Is it true that Olga couldn't swim?

[tian79]

I do remember reading one of her letters (I forget who it's to) and she said that despite all the sailors available to teach her, she never really learned how to swim.

That does sound vaguely familiar -- can you find the quote?

This is from LPT, page 145.
"A sailor from the Standard was entrusted with teaching the Grand Duchesses to swim, but years later Olga would confess in a letter to friend that she never learned!"

[Olga Maria]

Thanks for the fragment of letter, tian79.

What year was it? There's a possibility she learned several years after.

[amartin71718]

I think she wrote it somwhere around 1916.

[Olga Maria]

Hm..When was the last time they sailed around the Black sea or went to Finland?
I think she learned a bit.

[Sarushka]

The last cruise on the Standart was in the summer of 1914. The IF's last visit to the Crimea (Evpatoria) was in May of 1916.

[nena]

16 May 1916. Also, IF visited Sebastopole in 1915. 

[Sweet_Angel]

I have seen pictures of Olga swimming but they are only taken near the beach. So It could be that Olga never learned to swim long then she could reach by standing up in the water.

[Olga Maria]

That's what I thought,too.

[grandduchess_42]

I have seen pictures of Olga swimming but they are only taken near the beach. So It could be that Olga never learned to swim long then she could reach by standing up in the water.

there was a quote that Olga said, specifically saying that she didn't know how to swim.
Only she was taught, but never really grasped the concept.

does anybody  have that?

[rosieposie]

I haven't seen the photo in ages of her swimming with a Sailor sort of watching over her.   It looked like she was dog paddling or the least holding a kickboard.

[amartin71718]

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/Marty_1994/o4-1.jpg
Here you go.

[Yelena Aleksandrovna]

It's very interesting