Anastasia and her sister, Olga.
In August of 1914, when Anastasia was 12 years old, war broke out between Russia and Germany. France and England were Russia's allies while Austria sided with Germany. At the time, the royal family was staying at the Lower Palace at Peterhof. During this war, called World War I, thousands of people died. Alexandra, Olga, and Tatiana became nurses and worked in hospitals, assisting the doctors during surgeries. Although Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei were too young to become real nurses, they helped out in many operations, and sadly, watched many wounded soldiers die. Maria and Anastasia constantly went to hospitals to visit the wounded men to try to cheer them up; however, "It felt like we were attending funeral services all the time," Anastasia expressed ("Anastasia: Myths and Legends" 1).
By New Years of 1917, the riots in St. Petersburg continued to get bigger and bigger. It was at this time that Nicholas was forced to give up the throne for himself and for Alexei. This marked the end of the Romanov family's imperial rule of Russia. It was also the first of two Russian Revolutions. Nicholas had high hopes for the new provisional government that took power. However, the media portrayed the late-imperial family as very dirty; claiming that all of the sisters were mistresses of Rasputin. As crazy as it sounded, people actually believed the rumors, which gave the royal family a horrible reputation, and even the new government had them under house arrest in the Alexander Palace for five months ("Anastasia: Myths and Legends" 3).
On the first of August in 1917, the last Romanov family was sent by train to the Siberian city of Tobolsk. Anastasia recalled that it was very cold in Tobolsk and there was barely enough heat to make it through the winter. Food was scarce and there was little to do at the mansion where they were placed. While in Tobolsk, the new provisional government was overthrown by the radical Communists called the Bolsheviks. In April of 1918, Nicholas was ordered by the Bolsheviks to leave the mansion in Tobolsk, accompanied by Alexandra and Maria. By the following month, when Alexei was well enough to travel, the rest of the sisters and Alexei left to travel to the mining city of Yekaterinburg to join their parents and sister. In Yekaterinburg, Anastasia remembered that: "There was no food and our clothes were in tatters. The guards in the Ipatiev House drank and stole our things. They followed us everywhere, even to the bathroom. They painted over the windows, so we couldn't see out and built a big fence all around the house. Things were terrible, but at least we were all together, my family that is." On the night of July 16th/17th, 1918, the whole Romanov family was killed by the Bolsheviks ("Anastasia: Myths and Legends" 5-6).
Last photograph taken of Anastasia in Siberia
Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia Homepage
Where Anastasia Lived (St. Petersburg in Particular)
Anastasia's Brother and Sisters
Myths and Legends: Anna Anderson
Course Home Page: "St. Petersburg: Miracle. Mystery. Authority!"
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The Nutcracker-Story and Music
last update: 24 April 2003