ROMANOV FAMILY: ON THIS DATE IN THEIR OWN WORDS. ANASTASIA ROMANOV. 15 FEBRUARY, 1916.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov in 1916.

Letter from Anastasia Romanov to Nicholas II:

15 February, 1916. Tsarskoe Selo. My Precious Papa Darling. It is so pleasant that the sun came out today, it has not been out for a long time. Yesterday we three little ones, so to speak, went to Anya’s infirmary where they had a concert. It was really nice. One little 10 year old girl danced the Russian [dance] with an accordion, it was so sweet, and I felt sorry for her. Delazari and Yu. Morfesi, Sasha Makarov and your friend Lersky were there as usual. He talked about an art lesson, it was so incredibly funny that the soldiers were crying from laughter. Then he talked about how you can hear the piano being played on three floors, also rather funny, and finally about the zoo, how they explain all the animals, etc. Nikolai Dmitrievich was also there, and Irina Tolstaya. While Olga and Tatiana were at their infirmary at this time, and they also had a concert. Fersen Bezobrazov and various young ladies played the balalaikas there, and many others. So you think we are not going to [another] concert, right? You are mistaken, we are going to the Grand Palace, where they will have something like a comedy of the crooked mirror, so we are going there as they begged us desperately. “Sleep the achievement of pride, everyone sleep.” Now I will have the arithmetic lesson. Maria and Aleksei have colds and they don’t go out except to the infirmaries. Well I will end. I send you an awfully big kiss. Regards to yours. Your loving loyal and faithful Kaspiyitz.

From the book MARIA and ANASTASIA: The Youngest Romanov Grand Duchesses In Their Own Words: Letters, Diaries, Postcards.