Olga's Letters

[Olga Maria]

Olga Nikolaevna to Zinaida Sergïévna Tolstoy, born Bekhteeff
February 27, 1918
Dear Zinotchka, we have just received your letter dated January 8 containing small leaves and for that I thank you very much. These days, I responded to your letter of January 20th. Thank God we are all healthy. Today, it is cold and windy but the sun shines and warms us almost everyday, which is great. We are busy cutting and sawing wood and we make lots of it because in spring it is hard to find wood for firewood. The birch wood is of good quality. However, nothing has changed. We regret a lot for not having received the three parcels. Will R. receive letters from K. Kiev? Kiss her for me and ask her if she already received my two long letters. I will write to Dalia (Nathalia Tolstoy) again. For now, I kiss her and thank her for the letter of January 1st. I wish you much happiness and thank you again for your good wishes. We send our greetings to you all. I embrace you tightly, dear Zinotchka.
Olga

[blessOTMA]

Thank you Grand Princess Shandroise! I like your traslations best! 
 

[Yelena Aleksandrovna]

The draw posted below is really funny, I love it!!! :-P

[Georgiy]

Yes, Znamenie means "sign". It is named for the Icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) of the Sign (referring to the prophecy in Isaiah about the sign that a Virgin shall conceive.) The particular type of Icon known as the Sign shows the Virgin facing the viewer, with an oval on her womb with the Christ Child inside, blessing.

[clockworkgirl21]

I haven't seen this one translated here yet!

Tsarskoe Selo 29 May, 1917
 
Pretty Musya,

Thank you all for the beautiful postcard. We are also very warm and all the lilacs have finally blossomed. Garden is thriving, but there is almost no work. Now, chopping and sawing all the dead trees in the garden. Papa and Mama say hello. I embrace you.

Olga.

Tatiana wrote on the back:

Thank you very much, pretty Moussya for the congratulations and postcard. I kiss you.

Tatiana.

[blessOTMA]

lovely clock! Thank you! It's interesting both sisters call her Pretty Musya, or pretty Moussya. might have been a nickname . It it known who this is addressed to ?

[Sarushka]

It's interesting both sisters call her Pretty Musya, or pretty Moussya. might have been a nickname .

My dictionary translates this as "sweetheart" or "darling" rather than pretty.

It it known who this is addressed to ?

Maria Nikolaevna Komstadius was the daughter of major-general Nikolai Nikolaevich Komstadius. She attended nursing classes in Tsarskoe Selo in 1915, and worked in the palace lazaret.

[blessOTMA]

My dictionary translates this as "sweetheart" or "darling" rather than pretty.

That makes more sense.... it's a more characteristic salutation. 

It it known who this is addressed to ? Maria Nikolaevna Komstadius was the daughter of major-general Nikolai Nikolaevich Komstadius. She attended nursing classes in Tsarskoe Selo in 1915, and worked in the palace lazaret.

Thank you Sarushka! You are a treasure! =)

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

I love your drawing blessOTMA!  Really fun. You excel at comical sketches as well as lovely paintings! I see Ortino at the right, but which is Joy and which is Jimmy?

[blessOTMA]

I love your drawing blessOTMA!  Really fun. You excel at comical sketches as well as lovely paintings! I see Ortino at the right, but which is Joy and which is Jimmy?

GrandDuchessAndrea, Thank you...glad you enjoyed it. I thought that drawing was in this thread, but I guess  not. I did it to  illustrate Olga's remark in her December 19, 1917 letter from Tobolsk  to Pyotr Vasilyevich Petrov,  the children's Russian tutor.

Olga wrote  to him ,"All our dogs are healthy and they bow to you. It’s very nice of them, right?"


The Imperial puppies bowing to Pyotr Vasilyevich Petrov as reported by Olga Nicholaievna.
Joy is in the middle and little Jemmy the first one on the left. I always enjoyed how Olga
would end her letters to Pyotr Vasilyevich: Your Pupil No. 1, Olga
 

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

I thought that drawing was in this thread, but I guess  not.   

No, it is in this thread, on page 9, I believe.

[blessOTMA]

Thank you GrandDuchessAndrea! I had missed it! I thought it was on an earlier page in the thread and zipped right by it!...sorry for the repeat! 

[blessOTMA]

So, who can translate French?  Olga Nicholaievna 1918  letter in published in French

[clockworkgirl21]

I can try, but it'll take awhile. I'm sure someone will have it done before I do. Oh well, good practice anyway!

[voyageroffreedom]

I know French, I can give it a try