Olga Nikolaevna Romanova, the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, also known as Olya or Olishka, was the oldest daughter of Alexandra of Hesse and Nicholas II of Russia. Her younger siblings include Tsarevich Alexei of Russia and the Grand Duchesses Anastasia, Maria and Tatiana of Russia.
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, and Rhine were her maternal grandparents. Olga is also the great-granddaughter of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Queen Victoria on her mother’s side.
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was baptized in the Chapel at the Catherine Palace, with her godparents including The King of Denmark, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, The Grand Duke of Hesse, The Dowager Empress of Russia, The Empress of Germany, The Queen of England, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, and The Queen of Greece.
Out of all the children of Nikolai II, Olga was the most intelligent one. She was also known for her desire to help others and her compassionate heart. However, she was also infamous for her blunt honesty and temper. Olga loved reading everything that she can get her hands on.
Olga also loved to read newspapers, with politics as her favourite topic. She was also a fan of the book selection of her mother. She had a habit of taking a book even before her mother gets the chance to read, telling her Mama to wait until she finds out if the book is actually a proper one for her mother to read.
Before the Second World War, there were several discussions about Olga’s marriage to Prince Carol of Romania. The Prince of Wales, who became Edward VIII, later on, was also a suitor. Carol, however, didn’t catch the interest of Olga, and the marriage plans were also postponed when the war broke out.
Olga worked as a nurse during World War II and the entire family also played a role in the war. The nurse work of Olga came to an end when she suffered from a nervous breakdown. The entire family was also affected by the war.
Olga knew the political and financial state of the nation not only during the war but also during the revolution. She also knew that the Russian people didn’t like her father and mother. It was also during the war that she became very close to her brother.
Before the abdication of Nicolas, the Russian parliament hoped for Olga to serve as the regent of her brother Alexei. Olga was only 22 years old when she was executed together with her family on the 17th of July 1918 at the Ipatiev House located in Ekaterinburg following a year of being imprisoned after the 1917 February/March Revolutions.
The Bolshevik secret police forces that were under the rule of Yakov Yurovsky were the ones who carried out their execution.
The Russian Orthodox Church canonized Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia and her family in 2000.
