Olga Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess of Russia

Three autograph letters ('Olga') to her former tutor Ferdinand Thormeyer (1858-1944), French and literature tutor to the children of Tsar Alexander III, all in French. In the first letter the Grand Duchess wishes the recipient a happy Christmas, saying "After our bazaar, I earned around 600 kroner for my drawings, I received 900 kroner and now I have received a letter from my editor Mr Pio who gives me good news, my book was sold to the Swedish market which will bring in something...Also, I was able to sell a few watercolours in London...What do you live off Siocha? This question has been going round in my mind for a long time. Did you have something in Switzerland or everything in Russia?";"; in the second letter describes her daily routine "If you wish to hear how we spend our day, I can tell you: so, in winter we get up later, mostly by 7.30, though I very often rise at 6ma in order to write my letters uninterrupted...Then the four of us along with Sister Ksenia Mojaeva (the children nursery maid) go down to drink our coffee...After that we go for a walk in the woods -though lately without the boys- because I must be back by a certain time - and the little ones can stay longer in the fresh air without me. Their cough is much better. Thank God we now know that we do not have to move to Copenhagen" and adds "I have sent watercolours to Egypt , Alexandria (to a friend whom you may remember from Oubruro, Madame Wenevitinoff). She paid me £16.00 - I was delighted...now she has written asking me to send her some more...Don't you think that is good? Another friend in America, where he has a position at Delaware University, has made similar arrangements with me. Now a Danish newspaper orders my illustrations - and pays me 25-35 kroner for each of them (black and white). I never say no when they offer me something, as it pleases me greatly to see my works in print...Once or twice a month we spend the evening in an attic with some of our Russian friends, where we drink tea and chat like magpies about the wonderful past, dear Russia etc". The third letter reads "I am completely absorbed by painting. I am painting groups of flowers by the window with the snow as a background!...It is still snowing and it won't stop until Easter"; twelve pages in total, some browning folding marks, 4to, Hvidore and Ballerup, 2 December 1923 - 10 March 1931

***Olga was the youngest child of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and younger sister of Tsar Nicholas II.