Thousands of Russians immigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. Among them was Olga Romanova. Despite the fact that she was 66 years old at that time, she continued to lead a fulfilling life in Toronto. Learn more at torontoyes.com.
Personal life
Duchess Olga was born in the family of tsar Alexander III on June 13, 1882. Being the youngest of four children, she was the last child of the reigning monarch. (Her older brothers Nicholas, Alexander, George, Michael and sister Xenia were born before their father became tsar).
Since her childhood, Olga was used to a luxurious life. She had hundreds of servants at her disposal. In 1894, when her father died, her older brother Nicholas became the Russian tsar and headed a prospering, at that time, monarchy.
The reign of Nicholas II started with an unfortunate mishap. During his coronation in 1896, more than 1,000 people who came to watch the coronation died in a stampede.
When Olga turned 19, she married 14 years older Duke Peter of Oldenburg. There were rumours that Peter had an unconventional orientation and that was a marriage of convenience. Despite the fact that their union wasn’t successful, Olga blithely enjoyed her life at her husband’s estate. This continued until she fell in love with Nikolai Kulikovsky in 1903.
Quite quickly, that affair caused a big scandal in Russia. Nicholas II had to annul his sister’s marriage to Peter and consented to her marriage to Kulikovsky. Probably, it was his last act in office.
Forced departure from Russia
In 1917, Nicholas abdicated and the Communists seized control of the country. The royal family was put under house arrest and shot in 1918. However, Olga and her beloved Kulikovsky were lucky enough to get on a ship full of emigrants and set off for Denmark in 1919. There, Olga and Nikolai lived for 25 years in a small villa, hiding far away from the Soviet authorities.
The couple could have stayed in Denmark for the rest of their lives, but after World War II, the Soviet authorities pushed the Danish government to force them to leave.
In 1948, Edward Peacock, Olga’s third cousin, helped them move to Toronto. Olga and Nikolai went to a large livestock farm near Toronto. Having settled down, they started running their own farm. Locals accepted new neighbours.
While Nikolai worked on the farm, Olga spent a lot of time painting rural landscapes and still lifes. Subsequently, her works even gained interest among residents.
They seemed that everything was good, as they had a quiet and measured life. However, at the age of 70, Nikolai had certain health problems, so they decided to move from the farm to a small cottage in Cooksville. Olga took her paintings to her new home and decorated every room with her works.
Solitary old age
Nikolai died in 1958. Left alone, Olga spent her days growing vegetables in the yard. Despite the unluxurious way of life, Olga communicated with European royalty. She often dined with countesses and princesses when they came to Canada. Every year, she received gifts from Danish and Finnish acquaintances.
In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to Canada. She also invited Olga on board the royal liner Britannia in Toronto. Although Olga was often seen in secular circles, she remained private and rarely dwelled on her personal life.
In 1960, Olga fell ill and was hospitalised in Toronto. After her condition stabilised, she was released into the custody of Konstantin Martemianoff and his wife. In November of the same year, Olga died at the age of 79.