Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna |
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Photo, c. 1914
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| Born | 26 June 1899 Peterhof Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
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| Died | 17 July 1918 (aged 19) Ipatiev House, Yekaterinburg, Russian Soviet Republic |
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| Burial | 17 July 1998 Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation |
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| House | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov | ||||
| Father | Nicholas II of Russia | ||||
| Mother | Alix of Hesse | ||||
| Religion | Russian Orthodox | ||||
| Signature |  |
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Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (Maria Nikolaevna Romanova; Russian: Великая Княжна Мария Николаевна, 26 June [O.S. 14 June] 1899 – 17 July 1918) was the third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. She was a member of the House of Romanov, the ruling family of Russia.
During her life, Maria was known for her kind heart and her interest in soldiers. She was too young to be a Red Cross nurse like her older sisters during World War I. Instead, she became a patroness of a hospital and visited wounded soldiers. Maria was a friendly person and had many innocent crushes on young men. She dreamed of getting married and having a big family.
For many years, people wondered if Maria or her younger sister, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, had escaped the murder of the imperial family. However, DNA tests later proved that the entire family, including Maria, was killed in 1918. The Russian Orthodox Church later made Maria a saint.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Maria was born on June 26, 1899. She was the third daughter of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra. At birth, she weighed 4.5 kilograms (about 9.9 pounds). Many people in Russia hoped for a son to be the next ruler. But her father, Nicholas, was happy with Maria's birth. He said he felt lucky to have his wife and three "little cherubs."
Maria had four siblings: Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, and Alexei. Alexei was the youngest and the only son. Maria's Russian title, Velikaya Knyazhna, means "Grand Princess." This title meant she was higher in rank than other princesses in Europe. However, her parents wanted their children to live simply. Even servants called Maria by her first name and middle name, Maria Nikolaevna. She was also called "Marie" or by the nicknames "Masha" or "Mashka."
Maria and her younger sister Anastasia were known as "The Little Pair." They shared a room and often wore similar clothes. They spent a lot of time together. Their older sisters, Olga and Tatiana, were called "The Big Pair." The four sisters sometimes signed letters using the nickname OTMA. This name came from the first letter of each of their names.
Maria was often influenced by her lively younger sister, Anastasia. If Anastasia played tricks or caused a scene, Maria would try to apologize. But she could not stop her sister. A friend of her mother's said that Maria knew what she wanted, even if she was not as energetic as her sisters.
Personality and Interests
Maria was considered very beautiful. She had light brown hair and large blue eyes. Her family called her eyes "Marie's saucers." Her great-aunt said Maria was "a real beauty" with "enormous blue eyes." A court gentleman said that baby Maria "had the face of one of Botticelli's angels." Her French teacher described her as tall and strong, with rosy cheeks.
Maria was unusually strong, like her grandfather. She sometimes showed off by lifting her teachers off the ground. Maria also had a talent for drawing. She always drew with her left hand. She was not very interested in her schoolwork.
Maria had a kind and sweet personality. Her great-uncle nicknamed her "The Amiable Baby" because she was so good-natured. One of her teachers said Maria was "born good." Her older sisters sometimes jokingly called her their "stepsister" because she rarely got into trouble.
Maria was very close to her father. She often tried to leave the nursery to "go to Papa." When her father was sick, she would kiss a tiny picture of him every night. Maria worried that she was not as loved as her siblings. Her mother once wrote to her, "Sweet child, you must promise me never again to think that nobody loves you."
Young Maria enjoyed innocent flirtations with soldiers she met. She loved children very much. She often said she would have loved to marry a Russian soldier and have a large family. Her cousin, Louis Mountbatten, had a crush on her. He kept her photo by his bed. He met the Romanov sisters in 1910 and thought they were "lovely, and terribly sweet." He said he "was crackers about Marie, and was determined to marry her."
In 1917, Prince Carol of Romania asked to marry Maria. Her father, Nicholas, gently refused because Maria was still very young, "nothing more than a schoolgirl."
Maria's Role in World War I
During World War I, Maria and Anastasia visited wounded soldiers at a hospital near their palace. The two teenagers were too young to be nurses like their mother and older sisters. Instead, they played games like checkers and billiards with the soldiers. They tried to cheer them up. A soldier once signed Maria's book and called her "the famous Mandrifolie."
Maria and Anastasia also visited a nurses' school. They helped care for the children there. Maria wrote to her father that she thought of him while feeding the children. She cleaned the gruel from their chins with a spoon. Sometimes, Maria, her sisters, and mother visited the Tsar at his war headquarters. During these visits, Maria became attracted to an officer named Nikolai Dmitrievich Demenkov. She often asked her father to send her regards to Demenkov. She even jokingly signed her letters to the Tsar "Mrs. Demenkov."
Relationship with Rasputin
Maria and her family deeply loved her younger brother, Alexei. He had a serious illness called hemophilia, which made his blood not clot properly. He almost died many times. Her mother, Empress Alexandra, trusted Grigori Rasputin, a Russian holy man. She believed his prayers helped Alexei get better. Maria and her siblings were taught to see Rasputin as "Our Friend." They shared their thoughts with him.
In 1907, Maria's aunt met Rasputin in the children's nursery. Maria, her sisters, and Alexei were wearing their white nightgowns. Her aunt remembered that "All the children seemed to like him." Rasputin sent kind messages to the imperial children. In one message to Maria, he wrote, "My Dear Pearl M! Tell me how you talked with the sea, with nature! I miss your simple soul." He also advised them to "Love the whole of God's nature."
The imperial family's connection with Rasputin continued until he was murdered in December 1916. Maria and her sisters were very sad when they heard the news. They sat together on a sofa, looking upset. Maria attended Rasputin's funeral. Her family planned to build a church over his grave.
Maria, like her mother, might have carried the gene for hemophilia. This means she could have passed the disease to her own children if she had lived to have them. DNA tests in 2009 showed that Alexei had hemophilia B. The same tests proved that his mother and one of his sisters were carriers. Scientists believe Maria was the sister who carried the gene.
Revolution and Captivity
In the spring of 1917, a revolution began in Russia. Maria and her siblings became sick with measles during this time. Maria was the last to get sick. While she was healthy, she helped her mother. She even went outside with her mother to ask soldiers to stay loyal to the family. Soon after, Maria became very ill with measles and pneumonia. She almost died. She was not told that her father had given up his throne until she started to get better.
The family was arrested and held captive. First, they were at their home in Tsarskoye Selo. Later, they were moved to Tobolsk and then to Yekaterinburg in Siberia. Maria tried to be friendly with her guards. She learned their names and about their families. She even said she would be happy to live in Tobolsk if she could walk outside freely. Maria and Anastasia burned most of their letters and diaries in April 1918. They feared their belongings would be searched.
In April 1918, the family was briefly separated. The Bolsheviks moved Nicholas, Alexandra, and Maria to Yekaterinburg. The sisters decided that Maria should go with their parents. Olga was too emotional, Tatiana was needed to care for their sick brother Alexei, and Anastasia was considered too young. The other children joined them in Yekaterinburg a few weeks later.
Maria wrote to her siblings about the new rules in Yekaterinburg. She and her parents were searched by guards. A wooden fence was built around the house, blocking their view. Maria tried to make friends with the guards. She showed them photos and talked about her hopes for a new life in England. One guard remembered that she "was a girl who loved to have fun." Another guard said she was not stuck-up. Maria's mother sometimes scolded her for being too friendly with the guards.
On July 14, 1918, priests held a church service for the family. Maria and her family knelt during a prayer for the dead, which was unusual. The next day, Maria and her sisters seemed happy. They joked and moved their beds so cleaning women could scrub the floor. They helped the women and whispered to them when guards were not looking. All four young women wore long black skirts and white silk blouses. They boasted that Maria was so strong she could lift Alexei. On July 16, 1918, Maria walked in the garden with her father and sisters. The guards noticed nothing unusual.
Death
Late on the night of July 16, the family was woken up. They were told to go downstairs because there was trouble in the town. They were told they needed to move for their safety. The family carried pillows and bags to make Alexandra and Alexei comfortable. Anastasia carried one of their dogs. The family paused and made the sign of the cross when they saw a stuffed bear. Nicholas told his family and servants, "Well, we're going to get out of this place." They asked the guards questions but did not seem to know they were going to be killed. The leader, Yurovsky, told them to stand. He then read a paper saying they would be executed. Maria and her family had only a moment to react before the shooting began. It was the early hours of July 17, 1918.
Romanov Graves and DNA Proof
For many years, people wondered if any of the Romanov family had survived. However, in 1991, bodies believed to be the Imperial Family and their servants were found. They were in a mass grave outside Yekaterinburg. When the grave was opened, nine bodies were found instead of eleven. Alexei and one of the Grand Duchesses were missing. Russian scientists believed it was Maria's body that was missing.
In 2007, two more partial skeletons were found near Yekaterinburg. These matched the description of the missing bodies. In 2009, DNA tests confirmed that these two bodies were Tsarevich Alexei and one of the four Grand Duchesses. This proved that all members of the Imperial family had been killed in 1918.
The burial of Maria's and Alexei's remains with their family was planned for 2015. However, it has been delayed. The Russian Orthodox Church wants more DNA testing.
Sainthood
| Saint Maria Romanova | |
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| Saint, Grand Duchess and Passion bearer | |
| Honored in | Russian Orthodox Church |
| Canonized |
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| Major shrine | Church on Blood, Yekaterinburg, Russia |
| Feast | 17 July |
In 2000, Maria and her family were made saints by the Russian Orthodox Church. They are honored as passion bearers. This means they showed great faith and patience during their suffering. Before this, in 1981, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad had also made them saints as holy martyrs. The bodies of Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, and three of their daughters were buried in St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg on July 17, 1998. This was eighty years after they were killed.
Images for kids
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Grand Duchesses Maria, left, and Anastasia Nikolaevna roughhouse with their cousin Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, c. 1915.
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Grand Duchess Maria in 1913.
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Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Maria aboard the imperial yacht in 1914. Courtesy: Beinecke Library.
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Grand Duchess Maria in 1915.
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Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duchess Anastasia pose with wounded soldiers while visiting their hospital, 1915.
See also
In Spanish: María Nikoláyevna Románova (1899-1918) para niños
