The Imperial Family in the Livadia Palace by Daria Buravtseva

"In my work ... I set the task of showing a long-gone era, and people whose fate personifies the tragedy of the Russian Empire. One day I was traveling the Crimea and visiting palaces, wandering through museum halls filled with Crimean air and scorching sun. At that moment, a long-gone era appeared before me as if it were yesterday.

I wanted to show the Romanovs not as the royal seven, but as living happy people. I had a desire to show that history is multifaceted and consists not only of tragic moments but is also full of happy moments in the lives of historical figures."

New photo of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia painting with a bucket on her head 😂, Livadia 1914

Released by Ilya aka Sledstvie on Instagram and LastRomanovs on Flickr

Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna of Russia on her 16th Birthday Nov 15th 1911, Livadia.

BRAND NEW photographs of the Grand Duchesses, found in the Darmstardt Archive

Shared by Ilya, @sledstvie on Instagram / LastRomanovs on Flickr, these photos show the Grand Duchesses having fun with their Uncle Ernie whilst on holiday in Livadia. Whilst a few photos from this day were found in the Grand Duchesses' albums (and hence known to the public) these funny photos were hidden away in archives!

A number of previously unknown, rare, and high-quality photographs have been uncovered in the Darmstardt Archives in the recent weeks.

October in Livadiá of Boeotia, Greece by PHOTOGRAPHER @__d.i.a.n.n.a__ on Instagram.

~ Grand Duchesses Tatiana and Olga Nikolaevna sitting in their parents bedroom in Livadia, Crimea, 1913 ~

Tatiana’s hair is shaved because she recently suffered from typhoid fever which resulted in her hair falling out so it was sadly shaved.

Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna with Grand Duchesses Maria Nikolaevna & Anastasia Nikolaevna, AKA Little Pair, in Livadia. August/September 1913.

"The Livadia Palace was two-storeyed and Italian Renaissance in style, with large windows that let in the light, and faced in local white Inkerman limestone — prompting its popular name as the 'White Palace'. It had been completed inside sixteen months, including a second house for the imperial entourage, and had all the modern conveniences of central heating, lifts and telephones. Having taken possession on 20 September Nicholas wrote to his mother: 'We cannot find the words to express our joy and the pleasure of having such a house, built exactly as we wished … The views in all directions are so beautiful, especially of Yalta and the sea. There is so much light in the rooms and you remember how dark it was in the old house.' Inside all was simplicity, much in the style moderne that Alexandra favoured. The private apartments on the second floor had the preferred white furniture and chintz fabrics, and as usual there were flowers everywhere. The windows and balconies at the back of the palace gave out over the sea: Olga and Tatiana delighted in taking their morning French lessons with Pierre Gilliard out on the balcony. On the northern side of the palace facing inland, the palace looked out onto the rugged Crimean mountains in the distance. A cool and shady inner courtyard featured Italianate marble colonnades and a fountain surrounded by a pretty knot garden. It was a favourite place for the entourage to escape the heat of the day and sit and chat after luncheon."

Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses | Helen Rappaport

Alexei Nikolaevich in Livadia, May 1912

Source: https://vk.com/wall-56510987_64163

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna and Tsar Nicholas II swimming in Livadia, 15th August - 31st August 1913.

Photos from: Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna's 1913-1914 Album / page 3, photo n°21, 22 Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna's 1913-1914 Album / page 15b, photo n°268, 270 Tsar Nicholas II 1912-1914 Album / page 9, photo n°147, 148

Tatiana Nikolaevna with Anna Vyrubova; Livadia, 1912

Livadeia, Greece

New photo of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna playing tennis with uncle Grand Duke Ernst Louis of Hesse, Livadia Crimea 1912

(Source: Baroness Sophie “Isa” Buxhoevden’s 1910-1912 album shared by Ilya aka LastRomanovs on Flickr)

Romanov children in the Livadia palace, Livadiya, Crimea, Ukraine

Russian vintage postcard

New photo of Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei in Livadia

once again from the brilliant Ilya, LastRomanovs, on Flickr!

Children of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and Empress Alexandra of Russia, posing on the White Flower Day, Livadia, 1914