by Ioannesfrobenius, Froebel Galleries, ©2025
(May 22, 2025) — Although not the first to mention in the press that alias “Evgenia Smetisko,” “Eugenia Smith,” or even “Eugenie Smetisko,” had claimed to be HIH Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov, Grand Duchess of Russia, it is worthy of note that a circular from the Museum of Russian History at Holy Trinity Orthodox Monastery in Jordanville, (Herkimer County), New York has dubbed an icon donated by “alias Smetisko” as “An Icon from “Anastasia.’”
Previously the New York Times, in an article by Eve Kahn, had mentioned alias “Evgenia” briefly, one would opine, too briefly given the number of artifacts and regalia she had donated to the museum, which she has bequeathed with a sizeable annuity in perpetuity. Read that article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/arts/design/treasures-and-trivia-of-the-romanov-era.html
J (Johannes) Froebel-Parker’s book GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIA: STILL A MYSTERY? histriabooks.com/product/grand-duchess-anastasia goes a step further and solidifies a number of clues and pieces of evidence substantiating alias “Smetisko’s” claim to have been the youngest Romanov grand duchess.
An earlier publication, THE ART OF THE AUTHORESS OF “ANASTASIA,” https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/610844-The-Art-of-the-Authoress-of-Anastasia-The-Autobiography-of-H-I-H-The-Grand-Duchess-Anastasia-Nicholaevna-of-Russia depicts a number of pieces of her bequest to the monastery, then deemed unsuitable for their collection. They are lovely in their own right, and take on new meaning as “Smetisko’s” claim becomes more and more credible.
See the rest here.