The Royal Women

Anna Demidova – A devoted servant

Anna Stepanovna Demidova was born on 26 January 1878 as the daughter of Stepan Demidov in Cherepovets. She had a brother named Demidov and a sister named Elizabeth. Her nickname was Nyuta, and she was described as a tall, statuesque blonde. She graduated from the Yaroslavl Institute for Maids with a teaching certificate. In 1905, her friend Elizaveta Ersberg, [read more]

The Royal Women

Bloody Sunday 1905

Some historians view the events of Bloody Sunday 1905 as one of the key events which led to the Russian Revolution of 1917, during which Nicholas II was dethroned. The event took place on 22 January 1905 (O.S. 9 January). The serfs had been emancipated by Tsar Alexander II in 1861, and they became a [read more]

Anastasia of Montenegro

The birth of Rasputin

Grigory Rasputin was born in the west of Siberia in the town of Pokrovskoe. We don’t know the exact date but the name Grigory suggests that he was born on 10 January (old style date), dedicated to St Grigory of Nicea. We don’t even know the exact year, but in 1915 Rasputin himself believed he [read more]

The Royal Women

Introducing the Year of the Last Romanovs

Although 2017 may have marked the centenary of the Russian Revolution, 2018 marks the centenary of the murder of the Last Romanovs. This includes Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, their daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, their son Alexei, but also Alexandra’s sister Elizabeth Feodorovna. Join us this coming year to hear their stories.