Grand Duchess Anastasia(1901-1918)
Her Imperial Highness, The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanov
was born on June 18, 1901. She was the fourth child of Tsar Nicholas
the second, and the Empress Alexandra. She was a big disappointment
because by now they were hoping for a boy to be the tsarevich and the
next tsar. She had three older sisters -Olga, Tatiana and Maria - and
one younger brother Alexei. Out of all she siblings she was the
favorite of her grandmother, Maria Feodorovna. She had brown hair and
blue eyes and was the jokester of the family who liked to play pranks
on people. Anastasia was very short and thin but when the family was in
captivity, she became fatter and her mental development had slowed
down. Anastasia was sometimes called "Imp" and "The Infant Terrible" of
the family. Anastasia was pretty close to her older sister Maria who
were known as "The Little Pair", while, her older sisters Olga and
Tatiana, were called "The Big Pair." As well as their older sisters,
they shared a bedroom. Anastasia dominated her older sister with her
energy and enthusiasm. Anastasia was extremely close to her younger
brother Alexei. Whenever Alexei got hurt, she would always try to make
him better by telling jokes and trying to get him to laugh. When her
father abdicated, for himself and for Alexei, Anastasia and her family
were prisoners of the Revolution, in Tobolsk. After that, Anastasia's
father, mother and sister Maria went to Ekaterinburg, leaving Anastasia
with her sisters Olga and Tatiana and her younger brother Alexei.
Anastasia and her sisters took care of Alexei because he got very hurt
before her father, mother and sister left. After Alexei was well enough
to be moved, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, Alexei and some of their employs
went to Ekaterinburg, to be with their parents and Maria. In
Ekaterinburg the Romanovs lived in a place called "The House of Special
Purpose." Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia all shared a room, while
her father, mother, and Alexei shared. On July 17, 1918 the Romanovs,
their Doctor, and others where set up in a basement in "The House of
Special Purpose." Then, 11 executors entered and started firing.
Anastasia and her family and servants all died. Anastasia was only 17
years old when she died. But, when they found the bodies of the
Romanovs and their servants they realized they are missing two, Alexei
and either Maria, Tatiana, or Anastasia. Recently the Russian Orthodox
Church in Russia canonized the Romanovs as saints.