, of course. So awfully tiresome.”

- Olga, 14th April

I can only think of a few mentions of Alexander in her diaries/letters after 1913. Here is one from 1st September 1915: 

“I finally saw dear Alexander Konstantinovich at Anya's last night.”

Despite that she 'fell deeply in love with him' Olga had various other crushes during 1913 (and other years). For example there was, probably the most famous of her crushes, 'my dear S.' who was Pavel Voronov. Her crush on Pavel lasted a bit longer and she even devised a code when writing some things about him. These two lines were originally written in said code: 

“My S. is marrying Olga Kleinmichel. May the Lord send him happiness, to my beloved S. So hard. So sad. May he be happy.”

and 

“I love him terribly much, and it was so hard, I was angry and almost did not speak to him.”

[romanovsonelastdance]

Hey I wonder, how many branches are there in the Romanov family, anyway?

It depends on how you want to divide them up!

Most historians tend to do it by the sons of Nicholas I, so we end up with: The Alexandrovichi - Alexander II and his descendants. This group is sometimes subdivided by Alexander II's sons, so we have the continuation of the Alexandrovichi with Alexander III, and then the Vladimirovichi (descendants of Vladimir Alexandrovich) and Pavlovich (descendants of Pavel Alexandrovich). I don't tend to label things as 'alexandrovichi' because they're the main line of the Imperial Family.

The Konstantinovichi - Descendants of Konstantin Nikolaevich. This can include the Greek Royal Family as their founding matriarch was Konstantin's daughter, Olga Konstantinovna. But usually people think of the poet Konstantin Konstantinovich (KR) and his many children.

The Nikolaevichi - descendants of Nikolai Nikolaevich Sr. He only had two children, Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr (Nikolasha) and Peter Nikolaevich, and of the two, only Peter had children of his own, so it's a small branch.

The Mikhailovichi - the descendants of Mikhail Nikolaevich. This includes Sandro, the husband of Nicholas II's sister Xenia, so her kids are technically part of the Mikhailovichi branch but you could argue they are Alexandrovichi through their mother. Also OTMAA's playmates Nina and Xenia Georgievna are in this branch.

Another major branch are the Leuchtenbergs, who are the descendants of Nicholas I's daughter Maria and her husband Maximilian of Leuchtenberg. They lived in Russia, were granted the style of Imperial Highness, and while their title was Prince/ss Romanovsky, they were essentially treated like Grand Dukes/Duchesses.

[imperial-russia]

What was Tsar Nicholas's relationship with other Grand Dukes? Which one did he not like and which ones did he greatly respect and admire?

Assuming you mean Nicholas II:

Among his uncles, Nicholas was not very fond of Vladimir Alexandrovich, because the latter had a very forceful personality and intimidated Nicholas. They also had a great conflict over Kyril´s marriage, which resulted in Vladimir shouting at Nicholas and even tearing off his epaulettes and throwing them into the Tsar´s face.

With Grand Dukes Sergei and Pavel Nicky had a good relationship, especially because he was very fond of their wives, but Sergei was later murdered and Pavel, after the death of his first wife, married a commoner without Nicholas´ permission, thus earning exile and the relationship was pretty much completely severed, up until the revolution.

His favourite uncle was Grand Duke Alexei. We know him as a person who loved life and was pretty much useless when it came to doing any meaningful work, either in politics or Navy, in which he had the post, but he was funny, always kind to Nicholas and pretty much an antithesis to Vladimir. Tsarevich Alexei was named after him.

When it came to cousins and other Grand Dukes, with most of them nicholas had good and even close relationships when he was younger, but as the time went by and the Imperial family closed off themselves (because of Alexei´s hemophilia and other issues) from the rest of the Romanovs, most of those relationships deteriorated. Mikhail Alexandrovich and Kdyril Vladimirovich married without permission and pretty much against the family law. Boris and Andrei Vladimirovichi were good for nothings with loose morals. Sandro had distinctly different political (and other) views (and frankly suffered from a big head, especially in later years).

The favourite relatives, besides Grand Duke Alexei, who died in 1905, were Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, whom both Nicholas and Alexandra, for the longest time, treated with great love and warmth , until the moment he involved himself with Rasputin´s murder, after which he pretty much ceased to exist to Alexandra and Nicholas had him banished (which ironically saved his life). The other great favourite was grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich (KR). His whole family remained close to the Tsar, his daughters being friends with OTMA, his sons serving during the war at the front and in the headquarters.

[otmacamera]

1916 Diary of Maria Nikolaevna

February {part 2 of 2}

16/29. Tuesday There were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon there was a Russian lesson. Was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama and Anya. There was a music [lesson]. Prepared lessons. [We] 4 had dinner and Mama on the couch. Anya was here. Read.

17/1. Wednesday There were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Marie, Dmitry and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon was with A and T at the G.P. [We] 4 rode with Nastenka and went to the Lianozovsky infirmary. Was with A in our infirmary, sat with Sh.N. [We] 4 drank tea with Mama and Anya. There were music and French lessons. [We] 4 had dinner and Mama on the couch. Anya was here, read.

18/2. Thursday There were lessons. Met Papa. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] walked with Papa. The sailors and Papa built a snow tower. Was with A in our infirmary. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama. There was a music [lesson]. Rode with O, A and Shura in a troika. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Papa read "The woman in the car". Anya was here.

19/3. Friday I accompanied Olga to the infirmary with A and Shura. Rode with A and Shura. Was with A in our infirmary, sat with S.-N. [We] 5 had breakfast, Papa and Mama on the couch. Dug the tower. Was with A and T at the G.P. [We] 4 drank tea and had dinner with Papa and Mama. Was with A, A and T at a concert in the men's gymnasium.

20/4. Saturday Rode with A and Shura. Skiied with A. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Mama and 2 Englishmen. In the afternoon [we] 4 built the [snow] tower with Papa and the sailors. Was with A in our infirmary, sat with Sh.-N. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa, Mama and U[ncle] Pavel. [We] 4 were with Papa at Vsenoshnaya. The same had dinner and Mama on the couch. Papa read, Anya was here.

21/5. Sunday In the morning [we] 5 were with Papa at Obednya. The same had breakfast with Mordvinov and Mama on the couch. [We] 4 were at the G.P. [We] walked and 4 built the tower with Papa and Mordvinov. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama. An English cinematograph was shown. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa, Mordvinov and Mama on the couch. Papa read, Anya was here.

22/6. Monday There were lessons. Then [we] 5 were at church with Papa. The same had breakfast with Vilkitsky and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon was with A in our infirmary, sat with Sh.N. [We] 5 walked with Papa, built and jumped off the tower. Drank tea in the playroom. There was an English lesson. [We] 5 were at church with Papa and Mama. The same except Al. had dinner. Papa read, Anya was here.

23/7. Tuesday There were lessons. [We] 5 were at church with Papa. The same had breakfast with Co[unt] Sheremetiev and Mama on the couch. Built the tower and jumped from it. Drank tea in the playroom. There was a music [lesson]. [We] 5 were at church with Papa and Mama. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa, Co[unt] Sheremetiev and Mama on the couch. Papa read. Anya was here.

24/8. Wednesday In the morning there were lessons. [We] 5 were with Papa at church. The same had breakfast with Kazakevich and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary, a man and his wife were here, sat with M.Z.T. and A.V.K. Built the tower. Drank tea with Papa, Mana, O, A and Anya. [We] 5 were with Papa and Mama at church. The same had dinner except Al. Grigori and Anya were here.

25/9. Thursday As always, [had] lessons. [We] 5 were with Papa at church. The same had breakfast and Mama on the couch. Built the tower. Was with A in our infirmary, sat with Sh.N. Drank tea with Papa, Mama, O and A. [We] 5 were with Papa and Mama at church. The same had dinner except Al. Papa read, Anya was here.

26/10. Friday There were lessons. Then [we] 4 were with Mama at church. [We] 5 had breakfast and Mama on the couch. Was with A at the G.P. Built the tower. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama at church. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa, Silaev and Mama on the couch.

27/11. Saturday The whole family received communion, then [we] drank tea. [We] 4 rode with Isa in a troika. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, Co[unt] Fredericks and Mama on the couch. In the afternoon [I] was with A in our infirmary, sat with Sh.N. Built the tower. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama. [We] 4 were at Vsenoshnaya. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Anya was here.

28/12. Sunday [We] 5 were with Papa and Mama at Obednya ,the same had breakfast and (?). [We] 4 rode with Isa in a troika. Walked. [We] 4 drank tea with Papa, Mama and Dmitri 1. A French cinematograph about war was shown. [We] 4 rode with Shura. [We] 4 had dinner with Papa and Mama on the couch. Papa read "The white raiment". Anya was here.

29/13. Monday There were lessons. [We] 5 had breakfast with Papa, U[ncle] Georgi 2 and Ioann 2. In the afternoon was with A in our infirnary, sat with M.Z. Baron, (?) and A.V. Walked and built the tower. Drank tea with A and T in the playroom. There were English and music lessons. Prepared lessons. [We] 3 had dinner with Papa, Ioann and Dmitri. Papa read, Anya was here. Mama has neuralgia, and she lay in bed all day.

You can find the original Russian text aswell as pictures of Maria's 1916 diary on the lastromanovs vk group

1Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich 2Grand Duke Georgi Mikhailovich 3Prince Ioann Konstantinovich

[romanovsonelastdance]

Also a Russian article about Alexander and Olga Nikolaevna: (so that it would not be difficult for you, translation)

Speaking about the loves of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, it is impossible to ignore this one. Probably, it was a very short infatuation – maybe just a WILLINGNESS to fall in love – but it was this feeling that had every chance of getting continued. After all, Olga finally liked an equal in position: the prince of a foreign power.

In December 1913, Olga realized that her "sun" was Pavel Voronov (more?) he does not reciprocate her, and made several emotional entries about him in his diary, using a secret cipher. His behavior confuses and worries her, feelings are looking for a way out... on December 21, the denouement follows: "I found out that my S. is marrying Olga Kleinmichel. God send him happiness, my beloved S. It's hard. Sadly. He would be pleased." Olga also encrypted this entry. It would seem that the time has come to immerse yourself in experiences for a long time, but after a few weeks the mysterious cipher appears in the diary again. And if earlier he hid only declarations of love for Voronov, now Olga writes about something else (further encrypted fragments are italicized): "January 12. Alexander Serbian arrived (In Russian uniform. Wow, what eyes). January 15th. At 9:00, my Dad and Aunt and I went to St. Petersburg for the consecration of the new church of the Fedorovskaya Mother of God in honor of the 300th anniversary. It lasted from 10 to 1 ¼. Metropolitan, etc. A bright, large, good church. I was standing next to Alexander the Serbian, he was a little further away. Wow, wow what. January 17th. We had breakfast with Dad, Aunt, Kostya and Alexander. I sat with him. Cute, embarrassing and beautiful horror. Wow wow what. January 19th. Mom I don't know how. I fell asleep after 3 hours at night.  God save her and everyone , and Alexander S. January 23. After in the Winter Courtyard. a big breakfast. Then we talked. I've been with Alexander for quite a long time. God save him. The 25th of January. We had breakfast with Papa, T. Olga, gr. Fredericks and Alexander S. He came to say goodbye. He's leaving in 2-3 days, it's a pity, dear."

Alexander Karageorgievich was 7 years older than Olga. He had a lot to do with Russia: he had Russian tutors, was the godson of Alexander III and the named son of Nicholas II; studied at the School of Jurisprudence and in the Page Corps in St. Petersburg.  He became heir to the throne in 1909, after his elder brother George was forced to give up his rights to the throne under the pressure of a scandal. In the same year, Alexander almost asked for the hand of Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna. The Serbian minister and even the father-king personally made a cautious reconnaissance on this matter. But to the Konstantinovichs, the position of the Karageorgievich dynasty on the throne seemed too shaky. K.R., Tatiana's father, wrote in his diary: "I told her in detail about the claims of the Serbian court and about the reasons prompting us to advise her to refuse this offer. Although she rather likes Sandro Serbian, she did not hesitate to give him up." However, a year later the families still became related: Alexander's sister Elena married Grand Duke John Konstantinovich. For the Karageorgievichs, this was a great success, because they took the throne only in 1903 by a coup. In Europe, they were not really recognized, and not all Romanovs were disposed to them. In 1912-13, Alexander managed to show valor in the Balkan wars. And then he thought about getting married again, but now he was interested in the daughter of the tsar himself. ONLY WHICH ONE?

In this newspaper for November 1913, it was suggested that Olga would become the wife of Alexander of Serbia, and Tatiana – Karol of Romania. On the other hand, the English Wikipedia, with reference to Serbian archives, assures that Prime Minister Nikola Pasic wrote to Nicholas II in January 1914 about Alexander's intention to marry one of the Grand duchesses. Nikolai did not object and even noticed the interest that his daughter showed in the prince – but it was allegedly not Olga, but Tatiana. (And Russian Wikipedia generally assures: "Tatiana and Alexander wrote letters to each other until their death. When Alexander found out about Tatiana's murder, he was confused and almost committed suicide").Alexander's sister Elena, in her memoirs, which I have not yet been able to find, seemed to say that she noticed some "chemistry" between Alexander and Olga. Well, Olga's diary allows us to conclude that Alexander was not indifferent to her, and I think the Serbian heir himself paid attention to her.  You can only guess what prevented you from taking the next step.In the spring, Olga is fond of Molokhovets, then the war begins, but all this does not prevent her from remembering Alexander on various occasions:"February 24.At 12 o'clock my mother received the Bavarian, Belgian, Danish and Serbian envoys (Nalajovic. So reminds Alexander C).February 25.(in small print: I haven't seen Alexander for a month since)March 25.I haven't seen Alexandra for 2 months. <...>(added, apparently, later) I haven 't seen Alexander S. for 2 months .September 4.The Pope gave Alexander of Serbia the St. George Cross 4 art . I am very happy. God help me.October 6.John, Gabriel and Kostya and Elena had lunch. They told me a lot of interesting things. She's a piece of Alexander, and I love her.October 16.At 7 o'clock we went to the infirmary with Mom, we went to everyone, and talked to K. and I. in the corridor. Everyone knows Alexander by his body."

Alexander was a thin brunette with a mustache and large facial features (and with "WOW" eyes) – this is exactly the type of appearance that has always attracted Olga. Besides, apparently, he was a really nice person. "The prince turned out to have a kind and friendly character," writes the grandson of his tutor, the famous priest Gleb Kaleda. "To please his tutor, the prince wrote to him in Russian, asking for forgiveness in advance for possible mistakes, although there were none." He was remembered as a tactful person, sometimes shy and prone to melancholy, a lover of reading – there is some similarity with Olga's character.Olga did not see Alexander again, but a year later she noted in her diary the anniversary of his arrival:"January 12, 1915.The year that I saw Alexander at Vsevolod's christening.January 15th.The year is consecrated. churches. Alexander.January 17th.Mordvinov and Count Fredericks were having breakfast. And a year ago Alexander. God bless him."It seems that even in the spring of 1916, Pasic expressed the hope that Olga would become the Serbian queen. But in January of this year, the date of the meeting with Alexander was not noted in the diary. At this time, Olga hardly thought about anyone other than Dmitry Shah-Bagov. (By the way, here her fate again intersects with the fate of Tatiana Konstantinovna, who was very friendly with the elder daughters of Nicholas II. Instead of the Serbian prince, she married a simple Caucasian officer for love, and he even served in the Erivan regiment – like Olga's lover. Because She even knew Shah Bagov and calls him a "cute, cute boy" in a letter. Surely Olga was thinking about what could repeat her path).But in 1917 Olga remembers again:"January 17th. Exactly 3 years ago today Alexander Serbsky had breakfast with us." Here the name is also written in cipher, and this is the last encrypted entry in the diary.

Olga Nikolaevna's biographers like to repeat that she wanted to stay in Russia, so she did not marry the Romanian heir Karol. The interest in Alexander the Serbian shows that, most likely, it was not in the country: it was just Karol who was unsympathetic to Olga. I think she understood that sooner or later she would have to leave her homeland. It is unlikely that the rumors had passed her by, she knew who her husbands were supposed to be, and she did not mind falling in love with a cute Orthodox prince. Maybe by the beginning of 17, she returned to thinking about him because someone had dispelled her hopes for a happy morganatic marriage? Although what could be a wedding when the revolution is already at the threshold. What kind of fate would await her in a small semi-literate kingdom, forever torn apart from the outside and from the inside?Alexander married in 1922 the sister of the same Karol (there is a version that he dragged on for so long, because until then he did not believe in the death of Olga).  It seems that he became a good family man, ruled his country for more than 10 difficult years. Yugoslavia in the 20s became a fragment of the Russian Atlantis, the center of white emigration. Sometimes there is an opinion that Alexander was so supportive of Russian refugees in memory of his first love – "Olga/Tatiana." But I think Russia meant a lot to him anyway. Alexander was killed in 1934 by a terrorist, his family fled the Nazis during the war and never returned to their homeland. Well, instead of Maria, Olga could become a Romanian widow and exile… No matter how her fate turned out, it would not be easy. The time of the Slavic monarchs has passed.

Thank you for sharing!!