Antique Imperial Russian Signed Letter Grand Duchess Olga Romanov WWII Military

"Good day, my dear Siocha,

I 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!”

So, since last Saturday, we have had all this little company staying with us.

The 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!

At 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 smørrebrødto make for them to take along. How it amuses me!!

At 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…

Ah! 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.”

I 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.

At half past twelve or one o’clock our warriors return!

The 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.

After 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.

The 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.

Our 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!!!

For 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.

Yesterday 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, sodavand [a soft drink], and even beer. Nevertheless, he is delighted with it all.

On 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.

You mention a flower exhibition—magnificent chrysanthemums, no doubt? Yes, here too they make carpets of vegetables, but it is hardly pretty!

How is your “funny little yellow begonia”?

Yesterday 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…

Their 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!

The situation throughout Europe is far from bright… 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:

“How beautiful the world is!”

Then anguish grips my heart as I think:

“Surely it cannot be true that people are killing one another?”

Yes, it is true, it is true! One feels one is going mad… But God said that all this must happen…

The world thinks it can put everything right without calling upon the Father in Heaven. Here are the consequences…

My 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.

May God bless you and keep you.

It is Sunday morning. After all the smørrebrød and coffee, we are going to church—Tikhon too. They are free today; tomorrow they go away for eight or nine days.

Yours with all my heart,
Olga"