Re: Tatiana resembles Alix?

[Georgiy]

Great Lent for the seven weeks prior to May 5 (Easter that year). Then there would have been the Apostle's Fast starting a week after Pentecost, so probably that would have started around early July (goes to 12 July).

[Georgiy]

I should add, that with Orthodox fasting, while weakening the body, we strengthen (or try to) the soul through more time in prayer and greater reflection of our soul. Fasting can give great spiritual strength, which is what they would have needed. Whether they thought they were going to die or not, not knowing what would happen to them or their parents may have encouraged them to be more introspective, and delve deeper into prayer. But of course, I don't know - I wasn't there, it mightn't even be the sort of thing they would write in diaries. But fasting along with the stress and anxiety caused by the situation they were in could account for the girls looking like skin and bones.

[ferngully]

apparantly her she was alix's favourite
selina      

[MamieC]

Hello. While I've just recently registered here, I've been lurking for several months, now. I find this site ever fascinating. I am in awe of the knowledge of the posters here!

While I've read a number of books regarding the Imperial family, I am simply not as familiar with them as the average poster here is. So, forgive me, please, if I ask simple questions

So this is my first simple question. On page four of this thread, Lanie posted two pictures of the family sitting in a row. While I recognize the girls in most pictures that I see, Anastasia is the only one of the daughters that I can definitely identify in these pictures. I guess it's because I'm use to seeing the younger pictures.

Could someone please identify the others for me. I would really appreciate it.

Mamie

[Lanie]

Mamie--

L-R it is Tatiana, Anastasia, Maria and Olga.  It was taken in 1916.

[MamieC]

Thanks so much, Lanie.  

Mamie

[Colleen]

I've always wondered myself why many people say that Tatiana resembled her mother most (out of OTMA anyway).  There is a bit of a resemblence, but it seems to me that Anastasia resembled her mother more feature wise, and in some photos, there is a bit of Alix in Marie's and Olga's faces.  Of course, Olga resembled her father a great deal, and Marie inherited the robust strength of her grandfather, Alexander III.  Tatiana has a bit of a different look than the rest of the family.  She does have a bit of an Asian look to her.  By the way, does anyone think that the actress Meg Tilly (The Big Chill, Agnes Of God, Psycho II, Masquerade) resembles Tatiana?  And since some of you have pointed out resemblences to Irina, the Dowager Empress, Xenia, Olga and Victoria's family, I have to admit I see a lot of resemblence there too!!!! :-/

[jackie3]

Tatiana has a bit of a different look than the rest of the family.  She does have a bit of an Asian look to her.  By the way, does anyone think that the actress Meg Tilly (The Big Chill, Agnes Of God, Psycho II, Masquerade) resembles Tatiana?

Well Meg Tilly's (and her sister Jennifer Tilly) father was/is Chinese/Asia (according to IMDB.com) so it would make sense they would have an Asian look. Tatiana does as well but in her it was probably a regressive genetic throwback to some far-back Eurasian/Tartar ancestor. If she had survived I think she would have been quite the cover girl on the all the fashion magazines she liked to read and with today's press (particularly in Europe) if she was a young princess (even without a throne) in the modern enviroment she would be all over the society/gossip pages.

[felix]

I agree that Tatiana looks the most like her mother,but her eyes seem to be ( not color)  her fathers and  Marie Feodrovna's. They are also very  mush like Olga Alexandrova's..

[helenazar]

Tatiana does as well but in her it was probably a regressive genetic throwback to some far-back Eurasian/Tartar ancestor.

I don't think either Nicholas nor Alexandra had any Eurasian/Tartar ancestors, does anyone know for sure?

Also, I wanted to add that many people have dramatic weight changes when they are depressed, either lose or gain, and it seems that both Olga and Tatiana were depressed in captivity. When a person is depressed the metabolism changes, so even if they are eating the same amount of food, they may gain or lose weight nevertheless...

[Michelle]

Helen, I'm not sure if Tatiana would've had any Eurasian/Tartar ancestors, but she certainly has a remarkably exotic look unlike anyone else in her family I've ever seen.  So she could quite possibly have an exotic ancestor from way back.  I don't think she look like MF at all.  Maria is the all-time dead ringer (facially wise).  I really cannot for the life of me see Nicholas in Olga.  Can anyone enlighten me?  She looks like neither, except for having a noticeable touch of Alix in her.  Tatiana's eyes are not like anybody's in her family.  But I think when I look into her eyes, I see Nicholas in her actual eyeballs.  Maria of course has almost exactly MF's large round, dark eyes.  Tatiana's are Asian, Olga's are rather small but have a classical beauty to them, and Anastasia has small impish looking eyes.

[Lanie]

I think Tatiana looks a lot like her mother in the fineness of her features, Anastasia had this also--the straight nose (she definitely got that from Alix), the eyes, etcetera.  While I see different features from different family members in the girls I don't particularly see the "look" of Nicholas or Alix in any of them.  Olga and Maria looked more like Maria Feodorovna in the round face, but MN looks a lot like MF--especially the mouth!  TN and AN seem to have more of Alix's face shape--round, but with the chin.  People who tended to talk about the marked resemblance of TN to Alix seem to also remark about their bearing, posture, etcetera being a big part of the resemblance as well as their individual tastes and temperament.

[Abby]

I agree that MN looks like the Dowager Empress - a lot! There was a picture of Nicholas' study at the Newark exhibit, and I was studying the picture and I saw a painting hanging in Nicholas' study that I thought was Marie Nicholaevna but was really Marie Feodorovna! I was surprised, they looked so much alike when MF was young! I will try to find the pic of the painting

I always thought Tatiana and Anastasia looked like Nicholas, and Olga looked a lot like Alix. I see Nicholas' eyes and brow in Tatiana and Anastasia. But Tatiana's bearing is very much reflective of her mother.

I love reading about everyone's different views on the phenotypes of the children and the parents..proves that it really is in the eye of the beholder!

[helenazar]

I really cannot for the life of me see Nicholas in Olga.  Can anyone enlighten me?  She looks like neither, except for having a noticeable touch of Alix in her.  

I think that Olga looks like her father in a sense that her features are more roundish and not sharp like her mother's. For example, N has a short "pug" nose and so does Olga, the shape of the face, etc. And they have the same large forehead. You can especially see the resemblence if you look at N's baby pictures or when he was young without a beard.

Nicki as a baby:  


Olga as a baby:




Alix's nose is long and sharp and so are the angles of her face like her chin. So in that sense, Olga looks more like N. Anastasia on the other hand, looks the most like her mother, IMO. Her features are more sharp and her lips are like AF's, they are thin....

Alix:





Anastasia:



But then again, this is all subjective, and we are all going to see different resemblences...

[chintz22]

Hi All,

Helen, I agree with you.  I have always thought that Anastasia resembled her mother the most.  The curve of her cheek and the brows are especially evocotive for me.  She would probably have been lovely in adulthood.

Best,

Sarah