| Rebecca I Abramovna | |
|---|---|
| Grand Duchess (Nuptialis) | |
| {{{image}}} | |
| Full name | Rebecca I Abramovna Romanova |
| Russian name: | Ребекка Абрамовна Романова |
| Ukrainian name: | Ребекка Абрамович Романова |
| Born | November 19, 1990 |
| Birthplace | New York City, United States (New York City, New York) |
| Consort | Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich |
| Royal House | none |
| Religious beliefs | Judaism |
Grand Duchess Rebecca I Abramovna Romanova (Russian: Ребекка Абрамовна Романова, Ukrainian: Ребекка Абрамівна Романова, Hebrew: רבקה בן אברהם, Rebecca ben Abraham; born November 19, 1990) originally Rebeka Abramova Adayeva (Russian: Ребека Абрамова Адаева, Ukrainian: Ребека Абрамова Адаєвa) is a Russian-Ukrainian-New Yorker fashion designer and artist who is currently the wife of Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich, the son of Grand Duke Boris I Vladimirovich and grandson of Emperor Vladimir I Kirilovich, who was the Emperor of all Russia from 1938 to 1989.
Unlike other Grand Duchesses, Rebecca is not of noble descent, and is currently a Grand Duchess-Nuptialis, meaning that her Grand Duchess title, and any noble wealth is only so due to her marriage to a bloodline Grand Duke, known in Russia as a Grand Duke-Sanguinis. This would make her marriage to Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich a morganatic marriage.
However, in spite of common belief, her marriage to Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich is not the first morganatic marriage involving a Romanov, and the common belief is due to the controversy and media coverage it drew in Russia and the world. It is considered one of Russia's most controversial noble unions.
Grand Duchess Rebecca I Abramovna also has high connections to the Jewish-New Yorker community, many of which, come from Russian-speaking background.
Biography[]
Rebecca I Abramovna is of Russian and Ukrainian Jewish background in New York City in 1990. Her father, Abram Adayev was a Muscovite Jew, and her mother, Adina Adayeva (nee Freudenthal) is a Ukrainian Jew. Although growing up in New York City, Rebecca continued to have high ties to Russia and Ukraine, and grew up speaking both Russian and Ukrainian.
She told interviewers, "My Jewish faith does not lessen my identity as Russian and Ukrainian."
Along with her religious Jewish education, she attended the Pushkin Academy of Russian Heritage to broaden her knowledge of Russian, and took frequent trips back to Russia and Ukraine.
However, she remained politically distant, due to the cooling of relations between post-1989 Russia and Ukraine.
Marriage to Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich[]
In 2012, Rebecca had met Grand Duke Anthony I Borisovich, when he visited New York City, to help the city recover from the ruins of civil war. The two had become very close, however the Grand Duke already had possible arrangements to marry princesses from Germany, Italy, Serbia and France, something which Rebecca accepted.
However, the Grand Duke too, had become to develop feelings for Rebecca, and a fact not-known until 2015, the two have engaged in sexual activities. Grand Duke Anthony I spoke to his great aunt, Maria I Vladimirovna, the current Empress of all Russia, of a possible morganatic marriage. Although the Empress preferred that he marry a princess, however stated that she would honor their marriage.
In 2015, the two finally got engaged, which drew the ire of controversy in Russia and Ukraine, mixed responses from other nobles. In spite of the Empress agreeing to honor their union, other Romanovs rejected such a thing, most notable Grand Duke Andrew I Pavlovich, an older cousin of Anthony, was one of the most vocal. Racist and ultra-nationalists also voiced their displeasure, but ultimately thanks to the approval of the Empress, reluctantly withdrew from any public outcries. In addition, Grand Duke Andrew I also spoke out against the death threats, stating that while he appreciates the Russian nations' concerns, and still doesn't agree with the union, matters are to be handled within the Romanovs, and that people should not resorting to death threats.
In 2018, the two finally got married, having several ceremonies, four in total, having two Orthodox ceremonies - one in Russia and one in New York, and two synagogue ceremonies, also one in Russia and one in New York. Grand Duke Andrew I Pavlovich did not attend the wedding.