About OTMAA:

• One day in 1912 at Livadia, the four Grand Duchesses crept into their father's Study on the upper floor of the White Palace at Livadia in his absence. The Emperor was unusually protective of his privacy, and almost always locked the room when he was gone, but on this day he had forgotten, and the temptation proved too much. While the girls were exploring, their mother began to call for them. As her voice became louder and more insistent, they panicked. Marie ran for the window, and told her sisters to lower her out; she was dangling by her arms mid-way down the side of the Palace when Alexandra apparently walked into the room, and her sisters let go so as not to get caught. She fell to the garden, some fifteen feet below, with a thud; luckily, she landed in some shrubbery, and was only bumped and bruised, but their adventure had been discovered and they were forbidden to go out for several weeks thereafter.

About Olga:

• I was very fond of all my brother’s children but perhaps most of the eldest, Olga. The two of us were soul mates. She resembled me in character, and that was perhaps why we understood each other so well. It often happened that I was able to tell her how she was thinking in one or the other specific situation, and that always took her by surprise. “How do you know that?” she would ask with blushing cheeks. - Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

About Tatiana:

About Maria:

About Anastasia:

• Gibbes was waiting for a while for the little pair to come and start lessons. However, the previous night, there was a "fancy dress" party. In a few minutes, in came the little Imp all black from soot and she was carrying chimney sweep tools...i.e. a little ladder, etc. Gibbes, pretended not to notice and asked, "So, did you go to the party Anastasia Nicholaievna?" and she just laughed and said nothing. A moment later the double doors burst open and in came the giggling Olga, Tatiana and Maria, with a furious Alexandra yelling "Anastasia! Go and get cleaned up this INSTANT!” OTM trying to restrain giggles, Anastasia got up and came back a while later with a big red scrubbed face!