Stress under captivity/Awareness of her family's fate

[Nadezhda_Edvardova]

In a variety of places elsewhere on this board, people have indicated that they thought Olga was the only one in the Imperial Family who knew that their imprisonment would end in death.  I would like to know more about this, and it seems appropriate to start a thread to consolidate the various people's ideas.

So, do you think Olga knew what the ultimate fate of the family would be? What evidence (letters, diaries, etc.) do you have to support this? And, why was she the only one who knew?

Pax et bonum,

Nadezhda

[Angelic Duchess]

The information i could get was from livadia.org where it states that Gleb said:

"was by nature a thinker and as it later seemed to me, understood the general situation better than any member of her family, including even her parents. At least I had the impression that she had little illusions in regard to what the future held in store for them, and in consequence was often sad and worried. But there was a sweetness about her which prevented her from affecting anybody in a depressing manner, even when she herself felt depressed."

and it says that because of this she, along with her mother and sister, went to work as Red Cross nurses, helping to treat te war-wounded.

Im my opinion she was very smart and caught on to what others thought of her family.....Hope it helps

[Romanov_fan]

Well, she was thoughtful, and it is felt that she thought deeper about things and thus figured it out. She was the oldest of the girls,if not the most practical, and was the most intellectual. She had seen the most, and with her deeper nature was able to perhaps see, though we don't know for sure, nor how much. But I think she sort of knew, and accounts hint at this. I think she kept her spirit, but it would be hard to in these circumstances, with realization. Looking at it from hindsight, we have to remember that none of the Romanovs knew they would die that night, but Olga could have sensed some sort of doom.

[Angelic Duchess]

I also read somewhere that she read the newspaper daily and that gave her some sort of idea of what was happening and what people thought, also she asked her friends about their views on her father and his ideas.

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, I think she did keep herself informed in a more practical way than her siblings. She focused on what was practical to know. I think she never understood why the Russian people thought the way they did about her father and mother, or at least I thought I read that somewhere. She didn't know why their conception of them was so far removed from the reality of who they really were.

[Angelic Duchess]

Ahhh i knew i had the quote somewhere! Here you go:

 As Russia’s position at the front worsened and unrest in the city grew, Olga, intelligent and responsive as always, became acutely aware of the danger her family was facing. She felt the swiftly changing mood of the country and the hatred people began to hold towards her parents. Reading the newspapers and talking with her friends, she was shocked by the lies being told, by the terrible image being created for her father. She could not comprehend how the people and country she loved so much could treat her family this way.

[Romanov_fan]

Thanks. Olga indeed was astute, and thoughtful. She perhaps had the knowledge, but did not know what to do with it, how to use it. Her family's situation seemed rather doomed..I once thought I read something where it seems to say this knowledge bothered her in their last days.

[Angelic Duchess]

Poor Olga it pains me to think someone so sweet and caring could end up as she did... She must have been in dispair to have an idea on what could possibly happen but have no way to prevent it...Maybe she thought being a nurse and helping out in the war could at least lessen the thoughts of the Russians.....

[clockworkgirl21]

I sort of admire Olga for not sharing it with TMA, because it would have freaked them out. If it was me, I'd probably have to share the fact that I thought we were in great danger to keep from going crazy.  Didn't Nicholas know it was possible he was going to be executed, but probably never thought it'd happen to his family, too?

[Angelic Duchess]

I think he thought that only he would be executed if anything and also was worried about his son who was next in line...I doubt he thought that his daughters and wife would be executed as well ...Just shows you hw cruel some people ca be:( i think in one of his diary entries he talks about what he thinks of the future for his family.....ill try to find something on it.....

[Angelic Duchess]

For some reason i could not find Nicholas's diary entries or thoughts on his familiy's future

But there was information in 1 of Alexandra's letter:
"What shall the future bring to my poor children?" she wrote, "My heart breaks thinking of them."

and...

Both the Emperor and Empress had realised the danger to their own lives from the beginning of the Revolution, but though the Empress hoped for no mercy from the extremists in Moscow, who were most of them not Russians at all, she still trusted that no real Russian would ever lay hands on his Tsar. She was convinced that her children were in no actual danger. She foresaw a sad future for her daughters, spending their youth in such tragic circumstances, but she did not fear for their lives.      This comes from: The life and & Tragedy of Alexandra.

They all thought, as they were deeply religious, that their fate was in the hands of God. That God would lead them in a justified and safe path. Their belief in His power is what kept their spirits up in those horrible times in Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg (sp?).

 

[Romanov_fan]

True, very true. We have debated on threads before what, or how much they sensed or knew of their futue fate. I think it may well have varied from time to time, but that they knew overall, that it might not be good. But as well, they tried for escape to the bitter end, so they considered all possible options. Olga may just have had a more realistic sense of all this than her siblings.

[Angelic Duchess]

I heard that there was a plan of rescue and Olga knew about it and described the place in detail.....does anyone know anything about this? Is there any evidence?...

[Nadezhda_Edvardova]

But all this is just speculation.  So far, there's been no proof she knew anything.  Pax, N.

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, I don't think she knew anything about a plan of rescue either. Although it is true that at the fake plot to rescue them at the very end, it is thought Olga wrote that letter to the ''soldier'', not Nicholas. Of course, it was a fake plot.