Olga

Olga Romanov in a formal portrait, 1914

Born on the 3rd of November in 1895, Olga was the first-born child of the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia, Nicholas and Alexandra. Despite not being a son like what was wished for, Olga’s birth was widely-celebrated, especially by her parents. In France, Olga was greeted with thunderouschants of “Vive le babé!” In England, she met her formidable great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, and was announced with the upmost royal pride. She was the only child of the Tsar and Tsarina to meet her great-grandmother personally.

As a child, Olga was known to be rather plain.

But, as she grew older, she was known to be especially pretty. She had a soft, round face and an upturned nose. Her hair was coloured a nice chestnut brown, and her eyes a lovely shade of blue. Her tutor, the Swiss Pierre Gillard, claimed that she had, "..sparkling, mischievous eyes." This quality would have fit more her younger sister, Anastasia, than she; for, Olga was known to be poetical and serious. She was not in the least extroverted, and preferred to be in the comfort of her family and close friends rather than spend time at court functions. Olga shared this quality with her mother.

When Olga’s brother, Alexei, was born, the four Romanov sisters diverged into ‘pairs’ of their own: Olga in the “Big Pair” with Tatiana, and Maria and Anastasia in the “Little Pair.” While Olga and her siblings were all known to be very close with one another, she was especially closest to her sister, Tatiana. The two girls wore similar variations of clothing, and shared bedrooms together.