Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova is one of the brightest representatives of the family of the last emperor of Russia. There is still controversy over whether she was shot together with her relatives. Several films have been made about her, more than 30 impostors were named after her, trying to get the "throne" of the surviving Princess Romanova.
Princess Anastasia is the fourth daughter of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. The couple, and the whole country, were waiting for an heir, but a girl was born - bright and even obstinate, active, restless, but very sweet. It was she who was destined to become the most mysterious representative of her kind, and after her death. What was she like? What is remarkable about her biography and such a short life?
Biography of Princess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova
Anastasia was born on June 18 (5th according to the old style), 1901, at exactly 6 in the morning. A significant event happened in Peterhof, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. How the emperor reacted to the birth of his 4th daughter, different sources speak differently. According to some, according to Nicholas II, he felt peace and blessing, while others argue that the emperor was disappointed, as he expected that a boy would be born - the long-awaited heir.
Anastasia grew up an active, disobedient child, was literally inexhaustible in the invention of pranks and pranks, but her parents loved her immensely. The princess received her education, like other children from the imperial family, at home. Science was given to the girl hard, but her father insisted that this was her main job. It was especially bad with grammar and arithmetic. Nastya also had difficulty in foreign languages. The girl even made attempts to bribe the English teacher by giving him a bouquet of flowers, which finally charmed him, but never received a high mark.
Arrest of the royal family and execution - did Princess Anastasia survive?
In 1917, together with her entire family, Anastasia was placed under house arrest. During that period, already difficult for the Romanovs, all the children were sick with koryu. In order not to disturb the children, exhausted by the disease, even more, Nikolai, Alexandra and all their entourage concealed the fact of the arrest, explained the reclusion of the need to prevent the spread of measles.
At the end of August, the family was transported to Tobolsk, where their imprisonment continued. But the conditions for the family of the last emperor were created as comfortable as possible. Anastasia and her sisters, brother continued to receive education. They were even allowed to attend church on Sundays. At that moment, the children already understood that their lives had changed and would never be the same. Perhaps, against this background, Princess Anastasia Nikolaevna began to gain weight intensively. The girl's mother tried to get a doctor's examination, but her requests remained unanswered.
The trial of Nicholas II, at which his entire family was sentenced to death, took place in July 1918. At that time, the family was already in Yekaterinburg. Teachers were removed from children, many prohibitions appeared, the freedom of children, like their parents, was finally limited.
On the night of July 16-17, the family was offered to go down to the basement of the house where they lived. Nobody knew that they were being led to their death. Nicholas and Alexandra with their son in their arms were offered to sit on chairs, Anastasia and her sisters stood behind them. The girls did not die immediately. According to eyewitnesses and participants in the execution, Anastasia died for a very long time, she was even finished off with rifle butts.
But there are other data according to which Princess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova survived and was taken abroad. But their authenticity has not yet been confirmed, although many diverse studies have been carried out.
Miraculous resurrection or grandiose deception?
Rumors that Anastasia Romanova was alive appeared immediately after the execution of the royal family. Among the emigrants, they said that as a child, the girl was replaced by the daughter of one of the empress's maids. But for what purpose was this done? Nastya was not a contender for the throne of Russia. She did not stand out from the daughters of Nicholas II. There was no logical explanation for these rumors.
According to another version, Anastasia Nikolaevna was saved by one of those soldiers who took part in the execution of the Romanov family. According to the testimonies, which allegedly had confirmation, the girl was wounded, lost consciousness, which was noticed by the soldier carrying the corpses out of the basement. He kidnapped the survivor, left her in his house, and then took her abroad. He claimed that they had a personal life, he became her husband, they had a child.
More than 30 women tried to impersonate Anastasia Romanova, but in the end they were all exposed and caught in deception. None of them managed to obtain the status of the heiress of the last emperor of Russia.
Anastasia Romanova - canonization and memory
63 years after the execution of the Romanov family, in 1981, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia decided to canonize everyone who died that terrible night, including the daughter of Emperor Nicholas II, Anastasia. In 1991, next to Ganina's pit, where all the Romanovs were buried, the Poklonny cross was erected, and a year later the first procession was made to this place.
At the end of July 2017, a monument to the Tsar's family was opened. It was installed in the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo convent in the Nizhny Novgorod region, located in the village of Diveyevo. In addition, in honor of Anastasia herself, the cruise ferry, her name, along with the names of those close to her, was entered in the book of the Memory of the Church on Blood in Yekaterinburg, built on the site where the family of the last emperor of Russia, Nicholas II, died. An animated film was shot about the life of the 4th daughter of Nikolai and Alexandra Romanov, which is called “Anastasia”.
