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The Russian Imperial Family: In Their Own Words
The Diary of Olga Romanov: Royal Witness to the Russian Revolution
In August 1914, Russia entered the First World War, and with it, the Imperial family of Tsar Nicholas II was thrust into a conflict from which they would not emerge. His eldest child, Olga Nikolaevna, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, had begun a diary in 1905 when she was 10 years old and kept writing her thoughts and impressions of day-to-day life as a Grand Duchess until abruptly ending her entries when her father abdicated his throne in March 1917. Held at the State Archives of the Russian Federation in Moscow, Olga’s diaries during the wartime period have never been translated into English until this volume. At the outset of the war, Olga and her sister, Tatiana, worked as nurses in a military hospital along with their mother, Tsarina Alexandra. Olga’s younger sisters, Maria and Anastasia, visited their own infirmaries to help raise the morale of the wounded and sick soldiers. The strain was indeed great as Olga records her impressions of tending to the officers who had been injured and maimed in the fighting on the Russian front.
Concerns about her sickly brother, Aleksei abound, as well those for her father who is seen attempting to manage the ongoing war. Gregori Rasputin appears in entries too, in an affectionate manner as one would expect of a family friend. While the diaries reflect the interests of a young woman, her tone increases in seriousness as the Russian army suffers setbacks, Rasputin is ultimately murdered, and a popular movement against her family begins to grow. At the point Olga ends her writing in 1917, the author continues the story by translating letters and impressions from family intimates, such as Anna Vyrubova, as well as the diary kept by Nicholas II himself. Finally, once the Imperial family has been put under house arrest by the revolutionaries, observations by Alexander Kerensky, head of the Provisional Government, are provided, these too in English translation for the first time. Olga would offer no further personal writings as she and the rest of her family were crowded into a basement of a house in the Urals and shot to death in July 1918.
The Diary of Olga Romanov: RoyalWitness to the Russian Revolution, translated and introduced by scientist and librarian Helen Azar, and supplemented with additional primary source material, is a remarkable document of a young woman who did not choose to be part of a royal family and never exploited her own position, but lost her life simply because of what her family represented.
Concerns about her sickly brother, Aleksei abound, as well those for her father who is seen attempting to manage the ongoing war. Gregori Rasputin appears in entries too, in an affectionate manner as one would expect of a family friend. While the diaries reflect the interests of a young woman, her tone increases in seriousness as the Russian army suffers setbacks, Rasputin is ultimately murdered, and a popular movement against her family begins to grow. At the point Olga ends her writing in 1917, the author continues the story by translating letters and impressions from family intimates, such as Anna Vyrubova, as well as the diary kept by Nicholas II himself. Finally, once the Imperial family has been put under house arrest by the revolutionaries, observations by Alexander Kerensky, head of the Provisional Government, are provided, these too in English translation for the first time. Olga would offer no further personal writings as she and the rest of her family were crowded into a basement of a house in the Urals and shot to death in July 1918.
The Diary of Olga Romanov: RoyalWitness to the Russian Revolution, translated and introduced by scientist and librarian Helen Azar, and supplemented with additional primary source material, is a remarkable document of a young woman who did not choose to be part of a royal family and never exploited her own position, but lost her life simply because of what her family represented.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2013
57 people are currently reading
1478 people want to read
About the author
Helen Azar
22 books107 followersHelen Azar has been interested in history of the Romanov Dynasty for many years, ever since she became fascinated with the saga of the human remains discovered outside Ekaterinburg in the 1990s, which were proven to be those of Russia’s murdered imperial family. The subsequent controversy about these bones, and Helen’s science background (she studied biochemistry), moved her to co-author several articles explaining the authenticity of the remains.
At the time, Helen was attending library school, and in summer of 2005, she got a unique opportunity to do an internship at Tsarskoe Selo Museum, where she worked with the imperial book collection – books which once belonged to the Tsars and Tsaritsas – from Catherine the Great to Nicholas II.
In 2012 Helen published her first book, “The Diary of Olga Romanov“, which was based on numerous wartime diaries and letters written by the eldest daughter of the last Tsar, which she translated directly from the scans of the Grand Duchess’s own handwritten documents.
In 2014 Helen founded and became administrator of this website, where she publishes original articles and excerpts from her books.
In the following few years Helen released 7 more books based on her original translations of diaries and letters of the other Romanov family members; the latest is scheduled to be released in 2019 – “Maria Romanov: Third Daughter of the Last Tsar” – the book based on the writings of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna.
Late in 2018, Helen released a book, which is only available electronically through this website: THE PRIVATE DIARY OF MATHILDE KSCHESSINSKA, 100% of proceeds from which will go right back into running the website.
It had been Helen’s long standing dream to organise “In their steps” tour, which would allow to share her passion for the subject with others, as well as teach and learn more about this fascinating and tragic family. Their story truly represents the proverbial “truth is more interesting than fiction”, but unfortunately through the years, there has been a lot of misinterpretation and misinformation about them in secondary sources. The reason for that may be the lack of ready access to primary sources, not just during the Soviet era, but also today. There is also a strange shortage of Russian speaking historians outside of Russia who are interested in writing about this particular subject in English; and those few who know the language are not able or willing to spend months or even years deciphering the often indecipherable handwriting of the imperial family members.
Yet, in Russia there is still a mountain of untapped archival material which can give the world so much new information about that period in Russian history, as well as eliminate long standing myths and misinformation. Helen always felt that it’s very important to present this material in its almost raw form, which is why in her work she refrains from offering subjective interpretations, and allows the reader to make up his or her own mind based on the text they read.
In 2018, the hundredth anniversary year of the murders of the Romanov family, Helen published the book IN THE STEPS OF THE ROMANOVS, and created the dream tour, bringing a group of Russian imperial history enthusiasts to experience important historical events first hand, by literally following in the footsteps of the last imperial family during the last two years of their lives.
Among a number of other places, the group visited Tsarskoe Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg. A smaller group even went to Crimea and Moscow, where they ended their journey at the Russian State Archives, looking at the original documents written by the Romanovs. A six part documentary from this trip will be available later in 2019.
At the time, Helen was attending library school, and in summer of 2005, she got a unique opportunity to do an internship at Tsarskoe Selo Museum, where she worked with the imperial book collection – books which once belonged to the Tsars and Tsaritsas – from Catherine the Great to Nicholas II.
In 2012 Helen published her first book, “The Diary of Olga Romanov“, which was based on numerous wartime diaries and letters written by the eldest daughter of the last Tsar, which she translated directly from the scans of the Grand Duchess’s own handwritten documents.
In 2014 Helen founded and became administrator of this website, where she publishes original articles and excerpts from her books.
In the following few years Helen released 7 more books based on her original translations of diaries and letters of the other Romanov family members; the latest is scheduled to be released in 2019 – “Maria Romanov: Third Daughter of the Last Tsar” – the book based on the writings of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna.
Late in 2018, Helen released a book, which is only available electronically through this website: THE PRIVATE DIARY OF MATHILDE KSCHESSINSKA, 100% of proceeds from which will go right back into running the website.
It had been Helen’s long standing dream to organise “In their steps” tour, which would allow to share her passion for the subject with others, as well as teach and learn more about this fascinating and tragic family. Their story truly represents the proverbial “truth is more interesting than fiction”, but unfortunately through the years, there has been a lot of misinterpretation and misinformation about them in secondary sources. The reason for that may be the lack of ready access to primary sources, not just during the Soviet era, but also today. There is also a strange shortage of Russian speaking historians outside of Russia who are interested in writing about this particular subject in English; and those few who know the language are not able or willing to spend months or even years deciphering the often indecipherable handwriting of the imperial family members.
Yet, in Russia there is still a mountain of untapped archival material which can give the world so much new information about that period in Russian history, as well as eliminate long standing myths and misinformation. Helen always felt that it’s very important to present this material in its almost raw form, which is why in her work she refrains from offering subjective interpretations, and allows the reader to make up his or her own mind based on the text they read.
In 2018, the hundredth anniversary year of the murders of the Romanov family, Helen published the book IN THE STEPS OF THE ROMANOVS, and created the dream tour, bringing a group of Russian imperial history enthusiasts to experience important historical events first hand, by literally following in the footsteps of the last imperial family during the last two years of their lives.
Among a number of other places, the group visited Tsarskoe Selo, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg. A smaller group even went to Crimea and Moscow, where they ended their journey at the Russian State Archives, looking at the original documents written by the Romanovs. A six part documentary from this trip will be available later in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
February 20, 2019
The five stars are really for the execution of the book as opposed to the actual content of Olga's diaries and letters. Azar provides a vivid translation of the girl's diary entries that gives you a strong sense as to how Olga actually expressed herself, peppering them and her letters with mild (and occasionally funny) slang. It also conveys a better idea of how close Tatiana and Olga were as a pair, as opposed to the usual OTMA assemblage (and incidentally, is there evidence that the four girls actually referred to themselves with this acronym?). Azar rounds out the translations with letters and descriptions from those who knew Olga --- Nicholas II by no means least --- as well as fluent accounts of Olga's childhood and intra-familial relationships. There are notes providing details concerning most of those mentioned by the Grand Duchess in either her entries or letter. It might have been helpful to have included a family tree, but that's a minor quibble.
The sad fact, though, is that Olga wasn't a literary witness to the Russian Revolution, at least not in her diaries. Azar is perfectly upfront in defining what Olga's diaries were not, i.e. a reflection of her innermost thoughts. The entries tend to be overwhelmingly a banal account of her daily life with precious few details. Azar teases out the hidden meanings of Olga's coded entries regarding soldiers she knew who became romantic crushes, but there isn't any scandal; she is as reticent in code as she could possibly be. Did she expect that her sisters would crack the diaries? Her mother? Olga will often mention that she either chaired or attended committee meetings, presumably having to do with her hospital work during the war, but never gives details. There are frustrating notations about tea with Rasputin, and an extremely opaque account of his murder. This isn't Azar, this is Olga herself. The diaries are more an aide-de-memoire as to what she did, whom she saw on a more or less --- sometimes much less --- day to day basis.
But the diaries end just as the Revolution gets under way, and Olga more or less disappears into the background until her death in 1918. There is evidence from outside witnesses that Olga, more than the other three daughters, was aware of the the danger in which the family found itself. It also fell to her to steer Tatiana, Marie and Aleksei to Ekaterinberg after the family was separated at Tobolsk. It is frustrating that she seems to have made a deliberate decision to end her diaries in March, 1917. At the same time, given the evidence, it is unlikely that she would have confided her thoughts and feelings to paper for the next year.
Azar's book fills an important niche, however. Marie and Anastasia destroyed their diaries during early captivity. Olga's accounts are now added to those of her parents (equally circumspect), and provide a glimpse into the activities of this fascinating family.
The sad fact, though, is that Olga wasn't a literary witness to the Russian Revolution, at least not in her diaries. Azar is perfectly upfront in defining what Olga's diaries were not, i.e. a reflection of her innermost thoughts. The entries tend to be overwhelmingly a banal account of her daily life with precious few details. Azar teases out the hidden meanings of Olga's coded entries regarding soldiers she knew who became romantic crushes, but there isn't any scandal; she is as reticent in code as she could possibly be. Did she expect that her sisters would crack the diaries? Her mother? Olga will often mention that she either chaired or attended committee meetings, presumably having to do with her hospital work during the war, but never gives details. There are frustrating notations about tea with Rasputin, and an extremely opaque account of his murder. This isn't Azar, this is Olga herself. The diaries are more an aide-de-memoire as to what she did, whom she saw on a more or less --- sometimes much less --- day to day basis.
But the diaries end just as the Revolution gets under way, and Olga more or less disappears into the background until her death in 1918. There is evidence from outside witnesses that Olga, more than the other three daughters, was aware of the the danger in which the family found itself. It also fell to her to steer Tatiana, Marie and Aleksei to Ekaterinberg after the family was separated at Tobolsk. It is frustrating that she seems to have made a deliberate decision to end her diaries in March, 1917. At the same time, given the evidence, it is unlikely that she would have confided her thoughts and feelings to paper for the next year.
Azar's book fills an important niche, however. Marie and Anastasia destroyed their diaries during early captivity. Olga's accounts are now added to those of her parents (equally circumspect), and provide a glimpse into the activities of this fascinating family.
May 28, 2022
A first-hand account of Olga Romanov's life from 1914 to 1917. Many of the entries are quite similar in nature, went to tea, went to a party, and so on. Emotions don't play a very large part in these entries except on occasion, and when they do, they are raw and true. My only problem lies not in the content, but in the formatting, I found it slightly hard to read at a times because of the page layout. I found this book quite insightful. Four stars.
May 27, 2014
Had tea. Had lunch. Like a very bad twitter feed from the last days of the Russian Court.
December 31, 2013
He amado con locura este libro, es fácil de leer, no es aburrido, y me gusta que tiene pie de página, porque muchas veces mencionan palabras en Ruso y a personas que no me acuerdo o no sé quienes son y sólo tengo que leer abajo para saber.
Poco se habla de Olga,la hija más grande del último emperador de Rusia, con este libro pude conocer más de ella,sus intereses, su amor por ayudar y hacer sentir bien a los demás, como dijo uno de sus tutores ''Olga Nikolaevna has a crystal soul.''
La última entrada del diario de Olga fue escrita el 15 de Marzo de 1917, a partir de esa fecha hasta el 21 de junio del 1918, el encargado de contarnos la historia, a través de su diario, fue su padre,Nicolás II.
Elisavetgradetz ♥
Poco se habla de Olga,la hija más grande del último emperador de Rusia, con este libro pude conocer más de ella,sus intereses, su amor por ayudar y hacer sentir bien a los demás, como dijo uno de sus tutores ''Olga Nikolaevna has a crystal soul.''
La última entrada del diario de Olga fue escrita el 15 de Marzo de 1917, a partir de esa fecha hasta el 21 de junio del 1918, el encargado de contarnos la historia, a través de su diario, fue su padre,Nicolás II.
Elisavetgradetz ♥
May 31, 2023
A somewhat dry diary account of Olga's everyday life the few years before being taken captive. It is supplemented with author narration at the beginning of each chapter and other parties throughout to fill some gaps. It is not heart felt emotion and thoughts of a teenage girl. Rather their daily doings and what others in their circle were doing.
Most letters and diaries were disposed of so these first hand accounts are interesting. If you're looking for juicy details of their last days...this is not it.
Moving the glossary to the front would have helped as many words are in Russian, and Olga used abbreviations or secret coding in her writing. Also a family tree outline and map of their travels would have been beneficial. However, the Azar did a good job with footnotes.
Most letters and diaries were disposed of so these first hand accounts are interesting. If you're looking for juicy details of their last days...this is not it.
Moving the glossary to the front would have helped as many words are in Russian, and Olga used abbreviations or secret coding in her writing. Also a family tree outline and map of their travels would have been beneficial. However, the Azar did a good job with footnotes.
December 6, 2019
3.5 Stars.
July 17, 2021
I enjoyed reading this very much. It gave a great amount of insights on how the Romanov family lived before their tragic deaths. It reminded me of Diary of Anne Frank but Olga’s writing was not as detailed and witty as Anne Frank’s but it was still worth it. It also had Nicholas II’s diary entries.
December 23, 2014
As this was the first of the diaries of the Imperial Daughters to be translated into English and published, I really looked forward to reading it. However, I was greatly disappointed in the book as a whole. The essays at the beginning about Olga’s childhood and the discovery of the Romanov remains were actually the best, most coherent portions of the book. Even then the writing seems more Young Adult in tone and style then being geared for historians or adults. When you get to the actual diary entries you feel like you’re reading someone’s Facebook or Twitter feeds rather than a diary. It’s extremely dry notes of daily events rather than any emotional content at all. Additionally, and completely unknown unless you paid close attention to the introductory material, these are excerpts from and portions of Olga’s diaries extensively supplemented by material from her father’s diaries and letters and those of one of her mother’s ladies in waiting. In the end, this book is a letdown of great proportions. I can only hope that someone eventually publishes a more complete translation of Olga’s diaries.
March 15, 2018
Probably not the best book to start with if you want to learn about the Romanovs, but for those with an interest in the family it provides valuable background. Yes, the diary entries are simple and repetitive but display a genuine love for her father and family and give an idea of what life was like for the Russian Royal family.
September 9, 2024
This is exactly what it says it is - a first hand account of Olga’s perspective and personal diary entries. I appreciate the author giving background information when necessary and adding additional letters from others. As someone who has read a lot from this time period, this is what I expected it to be and I enjoyed it.
February 9, 2022
If you'd like to know what the Grand Duchess Olga Romanov had for breakfast, then this is the book for you. If you would like to know more than a little about her as a person and maybe something about the Russian revolution then you are wasting your time.
November 16, 2019
Finished it on her 124th birthday, which I was hoping to do. A teeeny bit misleading as Olga stopped writing in 1917 but the supplementary material ties in very well and smoothes over some of the gaps in time. It’s funny even reading how this book reads differently, compared to Maria’s 1914 diary which I read last week (or possibly the week before) as the girls’ individual voices shine through. A beautiful and moving portrait of Olga Romanov. I was so happy to be able to read some of her own words.
January 30, 2024
Some people have said that this book is boring. That it provides no insight into how Olga felt. They say that it's boring and a pointless read. And, while I see where they're coming from, I feel like they're missing the point. The Romanov's kept a diary as a way to record their day's events (though sometimes you do get the occasional thought or opinion on a subject). Their diaries were not meant to be used for pouring out their every thought and emotion. So no, you aren't going to find any content about who Olga had a crush on or how she felt about this morning's breakfast. That's just how it is. And the author is not going to edit it just so it'll be "more interesting". This is a published, translated, historical account. Not a YA novel.
The diary entries, while monotonous and repetitive, were strangely fascinating. Knowing what Olga had for breakfast or where she went on a certain day is interesting for no reason at all. In a way, it makes her seem more human and more real. And while it was somewhat bittersweet to read her diary while knowing how her story ends, it also made me happy - knowing that she really did live a wonderful life with a loving family. Her letters are interesting in the same way.
I would recommend to anyone who's interested in the Romanov family. There is a picture gallery, explanations before each chapter as to what was happening when the entries were written, and a mix of letters and excerpts from memoirs alongside the diary.
The diary entries, while monotonous and repetitive, were strangely fascinating. Knowing what Olga had for breakfast or where she went on a certain day is interesting for no reason at all. In a way, it makes her seem more human and more real. And while it was somewhat bittersweet to read her diary while knowing how her story ends, it also made me happy - knowing that she really did live a wonderful life with a loving family. Her letters are interesting in the same way.
I would recommend to anyone who's interested in the Romanov family. There is a picture gallery, explanations before each chapter as to what was happening when the entries were written, and a mix of letters and excerpts from memoirs alongside the diary.
July 10, 2024
This diary and some letters of a member of the Russian imperial family is well edited and annotated, and the introduction is excellent. I commend Azar for curating the material so well and I'm glad it's been translated into English for the first time. This slim book will add to the sum of scholarly research on imperial Russia.
I found some of the excerpts of letters quite intriguing when the subject matter was the events around the country, or serious conversations with wounded soldiers, or concerns for the health of the son and heir, or a visit from close family friend Rasputin - all these entries were interesting in themselves, and were also tinged with the foreknowledge of how it would end.
Far too much of the diary, I thought, had all the interest of reading a log file, a bare recording of the guests who visited, what they ate, the gossip they shared, what games they played, with little commentary or expression of emotional reaction. This is the stuff of everyday life and it shows the family in an intimate setting, but it could be quite dull. On balance, it was worth a perusal. I recommend it for readers who already have a strong and broad understanding of the events and want to round out their knowledge with a more personal perspective.
I found some of the excerpts of letters quite intriguing when the subject matter was the events around the country, or serious conversations with wounded soldiers, or concerns for the health of the son and heir, or a visit from close family friend Rasputin - all these entries were interesting in themselves, and were also tinged with the foreknowledge of how it would end.
Far too much of the diary, I thought, had all the interest of reading a log file, a bare recording of the guests who visited, what they ate, the gossip they shared, what games they played, with little commentary or expression of emotional reaction. This is the stuff of everyday life and it shows the family in an intimate setting, but it could be quite dull. On balance, it was worth a perusal. I recommend it for readers who already have a strong and broad understanding of the events and want to round out their knowledge with a more personal perspective.
June 30, 2016
Author Helen Azar is a librarian in Philadelphia who has worked at the Rare Book Foundation at the Museum of Tsarskoe Selo in Russia. She has compiled a translation of diary entries of Olga Romanov, the eldest daughter of Nicholas II. The translations encompass the years 1914-1918. Although Olga’s entries stop in March of 1917, entries from other diaries—namely those of Czar Nicholas II and Alexander Kerensky are also included along with letters written by friends and relatives of the royal family.
These translations of primary sources present a picture of the lives of the last Russian royal family from their last ordinary days as royalty to the months immediately following the Czar’s abdication, and, finally, their rude and increasingly harsh treatment as captives of the Bolshevik regime.
Ms. Azar’s compilation is interesting, and leaves the reader saddened to know the fate that awaited Nicholas, his family, and their loyal servants.
These translations of primary sources present a picture of the lives of the last Russian royal family from their last ordinary days as royalty to the months immediately following the Czar’s abdication, and, finally, their rude and increasingly harsh treatment as captives of the Bolshevik regime.
Ms. Azar’s compilation is interesting, and leaves the reader saddened to know the fate that awaited Nicholas, his family, and their loyal servants.
December 23, 2013
A slice of life of the Russian court told from the perspective of Tzar Nicholas's oldest daughter, Olga. Sometimes giddy, at other times grounded in the stark realities of the first world war, it is a firsthand account in the form of a diary that outlines her day to day life and the impact of her changing world. Sweetly innocent, and charmingly devoted to her family, it's an insider's look into the everyday details, filled with Olga's warmth. Seemingly unaffected by her title, yet understanding her vital role in the royal family, it was a pleasure to read. Too often Alexander's two youngest children, Alexsie and Anastasia steal the show. This book gave illumination to the personality of a budding, young woman born into a changing world and then destroyed because of it.
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February 5, 2023Very interesting. Approximately 1/3 was Olga's diaries+letters, 1/2 was Nicholas II's diaries, and the rest was recollections by others of Olga and the imperial family. This book shows that Olga was loyal, intelligent, and possibly more aware of what was going on politically than perhaps some of her siblings. She kept her secrets close to her chest and, like her siblings, wrote rather factual diary entries without much emotion, but her letters show that she had very strong feelings about the world around her and cared for her family deeply. It also seems she was more prone to melancholic and somber moods than the other siblings, which was more evident especially from Dec 1916 onwards.
October 21, 2018
It was good! I really enjoyed it, but I felt like her diary didn't quite show the whole of herself - the memoirs from others that knew her show quite a different side to her, I thought. Anyway, it was cool, even though they died... :( It kind of gives you this weird feeling - reading the diary entries of someone who's about to die.
June 22, 2019
Most of this book is Grand Duchess Olga's actual diary entries, and while they're mostly boring everyday entries about things she did that day, they're oddly compelling. She truly had no idea of the turmoil going on around her. There are also letters to her father while he was at the front during WWI. Again, kind of boring, but they show how deluded the royal family was. Very interesting book.
December 4, 2023
I really appreciated this book! I love primary sources and have been fascinated by the Romanovs for decades. Unlike some reviewers I would remind readers that Olga like others was taught that a diary is used to record facts and events of the day not for descriptions of people; thoughts about them, etc. Diaries are not to be used to describe feelings. Loved it.
December 30, 2014
Not worth the effort to translate. I have always had a avid interest in her family was very disappointed in what was written. She mostly visited family members and wrote sugary letters to her father.
October 6, 2015
A glimpse into a sheltered life filled with family, devotion, duty and such promise. If anything, these diary entries and, especially, letters between Olga and her father shed light on how tragically misunderstood this particular family was in the eyes of the Russian people. So many if only's ...
March 18, 2023
Very sad but a interesting read I enjoyed getting to learn more on Olga. She seemed very attached to her beloved Father. Kind of like a hero worship. She worried & watched over little Alex her brother who was very ill. She was a good big sister so sad how she died.
September 9, 2024
“In my mind’s eye I see them again, sitting across from me as in that distant past.“ (S.Y. Ofrosimova)
That’s how I felt reading this book and I can’t help myself but continue with Tatiana’s diary. Poor Olga, such a sweetheart.
That’s how I felt reading this book and I can’t help myself but continue with Tatiana’s diary. Poor Olga, such a sweetheart.
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April 28, 2015Here is a wonderful video for the book that my friend Anne Lloyd, a Philadelphia based Romanov artist made. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-iGRY...
November 12, 2023
Enjoyed the book. But I only can wish it had a little more detail. Like I use the word "wish". Learn a little more on the Russian Civil war and revolution.
August 10, 2024
such a tragic story for such a girl. i hope no other person faces the absolute terror and cruelty of the Romanov children…
October 20, 2018
One of the last entries in this book of diaries, written not by Olga Romanova but her father, former Tsar Nicholas II, strikes an ominous tone. It reads: "The external relations have also changed in the past few weeks: the jailers are trying not to talk to us, as if they feel guilty, and it feels like they have some anxiety or are afraid of something. Confusing!"
Anyone familiar with the history of the Romanovs knows that that ominous, foreboding tone in that quote means that their end is near, but few diary records were kept beyond that point, a month or two before the Romanovs' execution. Thankfully we have the words of Olga and her family and friends, collected in this book by Helen Azar, to show us what their final few years of life were like. Olga's entries are short, to the point, emotionless, but they show what it was like to be a grand duchess, a nurse, an exile and a prisoner. Over the rapid changes in her short life, we can see her continued desperation through prayers and hopes that she writes quickly in her diary.
Her father, Nicholas, and family friends, like Anna Vyrubova, offer similar but more detailed insights to those last few months and years. In many ways, the combination of all of the voices in this collection—largely Olga's but continued by those who kept writing after Olga stopped—add up to a valuable collection of first-hand reactions and opinions about what was happening in their lives. A very important read for anyone who wants to know what was really occurring to the once royal family in their last few difficult years.
Anyone familiar with the history of the Romanovs knows that that ominous, foreboding tone in that quote means that their end is near, but few diary records were kept beyond that point, a month or two before the Romanovs' execution. Thankfully we have the words of Olga and her family and friends, collected in this book by Helen Azar, to show us what their final few years of life were like. Olga's entries are short, to the point, emotionless, but they show what it was like to be a grand duchess, a nurse, an exile and a prisoner. Over the rapid changes in her short life, we can see her continued desperation through prayers and hopes that she writes quickly in her diary.
Her father, Nicholas, and family friends, like Anna Vyrubova, offer similar but more detailed insights to those last few months and years. In many ways, the combination of all of the voices in this collection—largely Olga's but continued by those who kept writing after Olga stopped—add up to a valuable collection of first-hand reactions and opinions about what was happening in their lives. A very important read for anyone who wants to know what was really occurring to the once royal family in their last few difficult years.
January 27, 2024
Given that an imperial diary of that period was simply to record events of the day, and not to express feelings, and therefore it is not a diary in the style of say Anne Frank, it is nevertheless really quite interesting.
In order to enjoy this book the most, read one of the biographies of the Romanovs, and then use this diary to read between the lines. For example, if you read the history beforehand you will know that there was an attempt just before the first world war to set up Olga with Carol of Romania. While we don’t hear her opinions about it during the visit we do know that she wasn’t too keen on the idea and it was abandoned. War broke out a few weeks later and Romania remained neutral. Had they joined Russia at an early stage they would have bridged Russia to its ally Serbia which would be strategically significant. Romania entered belatedly on the side of the Allie’s in late 1916, which was too late to save the Romanovs. Back to Olga. Between the entry of Romania and the revolution she makes ant least two separate emotional references to the Romanians, which shows that she knew what was going on and how she felt.
Apart from that I enjoyed her letters, some of which can be funny (using a red pen in the revolution, her mockery of the aristocratic sport of hunting).
My only gripe is that Azar didn’t use some of her more profound poems or prayers from 1918, such as the one about evil cannot overcome evil and the poem to her mother which is quite moving. They would balance some of the dryer diary entries.
In order to enjoy this book the most, read one of the biographies of the Romanovs, and then use this diary to read between the lines. For example, if you read the history beforehand you will know that there was an attempt just before the first world war to set up Olga with Carol of Romania. While we don’t hear her opinions about it during the visit we do know that she wasn’t too keen on the idea and it was abandoned. War broke out a few weeks later and Romania remained neutral. Had they joined Russia at an early stage they would have bridged Russia to its ally Serbia which would be strategically significant. Romania entered belatedly on the side of the Allie’s in late 1916, which was too late to save the Romanovs. Back to Olga. Between the entry of Romania and the revolution she makes ant least two separate emotional references to the Romanians, which shows that she knew what was going on and how she felt.
Apart from that I enjoyed her letters, some of which can be funny (using a red pen in the revolution, her mockery of the aristocratic sport of hunting).
My only gripe is that Azar didn’t use some of her more profound poems or prayers from 1918, such as the one about evil cannot overcome evil and the poem to her mother which is quite moving. They would balance some of the dryer diary entries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2021
Now I want them all!
When I was younger I was obsessed with the Royal Diaries series version of Anastasia's diary. Apparently it was a lot closer to the truth than I thought, but the whole family did keep quite detailed journals, although many of them were burnt during their exile. Reading Olga's was interesting, but gives less detail towards her person than her schedule, although you can glean certain thoughts from the way she refers to things. I liked that letters from others during that time were included, as it rounded out the whole experience.
I think having read it, I kind of wished I could have just borrowed it from the library rather than owning it, but as it is not in circulation, I got it as a gift. I may sell it in a couple of years, because I don't think I will ever read it again - more useful for someone studying this time period and needs a good reference.
However, I am glad I read it, and like I said, I would like to read the other family members journals.
When I was younger I was obsessed with the Royal Diaries series version of Anastasia's diary. Apparently it was a lot closer to the truth than I thought, but the whole family did keep quite detailed journals, although many of them were burnt during their exile. Reading Olga's was interesting, but gives less detail towards her person than her schedule, although you can glean certain thoughts from the way she refers to things. I liked that letters from others during that time were included, as it rounded out the whole experience.
I think having read it, I kind of wished I could have just borrowed it from the library rather than owning it, but as it is not in circulation, I got it as a gift. I may sell it in a couple of years, because I don't think I will ever read it again - more useful for someone studying this time period and needs a good reference.
However, I am glad I read it, and like I said, I would like to read the other family members journals.
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