How important is Tatiana to you?

[LauraO]

i think tatiana represents everything that was wonderful about imperial russia, and the very esscense of that very lost and world.

[LondonGirl]

i agree with IA

i know she was fun and springy!
but i do agree that she was most like Alexandra in alot of ways.

but i also think she was a fun lvoing spirtied girl!

but do you not agree... that she got a bit depressed at the end of her life?
but always keeped on a smile!?

Yes - there were lots of signs of her repressing a basic feeling of mild depression - but that's not really surprising given the situation the family was in even before the revolution, in many ways. Tatiana seemed to be expected to 'carry the can' (as we say here) a lot and help sort things out - which, however capable she might have been, must have been very frustrating sometimes.

I doubt she was as aloof privately as people think - history only records the superficial and formal impressions and we only really have pictures of all four girls from before they are independent women. Much of their behaviour will be due to Alix's no-doubt domineering influence on the girls. Even their hobbies and interests were to some extent chosen by her - often in such a way as to be guaranteed to induce boredom, frankly. A quite different and probably quite independent and purposeful, elegant woman is the impression I get of how Tatiana would have matured.    

[TimM]

I honoured Tatiana in my own nice way.  Last March, when I adopted my new cat, I named her Tatiana.

[edubs31]

I like to think that I honour her in some small way each and every day. Remembering her and thinking of her in universally positive terms while doing my best to learn her personal story and that of the world in which she lived...sad as it may be at times.

[TimM]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more.   Tatiana has always been special to me.

[Vanya Ivanova]

For me Tatiana is the most remarkable member of the family. Her composure and self possession from such a young age was extraordinary. This was brought home to me by reading Spiridovitch's account of Stolypin's assassination recently here on the APTM. Unlike in Nicholas's letter to his mother about the event, Spiridovitch specifically mentions that when the Imperial party heard the gunshots it was 14 year Tatiana who went to the door of their theatre box, saw what had happened and then tried to prevent the others including her father from seeing it.

In this instance Tatiana undoubtedly saw more than Olga and Nicholas stated in his letter to his mother it had deeply effected her. How many teenager's would have the split second presence of mind to see something that horrific and then immediately try to protect the adults around them? This and Tatiana's exceptional ability as a nurse under such extreme circumstances makes me slightly in awe of her. People always make the comparison with her mother. In looks she perhaps was most like her mother, but unlike her mother she evidently had nerves of steel. I have always thought that in personality Olga was in essence much more like Alexandra and perhaps thats why they fought so much.

Tatiana was an amazing young woman. Even though her life was short she achieved a level of self control and service to others many never gain in a full and long lifetime. The Spiridovitch account has also made me reconsider the question of whether only Olga really grasped the danger the family were in after the Revolution. Tatiana by seeing Stolypin killed got a crash course in 'danger awareness'. Her remarkable self possession is most likely the reason she gave those around her the notion that she didn't understand the dangers just as well as her elder sister.

Tatiana's behaviour when faced with difficult or dangerous situations was to (as British government posters during the London Blitz advocated) 'keep calm, and carry on', great advice but so few of us are actually able to put that into practice as gracefully and adeptly as she did.

[TimM]

One has to wonder what Tatiana would have done had she lived to see the Nazi invasion.  I can see her throwing herself back into nursing, as she did before, helping out wherever she could.

[edubs31]

Lovely sentiments there VI, can't say I disagree at all. Tatiana isn't my favorite of the GDs only because I really can't bring myself to chose a favorite. They all have so much to offer and are so very unique. It's 'OTMA' for a reason and not just Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia...

I honoured Tatiana in my own nice way.  Last March, when I adopted my new cat, I named her Tatiana.

And how is your cat doing Tim?

[TimM]

And how is your cat doing Tim?

She's great.  I'm hoping to get some pictures up soon.

[Vanya Ivanova]

Thanks Erik,

Tatiana is the one I admire as a person the most but the one I've always felt a real affinity for is Maria. I'm a middle child too and quite clumsy and love babies and small children, so its not hard to see why really. I really relate to that feeling of being overlooked in a large family, my father used to introduce me so often as just his 'other' daughter that people would sometimes smile and say hello 'other daughter', funny really but when you are kid not so much. Poor Maria, in many ways she is still the one we know the least about really.

[blessOTMA]

Fascinating Vanya Ivanova, I didn't know that about Tatiana leaping into action  during that event! But it's not really surprising. To me her caring and soft heart so often gets over looked. She employed her nerves of steel, and acquired the nickname, The Governess" imo because she cared so much. I believe she was very sensitive, but expressed it quite differently than her sisters. But in her eyes, one can see a great depth of feeling.  It's  also remarkable  that TN went from being the one who asked her parents for favors to being the one to ask thier jailers ...it's said out she outshone Olga in public and Olga didn't seem to mind. But to me TN was doing for Olga  as she did for her mother. Olga would be happy to allow Tatiana to take the lead....and besides she was so good at it! Nothing, but nothing  missed the list maker's notice!   But imo both TN and Olga looked after Alix and the Small Pair. They were a team indeed.  The aspect of protecting the adults is not surprising...indeed, one could cal it a theme of her life. Thank you for this wonderful information!

[TimM]

In many ways, Tatiana seemed like the oldest daughter.  I can see why they called her "Governess".

Anyway, gotta go feed my Tatiana now.

[Vanya Ivanova]

You're welcome BlessOTMA, Tim, have you or could post a picture of your Tatiana?, I'd  love to see her.

[TimM]

Tim, have you or could post a picture of your Tatiana?, I'd  love to see her

I hope to have some up before long.

[Jen_94]

While my favourite of OTMA Is Olga, Tatiana, to me, was very beautiful and regal in pretty much all lof her photographs and I loved the way she carried herself and her personality. I certianly do not think she is unlovable in any way at all. I like how she 'got the job done' if I could call it that and I also love how close she was to her mother. Out of OTMA, regarding her looks, I've always seen her as the one with the 'unique' look, and in a good way. You could definitely see she was the Emperor's daughter.