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A brief video detailing Anastasia's life as well as her various impostors throughout history

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A brief video detailing Anastasia's life as well as her various impostors throughout history

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Quick Facts

Name

Anastasia Romanov

Birth Date

June 18, 1901

Death Date

July 16, 1918

Place of Birth

Petrodvorets, Russia

Place of Death

Yekaterinburg, Russia

AKA

Anastasiya Nikolayevna

Anastasia Nikolaevna

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna

Grand Duchess Anastasia

Anastasia Nikolayevna

Anastasia

Full Name

Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova

Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II. After she and her family were executed, rumors claimed that she might have survived.

Synopsis

On the night of July 16-17, 1918, Anastasia and her family were executed in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Speculation arose as to whether she and her brother, Alexei Nikolaevich, might have survived. In 1991, a forensic study identified the bodies of her family members and servants, but not hers or Alexei's. A 2007 DNA test of a second grave identified her and her brother's bodies.

Early Life

Anastasia was born Anastasia Nikolaevna (or Anastasiya Nikolayevna) in Petrodvorets, Russia - a town near St. Petersburg formerly called Peterhof - on June 18, 1901. Anastasia's mother was Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt, also known as Alexandra Feodorovna, who became known as Empress Alexandra after her marriage. Her father, Nicholas II, was Russia's final tsar, and part of the Romanov dynasty that had ruled the country for three centuries. Anastasia's parents married in late 1894, shortly after her grandfather, Tsar Alexander III, died of kidney disease and her father inherited the throne.

Anastasia had four siblings: three older sisters named Olga, Tatiana and Maria, and a younger brother named Alexei, who was heir to the throne.

In her younger years, Anastasia received her education from her mother, who taught the girl spelling and prayers. As she grew older, Anastasia was assigned a Swiss tutor. Anastasia and Maria were looked after by a governess, while their older sisters were cared for by their mother's lady-in-waiting.

Family's Execution

The tight-knit Romanov family lived peacefully at Tsarskoe Palace until Nicholas II generated increasing public hostility during World War I. In March of 1917 as soldiers launched a mutiny and began seizing royal property, Nicholas II agreed to abdicate the throne in hopes of preventing a Russian civil war. Anastasia and her family were then exiled to the Ural Mountains and placed under house arrest.

Unfortunately, a civil war could not be prevented. On the night of July 16-17, 1918, as Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin fought to replace the imperial rule with a new Communist regime, the Romanov family was awoken and told to get dressed. On orders of the Supreme Soviet Council of Russia, Yakov Yurovsky, commandant of the Special House of Purpose, led Anastasia and her family down to a basement under the pretext that they were being protected from the impending chaos of advancing counterrevolutionaries. The family was met by a group of executioners, who opened fire on Anastasia, her parents and siblings, a few of the family's remaining servants and Anastasia's pet dog. The Romanov legacy seemed to have been silenced forever in that cold basement in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Mystery

In the years following the Romanovs' murders, speculation arose as to whether Anastasia and her brother might have survived the execution. Rumors circulated that they were shielded from the bullets by family jewels that had been sewn into their clothing for safekeeping.

Anastasia's fate was particularly prone to these conjectures, as a number of women claiming to be the grand duchess periodically surfaced. Among the best known of these women was Anna Anderson (aka Franziska Schanzkowska), who, beginning in the early 1920s fought to prove herself the rightful claimant of Anastasia's inheritance. Anderson's suit was rejected in 1970, and the mystery of the Grand Duchess Anastasia remained unsolved.

Anastasia's dubious whereabouts inspired books, plays and movies, including an Academy Award-winning film starring legendary actress Ingrid Bergman.

In the 1970s an amateur archaeologist found a shallow grave containing the well-aged skeletons of six adults and three children. He suppressed these findings from the public until the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s. A forensic investigation in 1991 identified the nine bodies as belonging to Anastasia's family members and servants, but Anastasia and her brother's bodies still appeared to be missing.

In 2007 a new DNA analysis of another grave, discovered near the first, conclusively identified Anastasia and Alexei's bodies, closing the door on nearly 90 years of mystery and speculation.

Fact Check

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Name Anastasia Romanov Birth Date June 18, 1901 Death Date July 16, 1918 Place of Birth Petrodvorets, Russia Place of Death Yekaterinburg, Russia AKA Anastasiya Nikolayevna Anastasia Nikolaevna Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Grand Duchess Anastasia Anastasia Nikolayevna Anastasia Full Name Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II.

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1) Do you think the novel does a good job of making readers feel sympathetic towards Anastasia and her family?
2) How close do you think Carolyn Meyer stayed to the truth in this novel?
3) Why do you think that Anastasia, and none of her other family members, inspired legends?

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Consider the following novels if you like Anastasia and her Sisters:

*Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer.

*A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury.

*The Resurrection of the Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, and the World's Greatest Royal Mystery by Greg King and Penny Wilson

*Skandal by Lindsay Smith

*Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

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Anastasia and her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer is a historical fiction novel that allows its readers to become attached to Anastasia and her family. Readers will want to research the family and see what lead to their demise.

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*On goodreads, the novel has 4 and a half out of 5 stars. Many of the reviews are positive. However, many users on the site point out that the novel reads more like a children's novel than a young adult novel.

*On Amazon, the novel received 4 and a half out of 5 stars. However, there are only five reviews. Each of these reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

*The Kirkus Review tells reader that the novel is a deeply detailed introduction  to the Romanov family and their end.

*Watch the video below for a teen's opinion on the novel:

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Book Review: Anastasia and Her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer

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Hi! Welcome to MagicOfBooks. Here you'll find book reviews, bookshelf tours, top 5 lists, and interactive discussion videos. My interest in books spans various genres. My reviews will consist of relatively new releases as well as older published books.

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Carolyn Meyer discusses Anastasia and her Sisters on Morning Brew in 2015.

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Carolyn Meyer: Anastasia And Her Sisters

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A public library could use the novel Anastasia and her Sisters in several ways:

*Book Club: This novel could be used in a tween book club, as the writing is more suited to a younger age. The librarian running the program can teach the tweens the history of the Tsar and his family's downfall.
*Dress-Up: Much of this book is focused on the girls' dresses and jewelry. Tweens would be invited to an event, based on this novel, where they learn about the fashion of this era. Tweens could make their own tiaras or necklaces using costume jewelry or a cheap kit from a vendor like Oriental Trading.
*Movie Showing: Tweens and teens would be invited to watch the 1997 animated film Anastasia (rated G, 1 hr. 34 min. run time). Popcorn would be served along with mocktails to make the tweens/teens feel royal. Afterwards, tweens and teens could learn about what truly happened to Anastasia and why legends surround her death. Please see the link below to find out more about the movie.

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Directed by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman. With Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Kelsey Grammer. The last surviving child of the Russian Royal Family joins two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the undead Rasputin seeks her death.

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Carolyn Meyer was born in Lewiston, Pennsylvania on June 8, 1935. She and her husband have three sons together. Unfortunately, her husband passed away in 2015. She writes historical fiction for children and young adults. Her most popular series is the Royal Diaries. This series focuses on royal princesses and their lives. She has written over 60 historical fiction novels, mainly for young adults.

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Anastasia and her Sisters has won two awards:

* Kansas State Reading Circle List Junior Title

*MSTA Reading Circle List

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Anastasia and Her Sisters

There's a heavy price to pay for royalty in this compelling-and true-story of Anastasia Romanov and her fellow grand duchesses of Russia, from an award-winning novelist.

It's summer in 1914 and the Romanovs are aboard the Standart, the Russian royal yacht. Tsar Nicholas, Tsaritsa Alexandra, their four daughters, and the youngest child, Tsarevitch Alexei, are sailing to Romania to meet Crown Prince Carol and his parents. It seems like a fairy tale existence for the four grand duchesses, dressed in beautiful clothes, traveling from palace to palace. But it's not.

Life inside the palace is far from a fairy tale. The girls' younger brother suffers from an excruciatingly painful and deadly blood disease, and their parents have chosen to shield the Russian people from the severity of the future tsar's condition. The secrets and strain are hard on the family, and conditions are equally dire beyond the palace walls. Peasants suffer under the burden of extreme poverty and Tsar Nicholas's leadership power weakens. And when the unthinkable happens-Germany declares war on Russia-nothing in Anastasia's world will ever be the same.

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books |

320 pages |

ISBN 9781481403276 |

April 2016 |

Grades 7 and up |

Lexile ® 970L

List Price $10.99 (price may vary by retailer)

In Stock: Usually ships within 1 business day

Buy from another retailer

Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list.

Plus, receive updates on new releases, recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster.

More Books from this Author

About the Author

Carolyn Meyer is the acclaimed author of more than fifty books for young people. Her many award-winning novels include Mary, Bloody Mary-an ABA's Pick of the Lists, an NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults-and Marie, Dancing, a Book Sense Pick. She is also the author of Cleopatra Confesses and Victoria Rebels. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and you can visit her at ReadCarolyn.com.

BECOME A FAN

Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list.

Plus, receive updates on new releases, recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster.

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Anastasia and Her Sisters There's a heavy price to pay for royalty in this compelling-and true-story of Anastasia Romanov and her fellow grand duchesses of Russia, from an award-winning novelist. It's summer in 1914 and the Romanovs are aboard the Standart, the Russian royal yacht.

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*Family: Anastasia loves her family very much. Throughout the book she relies on her sisters for comfort and support, as well as information. She adores her father and loves her mother. Anastasia also worries over Alexi and his medical condition. Anastasia wrestles with herself how the Russian people can say such bad things about her parents when they are so good to her.
*Love: Olga falls in love with Pavel Voronov and the love is reciprocal. However, they can never marry since Pavel is of a lower class. Aunt Olga has an open affair with her significant other, yet cannot marry him because the Tsar will not divorce her from her husband (who is gay). Towards the end of the novel, Anastasia falls in love with Gleb, knowing their love can go nowhere.
*Coming of Age: Anastasia grows from an innocent, naive child to a woman under house arrest. Anastasia is the youngest of the sisters and information is constantly kept from her. Her only true source of information is Olga's secret diary.
*Religion: Anastasia describes her family's religious traditions, in the form of Easter Mass and Christmas Trees. Anastasia's mother almost did not want to marry her father because she was unsure she wanted to switch religions. Rasputin is supposedly a holy man that can heal Alexi.
*War: WWI breaks out during the Romanov family rule. The Tsarina, Olga, and Tatiana become nurses while Anastasia and Marie read to recovering soldiers. The novel touches on fathers, son, and husbands dying.

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According to the novel's publisher, Simon & Schuster, the target audience of Anastasia and her Sisters is for ages 12 and up. Please click on the link below to visit the official website.

Anastasia and her Sisters, in my opinion, is meant for younger teens. The author uses simple language and avoids describing in detail the torture the Romanov Family went through after the Tsar abdicated his throne.

The novel is a good choice for a reader who is just learning about the Romanov family. The book will certainly pique their interest into learning more about the royal family. It's a good starter book.

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Anastasia and Her Sisters

There's a heavy price to pay for royalty in this compelling-and true-story of Anastasia Romanov and her fellow grand duchesses of Russia, from an award-winning novelist.

It's summer in 1914 and the Romanovs are aboard the Standart, the Russian royal yacht. Tsar Nicholas, Tsaritsa Alexandra, their four daughters, and the youngest child, Tsarevitch Alexei, are sailing to Romania to meet Crown Prince Carol and his parents. It seems like a fairy tale existence for the four grand duchesses, dressed in beautiful clothes, traveling from palace to palace. But it's not.

Life inside the palace is far from a fairy tale. The girls' younger brother suffers from an excruciatingly painful and deadly blood disease, and their parents have chosen to shield the Russian people from the severity of the future tsar's condition. The secrets and strain are hard on the family, and conditions are equally dire beyond the palace walls. Peasants suffer under the burden of extreme poverty and Tsar Nicholas's leadership power weakens. And when the unthinkable happens-Germany declares war on Russia-nothing in Anastasia's world will ever be the same.

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books |

320 pages |

ISBN 9781481403276 |

April 2016 |

Grades 7 and up |

Lexile ® 970L

List Price $10.99 (price may vary by retailer)

In Stock: Usually ships within 1 business day

Buy from another retailer

Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list.

Plus, receive updates on new releases, recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster.

More Books from this Author

About the Author

Carolyn Meyer is the acclaimed author of more than fifty books for young people. Her many award-winning novels include Mary, Bloody Mary-an ABA's Pick of the Lists, an NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults-and Marie, Dancing, a Book Sense Pick. She is also the author of Cleopatra Confesses and Victoria Rebels. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and you can visit her at ReadCarolyn.com.

BECOME A FAN

Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list.

Plus, receive updates on new releases, recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anastasia and Her Sisters There's a heavy price to pay for royalty in this compelling-and true-story of Anastasia Romanov and her fellow grand duchesses of Russia, from an award-winning novelist. It's summer in 1914 and the Romanovs are aboard the Standart, the Russian royal yacht.

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The young adult novel Anastasia and her Sisters tells the story of the Romanov family and their journey through World War I as well as the Russian Revolution from the Princess Anastasia's perspective. The novel portrays the Romanov family life as idyllic. Anastasia and her sisters attend balls, live in lavish palaces, have jewels, feasts, and servants. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear to the reader that the royal life is not all it's cracked up to be. The Tsar has to answer to the Duma. There is constant talk about revolutionists. The Tsarina constantly feels ill and does not have the love of her country. Alexi, the Tsarevich, is a hemophiliac, and is constantly ill. His parents and sisters are constantly worried that he will not live to be the next Tsar. Rasputin, a purported holy man, helps heal Alexi. However, many people find him to be revolting and there are abundant rumors that he engages in crude behavior. Anastasia's sister, Olga, becomes upset about not being able to marry the man she loves because he is of a lower class. While the sisters are privileged, they also face many challenges. Anastasia constantly wonders why anyone would want to hurt her, her sisters, or her brother. In Anastasia's mind, they are children and have nothing to do with politics.

In the end, Anastasia and her family are imprisoned. Anastasia never gives the reader a thorough explanation of the political climate of Russia. It is safe to assume that she did not really know what was going on. The Romanov family is shot to death, their bodies dismembered, thrown in acid, and buried in shallow graves.