Yes, when they were still in power the IF travelled and went to parties and ballets, etc. But that does not mean the girls were free. They were never left alone, and were considerably stifled to the extent they were socially stunted (there are descriptions of them as teens acting like little children, etc.)
What do you mean "they were never left alone?" Do you think they would have been allowed to roam the streets of St. Petersburg unattended? Can you elaborate please? And if I remember correctly, there was only one description of them
speaking like children, and it was never quite clear what was meant by that statement. There was a thread on this very subject. Going by their letters, diaries, and the way they handled themselves during the war, I don't believe they behaved like children to the extend some make it out to be.
Life in Tobolsk, in close quarters with parents and heavily reliant on a schedule would not have been so different.
Okay, let me get this straight, you are saying that their life of travel, social events, etc was not much different than being held against their will in Tobolsk?
This topic has been discussed at length elsewhere on the forum. Look especially close at the Olga thread. Also, King and Wilson give an accurate assessment of the cloistered life of OTMAA in "Fate of the Romanovs" in their initial chapters.
I tend to go by letters, diaries and other written work before I do a biography since it is someone else's
opinion and not always fact. Oh, and I did take part in the Olga threads, take a close look at the last couple of pages in the "Feel Sorry for Olga" thread. I know that from my own personal research in the archives (plus already published work such as
A Lifelong Passion) I found OTMA to be four healthy, happy young girls who enjoyed the world they were born into.
