Historical Women: Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov

The Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov was the youngest of the last four grand duchesses of Russia and was born to the Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra. When Anastasia was born Russia was one of the largest and richest countries in Europe, and great wealth was largely evident among the aristocracy and a small upper class while eighty percent of the population lived in poverty. Russian peasants faced many problems including serious cases of food shortages, and poor wages which forced them into miserable slums.

Anastasia lived at Tsarskoe Selo (also known as the "Tsar's Village") which was modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France. The Tsarskoe Selo was built in the countryside away from St. Petersburg (the capital of Russia at that time) and contained two palaces surrounded by eight hundred acres of groomed lawns and gardens with fountains, and artificial lake, and even a Chinese village.

However, at the same time in the early twentieth century, the Russian people were gradually becoming more interested in democratic ideas. Many people were tired of the absolute rule of the Tsar, especially since ruling monarchs in most other countries had given over much of their power to elected politicians.

Tsar Nicholas II was not a strong ruler and had a soft personality unlike his wife the headstrong Empress Alexandra, which further made him an unfit ruler. In addition, Tsar Nicholas mistrusted most of his ministers, but yet was still incapable of ruling Russia alone and as a result he often turned to his wife for advice who in turn sought advice from a bearded peasant from Siberia named Gregory Rasputin. To Empress Alexandra, Gregory Rasputin seemed wise and when Alexei (Anastasia's only younger brother) suffered from severe bleeding as a result of his inherited hemophilia disease, Rasputin seemed to be able to give her the right advice to put Alexei at ease. However, when the peasants found out that the Romanov's were seeking advice from another peasant they became enraged and were even more against the Romanov's aristocracy.

Eventually Tsar Nicholas II was urged to abdicate the throne, and after he signed the Order of Abdication the interim government (the Duma) took over and placed the Romanov family under house arrest. Shortly after that the royal family was sent to Tobolsk, Siberia where they were sent to the House of Special Purpose and eventually executed.