Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (Ella)

It helps explain why GD Ella also was murdered along with the rest of the family, I assume as she was both German and the Tsarina's sister. So very sad as GD Ella seems to me to have been a wonderful person and an assest to Russia.

One has to keep in mind that the circumstances of Ella's marriage were completely different than in the case of Alix.

When Alix came to Russia (she actually had to rush) her father in law lay on his death-bed - a significant change in the Russian government was at ease. They had other things to do and to think of than taking care for the Hessian princess who arrived to be their future Tsarina. Alexandra felt extremely alone and useless as her close friend Margarethe von Fabrice writes to Queen Victoria.
At age of 22 she became first lady of an enormous nation - tough job if one considers the hard times Russia went through due to the premature death of Alexander III and considering that she had practically no time to get to know her new home and did not speak a single word Russian.
She suffered with her husband - knowing the blow his father's death prooved to him. She had quite a thorny way to walk on...

Ella married an Uncle of the Tsar - a man not within the direct succession of the Throne. 10 years before! The situation was completely different - she had not even to change her confession.

It seems to me a lousy comparison. Ella had much less duties, much less pressure. Nobody cared for her childlessness.
Cannot understand how people can seriously critisize Alexandra Feodorovna... Would have wished to see yourself forced to deal with HER situation....

No...It is not a lousey comparison.

Alicky was shy and cold by nature, and only towards someone she had long associated (Princesses "Thora" and Marie Louise of Augustenburg) and people she personally liked ( Emilie Poole and her friend from Darmstadt) could she relax. Even in the family situation like once Greek Minny (Grand Duchess George) dropped in during a holiday, (she had a house nearby), the Tsar and his daughters welcome their cousin/aunt, while Alicky's face turned as cold as ice. Ella on the other hand (like Alicky's mother-in-law, Dagmar of Denmark) love entertainment and has a good word and graceful smile for each person. No wonder they all fell in love with her ! Indeed.Queen Victoria and Empress Marie Feodorovna (Dagmar) were right to question if Alicky would fill the role of Empress of Russia, their fears were not unfounded.

I am sorry but your superficial opinion on that subject does not seem to me worthwhile answering....

Your name calling isn't either. Glad you have no answer.

Good manors cost nothing as my Father used to say. I do not agree with Thomas_Hesse that the Tsarina was not at fault in any way what so ever. Every one of us have faults and so did the Tsarina. Except hers were played out on the world stage and in her case with tragic consequences. While I am more than happy to see her rehabilitated and a correct picture of her shown to history I do not think painting her as a innocent and blameless person will wash with many. To do so would have the opposite effect and again condemn her to the trash can of history where she would be blamed for just about everything that ever happended in Russia when she was only at times partially to blame.

I don't think we are talking about Alicky as a horrible person, but just not as "saintly" as her sister Ella, who was more in tune with the Church's teaching about, love, meekness and forgiveiness.

I don't think we are talking about Alicky as a horrible person, but just not as "saintly" as her sister Ella, who was more in tune with the Church's teaching about, love, meekness and forgiveiness.

I agree, Ella gave away all her worldly possions and she knew the struggles of the Russian people more then her sister did.

I'm not surpise there were so many nun's in the imperial family. The country did call themselfs as Holly Russia. 

Hi all,

The more I read about GD Elizabeth the more I like and respect this woman who gave her life and soul to Russia. It is sad only people like us who know about her understand the sacrifice she made in life and her dignified actions in the face of a terrible death. I think her murder in some ways was the worse as she was no threat to Russia, could not assume the throne, did nothing wrong and was loved by the people. What evil to dispatch her in the way they did.

I don't think there was public hatred of her but just a few evil men who managed to be in charge at the time saw an op pertunity to get rid of yet one more Romanov no mater what. It seems the majority liked her and supported her and her work. The Bolsheviks were just determined to wipe out all reminders of the Tsarist empire to hold on to power, which at the time was not certain at all and this kind lady was seen as some sort of threat to them and them alone. I do not think the people of Moscow would have suppported her murder had they been asked, which of course they were not.

So I do not think there was a public hatred of this woman at all and it was just a murderous bunch of thugs desperate for power that pretended there was to justify what could not be justified then or now. 

If there was a Russian church near me I would go and light a candle in rememberance of GD Elizabeth

I think I read somewhere on here that someone tried to attack Ella sometime during WW1. Did this actually happen or is it just my crazy imagination playing tricks on me?

Crowds did attack the convent during WWI when some accused Ella of hiding her brother inside her convent.

I was reading Ella: Princess, Saint, and Martyr and I read that a mob attacked her while she was riding in a car. They threw rocks and broke the windshield.

Ella herself was not hurt in the attack.

She came out shaken but unscathed.