19-20th Cent. Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna was born on 10 June 1897, in Peterhof, Russian Empire. She was the daughter of Alexandra, Empress Consort of Russia (6 June 1872 - 17 July 1918) and Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia (18 May 1868 - 17 July 1918). Her maternal grandparents were Princess Alice of England (25 April 1843 - 14 December 1878) and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by the Rhine (12 September 1837 - 13 March 1892). Her paternal grandparents were Maria Feodorovna, Empress Consort of Russia (26 November 1847 - 13 October 1928) and Alexander III, Emperor of Russia (10 March 1845 - 1 November 1894). Her maternal great-grandparents were Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Empress of India (24 May 1819 - 22 January 1901) and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (26 August 1819 - 14 December 1861). Her paternal great-grandparents were Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (18 June 1815 - 21 March 1885) and Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (23 April 1809 - 20 March 1877). Tatiana's parents were married on 1 November 1894. Her siblings were: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (15 November 1895 - 17 July 1918), Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (26 June 1899 - 17 July 1918), Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (18 June 1901 - 17 July 1918) and Grand Duke Tsarevich Alexei (12 August 1904 - 17 July 1918). Nicknamed "Tanya," "Tatya," "Tatianochka," or "Tanushka", she was devoted to her sister Olga. They shared room, toys and dressed alike. Her sister, Maria Nikolaevna was born on 26 June 1899, at Alexandria Dacha, in Peterhof. Her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901, at Osbourne, Isle of Wight. She was interred in Frogmore Mausoleum, at Windsor Great Park. Her sister, Anastasia Nikolaevna was born on 18 June 1901, at Peterhof. Tatiana and Olga became known as "The Big Pair" while Maria and Anastasia were "The Little Pair". In the winter of 1903, her parents hosted the 17th Century Imperial ball, at the Winter Palace. Their cousin, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine died of typhoid fever in November 1903, while on a visit to the Romanovs, at their Polish estate. She was buried in Rosenhöhe, Darmstadt, Germany. According to Six Years at the Russian Court by Margaretta Alexandra Eagar, "My children talked much of cousin Ella and how God had taken her spirit, and they understood that later God would take her body also to heaven." Her brother, Aleksei Nikoliaevich was born on 12 August 1904. In November 1905, her parents met Rasputin. Tatiana was tall, slim, had dark auburn hair and dark blue eyes. She was beautiful, loved fashion and always made sure to appear elegant. Her favourite perfume was, Jasmin de Corse. Tatiana was practical and had a natural talent for leadership, her sisters gave her the nickname "The Governess". Tatiana was given the rank of honorary colonel for the Vosnesensky Hussars. She wrote to her mother on 20 April 1911, "I would like so much to go the review of the second division as I am also the second daughter and Olga was at the first so now it is my turn. ...Yes, Mama, and at the second division I will see whom I must see... you know whom..." Her sister, Olga's 16th birthday festivities was held in November 1911, at Livadia. In 1913, the house of Romanov celebrated 300 years as Russian rulers. Tatiana contracted Typhoid after drinking water during a stay in 1913, at the Winter Palace, in St. Petersburg. In 1914, World War I started and Germany declared war on Russia. Her mother felt that it was her duty to serve as Red Cross Nurse with her eldest daughters. In September 1914, Dmitri Malama gave Tatiana a French bulldog she named "Ortino". She wrote to her mother on 30 September 1914, "Forgive me about the little dog. To say the truth, when he asked should I like to have it if he gave it to me, I at once said yes. You remember, I always wanted to have one, and only afterwards when we came home I thought that suddenly you might not like me having one. But I really was so pleased at the idea that I forgot about everything." Sadly Ortino died. In 1915, her father, Nicholas II became Commander-In-Chief and left his wife and children in Tsarskoe Selo. Rasputin was murdered on 17 December 1916. Tatiana attended his funeral on 21 December 1916. He was buried with an icon signed on its reverse side by Alexandra and her daughters. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate on 15 March 1917. He firstly abdicated in favour of Tsarevich Alexei, but changed his mind after advice from doctors that the heir would not live long apart from his parents who would be forced into exile. Nicholas II drew up a new manifesto naming his brother, Grand Duke Michael, as the next Emperor of all the Russias. Under pressure from the Committee the Grand Duke refused the throne on 16 March 1917. The family was placed under house arrest on 20 March 1917, at the Alexander Palace.

5 May 1917, Tsarskoe Selo

Pyotr Vasilievich, my dear,
I feel so ashamed that I have not written to You before, but please don't think this shows I have forgotten You absolutely not. After all, it's possible not to write to friends and yet keep them in mind isn't that so? So, how are you feeling? I was very upset, when I learnt about your illness. Do you have any news from your nephew how is he? As you will have heard, we all try to keep busy here with some form of domestic activity each one as he can. We are planting a kitchen garden. Do you really still have to stay in bed, or will you be able to go out onto the balcony once it gets warmer? Anyway, all my very best wishes. It's sad that we have not met for so long. Get well soon.
May God keep you.

Your old pupil, Tatiana.

On 14 August 1917, the Imperial family was moved to Tobolsk in Siberia. The family arrived on 19 August 1917, in Tobolsk. On 14 Septemper 1917, Vasily Pankratov was put in charge of the imperial family in Tobolsk.

23 October 1917, Tobolsk

Dear Pyotr Vasilievich,
I am quite embarrassed that I haven't written you until now. Can you please get my books by A. Tolstoy; they always stood on the 1st shelf of my bookshelf, but I don't know what it's like now. I will be very grateful to you if you get them, although I know how hard it is. Send them to Iza if you can manage it, or by mail in the name of commissar Pankratov for delivery to me! Now then! We remember you often, I hope that you are completely better. Here we have a lot of snow but it isn't very cold. The lessons are going well, so that almost all the time is filled up and the day goes by very quickly mainly because it is monotonous. Yesterday we partook of the Blessed Sacrament in church. This was very good. What are you doing? How is brother doctor and nephew? And where is his former superior, Pavel Pavlovich? I hope that at least for them everything is going well. Did you see Mr. Conrad and Konstantin Alekseevich? Give them all regards.

24 October 1917

Yesterday I didn't get a chance to finish, so I continue today. The weather was divine all day, bright sun, which makes my mood immediately better, so don't think that it is always bad. Not at all. As you know, we don't get dejected easily! Were you amazed when you found out about the wedding of your very 1st pupil ?!! We didn't expect that at all. And did Mr. Conrad see the young ones? How do they look now and where are they? Does he continue to give lessons there? Did his family arrive? How did K. A. settle into the new house? Forgive me for so many questions, but I hope that you will answer them all. All the best to you. Everyone sends heartfelt regards. May God protect you. I do not envy your proximity to the repulsive and vile Petrograd.
Your student No. 2, Tatiana

On 7 November 1917, the Bolsheviks overthrew Kerensky's Provisional Government. Her father learned of the coup on 30 November 1917, while in Tobolsk.

9 December 1917

To Ania Vyrubova
My darling: I often think and pray for you, and we are always remembering and speaking of you. It is hard that we cannot see each other, but God will surely help us, and we will meet again in better times. We wear the frocks your kind friends sent us, and your little gifts are always with us, reminding us of you. We live quietly and peacefully. The days pass quickly. In the morning we have lessons, walk from eleven to twelve before the house in a place surrounded for us by a high board fence. We lunch together downstairs, sometimes Mamma and Alexei with us, but generally they lunch upstairs alone in Papa's study. In the afternoon we go out again for half an hour if it is not too cold. Tea upstairs, and then we read or write. Sometimes Papa reads aloud, and so goes by every day. On Saturdays we have evening service in the big hall at nine o'clock. Until that hour the priest has to serve in the church. On Sundays, when we are allowed, we go to a near-by church at eight o'clock in the morning. We go on foot through a garden, the soldiers who came here with us standing all around. They serve mass for us separately, and then have a mass for everybody. On holidays, alas, we have to have small service at home. We had to have home service on the 6th (St. Nicholas' day), and it was sad on such a big holiday not to be in church, but one can't have everything one wants, can one? I hope you at least can go to church. How are your heart and your poor legs? Do you see the doctor of your hospital? You remember how we used to tease you. Greetings to your old servants. Where are your brother and his wife? Have they got a baby? God bless you, my darling beloved. All our letters (permitted letters) go through the Kommissar. I am glad that the parents of Eristoff are kind to you. Him I remember well, but I never saw the parents. Isa has not come yet. Has she been to see you? I kiss you tenderly and love you.

Your T.

12 January 1918

To Ania Virubova,
My beloved darling
How happy we are to get news from you. I hope you got my letters. I think often of you and pray God to keep you from all harm and help you. I am glad you know the Eristovs now. We get such good letters from Zina, she writes so well. There are many sadnesses in these days. God be with you. It is very cold. Papa wears his Cossack uniform and we remember how much you liked it. I kiss you tenderly, and love you, and congratulate you on your dear name day.
T.

You remember the cozy evenings by the fireside? How nice it was. Did you again see Groten and Linevitch? (the faithful aides-de-camp). Well, good-bye, my darling Annia. God bless you. Good-bye-till when?
Your T.

Her parents, Maria, Doctor Evgeny Botkin, and three servants were moved on 16 April 1918, to the Ipatiev house, in Ekaterinburg. While Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia and Alexei stayed behind in Tobolsk, because Alexei, who had suffered another attack of haemophilia, could not be moved. Her parents and Maria with company arrived on 30 April 1918, in Ekaterinburg. During this time, Tatiana, Olga, Anastasia, and Ladies in Waiting sewed jewelry into their clothing to hide them from their captors. Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia and Alexei arrived on 23 May 1918, in Ekaterinburg. Grand Duke Mikhail was killed on 13 June 1918. On 14 July 1918, local priests at Yekaterinburg conducted a private church service for the family and reported that Tatiana and her family, contrary to custom, fell on their knees during the prayer for the dead. Alexandra noted in her diary that on the afternoon of 16 July 1918, Tatiana sat with her mother and read from the Biblical Books of Amos and Obadiah. Later, mother and daughter sat and just talked. The final entry in Tatiana's notebook at Yekaterinburg was a saying of Father Ioann of Kronstadt, "Your grief is indescribable, the Savior's grief in the Gardens of Gethsemane for the world's sins is immeasurable, join your grief to his, in it you will find consolation." Tatiana, her siblings, her parents, along with Anna Demidova, the footman Trupp, the cook Kharitonov, and Dr. Botkin were shot dead on the night of 17 July 1918, in a room on the ground floor of Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg, Russia. They were buried in a mass grave. In 1981, Tatiana and her family were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad as Holy Martyrs. In 1991, remains later identified through DNA testing as the Romanovs and their servants were discovered in the woods outside Yekaterinburg. The bodies of one of the Romanov daughters and Alexei were missing from the gravesite. Tsarina Alexandra, Tsar Nicholas II, and three of their daughters were interred on 17 July 1998, at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. In 2000, the family was canonized as passion bearers by the Russian Orthodox Church. 

"One has to struggle much because the return for good is evil, and evil reigns." Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia

Source: Six Years at the Russian Court by Margaretta Alexandra Eagar.