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.
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| Feodorovsky Cathedral, early 1913 |
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.
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| 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.
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| The sisters with Nicholas, Olga Alexandrovna, Nikolai Sablin[?], and Anna Vyrubova, early 1913 |
* This, along with several other things, was probably part of the daily routine but I have only mentioned it when Olga specifically describes having done it.
** The others presumably had the same morning lessons, just in a different order.
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: 2 February 2022)lastromanovs (2020). 685-1-187-1. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/149552988@N02/49329853362/in/album-72157712516456013/. (Accessed: 2 February 2022)
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