Eras of Elegance

Anastasia Nikolaevna, Maria Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna in Mogilev, August 24th 1916

From Anastasia’s 1915-1916 Album

“As Princess of Oldenburg, she was invited to Tsarskoe Selo… Young, shy, she knew almost no one there… It was rumored that she was being tipped as a bride for Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. Although I loved him very much, I was annoyed with him that, although he was sitting next to her, he paid so little attention to her throughout the whole evening: he would speak to her occasionally but he was flirting with the maid of honor. I felt sorry for the princess; she apparently liked the Grand Duke.”

- M.A. Patkul on the future Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna and her husband-to-be, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich (the Elder) of Russia. The marriage would be very unhappy.

My translation from https://vk.com/wall-35562918_5974

OTMAA - Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia and Tsarevich Alexei on the Polar Star in 1907.

Source: Hessian State Archives

Empress Alexandra sitting with Grand Duchesses Tatiana, Marie and Olga Romanov on the Polar Star in 1901.

Romanov Imperial family of Russia

Russian vintage postcard

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanov in Spala in 1897.

Russian fairytale "The Frog Princess" (1914)

Olga and Tatiana with Olga Evgenievna Byutsova. In the 2nd photo, some have said it is Alice of Greece. Kavo-Sari, 1908.

Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna and Grand Duke Nicholas Alexandrovich, the eldest children of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, by Hau.

Olga and Maria, 1906.

“I took off my slippers and my silver embroidered robe and felt the body of my beloved next to mine… How I felt then, I do not wish to describe here.”

- from the diary of the future Emperor Alexander III of Russia, following his wedding night.

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Marie Romanov in 1911 with Pavel Voronov.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia when she was Princess Alix of Hesse, 1892.

Hermitage Museum by _menshakovaa_.

OTMA- Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia Romanov.

“On 11 August 1916, Alexandra informed Nicholas that their daughters had spent all day posing for a new set of official photographs ‘for giving away to their committees.’ As it turned out these would be the last official pictures ever taken of the four sisters, by photographer Alexander Funk. Released from their usual all-purpose plain skirts and blouses the girls dressed in their best satin tea dresses with embroidered panels of roses, wearing their pearl necklaces and gold bracelets. Anastasia not having passed the socially liberating age of sixteen still had her long hair loose, but her three older sisters all had theirs specially marcel-waved and dressed in chignons, most probably by Alexandra’s hairdresser Delacroix.”