Read more ROMANOV FAMILY: ON THIS DATE IN THEIR OWN WORDS. ALEXEI ROMANOV. 15 JANUARY, 1916
From the 1916 diary of Alexei Romanov:
Born on January 5, 1909 in Bucharest – Romania’s capital, Princess Ileana was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand I and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, who was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England and first cousin to Empress Alexandra of Russia.
As a young child Princess Ileana met and befriended the children of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who were her 2nd cousins. The little girl became especially fond of Tsarevich Alexei, Heir to the throne of Russia. In fact, both sets of parents did not exclude the possibility of marriage between their children some time in future; Alexei’s eldest sister – Grand Duchess Olga – was also thought to have been a good dynastic match for Ileana’s big brother Carol, heir to the Romanian throne. Of course the possibility of any Russian marriages ended with the brutal murder of the entire Romanov family in 1918.
Read more ILEANA OF ROMANIA: WOULD BE TSARINA OF RUSSIA?
This story is dedicated to the most loyal, but too often forgotten, servant of the Romanov family: Klementy Grigorievich Nagorny.
Klementy Grigorievich Nagorny, the last Dyad’ka (“Uncle”, or sailor nanny) caretaker of Tsarevich Alexei, was born in 1887 in the Village of Pustovarovka, to a peasant family. Nagorny became a sailor on the Imperial Yacht “The Standart”, and eventually was appointed as assistant caretaker of Tsarevich Alexei, to the Boatswain A.E. Derevenko. Read more ROMANOV FAMILY: TSAREVICH ALEXEI’S LOYAL SAILOR
Kolya Derevenko was the son of Romanov family physician, Dr Derevenko. Because the boy was close in age to Tsarevich Alexei, the two were introduced as potential playmates and hit it off immediately.
Alexei often mentioned his friend Kolya in his diaries and letters, Kolya even accompanied the heir to Stavka to keep him company. Kolya and his family also followed Alexei and his family to Tobolsk, and after they were no longer allowed to see each other, Alexei always remembered his friend and regularly wrote letters and notes to him. Read more ALEXEI ROMANOV: HIS FRIEND KOLYA DEREVENKO
Dear Kolya, all the sisters send greetings to you, your Mama and
Grandma. I feel well myself. My head was aching
all day, but now the pain is gone completely. I
embrace you warmly. Greetings to the Botkins from all of
us. Always yours, Alexei
Konetz [“The END” in Russian] Read more ALEXEI ROMANOV: LAST LETTER
