Romanov(91)

Having spent part of my childhood in Alaska, studying the Russian language, growing up with Russians in my home since before I can remember, and then traveling to Russia several times, I always hoped I’d have a chance to pen a story that would honor the Russian history and the people I have come to love who live there.

So with that, let’s jump into fact and fiction.





What’s True


So much research went into this book—particularly the first half—that I would never be able to list all the things that are true in this story, but I’ll touch on a few:

The Romanov family was transferred from Tobolsk to Ekaterinburg for exile, and it was an extremely trying time. But they drew strength from their faith and from their relationships as a family. The order for their executions was carried out by Yurovsky and they were given no trial.

For almost ninety years, people suspected that Anastasia and Alexei could have survived. In 2007, their bodies were discovered in a separate grave near the rest of the family. I like to think that Nastya and Alexei went on to live out new adventures and were eventually buried with their family, as Zash promised they would be.

The attempted rescue mission from the White Army officer actually happened, but many historians suspect that it was a ploy by the Bolsheviks to catch the Romanovs in the act of escaping. Ex-Tsar Nikolai truly did call it off for the safety of their captors.

Ivan Skorokhodov was a real person. He and Maria shared an attraction, and we don’t know what happened to him. He was caught with Maria and some say he could have been sent to prison. Others suspect he was shot. There’s no known answer. But, in a way, it brings me comfort knowing Maria did have that source of joy during her time of exile.

Rasputin was also a real person and played a huge role—though unintentional—in the revolution of the Russian people. His relationship with the tsarina and the Romanov family is, to this day, still analyzed by historians. Unfortunately, the Romanovs’ leaning toward constant secrecy did them very few favors.

Yakov Yurovsky was a watchmaker and a Bolshevik commandant when the Romanovs were killed. Though he had no role in Tobolsk (that was a stretch on my part), he was Avdeev’s replacement commandant after the episode with Maria and Ivan. Yurovsky went on to live several years after the Romanovs’ deaths and was loyal to the Soviet Union.

Oh, and finally: Joy the spaniel really existed and survived the execution of her masters.





What’s Stretched


Zash is a fictional character, but the turmoil in his heart as a Bolshevik represents what many of the Bolshevik guards went through. The Romanov family befriended so many that the guards on duty were replaced again and again to keep them from growing too sympathetic. (And yes, they really did build the Romanovs a swing.) Though Zash is a creation of my imagination, the seminomadic people inhabiting Siberia are not. When the Romanov children saw people wearing reindeer skin and representing the east side of their country, they found it intriguing because they had not been educated thoroughly regarding the population of their country. They had always wanted to know their people on a deeper level, and I wanted to capture that desire through Zash’s backstory and relationship with Nastya.

Vasily Dochkin is actually Vasily Zvyozdochkin—but the last name was just too much of a mouthful to make it all the way into the book, so I shortened it. (You’re welcome.) He is the first known maker of the Matryoshka doll, and that’s about all we know about him. To my knowledge he had no relation with the Romanov family, nor did he live in a little old cabin in the woods. I like to imagine that he would have been secreted away, making spells to save his tsar and his country. I loved giving him a bit of story woven with magic in Romanov.

The Romanov sisters did not shave their heads due to the lice infestation but instead due to a bout with measles a year prior. I fiddled with those dates and combined the two events.

If you want to do your own digging and learn about the Romanov family, I recommend reading any book on the Romanov family written by Helen Rappaport. I spent most of my time scouring the pages of The Romanov Sisters and The Last Days of the Romanovs.





Discussion Questions





Nastya spends a lot of time in this book struggling with forgiveness. What do you understand forgiveness to mean?





Zash became a Bolshevik to help protect his babushka (Vira). How far would you go to protect those you love? And what do you think about his decision to join the Bolsheviks?





Nastya seeks to understand why Zash thinks and acts the way he does. Do you think it’s important to strive to understand an opposing perspective? How do you go about doing so?





Zash has a moment when he thinks it will be better to take his own life than to live with what he’s done. What do you think that would accomplish? Do you think that is ever the right answer? Why or why not?





Nastya had the chance to erase her memories and to erase her hurt. Have you ever wished you could do that? If so, why does it sound appealing? What might the repercussions be?





Why do you think Nastya chose not to use the memory spell in the end?





At the end of the book, the war is still raging. No one knows when it will end or who will win, but they are able to still live their lives. Do you ever struggle with focusing on your day-to-day when the bigger picture of your culture is caught up in unresolved issues?