They were the Princess Dianas of their day—perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses—Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov—were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle.
Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it.
The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Rapport aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados
Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it.
The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Rapport aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados
It's a rite of passage for any history loving little girl to go through a go through a phrase in which she is obsessed with a royal family. And, apart from a brief phrase in 7th grade when I was super into Elizabeth I and the rest of the Tudors, my heart belonged to the Romanov family, more specifically the last Romanovs, the Imperial family of Tsar Nicholas II. And, like most girls getting into the Romanovs, my obsession lied with the youngest and arguably the most famous, Anastasia. I always liked the tragedy behind her story, how she was this happy young girl until the Soviets shot her a cold basement. As I've been getting older, my interest in her dwindled and turned towards her mother, because she's easily one of the most interesting females in all of history, and lately I've been getting more and more into the Soviets. But let it be known that the catalyst to my Russian obsession is the last Grand Duchess of all of Russia.
Rappaport's The Romanov Sisters is, as you can imagine, perfect for anyone who wants information on just the Grand Duchesses and not necessarily Alexei's hemophilia or Rasputin or the Imperial Couple. Sure, they are mentioned but only in regards to how the sisters were impacted by them. In that respect I think this is the first. One of the reasons for my interest turning towards Alexandra in the first place was because of the abundance of books on her and lack of books on the Grand Duchesses. Hell, I think there are more books on Anna Anderson, who pretended to be Anastasia, than Anastasia herself. Of course, after reading this book, I can understand why not many people tackle the topic of the Grand Duchesses. There isn't really much information exclusively on the girls. The public at the time was captivated by Alexei, and now a days, most historians are more interested in their mother or Rasputin than anyone else. Especially Rasputin. Me, can't say I was ever that intrigued by him.
One of the things Rappaport does well is capture the girls as individuals, not just OTMA or the Big Pair and Little Pair. Olga is the sensitive, melancholy one with a hot temper, Tatiana is the reserved beauty, her mother's favorite, Maria is the romantic middle child who often felt left out, Anastasia is the trickster youngest. Clearly, Rappaport made it her mission not to lump the girls into one, and I think she did it well.
Nicholas and Alexandra are shown in a different light here than in most Romanov books. Nicholas is an excellent father, devoted to his girls despite them being, well, girls, Alexandra's hypochondriac qualities aren't smothered, but as a whole I think this is the most positive portrayal of her I've ever seen. Say what you will about her, but she was an excellent mother and a far more devoted one than many royal families had during the time.
But, even before the Revolution, the Romanovs were a tragic family, and Rappaport doesn't shy away from showing that. There's the girls' sub-par education, their sheltered existence in perpetual fear of one of Alexei's attacks. It's depressing, really, that these girls never could have a normal life for someone of their class, despite having all the wealth and privilege in the world. The term "gilded cage" applies well here, I think.
As a whole, this is a wonderful book for someone interested in the Romanov girls, and it is remarkable what Rappaport can come up with despite having limited resources to work with. She has successfully renewed my interest in the Romanov family, and I am tempted now to pick up her other book, The Last Days of the Romanovs.
9 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment