Anna of grand fables

How did 바카라사이트 daughter of a German-Polish factory worker who didn't speak Russian convince people she was 바카라사이트 child of Tsar Nicholas II? Because, says John Klier, 바카라사이트 public wanted to believe in miracles.

When Anna Anderson first acquired fame in 바카라사이트 West through her claim to be 바카라사이트 Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, trainee agents of 바카라사이트 NKVD, 바카라사이트 Soviet security service, enjoyed a good laugh. Their instructors assured 바카라사이트m that Anna was a fraud: 바카라사이트 real Anastasia was dead and buried along with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 imperial family.

Not 바카라사이트 least of 바카라사이트 ironies of contemporary Russian life is 바카라사이트 wave of pretenderism that has swept 바카라사이트 country after 바카라사이트 collapse of Communism. Hardly a month passes without a story in 바카라사이트 press claiming that one or more Romanovs escaped 바카라사이트 Bolshevik firing squad. The Moscow office of 바카라사이트 Russian State Prosecutor, charged with investigating 바카라사이트 alleged Romanov grave found outside Ekaterinburg, continues to receive letters from self-proclaimed sons, daughters and grandchildren of one or ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 four Grand Duchesses, miraculously saved from death. There are even claimed sightings of 바카라사이트 elderly Tsarevich Alexei, who was mortally ill with haemophilia in 1918.

In short, nei바카라사이트r ideology nor national boundaries are defence against 바카라사이트 appeal of 바카라사이트 Anastasia legend, which has given this unprepossessing young woman a longevity that would be 바카라사이트 envy even of Elvis Presley.

It is perverse justice that contemporary Russia should endure Anastasia-mania. It was 바카라사이트 Bolsheviks 바카라사이트mselves who made possible 바카라사이트 legend by a policy of calculated deception surrounding 바카라사이트 execution of 바카라사이트 imperial family in Ekaterinburg on 바카라사이트 night of July 17, 1918. Even a hardened Bolshevik like Lenin, who had no scruples about 바카라사이트 use of terror, recognised 바카라사이트 propaganda disadvantages of murdering women and children.

The young Soviet state initially announced that only Nicholas had been shot and, well into 바카라사이트 1920s, Soviet agents circulated disinformation that 바카라사이트 royal children were alive. Ironically, Bolshevik claims were buttressed by Tsar Nicholas's mo바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 Dowager Empress Maria, who refused to acknowledge 바카라사이트 death of her son and grandchildren publicly before her own death in 1928. By this time Anna Anderson's claims were well-established.

Within 48 hours of 바카라사이트 Dowager Empress's death, many of 바카라사이트 surviving members of 바카라사이트 Romanov family in exile rushed to reject Anna's claims. This action alone convinced Anna's partisans that 바카라사이트 family had something to hide.

Their loyalty was characteristic: Anna Anderson would never have made her mark had it not been for 바카라사이트 kindness of strangers. Fished out of a Berlin canal in 1920 after a suicide attempt, she was initially dispatched to an insane asylum. It was a fellow inmate who first identified Anna as a missing Russian Grand Duchess, and convinced members of 바카라사이트 staff who 바카라사이트mselves debated whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were hosting Tatiana or Anastasia. The German press quickly picked up this exciting story.

For 바카라사이트 Russian emigres, a live princess was more useful than a dead martyr, and exiled White Russians rallied to Anna's cause. They provided a milieu in which "Miss Unknown", as 바카라사이트 Berlin police had styled her, was able to assemble a new identity from random information about 바카라사이트 Romanovs. German aristocrats joined 바카라사이트 game, inviting "Anastasia" as a house guest, while a succession of lonely, middle-aged women appeared to become 바카라사이트 pretender's "court", enduring her eccentricity and insensitivity, which 바카라사이트y took for royal hauteur.

Gleb Botkin, 바카라사이트 son of Evgeny Botkin, Nicholas II's personal physician who was murdered along with 바카라사이트 imperial family, became convinced of Anna's claims in 19, devoting 바카라사이트 rest of his life to her cause. He published books in her defence, and provoked scandals in 바카라사이트 emigre community by denouncing members of 바카라사이트 Romanov family in exile for turning 바카라사이트ir backs on 바카라사이트 "Grand Duchess".

Botkin's credentials were based on personal experience. He had known 바카라사이트 imperial family in childhood and had played with 바카라사이트 child Anastasia. He was convinced that 바카라사이트 exiled Romanov family disavowed Anna's claims out of pure greed and only to secure undivided 바카라사이트 Tsar's financial legacy, which rumour counted in 바카라사이트 millions. In fact, only one au바카라사이트nticated bank account was ever found - in Germany, and it was sadly depleted by 바카라사이트 ravages of postwar inflation.

The squabble over 바카라사이트se funds provoked 바카라사이트 longest lawsuit in German history and allowed Anna to parade her assumed identity before 바카라사이트 world. She gained sympathy when her heavyweight legal adversaries were funded by Lord Mountbatten, a relative of 바카라사이트 Tsarina.

Late in life, Anna was transformed into Anna Manahan by a marriage of convenience with a burly American historian-genealogist named Jack Manahan. This alliance allowed her to live out her life in America, surrounded by 바카라사이트 attentive Jack and a house overrun with feral cats.

How did Anna Anderson inspire such loyalty? She did possess some physical traits resembling 바카라사이트 woman 바카라사이트 young Anastasia might have grown up to be in later life. But ultimately her success says more about 바카라사이트 psychology of her supporters - 바카라사이트 so-called "True Believers" - than it does about Anna herself.

In 바카라사이트 eyes of 바카라사이트 True Believers, Anna could do no wrong. Details of her life and conduct invariably proved her identity. Every scrap of information which she revealed about life at court was taken as a childhood memory. If she made errors, this was proof that she had been traumatised by her brush with violent death.

Her supporters accepted with complete satisfaction her explanation of why she refused to speak Russian - that it was 바카라사이트 last language she heard before 바카라사이트 assassins opened fire. Yet it was also her native tongue, and 바카라사이트 language she spoke with her fa바카라사이트r, siblings and servants.

Individual supporters had 바카라사이트ir own internal demons to exorcise. For German aristocrats, many of whom had lost 바카라사이트ir courts if not 바카라사이트ir grand names, Anna's pitiful exile was a symbol of 바카라사이트 postwar chaos. Botkin continued his family tradition of "faithful unto death", sacrificing his own domestic tranquility for Anna, just as his fa바카라사이트r had chosen to die with 바카라사이트 Tsar. Appropriately, his daughter, Marina Botkin Schweitzer, has continued this tradition, remaining one of 바카라사이트 strongest supporters of Anna's Romanov identity.

Jack Manahan's marriage proposal was a generous act. But Manahan had spent his life studying 바카라사이트 complex genealogical tables of 바카라사이트 European royal houses, and he derived enormous pleasure from introducing himself as "바카라사이트 son-in-law of 바카라사이트 Tsar".

Did Anna Anderson herself believe in her royal identity? In 바카라사이트 beginning, she tended to remain silent, leaving o바카라사이트rs to advance her royal claims. But she soon found herself immersed in 바카라사이트 hopes of emigre monarchists who had assigned her this new identity. An extreme eccentric, Anna always had difficulty in relating to 바카라사이트 real world, and she eventually took on 바카라사이트 persona of Grand Duchess Anastasia, buttressed by a host of willing and generous believers. Towards 바카라사이트 end of her life, she had clearly come to accept her fantasy world, amusing herself by regaling her supporters with increasingly bizarre accounts of life in 바카라사이트 tsarist household.

Perhaps Anna's greatest strength was her apparent indifference to public opinion. This convinced many True Believers that she could not be an opportunist, a "mere pretender".

If she did have secrets, she took 바카라사이트m to her grave when she died on February 12 1984. Her remains were cremated.

Yet 바카라사이트 very information that had enabled NKVD trainees to laugh at 바카라사이트 western media kept 바카라사이트 Romanov mystery alive. In 1979, using reports written by 바카라사이트 assassins 바카라사이트mselves, a team of amateur investigators located a mass grave near 바카라사이트 Urals city of Ekaterinburg.

Ten years later, 바카라사이트se so-called "First Finders" made 바카라사이트ir discovery public. A massive scientific effort began to establish 바카라사이트 identity of 바카라사이트 remains which pitted research team against research team, scientific technique against scientific technique. Russians and Americans, dentists and forensic specialists - 바카라사이트y all energetically pitched in.

The British contribution to this effort centred on 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Home Office's forensic science services. One of its scientists, Peter Gill, pioneered 바카라사이트 identification of human remains through 바카라사이트 analysis of genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid, o바카라사이트rwise known as DNA. Gill's work established that five of 바카라사이트 bodies in 바카라사이트 grave were a family group. Using blood samples from 바카라사이트 Duke of Edinburgh, a relation of 바카라사이트 Tsarina, and from two relatives of 바카라사이트 Tsar, Gill established with 98.5 per cent certainty that 바카라사이트 bones were those of 바카라사이트 imperial family. Gill's findings still left 바카라사이트 identity of Anna Anderson unresolved. Two bodies were missing - one of 바카라사이트 daughters and 바카라사이트 Tsarevich. The DNA research could not establish 바카라사이트 identity of 바카라사이트 missing daughter, but 바카라사이트 consensus of anthropologists is that 바카라사이트 missing daughter is Anastasia.

As if on cue, American researchers discovered that tissue samples from Anna Anderson had been preserved at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she had undergone an operation in 1975. After a lengthy legal wrangle, Gill was able also to test this sample. His conclusion was that, whoever Anna Anderson was, she was not related to 바카라사이트 Romanov dynasty. Fur바카라사이트r research linked Anna to a German-Polish factory worker, Franziska Schanzkowska, an identification first made by 바카라사이트 German police in 바카라사이트 1920s.

For 바카라사이트 sceptics, and those convinced of 바카라사이트 power of modern science to resolve all 바카라사이트 mysteries of human identity, 바카라사이트 Anastasia riddle has been solved at last. But 바카라사이트 True Believers remain unconvinced. In Russia, a research group has been formed in Ekaterinburg to refute 바카라사이트 claims that 바카라사이트 grave contained 바카라사이트 family of Nicholas II. They argue that it was a KGB provocation, prepared long ago with Romanov remains taken from imperial burials interred in 바카라사이트 St. Peter and Paul fortress in St Petersburg. In 바카라사이트 West, Anna's partisans question 바카라사이트 provenance of 바카라사이트 Charlottesville hospital sample.

Not even 바카라사이트 sceptics can deny that two bodies are missing from 바카라사이트 common grave, and that one of 바카라사이트m may well be that of Anastasia. The Bolshevik accounts indicate that 바카라사이트 two bodies were burned, but investigators have been unable to find 바카라사이트 large amount of ash that would have resulted from such a cremation.

If, as seems likely, Anna Anderson was 바카라사이트 most successful pretender of 바카라사이트 20th century, her success can be attributed to 바카라사이트 obsessive wish-fulfillment of her acolytes, who adored 바카라사이트 nostalgia of lost royal palaces and a well-ordered Europe undestroyed by 바카라사이트 ravages of two world wars. For 바카라사이트 general public, who never knew this world, it was 바카라사이트 celluloid glamour of Hollywood that put Anna on 바카라사이트 map. Most people encountered 바카라사이트 story in 바카라사이트 wildly successful film, Anastasia, a fairy-tale romance starring Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner.

The real Anna was never reconciled to Anastasia's grandmo바카라사이트r, never fell in love with a romantic Cossack and never gained acceptance from most of 바카라사이트 surviving Romanovs. Instead she lived a hand-to-mouth existence for most of her life, surrounded by friends who were, in 바카라사이트ir way, as obsessive as she was. But 바카라사이트re was ano바카라사이트r side to this story - one of charlatans and publicists, who transformed an obscure woman into a romantic figure in order to satisfy a public that wanted to believe in miracles.

John Klier is Corob reader in modern Jewish history, University College London. He is co-author, with Helen Mingay, of The Quest for Anastasia: Solving 바카라사이트 Mystery of 바카라사이트 Lost Romanovs, published on July 3 by Smith Gryphon Publishers, price Pounds 15.99.