#tatiana’s palace

[artiwannasave]

Tatiana’s Palace (1907-1922) built by Sir Nevile Wilkinson and James Hicks & Sons

This 3 meter long dollhouse with 18 rooms came to be upon Sir Nevile’s daughter Guendolen’s request after she had discovered a family of small fairies living in their garden and felt bad that they had to live in caves. It took 15 years to build a palace fit for the Fairy Queen Tatiana, Prince Consort Oberon, and their seven children.

[totaly-obsessed]

Woso Jersey Appreciation

Request a player | with @alotofpockets

[otmaaromanovas]

Two newly discovered photographs of Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana in 1913

Photo 1: Tatiana standing on the left, Olga on the right taking a mirror selfie in their mirrored wardrobe (a new photo to add to the collection of Romanov selfies!)

Photo 2: Tatiana sitting by the balcony window, Alexander Palace.

These photos were taken the same day as these already known photographs, completing the scene. Spring, 1913.

As always, these new findings are from Ilya, @ LastRomanovs on flickr. These discoveries are thanks to his amazing and tireless effort to digitise all of the Romanov's albums in high quality for viewers to view online.

Source: LastRomanovs, GARF f.611 op.1 d.98 pp. 3-8

[cuddledot]

Just a headcanon/idea, let me cook guys.

Bonus:

[thestarik]

Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia in the Mauve Room, Alexander Palace 1908.

[worldoftheromanovs]

Maria Nikolaevna, Olga Nikolaevna, Anastasia Nikolaevna, Alexei Nikolaevich, Sofia Ivanovna Tyutcheva, and Tatiana Nikolaevna on the steps of the Catherine Palace, May 1911

[postcard-from-the-past]

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia with her eldest daughters Grand Duchess Tatiana and Olga Nikolaevna of Russia as red cross nurses, in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace Infirmary during the First World War, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Russian vintage postcard

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

~ OTMA Enhanced ~

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Nikolaevna posing with their newly shaved heads, product of the Measles, Tsarskoe Selo 1917

Enhanced by me :)

[loiladadiani]

Empress Alexandra and her daughters

This is my very favorite picture of Empress Alexandra and her daughters. What a shame that Anastasia does not appear in it. I could not locate my black-and-white copy, which I find even more...bewitching, so I am posting this colorized version which is not bad at all.

When I look at this picture, with the airy, uncluttered spaces and white columns typical of the Livadia Romanov Palace, this is what I see: Hera, followed by three younger goddesses (Athena, Diana, Venus) who are just about to get a lecture (not a thunderous one, mind you, but look at the Empress' face.)

This is just a very personal, aesthetic impression. I don't by any means consider the Romanovs part of the Greek/Roman pantheon.

Notice that each woman is wearing a bracelet on their right hand. Apparently, the Hesse sisters did this, to signify their sisterhood; Alexandra and her daughters continued the tradition.

[otmaa-irene]

Grand Duchesses Tatiana and Maria in their formal photographs, 3rd November 1914. Coloured by me.

[regaleur]

//Tag list 3

[chibipeachu]

Melancholy Memories | Aleksander. M

wc: 1.4k

pairing: Aleksander morozova X Fem!Reader

navi ¦ part one

It was a new kind of pain to stand there as the servants laid you into a glass coffin, the king had request it, to help healers study your cause of death.

Aleksander stood beside the king and queen, his eyes not moving from your peaceful body, they had placed a white face scarf over your mouth to hide the rose from the public eye.

Genya caught Aleksander’s attention as they all waited for the announcer to tell ravka about your death. She wiped her nose, trying to hold back her tears as fedyor and ivan were apart of the servants who helped carry your coffin to the healers study. 

Aleksander had blanked out most of the announcement, still in shock of your sudden death. 

Hours before you both had been laughing at old memories the next, there he was watching as his closest grisha rest your coffin.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Aleksander sighed as he glanced up at the doorway, it still hurt to walk past those doors each day. With a deep sigh he opened the door. Faint whiff of your perfume washed over him as he walked in.

He held his breath as he walked towards the loveseat you had placed in your shared bedroom, he sat down and looked around the room, taking in the last remaining bit of your presence.

Tears fell from his eyes, aleksander quickly placed his head in his head, his mind cruelly reminding him of your past memories together.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“Is it too late to tell you that i’ve never properly ridden a horse before?” Aleksander chuckled at your words. 

“Yes, it is a bit late, but luckily for you, the saints favor you today meaning, you have a perfect guide..” He motions towards himself. “I don’t see ivan or fedyor anywhere..” You playfully looked around the palace grounds. 

He let out a playful scoff. “Alright let’s move it!” You both laugh as aleksander quickly helped you get on the horse, getting on behind you. “What would happen if I fell off right now?” You teased as aleksander had the horse start to trot lightly around the grass. 

“Be sent to the healers for weeks.” He quickly tightened his hold on your waist.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Aleksander smiled from his side of your bed as you got ready for the day, from brushing your hair to buttoning up your kefta. 

“Zlatan would be shocked if he knew his enemy was really just a lazy man in bed..” You smiled at your husband through your vanity mirror.

“Well i’m sure zlatan doesn’t have this sight every morning..” You smiled and stood up from your vanity chair and walked to your loveseat and gently plopped down and posed for your husband.

“Perhaps I could distract zlatan while you attack?” Aleksander scoffed and got up from the bed and walked over to the loveseat. “Zlatan would freeze at the sight of a lady like yourself..” He gently kissed your hands, looking up at you as he kissed your wedding ring, making you giggle.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

As aleksander sat, overwhelmed by your memories, he noticed a old journal tossed onto the small table in front of the loveseat. He sighed and scooted to the edge of the seat and grabbed the journal.

He flipped through the journal, he quickly paused as he noticed amongst the hundreds of pages only one page had been folded over to be a bookmark. 

He unfolded the page and read the entry. 

“A “golden guest” is what their calling her. Genya told me she’s a squaller and a powerful one at that, Aleksander had her in my old room for now, said she should have the best for a new guest..” 

Aleksander quickly moved to the next paper. 

“It seems i’ve somehow have developed a illness, it’s weird, being grisha and ill? Is it possible? I guess so, saints know how bad it hurts to breath as of late, aleksander has been busy, his attention is too focused on zoya to noticed. Queen tatiana had requested for me to join her and the other ladies to a lunch, of course i accepted before she threw a fit, hopefully it’s not totally boring this time…my illness seems to have gotten worse these past weeks, i feel very tired and achy? If that’s the right word even..”

“The lunch with the queen and her ladies were lovely, lady clarisse had taken her child with, cute little thing, we were joint at the hip for most of the lunch. Perhaps one day me and aleksander’s children will be as joyful and cute.”

As Aleksander sighed and went to place the journal beside him, too overwhelmed by his emotions a page fell from the journal, earning his attention.

“Hanahaki Disease | Death do you part.”

It’s a disease people suffer from when they experience unrequited love. The name Hanahaki derives from two shu words: ‘Hana’ meaning ‘flower’ and ‘hakimasu’ meaning ‘to throw up.’ So, when you put the two words together, you get the main symptom of Hanahaki disease, that is, coughing up flower petals. 

As of recently there seems to be incurable, may the effected be received peacefully to the saints. 

Aleksander’s throat closed as his eyes scanned over the page over and over again; his love’s death had been his fault, not some random curse but himself..

He shakily grabbed the journal and walked to the healer’s study where the king was observing the healer’s and your case. 

Aleksander quickly stormed in and slammed the journal on the table, making some of the healers tense up.

“I have the answers you’ve been looking for, now you may now peacefully rest my wife’s body.” Aleksander demanded as his eyes held tears welted up.

“What?” King pyotr questioned, opening the journal and read over the entry and sighed before looking up at the healer’s.

“Ignore general kirigan and continue.” The healers quickly got back to examining your body. Aleksander scoffed and looked at the king.

“You wanted to find the source and it’s there now let her rest!” Aleksander pointed to the journal, now in king pyotr’s hand. “It’s the cause yes but we could finally be a step ahead of shu han for a cure! We can’t let this go, just cause you hate seeing your failed marriage attempt!” The king sighed, turning back to the healers, aleksander quickly left the room.

He watched as his feet moved on their own, back to your room.

Feeling numb, he walked to the bed and laid on the side where you had demanded he slept.

The soft smell of you lulled him to a peaceful sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Children’s laugher made aleksander open his eyes, he quickly hissed and lifted a hand to hide form the bright sun. 

“Papa’s awake!” A tiny voice squealed, a quick flash of raven hair flew past him and towards the connected bathroom, where a familiar chuckle came from.

“That’s cause you woke him silly girl!” 

Aleksander quickly sat up and rushed to the bathroom and felt his heart freeze at the sight. 

There you were, your hair messy as you placed the little girl into the tub of bubbles. “I’m sorry she woke you up lapushka, told her she had to get in the bath..” You sighed before walking over to aleksander with a soft smile on your face.

“You’re so beautiful.” Aleksander whispered out as he held your face in his palm, your skin slightly warm. 

“As are you!” You quickly kissed him before pulling back and tapping him on his chest. “Now go get the other little ones..” As aleksander went to look behind him, the room doors opened to reveal three younger boys smiling at him.

“I beat ivan today papa!” Aleksander took note of the kid’s kefta, he was a tidemaker. “Good job!” You cheered from the bathroom.

“Only cause he felt bad you fell and hit your head yesterday.” the second boy, an inferni smirked while walking past aleksander and right towards yours and aleksander’s bed.

“Papa? Are you alright?” The oldest of the three questioned, making aleksander look at his kefta and smile, he was a shadow summer as well.

“He was woken up by your sister, so he’s a bit tired from you lot.” You laughed, walking over ot aleksander and raising your hand to cup his face.

“Go back to sleep lapushka, i got it.” You smiled as aleksander melted into your hand

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Aleksander opened his eyes and looked around the room. He sighed as he stared at the ceiling.

Maybe in a different lifetime, you both would find each other and be happily married with children…

[nooowestayandgetcaught]

shadow & bone s1 canon au — arranged marriage au

upon her discovery as the sun summoner, alina starkov finds herself presented to king pytor and queen tatiana, and they inform her that she must wed. refusing at first, alina nearly escapes the little palace in the back-cart of a merchant's pony. but soon after, alina meets her the one to be her intended, her husband, as well as her off-and-on mentor: general kirigan. and he is as irresistible to her heart as alina is to his.

((happy secret santka 2023 on the @darklinaserver to my giftee @bee-prescott))

[otmaaromanovas]

OTMA's personalities according to Colonel Evgeny Stepanovich Kobylinsky

Kobylinsky is a fascinating inividual, here is a short summary of his life: Colonel Kobylinsky was employed by the Provisional Government and oversaw the Romanovs during their captivity in the Alexander Palace and Tobolsk. He was eventually replaced due to being viewed as not strict enough, and enabling their desires for activity and entertainment. Unusually, he went on to join the White Army in 1918, until he was captured and sent to a concentration camp. In order to escape the camp, he traded his freedom for a position in the Red Army. He eventually married Klavdia Mikhailovna Bitner, friend and tutor to OTMAA. Together they had one son. In 1927 he was accused of being part of a 'monarchical conspiracy' against the Soviet State and was executed by firing squad. Bitner was also arrested under a similar charge ten years later, and executed. Their son, Innokenty Evgenievich, was orphaned aged seventeen. He was drafted into the Red Army, and fought against the Nazi invasion.

"The Grand Duchess Olga was a nice looking young blonde, about twenty-three; her type was Russian. She was fond of reading, capable and mentally well developed; spoke English well and German badly. She had some talent for art, played the piano, sang, (she learned singing in Petrograd; her voice was soprano), and she painted well. She was very modest and did not care for luxury.

Her clothes were modest and she restrained her sisters from extravagance in dress. She gave altogether the impression of a good, generous-hearted Russian girl. It looked as if she had had some sorrows in her life and still carried traces of it. It seemed to me that she loved her father more than she loved her mother. She also loved her brother, and called him "The Little One" or "The Baby.

The Grand Duchess Tatiana was about twenty. She was quite different from her sisters. You recognised in her the same features that were in her mother — the same nature and the same character. You felt that she was the daughter of an emperor. She had no liking for art. Maybe it would have been better for her had she been a man. When the emperor and empress left Tobolsk nobody would ever have thought that the Grand Duchess Olga was the senior of the remaining members of the imperial family. If any questions arose it was always Tatiana who was appealed to. She was nearer to her mother than the other children; and it seemed that she loved her mother more than her father.

The Grand Duchess Maria was eighteen ; she was tall, strong, and better looking than the other sisters. She painted well and was the most amiable. She always used to speak to the soldiers, questioned them, and knew very well the names of their wives, the number of their children, and the amount of land owned by the soldiers. All the intimate affairs in such cases were always known to her. Like the Grand Duchess Olga, she loved her father more than the rest. On account of her simplicity and affability she was given the pet name by the family of "Mashka." And by this term she was called by her brother and by her sisters.

The Grand Duchess Anastasia, I believe, was seventeen. She was over-developed for her age; she was stout and short, too stout for her height; her characteristic feature was to see the weak points of other people and to make fun of them. She was a comedian by nature and always made everybody laugh. She preferred her father to her mother and loved Maria Nicholevna more than the other sisters.

All of them, including Tatiana, were nice, modest and innocent girls. There is no doubt they were cleaner in their thoughts than the majority of girls nowadays.

The czarevitch was the idol of the whole family. He was only a child and his characteristic features were not yet worked out. He was a very clever, capable and lively boy. He spoke Russian, French and English, and did not know a word of German.

In general, I could say about the whole imperial family that they all loved each other and were so satisfied with their family life that they did not need nor look for intercourse with other people. Never before in my life have I seen, and probably never again shall I see, such a good, friendly and agreeable family."

SOURCE: The Last Days of the Romanovs, published 1920, George Gustav Telberg, Robert Wilton, Nikolai Sokolov, ch. Examination of E. S. Kobylinsky

PHOTOS: Colonel Kobylinsky, dates unknown. Arrest photograph of Klavdia Mikhailovna Kobylinskaya, formerly Bitner, shortly before her execution

[holden-caulfield]

𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒, 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓?

━ 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐌.𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 - 𝐍.𝐋. 𝐌.𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

━ 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: as prince of Ravka, Nikolai had many privileges, one of these being having a personal servant. But as much as the reader can't resist the prince's charms, he doesn't seem to be immune either...

━ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: nikolai lantsov x servant!reader

━ 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃: yes

━ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: flashback are in italics

━ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 2013

━ 𝐀/𝐍: i'm not sure this is exactly what the request asked for, but i don't (and can't for the life of me) write smut so i hope this is okay anyway :')

Queen Tatiana had been very kind, for her standards, gifting Nikolai one of his numerous servants. She had one for every single step of her routine and she liked to change them once she learned their names a little too well. Once a servant was done working for the queen, they usually stayed in the palace, taking care of what needed to be taken care of.

It wasn't all the times that the queen personally decided to assign one of her old servants to their new job, and it was even rarer that said job was to be the prince's personal servant. But you couldn't complain.

You weren't too sad to be leaving the queen's side and experiencing more of the palace, especially if it was to work right beside the prince. You found your new job to be even better once you realized the prince didn't have as many needs as the queen: he liked company, mostly. Someone to join him wherever he needed to go, someone that would bear his constant banter; and you didn't mind it.

You made sure to greet him in the morning when he woke up, follow him throughout the day unless told differently, and greet him goodnight so that you could finally sleep too. It was easier than following every single one of the queen's instructions, and it was much more entertaining too. Not to talk about the prince, lighting every room he walked into with the simplest of smiles.

"Good morning, your highness." You greeted the prince as he opened the door of his rooms, meeting you already up and waiting. "Any plans for today?"

"I was thinking breakfast to start," he said with all the seriousness of a war strategist.

"Excellent choice, your highness, but i believe the cooks already had such a brilliant idea."

The two of you started walking together towards the kitchens, side by side, like you always did. It wasn't common for servants to walk as freely as you did, but Nikolai had requested it and you couldn't go against the prince's orders.

"These cooks, they're getting better and better every day," he said, still serious. "If i were king, they'd be on the first line beside the first and second army."

"And i would agree," you said, matching his tone. "I would never mess with a cook, especially around noon."

He let a chuckle escape. A brief look down at you, which you couldn't acknowledge or you would have become redder than an inferni's coat.

The conversation died there but it didn't feel uneasy, it didn't feel uncomfortable; silence with Nikolai felt relieving. As if in those moments he could hear all the words you weren't saying, all the feelings you couldn't externalize. You hoped he actually didn't, or you would have been in great trouble: falling in love with a member of the royal family was embarrassing other than stupid.

A cliché, really. The servant falling in love with the prince. You swore you'd read some book about it and yet it didn't stop you from dreaming about the possibility of it all. And yet that was exactly what it was; a possibility.

The day went by like it always did: you followed Nikolai around, even when he had no particular event to attend to. You talked freely around him, making comments about certain situations like how unappealing the tie his brother had chosen that day looked. And he would answer, a whisper so as to not be heard, that he was pretty sure his brother had decided to dress by himself, 'like a big boy', that day and that it was an unfortunate decision for everyone that had to see him.

You would have never dared such a topic with the queen, but Nikolai made it easy. He had established since the first day that he didn't want a servant, rather a friend.

"I can perfectly dress by myself and, even if it might not always look like it, comb my hair all alone," he said letting his hand run through his blonde hair, as to prove a point. "I don't need that and i have no interest in that."

He started roaming the room while you remained at the center of it, composed and looking down, because that's what a servant is supposed to do when a royal member is speaking.

"I want something more... genuine," he continued. "A friend, a funny one if possible but i can always make up for both if that were not the case."

You didn't say anything, confused about the whole conversation. The idea that it was all a test of the queen roamed your mind so you preferred to not say anything.

You heard his footsteps approaching you until he was right in front of you. He lifted your chin so that you were looking at him and found him with his eyebrows corrugated, a small smile on his lips. "That's exactly what i don't want. I like talking to people and if the people only listen and don't answer, my ego just gets too big." He paused a moment, his smile widening. "And that's a problem, some would say."

You still didn't utter a word but at least now you were looking at him. He let a sigh escape his lips as he distanced himself from you and you finally felt like you could breathe again.

You grasped every ounce of courage you had and hoped it was not a test. "I was just wondering how desperate one must be to want a servant to be their friend."

You immediately regretted your words, but Nikolai seemed to love it. He turned around with the biggest grin on his face, running towards you to grasp your shoulders and shake you, maybe a little too vigorously. "She speaks! And she's funny! Not more than me, but she's funny!"

Since then, you and Nikolai had been more friends, as he wanted, than prince and personal servant and yet you wanted more. It was already unreal to be so close to him despite your social status and yet you wanted more.

But you couldn't have that, and so you settled with what you had: a dubious friendship with the most handsome prince you'd ever seen.

It was getting late and, as always, you left your room to bid the prince goodnight. Normally, the queen would have at least a dozen more things for you to do before bed but Nikolai never asked anything of you if not to have a good night and wake up a little later than usual. You never did: you had to be there when he woke up because, after all, it was your job.

You closed the door behind you and went up to Nikolai's, knocking twice. It took slightly longer than usual for him to open it, which never happened, but the state in which he was in solved all your doubts: in front of you was your prince, an immaculate bathrobe the only thing separating you from seeing what you hadn't already peeked at.

You immediately averted your eyes, looking down, but the image was engraved in your mind: his blond hair slightly wet and clinging to his forehead, beads of water stubbornly stuck to his skin, running down to meet the white fabric and end their run. In all the time you'd worked for Nikolai, you'd never seen him in that divine state and now you didn't know how to act.

Words escaped you, leaving you a mess in front of the prince, not even able to look him in the eye. You couldn't tell if it was respect because you'd already seen too much or shame because you would have loved to see more.

"You caught me in the middle of a shower, Y/n," he said, so non-chalantly, as if he hadn't just destroyed your ability to speak normally ever again. "Hope i don't look too handsome for you."

You opened your mouth to speak, even just a word to show him and yourself that you could, in fact, still formulate a sentence, but nothing. It wasn't until he let out a small chuckle that you found the strength to talk back, only to just shut his mouth and tone down his ego. "Don't worry about that, i was just coming to ask if you needed anything, before i go to bed."

"As always, you can go," he spoke. "Actually, there is one thing."

You couldn't resist anymore and lifted your head to look him in the eyes, letting your own scan his half covered body once more. You nodded your head, only once, brief and quick because you didn't trust your voice that much.

"I was wondering that maybe," he trailed off, looking away. It wasn't like Nikolai to look so vulnerable when speaking, to look almost afraid to finish the sentence. He was always too eager, if anything. "Forget it, it's late, i should let you go to sleep."

"No!" You responded, a little too fervently. "Anything i can help with."

He looked right into your eyes, so honest you'd never seen him like that. You swore that if only you'd wanted you could have read his entire soul right then and there, but it felt too personal, too intimate to look at him like that. To have him look at you like that.

"I was just thinking that maybe you could come inside."

Your eyes must have doubled in size because he immediately felt the need to explain himself further. "I don't know if you've noticed, but a servant is the last thing that i wanted and from the moment i met you i knew a friendship would've been impossible too."

"Why?" Was the only thing you managed to ask. You couldn't believe your eyes, your ears, your whole body. You couldn't believe Nikolai, your prince, was telling you exactly what you'd wanted to hear in such a long time.

"Because i found out it can be quite challenging to be just friends with someone you love." He declared and you knew he was honest: no mockery was concealed in his tone. He flashed you an infamous Nikolai smile. "That is if you love me too because if you don't, forget about it. Just forget i just declared my love to you with a bathrobe on my threshold. That would be ridiculous, right?"

"Right," you said, letting a giggle escape your lips. You looked down a brief moment then back up at him, resolution settled in your body. "Nikolai, i-"

You stopped, your face darkening. What would have everyone thought? What would happen if people, if the queen saw the two of you together? You looked down again. "Moi tsarevich, that would be unprofessional, what would the queen think and-"

He closed the distance between the two of you, gently wrapping his hand around your neck and pulling you in for a kiss. You could have stopped him at any moment. Anyone could have seen you as you let yourself melt into his embrace, as you let your fingers spread on the plain of his chest, as you let his tongue roam past your lips. You could have told him you wanted to change positions, to work for the queen again, to change job completely.

But you didn't. All you wanted was Nikolai's lips, Nikolai's embrace, Nikolai's hands all over your body. All you wanted and always wanted was him.

The queen and all the opinions people could have formed about you disappeared as he brought you closer to him, inside his room.

He grasped the door but before he could close it, he interrupted the kiss, holding your chin in his hand as he locked eyes with you. "I promise you one thing, lovely: you will never be just a servant again."

He kissed you again, this once soft. A kiss that contained a thousand words and even more emotions, and yet he chose to voice what was already clear from his lips: "I will make you my wife."

nikolai taglist - @henqtic @wh0re4blaise @sanctimoniousslytherpuff @maybesandohnos @youreso-golden @beforeoursunsets @o-rion-sta-r @mollysolo @dlmmdl @chaoticgirl04 @badass-yn @peachybaes @dracomalfoys-wh0re @dreamcxtcherr @gwlvr @aleksanderwh0r3 @antideppresants @miraclesoflove @tartheanmaid @amourslover @i-love-scott-mccall @just-wordsandthoughts @onyourgoddamnleft @im-constantly-fangirling-backup @if-only-i-was-fictional @s1xthirty

[if you don't want to be tagged anymore, tell me!]

[thestarik]

The Imperial Family with Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich at the Catherine Palace, 1907.