A Friendship That Saved Me

I Meet Her

"Nastya, come here, please." The tzarina called. 

"Yes, Mama, what is it?" Anastasia asked.

"You have a new playmate. This is Yana Lanovevna Yevgeniva. She's from Samara, which is about two and half hours away."

"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness."

"Приятно познакомиться с вами. Priyatno poznakomit'sya s vami. Nice to meet you as well." The Grand Duchess spoke very quickly, I could barely understand her.

"What languages do you speak?"

"Russian, English, French, and German. I have tutors."

"Wow, that's very good, Your Highness. I only know a few words of Russian, French, and English. I was brought here at a young age."

"Mama told me. Would you like to meet my sisters?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I know you've only briefly met them, but here they are again."

I was too shy to tell her that I already know her sisters, but I kept quiet because I was afraid of getting fired.

"This is Olga, also known as 'Olya', Tatiania, also known as 'Tati', Marie, also known as 'Mashka', and Aleksei, also known as 'Lyosha'."

"Olya and Tati, you're the Big Pair, right? And Mashka and Natsya, you are Little Pair."

"Yes, you're very good, Yana." Olga commented.

"We four are going to obednya, because it's nearly Pashka." Tati announced. "With Mama and Papa, of course. You're welcome to join us."

"What are those?" I asked.

"Obednya is 'holy liturgy' and Pashka is 'Easter.'" Mashka explained.

"Spasibo." I replied. "Thank you for the translation. My Russian is very bad, forgive me."

"It's no problem. You can teach us English, or английский, angliyskiy." Tati said joyfully.

"Da, thank you so much!"

"Olishka, Tati, Mashka, Stasiya, and Lyosha, it's time for масса, massa or Mass." The Empress called.

"May we please bring a guest to the service?" Lyosha pleaded."

"Ja, natürlich." Mama replied. "Yes, of course. Yana, have you ever been to an Orthodox service before?"

"Nyet. This is my первый раз, pervyy raz, first time."

"Olishka, please teach Yana the way of the Church."

"Da, Mama." Olishka hurried up to her room. "Here," she placed a big book in my hands. "My personal Bible. You can use it to study up."

"Spasibo." I replied.

"You're welcome. Service starts in an hour, at five o'clock. If you don't memorize it all the way, we four will help you. We grew up in the Church. Mama was a Lutheran before she married Papa. And don't worry, I'll tell Papa you don't know the way of the Church and that this is your first time. He won't get upset, I promise."

"May I please meet your father?"

"Of course. Papa!" Olishka called. "There's someone who wants to meet you."

"Yes, what is it, Olishka? Is this your friend?" The tsar asked.

"Yes. And personal servant. Yana, please meet the Aristocrat of all the Russias, His Royal Highness, Czar Nicholas Alexandrovitch Romanov."

"Quite an introduction, yes?" The tsar joked.

"Yes."

"She's just repeating what the guards say when they announce me. What's your name?"

"Yana Lanovevna Yevgenieva."

"What a wonderful name, Yana."

"She will be attending obednya with us. This is her first time." Olishka announced.

"Congratulations, Anastasiya. Will you be converting?"

"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

"Very good. The service starts in five minutes."

"Papa is very practical about being on time." Olishka replied. "Come."

I followed OTMAA (Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia, and Aleksei) to the chapel. I was amazed at the artwork of it.

After the service, we said an evening prayer and went to bed.