Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia and daughter of Alexander III of Russia

On my walk at York Cemetery in Toronto, I discovered the grave of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna—youngest daughter of Alexander III of Russia and sister to the last Tsar, Nicholas II.

Born in 1882 at the opulent Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Olga was raised in royalty but lived through revolution and exile. After the murder of her brother Nicholas during the Russian Revolution, she and her husband, Nikolai Kulikovsky, fled Europe. In 1948, they emigrated to Canada, eventually settling on a small farm in Campbellville, Ontario, before moving to Cooksville, north of Toronto.

Following her husband’s death, the Grand Duchess—once a resident of palaces—lived out her final years in a modest apartment in east Toronto. A devout and humble woman, she found comfort in her faith and painting. Today, her artwork is collected worldwide, a lasting reminder of a life that bridged imperial splendour and quiet resilience.

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna died in Toronto on November 24, 1960. She was 78.