Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier #2

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Standart Roadstead, Summer 1910

A small guard detachment was assigned to escort the Romanov family on their holiday cruise to the Finnish skerries. We travelled there on the imperial yacht Standart. Halfway into the journey, a seaman was looking for the Grand Duchess Maria. The chefs were cooking meals for the family and she had gone missing. The seaman asked me to help find her but to remain discreet because he was responsible for her safety.

I found Maria below decks weeping at one corner. She apparently had a quarrel with her elder sisters, who called her fat. Wiping the tears from her eyes, I told her she was not fat and offered to carry her in my arms. She was reluctant at first because she feared she was too heavy for me, but I proved her wrong. I carried her up to the main deck and handed her over to the seaman, who escorted her to the dining saloon. Her tears were gone by then.

Maria later asked me to accompany her to the bow section of the ship, where we could enjoy the view of the Finnish coastline. I did not properly introduce myself to her earlier. It was the first time I've ever had a conversation with a grand duchess. She was keen to know about me and was a surprisingly good listener. The sailors would not stop looking at us. After she left, they jokingly accused me of courting her. I hope I have not drawn any unnecessary attention.

While we were ashore on the mainland, I had a chance to lay back comfortably on a bench to gaze upon the stars. It would have been an incredibly beautiful night if only I was alone. Anastasia kept me occupied with her usual pranks and playfulness. Were it not for her, I believe I would be having the time of my life. I know she means well, but she is quite possibly the naughtiest child I have ever met.

Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier #1

Romanov photograph album 2, p. 46

Alexander Palace, January 1910

Upon graduation from military academy, I was sent to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, the residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. On arrival I reported to my unit and registered with the clerk, who assigned me a bunk and issued me a service rifle and bayonet. I will be issued a handgun when I become an officer. A senior guardsman gave me a tour of the palace's surrounding areas. There were sentry posts and patrol routes I had to familiarize myself with.

Within a week I was out prowling on my own. I was initially content with my posting, but that changed dramatically when I noticed a little girl following me during a patrol in the Alexander Park. She kept her distance from me, picking up the pace whenever she fell too far behind. She vanished when I neared the guardhouse. When I enquired with my colleagues, they told me she's the Grand Duchess Anastasia who is just curious to see a new face and that I can ignore her. They were giggling behind my back as I left the guardhouse, which left me puzzled.

The next day there were two grand duchesses following me. They were wearing identical dresses and were whispering to each other. Suddenly my head was hit by a hard object from behind. I turned to see the grand duchesses looking nervously at me. The taller one apologized while Anastasia hid behind her in fear of reprisal. I continued on my way, unsure of how to respond. My colleagues laughed when I returned to the guardhouse and told them what happened.

It didn't take me long to realize that Anastasia often plays pranks on the palace staff and, to a lesser extent, the guards. Maria, the taller one, is helpless and always ends up apologizing for her sister's misbehaviour. Our commandant is not bothered by Anastasia as he believes her pranks serve to remind us to remain vigilant. The hard object Anastasia threw at me was a tiny pebble, which really hurt. Her aim was very precise. Still, my thoughts kept coming back to Maria. She was a magnificent looking girl.

Journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier

 

I suddenly came up with an idea to create a journal of a Russian Imperial Guard soldier who was with the last royal family. It is of course a work of fiction, but it will be based on actual events.

Only time will tell how many entries I'll be publishing. I may not know much of the Romanov family, but at least I can put some of my imaginations and dreams of them in writing. I may be terrible at English, but it's worth a shot.

Update (28 February 2018): Seems I have finished writing about my Romanov fantasies. I actually published over 20 entries, but over the months I deleted several as they were nothing more than filler. I kept in mind that "less is more". This meant omitting any mention of Alexei's hemophilia as well as any allegations about Rasputin. My fantasies have always been about OTMA anyway.

Overall I am satisfied. I kept the entries as historical as possible, ending with the brutal murder of the entire Romanov family. Of course I was reluctant to write about the murders because it hurts me so much, but the story had to end somewhere and stopping at the revolution just seems abrupt. One of my favourite entries takes place during their imprisonment anyway. If anyone is curious which one, it's the one that involves Maria, probably my favourite of the four grand duchesses.

Once in a while I still do some retyping. If anyone has read through my journal entries, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Just don't take them seriously.

Rekindled interest in the Romanov family

When I come to think of it, I've to admit, I don't really know so much about them.

By the time I was born, the Romanovs had been dead for almost 70 years. I first knew about Anastasia in 1997, when I saw the fictional animated film. I quickly moved on as the movie led me to believe she lived happily ever after. It was only in 2009, when I happened to be reading about World War I (after watching Joyeux Noël during Christmas), that I gained a clearer understanding of what happened.

But it was in late January 2013 when I rekindled my interest in the Romanovs. While listening to that famous disco song of Rasputin, I decided to google him on Wikipedia, then clicked Alexei and then finally Maria's biography article. Only then did I absolutely know for certain that Anastasia had been murdered. From that day onwards, I never stopped thinking of them.

Lego Faora-Ul minifigure

The minifigure, just as it looked on sale. Blu-Tack was used to attach the helmet to the hand. Note that the hairpiece doesn't fit with the armor, unless you don't mind seeing a slight gap above the forehead.

Bought this minifigure seperately as I'm unwilling to buy a whole expensive set. Lucky for me, the Lego store I went to appear to sell minifigures individually by unboxing some of the sets they came with. However, the larger the set, the more expensive the minifigure (there are few exceptions though). In my case, Faora is exclusive to the Superman: Battle of Smallville set, which is both large and pricey. Still, it's better than having to buy an entire set which I will probably just put aside one day to collect dust.

Quality printing on the torso. Faora actually looks better without the armor on.

In memory of the Russian Grand Duchesses

From left to right: The Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.

I found this somewhere on the internet, and I decided to reuse it here. I did some rewording to make it fit, so sorry if it doesn't rhyme (that's not the point of this post though).

They may be gone for almost a hundred years
And they lived on me for over a hundred years ahead
But they'll always be on my mind
Until the day I die

Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia were their names
They never knew me but I love them like nothing will be the same
I wish that I could dance with them under the bright moon
And go around the world to celebrate their birthdays

I wish I could keep the love satisfied
So they would forever be in my mind
I also wish I could find a way
To stay by their side just for a day

They held me during my lonely times
Which happened a lot of times
I know none of them will ever be mine
But they'll be always be on my mind

95th anniversary of the Ipatiev House massacre

95 years ago today, the lives of the Romanov family came to an abrupt and brutal end. The manner in which they were murdered is still very difficult for me to accept. The thought of how the fiends handled and disposed of them so bestially only makes it worse. Is the world really so grim?

Ever since I first paid real attention to the Romanov family in January of this year, I've always wished I could time warp to July 1918 and save every one of them, including those who accompanied them into exile. But try as I might, regardless of how long, nothing will ever bring them back. I never knew them, so I'll never get to hear their voices, see them in real color or feel the touch of their hands. All I can do is mourn them, lament their passing, and think of them in my imaginations.

Call me crazy, but I really cannot help it. I'm not sure how to put this, but to Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei: may you all rest in peace, and lots of love from me.