Anastasia May Have had a Crush?

[GDSophie]

Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier. Alexander Palace, 1913.

'...I accompanied Tatiana, Olga, and Marie to the grand staircase where they bade me goodnight before retiring to their rooms. Anastasia was behind me, visibly sad because I never danced with her. I offered her my hand. But instead of returning to the ballroom, she happily took me outside, where we danced in the garden. We relaxed on a bench afterwards, during which Anastasia snuggled on my shoulder. We were still holding hands. I carried her back to the palace when she dosed off...'

Could this be interpreted as Anastasia having a small crush on this soldier (she was 11 at the time)?

(The ones on the blogspot website have been expanded and added on to and based on real events. The ones that have a grey background with a picture of the Imperial family at the top are, I believe, real. Only the ones that are real were adapted onto this grey background with the actual anecdotes written).

[AdamPR]

I've read the "Journal" you're referring to and I was always under the impression that it was "Fan Fiction"; Something a Romanov admirer wrote about the Grand Duchesses on a blog site. If I recall, there are actually several of these "Journal entries".

I would be shocked if these were real entries from a real Imperial Guard. Perhaps another poster could corroborate?

[JGP]

This is a fictional account.  From the writer's (Nikolaevna) blog:

"I suddenly came up with an idea to create a journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier who was with the last royal family. It is of course a work of fiction, but it will be based on actual events.

Only time will tell how many entries I'll be publishing. I may not know much of the Romanov family, but at least I can put some of my imaginations and dreams of them in writing. I may be terrible at English, but it's worth a shot."

http://nikolaevna1899.blogspot.com/2013/08/diary-of-russian-imperial-guard_12.html

[GDSophie]

I've read the "Journal" you're referring to and I was always under the impression that it was "Fan Fiction"; Something a Romanov admirer wrote about the Grand Duchesses on a blog site. If I recall, there are actually several of these "Journal entries".

I would be shocked if these were real entries from a real Imperial Guard. Perhaps another poster could corroborate?

This is a fictional account.  From the writer's (Nikolaevna) blog:

"I suddenly came up with an idea to create a journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier who was with the last royal family. It is of course a work of fiction, but it will be based on actual events.

Only time will tell how many entries I'll be publishing. I may not know much of the Romanov family, but at least I can put some of my imaginations and dreams of them in writing. I may be terrible at English, but it's worth a shot."

http://nikolaevna1899.blogspot.com/2013/08/diary-of-russian-imperial-guard_12.html

Now that that's been cleared, I have seen people online believing that these journal entries are real, especially the ones before 1914 (apparently none of them have actually been on the blogspot page). Some have posted them on the grey backgrounds with pictures of the Romanov family above, and edited a few, even claiming that a picture of Tatiana with a guard at the Tercentenary celebrations is that actual guard because of these 'journal entries'.

[Lady Macduff]

From what I've seen, it seems Anastasia had a crush on Viktor Zborovsky. Nicholas wrote in a wartime letter to Olga that he gave his blessing.

[GDSophie]

From what I've seen, it seems Anastasia had a crush on Viktor Zborovsky. Nicholas wrote in a wartime letter to Olga that he gave his blessing.

Do you have a source for this? I haven't heard of Anastasia having a crush-except for Dimitri Pavlovich, but all the girls did-or this Viktor.

[Lady Macduff]

From Helen Azar's book on Maria and Anastasia:

"You probably see Viktor Erastovich from afar? - then I am envious of you!" - Anastasia to Nicholas, Sept 4 1915

"I am happy that Vikt. Erast. already arrived at your infirmary. Tell Shyvbzik that I share her joy in seeing him and following him if she deigns him with it." - Nicholas to Maria, June 3 1916

"Today we went to an early Obednya as Mama received communion, while we pretended to be the public because no one except us and Anya was there - my “husband” was there but he left.” - Anastasia to Nicholas Aug 8, 1916 - I think she probably means Zborovsky here

There's a bit more I've read about Zborovsky, but I haven't transcribed the notes for it yet. I know he had a sister Katya who later died in the gulag- Anastasia's famous "Good-bye. Don't forget me." comes from a letter to her. The same book from which the quotes come also identify him as having a wife named Rimma, so it was most definitely just a hopeless schoolgirl crush.

[Превед]

The same book from which the quotes come also identify him as having a wife named Rimma, so it was most definitely just a hopeless schoolgirl crush.

His Russian Wikipedia article says he was married to a certain Evdokiya Fyodorovna Kosogor (died in 1989 in the USA) and that they had a daughter called Svetlana. See Wikipedia: Зборовский, Виктор Эрастович

Imagine they had made another silly Anastasia movie about 'Anastasia's big crush fighting along with Hitler, receiving the Iron Cross and dying (1944) in the fight against the evil Soviets, Stalin and his American allies to avenge her death'!

[GDSophie]

From Helen Azar's book on Maria and Anastasia:

"You probably see Viktor Erastovich from afar? - then I am envious of you!" - Anastasia to Nicholas, Sept 4 1915

"I am happy that Vikt. Erast. already arrived at your infirmary. Tell Shyvbzik that I share her joy in seeing him and following him if she deigns him with it." - Nicholas to Maria, June 3 1916

"Today we went to an early Obednya as Mama received communion, while we pretended to be the public because no one except us and Anya was there - my “husband” was there but he left.” - Anastasia to Nicholas Aug 8, 1916 - I think she probably means Zborovsky here

There's a bit more I've read about Zborovsky, but I haven't transcribed the notes for it yet. I know he had a sister Katya who later died in the gulag- Anastasia's famous "Good-bye. Don't forget me." comes from a letter to her. The same book from which the quotes come also identify him as having a wife named Rimma, so it was most definitely just a hopeless schoolgirl crush.

So it seems 'Anastasia never had a crush/Anastasia was too tomboyish to have a crush' was wrong after all.

[Превед]

Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier. Alexander Palace, 1913.

'...I accompanied Tatiana, Olga, and Marie to the grand staircase where they bade me goodnight before retiring to their rooms. Anastasia was behind me, visibly sad because I never danced with her. I offered her my hand. But instead of returning to the ballroom, she happily took me outside, where we danced in the garden. We relaxed on a bench afterwards, during which Anastasia snuggled on my shoulder. We were still holding hands. I carried her back to the palace when she dosed off...'

That it is fan fiction struggling to be historically accurate is evident from the nonchalant use of first names. A Russian guards officer (NOT a soldier!) would either refer to OTMA as "the grand duchesses" / "Anastasia Nikolayevna" etc. even in his diary or, if he actually was romantically involved with one of them, as "A" or some diminutive or nickname. The casual, modern mode that use of mere first names indicate (e.g. "Hi, Olga! What's up?") was not a possibility - it was either formal, but cordial ("Good evening, Olga Nikolayevna") or intimately affectionate (when you got to the park bench!:-).  Even in their journals and diaries people in this age and in this environment took certain precautions, as there always was the possibility that their journals would be read by someone else.

Another example from the beginning of the entry in question:

Winter Palace, February 1913
A luxurious ball was held in the capital to celebrate the Romanov Tercentenary.

I don't think contemporaries writing casually in a journal would refer to it as the Romanov Tercentary, but as the Tercentary of the dynasty or the imperial house. To contemporaries the Romanovs were not 'the Romanovs', but THE one and only Imperial Family! And they would certainly NOT venture out of the Winter Palace into the garden (which?) in February for a tête-à-tête! Of course not even mentioning that Anastasia Nikolayevna wouldn't attend any state balls at the age of 11!

Another one:

Alexandra instructed us to remove the imperial insignia from our uniforms to avoid provoking the rebels when they return.

God, this is almost as bad as "my sexy crush Anastasia's MILF mom"!!!
The Empress, please! (Or Alexandra Fyodorovna if you are a habitué of the Mauve Boudoir.)

[GDSophie]

It's just a little silly thing the author made. It doesn't have to be 100% accurate, it wasn't like she was writing a book or anything. You really need to learn what 'constructive criticism' is before you trash on someone's work just because it isn't accurate enough for you.

[Превед]

It's just a little silly thing the author made. It doesn't have to be 100% accurate, it wasn't like she was writing a book or anything. You really need to learn what 'constructive criticism' is before you trash on someone's work just because it isn't accurate enough for you.

But you initially believed it was a true and genuine historical journal! I was just pointing out some ways to tell it isn't a genuine historical source. Pure and simple source critic skills, for those who are interested. Why shouldn't the esteemed author aim to write so convincingly that we all initially are tricked into believing we are reading a genuine source untill we read the disclaimer?

Although I never said that it wasn't quite well, convincingly and entertainingly written, I don't care much for historical fan fiction when there are such masses of genuine historical sources and contemporary literature to be savoured. But I did very much enjoy Kalafrana's "Christmas 1916 at the Anglo-Russian Hospital" Read it here and learn, everybody!

[Sanochka]

Agreed on the one hand.  But on the other, I don't see anything wrong with historical fiction if it is approached as such.  There's that "what if?" factor that makes them so enjoyable.  R. T. Stevens "The Summer Day Is Done" is just such an example.  GD Olga's discreet romance with Kirby - and her parents' handling of it - are entirely plausible.  But even though the relationship did not happen, the book is so well-written and provides such a fascinating window into Olga's personality that it cannot be dismissed entirely merely because it is fiction. 

[Превед]

Another great ressource for people starting out with NAOTMAA fan fiction are probably the plays "Вишнёвый сад, / The Cherry Orchard" and "Три сестры / The Three Sisters" by Anton Chekhov, available in English translation here and here. (Click to go to act I in the upper right corner.) They premiered in 1901 and 1904 and give a very good contemporary picture of how the Russian upper class, to which also NAOTMAA belonged, spoke and adressed each other (lots of patronymics!). Of course, the more vishnyovosadskiy lethargic of us will feel that with "The Cherry Orchard" and "The Three Sisters" the atmosphere of NAOTMAA's existence is immortalized in a way that makes any fan fiction superfluous :-)