Childhood 1895-1905

On November 3, 1895, the new Tsar and Tsarina had their first child, a girl named Olga.  She was a very large baby  weighing around ten pounds!  She was also said to have a huge head.  On that eventful day, Nicholas wrote in his diary "A day I will remember for ever...At exactly nine o'clock a baby's cry was heard and we all breathed a sigh of relief! With a prayer we named the daughter sent to us by God 'Olga'!".  Both of her parents adored their first child. 

The loving first time parents with Olga.

During the first two years of her life, Olga often played with various cousins.  Then, in June 1897 her sister Tatiana was born.  The two were very close to each other.  They were called the Big Pair later on, and shared a room all their life.  In close succession came two more sisters.  Maria in 1899 and Anastasia in 1901, they became the little pair.

Olga with her new sister Tatiana.

Olga and Tatiana with their new sister Maria.

Olga, Tatiana, Nicholas, Maria, Alexandra, and the baby - Anastasia.

In 1904, the last addition to the family was added - a little boy named Aleksey.  The entire family adored the little boy, and he quickly became the center of family attention.  However, when he was just a six weeks old, they noticed bleeding from his navel, and then large bruises.  He was diagnosed with hemophilia.  A rare genetic disorder passed down from Queen Victoria of England.  Hemophiliacs blood can not clot properly, which can lead to large, painful internal hemorrhages.  Even a slight scrape could cause an attack.  Thus the whole family became even more protective of their little heir - worrying about a deadly attack.

In this picture the family, including Olga to the far right cluster around the newest addtion - Aleksey.

The imperial childern pose for a picture.  Here, Olga holds her brother, Aleksey, on her knee.

Olga was a very smart child and loved to learn - even from a young age.  She learned to speak Russian, English, French, and a bit of German.  But most of all, Olga loved to read.  She also enjoyed writing poetry and keeping a journal - a habit passed down from her father. 

Pre-War Years 1905-1914

Coming soon!

War Years 1914-1918

Coming soon!

Final Days 1918

Coming soon!