The Grand Duchesses of Russia
The Tsar’s four daughters often acted as a group; they even signed some letters and cards “OTMA,” the first initial of each of their names: Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia. The Grand Duchesses led very sheltered lives, and unlike their mother, they did not receive an extensive education, although they were taught Russian, English, French, and German. Because the girls were rarely seen and public and always escorted, they were socially inept, acting like ten-year-old girls. The Grand Duchesses, like the rest of the family, enjoyed taking photographs and decorating albums.
Princess Olga
Princess Olga was the oldest of her 4 siblings and a rather class-centered person during her later life. As a girl, she was kind and gentle, using her allowance to donate to charities. As she got older, she became a serious academic, spending her time learning from her French tutor, Pierre Gilliard, and reading from books. She also gained an air of self worth that was slightly along the lines of snobbish. She knew her place was on top and made it known, even to her sisters. She wasn't ever very close to her sisters, because of her arrogance. Before her death, she was the only of the Grand Duchesses who had her portrait done in oil paint. She had been painted dancing at an Imperial Ball. Her parents never followed tradition by means of marriage. The Tsar and Tsarina once tried to play match-maker with the Romanian Crown Prince, but failed when WW1 broke out. She had said that, "I don't want to leave Russia. I am a Russian and I mean to remain a Russian". This means that she refused to marry outsiders to her country and was, it would seem, a very nationalist person.
Tatiana
The most elegant of the four Grand Duchsses (and the Tsarina's favorite), it was said that "when you spoke with her [Tatiana], you knew you were in the presence of the Tsar's daughter." While she was the most elegant of the four, she was also the most mature, taking on the roll of "mother-hen" over her three sisters. The de facto leader of the young girls, Tatiana was even nicknamed the Governess. After the birth of their younger sisters, Olga and Tatiana were referred to as the Big Pair; when World War I broke out, they, like their mother, became nurses to help the war effort.
Marie
Marie was the little angel of the Romanov family. The wide-eyed Marie was so good, she referred to her sisters as her stepsisters. Her dream was to marry a Russian soldier and have a large family.
Anastasia
Anastasia, the youngest daughter, was impish – in personality and appearance. She enjoyed jokes and had an active imagination. Anastasia was short, and it annoyed her to see people who had inferior rank yet were taller than she. As the younger daughters, she and Marie were known as the Little Pair.
