Rare Last Photos Of The Romanovs

Alexei and Tatiana Surrounded by Soldiers

The peaceful photograph of the family enjoying Alexander Park is in stark contrast to this photo taken just a year later. The photograph shows Grand Duchess Tatiana and Alexei sitting in Alexander Park in Tsarskoe Selo, holding shovels. They are surrounded by Russian soldiers and are under house arrest. Alexei’s hemophilia likely made any manual labor difficult and may have led to his severe illness in his last year of captivity, which initially prevented him from being transported. Tatiana, on the other hand, was used to physical work from her time as a Red Cross nurse during World War I.

Anastasia Fooling Around

This photograph of Anastasia was taken before the Romanovs were held captive, between 1915 or 1916. While it may initially look jarring, it simply depicts Anastasia fooling around with a pair of false teeth. Of course, back then false teeth were often made with teeth from the dead. So, with that knowledge, the photo is still a little creepy. Anastasia was known to be vivacious, mischievous, and energetic. She often played pranks on her tutors. Despite her high energy, Anastasia was often in poor health. She bled more than normal when injured, and may have been a carrier of the hemophilia gene like her mother.