#tatiana the imperial

[krasivaa]

Grand Duchesses Maria Nikolaevna, Anastasia Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia in 1913.

[roses-of-the-romanovs]

OTMA during their last formal photoshoot, August 1916.

[imperial-russia]

The last Imperial children visiting Darmstadt, Germany, 1910

[otmaaromanovas]

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna’s peach tercentenary kokoshnik, created to celebrate 300 years of the Romanov dynasty

The kokoshnik was made by nuns at the Starotorzhsky Convent, and is part of a set made for the Tsar’s four daughters to celebrate the Tercentenary of the Romanov Dynasty in 1913. Two other kokoshniki, owned by Grand Duchesses Tatiana and Anastasia, are in the Museum’s collection. There are no known (as of May 2024) photographs of the Grand Duchesses wearing their kokoshniks. 

Olga’s kokoshnik is made of peach velvet fabric, with satin ribbons used to secure the headdress. The kokoshnik is adorned with numerous precious stones, including pearls, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and moonstones. An intricately beaded double-headed eagle sits in the centre of the headdress, symbolising the Romanov dynasty, intricately hand stitched.

The kokoshnik is preserved in its original presentation box, including its plaque, which reads  “To Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Nikolaevsky Starotorzhsky nunnery, Galich, Kostroma province. 1913” in Cyrillic. The Romanovs visited Kostroma as part of the Tercentenary tour in May. Preserved in its original box, the label still reads “Alexander Palace, the Children’s Half, Grand Duchesses’ drawing room.” 

The kokoshnik was sold to an international market in the decades following the Revolution, similar to a number of other jewels and artefacts that remained at the Alexander Palace and Winter Palace following the departure of the Romanovs. Meanwhile, Tatiana and Anastasia’s kokoshniks remained at Tsarskoe Selo, and were evacuated to safety during WWII. They have remained at the Museum ever since. Maria’s kokoshnik is still lost - perhaps owned by a private collector.

Olga’s kokoshnik was acquired by the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Preserve in the early September 2014, for over $15,000 from a private collector. The kokoshnik was recently exhibited in St. Petersburg at the OTMA + Alexei exhibition. 

Bonus edit by me of what the kokoshnik might have looked like!

Sources: Ekaterina Potselueva / Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Preserve

Photographs: svetskyspb, babs71, Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Preserve 

[fashionhistory]

OTMA at breakfast, 1916

[empress-alexandra]

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia of Russia, 1914.

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

~ ♔ ꧁ OTMA ꧂ ♔ ~

❧ “In the darkness of the mystery which surrounds the fate of these innocent children it is with poignant emotion that I recall them as they appeared, so full of life and joy, in those distant, yet incredibly near, days before the World War and the downfall of Imperial Russia.”

❧ “Olga was perhaps the cleverest of them all, her mind being so quick to grasp ideas, so absorbent of knowledge that she learned almost without application or close study. Her chief characteristics, I should say, were a strong will and a singularly straightfor, ward habit of thought and action.”

❧ “Tatiana was almost a perfect reincarnation of her mother. Taller and slenderer than her sisters, she had the soft, refined features and the gentle, reserved manners of her English ancestry. Kindly and sympathetic of disposition, she displayed towards her younger sisters and her brother such a protecting spirit that they, in fun, nicknamed her "the governess."

❧ “Marie had splendid eyes and rose-red cheeks. She was inclined to be stout and she had rather thick lips which detracted a little from her beauty. Marie had a naturally sweet disposition and a very good mind.”

❧ “Anastasia, a sharp and clever child, was a very monkey for jokes, some of them at times almost too practical for the enjoyment of others. I remember once when the family was in their Polish estate in winter the children were amusing themselves at snowballing. The imp which sometimes seemed to possess Anastasia led her to throw a stone rolled in a snowball straight at her dearly loved sister Tatiana. The missile struck the poor girl fairly in the face with such force that she fell senseless to the ground. The grief and horror of Anastasia lasted for many days and permanently cured her of her worst propensities to practical jokes.”

- Anna Vyrubova (friend and personal confidante of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna)

[yornationalanthem]

Grand Duchess Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna and their evening dresses

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

[the-last-tsar]

Tsar Nicholas II with Alexei on the window of imperial train.

Tatiana in on the right window smiling.

[la-belle-histoire]

Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna of Russia in Fairy Costume, c. 1900s-1910s.

[colourbymarie]

Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana Nikolaevna, 1913

[krasivaa]

A delightful photo of little Grand Duchesses Olga Nikolaevna and Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia with their auntie, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, circa 1898-1899. <3

[roses-of-the-romanovs]

The Romanov siblings aboard the Standart.

(last gif by @teatimeatwinterpalace)

[ella-indigo]

One of my favourite OTMAA pictures, finally in big size and good quality.

Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna with Tsarevich Alexei in 1906.

source: Hessisches Staatsarchiv

[aideu2you]

TATIANA WAS LITERALLY SO GORGEOUS I CAN'T 😭😭😭

[wildfieldz]

The more elevated a person is, the sooner that person should help everyone and never in fellowship remind everyone of their position. My children should be like that.

Nicholas II