{"product_id":"antique-imperial-russian-signed-letter-grand-duchess-olga-romanov-wwii-military","title":"Antique Imperial Russian Signed Letter Grand Duchess Olga Romanov WWII Military","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"c0\" style=\"font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18.66670036315918px; background-color: rgb(245, 240, 240);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;\"\u003eBibelotslondon Ltd is a UK registered company based in London Bridge dealing in ephemera and curiosities from Britain and around the world. Our diverse inventory is carefully chosen and constantly evolving. We work very hard to offer the highest quality works at competitive prices. Our inventory is listed online, and we strive to keep our website completely up to date, so our customers can easily check availability. We believe in offering clients items that are unique and rare for aficionados of the antique and collector's world. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial;\"\u003eBibelot is a late nineteenth century word derived from the French word bel ‘beautiful’, meaning a small item of beauty, curiosity or interest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"apple-converted-space\" style=\"font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18.66670036315918px; background-color: rgb(245, 240, 240);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c0\" style=\"font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18.66670036315918px; background-color: rgb(245, 240, 240);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial;\"\u003eThe word ephemera is derived from the sixteenth century Greek word ephmera meaning a printed or hand written paper not meant to be retained for a long period of time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"c0\" style=\"font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18.66670036315918px; background-color: rgb(245, 240, 240);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003e\u003cfont\u003e\u003cfont color=\"#333333\"\u003e\u003cfont\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eFine antique signed letter from Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960), dated 25th September 1938 \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: large;\"\u003eaddressed to her beloved former tutor Ferdinand Thormeyer (1858\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cfont face=\"Arial\"\u003e\u003cfont\u003e\u003cfont color=\"#333333\"\u003e\u003cfont\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003e-1944), known as Siocha, discussing her views on the solders billeted in her home, her sons' military exercises, her painting, and her anxiety over Europe, which brings back memories of the \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cfont color=\"#333333\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"4\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\"\u003eCrimea. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cfont color=\"#333333\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"4\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\"Good day, my dear Siocha,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eI have not been able to thank you for your letter of 20 September, because there is so much activity in our house. All Ballerup is full of soldiers—but that is not my concern. What concerns me is our six soldiers, two officers and Tikhon, who has also been staying with us for a week! He says: “What a lovely holiday I am having this year!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eSo, since last Saturday, we have had all this little company staying with us.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThe two officers are charming. Captain-Lieutenant [initial unclear] Schack is staying upstairs in your room, and Lieutenant Castenskjold downstairs in the old schoolroom… They are young. Tikhon is staying in his own room, and the other six soldiers in a room beside the garage. They sleep on straw; they have a few chairs and a table—and say they are delighted!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eAt five in the morning, “[name unclear]” gets up and immediately begins cutting bread: fourteen pieces of black bread, buttered, and twenty-eight of white bread! Then there are the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; outline: medium !important;\"\u003esmørrebrød\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eto make for them to take along. How it amuses me!!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eAt six, the soldiers have their coffee in our dining room. I talk with them and give them something to eat. Then they leave, and my son and the officers come for their coffee on the verandah. At seven the house is empty, and I take my husband his milk…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eAh! What summer weather! It is almost warmer than we had during the summer. One day follows another—no clouds, and a violet haze “in the distance.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eI have time to paint. This morning I finished little Olga, sitting with a cat on her lap in their courtyard. It took me three days. Sometimes one simply cannot make progress.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eAt half past twelve or one o’clock our warriors return!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThe soldiers eat, each company separately, beside their field kitchen, and our officers eat with us. They like our Russian cooking enormously: borscht, a meat pie, mushrooms, etc. They do full justice to our Maria Stepanovna, who is delighted.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eAfter lunch, a cup of coffee in the garden; then off again for exercises, marches and small manoeuvres until four or six o’clock. Everyone must be in bed at ten. The officers may return later.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThe other day we were invited to lunch outdoors and to eat the same meal as the soldiers—their “kasha.” It was good, and we enjoyed the picnic very much. My husband, feeling so well, can “enjoy” it, which makes it doubly pleasant for me.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eOur little Guri [the affectionate form of his name is unclear] has now left for the large manoeuvres. We saw him passing near Ballerup the day before yesterday. He saw us, and one could see that he was pleased that we should see him surrounded by his soldiers. He was giving orders—and they were obeying him!!!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eFor two hours we followed the manoeuvres, and it was interesting. We met the little one twice! He is under the command of my cousin Viggo. That is good.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eYesterday Tikhon was on manoeuvres from six in the morning until six in the evening. They ran and ran. When he came back, he looked like a ghost. On returning he could not eat, but he drank everything—milk, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; outline: medium !important;\"\u003esodavand\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003e [a soft drink], and even beer. Nevertheless, he is delighted with it all.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eOn Monday they all leave for eight days of manoeuvres, as far as Holbæk—beyond Roskilde, much further. Then they are to come back here for another four days.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eYou mention a flower exhibition—magnificent chrysanthemums, no doubt? Yes, here too they make carpets of vegetables, but it is hardly pretty!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eHow is your “funny little yellow begonia”?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eYesterday we had lunch with Uncle Valdemar at Bernstorff. There were four grandchildren there, belonging to his daughter, with whom he kept getting cross at table…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eTheir grandfather thought one was eating too much and reproached him for it; then another had done something silly, and so on and so on. Afterwards, when the children had finished, they went out into the garden, and we had—peace!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThe situation throughout Europe is far from bright…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003e It gives us much to talk and think about. When I go walking, I have the same feeling I had in the Crimea, in the beautiful springtime, among the flowers and birds:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e“How beautiful the world is!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThen anguish grips my heart as I think:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e“Surely it cannot be true that people are killing one another?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eYes, it is true, it is true! One feels one is going mad… But God said that all this must happen…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eThe world thinks it can put everything right \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003ewithout calling upon the Father in Heaven. Here are the consequences…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eMy dear Siocha, I have also fallen all the way down our staircase. I have enormous bruises down one whole side, from foot to hip, and it still hurts. It happened a week ago.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eMay God bless you and keep you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eIt is Sunday morning. After all the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; outline: medium !important;\"\u003esmørrebrød\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003e and coffee, we are going to church—Tikhon too. They are free today; tomorrow they go away for eight or nine days.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: New; font-size-adjust: none; outline: medium !important;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; outline: medium !important;\"\u003eYours with all my heart,\u003cbr style=\"outline: medium !important;\"\u003eOlga\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); font-size: 20px;\"\u003e25 September\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: large; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: large; font-family: Arial;\"\u003eSize of Envelope: 12 x 15 cm approx \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cfont rwr=\"1\" size=\"4\" style=\"font-family:Arial\"\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;\"\u003ePhotos\nform part of the des\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSub-Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royalty\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Historical\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSigned:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Signed Letters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry of Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Russian Federation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bibelots London","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54805606629714,"sku":"377515427957","price":450.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9735\/0482\/files\/57_432a50cb-af88-403c-816f-42a287be8ae0.png?v=1790103715","url":"https:\/\/bibelotslondon.com\/products\/antique-imperial-russian-signed-letter-grand-duchess-olga-romanov-wwii-military","provider":"Bibelots London","version":"1.0","type":"link"}