THE ROMANOV FAMILY: “GIANT STEPS” GAME

THE ROMANOV FAMILY: “GIANT STEPS” GAME

What exactly is “Giant Steps” the game that is so often mentioned in the Romanov diaries and letters?  A number of swings with harnesses are secured to a pole by long ropes, and everyone swings around, taking giant strides.

&nbsp

Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia playing on Giant Steps

 

Anastasia to Nicholas II:  “31 May, 1916. Tsarskoe Selo… These days Maria and I swing on giant steps a lot. We are almost never nauseous, [although] we fell a bunch of times already, but so far have not hurt ourselves…”

 

Tatiana, Anastasia and Nicholas II on Giant Steps

 

Giant Steps swing

 

Nicholas II to Maria:  “Imperial Headquarters, 13 June, 1916… Alexei, Nagorny and Muravnukin are on the giant steps or we play a sort of hide-and-seek…”&nbsp

Alexei on the Giant Steps at Stavka

The Romanov family even built  a make-shift Giant Steps swing for Alexei in the backyard of Governor’s mansion in Tobolsk, obviously it was one of their favourite activities.

Alexei swinging on the Giants Steps in the backyard of the Governor’s mansion in Tobolsk
Apparently, “Giant Steps” is still relatively popular in modern Russia:

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail

1913 DIARY OF GRAND DUCHESS MARIA NIKOLAEVNA: Complete Tercentennial Journal of the Third Daughter of the Last Tsar

1913 DIARY OF GRAND DUCHESS MARIA NIKOLAEVNA: Complete Tercentennial Journal of the Third Daughter of the Last Tsar

by Helen Azar (Author),‎ Amanda Madru (Contributor)

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna was the third daughter and middle child of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and 1913 was the tercentennial year of her family’s dynastic rule—the last full year before the outbreak of World War I. In her journal, Maria documents the ceremony and celebrations of this important date in Imperial Russian history, while at the same time showing herself to have been a remarkably ordinary young girl who happened to be the daughter of the most powerful man in the world. Maria’s journal records the daily routines of the Imperial family, from the mundane to the magnificent, allowing the reader a peek into the lost and distant world of the last Romanovs.

Go To Amazon Now

Also available as ebook

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail

ROMANOV FAMILY YEARBOOK: On this date in their own words

ROMANOV FAMILY YEARBOOK:  On this date in their own words

by Helen Azar (Author),‎ Amanda Madru (Contributor)

The year 2018 marks a century since the murders of the last imperial family of Russia: Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, four daughters: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, and son Alexei. This family of seven was brutally killed in July of 1918, but continues to fascinate even a hundred years later. Helen Azar, author of several books based on her original translations of their diaries and letters, brings you “THE ROMANOV FAMILY YEARBOOK” – a unique edition which commemorates them through a collection of personal documents that recount their daily lives, ranging over a decade. This book contains 365 diary entries, letters, and photographs–one for each day of the year—including some previously unpublished material. It is essential reading for Russian imperial history enthusiasts and excellent introduction for those new to the letters and diaries of Russia’s last Romanovs.

Go To Amazon Now

Also available as ebook

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail

TATIANA ROMANOV, DAUGHTER OF THE LAST TSAR: Diaries and Letters, 1913–1918

TATIANA ROMANOV, DAUGHTER OF THE LAST TSAR: Diaries and Letters, 1913–1918

Translated for the First Time in English with Annotations by a Leading Expert, the Romanov Family’s Final Years Through the Writings of the Second Oldest Daughter.
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia was the second of the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Long recognized by historians as the undisputed “beauty” of the family, Tatiana was acknowledged for her poise, her elegance, and her innate dignity within her own family. Helen Azar, translator of the diaries of Olga Romanov, and Nicholas B. A. Nicholson, Russian Imperial historian, have joined together to present a truly comprehensive picture of this extraordinarily gifted, complex, and intelligent woman in her own words.

Go To Amazon Now

Also available as ebook

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail

JOURNAL OF A RUSSIAN GRAND DUCHESS: Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar

JOURNAL OF A RUSSIAN GRAND DUCHESS: Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar

She was the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia – the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanov. In 1913, the tricentennial year of her family’s dynastic rule, Olga was coming of age – turning 18 in early November, and her life was full of romance, pageantry and fun. This volume comprises of diary entries from the full year, which allow the reader a unique glimpse into the daily domestic routines of the Russian imperial family just prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

 

Go To Amazon Now

Also available as ebook

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail

MARIA and ANASTASIA: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words

MARIA and ANASTASIA: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words

MARIA and ANASTASIA: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words (The Russian Imperial Family: In Their Own Words Book 2)

They were the two youngest daughters of the world’s most powerful man – Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia. Known to their family and friends as “The Little Pair”, Grand Duchesses Maria and Anastasia were born into opulence, but led modest lifestyles. They were two normal young women growing up in extraordinary circumstances, ultimately getting caught in the middle of frightening political events that would take their teenage lives. Until this volume, the two girls did not have a chance to tell the story of the last four years of their lives during the first world war and the revolution, – in their very own words.

Go To Amazon Now

Also available as ebook

Facebooktwitterpinteresttumblrmail