Accurately Portraying Anastasia

[Ally Kumari]

She also earned the nickname Dumpling which she greatly hated, as she was called it because "Some people even have the nerve to call me dumpy!" (A quote by Anastasia)

Where did you find that quote? I've never heard it before.

I'm not sure, I believe she either wrote it in her diary or said it to a visitor to the palace who commented on her appearance, or it could have been both seeing as, unfortunately, Anastasia was not as slender as her sisters and was also shorter!

Anastasia only gained weight in exile. Till than Maria was the "chubby" one.

[Beautiful_Anastasia]

True, thanks for pointing that out Ally! Maria was quite chubby and didn't lose her 'puppy-fat' till her later teens.

[Sarushka]

Where did you find that quote? I've never heard it before.

I'm not sure, I believe she either wrote it in her diary or said it to a visitor to the palace who commented on her appearance, or it could have been both seeing as, unfortunately, Anastasia was not as slender as her sisters and was also shorter!

Can't be her diary - none of Anastasia's diaries are known to have survived the revolution.

To me, it sounds a bit like something out of Carolyn Meyer's Royal Diaries novel, The Last Grand Duchess.

[Beautiful_Anastasia]

I have found out that a soldier of high-order(Who I don't know the name of) came to the palace for business with Nicholas, and began talking to him in Nicholas' study, Anastasia was eavesdropping and heard the soldier make a comment about how the other sisters were slightly more slender than Anastasia. Anastasia, enraged, called out:
"You don't have to point that out, some people already have done, honestly, some people even have the nerve to call me dumpy!"
With this she ran away before anyone could scold her.

[Ally Kumari]

I have found out that a soldier of high-order(Who I don't know the name of) came to the palace for business with Nicholas, and began talking to him in Nicholas' study, Anastasia was eavesdropping and heard the soldier make a comment about how the other sisters were slightly more slender than Anastasia. Anastasia, enraged, called out:
"You don't have to point that out, some people already have done, honestly, some people even have the nerve to call me dumpy!"
With this she ran away before anyone could scold her.

I have nver ever heard that. I think it´s made up.

[Beautiful_Anastasia]

That could be true, it could be one of the rumours that were made up after their deaths, there may be some part of it that's true though!

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

Question: why a soldier would have spoken of the physical aspect of the Grand Duchess with the Emperor in person?, if he came to the Palace for business...
Hmmm, it sounds strange to me...I have to agree that this could be a made up.

[Kalafrana]

'A soldier of high-order'?

A senior officer then ('soldier' in British English tends to mean what we call an 'other rank' and the Americans an 'enlisted man' - an officer is called an officer). Probably a General or at least a Colonel.

Possible, I suppose, that a senior officer who was well known to Nicholas and used to talking to him in a relaxed fashion might remark on the girls' appearance, (but more likely that they were looking 'charming', 'delightful', 'well', rather than dumpy!)

But a reliable source is needed.

Ann

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Referencing Replies #s 9, 13, 18 and 20:  Come, come, "Beautiful_Anastasia", you can do better than this.  In my opinion, I really think that you are becoming so closely identified (just consider your "screen name") with your subject that in order to publicize and/or defend her actions, you are willing to accept as truth, even partial truth, anything on the subject as the gospel.  Read again your responses that you have posted and look at all your "qualifiers":  " I have found out" (source?), "I'm not sure, I believe...", "It could have been," "That could be true, it could be one of the rumours", "There may be SOME (emphasis - mine) part of it's that true, though."  While I realize and make allowances for the fact that you are new to the board, please understand that members here prize accuracy, directly-quoted sources, etc.  Your anecdote of "Dumpy," calls for your being more specific in source, etc., otherwise you can already see the reaction/s. Intentionally, or unintentionally, this is how false/mis-leading information gets passed on for other new members to believe.  Regards,  AP

[Holly]

It is from Carolyn Meyers' diary book. Even though I read it back when I was twelve or so I remember that phrase well.

That story sounds completely fabricated. Besides the fact that any high-order soldier would never come into Nicholas' study and comment on the figures of his daughters, by the time Nicholas was still doing any business in Tsarskoe Selo Anastasia was still a slender young girl. I highly doubt anyone besides someone very close to her would call her "dumpy". She did however gain the nickname "dumpling".

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

What in the world does A.N.R.P.K.Z.S.G. stand for??
A.N.R. obviously stands for Anastasia Nicholeivna Romanova, but the rest?

[Holly]

There is a thread with discussion about that.

There's no way of knowing what exactly it stands for unless somewhere she wrote it all out and it's saved. Some kind of nickname/title that she came up with.

[stacey]

I know I'm late to this discussion  , but was it Marie or Anastasia who earned the (not very kind!) nickname "Fat Little Bow-Wow"? 

I'm inclined to think it was poor Marie but I know it was one of the two younger girls, since neither Olga nor Tatiana ever seem to have had a weight problem.

And yes, that is most definitely envy you hear in my voice, lol!

[aleksandr pavlovich]

Re:  Reply # 28:  The Grand Duchess Maria Nicholaievna.    Regards,  AP

[rosieposie]

Hey Becoming Anastasia,

For costume ideas you could wear something similar as this outfit which OTMA wore in 1916 on their train visits.  (It's protrayed in Romanov, the Imperial Family)

 


"Anastasia" is far right.

Re: Jasey yes it was Tatiana and Olga who called Maria "dumpling" on the account she was plump :-)