Grand Duchesses Xenia (1875-1960) and Olga (1882-1960), sisters of Nicholas II - Page 5

Russophile · #81 06-27-2011, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grandduchess24

Olga had
Tikhol
Guri

But I would like to know if her children have any decendents because xenia's children are more known than olga's

Tikon and Guri have passed. If memory serves, wasn't it Massie's book The Romanovs the final chapter that had some of them in it? I seem to remember when the DNA came out they were suspicious that the testers didn't believe they had the blood of Tsars running through their veins.
I have this book and will have to check. VM, do you have it on hand by chance to corroborate? I am at work.

Vasillisos Markos · #82 06-27-2011, 08:12 PM

Russo my dear,

Sorry, I have not read The Romanovs by Massie. The only book I read by him is Nicholas and Alexandra. Do you recommend I get The Romanovs? I am currently reading Michael and Natasha which you so kindly recommended and am enjoying it so far. So much I did not know about the palace at Gatchina.

Vasillisos Markos · #83 06-28-2011, 12:50 PM

Russo my dear,

Didn't they take DNA from Prince Philip to confirm the Empress's bones and opened Georgy's crypt to confirm Nicholas's DNA? This would lead me to believe that Olga's descendants are probably extinct.

Russophile · #84 06-28-2011, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Russo my dear,

Sorry, I have not read The Romanovs by Massie. The only book I read by him is Nicholas and Alexandra. Do you recommend I get The Romanovs? I am currently reading Michael and Natasha which you so kindly recommended and am enjoying it so far. So much I did not know about the palace at Gatchina.

Oh it's definately worth a read. Massie' I find to be fuddy duddy however he had good bits and pieces of Xenia and Olgas decendants and it's a fast read about 280 pages or so. I'll find a link.
I am sorry I have nothing to report. We got the call from a friend who needed help moving so we did. Alas my Russian studies are neglected!

Here's the Amazon link.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...+final+chapter

JennahPc · #85 06-28-2011, 08:44 PM

I live in Toronto and there was a recent Toronto Then and Now Blog where they showed where GD Olga lived before she passed away. Very meagre ending to such a grand life. Here is a link to the article.
Toronto Then and Now: # 13 ~ Toronto's Imperial Russian Connections, Then and Now

Vasillisos Markos · #86 06-28-2011, 11:30 PM

My dear JennahPc,

Thank you for posting the link. A very well written biography of Olga and a concise summary of Russia's history during her lifetime. At the end one discovers that Tihon is buried with his parents and that he died in 1993. I wonder what happened to his brother. . .

XeniaCasaraghi · #87 07-09-2011, 03:06 AM

Went on Amazon and looked up "Once a Grand Duchess" why the heck is that book so freakin expensive; my gawd. I am hoping to get my hands on some Romanov books in the next few days, but my libraries in my city are sparse.
It's always been a hard for me to distinguish between the family members; the most recent thing I have heard about Xenia is that one of her descendants is widely viewed as the head of the Romanov family and he was born in the US. Also apparently he is the first of the family to move back to Russia.

AristoCat · #88 07-09-2011, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Went on Amazon and looked up "Once a Grand Duchess" why the heck is that book so freakin expensive;

I read it and it was really illuminating about her life. One thing I do realize is that because ehr mother kept her as companion, maybe that is what led to the disillusionment with royal life. Then of course, her mother looking down on her second husband who she loved as much as she did.

Quote:

Also apparently he is the first of the family to move back to Russia.

Yeah, Prince Rotislav moved back in 2005 and lives/works there as far as I know. There's some dispute, but Prince Nicholas and the Russian Nobility Association all support his position over that of Grand Duke Georgi.

Russophile · #89 07-09-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Went on Amazon and looked up "Once a Grand Duchess" why the heck is that book so freakin expensive; my gawd. I am hoping to get my hands on some Romanov books in the next few days, but my libraries in my city are sparse.
It's always been a hard for me to distinguish between the family members; the most recent thing I have heard about Xenia is that one of her descendants is widely viewed as the head of the Romanov family and he was born in the US. Also apparently he is the first of the family to move back to Russia.

Do you have a lending library near by? You ought to check it out and they DO have sales of books from the library at least once a year to re coup costs of the outlay. When I lived in the Multnomah area of the Portland Metro area the Library system was PHENOMENAL! I was getting Once a grand Duke, Always a Grand Duke, The last Grand Duchess, the works! Try it! Also, look to estate sales and garage sales. You never know what you're going to get. I picked up Marie the Younger's book "Education of a Princess" at a garage sale for $4. Really.

Grandduchess24 · #90 07-10-2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Russo my dear,

Didn't they take DNA from Prince Philip to confirm the Empress's bones and opened Georgy's crypt to confirm Nicholas's DNA? This would lead me to believe that Olga's descendants are probably extinct.

I believe the DNA used to identify Nicholas II was a gr gr gr granddaughter of irina alexandrovna ,Xenia sfreis and they used prince Philip duke of Edinburgh's DNA to identify alix and her children

Vasillisos Markos · #91 07-10-2011, 09:50 PM

I thought they exhumed poor Georgy's bones in order to verify the Tsar's remains? Am I mistaken?

XeniaCasaraghi · #92 07-11-2011, 01:24 AM

They tried but it was too much trouble. Identifying poor Nicholas was freakin hard. I think they eventually used his sister's, Xenia's, granddaughter.

Vasillisos Markos · #93 07-11-2011, 05:02 PM

Do you know which granddaughter gave a DNA sample? I had never read this, I thought all along that it was George's bones which provided evidence that the skeletal remains were indeed the late Tsar's.

Poor George, such a sad life and to die so young. From the Massie book, it was said that he was the funniest of the children and years later the Tsar could be heard laughing while he read jokes made by George and written down years before.

**MAfan** · #94 07-11-2011, 05:30 PM

The granddaughter was Xenia Sfiris, née Countess Sheremeteva, the only daughter of Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Sheremetev and Princess Irina Yusupova. Most likely Xenia was chosen because she shared the mitochondrial DNA with Nicholas II.

Russophile · #95 07-14-2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

Do you know which granddaughter gave a DNA sample? I had never read this, I thought all along that it was George's bones which provided evidence that the skeletal remains were indeed the late Tsar's.

Poor George, such a sad life and to die so young. From the Massie book, it was said that he was the funniest of the children and years later the Tsar could be heard laughing while he read jokes made by George and written down years before.

I think massie's book has the list of those who contributed DNA. The Romanovs teh final Chapter book.

Vasillisos Markos · #96 07-14-2011, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russophile

I think massie's book has the list of those who contributed DNA. The Romanovs teh final Chapter book.

Russo my dear,

I read this book (I think) but it has been so long ago. Could it be that DNA was donated by Xenia's granddaughter and also taken from George's bones? I could swear I read that the authorities exhumed his remains to take a sample.

XeniaCasaraghi · #97 07-16-2011, 12:44 AM

Massie's book says only Xenia S and another relative in Scotland gave DNA to identify Nicholas. He mentioned George being considered but that it never came to fruition.

Vasillisos Markos · #98 07-16-2011, 11:20 PM

Has anyone read the book about Olga? I am currently reading the book on Michael and Natasha and the authors write that Olga never spoke to Natasha after Michael married her. Strange, as Olga was in love with a commoner and eventually married him. Anyone know why Olga turned her back on Natasha, especially after Michael and the rest of the Romanovs were slaughtered by the Bolsheviks?

AristoCat · #99 07-17-2011, 12:33 AM

I read the book about Olga. It was enjoyable and I am still shocked that she never had a passionate relationship for so many years and how the Oldenbergs basically used her as a cipher to claim a direct relation to the Imperial Family.

XeniaCasaraghi · #**100** 07-17-2011, 01:54 AM

In the Massie book, "The Final Chapter" it is mentioned that one of Olga's sons was contacted to give DNA to identify Nicholas II, but he refused. Which is why they eventually went to Xenia S.
I admit I haven't really been interested in the Olga and Xenia for some reason; despite the fact that through them Romanovs continue to survive despite the attempts by the Soviets.