1913: A Year in the Life of the Romanov Sisters — February 1st-14th

1st, Friday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Alexandra. They then went walking with Catherine Schneider and skied down the big hill*. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Catherine. Olga and Tatiana had a French lesson, then Maria and Anastasia also had a French lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral, then had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Nicholas read aloud a biography of Prince Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky. Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

2nd, Saturday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna. The above then had breakfast with Alexandra. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went walking in the park and then skied down the big hill with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna. The above then had tea with Alexandra. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna. The above had dinner with Alexandra, and then all went to Anna Vyrubova's house. There they saw: Yulia Dehn and her husband Karl, Rear-Admiral A. I Butakov II, Nikolai Sablin, Nikolai Rodionov, Lev Kozhevnikov, and S.V Zlebov. An English ventriloquist performed, and then everyone played Dobchinsky-Bobchinsky. After supper, the sisters and their parents went home at 12:30am and went to bed immediately.

3rd, Sunday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral, then had breakfast with Alexandra. Alexandra played piano for them and then all went out onto the balcony. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went skiing down the hill with Nicholas while Alexei watched from a chair. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Alexei, Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich, Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich, and Prince Vasily Alexandrovich. At 4:30pm all above watched a cinematograph with Nicholas. At 7:25pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to St. Petersburg with Nicholas. At dinner on the train, Maria sat with Prince Nikolai Trubetzkoy and Minevich[?]. They went to the theatre and watched the ballet The Pharoah's Daughter—Anna Pavlova danced. They returned home at 12:45am.

4th, Monday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Petrovsky [possibly a son of Nikolai Petrovsky?]. Alexandra sat at the table on the balcony for the first time. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went skiing down the hill with Nicholas while Alexei watched from a chair. Maria had a music lesson. Tatiana had tea upstairs with Catherine Schneider*. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana had a physics lesson, then a music lesson. Maria did homework. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Nicholas read aloud. Olga and Tatiana went to bed early at 9:30pm.

Alexandra sitting on the balcony, early 1913

5th, Tuesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went skiing with Nicholas while Alexandra, Alexei, and Anna Vyrubova watched from a sled at the top of the hill. Maria and Anastasia had tea with Catherine Schneider. Olga and Tatiana had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Konstantin. Maria had a dance lesson, a music lesson, then did homework. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Konstantin. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

6th, Wednesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra and Elizabeth Naryshkina. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia skied down the hill by the white tower with Nicholas and Anna Vyrubova—Nicholas returned from St. Petersburg at 3pm. Alexei watched. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra, during which Nicholas read aloud. Maria did homework. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs.

7th, Thursday:

Maria and Anastasia went in a sleigh with Madame Conrad, wife of their music tutor. Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went skiing down the hill by the white tower. Alexei watched. Maria and Anastasia had tea with Catherine Schneider. Olga and Tatiana had tea with Alexandra. Maria had a dance lesson, then a music lesson, then did homework. Nicholas returned from St. Petersburg at 4:30pm. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Alexandra went up to Alexei's room for the first time in a while. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga spoke to Olga Alexandrovna on the telephone. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

8th, Friday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia skied down the hill by the white tower with Nicholas and Anna Vyrubova while Alexandra and Alexei watched. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana had tea with Catherine Schneider. Maria and Anastasia had a French lesson, then did homework. Olga and Tatiana had a French lesson. Olga and Tatiana went with Nicholas to St. Petersburg. They went to the theatre and watched the opera Lohengrin. They returned at 12:45am and immediately went to bed.

9th, Saturday:

Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia drove in a sleigh with Madame Conrad in order to practice French. Lessons. They then had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga Alexandrovna, and Sergei Sergeievich Poguliaev. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went for a walk with Nicholas, Olga Alexandrovna, Sergei Poguliaev, and Anna Vyrubova, then all above skied by the white tower. Alexandra and Alexei watched. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga Alexandrovna, and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. All above then had dinner with Sergei Sergeievich Poguliaev. Olga Alexandrovna left. Anna Vyrubova came by again. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

Maria and Anastasia on the ferry to the children's island at Tsarskoe Selo, early 1913

10th, Sunday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas. They had a grand breakfast with the regiments and an orchestra—Maria sat with Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich and Captain Alexander Drenteln. At 2:07pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to St. Petersburg with Olga Butsova—Anna Vyrubova, Anastasia Hendrikova, and Catherine Schneider travelled with them but seemingly didn't go into the city with them. They called on Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna for half an hour where they met with Xenia Alexandrovna and Olga Alexandrovna. They then went with Olga Alexandrovna and Xenia Alexandrovna to Olga's house. There they met: M.L Tzigern-Shternberg, Alexander Shvedov, Shangin, Skvortsov, Princess Irina Alexandrovna, Zoya Steckel, George Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg [?], Sasha with his mother and sister [?], Nadya [?], Nikolai Rodionov, V.V Khvoshinsky, S.S Klyucharev, and Nikolai Kulikovsky. Tea was served at two tables; Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia sat with Alexander Shvedov among unnamed others. Everyone played games in the big sitting room: cossacks and robbers, turkey, the ring, hide and seek in the dark. At dinner Olga sat with Tzigern-Shternberg and Alexander Shvedov, Maria sat with Skvortsov and Shangin, and Anastasia sat with Alexander Shvedov and Shangin**. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Olga Alexandrovna, Nadya, Klyucharev, Nikolai Kulikovsky, K. Gagarin, and three cossacks went to the circus. Olga sat with Alexander Shvedov and "fell deeply in love with him." Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia returned home with Yulia Dehn past 12am.

11th, Monday:

Maria stayed in bed in the morning due to feeling unwell. Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich. Alexandra was lying on the sofa due to her heart. Olga and Anastasia went skiing with Nicholas. Maria stayed home and listened to Catherine Schneider read. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Alexei's arm hurt and he walked with the doctor. Maria did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga went to bed after 10pm.

12th, Tuesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga Alexandrovna, and Duke Peter of Oldenburg. Olga and Anastasia went skiing with Nicholas. Maria and Tatiana stayed home—Maria listened to Catherine Schneider read. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga Alexandrovna, and Peter of Oldenburg. Maria had a music lesson. Tatiana had a music lesson. Maria did homework. Olga Alexandrovna left. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Peter of Oldenburg. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Nicholas read aloud. A delegation of four officers from Olga's regiment (3rd Elizavetgrad Hussars) visited. Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

13th, Wednesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga and Anastasia went skiing while Maria and Tatiana rode in a sleigh with Yulia Dehn***—Olga and Anastasia were joined at 4pm by Nicholas who had just returned from St. Petersburg. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana had tea with Catherine Schneider. Maria did homework. Tatiana had a physics lesson, then a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana did handiwork while Olga played colorito with Alexandra. They went to bed at 10:05pm. Olga's period began.

14th, Thursday:

Maria and Anastasia rode in a sleigh with Madame Conrad. Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had lessons while Olga stayed in bed all morning. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra. Olga and Maria rode in a sleigh with Catherine Schneider while Tatiana and Anastasia went skiing. Nicholas returned from St. Petersburg and joined them at 3:15pm. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana had tea in the playroom upstairs. Tatiana had a music lesson. Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia watched a cinematograph with Alexei, Prince Nikita Alexandrovich, Dmitri Alexandrovich, Rostislav Alexandrovich, and Vasily Alexandrovich. Tatiana read. Maria had a music lesson, then did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, Anna Vyrubova, and Count Alexander Vorontsov. Olga and Tatiana did handiwork, then went to bed.

Nicholas and Anastasia skiing down the big hill & a double exposure showing two of the sisters at the top of the hill by the White Tower, early 1913

*It's probable that Tatiana had tea upstairs with Trina this month due to feeling unwell as her typhus was setting in.

** Tatiana lists the seating arrangements but doesn't seem to include herself.

*** This is a questionable guess based on the strange way that each sister wrote about their afternoon activities, the confusion possibly stems from translation but I don't have access to the original diaries to verify. Olga mentions "skiing" with Anastasia, Maria mentions "sledding" with Olga and Tatiana, while Tatiana says that she "rode" with Maria and Lili. 

References:

Azar, H. (2015) Journal of a Russian Grand Duchess: Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Azar, H. and Nicholson, A. (2017) Tatiana Romanov, Daughter of the Last Tsar: Diaries and Letters, 1913-1918. Yardley, P.A: Westholme Publishing.

Azar, H. and Madru, A. (2017) 1913 Diary of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. Amazon Publishing.

Дневник Николая II 1913. (2007). Available at: http://www.rus-sky.com/history/library/diaris/1913.htm. (Accessed: 28 February 2022)

lastromanovs (2019). 673-1-232-10. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/149552988@N02/46856520262/in/album-72157678167107668/. (Accessed: 28 February 2022)

1913: A Year in the Life of the Romanov Sisters — January 16th-31st

16th, Wednesday:

Olga's period began. Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra, then sat and worked with her and Anna Vyrubova. Maria had a music lesson*. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Alexei while Tatiana had tea alone upstairs. Tatiana had a religion lesson, a physics lesson, and a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia did homework and then went to visit Catherine Schneider. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. Nicholas and Dmitri left to play billiards while Olga and Tatiana stayed with Alexandra. Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

17th, Thursday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and "The Hessians" [ambassadors?]. The sisters stayed in and sat with Alexandra, first in the bedroom and then moved to the mauve room—Olga and Tatiana did handiwork and Maria read. Tatiana had tea alone upstairs. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Alexei. Tatiana had a music lesson. Maria had a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia did homework before visiting Catherine Schneider. At 7:30pm, Olga and Tatiana went with Nicholas to St. Petersburg. They watched the opera Madame Butterfly at the Mariinsky Theatre—Maria Nikolaevna Kuznetsova performed. Both enjoyed it a great deal, though Tatiana in particular seemed to like it. Maria and Anastasia had dinner with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga and Tatiana returned at 11:45pm. Tatiana went to bed immediately while Olga stayed** and had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Anna.

18th, Friday:

Lessons. The sisters wore red blouses. At 1:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas. Tatiana and Anastasia went walking with Nicholas. Maria stayed home with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga rode in a sleigh with Princess Elizabeth Obolenskaya and steered the horses themselves. Maria had a music lesson. At 4pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea in the maple room with Nicholas, Alexandra, Alexei, and Grigory Rasputin***. Rasputin claimed to have seen the sisters dressed in white when they entered the room due to the purity of their hearts. Father Alexander Vasiliev came towards the end of the meeting. Tatiana had a French lesson and then a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia had a French lesson together, then did homework. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 9:30pm.

19th, Saturday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, and Rear-Admiral Semyon Semyonovich Fabritsky. All above excluding Fabritzsky went for a walk around the lake. At 6:30pm the same then went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral, the Cossacks sang again. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. Olga Alexandrovna left. Olga and Tatiana sat and worked with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova.

The family's entrance to the Feodorovsky Cathedral, early 1913

20th, Sunday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Nicholas went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral. All above then attended a grand breakfast in the Semi-Circular Hall. Olga sat with Nicholas, Baron Alexander von Korff[?], and Admiral Konstantin Dmitrievich Nilov. She also saw her crush Alexander Shvedov. Maria sat with Prince Viktor Kochubey and Count Paul Beckendorff. At 2pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to St. Petersburg with Olga Butsova. They called on Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna before going to Olga Alexandrovna's. At 4pm arrived: Nikolai Sablin, S.S Klyucharev, Nikolai Rodionov, V.V Kvoshinsky, A. Shangin "a cuiraissier," and Nikolai Kulikovsky. All above had tea, played games, and danced to a phonograph until 6pm. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia changed and had dinner with the above at 7:15pm. Also Princess Irina Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich, and unknown others. At 8:45pm the sisters were collected by Nicholas and taken to the Mariinsky Theatre where they watched the ballet Don Quixote—Anna Pavlova danced. They had tea on the train back to Tsarskoe Selo during which Maria sat with V.A Dedulin and an unknown other. They arrived home at 12am.

21st, Monday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Alexandra after which they walked with Nicholas. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra, then sat and knitted with Alexandra. They went to bed shortly after 10pm.

22nd, Tuesday:

Lessons. At 10am Father Alexander Vasiliev gave communion to Alexandra. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra and Catherine Schneider, then walked with Nicholas. At 4pm Olga did homework "as usual." Olga and Tatiana [possibly?] had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich. Maria and Anastasia had tea with Catherine Schneider. Yulia Dehn visited Alexandra and brought her son Alexander. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had a dance lesson. Maria had a music lesson, then did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Mikhail Veselkin. 

23rd, Wednesday:

Lessons. Alexandra went out onto the balcony for the first time. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra, then went walking and sledding by the big hill with Catherine Schneider. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Nicholas read aloud in the evening. Olga and Tatiana went to bed early.

24th, Thursday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Alexandra. Alexandra went out onto the balcony. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Nicholas went walking. At 4pm all above went into St. Peterburg. They first called on Xenia Alexandrovna to congratulate her on her name day, then to the Anichkov Palace for Maria Feodorovna's Christmas party. At 5:30pm they had tea with Maria Feodorovna, Xenia Alexandrovna, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, Andrei Alexandrovich, Prince Nikita Alexandrovich, Prince Oleg Konstantinovich, Olga Alexandrovna, and Duke Peter of Oldenburg. They received gifts. The above minus Maria Feodorovna and Xenia Alexandrovna then went to Olga Alexandrovna's house for dinner. At 8:15pm Maria and Anastasia went home with Catherine Schneider, and Olga, Tatiana, and Nicholas went to the Alexandrinsky Theatre. They watched a play called The Assembly. They returned to Tsarskoe Selo a little after 12am.

Maria and Olga with Nicholas, early 1913

25th, Friday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra before going out onto the balcony. At about 3pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went sledding with Nicholas, continuing for a while after their father went inside. Maria had a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria and Anastasia had a French lesson. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga went and prayed with Alexei. Nicholas read aloud.

26th, Saturday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. Alexandra sat on the balcony for half an hour. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went walking and sledding with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna. The above had tea with Alexandra. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna—the Cossacks sang. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. Olga Alexandrovna left. Maria and Anastasia went upstairs. Nicholas read aloud. 

27th, Sunday:

Lessons. At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral with Nicholas—the Cossacks sang again. A grand breakfast was held in the Semi-Circular Hall for officers of the Svodny regiment. Maria sat with V.A Dedulin. At 2:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia walked with Nicholas for an hour. Alexandra went out onto the balcony. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, Irina, Prince Feodor Alexandrovich, Prince Rostislav Alexandrovich, Prince Georgy Konstantinovich, and Princess Vera Konstantinovna. All above then watched a cinematograph. Maria and Anastasia had dinner with Alexei. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Irina. 

28th, Monday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra—Nicholas went to Gatchina to hunt. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went sledding with Catherine Schneider. Maria had a music lesson. At 4:22pm Olga and Tatiana went to St. Petersburg with Olga Butsova. They went to a Christmas party hosted by Maria Feodorovna. At about 5:30pm Maria and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga and Tatiana went to Olga Alexandrovna's house for dinner, then went with her and Irina to the circus. Maria did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and an unknown count. Olga and Tatiana returned at 12am and immediately went to bed.

29th, Tuesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Nikolai Sablin. In the afternoon, the sisters went skiing with Nicholas and Nikolai while Alexandra sat on the balcony and Alexei played in the garden. Maria and Anastasia had tea upstairs with Catherine Schneider. Olga and Tatiana had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Nikolai Sablin. Maria had a dance lesson, then a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, Nikolai Sablin, and Anna Vyrubova. They sat downstairs until 10:30pm when they went up to bed.

Anastasia sledding down a hill, early 1913

30th, Wednesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra. They then went skiing with Catherine Schneider. Alexandra went out onto the balcony. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Maria had a music lesson, then did homework. At 7:30pm Olga and Tatiana went into St. Petersburg with Nicholas. They went to the theatre and watched the opera The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia. Maria and Anastasia had dinner with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga, Tatiana, and Nicholas returned at 12:30pm.

31st, Thursday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Alexandra went out onto the balcony. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went skiing with Catherine Schneider. Nicholas returned to Tsarskoe Selo with Dmitri Pavlovich at 4:30pm. Olga had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Dmitri. Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea upstairs with Catherine Schneider. Maria had a dance lesson. Tatiana had a music lesson. Maria had a music lesson, then did homework. Tatiana wrote letters. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, Dmitri Pavlovich, and Paul Alexandrovich. At 10pm Olga and Tatiana looked at photo albums with Dmitri [possibly in the maple room?]. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 11pm.

1913: A Year in the Life of the Romanov Sisters — January 1st-15th

 1st, Tuesday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Nicholas went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral's upper regimental church. The service was given by Father Alexander Vasiliev. They returned and had breakfast with Prince Sergei Leuchtenberg. At 2:15pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Nicholas went walking in Tsarskoe Selo. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia changed and began paying calls. They visited Countess Anastasia Hendrikova, Princess Evgenia Maximilianovna Leuchtenberg, and Anna Vyrubova. At Anna's, they saw Nikolai Sablin and stayed for tea. They returned to the Alexander Palace at 5pm. At 5:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. The sisters then sat together upstairs—Olga, Maria, and Anastasia worked while Tatiana read to herself. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova in the mauve room. Olga went up and prayed with Alexei at 8pm* before coming back down. Tatiana read. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

2nd, Wednesday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral's lower regimental church with Nicholas and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna. They returned at 12:15pm. All of the above then had breakfast with Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and Princess Irina Alexandrovna. Xenia left at 2:30pm. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went walking with Nicholas and Irina around the Babolovsky park during which Olga "constantly fought" with Anastasia and Maria. Olga Alexandrovna left. Olga and Tatiana sat upstairs and chatted with Irina. At 4:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra before going upstairs again at 6pm. Tatiana pasted photographs into her album and then read. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Nicholas and Irina. Irina left at 9pm. Olga went up and prayed with Alexei. Maria and Anastasia went to bed. Olga and Tatiana knitted with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova while Nicholas read aloud. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

3rd, Thursday:

Olga woke up late. At 10am, Olga and Tatiana tried on their court dresses. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went for a drive with Catherine Schneider. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas. The above then went sledding down the hill by the Feodorovsky Cathedral and by the White Tower. Olga sat upstairs with Elizabeth Naryshkina. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga played piano and wrote letters. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra while Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Anna Vyrubova visited. Olga and Tatiana worked while Nicholas read aloud The Raid by Tolstoy.

Feodorovsky Cathedral, early 1913

4th, Friday:

Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went for a drive with Catherine Schneider then had breakfast with Nicholas and General Dumbadze. At 2pm Olga and Tatiana went into St. Petersburg with Princess Elizabeth Obolenskaya. Maria and Anastasia went walking with Nicholas. Olga and Tatiana called on Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna where they picked up Irina and went to Olga Alexandrovna's house. Maria and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga and Tatiana had tea with Irina, Olga Alexandrovna, Xenia Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna, Madame Steckel, and Zoya Steckel. At 6pm Olga, Irina, and Zoya went to Zoya's house. At 7:30pm Olga and Tatiana returned to the Alexander Palace with Olga Butsova. Olga prayed with Alexei. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga and Tatiana worked while Nicholas read aloud The Cutting of the Forest by Tolstoy.

5th, Saturday:

Olga [possibly with Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia but difficult to say] sat with Alexandra and knitted. All went to obednya in the Alexander Palace's chapel at 11:30am. Kedrinsky sprinkled holy water in the palace's private rooms. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna. The above then went walking in Tsarskoe Selo. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. At 6:30pm all but Alexandra went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna. Olga Alexandrovna left. Nicholas read aloud. Anna Vyrubova visited at 10pm. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10:30pm.

6th, Sunday:

At 10:30am Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia went to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral and then had breakfast together. Olga and Tatiana sat with Alexandra while Maria and Anastasia went for a drive with Catherine Schneider. At 2:07pm Olga and Tatiana went to St. Petersburg with Olga Butsova. They called on Irina where Zoya Steckel and Prince Alexander Leuchtenberg already were and had tea. Maria and Anastasia went to the Nanny School of Tsarskoe Selo, then had tea with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova. Olga and Tatiana returned at 7:15pm. Olga prayed with Alexei. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Nicholas read aloud. 

7th, Monday:

The children's lessons resumed. Olga had French, Russian, and drawing**—was supposed to have a religion lesson but Fr. Alexander Vasiliev didn't show up. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Maria Georgievna. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went walking with Nicholas in Tsarskoe Selo. Olga Alexandrovna arrived at 4:15pm and she accompanied the sisters and Nicholas to a Christmas party for the officers of the guard and Svodny Regiment in the Semi-Circular Hall. They gave out gifts. Olga spoke to her crush Alexander Shvedov. At 5pm Maria and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Olga Alexandrovna while Olga and Tatiana drove with Catherine Schneider to a physics lesson. When they returned, Olga did homework then had a music lesson. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Count Grabbe. Olga and Tatiana sat with Alexandra. Anna Vyrubova visited.

8th, Tuesday:

Lessons. Olga had English, French, history, and Russian. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich. Olga, Tatiana, and Maria walked with Nicholas. Olga and Tatiana had tea and then a dance lesson. Maria and Anastasia had tea upstairs with Catherine Schneider and then a dance lesson. They were supposed to have a German lesson but the teacher was ill. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Petrovsky [possibly a son of Nikolai Petrovsky?]. Alexandra had heart palpitations so didn't attend. Olga and Tatiana sat with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova before going to bed at 10pm.

9th, Wednesday:

Lessons. Olga had Russian history and world history; was supposed to have German but the teacher was still ill. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas. The above then went walking and sledded on the hill by the White Tower. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. The sisters were supposed to go to a Christmas party hosted by Maria Feodorovna but didn't as Xenia Alexandrovna and Prince Vasily Alexandrovich had the flu. Maria and Anastasia played with Catherine Schneider's relative [daughter or niece?] Sonya. Olga and Tatiana played a piano duet. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Olga prayed with Alexei. Olga and Tatiana sat with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova—Olga knitted and helped Anna to paste photographs into an album. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10pm.

One of the sisters and Anna Vyrubova sledding by the White Tower, early 1913

10th, Thursday:

Lessons. Olga had English, French, Russian, and drawing. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas and Rear Admiral Mikhail Veselkin. At 2:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia went sledding in the garden. Maria and Anastasia went in and did gymnastics with Catherine Schneider. Olga and Tatiana walked with Nicholas. Maria and Anastasia had tea with Catherine Schneider. Olga and Tatiana had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. Maria and Anastasia had a dance lesson and then Maria had a music lesson. Olga had a German lesson. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Mikhail Veselkin. Olga helped Anna Vyrubova paste photographs into an album, then Alexandra came and sat with them. Nicholas read aloud.

11th, Friday:

Lessons. Olga had world history, Russian, English, and Russian history. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, General Rennenkampf, and Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Nicholas went sledding and ice skating in the park. Maria had a music lesson. Olga had a French lesson and a music lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, and Alexei. Maria had a French lesson. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Alexandra—Nicholas went out for dinner with the cuirassiers. Anna Vyrubova visited. Olga prayed with Alexei. Olga and Tatiana went to bed after 10pm. 

12th, Saturday:

Tatiana's name day; she received gifts in one of Alexandra's rooms. Tatiana replied to telegrams. At 1:30pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Olga Alexandrovna went to moleben in the Alexander Palace's chapel. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Olga Alexandrovna, and Count Alexander Vorontsov. All above went sledding and ice skating before returning to the palace at 4pm to meet with Irina. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, Alexei, Olga Alexandrovna, and Irina. Olga Alexandrovna left. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, Nicholas, and Irina went to vsenoshnaya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral—the Cossacks sang due to scarlet fever among the choir singers. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had dinner with Nicholas, Irina, Anna Vyrubova, and Alexander Vorontsov—Tatiana sat between Anna and Alexander. All above had coffee in the maple room. Alexander Vorontsov left and the group moved to sit with Alexandra in the mauve room. Tatiana helped Anna to paste photographs into an album. Nicholas read aloud. Olga went to bed at 10pm and Tatiana at 10:30pm.

13th, Sunday:

Tatiana had breakfast in bed as she was sweating and felt unwell—she remained in bed until 4pm. At 10:30am Olga, Maria, and Anastasia went with Nicholas and Alexei to obednya at the Feodorovsky Cathedral. The Cossacks sang again. At 12pm all above went to a grand breakfast held in the Semi-Circular Hall in honour of officers of the guard and the Svodny regiment. Maria sat with K. Egorovich [Konstantin Makovsky?], and Prince Viktor Kochubey. Olga sat with Nicholas, General Maximovich, and General Grishvald. Olga saw her crush Alexander Shvedov. Olga and Anastasia went sledding and ice skating with Nicholas, Maria stayed in as she had a cold. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. At 7:20pm Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Nicholas went to St. Petersburg. They had dinner on the train journey there—Maria sat with V.A Dedulin and Stefanovich. They watched the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse at the Mariinsky Theatre. They had tea on the train back—Maria sat with V.A Dedulin and Prince Vladimir Orlov. They returned at 12:45am. 

14th, Monday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast in the mauve room while Alexandra lay in bed next door. Olga and Anastasia walked around the lake with Nicholas. Tatiana and Maria stayed home—Tatiana read on a sofa while Maria read with Catherine Schneider. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas and Alexandra. Tatiana had a music lesson. Maria did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Nicholas and Alexandra. Nikolai Sablin and Anna Vyrubova visited. Olga and Tatiana went to bed at 10:20pm.

15th, Tuesday:

Lessons. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia had breakfast with Nicholas, Olga Alexandrovna, and Duke Peter of Oldenburg. Olga and Anastasia walked with Nicholas and Olga Alexandrovna while Tatiana and Maria again stayed home. Tatiana read and had tea alone upstairs. Olga, Maria, and Anastasia had tea with Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga Alexandrovna, and Peter of Oldenburg. Tatiana and Maria both had a music lesson and then did homework [probably also Anastasia]. Olga did homework. Maria and Anastasia had dinner upstairs. Olga and Tatiana had dinner with Alexandra and Anna Vyrubova—Nicholas went out for dinner with the hussars. Tatiana went to bed at 10:15pm.

The sisters with Nicholas, Olga Alexandrovna, Nikolai Sablin[?], and Anna Vyrubova, early 1913