Eugenia Smith, of Chicago, also known as Eugenia Drabek Smetisko, (1899-31 January 1997) was the author of the Autobiography of HIH Anastasia Nicholaevna of Russia, in which she claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia. Though since World War II there have been at least ten "Anastasias," only Anna Anderson and Eugenia Smith achieved more than a small coterie of "believers." Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (1901-1918) Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia (Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, in Russian: Великая Княжна Анастасия Николаевна ) (June 18, 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and Empress Alexandra. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that... Jump to: navigation, search Anna Anderson Anastasia Manahan (her official name in later life), usually known as Anna Anderson (circa 1900 - February 4, 1984) was the best known of several women who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and...

She was born, according to naturalization papers she filled out in 1929 when she emigrated to the United States, in 1899 in Bukovina. Her book was originally represented to its publisher as a manuscript given her by Grand Duchess Anastasia. The publisher required that she take a lie detector test to verify this, a test which she failed. She then changed her story, claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia, and passed the test on that story. She then adopted the birth date 18 June 1901, that of the Grand Duchess, and accordingly changed her birthplace to St. Petersburg. Bukovina, in green, divided between Romania (red) and Ukraine (yellow) Bukovina is the territory on the slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains. ... A polygraph or lie detector is a device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being asked, in an attempt to detect lies. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...

She became a fixture on the Manhattan party circuit when LIFE magazine featured her claims in a largely favorable article on 18 October 1963. The article pointed out that she had failed to convince two anthropologists (who compared her features to photographs of Anastasia), a handwriting analyst (who found no match between her handwriting and Anastasia's) and a cousin and childhood playmate of Anastasia. The Orthodox Church rejected her claims. Smith refused the DNA testing which would have scientifically proven or disproven her claims. Jump to: navigation, search Manhattan Borough,highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Life is a multi-faceted concept. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in Leap years). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ...

She was an avid painter. Many of her works depict scenes of her purported childhood in Russia in the Imperial family and are in a private collection. She founded the St. Nicholas Foundation.

Many newpapers published her obituary using Anastasia's birthdate. Unlike Anna Anderson, who was cremated upon death, Eugenia Smith was interred in Orthodox fashion in the cemetery of Holy Trinity Orthodox Monastery in Jordanville, New York. Cremation is prohibited in Orthodoxy.-1... Jordanville, New York is a hamlet in the Town of Warren in Herkimer County, New York at the intersection of Routes 18 and 155. ...

References

• Autobiography of HIH Anastasia Nicholaevna of Russia, New York: Spellman, 1963. [ISBN 1125906472]
• Anastasia: The Life of Anna Anderson, Peter Kurth, Pimlico, 1995. [ISBN 0712659544]
• The Great Pretenders: The True Stories behind Famous Historical Mysteries, Jan Bondeson, W. W. Norton Co., New York, 2004. [ISBN 0393019691]