In Athens, near the former royal palace, there is a beautiful National Park, created at the initiative of Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna Romanova, Queen of the Hellenes and granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I. She was the wife of King George I of Greece and personally chose the trees and flowers for the park, some of which were brought from Russia.

Olga married George, the 'Danish prince,' in 1867 in St. Petersburg when she was only 16 years old. She arrived in Greece, a country that had only recently gained independence, almost as a child. This marriage strengthened diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia and brought together the two ruling houses, Russian and Danish, which was a success for Russian diplomacy. Strengthening Russia's position in the Mediterranean was particularly important in light of the threat of conflict with Turkey.

Olga became very popular and beloved in Greece. The couple lived harmoniously in the Old Royal Palace, the first royal palace in Greece, built after the end of Turkish rule in 1843. Since 1934, this building has housed the Parliament of Greece, located in the center of modern Athens.

Exactly one hundred years ago, in October 1922, a tragic event occurred: Greece was defeated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, leading to the exile of the royal family, including Olga and her son, King Constantine I. On the throne remained Constantine's son, Alexander I. In exile in Italy, Olga passed away in 1926.

The queen dedicated her life to charity. In Greece, she patronized the crews of Russian military ships that entered the country's ports and participated in the establishment of a Russian naval base on the island of Poros. She also contributed to the construction of several churches and the creation of a military cemetery in the port of Piraeus, which still exists today as a Russian cemetery. During World War I in 1914, Olga was in Russia, where she founded a clinic for the wounded in Pavlovsk and personally assisted them.

Eternal rest and bright memory to the Russian Grand Duchess, Queen of the Hellenes, Olga Konstantinovna.