ROMANOV FAMILY: ON THIS DATE IN THEIR OWN WORDS. TATIANA ROMANOV. 10 JANUARY, 1916

1917 letter from Tatiana Romanov to Nicholas II:

January 10. My dear Papa darling! I am writing to you now before Obednya. It is snowing mixed with rain because it is one degree of warmth, we have had this weather for three days already. We saw Nik.[olai] Pav.[lovich], he alone came over two or three times, and yesterday he left for Golsinforsk. One of these days N.N. Rodionov is supposed to arrive, and I am very happy. We have not seen him for almost a year. Alexei and Anastasia are both moving their beds into the playroom, where they lie next to each other all day. During the day we all have tea up there. The [Christmas] tree still stands, so cozy. It will be sad to take it down, but for now it is not dropping its needles, so it is fine. So tiresome that Mama still does not feel well, but she still gets up during the day and lies on the sofa a little there. We take turns going to Anya’s so that she doesn’t get too bored lying in bed. The other day Emelyanov had surgery, remember him? He was at the Christmas party at the Arena. They removed a bullet fragment from his bone. Now he is in a lot of pain, but the rest are fine. Well, goodbye. Papa my darling dear. We have to go to church. May God bless you, I kiss You very very hard as I love you. Your faithful Voznesenetz.

From the book Tatiana Romanov, Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters, 1913–1918