Charade. Calling it that sounds better than what it actually was, a fraudulent claim aimed at gaining money from the Romanov family under false pretenses. We know now it was without question a deliberate charade. Since we know she wasn't really Anastasia, and any information did not come from her own memory, the biggest mystery left is who helped with her charade, why they did it, and how they managed to pull it off for so long while other claimants failed. It's all speculation, since no one is going to leave a paper trail of fraud, we'll never know for sure, but there are some glaring suspects and interesting information to consider. Others remain safely anonymous and hidden in the shadows where they surely will remain, but their influence cannot be ignored or forgotten. From all the research I've done, I feel that I have found enough evidence to support my hypothesis that she, at least for awhile, knew exactly who she was and what she was doing, and that her backers helped her with information, and that most of them were out for financial gain. (it's also likely she did gain some information incidentely in conversations with innocent visitors and used it to 'amaze' others later.) It is possible she may have been used by some of those people, and at times must have found herself frightened and lost wondering what was to become of her. One thing I am convinced of is that she had no plans to pretend to be a Grand Duchess until given the idea. Was she a con artist or a victim? Regardless of the circumstances, the information could not have come from her own memory.
WHO HELPED HER?
There were a half million Russian exiles in Germany in 1920, at least 100,000 in Berlin.[1] They had an entire community, second only in size to the larger one in Paris. There is really no way to completely determine who all saw her and what they may have said to her. When word spread through the very large Russian emigre' community in Berlin, and elsewhere in Europe, many disheartened exiles who had fled their homeland and lost almost everything in the revolution and civil war flocked to see if this was their 'Grand Duchess Anastasia', the daughter of their Tsar, the dream of another day, and possibly a hope of restoration of the monarchy, and best of all, a trip home. We may never be completely sure just how many came, and just how many believed or did not believe her. It may have been during this time that she gathered some of the information she later used as 'memories.' Most of the Russians who fled were of the upper classes, and many likely had knowledge or even connections to the Tsar, his household, or at least a member of the court. There is almost an endless supply of people who 'knew' things, had 'seen' things, and could TELL things that would be very useful to a young woman pretending to be one of the Grand Duchesses.
Does this mean they were all involved in a plot to put her up to pretend to be Anastasia? Certainly not. Many of those who dropped information to her probably did it innocently and incidently in conversation. "Do you remember the time.." that type of thing, and then Anna Anderson could pick up on that and use it on the next person. This is all speculative of course, but extremely likely. Still, this does not mean that others weren't intentionally 'feeding' her information, and we cannot deny the presence of organized 'plot' to present the 'invalid' as 'Anastasia'.
Just how many were involved, when and why they came to be and what their roles were may never be truly known because no one leaves an incriminating trial of fraud, and no one readily admits it. Grand Duke Andrei (Andrew) Vladimirovich, an early 'supporter', wrote to Sergei Botkin, head of the Russian émigré community in Berlin: “The number of people who have been drawn into this work is very large, and among them such strict discipline is apparent as was never present in Russian circles.”[2] What did he mean by ‘discipline? Was this a ‘code of silence’ that those involved in the charade would never speak of it? What did it mean that he distinguished the group from ‘purely Russian circles’, that there were others involved who were not Russians? His words do prove at least by 1927, her network of 'helpers' was 'very large.' If even one of them were to give it away, the entire house cards would fall and everyone involved would go down, so it's not surprising they never gave themselves away. Unfortunately, supporters like to use this lack of official 'proof' on anyone to claim that there never was a charade, but of course, there was. The more emigres' she met, the more she 'knew'. What a fascinating tale the tangled web would tell if ever we could find out for sure!
Prince Michael Romanov, (Grandson of Xenia and Sandro by their son Andrew), born in 1920 in exile in France, stated that while growing up he heard quite a bit of discussion on the topic of Anna Anderson, and that it was obvious to them that she was false and 'dubious' people were aiding her:
"From the very beginning of the affair it was obvious to my family Anna Anderson was an impostor," recalls Prince Michael, "that there were dubious people and motives behind her claims, but few would listen to our protestations at the time."
"We were a very closeknit family in exile and I remember as a youth listening to several conversations between my grandmother (Grand Duchess Xenia), relatives and friends. All were appalled by the claims being made by the hordes of impostors, there were just so many people claiming to be Ekaterinburg survivors. Several members of my family or representatives went to see Anna Anderson during the early days and dismissed her claims, and were amazed anyone could seriously believe a woman unable to speak Russian or answer specific questions about the lives of the Imperial Family could be the daughter of Nicholas II.
My family looked upon Anderson and the three ringed circus which danced around her, creating books and movies, as a vulgar insult to the memory of the Imperial Family". [3]
Some of her 'memories' can be directly traced to a source. When Anderson recounted to Harriet von Rathlef-Keilmann that she used to be called "Shibvicks" by her Aunt Olga and in turn Harriet informed Olga Alexandrovna of this recollection Olga was stunned and impressed. However, that was only until Olga found out that a former officer with whom she had a former acquaintance had visited Anna and had not only told Anna of the nickname but had gone to the extent of spelling it out letter by letter for her. Olga told of this event sadly in a letter written to Alexandra's sister, Irene of Prussia. In 1926, only a year after she'd met her, Olga Alexandrovna was certain Anderson was being fed details of Imperial Russia and the Romanov family to help her pretend to be Anastasia. As she put it, "For nearly four years, they stuffed the head of this poor creature with all our stories, showed her a large number of photographs, etc., and one fine day she astonished everybody with her 'memories.'"[4]
Though many people aren't aware of this fact, there were several books detailing the personal lives and surroundings of the Romanovs had been written by close friends and servants and most were available before anyone ever heard of Anderson. Among these are "Thirteen Years at the Russian Court", by French tutor Pierre Gilliard, published in 1921, "The Real Tsarista" by Lili Dehn, 1922, and "Memories of the Russian Court", by Anna Vyrubova (who was perhaps closest to the family), 1923. Others came later, while her claim was gaining more steam, like Sophie Buxhoeveden's "Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodorovna", 1928, and "Memoirs of Alexei Volkov", 1928. This was in addition to other writings, such as articles in newspapers and magazines. (Remember her asylum roommate, Clara Peuthert, had a collection of these.) Many of these also featured photographs of the family and their palaces. The information was out there, and even if Anderson herself may not have had access to the books, one of her many supporters surely did. It also didn't make a difference what language they were in, since so many of the emigres' were multilingual. Anderson supporters often claim she 'knew' things about the family's captivity and even their deaths that only someone present could have known. This is also not true as there was also written information about those facts, too. Gilliard, Volkov and Buxhoeveden had been with them in Tobolsk and had access to them until they were separated at Ekaterinburg. So were Gleb and Tatiana Botkin. Perhaps the biggest smoking gun knocking down the 'how did she know' is the 1920 book "Last Days of the Romanovs." It contains personal accounts of those who knew the family well and were with them in their final months, such as Gilliard, English tutor Gibbes, and Col. Kobylinski, in charge of the family in Tobolsk. Inside information about their last months, and even about the specifics of their execution and what was found later by the White army, are all detailed in this book of over 400 pages. While probably unknown to much of the general public who were fooled by her 'memories', it was a literal goldmine for Anderson and her supporters.
In the ghostwritten 'autobiography' "I, Anastasia", the authors blatantly borrow from books that were available at the time, such as those written by Alexandra's friends. Trips on the yacht to Riga, Sweden and Germany described by Vyrubova and Buxhoeveden appear as 'memories' attributed to Anderson. The footage of the Imperial children roller skating on the yacht, well known since the days of newsreels, was obviously the source for Anderson's 'memories' of the scene. Some were far more blatant, such as this paragraph in "I, Anastasia" that is obviously a paraphrased version of part of Gibbes' memories of life in Tobolsk published in the 1920 book "Last Days of the Romanovs."
From "I, Anastasia"
In the morning Papa breakfasted with my sister Olga in his study, where afterwards he read or made entries in his diary. Mama was the last to get up, though she woke very early. She stayed a long time in bed, however, and drank her coffee in the bedroom, which she usually did not leave before lunch. Lunch was at noon, and we still had our old chef. There was soup, fish, meat, preserved fruit and afterwards coffee. For supper, too, we sometimes got fruit, whenever it was obtainable in the town. After meals Alexei had to rest while we others went downstairs again.Before tea, which we drank in Papa's study, Alexei got a history lesson from Papa.We also built ourselves a small terrace above the orangery, with steps leading up to it, and there we enjoyed sitting in the sun.
From "Last Days of the Romanovs", examination of Mr. Gibbes:
The empress got up at different times, sometimes much later than others.There were times when the empress came out only for lunch.At lunch we used to have soup, fish, meat and dessert. Coffee was served upstairs. The dinner was similar to the lunch with the difference that some fruits were served. In the morning the emperor had tea with the Grand Duchess Olga in his workroom. Tea in the evening was always served in the emperors workroom and only the family was present. According to the doctor's advice the czarevitch had to rest a little on the sofa after lunch. We went out for a walk till about four or five o'clock. After we returned the emperor gave a lesson in history to the czarevitch. With some assistance the emperor built up a platform on the roof of the orangery. A staircase which was constructed by our combined efforts led to the platform.[5]
The more you read, the more you find!
Whose idea was it?
Was there a plan from the beginning to pick a girl to play the part of "Anastasia", as we see in the cartoon? I do not think so at all. From all I've seen and read, I do not believe Anna Anderson or anyone else had any idea to make up this story until the day Clara, her fellow mental patient, showed her the picture and story in Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung. (an October 1921 issue carried a story and title that translates to "Is the Tsar's Youngest Daughter Alive?"[6] It does seem that after that, she may well have been boosted, encouraged and used by those who wanted her to be Anastasia, or even those who wanted to use her for more unscrupulous reasons, such as to use "Anastasia" to defraud the royal family out of alleged millions in the name of the Tsar's 'heir.' She had essentially lucked into her situation, and hitched her wagon to a star, chancing if it should rise or fall.
So, on the presumption that she was pretending and others knew she was pretending but helping her pass for a believable "Anastasia", who are the suspects? Most of them likely came from the emigre' community and their names may never be known. Perhaps some never even knew they had aided her. For the sake of speculation, if someone was doing this intentionally, who was in on it, and why?
Let's start with Baron von Kleist. He was the first person to take her home from the asylum, and it was after she had spent time with him that the details of her 'escape' story began to emerge. Is it possible that he is the one who invented it, or at least helped her invent it, knowing she would need some kind of backstory to explain her miraculous escape? It does seem likely. She also ended up leaving his house, complaining he was putting her on display and even making advances toward her. Whether or not these accusations are true, we cannot rule out the possibility he may have been the first person to help out with her 'charade' by inventing parts of it. (Please see the earlier section here on the "escape" story) The more seen and known of the early days and how the story developed, the more likely it seems that Von Kleist was heavily involved in the creation of this legend. Kleist's ideas were sometimes even too extreme for Anderson herself. She flatly refused to wear a crown encrusted frock bearing the inscription "Anastasia" he had made for her.[7]Former asylum mate Clara Peuthart was also an active participant in the charade, adding some of the most bizarre episodes to the story she claimed Anderson had relayed to her in private, and writing letters to Romanov family members and Russian emigres' trying to drum up support for 'Anastasia.' [8]
Apparently, her supporters hung much, if not all, significance on her being accepted by Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie. Von Kleist had 50,000 crowns riding on her acceptance, [9] so it was not only a favor to her that he worked so hard turning her into a marketable "Anastasia." It was said by some that the elderly Marie, living off the charity of her nephews, the Kings of England and Denmark, refused to accept that Nicholas and his family, and her other son, Michael, had been murdered, so perhaps in her last years those closest to her allowed her to believe that they had all been taken to an undisclosed location where no one could see or have contact with them, but they were alive. Was it too much to ask that this woman live out her remaining days in peace? Bringing her claimants of one who 'escaped' would only make it appear more likely all the others were dead, and this is likely what Olga meant when she said 'it will just kill mother', a line frequently used by Anderson's supporters to 'prove' Olga 'knew' Anderson was Anastasia. Not true at all! This does NOT mean that they would have rejected an authentic Anastasia, as many supporters claim. Everyone knew she was a fraud, and that is the real reason they rejected her, and tried to spare the old Empress any more grief.
Mistaken identity
While it's highly likely several did, surely not everyone who accepted Anderson as Anastasia was deliberately aiming to get their share of the storied Romanov fortune. Some people simply did not know her well enough to judge, and others must have truly been fooled, misled or mistaken. Others who were said to 'recognize' her and then 'recant' had no sinister motives and weren't 'paid off' by Uncle Ernie, etc., as Anderson supporters charge, but only had not yet been able to form a complete final opinion. Reports of Olga and Gilliard's initial 'acceptance' of the claimant have been embellished by supporters such as Rathlef, because they never officially accepted her and then 'changed their minds' as accused. However, they did need time to be sure it was or was not her, due to her emaciated condition. If she had been Anastasia, she'd have been through a horrible ordeal, being injured and then getting sick, so they'd have to take the time to be sure before deciding.
We need look no further than the tragic story of mistaken identity involving Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak [9a] to see that it is very possible to make mistakes at first and let the heart get in the way of what the mind may be trying to tell a person about whether or not an injured person is their lost loved one. A tragic error occured when the identifications of two similar looking blondes were mixed up in a van accident, causing enormous pain and grief for both families. For weeks, Laura's family sat at the bedside of the injured Whitney, believing it was Laura, while Whitney's family buried Laura's body, believing it to be Whitney. Though Van Ryn's family and friends did have doubts at times, they did not accept them until it was proven when Whitney finally woke up and identified herself. This terrible story occured in 2006, so it still does happen. It's not at all unusual that people may at first believe, or at least consider, a person is who they want it to be, then sadly find out later they were wrong as more information is revealed and discovered. This is not the same thing as 'turning their backs' or 'abandoning' as the Anderson supporters claim was done by Olga and Gilliard. They gave her a chance, but came to the sad conclusion she was not who she claimed to be- their Anastasia.
No one turned their back on the real Anastasia, nor would they have. Olga Alexandrovna stated that if Anastasia had been authentic, her mother the Dowager Empress would have rushed to her bedside[10] But the reluctance of the family to accept Anderson only made the supporters spew more and more claims that they were denying her inheritance for their own greed. This was of course false, and only served to alienate Anderson and her supporters even further from the family. When the old Dowager died in 1928, twelve members of the Romanov family issued and signed a statement renouncing the claim of the imposter Anna Anderson. Anderson and her camp tried to make it appear that their waiting until the old lady had died to do this was proof that they knew she was "Anastasia" so they wouldn't do it until Marie was gone. This was of course not the truth. It may have been to spare Marie any pain in her lifetime, since she believed the family to be still alive.[11] None of those who signed the statement believed they were turning their back on a relative, only a shameless fraud.(for more on this topic please see "The court case over the money" chapter here on this site.)
More suspects
Who else was in on it? What did they really know and when did they know it? Inspector Grunberg? George Leuchtenberg? Clara Peuthart? Were they really true believers, or accomplices? The motives of all of these people remain in question as we examine this story.
Rathlef is trying to help "Anastasia" remember the name of her dog:
Harriet Rathlef:"What was he called, do you remember?"
Anastasia dragged her hand across her forehead, as if she were trying to hold her head in place. "No, I cannot find the name, I cannot."
HR: "Was he called Jackie?"
AA: "No, it was different."
HR: "Try to think, if it is correct, I will tell you." Rathlef had the impression that Anastasia's thoughts were literally ripping across her brow: "I have seldom been able to observe so cleary the changing expressions of a face..she shut her eyes, the lids fluttering nervously, the face is working..the whole face is in tension." Then the name flew out: "Jemmy!"
HR: "Yes, it was called Jemmy!"
AA: "You are so good to me, so I can think better, and suddenly a lot comes back that was not clear."
on the next page, 77, Rathlef asks her: "Were you brought straight from Tsarskoe to Ekaterinburg?"
AA: "No, we were someplace else first, but what was it called.." she strokes her forehead, wants to say a name, then she stops. "Everything has gotten lost, I do not find the word, I knew it once." She said in despair.
Rathlef: "Leave it, Anastasia, it's not important."
"Tobolsk!" she says suddenly, sitting up straight and looking at me (Rathlef) like a child who wants to be praised.
Also on page 77, Riga is mentioned again, another alleged 'memory' of trips on the royal yacht Standart. Riga seems to be frequently used by supporters in 'memories.' As mentioned earlier, these excursions are detailed in several books written by friends of Alexandra, and were published in the 1920s and available during the time Anderson's claim was gaining momentum. Obviously, they are the source of the Riga 'memories'.
These passages, and many others in Kurth's book, especially the chapter "Shadows of the Past", read like well written, moving emotional scenes in a novel- but that is all they are. Since we know Anderson wasn't really Anastasia, we can be certain that these incidents could not have occurred as portrayed. Even more interestingly, Rathlef may even have given herself away here. Rathlef apparently has a lot of info on the family available in order to be able to tell if "Anastasia" is right or wrong about things she encourages her to recall-("if you are right I will tell you"- how would she know if she didn't have books and info on the Romanovs?) and since we know for sure she was not Anastasia, it appears highly likely that Rathlef was using such things to 'help' AA with her 'memories', and that this was quite probably intentional, making it look increasingly more like Rathlef was part of the fraud!
The Botkin connection
Gleb Botkin. Son of Dr. Botkin, who died with the family in Ekaterinburg, and nephew of Sergei Botkin, head of the Russian Refugee Office in Berlin. [20]There really doesn't seem to be a more likely and glaringly obvious suspect than him. Saying so angers and upsets some, but the association here cannot be denied. If there was ever a person who had the ability to mastermind and pull off this charade, it was Botkin. He had a brilliant, fertile, creative imagination, and was writing and illustrating his own elaborate stories with characters and worlds of his own invention at a young age. Marie, Anastasia and Alexei all joined in his imaginary land and enjoyed his work. [21] Since fleeing Russia, he had become a journalist in New York City, so writing became his life. Anna Anderson was a good story. Having had some contact with the Tsar's children growing up, he and his sister, Tatiana, had the intimate yet limited memories of the Imperial family and their surroundings that could easily account for many of Anderson's 'memories'. The memories seemed to be at times vague, hit and miss, some very accurate, some not. The people who were telling these things to her had to know a little and be able to fake the rest. It worked very well, partly due to the strong desire of it all to be true, and the wishful thinking of many a displaced Russian emigre'. Maybe she was more lucky than good, maybe the power of suggestion and the hope of those she was sold to had a lot to do with it. If people wanted her to be "Anastasia" badly enough, perhaps they'd see things in her they were looking for whether or not they were really there. Or maybe some of them didn't really know the Tsar's youngest girl that well, but were going only on what they were told and accepting it because it felt better that way. Who wouldn't rather believe she escaped the firing squad? It was a more comforting alternate ending.
Though surely they weren't the first or the only ones to feed her details of the Romanovs' lives, they do seem to have been key players in the charade. Were they the main source of her continued 'memories' used to 'amaze' Russian emigres'? It does seem possible. When Anderson left St. Mary's hospital at the insistence of doctors, George Nikolaivich Romanovsky de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg volunteered to take her to his home, Castle Seeon in Upper Bavaria. When she recieved the invitation, she asked "What are the Leuchtenbergs?" She only agreed to go if her friend Tatiana Botkin could accompany her. [22]Why did she want Tatiana with her? Could it be she needed her as a kind of "Cyrano" to whisper answers to her if questioned on something she, Franziska, didn't know the answers to? It does look suspicious now.
Anderson's claim gained much widespread interest, support and recognition through news and visits arranged with the Russian Refugee Office in Berlin. It was headed up by Sergei Botkin, uncle of Gleb and Tatiana, brother of their late father Dr. Botkin. This also stands out as a connection that could possibly be seen as suspicious. Sergei Botkin would often comment, "Well, Madame Tchiakovsky (Anderson) is either the Grand Duchess Anastasia or a miracle, and you know I do not believe in miracles."[23] Could there have been some kind of planning between Uncle and nephew to encourage the claim among the Russian community, leading to more support? It cannot be proven but also cannot be ruled out and is something to be considered.
Both Gleb and Tatiana Botkin wrote books about Anastasia, claiming she was the real thing. Gleb wrote two, "The Woman Who Rose Again" and "The Real Romanovs" in addition to some articles. No doubt they were profiting from the story. In addition, an 'autobiography', "I, Anastasia" was written by a ghost writer but passed off as "Anastasia's" own words to spark more interest in her story and claim.
Interestingly enough, it's a little known fact that Tatiana Botkin had already written her memoirs of the family in 1921, before the Anderson case was heard of, and in it she told a very different view of their relationship than she did after taking up with Anderson and claiming her as "Anastasia" years later. It cannot be ruled out that this change may have been deliberate in order to bolster Anderson's claim. She claimed there were things that Anderson knew that 'no one else could have known' that she verified, but then again, if she was the validation, and she wasn't being honest, it means nothing. In retrospect, knowing Anderson wasn't Anastasia, it's a reasonable conclusion to consider that she was doing things to aid the cause.
A very interesting factor in Botkin's part in all this was brought out by Frances Welch in her 2007 book, "A Romanov Fantasy- Life at the Court of Anna Anderson." In it, she points out comparions between characters and events in Gleb's novel "The Baron's Fancy", "Max" and "Alexandra", and how they parallel "Anastasia" and himself, both before and after its 1930 publishing date.[24] Could this be proof that it was all a plan? Gleb's amazing imagination leaves endless possibilities of how he may have masterminded parts of the Anna Anderson saga, even as it unfolded.
In his book, "The Woman Who Rose Again", Gleb described the real Anastasia as having 'a long nose, wide mouth and small flat chin',[25] but if you look at pictures of her, you will see that Anastasia had a smaller nose, small narrow mouth with thin lips, and a longer, curved chin.The description given by Gleb sounds a lot more like Anna Anderson! (see photos here) How could he have given such an inaccurate description? Did he not remember Anastasia that well, was the image clouded in his mind until it became confused with Anderson's image, or was he perhaps intentionally trying to make her appear more like Anderson to help the claim? It would be so much better to assume he was a truly hopeless romantic, devoted forever to his 'Anastasia', carrying with him an image of his princess stained into his heart and mind, when last her as a lovesick teenager waving down at him from the window of the Ipatiev house the day they parted. However, the details of his involvement, especially in the court fight for the alleged Romanov fortune, cannot be denied.
What would be the reason for wanting to pass her off as Anastasia? While Anderson supporters say it was only because they wanted to be nice and help her, that is far too naive to accept. Could it be....money? Baron Von Kleist set up an agreement stating that he would receive 50,000 crowns if the Dowager Empress recognized and accepted her as "Anastasia."[26] That does certainly make it appear that he would have every reason to want to groom her in a "Pygmalion" or "My Fair Lady" way to be presented as the Grand Duchess. Perhaps it was at the hands of the Baron and his wfe that she got much of the 'charm school' techniques she needed to later pass herself off as a member of high society? This shouldn't have been hard, or displeasuring to her, since even as a young girl Franziska was said to have 'put on airs' and pretended to be above the others in her family. No doubt by this time, she was glad to be alive and enjoying the prospect of becoming accepted as "Anastasia"- and very rich?!
It was all about the money. Money, the root of all evil, money that turns otherwise nice people into greedy monsters. Anderson claimed that she, as "Anastasia" was told by her father of enormous amounts of money deposited in European banks in the names of the Grand Duchesses. Anyone who could prove they were one of the Tsar's children stood to inherit countless millions. Thus, Anderson became a sort of 'cash cow' to her supporters, and backing her until she proved her identity and claimed her fortune was making it profitable indeed to be a supporter. While in reality there was no such mysterious fortune, and the surviving Romanovs seemed not to be well off financially, the lure of it was enough to drive the claim onward. Ironcially, while most Anderson supporters to this day will use greed and lying for money as the motivation of those who denied her, it appears that may well have been the other way around! As William Clarke points out in his book, "Lost Fortune of the Tsars", since we know that Anderson wasn't Anastasia and couldn't have had first hand information, we have to be certain that someone else was involved in inventing and spreading the story of the money in English banks.
In his article, "The Unmasking of Anna Anderson," John Godl gives a description of the likelihood of Botkin's motives:
Few of Anna Anderson's supporters were more cunning, knowledgeable or influential than Gleb Botkin; nephew of Serge Botkin and son of the Imperial Family's personal physician Dr Eugene Botkin who perished with his royal patients in the Ipatiev House in 1918. Gleb Botkin had an intimate knowledge of palace life, having spent much of his youth near the Imperial Family. As such it's impossible he was deceived by Anderson, he must have known she was a fraud and used her for his own aims. Botkin was one of many sources of obscure information Anderson would recount as "memories" to astound friend and foe alike.
Gleb Botkin was a novelist and illustrator by profession and used his talents to almost triumphant effect, writing numerous articles and a book on the validity of Anderson's claims. He also created the prevailing myth the Grand Duchesses Xenia and Olga (sisters of Nicholas II) tried to bribe Anderson to renounce her claim with the offer of a house anywhere in the world and a generous annuity, an impossibility considering their precarious financial situations. The heartless, vitriolic attacks on the sisters of Nicholas II and Romanoff family in general by Gleb Botkin and accomplices deserves nothing but utter contempt. Although they tried to attribute sinister or avaricious motives to the Grand Duke of Hesse and Lord Mountbatten pursuing them through the German Courts their motives were elementary; the upholding of family honour. They could not allow a low impostor to gain legal recognition as their cousin and profit from a family tragedy.
From the outset money was the principal objective, and Gleb Botkin became increasingly obsessed with tracing and claiming tsarist assets. When paranoid legitimate claimants would beat them he urged legal action be taken to have Anderson recognized Nicholas II's heir. [27]
Perhaps the most glaring finger pointing toward Gleb Botkin is his creation of and involvement in Grandanor Corporation. The Grand was for Grand Duchess, an for Anastasia, or "of Russia". Established in 1929 by Fallows and Botkin, [28]as a business entity for the purpose of funding a legal battle for the Tsar's money in "Anastasia's" name after they realized they were going to have to fight the family in court once they denounced her in 1928. It would also guarantee the care of "Anastasia" so she woudn't have to keep depending on donors and benefactors. Gleb and Fallows used it to raise money by selling shares in any future profits gained when (or if) "Anastasia" was able to have her identity as the Tsar's daughter confirmed. The payoff was potentially high for anyone who stood at Anderson's back in her time of need. Fallows himself stood to collect the first $400,000 and 10% of all money gained after.[29] While it's often claimed by supporters that Gleb signed his share over to the Red Cross, it was actually his 'inheritance' in "Anastasia's" will that he donated.[30]Even so, this meant he was free to collect money from the claim in other ways, even possibly 'laundered' or routed through the name of another person or corporation, as long as she lived. Of course in the end, she lost her claim, there was no fortune in the banks, and she outlived him by 15 years, so it never mattered. This is circumstantial speculation, but it certainly doesn't look too honorable from a distance.
There are rumors and very likely assumptions that some of those who testified on Anderson's behalf were promised shares in Grandanor corporation should she win out. So again, while it was those who opposed her in court, such as Olga A. and Pierre Gilliard who get accused by Anderson supporters of lying for financial gain, it does appear very probable the truth was quite the opposite. We know now that Anderson was a fraud, so we now know who was incorrect in their testimonies. We can safely assume that some of them were honestly mistaken, but the chances remain high many were not. These are the last mysteries of the story, her identity is no longer among the unsolved issues.
The Romanovs believed that Gleb Botkin and his accomplices were seeking monies, which they did not possess. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna commented, “My own conviction is that all of it started with some unscrupulous people who hoped they might lay their hands on at least a share of the fabulous and utterly non-existent Romanov fortune."[31]She also explained "Most malicious rumours about the 'fortune' began floating about soon after Mrs. Anderson's appearance in Berlin in 1920. I heard that ran into astronomical figures. It was all fantastic and terribly vulgar. Would my mother have accepted a pension from King George V if we had any money in England? It doesn't make any sense!"[32]
It is hard to accept that her case would have lasted so long, attracted so much interest and gathered numerous devoted supporters if there had been no monetary goal. We need only look at other claimants who made no legal claims for money and see how fast interest in them waned and faded. People often ask, why was Anna Anderson's claim so long and persistent while others disappeared? The answer could well be the battle for what was then assumed to be a large fortune, and the way this attracted people willing to help. We will never know just how many may have aided her cause, some dishonestly, in hopes of a large payoff if she won, yet this cannot be disregarded or ignored. While Anderson supporters from Gleb Botkin to message board followers of today so often like to paint the Romanov family as the 'greedy' ones and their backers, such as Gilliard, as 'paid off', in light of the reality that Anderson wasn't Anastasia, it is now very logical to conclude that some of Anderson's supporters were the ones with the less than noble financial goals.
{please see the Legal Case for the Romanov fortune section for much more on the issue of money}
In addition to not getting any money, those who stood against Anderson also had to deal with vicious accusations.
HOW?
Character assassination of those who opposed her
Of course nothing anyone did would have mattered if she hadn't been a willing participant to play the role of "Anastasia." There is plenty of speculation on when, if ever, she came to believe she was actually the Grand Duchess, and we may never know. It does seem that for years she was afraid of being caught, and according to some eyewitnesses she did seem to recognize her siblings and Doris Wingender on sight. She accepted the role, the poor, depressed, suicidal Franziska was gone, she was now a princess. Because so many were willing to believe, it almost worked. There can really be no question that somehow, from someone, she was coached in ways to behave and impress the upper class people she would be presented to. She became presented as a product for sale to willing takers. Those who met her and believed her would cite reasons they accepted her as things like her unmistakably 'royal manner' such as the way she raised her hand to be kissed. Once they were taken in, they must have felt it somehow a personal affront to their honor to admit they had been fooled, so she 'had' to be who she claimed to be.
But in reality, was this even an accurate portrayal? She may have have been able to pass the test for some as a lady of upper class breeding, but this did not mean she was Anastasia in particular. Anastasia, the tomboy, [37] the girl who disliked formal functions and cried when she had to go, Anastasia, a girl who because of her age was never even introduced into society, galas, and balls because the timing of the war and the revolution robbed her of those chances. In those days, younger girls, and boys, didn't openly associate in such circles, and remained in 'children's parties' separate from most adult gatherings. Girls had their 'coming out' at 17, sometimes 16. Anastasia was only 13 when the war broke out and ended all parties and balls, and by the time she was 16, her father and been deposed and the family was living as prisoners. Olga and Tatiana had gone to balls, but Marie and Anastasia were robbed of that experience. Would Anastasia have raised her hand in such a way? We'll never know. According to one friend from back in Poland, Martha Borkowska, Franziska often pranced around putting on pretentious airs, making exaggerated movements of a movie queen.[38] Some observers have claimed that the part Anderson played, tossing her boa and putting on airs, was more a generic picture of what others expected a young woman of high social status to be, rather than what the real Anastasia would have been like. This may have been good enough to get Anderson by, and good enough to satisfy some, but it was never proof she was Anastasia Nicholaievna Romanov and never will be.
It has been pointed out by various authors (GIlliard, Klier, Welch etc) that Anna reacted very oddly when confronted with individuals who had known the real Anastasia. At times she would simply refuse their visit. This includes at least one of Anastasia's first cousins (Son of Xenia Alexandrovna) When she did meet with them (sometimes these visits were forced or surprise visits) Anna would usually stop speaking and hide her face from her visitors, either by covering her face with a kerchief (during Sydney Gibbes visit), an bed sheet (during Baroness Buxhoeveden's visit) , or simply leave the room (during Princess Irene's visit). This way she prevented any false steps in either etiquette, speech or memories.
Odd behavior
Another way Anderson was 'lucky' is that her undesirable antics and outbursts were accepted and justified by her supporters as 'regal haughtiness' instead of just obnoxious rudeness, and anytime she acted up it was written off as being 'traumatized' by the murders. Even when she refused to see people, hid, covered her face, cry, or even ran away, it was accepted because she was just so terrified of being found and killed by the Bolsheviks![38a]
Anderson was prone to very strange outburst and spells of bad behavior which were most unladylike, though her supporters used the same old 'traumatized' excuses to explain. Her manners were at first far less than regal, with Von Kleist's daughter, a non-supporter, saying she did such things as duck beneath the table to blow her nose.[39] Sometimes her episodes became so extreme there was no doubt she had mental issues. (Franziska Schanzkowska was declared mentally insane in 1916.)[40] Here is one of the worst examples of her odd behavior and its results:
Anderson's claim was helped through the years, especially early on, by supporters such as Tatiana Botkin and Harriet Rathlef making excuses for her lack of memories and language skills [42] by attributing them to her poor health, as well as the injuries received in the 'massacre' and the 'trauma' that followed. Many people bought these excuses hook, line and sinker, and that helped the claim along. They also used her 'horrific past' to explain away her sometimes odd and outrageous behavior. She was fortunate to have the same foot ailment as Anastasia, similar ears and height, and a body covered with unexplained scars. She blamed them on Bolshevik rifles and bayonets but were most likely a result of the explosion at the grenade factory where Franziska had worked, and lesions caused by tuberculosis.
Some of those who claimed her were taken in by things that reminded them of the past and the family in general, features or traits of another family member, but not Anastasia specifically. Perhaps the strongest thing in her favor, besides having supporters to help her, was that so many people wanted to believe Anastasia had survived that in many cases wishful thinking and rose colored glasses filled in the gaps and covered holes in her story that otherwise may have been questioned and investigated more thoroughly.
Playing the part until the end
When she lived in the German countryside in the 1930's-40's, she was a popular tourist attraction. Picture postcards printed in Germany showed her little house and labeled it 'Residence of Grand Duchess Anastasia." So many visitors came to seek her out that some people found a market in selling coach trips set up to attract tourists to pay for a chance to catch a glimpse of the 'tragic princess.' This caused her to become more reclusive and eccentric, and she added booby traps and barbed wire around her hut and her four large dogs intimidated visitors. Her eccentric personality in some ways made seeing her something like a freak show for the visitors but her rare appearances did not disappoint gawkers. Summer or winter, she dressed in the same overcoat and strange headgear and usually hid the lower part of her face with a handkerchief, then walked away, followed by her dogs.[43](supporters claim she covered her mouth because she was embarrassed over her bad teeth, detractors claim it was because she knew how much her lower face differed from the real Anastasia's.)
As long as she lived, she never gave up the charade. Supporters say this indicates it was real. Others say it's because she eventually came to believe in it, which may be partly true, but the more likely conclusion is that things had gone too far, and there was nothing else she could do but to keep going. There was too much to lose, for her and others involved. From criminal charges to public humiliation, there were reasons she could not afford to give it up. Once she married John Manahan, whom she convinced she was the real thing, she could never back down even if she wanted to or risk losing him and being alone and homeless. She had to ride the gravy train until the bitter end, and hope time would never uncover her secret. Of course it did, but by then she was gone and wasn't around to have to deal with any consequences.
Who among her supporters truly believed her and who stuck with her for hope of a potential payoff? Though there is much to make us assume things about certain people, and for some the case against them seems rather strong, we will never be able to tell for sure because they all took their secrets to their graves and left us no confession or forwarding address, including Anderson herself.
Some reasons it worked for so long
Why was her claim so long lived and famous while other claimants faltered? She certainly had the right backing, determined, clever, strong willed supporters with a plan and the knowledge and creativity to make it appear to work. The fact that Anderson had a court case for large sums of money going set her apart from other claimants who did not. When money is involved, supporters are easier to find, sincere or not. The publicity of the trial, and the writings of supporters like the Botkins and Rathlef, made her story an intriguing, spellbinding tale of fairy tale proportions that attracted the interest of millions. Plays and movies were made based on the legend that grew around Anderson. It seems people wanted her to be Anastasia, it was more fun to believe in the 'lost princess' and easier to villainize those who tried to 'stop' her. This may be why it's so hard to tell or see the other side of it to this day- it wasn't as interesting if she were a fake, 'only' a Polish beet farm girl and factory worker playing a part. Some people wanted to believe it very badly.
It does look as if many of her earlier supporters in the Russian emigre' community were not so much accepting her as "Anastasia" specifically but as a piece of the past they hoped to hold onto. Notice many of the comments on why they accepted her by only a presumed family resemblance in the eyes [44] "Those are Nicky's eyes." "She had the eyes of the Tsar" "She waved goodbye just like my Empress" "She raised her hand to be kissed like a lady of good breeding" "she reminds me of the Dowager Empress" and so forth. There is little relating to her being ANASTASIA herself, except maybe a bit from Leeds, who hadn't seen her since she and Anastasia had been small children in infrequent visits,[45] and of course the questionable Botkins. Part of believing in Anderson's claim seems rooted in nostalgia and desire for the past to return, all parts of the wishful thinking that sometimes made people see what they chose to see in their hearts, even if it wasn't really there.
The Americans who made her the toast of New York wouldn't have known nearly enough to identify or reject a real Anastasia, so that's no endorsement. They were told she was a princess, they played the game without question. In the days of glamourous movie actresss, she was the star she always wanted to be. People wanted, maybe even needed, a lost princess among them. In her later years she was rough, disheveled and not at all regal in appearance or demeanor, yet she still collected new admirers. As Olga Alexandrovna said, "My telling the truth does no good, because the public simply wants to believe the mystery."[46]
Who Really Knew Anastasia?
Another big part of why the charade was so successful may have been because so few people knew the girls very well. The family was mainly very isolated, the children sheltered by their mother, they didn't go out, no one came in. Only a few inner circle people had more than brief contact. There were really no close friends, or even close cousins, who knew her well enough to accurately vouch for her authenticity, or lack thereof. Sophie Buxhoevedon wrote that "friends would have been welcome, but no young girls were ever asked to the Palace. The Empress thought that the four sisters should be able to entertain one another."[47] Anna Vyrubova mentions the same scenario in her memoirs: "...friends for these high born but unfortunate girls were very difficult to find. The Empress dreaded for her daughters the companionship of oversophisticated young women of the aristocracy, whose minds, even in the schoolroom, were fed with the foolish and often vicious gossip of a decadent society. The Empress even discouraged association with cousins and near relatives, many of whom were unwholesomely precocious in their outlook on life."[48] While this may have been generally the way she felt, now that Olga's 1913 diary has been published, it has been revealed that Alexandra was not such a controlling mother and the older girls did indeed enjoy social outings and activities; Olga even had boyfriends! The girls also enjoyed parties at their Aunt Olga's house. [49] But sadly, the two younger girls, Maria and Anastasia, never got their introduction into society because of the outbreak of World War I in 1914. After the war started, all parties and balls were considered in bad taste for everyone, not just the royals. It was very tragic that by the time they were old enough, they were imprisoned, and eventually murdered. So Anastasia did not get to see or do the things her older sisters were able to enjoy, because of the war and revolution.
This shortage of real witnesses played right into the hands of Anderson and her supporters. Had she gone to school instead of being tutored at home, there may have been dozens of friends and acquaintances who would have seen Anastasia on a daily basis and would have known her well enough to tell her from an imposter. Because of this lack of exposure, Anastasia wasn't individually familiar to many who could have have honestly been able to identify or refute her for sure. Others who had known her may have been killed during the revolution. The few who did have close relationships with her and were known to survive either weren't asked (Anna Vyrubova, Dmitri Pavlovich) or were branded as 'liars' (Olga Alexandrovna, Pierre Gilliard, Sophie Buxhoeveden) who were out to deprive "Anastasia" of her 'name' and 'money'. Unfortunately, many people fell for this reasoning, and the charade and case continued.
Plain old fashioned embarrassment
Humiliation, both personal embarrassment and shame on the family was a lot bigger deal in past decades than it is today. No one wants to admit they or their relatives were fooled by an imposter, and took a Polish peasant into their lives and/or homes, wined and dined her and presented her to society, paid her bills and treated her like royalty. Some did later denounce her, but in many cases people may well have had doubts or stopped believing but wouldn't admit it due to the pure humiliation of admitting they'd been hoodwinked would bring to them. Think how they'd feel after swearing for ages that she was a lady of high society and the finest circles, and then have to cave and admit a complete fake had them fooled. Perhaps some, then and their descendants now, would rather hold onto the noble fantasy that they did their best to help a desperate young Grand Duchess than to have their pride wounded from being taken for a ride by an imposter and her dubious entourage. This may sound harmless, but it only serves to perpetuate the myth and causes conspiracy theories to spread as excuses and reasons to believe toss blame on innocent victims.
Popularity of the "Anastasia" legend and a desire to believe it
Ever since the 1920's, the story of the escaped princess fascinated and captivated the public's attention. After Rathlef's serialized story on Anderson was published, there were "Anastasia" brand cigarettes and candy being sold in Berlin, and even a night club tune written in her honor. If she were only Franziska, that was no fun!
Later, another issue working against Berenberg-Gossler and the others trying to disprove Anderson's claim was when a round of the case coincided with the 1956 release of Twentieth Century Fox's box office hit "Anastasia", staring Ingrid Bergman. The grossly inaccurate but very popular movie helped legitimize Anderson's claims in the court of public opinion and made things a lot more difficult for Berenberg-Gossler. The court case had a large following in German tabloids and many readers who saw the movie thought it was a true story. People wanted to believe, and didn't want to hear that it wasn't true.[50] It was much easier for them to accept the 'evil relative' excuse than to face the truth- the real Anastasia was dead.
Prince Michael Romanov, a grandson of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, stated that while the family always knew Anderson to be an imposter, the legend around her made it much more difficult to convince others. With a host of movies, books and newspaper articles promoting Anna Anderson's claims from the 1920's to the present day the Romanoff family found it increasingly difficult to escape the soap opera, for all the glories of a once magnificent imperial dynasty it was Anderson's claims most people wanted to talk about.
"From the very beginning of the affair it was obvious to my family Anna Anderson was an impostor," recalls Prince Michael, "that there were dubious people and motives behind her claims, but few would listen to our protestations at the time."
"We were a very close-knit family in exile and I remember as a youth listening to several conversations between my grandmother (Grand Duchess Xenia), relatives and friends. All were appalled by the claims being made by the hordes of impostors, there were just so many people claiming to be Ekaterinburg survivors. Several members of my family or representatives went to see Anna Anderson during the early days and dismissed her claims, and were amazed anyone could seriously believe a woman unable to speak Russian or answer specific questions about the lives of the Imperial Family could be the daughter of Nicholas II.
I remember the day I heard DNA tests had proven beyond conjecture Anna Anderson wasn't the Grand Duchess Anastasia, just another in a long and undistinguished like of fakes. Of course it came as no surprise!, it only validated what my family had been saying for 60 years and now people were finally paying attention.
Presentation
The Media's portrayal
Perhaps the biggest factor in the long life of the charade was the public interest, the media's presentation and sensationalism. Dr. von Berenberg-Gossler said that during Anderson's German court cases the press were always more interested in reporting her side of the story than the opposing benches' less glamorous perspective. Editors often pulled journalists after reporting testimony delivered by her side and ignored the rebuttal, resulting in the public seldom getting a complete picture.[52] This is a big factor in why the story is always told so slanted to her side, and why I am here today trying to balance it out.
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