ANASTASIA ROMANOV: HER REGIMENT, INFIRMARY AND MEDICAL TRAIN
Anastasia Romanov and her Medical Military Train №61.Grand Duchess Maria with Sister Olga Romanov and Sister Tatiana Romanov and some wounded soldiers.
It was a Romanov family tradition for the Tsar to create each of the imperial daughters honorary commander of one of Russian regiments on her fourteenth birthday.
In 1901, after the birth of Nicholas II’s youngest daughter Anastasia, the Kaspiysky 148th Infantry Regiment received the name of St. Anastasia – in honor of the baby grand duchess. Since then their regimental holidays were celebrated on December 22 – the day of the saint.
Tsarevich Alexei with Grand Duchess Tatiana in bed with typhoid fever.
On 24 February, 1913, Grand Duchess Tatiana contracted typhoid fever in the period of the Great Lent before Orthodox Easter. Her condition was very serious for the rest of February and the entire month of March, when the Tercentenary Celebrations actually began.
Tsarevich Alexei with Grand Duchess Tatiana in bed with typhoid fever.
From the 1913 diary of Tatiana Romanov:
“24th February. Sunday. In the morning temp. 39.2”
Along with millions of their Russian Orthodox subjects, this is how the Romanov family celebrated this holiday each year.
CELEBRATING ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS
by George Hawkins
Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia in front of the Romanov family Christmas tree
In the Orthodox Faith, Christmas is one of our most important celebrations. The Feast of the Nativity is one of the twelve Great Feasts of the Church. Over and above the twelve Great Feasts is the Feast of Feasts – Pascha (Easter). In the Orthodox Church, Christmas is sometimes known as the Winter Pascha, showing its importance to the Christian Faith.
Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia in front of the Romanov family Christmas tree
From the memoir of Margaretta Eager (Romanov family nanny):
“We generally spent Christmas at Tsarskoe Selo. It is less elaborately observed than Easter in general, but at the Alexander Palace it was a great festival. There were no fewer than eight Christmas trees in various parts of the palace. The Empress decorated them all herself, and personally chose the presents for each member of her household, and for each officer, to the number of about five hundred. A tree was arrayed for the Cossacks in the riding-school. The children and I had a tree for ourselves. It was fixed into a musical-box which played the German Christmas hymn, and turned round and round. It was indeed a glittering object. All the presents were laid out on white covered tables, and the tree stood for several days an object of intense interest and admiration to the children. They were very sad when it was dismantled just before we went to St. Petersburg, but they were consoled by being allowed to help, and to divide the ornaments among the members of their own household.”
The Russo-Japanese war began on January 26 (N.S. February 8) 1904. A Japanese fleet unexpectedly attacked Russian ships that were docked on the outer anchorage of Port Arthur, prior to any official declaration of war. As a result of this attack the most powerful ships of the Russian squadron had been taken out of commission. The official declaration of war between Japan and Russia occurred only on the 10th of February, 1904.
The main cause of Russo-Japanese War was the expansion of Russia to the East. However, the immediate cause was the annexation of the Liaodong Peninsula, previously captured by Japan. This triggered a military reform and the militarization of Japan.
ROMANOV FAMILY: “UNCLE MIMI” – GRAND DUKE MICHAEL ALEXANDROVICH
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich: youngest brother of Tsar Nicholas II and favorite uncle of the Romanov children. His nieces often mentioned him in their diaries, especially during wartime when he was allowed to return to Russia (he lived abroad after his unpopular morganatic marriage to Natalie Wolfert).
One of rare photographs of the Romanov family with Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich -“Uncle Mimi”. Left to right: Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Grand Duke Michael, Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Olga. Grand Duchess Anastasia and Grand Duchess Maria are a the front.
