“Once upon a December…” If those words spark instant nostalgia, you’re not alone. The 1997 animated film Anastasia has held a magical place in the hearts of many, with its sweeping romance, haunting music, and a heroine searching for her identity.
But beneath the ballgowns and Broadway-style numbers lies a much darker truth, because Anastasia was never really a princess (her official title was Grand Duchess), and the story it tells is rooted in one of the 20th century’s greatest tragedies.
In this post, I’m exploring the real history behind Anastasia – what the film got right, what it changed, and why the myth of a lost Romanov captivated the world for so long. Stick around for Anastasia’s true story.
The Magic of the Movie
Released by Fox Animation Studios (and now technically part of the Disney library after the 2019 acquisition), Anastasia was the studio’s answer to Disney’s princess powerhouse. With Meg Ryan voicing the fiery, independent Anastasia and a villainous undead Rasputin voiced by Christopher Lloyd, the film blended historical elements with pure fantasy.
Set in post-revolution Russia, the film follows an amnesiac orphan named Anya as she embarks on a journey to Paris, slowly discovering she may be the missing Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova. Add a charming conman (Dimitri), a bat sidekick (Bartok), and some truly iconic musical numbers, and it’s no wonder the film became a classic.
But how close was it to the real story?
What the Film Got Right
1. The Fall (and Execution) of the Romanovs
The Romanov family, Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, and their five children, including Anastasia were overthrown during the Russian Revolution in 1917.
After centuries of imperial rule, Russia was in chaos. People were starving, war was raging, and resentment toward the monarchy had reached a breaking point. Nicholas was forced to abdicate, and the family was placed under house arrest.
Then, in the early hours of July 17, 1918, the Romanovs were taken to a basement by their Bolshevik captors and executed. Their bodies were buried in secret, leading to decades of uncertainty about what had truly happened.
The film doesn’t show this, understandably, as it’s a family movie, but it does begin with the Romanovs being forced from power, and hints at the violence that followed. For many viewers, Anastasia was the first time they ever heard of the Russian Revolution or the Romanov name.
2. The Mystery of Anastasia’s Fate
For decades, rumours swirled that Anastasia (or sometimes her sister Maria) might have survived. Because two of the children’s remains weren’t found for nearly 90 years, the idea that Anastasia had somehow escaped became a genuine historical mystery — one that inspired books, films, and real-life impostors.
3. Rasputin as a Controversial Figure
Grigori Rasputin really was a mystic and advisor who held an unusual amount of influence over the royal family — especially Tsarina Alexandra. He claimed he could heal their son Alexei’s haemophilia, and his presence at court caused scandal and resentment. Rasputin’s power made him a target, and in 1916 he was murdered in a bizarre, drawn-out assassination. While the Anastasia film turns him into a cartoon villain with magical powers, he was certainly feared and hated in real life.
4. The Grandmother, Maria Feodorovna, Was Real
In the film, Anastasia’s grandmother (voiced by Angela Lansbury) is portrayed as a regal and heartbroken Empress living in exile, still clinging to the hope that her granddaughter might be alive.
She’s based on the real Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, mother of Tsar Nicholas II and grandmother of Anastasia. After fleeing Russia, she settled in her native Denmark and never accepted that her son and his family had been killed. She lived the rest of her life hoping for a miracle, and when women like Anna Anderson claimed to be Anastasia, Maria refused to meet them, but still held on to the belief that the real Anastasia might return.
This real-life grief and refusal to let go inspired one of the film’s most touching elements.
What the Film Got Wrong (But We Still Love)
1. Rasputin Was Not Undead
Let’s get this out of the way: Rasputin didn’t die, sell his soul, and come back from the dead with a talking bat and green glowing minions. In the film, he’s the main villain, casting a curse that destroys the Romanov dynasty. It makes for excellent drama, but none of it is historical.
In reality, Rasputin was assassinated in 1916 by a group of nobles who believed he was ruining Russia. His death is the stuff of legend: he was reportedly poisoned, shot, and finally drowned in a freezing river, though some of the more dramatic details may have been exaggerated over time. What is true is that his influence was deeply controversial, and his presence in the royal circle helped fuel public anger. But there were no magical powers involved.
2. Anastasia Did Not Escape
The central story of the film, that Anastasia survived and lost her memory, is based on a myth that captured the world’s imagination for decades. But the truth is far more tragic.
All five Romanov children were executed alongside their parents in 1918. For many years, not all the bodies were found, and this gap in evidence allowed survival theories to grow. Some believed Anastasia or her sister Maria had escaped. The most famous claimant was Anna Anderson, who spent years insisting she was Anastasia, despite lacking proof.
It wasn’t until 2007, nearly 90 years later, that DNA testing confirmed all the Romanovs had indeed perished. Two bodies, found in a separate grave, belonged to Anastasia and her younger brother Alexei. The mystery was finally laid to rest, but by then, the legend had already taken deep root in popular culture.
3. No servants survived
In the film, Dimitri is a former palace servant who helps Anastasia escape as a child, later becoming her love interest. It’s a romantic idea, that someone from the inside helped her survive.
But in reality, none of the Romanovs’ household staff survived the execution. Several devoted servants chose to accompany the family into exile out of loyalty, even when it was dangerous to do so. Tragically, they were executed alongside the Romanovs in the basement of the Ipatiev House.
Among them were:
- Dr. Eugene Botkin, the family physician.
- Anna Demidova, a maid to Empress Alexandra.
- Aloysius Trupp, the footman.
- Ivan Kharitonov, the family’s cook.
These individuals were buried with the Romanovs in unmarked graves and only identified decades later. Their story is often forgotten in retellings, but their loyalty and quiet courage are heartbreaking reminders of how many lives were lost that night.
4.. Romanticising the Monarchy
One of the biggest historical liberties the film takes is its portrayal of imperial Russia as a glittering, fairytale world full of balls, tiaras, and warm family dinners. While there’s a kernel of truth in the grandeur, the Romanov rule was also marked by extreme inequality, political unrest, and brutal repression of dissent.
The revolution didn’t come out of nowhere, it was the result of years of suffering among the working class and peasantry. The monarchy was overthrown not by a villain’s curse but by people desperate for food, justice, and change.
The film avoids these complexities and instead paints the royals as innocent victims of one bad man’s spell. It’s emotionally satisfying, but it erases the real reasons the Russian Empire fell, and the real pain of the people who rose up. Although, clearly, this in no way excuses the killing of children.
The Legacy of a Lost Princess
Despite its historical inaccuracies, Anastasia remains a beloved classic. It introduced a generation to a real moment in history, even if it wrapped that history in fantasy. The Broadway musical deepened the story with a more grounded villain (no magical bats this time), and the movie continues to resonate with anyone who’s ever felt lost, or longed for a sense of belonging.
Because Anastasia is about more than a lost duchess — it’s about found family, forgotten identity, and the enduring belief that even the most broken stories can have a hopeful ending.
Final Thoughts: When Fairytales and History Collide
Even though the truth isn’t all singing and dancing, we still love Anastasia. I very much do. But understanding the truth behind the tiara only adds more depth to the experience.
In a world where history is often sanitised or forgotten, we owe it to the real people — like Anastasia and her siblings — to remember what actually happened, even if the version we were first told came with chandeliers and magical lockets. History isn’t always kind, but sometimes, looking behind the curtain makes the fairytale even more powerful.
And while the reality is dark and full of sadness, we can still snuggle up, put on the VHS and be –
Together in Paris.
Want more hidden history behind beloved animated classics?
If you enjoyed exploring the real story behind Anastasia, you might also love my post An American Tail: A Hidden History — a look at another powerful animated film that carries much more meaning than meets the eye.
Thank you so much for reading! If you close your eyes, you can imagine Rasputin with frizzy grey hair and a white jacket ha