OK, I haven't yet done any more of Olga's from that site, but I have done the ones of Maria's. Hers were very easy. All she did was write down what they did - no comments, no emotions or anything, so it was very easy to translate. olga allows a little bit more of herself to creep into her entries, Maria keeps herself to herself (unless she kept a journal of some sort too). Anyway, the diaries would have become public record at some stage or other, so probably that is one of the reasons why they are so reticent about expressing how they feel about anything, but also lie a said earlier, the diary was in those days much more a record of what one did rather than what one felt.
Anyway, here are Maria's entries for parts of December 1916 - all in Old Calendar dates, but I have put Nw Calendar dates in brackets.
10 December (23 December) 1916
Saturday. Martyrs Hermogenes and Eugraphos
...we drank tea, went tot eh Vigil Service, had supper at Ania's with Grigory and the 4 sisters went to the hospital with Mama. Straight to the train from hospital and throught he night to Novgorod.
11 (24) December 1916
Sunday
We arrived in Novgorod. We were welcomed at the station. We went to the Sophia Cathedral where there was a Hierachal Liturgy. Then we went around and venerated all the different Relics. We went to the Archbishop's Residence - there is a hospital in the downstairs part.
12 (25) December 1916
Monday
Arrived at Tsarskoe Selo...We 4 dined with Mama and Grigory at Ania's. We 4 sisters went tot he hospital.
17 (30) December 1916
Saturday Prophet Daniel
We 4 drank tea with Mama and Ania then all of us went home, had the Vigil Service and supper. After supper Lili Dehn came. There's bad news. Grigory disappeared last night. Noone [sic] knows where he is.
18 (31) December 1916
Sunday St Modestus and Martyr Claudius
We 4 went to Liturgy. Mama and Ania had Communion. We sat with Lili Dehn after. The 4 of us had breakfast with Mama. Then once again we all sat together and drank tea. Went for a walk with Olga, Anastasia, Lili and Titi. Went with Anastasia to our hospital. We sat. The 4 of us had supper with Mama, Ania, Titi and Lili. We all sat together. There's no new news about Grigory. They suspect Dmitry and Felix.
19 Dec 1916 (1 Jan 1917)
Monday
Had lessons - arithmetic and history. The rest of the time I sat with Mama. We 4 had breakfast with Mama. The 4 of us sat and drank tea with Mama, Ania and Lili Dehn. Grigory's been killed. We went to meet Papa and Alexei at 5, but they came at 6 so we went to the station again.
We 4 dined with Papa and Mama. Ania came over. She's staying in the other end of our house. Afterwards we four sat with her by the fireplace.
20 December 1916 (2 Jan 1917)
Tuesday
Had lessons: German and history. We 5 had breakfast with Papa and Mama. Went with Anastasia to the S Hospital. The 4 of us went for a walk with Papa. With Anastasia to our hospital. We 4 drank tea with Papa and Mama. There was music. The 4 of us dined with Papa and Mama. Ania was here.
21 December 1916 (3 Jan 1917)
Wednesday
The 4 of us with Papa, Mama and others were at Grigory's funeral. We buried him at Ania's building.
Had lessons: history and with the Priest. We four had breakfast with Papa and Mama. Went with Anastasia to our hospital and Viktor Erastovich was there. The 4 of us drank tea with Papa and Mama by Alexei - he has a worm in his belly. There was music. Went to Ania's and we saw Matryosha, Varia and Akilina. We four dined with Papa, Mama and Sandro. Ania was here. Papa read.
