remembering romanova
A lone citizen challenges Islamic terrorists.
Olga Romanova was the name of two Russian Grand Duchesses. One, Olga Nicolaievna Romanova, was the eldest daughter of Czar Nicholas II and was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The other, Olga Alexandrovna Romanova, was Nicholas II's sister. She successfully escaped Russia with her husband and died at the age of 78 in Toronto, Canada. Another Olga Romanova gave her life in an act of heroism one year ago. She walked into a Moscow theater where Chechen terrorists held 700 hostage and demanded that they end their siege. For this, she became their first victim.
At the time of her death at age 26, Romanova was a clerk at a perfume shop. Her salary helped support her elderly parents and disabled brother. Nevertheless, her sense of justice compelled her to put herself at great risk in order to help others. Her mother, in an interview after the hostage crisis ended, said: "We sat around for a while, drank some tea. She was saying: 'How is it possible that they are keeping women and children in there?' Then -- it was about half past three -- she said, "So, I'll go, maybe I'll get through, maybe I will be able to talk to them, maybe they will release at least the children. I feel sorry for the kids.' I tried to stop her from going, I yelled at her, cried, locked the door. But she left." The Chechens, believing her to be an FSB spy, shot her and left her body in the theater lobby. Three days later, Russian troops stormed the theater, killing all 41 Chechens. Over 100 hostages died, nearly all from the effects of the anesthetic gas used to subdue the terrorists.
Romanova's mother is now the honorary trustee of the International Foundation for the Victims of Terror Acts.
A new documentary on HBO, Terror in Moscow, includes footage of Romanova entering the theater, as well as a many images from inside the theater thanks to the handheld camera the hostage-takers brought with them.
10.10.2003 © ljr