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In 1997 the lady known simultaneously as “Evgenia Smetisko,” “Eugenia Smith,” even “Eugenie Smetisko," breathed her last in a nursing home close to Newport, Rhode Island where she had lived in her dotage serving as the directress of the St. Nicholas House Foundation. Until her transition to eternity she insisted, according to those who knew her in that city, that she was in fact HIH Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov, Grand Duchess of Russia.

J. (Johannes) Froebel-Parker, having acquired a number of paintings by “Evgenia” (or Anastasia) decided to find out more about the woman whose delightful artwork purported to depict her memories in Imperial Russia and then immediately after the fateful night of July 16/17, 1918, when official accounts insist she was murdered along with the immediate family of Tsar Nicholas II and certain members of his retinue.

Froebel-Parker began by self-publishing a review of many of her paintings in his collection under the title THE ART OF THE AUTHORESS OF ANASTASIA: The Autobiography of H.I.H. The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna of Russia (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)

A fascinating story indeed! It was also an entertaining notion to imagine that yet another woman in a long line of previous claimants might have been the true surviving youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The catalyst for further investigation transpired on a certain Orthodox Pentecost Sunday when the author and a group of friends found her grave in the then “new” section of the cemetery of Holy Trinity Orthodox Cemetery (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) in Jordanville, Herkimer County, New York. One had read in all “official” accounts that alias “Evgenia” had been born in 1899. In glaring contradiction, one clearly observed she had been buried with an Orthodox cross above her grave ostensibly with the date of birth of the real grand duchess: 18 June 1901.

For almost a quarter of a century more and more evidence was accumulated to make a safe declaration that “Evgenia” had truly been telling the truth of her imperial background.
A thorough examination of this evidence led to the 2024 tome-GRAND DUCHESS ANASTASIA: STILL A MYSTERY? (Histria Books) histriabooks.com/product/grand-duchess-anastasia)

Reading a physical book was a favorite pastime of the author’s mother who always insisted, when asked for her assessment of alias “Evgenia’s” contention, “It’s HER!” Many have shared their experiences reading Grand Duchess Anastasia with an oft repeated comment, “I cried,” followed by “I didn’t want it to end!”

The author hails from a small Upstate New York burg in Cortland County to which a master perfumier, Russian by ethnicity and a native of Kazakhstan, had taken up domicile. A Russian perfumier who could create a scent with centuries old European mastery! The author dropped in for a visit. After many conversations and 13 incarnations of a unisex eau de parfum (which Victor Rakovich explained was the norm in Imperial Russia as it was not a sign of gender but of status), Imperial Mystery (Imperskaya Taina) was born. Good naturedly the author mentioned to the master craftsman that everyone who had assisted in the Anastasia research resulted in being a DNA relative of the author’s mother. As a gift of appreciation, Mr. Rakovich received the DNA kit with gratitude. Both author and he were flabbergasted that according to the level of shared chromosomal material he was the biological DNA 2nd cousin of the author’s mother. That would indicate that both would have shared common great grandparents or ancestors in that generation. Indeed, both had great grandparents in Europe so it was thoroughly plausible.

Readers are urged to read more about the composition and inspiration of Imperial Mystery at:
https://pressgurwitz.com/products/eau-de-parfum-imperial-mystery

The image above depicts the vial of perfume resting on an antique Italian wedding throne with a box worthy of nobility. A scent meant to transport the wearer (or anyone close enough) to Imperial Russia demanded adequate packaging. Custom Boxes at www.thecustomboxes.com listened to the author about the desire to encase the perfume, a sensorial return to pre-Bolshevik Russia, in packaging which would be cherished as much as the perfume and the book which had led to its creation. Kudos to them for such patient and meticulous service.

As a follow up, Custom Boxes asked this author if he might consider making a short testimony. It is included here with much gratitude. Thanks to their expertise, those who go on this historical and olfactory journey can enjoy a handsome book and a perfume which would be surely prized at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg:

Video at: https://www.tiktok.com/@ahnentafelbooksnew/video/7661123417617239327

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