Wednesday 4 April 2018

Four Sisters

I remember watching a programme called Russia's Lost Princesses a few years ago which was about Tsar Nicholas II's four daughters and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these girls who were the most photographed princesses of their day. I'm sure you know the sad conclusion to their story, killed almost 100 years ago, on the 17th of July 1918, at the climax of the Russian Revolution along with their parents, younger brother and some of their loyal servants.


Not long after watching the documentary I read a post by Jennifer on her Thistlebear blog, Reading the Romanovs, a wonderful review of The Romanov Sisters, a book by Helen Rappaport, and decided then and there that this would be a book which would interest me. I took history as an O Level but I've come to enjoy it so much more as I've got older. When I came across Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses by the same author I didn't realise at once that it was the same book with a different title for the UK audience.

Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia are often talked about as a group, in fact, they referred to themselves as OTMA, the initials of their own names, but through the retelling of their stories, which have been researched using their letters and diaries and letters and diaries of those people who were close to them, the individual personalities of each sister is made evident.

The book explains how the family became isolated from the public due to the Tsar and Tsarina's wish to keep their son and heir's life-threatening condition of haemophilia secret and also the family's relationship and dependence on Grigory Rasputin, a Russian mystic who acted as a healer for the Tsar, his wife and son and who the sisters also looked to for advice, contributing factors to the collapse of the Romanov dynasty.

In some ways the girls were just like any other children with their squabbles and disagreements as well as teenage crushes, yet their upbringing certainly had an effect on them. After the outbreak of WWI, the two older girls served as nurses and were witness to some truly horrible injuries, and as you would expect, even death.

The family's execution at the hands of Bolshevik troops who were led by Yakov Yurovsky under instructions by Lenin was not dwelt upon in the book, but we know the family were shot, bayoneted and clubbed to death before their bodies were stripped, mutilated, burned and finally disposed of in a field in the Koptyaki forest. Mystery has always surrounded the death of the youngest sister, Grand Duchess Anastasia. There were rumours that she'd managed to escape and there were even imposters claiming to be her, but this has been dismissed with DNA evidence.

This was an excellent read, well researched and illustrated with photos from the family album. As I've said previously, I rarely reread books but this is another keeper which I will definitely pick up again.

I enjoyed Helen Rappaport's writing style and I'm quite tempted now to read another of her books, Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs, which is an account of the final thirteen days of their lives. Helen Rappaport has also written Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death That Changed the Monarchy which I also quite fancy.

30 comments:

  1. I remember watching the drama, so touching.
    Briony
    x

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    1. It was a fascinating documentary, shown in two episodes if I remember rightly. I suppose it might be shown again this year, or another documentary might have been made with it being one hundred years since they died.

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  2. Hi Jo

    I have always been intrigued by this part of history and how different it may have been if George IV had stood his ground allowed his cousin to come to England. It was such a terrible ending to their story. I remember all the hype about Anastasia still being alive they even had an old lady who was in a home in England who claimed she was Anastasia only for it to be disproved with DNA many years later. I have always liked history but a bit like yourself have found it more interesting as I've gotten older.
    Mitzi

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    1. It was only after the October Revolution that their lives were in danger, and by then the Bolsheviks would have never allowed them to leave. It's terribly sad, a whole family wiped out like that, Even their dog wasn't allowed to live. I remember the story of Anna Anderson who claimed to be Anastasia, there were many people who believed she was her until the DNA evidence proved otherwise.

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  3. That does sound an interesting book. When you see all the beautiful photos of the family, their deaths seem particularly tragic. I'm enjoying history much more now too, funny isn't it.

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    1. The book includes some wonderful photos of the family. It's hard to believe that a family could be wiped out in that way and all the more tragic when children are involved.

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  4. I'm so glad you liked the book, Jo. I really loved it too. I would enjoy watching the program, I should see it I can find it online. The Romanovs fascinate me endlessly.

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    1. I think the book was really well written and I'd definitely like to read more by the same author now. I know she has another book due for release this year. I thoroughly enjoyed the programme too, you should definitely see if you can find it online, I found it fascinating.

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  5. I think I saw that documentary as well. So sad when you think that the Tsar appealed to come to the UK and was denied.
    This book sounds absolutely fascinating. A book which is well researched is definitely a keeper.
    Lisa x

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    1. I doubt the family would have ever got out of Russia, the Bolsheviks would have never allowed it, terribly sad. I thoroughly enjoyed reading more about the girls, they lived such different lives to those we know but were not all that different really.

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  6. An awful history teacher put me off when in school but since getting older I do enjoy learning about things I should already know.

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    1. I had a few teachers like that but some great ones too. They can certainly influence the way you feel about a subject.

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  7. Over the years, I've read quite a bit about the tragedy that befell the Tsar's family - so unbelievably sad and haunting to see the photos from when they were still alive and think about the horror they had to endure at the end, especially when it came to the children.

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    1. It was such a tragic end to their lives, so hard to imagine what they went through at the end, and they were so young. I'm fascinated by their story and would like to read more.

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  8. Sounds like a good read & book I think I would read, as I tend to like true stories rather than novels. Thanks for the review. Take care.

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    1. I used to read a lot of biographies and autobiographies but I don't read so many these days. I enjoy history much more these days though, I think most of us do as we get older.

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  9. The family seems to have fascinated many people, thanks for sharing Jo and for the link to Jennifer's blog about it too. Very interesting. I can't help thinking of the Boney M song on Youtube about Rasputin. Lyrics version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6P_nitWCRc
    Cathy x

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    1. I always think of the Boney M song about Rasputin. I think many of us are interested about the Tsar and his family, such a tragic story.

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  10. That sounds like an interesting read. It's a period that I find fascinating. xx

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    1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it's an interesting time in history.

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  11. I remember studying the Russian Revolution at school- but I don't remember if it was for O Level or Higher History.

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    1. We didn't learn anything about the Russian Revolution, or anything about that period, in history at school, it might have interested me a bit more if we had.

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  12. I too like history, facinating, sounds a good read xcx

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    1. I do enjoy reading fiction but it's nice to change things up once in a while.

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  13. That sounds fascinating. I love history and reading about it. I remember watching a film, I think it was Nicholas and Alexandra, when I was young and finding the Romanovs and their story so interesting xx

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    1. It's such an interesting period in history with so much going on around the world. I think the Romanovs captured many people's imaginations.

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  14. The documentaries I've seen on the sisters have fascinated me, I must get hold of this book, you have sold it so well.xxx

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    1. It's such an easy to read book. I don't know much about the political history of this time but it's written in a way in which I could follow. The sister's story fascinates me.

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  15. Many thanks for the review Jo, it does sound an interesting book.

    All the best Jan

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    1. I hope my review inspires others to read the book as it really is so interesting. It's left me wanting to know more about this period in history.

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