The Prince of Prussia has Russian roots.

His paternal grandmother, Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna, Princess of Prussia, was the great-granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II. Her biography is quite well-known, unlike that of his maternal grandmother, Countess Nina von Reventlow, born Pryadkina.

Nina was born into the family of doctor Nikolai Ivanovich Pryadkin.

Nikolai Pryadkin was born on February 17, 1896, in Kharkov, into a family of hereditary honorary citizens, who were previously serf peasants of landowner Borodaevsky and lived in his estate in the suburban settlement of Ivanovka. In 1831, after being freed from serfdom, the family engaged in petty trade, transitioned to merchant status, and for their philanthropy received the title of hereditary honorary citizens of Kharkov. The descendants of the Pryadkins still live in Kharkov and own an extensive family archive.

Nikolai graduated from the Kharkov Medical Institute and began private practice in Voronezh. There he met his wife Lydia Vladimirovna De Giffie, who was born on April 5, 1898, into a family of teachers in Voronezh gymnasiums. The De Giffie family was well-known in Voronezh, and their country house often hosted lovers of music, dance, and theater. Lydia's sister, Nina De Giffie, married composer Mikhail Tits. In Voronezh, on August 4, 1918, the Pryadkins had their only daughter, Nina. Soon the family moved to Kharkov. In 1930, they bought a house in Pokotilovka on Timiryazev Street, 6, where they lived until the end of their days. In Pokotilovka, the Pryadkins lived more modestly than in Voronezh and worked hard. Special attention was given to their daughter's education. Nina was an ordinary child but stood out from her peers with her knowledge of several foreign languages, love for music, and nobility.