maria
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna Romanova was born June 26, 1899. Maria was born with large blue "eyes like saucers,"(89, Kurth). She was closest to her father. As a baby she hugged his legs and followed him. The tsar said, "it touches me to see so much affection" for a little girl. During this time Olga and Tatiana had already spent more time together than with Maria and referred to her as their little "step-sister," (89, Kurth).
Margaret Eager, the family nurse, remembered a time when Maria was excluded by Olga and Tatiana:
"They declared she was a step-sister. Vainly I pointed out that in all fairy tales it was the elder sisters who were step-sisters and the third was the real sister. They would not listen, and shut her out from all their plays. I told them that they could not expect her to stand that kind of treatment, and that some day they would be punished.
One day they made a house with chairs at one end of the nursery and shut out poor Maria, telling her she might be the footman, but that she should stay outside. I made another house at the other end for the baby, then a few months old, and her, but her eyes always kept traveling to the other end of the room and the attractive play going on there. She suddenly dashed across the room, rushed into the house, dealt each sister a slap in the face, and ran into the next room, coming back dressed in a doll¹s cloak and hat, and with her hands full of small toys. 'I won't be a footman, I'll be the kind, good aunt, who brings presents,' she said. She then distributed her gifts, kissed her 'nieces,' and sat down. The other children looked shamefacedly from one to the other, and then Tatiana said, 'We were too cruel to poor little Maria, and she really couldn't help beating us.' They had learned their lesson - from that hour they respected her rights in the family." (www.livadia.org/mashka/)
As Maria grew up, she dreamt of marrying a Russian soldier and having "twenty children," (89, Kurth). She adored holding babies. At one time Alexandra warned Maria to not dwell to much on dreams:
"I had long ago noticed that you were sad, but did not ask because one does not like it when others ask...Try not to let your thoughts dwell too much on him, that's what our Friend said...I know he likes you as a little sister, and would like to help you not to care too much, because he knows you, a little Grand Duchess, must not care for him so...Be brave and cheer up and don't let your thoughts dwell so much upon him. It's not good and makes you yet more sad." (www.livadia.org/mashka/)
Margaret Eager, the family nurse, remembered a time when Maria was excluded by Olga and Tatiana:
"They declared she was a step-sister. Vainly I pointed out that in all fairy tales it was the elder sisters who were step-sisters and the third was the real sister. They would not listen, and shut her out from all their plays. I told them that they could not expect her to stand that kind of treatment, and that some day they would be punished.
One day they made a house with chairs at one end of the nursery and shut out poor Maria, telling her she might be the footman, but that she should stay outside. I made another house at the other end for the baby, then a few months old, and her, but her eyes always kept traveling to the other end of the room and the attractive play going on there. She suddenly dashed across the room, rushed into the house, dealt each sister a slap in the face, and ran into the next room, coming back dressed in a doll¹s cloak and hat, and with her hands full of small toys. 'I won't be a footman, I'll be the kind, good aunt, who brings presents,' she said. She then distributed her gifts, kissed her 'nieces,' and sat down. The other children looked shamefacedly from one to the other, and then Tatiana said, 'We were too cruel to poor little Maria, and she really couldn't help beating us.' They had learned their lesson - from that hour they respected her rights in the family." (www.livadia.org/mashka/)
As Maria grew up, she dreamt of marrying a Russian soldier and having "twenty children," (89, Kurth). She adored holding babies. At one time Alexandra warned Maria to not dwell to much on dreams:
"I had long ago noticed that you were sad, but did not ask because one does not like it when others ask...Try not to let your thoughts dwell too much on him, that's what our Friend said...I know he likes you as a little sister, and would like to help you not to care too much, because he knows you, a little Grand Duchess, must not care for him so...Be brave and cheer up and don't let your thoughts dwell so much upon him. It's not good and makes you yet more sad." (www.livadia.org/mashka/)
The grand duchesses French tutor Pierre Gilliard remarked:
"Her tastes were very simple and with her warm heart she was kindness itself. Her sisters took advantage somewhat of her good nature and called her 'fat little bow-wow'."
Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden said Maria looked a lot like Olga:
"She had the same charming smile, the same shape of face, but her eyes, 'Marie saucer's' as they were called by her cousins, were magnificent, and of a deep dark blue, " (maria nicholaevna-romanov sisters-webs).
Later in the year after the tsar abdicated, all the girls except Maria had contracted the measles from one of the Russian soldiers at the hospital where Olga and Tatiana were working as nurses. Maria provided the greatest comfort to her mother who was devastated about her husband's abdication. Under arrest by the, "Provisional Government, on March 9, it was Maria who stayed close to her mother, caring for and sleeping with her and making sure she wanted for nothing," (175, Beeche).
Maria was only 19 years old when she was murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.
"Her tastes were very simple and with her warm heart she was kindness itself. Her sisters took advantage somewhat of her good nature and called her 'fat little bow-wow'."
Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden said Maria looked a lot like Olga:
"She had the same charming smile, the same shape of face, but her eyes, 'Marie saucer's' as they were called by her cousins, were magnificent, and of a deep dark blue, " (maria nicholaevna-romanov sisters-webs).
Later in the year after the tsar abdicated, all the girls except Maria had contracted the measles from one of the Russian soldiers at the hospital where Olga and Tatiana were working as nurses. Maria provided the greatest comfort to her mother who was devastated about her husband's abdication. Under arrest by the, "Provisional Government, on March 9, it was Maria who stayed close to her mother, caring for and sleeping with her and making sure she wanted for nothing," (175, Beeche).
Maria was only 19 years old when she was murdered by the Bolsheviks on July 17, 1918.