Mashka's Photographic Scrapbook
Photograph Album I - ca. 1899-1910

On this page, I've put some of my favorite pictures from when I was pretty young, in no rigid order. Some of the pictures were taken before Nastya and Baby were even born! If you'd like to see a larger version of a picture, please click on it! (And yes, some of the filenames contain incorrect dates...)

Me with Mama, Olya, and Tatia Tatia, Me, and Olya Me and Papa! Tatia, Ana, Olya, and Me
Here I am sitting on Mama's lap. Olya and Tanya are sitting next to us. This picture was taken for us by a famous St. Petersburg photographer by the name of W. Jasvoin. On our Aunt Irene's copy, Mama wrote: "Alix with her little girlies, 1900." This picture of Tanya, Me, and Olya was turned into a postcard. Isn't that a strange thought? Here I am with Papa, when I was a very little girl! Finally! A photo with ALL of us sisters! Tanya, Nastya, Olya, and Me.
Olya and Tatia torture me! With the Big Pair... Tatia, Mama, Baby, Papa, Olya, Me, and Ana Me, Olya, Tatia, and Ana
Olga and Tanyana have capsized poor little me like a tortoise! Lucky for them, I was still small in 1903! When I got older, I became the biggest and - next to Tanya - the tallest! With my older sisters. Here's one of the whole family! Tanya, Me, and Nastya kneel, while Mama sits holding Baby, and Papa and Olya stand. Here is a picture of all of Mama's girlies, dressed alike. My sisters and I have posed for many pictures in pretty dresses like these.
Me with my parents! At Play... Barefoot Girlies! Olya, Tatia, Me, and Ana
Here I am with both of my parents, in 1904. At play with Nastya, Alexei, and Tanyana. Nastya, Olya, and Me at Peterhof in 1905...barefoot and kerchiefed! Olya, Tanya, Me, and Nastya are getting ready to go sea-bathing at Peterhof in 1905.
Me with a book in 1905... The whole family on deck! Olya, Tatia, Me, Ana, and Baby With Ana...
Me with a book in 1906. I liked learning as a child, but didn't have a large span of attention. This was all posed anyway. For many years our family had a beautiful steam-powered yacht called the Standart, which was built for Papa in Denmark. It was quite big, and Cousin Willy used to joke about wanting one just like it. Here are all of us arranged in birth order. Baby is still wearing skirts (hee hee!). Nastya and I in another shot from the famous 1906 photographic session at Peterhof.
Me and Olya At the Winter Palace... Tatia and Me Tatia and the Little Pair
Olishka hugs me on the Standart in 1907. During a ceremony at the Catherine. Tanya and I play with some pretty kittens on the decks of the standart in 1908. Tanya, "The Governess," makes sure that Nastya and I don't kill ourselves on this odd swing. Finland.
All the children sled at Tsarskoe Olya, Mama, Me, and Tatia Me, Olya, Mama, Tatia, and Ana We siblings on the Standart
Tanya, Alyosha, Olishka, Me, and Nastya in the park at Tsarskoe Selo, 1908. We've been taking turns pulling eachother on this wooden sled. Here are Olya, Mama, Me, and Tanya dressed for late autumn, 1908, at Tsarskoe Selo. I love the poofs on our hats. Me, Olya, Mama, Tanya, and Nastya wearing our white summer linens. We children on the decks of the Standart. Baby is now old enough to wear short pants!
We girls posing We girls in another pose In court dress. With Mama in the Mauve Boudoir
My sisters and I are posing around Mama's favorite chair, in her Mauve Room. Aunt Irene is trying to get us to be serious, but I can't seem to help giggling! Still posing in the Mauve Room. We're starting to get it right. Here I am in court dress, looking a little confused. Nastya, Tanya, and Me with Mama in her Mauve Room.
Ana and I... Nightgowns! Slickers! Me seated...
Nastya and I rest on a grassy hillside. We'd picked flowers! Nastya and I looking tired. Judging by our sour expressions and the nightclothes, I think this was in the morning. Olya, Papa, me, Mama, and Tanya in slickers...a wet day aboard the imperial yacht! Me, on Mama's settees.
With Papa... Riding... On the Baltic Coast With the sisters and...BOYS!
On the deck of Standart with Papa. Riding... Nastya, Alexei, Mama, and Me picnicking on the Baltic Coast. With my older sisters...and flirting!
With our cameras      
OTMA with our cameras on the beach. Our family loved to take pictures and organize photographs in albums.