Website Builder SoftwareMarch 16, 2025
Helen Azar's four books of the letters and diaries of OTMA are quite possibly my favorite Romanov books, especially those of Maria and Anastasia. Maria had a talent for recording the funny little details and funny little stories with a touch of warmth and hilarity; as for Anastasia, I had thought she was a supremely witty little genius, and I was therefore both relieved and disappointed to find that her humor was not superhuman but of the silly, nonsensical kind. She often signed off with talk of artichokes artichokes not growing in noses. One of my favorites of her letters from Anastasia Romanov: The Tsar's Youngest Daughter Speaks Through Her Writings by Azar and George Hawkins would be this one, undated:
My sweet Mama!
How are you feeling? I hope your head and heart don’t hurt. Thank you so much for the wonderful card. I was quite nauseous. I feel completely well. How did you sleep? Mama, I stink of garlic. I am now able to sit up and write letters. Kiss Papa and Anya. I like your bear so much. Mama, draw me something, I really don’t know what to do with myself. I woke up twice in the night and couldn’t fall back asleep again for an hour. Is Anya coming to me or not? I kiss you firmly. Lovingly yours, your old, smart, and loving of all +
Anastasia
It's hilarious, and very representative of her style. Whatever comes into her head, she puts down on paper. Here, she goes from solicitous ("How are you feeling?") to sick ("nauseous") to happy ("completely well") to solicitous once more ("How did you sleep?") to self-pitying, to happy again, and then she falls despair: "I really don’t know what to do with myself." Poor Anastasia evidently was in a sad and lonesome state when she wrote this letter.
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